Be Proactive: Help Prevent Prostate Cancer
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 24, 2012 in Men, Senior Care | 0 comments
By Aaron E. Katz, M.D.
Prostate health issues are becoming increasingly common in men, particularly those who are 50 years old and older. In fact, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The disease is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. Thanks to a simple physical exam and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, most prostate cancers can be detected before there are symptoms. If you do get prostate disease, you can harness the power of potent natural medicines to strengthen your body’s own ability to heal. But why wait for a negative diagnosis?
Here are steps that men can take to improve their prostate health, today.
Improving Your Diet — Reduce fat: Studies suggest a correlation between dietary fat and prostate cancer. Eat less than 30 percent fat overall and favor unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils over saturated and trans fats.
Eat organic: Eat a largely organic and vegetarian diet.
Start the Conversation: National Healthcare Decisions Day 2012
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 13, 2012 in Long-Term Care, Men, Senior Care, Women | 0 comments
By Denise Stahl, Executive Director, UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute
Families are often given the difficult job of making critical decisions about the care of their loved ones who have become seriously ill and are unable to speak for themselves. But all too often, families are making those decisions without knowing exactly what their loved ones would have wanted. That’s why UPMC is joining with healthcare leaders across the country to encourage families to start the conversation about advance care planning for National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16.
Advance care planning is the process of planning ahead for future medical care should you become unable to make your own decisions due to a life-limiting illness or injury. The best time to think about advance care planning is before you are sick so that you understand what your options are and can communicate them to your loved ones and your doctor. An advance directive, or living will, is a written document stating your wishes that guides the decisions of the health care team and provides comfort to your family.
Emotionally Thriving: Coping with the Emotion of Prostate Cancer
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Jan 14, 2012 in Men | 0 comments
By Steve Frohman
It’s no surprise that prostate cancer comes with its host of challenges, but we most commonly associate these with the physical, not the emotional. But the entire process – from the diagnosis, to the treatment, and even after it has been cleared – can severely impact a man’s mentality.
To date most research has been devoted to the physical side of prostate cancer and potential side-effects of treatment. And unfortunately little exists about the emotional distress and how to properly cope with prostate cancer. Yet, these emotions – sadness, fear, anger, depression, anxiety, loss of confidence – can be stifling, potentially affecting your work, relationships, energy level, and overall wellbeing.
The most common culprits of these emotions include loss of libido, decreased sexual activity, erectile difficulty and urinary incontinence. What’s more troubling is depression can sneak up in many different ways including appetite (decrease or increase), sleep patterns, sex drive, mood and behavior, memory, and concentration, to name a few. How do you move beyond these emotions, and live a thriving life after prostate cancer?
Latest Issue of St. Clair’s HouseCall Now Online
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Jan 12, 2012 in Men, Pediatrics, The Daily Beat, Women | 0 comments
Check out the recent edition of St. Clair Hospital’s quarterly publication. Click here to read the latest issue of HouseCall.
The Nonsurgical Option to Lift Skin
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Dec 26, 2011 in Men, The Daily Beat, Women | 0 comments
Ultherapy, a new cosmetic procedure, is all the rage these days. The beauty of ultherapy is that it can improve skin laxity in a meaningful way but is completely non–surgically. One treatment triggers the body’s own regenerative process of building new collagen to lift and tighten the skin. Learn more about this new procedure in this article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Could Mom Have Been Wrong? Discovering the Truth Behind Common Myths and Misconceptions
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Dec 10, 2011 in Men | 0 comments
By Brian Udermann
Oh the wonderful advice many of us were given by our parents. Don’t sit too close to the TV, take that bandage off your cut when you go to bed, don’t go swimming for at least 45 minutes after eating a meal, and for goodness sake stop cracking your knuckles or you will wind up with huge arthritic joints when you are older!
Turns out that sitting to close to the TV will not damage eyesight. It might lead to a bit of eyestrain which could cause your eyes to become red, dry, and even a bit irritated, but that will usually go away in 20 or 30 minutes after you turn the television off. Similarly, reading in low light conditions will not damage eyesight either. I used to panic every time I found one of my three boys reading by flashlight buried under their covers late at night, now I just let them read!
Countless hours of swimming enjoyment have been lost because good intentioned parents won’t let their children go into the water for 30, 45, or even 60 minutes after eating a meal. The fear is that if we go swimming after eating, much of our blood will be diverted from our muscles to our stomach to help with the digestion process and this could lead to stomach cramping and possible drowning.
I’ve searched the medical literature and have yet to come up with one single case of someone drowning or even having a near drowning experience because they went swimming after eating a meal. The rule in our house now is, if you want to swim after eating a meal, go ahead!
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