Blake Medical Center

The Basics of Skin Cancer Prevention

You might think that a bronze glow makes your body look great, but sunbathing is a potentially dangerous habit even if you use indoor tanning beds rather than lie outside by the pool. Despite the large number of people who think otherwise, ultraviolet (UV) rays from tanning machines can cause cancer just as easily as the sun’s UV rays.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of cases of melanoma—the most serious type of skin cancer—have more than doubled over the past 20 years. Skin cancer can be cured if it is found and treated in its early stages, but cancer cells may grow down into the skin and invade healthy tissues if left undiagnosed. Cancer that spreads to other parts of the body may be too difficult to control.

Skin Cancer Prevention
Not all skin cancer can be prevented, but practicing the following sun safety tips from the American Cancer Society while you’re outdoors can help lower your risk:

• Wear a shirt, cover-up, or other protective clothing 
• Apply sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 to all exposed areas of the body, even on cloudy days
• Wear a hat with a brim/visor
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and the delicate skin surrounding them
• Seek shade whenever possible

Always remember that different types of shirts and clothing provide different levels of sun protection. Darker colors generally offer more protection than lighter colors, and some newer fabrics even have built-in UV protection. Remember that sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, and after swimming or sweating, to ensure continuous protection.

Skin Cancer Detection
The first symptom of skin cancer is often a new mole or change in an existing mole. Moles may become itchy, grow larger, or even begin to bleed. Four tips known as the A-B-C-D method are an easy way to help distinguish between a potentially cancerous mole and non-cancerous mole:

• Asymmetry: Cancerous moles, known as melanomas, are typically asymmetrical, meaning they are generally not round
• Border: Melanomas usually have irregular-shaped borders/outlines that are jagged or blurred
• Color: Cancerous moles are typically uneven in color with a variety of visible shades
• Diameter: Melanomas are usually larger than the eraser on a pencil while non-cancerous moles are typically smaller in size

Because the only way to diagnose melanoma skin cancer is to remove tissue and check the cells for cancer, the National Cancer Institute recommends that patients seek a doctor’s advice if they notice any new moles or changes in existing moles. Many dermatologists even recommend annual full-body mole checks to look for potentially cancerous melanomas.

It’s easy to forget your sunscreen or think that skin cancer only happens to other people, but anyone can get skin cancer. May is Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Month, and Blake Medical Center urges you to take precautions to help lower your risk. If you have concerns about your skin, our free healthcare referral service Consult-A-Nurse® can help you find a dermatologist or other doctor and schedule an appointment. Just call 1-888-359-3552 any time of day or night.

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Tags: Blake Medical Center, Bradenton FL hospitals, melanoma, melanoma detection, melanoma prevention, moles, skin cancer, skin cancer detection, skin cancer prevention, Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Month, sunscreen, tanning, UV rays

Stay Active to Manage Arthritis

If you or a loved one is living with arthritis, you understand how painful it can be. Sore joints can make it difficult to walk or perform basic daily activities. Pain medications and walking devices like canes might be necessary for you to get around on your own.

You might also have the common misconception that exercise will escalate arthritis pain, but just the opposite is true. Although medical professionals once believed that exercise could cause more damage to arthritic joints, recent research has found that physical activity is essential to managing arthritis pain.

What Can Exercise Do For You?
The Arthritis Foundation reports that regular, moderate exercise can help reduce joint pain and stiffness while building stronger muscles around the joints. Physical activity also helps increase flexibility and endurance while reducing inflammation.

The heavier you are, the more joint pain you are probably experiencing. In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, staying physically active can help you lose excess weight or maintain a healthy weight. Staying active even though you have arthritis can also give you a natural energy boost and possibly help fight depression.

Walking Is an Easy Way to Get Active
Arthritis Today magazine recommends walking as an great approach to help your joints feel better. It is easy, free way for beginners who have never exercised before to get started. The Walk With Ease program can help you learn how to make physical activity part of your life even though you are living with arthritis. For more information, visit Walk With Ease here.

Consult a Medical Professional
As with any exercise program, consult your physician before beginning a new physical routine. If you are in need of a specialist, Blake Medical Center’s free physician referral and health information service, Consult-A-Nurse®, can help you find a doctor and schedule an appointment. Just call 1-888-359-3552.

Blake Medical Center is also pleased to offer a variety of informative seminars, classes and exercise programs for our patients and local community members. The majority of these events are free, but registration is required. Browse through what we have to offer and register for events online or call 1-888-359-3552 for additional information and assistance.

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Tags: arthritis, Blake Medical Center, Bradenton FL hospitals, exercise, exercise for arthritis, exercise programs, walking

Thank You to Our Nurses!

If you have ever been in the hospital or visited a hospitalized patient, chances are good that you interacted with a nurse. Compassionate, knowledgeable and confident while under pressure, nurses are specially trained medical professionals who experience both joys and traumas on a daily basis—often during stressful 12-hour shifts!

Nurses work in a variety of environments, from fast-paced operating and emergency rooms to clinics and doctors’ offices to schools. Depending on their job duties, a nurse may assist with life-threatening procedures, break bad news to patients, or help celebrate the birth of a new baby. The highs and lows of nursing can vary considerably, which is why the career is often considered a science as well as an art.

National Nurses Day and National Nurses Week
At Blake Medical Center, we appreciate all the work our nurses do, so we invite you to celebrate National Nurses Day with us on May 6, the first day of National Nurses Week. Lasting through May 12, which is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, one of the world’s most famous nurses, the history of Nurses Week is described by the American Nurses Association on their website.

Why not take a moment to thank the nurses you see next week? Go ahead, you will make their day!

Consult-A-Nurse®
In addition to assisting our patients in person, the nurses at Blake Medical Center’s Consult-A-Nurse® service help provide health information and physician referrals. Consult-A-Nurse® nurses and referral specialists can help you find a doctor and schedule an appointment, as well as answer general healthcare questions and help you register for classes and events. Just call 1-888-359-3552 at any time of day or night. To learn more about Blake Medical Center and the services we offer, visit us online or call (941) 792-6611.

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Tags: American Nurses Association, Blake Medical Center, Bradenton Hospitals, Consult-a-Nurse, National Nurses Day, National Nurses Week, nurses

The Best Treatments for Hip and Knee Pain

Joint pain can range from somewhat uncomfortable to completely debilitating. The hips and knees are both joints that are commonly affected by arthritis pain, fractures due to bone-weakening osteoporosis, strains, sprains and general overuse.

If you experience hip or knee pain on a regular basis, the following 5 treatments have been suggested by Arthritis Today:

Exercise.  A combination of regular muscle-strengthening and aerobic exercises can help improve your hips' and knees' range of motion and help ease pain. Exercise can also help promote muscle strength and make it easier for you to walk without assistance.

Physical therapy. Working with a physical therapist can help patients reduce their hip and knee pain. Therapists will demonstrate exercises that are recommended for pain relief and teach patients about the importance of using special devices.

Use of braces, special footwear and walking aids. Special devices that may be recommended by your physical therapist or doctor include knee braces, special shoes or insoles that reduce pain while walking, and the use of canes or crutches. These devices can help reduce pain and the risk of falling. Be advised, however, that you should use these tools only with the recommendation and/or prescription from your physical therapist or doctor.

Education. Learning how to manage your hip and knee pain is one of the best things you can do. The Arthritis Foundation offers plenty of informative educational materials about exercise programs, pain relief and more.

Weight loss. Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight will help put less strain on your hips and knees, which are both weight-bearing joints. This can help reduce joint pain and make it easier for you to get around.

If the above-mentioned treatments do not provide enough relief for your hip or knee pain, your doctor may recommend drug therapy or even surgery. If surgery is deemed necessary, you can count on the team of medical professionals at the Joint Care Center at Blake Medical Center to ensure your comfort and safety before, during and after your operation. Take a virtual tour of the Joint Care Center online or call (941) 792-6611 for more information.

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Tags: Blake Medical Center, Bradenton Hospitals, exercise, hip pain, Joint Care Center, joint surgery, knee pain, physical therapy, surgery

What an Occupational Therapist Can Do for You

Have you ever heard of an occupational therapist? In simple terms, occupational therapy is a vocation that helps people of all ages participate in the things they want and need to do. Occupational therapists typically work with people who suffer from conditions that get in the way of their daily lives.

The National Institutes of Health explains that occupational therapy, sometimes referred to as OT, is often helpful to people who:

• have a hard time accomplishing self-care, household or job-related activities because of pain, weakness, fatigue, poor range of motion, and reduced sensation and coordination
• experience difficulty maneuvering architectural barriers in their home or community
• may need scooters, wheelchairs, or other equipment to improve quality of life and help them adapt

Common Uses of Occupational Therapy
The American Occupational Therapy Association points out that occupational therapy is commonly used to help people who are recovering from an injury regain their skills and help older adults as their body begins to experience age-related physical and mental changes. According to Nemours, OT treatments can help improve cognitive, physical and motor skills, as well as self-esteem.

Occupational Therapy Services
If your doctors determine that that you would benefit from occupational therapy, your well-being and independence are of utmost importance to your therapist. He or she may evaluate your home or workplace to make recommendations for improvement. Your therapist will probably offer guidance and educational materials for you, as well as your family members or caregivers, as you work together.

The therapy itself will depend on your needs. Here is a small sampling of things that an occupational therapist does:

• Once an injured person is ready to return to work, evaluate the work space and help the patient make modifications to it so tasks are easier to perform.
• Help an older adult replace can openers, toothbrushes, and other household devices with versions that are easier to use.
• Work with a person who was in an accident  to manage life in a wheelchair.
• For people who suffer from chronic pain, help them determine what triggers the pain most often.
• Work with patients and their physical therapists to implement exercises that improve strength and range of motion.

Celebrate Occupational Therapy Month
April has been designated Occupational Therapy Month by the American Occupational Therapy Association. This is the perfect time for you to learn about this specialty and how it many help you or those you love.

Blake Medical Center offers comprehensive rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy. To learn more, just visit us online. Need to find a doctor or occupational therapist? Our free healthcare referral service, Consult-A-Nurse®,  is available 24 hours a day. Just call 1-888-359-3552 for answers to your general healthcare questions or to find a medical professional and schedule an appointment. 

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How to Manage Your Springtime Allergies

Florida has been remarkably warm this year, so you may not have even noticed that spring is officially here. However, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may be all too aware that different plants are in bloom. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America statistics claim that roughly 40 million Americans suffer from indoor and outdoor allergies, so you’re definitely not alone when you are dealing with itchy watery eyes, a dripping nose and other annoying allergy symptoms.

Springtime allergies can be incredibly irritating, but certain precautions can help keep them at bay. The following five tips may help ease your misery this allergy season:

Reduce your unnecessary exposure to allergens.  Tree, grass and weed pollen are some of the most common outdoor allergens. Watch the weather report or check your local pollen levels online each day. If possible, avoid going outdoors when pollen levels are high.

Take your allergy medication(s). Whether you use over-the-counter allergy products or take allergy medications prescribed your physician, be sure to take them as directed. Take them before you begin experiencing symptoms, especially if you will be going outside when pollen counts are high.

Keep your house clean. We spend a lot of time in our homes, but an abundance of allergens like dust and pet hair can make your own house an unpleasant place to be! Vacuum often and use HEPA filters in your air conditioner. Portable air purifiers with HEPA filters may also help provide some relief.

Wear a dust mask. If you must spend time outside when a lot of pollen is in the air, wear a dust mask—especially if you are doing chores like mowing the lawn. You may feel a little funny at first, but you will probably feel worse if you are sneezy and itchy!

Visit the doctor. If your springtime allergies seem worse than usual or completely unbearable, pay a visit to your doctor, who can evaluate your situation and prescribe an alternative treatment.

Visit Blake Medical Center’s online Health Library to learn more about seasonal allergies, or call our free healthcare referral service, Consult-A-Nurse®, at 1-888-359-3552 to find a doctor and schedule an appointment.

Tags: allergies, allergy treatments, Blake Medical Center, Bradenton Hospitals, hay fever, seasonal allergies, springtime allergies

A Guide to Exercise for Cancer Patients

Cancer is a difficult disease that takes its toll both mentally and physically. One of the most common side effects of cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy is fatigue, or extreme tiredness.  Once a cancer patient feels well enough to move about, it’s a good idea to consider exercise because of its multiple benefits.

The American Cancer Society recommends that cancer patients exercise as much as possible to help keep their muscles working. Physical activity can help prevent weak muscles and other issues that are often caused by long-term bed rest, including stiff joints, breathing problems, constipation and bedsores. Exercise can also help reduce the emotional stress of dealing with cancer.

If you are living with cancer, it's a safe assumption that you are probably not feeling ready to hit the gym. That's okay because even basic exercise like a walk around your own home is an easy way to get up and move. Cancer patients and survivors who have never exercised before or those who are experiencing low physical endurance due to the disease will probably have different fitness goals from someone who has been physically active on a regular basis, explains HCA Cancer Guides.

Consult your doctor for approval before beginning any exercise regimen, but here are some simple physical activities that you can consider:

• Do as much of your own daily self-care as possible to get your body moving.
• Try to take a daily walk. Ask your caregiver or a friend or family member to accompany you.
• Follow range-of-motion exercises in which you move a joint without assistance from anyone else. These exercises can be instructed by your doctor, nurse or physical therapist.
• Find a physical activity that you enjoy, such as a simple exercise video or class. The Cancer Care Center at Blake Medical Center is pleased to offer multiple exercise classes specially designed for cancer patients. Sessions are held throughout the week and include yoga, belly dancing and an exercise class for breast cancer patients. 
• Always remember to stop exercising if you feel weak, dizzy, or fall down, and notify your doctor if you begin to experience new pain or pains that worsen.

For more information about exercise classes for cancer patients and other classes and events at Blake Medical Center, check our calendar and register online or call 1-888-359-3552 for assistance.

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Tags: Blake Medical Center, Bradenton, Bradenton Hospitals, cancer, cancer exercise classes, cancer patients, exercise, exercise for cancer patients

Top Tips for Managing Heartburn

If you’ve ever noticed a sour, bitter taste in your mouth after eating a big meal, chances are you had heartburn. Nearly everyone experiences heartburn from time to time, but some people suffer with the condition on a daily basis.

What Is Heartburn?
Also known as acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn is a painful burning feeling in the chest or throat that occurs when stomach acid rises up into the esophagus—the tube between the mouth and stomach. Stress, medications, and certain foods or drinks can cause heartburn, and many women experience the problem during pregnancy.

Getting Heartburn Under Control
If you suffer from heartburn, it’s important to take action. Not only is heartburn annoying and painful, but it can lead to a damaged esophagus and other medical complications. Over-the-counter and prescription medications like antacids, acid reducers, and proton pump inhibitors are often used to treat heartburn, but may have side effects of their own.

The following tips and lifestyle changes can help make your heartburn more manageable:

• Avoid lying down with a full stomach. Aim to eat meals two or three hours before you lie down to ensure your food has digested and left your stomach.
• Eat slowly and avoid overeating. Rushing while you eat or overindulging can both lead to painful heartburn.
• Stay away from foods and beverages that trigger your heartburn or make it worse. For many people, these trigger foods include onions, tomatoes, citrus fruits, chocolate and coffee.
• Quit smoking. Nicotine in cigarettes can weaken the muscle between the esophagus and stomach, making heartburn worse.
• Keep a heartburn diary. Keep track of your heartburn: when it happens and what foods or incidents trigger it. This log will help you realize what things you should avoid. Be sure to share this information with your doctor.

If you are experiencing heartburn on a regular basis, inform your doctor and ask about the newest options for permanent heartburn relief. Blake Medical Center’s free physician referral service, Consult-A-Nurse®, can help you find the right doctor and schedule an appointment. Just call 1-888-359-3552 at any time of day or night.

Heartburn Treatment Lecture
Blake Medical Center also offers many educational events to help you improve your health, including an informative Frequent Heartburn dinner lecture with Dr. Jose Erbella on April 11, 2012. Take advantage of this free opportunity to learn about EsophyX, a minimally invasive procedure that corrects the cause of heartburn. Once more, you could enjoy the foods that you love without fear. Register online or by phone at 1-888-359-3552.

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Tags: acid reflux, antacids, Blake Medical Center, Bradenton Hospitals, Dr. Jose Erbella, EsophyX, GERD, heartburn, heartburn surgery, heartburn treatment

Green Tea: What Can It Really Do?

Although it has been appreciated in Asian cultures for centuries, green tea has only recently gained popularity in the Western world, where black tea is typically consumed. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics claim that about 75% of the world’s tea is black and 23% is green, while the remaining 2% is a type of tea known as oolong.

You may have heard that drinking green tea can improve your health or even cure diseases. Many people firmly believe in natural home remedies, but is this mythical beverage really some sort of medical miracle in a cup?

Why Drink Green Tea?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), green tea—which can be prepared as a beverage or taken as an extract or supplement—is used to help improve mental alertness. It is also used for weight loss purposes and to treat digestive disorders, various cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and more.

Chances are, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is—but drinking green tea does appear to have its benefits.

Benefits of Green Tea
A Harvard Medical School study reports that green tea’s benefits are most likely due to its high level of flavonoids, which are plant-derived antioxidants that possibly help protect cells from free radicals. These free radicals can cause damage and play a role in certain diseases and cancers. Antioxidants are found in green tea but also in fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and even some meats.

NIH reports that green tea is likely effective in increasing mental alertness due to its caffeine content. It is considered “possibly effective” for preventing bladder, esophageal, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, because studies have shown that women who regularly drink black or green tea appear to have a lower risk of these cancers than women who do not.

Limited research shows that green tea may help with weight loss, heart disease, cancers and other ailments, but there has not been enough documented evidence for NIH to rate green tea’s effectiveness for those causes. That said, drinking green tea may not be a miracle cure-all, but it may be worth a shot. Just be sure to watch your caffeine intake! There are caffeine-free varieties, so check those out, too.

You should also consult your physician before you begin taking green tea extract or any other supplement. Blake Medical Center’s free Consult-A-Nurse® service can help you find a doctor and schedule an appointment. Just call 1-888-359-3552.

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Tags: Blake Medical Center, Bradenton Hospitals, drinking green tea, green tea, natural remedies, preventing cancer, preventing heart disease, taking supplements

Great Ways to Stay Fit on a Budget

It can be easy to justify your fast food indulgences because value meals are cheap. It can be just as easy to claim you don’t exercise because you can’t afford a gym membership. But eating healthy and staying fit on a budget is completely possible. Because many so medical conditions are expensive to treat or cure, health problems can easily spiral into financial problems–just another reason why it’s in your best interest to stay fit and healthy!

Exercising and practicing good nutrition shouldn't cost a fortune. Here are five great ways to stay fit while watching your wallet as well as your waistline:

1. Walk or jog outside. There is no need to purchase an expensive treadmill or buy a gym membership to exercise. Walk around your own neighborhood or hit the track at your local school. Prefer to walk indoors? Do laps at the mall. (Just avoid the temptation to shop afterward!) The National Institutes of Health recommends that most adults get at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days out of the week.
2. Exercise with a friend. If you are already paying for a gym membership, don’t let it go to waste. Exercise with a buddy whenever possible. It can be easy to convince yourself to skip exercise, but you’ll be less likely cancel workout plans if they include a friend.
3. Use exercise equipment you already own, or buy it used. Don’t have a set of weights? Use canned goods from your pantry. Want the real thing? Hit a garage sale and find a used set at a fraction of the cost. If someone is getting rid of exercise equipment, chances are good that it's in great condition since it’s not getting used anyway.
4. Find free workout videos. If you easily grow bored with your exercise videos, you don’t have to continually purchase new ones. Public libraries now offer DVDs in addition to books, and many cable companies play workout shows without additional cost.
5. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in-season or substitute canned or frozen varieties. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive, either. The Produce for Better Health Foundation explains that all forms of fruits and vegetables—fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice—count toward your daily servings. When fruits and vegetables are in season, they will be considerably cheaper, and most frozen and canned foods retain most of their nutritional value.

Have questions about health and fitness? Call Blake Medical Center’s Consult-A-Nurse® service at 1-888-359-3552. Our registered nurses and referral specialists can answer basic medical questions, refer to you a doctor and make an appointment. If you would like to learn more about Blake Medical Center and the services we offer, visit us online.

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Tags: Blake Medical Center, Bradenton Hospitals, budget, eating healthy, exercise, getting fit, inexpensive ways, staying in shape