Health & Wellness - May 2013 Archives

MULTIMEDIA ALERT Thunderphobia: Mayo Experts Offer Tips to Help Children Conquer Severe Weather Fears   The round of violent storms across much of the country this week, especially the horrific tornado in Oklahoma Monday, reminds us severe weather season is back and for many families that means a renewed season of stress. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in children and adults, and storm phobias often trigger such anxiety. Mayo Clinic child psychologist Stephen Whiteside,Ph.D., L.P., says worries about weather can make it hard for kids to concentrate in school. Some children will routinely check forecasts or develop fears of leaving the house. Dr. Whiteside suggests these tips: Be calm and supportive. Tell children things like thunder won’t hurt them. Explain that storms are a normal part of nature. Talk about storms matter-of-factly. Some kids may seem afraid of storms, but are really interested in learning more about them. The same type of exposure-based behavioral therapy used to defeat many worries and phobias works well with weather-related phobias. Dr. Whiteside says it boils down to helping children face their fears by gradually helping them learn they can handle a fear, and other uncertainties of life, on their own. Help children face their fear of storms by reading about them or watching videos of tornadoes, hurricanes and other big storms. If the anxiety doesn’t diminish, or begins to create greater stress for the child or the parent, get the assistance of a mental health professional. JOURNALISTS: To interview Dr. Whiteside about storm-related phobias, contact Nick Hanson at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.  Sound bites with Dr. Whiteside are available in the downloads.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC:  I have long suffered from allergies. But there have been times when I haven’t been sure if my symptoms are really from my allergies or may be caused by a sinus infection instead. How can I tell the difference? ANSWER: Allergies and sinus infections are often mistaken for one another. But they are two separate conditions. By paying close attention to the specific symptoms you have, you can usually identify which one is more likely to be causing the problem. A sinus infection, also called sinusitis, affects the cavities around your nasal passages. The infection causes your sinuses to become inflamed and swollen. The swelling makes it hard for your sinuses to drain, and mucus builds up. You become congested and have trouble breathing through your nose. Sinusitis often causes thick yellow or green nasal discharge. A sore throat, cough or headache, as well as pressure or tenderness around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead, may also accompany sinusitis.

Leaders from the City of Rochester, Olmsted County and Mayo Clinic are applauding the passage of the Destination Medical Center (DMC) legislation and thanking the bill authors, ...

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Breast Cancer Public support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Expert Answers Mammogram guidelines: What are they? Mastectomy Aspirin allergy: What are the symptoms? Lyme disease Organ donation: Don't let these myths confuse you HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Posture check: Do you stand up straight?    Good posture minimizes strain on your joints and muscles, which can help prevent aches and pains. So what's good posture? When you're standing, keep your chest held high and your shoulders back and relaxed. Try not to tilt your head forward, backward or sideways. Pull in your abdomen and buttocks. Make sure your knees are relaxed, not locked. Keep your feet parallel and your weight balanced evenly on both feet.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed a promising method to distinguish between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis — two disorders that are difficult to tell apart. A molecular marker obtained from ...

In his Saturday speech to a joint commencement ceremony for the Mayo Graduate School and Mayo Medical School, Tom Brokaw highlighted the importance of renewing the ...

May 17, 2013 Dear Mayo Clinic: For the past couple of weeks my calves have been swollen. They don't hurt, but I definitely notice that my socks ...

On Saturday Robert Brown Jr., M.D., will join us to talk about stroke prevention. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, claims ...

New research shows that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at higher risk of melanoma. Mayo Clinic researchers found that IBD is associated with a 37 ...

Mayo Clinic has a new educational video to communicate our guidelines for appropriate employee use of social media and to encourage creative work-related application of social tools in health care. #SocialAtMayo – Social Media Guidelines for Mayo Clinic Employees is part of our orientation program for new hires and also will be distributed to the broader base of 60,000 current employees. Our Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media produced the video as part of our charge to “improve health globally by accelerating effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and spurring broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients.”

MEDIA ADVISORY: Tom Brokaw will be available for media interviews from 9 - 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, in the North Lobby Boardroom at ...

Imaging scans following treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma do little to help detect a relapse, according to a Mayo Clinic study.The overwhelming majority of patients ...