- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs the weather gets nice and you begin to spend more time outdoors, it’s important to keep the health of your skin in mind. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world today, with more than 3.5 million skin cancer cases diagnosed each year — that’s more than the incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. Skin cancer can affect anyone at any age. Understanding it and what you should watch for is key. Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancers These are the most common forms of skin cancer. They generally show up in sun-exposed areas on the body, such as your face, arms and legs. Squamous cell cancers look like a crusty patch that you may think is a scab or a scrape that does not heal. Basal cell cancers look more raised and smooth, and may be pink or pearly white. You may also mistake them for a small injury or abrasion that does not go away. Dermatologists can easily identify these types of cancers. Cell cancers rarely spread anywhere else in the body. Your doctor will typically treat them by either surgically removing the cells or using a topical treatment. Melanoma Melanoma is a relatively rare type of skin cancer, but it is the most dangerous. It has the potential to spread to other parts of the body and can be deadly. This cancer develops when pigment-producing skin cells, called melanocytes, begin to grow and form a tumor, which can eventually spread. Most melanomas develop from a mole or look like a new mole. Exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun or tanning beds is a major risk factor for the disease, along with family history. Through treatment, doctors can cure about 80 percent of melanoma skin cancers. Like squamous and basal cell skin cancers, your doctor may remove the spot and then usually check nearby lymph nodes. What Should You Watch For? When it comes to monitoring your moles, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends you know the ABCDE rule: A for Asymmetry — One half of the mole is different from the other half. B for Border Irregularity — The edges are notched, uneven or blurred. C for Color — The color is uneven. Shades of brown, tan and black are present. D for Diameter — The diameter is greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser). E for Evolving —There is change in size, color or shape over time, or additional symptoms like itching or bleeding start. Examine your skin every month. Check for moles on every part of your body — from your scalp to the bottoms of your feet and even under your fingernails. If you see any moles that concern you, or if you have a mole that itches, hurts or bleeds, talk with your doctor. Protect Yourself Skin cancers are related to sun exposure. You should remember that it may not be the sunburn from your last vacation, but rather the repeated exposure to sun over the years that can affect your risk of getting skin cancer. It’s important to protect yourself from the sun when you are outdoors. Seek shade from 10 am to 4 pm and wear a wide-brimmed hat, UV-blocking sunglasses and protective clothing. Apply UV-blocking sunscreen with an SPF of 30 to all exposed skin every two hours. Most skin cancers are easily treatable, and highly curable, when caught early. Author Glen R. Gibson, MD, is a surgical oncologist with Anne Arundel Medical Center Surgical Oncology. His office can be reached at 443-481-3717. Originally published May 22, 2017. Last updated April 8, 2019.0
- Orthopedics, WellnessGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThink strength and resistance training is only for athletes or those who want to bulk up? Think again! Strength training can help everyone. Working it into your exercise routine can have a number of benefits outside of simply gaining muscle. For starters, it’s a great way to burn calories and increase metabolism. When you increase your muscle mass from strength training, you boost your resting metabolism. This means your body will naturally burn more calories. “If you look at metabolic rates — the way we process food and turn it into energy in the body — you can boost that just by getting on a weight training program,” says Louis Ruland, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Strength training can also help you prevent injury. It builds strength in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. This allows them to absorb more impact and force without breaking or tearing. “If you’re a runner, and you do strength training to build up certain muscles around the knee, those muscles are critical for tracking of the patella,” Dr. Ruland says. “In doing that, you reduce common overuse injuries of the knee.” To achieve this effect, you should participate in a training regimen that strengthens a wide number of muscle groups. Muscle imbalances are one of the most common causes of athletic injuries. That’s why it’s important to work out a variety of muscles, not just the “beach muscles” (to show off at the beach) such as your arms and legs, but more importantly, the trunk or “core muscles.” Dr. Ruland also recommends weight training for people in their 70s and 80s. “The benefits enable that age group to more easily perform activities of daily living,” he says. “It can even increase overall bone density, which produces greater bone strength and can lower the incidence of fractures.” You don’t need a gym membership; push-ups, sit-ups, planks, squats and single leg stance are just a few easy strength exercises that don’t require any equipment. “You can do a variety of simple exercises just using your body weight,” Dr. Ruland says. “In addition, resistance bands or dumbbells are relatively inexpensive, and it’s also possible to do resistance exercises with large books or other heavy household objects.” Get illustrated tips on proper form for performing body weight exercises. Author Louis Ruland, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published Dec. 5, 2016. Last updated July 6, 2020.0
- Men's Health, Senior Care, Women's Health, UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogCan we talk for a minute? When you hear this question, you wonder, what is this going to be about? You might fear the worst. But one conversation about a very important, albeit uncomfortable, subject can make all the difference. I’m talking about sharing your wishes for end-of-life care. I’ve been a registered nurse for 31 years. I’ve coached other families on the importance of having end-of-life discussions as a trained facilitator for The Conversation Project, a national campaign dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. An experience in my own family served as my wakeup call for why talking matters. My aunt went to the hospital for what we thought was a quick visit for a chronic condition. We didn’t know she wouldn’t return home. She suffered a massive stroke. She was unable to move her right arm or leg or even speak. Without a medical power of attorney or living will, her husband automatically became the decision maker. Facing the greatest grief of his life, he now had some difficult choices. He turned to me for help and, together, we blindly did the best we could. We made decisions based on what we thought my aunt would have wanted. Too often people die in a way they wouldn’t choose, leaving loved ones feeling guilty and uncertain. According to The Conversation Project National Survey, 90 percent of people say talking with their loved ones about end-of-life care is important. Yet only 27 percent of people have actually done so. We may find ourselves having the conversation about end-of-life wishes over our loved ones’ hospital beds. Let’s not save this important conversation until there is a medical crisis. How do I start? This topic often triggers fear in loved ones that something is wrong. Break the ice by immediately deflecting from the worst. You might start with, “Even though I’m okay right now, I want to be prepared.” Or, “I need to think about the future. Will you help me?” When’s a good time? Timing can be an essential element to having the conversation. Initiate the conversation when your family is together, perhaps during a holiday or family event. Also use life’s milestones, such as a birthday or graduation, to spark the conversation. What to talk about? Here are just a few things you should consider discussing: Who would you like to make decisions on your behalf? What affairs (finances, property, relationships, etc.) do you need to get in order, or talk to your family about? Where do you want, or not want, to receive care? What kinds of treatment (resuscitation, breathing support, feeding tube, etc.) do you want or not want? Your first conversation should be the first of many. Remember, you don’t have to cover everyone or everything at once. Learn more about The Conversation Project and use these free tools to help you start talking to your loved ones. Author Ann Marie Holland, MSN, RN, CNOR, FNE-A, NPD-BC, is a clinical education specialist at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published Nov. 14, 2017. Last updated April 15, 2021.0
- Men's Health, Heart Care, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIt had been a good night. After celebrating Mass, Father Jim Kiesel, a pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Odenton, took a group of seminary students he was supervising out to dinner. “We had a ball,” Father Jim says.“I felt great.” But when he got home, Father Jim, 58, says he started having pains in his chest and a tingling down his arm. His chest felt heavy. So he phoned a parishioner, who is also a nurse, for advice. “She told me to call 911 immediately.” It was the best advice he could have received. When Father Jim arrived at the emergency room of AAMC, he was quickly diagnosed with what’s called ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, the most severe and dangerous form of heart attack, in which the blood flow in a coronary artery is completely blocked. Elizabeth Reineck, MD, an interventional cardiologist at AAMC, says the situation was grave: “The artery to the back side of his heart was completely blocked. We worked rapidly to get him to the catheterization lab and open up his artery.” 1,000 Lives—and Counting Luckily, Father Jim had arrived at the right place. AAMC’s Emergency Heart Attack Program has saved more than 1,000 lives since its introduction in 2002. It’s a certified intervention center, and the response time is among the best in the country. “The goal is to open a patient’s artery within 90 minutes from the time they arrive at the hospital,” Dr. Reineck says. “But here at AAMC, the vast majority of our patients have their artery open within 60 minutes.” In the catheterization lab, Father Jim received an emergency angioplasty. During the procedure, a balloon-tipped tube is threaded into the blocked artery and then inflated. He also received a stent, a tiny wire-meshed tube that holds the artery open. Father Jim says he feels incredibly lucky. The intervention saved his life, and the care that followed as he recovered at AAMC was compassionate and professional. “Anything I needed, they were right there to help me,” he says. The Doctor-Patient Partnership Father Jim says what has really stuck with him is the way Dr. Reineck and fellow cardiologist Jerry Segal, MD, interacted with him, “as an equal.” “So often doctors are in and out, but Dr. Reineck and Dr. Segal really took time with me,” Father Jim says. “It wasn’t just business—it was genuine care.” For her part, Dr. Reineck says she works hard to create a partnership between doctor and patient. “If you respect patients, they are more likely to value the information you provide,” she says. “For instance, if you help patients understand why the medication is important, they are much more likely to take it.” It’s worked for Father Jim. Despite eating well and exercising regularly, he admits he had one serious vice before his heart attack—cigarettes. “I’d been a smoker since I was 17.” But no longer. “I’m a reformed smoker now,” he says. Father Jim is also participating in AAMC’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, which offers medically supervised exercise and counseling. Now, Father Jim is again at work at St. Joseph, easing back into normal life. He says perhaps his biggest challenge these days is learning to let people take care of him instead of always taking care of others. “I have a long life ahead,” he says. “I’m confident of that.” And he adds happily, “I also expect to have a long relationship with my cardiologist.” Are you at risk? Learn your heart age and risk for heart disease with our free online heart health profiler. Contributor Elizabeth Reineck, MD, is an interventional cardiologist at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogGoing for a joint replacement or spine surgery can change your life in many positive ways. Freedom from pain and improved mobility are two main advantages, and who wouldn’t want that? There are 719,000 total knee replacements and 332,000 hip replacements performed annually in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, more than 7 million people in the country have had a knee or hip replacement surgery. And about 400,000 people in the U.S. undergo spine surgery each year. If you’re planning for either of these surgeries, it is likely your recovery could take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. Now, a joint replacement or a spine surgery is a big decision and you’re probably thinking about it quite a bit. But it’s also important to think about your comfort after you return home. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your time spent healing: Clear your walking paths! You need enough room to navigate comfortably to all the areas in your home you frequently use. Pick up rugs, remove animal and baby toys, clothing, totes or any other items from the floors. Choose your best chairs. Have a firm, comfortable armchair with an ottoman or a recliner chair to rest in and get your legs up. Low furniture is difficult to move in and out of, so you may need to raise the seat height. Secure railings. If you have to take the stairs to get to your bedroom, bathroom or anywhere else in your home, make sure you have a good railing to use. Loose or incomplete rails will not provide the stability you need to navigate safely your stairs. Adjust your bed height. Have a bed that you can get into and out of that is not too high. If this is not an option, make sure you have a good footstool handy to use as a step to allow you to sit back in your bed when getting into it. Be careful with pets. Keep pets secured away from you when you are moving around your home. Pets can trip you when they are underfoot! Prepare the bathroom for your limited mobility. If you can, install a grab bar next to your toilet and in the shower to assist you with balance and rising from a seated position. Since challenged mobility is a temporary limitation, you may opt to purchase a raised toilet seat with arm rests or a commode seat with multiple uses (like the 3-in-1 commode) in lieu of grab bar installation. A seat for the shower is also helpful and can be as simple as a plastic lawn chair or a specialized bathtub bench to slide into the shower in a seated position. There are a lot of thoughts that cross your mind when you are going to go through surgery, but it’s also important to take some time to think about how you can best take care of yourself once you’re home. Pay attention to the little things that you usually overlook and make sure that the layout will give you the safest and most comfortable environment. But most importantly: make sure you can reach the jar of cookies in the kitchen! A little sweetness always makes things a little better. Author Marilyn Pfeiffer is an outpatient home visit therapist at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Physical Therapy. You can reach her at 443-481-1140.0
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