Healthy Living in Fort Bend

Colorectal Cancer: Early Detection is Key

By Angela McGee, M.D.
Gastroenterology Department

Approximately 140,000 cases of colorectal cancer – cancer of the colon and rectum – are diagnosed each year with 93 percent of new cases affecting people older than 50. 

Affecting men and women almost equally, colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly occurring cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The key is catching the disease in the early stages when it’s most treatable, hence the importance of regular screenings.

Regular colorectal cancer screening tests, beginning at age 50, can help prevent the occurrence of this all-too-prevalent disease. Patients with a family history of colorectal cancer and certain inflammatory bowel diseases should start screening at a younger age. 
 
The most common cancer screening technique recommended is the colonoscopy. Watch our video on Direct Access Colonoscopy. 

The colonoscopy allows the doctor to see inside the entire colon and rectum to detect cancerous and precancerous growths, also known as polyps. Polyps and tissue samples can be removed and examined for cancerous cells.

If no abnormalities are found, it is recommended that the patient should repeat this screening every 10 years, depending upon the patient’s overall health. 

March is recognized as “National Colorectal Awareness Month.” The month serves as a reminder that there are plenty of ways to help improve your health.

A few simple rules can help reduce your risk for developing colorectal cancer:  

• Make healthy lifestyle choices. Decrease your chances of getting colorectal cancer by eating a healthy diet that is low in fat and red meat, but high in fiber. 
• Exercise regularly and maintain a body weight that’s in the normal range for your height.
• Know the warning signs. Symptoms include rectal bleeding, prolonged diarrhea or constipation, chronic abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss. 
• Know your family history. You may need screening before age 50.

5 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Health

By Dr. Jaggi Khairah

As a practicing OB/GYN for several years, I have shared a lot of advice with women in that time. I know health concerns and issues can feel overwhelming at any age, but there are a few key things every woman should know when it comes to protecting their health.

1. Get breast cancer screenings
First of all, don’t think of breast cancer as an “older woman’s” disease. It can occur at any age. Early detection is the key. I recommend an annual clinical breast exam starting in your 20s and continuing to age 39. Women between 40 and 79 should have an annual clinical exam as well as an annual mammogram. Women 75 and older should consult with their physician about the frequency of exams.

2. Women should get regular pap smears and an annual well-woman exam
Pap smears have proven highly effective in identifying cervical cancers. It is probably the most effective cancer screening tool in medicine for women. Pap screening should begin at age 21. Thereafter, I recommend routine screening every two years for women between 21 and 29. For healthy women 30 and older who’ve had three consecutive normal screening results or negative HPV tests, Pap smears may be done every three years.

Women should continue having annual well-woman exams by their OB/GYN.

3. Keep your heart healthy
Women sometimes mistakenly believe that cardiovascular disease and heart attacks occur primarily in men. Not true! Women are just as vulnerable. In fact, heart disease kills six times more women each year than breast cancer. Women need to “know their numbers.” By that, I mean have your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides levels checked annually by your doctor. Again, identification and prevention is the key.

4. Know the symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes has hit an epidemic level. It’s a rather silent disease. It can progress painlessly while attacking small blood vessels and damaging the kidneys, eyes and nerves. Type 1 diabetes most often occurs in childhood. Type 2 typically occurs at a more mature age. Symptoms of mature-onset diabetes include chronic fatigue, excessive thirst and urination. The good news is that Type 2 can sometimes be managed with medication, and lifestyle changes such as maintaining a normal weight, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

If you are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, be sure your doctor checks you for diabetes, as it can lead to problems while carrying your baby.

5. Never too young to start preventing osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the gradual thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. Once your total bone mass has peaked, usually around age 35, you’ll start to lose some of it.

However, women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.

This is due to several factors. Women have less bone mass than men, tend to live longer and take in less calcium. In women, the rate of bone loss speeds up after menopause when estrogen levels fall. Since the ovaries make estrogen, faster bone loss may also occur if both ovaries are removed by surgery. Your doctor may want to order a DEXA scan to check your bone density and calculate your fracture risk.

If necessary, medication and vitamin supplements can help. You can also do your part by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise, healthy dieting and maintaining a weight that’s normal for your height.

By the way, I didn’t include quitting smoking on the list because I’m sure you are already aware of that without me saying anything else.

I know it can be really frustrating knowing that something isn't right with your health, but not knowing exactly what your symptoms mean could be even worse. So please feel free to contact my office if you need to address concerns about your health or any unexpected changes to your body’s natural rhythm.

For more information, visit our OB/GYN website.

Urinary Incontinence: Take Back Control

By Dr. Jaggi Khairah

Do you ever plan your activities around whether or not you can keep your bladder “under control?” Has leaking urine stopped you from doing some of the things you love to do? Is wearing a daily panty-liner cumbersome?

I ask these questions of my patients routinely. I think something as simple as voiding can really impact your life when it is not going the way it should. Research shows that about 12 to14 million women suffer from poor bladder control.

There are several causes that lead to leaking of urine. Some can be treated with certain exercises, some with medication and some with simple outpatient surgical procedures. This condition also does not discriminate when it comes to age.

My job as a Kelsey-Seybold Clinic physician is to figure out what is causing the leaking of urine and provide solutions for my patients. When I saw the enormous impact it had on my patients’ lives, I quickly became motivated to learn more and reach out to people suffering with this problem so I could bring solutions to solve urinary incontinence quickly.

The four major types of incontinence are stress, urge, mixed and overflow. With a detailed history, thorough examination and some other special tests (urodynamics) we can determine what issue needs to be addressed.

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is when you have a sudden unintentional release of urine with normal everyday activities such as coughing, sneezing, lifting or standing up.

SUI occurs when the supporting structures of the bladder and urethra may have become weakened and therefore do not hold the urethra in the correct position during these stressors with activity. This weakening of the pelvic floor may result from pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, obesity or smoking.

I encourage all patients to speak with their doctor if they are experiencing these types of symptoms. And remember, the majority of urinary incontinence issues can be treated with very favorable outcomes. So take back control and do those activities you enjoyed doing – talk to a qualified physician today.

 

What Women Don’t Know About Gynecological Infections

By Dr. Eric Peterson, OB/GYN 

Many women suffer from vaginal issues and are often not willing to discuss their concerns. As many as a third of my patients will have any of a variety of symptoms at some point in their life. These may occur in the beginning of her reproductive life, but may occur during menopause as well.
 
Symptoms vary from vaginal itching and irritation to odor and might be associated with a vaginal discharge or discomfort with intercourse. If you have discomfort with intercourse over the counter non petroleum based lubricants may be helpful but often an office visit is best. I usually see this concern with my post menopausal patients.
 
Vaginal discharge by itself does not mean that you have an infection and, in fact, is often normal. Your normal discharge can change during the course of the month and also may be affected by other things like pregnancy, nursing, certain antibiotics (especially penicillins) and obviously infection.
 
Infection does not mean you’ve contracted a sexually transmitted disease. The most common vaginal infections are bacterial vaginitis (BV) and yeast. Yeast is often easily treated with over the counter medications. BV usually requires an office visit and a prescription. Sometimes, these infections may be recurrent and require prolonged treatments.

There are several things that you can do to prevent these nuisances such as wear loose fitting underclothes; never douche unless instructed by a physician; avoid dyes and scents – particularly scented hygiene products (tampons and pads) and sprays; limit bubble baths, change out of wet clothes as soon as possible and use condoms during intercourse. Adhering to these simple recommendations will protect your normal vaginal “balance” and decrease the odds of experiencing these problems.

If you’ve tried these suggestions, and symptoms, persist don’t panic! Please feel free to call me or one of my colleagues and one of us will see you – often the same day. Enjoy the summer and remember that Kelsey-Seybold Obstetricians and Gynecologists are here to care for all of your needs throughout your life.