Disease Prevention Articles

In the News: Understanding Pneumonia – Part I

While COVID and RSV are two conditions typically highlighted in the news and health reports lately, pneumonia is often overlooked but still just as prevalent, if not more, than the aforementioned.

This month we look at pneumonia and all of the things you need to know about this illness.

What is pneumonia?

An infection of the air sacs in one or both the lungs. Characterized by severe cough with phlegm, fever, chills, and difficulty in breathing. 

What causes pneumonia?

An infection caused by a bacteria or virus. 

How is it spread?

Bacterial and viral pneumonia spread through inhalation of airborne droplets by coughing or sneezing.

What are the symptoms of pneumonia?

Symptoms may include:

• Cough with mucus or phlegm
• Fever usually of high grade with chills
• Fast breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain while coughing
• Fast heartbeat
• Feeling very tired or very weak
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Body pain
• Severely affected patients my cough up blood or show cyanosis (have a blue color around the mouth due to lack of oxygen) 

What is the treatment for pneumonia? 

Both viral and bacterial pneumonia are treated with antibiotics. 

(continued in Part II…)

Arthritis 101: Foods to Avoid

While there is no compelling evidence that one type of arthritis reacts differently to foods over another type, doctors do advise against eating certain foods to help alleviate some symptoms.

Here are some foods to avoid if you have arthritis:

• Fried foods
• Processed foods
• Salty foods
• Spicy foods
• Red meat
• Tomatoes
• Foods containing gluten.

In addition to these foods, you should also avoid drinking alcohol and using tobacco products.

In the News May is Melanoma Awareness Month– Part II

(Continued from Part I…)

How is melanoma diagnosed?

Step one: Physical exam. Your doctor will ask questions about your health history and examine your skin to look for signs that may indicate melanoma.

Step two: Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). To determine whether a suspicious skin lesion is melanoma, your doctor may recommend removing a sample of skin for testing.

“The type of biopsy procedure your doctor recommends will depend on your particular situation. Most often doctors recommend removing the entire growth when possible. One common technique, the punch biopsy, is done with a circular blade that's pressed into the skin around the suspicious mole. Another technique, called an excisional biopsy, uses a scalpel to cut away the entire mole and a small margin of healthy tissue around it.”

How is melanoma staged? 

Melanoma is staged using the Roman numerals 0 through IV. At stage 0 and stage I, a melanoma is small and has a very successful treatment rate. But the higher the numeral, the lower the chances of a full recovery. By stage IV, the cancer has spread beyond your skin to other organs, such as your lungs or liver.

How can you prevent melanoma? 

• Avoid the sun during the middle of the day.
• Wear sunscreen year-round.
• Wear protective clothing.
• Avoid tanning lamps and beds.
• Have your moles checked regularly.
• Contact your dermatologist if a mole changes in shape, size or color.

In the News May is Melanoma Awareness Month– Part I

Every May, we raise awareness for those who have the most common type of skin cancer in the U.S. – Melanoma.

In 2023 alone, an estimated 97,610 new cases of melanoma in the U.S. will be diagnosed and reported to the American Cancer Society. 

So this month, we raise awareness about melanoma, specifically the dangers of unprotected UV exposure, which is the most preventable skin cancer risk factor. 

What is melanoma? 

“Melanoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form from melanocytes (cells that color the skin). This type of cancer can occur anywhere on the skin. In men, melanoma is often found on the trunk (the area from the shoulders to the hips) or the head and neck. In women, melanoma forms most often on the arms and legs.”

Unusual moles, exposure to sunlight, and health history can affect the risk of melanoma.

Being White or having a fair complexion increases the risk of melanoma, but anyone can have melanoma, including people with dark skin.

How is melanoma treated?

Doctors use different types of treatment on different types of cancer. Some of these types of treatments include:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Hormone therapy

Doctors also use combination therapy. Combination therapy is when doctors use 2 or more kinds of cancer treatments. The treatments may be given at the same time, one after the other, or in different ways. Doctors often use combination therapy because it may work better to treat cancer than a single treatment alone.

(Continued in Part II…)