- Behavioral Health, Men's Health, UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogEven a tough guy goes to the hospital if a tree falls on his head. So why won’t men seek medical help when their world comes crashing down on them, as it can with depression? Nearly 6 million American men experience depression each year, yet few seek treatment. Perhaps men don’t realize that depression is a disease—not a weakness. Or maybe they’re not aware that successful treatments exist. No matter the reason, depression is a disease that shouldn’t be ignored by anyone—including men. Recognizing depression “The vast majority of people who seek treatment for depression end up feeling better,” says Raymond Hoffman, MD, a psychiatrist and the medical director of mental health and substance abuse at AAMC. It’s a good idea to visit your doctor if you’re experiencing these signs and symptoms of depression: loss of energy or increased fatigue restlessness, anger or irritability a lack of interest in favorite activities sleep problems changes in appetite excessive feelings of sadness, worthlessness or guilt trouble concentrating, remembering or making decisions thoughts of, or attempts at, suicide Your doctor can check to see if physical problems are affecting your emotional health. Plus, he or she can refer you to a therapist or counselor who will work with you to relieve your symptoms. It’s OK to ask for help “It may not be easy to talk about how you’re feeling,” Dr. Hoffman says. “But depression can seriously interfere with your work and personal life. Acknowledging it and getting treatment can help you get your life back to normal.” Originally published Oct. 23, 2014. Last updated May 31, 2019.0
- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Patient & Family Advisors, Women's Health, Uncategorized, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogEarl Shellner had just completed a long course of chemotherapy to treat aggressive rectal cancer when he and his family began to notice something was seriously wrong: He was experiencing frequent memory lapses. Earl found himself forgetting basic life skills, such as how to use his toothbrush or write out certain letters. “I couldn’t remember how to make a cursive S or a J,” he recalls. “I had to look it up on the Internet, how to make the curves for those letters.” His family also noticed he was telling the same stories over and over again in the same day without realizing he was repeating himself. When Earl mentioned these lapses to his medical team, they told him the problem was very likely “chemo brain,” a term describing cancer-therapy-associated cognitive deficits. Basically, the strong drugs used to treat Earl’s cancer had disrupted some of the neural pathways in his brain. Reports indicate that as many as 70 percent of patients who receive chemotherapy experience symptoms anywhere from mental “fuzziness” to memory lapses to problems following through on tasks. Rebecca Gondak, a speech language pathologist with Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Cancer Rehabilitation program, worked with Earl, practicing exercises that helped him carry out tasks like shopping for groceries and recalling names. Earl was particularly excited when he and Rebecca worked out a clue for helping him remember the name of his 14-year-old neighbor. “I learned how to use a mnemonic device,” says Earl. “When I saw the young man, I would think of a calendar and the first letters of July-August-September-October-November to spell ‘JASON.’” Now, after making significant progress on his cognitive tests, Earl has become a patient and family advisor at AAMC. In this role, he is informing medical center staff, as well as cancer patients, friends and family—everyone he can—about chemo brain. “I have given a speech to hospital administrators,” he says. “And when I am at the infusion center, I ask patients if they know about chemo brain. A lot of them don’t, so I lead them in the right direction [to get help].” Read more about chemo brain and Earl’s experience. Learn more about Cancer Rehabilitation, a certified STAR Program® at AAMC, by calling 443-481-3805.0
- General Page Tier 3BlogThe brain is the body’s control center that is working day and night. As a result, it requires fuel to keep functioning. By eating higher quality foods — containing a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants — your brain can better protect itself from oxidative stress, or the waste products produced by your metabolism. On the flip side, eating a lot of processed or refined foods can displace other nutrients and be harmful to your brain. High-sugar, high-fat and high-salt foods cause inflammation. For example, eating a lot of sugar and refined carbohydrates worsens your body’s regulation of insulin. Multiple studies found a link between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function. This included a worsening of mood disorders, such as depression. Here are some of the most studied problems caused by a poor diet that researchers have linked to mental health issues: Chronic low-grade inflammation. This is caused by lifestyle factors, including poor diet, smoking, lack of sleep and psychological stress. And it has been observed in people with depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Elevated oxidative stress. Patients with depression experience this. Many people with a mental illness have lower levels of antioxidants in their system compared to control groups. Brain plasticity. Some research shows healthy dietary patterns improve brain plasticity, or the capacity of the brain to change with learning throughout life. Gastrointestinal microbiota. There is a link between mental illness and “gut flora,” or the microbe population living in our digestive tracts. When inflammation starts in the gut, paired with a poor combination of nutrients that affect the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria ratio, it can in turn cause brain inflammation. Ultimately, this causes our brain cells to die. Studies have shown that people taking probiotics have improved their anxiety levels, perception of stress and mental outlook. Mental illness is a top cause of global disability, and the problem continues to grow. Mental health is complex, and if you’re experiencing a problem you should work with a professional on a well-rounded solution. Learn more about the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, a 16-bed mental health hospital for adults opening in March. Nutritional psychiatry supports the role of diet in mental health, and its potential role as a modifiable risk factor for mental illness. Some of the nutrients identified – such as magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, omega 3, b-vitamins and probiotics – are prevalent in a Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish and seafood, with modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are also void of processed foods, which are staples of the Western diet. If you’re interested in seeing how food affects your mood, start keeping a food record. Jot down how eating different foods make you feel, not just in the moment, but the next day. Make positive changes and compare how you feel . Your body — and brain — will benefit. Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published Dec. 3, 2018. Last updated Feb. 10, 2020.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAlma Adams loves her job as a crossing guard in Annapolis, helping young students safely navigate the intersection of Woods Drive and Tyler Avenue. “I just love kids. I’m a people person,” says Alma, 67. When she’s not working, she also keeps busy by traveling and volunteering with her church to deliver meals to the homeless. “I am constantly on the go,” she says. But several years ago, a series of health problems began to make life a lot harder. Alma was diagnosed with cancer in her skin, blood and bones. As she recovered, she began to suffer from knee pain. “I didn’t want to walk – it was so bad that I couldn’t even sleep at night,” Alma says. She visited orthopedic surgeon Paul King, MD, with Anne Arundel Medical Center Orthopedics, after hearing good things about him from family and friends. Dr. King, the medical director of AAMC’s Center for Joint Replacement, did X-rays to figure out the source of the pain. “When he didn’t really see the pain that I was talking about, that’s when he went to the hips,” Alma says. “And he saw the problems that I was having.” Dr. King said the chemotherapy medications she took led to avascular necrosis, or a death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply, in her hips. “In some cases hip pain can refer to the knee, so patients with unexplained knee pain always have to be evaluated for a problem in the hip. Because diagnosis can be complex, people with these types of symptoms should always be evaluated by a physician,” Dr. King says. Dr. King performed hip replacement surgery on both of Alma’s hips, using the direct anterior approach. This method uses a special operating table to perform a muscle-sparing hip replacement with the help of X-rays. Alma admits she was reluctant to undergo the surgeries at first, fearing a long recovery time. But that wasn’t the case. She spent four weeks recovering from her first hip surgery, and six weeks recovering from her second surgery. “Recovery after hip replacement is based on patient motivation, preparation, and fitness—she was a very motivated patient,” Dr. King says. He also credits the Center for Joint Replacement’s advances in rapid recovery protocols. Seventy percent of patients who undergo hip replacements leave the hospital in a day or less. And now Alma is enjoying her life. She says she encourages anyone experiencing knee or hip pain to go to AAMC Orthopedics for treatment. “I can drop it like it’s hot,” she says. “Without this surgery, I wouldn’t have felt like myself.” Alma is featured in commercials for AAMC Orthopedics for its Your Comeback Starts Here campaign. Contributor Paul King, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics. To reach his practice, call 410-268-8862.0
- Men's Health, Women's Health, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnn Caldwell, a nutritionist and registered dietitian at AAMC, breaks down five common heart health misconceptions. Myth #1 – Eggs and other foods high in cholesterol are unhealthy and to be avoided. The cholesterol in foods actually has little effect on most people’s cholesterol levels. In fact, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recent finding is that cholesterol in the diet need no longer be considered a “nutrient of concern.” The bigger concern continues to be too many servings of foods high in saturated fats and trans fats, such as fatty meats, whole milk dairy products, fried foods, and butter. Try focusing instead on less processed foods and a more plant-based diet. Myth #2 – If I had high blood pressure, I would know. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because you don’t usually know you have it. You may never experience symptoms, so don’t wait for your body to alert you there is a problem. The way to know if you have high blood pressure is to check your numbers with a simple blood pressure test. Early treatment of high blood pressure is critical because, if left untreated, it can cause heart attack, stroke, kidney damage and other serious health problems. Myth #3– If I don’t have an hour to do cardio, it is not worth it. Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk for heart disease. Compared with people who exercise regularly, inactive people have nearly twice the risk of heart disease. After checking with your physician, set yourself a weekly exercise goal and start gradually. Do not wait to find time—be proactive by setting aside time for daily exercise. Being more active isn’t just about heart health; exercise improves our sleep, emotional health, reduces stress, and improves agility and balance. Myth #4 – Drink wine, eat dark chocolate and live forever. Wouldn’t it be great if we had to eat chocolate and drink wine to stay healthy? Unfortunately, this is not the case. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there is not conclusive evidence that either of these indulgences have any health benefits. Although a few small studies have pointed to some benefit, the fat, sugar and alcohol outweigh the benefit. Myth #5 – I am too young to worry about heart disease. How you live now affects your risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. As early as childhood and adolescence, plaque can start accumulating in the arteries and later lead to clogged arteries. One in three Americans has cardiovascular disease, but not all of them are senior citizens. Even young and middle-aged people can develop heart problems, especially now that obesity, type 2 diabetes and other risk factors are becoming more common at a younger age. Author Ann Caldwell is a nutritionist and registered dietitian at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published Feb. 27, 2015. Last updated March 25, 2019.0
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