Health & Wellness - August 2013 Archives

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the United States each year. That's roughly 10 times more cases than are generally reported to the CDC through routine surveillance. It also makes Lyme disease the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S. The CDC says this new estimate confirms that Lyme disease is a tremendous public health problem in the United States and clearly highlights an urgent need for prevention. Mayo Clinic infectious disease expert Abinash Virk, M.D., says a few basic precautions will reduce the chances of contracting not just Lyme, but all tick-borne diseases. Dr. Virk's top tick-bite prevention tips are:  Use a suitable insect repellent. Check yourself, children and pets after being outdoors. To reduce your risk on hikes, stay on trails. If you leave the path, wear long pants tucked into your socks. If you find ticks, remove them right away. Use force and pinch the tick near its mouth parts, pulling the tick out slowly in a continuous motion. Don’t twist it, which may leave mouth parts embedded in the skin. Keep grass short in yards and avoid ungroomed areas. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Abinash (AH-bih- nosh) Virk (Verk), and b-roll of ticks in the Mayo Clinic parasitology lab are available in the downloads. 

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was diagnosed last year, at the age of 38, with shingles. What causes someone who is relatively young to get shingles? Does this mean I am more likely to get it again? Should I get the vaccine at this point or wait until the recommended age of 60? ANSWER: Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once you have had chickenpox, varicella-zoster stays in your body for the rest of your life. When the virus is reactivated, the result is shingles. [Watch this animation: stages of shingles] Shingles typically involves a band-like rash on one side of the chest, abdomen or face. The rash is usually quite painful. Most people recover from shingles over several weeks. A small number have lingering severe pain, called post-herpetic neuralgia, along the nerve that was irritated when the virus came back. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGDsSPUj3vw Mayo Clinic has always been a destination for patients seeking answers. Now, to help usher in a new age of medicine that uses technologies like whole genome sequencing, philanthropists Cecilia and Dan Carmichael are donating $5 million to launch the Individualized Medicine Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Dan Carmichael says, “It’s really an exciting time. We want to support the Mayo staff we’ve gotten to know and love in transforming care for our family and others.” The Mayo Clinic Individualized Medicine Clinic offers two types of consulting: one for cancer patients for whom standard treatments have failed, and one for "diagnostic odyssey" cases — complex or mysterious disorders that are difficult to diagnose but appear to have a genetic cause.  Click here for news release Journalists: Sound bites with Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael and Alexander Parker, Ph.D., an epidemiologist and Florida-based associate director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, are available in the downloads.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES  Alzheimer's prevention: Does it exist? Alzheimer's prevention: which strategies for staying physically and mentally fit may be most effective? Diagnosing Alzheimer's: How Alzheimer's is diagnosed How is Alzheimer's diagnosed? Why is it important to get a diagnosis of memory problems? EXPERT ANSWERS Tumor vs. cyst: What's the difference? Tumors and cysts are two distinct entities. Superslow strength training: Does it work? Superslow strength training can help you mix up your strength training routine. HEALTHY RECIPES Chipotle-spiced shrimp Sweet peppers stuffed with scalloped corn Watermelon-cranberry agua fresca Zucchini bread  HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Take precautions before your mani-pedi Speak up at the salon. Don't let the nail tech cut your cuticles. Cutting your cuticles can lead to nail infections. Also ask about tool sterilization. Unsterilized tools may transmit viral infections, such as hepatitis B or warts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6DoZK9JPF4 A new population-based study has found that patients with glioblastoma who died in 2010, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of ...

On Saturday, August 17th, Mayo Clinic Radio will feature a compilation program from previous programs based on the abdominal cavity. Joseph Murray, M.D., will discuss celiac ...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently updated its recommendations for its “Smart Snacks in Schools” proposal, including limiting in-school snacks to 200 calories a day. Mayo Clinic Health System registered dietitian Diane Dressel offers parents snack options that meet caloric standards, while also taking into account portability, perishability, food allergies and dietary restrictions. Dressel says, “What better time to get kids into healthy eating patterns than at a young age,” and encourages any snack idea to include fruits or vegetables.  Here are some suggestions: Grapes and pretzels Apples and string cheese or baked chips Carrots and fat-free dip Yogurt with strawberries or blueberries Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.,L.D., offers more tips. Zeratsky says that while you can't go through the school lunch line with your child, you can offer some guidance ahead of time about making healthy choices. Journalists: Sound bites from Katherine Zeratsky on student nutrition tips and healthy food b-roll video are available in the downloads. 

Depending where you live, the school year is about start anew or has already begun. Mayo Clinic experts would like to help lighten the load. ...

[You can listen to a podcast of the entire program: Mayo Clinic Radio – Full Show 8-3-2013] Developing good dental hygiene is especially important for children. On a recent Mayo Clinic Radio show, Thomas Salinas, D.D.S., was a guest expert and he discussed dental health topics, from cavities and canker sores to larger issues such as cleft palates or implants. During the radio program listeners tweeted specific questions and below are Dr. Salinas' answers. *Follow #mayoclinicradio on Saturdays, 9 am CT. Q: Is brushing twice important?  Can we use oral chemicals to rinse mouth at night? A:  Assuming twice a day brushing (YES!) and you can use chlorhexidine or cetylpyridinium before bed. Q: What is the most effective toothpaste? A: All fluoridated toothpastes with ADA seal are effective. Q: Won't 4 minutes of brushing wear down enamel over time? A:  4 minutes of brushing will not appreciably wear down enamel. Q: How important is the direction you brush?  Which area of mouth needs more attention? A:  Angle brush 45 degrees to gum with small circular strokes. Spend slightly more time on back teeth.

Mayo Clinic is now offering chronic pain sufferers a new, implantable pain-blocking device approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — that is safe for full-body MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanners. The device is an advancement on neurostimulation technology that's been is use for decades, but has been denied many patients who would likely need ongoing MRI scans. Also called spinal cord stimulation, the small, battery-powered transmitters deliver signals through electrical leads implanted along the spinal cord. The signals interfere with pain messages traveling from nerves to the brain. Mayo Clinic pain medicine specialist, Halena Gazelka, M.D., says the devices work extremely well for the majority of people with intractable back, arm and leg pain. But, until now, she's had to tell numerous patients they couldn't use one because MRI scans were more important for managing their medical conditions. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Halena (hah-LEE-nah) Gazelka (gah-ZEL-kah) and b-roll of the device, x-rays and a spinal model are available in the downloads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpVLb4RCG_0

With a new school year about to get underway, moms and dads have no doubt been going down their preparations list: school supplies, car pools, bus schedules - ...

JACKSONVILLE, Flórida — Uma droga aprovada recentemente para o tratamento de mieloma múltiplo está sendo testada para comprovar sua capacidade de combater o linfoma do ...