"Medical Minute" is a service of Penn State Newswire brought to you by John Messmer, M.D., a family physician, medical director of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s University Physician Group practice in Palmyra, and a 1977 graduate of Penn State College of Medicine. In 2002, Messmer was one of only 40 nominees statewide for the Family Physician of the Year Award, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.
December holidays include parties and get-togethers with family, friends and co-workers. Along with all the good food, holiday revelers will also find alcoholic beverages at most gatherings.
As winter approaches, the sounds of coughing and sneezing are beginning to fill the air. Many people might believe we catch colds from breathing the germ laden air at school or work. While that’s somewhat more likely for influenza, it is simply isn’t the case for common cold viruses. Studies have shown that it takes close contact over a long time to pick up viruses in the air. Even kissing does not transmit cold viruses very well.
Pennsylvania is experiencing winter wonderland a little early this year. Along with the recent snow we're experiencing very cold temperatures and cold weather increases the risk of cold weather injuries.
The American Diabetes Association estimates there are 17 million Americans with diabetes—nearly 6 percent of the U.S. population. More troubling is the fact that half of them don’t know they have it.
Diabetes is a terribly destructive disease. It silently destroys circulation to the heart, brain, kidneys, legs, eyes and skin. It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. More than 60 percent of non-traumatic amputations are due to diabetes and it is the leading cause of blindness in the adults 20 to 74.
Smoking kills 440,000 Americans annually – almost one person every minute. Smoking contributes significantly to cancers of the stomach, bladder, larynx, cervix and breast. However, most smoking deaths are from lung cancer, heart disease and chronic lung disease. In fact, more women die each year from smoking related lung cancer than from breast cancer.
Home health care--coming of age
Census figures show that 9.2 million or 31 percent of people over age 65 live alone. By 2020 that number is estimated to grow to 15.2 million. Older Americans living alone due to the death of a spouse are increasing rapidly. Three quarters of older Americans who live alone are women. Almost half are just above the poverty line. Being alone increases the risk of poor nutrition and nursing home admission.
Our views on dying have changed in the last half century. In the past, most people died quickly from infectious diseases or at birth with little time to prepare. Our life expectancy has improved through advances in public health and technology such as antibiotics, life support systems, advanced surgical techniques and effective medical treatments for cardiovascular disease and cancer. Death is still inevitable, but it can sometimes be a lonely, lengthy and uncomfortable process.
People are living longer. According to U.S. Census figures, Americans over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of our population and will triple to more than 26 million people with the next 40 years. Every eight seconds a baby boomer turns 50 and once boomers begin to retire, one in five Americans will be over 65. Advancements in medical care have extended our lives into the 80’s and beyond. As the trend continues toward longer life, so does the likelihood that many older people will receive medical care in their own homes.
As Halloween creeps up, kids will dream of spooky costumes, jack-o-lanterns and haunted houses. Halloween is one of the most thrilling nights of the year for children. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most dangerous. As kids hit the street to trick-or-treat, the potential for unintentional injury rises. In fact, children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year. Halloween can indeed be scary, with increases in pedestrian injuries, burns and falls among children.
In the last half century, prescription medications have had a major impact on our health. Infectious diseases that were a major cause of death in the early 20th century are much less threatening. We are living longer and more productive lives due to medications for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. Ulcers that were once treated with surgery now are cured with a simple combination of antibiotics and acid suppressants. Heart disease, cancer, lung conditions, and depression are effectively managed with medications.
Polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, German measles… illnesses that were once a major source of worry for parents and doctors are little more than an after thought today. Vaccination programs have now safeguarded roughly three generations of children from a host of illnesses, and they continue to keep kids safe from nearly a dozen diseases.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means we’ll hear a lot of statistics this month that may seem a bit frightening. The goal of all these numbers isn’t to frighten women or their families—it’s to get them to think seriously about the risk of breast cancer and what they should do about it.
West Nile Virus – The Fear Factor
You sit down to watch a little TV after dinner and the local news anchor announces, “Lancaster County man dies from West Nile virus. Story at 11.” You weren’t thinking about West Nile virus all day; now you can’t stop thinking about it. It’s a disease transmitted by mosquitoes and you’ve got a little itchy bump on your arm that might be a mosquito bite. You can’t help wonder: what are the chances…?
It’s only the flu! Many times the term, “the flu” is used to explain everything from a cold to upset stomachs. Real influenza is caused by a virus and is a serious disease that causes an average of 20,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone.
Depression—Early treatment offers hope
None of us will forget the tragic events of last September 11th. The impact of the horrific images that played and replayed on network news during the days and weeks that followed caused thousands of people to seek treatment for a variety of health problems brought on by psychological trauma. As our nation recalls 9/11, and the feelings of dread or sadness many people felt, this is as a good a time as any to address the stigma surrounding depression and remind everyone that effective treatment is available.
Cholesterol – The Good, The Bad, and the Triglycerides
September 4, 2002
Hershey, Pa. – Hardly a day passes without news on cholesterol and heart disease. One day fat is bad for us. The next day, fat is OK, but carbohydrates are bad. Good cholesterol vs. bad cholesterol vs. triglycerides. Chocolate is good, but the calories are bad. Wine is good, but only the red. How can we make sense of the conflicting information? Since September is Cholesterol Awareness month – now is as good a time as any to sort out the facts.
Keep Labor Day Picnics Safe from Food Borne Illness
August 28, 2002
Hershey, Pa. – End of summer means Labor Day picnics putting a cap on the season. The Centers for Disease Control estimate 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths result each year from people eating contaminated food. Many cases of food poisoning are mild—but whatever the symptoms no case is ever pleasant. With a little attention to basic food handling you can avoid Labor Day picnic memories tainted by food borne illness.