Category Archives: Medicine

Why Seeing a Specialist Matters

Improving your health means taking the time to visit the doctor now and again. As you get older, you want to get into the habit of annual checkups to ensure you’re doing what’s best for the needs of your body. Of course, there may come times when you’re faced with an ailment that may need more specific attention. This is where seeing a specialist comes into play. Medical specialists are doctors who have taken the time to become experts in specific fields. Visiting with one of these professionals can be a great move to make.

Target Specific Problems

While your primary care physician may be capable of treating a range of health concerns, he or she might not have the ability to take care of more involved problems. Should you experience a problem with your vision, it can be much more beneficial to see an ophthalmologist. Experts like Kang Zhang  who have studied ophthalmology are more adept at diagnosing and treating ocular disorders. If there’s a doctor who specializes in the area you’re experiencing an issue, then you definitely want to consider this as a top option for treatment.

Primary Care

It can also be helpful to know exactly what your primary care physician can help you with. Specialists may be suited to handle cardiovascular disease or ear infections, but your primary doctor is the person you should turn to for more commonplace ailments. When you need preventative care like immunizations or a checkup, this is the professional to see. Your doctor is also the person who is likely to initially diagnose a more complicated problem and refer you to a recommended specialist.

Knowing where to turn when you’ve got a health problem can be a huge help. When you’re faced with an ailment that seems specific, it is best to see a specialist. Ask your primary care physician for a recommendation and find the best solution for your needs.

How To Prepare For Your Mammogram

Mammograms are a regular part of an older woman’s health care routine. The process is fairly straightforward, but there are a few things you can do to prepare.

Image by Elías Alarcón from Pixabay

Schedule Your Appointment

To schedule your mammogram, you will need to find a radiology facility. These places typically offer a variety of other services as well, such as MRIs or X-rays – something to keep in mind should you ever need to reach out to your chosen location in the future. A simple search for radiology in Toms River NJ or your current city will help you locate a place that makes you feel comfortable. If you have not gone through menopause, it’s best to schedule your exam the week after your period, as this is the time when your breasts are least likely to feel tender.

Bring Prior Images

If you have recently moved and are visiting this facility for the first time, bring any previous mammogram images to your appointment. You can ask to have your old images placed on a CD, which will be helpful for your new doctor to see if there are any changes.

No Lotion Or Deodorant

On the day of your mammogram, be sure not to wear any deodorant or lotion. It’s possible that these things can hide calcification or show up as a speck that is interpreted incorrectly. Depending on how much you wear, lotion can also cause your skin to be slippery, therefore making it difficult for the machine to analyze as much of the breast tissue as possible. If you wear deodorant or lotion regularly, place these items in a separate room the night before to avoid grabbing them out of habit.

Once you have found your facility, the steps you must take before a mammogram are easy. The more you go, the more comfortable you will become with this simple procedure.

Childhood Immunization Schedule 2017

Editorial cartoon credit: People’s Tonight Feb. 18, 2018 (NTorrecampo)

Stakeholders have yet to resolve the dengvaxia controversy, and while the government is working on it, health authorities assuage public fear by promoting other vaccines that have been proven effective to prevent childhood diseases such as tuberculosis and measles.

Sharing from Dr. Ethel Pineda’s Facebook Page:

Poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles. These diseases which can cause deaths and severe permanent physical impairment among children are easily preventable by immunization.

The Philippines is now polio-free.
The deaths from measles have diminished by more than 80% since 1990.
Pertussis ( whooping cough) by 61.7%.
Diphtheria by 57%
Tetanus by 69.6%
Tuberculosis by 31.5%

This is largely because of the Expanded Program on Immunization that was established in 1976 to ensure that Filipino children and mothers have access to routinely recommended vaccines.

Diphtheria, tetanus and Pertussis (whooping cough vaccines have been around since the late 1950s.
The polio vaccine has been in commercial use since 1961.
Measles vaccine in 1963.
Mumps in 1967
Rubella (German measles) in 1969.

Add to that Hemophilus influenzae, hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox), hepatitis A, pneumococcal vaccines which have been around for decades.

These vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. There is no reason why the public should lose trust in this life-saving, and disability preventing undertaking by the government.

Go have your children (and yourselves) immunized. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a ton of cure.

Text and Image credit to Dr. Ethel Pineda’s FB Page.