Thursday, August 27, 2009

General Health Topic - Exercise Induced Asthma

Hello everyone,

Does this ever happen?.... you go to the gym and within a few minutes of starting your workout you are extremely tired or short of breath? Do you experience chest tightness, wheezing or coughing when you exercise? The first thing you may be thinking is wow, I need to get into better shape! If you do, you might have exercise induced asthma (EIA).

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAI) brochure to help educate patients, approximately 20 million Americans have EIA. Their airways may be overly sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, especially colder, drier air. While exercising, many people start breathing through their mouths, bypassing the warm moist nasal passages which allows colder, less humid air to reach the lungs.

To know for sure if you have EIA or even a chronic asthma condition, you need to see your physician to get tested. If positive for EIA, work out a treatment plan with your physician and pharmacist. There are many treatments that are effective in controlling EIA.

Inhaled medications taken prior to exercise are helpful in preventing or controlling EIA. The medication of choice is a short-acting bronchodilator spray used 15 minutes before exercise. These medications, which include albuterol and levalbuterol are effective in the majority of patients. They work quickly and last for up to four to six hours. These inhalers can also treat EIA symptoms after they occur.

If symptoms are not readily controlled by medications, patients should talk to their physician.

A severe asthma attack is a medical emergency and if EIA symptoms cannot be controlled, more rescue medications may be needed. An "Epi-pen" (epinephrine injection) and emergency supplemental oxygen are items that should be available.

Enjoy your workout.

Dr. Paul

Saturday, August 15, 2009

General Health Topic - Medical ID Cards

Hello Everyone,

In a previous post I stressed the importance of EVERYONE carrying in their wallet or in their purse a copy of their medication lists and other important medical information.

Here is a link you can use to generate a FREE medical ID card that has your medical conditions, medications, physician information that you can carry with you at all times.

http://www.medids.com/free-id.php

If your spouse, significant other, children or other people in your care are on multiple medications, you should also carry a copy of their medical information as well. I have seen many occasions where a person will present to an emergency room, unable to speak and the family member that is with them does not know the medications the person is taking.

http://www.medids.com/free-id.php

Please take a few minutes to enter in the information and generate an ID card for yourself and loved ones.

Thanks,

Dr. Paul

Thursday, August 13, 2009

General Health Topic - New System to Eliminate Tattoos

Hello Everyone,

A tattoo is forever. Or is it? At one of the hospitals where I work, on one Saturday per month, they host a tattoo removal clinic. Several practitioners donate their time and equipment to perform laser tattoo removal.

This clinic is "PACKED"!!!. There are so many people that are enduring this painful procedure to have their tattoo removed. I suppose that they wish that their tattoo wasn't so permanent.

Check out this new system that has been developed to fade tattoos without the use of painful lasers.



If anyone tries it out, please let me know the results.

Thanks,

Dr. Paul