Posts in ‘Uncategorized’

If you’ve turned on your television, radio, computer or smart phone this week, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk about Massachusetts and the election of Republican Scott Brown.  Senator-Elect Brown will fill the seat previously held by the late Edward M. Kennedy. If voting in a Republican to fill Kennedy’s seat wasn’t enough of a sting for Democrats, once Brown takes office, Senate Democrats lose control of the 60 votes needed to squash a Republican filibuster. That means the chances of passing a comprehensive healthcare reform bill have significantly diminished.

If Democrats want to pass reform legislation, they have a few options, including simply passing the Senate version as-is through the House and sending it to President Obama for signature.  However party leaders, including House speaker Nancy Pelosi have said the House simply will not take that route because of certain provisions in the bill. President Barack Obama also warned Democrats this week not to “try to jam anything through until Scott Brown is seated.”

At this point in the process, Democrats are talking about pushing a much smaller health care bill; you can find some of the elements that are likely to be included here.

Of course, no matter what happens on Capitol Hill, there are very real things you can do as a patient to improve your healthcare.  Start with this talk from “e-Patient Dave” and contribute your own observations and opinions on icyou. We want to hear from you!

Despite the enormous amount of media coverage attending Michael Jackson’s death, some questions remain unanswered. While the New York Times reports that a hospital spokesperson could not confirm reports of cardiac arrest, speculation suggests it as the most likely cause of Jackson’s death.

What is cardiac arrest? Dr. MDK explains the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack in this video.  We also feature a video on Janet Zilinski, an 11-year-old who collapsed and died from sudden cardiac arrest while cheerleading. Learn what Janet’s parents are doing with schools to prevent and protect against the deadly effects of cardiac arrest.

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is the most common underlying cause of cardiac arrest. The AHA sponsors a “CPR anytime” program that teaches individuals how to apply CPR. Since the window of time in which a victim of cardiac arrest can fully recover is slim—five to seven minutes, at most—quick CPR application is necessary to prevent permanent brain damage, if not death. With roughly 350,000 deaths each year attributed to cardiac arrest and a survival rate of just 8%, on-site defibrillators and CPR-ready individuals are extremely important in combating cardiac arrest.

Knowing your risk for cardiac arrest is an important step in prevention. A recent post in the blog A Disease A Day lists some of these risk factors. Another important step in prevention is through maintaining a healthy lifestyle—no smoking, regular exercise, and a heart-healthy diet—is the most effective way to take care of your heart. Healthy individuals are typically safe from the risks and causes of sudden cardiac arrest.

Remember: Keep your heart healthy!

The swine flu epidemic was recently upgraded to pandemic, meaning it is now a worldwide issue. But what is it and how worried should we be about it?

Our medical editor, Dr. Mona Khanna, sat down in icyou’s studio today to answer the most common questions you may have, including:

[Watch the video here]

1. What is Swine Flu?
2. How did it infect humans?
3. Is this new virus contagious?
4. What are the signs and symptoms of infection with Swine Flu?
5. Can Swine Flu be treated?
6. Will a vaccine prevent me from becoming infected with Swine Flu?
7. Can I get Swine Flu by eating pork products?
8. Am I protected from Swine Flu if I got the flu vaccine last season?
9. What can I do to protect myself against swine flu?
10. Why is the world so concerned about the Swine Flu?

[Watch the video here]

For more info, go to: http://www.pandemicflu.gov

The recent death of actress Natasha Richardson has been the source of much media attention. Her death is all the more tragic because at the time of her accident her injury seemed relatively mild. But two days later she passed away from a fatal brain injury.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and incidents like Richardson’s show the need to raise awareness about the potential dangers even mild brain injuries can pose.  According to the Brain Injury Awareness Association someone in America sustains a brain injury every 21 seconds.

Sports related head injuries like Richardson’s are not uncommon but many don’t realize how serious they can be. A recent post on Health.com’s Get Fit Blog discusses the potential danger of brain injuries to athletes especially kids and young adults. Concussions are the most common sports related brain injuries in kids, mediasourcetv recent video shows what researchers are doing to better diagnosis & treat them.

There are many different types of brain injuries and the effects can be different from person to person. In the blog The Fight of My Life one Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor shares her daily struggles and limitations of living with TBI. And in the three part video series Brain Injury Dialogues, Rick Franklin talks about the impact different types of brain injuries have had on him and other survivors.

You can watch more videos on brain injury here on icyou.

January is almost over but we wanted to remind you that it’s National Blood Donor Month and we want to encourage you to give blood year-round. The United States is at constant risk of a low blood supply, especially in the winter months. Why is blood in such demand? According to givelife.org every 3 seconds someone needs a blood transfusion and every day 39,000 units of blood are required in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities for patients with cancer and other diseases, for organ transplant recipients, and to help save the lives of accident victims.

Of the estimated 60 percent of the population that is eligible to donate blood, only 5 percent do. Blood cannot be manufactured and there is no substitute for it; those in need rely solely on donations from volunteers.

Donating blood is very safe and the after-effects are mild to none in most individuals. The slight discomfort you might feel seems even less when you think about the lives you may save.

To get the facts about donating blood, check out this video from icyou:

To locate a blood donation center near you, please visit www.givelife.org

Hey ladies: It’s Cervical Health Awareness Month — time to think about your cervical health and cervical cancer prevention.

First, a quick anatomy lesson from Cancer Commentary:

“The cervix is found at the top of the vagina and is the lower part of the uterus. There is an opening in the middle of the cervix and this is through where menstrual blood flows, semen enters, and babies are born.”

According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) the most important issue in cervical health is the pap test, commonly known as a pap smear. This screening test checks for abnormal cells on the cervix and can usually detect changes in a cell before it becomes cancerous. Thanks to pap tests, cervical cancer is highly treatable. However, you must have the test for it to find the cells.

The NCCC recommends that women have their first pap test when they become sexually active or at 18 years old if they’ve not yet had sex. It is especially important for women 35-50 years old to have regular pap tests because this age group runs the highest risk for developing cervical cancer.

Want to learn more? Check out these great blogs from women personally affected by cervical health issues and cervical cancer:

The Voices in My Head
My Journey Through HPV

Or you can check out our videos on cervical health

Don’t let anyone convince you that it’s just women who struggle with weight loss — everyone does. And despite all of the talk about magic cures and no-fail programs, the common problem is not which plans work and which don’t. It’s lack of motivation! Diets are often riddled with setbacks and it is important not to let yourself get down.

One way to stay motivated is through blogging. Not only are blogs a great place to vent your frustrations but you can take comfort in knowing there are others experiencing the same thing you are. Blogging adds accountability — when you know people are watching your progress and rooting for you, you want to do well for you and for them.

Two great blogs to check out are Fat Man Unleashed and the Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl . Read about their achievements, setbacks and struggles along their weight loss journey.

You can also watch Fat Man Unleashed right here on icyou. Here’s a sneak preview clip!

If you want to lose weight but don’t know where to start, check out Dr. Mona’s weight loss series on icyou. She discusses today’s most popular diets and shares her tips for weight loss.   Or, see what others have to say by searching for “weight loss” on icyou. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

Wired recently posted a fascinating and detailed story on cancer research and policy in the United States. The primary conclusion is that so much effort is spent on finding treatments and potential cures to save the 566,000 Americans who die of cancer every year, that we’ve overlooked what has proven to be the most effective treatment: early detection.

As the article states, “If we find cancer early, 90 percent survive. If we find cancer late, 10 percent survive.” A strong case is made, both scientifically and economically, for a shift from treatment to prevention early detection in U.S. health policy. It provides many great details and much to think about.

Wired: Why Early Detection Is the Best Way to Beat Cancer

icyou has hundreds of videos about cancer, including survivor stories, cancer diaries, and the latest in treatment and detection news. Here are some you might be interested in:

See Jane Heal - Follow one woman’s journey from diagnosis, to treatment, to recovery.

Moms on the Go - Hear stories from cancer survivors!

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - Watch videos from the prestigious University of Texas cancer treatment center.

Plus, you can search for icyou topics or add our RSS feeds for any cancer-related topic. Simply go to the icyou Diseases & Conditions page, click on any cancer topic, then click on the RSS icon next to the topic name.

UPDATE: Our friend Matthew Zachary at ImTooYoungForThis.org forwarded us his post about the article on The Stupid Cancer Blog. We highly suggest you read it. (Also, thanks for correcting us on the difference between “early detection” and “prevention,” Matthew.)

Between shopping, traveling, and entertaining, it can be a challenge to stay healthy during the holidays. From colds and the flu to weight gain and stress, many health problems are associated with this time of year. Arm yourself with knowledge on how to prevent and treat some of the most common problems people face.

Visit our “Weathering the Winter” channel to get everything you need for a healthier holiday season. Here are some of the videos highlighted on the channel:
1. Colds
2. Flu season runs from October to February
3. Seasonal Affective Disorder: Avoiding “The Winter Blues”
4. Disruptive Sleep Patterns
5. Weight Gain: How much do people gain during the holidays?
6. Dry Skin
7. Stress

Remember: A little prevention can go a long way to keeping you healthy.

Have you ever wished you had a personal doctor to answer all your health-related questions? icyou understands that finding the answers to medical questions can be costly and time-consuming. Now through our new service, “Ask Dr. Mona“, you can receive confidential and credible answers to your most pressing health questions.

So many users posted comments and questions on icyou’s YouTube channel, our team created a separate and free service for people to anonymously ask their health-related questions to icyou’s medical editor, Prerna Mona Khanna, MD, MPH. 

Learn more about Dr. Mona and how to submit questions on Dr. Mona’s icyou channel.