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Diabetes Education Round-Up

Diabetes Education Round-Up

November 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

diabetes education

When you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, the news often comes as a shock. Even for patients whose family members have had diabetes, adjusting to a new lifestyle takes time and some research. Over the last year, we’ve answered many of your questions and provided a lot of diabetes education through articles on our website. To make it easier to find, we’ve compiled all these articles in one location. Feel free to bookmark this page. We’ll add links to new articles as we write them. If you have questions we haven’t answered here, leave us a note in the comments, ask one of our providers or comment on Facebook. We’d love to write more articles based on your questions.

Need information about diabetes? Start here:

How Your Provider Diagnoses Diabetes

Five Diabetes Symptoms You Can’t Ignore

What is Prediabetes?

How to Protect Your Feet with Diabetes

Six Ways to Manage Your Diabetes at Work

Best Breakfast Ideas for Diabetics

Sick Day Guidelines for People with Diabetes

Finding and Educating Your Diabetes Support Team

Diabetes and Your Vision: Risks, Symptoms, and Treatment

Diabetes and Heart Disease: A Deadly Duo

True Cost of Diabetes Reaches Beyond the Patient

Diabetes and Gastroparesis

Disaster Preparedness for Diabetes and Chronic Illness

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What is COPD?

November 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment

COPD

Most of us have experienced bronchitis or flu that caused constant coughing for days or even weeks. What if that cough lasted for months or even years? Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) experience long-term coughing, wheezing, mucus production, difficulty breathing. COPD is an umbrella term for chronic lung disease which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Most COPD patients in the United States and other developed countries are diagnosed after years of smoking cigarettes. Smokers of cigars and marijuana, as well as those exposed to second-hand smoke, are also at risk of developing COPD. Exposure to chemical lung irritants in the workplace or to cooking in the home with organic cooking oil most often seen in under-developed countries may also develop COPD.

Emphysema

Patients with emphysema experience damage to the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. These sacs stretch out of shape which prevents your lungs from expelling all the carbon dioxide from the lungs and leaves less room for fresh oxygen to fill the lungs.

Chronic Bronchitis

When the tiny, hair-like structures (cilia) inside your lungs airways become damaged, they can no longer perform their duties to clean your airways. This damage may cause swelling in the airways which limits how much oxygen can enter the airways.

Refractory (non-reversible) Asthma

Asthma causes bronchial airways to swell and tighten, reducing the amount of air allowed into the lungs. In normal asthma, medications can reverse this swelling and tightening. In refractory asthma, normal asthma medications can not reverse the effects of an asthma attack.

By the time a patient experiences symptoms of COPD, the disease has progressed for a long time. Most COPD patients are over the age of 40 due to the long-term exposure to irritants required to develop the disease. Symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath, especially during physical activities
  • Wheezing
  • Chest tightness
  • Having to clear your throat first thing in the morning, due to excess mucus in your lungs
  • A chronic cough that may produce mucus (sputum) that may be clear, white, yellow or greenish
  • Blueness of the lips or fingernail beds (cyanosis)
  • Frequent respiratory infections
  • Lack of energy
  • Unintended weight loss (in later stages)
  • Swelling in ankles, feet or legs

If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms over multiple weeks, its time to contact your doctor. While you may not have COPD, the presence of these symptoms on a consistent or recurring basis point to a medical problem which requires the assistance of your medical provider. If you’ve been diagnosed with COPD and do not have a regular, general practitioner to help you manage your disease alongside your pulmonologist, call our office today at 662-282-4226 to schedule an appointment with one of our providers

One final word. While COPD has no cure, it is easy to prevent. If you smoke, stop. If you need help quitting smoking, you aren’t alone. Let our providers help you find a cessation program that works for you.

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Am I Too Young for Shingles?

November 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment

shingles vaccine

From 1992 to 2010, cases of shingles in people over 65 have increased by 39%. As baby boomers flip over the 65 mark, it’s not surprising to see an increase in cases of the virus. Most people don’t realize people under 65 years old report 50% of all cases.

Researchers propose multiple theories from lack of exposure to the virus due to an effective chicken pox vaccine to lower immune systems due to diabetes and heart disease. Most evidence rules out both of these possibilities, which leaves us with no real reason for the increase in cases of the virus, especially among younger adults.

What you need to know

Shingles arises from the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chicken pox. When a person contracts chickenpox, the virus lays dormant in their nerve cells. Typically the virus “reawakens” as a person’s immune system decreases with age. Shingles appear as a painful, blistering rash. For some sufferers, shingles leaves behind long term pain called postherpetic neuralgia on the site where the blisters erupted. Most people experience one bout of the virus, but some may suffer through two or three recurring cases.

Antiviral medications started within 72 hours of symptoms may shorten the duration of the rash and pain and decrease the chances a person will suffer from long-term pain. Over the counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen may also help.

Shingles Vaccine

Insurance companies typically cover the cost of a two-dose shingles vaccine for patients 50 years of age and older and may be found at local pharmacies. Patients under 50 who wish to take the vaccine often must pay the nearly $300 cost out of pocket.

If you’ve experienced a rash with or without pain, make an appointment to see your medical provider.  

Learn more about research into the rise in young adult shingles cases.

 

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Five Ways to Tame Your Sugar Craving

November 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment

sugar craving

This morning you promised yourself you’d eat healthier, but you forgot Jane’s birthday was today and somebody brought cake. It’d be rude not to eat a slice. Before you know it, a mid-afternoon donut calls your name and a bowl of sugary cereal wraps up the day as your bedtime snack.

What happened?

Our brains rely on a steady supply of sugar in order to function. Sugar, in and of itself, isn’t our problem, its the added sugars in those breakroom confections and processed foods that send our brains into overload leading to increased sugar craving. Sugar triggers the release of feel-good hormones called Serotonin. These hormones help us relax. Combine those benefits with the fact sugar tastes good and it’s no wonder we want to dive right into a vat of chocolate.

Overdoses of sugar, however, lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and a slew of other health problems. To reduce your body’s sugar craving, start small and make deliberate steps to choose healthier foods.

Distance Yourself

Instead of grabbing the mid-day snack to snap you from your afternoon slump, take a stroll around the office. Anticipating a sweet treat often makes us feel better than actually eating it. Adding distance between you and the temptation allows you time to consider why you really wanted that soda or bag of chips (or both).

Dish Out Smaller Portions

Some folks prefer going cold turkey and cutting out all added sugar at once. If you aren’t that self-disciplined, allow yourself a bite-sized candy bar or combine your sugar craving with a healthy treat. For instance, dip a high-fiber fruit like strawberries into a chocolate. The fiber slows the absorption of the sugar and keeps you full longer.

Chew Over It

Chewing aids in making your body feel full. Instead of giving into a sweet treat and feeding your sugar craving, pop a piece of sugarless gum into your mouth.

Go Bananas

Fruits include natural sugars. While too much fruit increases your blood sugar like foods with added sugar, eaten in moderation fresh fruit can satisfy your sweet tooth and provide your body with fiber and other nutrients that slow down sugar absorption. Dried fruit added to an assortment of nuts covers your craving while keeping proportions in check. Remember, too much fruit can overload your sugar system too, so don’t use this as a blank check.

Eat Mindfully

Do you crave that cheesecake because you’re celebrating a unique occasion or because you’re stressed over work? Understanding why you choose specific foods may help you steer toward healthier options. If stress drives you to sugar, it might be time to schedule time with a counsellor instead. Eating a donut after a stressful encounter offers no long term solutions, but it may very well create long-term problems.

Most people find quitting sugar “cold turkey” difficult. Choose one or two of these steps to reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet this week. Once you’ve cut back on your sugar consumption, your mind and body will more willingly choose healthier options.

 

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Opioid Prescriptions in Mississippi Decrease by 40%

October 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

decrease in opioid prescriptions

Earlier this year, the American Medical Association (AMA) reported an overall 22% decrease in opioid prescriptions in the U.S. between 2013 and 2017. Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) found prescriptions among their members decreased by an average of 29% in that same time frame.

In Mississippi, BCBS reported a 43% decrease in opioid prescriptions from 2013 through 2017. They also found more than 50% of new opioid prescriptions in Mississippi met the dosing and duration guidelines set by the CDC.

While these numbers show promise, they do not mean the opioid crisis is over. It does show doctors recognize the problem and are initiating a decrease in opioid prescriptions and opioid addiction. Mississippi continues to have one of the highest opioid use disorder rates in the nation. In Mississippi, 6-9 people out of every 1,000 reporting the disorder.

Reducing the number of opioid prescriptions and avoiding long-term high doses of opioids especially with first prescriptions paves the way to reducing new cases of opioid addiction cases. However, we must continue the work to care for those in our state who suffer from this addiction. Talking about opioid addiction, removing the stigma of getting help and providing more comprehensive counseling to addicts and their families continues to be a priority for our behavioral health team.

We’d like to talk to your community, church or school group about the advances in the opioid epidemic as well as what you can do to help us fight for affected community members. Please contact our community educator, Debbie Pannell, LMSW, in our behavioral health center to schedule a time for her to speak to your group.

 

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What is gluten?

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

what is gluten

Have you noticed the letters GF next to menu items at your favorite restaurants? Those letters stand for Gluten Free, a designation virtually unheard of in the United States before 2000. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. When water and wheat combine, gluten gives the mixture its tacky, glue-like texture. This “glue” bonds your favorite breads, crackers, and pastries together.

Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which gluten causes gut inflammation, traces back to 100 AD. It wasn’t until the 1940s when a shortage of wheat caused improvement in celiac patients that doctors connected this protein with gut problems.

Only 1% of the U.S. population holds an official celiac diagnosis although 30% of Americans eat a reduced gluten or GF diet.

Why do people eat gluten-free if they don’t have to?

For Celiac patients, gluten causes an autoimmune response in the gut which prevents absorption of nutrients. In these patients, this protein may also cause bloating, diarrhea, headache, tiredness, skin rashes, and anemia. Removing this protein from their diet allows their intestines to heal, restores absorption and clears other symptoms.

Since 2000, claims abound about how the protein affects other autoimmune diseases like diabetes and how a gluten-free diet may benefit people with autism. People may attempt a reduced or GF diet in order to lose weight, because it’s a fad or because they believe it may relieve inflammation symptoms from other diseases.

Should I consider a gluten-free diet?

Before beginning any new diet, visit your healthcare provider. If you have symptoms of celiac, tests to confirm the diagnosis must be made before a patient begins a GF diet. No diagnosis may be made if the gut heals because of the lack of gluten before testing is completed.

Manufacturers fortify bread products with fiber and vitamins necessary for healthy living. By cutting this protein from your diet without a celiac diagnosis, you may do more harm than good. A visit with your provider and a nutritionist can help you decide if GF living would benefit your health.

Is gluten-free eating healthy?

Yes and no. If you replace gluten-containing junk food with gluten-free junk food, it’s still junk food. Diets based on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, legumes and grains like corn can improve your nutrient intake, but these foods are always recommended whether you’re eating GF or not.

If you’re experiencing inflammation, digestion problems or unexplained weight loss, make an appointment with one of our providers today. Whether gluten is your culprit or not, our providers can help you find the way back to health.

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Benefits of family counseling for opioid addiction

October 11, 2018 By Leave a Comment

family counselling for opioid addiction

Addiction sneaks up on people. For people battling opioid addiction, it may begin as one extra pill to manage pain from an accident or injury. Soon the patient feels sick if they miss one dose of medication. While the pain has subsided, the effects of stopping the pain medication create as much or more pain as the original problem.

While a person suffers through the torturous cycle of needing more pain medication and a desire to quit taking the medication, their family watches the person they love lose interest in family, activities, work, and school.

Families respond differently to the effects of opioid addiction. Some distance themselves from the addict. Other enable the addict in an effort to hide the addiction. Arguments, dishonesty, and fear replace family relationships.

 

When an opioid addict seeks out treatment, many families feel a rush of relief. Finally, the addiction is being recognized, discussed and addressed. Treatment for the addicted family member isn’t the end of the addiction, but rather the beginning of a lifelong recovery. A recovery that affects all family members.

Family Therapy Benefits the Addict

While those seeking treatment need interaction with their peers in treatment, it’s also important to reconcile family relationships. Addiction often fosters distrust, anger, fear and other negative emotions between family members. Recovering addicts need the support of their family in order to continue through the hard days of temptation and cravings. Family therapy allows an addict to recognize how their addiction affected their family and what family dynamics may have enabled their addiction.

Family Therapy Benefits the Family

In addition to providing the recovering addict with a safe place to connect with their family, therapy allows all family members to discuss their goals, how the addiction has affected their lives and what reconciliation looks like for them. Burying the hurt and disappointment of watching a loved one succumb to addiction does not facilitate healing of the family. A trained family therapist can help families reconcile their emotions and find ways to provide the support a recovering addict needs in order to stay sober.

Family therapy offers encouragement and healing for families whether the person they love has sought treatment for their addiction or not. If your loved one has signs of opioid addiction, contact our behavioral health center today. Our trained counselors can assist you in dealing with the addiction of your loved one.

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Best Breakfast Ideas for Diabetics

October 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

breakfast ideas for diabetics

When we think breakfast, we envision syrup covered pancakes or waffles, biscuits loaded with gravy, omelets smothered in cheese, or our favorite childhood cereal. For diabetes, these breakfast foods spike blood sugar and may complicate an entire day. However, skipping breakfast sabotages blood sugar numbers as well. Studies show people who skip breakfast increase their risk of obesity and insulin sensitivity.

Without a morning pastry, where do you turn for healthy, easy and tasty breakfast ideas? We’ve scoured the web and have some ideas and recipes to share with you.

First, let’s talk about the main components of a healthy breakfast.

The USDA replaced the food pyramid of the 1990s with its Health Plate icon. To create a Healthy Plate fill half with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with whole grains and one quarter with protein. Add a side of low-fat dairy if desired.

For diabetic patients, protein combined with fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains keeps them full longer, which reduces the temptation to snack throughout the day. Substituting whole grains for white bread or muffins provides more nutrients. Considering proteins other than sausage and bacon reduces sodium and fat intake, more important in heart health.

Carb goals vary from patient to patient. Before creating your ideal breakfast menu, know your numbers.

No time to cook eggs every morning? No problem. Try one of these ideas for a change to your usual morning breakfast routine.

Smoothies:

The classic breakfast smoothie becomes a diabetic’s go-to breakfast when it combines protein powder or plain, Greek yogurt, frozen or fresh fruit, ice and low-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk. Watch for added sugar in protein powders, yogurt and milk. Add in handful of spinach or kale for more nutrients or some chia seeds for fiber. Neither will change the taste of your smoothie.

Eggs:

Ah, the classic breakfast meat.

Did you know you can scramble an egg in the microwave? True story. Skip the cheese and add garlic powder or top with onions and peppers. You can also layer these eggs in a whole wheat tortilla with tomatoes or salsa for a breakfast burrito.

Yogurt:

Unsweetened plain Greek yogurt contains more protein and less sugar than flavored varieties. You can sweeten your yogurt with fruit such as strawberries, peaches, blueberries or raspberries, which also increase your fiber.

Whole Wheat Toast:

Dress up your plain toast with avocado, peanut butter, almond butter or low-fat cream cheese.

Oatmeal:

Whether you choose quick-cooking oats or steel-cut oats cooked in the crockpot overnight, oatmeal packs protein and fiber into your diet. Look for unsweetened varieties and add your own flavor with fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts.

Eating out:

Breakfast in restaurants usually ensure you’ll consume more calories and carbs than you intended. If you know ahead of time you’ll eat out for breakfast, check the menu ahead of time for low-calorie, low-carb options. Oatmeal and omelets without vegetables in places of cheese, bacon and sausage are often safe options.

If you’re struggling to manage your diabetes, our providers and nurses are ready to help you create a plan to get your health back on track. Call our office for an appointment today.

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Suicide Prevention and Opioid Addiction Recovery

September 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment

suicide and addiction

Statistics paint a bleak picture when it comes to suicide and addiction. A Psychology Today article cites drug and alcohol abuse as the second most common risk factor for suicide. One in three people who take their own lives are under the influence of drugs. Poisoning composes the third leading method of suicide and three-fourths of those deaths by poisoning use drugs. The article points to drug or alcohol abuse as the leading indicator of suicide risk over depression or mental illness.

Links between attempted suicide and addiction include depression resulting from an inability to fight an addiction, the loss of relationships due to addiction and the use of drugs and alcohol to mask mental illness. Persons who abuse drugs may also have lowered inhibitions and show a readiness to take more risks.

Addiction Recovery Key to Suicide Prevention

Treatment for opioid addiction addresses not only the known addiction but also the mental illnesses and mental trauma triggering the addiction or depression caused by the addiction. It’s important for addicts and family members to expect a holistic approach to drug treatment. Managing both underlying mental illnesses and addiction improves an addicts chances at recovery and reduces the risk for suicide.

When an addict seeks treatment, family, friends and their medical team should ask the hard questions “have you considered or attempted suicide or are you considering suicide?”. Asking the hard question does not give your loved one ideas about suicide, but rather opens a conversation about an otherwise stigmatized subject.

Signs to Know

Not every person considering suicide shows signs of depression. Often family and friends piece together signs of a loved one’s suicide plan after the fact. Because of the increased risk of suicide related to drug addiction, it’s imperative for the addict to seek treatment and for friends and family to ask the hard questions.

Signs a person is considering suicide include:

  • Talking about wanting to die
  • Increasing drug or alcohol use
  • Talking about feeling trapped
  • Displaying increased anger or rage
  • Talking about not wanting to be a burden to others
  • Behaving recklessly
  • Sleeping less or more
  • Isolating themselves

If someone you know is discussing suicide, whether they have an addiction or not:

  • Ask them if they plan to commit suicide.
  • Listen without judgment.
  • Remove objects that could be used for suicide
  • Stay with the person or leave them in the care of someone else while you get help.
  • Call the suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  • Call 9-1-1 if self-harm is imminent.

Parents, spouses, children, and friends of addicts worry about overdoses and violence involving their loved one. Suicide and addiction adds another line to the worry. Treatment isn’t just about the addiction but about healing behavioral and mental health issues contributing to or caused by the addiction.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, call our behavioral health clinic at 662-282-4359 for an appointment or in case of a medical emergency call 9-1-1.

 

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Ovarian Cancer: The Hidden Cancer

September 20, 2018 By Leave a Comment

ovarian cancer

Masked by the busyness of everyday life symptoms of ovarian cancer lurk unnoticed. Although this cancer normally strikes women over 50 the disease has surprised women of all ages. Like most cancers, ovarian cancer is most easily treated in its earliest stages, however, only 20% of cases are detected in stage 1.

Unlike uterine and breast cancer, ovarian cancer lacks tests for early detection. Combined with few obvious symptoms, even women who keep their yearly wellness exams find themselves ambushed by a mid or late-stage cancer diagnosis.

Although this cancer produces few symptoms, the most common indicators include:

  • Abdominal bloating, pressure, and pain
  • Abnormal fullness after eating
  • Difficulty eating
  • Increase in urination
  • Increased urge to urinate
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Discomfort in the pelvic area

Because these ailments may also indicate less benign illnesses, it’s important to see your provider especially if you notice a combination of these symptoms that do not go away or recur often.

To diagnose ovarian cancer, your provider may perform a pelvic exam, order imaging test such as ultrasounds or CT scans and test your blood for tumor markers. Some ovarian cancers prove harder to diagnose than others and may require surgery in order to remove your ovary and test it for cancer.

Cancer survivors encourage other women to become their own best advocate. Pay attention to your body’s signals. If you are unsatisfied that your provider listened to your concerns and treated them seriously, make an appointment with another provider for a second opinion.

Ovarian cancer may strike any woman but your risks may increase if you fit into any of these scenarios:

  • Between the ages of 50-60 years, although ovarian cancer can occur at any age.
  • Inherited gene mutations. Breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), also known to increase the risk of breast cancer, increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
  • Family history. If one or two close relatives have experienced ovarian cancer you are at higher risk.
  • Long term use of estrogen hormone replacement therapy.
  • Age when menstruation started and ended. If your cycles started early or you experienced a later menopause, you may be at higher risk of ovarian cancer.
  • Obesity
  • Personal history of breast, uterine or colon cancer
  • No history of pregnancy
  • Endometriosis

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, do not wait to contact your medical provider. If you do not have a medical provider, schedule an appointment with one of our providers. Your health is worth pursuing.

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