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What Can a Family Medicine Provider Help You With?

Did you know that about one in every four provider’s office visits – some 214 million in the US alone – are made to a family medicine provider?

That’s because unlike medical specialists who focus on a specific ailment or injury to a particular part of the body, family medicine providers offer a wide range of care for a variety of health conditions to patients of all ages.

Here are just some of the many healthcare needs a family medicine practitioner can help you with:

  • Preventive care – A family medicine provider can not only educate you about disease prevention and maintaining your health, but also oversee your preventive care. That includes your mental and emotional, as well as physical, needs. For example, your family family medicine provider can suggest the best forms of exercise for your particular fitness level, provide weight control and nutritional counseling, conduct fertility testing, or show you stress relief and anger management techniques to improve your overall well-being.
  • Handling common health complaints – Whether it’s treating a cold or flu, a sore throat or ear infection, your family family medicine provider’s office is your first – and often only – stop for appropriate diagnosis and medication. Also, if you or your child require immunizations, your family medicine provider is the person to see.
  • Diagnosis of emerging conditions – As someone familiar with your medical history, your family family medicine provider can analyze new and unusual symptoms and recognize the development of a hidden or serious condition requiring prompt attention. For example, your family medicine provider is usually the first family medicine provider to examine you and screen for early signs of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. That includes ordering, performing, and interpreting tests to diagnose the condition, explain the test results to you, monitor your treatment and rehabilitation, and re-evaluate your therapy when necessary.
  • Managing chronic illness – One of the responsibilities of a family medicine provider is to provide personalized, ongoing care for chronic and degenerative conditions such as asthma, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Using diagnostic tests, they assess your rehabilitative progress to determine the most effective follow-up steps in your personal treatment plan.
  • Coordinating your rehabilitation – Your family medicine provider is the one who refers you to a specialist if your condition requires specialized care. But his or her involvement doesn’t end there. Acting as your primary care provider, your family medicine provider coordinates on your behalf with specialists, physical or occupational therapists, pharmacists, and any other health care providers to make sure that all of your medical needs are addressed.

That is why it is often said that “family medicine providers do not treat diseases; they take care of people.”

The friendly staff at Advanced Medical is committed to providing the highest quality care you need to return your family to health and keep you well. If you have any questions about our primary care services, please call our office at (561) 434-1935. To schedule an appointment, you can call us or use our secure online appointment request form.

Three Common Types of Arthritis and How to Treat Them

Arthritis may be used to describe body pain, but the different types of arthritis can vary significantly based on the way they affect the human body. Some forms of arthritis affect strictly your bones and joints; others, may start to attack your organs and affect your immune system. These are the three most common types of arthritis, how they are diagnosed and what treatment for them may look like.

Osteoarthritis

Also called “the wear and tear disease,” osteoarthritis (OA) presents as the human body ages. During this process, bones and their protective cartilage begin to break down. The deterioration of protective cartilage that serves as a cushion between the bones and joints may make movement painful and flexibility difficult.

While the effects of OA can’t be reversed, you can manage your symptoms and pain with lifestyle changes. Keeping up with your exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and diet and regular physical therapy can help keep your pain at bay. Should your symptoms worsen or you find you are no longer able to live with the pain, you should talk to your family medicine provider about necessary anti-inflammatory or pain medication or possible surgery.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is different from osteoarthritis because it is classified as an autoimmune disease. RA occurs when the immune system starts to attack your body and healthy tissue, causing pain and inflammation within your joints. Over a long period of time, the damage can become irreparable.

A series of tests and exams – to include complete blood count (CBC), radiographs of certain joints, and antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing – will help your family medicine provider determine if in fact your symptoms are those of RA.

Your family medicine provider will likely recommend you take over-the-counter medication before deciding whether you need to address the pain with steroids or more aggressive pain management medication. They will also likely prescribe disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs, to stop the progression of the disease in an attempt to halt further damage. Many family medicine providers are also turning to regenerative medicine, such as non-embryonic stem cell treatments and platelet rich plasma therapies, to treat RA.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis creates stiffness and pain in multiple joints, and symptoms can flare up, fade away, and even change location in your body. Family medicine providers will look for swelling close to the tips of the toes and fingers, leading to brittle or cracked nails; it can also find its way to the lower back, wrist, knees, ankles, and tendons.

Because symptoms often mimic other arthritic and inflammatory diseases, psoriatic arthritis can be hard to diagnose. Your family medicine provider will perform a series of blood tests and other diagnostics to rule our RA, gout or other conditions before determining you do in fact have psoriatic arthritis.

If so, your family medicine provider will likely prescribe anti-inflammatory medication or recommend NSAIDs for psoriatic arthritis, but also focus on taming your immune system. Should the damage to your joints become severe, your family medicine provider may also recommend joint replacement surgery.

While there are a number of clues that can help you determine which sort of arthritis you might have, the only way to know for sure is to get checked out by a medical professional.

The friendly staff at Advanced Medical is well versed in the diagnostics and treatment of arthritis and looks forward to serving you. If you have any questions about our primary care services, please call our office at (561) 434-1935. To schedule an appointment, you can call us or use our secure online appointment request form.

What Does Being a Pre-Diabetic Patient Mean?

Being diagnosed as pre-diabetic may seem like a serious sentence, but it really is more of a warning that your condition need not become permanent if you are committed to making some lifestyle changes. Here is what being pre-diabetic means, and what you can do about it.

Two Types of Diabetes – Type 2

There are two different types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. While Type 2 can be alleviated and possibly even backtracked with proper diet and exercise, Type 1 diabetes cannot. As opposed to Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 is characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin, the hormone necessary to process the sugar your body takes in. Pre-diabetes refers to the stage before your body is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and occurs when your blood sugar level is higher than what is deemed normal, but has not yet reached the level of Type 2 Diabetes.

In these cases, your body may not be properly processing sugar, or glucose, after you ingest it. This means the sugar begins to accumulate in your body instead of fueling your muscles and tissues as it normally should. So, each time you consume food, for instance, a sandwich, the sugar from it will enter your bloodstream. Without insulin, it will not enter the cells and you will not feel the energy from said sandwich.

Patterns to Watch

So, what kind of patterns should you be keeping track of that could put you at risk for pre-diabetes? For starters, check your diet. What you’re consuming could be impacting how you continue processing sugar. Red and processed meats make your body work very hard to process it. Also, sugary drinks like juices, sports drinks and sodas are big culprits that elevate your sugar levels, putting you at a higher risk of pre-diabetes. You should also monitor your weight regularly; being overweight puts you at a higher risk of getting diabetes.

Quick and Easy Long-term Fixes for Pre-Diabetes

Again, being diagnosed as a pre-diabetic patient doesn’t have to be permanent if you take serious steps to make a change. Committing to lowering your sugar levels, eating more whole foods, fruits and vegetables, and exercising regularly to keep your weight down will all make a significant difference in bringing your sugar levels back to normal.

The Importance of Regular Diabetic Screenings

It’s important to talk to your family medicine provider and have regular health screenings if you do believe you could be at risk for pre-diabetes, as the condition itself displays almost no obvious signs or symptoms. You may feel sluggish due to your body’s inability to properly process sugar, but it can vary. The more diligent you are with regular monitoring and healthy living, the more likely you are to prevent the long-term effects that come with full-on Type 2 diabetes.

The friendly staff at Advanced Medical welcomes your call and looks forward to serving you for any primary care services, including diabetes screening and care. For a full medical workup, to check your body’s sugar levels and to learn your risk for pre-diabetes or developing Type 2 diabetes, speak to the medical experts at Advanced Medical Clinic. Call us at (561) 434-1935 to schedule an appointment, or you can use our secure online appointment request form.

Heart Disease and Heart Attacks: What’s the Connection?

The connection between heart disease and heart attacks is clear.

Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, encompasses many different conditions that can lead to a heart attack. Most types of heart disease involve atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis: Most Common Cause of Heart Attacks

Atherosclerosis is characterized by plaque buildup in the arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and the rest of the body. When plaque builds up on artery walls, it narrows the passageway and restricts blood flow.

Plaque deposits – made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances in the blood – build up over time and harden, damaging the smooth, thin layer of tissue within arteries that allows for the easy flow of blood. And that’s not all. If some of the plaque breaks off, blood clots can form and stop blood flow.

Atherosclerosis can affect any of the arteries that carry oxygenated blood throughout the body. For example, when blood flow is blocked within the coronary arteries (the arteries taking oxygenated blood to the heart), it can result in a heart attack. When it occurs in arteries taking blood to the brain, it can result in stroke.

Heart Diseases That Also Can Lead to Heart Attacks

While atherosclerosis is common among the heart diseases that can lead to heart attacks – there are other types of heart diseases that can result in heart attacks, too. These include:

  • Arrhythmia is a condition when the heart beats abnormally, either too fast or too slow, depending on the type of arrhythmia. When the heart beats too fast (more than 100 beats per minute), it’s called tachycardia. Bradycardia is when the heart beats too slow (less than 60 beats per minute). Either is dangerous for the heart and may cause discomfort because your heart isn’t circulating enough blood or is moving it through the body too quickly.
  • Damaged heart valves are another form of heart disease. Heart valves open and close for allowing for blood flow. There are four valves in the human heart: tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic; each has a vital function and must open and close properly without leaking. When they don’t open wide enough, blood leaks can occur. A damaged heart valve may be incurred due to poor choices like smoking, or it might be a genetic defect. Whatever the cause, damaged valves are bad news for the heart, such as in these cases:
  •  Aortic stenosis is characterized by a narrowing of the valve, which prevents proper opening, reducing blood flow from the heart.
  •  Aortic regurgitation is characterized by leaking that’s caused when the aortic valve doesn’t close tightly enough.

Many types of heart disease can be prevented – sometimes with just a lifestyle change if the heart or blood vessels are not too far damaged. Eating foods that are low in cholesterol and eliminating bad habits like smoking will help. Your family medicine provider can help determine the current condition of your cardiovascular system and may recommend particular treatments with a specialist if needed.

In addition, a regular checkup can guard against heart disease and help prevent heart attacks. Advanced Medical Clinic will monitor your heart to ensure it’s healthy. And if it’s not, we will help you to get and stay on track to good heart health. Call (561) 434-1935 today to make your appointment or use our convenient online appointment request form.

Headaches in the Summer

People who have chronic headaches may notice that they can worsen during the summer months, especially for those who suffer from migraines. Researchers still haven’t pinpointed the cause behind migraines, but according to the Migraine Research Foundation, researchers have concluded migraines are neurological disorders that involve nerve pathways and brain chemicals.

You may not suffer from migraine headaches, but if you find that headaches occur more often for you during the summer months, then summer headache triggers could be to blame. Here are some reasons why.

Allergens

Allergens that are present during the summer months pose a threat to persons suffering from headaches. Hay fever is big during summer and can cause headaches as it affects sinus nasal passages. Sinus headaches are characterized by facial pain, throbbing on one-side of the head and are exacerbated by light, especially sunlight. Headaches can originate in the sinus area, however; these types of headaches aren’t always diagnosed as sinus headaches and could be migraines. Seek a family medicine provider for diagnosis and treatment.

Humidity

High humidity can trigger headaches for people who are prone to them. Think ahead. Your local weatherman or weather apps you can download to your phone are great resources for anticipating when you may have a headache brought on by humidity and other weather-related events. This will allow you to take preventative action before the onset of a headache. Ask your family medicine provider about taking an over-the-counter medication before a headache occurs.

Barometric Pressure

As barometric pressure decreases the chance of a headache increases. Even a slight change in atmospheric pressure can trigger headaches, especially when it’s humid and stormy.  Headaches can also be caused by changes in altitude as folks fly away on summer vacation or hike vertically up hills and mountains. Also, there is more storm activity during the summer and this, in turn, can also be a trigger.

Summer Lifestyle

We have a tendency to enjoy a few lifestyle changes during the summer. More people take a vacation and even those who don’t take some time in the sun by the pool, on a summer picnic or at the beach. We also tend to cook outdoors and enjoy the company of friends. Basically, we take advantage of every waking hour of daylight to have as much fun as possible. We may have more fun, but the lifestyle change also affects our bodies. Balance your summer lifestyle to ward off headaches.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when the body is losing more fluid than it is taking in. Becoming dehydrated is extremely dangerous. In addition to triggering headaches, dehydration can cause serious problems, even death if not treated. Drinking water or Gatorade will keep dehydration at bay and headaches, too. Water is the best solution for restoring hydration. Never assume that alcoholic drinks can rehydrate you. In fact, they actually leave you dehydrated and cause pause pounding headaches.

Headaches are more common during the summer months, but Advanced Medical Clinic is your resource for good health and patient-centered care during every season. At Advanced Medical in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida, we offer a high standard of primary and urgent care. Our comprehensive treatment options are designed to help you achieve a better quality of life through the management of many urgent and non-urgent conditions. As a husband and wife team, internal medicine specialist Dr. Ishan Gunawardene and nurse practitioner Shariffa Gunawardene understand what family health means and its true importance.

Avoid a headache! The friendly staff at Advanced Medical welcomes your call and looks forward to serving you. If you have any questions about our primary care services, please call our office at (561) 434-1935. To schedule an appointment, you can call us or use our secure online appointment request form.

Vitamins You May Be Lacking if You Live in Florida

Living in the Sunshine State is great for everything from year-round golf to year-round beach activities, and thousands of snowbirds flock to Florida each winter for fun in the sun.

The advantages of living in Florida are plentiful, but there is one disadvantage to which health-conscious Floridians should pay attention: Floridians are at risk for certain vitamin deficiencies.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D is naturally produced in our bodies when our skin is directly exposed to the sun’s UVB (ultraviolet B) rays. According to the Vitamin D Council, “in the southern United States, in places like Florida, your body can produce vitamin D most of the year.”

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, adults between the ages of 19 and 70 need at least 600 IU of vitamin D, and those aged 71 and over should get at least 800 IU. This vitamin is essential in the function of your bones, muscles, nerves, and immunity.

It’s best for the body to get most of its vitamin D from foods, such as salmon, liver, tuna, mackerel, cheese, and egg yolks. Many foods are fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, orange juice, and cereals.

Although sun exposure without sunscreen for 10 minutes can help the body produce more than 1,000 IU of vitamin D, this isn’t recommended since it can contribute to skin cancer.

Calcium Deficiency

Like vitamin D, calcium is necessary to maintain healthy bones, muscles, and nerve function. Low calcium might result in diseases like osteoporosis, which causes brittle bones and fragility. The culture in Florida isn’t as focused on drinking milk as it is in northern states, so low calcium levels tend to be a common health issue.

The NIH recommends adult men between the ages of 19 and 70 get at least 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Adult women should also consume this amount until they’re age 51 or over when the NIH recommends women start consuming at least 1,200 mg every day.

Floridians are especially susceptible to calcium deficiency because there is a direct correlation between vitamin D deficiency and a lack of calcium. Vitamin D is essential to calcium absorption in the body.

Important Vitamins and Minerals for the Body

Calcium and vitamin D are the two most common vitamins that are lacking in people living in Florida, but they may also be at risk of having the following deficiencies:

  • Vitamin B-12
  • Iron
  • Iodine
  • Vitamin A
  • Magnesium

How Can I Find Out if I’m Deficient in Vitamins?

Living in Florida and receiving inadequate amounts of vitamin D, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals could result in serious health consequences. If you’d like to find out whether you’re deficient in these essential nutrients and how to get on the road to a healthier body, call the Advanced Medical Clinic today at (561) 434-1935 to schedule an appointment.

You can also fill out our easy-to-use online appointment request form today. Our skilled and caring health professionals at the Advanced Medical Center can explain your options to combat deficiency and help you feel better and more healthy.

How Different Hormones Affect Your Body

Hormones play a variety of roles in the body, but their primary function is as chemical messengers that control bodily functions. Some hormone-producing glands are more complex than others; and while men and women share many of the same hormones, there are some that are gender-specific.

Hormone-Producing Systems

Certain glands in the body are responsible for dispatching hormones, and these message-sending glands are part of the endocrine system. Different glands dispatch different chemical messages, all of which are integral to a healthy body.

A healthy endocrine system is optimal for the body’s good health. If the endocrine system is unhealthy, it will have a negative effect on how the body develops and works. For example, faulty chemical signals sent during puberty will affect development.

Primary Glands that Produce Hormones

Pituitary

The pituitary gland creates growth hormones and controls aspects of other hormones produced by other glands. It’s a key gland in the endocrine system in its regulation of metabolism, blood pressure, milk production, and various reproductive functions.

Thymus

The thymus produces the thymosin hormone, which stimulates the development of T-cells when a person is young – before puberty. The thymus transforms white blood cells into these immune-enforcing T-cells. After puberty, the thymus basically becomes a lump of fatty tissue. However, these T-cells continue to support your body’s immune function throughout your lifetime.

Ovaries

Ovaries are gender-specific and secrete female sex hormones into a woman’s body: estrogen and progesterone. The hormones secreted by the ovaries assist in the proper development of the female body and help foster fertility.

Testes

Testes are gender-specific to men and produce the hormone testosterone. Testosterone helps foster male development in growing boys, and it contributes to healthy libido, strong muscles, and dense bones.

Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is critical in maintaining the stability of all functions throughout the body – this stability is called homeostasis. It is the link between the endocrine system and the central nervous system. The hypothalamus is also responsible for balancing the hormones from other glands, and it regulates functions including body temperature, sleep, heart rate, blood pressure, and hunger, thirst.

Thyroid

The thyroid gland, located in the neck, is often associated with weight loss and weight gain because it determines your metabolism. The secretion of the thyroid hormone regulates a person’s metabolic rate. The thyroid gland is controlled by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.

Parathyroid

The parathyroid is located around the thyroid as four little rice-size glands. The primary function of the parathyroid hormone is to regulate the body’s calcium levels.

Pineal

The pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin from its location in the center of the brain. Melatonin helps to regulate sleep patterns, maintain a person’s circadian rhythm, and regulate hormones involving reproduction.

Adrenal

The adrenal gland produces the hormones cortisol, aldosterone, and adrenaline. The adrenal gland is a set of two organs that are located above each of the kidneys. This gland is responsible for producing hormones that assist with regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, and metabolism. They also help react to stress brought on by illness, injury, or pressure via adrenaline.

Pancreas

The pancreas regulates blood sugar (glucose) and salt by releasing the hormone insulin. An imbalance of blood sugar can result in diabetes and other health issues. The pancreas is part of both the endocrine and the digestive systems, but primarily digestive. This gland is located just above the stomach in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen.

Who Can Help With My Hormonal Imbalance Issues?

It is essential that your glands perform correctly, or your health will be negatively affected. If your body is showing signs that a gland is not working properly – such as if you’ve gained weight or lost weight, or your blood pressure is too low or too high, etc. – call the Advanced Medical Clinic today at (561) 434-1935 or fill out our simple online appointment request form to discuss your concerns with our caring professionals.

Following a diagnosis, a plan will be put in place to address the symptoms you’ve been experiencing, and we can help you get on the road to recovery so you can enjoy life again. We look forward to hearing from you.

Causes of Unexplained Weight Loss

If you’re overweight, the first sign of unexplained weight loss might be somewhat welcome. Chalk it up to any number of rational explanations, but when the weight continues to fall off without dieting or making an effort, you realize it’s time to be concerned.

Unexplained weight loss is never a good sign. While someone might be losing weight without trying – the cause could be depression, stress or even a tapeworm – the cause can be fairly easily determined with some simple medical detective work.

However, what if you are still unsure why you are losing weight? What if you continue to eat healthily, and even are adding calories to your diet? Unexplained weight loss – cachexia – is a symptom of chronic conditions, and unexplained weight and muscle loss are symptoms. The causes of cachexia vary and most often are an indication that something’s wrong, such as a chronic illness. So then, what are some causes of unexplained weight loss, or cachexia?

Causes of Unexplained Weight Loss

Perhaps cachexia is better defined as a condition of a condition. Losing weight without diet or exercise could be related to diabetes, cancer, HIV or any number of chronic diseases. Even as a person continues to eat, weight continues to fall off.

The primary difference between cachexia and other conditions that cause weight loss is that people with cachexia lose weight no matter what. Eating makes no difference. Additionally, muscle is always lost with cachexia.

Who’s at Risk?

Cachexia rears its ugly head following the onslaught of disease, in a which comes first, the chicken or the egg type of phenomena. Cachexia is a devastating symptom of multiple diseases, some of which include:

  • Cancer
  • AIDS
  • Heart Failure
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Renal failure
  • Celiac disease
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – COPD

Cachexia can accompany any of the chronic diseases listed above and many more. However, if you have cancer, for instance, it isn’t a guarantee that you’ll also suffer from cachexia and the weight or muscle loss that accompanies it.

  • If you are experiencing unexplained weight loss, speak to your family medicine provider to determine the cause.  Your family medicine provider will use the following factors to determine if your weight loss is due to cachexia or explained otherwise. You will be diagnosed with cachexia when the following are present:
    An intentional or unexplained lose more than 5% of your body weight.
  • Less than 10% of your body is body fat.
  • You’re less than 65 years of age with a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is less than 20, or, you’re older than 65 years of age and your BMI is less than 22.
  • Albumin levels are off. Albumin is produced in the liver and regulates fluid level. An albumin level that is less than 35 grams per liter could be a sign of cachexia. Swelling in different parts of the body can occur.
  • Increased cytokines in the bloodstream is an indication that the body is experiencing inflammation. High levels of cytokines will cause a reaction that will break down muscle.

There are treatments available to people suffering from cachexia. Your family medicine provider will map out the best course of action for you, which could include growth hormones or medications that stimulate appetite. However, cachexia is rarely prevented or reversed by taking only dietary measures. Seek medical attention at the first sign of unexplained weight loss.

For partners in lifelong health and wellness, call Advanced Medical in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach at (561) 434-1935 or use our convenient appointment request form.

Swimming When You Have Asthma

Swimming has become a common form of exercise for people with asthma. In fact, it is an activity and competitive sport for many asthmatics, even Olympian athletes! One such athlete is Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken who won a total of six gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. Van Dyken was diagnosed with asthma at a young age. When she was 6 years old, her pediatrician suggested she take up swimming, and the rest is Olympic gold history. Amy has since retired from competitive swimming competitively.

Because swimming helped this world-class athlete with asthma, perhaps it can help you, too. Be sure to talk to your family medicine provider before diving in.

Benefits of Swimming With Asthma

There are benefits to swimming when you have asthma. Swimming induces less instances of bronchoconstriction – when the airways constrict, resulting in shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing – than other sports, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Swimming is an excellent exercise option for people with asthma. In fact, swimming is sometimes utilized as asthma therapy. Learning to regulate breathing is crucial for asthma sufferers, and swimming a lap requires swimmers to pace their breathing in order to make it across the length of the pool. Warm air in a cool pool is a combination that works for asthma sufferers. Swimmers with asthma gain more benefits from swimming than they could with other activities.

Keeping the airways of the lungs open is the key to avoiding an asthma attack. The primary goal for every person with asthma is unrestricted airways. Swimming in an indoor pool provides an opportunity that other exercises don’t. The indoor pools’ humidity is credited with helping to keep airways open.

Primarily found outside, pollen and mold spores are allergens, which can trigger asthma attacks. Swimmers obviously aren’t typically exposed to these triggers while swimming in an indoor pool. Additionally, dried-out airways – often the result of being exposed to cold, dry air – can trigger asthma attacks. The air surrounding an indoor pool is humid and moist. And because exercise, including swimming, increases breathing rate, swimmers’ airways tend not to dry out.

Swimming when you have asthma is a good idea. It increases physical fitness that might otherwise be impossible for asthma sufferers. Swimming provides the perfect conditions for good breathing and it increases lung function. However, if you have asthma, be sure to check with your family medicine provider  before starting any physical activity.

Find out more about what is appropriate or not appropriate when you have asthma by contacting the primary care providers at Advanced Medical in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Call us at (561) 434-1935 or use our convenient appointment request form.

How Hypertension Affects Women

Hypertension Define

If there is one cardiovascular risk every woman needs to be aware of it is hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Up until age 65, men and women are equally likely to have high blood pressure—but as we age the risk of high blood pressure in women increases dramatically. High blood pressure occurs when a high rate of blood is forced against the artery walls. Over time the high force of blood within the artery walls will result in health problems associated with high blood pressure. Blood pressure grows higher when the heart pumps excessive amounts of blood at a quick rate into narrow blood vessels.

Hypertension affects people differently. Symptoms vary, but by the time symptoms appear, it may be too late to avoid additional health problem; such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, blindness, heart failure and kidney disease.

Understanding your blood pressure reading is the first step in controlling high blood pressure. Two numbers measure blood pressure; the systolic is the upper number, and diastolic is the lower. Systolic measures the amount of blood in your arteries when the heart contracts. Diastolic measures the amount of blood in the arteries when the heart is between beats.

The American Heart Association places a normal blood pressure as less than 120 over 80.

Stages of Hypertension

If either the systolic or diastolic numbers are above the normal range, it is an indication that blood pressure is too high.

Hypertension Stage 1

  • 130-139 over 80-89.

Hypertension Stage 2

  • 140 or higher over 90 or higher

Hypertension Stage 3

  • More than 180 over higher than 120

Hypertension is bad news for anyone, but the negative effects on women are cause for concern. The American Heart Association claims that women account for nearly half of adults with high blood pressure. The fact that high blood pressure isn’t gender related doesn’t change the fact that women 65 years of age and older contract high blood pressure at a higher rate than men.

From pregnancy, right through menopause, women should take special care to know their blood pressure numbers so they can eliminate problems related to hypertension.

Family Planning

Women who take birth control pills are at risk of high blood pressure, especially if there’s a family history or if she had high blood pressure during a previous pregnancy. Weight is also a factor. This is true at any stage. There is a link between obesity and high blood pressure. High blood pressure doesn’t occur for all women taking birth control pills, but women who take birth control should definitely monitor their blood pressure. Before prescribing oral contraceptives, your family medicine provider should take your blood pressure. He or she should then apprise their patient of the risk.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, women are susceptible to gestational hypertension, which occurs for some women after 20-weeks. Hypertension may have never been an issue prior to pregnancy, but this secondary condition of hypertension is actually caused by the pregnancy. Even though the condition will disappear after delivery, it is imperative that the mom is treated so that the danger is eliminated for her and her child. Gestational hypertension can trigger another dangerous illness related to pregnancy, pre-eclampsia or toxemia. Like hypertension, it begins about 20 weeks post baby delivery. The only cure for preeclampsia is for the baby to be born.

By the way, ACE inhibitors, drugs that fight high blood pressure, don’t mix well with pregnancy. Women should not take ACE inhibitors during pregnancy. Speak to your health professional about maintaining normal blood pressure during pregnancy.

Menopause

The chances of increasing normal blood pressure are likely with age, even if your blood pressure has always been normal. Menopausal women should monitor their blood pressure. Get your family medicine provider involved. Make regular visits, once every six months to have your pressure checked.

Monitoring blood pressure is crucial. Women who wish to stay healthy throughout their lives will do everything within their power to get and keep their blood pressure under control.

At Advanced Medical, PA, we pride ourselves in providing quality healthcare in both internal medicine and primary care. To learn more about us and the services we offer, or to schedule a visit, call us at (561) 434-1935 to request an appointment.