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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2006
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Lora Davis, Perry Hospital Administrator, and Todd Edenfield, Clinical Director of Nursing, present Totsie and
Chance Evans with a memorial plaque that will be placed on the door of the patient room their donation helped
renovate.
Perry hospital receives donation
from local family for renovation
Special to the Journal
Perry Hospital recently
received a donation from
the Evans family of Perry
to renovate and redecorate
a patient room in honor of
their family. The donation
was presented by Chance
Evans and his mother, Mrs.
Totsie Evans, in memory
of the late Dr. Horace E.
Different ways to manage irritable bowel syndrome
Special to the Journal
Although it is a condi
tion few people talk about,
irritable bowel syndrome,
or IBS, affects as many
as one in five people and
about two-thirds of them
are women.
Its symptoms can impact
a person’s ability to work or
socialize. Even though help
is available, embarrassment
causes many people with
IBS to suffer in silence rath
er than seek treatment.
According to Dr. Ravi
Shekarappa, internist and
member of the medical
staffs of Houston Medical
Center and Perry Hospital,
no one really knows what
causes IBS.
“It is thought that chang
es in the nerves that con
trol intestinal movements
may be one of the causes,”
he explains. “Hormones,
particularly in women, are
thought to play a signifi
cant part as well. IBS is
two to three times more
common in women, particu
larly young women around
20 years of age.”
Irritable bowel syndrome
is a digestive disorder
resulting from an improp
erly functioning colon, or
large intestine. Often called
“spastic colon,” symptoms
of IBS include abdominal
pain, cramping, bloating,
gas, mucus in the stool and
episodes of chronic consti
pation or diarrhea or alter
nating bouts of both. For a
person with IBS, pain sen
sors in the colon are more
sensitive than normal, caus
ing them to respond strong
ly to stimuli that would not
affect most people.
“Because there is no spe
cific laboratory test avail
able to diagnose IBS, we
use ‘Rome Criteria’ for the
diagnosis of IBS,” explains
Shekarappa. ‘“Rome
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Evans, Sr., and the late
Horace E. Evans, Jr.
“We are humbled to receive
such a wonderful donation
from the Evans family,”
says Todd Edenfield, RN,
Clinical Director of Nursing
for Perry Hospital.
“Perry Hospital has been
more than a friend to our
family,” says Chance Evans.
Criteria’ includes abdomi
nal pain and diarrhea or
constipation for at least 12
weeks, plus the presence of
any three of the four fol
lowing symptoms: change
in frequency or consistency
of the stool; feeling of not
being able to completely
empty the bowel; mucus in
the stool; and bloating or
abdominal distention.”
According to Dr.
Shekarappa, for those indi
viduals diagnosed with IBS
their symptoms can be eas
ily triggered by stress and
foods such as chocolate,
milk, alcohol and caffeine.
He says that while IBS can
not be cured, most people
can manage their symptoms
through changes in their
diet, stress management
and medications.
Shekarappa suggests
keeping a journal to iden
tify specific foods like dairy
and wheat that may cause
IBS symptoms. In addition,
he suggests trying the fol
lowing tips:
• Eat smaller, low-fat
meals more often and eat
them slowly.
• Consume more high
fiber foods like whole-grain
breads and cereals and
fruits and vegetables.
• Drink six to eight glass
es of water each day.
• Avoid carbonated bev
erages and chewing gum,
which contribute to gas.
• Avoid common triggers
such as chocolate, alcohol
and caffeine.
In addition, Shekarappa
says using fiber supple
ments may help correct con
stipation associated with
IBS. Antidepressants and
antidiarrhea medicines may
also be prescribed to control
muscle spasms to relieve
symptoms. Prescription
drugs are also available
today that may be used for
short-term treatment of
“In life, when you receive
beneficial things, you must
in turn give back to those
individuals. Perry Hospital
has been a Godsend to the
community of Perry. The
staff is wonderful. They
couldn’t be any nicer and
they are always here when
you need them.”
Perry Hospital’s
IBS symptom, particularly
in women.
“The bad news about IBS
is that once you have it, it
will stay with you for life,”
explains Shekarappa. “The
good news is that IBS is not
life a threatening condition.
It is an honor felt far beyond the hospital doors, an honor centered in our community and
lives of the people we serve. Houston Healthcare is extremely proud to receive the
Georgia Hospital Association's Community Leadership Award.
Because this prestigious award recognizes healthcare that goes out beyond our walls
exemplary health education, wellness, and disease prevention —Houston Healthcare is
confirmed in our mission: improving the health of our community.
From a prenatal outreach program for healthy births, to Senior Care for lifelong fitness, to a
nationally recognized diabetes management program, Houston Healthcare is working hard
*for your wellness. We thank all of our staff, physicians, volunteers and community partners
for their compassion and commitment.
HEALTH
Engineering Department
renovated and redecorated
the patient room, which
included a new tile floor
and vanity in the restroom,
fresh paint and wallpaper
and new draperies. The
Perry Hospital Pink Ladies
Auxiliary donated a new
flat screen television to
complete the project.
There is no risk of colon
cancer, Crohn’s disease or
ulcerative colitis associat
ed with IBS, and it does
not cause inflammation or
changes in the bowel tissue.
It can’t be cured, but it can
be managed.”
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IMPROVING THE HEALTH
OF OUR COMMUNITY
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Preventing the
risk of stroke
Special to the Journal
Stroke is the third lead
ing cause of death in the
country, but many adults
are unaware of the signs or
symptoms of a stroke. That
is unfortunate because stud
ies show there is a critical
“therapeutic window” —a
span of about three to six
hours—during which per
manent brain damage may
be largely or even totally
avoided with proper diagno
sis and treatment.
“Depending on its sever
ity, a stroke may result in
disability such as motor and
vision impairment, loss of
feeling, difficulty with speech
and language, problems with
memory or loss of ability to
reason,” explains Dr. Javed
H. Fazal, an internist on the
medical staffs of Houston
Medical Center and Perry
Hospital. “A stroke can even
cause paralysis, coma or
death.”
Most strokes occur after
the age of 55 and are equally
common in both men and
women of that age; however,
more women than men die
of stroke. African-Americans
are more than twice at risk
for stroke as Caucasians.
Dr. Fazal warns that no
one is completely safe from
stroke. “Certain risk factors
are uncontrollable such as
aging or a family history of
stroke,” he explains. “Other
risk factors can be controlled
such as being overweight or
having high blood pressure,
diabetes, high cholesterol
and cardiovascular or heart
disease.”
Regardless, he says, a per
son can dramatically reduce
their risk of stroke by hav
ing regular checkups and
making healthy lifestyle
changes. “The three stron
gest risk factors for stroke —
high blood pressure, heart
disease and diabetes—often
don’t cause symptoms in the
early years,” states Dr. Fazal.
“That is why it is impor-
■3"
Houston Healthcare
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Symptoms of 8
Stroks
nearby has any of the fol
lowing sixofee symptoms,
weakness or paralysis in
one arm or leg or the
entire side of the body
• Blindness or dimmed
vision in one eye
« Sudden trouble hears
what is being said
• Sudden difficulty
with balance or steadi
• Convulsions or sud
den unconsciousness
tant for all adults, especially
those with a family history
of heart disease and stroke,
have regular screenings to
detect these conditions while
they are still fairly treat
able.”
For adults, regular health
check ups should focus on
lowering blood pressure,
controlling heart disease
symptoms, and managing
diabetes. Hypertension,
or high blood pressure, is
the number one risk factor
for stroke, contributing to
half or more of all attacks.
Having Type 2 diabetes is
an independent risk factor
for stroke that often results
from related stroke risks
such as high cholesterol and
being overweight.
Important lifestyle chang
es adults should make to
lower their risk of stroke
include losing weight, eating
a low-fat diet, lowering salt
intake, exercising regularly,
limiting alcohol and quitting
smoking.