Medical

Common symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, weight-gain and depression can be signs of adrenal fatigue.  Cortisol is an important hormone released by the adrenal glands and involved in many functions of the body such as regulation of blood pressure, blood sugar maintenance, immune function, inflammatory response and thyroid function. 

Something is chasing you.  You run as fast as you can but, it keeps getting closer.  You try with all your might to scream for help, but you are unable to make a sound.  Your heart is pounding as you wake up hard.  You are drenched with sweat, disoriented and heavy with sleep.  You try to shake off the nightmare, but the unsettling feelings have left you feeling wobbly and weak.

With breast cancer awareness in mind, Santa Clarita Valley Vons and Pavilions grocery stores have recently donated more than $43,000 to the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center, located on the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital campus.

Local Vons and Pavilions grocery stores raised funds for their annual Breast Cancer Awareness campaign through bake sales, donations at checkout counters, book sales, root beer float sales and a particularly popular form of donation, “Free the courtesy clerk from the store jail.” 

In the previous issue, I talked about the causes and symptoms of a toothache.  Usually you need to see your dentist at once if you have toothache.  How can you alleviate the pain if you cannot see your dentist right way?  In case, you are unable to schedule an emergency appointment, a self-care treatment can temporarily alleviate pain and inflammation from a toothache:

The tonsils and adenoids are tissues in the throat that assist in making antibodies to help fight infections.  The tonsils can be seen on the side of the throat at the back of the mouth.  The adenoids are above the roof of the mouth and usually cannot be seen.

Have you been going through physical therapy or have you been seeing your chiropractor with little or no results?  Has your healthcare professional been able to see your actual spine or other problem area move?  Well, maybe it is time you have.  Ask your healthcare professional if a Digital Motion X-ray (DMX) would be right for you.

Losing a large amount of weight, whether by proper eating habits and nutrition, exercise or bariatric surgery, has many rewarding benefits.  However, many of those who accomplish significant weight loss may still find that they do not have that tight and fit body that they had wanted to achieve.  Skin may be loose and sagging in various areas such as, the face, breast, tummy, backside, thighs and even the arms. 

As we grow older, you will discover that the simple exercises we used to do easily at an early age seem to become challenging because of a decreased breathing capacity.  Less intake of air due to the lack of lung and heart functions means slowing the replacement of our cells in the body.

How is cataract detected?

By performing a thorough eye examination, your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) can detect the presence of a cataract.  A careful evaluation will also rule out any other conditions that may be causing blurred vision or other eye problems.  Problems with other parts of the eye (such as the cornea, retina or optic nerve) can be responsible for vision loss and may prevent you from having much or any improvement in vision after cataract surgery.  If improvement in your vision is unlikely, cataract removal may not be recommended.  Your ophthalmologist can tell you how much visual improvement is likely.

If you are like me, you have probably been through all this before, the family wedding is coming up next month and you can’t seem to fit into that suit or dress because you have put on too much weight.  So you must lose at least ten or more pounds quickly.

Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the loss will be muscle tissue and water; you put on the weight slowly (usually over years) so normally you should take it off slowly and then you will know that the majority of the loss will be body fat.

The monsters in the closet are really bacteria in your children’s mouth.  Decay is at epidemic proportions with children.  Due to the trend of non-fluoridated bottled water and an increase in consuming soda and other unhealthy foods, children have cavities in numbers comparable to pre-fluoridation eras.  Insurance companies, not known for their generosity, have increased the frequency of exams and x-rays on children for the first time since the inception of dental insurance, in an attempt to save money by early decay detection.

Low back pain means pain in the lower lumbar, lumbosacral or sacroiliac regions, possibly accompanied by pain radiating down one or both buttocks and legs.  Low back pain is one of the most common complaints.  It is present in at least 50 percent of all persons 60 years of age or older.  It accounts for millions of hours lost from work and millions of dollars spent on treatment and medication.  Low back pain may be either acute or chronic.  It can be simply annoying or irritating or it can produce unbearable physical and emotional suffering. 

Each time your dentist examines your teeth, she also checks your mouth for signs of oral cancer.  As part of your routine homecare, you should do the same.

People with tinnitus hear sounds that are not present in the external environment and which other people cannot hear.  Commonly, people describe ringing, buzzing, humming, background sounds, roaring or whistling noises in their ears. Each individual’s tinnitus experience is unique.

There are over 45 million denture wearers in the United States today and until recently, care for the denture patient has remained virtually unchanged.  But now, after over 40 years of research and development, Dental professionals have a much-improved technology available to them. 

This spring one out of five Americans will suffer from seasonal allergies.  Until now, the only lasting cure has been allergy shots.  But, the doctors at Santa Clarita ENT are now offering allergy drops that are helping all types of patients.

Where does this new treatment originate?  Sublingual dosing (or taking medication under the tongue) of allergy medication has been popular in Europe for over 10 years now.  Santa Clarita ENT has embraced this new treatment since it is a well-researched approach to immunotherapy and has helped millions of people of all ages worldwide who have struggled with allergies without effective, long-term treatment options.

At any age, children can become very sick when they come into contact with multiple household products, medicines, chemicals and outdoor pesticides.  The best way to avoid poison emergencies is prevention.  All dangerous items should be locked up and out of reach.  It is also important to store medicines, household products and chemicals in their original containers. 

Difficulty understanding conversation, especially in noisy situations like restaurants and social gatherings, is often the frustration that motivates many people to seek help from a hearing care professional.  Once hearing solutions are in place, and on ears, and patients are connecting with people and sounds around them, the number one request Audiology Associates hear from patients is help using a cell phone.  A new hearing instrument called Oticon Epoq is making it possible to address both needs with a single solution.