The Magic of Ultrasound

Although human beings can’t hear the sound waves emitted by ultrasound machines the process has revolutionized the practice of medicine since it was first developed for use on cattle and horses many decades ago.

Ultrasound is now used in many fields, typically to allow the medical world to “see inside” a body and locate a problem. However the sound waves can penetrate solid objects such as plastic as part of the welding process used in many products…

Ultrasound has been used by radiologists and sonographers to image the human body for at least 50 years and has become one of the most widely used diagnostic tools in modern medicine. Today a pregnant woman and her physician have the opportunity to use ultrasound to see the child in-utero, which is nearly always an exciting experience. Routinely pregnant women will often have an ultrasound before their twenty-fourth. One of the reasons physicians encourage an early ultrasound is because if they detect an abnormality that can prove fatal to either the baby or the mother, or both, the pregnancy can be terminated if necessary to save the mother’s life.

However, ultrasounds can also show physicians of any specialty where a problem might lie and it gives the doctor the ability to focus directly on the problem. Ultrasounds, otherwise known as medical ultrasonography, can be used to visualize muscles, tendons as well as internal organs.

One of the biggest advantages to the technology is that, comparatively speaking, it is fairly inexpensive and portable, particularly compared to much heavier and equipment such as MRI machines. Portable ultrasound machines have had a big impact on the ability of the medical world to diagnose a condition because they can be taken just about anywhere to help serve their patient’s needs.

When ultrasound machines first hit the market it revolutionized medicine in some ways and ultrasounds have become quite common not only for pregnancies but for diagnosing many different conditions. As used by skilled technicians today’s ultrasound procedures are quite safe when done properly, particularly when compared with some other procedures that have the capacity to cause cancer. Although the procedure is considered safe it should not be repeated too often because there are scientific studies that show it may have harmful side effects if done too frequently.

Ultrasound pulses can be used to break up kidney and gall stones. Procedures of this sort are referred to as “focused ultrasound surgery” because they focus on a particular problem. The devices can also be used for teeth cleaning in dental offices, for use in treating cancer, Liposuction and removing varicose veins.

Ultrasonic cleaners can sparkle your jewelry, clean lenses as well as surgical and dental equipment.

Ultrasounds are used extensively at Mountains Community Hospital and make a big difference in patient’s lives everyday.

Benefits and Misconceptions of Mammograms

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Survival rates for early-stage breast cancer (which has not yet reached the lymph nodes) are around 98 percent and drop to around 80 percent if the cancer has spread. If the disease is found in even later stages, then the survival rates begin to plummet. Despite these statistics, many women are still hesitant to receive mammograms at all, much less annually.

Despite some possible, slight discomfort, the lifesaving potential of mammograms is worth it. Let’s review the actual procedure:

• The patient disrobes and puts on a gown.
• Standing in front of an x-ray machine, the patient puts their breast between two plates.  This part can be a little painful, but necessary. Some facilities offer a comfort pad which could reduce the pain.
• After 10 to 15 minutes, the imaging is complete and the technician will scan the other breast.

One issue that women worry about is false positives. Some mammograms do come back with abnormal readings. However, only about 10 percent of those end up as actual incidences of breast cancer. Admittedly, receiving such a false positive can be traumatic. But further tests can be conducted to confirm or discount the diagnosis. Is a day or two of potential worry worth the benefit of early detection and associated treatment, which could save your life? It is exceedingly rare for a false positive to result in unwarranted treatment.

Myths and misconceptions about mammograms:

• Should women skip mammograms if they don’t have a family history of breast cancer?

NO!

Skipping screenings procedures is inadvisable because many women develop the disease without family histories of breast cancer. So, screenings should be done on a regular basis regardless of family history.

• Do Mammograms cause cancer because of radiation?

NO!

X-rays for mammography use radiation, but they produce about the same low-dose radiation as dental x-rays. Standards set by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) dictate the radiation levels are set as low as possible for levels to still produce clear, useable images.

•  If I feel fine, can I skip the procedure?

NO!

Some women might self-diagnose and believe that early-stage breast cancer will present identifiable symptoms. In most cases, examination is the only way to find a suspicious mass before symptoms are present.

• If I’m older, can I skip my mammogram?

NO!

Older women might feel they don’t need diagnostic scans. However, they are most at risk for breast cancer. With early detection, senior women have a great opportunity to pursue treatment and fully recover.

As with other areas of your personal health, it’s important you take control of your own body. If your physician fails to recommend a mammogram, but you feel you are in a higher risk group, be sure to speak up. You can also take preventive steps at home by regularly performing self-examinations to find lumps or suspicious changes. By being proactive, you can potentially catch breast cancer in its earliest stages and begin treatment so you can lead a long and healthy life.

Talk to a physician at Mountains Community Hospital to learn more about mammograms. Visit www.mchcares for information.

Washed Your Hands Lately?

It's important to wash your hands to avoid disease.

Like so many other times in your life, your mother was right when she told you to wash your hands. Most children reach adulthood without having encountered lots of serious illnesses. And the reason for this why may revolve around parents’ insistence that their children wash their hands.

Because Mountains Community Hospital cares about you and your family’s health, we advise parents to teach kids how to wash their hands when they’re young. Demonstrating proper hand-washing techniques is an easy way to model responsible behavior. Children who attend preschool or other childcare facilities are particularly at risk for catching and/or spreading disease. So teaching them how to wash their hands is vital to safeguarding their health.

Unfortunately, many adults have forgotten those lessons and don’t wash their hands often enough or thoroughly. Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick as well as spreading illnesses. Generally speaking, people are unaware how many thousands of items they touch each day, often to the detriment of good health.

We advise everyone to wash their hands before preparing food, eating, treating wounds or administering medicine to themselves or anyone else, touching a sick or injured person and before inserting or removing contact lenses. One of the main reasons people get eye infections is because they touch their eyes with unwashed hands.

So be careful to wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially while preparing food. This is particularly important when handling raw meat or poultry, after using the toilet, changing a baby’s diaper, cleaning up Fido or Fifi’s waste and toys, coughing or sneezing into hands, handling garbage or anything that could be contaminated.

While hand sanitizers are good, especially when soap and water isn’t available, they will not remove as many germs as plain old soap and water. How you wash your hands is as important as how often you wash them. And, in many cases, it may be even more important. Be sure to lather well with soap and rub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds. If you or your children need a reminder about how long 20 seconds is, try humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice. Don’t forget that your wrists and the top and underside of the fingernails are where germs may hide. So be sure to rinse your hands well under running water. The old saying, “better safe than sorry” certainly applies to keeping your hands clean.

Health Care at Mountains Community Hospital: The eyes have it!

You can trust your eyes to the medical professionals at Mountains Community Hospital.

The ability to see clearly is one of our body’s greatest abilities. And, fortunately, most eye problems people experience are fairly minor. However, some conditions are far more serious and require the care of a good eye doctor, also known as an ophthalmologist.

The difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist is that an ophthalmologist is a physician–a doctor of medicine (MDs) or doctor of osteopathy (DO). MDs and DOs complete four or more years of college premedical education, four years of medical school and one year of internship to get their doctorate degrees. After they become licensed physicians, they fill a residency of three or more years. This consists of medical and surgical specialty training specifically in eye care. So ophthalmologists provide comprehensive eye care services.

Optometrists, on the other hand, are trained to diagnose and treat vision conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. And they are trained to prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye exercises, low vision aids and vision therapy. They are also taught to identify cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal disease and to use some medications to treat eye disease. However, optometrists do not attend medical school. Most complete an undergraduate degree before beginning four years of training for an optometry (OD) degree. Some optometrists complete a postgraduate one-year clinical residency to gain specialist certification.

One serious eye condition is Glaucoma, which:

• Can be age-related
• Refers to a group of eye conditions that ultimately damage the optic nerve
• Occurs when the “communication path” between the optic nerve and the brain is damaged, it leads to glaucoma. Glaucoma is the second-most common cause of blindness in the United States.

There are four types of Glaucoma including one that is an emergency, called Angle-closure glaucoma. This type of damage occurs when eye fluid is suddenly blocked which causes a quick, severe and painful rise in the pressure within the eye. Other types of glaucoma can be caused by heredity, eye diseases and drugs such as corticosteroids.

Cataracts are another disease that “steals” eyesight and the likelihood of getting them increases with age. Diabetes, smoking and drinking alcohol can also be risk factors.

Cataracts can begin forming when people are in their 40s and 50s but their eyesight usually remains intact until they’re in their 60s. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens that involves vision and a person’s ability to see clearly. So, ordinarily, it is a slow-moving process. According to the National Institute of Health, by the time Americans are 80-years-old, more than half have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Because we care about your health at Mountains Community Hospital, we urge each San Bernardino Mountain resident to protect the health of their eyes by booking a preventative eye exam with an eye care professional

The most serious of all the eye diseases is melanoma (cancer of the eye). According to the Mayo Clinic, this serious melanoma develops in the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that is responsible for eye color. If the melanoma is small enough, it might be eligible for laser removal.

Mountains Community Hospital is privileged to have Dr. Ramin Tayani at the site one day per month to perform eye surgeries and care for mountain eye patients. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Tayani is able to perform the same eye surgery procedures in Lake Arrowhead that he does at his Orange County facility—the Tayani Eye Institute. Bringing top-quality eye care to the local community is one way the Mountains Community Hospital board and affiliated physicians serve mountain residents and friends.

Eczema: Help is on the Way from Mountains Community Hospital

Hope for those with Eczema

Ever heard of Atopic Dermatitis? How about Seborrhea Dermatitis? If not, you’re hardly alone. These strange names are just a few of the medical terms for common allergic reactions to a condition known as eczema.

Eczema can cover several skin issues that cause swollen, irritated and/or itchy skin and make life generally miserable for those who suffer from this all-too-common condition. Dandruff, diaper rash and rashes that appear after touching plants like poison oak or poison ivy are also considered types of eczema.

Cold, dry winter weather can wreak havoc on skin and can lead to a variety of skin conditions that require special attention. Eczema is one of those conditions as it can pop up suddenly and is adversely affected by weather and dry winter air. Often times, the result is dry, flaky areas of skin that can be very uncomfortable and for the patient and unsightly to all.

Because winter air generally has less moisture, patients often experience outbreaks characterized by scaly, itchy, swollen spots when the weather is cold. People who know they are prone to experiencing dry skin during the winter should be vigilant by using a reliable product to keep their skin moisturized. Working to keep skin moist is important any time of year for eczema patients. So they need to use lotions that do not contain dyes or fragrances since these ingredients can exacerbate breakouts. Many dermatologists urge patients to moisturize two or three times daily during winter months.

Eczema patients should take warm baths or showers and should moisturize their bodies after they emerge from the tub or shower. The Mayo Clinic urges patients to use dye and fragrance-free laundry detergent and skip fabric softener as well as perfumed dryer sheets. Also, people with eczema should keep their fingernails short so they will do only minimum damage to their skin if they scratch itchy spots.

Because we care about your health at Mountains Community Hospital, we urge eczema patients who smoke and/or who suffer from a lot of stress to quit smoking and work toward reducing stress levels, both of which will help keep flare-ups at bay.

Atopic Dermatitis is a type of eczema but it occurs in people who have a predisposition to allergens which can range from food to hay fever and other airborne allergens such as weeds, flowers and pollen. It is vital that people who suffer with this type of eczema learn what their “triggers” are so they can reduce the possibility of outbreaks.

Remember, Mountains Community Hospital cares about your health and invites you to log onto their website at www.mchcares.com. For information on medical issues click on the link entitled Resource Center. “We’re here to help” and have been for over half a century.

Pertussis Boosters for School Available at the Medical Office Building in Lake Arrowhead

Mountains Community Hospital is joining with the Rim of the World Unified School District to offer tDap vaccines in Lake Arrowhead.

As a service to the local mountain communities, Mountains Community Hospital and the Rim of the World Unified School District are joining together to offer Pertussis/Whooping Cough vaccines in the Medical Office Building across from the hospital in Lake Arrowhead. Here are details:

Rim of the World School District and Mountains Community Hospital are offering Tdap free vaccine for uninsured 7^th-12^th graders, in the Conference Room of the Medical Office Building on the following dates:

• Mon. Aug. 8^th, 5:00p-8:00p
• Tues. Aug. 9^th, 8:00a-11:00a
• Tues. Aug. 16^th, 8:00a-11:00a

Injections cannot be given without parental consent.  Consent forms can be picked up at the District Office in Blue Jay next to the Blue Jay Theater, or bring a parent to sign the consent at the time the vaccine is given.

Last year California experienced the worst epidemic of Whooping Cough, also known as pertussis, in 60 years. While most people think this disease occurred in the “olden days,” unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth. Last year’s outbreak affected almost 7,000 Californians and claimed the lives of at least 10 babies. In fact, there were 1,496 cases reported in the first six months of 2010.

This situation prompted the California Department of Public Health to determine that children entering grades 7 through 12 in all of the state’s public and private schools must show proof that they have received a pertussis booster shot. The last booster the students probably received was when they were six years old. So, by 7^th grade, their original immunizations and protection originally afforded would be “wearing off.”

Pertussis can be a killer—especially for small children. Mountains Community Hospital cautions parents of children in every age group to make sure their children are immunized and/or receive booster shots. Health officials also believe parents, caregivers, nurses, teachers and other people who are around children should receive the Tdap booster. Due to their small size, babies are particularly susceptible to pertussis. So it is extremely important that they receive their series of shots.

Last year’s outbreak and the state’s associated new requirement that students get a booster shot makes it very possible that  agencies may run low on the serum and, thus, unable to meet the deadline. The San Bernardino County Department of Health has a good supply of the serum. While some doctors on the mountain report that they have run out of the vaccine, they have placed it on backorder and will be prepared to immunize kids as soon as the serum is back on their shelves.

Mountains Community Hospital in Lake Arrowhead, the mountain’s healthcare center for over 50 years, encourages parents to get their children immunized or get a booster shot soon because the start of the new school year begins next month. Many parents will wait until the last minute. And, if there is a shortage, at that point they will have to wait until the serum is available before their child is permitted to start school. Anticipated shortages are expected to occur between now and the start of the new school year.

Pertussis is very contagious and is caused by bacteria which are easily spread. The disease will start with the same symptoms of the common cold. But there’s nothing common about pertussis. After one or two weeks, severe coughing begins. Victims cough so violently and so rapidly that all the air leaves their lungs and produces a “whooping” sound when they breathe. (Hence the name whooping cough)

Mountains Community Hospital cares about your health. Please visit our website for more information and/or links to information about treatments for many illness and medical conditions. For information log onto: www.mchcares.com and click on “resource center.”

Cholesterol: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 

Mountains Community Hospital provides tips about how to impact your cholesterol levels.

What you eat will affect your health in many ways…including levels of good and bad cholesterol. Fortunately, there are many ways that people with abnormal levels can be corrected, including eating foods like oatmeal, certain nuts, some varieties of cold water fish and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Mountains Community Hospital urges mountain residents to pay attention to their diets and to incorporate other lifestyle changes that may be necessary in order to improve cholesterol levels and reduce health risks.

Mountains Community Hospital cares about your overall health. And since studies prove that cholesterol levels and overall heart health are important parts of living a long, satisfying life, hospital physicians stress that the importance of regular health screening tests such as cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The hospital laboratory staff performs cholesterol testing, known as a lipid panel, with a physician’s referral. No appointment is necessary. And patients are seen on a “first come, first served” basis—usually in and out in just a short time.When it comes to triglycerides, the American Heart Association and Mountains Community Hospital recommend a level of 100 mg/di or lower. Are your triglycerides high? Should you take steps to improve your blood work? Working in cooperation with your physician, there are many ways people to reduce “bad cholesterol level,” increase “good cholesterol” and reduce triglyceride level.

The Heart Association encourages patients to take steps on their own or with their physician’s assistance before resorting to a regimen of cholesterol-lowering medications, commonly known as Statins. The Association believes medications should only be used as a “last ditch effort.”  In the United States, a triglyceride level below 150mg is desirable and a level of 150mg is considered borderline high. A level of 200-400 mg is considered high and 500 mg and above is considered very high.

Mountains Community Hospital physicians encourage everyone to help lower their “bad LDL cholesterol” by adopting lifestyle changes. Exercise, weight loss, smoking cessation and healthy eating habits are all part of a heart-healthy program. Some of the best “cholesterol lowering” foods include walnuts, almonds and other nuts. But be careful to eat just a handful at a time since nuts are high in fat. Oatmeal, oat bran, kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes also help reduce cholesterol because they are high in fiber. Several types of cold-water fish, eaten twice a week, can also help. Look for Salmon, Halibut, and Albacore tuna, Sardines, Herring, Lake Trout and Mackerel. Eating foods high in fiber helps reduce “bad cholesterol.”

High LDL is a major problem for millions of Americans, and particularly for heart patients. The reason high levels pose such a threat is because they can build up inside the body’s artery walls and lead to artery blockages which can lead to heart attacks. “HDL” l is known as “good cholesterol” because it keeps arteries from clogging.

If you aren’t sure what your numbers are, call an MCH-affiliated physician today and ask for baseline blood work, because, at Mountains Community Hospital, we care about your health.

MCH Caress: Test Your Sunburn IQ!

 

Be careful in the sun or you can get burned.

It’s that time again. The snow has melted. The kids are out of school. Vacation time has begun. Along with the fun comes a warning—particularly about sun exposure.

Most people don’t give much thought to the fact that sunburn is actually evidence that rays have killed living tissue (skin). When skin is burnt, it will peel off. Sunburns occur when people spend too much time being exposing their skin to ultraviolet (UV) rays. While getting sunburns is easy to do, those who consistently spend a lot of time in the sun (particularly without any type of sunscreen) are apt to encounter a variety of related issues: scaly skin, to peeling layers of skin, to the ultimate possibility of skin cancer or other types of skin tumors. The sun may feel good. But people who spend an inordinate amount of time enjoying it are apt, ultimately, to have skin that looks and feels like leather resulting from too many years spent basking in its rays.

In the past couple of decades, physicians have stepped up their warnings to patients to be vigilant about sun exposure, particularly if they refuse or forget to wear sunscreen. Many, but not all, skin cancers can be traced to too much time in the sun.

Sun damage doesn’t just occur to light-skinned people. It can happen to people with many skin shades. And, oddly enough, certain pharmaceuticals can affect a person’s sensitivity to UV radiation. For instance, many antibiotics, oral contraceptives and tranquilizers increase the damaging effects of the sun. A person’s family characteristics can also affect how vulnerable they are to excessive ultra-violet radiation. People who have very fair skin and/or those who easily freckle are at greater risk due to their light skin.

Using sunscreen prevents the direct DNA damage that causes sunburn and the two most common forms of skin cancer–basal-cell carcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma. However, if the sunscreen penetrates the skin, it can promote indirect DNA damage, which can cause the most lethal form of skin cancer—malignant melanoma. This form of skin cancer causes 75 percent of the all skin cancer-related deaths.

Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is one way to help block the direct rays of the sun. It’s also important to remember that lying outside and enjoying the sun should be taken in small doses. Those who lay out on the sand all day without any protection are those who may end up in the MCH Emergency Room. When it comes to sun exposure and potential problems, the term “better safe than sorry” certainly applies.

Allergies Got You Down?

Season allergies are more than inconvenient to those who suffer from them.

It’s that time of year again. Is your nose watering? How about those itchy eyes? Well, summer’s here and so are many allergens. Living and traveling up and down the mountain highways can affect a person’s nasal passages. And, with that, comes some problems. While many people are unaffected by the brightly colored Spanish Broom that grows along mountain highways, other people are very sensitive to its pollen.

Often, during the spring and early summer, vehicles and anything else left outdoors may be covered with a thin layer of yellow dust that travels in the wind. While the forest service has cut a lot of the “non-native species noxious weed” over the past two years along Highway 330 and Highway 18, there’s still plenty of pollen throughout the area. While the yellow flowers are beautiful and fragrant, many people are allergic to the bright yellow blooms.

Some signs of allergic reactions (regardless of the source) are: a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion and sneezing. Allergy symptoms can be at their worst when people are outside enjoying the fresh air at concerts, barbecues or other outdoor events. Symptoms erupt when the patient comes into contact with an “allergy trigger.” When this occurs, the body produces higher levels of certain substances, including histamines. Medications that help relieve symptoms include anti-histamines, which are available over-the-counter or, if symptoms are severe enough, by prescription.

According to http://www.everydayhealth.com, medical specialists don’t ordinarily do skin tests for pine tree allergies because this condition is quite rare. With millions of pine trees in the inhabited San Bernardino Mountain communities, it’s good that pine tree pollen allergies are less common than those that spring from other sources. If pine tree pollen is suspected, the patient may have to search to find a physician who can perform a skin test. However, if the physician and patient believe this test would be beneficial, pine tree extract for testing can be obtained by most doctors.

Skin testing for allergies has been around for quite awhile. Tests will reveal what allergies, if any, are present. Not all runny noses, congestion and other “cold-like” symptoms mean allergies. However, when they re-occur with every spring and/or summer, chronic allergies are something to consider. While there are many allergens that affect people, some of the most well known are pollen from grasses (especially newly-mowed grass), weeds, trees, outdoor mold spores, and animal dander as well as dust mites. Summer in the mountains is an exciting time. So doesn’t let allergies slow you down. Take control of them by finding out what they are so you can enjoy the great outdoors.

Helping Patients with Gout

If you have chronic, acute pain in your toes, knees or feet, it could be gout.

Among the many types of arthritis are a variety of conditions that are related to arthritis but they each cause different symptoms and problems. Gout is only one of those conditions and those who have it struggle with the pain it causes and finding ways to control flare-ups.

Gout is a form of arthritis and its presence is often considered when a patient experiences a series of painful attacks, especially if the pain occurs in the toes, ankles or knees. Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints and the end result is that a joint often becomes tender, warm and ultimately disfigured. Uric acid is a product of purines that are part of many foods we eat. If a body doesn’t break down the purines properly, crystallization can form in joints, frequently resulting in gout. Other diseases such as kidney stones and kidney failure are also caused by a backup of uric acid and these conditions are very painful and can, on occasion, lead to death.

Although many joints can be affected patients often get gout in the small joint at the base of the big toe. A gout diagnosis may sound funny but it’s not because for some patients even the smallest pressure on the toe or other affected body part causes excruciating pain. King Henry VIII suffered from gout and many other historical figures have, in one form or another, have been affected by the disease.

According to WebMd.com the most reliable test to diagnose gout is a procedure that involves an injection of Lidocaine or another pain numbing drug at the site followed by an aspiration of fluid from the affected area. During the procedure a physician will draw out some of the fluid from the affected joint and the fluid is analyzed.

The Internet is a good place to research information. Patients should log onto Gout.com for information on their condition and how to make flare-ups less likely. Another good website is StayingFit.com, which deals with helping people manage their symptoms through exercise and diet. According to the Mayo Clinic men are more likely to get gout but women are almost as likely to get it after menopause because their uric acid levels rise.

While gout is treatable, avoiding getting it in the first place must be a priority. Excessive alcohol use, more than two drinks a day for men and more than one for women, increases the gout risk, reports the Mayo Clinic. Untreated high blood pressure and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol levels, a family history as well as narrowing of the arteries can also increase the chance of getting this often painful condition.