Category: NEW: Health Tips

What are cancer screenings?

Cancer screenings look for cancer or signs of cancer, usually in its early stages.

Why are cancer screenings important?

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in New York City, after heart disease. Screenings may find cancers in their early stages, even before symptoms appear. When cancer is found early, the chances of successful treatment are usually better.

Do I need any cancer screenings?

Your primary care provider (PCP) can tell you which cancer screenings you need. Sometimes screening recommendations change, or you may need screenings because of your age or health history. So talk with your PCP about cancer screenings at each visit.

Common kinds of cancer screenings

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that everyone over age 45 get a colorectal cancer screening?

• One kind of colorectal cancer screening is a colonoscopy. In this test, a thin, flexible tube with a camera is used to look inside the rectum and colon for signs of cancer.
• Another kind of screening can be done at home with a kit from your PCP. This kit can find blood in your stool.
• Ask your PCP which one is right for you.

Did you know that breast cancer screening like mammograms can find cancers and other breast changes in their early stages?

• All people have breast tissue, so anyone can get breast cancer, no matter what their gender or gender identity is.
• Your PCP can help you decide if you need a breast cancer screening.

Did you know that cervical cancer screening is recommended for anyone who has a cervix and is over age 21, no matter what their gender or gender identity is? Your PCP can help you decide if and how often you need cervical cancer screening.

• A cervical cancer screening called a Pap test (or Pap smear) involves taking a small sample of cells from the cervix. The sample is then tested at a lab. You can have this test even when you have your period.
• A Pap test can be done at a sexual health clinic, by a gynecologist, or sometimes by your PCP.

What’s Your Reason?

There are many reasons to quit smoking and using tobacco products. Do you want to

• Feel healthier?
• Save money?
• Stop exposing others to secondhand smoke?

Whatever your reason, write it down and keep it where you’ll see it, like on your bathroom mirror. If you feel tempted to smoke, this will remind you why you’re quitting.

Three Tips to Get Started

1. Set a realistic quitting date.
2. Cut down on the number of cigarettes you have each day.
3. Limit your smoking to certain times or places.

Small steps make a difference when you’re getting ready to quit.

Where to Find Support

• Tell the people you’re close to that you’re trying to quit. Ask them for support and encouragement.
• Talk to a quit coach by calling the New York State Smokers’ Quitline (1-866-NY-QUITS). It’s free and confidential.
• If you have a smartphone, use the free quitSTART app from the National Cancer Institute to help you quit. The app can be downloaded from your phone’s app store.

Tips from People Who Have Quit

Sometimes distracting yourself can help. If you feel the urge to smoke, try

• Drinking a glass of water
• Chewing a carrot or a straw
• Going somewhere that smoking isn’t allowed, like a library

It’s not easy to quit, so if you do have a cigarette, don’t be discouraged. You can still do it, and you will, when you’re ready.

Medication Can Help

Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Quitting can also make controlling diabetes easier. Quitting can even lower your risk of many types of cancer over time. So if you’re ready to quit but need help, ask your primary care provider about medications (like pills, patches, and chewing gums) that can help you reach your goal.

What Are STIs?

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are passed from person to person through anal, oral, or vaginal sex. STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are common. STIs can cause serious health problems if not treated.

STI Symptoms

Some people don’t have symptoms from STIs. Others may have discharge from the penis, unusual discharge from the vagina, burning during urination, or sores around the vagina, penis, or anus.

STI Risk and Screening

Anyone who is having sex may be at risk for STIs, so:

• Know your risk. Some things may increase your STI risk, like having sex without a condom. Talk openly about your sexual health with your health care provider. Everything you tell them is kept private.
• Know your status. Not everyone has symptoms, so getting screened (tested) is the only way to know if you have an STI. Your provider can tell you what screenings you need and when. STI screenings may involve a blood or urine test or a quick swab of the affected area.
• Get treated. If you have an STI, your provider can help you get treatment right away.

Five Tips for Safer Sex

Practicing safer sex can lower your chance of getting STIs and passing them to others.

1. Use barriers like condoms and dental dams every time you have anal, oral, or vaginal sex.
2. Talk to your partner(s) about safer sex.
3. If you are at risk for HIV, ask your provider about PrEP. When taken as directed, PrEP medications can greatly reduce the chance of getting HIV. PrEP does not protect against other STIs, so use barriers too.
4. If you are living with HIV, take HIV medications as directed. HIV medications do not protect you from other STIs, so use barriers too.
5. Vaccines may protect you from hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human papilloma virus (HPV), and mpox. Ask your provider if these vaccines are right for you.

Taking Care of your Sexual Health

Your sexual health is important, so talk about it with your provider. If you don’t have a provider, visit a sexual health clinic for free or low-cost STI screenings and treatment.

It’s More Than Brushing Your Teeth

When you think about oral health, brushing your teeth might be the first thing that comes to mind. And brushing your teeth is very important. But good oral health is about taking care of your whole mouth, including your teeth and gums.

Six Tips for Better Oral Health

You can improve your oral health by sticking to an oral health care routine.

1. Brush your teeth twice a day, every day, with a fluoride toothpaste.
2. Get a new toothbrush every 3 – 4 months.
3. Use dental floss every day to clean between teeth. Flossing every day helps prevent cavities and gum disease.
4. Avoid sugary food and drinks. Try drinking water instead.
5. Quit tobacco. Smoking (and using other tobacco products) can increase your risk of gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and oral cancer. Ask your primary care provider or dentist about medications that can make quitting easier.
6. See a dentist every 6 months for a checkup and cleaning. Contact a dentist right away if you have tooth or mouth pain, a loose or missing tooth, or any other dental emergency.

Diabetes and Your Oral Health

Medical experts have found that controlling your diabetes can help your gums stay healthy. So if you have diabetes, tell your dentist, and be sure to see them every 6 months. Also contact your primary care provider if your blood sugar is not well controlled.

Get Started on Better Oral Health

Oral health is important at every stage of life. Whether you have natural teeth, dentures, implants, or a combination of these, it’s never too late to start an oral health care routine or to see a dentist for professional care and advice.

What Is HIV Viral Load?

For people living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus):

• “Viral load” is the amount of HIV found in a sample of a person’s blood. Medications for HIV lower (or suppress) viral load.
• Viral load is called “suppressed” when testing shows less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood.
• Viral load is called “undetectable” when the amount of HIV in the blood is so low that it can’t be seen in a blood test.

Why Get to Undetectable Status?

When a person living with HIV has an undetectable viral load, they can stay healthier.

• Studies show that if a person is taking their HIV medications as directed and has an undetectable viral load for 6 months or more, they cannot pass HIV to others by having sex. This is known as “undetectable=untransmittable,” or “U=U”.
• Having an undetectable viral load does not mean a person no longer has HIV. They must continue to take medication to stay healthy and keep their viral load suppressed.

Tips for Reaching Undetectable Status

Medical experts say that by taking HIV medication as instructed, most people living with HIV can suppress their viral load and reach undetectable status. Here are five tips for reaching an undetectable viral load:

1. Have your viral load tested regularly.
2. Keep all health care appointments.
3. Take all medications the way your health care provider tells you to. If you find it hard to take your medications, tell your provider right away. There may be other treatments for you.
4. If you will be away from home, make sure you take enough medication(s) with you.
5. If you have trouble remembering to take your medications:
   • Set an alarm, or use a smartphone app to remind you.
   • Use a pillbox.

Important Reminder

Medications for HIV don’t protect you from other sexually transmitted infections, like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. To protect yourself from other sexually transmitted infections, practice safer sex, like using condoms and dental dams.

Scientists are learning that positive thinking may be good for your health. Benefits of positive thinking may include:

• Longer life
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower risk of death from heart disease
• Lower risk of stroke
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better ability to cope with stress

How Does Positive Thinking Work?

Scientists don’t yet know for sure why positive thinking has health benefits. One theory is that people who think positively tend to live healthier lifestyles: they get more physical activity, eat a healthier diet, and don’t smoke or drink alcohol in excess. Another theory has to do with stress. Stress has harmful effects on your body, and people with a negative attitude often report more stress than those with a positive attitude. So it may be that positive thinking reduces stress and thus reduces the damage stress can do.

How to Reduce Stress

You can reduce stress by following these tips:

• Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, and exercise regularly.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Connect with others, such as by spending time with friends and family or joining an organization.
• Laugh — read a joke or watch a comedy. Laughter really is great medicine.
• Engage in a hobby like reading, painting, or listening to music.
• Allow yourself to be less than perfect.

How to Practice Positive Thinking

When you fi nd yourself thinking negatively, expecting the worst, or feeling powerless, try the following to help change your mood:

• Focus on what’s going well. Write down three things that went well — even small things like a chat with an old friend — and give yourself credit for the role you played.
• Practice gratitude. Write down three things that you’re thankful for.
• Look on the bright side. Write down a negative event from your past, and then try to think of something positive that came out of it — or might come out of it in the future.
• Expect good things. Imagine yourself doing something that feels good.

Do you have trouble falling asleep? Do you wake up often during the night, or get up earlier than you want to? Poor sleep can harm your ability to think, handle stress, and maintain a healthy immune system.

Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

• Limit fluids before bedtime, especially if you have an overactive bladder.
• Drink a soothing liquid like milk or herbal tea in the early evening.
• Avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you up at night.
• Avoid alcohol. It can cause you to wake up during the night.
• Avoid large meals in the evening. Consider eating your main meal at lunchtime so you have more time to digest it.
• Cut down on things that can cause heartburn, such as spicy foods.
• Be as active as you can during the day.
• Go to bed at the same time every night, and set your alarm for the same time every morning to create a regular sleep cycle.
• Create a relaxing atmosphere before bedtime by playing soothing music, taking a warm bath, or picturing calming scenes such as sailboats on a lake or a peaceful garden.
• Don’t lie in bed and worry about not being able to fall asleep. If you don’t fall asleep in 15 minutes, get up and listen to music or read for a while until you feel tired.
• If after using these tips for 2 weeks, you still aren’t getting a good night’s sleep, talk with your health care provider about other options.

Ask the Nurse

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is the temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea can cause the level of oxygen in the blood to fall, increase stress on the heart, raise blood pressure, and cause poor-quality sleep. The symptoms include loud snoring and/or an abnormal pattern of snoring with pauses and gasps. Other symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, memory changes, depression, and irritability. See your health care provider if you have these symptoms.

Almost anyone, at any age, can safely do some kind of exercise. You can be active even if you have a long-term condition like heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis. Almost nothing is more important to your health than exercise.

The Many Benefits of Exercise

Physical activity helps you feel and look better and can:

• Help you maintain and improve physical strength and fitness
• Improve your ability to do the everyday things you care about
• Improve your balance
• Help you manage conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis (weakening of your bones)
• Reduce feelings of depression and improve your mood

Getting Started

Staying safe while exercising is always important, but especially so when you’re starting a new activity or haven’t been active for a long time.

• Check with your health care provider before starting any new exercise program.
• Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and supportive shoes.
• Drink water before, during, and after exercise.
• Stretch before and after exercise.

Making a Realistic Plan

Try not to set unrealistic goals. Make a plan that’s based on how active you are now. Try to do a variety of exercises that help with endurance, flexibility, strength, and balance. And it’s good to change your exercises from day to day.

• Duration: Exercise for at least 15 min a day — 30 minutes is even better.
• Frequency: Exercise at least twice a week — more if possible.
• Space: Choose a place that is large enough for you to stretch out your arms and walk around a chair. The floor should be flat and stable, with nothing to trip over. Make sure that the air flow is good and that the temperature is cool.

After you exercise, be sure to take time to cool down (slow your breathing and your heart rate). Most important of all — have fun! Exercise should be enjoyable.

Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to narrowing and blocking of the arteries of your heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, so learning how you can help to control your cholesterol levels is important.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is found in your body’s cells and is necessary for life. Your liver makes most of the cholesterol your body needs, which is only a small amount. However, some people naturally produce too much cholesterol, and many foods (such as meat, butter, eggs, and cheese)
contain fats that can increase cholesterol to unhealthy levels.

How High Is Too High?

Your health care provider can do a blood test to check for total cholesterol. However, this single number doesn’t tell the whole story. Your blood contains several types of cholesterol, as well as fats, and it’s the relationship between them that is important. Therefore, a complete screening measures not just total cholesterol but also:

• LDL (“bad” cholesterol)
• HDL (“good” cholesterol)
• Blood fats

These measures can provide information about your risk of heart disease.

What Contributes to High Cholesterol?

Many things can contribute to high cholesterol:

• A diet high in fats
• Lack of physical activity
• Family history
• Obesity
• Age
• Gender

In addition, certain things can increase the chances
that high cholesterol will lead to blocked arteries:

• Smoking
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure

What Can You Do About High Cholesterol?

Exercise regularly. Don’t overeat. Reduce the total amount of fat in your diet, and use artery-friendly fats like olive oil instead of butter. Eat more fiber-containing foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and fish that contains omega-3 fats, which have been shown to have beneficial effects. Don’t smoke! And have your cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, which carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Blood pressure is given as two numbers in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), such as 112/78 mm Hg. The top number (the systolic pressure) is the pressure when the heart beats. The bottom number (the diastolic pressure) is the pressure between heartbeats. Normal blood pressure for adults is less than 120/80 mm Hg.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means that the pressure in your arteries is higher than normal. If you’re an adult and your systolic pressure is 120–129 mm Hg, and your diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg, you are considered to have elevated blood pressure. If your systolic pressure is \ above 130 mm Hg or your diastolic pressure is above 80 mm Hg, and consistently stays high over time, you are considered to have high blood pressure.

How to Find Out If You Have High Blood Pressure?

People with high blood pressure generally don’t feel any symptoms. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked regularly. For a proper diagnosis, your health care provider will average two or more blood pressure readings obtained on at least two visits.

What Factors Increase Your Risk for High Blood Pressure?

• Being overweight
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Age
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Race (African Americans are at a very high risk of developing high blood pressure.)

Can High Blood Pressure Be Cured?

High blood pressure can’t be cured, but it can be controlled. To control your blood pressure, see your health care provider regularly and take the following steps:

• Take any medications that your health care provider orders to treat your high blood pressure.
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fats, trans fats, and salt and rich in fruits and vegetables.
• Don’t smoke.
• Manage stress.
• Get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.
• Limit or stop drinking alcohol.