Now, listeners of Star 101.5 (KPLZ-FM) can get healthier even while they’re sitting in traffic. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7:40 a.m., Star 101.5 presents the Northwest Hospital Health Tip of the Day. On-air personality Ana Kelly has teamed with Northwest Hospital physicians and staff to bring listeners useful information and interviews about diet, fitness and preventing disease. Tune in today to learn how to live a happier, healthier life!

Health Tip for 5/12/2008

Breast pain is so common that it’s almost normal – but not quite. A lot of women have it for a few days during their monthly cycles. If you’re worried that it might be a sign of a serious problem, you should know that persistent breast pain very rarely is a sign of cancer. More often, it’s a sign you should be cutting back on caffeine, working on reducing stress by better time management, and making a little time for daily exercise. Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about your breast pain, and follow their suggestions. Giving up coffee or stressful situations will be worth it. If, however, your breast pain is in one place and does not change with your cycle, talk to you doctor about a diagnostic mammogram, breast MRI or both.



Health Tip for 5/8/2008

If your husband snores from the minute he goes to sleep, it can keep you awake most of the night, and really mess up the following day. Before you banish him to the couch, or move into the rec room yourself, Dr. Gandis Mazeika says you need to get your husband checked for sleep apnea: loud snoring isn't just a nuisance. Sleep apnea can result in severe health complications, including high blood pressure. Whether your honey has sleep apnea or just snores a lot, there are effective treatments out there. They will help both of you sleep like a dream.



Health Tip for 5/6/2008

Okay, you’ve heard it a million times: smoking is bad for you. It not only increases your risk of heart disease, it’s bad for your lungs and it’s bad for the people around you. It can even lead to all kinds of cancers, from your mouth to deep in your lungs. You might also be surprised to hear that cigarettes and other tobacco products make it hard for your cells to use insulin. In other words, smoking triples your risk of developing full-blown diabetes. Talk to the folks at the American Lung Association about ways to quit smoking, and to your doctor and pharmacist, too. They can tell you about new treatments and tools for smoking cessation. If you don’t succeed the first time you try to quit smoking, get ready to try again. Eventually, you’ll find the way to quit that works for you and makes your life healthier, too.



Health Tip for 5/5/2008

Most of us get tension headaches, and most of us know what to do. We take some aspirin or ibuprofen, we go for a walk or we just try to relax for a few minutes. Getting rid of a migraine is much more difficult. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says that’s because the roots of the headache are deep in the brain. He explains that migraine headaches are a syndrome, caused by a disorder in the brain near the hypothalamus. Besides pain, migraine sufferers also tend to have nausea and increased sensitivity to noise, light, smells and movement. These symptoms can be overwhelming. If you want to prevent migraines, the first step is to regulate your sleep and meal schedule. A lot of migraines crop up on the weekend, because we stay up late and sleep in, and eat whenever we want. You can fight these tough headaches by sticking to a regular schedule, seven days a week.



Health Tip for 5/1/2008

You know a lot about stress. If you don’t suffer from it, you know someone who does. One of the results of continuing stress can be a migraine. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says while migraines usually start early in life, a cluster of migraines can be traced to what’s going on in your daily life. He adds that if you can deal with the stress, you’ll find that the migraines are easier to handle. Of course, it’s common for migraines to develop four or five days before the start of menstruation, because of hormonal changes. If you feel a migraine coming on and you don’t have specific medication for that type of headache, find someplace quiet and just rest for a while. Take some acetaminophen or ibuprofen as early as you can during the onset of the headache. Surprisingly, a good strong jolt of caffeine, in a soft drink or cup of coffee, can help you fight the migraine, too.



Health Tip for 4/29/2008

Unlike migraines, which mostly affect women, cluster headaches occur most frequently in men. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says they’re called cluster headaches because they can happen up to three times a day for about six weeks. He says most people who have migraines will want to stay motionless in a dark room, but someone with a cluster headache will be pacing or rocking back and forth. The pain is usually behind one eye, and that eye will be reddened. Lying down will actually make a cluster headache worse. Since this kind of pain can be a symptom of a serious problem, see a doctor.
Treatment can include steroids and, believe it or not, oxygen. Talk to your doctor about any stubborn recurring headache, so you can work together on finding a diagnosis and a solution that works for you.




Health Tip for 4/28/2008

It’s one of the most common medical problems. About 8 out of ten people have back pain, so chances are if your back hasn’t hurt you so far, it will someday. Back aches can be anything from a dull constant pain to a sudden, sharp one. Dr. Walter Trautman, pain specialist at Northwest Hospital, says the pain doesn’t necessarily come from an injury. He says it can occur for a lot of different reasons, from a herniated disk to a muscle strain. That’s why treating back pain is so complex, and why each patient has to be individually evaluated, to find the cause and the right treatment. Most back pain will go away, but it may take a while. Chronic back pain that sticks around for three months, or keeps you from your regular activities, calls for a trip to the doctor’s office.



Health Tip for 4/24/2008

Being the caregiver for your parents can be a tough job. You may have to make difficult decisions, like, when should you look for a nursing facility or adult family home? Dr. William Solan from Northwest Hospital’s Gero-Psychiatric Center says the choice often comes down to whether or not you are able to spend quality time with your parents. It’s important to focus on the well-being of the entire family and the caregiver – it’s hard to have quality time with your parents when you’re stressed out and depressed, due to all the demands on your time from parents, kids and your job. When the situation becomes unsafe, because an elderly parent is wandering away from home, or when caring for your folks becomes a huge burden, it may be time to make other arrangements…but nearby, so you can spend quality time with them.



Health Tip for 4/22/2008

You remember Smokey Bear, don’t you? Bet you didn’t think his advice on preventing forest fires applied to West Nile virus, too. You can prevent it from attacking by doing some simple things around the house. Since the disease is spread by mosquito bites, the trick is to get rid of standing water around your yard that will provide a good environment for the bugs. Mosquitoes can breed in just a few inches of water in only a couple of days, so drain plant saucers and empty rainwater out of kids’ toys, and change the water in birdbaths every few days. Mosquitoes can breed in just a few inches of water in only a couple of days. West Nile virus doesn’t harm most people, but it can cause permanent damage to people with diabetes, immunity problems and those over 40 years old. Children and men tend to get it more often because they spend more time outdoors on summer evenings, so take steps to get mosquitoes off your property and keep West Nile virus out of your life!



Health Tip for 4/21/2008

You’re busy, busy, busy all day long. Work, husband, kids, your parents, his parents, the house, the car, the dog, yada-yada-yada. By the end of the day, you still haven’t had any time for yourself. I know how that feels. We all have to take care of our responsibilities, of course, but heart health researchers say we all need to take a few minutes for ourselves, too. Just take a deep breath and really think about how you feel, from top to toe. Listening to your body is an important tool in managing your health. Do you need to relax more? Would you feel better if you went for a short walk? Do you feel really wound up or even a little nervous? Or are you feeling serene and happy? Pay attention to what your body has to say. It will help you learn how to beat heart disease and live a happier, healthier life.



Health Tip for 4/17/2008

You may have osteoporosis and not know it. Like high blood pressure, osteoporosis is a silent disease. Until you have a crisis, like a broken wrist or hip, you might think your bones are perfectly healthy. Dr. Julie Carkin, with The Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says if you have certain health events, you should ask your doctor for a bone density assessment. If you are past menopause, taking steroids for asthma, multiple sclerosis or arthritis, or your periods have stopped due to underweight or high amounts of exercise, your bones are at risk for osteoporosis. You might not have any sign of osteoporosis until bone breaks, so do what you can now to build and maintain healthy bones. Take vitamin D and calcium every day and talk about bone health with your doctor.



Health Tip for 4/15/2008

No matter how much you need it for healthy bones, your body will only absorb so much calcium at one time. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says your body can use only about 500 milligrams of calcium at once. Since you need about 1200 milligrams of calcium a day, it’s important to spread out your servings through the day. Have a glass of milk at breakfast, a yogurt at lunch and a calcium pill in the evening, to help make sure you get the maximum benefit. If you can’t eat dairy products, there are lots of calcium fortified foods around, including fruit juices, cereal, sports bars and soy products. And watch out for adding loads of calcium to your diet all at once. You tummy may rebel, since for many people, too much calcium can cause constipation. Adding calcium to your diet gradually is the best way to do your body good.



Health Tip for 4/14/2008

You can have a healthier heart and enrich your life by learning how to manage stress. Eveyone gets stressed out! It’s funny: I’m a traffic reporter you’d think I could handle being stuck in traffic, but NOT so MUCH!!! I get soooo stressed out thinking about all the time I’m wasting stuck in back ups. Some studies show being depressed, worried about money, or stressed out in traffic, at home or on the job can increase your risk of having a heart attack (whether or not you have a history of heart disease. It’s important to recognize your symptoms of stress. Learn some ways to relax. Try progressive relaxation technique, yoga or some simple stretches. You could even take up an active hobby, since experts say activities like dancing, rollerblading, or softball, can boost your energy, work off stress and get your heart healthy, all at the same time!



Health Tip for 4/10/2008

The first step in fighting a serious case of insomnia is to start getting up at the same time every day, whether it’s a weekend or a work day. The next step is staying in bed only to sleep. If you don’t doze off in the first ten minutes, get up! The best thing to do is to not linger in bed too long. If about 10 minutes has gone by and you’re still awake, you should be getting up out of bed and out of the bedroom, going someplace else and waiting until you’re tired and sleepy again. Then it’s time to go back to bed and try to fall asleep again. Yes, you may be a little more tired the next day, but you’ll find that the following night you’ll have an easier time falling asleep.

In a week or two, you’ll find yourself dozing off when you first go to bed, and sleeping through most of the night!



Health Tip for 4/8/2008

Watch enough episodes of Celebrity Fit Club, Biggest Loser and any of the other reality weight loss shows and you start thinking there must be a perfect exercise or sport out there for me, right? All it takes is joining a gym, hiring a personal trainer and devoting several hours every day to developing the right technique! What real fitness takes is a sensible, flexible diet and finding an activity you enjoy doing for at least 30 minutes 3 to 5 times a week. That’s it. While reality TV shows focus on massive weight loss and minimum calories, what works for you may be a lot of fresh fruits and veggies with an occasional treat. Yes, you’re allowed. And that will lead you to gradual weight loss. As for the perfect sport, whether you love weight lifting or running bases, talk to your doctor, get out there, and be your own reality show.



Health Tip for 4/7/2008

You’ve been hearing a lot about West Nile virus in the media, but most people don’t know what it is. West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes, and it mostly causes fever, a little rash and an achy feeling. If you catch it, you’ll need to rest and take an over-the-counter medication for the fever. Dr. William Ehni from Northwest Hospital says in some cases West Nile can cause serious complications in adults over age 40, or for people who have diabetes or immunity problems. These people can have problems ranging from headache, nausea and vomiting to seizures and permanent brain damage. That’s why we urge people to avoid mosquito bites as much as possible. Mosquitoes are at their most active at dawn and around sunset, so if you must be outdoors then, wear long sleeves and pants. And, make sure to use an insect repellent containing D-E-E-T or Picaridin on any exposed skin.



Health Tip for 4/3/2008

What do you call success? Is it getting a big raise at work, or learning how to steal third base? For some people, it’s losing weight and getting into shape. Then, along comes vacation, with all the fun of going on a cruise, or a road trip, and there go the food plans and exercise. Cruise ships offer loads of enticing food, but also many kinds of exercise and games. Take a moment each day to think about choosing healthy foods and plan for some active fun, too. During a long road trip, plan ahead for healthy food. Stop every two hours to stretch and walk. The fact is vacations may be the right time to re-define success. Try focusing on healthy eating and getting in some walks, or maybe even going dancing. You will be able to really relax and really have a good time – and come home refreshed without packing on the pounds!



Health Tip for 4/1/2008

You’ve already heard about the obesity epidemic in the United States. It’s being blamed on everything from too much fast food to not enough exercise. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says with people carrying so much extra weight, another epidemic is striking women in particular. She points out that weight can cause osteoarthritis in the hips and knees, even in young women. So many of us weigh a lot more than our skeletons were designed to support, leading to pain and joint damage. If you’re finding that your knees or hips are stiff and sore when you get up from a chair, and the pain gets worse as you continue to walk around, you may have osteoarthritis. It may be time to take off some excess weight if you’re carrying too many pounds. Talk to your doctor, to find out what to do to keep osteoarthritis in its place, while you keep moving!



Health Tip for 3/31/2008

The discomfort of restless leg syndrome builds up for several minutes, until the person with RLS finally moves. That relieves the sensation of having soda pop or ants in the legs for a while, until the discomfort starts building up again. Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a sleep specialist at Northwest Hospital, says there are several things you can do to temporarily relieve the restlessness. He says he tells patients to go into the kitchen and use a rolling pin to massage their legs for about five minutes before bedtime. Taking a warm bath at bedtime also calms down the restlessness. That can give you enough relief that you can get to sleep.
Prescription medications can relieve the symptoms of RLS. The good news is that it tends to come in waves, so after a series of bad nights, RLS will go away for weeks, or even months.



Health Tip for 3/27/2008

If you get migraines, you’ve heard that some foods can trigger them. Aged cheese, foods containing MSG, processed meats, red wine and even chocolate are on the list. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says you’re lucky if you can find out that a particular food causes your headaches, but you shouldn’t drop a food from your diet just because it’s on the list. He advises that you approach this problem scientifically: eat some chocolate, for example, and then wait. If you’re going to get a migraine, it will happen in the following two to three hours. If you don’t get a headache, go ahead and enjoy chocolate. Dr. Krane says it’s actually rare for migraine headaches to be set off by foods. If you’ve been avoiding certain foods, choose a day to run a little test, one suspect food at a time. You could be surprised!<



Health Tip for 3/25/2008

Restless leg syndrome, or RLS, is more common then you think. It affects about ten percent of the population. People with RLS get an uncomfortable sensation, usually in the legs, and especially just when they’re starting to relax in the evening. The discomfort builds until the person absolutely has to move. Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a sleep specialist at Northwest Hospital, explains that RLS can sometimes be mis-diagnosed. He says restless leg syndrome tends to come on in adulthood, but some kids have it. It can mimic attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so some kids have been misidentified as hyperactive, when they actually have RLS. There are some things you can do to ease the symptoms without medication. Warmth can relieve the restlessness, so take a heating pad to bed, or put it on your legs while watching TV to get a break from the discomfort.



Health Tip for 3/24/2008

You promised you’d cut back on fatty foods, but you don’t want to give up bacon, or sausage. How about giving up fat somewhere else in your daily meals? Look for low-fat lunch meats when you’re making sandwiches to take to work, and choose a soft margarine instead of a stick. Instead of a smearof mayonnaise or cream cheese, try a dab of mustard – it’s fat-free and low calorie. Add a couple of slices of reduced fat or fat-free cheese between two slices of whole-wheat or eight-grain bread, and you’ll have a hearty lunch that is a little lower in saturated fats – the ones that are unhealthy. Instead of chips, try celery sticks, carrots or an apple for a satisfying crunch. Besides reducing calories, you’re taking steps toward preventing diabetes and heart disease. You won’t miss the extra calories!



Health Tip for 3/20/2008

You wouldn’t send your kids out to play in traffic. That’s why you make sure they have bike helmets that fit correctly, and even more importantly.... they put them on!!! Another way to make sure your kids wear their helmets.... is to make sure they see you wearing yours.... You know the saying "monkey SEE monkey DO"!!! Chances are... you and your kids won’t get into any accidents..... But if something does go wrong, a helmet will help reduce injuries, and prevent life-long disability caused by brain damage. The fit is just as important. You want your helmet to comfortably touch the head all the way around. It should be level and stable enough to stay in place, even when you shake your head really hard. The strap should be slightly snug. Use the pads that come with the helmet to adjust the fit so it’s both comfortable and safe...Alright kids, let’s go!!!



Health Tip for 3/18/2008

Breast pain is so common that it’s almost normal – but not quite. A lot of women have it for a few days during their monthly cycles. If you’re worried that it might be a sign of a serious problem, you should know that persistent breast pain very rarely is a sign of cancer. More often, it’s a sign you should be cutting back on caffeine, working on reducing stress by better time management, and making a little time for daily exercise. Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about your breast pain, and follow their suggestions. Giving up coffee or stressful situations will be worth it. If, however, your breast pain is in one place and does not change with your cycle, talk to you doctor about a diagnostic mammogram, breast MRI or both.



Health Tip for 3/17/2008

Ever thought about balancing your muscles? It sounds funny, but if you ride a bicycle a lot, you could be developing some muscles while neglecting others. In other words, you could end up being really good at moving forward and backward, but have some trouble moving sideways. Dr. Chris Peterson from The Sports Medicine Clinic says this can be a sign that your body needs something more from you than frequent bike rides. He says a large majority of the people he sees in his clinic are tight in at least some muscle groups and poor in core strength, so they need a strengthening and stretching program to deal with chronic tendonitis. If you love to bike, it’s important for you to do some cross-training, like soccer, dance, lifting weights, or core strengthening programs like yoga or Pilates. A balanced, flexible cyclist means a better bike ride!



Health Tip for 3/13/2008

I love to bike on the weekends in the summertime, but lately my knees Have been aching more than I think they should. Dr. Chris Peterson of The Sports Medicine Clinic says if your knees hurt, there may be something wrong with the relationship between you and your bike.
The key is to make sure your bike fits your body, whether you ride a racing, road or mountain bike. Even if you stretch carefully and warm up before you get on your bike, riding with the wrong configuration can be very painful. A good fitting bike, combined with some solid advice on cycling techniques, can put you ahead of the pack!<



Health Tip for 3/11/2008

You’re sweet as can be, but you’d like to be twice as cute. Cutting down on some of the sugar in your diet just might be part of the answer. I love vanilla in my morning coffee, but often the flavoring in your coffee drink is full of sugar. And I think that is why I can’t get rid of my last set of love handles. What to do? Well, start by using less sugar in your latte, and then see if you can cut down on the sugar on your morning cereal. When you go grocery shopping, take a look at the nutrition labels, and be a little more choosy. Watch out for excess sugar in some desserts that are labeled low-fat… Instead of a chocolate treat.....go for fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in water or juice.



Health Tip for 3/10/2008

If you’re under 35 years old, you’re probably adding to your bone bank account, even if you don’t know it. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says up to that age, if you eat well and take in enough calcium and vitamin D, you’re building up important reserves of high-quality bone. She says it’s important to build up bone density, to prevent crippling fractures later in life.
The latest research says most women don’t have enough vitamin D, and that the recommended amount has gone way up – to between 800 and 1000 international units a day. Vitamin D is extremely important, since you can’t absorb calcium without it. Calcium and vitamin D are the building blocks of bone, so making sure you include them in your daily life is the way to insure that you’re making deposits in your own personal bone



Health Tip for 3/6/2008

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a store mirror, and immediately straighten up? You might not realize it, but that could be the first step toward keeping your back healthy and pain-free. Dr. Walter Trautman, pain specialist at Northwest Hospital, says being aware of your posture and how you do things like getting in and out of the car can help prevent back aches. He says staying active and exercising your core muscles will help your back stay strong. Walking and keeping your weight down will certainly help, too, in many cases.
If you have minor back pain, resist the urge to stay in bed for a couple of days – it doesn’t help in many cases, while ice and heat packs and gentle exercise will. Call your doctor, though, if you have numbness in the legs or if you have so much pain that you can’t go to work or take care of your family.<



Health Tip for 3/4/2008

You are so ready to get out there on your bike! The question is, is your bicycle ready for you? If you got your bike several years ago, if it was a gift or hand-me-down, or if you bought it without being measured to make sure it fits you, Todd Gallaher, current Washington State champion amateur racer and cycling fitting specialist at The Sports Medicine Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says you’re setting yourself up for a painful ride. Since most store clerks are not trained to fit bikes, you need to know it’s a lot more than seat height – adjustments have to be made to the handlebars, saddle, brake levers and fore and aft balance to suit the individual rider. Skipping these adjustments won’t hurt you if you just take the bike for a quick ride to the store. But if you ride more than that, a poorly fitting bike is like wearing shoes that are two sizes too small. A bad fit can make your life miserable and cause injuries.



Health Tip for 3/3/2008

Unlike migraines, which mostly affect women, cluster headaches occur most frequently in men. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says they’re called cluster headaches because they can happen up to three times a day for about six weeks. He says most people who have migraines will want to stay motionless in a dark room, but someone with a cluster headache will be pacing or rocking back and forth. The pain is usually behind one eye, and that eye will be reddened. Lying down will actually make a cluster headache worse. Since this kind of pain can be a symptom of a serious problem, see a doctor.
Treatment can include steroids and, believe it or not, oxygen. Talk to your doctor about any stubborn recurring headache, so you can work together on finding a diagnosis and a solution that works for you.




Health Tip for 2/28/2008

Okay, so you are not in love with the treadmill, the elliptical trainer, the rowing machine or the stationary bike at the gym. The step or spinning classes aren’t happening at the times you can attend. Liz Dickson, exercise specialist at Northwest Hospital, says you can make your aerobic workouts more interesting. She says you can create your own cardio medley: once a week use every kind of aerobic machine in the gym. You’ll still get a great workout, and you may find a new favorite machine.
If the problem is the gym itself, try some activity away from the gym, like running with the family dog, rollerblading with your kids or taking your sweetie dancing. Sometimes just changing the location of your workout can make it feel fresher, and keep you on the road to a healthy body.




Health Tip for 2/26/2008

People think of whooping cough as just another childhood disease, but it’s an illness that can lead to pneumonia, convulsions, developmental disability or even death in babies. Whooping cough may start out looking like a cold, but if your child has a runny nose and slight fever, and a repeated cough that ends in a “whooping” noise, talk to your doctor immediately. Babies under 18 months are especially at risk, because their breathing may stop during coughing spells. Experts say that cough medicines don’t help with whooping cough and actually should be avoided. And if you or your child has whooping cough, it’s important to cover your cough, wash your hands and stay away from other people as much as possible to keep from spreading the disease.



Health Tip for 2/25/2008

You’ve been trying to get to the gym a little more often, but, wow, does that aerobic routine get boring! After a few minutes on the treadmill, you can start feeling like a hamster on a wheel – going nowhere fast. Liz Dickson, exercise specialist at Northwest Hospital, says getting into shape doesn’t have to be dull. She suggests using your time on the treadmill or the elliptical trainer to get some basic aerobic fitness, and look for classes in activities like belly dancing, water aerobics, dodge ball, boxing or hip-hop dance! Include some weight training in your workouts, to tone your muscles, too. The point is to get clearance from your doctor, and then get out there and move. You’ll feel fit, you’ll look great and your heart and every other part of your body will appreciate the effort. Plus – no more boredom!




Health Tip for 2/21/2008

It starts out looking like a cold, but whooping cough can turn into a dangerous illness for babies and small children. The first symptoms are a runny nose and slight fever, followed by severe, repeated coughs that can cause choking spells and make it hard to breathe. Because whooping cough can cause permanent disabilities or even death, doctors urge parents to have their children immunized against this illness, before they enter school. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the bacteria that causes whooping cough travels on large droplets. Since adults and older children may not have severe symptoms, they may pass whooping cough on without knowing it. Remember to cover all your coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands frequently, just in case.



Health Tip for 2/19/2008

If you’ve been getting tensed up over things at work, you may have the cure right at your fingertips. Instead of taking some kind of pill for anxiety, some researchers say you can reduce the symptoms of stress by getting a little exercise instead. According to some studies, aerobic exercise like walking, running or playing tennis can be as effective as medication in treating depression. Keep it up for a few weeks, and exercise can help reduce anxiety, relieve depression and even help you sleep better. Add in enhanced self-esteem and improved muscle tone, and you’ve got results that don’t come in a pill bottle. The trick is to start low and slow, walking for a few minutes each day until you’re ready for longer, faster walks. Then you might try jogging, a fitness class, handball – whatever suits you. Before you start, though, make sure to let your doctor know about your exercise plans.



Health Tip for 2/18/2008

You may think you have stomach flu when you’re nauseous, vomiting or have diarrhea, but it may not actually be the flu. Flu causes chills, fever, runny nose and a cough, while vomiting and diarrhea can be caused by something called rotavirus or norovirus, that illness you’ve heard about ruining ocean cruises and closing schools. The virus can travel on contaminated hands and in moisture droplets, and it can survive on a variety of surfaces. That means if you start having symptoms like these, the best thing to do is to take yourself out of circulation until you feel better. The good news is that thorough hand washing with soap or cleaning of contaminated clothing or surfaces with detergent will send the virus down the drain. Also, drink plenty of fluids and stay away from the very young and the very old, because this illness is the most dangerous for them.



Health Tip for 2/14/2008

You know what’s hot coming up this spring? Colors with names like snorkel blue and pink mist, along with what the fashionistas call “stabilizing neutrals.” Plus, you’ll have your choice of looks – sporty-chic or an ethno-mix that shows off your fitness. Not so many bare tummies, but shiny fabrics that show every bulge. Now don’t freak out and starve yourself. Before you decide to stop eating for the next month so your thighs will look great, remember that it takes fuel to run your body. So instead of cutting out all kinds of calories talk about cutting back. Trade in the morning pastry for an apple or the orange juice for a real orange. Right there you’ve cut a bunch of calories. Next make sure you’ve got some lean protein in every meal. You can add sliced turkey or beef to that lunchtime salad. With a generous squeeze of lemon and a tiny splash of healthy olive oil, plus a little exercise, you’re good to go and lookin’ good too.



Health Tip for 2/12/2008

In just this past year, it’s become possible to protect young women from a viral infection associated with about 70 percent of the cervical cancers in the United States. Generally speaking, the vaccine is given to women 26 years of age and younger. Dr. Patricia Rodrigues says some older women may qualify for the vaccine as well. A woman who is a virgin or has had only one lover, but is facing a divorce or other change in her life may want to protect herself from the virus that causes cervical cancer. Insurance coverage for the vaccine varies. Compared to the cost of analyzing even one abnormal pap smear, it’s cost-effective, and a lot cheaper than treating a cancer that kills almost four thousand women a year in the United States.



Health Tip for 2/11/2008

It took more time to fit your ski boots than it does to alter a wedding dress. After all that, your feet still hurt after just a couple of hours on your skis. It could be that you need more than another new pair of boots. Dr. Richard Bouché, a podiatrist at The Sports Medicine Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says your sore feet deserve a second look. He says it’s important for all skiers to have boots that fit and are comfortable. Many times, the skier is already in the right boot – it just needs to be fine-tuned to their particular needs. If a boot is personalized so it fits properly – you shouldn’t have to loosen the buckles all day.If you’ve had your boots fitted in a store, and they still hurt, it’s time to see a doctor of podiatric medicine. He or she can help you achieve the fit you need in the boots you may already own.




Health Tip for 2/7/2008

We do love our winter sports here in the Pacific Northwest, but the winter weather, especially in the mountains, doesn’t love us back. That’s why Dr. Richard Bouché, a podiatrist at the Sports Medicine Clinic and a long-time skier, says you need to prepare before you head for the hills. He says hypothermia happens in stages, starting with heavy shivering. When that starts, do what you can to warm up, from putting on another layer of clothing to going inside to get out of the wind. As hypothermia progresses, you lose the ability to think clearly, and that can be fatal. Carrying an extra hat, pair of gloves and a cell phone can be life-savers in an emergency. Don’t under-estimate our winter weather. If you’re going boarding, hiking or snow-shoeing, take along what you may need to survive.




Health Tip for 2/5/2008

For the first time, it’s possible to get an inoculation against cancer. It helps prevent infections by HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer later in life. Since the vaccine needs to be given to women BEFORE they have any chance of being exposed to the virus through sexual intercourse, it’s become controversial to some people. Dr. Patricia Rodrigues at Meridian Women’s Health says all women ages 9 to 26 should have the vaccine. To her, it’s a no-brainer: she says her daughter will get this vaccine when she turns 12 years old. The vaccine is not a live virus, so it can’t give you HPV, and it could protect her from cervical cancer – something that nothing else can do right now. The vaccine can be given to older women as well, depending on their personal histories. If you’re concerned about preventing cervical cancer, talk it over with your healthcare practitioner.




Health Tip for 2/4/2008

I’ll bet you’ve never heard a skier complain that her feet were too hot. Many skiers suspect their toes are turning to ice cubes after being out on the hill for a few hours. Dr. Richard Bouché, a podiatrist at The Sports Medicine Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says there can be more than one reason for those frosty feet.
The ski boot can be too tight and cutting off circulation, which can make your feet feel cold. Or, you might have a circulatory problem. Dr. Bouche says your podiatrist needs to check to make sure that you don’t have an issue that could affect a lot more than your ability to ski. Once you’ve talked the problem over with a doctor, and made the needed adjustments on your boots, several things can improve the circulation your feet. These can include wearing the right socks, or using a battery-powered boot heater. The little heater doesn’t cost a lot, and it can make your toes a lot cozier!




Health Tip for 1/31/2008

We do love our winter sports here in the Pacific Northwest, but the winter weather, especially in the mountains, doesn’t love us back. That’s why Dr. Richard Bouché, a podiatrist at the Sports Medicine Clinic and a long-time skier, says you need to prepare before you head for the hills. He says hypothermia happens in stages, starting with heavy shivering. When that starts, do what you can to warm up, from putting on another layer of clothing to going inside to get out of the wind. As hypothermia progresses, you lose the ability to think clearly, and that can be fatal. Carrying an extra hat, pair of gloves and a cell phone can be life-savers in an emergency. Don’t under-estimate our winter weather. If you’re going boarding, hiking or snow-shoeing, take along what you may need to survive.



Health Tip for 1/29/2008

Here’s a flash for a lot of us: ski boots are not supposed to hurt your feet! Dr. Richard Bouché, a podiatrist at The Sports Medicine Clinic, says some people may need more than just a fitting at the store to make sure their ski boots are comfortable to wear. He says the process should include not only a look at foot length and width, but also at foot volume – whether you have a long, thin foot or a wider, thick foot. The fitters need to consider whether you’re a beginner or advanced skier. Then they should check the balance of your foot inside the boot.
Once your boot has been adjusted to your feet, additional corrections can be made to enhance comfort as well. The goal is to be able to wear your ski boots all day without ever needing to take them off. What a great idea – skiing in comfort, so you can focus on having a great time!




Health Tip for 1/28/2008

Everyone keeps saying that washing your hands frequently is the best way to stop cold and flu germs right in their tracks. It really is, if you do it right. First of all, it takes a little more than a quick splash of warm water. Here’s what the hand hygiene experts at Northwest Hospital advise: First, get your hands wet, then add some soap. Now rub your hands together for a good fifteen seconds. Now rinse thoroughly. This sends the germs down the drain, and out of your life. Dry your hands completely, and you’re good to go. The important thing about hand washing is to do it often, especially before eating, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing and before AND after taking care of someone who is sick. When in doubt, wash often so cold and flu germs have a hard time traveling from hand to hand.



Health Tip for 1/24/2008

You know how important it is to get aerobic exercise at least three times a week. According to all the commercials on TV, if you work out, you should consume a special sports drink, or a gel or a bar, too. But do you really need the extra calories? The answer, according to independent researchers, is that it depends on how you exercise. If you exercise for more than 90 minutes and work up a good sweat, you may need the electrolytes in a sports drink. But for most exercisers the drinks, bars and gels just add extra calories for you to work off. To fuel your exercise, depend on real food, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein. If you hate exercising on an empty stomach, eat a small snack an hour before you hit the gym. If you’re ravenous afterward, eat something that will satisfy your tummy, without filling it with empty calories.



Health Tip for 1/22/2008

You know a lot about stress. If you don’t suffer from it, you know someone who does. One of the results of continuing stress can be a migraine. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says while migraines usually start early in life, a cluster of migraines can be traced to what’s going on in your daily life. He adds that if you can deal with the stress, you’ll find that the migraines are easier to handle. Of course, it’s common for migraines to develop four or five days before the start of menstruation, because of hormonal changes. If you feel a migraine coming on and you don’t have specific medication for that type of headache, find someplace quiet and just rest for a while. Take some acetaminophen or ibuprofen as early as you can during the onset of the headache. Surprisingly, a good strong jolt of caffeine, in a soft drink or cup of coffee, can help you fight the migraine, too.




Health Tip for 1/21/2008

Being the caregiver for your parents can be a tough job. You may have to make difficult decisions, like, “when should you look for a nursing facility or adult family home?” Dr. William Solan from Northwest Hospital’s Gero-Psychiatric Center says the choice often comes down to whether or not you are able to spend quality time with your parents. It’s important to focus on the well-being of the entire family and the caregiver – it’s hard to have quality time with your parents when you’re stressed out and depressed, due to all the demands on your time from parents, kids and your job. When the situation becomes unsafe, because an elderly parent is wandering away from home, or when caring for your folks becomes a huge burden, it may be time to make other arrangements…but nearby, so you can spend quality time with them.



Health Tip for 1/17/2008

You’re a good driver, but sometimes even the best can end up in a traffic accident. Dr. Evan Cantini, rehabilitation medicine specialist at Northwest Hospital, says the most common injury after a crash is to the neck, with pain across the shoulders or down the neck to between the shoulder blades. He describes this as nearly constant pain, at least half the day, and gets worse with activity. While most of these muscle injuries improve over time, our goal is to speed up the healing process. If the pain is interfering with your work and sleep, talk to a doctor about physical therapy, advice on modifying your lifestyle to ease the pain and perhaps some medication. Prompt diagnosis and treatment, which can include medications, braces or therapies, can reduce your pain and help you return to your usual activities quicker.



Health Tip for 1/15/2008

It would be great if we could all stay healthy and never have to be a patient in a hospital. But sometimes things happen. How can you make sure your wishes regarding your care and treatment are followed? Under Washington State law, hospitals that provide either emergency care or more routine surgical procedures must inform you about a “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.” If you are unable to make decisions for yourself, this “power of attorney” allows a person or people you choose to make healthcare decisions on your behalf. A separate document, called a Living Will, only applies if you’re terminally ill and want to document your wishes for medical personnel and caregivers. A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare form is available on-line, at an office supply store, or you can pick one up on your next hospital visit.



Health Tip for 1/14/2008

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a store mirror, and immediately straighten up? You might not realize it, but that could be the first step toward keeping your back healthy and pain-free. Dr. Walter Trautman, pain specialist at Northwest Hospital, says being aware of your posture and how you do things like getting in and out of the car can help prevent back aches. He says staying active and exercising your core muscles will help your back stay strong. Walking and keeping your weight down will certainly help, too, in many cases.
If you have minor back pain, resist the urge to stay in bed for a couple of days – it doesn’t help in many cases, while ice and heat packs and gentle exercise will. Call your doctor, though, if you have numbness in the legs or if you have so much pain that you can’t go to work or take care of your family.




Health Tip for 1/10/2008

First the kids went back to school, or the boss left on vacation or the dog was really sick for weeks. Before you knew it, your plans to exercise and get into shape just disappeared. Don’t give up, though. You can start your new exercise plan today – here’s how: First, take five minutes for a brisk walk. After a few days, make it ten minutes, and work up to three times a day. Then, start parking a little farther away from your office, or start riding the bus to work and getting off a stop before your usual stop. By adding just a few minutes of exercise each day, you can start reaping the benefits: more energy and better sleep. As you get used to the exertion and your workouts get longer, remember to warm up and cool down by walking slowly for about five minutes at the beginning; then; walking briskly; doing a few stretches once your muscles are warm; then slowing down for the final ten minutes.



Health Tip for 1/8/2008

If you get migraines, you’ve heard that some foods can trigger them. Aged cheese, foods containing MSG, processed meats, red wine and even chocolate are on the list. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says you’re lucky if you can find out that a particular food causes your headaches, but you shouldn’t drop a food from your diet just because it’s on the list. He says to try approach this problem scientifically: eat some chocolate, for example, and then wait. If you’re going to get a migraine, it will happen in the following two to three hours. If you don’t get a headache, go ahead and enjoy chocolate.
Dr. Krane says it’s actually rare for migraine headaches to be set off by foods. If you’ve been avoiding certain foods, choose a day to run a little test, one suspect food at a time. You could be surprised!




Health Tip for 1/7/2008

Ok, so sports aren’t your thing, at least not the sports they made you play in high school. I can relate, yeah 5’11”, and NO, I still don’t like playing basketball. If you’re like me and don’t like certain kinds of sports, but you’d like to be a lot more active, maybe it’s time for you to find a new definition of sports. Dr. Justin Rothmier at The Sports Medicine Clinic says finding pleasure in whatever you decide is very important. If we enjoy a sport, we’re more likely to do it. It’s not so much a chore, it’s a pleasure to do it, so finding different types of sports to participate in, allows us to maintain our exercise program with very little effort. The important thing is to look at your sport as something you can do for the rest of your life, whether it’s running, folk dancing, or cycling. Just get off the couch and do it.



Health Tip for 1/3/2008

Okay, you’ve heard it a million times: smoking is bad for you. It not only increases your risk of heart disease, it’s bad for your lungs and it’s bad for the people around you. It can even lead to all kinds of cancers, from your mouth to deep in your lungs. You might also be surprised to hear that cigarettes and other tobacco products make it hard for your cells to use insulin. In other words, smoking triples your risk of developing full-blown diabetes. Talk to the folks at the American Lung Association about ways to quit smoking, and to your doctor and pharmacist, too. They can tell you about new treatments and tools for smoking cessation. If you don’t succeed the first time you try to quit smoking, get ready to try again. Eventually, you’ll find the way to quit that works for you and makes your life healthier, too.



Health Tip for 1/1/2008

You figure you should be losing weight. After all, you substitute a mid-morning latte for breakfast, never leave your desk at lunchtime and skip the afternoon coffee break. Of course, by the time you get home, you’re hungry as a bear, so you eat a hearty dinner. Then, you need a little something-something to nibble on while you watch TV, right? Well, if you were to write down when you eat, you might find some surprises. You may be cutting overall calories, but you’re cramming all of them into the evening hours, right before you go to bed. That gives your body nothing to do but convert calories to fat, rather than energy. It’s like your mother always said, winners eat breakfast, and so do people who succeed at losing weight. Go ahead, reduce your calories a reasonable amount, but also spread them throughout the day, so you can be both thinner and energetic.



Health Tip for 12/31/2007

You’ve already heard about the obesity epidemic in the United States. It’s being blamed on everything from too much fast food to not enough exercise. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says with people carrying so much extra weight, another epidemic is striking women in particular.
She says extra weight can cause osteoarthritis in the hips and knees, even in young women. So many of us weigh a lot more than our skeletons were designed to support, leading to pain and joint damage. If you’re finding that your knees or hips are stiff and sore when you get up from a chair, and the pain gets worse as you continue to walk around, you may have osteoarthritis. It may be time to take off some excess weight if you’re carrying too many pounds. Talk to your doctor, to find out what to do to keep osteoarthritis in its place, while you keep moving!




Health Tip for 12/27/2007

For the first time, it’s possible to get an inoculation against cancer. It helps prevent infections by HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer later in life. Since the vaccine needs to be given to women BEFORE they have any chance of being exposed to the virus through sexual intercourse, it’s become controversial to some people. Dr. Patricia Rodrigues at Meridian Women’s Health says all women ages 9 to 26 should have the vaccine. She says for her, it’s a no-brainer: her daughter will get this vaccine when she turns 12 years old. The vaccine is not a live virus, so it can’t give you HPV, and it could protect her from cervical cancer – something that nothing else can do right now.
The vaccine can be given to older women as well, depending on their personal histories. If you’re concerned about preventing cervical cancer, talk it over with your healthcare practitioner.




Health Tip for 12/25/2007

A lot of us live for that mid-afternoon mocha with the extra shot, but it may come back to haunt you at about 3 tomorrow morning. Dr. Gandis Mazeika says that’s when the caffeine in your afternoon coffee drink could wake you up from a sound sleep. He explains that once you’ve had a few hours sleep, you may still have enough caffeine in the bloodstream to wake you up, leaving you jittery and sweaty. Everyone has what’s called a “sleep drive,” that makes you need to go to sleep. There may not be enough caffeine in that drink to stop your going to sleep, but enough to jar you awake later. The solution is to cut down on coffee and caffeinated soft drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening. You’ll sleep a lot better!



Health Tip for 12/24/2007

Ready or not, we’re right in the middle of what some people call food season. It starts with all the tailgate parties and snacks in front of the TV during football games, and goes on through Halloween, the turkey and ALL the trimmings at Thanksgiving, the December holidays and doesn’t end until Super Bowl Sunday, sometime in January. Dr. James Bowers, an internist at Northwest Hospital, says you can get through food season without gaining weight! He advises you to choose small plates to put your food on. Patients tell him this works, and he’s tried it. It forces you to take smaller portions. Then, make sure you don’t go back to the buffet for a second serving. Smaller servings of a variety of foods will help you maintain a healthy weight. To be more conscious of what you’re eating, try to eat away from the distraction of the TV or the Internet.



Health Tip for 12/20/2007

You try to feed the kids healthy food, despite their undying love of fast food. Since they don’t know how to do it themselves, you work on cutting down on sugar in their diets, but, sad to say, there is still plenty of sugar hidden away in otherwise healthy food. For example, a twelve-ounce carton of orange juice contains eight teaspoons of sugar. And while you may think that a carton of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt is a great snack, it contains eleven teaspoons of sugar. So, what can you do? Make a few changes – substitute an orange for that orange juice, and you add fiber to the healthy vitamin C. Trade that afternoon yogurt snack for some low-fat string cheese, or mix a tablespoon of no-sugar-added fruit preserves or dried fruit with a cup of plain yogurt. You’ll still have some natural sugars in the yogurt, but none of the processed sugar you want the kids to avoid. And that will put them on the path to life-long healthy eating habits!



Health Tip for 12/18/2007

It’s one of the most common medical problems. About 8 out of ten people have back pain, so chances are if your back hasn’t hurt you so far, it will someday. Back aches can be anything from a dull constant pain to a sudden, sharp one. Dr. Walter Trautman, pain specialist at Northwest Hospital, says the pain doesn’t necessarily come from an injury. He says it can occur for a lot of different reasons, from a herniated disk to a muscle strain. That’s why treating back pain is so complex, and why each patient has to be individually evaluated, to find the cause and the right treatment. Most back pain will go away, but it may take a while. Chronic back pain that sticks around for three months, or keeps you from your regular activities, calls for a trip to the doctor’s office.



Health Tip for 12/17/2007

You may have wondered, as your family settles in for another winter of sniffles and coughs, just how long a cold virus can survive outside the body. Dr. Jim Bowers, the Chief of Outpatient Medicine at Northwest Hospital, says cold and flu viruses actually do better in cold weather. He says a recent study shows that these bugs can survive up to seven minutes outside the body, but they have longer survival when the weather is cold and the humidity is low. That’s why winter is cold and flu season. The bottom line is that to avoid colds, you need to stay warm and drink plenty of water. It also helps to wash your hands frequently, because viruses can live on doorknobs and other surfaces long enough to be passed along. If you already have a cold or the flu, make sure to cover your coughs, to help keep viruses away from the people around you.



Health Tip for 12/13/2007

You’ve probably heard that most people gain weight over the holidays, thanks to all the good food and drink. Sometimes it can feel like there’s no point in fighting the urge to pig out, since you don’t have time to go to the gym or even take a fast walk. Just the same, remember that the celebrations don’t have to include a holiday from your workouts, followed by weight gain and New Year’s resolutions. Before you just give up and dive into the cookie jar, take a look at your schedule and make room for your workout by making it a priority. If you’re bored with the usual exercise, this is the time to try something new. If you take a Pilates class every Tuesday, how about a belly dancing class for a few weeks? If you’d love to go on a walk, but the kids are home, take them along – or get them to teach you how to dance to their favorite music. Follow their moves for a while, and you’ve got a workout that’s both aerobic and fun!



Health Tip for 12/11/2007

There was a party Friday, another one Saturday and Sunday there was a special dinner PLUS an afternoon get-together. If you’re starting to count up the calories along with the fun, consider cutting a few calories by taking a bottle of alcohol-free wine along to the next big event. Alcohol-free wine has about 25 calories in a four-ounce serving, while a regular red or white wine will set you back 90 calories for the same amount. Then there’s the health bonus that comes with wine: alcohol-free wines have the same anti-oxidants as regular wines. That means they can help prevent damage to the heart, blood vessels and other organs. Alcohol-free wine also can help you look like you’re enjoying the party, whether you’re pregnant, the designated driver or have health issues like diabetes. Just chill your bottle of white alcohol-free wine, pour yourself a drink and party on!



Health Tip for 12/10/2007

It is just so easy to eat all the yummy things that show up at home and at work and at all the parties this time of year. So, if you’re trying to avoid gaining weight, how do you decide between Mom’s traditional fancy cookies and a big cup of eggnog? Here’s a trick that just might work: try rating the treat from 1 to 10. It’s your own personal opinion on how wonderful that cookie or drink might be. Of course, you’re only going to eat that goodie if it rates a nine or a ten. If it rates less than that, the calories probably aren’t worth the trouble. Or, if it’s something you can have any old day, like a piece of plain chocolate, it also might not be worth it. On the other hand, a home-made hazelnut truffle that you don’t see any other time of the year might definitely be worth the calories. At some other point in the day, try a low-calorie vegetable snack to make up the difference!



Health Tip for 12/6/2007

You try to feed the kids healthy food, despite their undying love of fast food. Since they don’t know how to do it themselves, you work on cutting down on sugar in their diets, but, sad to say, there is still plenty of sugar hidden away in otherwise healthy food. For example, a twelve-ounce carton of orange juice contains eight teaspoons of sugar. And while you may think that a carton of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt is a great snack, it contains eleven teaspoons of sugar. So, what can you do? Make a few changes – substitute an orange for that orange juice, and you add fiber to the healthy vitamin C. Trade that afternoon yogurt snack for some low-fat string cheese, or mix a tablespoon of no-sugar-added fruit preserves or dried fruit with a cup of plain yogurt. You’ll still have some natural sugars in the yogurt, but none of the processed sugar you want the kids to avoid. And that will put them on the path to life-long healthy eating habits!



Health Tip for 12/4/2007

Your hand hurts, and your thumb and fingers feel numb and tingly. And strangely enough, those symptoms get better on the weekend, when you’re not doing all the stuff you do at work. You may have carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS. If you’re a woman, your chances of developing CTS are three times higher than most men. Nobody knows why, exactly, although it may have something to do with the smaller size of the median nerve, the nerve that passes through the wrist and helps you feel heat, touch and so on in your hand. The only way to know for sure if you have CTS is to see your doctor. Early diagnosis and treatment will help you avoid permanent damage to the nerve. Once you’re diagnosed, the typical treatment is to wear what’s called a carpal tunnel splint, and perhaps take an anti-inflammatory medication, like aspirin. The best treatment, though, is to rest and to learn how to modify the motions that cause you pain.



Health Tip for 12/3/2007

Driving a car is a lot safer than it used to be, thanks to seatbelts and airbags. Still, as Dr. Evan Cantini, a physical medicine and rehabilitation medicine specialist at Northwest Hospital, says, that doesn’t mean that everyone walks away from car crashes without any injuries. He says with head-on collisions, there are a few milliseconds before the airbag deploys. That’s probably enough time for your head and neck to suffer strain injuries. These muscle injuries can be very painful. He advises that, if your car is hit from behind, you can also suffer this kind of muscle strain, since it’s natural to tense up your shoulder muscles when you feel the impact. It’s surprising how long the pain from these injuries can last. That’s why, it’s important to establish a good relationship with your doctor to help manage your specific problems. And don’t get discouraged – eventually you’ll start feeling a lot better.



Health Tip for 12/3/2007

Driving a car is a lot safer than it used to be, thanks to seatbelts and airbags. Still, as Dr. Evan Cantini, a physical medicine and rehabilitation medicine specialist at Northwest Hospital, says, that doesn’t mean that everyone walks away from car crashes without any injuries. He says with head on collisions, there are a few milliseconds before the airbag deploys. That’s probably enough time for your head and neck to suffer strain injuries. These muscle injuries can be very painful. If your car is hit from behind, you can also suffer this kind of muscle strain, since it’s natural to tense up your shoulder muscles when you feel the impact. It’s surprising how long the pain from these injuries can last. That’s why, it’s important to establish a good relationship with your doctor to help manage your specific problems. And don’t get discouraged – eventually you’ll start feeling a lot better.



Health Tip for 11/29/2007

I hate to disappoint you, but there is no medicine or herbal supplement that is proven to prevent breast cancer. In fact, some supplements have actually been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in some women. Taking what’s sold as natural estrogen can actually harm you by encouraging the growth of cancerous cells – but again, that’s only in some women. The decision to take natural estrogen is something you should talk over with your healthcare provider. The very best prevention for breast cancer is a combination of a low-fat diet, frequent exercise, monthly self-exams, and an annual mammogram once you reach your fortieth birthday. Keep up with those monthly self-exams, and encourage your friends and family members to do the same – we want to keep you around for a long time!



Health Tip for 11/27/2007

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a store mirror, and immediately straighten up? You might not realize it, but that could be the first step toward keeping your back healthy and pain-free. Dr. Walter Trautman, pain specialist at Northwest Hospital, says being aware of your posture and how you do things like getting in and out of the car can help prevent back aches. He advises that staying active and exercising your core muscles will help your back stay strong. Walking and keeping your weight down will certainly help, too, in many cases. If you have minor back pain, resist the urge to stay in bed for a couple of days – it doesn’t help in many cases, while ice and heat packs and gentle exercise will. Call your doctor, though, if you have numbness in the legs or if you have so much pain that you can’t go to work or take care of your family.




Health Tip for 11/26/2007

Your hand hurts, and sometimes the pain, numbness and tingling goes all the way up to your elbow. You could be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS. For most people with this problem, the solution requires some changes in how you work. It’s important for your doctor to identify the reason for your carpal tunnel problems: are you using a paintbrush or screwdriver every day on the job, or typing on the computer for lots of hours? Those repeated motions could be what are causing your pain. The dead give-away is when all the symptoms go away while you’re on vacation. Talk to your doctor, and consider some changes in how you work. Getting better could require that you wear a splint on your wrist. While that’s not a hot fashion look, think about the alternative: just letting the problem continue could end in serious nerve damage, and surgery.



Health Tip for 11/15/2007

You’re a good driver, but sometimes even the best can end up in a traffic accident. Dr. Evan Cantini, rehabilitation medicine specialist at Northwest Hospital, says the most common injury after a crash is to the neck, with pain across the shoulders or down the neck to between the shoulder blades. He adds that this would pain would be nearly constant, at least half the day, that gets worse with activity. While most of these muscle injuries improve over time, the goal of medical treatment is to speed up the healing process. If the pain is interfering with your work and sleep, talk to a doctor about physical therapy, advice on modifying your lifestyle to ease the pain and perhaps some medication. Prompt diagnosis and treatment, which can include medications, braces or therapies, can reduce your pain and help you return to your usual activities quicker.




Health Tip for 11/13/2007

If you have a child who sleepwalks, you know it can be pretty scary to find him wandering the house late at night. Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a sleep specialist at Northwest Hospital, says sleepwalking in itself is not usually harmful. If it’s a small child and there are stairs in the house, the parents should put a locking gate at the top of the stairs. Of course, if the sleepwalker is doing something that might be unsafe, it’s a good idea to direct them back to bed, or stay with them until they wake up. Contrary to the popular myth, it’s not actually dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker, although the person is probably going to be disoriented for a while. Usually, you can put sleepwalkers back to bed, and they won’t recall what happened the following morning. And most children outgrow sleepwalking by the time they reach adulthood.



Health Tip for 11/12/2007

At this time of year, the kids are back in school and we’re all up to our ears in activities, things to do and places to go all week long. As Dr. James Bowers, an internist at Northwest Hospital knows, all these distractions can keep you from exercising. He says it’s important to not give up on the exercise routine you developed since the last holidays. Promise yourself to keep that exercise going. So many people give up exercising once summer ends, and before you know it, they’re up five pounds or more. Gaining weight every winter makes it harder to lose weight the next time. This creates a vicious cycle that can pile on more pounds every year. This winter, rather than trying to lose weight, focus on maintaining your current weight through the holiday season.



Health Tip for 11/8/2007

Bears put on fat so they can sleep through the winter, but some people start adding the pounds when the weather gets cold, with the vague hope of getting back in shape when spring rolls around. Dr. James Bowers, an internist at Northwest Hospital, says there are some clever tricks you can use to prevent gaining weight, without going on an actual diet. He suggests mentally dividing your plate into quarters. Half the plate should be filled with fruits and vegetable, a quarter of the plate should be starchy food like rice, potatoes or bread, and the last quart of the plate should be for protein and a little fat. Drinking more water helps control weight, too. If you start craving chocolate or something, try drinking some water and waiting a few minutes, to see if the craving goes away.



Health Tip for 11/6/2007

If you get migraines, you’ve heard that some foods can trigger them. Aged cheese, foods containing MSG, processed meats, red wine and even chocolate are on the list. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says you’re lucky if you can find out that a particular food causes your headaches, but you shouldn’t drop a food from your diet just because it’s on the list. He advises that you approach this problem scientifically: eat some chocolate, for example, and then wait. If you’re going to get a migraine, it will happen in the following two to three hours. If you don’t get a headache, go ahead and enjoy chocolate. Dr. Krane says it’s actually rare for migraine headaches to be set off by foods. If you’ve been avoiding certain foods, choose a day to run a little test, one suspect food at a time. You could be surprised!




Health Tip for 11/5/2007

Some kids don’t just get the kind of nightmares you can soothe before they go back to sleep. A child who has night terrors wakes up screaming and in panic, and are very difficult to calm down. Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a sleep specialist at Northwest Hospital, says that, although they’re frightening to many parents, night terrors aren’t a sign that something is seriously wrong with your child.
He says children who have night terrors are actually well adjusted. These incidents are not signs of abuse or trauma in the household, and they disappear by the time the child reaches puberty. The good news is, the terror is temporary. Once children calm down and go back to sleep after having night terrors, they usually don’t remember anything in the morning about being scared.




Health Tip for 11/1/2007

You know a lot about stress. If you don’t suffer from it, you know someone who does. One of the results of continuing stress can be a migraine. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says while migraines usually start early in life, a cluster of migraines can be traced to what’s going on in your daily life.
He says if you can deal with the stress, you’ll find that the migraines are easier to handle. Of course, it’s common for migraines to develop four or five days before the start of menstruation, because of hormonal changes. If you feel a migraine coming on and you don’t have specific medication for that type of headache, find someplace quiet and just rest for a while. Take some acetaminophen or ibuprofen as early as you can during the onset of the headache. Surprisingly, a good strong jolt of caffeine, in a soft drink or cup of coffee, can help you fight the migraine, too.




Health Tip for 10/30/2007

The discomfort of restless leg syndrome builds up for several minutes, until the person with RLS finally moves. That relieves the sensation of having soda pop or ants in the legs for a while, until the discomfort starts building up again. Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a sleep specialist at Northwest Hospital, says there are several things you can do to temporarily relieve the restlessness. He says he tells patients to go into the kitchen and use a rolling pin to massage their legs for about five minutes before bedtime. Taking a warm bath at bedtime also calms down the restlessness. That can give you enough relief that you can get to sleep.
Prescription medications can relieve the symptoms of RLS. The good news is that it tends to come in waves, so after a series of bad nights, RLS will go away for weeks, or even months.




Health Tip for 10/29/2007

You wake up with a migraine, so you do what you’re supposed to do: you take a painkiller and a caffeinated drink and you rest. The problem is, in some cases, the headache doesn’t go away when it should, in under 24 hours. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says on occasion, you should take your migraine to the emergency room. He says you want to see your doctor if the migraine lasts longer than 72 hours, or if you are over age 40 and having a migraine for the very first time. Also, if you’ve been vomiting a lot, you may become dehydrated – another good reason to go to the hospital. If you’re having migraines more than four or five times a month, and they’re interfering with work or school, go see your doctor. Some people have actually lost jobs or dropped out of school due to migraines, and that is definitely avoidable.



Health Tip for 10/25/2007

Ready or not, we’re right in the middle of what some people call food season. It starts with all the tailgate parties and snacks in front of the TV during football games, and goes on through Halloween, the turkey and ALL the trimmings at Thanksgiving, the December holidays and doesn’t end until Super Bowl Sunday, sometime in January. Dr. James Bowers, an internist at Northwest Hospital, says you can get through food season without gaining weight! He suggests that you choose small plates to put your food on. Patients tell him this works, and he’s found that it forces you to take smaller portions. Then, make sure you don’t go back to the buffet for a second serving. Smaller servings of a variety of foods will help you maintain a healthy weight. To be more conscious of what you’re eating, try to eat away from the distraction of the TV or the Internet.



Health Tip for 10/23/2007

Restless leg syndrome, or RLS, is more common then you think. It affects about ten percent of the population. People with RLS get an uncomfortable sensation, usually in the legs, and especially just when they’re starting to relax in the evening. The discomfort builds until the person absolutely has to move. Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a sleep specialist at Northwest Hospital, explains that RLS can sometimes be mis-diagnosed. He says restless leg syndrome tends to come on in adulthood, but some kids have it. It can mimic attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so some kids have been misidentified as hyperactive, when they actually have RLS. There are some things you can do to ease the symptoms without medication. Warmth can relieve the restlessness, so take a heating pad to bed, or put it on your legs while watching TV to get a break from the discomfort.



Health Tip for 10/22/2007

Most of us get tension headaches, and most of us know what to do. We take some aspirin or ibuprofen, we go for a walk or we just try to relax for a few minutes. Getting rid of a migraine is much more difficult. Dr. Bjorn Krane, a neurologist at Northwest Hospital, says that’s because the roots of the headache are deep in the brain. He explains that migraine headaches are a syndrome, caused by a disorder in the brain near the hypothalamus. Besides pain, migraine sufferers also tend to have nausea and increased sensitivity to noise, light, smells and movement. These symptoms can be overwhelming. If you want to prevent migraines, the first step is to regulate your sleep and meal schedule. A lot of migraines crop up on the weekend, because we stay up late and sleep in, and eat whenever we want. You can fight these tough headaches by sticking to a regular schedule, seven days a week.



Health Tip for 10/18/2007

You can have a healthier heart and enrich your life by learning how to manage stress. Eveyone gets stressed out…. It’s funny…I’m a traffic reporter, so you’d think I could handle being stuck in traffic…NOT so much! I get soooo stressed out thinking about all the time I’m wasting stuck in back ups….Some studies show being depressed, worried about money, or stressed out in traffic, at home or on the job can increase your risk of having a heart attack. whether or not you have a history of heart disease. It’s important to recognize your symptoms of stress. Learn some ways to relax….. Try progressive relaxation technique, yoga or some simple stretches. You could even take up an active hobby, since experts say activities like dancing, rollerblading, or softball, can boost your energy, work off stress and get your heart healthy, all at the same time!



Health Tip for 10/16/2007

Romance is wonderful – unless it leads to a sexually transmitted disease. Unfortunately, S-T-Ds are really common in today’s society, in large part because they can have no symptoms. Dr. Patricia Rodrigues at Meridian Women’s Health says it’s important to be tested for S-T-Ds, since most of them have no symptoms. She says you need to be tested and then treated, because you could spread these things. Also, they can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, and that, left untreated, can kill you, despite 21st century medicine. Even if you don’t have that severe an infection, leaving an STD untreated can result in chronic pain and infertility. On the other hand, early detection and treatment can make you healthy again – and maybe just a little bit wiser. Go ahead – talk it over with your doctor.



Health Tip for 10/15/2007

You’re sweet as can be, but you’d like to be twice as cute. Cutting down on some of the sugar in your diet just might be part of the answer. Often the flavoring in your morning coffee drink is mostly sugar. Get used to less sugar in your latte, and then see if you can cut down on the sugar on your cereal. When you go buy groceries, take a look at the nutrition labels, and be a little choosy. Watch out for excess sugar in some desserts that are labeled low-fat, and go for fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in water or juice, instead.



Health Tip for 10/9/2007

You’re busy, busy, busy. Work, husband, kids, your parents, his parents, the house, the car, the dog – everything and everyone around you has needs, and by the end of the day, you still haven’t had any time for you. You have to take care of your responsibilities, of course, but heart health researchers say you need to take a few minutes for yourself, too. Just take a deep breath and really think about how you feel, from top to toe. Listening to your body is an important tool in managing your health. Do you need to relax more? Would you feel better if you went for a short walk? Do you feel really wound up or even a little nervous? Or are you feeling serene and happy? Pay attention to what your body has to say. It will help you learn how to beat heart disease and live a happier, healthier life.



Health Tip for 10/4/2007

Maybe you’ve always wondered what happens years down the road after a woman has breast implants. I’ve always been curious about whether the implants get in the way of mammograms and monthly self-exams to prevent breast cancer. Dr. Dan Downey at Downey Plastic Surgery says breast augmentation doesn’t interfere with breast health. He says too-large an implant or a lot of scar tissue around a breast implant can block the radiation needed to detect breast cancer. That’s why it’s important to have an augmentation performed with long term breast health in mind, and to have mammograms performed at centers where the staff is familiar with the techniques needed to get good images of the entire breast. Just like every other woman, if you have breast implants, it’s important to give yourself a monthly self-exam, starting at age 20, and to see the doctor for a clinical exam once a year. Your healthcare provider will clue you in on what other care you may need.



Health Tip for 10/2/2007

For the first time, it’s possible to get an inoculation against cancer. It helps prevent infections by HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer later in life. Since the vaccine needs to be given to women BEFORE they have any chance of being exposed to the virus through sexual intercourse, it’s become controversial to some people. Dr. Patricia Rodrigues at Meridian Women’s Health says all women ages 9 to 26 should have the vaccine.
She says for her, it’s a no-brainer: her daughter will get this vaccine when she turns 12 years old. The vaccine is not a live virus, so it can’t give you HPV, and it could protect her from cervical cancer – something that nothing else can do right now. The vaccine can be given to older women as well, depending on their personal histories. If you’re concerned about preventing cervical cancer, talk it over with your healthcare practitioner.




Health Tip for 10/1/2007

Noses come in all shapes and sizes, and a lot of people at least think about changing how theirs look. But it’s not just a matter of appearance! Dr. Dan Downey at Downey Plastic Surgery says you need to think about how your nose is working for you, too. HE says it’s important for the patient to think about all the reasons she may have for wanting to change her appearance. It may be that it’s difficult to breath through the nose, and surgery may be able to resolve that problem as other changes are made in the external look of the nose.
Another big consideration is whether your face is fully grown – believe it or not, some people grow into those noses that seem so big when we’re teenagers. If you decide you do want a different nose, though, think about just how you expect your life to change if you change your appearance, and talk it over with your surgeon.




Health Tip for 9/27/2007

Okay, you’ve heard it a million times: smoking is bad for you. It not only increases your risk of heart disease, it’s bad for your lungs and it’s bad for the people around you. It can even lead to all kinds of cancers, from your mouth to deep in your lungs. You might also be surprised to hear that cigarettes and other tobacco products make it hard for your cells to use insulin. In other words, smoking triples your risk of developing full-blown diabetes. Talk to the folks at the American Lung Association about ways to quit smoking, and to your doctor and pharmacist, too. They can tell you about new treatments and tools for smoking cessation. If you don’t succeed the first time you try to quit smoking, get ready to try again. Eventually, you’ll find the way to quit that works for you and makes your life healthier, too.



Health Tip for 9/25/2007

You woke up in the middle of the night, with your knee, wrist or hand hurting, swollen and red. Then, when you got up this morning, you couldn’t even begin your usual morning routine because of the pain. Dr. Julie Carkin from The Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital says you may be showing the first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
She notes it’s important to have rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed and treated early. The good news is that with specific treatment – not just aspirin – you stand a good chance of controlling rheumatoid arthritis and preventing joint damage. The inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis can signal damage to your joints, so see your doctor as soon as possible. Letting arthritis go untreated can put a real cramp in your dance through life!




Health Tip for 9/24/2007

Okay, so I don’t personally know what it’s like to have a constant back ache from having breasts that are too big for my body. But Dr. Dan Downey at Downey Plastic Surgery, says that’s only one of the health issues that very full breasts might cause -- beyond just being self-conscious in social settings or when you exercise. He adds that breast reduction is not just for the sake of looking better. Breast reduction can improve your spine and cardiac health, too, by making it possible for you sit straighter and to participate more comfortably in active exercise. While it is a significant surgical procedure, most breast reduction patients can return home the same day. But you may need a week to ten days before you’re ready to go back to work. And best of all, if an overly large bosom has been causing you back and neck pain most of your life, you’re going to notice an immediate improvement in back, neck, and shoulder comfort afterward.



Health Tip for 9/20/2007

You may have osteoporosis and not know it. Like high blood pressure, osteoporosis is a silent disease. Until you have a crisis, like a broken wrist or hip, you might think your bones are perfectly healthy. Dr. Julie Carkin, with The Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says if you have certain health events, you should ask your doctor for a bone density assessment. If you are past menopause, taking steroids for asthma, multiple sclerosis or arthritis, or your periods have stopped due to underweight or high amounts of exercise, your bones are at risk for osteoporosis. You might not have any sign of osteoporosis until bone breaks, so do what you can now to build and maintain healthy bones. Take vitamin D and calcium every day and talk about bone health with your doctor.





Health Tip for 9/18/2007

We would all like a magic pill that would prevent breast cancer…..most of us have been touched in some way by the disease. But unfortunately the fact is….. there is no medicine or herbal supplement that is proven to prevent breast cancer. In fact, some supplements have actually been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in some women. Taking what’s sold as natural estrogen can actually harm you by encouraging the growth of cancerous cells – but again, that’s only in some women. The decision to take natural estrogen is something you should talk over with your healthcare provider. The very best prevention for breast cancer is a combination of a low-fat diet, frequent exercise, monthly self-exams, and an annual mammogram once you reach your fortieth birthday. Keep up with those monthly self-exams, and encourage your friends and family members to do the same.



Health Tip for 9/17/2007

We all have different reasons for wanting to lose weight. You might have a high school reunion, while your sister-in-law might want to fit into her favorite dress. Here’s a really good reason to drop a few pounds: the more fat you carry around, the less your body’s cells are able to use your own insulin. People who carry most of their weight around their waist – or “apple-shaped” people -- have a greater risk of developing diabetes than those who carry most of their weight below the waste. If your waist is larger than 35 inches, or your husband’s waist is larger than 40 inches, you both may be at risk. No matter where you carry your excess pounds, though, it’s never too late to start working your way back to a healthy weight.



Health Tip for 9/11/2007

You’ve already heard about the obesity epidemic in the United States. It’s being blamed on everything from too much fast food to not enough exercise. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says with people carrying so much extra weight, another epidemic is striking women in particular. She points out that weight can cause osteoarthritis in the hips and knees, even in young women. So many of us weigh a lot more than our skeletons were designed to support, leading to pain and joint damage. If you’re finding that your knees or hips are stiff and sore when you get up from a chair, and the pain gets worse as you continue to walk around, you may have osteoarthritis. It may be time to take off some excess weight if you’re carrying too many pounds. Talk to your doctor, to find out what to do to keep osteoarthritis in its place, while you keep moving!



Health Tip for 9/10/2007

You’ve been thinking about breast reduction surgery because your back, neck and shoulders hurt, and it’s really no fun running after the kids, or even trying to run, period. Just like you, I wondered what the long-term effects of breast reduction might be on your health and on screening tests like yearly mammograms. Dr. Dan Downey, from Downey Plastic Surgery, says once you’re healed up, the surgery shouldn’t interfere with future mammograms. He calls this is a life-changing operation that is safe – but it requires thorough education so patients get the best value and least risk from the procedure. Women who have this procedure need to maintain a regular schedule of breast self-exams. Mammograms after breast reduction are still important. The internal changes after breast reduction can change how your mammogram appears, but this is usually familiar to a experienced radiologist reading your mammogram. Breast reduction surgery can make it easier and less painful for you to exercise and give you much greater freedom of movement. That, in turn, can lead to improved cardiovascular health, and a longer, happier life overall!



Health Tip for 9/6/2007

What do you call success? Is it getting a big raise at work, or learning how to steal third base? For some people, it’s losing weight and getting into shape. Then, along comes vacation, with all the fun of going on a cruise, or a road trip, and there go the food plans and exercise. Cruise ships offer loads of enticing food, but also many kinds of exercise and games. Take a moment each day to think about choosing healthy foods and plan for some active fun, too. During a long road trip, plan ahead for healthy food. Stop every two hours to stretch and walk. The fact is vacations may be the right time to re-define success. Try focusing on healthy eating and getting in some walks, or maybe even going dancing. You will be able to really relax and really have a good time – and come home refreshed without packing on the pounds!



Health Tip for 9/6/2007

If a member of your family has had breast cancer, you already know how devastating it can be. My grandmother died of the disease and I’m sad to say I never got a chance to meet her. I’m not on the high risk category….but if the person with breast cancer in your family was your mother or sister…than you ARE considered high risk!!! That’s pretty scary, but you can actively take part in preventing the illness. First--- start having an annual mammogram when you are ten years younger than your family member was when she was diagnosed. For example, if your mother was 45 when her breast cancer was diagnosed, you should start having an annual mammogram at age 35.
The American Cancer Society recommends high risk women also have annual screening MRI exams. Whether you’re in a high risk group or not, the best breast cancer prevention is a monthly self-exam.




Health Tip for 9/4/2007

Breast pain is so common that it’s almost normal – but not quite. A lot of women have it for a few days during their monthly cycles. If you’re worried that it might be a sign of a serious problem, you should know that persistent breast pain very rarely is a sign of cancer. More often, it’s a sign you should be cutting back on caffeine, working on reducing stress by better time management, and making a little time for daily exercise. Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about your breast pain, and follow their suggestions. Giving up coffee or stressful situations will be worth it. If, however, your breast pain is in one place and does not change with your cycle, talk to you doctor about a diagnostic mammogram, breast MRI or both.



Health Tip for 9/3/2007

If you’re under 35 years old, you’re probably adding to your bone bank account, even if you don’t know it. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says up to that age, if you eat well and take in enough calcium and vitamin D, you’re building up important reserves of high-quality bone. She says it’s important to build up bone density, to prevent crippling fractures later in life.
The latest research says most women don’t have enough vitamin D, and that the recommended amount has gone way up – to between 800 and 1000 international units a day. Vitamin D is extremely important, since you can’t absorb calcium without it. Calcium and vitamin D are the building blocks of bone, so making sure you include them in your daily life is the way to insure that you’re making deposits in your own personal bone




Health Tip for 8/30/2007

You figure you should be losing weight. After all, you substitute a mid-morning latte for breakfast, never leave your desk at lunchtime and skip the afternoon coffee break. Of course, by the time you get home, you’re hungry as a bear, so you eat a hearty dinner. Then, you need a little something-something to nibble on while you watch TV, right? Well, if you were to write down when you eat, you might find some surprises. You may be cutting overall calories, but you’re cramming all of them into the evening hours, right before you go to bed. That gives your body nothing to do but convert calories to fat, rather than energy. It’s like your mother always said, winners eat breakfast, and so do people who succeed at losing weight. Go ahead, reduce your calories a reasonable amount, but also spread them throughout the day, so you can be both thinner and energetic.



Health Tip for 8/28/2007

Ok, so sports aren’t your thing, at least not the sports they made you play in high school. I can relate, yeah 5’11”, and NO, I still don’t like playing basketball. If you’re like me and don’t like certain kinds of sports, but you’d like to be a lot more active, maybe it’s time for you to find a new definition of sports. Dr. Justin Rothmier at the sports medicine clinic says finding pleasure in whatever you decide is very important. “If we enjoy a sport, we’re more likely to do it. It’s not so much a chore, it’s a pleasure to do it, so finding different types of sports to participate in, allows us to maintain our exercise program with very little effort.” The important thing is to look at your sport as something you can do for the rest of your life, whether it’s running, folk dancing, or cycling. Just get off the couch and do it.



Health Tip for 8/27/2007

There’s a lot of information out there about who should have a mammogram and when. I had one when I was in my 20’s because my grandmother had breast cancer. But everyone is different. It can be confusing, but one thing we should ALL be doing is a monthly self-exams and you should start at age 20. These frequent self-exams will help you “memorize” the way your body feels so you can recognize changes or potential problems. If a lump does show up during your self-examination or doctor’s visit, it’s important to make sure you get the right care, including a digital mammogram, breast MRI and skilled interpretation by a breast radiologist to find out as soon as possible just what that lump is. Catching breast cancer early means a much better of chance of surviving and living a long, healthy life.



Health Tip for 8/23/2007

No matter how much you need it for healthy bones, your body will only absorb so much calcium at one time. Dr. Julie Carkin, with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says your body can use only about 500 milligrams of calcium at once. Since you need about 1200 milligrams of calcium a day, it’s important to spread out your servings through the day. Have a glass of milk at breakfast, a yogurt at lunch and a calcium pill in the evening, to help make sure you get the maximum benefit. If you can’t eat dairy products, there are lots of calcium fortified foods around, including fruit juices, cereal, sports bars and soy products. And watch out for adding loads of calcium to your diet all at once. You tummy may rebel, since for many people, too much calcium can cause constipation. Adding calcium to your diet gradually is the best way to do your body good.









Health Tip for 8/21/2007

You‘re young and healthy now and old age well that’s way off right? Maybe, for some of us…but what’s really important to know is that it’s never too late to figure out who should make medical decisions for you in case you are unable to. Dr. William Solan of Northwest Hospital’s Gero-Psychiatric Center says this is something we ALL need to think about. After all, accidents happen to everyone. If you’re in a crash and can’t explain what you want, your medical team will need the guidance of the person you name in your medical power of attorney.
If you’re an adult, it’s time for you to look at making some serious decisions, even if you’re young. Otherwise, you could end up with a bad situation that could change your life forever.




Health Tip for 8/20/2007

You know where all the important documents are in your house or apartment right, but the question is: will you find them in the event of a major disaster? The key is to think bulky and bolted down. Put things like insurance policies, deeds , property records, photos of your family in a fire-proof safe. A small safe can be bolted in place in a closet or cabinet, where you can find it even if the house is damaged. If you take medications regularly, keep them in the refrigerator unless your pharmacist advises otherwise. The fridge will be recognizable in the event of an earthquake that damages your home. And make sure you have a list of medications you take every day on a card in your wallet. You can get a wallet card from your doctor or pharmacist – it’s just another way to be prepared!



Health Tip for 8/16/2007

Your parents say they’re ready to move out of the family home, and that they need more help in with day-to-day living. The question is, how much help do they need? If they only need a nurse to check in with once in a while, Dr. William Solan of Northwest Hospital’s gero-psychiatric center says a condo or apartment in a retirement community may be the answer. He notes the important thing there is the social contact with the rest of the community, along with the option of having some meals prepared by the facility’s central kitchen. Some seniors may need the help they’ll find in an assisted living facility.
Assisted living, which offers more independence than a skilled nursing facility or adult family home, can include housekeeping, help with showering or assistance with taking medications.




Health Tip for 8/14/2007

We may not have hurricanes, but we sure do have some crazy weather, and lots of your neighbors can tell you about what the last floods were like. Local scientists also say it’s just a matter of time until we have a major earthquake. Since nobody can tell when a disaster may strike, it’s time for you to get prepared. First, get together important family documents, like insurance policies, deeds and property records, photos of your family members and your pets, and a list of emergency contacts – both folks nearby and family members living out of state. In an emergency, you may not remember everyone’s phone numbers. Put aside some cash or traveler’s checks, too, since the cash machines may not work in the event of a major power outage



Health Tip for 8/13/2007

Sometimes it’s not easy to care for aging parents while trying to keep up with the needs of your kids and other demands like your job . . . not to mention time for yourself. If your parents are still living in their home, you may be wondering if it’s the best place for them. Dr. William Solan at Northwest Hospital’s Gero-Psychiatric Center says to watch for signs that raise red flags
Whether you live close by or only visit occasionally, look for signs that familiar housekeeping routines have changed. If your mother once kept the house very clean and tidy, neglecting to do chores may signal the need for outside help.
If your elderly parents are not able to take care of personal needs like laundry, cooking or paying bills on time, talk with a doctor who knows them and their health history. Sometimes it’s smart to make a change BEFORE it becomes an emergency situation.




Health Tip for 8/9/2007

You want to make an emergency kit before the next big emergency, but you don’t know where to start? Well, first thing on the list should be a gallon of water per person per day. Three gallons of water for each person in your household will get you through three days. By the way, don’t store water in old plastic milk jugs – clean screw-top soda bottles work a lot better. Next on your list should be non-perishable food for you and for your pets. Add a first-aid kit and extra medications you might need. Also pack a flashlight, portable radio and extra batteries. You’ll want sleeping bags or extra blankets, work gloves and matches, too. Whatever you do, make sure you add a can opener to your emergency kit. For more information on setting up your emergency survival kit, Google search Three Days, Three Ways--- it’s a government website that has all the info you need.



Health Tip for 8/7/2007

Being the caregiver for your parents can be a tough job. You may have to make difficult decisions, like, when should you look for a nursing facility or adult family home? Dr. William Solan from Northwest Hospital’s Gero-Psychiatric Center says the choice often comes down to whether or not you are able to spend quality time with your parents. It’s important to focus on the well-being of the entire family and the caregiver – it’s hard to have quality time with your parents when you’re stressed out and depressed, due to all the demands on your time from parents, kids and your job. When the situation becomes unsafe, because an elderly parent is wandering away from home, or when caring for your folks becomes a huge burden, it may be time to make other arrangements…but nearby, so you can spend quality time with them.



Health Tip for 8/6/2007

You know what’s hot coming up this fall? Colors with names like stargazer and cashmere rose. Not only that but big coats over little mini-dresses. Yep, really tight mini-dresses, ladies. Now don’t freak out and starve yourself. Before you decide to stop eating for the next month so your thighs will look great under your new fall skirts, remember that it takes fuel to run your body. So instead of cutting out all kinds of calories talk about cutting back. Trade in the morning pastry for an apple or the orange juice for a real orange. Right there you’ve cut a bunch of calories. Next make sure you’ve got some lean protein in every meal. You can add sliced turkey or beef to that afternoon salad. With a generous squeeze of lemon and a tiny splash of healthy olive oil, you’re good to go and lookin’ good too. Oh yeah, a little exercise never hurt. Happy and healthy eating everybody.



Health Tip for 8/2/2007

You’ve been hearing a lot about West Nile virus in the media, but most people don’t know what it is. West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes, and it mostly causes fever, a little rash and an achy feeling. If you catch it, you’ll need to rest and take an over-the-counter medication for the fever. Dr. William Ehni from Northwest Hospital says in some cases West Nile can cause serious complications in adults over age 40, or for people who have diabetes or immunity problems. These people can have problems ranging from headache, nausea and vomiting to seizures and permanent brain damage. That’s why we urge people to avoid mosquito bites as much as possible. Mosquitoes are at their most active at dawn and around sunset, so if you must be outdoors then, wear long sleeves and pants. And, make sure to use an insect repellent containing D-E-E-T or Picaridin on any exposed skin.




Health Tip for 7/31/2007

You are so ready to get out there on your bike! The question is, is your bicycle ready for you? If you got your bike several years ago, if it was a gift or hand-me-down, or if you bought it without being measured to make sure it fits you, Todd Gallaher, current Washington State champion amateur racer and cycling fitting specialist at The Sports Medicine Clinic at Northwest Hospital, says you’re setting yourself up for a painful ride. Since most store clerks are not trained to fit bikes, you need to know it’s a lot more than seat height – adjustments have to be made to the handlebars, saddle, brake levers and fore and aft balance to suit the individual rider. Skipping these adjustments won’t hurt you if you just take the bike for a quick ride to the store. But if you ride more than that, a poorly fitting bike is like wearing shoes that are two sizes too small. A bad fit can make your life miserable and cause injuries.



Health Tip for 7/30/2007

Watch enough episodes of Celebrity Fit Club, Biggest Loser and any of the other reality weight loss shows and you start thinking there must be a perfect exercise or sport out there for me, right? All it takes is joining a gym, hiring a personal trainer and devoting several hours every day to developing the right technique! What real fitness takes is a sensible, flexible diet and finding an activity you enjoy doing for at least 30 minutes 3 to 5 times a week. That’s it. While reality TV shows focus on massive weight loss and minimum calories, what works for you may be a lot of fresh fruits and veggies with an occasional treat. Yes, you’re allowed. And that will lead you to gradual weight loss. As for the perfect sport, whether you love weight lifting or running bases, talk to your doctor, get out there, and be your own reality show.



Health Tip for 7/26/2007

I love to bike on the weekends in the summertime, but lately my knees Have been aching more than I think they should. Dr. Chris Peterson of The Sports Medicine Clinic says if your knees hurt, there may be something wrong with the relationship between you and your bike.
The key is to make sure your bike fits your body, whether you ride a racing, road or mountain bike. Even if you stretch carefully and warm up before you get on your bike, riding with the wrong configuration can be very painful. A good fitting bike, combined with some solid advice on cycling techniques, can put you ahead of the pack!




Health Tip for 7/24/2007

I’ve got to admit, I don’t like the idea of wearing long sleeves, pants and socks at the next evening barbecue. After all, we went all winter stuck inside, wearing warm clothes. Still, since mosquitoes spread West Nile virus, if I don’t have plenty of mosquito repellant on hand, I’ll follow the advice of Dr. William Ehni at Northwest Hospital. He says covering up is the best way to prevent catching West Nile virus. Since mosquitoes are at their hungriest around dusk and dawn, making sure everyone in the family is wearing mosquito repellant, if they want to be outside in the evening. After all, covering up and wearing mosquito repellant is a small price for avoiding the fever, aches and pains that can come with West Nile virus.



Health Tip for 7/23/2007

Ok, so sports aren’t your thing, at least not the sports they made you play in high school. I can relate, yeah 5’11”, and NO, I still don’t like playing basketball. If you’re like me and don’t like certain kinds of sports, but you’d like to be a lot more active, maybe it’s time for you to find a new definition of sports. Dr. Justin Rothmier at The Sports Medicine Clinic says finding pleasure in whatever you decide is very important. “If we enjoy a sport, we’re more likely to do it. It’s not so much a chore, it’s a pleasure to do it, so finding different types of sports to participate in, allow