Health & Wellness - October 2015 Archives

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 ...

By Filza Hussain, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Health System behavioral health provider. As a psychiatrist who also is a self-confessed film buff, I get very excited to watch films with psychological themes. Whether it’s a film based on a Nobel-prize-winning schizophrenic mathematical genius in “A Beautiful Mind" or the fictional story “The Sixth Sense,” about a boy who sees dead people, I'm enthralled. I find that popular media plays a big role in informing the general masses and shaping opinions. So, imagine my frustration as I watch films where orderlies dressed in white from head to toe subdue a patient in a straitjacket or scenes where doctors use shock treatments as punishment. Some of these movies are old classics, and certainly portray the sentiment and stigma surrounding mental illness at the time. Yet, the stigma still exists, and this can be quite debilitating for patients as they struggle to find balance between wanting help and not being judged. Personally, I find the stigma and misconceptions popularized by the media to be a hurdle I jump over almost daily to create a treatment plan for my patients. So let’s try and bust a few myths: Lithium. Contrary to what some songs may lead you to believe, lithium is a very useful medication when monitored carefully, used for the right reasons and taken as prescribed. I wish all the patients who have been helped by lithium would get together and write a song about its benefits.

This article first appeared In the Loop September 29, 2015 For the first 12 miles, Rochester's inaugural Med City Fall Half Marathon was very much ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My mother was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer a few weeks ago. She had surgery and is about to begin chemotherapy, and I’ve read that sometimes chemo is more effective if it is given directly in the abdomen. Is this commonly done, and should I ask her doctor about it? Also, why is radiation not part of her treatment plan? ANSWER: Treatment for ovarian cancer at the stage of your mother’s diagnosis typically includes a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy was used for ovarian cancer in the past, but today it is uncommon because the other two treatments have been shown to be more effective for this type of cancer. Ovarian cancer is a rare cancer. About 22,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, compared to several hundred thousand cases of breast cancer. It begins in the ovaries — the two small organs on either side of the uterus that create eggs, or ova, and make the hormones progesterone and estrogen. Cancer that looks and behaves like ovarian cancer can also start in the fallopian tubes or the lining of the pelvis or abdomen, called the peritoneum. All three of these cancers are treated the same way — with surgery and chemotherapy — and they are all often referred to as "ovarian cancer."

ROCHESTER, Minn. — With questions lingering about the safety of medical imaging and the radiation that is used in some of those tests, Mayo Clinic radiation safety expert Cynthia McCollough, Ph.D., wrote a paper that provides clear answers that she hopes will allay patients’ fears. Dr. McCollough wrote “Answers to Common Questions About the Use and Safety of CT Scans,” which was published Oct. 1 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings as a Q&A in an effort to provide credible, balanced information about how much radiation a CT scan delivers and what levels are considered safe. So, are CT scans safe? Yes, says Dr. McCollough. Patients can get a prescribed CT scan without worrying, Dr. McCollough says. “Radiation has a bad rap. The Incredible Hulk and Spider Man were mutants created from some radiation exposure; that’s science fiction. The truth is we are all exposed to radiation every day of our lives, with no evidence that those low doses cause any long-term harm.” Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. McCullough are available in the downloads. MEDIA CONTACT: Ethan Grove, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

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 ...

Varicose veins and peripheral artery disease (PAD) are common blood vessel disorders. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, cardiovascular disease specialist Dr. Thom Rooke explains ...

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Flu shot: Your best bet for avoiding influenza Flu season is nearly here, so it's a good time to get ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Six years ago, at age 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a lumpectomy. I remained cancer-free until nine months ago, when the cancer returned. This time I opted for a double mastectomy without reconstruction. If I decide to have breast reconstruction down the road, are my options limited since I didn’t have it done right away? What type of reconstruction would you recommend for someone like me? ANSWER: In general, breast reconstruction surgery falls into two categories. The first involves using a woman’s own tissue taken from another area of the body to form new breast mounds. This is called autologous breast reconstruction. The second uses breast implants to reshape the breasts. If you decide to have breast reconstruction at some point, the standard treatment option based on your history would be autologous reconstruction. It would offer you the best chance for a successful outcome with the lowest risk of complications.

Questions about calcium supplements for older adults are in the news. Recent studies published in the British Medical Journal found that extra dietary calcium intake was not associated with fracture reduction and increasing dietary calcium intake does not prevents fractures. However, says Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Dr. Robert Wermers, Americans aren't getting enough calcium in their diet. The median dietary intake in the U.S. for women age 50 or older is 589-649 mg per day and 728-777 per day for men. He says despite the new findings, he recommends patients follow the Institute of Medicine’s guidelines of 1200 mg of calcium in women 51 years of age and older, 1000 mg daily for men 51-70 years old and 1200 mg for those above 70 years of age. Dr. Wermers says, "The ability to maintain calcium balance worsens and bone loss accelerates after 50 years of age. Your risk of fracture also increases with older age. In fact, several studies have shown that calcium combined with low daily doses of  vitamin D  reduces fracture risk and increases bone density." Calcium supplements, he says, should be considered only if you do not get the recommended daily amount of calcium through diet.

Cancer fatigue: Why it occurs and how to cope Treatment side effects, pain, cancer itself. These are just a few of the reasons you may ...

Varicose veins and peripheral artery disease (PAD) are common blood vessel disorders. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, cardiovascular disease specialist Dr. Thom Rooke explains ...