Health Tip: Help Control Eye Allergy Symptoms

 If your eyes are red, itchy and watery because of allergies, there are steps you can take to help ease your discomfort.

When heading outside, wear a wide-brimmed hat to help prevent pollen from blowing into the eyes

After spending time outside, use eye drops to help rinse allergens from the eyes.

Wear sunglasses when outdoors to help shield the eyes from allergens.

Talk with your doctor about taking medication to help relieve symptoms.

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Cervical Dysplasia in Women

The term "dysplasia" is used to describe abnormal changes in the cells found on the surface of the cervix. Dysplasia may occur in three stages, mild, moderate and severe. By definition, mild dysplasia involves 25% of the thickness of the cell layer overlying the cervix. Moderate dysplasia involves 50% of the cell layer. When severe dysplasia is diagnosed, the abnormal cells involve almost the full thickness of the cell layer.

 

Cancerous cells are the most severe of the abnormal cells found on Pap tests. Carcinoma in situ involves the full thickness of the surface cells of the cervix. Invasive cancer of the cervix means the disease has progressed beyond the surface layer of cells.

What causes dysplasia?

Dysplasia is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is sexually transmitted. It has been discovered that approximately 60% of sexually active college students acquire HPV at some point during college. HPV can cause genital warts, but fewer than 5% of women infected with the HPV will develop genital warts. HPV can penetrate the cells of the cervix even if a woman has never had genital warts. The virus causes abnormal cell development on the cervix called dysplasia. Recent studies show that HPV can spontaneously disappear with time.

Dysplasia can also spontaneously resolve with time. Women under the age of 24 tend to get over the infection and subsequent dysplasia quicker than older women. Smoking has been associated with an increased risk of the progression of dysplasia to cervical carcinoma.

 

Is dysplasia a serious risk to my health?

In most cases mild dysplasia will spontaneously revert to normal without treatment over a period of several years. A younger woman with dysplasia has a greater chance of regression, i.e. return to normal state. In a few instances it will progress slowly to more advanced stages. In rare instances, dysplasia may progress to cervical cancer.

Do I need immediate treatment for mild dysplasia or moderate dysplasia?

Since mild dysplasia often returns to normal without therapy, immediate treatment is seldom needed or recommended. Even moderate dysplasia can resolve spontaneously in women age 25 or younger.

How should I follow up after a biopsy shows dysplasia?

For women under the age of 21 who have mild dysplasia for less than 2 years, a repeat pap smear every year is adequate.

 

For women over the age of 21, follow-up depends on what the Pap smear showed prior to the cervical biopsy. Sometimes mild dysplasia is preceded by a Pap smear showing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), atypical squamous cells cannot rule out a high grade lesion (ASC-H), or a low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL). For these patients, it is recommended to repeat a HPV test in one year. If the HPV test is negative in one year, routine annual screening is recommended.

Other times, mild dysplasia is preceded by a Pap smear showing atypical glandular cells (AGC) or a high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL). For these women, the mild dysplasia on biopsy is followed by a Pap smear and colposcopy every 6 months for one year. If the results are negative at both visits, the patient can return to routine annual screening.

Women with moderate dysplasia under the age of 25 can be followed every four to six months with pap smears and colposcopy. If moderate dysplasia persists for two years or if severe dysplasia develops, treatment can be performed. For women over age 25 with moderate dysplasia, treatment is often recommended.

Women are encouraged to discuss any concerns or questions regarding follow-up recommendations with their physician.

 

How can I help my body recover from this condition more quickly?

If you smoke cigarettes, stop! Smoking depresses the immune system which is responsible for the healing process. Eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol intake and getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night may also help boost the immune system. Consistent use of condoms lessens the risk of further exposure to HPV and protects the cervix from further irritation.

Remember, you can get all your questions answered here at the New York Doctor's Urgent Care Offices and through our FB and Twitter pages. We're always here to help, 365 days a year! www.nyorkdoctorsurgentcare.com

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Acne Problems: In College Students

College may be good for the mind, but it can be tough on your skin. Pizza, breadsticks,  ice cream, heavy course loads, and a shift in sleep patterns can all lead to  "a monumental skin freak-out."

 

"The college years are a prime time for breaking out, even for people who went through the bulk of their teen years without acne," says Jody Levine, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "Your skin reflects your overall health, and the disruptions in diet, exercise, and sleep, plus stress, can all lead to acne flare-ups."

Stress and Acne: Is There a Connection?

For a long time, doctors have suspected that stress worsens acne, but evidence was mostly unreliable. In the past decade, though, research has suggested that the doctors may be on the right track.

 

In 2003, a Stanford University study published in the Archives of Dermatology found that college students had acne flare-ups during exams, a period in which they reported more stress, compared to periods without testing. Acne severity correlated highly with increasing stress, the researchers concluded.

Still, scientists don’t know exactly how stress worsens acne. They do know that cells that produce sebum, have receptors for stress hormones. Sebum is the oily substance that mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria to clog the hair follicles, leading to a pimple or acne cyst.

 

When a person with acne experiences a lot of stress, "somehow, they’re upregulated." This means that more oil is produced to clog the hair follicles to allow more acne to form -- and give the stressed individual more to pick at.

 

In a 2007 study of high school students in Singapore, researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine also found that acne worsened during exam times, compared to low-stress periods, such as summer break.

These researchers hypothesized that the increase in acne might be due to higher levels of sebum produced during stressful times. However, they found that psychological stress didn’t increase sebum production significantly in the teens, leading them to suggest that that acne linked to stress may involve other root causes.

 

 

When Stress Makes You Mess With Your Skin

Sometimes, stress and acne can interact in a harmful cycle. When some people are anxious or upset, they’re more likely to exacerbate their blemishes. Some people pick their skin when they’re stressed. If they have a pimple to pick, that’s where they’re going.

 

What Is Acne Excoriee?

While many people squeeze a pimple occasionally, they're more extreme cases in which patients pick at their blemishes compulsively because they’re worried and embarrassed about their skin.

This condition is called acne excoriee. When these patients see, literally don’t have a pimple in existence. Instead, they have scabs that can lead to scarring. Patients can actually turn very mild acne into terrible scars.

 

 

Treating Acne

What can be done? A person can’t really use stress reduction as an acne treatment. You can’t treat acne with a Valium.

For many people, acne is a chronic problem that doesn’t just vanish after finals week. It’s often a long-term issue that requires acne treatment, which can include benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, antibiotics applied to the skin or taken by mouth, hormonal treatments, and in more difficult cases, isotretinoin (Accutane).

That said, people with acne can also take advantage of seeing a psychologist or learning biofeedback if they need to reduce high levels of stress overall.

Remember, you can get all your questions answered here at the New York Doctor's Urgent Care Offices and through our FB and Twitter pages. We're always here to help, 365 days a year! www.nyorkdoctorsurgentcare.com

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Did You Know: Athletic Injuries

Sports injuries are injuries that occur in athletic activities. In many cases, these injuries are due to overuse or acute trauma of a part of the body when participating in a certain activity. For example, runner's knee is a painful condition generally associated with running, while tennis elbow is a form of repetitive stress injury at the elbow.

 

Other types of injuries can be caused by a hard contact with something. This can often cause a broken bone or torn ligament or tendon. The most severe injuries and all fatalities are collectively known as catastrophic injuries, usually a result of trauma to the head, spine, or spinal cord.

Injuries are a common occurrence in professional sports and most teams have a staff of Athletic Trainers and close connections to the medical community. Controversy has arisen at times when teams have made decisions that could threaten a players long-term health for short term gain.

 

Signs and symptoms

Inflammation is characterized by pain, localized swelling, heat, redness and a loss of function.

A bruise or contusion is damage to small blood vessels which causes bleeding within the tissues. A muscle strain is a small tear of muscle fibers and a ligament sprain is a small tear of ligament tissue. The body’s response to these sports injuries is the same in the initial five-day period immediately following the traumatic incident – inflammation.

 

 

 

 

Mechanism

All of these traumatic injuries cause damage to the cells that make up the soft tissues. The dead and damaged cells release chemicals, which initiate an inflammatory response. Small blood vessels are damaged and opened up, producing bleeding within the tissue. In the body’s normal reaction, a small blood clot is formed in order to stop this bleeding and from this clot special cells (called fibroblasts) begin the healing process by laying down scar tissue.

The inflammatory stage is therefore the first phase of healing. However, too much of an inflammatory response in the early stage can mean that the healing process takes longer and a return to activity is delayed. The sports injury treatments are intended to minimize the inflammatory phase of an injury, so that the overall healing process is accelerated. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors are determinant for the healing process.

Prevention

• A warm-up program has been founded to decrease injuries in association football.  Many athletes will partake in HGH Treatment for Athletic Enhancement as a way to prevent injuries.
• Injury can be minimalised by doing an effective warm up, this consists of a heart raiser to get your pulse up, followed by sport specific dynamic stretches (stretches whilst moving). To reduce the risk of injury:
• Time off. Plan to have at least 1 day off per week from a particular sport to allow the body to recover.
• Wear the right gear. Players should wear appropriate and properly fit protective equipment such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and/or eyewear. Young athletes should not assume that protective gear will protect them from performing more dangerous or risky activities.
• Strengthen muscles. Conditioning exercises before games and during practice strengthens muscles used in play.
• Increase flexibility. Stretching exercises before and after games or practice can increase flexibility.
• Use the proper technique. This should be reinforced during the playing season.
• 
  Take breaks. Rest periods during practice and games can reduce injuries and prevent heat illness.

 

Remember, you can get all your questions answered here at the New York Doctor's Urgent Care Offices and through our FB and Twitter pages. We're always here to help, 365 days a year! www.nyorkdoctorsurgentcare.com

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Meningococcal Infection in College students

Certain teens and young adults have a higher risk of getting meningococcal disease. College students, especially freshmen who live in dorms and military recruits, are at increased risk compared with others in this age group. It’s important to know how to protect yourself because meningococcal disease can be deadly. Read on for more information from about this serious illness, safe and effective vaccines, and tips on how to stay healthy.

While it can strike anybody, the greatest risk is in individuals between 15 and 21 years of age. Also, students entering college and planning to live in dorms are at higher risk than other people of the same age. It’s easy for infections to spread in crowded dorms or in enclosed areas where students often meet to smoke and drink alcohol.

Symptoms

The symptoms of meningococcal disease often are mistaken for other, less serious illnesses like the flu. Common symptoms include:

• High fever (above 101.4°F)
• A flat, pink to red to purple rash mainly on the lower arms and legs, including the hands and feet, with small bruises or bleeding under the skin
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Generalized muscle aches
• Sudden, severe headache
• Confusion
• Sensitivity to light
• Stiff neck along with headache and sensitivity to light (can signal the meningitis form of the illness and should never be ignored)

It’s important to get medical treatment right away. Meningococcemia or meningitis can get worse very quickly, even within a few hours from the start of symptoms. If untreated, the disease can be fatal (up to 20% of teens die) or cause kidney failure, hearing loss, limb amputation, or lifelong problems with the nervous system.

Vaccination

The best protection from meningococcal disease for certain teens and college students who will be living in dorms is to be vaccinated. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent meningococcal disease caused by 4 of the 5 most common types of meningococcal bacteria found in teens. The currently recommended meningococcal vaccine for adolescents and young adults is the quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The vaccine provides protection against only about two thirds of the cases of meningococcal infections because there is one strain that is not included in the vaccine. Although mild side effects, like redness and swelling at the injection site or a slight fever, can occur from the vaccination, these are considered uncommon and usually go away on their own in a few days. Serious allergic reactions to the vaccine are extremely rare.

Who should be vaccinated?

1. Adolescents are now recommended to get their first dose of meningococcal vaccine at 11 to 12 years of age and a booster dose at age 16 years.
2. Adolescents who do not get their first dose at 11 to 12 years of age should still receive the meningococcal vaccine. If they are between 13 and 15 years of age at their first dose, they should get a booster at 16 to 18 years of age, and up to age 21 years. If they get their first dose at 16 years or older, a booster dose is not needed.
3. There is no routine recommendation to receive the meningococcal vaccine for individuals older than 21 years. However, there is a recommendation to receive the meningococcal vaccine for individuals who travel to certain parts of the world where meningococcal disease is common, such as parts of Africa.

Students who already received a meningococcal vaccine in the last 3 years don’t need to be vaccinated, but they should check with their pediatrician to be sure.

Take care of yourself

If you are 11 to 12 years old, it’s important that you see your pediatrician for your annual checkup. You may need a booster of other vaccines besides the one against meningococcal disease (such as the vaccines that prevent tetanus and diphtheria). At the same visit your pediatrician can give you advice about keeping healthy. Your pediatrician will also let you know about scheduling your booster dose.

If you are a student about to start college, here are some health tips.

• Reduce your risk of getting meningitis by staying away from smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive stress, and exposure to upper respiratory infections. Even if you don’t smoke yourself, being in a smoking environment can still increase your risk of getting meningococcal disease.
• Strengthen your immune system by living a healthy lifestyle that includes enough sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet.
• Avoid sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and wash your hands often.
• Get familiar with your college’s student health services. Find out who to call or where to go if you get sick.
• Remember that your pediatrician is available to answer any questions you may have about your health.

Remember, you can get all your questions answered here at the New York Doctor's Urgent Care Offices and through our FB and Twitter pages. We're always here to help, 365 days a year! www.nyorkdoctorsurgentcare.com

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The 'Why' Behind Contraceptive Failure

If you use contraceptives and suddenly find yourself pregnant, you may wonder why your chosen method of birth control failed to work. The fact is that an overwhelming 53% of unplanned pregnancies occur in women who are using contraceptives. And while you may think that only teenagers and young women experience contraceptive failure, the fact is that the majority of unplanned pregnancies, about three-quarters of them, occur in women over the age of 20.

Why are so many women getting pregnant while using contraceptives?

1. Failure to follow the instructions for a given method of birth control exactly as directed is a key cause of contraceptive failure. If you're using birth control pills, taking them at exactly the same time every single day greatly reduces any chance of contraceptive failure and unplanned pregnancy. When using condoms as a contraceptive, it's imperative that they're used properly and in good condition. Women who use a diaphragm or cervical cap need to make sure that the cervix is completely covered before having sexual intercourse. IUD users need to check that the device is in place monthly.
   
   
2. Another cause of contraceptive failure occurs when contraceptives are used inconsistently. Forgetting to take just one birth control pill significantly raises your risk of becoming pregnant; forgetting to take more than one oral contraceptive in a month means that you should use an alternative contraceptive for the remainder of that menstrual cycle. Barrier methods such as condoms, cervical caps, and diaphragms have to be used during each and every act of sexual intercourse; forgetting just one time means you might become pregnant. Of course, natural family planning only works when practiced consistently and correctly.
   
   
   
   
3. Condoms that break or have even the smallest tear also often led to unplanned pregnancy. Causes of condom damage include improper use, inadequate use of a water-based lubricant, using condoms past the expiration date, improper storage. Jewelry, fingernails, and other objects may create tiny tears in condoms that render them ineffective. If condoms are your choice in contraception, make sure to use a vaginal spermicide to decrease your risk of unplanned pregnancy should condom damage occur.
   
   
   
   
4. Contraceptive failure may also happen in women taking certain drugs or herbs. If you're using oral contraceptives check with your doctor and / or pharmacist for any possible drug / herb interactions that may reduce the effectiveness of your birth control pill.
   
   
   
   
5. Believing that you are not in your fertile period is a huge mistake that can potentially lead to an unplanned pregnancy. There is no "safe time" of the month, according to researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health, where they have found that the possibility of pregnancy may occur on almost any day of the month including during menstruation.

Remember, birth control pills and other methods of contraception do not offer any protection against STDs -- only the consistent and proper use of condoms can offer you that protection. Unless you are in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship, the use of a condom is recommended during each and every act of sexual intercourse, as well as during oral sex, to protect yourself.

Remember, you can get all your questions answered here at the New York Doctor's Urgent Care Offices and through our FB and Twitter pages. We're always here to help, 365 days a year! www.nyorkdoctorsurgentcare.com

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Herpes Testing: How is it Done?

What is Herpes?

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by two related, but different viruses- herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). It is a very common disease that affects an estimated minimum of 45 million people in the US. Herpes type 1 is mostly found on the mouth in the form of a cold sore or fever blister, therefore it’s usually called oral herpes. Herpes type 2 is presented in the form of outbreaks in the genital region; as a result it’s called genital herpes. It is possible, however, to have type 1 in the genital area and type 2 on the mouth.

 

How is the virus spread?

Herpes is easily spread from one infected partner to another through contact with open sores during sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, or oral. Although infection is at its highest when there is an outbreak of open sores, you can still get herpes even when there are no active sores showing. The virus can also be transmitted without sex- kissing or touching the infected area while having a cut in you hand or lip. Brief skin-to-skin contact is all that's needed to pass the virus.

 

Who should get tested?

If you’re a sexually active individual, have multiple sexual partners, engage in unprotected sex, are in a relationship with someone infected, entering a new relationship, or if you are unsure whether you have the virus, then you should definitely get a herpes test at our STD clinic.

 

Are there any herpes symptoms?

Yes,but they are not always present. Oral herpes can appear as painful cold sores inside and around your mouth. People with genital herpes can be infected with the virus and not present any symptoms for a period of time. When herpes 2 symptoms show up, they can cause itching or blisters on your genitals and burning or painful sensation during urination. “Outbreak” is the name given to describe herpes 2 sores or any other symptoms. It’s possible to have herpes and not experience a single outbreak for years. As a result of not having symptoms that you can feel or see, the only sure way to know whether you are infected with the virus is to get a herpes test done.

 

 What test  are available to diagnose Herpes?

The test that we use will not only determine whether you have herpes or not, but also differentiate which infection you have- herpes 1 or herpes 2. During an initial consultation at our a clinic, the doctor informs you whether you are ready to get tested, if not, when you should come back. Your test results will be available in 3-5 business days. A blood test or culture can identify the presence of herpes, and a number of medications are available to reduce or prevent future herpes outbreaks. Herpes can be serious if it infects people with weakened immune symptoms.

 

 What treatment can be offered for positive test results?

There is no cure for herpes. Our STD doctor can prescribe you antiviral drugs, such as acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex) that may help you control, decrease the severity, or shorten your symptoms. Also, there are drugs that can be taken on a daily basis to suppress the virus to prevent an infected person from passing the virus to their sexual partner. Until the sores have healed, sexual contact must be avoided.

Remember, you can get all your questions answered here at the New York Doctor's Urgent Care Offices and through our FB and Twitter pages. We're always here to help, 365 days a year! www.nyorkdoctorsurgentcare.com

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