Managing diabetes can feel like a fulltime job when you add together food preparation, activity tracking, and blood sugar monitoring. Over the last twenty years, the technology surge benefitted diabetes management in major ways. We’ve transitioned from manual monitoring of blood glucose levels and calculation of insulin to devices that do the work for us.  We’re glad to see technology remove some of the burden from our patients. If you aren’t familiar with the available technology take a look at these options.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring

For decades, diabetes patients endured multiple finger pricks every day to monitor their blood glucose levels. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices now monitor a patient’s blood sugar every five minutes. No finger pricks or time out from the patient’s activities required. The CGM sensor is applied to the abdomen just under the skin and must be replaced every 10-14 days depending on the monitor type.

A transmitter attached to the monitor sends updates to a mobile or another device. These devices update the patient when glucose levels begin to rise or fall. This continuous monitoring allows patients to see the realtime effect of specific foods on their blood sugar levels.

Some CGMs require two-finger sticks each day to calibrate the device while others require no calibration.

Insulin Pumps

Insulin pumps automatically deliver insulin throughout the day and at mealtime which allows diabetes patients to reduce the number of needle sticks. The device makes calculating the correct dosage of insulin easier and more accurate. It may also help lower A1c levels. 

Some downsides to insulin pumps include having to monitor your blood sugar more closely, changing out the pump site regularly, and entering information into the pump throughout the day. The device can be helpful for patients who are ready to learn to how to use new technology. Or for patients who aren’t concerned about having a device attached to their bodies. In good news, insulin pumps aren’t permanent. Many patients use them for a while then revert to manual insulin injections. This allows the pump site to rest at times.

Close-Loop Pump and CGM

The ultimate technology for a diabetic patient is a closed-loop CGM and pump combination. This technology works as an artificial pancreas by monitoring glucose levels and delivering insulin to lower blood sugar or glucagon to raise blood sugar based on those numbers. A true closed-loop system hasn’t been completely developed, yet, but several companies are close. Many companies already offer hybrid solutions that monitor blood sugar and deliver insulin. They alert patients to low blood sugar levels but cannot deliver glucagon. 

Smart Pens

Tired of being connected to a pump all the time, but enjoy the benefits of having your glucose levels recorded throughout the day? Smartpens offer an alternative to insulin pumps. The pens connect to smartphones or other devices to store up to a year’s worth of dosing information. They work with refillable cartridges. Each pen has different capabilities based on the company that developed it. Some allow users to set reminders to check blood sugar and administer insulin. They also allow users to send dosing and blood sugar level data to multiple email addresses. 

Whether you’re techno fan or not, we can’t ignore the benefits of technology to managing diabetes and making it easier to keep doing life on your own terms while maintaining your health. Pricing for these devices and availability varies, as does whether or not a device is right for your personal diabetes management plan. As always talk to your provider about all the options available to you. And for an update on emerging technologies and a glimpse into what could be coming in the next year or two, check out this article from Healthline.

Allergy season is blooming with every flower that pops its head from the dirt. Before you reach for your nasal spray, consider whether rebound congestion may be causing your allergy congestion to last longer than it should.

Allergies inflame the blood vessels in your nasal passages. Nasal decongestion sprays such as Afrin reduce the swelling and allow you to breathe again. Ah, sweet relief. 

These sprays reduce the amount of blood flowing to these vessels. In response, it may cause those vessels to work harder to restore the blood flow. This overcompensation causes more swelling in your nose and more congestion, which often leads to using more nasal spray.

Nasal decongestant sprays include over-the-counter sprays such as Oxymetazoline hydrochloride (Afrin, Dristan, Sinex) and phenylephrine hydrochloride (Neo-Synephrine). Doctors suggest using these sprays for a maximum of three days. They also suggest using the minimum number of doses per day to reduce the chances you’ll develop rebound congestion. 

What about other nose sprays?

Steroid nose sprays such as budesonide (Rhinocort Allergy), fluticasone (Flonase Allergy Relief), and triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24HR) do not work the same way as decongestant sprays and may be used for years without rebound congestion. These sprays have their own set of side effects such as headache, nosebleed, sore throat or cough. These sprays work well to reduce the symptoms of allergies, but it can take up to a week to notice the effects. If you suffer from allergies frequently, talk to your provider about starting this type of nose spray when the season changes.

What other remedies can you use?

Outside of medicine, you can do a lot to relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Saline nasal sprays and neti pots are natural, safe ways to help manage your symptoms. The neti pot flushes mucus and allergens from the nose. A note of caution though, be sure to use sterilized water and clean them well to avoid serious infections.

In short, don’t discount the help a nasal decongestant may provide as a short term solution to seasonal allergies. Just make sure you pair it with a longer-term solution. If you’ve been using these nose sprays too often for too long make an appointment with your provider to find relief from your congestion.

After a long day at work and an evening balancing children’s activities and homework, many parents find themselves staring blankly into a refrigerator with no idea of what to cook for supper. On any given day, we can find multiple posts requesting new recipe ideas, preferably ones that are easy to prepare. It’s tempting to throw our hands in the air and dial the nearest pizza delivery service. With UberEats and Tupelo-to-Go, our food delivery options are no longer limited to pizza. But with every restaurant meal comes risks to our health. Here’s the real truth about your fast food habit.

Truth #1:

Poor nutrition from fast food meals has been discussed for more than 40 years. A report from 1978 discusses the high sugar content of fast food meals and its effect on obesity. The report also mentions the link between obesity and other health concerns such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

“Plant-based diets” may feel like a new fad, but in reality researchers, doctors, and politicians have been encouraging Americans to eat more leafy greens and fiber-rich foods for decades. 

Truth #2

Sugar isn’t the only culprit in restaurant food. Almost every meal purchased outside the home includes more than your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of sodium. We know you were trying to eat healthy with a turkey sub instead of a burger, but if you added cheese, pickles, and mayo it could equal almost half your daily allowance of sodium.

Too much sodium causes water retention and can raise blood pressure, which may result in damage to your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. 

Truth #3

Cooking at home increases quality time with your family. In the days before fast-food joints on every corner and deliver services to our sofa, we used to cook dinner often with a spouse or children helping. In addition to an improvement in nutritional value, foods at home increase time with family. Learning a new recipe together or teaching a child to chop vegetables can create unique bonding opportunities.

Truth #4

People who cook at home consume fewer calories. No brainer, right? But the reasons behind why they consume fewer calories may not be what you think. A study at Johns Hopkins found people who cook at home more frequently also consume fewer calories when they do eat out. They’re also more likely to eat smaller portions at home, and they don’t have the readily available dessert menu taunting them.

Time for a Reminder

Most of us already knew this information, but as more and more people eat out, especially at fast-food restaurants, we thought it was time for a refresher. According to a study published The Journal of Nutrition last month revealed 20% of calories consumed by Americans come from restaurants. That’s a lot of sugar and sodium without a lot of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

Cooking at home takes time, which isn’t always readily available. For those of us who struggle to fit cooking into our schedule, a meal plan helps make it easier. Prepping foods on the weekend, utilizing a crockpot or pressure cooker, and cooking enough for leftovers all make cooking at home easier.

We can’t avoid eating out altogether. When you know you’ll be eating out check the menus ahead of time for nutrition information and choose wisely. Also, order your meal first. You’ll be less likely to be swayed by other diners’ poor choices if you’ve already ordered your meal.

Need help planning healthy meals? Our registered dietician, Erica Witcher, is available for appointments. So also runs our Witcher Weightloss Warriors, a weekly group that teaches how to lose weight the healthy way and includes cooking demos, meal plans, snack ideas, and exercise tips.

The cows had it right all along with their “Eat more chikin” campaign. Last summer, a study released by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) gave us the bad news that an increased red meat consumption is linked to an early death.

The research funded by the US National Institutes for Health and the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center included researchers from the Harvard TH Chan school of public health in the US, with one researcher from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Researchers studied diet changes in 50,000 women and 27,000 men over sixteen years. 

Participants who increased their red meat by 3.5 servings per week experienced a 10% increased rate of death over participants who did not change their diet. Participants who exchanged one serving of red meat for a serving of another protein source like poultry, fish, nuts, dairy, eggs, whole grains, or legumes lowered their risk of death.

What does this mean for our nutrition?

If you’re interested enough in your health and nutrition to read this far, it’s time to make some practical applications. Lowering your number of servings of red meat lowers your risk for numerous health conditions such as heart disease and cancer. This article from Harvard Health suggests not exceeding two to three servings of red meat or processed meat of any kind per week. 

Your husband’s weekend steak, mama’s Sunday roast, and a hamburger at lunch aren’t the only limitations in the red meat category. Red meat includes cow, but also pig, horses, goats, and bison. White meat typically refers to poultry or fish. The study also connects processed meat such as hotdogs and deli meat to increased health problems.

We always advocate for creating a meal plan for the week. This allows you to better control what you cook and to see possible substitutions. 

Substitutions to consider

• Ground turkey in chili or vegetable soup
• Shredded chicken nachos or tacos
• Tuna steak 
• Grilled salmon
• Turkey bacon
• Chicken sandwhich instead of a hamburger
• Oven-roasted chicken instead of deli meat

This study did not find that red meat caused early death, but rather it linked increased consumption of red meat to an early death. If you find yourself stopping for a burger multiple times a week, it’s time to break the red meat habit. Our nutritionists and medical providers can help you create a plan to introduce flavorful white meat and vegetables back into your diet. Make an appointment today to get your health on a better trac.

Colonoscopy. It’s a rite-of-passage for 50-year-olds that supplies an endless array of memes, birthday cards, and jokes. All jokes aside, the recommended testing often identifies colon cancer long before symptoms start, in stages where it is most easily and successfully treated. Some oncologists suggest reducing the age of colon cancer screening to 45 instead of 50.

Why Test Early?

Sharon Osbourne, wife of legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne was 49 when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. She’s not alone. For years, colon cancer was mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 50. A recent deep analysis by the American Cancer Society found a rising number of colon cancer diagnoses in people between 45 and 50.

Colonoscopies find polyps and detect cancer often before a patient has any symptoms. Early-stage cancer is easier to treat and responds more effectively to treatment.

Your Less Invasive Testing Options

While colonoscopies are the standard in diagnosing colon cancer, they are expensive and invasive. Our clinic offers stool-based screenings such as Fecal immunochemical test (FIT), Buaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT), Stool DNA test. (Click here to learn more about these tests.)

The American Cancer Society updated its recommendations in May 2018, but the US Preventative Services Task Force which oversees federal guidelines hasn’t updated its recommendations. This means insurance may not pay for your screening before you turn 50 unless you’re experiencing symptoms or fall into a high-risk group. Another reason to consider the less expensive stool-based screenings.

Risk Factors

Screening recommendations are based on average-risk patients. If any of the following statements apply to you, it’s recommended that you start colon cancer screenings even earlier.

• A strong family history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps
• A personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps
• A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease)
• A known family history of a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC)
• A personal history of radiation to the abdomen (belly) or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer

Start Here

If you’re 45 or older and have never had a colon cancer screening or you are at higher than average risk for colon cancer, it’s time to make an appointment with your medical care provider. Together you can make decisions about the right screenings for you. Screening for cancer sounds scary, but not screening won’t make any bad news go away and early treatment often gives you many more years of life ahead.

Growing up with 24-hour news access and an increase in technology is taking its toll on millennials. A new report released by Blue Cross Blue Shield polled millennials who were 34-36 in 2017 about their health. The majority consider themselves healthy although as a generation they saw a double-digit increase in diagnoses of 8 of the top 10 diseases.

What were these top 10 health conditions? Drum roll please . . .

1. Major depression
2. Substance use disorder
3. Alcohol use disorder
4. Hypertension
5. Hyperactivity
6. Psychotic conditions
7. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
8. High cholesterol
9. Tobacco use disorder
10. Type 2 diabetes

Notice anything about the list? The top six are behavioral health issues.

Help is a call away

In addition to being less healthy than previous generations, millennials access healthcare differently. They expect easy access to healthcare, including telemedicine options. And they are less likely to take advantage of preventative care and develop a relationship with their provider. Instead, they only visit a medical provider when they are sick.

The first step to taking control of your health is to seek out help before it’s needed. We change the oil in our car and replace the tires before we have a problem. In a similar fashion, millennials need to visit with their provider at least yearly for preventative care. And providers should screen millennials early and often for undiagnosed behavioral health and substance abuse problems.

Partner with your health provider, and encourage your millennial children and grandchildren to make their medical provider a partner in their health.

Think you know why millennials are struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues more than other generations? Read this article on the study and possible causes to see if you’re right.

Between cold winter weather and the dryness of indoor heat, our skin takes a beating during the winter season. Dry, itchy skin can be a symptom of nothing more than the weather, or it may need your doctor’s attention. If you, or your child, have red, itchy patches particularly behind the knees or elbows or in the folds of their skin, you’ll need more than a little dab of lotion to cut the itch.

This time of year eczema and psoriasis tend to show up in force. Knowing which type of skin irritation you’re dealing with determines how best to treat it at home or with a doctor’s care.

Eczema

Most eczema cases show up in children as red, very itchy patches of skin on the elbows, knees, hands, feet, lower back, scalp, or face. Sometimes the itching will lead a child to scratch until they bleed. Eczema may show up for the first time in adulthood, but it’s less often seen for the first time in those ages.

First, let us share the good news. Eczema may lessen or disappear as a child moves into adulthood, and some children will experience long periods with no flare-ups. Now for the bad news. No cure for eczema exists, so you’ll have to manage the illness by treating the symptoms.

If possible, start by isolating what may have caused the flare-up. Children with allergies and asthma are more likely to experience eczema especially when they come in contact with something they are allergic to. Removing known allergens is always your first step to treating at home. Detergents and soaps, especially those with perfumes and dyes, may also cause a flare-up.

Not everything that causes eczema can be controlled. Some children who haven’t experienced a flare-up in years will break out as they enter puberty. Those changing hormones cause skin changes as well. Stress, infections, heat, and humidity may also trigger a flare.

Treatment

Start by looking for a moisturizer with an oil or cream base instead of a water base. Also read the ingredient list for alcohol. Not only will lotions with alcohol dry out your skin more, they also burn when applied to raw, irritated skin. Moderate to severe eczema often requires a prescription corticosteroid cream or other prescription treatment. If over-the-counter lotions don’t help in a few days make an appointment to see your doctor.

Psoriasis

The first case of psoriasis often appears between the ages of 15 and 30. Psoriasis often looks similar to eczema with dry, red patches of skin, but the itchiness is considerably less than with eczema. 

Cold weather, stress, and infection may trigger psoriasis just like they do eczema. Psoriasis’s other triggers, however, are less environmental. Vaccinations, sunburns, scratches, and certain medications also trigger psoriasis. And it’s often linked to more serious illnesses such as diabetes, depression, and heart disease.

Treatment

Your treatment depends on the severity of your symptoms and the cause of the flare-up. Because of the seriousness of illnesses linked to psoriasis, it’s extremely important for patients to visit with their doctor to discuss treatment.

While eczema and psoriasis initially appear similar, their treatments depend on which one you have. If you’ve noticed red, patchy, itchy skin that doesn’t go away on its own make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your options. You shouldn’t have to suffer through an itchy winter.

Cervical cancer isn’t the cancer of old women, just ask celebrities like Erin Andrews, Liz Lange, or Judy Blume. It’s most commonly diagnosed in women under age 50, which increases the importance of screening in these women.

Most patients don’t experience any symptoms during the earliest stages of cervical cancer when treatment is most effective. Screenings, however, can detect cancer and pre-cancerous cells early. 

Screenings

Pap tests look for changes in cells that could turn into cancer later. In the past, doctors encouraged women to have a pap smear every year. In the last decade, however, recommendations have changed to every three years for women ages 21 to 65. 

Women over age 30 may elect to have an HPV screening which tests for human papillomavirus, the virus which can cause cervical cancer. If you test positive for this virus, your doctor may recommend more frequent screenings.

Vaccinations

In 2006, the HPV vaccine was released in an effort to significantly reduce the occurrence of the virus which can lead to cervical cancer. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Since introducing the vaccine, rates of HPV infection have dramatically decreased. Doctors encourage both females and males ages 9-26 to receive the vaccine. 

Challenges

Reducing the number of women with the HPV virus and catching cervical cancer early sounds easy enough, right? Unfortunately, the cost of testing and vaccines often means women in rural areas without insurance may slip between the cracks. These women receive the most cervical cancer diagnoses. 

Mantachie Rural Health Care offers $15 pap tests and provides the HPV vaccines for low or no cost for uninsured or underinsured patients. Staying on top of your health shouldn’t be hard or expensive. Schedule your pap test and yearly check-up today. Your health is worth the time.