Annual Preventive Physicals

Staying healthy for years to come is not an impossible achievement. Healthy diet and exercise are the first steps in the right direction in maintaining good health. Another great way to stay healthy is to have an annual preventive exam or physical.

During your annual physical, you may be offered age appropriate diagnostic tests that will help determine your current level of health.

Many of the areas that we examine during a physical include: heart health, hearing loss, bone density, and some cancers and blood disorders.

Health Facts about the Heart:

• Total Cholesterol should be less than 200
• LDL (Bad) Cholesterol should be less than 100 or less than 70 for patients with Diabetes
• HDL (Good) Cholesterol should be greater than 40
• Cholesterol ratio should be less than 3.5

Heart Disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States. Currently 1 out of 10 women have heart disease and 1 out of 6 men have heart disease. There are many factors that affect the health of the heart: smoking, diet, exercise, cholesterol, and heredity. With use of the newest technology many heart problems are preventable if not avoidable. Blood work to check cholesterol, EKG or heart ultrasounds if indicated, and regular blood pressure checks are a great way to monitor potential problems.

Health Facts about Osteoporosis (Bone Loss):

• Osteoporosis may be preventable with good consumption of Vitamin D and Calcium along with daily excercise.
• This disease can be treated with a range of prescription medications.
• Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis.
• Menopause can also increase the chances to develop the disease.
• The Dexa Scan is the test used for most women over forty to detect the disease.
• A scan is recommended every two years for screening after age forty.
• This test is available at AFD for your convenience.

Osteoporosis or bone loss is a debilitating disease that can be prevented and even treated. Bone loss affects an estimated 44 million Americans, of which 80% are women. This disease causes the bones to become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones usually occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease. from. This condition is detectable by bone density testing, which is a quick eight to ten minutes test.

Health Facts for some Cancers and Blood work:

• Annual Pap smears & breast exams are recommended for all women. Women should do a breast self-exam every month.
• Yearly PSA & Prostate / Rectal Exam starting at age 40 for men.
• Men should have a fecal blood test every year starting at age 50; with a colonoscopy once every 10 years starting at age 50, earlier if there is a family history.
• Annual blood work will also indicate cancers like Leukemia, which affect the young and old.
• Blood work will also indicate the presence of many diseases like diabetes, thyroid problems, HIV, Hepatitis, common infections, and many other problems.

Are you at risk for some type of cancer or blood disease? Cancers are on the rise in this country and around the world, 4 out of 10 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Many cancers are detectable by blood work and diagnostic testing. Simple blood work and testing are great forms of preventative medicine.

Health Facts about the Ear:

• Ear problems can manifest by dizziness, ear fullness, earache, ringing in the ears (Tinnitus),ear wax, and inner ear disorders.
• Hearing loss can be noise induced. Proper hearing protection will decrease your risk of hearing loss.
• Wearing ear plugs/ ear muffs while mowing the lawn or turning down the volume of your MP3 player can minimize the permanent damage on your inner ear.
• Wearing swimmers plugs/ ear plugs while swimming may minimize swimmers ears or ear infection.
• Ringing in the ears or fluctuating hearing loss combined with dizziness may be a sign of Menere's disease.

Ear and hearing disorders are one of the most common conditions affecting ALL age groups from infants to older adults. Of the 28 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, approximately 17 in 1000 children have some degree of hearing loss less than 18 years of age, which could be potentially identifiable by some quick hearing tests. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing problems can make it hard to respond to warnings and to hear doorbells and alarms. They can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. Regular annual hearing tests will help in early identification of middle & inner ear disorders including dizziness & vertigo.

Announcements

We would like to announce that we will be expanding into Spring Hill starting September 1st of 2008. We are very excited to add this location to our AFD Family. We hope to see you guys there. More information will be coming soon!!!
Services that America's Family Doctors offer during Annual Physicals:


AFD schedules appointments Monday through Friday for full physical exams and pap smears. Our full physicals may include:
Blood Work Chest X-ray Urine Analysis Hearing & Vision TestingEKG Breathing Tests Prostate examination for men Paps for women Further testing may be indicated like Bone Density scans, Stress Testing, and Heart ultrasounds at the time of your appointment. Please call today to schedule your Annual Physical. Same day appointments are now available.

May is Hearing Month

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month

How are your Ears Doing?

Hearing problems are the third most chronic health condition in the United States. These problems can be linked to loud noise exposure, heredity, repeated colds, long standing diabetes, or high blood pressure, and even side effects of certain drugs. Issues with hearing can affect a person socially. Whether it is trying to have a conversation with friends, listen to the TV, or enjoy your favorite music; not being able to hear properly can take the joy out of your favorite activities.

Here is some healthy ear advice:
When swimming, use swimmer's ear plugs to the keep the ears dry. This prevents swimmers ear infections.

• Avoid loud noises, use protection like ear plugs or ear muffs when operating noisy machinery
• Turn down the volume of your Personal CD/MP3 player
• Every child and adult should have a hearing test done annually
• Clean ears regularly (A build up of ear wax can mask infections and decrease hearing ability)
• Avoid using Q-tips as much as possible to clean out your ears.

We encourage you to maintain optimum hearing health and to help identify early hearing loss in both children & adults. During your annual physical, we offer hearing tests as well. Hearing tests may indicate any ear disorders, infections, or hearing problems that you may have. At America's Family Doctors we use diagnostic equipment to aid us in the diagnosis and management of these ear related problems such as:

• Hearing Loss
• Dizziness
• Vertigo
• Middle ear disorders, ear infections, or fluid in the middle ear
• Tinnitus or ringing in the ears
• Ear ache or fullness / pressure in the ears
  

Fungal Nail Infections

Fungal Nail Infections

A fingernail or toenail infection that is caused by a fungus is called onychomycosis (say: "on-ee-koh-my-ko-sis"). Toenails are more likely to become infected than fingernails.
This infection can make your nails thick and discolored. Your nails may also be brittle or change their shape. You may even have pain in your toes or fingertips.

Who gets fungal nail infections?
Anyone can get a fungal nail infection. These infections are more common in adults older than 60 years of age. They are especially common in people with diabetes or circulation problems. Children rarely get fungal nail infections.

Why did I get a fungal nail infection?
It may be hard to know where or how you got a fungal nail infection. A warm and wet place provides the perfect conditions for a fungus to grow. If you often wear heavy work boots that make your feet warm and sweaty, a fungus can grow around your toenails. If you often walk barefoot in locker rooms, you can pick up a fungus from the warm, wet floors.

People whose hands are often wet (for example, dishwashers in restaurants and professional house cleaners) are more likely to get fungal fingernail infections.

Sometimes several people in a family will get fungal infections in their nails at the same time. This can happen because their immune systems aren't't able to fight off the infection very well or because the infection is being passed when they use the same towels.

How do I find out if I have a fungal nail infection?
If you think you have a fungal infection in your fingernails or toenails, see your doctor. By looking carefully at your nails, your doctor might be able to tell if you have an infection.

How is a fungal nail infection treated?
Several medicines can treat a fungal nail infection. Some of these medicines are not safe for people who have liver problems or a history of congestive heart failure. Be sure to let your provider know if you have one of these conditions. Your provider will decide which medicine is right for you.

You might only need to take the medicine for 6 weeks. You might need to take it for 6 months, or longer. It depends on where the infection is and the severity of the infection.
Topical treatments, or creams and polish that you apply to the top of your nail, also may be available for mild infections.

Because of the high price of some of these medications your provider may consider other treatments like toenail removal in severe infections.

What can I do to take care of my nails?

• Keep your nails cut short and file down any thick areas.
• Don't use the same nail trimmer or file on healthy nails and infected nails. If you have your nails professionally manicured, you should bring your own nail files and trimmers from home.
• Wear waterproof gloves for wet work (like washing dishes or floors). To protect your fingers, wear 100 percent cotton gloves for dry work.
• Wear 100 percent cotton socks. Change your socks when they are damp from sweat or if your feet get wet. Put on clean, dry socks every day. You can put over-the-counter anti-fungal foot powder inside your socks to help keep your feet dry.
• Wear shoes with good support and a wide toe area. Don't wear pointed shoes that press your toes together.
• Avoid walking barefoot in public areas such as locker rooms.
  

Information Source: FamilyDoctor.org