Nashville Doctor

The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide and die. Sometimes, cells mutate (change) and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normal cells. Rather than dying, these abnormal cells clump together to form tumors. If these tumors are cancerous (also called “malignant”), they can invade and kill your body’s healthy tissues. From these tumors, cancer cells can metastasize (spread) and form new tumors in other parts of the body. By contrast, noncancerous tumors (also called “benign”) do not spread to other parts of the body.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It begins in skin cells called melanocytes (say: “mel-an-oh-sites”). Melanocytes produce the substance that gives your skin its color.

Most other skin cancers don’t spread, but melanoma can spread through the whole body. If it is found early, it can be cured. If it is found late, it may cause death.

Who gets melanoma?

Anyone can get melanoma, but some people are more likely to get it. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you may be more at risk. Talk with your doctor about your risk factors.

• Has anyone in your family had cancerous moles or a melanoma?
• Do you have many moles larger than a pencil eraser?
• Do you have more than 50 moles of any size?
• Did you ever get a bad sunburn that caused blisters when you were a child?
• Does your skin usually burn but not tan?

Where do melanomas occur?

Melanomas can be anywhere on your body. In men, they are most often on the chest, stomach or back. In women, they are most often on the lower legs.

What does a melanoma look like?

A melanoma might look like a mole or a bump or growth on your skin. Melanomas often do not look bad at first.

The ABCDE rule can help you remember what to look for when you’re checking any moles on your skin:A for asymmetry:

A mole that, when divided in half, doesn’t look the same on both sides

B for border: A mole with edges that are blurry or jagged

C for color: Changes in the color of a mole, including darkening, spread of color, loss of color, or the appearance of multiple colors such as blue, red, white, pink, purple or gray

D for diameter: A mole larger than 1/4 inch in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser)

E for elevation: A mole that is raised above the skin and has a rough surface

You should also watch for the following skin changes:

• A mole that bleeds
• A fast-growing mole
• A scaly or crusted growth on the skin
• A sore that won’t heal
• A mole that itches
• A place on your skin that feels rough, like sandpaper

If you notice a mole that has changed, or if you have a new mole that doesn’t look like your other moles, visit your doctor right away.

How can I keep from getting melanoma?

The most important way to prevent melanoma is to limit your sun exposure. The following are some ways to do this:

• Avoid the strong midday sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• When you are outside, try to spend your time in shaded areas as much as possible.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat (to shade your face and protect your ears).
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants while you are out in the sun.
• Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Put the sunscreen on 30 minutes before you go outside. Put it on again every 2 to 3 hours after sweating and swimming.
• Do not use sunbeds or tanning salons.
• If you are worried about a spot on your skin, tell your doctor about it.

Sunburns in childhood are the most damaging. Children younger than 6 months of age should never be outside in direct sunshine. Children 6 months of age or older should wear sunscreen every day.

Information is sited from http://www.familydoctor.org/

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Staying healthy for years to come is not an impossible achievement. Healthy diet and exercise are the first steps in the right direction in maintaining good health. Another great way to stay healthy is to have an annual preventive exam or physical.

During your annual physical, you may be offered age appropriate diagnostic tests that will help determine your current level of health.

Many of the areas that we examine during a physical include: heart health, hearing loss, bone density, and some cancers and blood disorders.

Health Facts about the Heart:

• Total Cholesterol should be less than 200
• LDL (Bad) Cholesterol should be less than 100 or less than 70 for patients with Diabetes
• HDL (Good) Cholesterol should be greater than 40
• Cholesterol ratio should be less than 3.5

Heart Disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States. Currently 1 out of 10 women have heart disease and 1 out of 6 men have heart disease. There are many factors that affect the health of the heart: smoking, diet, exercise, cholesterol, and heredity. With use of the newest technology many heart problems are preventable if not avoidable. Blood work to check cholesterol, EKG or heart ultrasounds if indicated, and regular blood pressure checks are a great way to monitor potential problems.

Health Facts about Osteoporosis (Bone Loss):

• Osteoporosis may be preventable with good consumption of Vitamin D and Calcium along with daily excercise.
• This disease can be treated with a range of prescription medications.
• Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis.
• Menopause can also increase the chances to develop the disease.
• The Dexa Scan is the test used for most women over forty to detect the disease.
• A scan is recommended every two years for screening after age forty.
• This test is available at AFD for your convenience.

Osteoporosis or bone loss is a debilitating disease that can be prevented and even treated. Bone loss affects an estimated 44 million Americans, of which 80% are women. This disease causes the bones to become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones usually occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease. from. This condition is detectable by bone density testing, which is a quick eight to ten minutes test.

Health Facts for some Cancers and Blood work:

• Annual Pap smears & breast exams are recommended for all women. Women should do a breast self-exam every month.
• Yearly PSA & Prostate / Rectal Exam starting at age 40 for men.
• Men should have a fecal blood test every year starting at age 50; with a colonoscopy once every 10 years starting at age 50, earlier if there is a family history.
• Annual blood work will also indicate cancers like Leukemia, which affect the young and old.
• Blood work will also indicate the presence of many diseases like diabetes, thyroid problems, HIV, Hepatitis, common infections, and many other problems.

Are you at risk for some type of cancer or blood disease? Cancers are on the rise in this country and around the world, 4 out of 10 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Many cancers are detectable by blood work and diagnostic testing. Simple blood work and testing are great forms of preventative medicine.

Health Facts about the Ear:

• Ear problems can manifest by dizziness, ear fullness, earache, ringing in the ears (Tinnitus),ear wax, and inner ear disorders.
• Hearing loss can be noise induced. Proper hearing protection will decrease your risk of hearing loss.
• Wearing ear plugs/ ear muffs while mowing the lawn or turning down the volume of your MP3 player can minimize the permanent damage on your inner ear.
• Wearing swimmers plugs/ ear plugs while swimming may minimize swimmers ears or ear infection.
• Ringing in the ears or fluctuating hearing loss combined with dizziness may be a sign of Menere’s disease.

Ear and hearing disorders are one of the most common conditions affecting ALL age groups from infants to older adults. Of the 28 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, approximately 17 in 1000 children have some degree of hearing loss less than 18 years of age, which could be potentially identifiable by some quick hearing tests. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing problems can make it hard to respond to warnings and to hear doorbells and alarms. They can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. Regular annual hearing tests will help in early identification of middle & inner ear disorders including dizziness & vertigo.

Announcements

We would like to announce that we will be expanding into Spring Hill starting September 1st of 2008. We are very excited to add this location to our AFD Family. We hope to see you guys there. More information will be coming soon!!!
Services that America’s Family Doctors offer during Annual Physicals:

AFD schedules appointments Monday through Friday for full physical exams and pap smears. Our full physicals may include:
Blood Work Chest X-ray Urine Analysis Hearing & Vision TestingEKG Breathing Tests Prostate examination for men Paps for women Further testing may be indicated like Bone Density scans, Stress Testing, and Heart ultrasounds at the time of your appointment. Please call today to schedule your Annual Physical. Same day appointments are now available.

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