BREAK VS. FRACTURE

For several reasons, seniors are in danger of breaking a bone. As we age, the power of our senses, reflexes and coordination diminishes. Maladies and the medicines we take for them can contribute to balance problems, which can lead to falls. Then there’s osteoporosis—a disease that makes bones more likely to snap.

Men's & Women's Health

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019

What’s The Difference?

By Fred Cicetti

Sometimes you take a contrast medium such as barium and iodine to outline an area of your body. This medium may be injected, swallowed or taken as an enema. The contrast medium appears opaque on X-ray film, providing clear images of structures such as your digestive tract or blood vessels.

Seniors

Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019

‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’

By Fred Cicetti

These products may not be safe if you have cancer, an enlarged prostate gland, high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, heart disease, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, psychiatric issues or problems with clotting blood, your immune system, liver or thyroid.

Men's & Women's Health

Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019

Breast Cancer Strikes Men, Too

By Fred Cicetti

Young boys and girls have a small amount of breast tissue made up of a few ducts. At puberty, female hormones in girls make breast ducts grow, milk glands form and fat increase. The male hormones in boys prevent further growth of breast tissue. Men’s breast tissue contains ducts, but only a few, if any, lobules.

Seniors

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019

Memory Problems In Bypass Patients

By Fred Cicetti

During traditional surgery, a patient is put on a heart-lung bypass pump to oxygenate and circulate blood. This machine may create clots that could harm the brain. In addition, a surgeon handling the aorta – the main heart artery – can free bits of accumulated plaque, and they can block blood vessels in the brain.

Men's & Women's Health

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019

Risk Factors For Breast Cancer

By Fred Cicetti

About 2/10 percent of mammograms lead to a cancer diagnosis. About 10 percent of women examined will need another mammogram. Only about 10 percent of those women will need a biopsy. Out of those biopsies, 80 percent will come back negative for cancer..

Seniors

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018

Healthy Geezer

By Fred Cicetti

But, what exactly, is gas? Most people produce between a pint and a half-gallon of gas each day. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen from swallowed air make up a large part of gas, or “flatus.” Fermenting foods in the colon produce hydrogen and methane as well as carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Men's & Women's Health

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018

Risk Factors For Breast Cancer

By Fred Cicetti

The female breast is composed primarily of milk-producing glands (lobules), ducts that connect the glands to the nipple, and soft tissue. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that has grown from breast cells. Nearly all breast cancers start in the ducts or lobules of the breast.

Seniors

Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018

Healthy Geezer

By Fred Cicetti

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, which is a small sac filled with fluid. We each have about 160 of these bursae, which act as shock absorbers and grease for our joints. They are buffers between bones and overlapping muscles or between bones and tendons/skin.

Seniors

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018

HEALTHY GEEZER

By Fred Cicetti

The size and location of the aneurysm determines the treatment method. For example, aneurysms in the upper chest are usually operated on immediately. Aneurysms in the lower chest and the area below your stomach are watched at first. If they grow too large or cause symptoms, surgery may be required.