Medical

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman’s breasts. Some of the variables discussed in Part I of this article included implant size, shape, and surface texture.  Some additional choices will be discussed here, along with my thoughts based on an experience of more than 1,000 augmentation procedures.

 Five Tips for Hearing and Looking Your Best

You walk into the job interview.  Your hair is groomed.  Your skin is smooth.  You’re wearing your best interview suit.  Dahhling, you look fabulous, right?

Why is it that whenever someone mentions the possibility of upcoming back surgery, there’s always someone in the crowd who states loud and clear, “Don’t do it!  Back surgery is not the answer!”  Why?  Because the incidence of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBBS) is extremely high.

Heel/Arch pain is one of the most common foot ailments affecting millions of people on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, this affliction is left untreated by a majority of the population, figuring that it will go away, or accepting that the pain is typical with excessive standing or walking.  Eventually, this ailment becomes chronic in nature, often manifesting with “first-step pain” when getting out of bed or after a period of rest, usually dissipating after a few minutes of walking, then eventually returning later in the day.

Cellulite is among the most disturbing and challenging skin disorders known in aesthetic medicine.  Despite multidisciplinary physical or mechanical treatments, pharmacological agents, exercise and diet regimens, cellulite signs and symptoms are and, in most cases remain, unaffected. 

1. You may be injured and not know it.  Most individuals mistakenly believe that they will be in significant pain if they have an injury.  This is not always true.  Some damage can be minor enough to cause minimal to no pain.  After a car accident you should have an in-depth medical history and examination, along with any necessary x-rays.  Getting diagnosed will help to establish the proper course of treatment.  Chiropractic is an excellent resource for creating a care plan to help you throughout the healing process.  This treatment can include ice and heat therapy, adjustments, physical therapy, therapeutic massage, and rehabilitative exercises.

Headaches are a sign that something is wrong!  It is not wise to accept headaches as normal and then let them persist.  Get your headache evaluated as soon as possible.  Headaches occur in nearly all ages and walks of life and can be simple to deal with or even life threatening.  There are many types of headaches from sinus to migraines to toxic to the most common type, the tension or “stress” headache, which accounts for about 90 percent of all headaches. 

What criteria do you use to determine if I am a candidate?  It is important to ask this question because there are very specific criteria to determine how effective the treatment will be.  If the doctor does not have an established system for the inclusion or exclusion of patients for treatment, then you may want to re-think doing the procedure at that office.  There must be a comprehensive health history, examination, and a review of all diagnostic tests to determine if you are a candidate.  The doctor and patient should take this procedure as serious as he or she would surgery.

The SCV Senior Center Rummage Sale sponsored by the Center’s Advisory Council will take place on June 2 and 3.  The sale will be held on the first consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday of even numbered months only, i.e., April, June, August, October, December, and February.  The Rummage Sale hours will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on both days.

Imagine waking up and discovering that your dental appointment is over—and all the corrections are in place, painlessly.  Believe me, that’s just how Sedation “Sleep” Dentistry works.

Volunteering is nothing new to Hart High School junior Kathryn Rieck. In the past, she’s helped at homeless shelters and built homes for the poor in Mexico. Now Rieck is serving closer to home by assisting staff and patients at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.
“Patients here are so happy when you talk to them. It’s really nice to see their reaction,” Rieck said. “Volunteering is important, it builds good character. You get to meet people and see the world more than what most normal high school kids experience.”

Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because the human skin makes vitamin D when it is exposed to natural sunlight.  However, in modern western society our time in the sun and the use of sun screens are cutting down on our exposure to the sun, which is good to prevent skin cancer, but could be lowering the production of Vitamin D. 

Over 50 percent of the patients who have had a stroke or a head injury experience problems with their vision.  In many cases the vision problems are not recognized because other deficits such as speech problems, mobility problems and memory problems overshadow the visual deficits.

Parents can prevent a common childhood foot problem by following some simple recommendations, according to Valencia foot and ankle surgeons.
Valencia foot and ankle surgeons Leslie G. Levy and Dana Lavian, DPM, FACFAS, say ingrown toenails are one of the most frequent conditions he and she treat in children.  Many kids hide their ingrown toenails from their parents, even though the condition can cause significant pain.  An ingrown nail can break the skin and lead to dangerous infections.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month!

On Wednesday, May 6 Accessible Home Health Care of Northwest Los Angeles County presents “Home Care with Compassion” from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Activity Rooms 1 and 2 of the SCV Senior Center, 22900 Market Street.  Also, information on veterans’ assistance will be provided.

Since getting to sleep is such a common problem, there is much advice on the subject.  However, what works for someone else may not work for you.  People vary in their need for and satisfaction with sleep.  Most of us at some point or another have experienced difficulty with sleeping, whether it’s waking up many times during the night, waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep, sleeping lightly, recurring night terrors and nightmares, or just simply overall poor sleep quality. 

People with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal (gum and bone) disease than people without.  The American Diabetes Association states that about 20 percent of Americans (13 million) are affected by the disease.  About half (5.2 million) are undiagnosed and don’t know it, and of those that do, only half have it under control.  The rate is 1.5 times higher in Latinos, and 24 percent of Mexican Americans have diabetes.