Without a doubt, gout causes pain for many

Have you ever felt like a jackhammer was trying to break apart your big toe? Or maybe you’ve felt like you have walked across a bed of hot coals with bare feet.  If you’ve experienced this type of pain, you may have experienced Gout.

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in your blood.  The excess uric acid forms crystals in the joints of the body which cause them to become inflamed with swelling and tremendous pain.

These flares of gout can come quickly and often begin throughout the night, causing the affected area to become red, swollen, hot and tender.

While 76% of those with gout experience pain in their big toe, gout also affects other areas.  Statistics from gout experts claim that 25% experience gout in a finger, 10% in the wrist, 50% in the ankle or foot, 10% in the elbow, 32% in the knee and 11% claim that they have pain in more than one joint location. 

If you are a child or a young adult, there’s good news. Gout usually doesn’t prey upon you!  Rather, the inflammatory arthritis typically affects men over the age of 40, women who are post-menopausal, and those who have a genetic link of gout in their family.

In addition, people with certain conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/ or other kidney problems are typically at a higher risk for gout.

Although some people think that diet has a huge influence as to whether or not someone gets gout, that isn’t exactly true.  Instead, certain foods tend to trigger bouts with gout once a person has already been susceptible to getting it. Therefore, diet can be an important aid in managing gout.  Approximately 10% of people with gout produce too much uric acid and approximately 90% of people with gout have kidneys that are not able to eliminate the acid.

Below is a table of foods that tend to trigger gout flares.

 

Other ways to lower the possibility of experiencing gout flares are to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, drink lots of water and add low fat dairy items to your diet.  Also, try and keep your uric acid levels under 6 mg/dL. 

There are four basic stages of rout.  The first stage is when someone has high levels of uric acid without any symptoms.  Although not everyone with high levels of uric acid will experience gout, those who do usually have high levels for many years without having a flare. 

The second stage is when you have a gout attack.  This occurs when the excess uric acid forms the crystals in the joints which causes inflammation and swelling. The bad news is that once you experience gout, flares will die down and become dormant, but 78% of gout sufferers will have another flare within 6 months to 2 years after their first bout.

Stage three is that period of time between gout flares.  As long as you have high uric acid, even though you might not be experiencing a flare, you still have gout. 

The final phase is referred to as, “chronic tophaceous gout.”  This is the most debilitating phase which can lead to joint damage and deformity of the joints if left untreated.  This happens after several years of suffering.

The Medical Foundation offers both urine and blood testing daily for uric acid.  This non-fasting test is used in the diagnosis and treatment of renal and metabolic disorders, including renal failure, gout, leukemia, psoriasis or starvation.   

Are you heart healthy? February is American Heart Month!

For some people, the image of a heart seen during February symbolizes Valentine’s Day.  For others, it symbolizes American Heart Month.

Approximately 715,000 Americans have heart attacks each year, while 600,000 die from heart disease.  That’s an astounding 1 in 4 people and accounts for the leading cause of death among both men and women. 

Although those numbers are shocking, there’s hope! Prevention plays a huge role in combating heart disease.  Monitoring cholesterol levels can prevent stroke and heart attacks.  According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), guidelines urge people over 20-years-old to have a fasting lipid panel which includes HDL, LDL and triglycerides every five years.  This test requires the patient to fast between 9-12 hours beforehand.

The HDL removes cholesterol from the bloodstream and artery walls and is often referred to as, “the good cholesterol.”  The LDL deposits cholesterol in the artery walls, which help build plaque and if often referred to as, “the bad cholesterol.”  Triglycerides are stored in fat cells and are used for energy.

If you are a blood donor at The Medical Foundation, you have had a non-fasting total cholesterol.  This test is made up of both the HDL and LDL levels plus 20% of the triglyceride levels.  The cholesterol levels are available to each blood donor and are free of charge.  If you would like to make an appointment to donate blood click here.

For non-fasting cholesterol tests, results should fall within these guidelines:

Less than 200 mg/dl is desirable lessens the risk of heart disease
200-239 mg/dl is borderline high
240+ mg/dl is high blood cholesterol

Along with monitoring your cholesterol, experts recommend that to decrease your risk of heart disease or heart attack, you should refrain from smoking, eating foods high in saturated or trans fat and participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week.

A heart attack happens when blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped.  This happens because coronary arteries become thicker and harder from a buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances called plaque.  If the plaque breaks open and a blood clot forms that blocks the blood flow, then a heart attack with occur.

There are a few signs or symptoms that may be present when a person is having an actual heart attack, but they can be different for men and women. According to the American Heart Association, some symptoms may include chest discomfort in the center of the chest which lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and returns.  Other symptoms include discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, stomach, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea or lightheadedness.

“Twenty percent of women have different symptoms than men,” said Marianne Legato, MD, Gender Medicine. “Men often refer to the elephant on the chest, pain radiating down one arm.  One in five women feel indigestion, shortness of breath and or nausea.”

There are several events in the Michiana area that both men and women can take part in to learn more about being heart healthy. 

The Elkhart County Go Red for Women Affair in Red will host a Women’s Heart Health Expo, Doctors and Style Show on Thursday, February 27^th from 5pm until 8pm at the Lerner Crystal Ballroom in Elkhart.  For more information click here.

The St. Joseph County Go Red For Women Lifestyle Forum and Luncheon will be held on Thursday, May 8^th at the Morris Inn Ballroom at the University of Notre Dame.  For more information click here.

Although patients may feel some of the warning signs leading up to a heart attack, there aren’t too many signs ahead of time.  Blood can offer many clues about your heart health.  High levels of “bad cholesterol” or LDL can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. 

Blood tests to consider having completed are High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein which measures CRP, a protein in the blood that is a strong indicator of inflammation throughout the body.  When plaque injures blood vessels, it triggers inflammation and CRP levels in the body.  Women with high CRP levels are four times more likely to suffer from cardiac problems.  This test is recommended by the American Heart Association for those with a known risk and not just the general public.  This test along cannot indicate heart risk, but with aid in conjunction with other tests.

A test for Fibrinogen measures the protein in your blood that helps it to clot.  Too much can cause a clot to form in an artery which could lead to heart attack or stroke.

A blood test called Homocysteine detects a substance your body uses to make protein and build and maintain tissue.

All of these blood tests are available at The Medical Foundation. Remember, prevention is the key to avoiding a heart attack and heart disease.

 

Visit our patient service center at the University Commons Medical Plaza

In September of 2011, The Medical Foundation opened the doors of suite 410 at the University Commons Medical Plaza located at 6301 University Commons Drive.
Unlike the other Medical Foundation locations, this site implemented a process which eased the process for elderly patients by combining the registration and drawing process in one room.
“At the University Commons location, the patient is brought into one room where they are registered and drawn by the same phlebotomist.  It means less movement from one room to another for each of the patients, while it also allows the patient to interact one-on-one with the same phlebotomist,” said Connie Bratton, Manager of Patient Services for The Medical Foundation.
The location, which is conveniently located in the University Medical Plaza, is a short walk from several medical offices in the plaza and currently serves approximately 70 patients each day.  Hours of operation are Monday – Friday from 7:30am until 5pm and the office is closed daily from 1pm until 2pm. 
For the many patients who are fearful of needles or just not sure what to expect, the friendly faces at the University Commons Lab are sure to put you at ease.  Mary, Barb and Laura have 53 years of experience collectively as phlebotomists with the Foundation. 
“I really enjoy waiting on the patients and talking to them about their jobs or their families. Many of them come in on a regular basis and we get to know them on a personal level,” said Barb, a phlebotomist at the Foundation for the past 13 years.
“We work hard to interact with patients and put their minds at ease, while maintaining a quick turn-around –time for patients, because we know that everyone has a schedule they try and keep, whether they need to get back home or back to work,” said Laura. The Foundation doesn’t accept appointments, all lab work is completed on a first come, first serve basis.
So if you’re nervous, don’t be, because the phlebotomists have experience drawing roughly 70 patients a day and have been with the organization for many, many years.

February 4th is World Cancer Day!

It seems as though the perception of cancer in the United States has changed over time. What used to immediately be thought of as a death sentence, now seems to be something maybe people approach head on with the thought that they can beat it. But that isn’t the case everywhere in the world.

World Cancer Day has been celebrated since 2005 when it was introduced by the International Union Against Cancer. Since then, each year the group has brought awareness and education around the world to those with and without cancer.

This year, the organization is working to “Debunk the Myths” of cancer by focusing on four myths they feel need to be debunked!


The first myth is, “We don’t need to talk about cancer.” The truth is: although cancer may be a difficult topic to address, particularly in some settings or cultures, dealing with the disease openly can improve outcomes at an individual, community or policy level.


Along with a cancer diagnosis comes a lot of emotion and talking with loved ones or friends may help to alleviate some of the emotions and concerns. In some settings, cancer may even be thought of as taboo, or have a stigma attached. This type of taboo may even lead some people to shy away from methods of cancer prevention or early detection.


Open lines of communication may make tackling cancer easier on the person with the cancer and the person or people taking care of him/her. This type of communication should include feelings about finances and employment, establishing some sort of routine or stability and feelings about body image. For some men and women, especially those with breast and testicular cancer, emotions can be extra sensitive when having discussions with a partner. It’s important to have those hard conversations about cancer and emotions.
The second myth is, “There are no signs or symptoms of cancer.” The truth is: for many cancers, there are warning signs and symptoms and the benefits of early detection are indisputable.


Although not all cancers have notable warning signs, many do such as breast, oral, skin, cervical, colorectal and some childhood cancers. Education is the key to early detection, especially in low resource settings.

The Michiana region has several screenings available for people who qualify in the community. For example, if you are in need of a mammogram and are unable to afford one, the Secret Sisters Society has developed a program for women, age 40-49 for a free screening. They also offer many support groups and offer other resources for prevention and healing.
RiverBend Cancer Services located at 919 Jefferson Boulevard in South Bend, offers support services, financial services, nutrition counseling and other wellness tools. They are also instrumental in cancer screening services with free PSAs for men at their Touch Base at the Cove event each summer.

For more information about types of cancer screening, visit the National Cancer Institute website for recommendations.

The third myth is, “There is nothing I can do about cancer.” The truth is: there is a lot that can be done at an individual, community, and policy level, and with the right strategies, a third of the most common cancers can be prevented.


Promoting healthy lifestyles is very important to the prevention of cancer. The conditions, such as a smoke free workplace, healthy options in the lunchroom or vending machines, discouraging the use of alcohol and promoting physical activity, help influence health and the quality of life. According to the myth busters, tobacco use is the most common risk factor and is estimated to kill 1 billion people in the 21st Century. Other known high risks are obesity and prolonged exposure to UV light.


The fourth myth is, “I don’t have the right to cancer care.” The truth is: all people have the right to access proven and effective cancer treatments and services on equal terms and without suffering hardship as a consequence.
This way of thinking seems to be the belief of people in low resource areas and is sometimes attributed to a lack of education and/ or thoughts that their cancer is not curable. Over 85% of the 275,000 women who die each year from cervical cancer are from third world countries. Often times, poor and vulnerable populations are not able to afford the cost of prescriptions and other cancer treatments.


While these myths may be geared a little more to third world countries and their awareness of cancer, these myths are important to be aware of and to remind each other that talking about cancer is therapeutic for those suffering and those caregivers who are supporting them.

As we stay aware of cancer and its impact on people, it’s interesting to take a look at some cancer statistics in the United States.

In 2010, the top 10 cancers affecting men of all races are in order from most popular: prostate, lung and bronchus, colon and rectum, urinary bladder, melanoma of the skin, non-hodgkin lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis, oral cavity and pharynx, leukemias and pancreas.


The top 10 cancers affecting women of all races in order from most popular: breast, lung and bronchus, colon and rectum, uterine corpus, thyroid, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanomas of the skin, ovary, kidney and renal and pancreas.


Finally, with rankings by state in 2010, Kentucky had the highest rate of cancer occurrences, while Arizona had the least and Indiana fell 35th out of 50, with Michigan at the 5th highest ranking. Women, during the same time frame, also had the highest rate of cancer occurrence in Kentucky and the lowest was in New Mexico. Indiana fell at number 28 and Michigan at 17.

2014 came in with a bang and won't be forgotten!

January has been a fast month, full of Mother Nature’s fury! Can you remember a winter with so much snow and so many below zero temperatures? We can only hope that once June rolls around, it behaves more like June and not June-uary!

At the beginning of the year, The Medical Foundation began an effort to be more of an educational resource for the communities we serve; because after all, we are your laboratory expert!  Through posts on Facebook and Twitter and updating blogs and our web page regularly, we hope you will learn more about various diseases, how to become healthier and the role that laboratory testing plays in each of our lives. It is our organization’s hope that you will learn from our communications and that you will you pass along information you feel is useful to your friends, co-workers or family members.

If you have logged onto our website this month, you probably learned a little more about The Medical Foundation and are now aware that January is the month for Healthy Weight Awareness, Birth Defects Awareness, National Blood Donor Appreciation Month and Thyroid Awareness. 

That’s a lot to be aware of! If you missed the original posts on our website, you can always look back at the blog to read anything that has been posted during the month.
Are there topics you think are important for others to learn about? Or topics that you want us to explore and write about? If so, you can email info@sbmf.org or post your thoughts on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Be sure to check out our web page and other social media pages during February as The Foundation challenges the community to become healthier.  It’s a great challenge and we’ll even give you all the tools you need to be successful. We’ll also explore World Cancer Day, American Heart Month, introduce you to a pathologist and update and educate you on many other interesting topics. 

If your thyroid gland isn’t working properly, neither are you!

More than 30 million people suffer from thyroid disease and about half, 15 million, don’t realize they have it.

The thyroid can be thought of as the master gland of metabolism. The butterfly shaped gland is located in the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. When the thyroid isn’t properly functioning, it affects weight, depression and energy levels.  It also affects the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin.  As you can imagine, if the thyroid gland isn’t working properly, then neither are you!

Dr. Jeffrey R. Garber, breaks the thyroid down into a manageable analogy by comparing the thyroid to a car engine.

A car engine sets the pace of a vehicle, just as the thyroid gland sets the pace at which your body operates. While the engine produces energy for how fast the car moves, the thyroid manufactures energy, or thyroid hormones, which prompt cells to move at a certain rate.
In order to make the vehicle run, it must have gasoline, just as the body needs fuel to be able to move.  The body doesn’t use gasoline, but rather iodine, which ends up producing two much needed hormones called thyroxine, or T4 and triiodothyronine , or T3.

Although you may have the engine and the gasoline in place, the car is unable to move along unless you press the accelerator, right? Well, the body is very similar because it also needs something to tell it how fast to go.  This master gland is located in the brain and is referred to as the Pituitary gland.  This pea-shaped master gland sends messages to the thyroid in the form of thyroid stimulating hormone, better known as TSH.  TSH levels rise and fall depending on how much of the hormone is produced. 

Someone who is battling fatigue and/ or weight issues might be experiencing symptoms of a poorly performing thyroid gland.  Although thyroid disease is predominately found in women, many men suffer from the disease, as well.  You may want to consider a thyroid evaluation if a parent, sibling or child suffers from a thyroid disease or if you have taken the prescription medications Lithium or Amiodarone.  Finally, if you have had head or neck radiation and are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, you may also have an increased risk of thyroid disease. 

Having a blood test at The Medical Foundation that determines your TSH levels can be instrumental in diagnosing whether or not you are suffering from hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.  Hyperthyroidism is a condition where your thyroid is being overactive and hypothyroidism is where your thyroid is under performing and may be causing you to feel sluggish.

If you are currently taking corticosteroids, lithium, dopamine or other various thyroid medications, you will want to have your blood drawn for the test before you take your medication for the day.
The lab also offers testing which includes a T3, Free (triiodothyronine) and T4, Free (thyroxine).  These tests are essential in aiding in the diagnosis of euthyroid, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid states. 

You may notice blue paisley ribbons in the community as a way to gain awareness and advocacy for thyroid disease, because January has been noted as the month of observance.  The blue paisley was chosen to represent thyroid disease because of its resemblance to cross-sections of thyroid follicles.

To learn more about the thyroid and its functions visit the Thyroid Disease Awareness page on Facebook or the American Association of Clinical Endrocrinologists website.

Blood Donors Save Lives!

Most people don’t think of themselves as heroes. They reserve those accolades for firemen, police officers and doctors. At the Medical Foundation, blood donors are referred to as heroes.  They’re heroes because they selflessly donate blood to help others they may have never even met.

Approximately 38% of the general population is eligible to donate blood, yet of that 38%, only 5% actually donate blood. And while 5% donate blood, approximately 75% of the population will receive blood at some point in life. Those statistics are rather alarming when you think about it!

Donating blood doesn’t cost anything, it only takes about 45 minutes and you are helping to save the lives of other people. So why don’t more people donate blood?

According to a study conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center, the number one answer is, “I don’t like or am afraid of needles; I’m afraid to give blood.” Other reasons include being too busy, no one ever asked me, I didn’t realize blood was needed and I already gave last year.  

Many times at mobile blood drives or at our donor centers, a first time donor will be scared and hesitant to donate because he or she doesn’t like needles. It’s a fear of the unknown! However, just about every first time donor is pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t nearly as bad as they anticipated and they end up being return donors. After all, the actual donation time is only 5-10 minutes with paperwork and time for juice and cookies accounting for the other 30-40 minutes.  Phlebotomists at the Medical Foundation are experienced in their field and stick anywhere from 5-25 donors each day!  So don’t be worried, you are in good hands.

Do you know what blood type you are? If you don’t, we’ll tell you!  You may have heard on the news or seen on billboards the need for O- which is a blood type the Foundation is in need of constantly.  O- is given to patients who are in need of blood in the trauma units because it can be given to anyone. 

Look at our blood compatibility chart to see which type of blood can be given to recipients.  O- is the universal donor and is in high demand, yet only 7% of the population has this type of blood. 

Blood donors are eligible to give a unit of blood every 56 days.  One misconception people have about donating blood is that a unit of blood is good for ever.  However, a unit of whole blood is only viable for transfusion up to 42 days.  Often times, especially with type O and A blood, it is often off of the shelves in a matter of days instead of weeks.

Another misconception is that people can’t donate blood if they are on medication.  There are only a handful of medications that can cause donors to be deferred and medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol is not on that list.

We’re proud of our donors and we’re very appreciative for the time and blood that they donate at the Foundation. If you are ready to take the plunge and roll up your sleeve, visit our blood donor website and learn more about the qualifications and process.  Walk-ins are welcome at any of our locations and some mobile blood drives, but if you would like to make an appointment you may do so on the website or you may call 574.234.1157.