Newspaper Page Text
14A
March 10, 2005
Living
SENIOR HEALTH FOCUS
Q: Can you tell me the signs and symptoms
of colorectal cancer? G. P Augusta, Ga.
According to W. Mar
eus Fites k. MDD, 4
board-certitied gastroen
rerologist who practices
at University Hospital,
the symptoms ot colorec
tal cancer include:
A change in bowel
habits such as diarrhea,
constipation or Narrow
Aveeno
| presents:
r
Journey toMellness
; - ATA
‘ r KIDNEYS ARE
S MORE THAN BEANS!
|4 - e
F o o} By Dr. Mary Harris
1 . ooy § When you think about
| ! ~ 5 kidnevs, think about more than
! ol ({,’ beans! Your pair of kidneys is
| : among vour body's most important
organs. Their job sto purity your
P blood and flush away impurnities
{ When one or both Kidneys fail, the results can be devastating
’ or even fatal. March s National Kidney Awareness Month so
i lets discuss some tacts about kidney health
' Atnican Americans and other people of color are
I more llkc‘} to dey (';\‘P l\l\l!h’_\ discase because of our
' nereased incidences ot diabetes, high blood pressure, obesi
{ ty.a tamily history of the discase and aging - all are major risk
‘ tactors. But even with a high-risk profile, kKidney discasce can
[ be avorded altogether or controlled with carly detection
i k.cep vour weight under control by eating sensibly and getting
tplenty of exercise. Avord high blood pressure with the same
L regimen. or, it you already have hypertension, take your med
! ication regularly
é Here are some warming signs that should alert you to
| possible problems with your kidneys
| - Excessive tredness
| Loss of energy
! Mental confusion
% Poor IPpCtig
! Insomnia
1
: Dry, itchy skin
| Muscle cramping at night
| Morning puttiness around the eyes
[ I'requent uniation, especially at might
? vollen feet and ankles
Lhese symptoms don't confirm that vou have kidney
fiscase. but one or more of them 1s cause tor concern and you
hould see a doctor
' Initial screening for kidney disease 1s convenient and
| painless. A blood sample is usually taken to determine the
L levels of protein and a substance called creatinine in the
| blood. The results of these tests combined with your doctor's
| consideration of your age, race, family history and any phys
[ ical symptoms are usually enough to detect a problem. If
| indicated. a CT scan, ultrasound or kidney biopsy may also be
needed
Kidney stones are a fairly common ailment that can
| cause extreme discomfort if left untreated. Not all kidney
| stones are the same. Calcium deposits cause most, but other
forms can result from too much acid in the blood, a urinary
l tract infection or a family history of the condition.
Again, diet plays an important role. Too much cal
-1 cium, too much red meant and not enough water are frequent
culprits. Kidney stones may pass from the body through uri
’ nation without medical intervention. In cases where they
| don't, non-surgical methods like laser treatment may be used.
Kidney stones can recur, so a sensible eating plan and regular
monitoring are in order to avord frequent bouts of this painful
condition.
Acute or chronic kidney fatlure may require a patient
to undergo dialysis to survive. Dialysis 1s a method of remoy
ing toxins (impurities and waste) from the blood through
mechanical means then returning the purified blood to the
body. Treaiments may be needed one or more times a week
Jnd each session typically requires a few hours.
¢ Good kidney health is something you can achieve
~with an awareness of what these vital organs need and regu
dar screenings.
‘
fAlways visit www.journeytowellness.com for
3more important news about your health.
ing of the stool that lasts
more than a few days
bleeding from the rec
tum or blood in the stool
a feeling of pressure or
that you need to have a
bowel movement that
doesn’t go away even
though you've had a
bowel movement cramp-
ing or steady stomach
pain.
Unfortunately, the dis
case may be advanced
before symptoms occur.
“Early detection greatly
ibcteases a 1 persons
chance of surviving col
orectal cancer,” shys i
Pitts. Thars why the
American Cancer Society
recommends colorecral
screenings begin at age
50. It your mother,
father, brother or sister
has had the disease,
screenings should begin
carlier.
No one knows the
exact causes of colorectal
MCG health system offers brain tumor support group
The MCG Brain Tumor
Support Group will meet
on March 15 from noon to
1 pm. at the Family
Resource Library on the
first floor of the MCG
Children’s Medical Center
on Harper Street for
patients with brain tumors,
and their families and loved
ones.
The support group is
open to the entire commu
nity and will help bring
together and provide infor
mation to those who are
experiencing similar chal
lenges. “Knowledge can
help save lives,” said Dr.
Coping with cancer
(NAPSI) — A di&gn()si\ of
cancer changes a persons life.
People living with cancer face
many different emotions
including uncertainty, anger, or
depression. Increasingly people
turn to the Internet for ways to
cope with the stress and chal
lenges associated with a cancer
diagnosis.
Now, patients can access Peo
ple Living with Cancer
(www.PL\WC.org), the patient
website of the American Soci
ety of Clinical Oncology
(ASCOQ), for reliable informa
tion directly from cancer doc
tors on more than 80 types of
cancer. The site has a compre
hensive section on coping with
cancer that addresses issues
such as self-image, relation
ships, sexuality, depression, and
grief. It also serves as a resource
for cancer survivors to deal with
concerns about the future as
well as tips to help them main
tain active, productive lives.
“Being diagnosed with and
treated for cancer changes a
person. Some of the changes
are physical, as a result of the
diagnosis or treatments, and
some of the changes are emo
tional or mental,” said Diane
Blum, MSW, editor-in-chief of
PIWC.org, “All changes, how
ever, affect a person’s ability to
cope, and it is important for
people living with cancer to
AUGUSTA FOCUS
cancer, but known risk
factors include:
family history
Personal history of col
orectal cancer. Even
when a colorectal cancer
has been removed, new
cancer may develop in
other areas of the colon
and rectum.
Personal history of
polyps. While some
types of polyps do not
increase the risk of col
orectal cancer, others do,
cspcci;l”y if thcy are
large or numerous.
Personal history of
inflammatory bowel dis
case. People with ulcera
Alfredo Voloschin, the area’s
only neuro-oncologist and
Director of the Neuro-
Oncology Program at
MCG Health System.
Refreshments will be pro
vided. For more informa
tion, please contact Julie
Moretz at 706-721-3596 or
Brenda Rosson at 706-721-
6901.
MCG Health System s
composed of three separate
organizations -— MCG
Health, Inc. and the clinical
services offered by the facul
ty employees of the Medical
College of Georgia and the
members of the Physicians
have quick, ecasy access to
resources and information they
an trust. PLWC.org offers a
dedicated section on coping
with these changes.”
Cancer also affects family
and friends, especially care
givers. The site serves as a
resource for these individuals as
well, with advice on managing
caregiving responsibilities and
ways to cope.
In addition, it provides links
to other reliable patient organi
zations and resources such as
support groups. These groups
can help people cope with can
cer by providing a place to share
experiences and learn from
others who are facing simi
lar situations. PLWC.org
also hosts live chats and
question-and-answer ses
sions that provide an oppor
tunity to ask national cancer
experts questions about can
cer research, treatment, pre
vention, and coping.
Cancer has a lasting
impact on patients, friends,
and loved ones, and ASCO |
recognizes that people need |
support to cope with the dis- |
ease. For more information |
on coping with cancer, visit |
People Living with Cancer at |
www.PLWC.org.
Cancer patients and their |
families can find useful |
information at a web site |
run by medical specialists. |
tive colitis or Crohn’s
disease are at increased
risk. They should start
screenings earlier and be
tested more frequently.
Aging. About nine out
of 10 people with col
orectal cancer are 50
years of age or older.
A low-fiber, high-fat
diet.
Lack of exercise.
Obesity. Carrying
excess fat around the
waist area increases the
risk more than having
the same amount of fat
in the thighs or hips.
Smoking. Recent stud
ies show that smokers are
30-40 percent more like
Practice Group. The physi
cians of MCG Health Sys
tem are community physi
cians, faculty employees of
the Medical College of
Georgia, and employees of
the Physicians Practice
Group, not employees of
MCG Health Inc. MCG
Health, Inc. is a not-for
profit corporation operat
ing the MCG Medical Cen
ter, MCG Children’s Med
ical Center, the MECG
Sports Medicine Center,
MCG Ambulatory Care
Center, the Georgia Radia
tion Therapy Center and
related clinical facilities and
Camp Breathe Easy for
children with asthma
This year’'s Camp Breathe
Easy, the American Lung
Association of Georgia’s
camp for children with
asthma, will be held June 5
~ June 10 at Camp Twin
Lakes in Rutledge, Geor
ia. Camp Brcati Easy ils
fi)r children with asthma
who need daily medication
and are limited in summer
camping opportunities.
(:elcfirating its 25th year,
Camp Breath Easy is the
largest asthma camp in the
South East.
Children at Camp
Breathe Easy receive a tra
ditional summer camp
experience under the
watchful eye of medical
profcssionaf; who volun
teer their time to the pro
gram. The children learn
asthma self-management
techniques and coping
strategies to better handle
their illness. In addition,
kids swim, repel off trees,
canoe in the lake, play soc
cer and participate in arts
and crafts.
Children in Georgia miss
over a half-million school
days each year due to asth
ma, according to a report
released by tic American
Lung Association of Geor
gia (ALAG) and the
Georgia Department of
Human Resources (DHR)
Division of Public Health.
ly than nonsmokers to
die of colorectal cancer.
To reduce the risk of
colorectal cancer, Dr.
Pitts suggests you eat five
or more servings of fruits
and vegetables and lots
of whole grains every
day, avoid high-fat
foods, exercise regularly
and stop smoking.
If you have a question
you would like addressed
in this column or would
like more information on
cancer, please call Uni
versity's Cancer Answer
Line at 706/828-2522 or
toll free at 866/869-
2522
services. MCG Health, Inc.
was formed to support the
research and education mis
sion of the Medical College
of Georgia and o build the
economic growth of the
CSRA, the state of Georgia
and the Southeast by pro
viding an environment for
faculty employees of the
Medical College of Georgia
and the Physicians Practice
Group and community
physicians to deliver the
highest level of primary and
specialty health care. For
more information, please
visit www.MCGHealth.org.
Asthma in Georgia, 2000,
paints a picture of emer
gency room visits, parents’
missed workdays and not
enough patient/ family
education about control
ling asthma.
Asthma 1s an inflamma
tory disease that narrows
the airways and causes dif
ficulty in breathing. Asth
ma attacks can be caused
by infections allergies or
environmental factors like
dust, pollution or tobacco
smoke.
Camp Breath Easy’s goal
is to increase a camper’s
sense of independence,
build self confidence and
teach preventive measures
to avoid asthmatic
episodes. The deadline for
camp registration is April
15.
The American Lung
Association of Georgia also
offers week-long asthma
day-camps later in the
summer in Albany and
Augusta.
For registration and
more information about
Camp Breathe Easy, call
the American Lung Associ
ation of Georgia at
www.alaga.org or 1(800)
LUNGUSA.