Health & Wellness - October 2015 Archives

  Oral health begins with clean teeth. Keeping the area where your teeth meet your gums clean can prevent gum disease, while keeping your ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m a 57 year-old woman and am so warm all the time that I don’t even wear a coat in the winter, just a heavy sweater. I sweat so much that it drips off my nose sometimes, and if I do any kind of physical activity — even just a short walk — I start sweating. It is uncomfortable but it is also embarrassing, and I stay away from social situations because of it. Is there anything that can be done for this? I don’t see other women having this problem. ANSWER: Excessive sweating such as you describe is called hyperhidrosis. Rest assured, effective treatment is available. In order to decide on the best treatment options for you, you will need a thorough evaluation with your doctor to review your symptoms and check for an underlying medical condition that could be contributing to the problem. The most common form of hyperhidrosis is called primary focal (or essential) hyperhidrosis. It happens when excess sweating is not triggered by a rise in temperature or physical activity. There is no medical cause for it and it tends to mainly affect the palms, face and soles of the feet, although in some cases it can involve the entire body.

During the harvest season, farmers spend countless hours in combines, tractors, trucks and other equipment in fields and on roads. "Living and working on a farm can be quite rewarding; however, heavy equipment and long hours can increase your risk for injuries," says Dawn Mihalovic-Bayer, physician assistant at Mayo Clinic Health System. "Fatigue, stress and medication can cause you to lose focus. Be sure to get enough sleep and take frequent breaks so you can safely enjoy your life on the farm." Mihalovic-Bayer explains the following safety tips can help make harvest time as safe as possible: Equipment Safety Turn all equipment off before making repairs or adjustments. Don't reach into equipment while parts are moving. Don't remove safety shields, roll bars or guards. Avoid wearing baggy clothing, loose jewelry or long hair near moving equipment. Use safety glasses, noise protection and other precautions, including masks, when using chemicals and pesticides. Never leave running equipment unattended.

The thyroid gland works as one of the body's control centers ... helping to regulate heart rate and metabolism. When your thyroid gland isn't working ...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and on the next program breast cancer specialist Dr. Sandhya Pruthi discusses the latest in diagnosis and treatment, including the debate ...

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Breast cancer: Prevention In addition to having regular mammograms, making changes in your daily life may help reduce your risk ...

Ruth Tibesar with the physicians she calls her "two knights" and who she says inspired her and helped her in her ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve had heavy bleeding with bad cramps for almost two months and was recently diagnosed with uterine fibroids. My doctor prescribed hormone treatment, which helped with the bleeding for a couple weeks, but when I stopped taking it due to negative side effects the bleeding started again. What are my other options for treatment? I am 31. ANSWER: When uterine fibroids cause symptoms such as bleeding and cramping, treatment is either directed at managing the symptoms, as is the case with hormone therapy, or it is focused on shrinking or removing the fibroids themselves. Treatment choices are typically based on severity of symptoms, as well as the size and location of the fibroids. Uterine fibroids are growths of the uterus that are not cancer. These firm masses can range from tiny and almost undetectable to large and bulky. Many women have uterine fibroids without knowing it because about 70 percent don’t have any symptoms. When uterine fibroids do cause symptoms, those you’ve experienced — bleeding and cramping — are the most common. Uterine fibroids can also lead to increased urinary frequency, constipation and a feeling of pressure within the pelvic area.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Mayo Clinic rheumatologist Thomas Osborn, M.D., says the inflammation ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0aFplx7n4 Journalists: Broadcast quality sound bites with Dr. Lee and Kevin Bennet are available in the downloads. To read a transcript of their quotes, ...

Breast cancer types: What your type means What makes one kind of breast cancer different from another? Location, hormones, genetic makeup and more. Get the ...

This article first appeared Oct. 5, 1957 in the publication Mayovox. Some time next month the Rochester Methodist Hospital expects to have ready for occupancy its new 12-bed constant observation unit, the “circle hospital” which has been built to the rear of the main building and connects to the hospital proper on second floor. More than three years of study and planning preceded construction of the unit. The period of trial during which there will be intensive study of efficiency of operation, staffing patterns and methods of patient care may take another three years. Grants from the Ford and Hill Foundations have provided funds for construction of the unit. There is the possibility of other grants to finance a study of its operation. Hospital administrator Harold C. Mickey looks on the project as “a unique opportunity to test a new approach to patient care that might affect hospital construction before we proceed with a building program.” The months of preliminary study included a survey of patients in all hospitals serving Clinic patients, and several detailed studies of the care of the seriously ill patient.