Baptist Health Flourish Paducah

Be a healthier you

fa ll / w i n t e r 2 01 4

Feel Like a

Learn the secrets of healthy aging

kid again!

women's health problems you're too embarrassed to ask about

plus: avoid holiday weight gain

| learn subtle signs of a heart attack

health tips

Head Into a Healthier Holiday

4 tips to help you avoid seasonal weight gain this year 1. Indulge (a little).

Allow yourself one “cheat meal” (in moderation) but don’t let it be more than one per holiday, said Paige Quintero, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Baptist Health Paducah.

2. Portions, portions, portions.

No matter what you’re eating, try not to overdo it. Keep an eye on portion sizes, and avoid going back for seconds.

Keep your weight in check Maintaining a healthy weight reduces your risk for a variety of illnesses, including heart disease.

To learn about weight-loss options, visit BaptistHealth WeightLoss.com/ Paducah.

3. Plan ahead.

Anticipate what you plan to eat at the holiday meal and calculate the calories.

Have a set calorie goal in mind. Maybe load up on low-calorie green beans and have a smaller serving of potatoes. When you’re satisfied, stop eating, Dr. Quintero said.

4. Take control.

Instead of falling victim to your aunt’s heavy cream-laden mashed potatoes, offer to make the potato dish this year and opt for roasted red potatoes with a little olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Guard Your Heart

Be on the lookout for these subtle signs of a heart attack

Questions? Call Paducah’s Chest Pain & Stroke Hotline, 800.575.1911.

2 Baptist Health

Parties to attend, shopping to do, good food to eat — the holiday season should be a time of fun and festivity. But along with the good comes the bad, and people can be at a higher risk for heart attacks this time of year due to stress, overeating and strenuous tasks, like shoveling snow.

“Many heart attacks begin with subtle symptoms — more discomfort than actual pain,” said Brian Lea, MD, cardiologist at Baptist Health Paducah. “Other signs include nausea, sweating, lightheadedness and panic.”

Sometimes the chest discomfort will come and go. If you do notice anything unusual, resist the urge to write it off as heartburn or anxiety. “It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry,” Dr. Lea said.

Heart attack symptoms can vary from person to person, but one thing applies to everyone: If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.

HealtH tips

or WHen an eMergency strIkes, how do you know if you should head to urgent care or the emergency room? If it seems to be life threatening, go to the ER. If not, go to urgent care. Test yourself on these scenarios:

you fell off a ladder and think you broke your wrist.

urgent care can take care of broken bones and sprains. Try to immobilize the area and head on in ASAP.

your child got hit in the head while playing soccer and now complains of nausea and a headache.

These are symptoms of a concussion, so go to the er. Other signs include ringing in the ears, dizziness and confusion.

your husband burned his hand while cooking dinner.

urgent care can handle burns, but if the injury affects your breathing, go to the er.

Beat tHe winter worKout woes ProbleM: When temperatures drop, it’s easy to stay

Know where to Go? remove the card attached to the next page and place in your car for quick access to Baptist Health services near you.

cuddled under the covers instead of hitting the gym.

But, before we know it, one missed workout turns into a month of hibernation. So how do you find the gumption to work out when it’s cold outside?

solution: Exercise at home. Do 15 reps of each of the

following: squats or lunges, push-ups, glute bridges and bench dips. Finish with one-minute planks. Remember, any type of movement is better than none at all.

Why You Should Quit Smoking today Kentucky has the highest smoking rate in the nation, but let’s not “win” that claim next year. whether you’ve smoked for one year or 50 years, your body begins to repair the damage cigarettes have caused almost immediately after you quit smoking. in just ...

20

Minutes Your blood pressure drops.

12

Hours Carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal.

2

weeKs Your circulation and lung function begin to improve.

1

Year Your risk of heart disease is cut in half.

5

Years Your risk of mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder cancers drops by 50 percent.

10

years Your lung cancer risk decreases by half.

act now. Breathe easier after taking a free assessment of your lung health at FindYourHealth.com/cancer.

Flourish Fall/winter 2014 3

turn back the

clock P

lastic surgeons can help people look younger, but they are the first to tell you what really turns back the clock happens on the inside — and you can change it.

Genetics only account for 20-30 percent of our longevity and health. Lifestyle factors are the most critical drivers of how long and well we live. Diet, exercise, social interaction and outlook can help you stave off disease, look younger and stay mobile well into your older years.

For starters, incorporate three healthy habits into each decade of your life.

in Your

It’s not an injection, potion or supplement.

The real secret to aging well — for men and women — is lifestyle

20s

➊ Wear sunscreen. Exposure to ultraviolet rays — from the sun and tanning bed bulbs — ages the skin prematurely and increases your risk of skin cancer. If you must attain a summer glow, opt for topical self-tanner instead.

➋ Establish an active lifestyle. Put down the video games and get into a regular exercise habit. Cardiovascular exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise a week.

➌ Quit (or don’t start) smoking. The chemicals in cigarettes are known carcinogens that can dramatically shorten your lifespan and cause premature aging.

in Your

30s

➊ Dial into a healthier diet. The Mediterranean diet is best for promoting health and lowering heart disease risk. It’s high in plant-based foods, healthy monounsaturated fat and fi sh, and low in processed foods, saturated fat and sweets. (A high sugar intake has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, obesity and possibly even wrinkles.)

➋ Get a handle on stress. Besides releasing hormones that cause you to gain dangerous belly fat, stress may shorten microscopic structures called telomeres, the tiny caps on the ends of your DNA. Shorter telomeres are a biomarker for faster aging. Calming activities like meditation can protect telomeres and make it easier to handle daily pressure.

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develop your anti-aging action plan Talk with your doctor to discuss which preventive tests, screenings and lifestyle changes are right for you.

Or call Paducah’s free Baptist Health Line at 270.575.2918 to connect with a nurse.

➋ Bolster your bones. A drop in estrogen triggers menopause ➌ Establish a sleep routine. Lack of ZZZs can lead to obesity, depression, poor memory, heart attack, diabetes, stroke and older-looking skin. Try to log seven to eight hours a night, make the bedroom a technology-free zone, and create calming presnooze strategies.

in Your

40s

➊ Include resistance training. Due to hormonal changes, this is the decade when you start to lose muscle mass and strength. That can lead to frailty as you age. Your defense? Add resistance training to your workout two or three times a week.

and speeds up bone loss. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, which can lead to disability. Get regular bone density tests starting at age 50. Add strength training to your regimen if you haven’t already, and get sufficient calcium and vitamin D.

➌ Develop balance and other functional skills. While strength is key, balance, agility, motor control, proprioception (the ability to know where your body is in space without looking at it) and flexibility become more important as we get older. These skills help you climb stairs, navigate uneven terrain, avoid falls and more. Yoga is an excellent way to improve balance and flexibility, and a personal trainer can help you evaluate and strengthen weak areas.

➋ Schedule cancer screenings. Recommendations for mammograms, colonoscopies and prostate cancer screening are in flux, so it’s important to ask your doctor what you need and when, based on your history and other risk factors.

➌ Keep an eye on cholesterol, blood sugar and your waistline.

These are factors that make up metabolic syndrome, which increases your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The American Heart Association has found that if you can avoid metabolic syndrome by age 50 (often through diet and exercise), you have a lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.

in Your

50s

➊ Seek help for depression. Mid-life depression is a major problem, especially in women, and it can increase your risk of disease, disability and death. The cause could be hormonal, situational or diet-related, so see your doctor if you have symptoms.

in Your

60s and BeYond

➊ Challenge your brain. Exercise your noggin’s neurons by learning a new language, doing puzzles, volunteering and socializing. It helps keep your brain sharp and reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment, a type of pre-dementia.

➋ Rethink exercise. It’s never too late to start moving, but it doesn’t have to involve the gym or jogging around the block.

Swimming, yoga, walking, tai chi, dancing and yard work are all easy on the joints and can be less intimidating.

➌ Keep a lid on blood pressure. Two-thirds of adults age 65 and older have hypertension, which increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most doctors check it at every office visit but you can buy a cuff to measure it at home as well. Exercise, along with a healthy, low-sodium diet, can keep it under control.

Flourish Fall/winter 2014 5

Normal or Not?

Ladies,

we’re shedding some light on what’s common and what’s cause for concern

Let’s be frank: Some women’s health problems can be a little embarrassing to

discuss. Blair Tolar, MD, an OB/GYN at Baptist Health Paducah, helps us understand what certain symptoms mean, when you should ask your doctor and what you can do.

what women want Baptist Health Paducah is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology and a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. This means the expertise you need is available here, when it matters most.

Call 270.575.2662 to learn more.

Urinary problems

A frequent urge to go, paired with pain while urinating, is most likely a urinary tract infection (UTI). While it will often pass on its own, sometimes a UTI is so uncomfortable you’ll want to see your doctor for treatment. “We can prescribe an antibiotic based on your health condition and the type of bacteria found that will make you feel better, faster,” Dr. Tolar said. If your urinary problems include leaking and other symptoms, like pain during intercourse or backaches, Dr. Tolar recommends visiting the doc right away.

“There could be other possible gynecologic conditions that would require a visit to the doctor, such as pelvic organ prolapse.”

Itching or burning

Before you go running to the pharmacy for Monistat®, make sure it’s actually a yeast infection you’re treating. “For most women, once you’ve had one, you can spot one,” Dr. Tolar said. “But if you’re unsure, you’ll want to see a doctor to rule out other possibilities, like bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted diseases.”

Unusual periods

Normal vaginal bleeding occurs as a result of a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle. Clots, thicker flows and darker colors are all often perfectly normal, but there are a number of issues that could cause changes in the thickness and texture of your flow. “A miscarriage, fibroids or hormonal shifts could all contribute to changes,” Dr. Tolar said. “And heavy or painful menstruation could be a sign of endometriosis.” If your period is unusually heavy or lasts eight to 10 days, talk to your doctor. “Luckily, treatment for endometriosis with minimally invasive surgery is a great option these days,” Dr. Tolar said.

Mammograms made Easy Mammograms continue to be the gold standard for breast cancer screenings, but there is still room for improvement. Up to 30 percent of cancers are missed with traditional mammograms, which is why many doctors now recommend 3-D breast imaging.

“Three-dimensional mammograms improve upon two areas where traditional mammograms can fall short,” said

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Jennifer Brien, MD, a radiologist at Baptist

Health Paducah. “The first is that they can detect some cancers that a 2-D mammogram would miss. The second is that they reduce the number of false-positives, which can cause undue concern and additional screenings for women.”

Schedule your mammogram today by calling 270.575.2662.

T

hanks to their gorgeous hue, rich flavor and knack for working well with other foods, sweet potatoes have claimed their place on home dining room tables and five-star restaurant menus — and everywhere in between. The healthy spuds have usurped French fries, hijacked pumpkin pies and befriended marshmallows, and the upcoming holiday season is when they shine brightest.

High in fiber, vitamins A and C, complex carbohydrates and potassium, sweet potatoes are low in calories and will fill you up.

Like their more mundane tuber cousins, sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors, with both the skin and flesh ranging from pale yellow to orange to purple. (The most common variety grown in Kentucky is the chubby, redskinned Beauregard.) Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and free of soft spots and sprouts. Store them in a cool, dark place until use.

in season

Packed full of nutrients, sweet and oh-so versatile, this healthy spud is a holiday star

sweet Potato Pancakes This naturally sweet breakfast dish will satisfy kids and healthminded adults. Serves five | 300 calories per two-pancake serving Ingredients 1 sweet potato 1 c. whole-wheat flour 1 c. all-purpose white flour 4 tsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. brown sugar ½ tsp. cinnamon 2 c. lowfat milk

Make it healthier Substitute one of the eggs for two egg whites, and use only whole-wheat flour.

2 eggs 1. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork, then wrap it loosely in foil. Bake at 375 degrees until soft, at least 30 minutes. Peel sweet potato then puree it in a blender.

3. Spoon ½ cup of the mixture onto a hot nonstick skillet and cook to desired color, flipping once. Repeat until mixture is gone. Makes about 10 pancakes.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, then slowly stir in milk and eggs until the mixture is smooth.

Fold in sweet-potato puree.

4. Serve plain or top with jam or syrup.

Make it for dinner Take out the sugar and add salt and savory spices such as paprika, oregano and curry powder for a flavorful dinner dish.

HUNGRY for MORE?

Visit BaptistHealthPaducah.com/heart for healthy recipes to add to your menu.

Flourish Fall/winter 2014 7

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Helping you Flourish

Your local medical experts provide healthy lifestyle tips throughout this issue.

Welcome to the premiere issue of Flourish. Just as the name says, we want you and your family to flourish — in other words, “to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way.” We’ll be there to help you be a healthier you.

PRESENTS

Jennifer Brien, MD, radiologist page 6

Brian Lea, MD, cardiologist page 2

Paige Quintero, MD, bariatric surgeon page 2

Blair Tolar, MD, OB/GYN page 6

Need a doctor? Go to BaptistHealthPaducah.com.

Featuring a physician panel discussion on women’s heart health.

Baptist Heart Center Auditorium, 2501 Kentucky Ave., Paducah Call 270.575.2871 for more information or to register.

Reservations required.

LU N C H & FA S H I O N S H OW

BaptistHealthPaducah.com Baptist Health Paducah @BHPaducah

Feb. 26, 2015

270.575.2918 Baptist Health Line: General health information 800.575.1911 Chest Pain & Stroke Hotline: Immediate heart attack and stroke information 270.575.BABY Stork Line: Maternity and infant care information Annual community report: BaptistHealthKentucky.com Baptist Health Foundation Paducah: 270.575.2871

Flourish is published three times a year by the Marketing office of Baptist Health. Designed and produced by McMurry/TMG, LLC. Flourish makes every effort to ensure that the information it contains is medically accurate and up-to-date. All material is for informational purposes and is intended to complement, not substitute for, the advice of your physician. Before trying any medical treatment or changing your present routine or program, consult with your physician, who can discuss your individual needs, symptoms and treatment. For more information, contact Dona Rains, Regional Marketing & Public Relations Manager, at Dona.Rains@BHSI.com or Baptist Health, 2501 Kentucky Ave., Paducah, KY, 42003.