HEALTH TALK 

   We hope that women will find these section very useful and educative.

Mrs. Chi Onyedike have volunteer to keep this section updated.

We encourage you to visit this section for important health talk.   

 Women are adviced not to depend solely on tit bits given here on health talk, they should  consult with their doctors.  

  UPDATE FOR WOMEN CONFERENCE HELD

 NOV 19TH, 2011.

Health is wealth (Diseases and Chronic Disorders Affecting Women) presented by Chi Onyedike, M.S.Nursing, FNP, DNP Student Williamsburg, VA.

Ms. Onyedike  start her presentation with reference to the following bible verses

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,whom you have from God?.

Hebrews 13:5 He himself has said, “ I will never leave you nor forsake you”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding ; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path. Strengthen one another. To mention but a few.

Basically she does one the audience to understand that in all that you do, you put the Almighty God first. She went ahead to talk about some chronic disorders /diseases that affect women and possible preventive measures to avoid this diseases.

Obesity and Overweight – Obesity simply means having too much body fat and being overweight means weighing too much. It is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have adverse effect on health. It increases the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease conditions in women. It can affect contraception and fertility  in women. The risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels which can lead to stroke. Obese or overweight women are at risk for developing low back pain and other joint pains, such as arthritis.

Causes of overweight and obesity

Eating more food than your body can use.

Drinking too much alcohol

Not getting enough exercise

Genetic defect in the person’s body

Underactive thyroid gland

Quitting smoking.

Signs /Tests to look for      

The two most common terms you will hear are Body Mass Index (BMI) and your waist’s circumference measured in inches. It can be used to estimate how much body fat you have. It has been noted that extra fat around your abdomen /stomach area increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A woman with a waist circumference of more than 35 inches is at high risk of developing diseases. While women with BMI value of greater than 24 inches and waist to hip ratio greater than 0.76 inches are at risk for developing diabetes.

Ms. Onyedike briefly mentioned other chronic conditions that may afflict women.

Cardiovascular or heart diseases is the number one killer of women in United States. In addition, other chronic diseases are hypertension, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety and HIV/AIDS.

It is noted that 42% of women who have heart attacks die within one year. It has also been stated that women with breast cancer who received chemotherapy have been associated with higher incidence of congestive heart failure. Post-menopausal women with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for stroke.

Osteoporosis means bones have become less dense.

Menopause is the ending of monthly cycle and fertility. Women experience menopause differently. It is until a woman has had a menstrual period for 12 months that she can   know the menopause is over. Symptoms associated with menopause are hot flushes, sweats, sometimes sleep disturbances, irritability, mood swings, headaches, vaginal dryness, weight gain, problem with sex arousal or orgasm, urinary problems and back pains. 

Depression and Anxiety she said is a big one given present economic downturn. Stress becomes a major   or contributory factor. It is worst for women because of the stress of juggling work and family role. Signs of this include sleeplessness, feeling nervous, hopeless, restless, fidgety ,depressed, lonely   and thinking of killing self or others, she said that women should remember that God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind  2 Timothy 1:7.

She also discussed Sexually transmitted diseases which she said remain prevalent among women who have multiple sexual partners and who do not use protection, such as condom. Men who sleep with different women, men can transmit diseases to their spouses, who are faithful. Some of these diseases are gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, herpes, syphilis, warts, and trichomonas vaginalis.

Symptoms include burning, itching at private area, vaginal discharge with odor, pain with urination, sometimes blood in urine. Harmful effects of untreated STDs include low birth weight, still birth, infertility, brain damage, blindness, deafness.

Ms. Onyedike finally focused on the prevention and treatment of some of these diseases.

Obesity : it can be prevented by eating healthy food, snacks and through portion size control. Learn to read food labels. Avoid sweetened drinks. Learn new ways to prepare your meals. Ask your health care provider how much calories your body need based on your height and weight. Good food selection includes vegetable , fruits , proteins, such as bean, milk, fish and  carbohydrate such as potatoes, wheat bread and brown rice, some meat such as white meat, turkey, chicken and lean beef. Avoid fatty, fried and salty food. Eat with moderation. Eat more of baked and broiled food. Drink plenty of water, exercise, rest and above all pray to God to guide you in all you do.  Make sure to foIlow up with your health care provider.   

How to prevent heart/stroke conditions and manage your health.

Eat right foods, exercise, and go for checkups with your doctor. Take and check annual lab exams such as

Cholesterol, thyroid, blood glucose and complete blood count. Find out family medical history before visiting your doctor.

Prevention of STDs

Know your partner

Do HIV and STD tests before getting involved in sexual relationship

Treatment may include medications such as Zithromax for Chlamydia, Rocephin for gonorrhea, Flagyl for trichomonas. Seek help from your doctor and ask for treatment that is best for you. Always let your doc know if you are allergic to any medication before treatment.

References

Cardiovascular Disease and Other Conditions in Women: Recent findings, AHRQ{Agency for Health care Research ND Quality}.

CDC Facf Sheet,10 ways STD’s Impact Women Differently from men.

Obesity and Women Health , WebMD Professional

The King James Sturdy Bible.

  UPDATE FOR 2009

FIVE HEALTH RISK EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. 

1. HEART DISEASE:

Heart disease causes more death than all forms of cancer combined.

2. Cancer:

Most people will think its breast cancer, however According to American Cancer Society 66,000 WOMEN IN THE United States died of lung cancer in 2002. Breast Cancer is second (40,000 deaths) and colorectal cancer is third (28,000).

3. STROKE:

Almost two-thirds of the United States of the 167,000 people in the United States who die of stroke each year is women.

4. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD)

COPD comprises a group of chronic lung conditions, including bronchitis and emphysema.

About 62,000 women die of COPD each year.

5. DIABETES

Diabetes 69,000 people died of diabetes in the United States in 2000.Half of them were women.

Knowledge is wealth. Use these five points to go over your risk factors with your Doctor.

This is the time to be on top of things. For more information visit www.AdventistHealthCare.com/wellness.

You can also learn more about the leading cause of death in women, fight back.

Ref: Vigor Spring Edition 2009. By Shady Grove Adventist Hospital & Washington Adventist Hospital.

 Four Screening that could save your life

 Cervical Cancer Screening- All women begining three years after first sexual intercourse,but no later than age 21. This should be done every year to age 30,then every two to three years if past Pap tests were normal.

Brest Cancer Screening-All women begining at age 40. Those at high risk should beginscreening earlieras recommended by a physician.

Colorectal Cancer Screening (Fecal occult blood test) FOBT). aLL WOMEN need to do the test , regular test to start at age 50. Test should be done every year, sigmoidoscopy every five years or colonoscopy every ten years . Please discuss the screening options with your physician.

HPV TEST- This is a common sextually transmitted disease called papillomavirus(HPV)is responsible for  most cases of cervical cancer. The test for HPV can be done same time as Pap test.     

EXTRACT FROM WOMEN CONFERENCE HELD

             MAY 3RD,            2008

    Chi Onyedike Spoke on Women & Heart Disease

CHI ONYEDIKE

WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE

What you need to do in other to prevent heart disease and risk factors involving heart disease.

There are several conditions and habits that increase chances of developing a cardiovascular condition. Understanding the risk factors is an important step in preventing heart disease; therefore we should try to minimize all the risk factors.

Thank God for various ways through which we can get information, television, News paper, internet, etc. how ever, we want to make sure that we verify all information we get with our physician.

Early signals of heart disease include cholesterol, homocysteine, and inflammation.

Cholesterol: this is an essential lipid, or fat that is both consumed in food and produced by the liver, and circulates in the blood. This is important to building cell walls and making hormones.

Lipoproteins are proteins in your blood that transport and store cholesterol (Low density lipoproteins is considered the "bad" cholesterol.It transports cholesterol around your body for use, depositing the excess along artery walls, and is associated with a build-up of plaque , or atherosclerosis. (HDL -High density lipoproteins ) considered "good"cholesterol. They transport cholesterol out of the bloodstream and back to the liver where it is broken.

Homocysteine ,this is an amino acid created in your blood when you digest protein, It is usually converted into other less caustic amino acis with the help of B vitamins and folic acid. If you don't have enough B vitamins or folic acid to help this process, yor homocyteine levels rise and irritate your blood vessels, which is one form of inflammation.

 What you can do to protect your self.

For  women, the biggest factors that contribute to heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history and age. Take a moment to look at your lifestyle, family history and your general health. With this information, you and your family doctor can assess your risk and make a plan to avoid potential problems. Although you can't do much about your family history or your age, you can make lifestyle changes to avoid many of the other risk factors .

Don’t smoke. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease in women. More than half of the heart attacks in women under 50 are related to smoking. If you stop smoking, you can lower your risk of heart attack by one third within 2 years. Women who smoke and use birth control pills increase their risk even more. There are a variety of products to help you quit smoking. You may want to try using nicotine skin patches or nicotine gum: these types of medicines are available over the counter. There are also prescription medicines available that can help you stop smoking. Talk to your doctor about the best way for you to quit smoking. Breathing smoke from someone else's cigarettes is also bad for your heart and lungs. If you live with someone who smokes, encourage him or her to quit.

Control your blood pressure. Treating high blood pressure can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Losing weight, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet are all ways to help control high blood pressure. Reducing how much salt you consume can also help. If these steps don't lower your blood pressure, your doctor may recommend medicine for you to take.

Control your cholesterol level. If you don't know your level, ask your doctor to check it. Diet is a key part of lowering high cholesterol levels. However, some people may need to take medicine in addition to diet and exercise.

Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight puts strain on your heart and arteries. Exercise and a low-fat diet can help you lose weight. Being overweight means you have a higher risk for many other health problems, especially diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. If you're overweight, talk to your doctor about a safe and effective way to lose weight.

Exercise regularly. Remember, your heart is a muscle. It needs regular exercise to stay in shape. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging or biking, gives your heart the best workout. You can also use fitness equipment like exercise bicycles, treadmills and ski machines when exercising indoors. Finding an exercise partner may make it easier and safer for you to exercise often. You should exercise at least 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Eat a low-fat diet. Keep fat calories to 30% or less of the total calories you eat during a day and avoid saturated fat (the fat in meats and coconut oil). Information is available to help you make healthy choices. For example, food labels list nutrition information, including fat calories, many cookbooks have heart-healthy recipes, and some restaurants serve low-fat dishes.

Take care of diabetes. If you have diabetes, regular exercise, weight control, a low-fat diet and regular doctor visits are important. If you need to take medicine for diabetes, be sure to take it exactly as your doctor tells you to.

Be aware of chest pain. Be sure to contact your doctor immediately if you suffer from pain in your chest, shoulder, neck or jaw. Also notify your doctor if you experience shortness of breath or nausea that comes on quickly. If you are having a heart attack, the faster you can get to the hospital, the less damage will happen to your heart. Every second counts.

Know your family history. Having a father or brother with heart disease before age 55, or a mother or sister with heart disease before age 65, are factors that contribute to heart disease. Inform your doctor about your family histor

extracts from www.womemtowomen.com/heartdiseaseandstroke/riskfactors.

`Mr.Luis  Martinez Outreach Coordinator for the Department Health and Human Services Montgomery County gave lots of useful information on “How to find Medical Care in Montgomery County when you don’t have health Insurance.

Do You Need Medical Services But Don’t Have Health Insurance?

Montgomery Cares may be able to help you .

if you are 18 or older

Have a low income

Live in Montgomery County.

What is Montgomery Cares?

Montgomery Cares is a group of community –based health clinics that provide medical care to uninsured,  low income adults in Montgomery County, the program offers:

Medical check ups by doctor/nuse

Medicine, lab texts, X-Rays, Pap Smears

Flu Shots

Acess to specialists

Other health programs.

For More Information call Montgomery County Information line Dial 311 or 240-777-0311.

Other Resources provided by Mr. Martinez are as follows.

Free Prescription Discount Card – call 1 877 321 2652

PAC Primary Adult Care Program -Basic Health Care for Low Income Adults

Free Women’s Cancer Control Program Will provide Free Mammograms and Pap Smears . For eligible, uninsured women aged 40 years and older who live in Montgomery County  call 240-777-1750.

SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

If your child receives free or reduced price meals at school, your family may be eligible for SNAP benefits. SNAP is the new name for the Food Stamp Program in Maryland. For more information call 1-800-332-6347

DO YOU NEED HELP PAYING FOR CHILD CARE? CALL 240-777-1009 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ELIGIBILITY SCREENING.

Victim  Assistance and Sexual Assault Program.

Crisis Services   telephone /walk in

1301 Piccard Drive, First Floor

Rockville Maryland  20850

240-777-HELP (4357)

 Naima Kelly is  a Nutrition and Fitness Mentor, offering a natural and realistic approach to women who are willing to take charge of their bodies and make positive changes in the way they feel about themselves.

For over 20 years, she worked in human services, providing quality care to individuals who have intellectual disabilities. Through this work, she have extensively researched proper nutrition and exercise. In a continuing effort to improve the health of those around her, She have conducted numerous Fitness Walking Programs for clients and staff.

Her main interest is combating the preventable medical conditions that are disproportionately afflicting the African American population—hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels. She offer a wide range of workshops and personal mentoring programs that will help you live a more balanced life.  

She commend you for taking the first step in taking better care of yourself.

Mrs. Chi Onyedike R.N MSN FNP-C

She said that menopause is a permanent cessation of menstruation after the loss of ovarian function. After hysterectomy women will experience menopause when their ovarian function stops.

Hysterectomy plus removal of ovaries (oophorectomy) is when a woman's body goes into menopause and that is called surgical menopause. in many women this lost of estrogen can lead to symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweat, virginal dryness, this can interfere with intimacy.  

 She explained that women start their menopause in their mid forties - fifties. Menopause is a term used when a woman stops seeing her period for over 12 months and after that it is classified as post menopause. Some women may start to experience irregular menstrual period,hot flushes, and night sweat, that period is known as   perimenopause.

She stated that signs of menopause includes mood swings, irritation, bone lost, night sweat,hot flashes (may be accompanied by feeling of heat, transient periods of flushing and may often be accompanied by palpitations and anxiety, sometimes followed by chills).etc. she advised women who can not deal with mood swings to be on their knees, because prayers works miracle, especially for women who have issues either at home, work or with their relationships. And also visit their gynecologist for possible hormone replacement or other medication for mood stabilizer 

Her advice that women who are going through hot flashes to take note of their dressing, dress appropriately, for those involved with hormone replacement therapy should be careful as there is correlation between hormonal replacement and cancer.

For bone lost, women over the age of 65yrs should consider bone density scan while women with the family history of osteoporoses should request for bone density scan at earlier stage during menopause stage

Women should consider high calcium intake, by eating meal high in calcium example fish, vegetable, milk etc, good exercise.

Is their a time limit for Menopause? No

Important advice -if you start bleeding during menopause, go and see your doctor as soon as possible for evaluation

Is their a time limit for Menopause? No

Important advice -if you start bleeding after menopause, you should go and see your doctor as soon as possible for further evaluation.

Advice

women should visit their gynecologist for further details.

Annual check up

Papsmear 

Mammogram

Discus bone density scan

 Annaul check up

Immunization

Annual Influenza vaccine beginning at age fifty tetanus -diphtheria-pertussis booster every ten yrs for women forty to sixty four and tetanus dip booster every ten yrs for women fifty five and older

hormone screening every five yrs beginning at age fifty to check for thyroid problems

Colon cancer screening regular screening beginning at age fifty