Wellness Wit and Wisdom

By Maureen Deutermann, MSN, R.N.
Director of Community Education

Warning! This column is for women only!!!

They are undoubtedly from another planet. They leave the toilet seat up, and their dirty socks down (on the ground wherever they took them off!). They are slow to fix a leaky faucet but quick to disappear at the dreaded phrase, “let’s go shopping.” They have no clue that television programs should be watched one at a time, unless of course it’s a football game.

They are the men in our lives, and despite their idiosyncrasies, they are treasures. They may not understand why we cry, but they dry our tears. They patiently explain the mysteries under a car hood or extol the virtues of their collapsible ladder, blissfully oblivious to our blank stares.

They are little league coaches, landscapers, handymen and even short order cooks. They are our fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers and friends. Exasperating and wonderful, these great guys are nonetheless not invincible.

June is National Men’s Health Month. Time to lovingly nudge the men in your life toward improved health. Consider these facts:

1. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men in the U.S.
2. Men are 30% more likely to suffer a stroke than women.
3. In 2006, over 90% of lung cancer deaths in men were attributed to smoking.
4. Overall, seven of 11 adults visiting doctors are women, despite the fact that men die younger than women.
5. Men who watch television for three or more hours per day are twice as likely to be obese as men who watch for less than an hour.
6. In a decade-long British research study, the death rate (from all causes) of least sexually active men was found to be twice as high than the most sexually active group.

Given the above statistics, try these nearly painless strategies:

1. Urge your gentlemen to visit a physician on a regular basis. Many risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, have no symptoms but are easily detected through simple procedures. Likewise, many cancers respond wonderfully to therapy, but early detection and treatment are vital.
2. Don’t expect the man in your life to get off the couch unless you join him. Walking together three to four times a week will do you both good. Have that doctor’s visit first if exercise has long been a foreign word.
3. If your guy is a smoker, strongly support his non-smoking efforts.
4. Re: #6 above. Advice is self-explanatory. Go for it, ladies!

Celebrate those precious men in your life with love and gratitude!

Reference: Center for Disease Control; wholefitness.com

Sallie Eissler Wins Ruby Award

Sallie Eissler, MSN, R.N., director of Partnership Development and Sentara Potomac Hospital’s Family Health Connection Mobile Health Clinics, received the 2010 Ruby Award from Soroptomists International of Woodbridge.

Eissler was given the Ruby Award for her many efforts to improve the lives of women and children in our area, including her work with the Pediatric Primary Care Project and Sentara Potomac Hospital’s Family Health Connection Mobile Clinics. Soroptomists International also made a monetary donation to the Sentara Potomac Hospital Auxiliary in honor of Eissler’s award.

Eissler came to Sentara Potomac Hospital in 1990 as the director Women’s and Children’s Services. In 1995 she was named director of Partnership Development and was the driving force behind starting a mobile health clinic in eastern Prince William County. Due to overwhelming demand, a second mobile clinic was put into service just two years later.

The Family Health Connection Mobile Clinics provide much needed general medical care to residents without health insurance along the Route 1 corridor of Woodbridge and in Dale City. Both mobile health vans serve thousands of residents each year, preventing serious illness and frequent emergency room visits.

Eissler also serves as chairman of the Board of the Greater Prince William Community Health Center.

Soroptomists International is a non-profit organization of professional women dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in the local community and around the world.

Stay Safe During Summer Storms

By Maureen Deutermann, MSN, R.N., Director of Community Education

When Midwest thunderstorms raged, my mother would declare: "The angels are bowling." Childish wisdom prevailed. Recognizing her poorly disguised terror, I imagined it was only a matter of time before a telltale lightning bolt incinerated our house. Years later during similar Virginia storms, the howling of my two Irish Setters pretty much told me the same thing. Ditto the frantic shaking and quaking of my three current pups…ever have a 70-pound German Shepherd-mix wake you from a sound sleep by leaping on your head? Yep, no bowling tales for these crafty canines…they know when we’re doomed.

I still have a healthy respect (ok, fear) of thunderstorms, with good reason. While thunderstorms take up less space and time than hurricanes, these dainty dangers are plentiful. Some 16 million thunderstorms occur annually worldwide; 100,000 occur in the United States. In Virginia, we experience 35-45 thunderstorm days per year, mainly during summer afternoons and evenings.

All thunderstorms are dangerous. It’s important to know the dangers: 140 fatalities per year are attributed to flash floods, the greatest thunderstorm killer; most flash flood fatalities occur at night or from being trapped in cars; lightning, a by-product of all thunderstorms, averages 93 deaths and 300 injuries per year, and causes millions in property damage annually; straight line winds are responsible for most thunderstorm damage, and such winds can exceed 100 mph; hail and tornadoes can accompany thunderstorms, causing death, property and crop damage.

Before a storm: Listen for severe weather warnings, issued by county or parish; check the weather forecast before leaving for an outdoor event, especially if you will be in a situation where shelter is hard to find quickly; watch for these signs: darkening skies, increased wind, flashes of lightning, thunder, radio static; and have access to an AM/FM radio.

When a storm is approaching: If you hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Seek shelter immediately; move to a sturdy building or car. Avoid small shelters, lone trees, or convertibles; leave boats and water; avoid using telephones and electrical appliances, anything that could conduct electricity; avoid taking a bath or shower; turn off air conditioners as power surges from lightning can overload compressors; get to higher ground if flash flooding is a danger. Once flooding occurs, abandon cars and move to higher ground.

Being safe means staying alert and knowing your "enemy", be it a thunderstorm or other hazardous weather conditions. One last piece of advice: don’t tell your kids (or dogs!) the angels are bowling. They’ll know you’re lying.

Using Microscopic Surgery to Tackle Male Infertility

Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love and get married. Then, along comes baby…..well, it’s not always that easy. Between 15 and 20 percent of couples are unable to conceive a baby after one year of unprotected intercourse.

Even though the media seems to focus on female infertility, male reproductive problems directly account for about 20 percent of all infertility cases, plus in an additional 30 percent of cases it is a combined male/female issue.

According to Dr. Ash Kshirsagar a urologist on Sentara Potomac Hospital’s medical staff and an associate with Potomac Urology, male infertility can be caused by a number of reproductive problems.

“Common fertility problems in men include underlying genetic problems, obstruction in the reproductive tubes, and side effects from medications,” explains Dr. Kshirsagar. “The most common problem is something called varicocele, which are dilated veins in the spermatic cord leading to the testicle. Dilated veins can cause low sperm production, which obviously leads to trouble conceiving a baby.”

Dr. Kshirsagar is the only physician in the area who is fellowship trained in male infertility and microscopic surgery. He uses this surgery at Sentara Potomac Hospital to treat varicocele and other male infertility problems.

“Microsurgery allows me to precisely treat the affected area to allow for better sperm production. We can also use this type of surgery to perform reverse vasectomy. Men who wish to reverse their vasectomy (elective male sterilization that blocks sperm from entering semen) now have a very effective option that can increase their chance of successful reversal to about 90 percent.”

“These procedures have provided excellent outcomes for many men and couples,” says Dr. Kshirsagar. “Infertility can be a very trying issue for couples and it’s gratifying to know that we can help these couples reach their dreams of becoming parents.”

Urologist Dr. Ash Kshirsagar is the only physician in the area who is fellowship trained in microsurgery for male infertility. He can be reached at 703-680-2111. Potomac Urology is located in The Potomac Center, 2296 Opitz Boulevard, suite 350, in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Get the Skinny on Skin Cancer

One million people. That’s how many Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. Of those one million people, 60,000 will be diagnosed with the most serious type of skin cancer – melanoma.

“Melanoma is the least common but the most dangerous and life-threatening of all skin cancers,” says Dr. Geoffrey Moorer, an oncologist on Sentara Potomac Hospital’s medical staff. “Early detection and diagnosis are vital for successful treatment.”

“Melanoma is more dangerous than other cancers of the skin because it can spread to vital organs in the body, making treatment much more difficult,” says Dr. Moorer. “Less serious carcinomas (skin cancers) usually do not spread to internal organs.”

Dr. Moorer says that the best way to detect skin cancer at its earliest stages is to get to know your moles and the look of your skin.

“Everyone should closely inspect all moles or spots on the body,” says Dr. Moorer. “Any changes in these moles, such as darkening or irregular colors, uneven borders (normal moles are usually oval or round with defined borders), or moles or spots that are bigger than a pencil eraser, should be reported to your doctor immediately.”

According to Dr. Moorer, other warning signs to watch for when inspecting your moles include itchiness, tenderness or pain; oozing, bleeding or a bump; spread of the pigment to the surrounding skin; and moles that look completely different from your other moles.

Sentara Potomac Hospital’s Dr. Geoffrey Moorer stresses the importance of early detection of skin cancer. His office is located at in the Century Medical Building, 2280 Opitz Blvd., Suite 300, in Woodbridge. Telephone: 703-897-5358.

Wellness Wit and Wisdom

By Maureen Deutermann, MSN, R.N.
Director of Community Education

My Sunday routine has undergone its annual spring renewal. Translation: the Farmers Market has reopened!! So after this sinner dutifully attends Sunday church services, I trade my hymnal for a canvas grocery bag and head for the market. There are many reasons to make the local Farmer’s Market part of your weekly routine, most of them healthy and economical. Here’s what you’ll find:

Fresh seasonal fruits and veggies at reasonable, competitive prices. From berries and tomatoes, greens and potatoes earlier in the season to succulent peaches and nectarines in mid-summer, to a myriad of apple varieties, squash and pumpkins in the fall, the selection is dizzying. The market is a great place to experiment with fruits and veggies you may not see in the local grocery.

I am a great fan of Swiss chard, but had only seen it in the green and red varieties. Little did I know it comes in a rainbow of colors, found at the Farmers Market. If you think summer squash equals zucchini and yellow crookneck, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the different varieties to try at the market. Red romaine lettuce? Yep, there is such a thing and I picked it up just last week. If you are going organic, you’ll likely to find at least one stand that boasts organic, pesticide-free produce.

Herbs, herbs and more herbs. If you are at all interested in growing your own herbs, the Farmers Market invariably boasts several local growers’ offerings, robust and healthy. I took a teensy little mint plant last year and it grew into the herb that ate Cleveland (almost!). Having nowhere near a green thumb, I was pretty impressed. Nothing like snipping fresh herbs all summer long to add nutritious pizzazz to any dish. This year I planted basil, rosemary, oregano and Italian parsley. The mint? My teensy plant from last year is alive, well, and has grand ambitions of becoming a ground cover!

Flowers and decorative plants. No need to go to a pricey nursery, the Farmers Market always has a great selection of flowers and plants in season. Other vendors get in on the action as well. Fresh breads, pies, kettle popcorn (ok, some of these aren’t all that healthy!) and even goat cheese all can be had at the Farmers Market.

The real beauty of this experience is the fact that all this bounty is not only fresher and more varied than the local grocery, but inexpensive! Last year I put myself on a $20 budget per visit and came home with enough produce to feed a family of four for a week. Celebrate spring by treating yourself to a visit to the Farmers Market; you’ll boost your health and spare your pocketbook!

*The Farmers Market I frequent is the Dale City Farmers Market, located in the commuter’s lot at Dale Boulevard and Minnieville Road. It is open Sundays from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. There are also Farmers Markets in Old Town Manassas and Haymarket. For more information, simply Google them by location.

Flip Flops: The good, the bad and the fungi

The start of summer means that flip flops are back in business. Actually, for many young people, flip flops aren’t summer-only footwear. Gone are the days flip flops were seen only at the beach or pool. For many, they’ve become a fashion must. According to podiatrist Dr. Mehul Shah, these young people may want to re-think where and when they’re flipping and flopping.

“Flip flops have become a fashion statement for many people,” says Dr. Shah, a podiatrist on Sentara Potomac Hospital’s medical staff. “But wearing flip flops all of the time can damage your feet or toenails. Trauma can be caused by someone stepping on your toe, accidentally kicking your feet, or by tripping and stubbing your toe. This trauma can cause small breaks in the toenail and separate the toenail from the skin underneath allowing for dirt and wetness to get under the toenail. When this happens fungus can form under your nails, especially when the flip flops get wet.”

Toenail fungus symptoms include yellowing, thickening and/or crumbling of the nail, swelling, streaks or spots on the nail and even nail loss. Toenail fungus can also be picked up in damp areas such as public gyms, pools or showers. This can occur when you are barefoot.

“Treatment for toenail fungus varies and can be difficult, so the best treatment is prevention.” says Dr. Shah. “Keeping your feet clean and dry, trimming your toenails and preventing even small injuries to your toes are the best preventions. Some of the most common treatments include topical medications, oral medications and the latest laser treatment.”

Wearing flip flops to amusement parks, concerts, parks or other highly populated areas presents risk for foot trauma. According to Dr. Shah, many people don’t even notice they’ve received foot trauma during these outings because the injuries may be small. But those small injuries could open the door to big problems down the road.

Podiatrist Dr. Mehul Shah warns trauma to unprotected toenails can cause fungus, injury or other foot problems. Dr. Shah’s office is located in the Century Medical Building, 2280 Opitz Blvd., Suite 230, in Woodbridge. Telephone: 703-583-5959.