Newspaper Page Text
♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2007
10A
Early melanoma detection key
Special to the Journal
Recent research shows
that when detected early,
the survival rate for patients
with melanoma is nearly
99 percent. However, the
research also shows that
survival rates may be as low
as 15 percent if the disease
is not detected in its early
stages. Regular skin checks
are a simple and easy way to
catch skin cancer before it is
too late.
“After the summer, when
people might have expe
rienced sun damage, is a
good time to visit a der
matologist to get a skin
exam,” says Perry Robins,
MD, President of The Skin
Cancer Foundation. “Most
people don’t realize that an
annual visit to a dermatolo
gist should be a part of their
regular health routine - just
like getting a yearly physi
cal.”
In addition to an annu
al professional total-body
skin examination, The Skin
Cancer Foundation recom
mends monthly skin self
exams. Studies have shown
that the majority of melano
mas are spotted by patients.
In fact, they may detect
melanoma more than twice
as often as physicians do.
Research has shown that
Good night sleep requires game plan
By DR. AMY
BLANCHARD
MCG Sleep Disorders Center
You order an after-din
ner coffee, then stay up late
watching Letterman. You
try to sneak in a nap to
catch up, but still, fatigue is
your faithful friend all day
long. Then the cycle begins
all over again.
We all love a good night’s
sleep, but it can be elusive.
Keep the tossing and turn
ing at bay by following these
tips:
Don’t nap. You may think
you’re helping your body
catch up, but that’s a myth.
Taking a quick nap may help
you feel a little more awake
in the short term, but in
the long term, it actually
affects your nighttime sleep
ing, causing you to wake
more often.
Don’t sleep in on the week
ends. By going to sleep and
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Getting you back in the game.
fc,
skin self-exams can lead to
42 percent fewer deaths.
Combined with a yearly skin
exam by a doctor, a self-exam
is the best way to detect the
early warning signs of skin
cancer. The key is to look
for any new growths or skin
changes. Here’s how:
Gather a bright light; a
full-length mirror; a hand
mirror; two chairs or stools
and a blow-dryer.
■ 1. Examine head and
face, using one or both mir
rors. Use a blow-dryer to
inspect scalp.
■ 2. Check hands, front
and back, including nails. In
a full-length mirror exam
ine elbows, arms and under
arms.
■ 3. Focus on neck, chest,
and torso. Women: check
under breasts.
■ 4. With back to mirror,
use a hand mirror to inspect
back of neck, shoulders,
upper arms, back, buttocks,
legs.
■ 5. Sitting down on one
chair with leg propped up
on the other, check legs and
feet, including soles, heels,
and nails. Use hand mirror
to examine genitals.
The warning signs:
■ A skin growth that
increases in size and appears
pearly, translucent, tan,
brown, black or multi-col
waking up at the same time
every day, you train your
body to know when it’s time
to sleep, therefore improv
ing sleep quality.«
Work out. It makes sense
that tiring out your body
will help improve sleep. As a
bonus, physical activity will
also improve your overall
health.
Aim for a good seven to
eight hours every night. Just
as we budget time for dinner,
working out or time with
friends, we need to budget
time for sleep. Seven to
eight hours of sleep are rec
ommended for better body
function.
Wind down at nighttime.
Save the coffee for breakfast,
turn off the TV and make
sure your bedroom is a rest
ful environment for sleep.
Regulate the temperature so
you’re comfortable, and if
noise is a problem, soften it
with curtains or shutters, or
Saturday Sports Injury Clinic
Beginning August 25th
8:30 am - 11:30 am
Open to all middle and high school students
Staffed by Houston Healthcare’s certified Athletic Trainers
and physicians on staff at
Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital
Services provided at no charge
A 1 tlmili'rrtN MHAITHOAItI
Pavilion Rehabilitation Center
2.33 North Houston Road • Warner Robins • 923-2931
ored
■ A mole, birthmark,
beauty mark or any brown
spot that:
■ changes color
■ increases in size or
thickness
■ changes in texture
■ is irregular in outline
■ is bigger than 6 mm
(1/4 inch), the size of pencil
eraser
■ appears after age 21
■ A spot or sore that con
tinues to itch, hurt, crust,
scab, erode or bleed
■ An open sore that does
not heal within three week
Remember to be mindful of
time spent in the sun, make
sure to use an SPF 15 sun
screen or higher every day
and follow The Skin Cancer
Foundation’s other preven
tion tips at www.skincancer.
org or call 1-800-SKIN-490.
The first organization in
the U.S. that committed itself
to educating the public and
medical professionals about
sun safety, The Skin Cancer
Foundation is still the only
global organization solely
devoted to the prevention,
detection and treatment of
skin cancer. The mission of
the Foundation is to decrease
the incidence of skin can
cer through public and pro
fessional education and
research.
soft music.
If all else fails, contact a
specialist. If your fatigue con
tinues to affect your day-to
day activities, you may want
to contact a sleep specialist
to see if a sleep disorder is
interrupting the quality of
your sleep. Sleep apnea, or
an interruption in breathing
during sleep, is one of the
most common sleep disor
ders, but many people don’t
realize they suffer from it
until they undergo a sleep
study.
When seeking help, look
for an accredited center
that specializes in sleep. For
example, the MCG Sleep
Disorders Center is the
only facility in the region
accredited by the American
Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep doesn’t have to be
elusive. By improving sleep
habits and getting help if
needed, you can finally catch
all the zzzz’s you need.
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