Cervical Health Awareness Month

“I want to bring to your attention the importance of cervical health.”

— Dr. Dale

From Cervical Health Awareness Month

Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. But over the last 30 years, the cervical cancer death rate has gone down by more than 50%. The main reason for this change is the increased use of screening tests. Screening can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops. It can also find cervical cancer early – when it’s small, has not spread, and is easiest to cure. Another way to help prevent cervical cancer in the future is to have children vaccinated against human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer. (HPV is linked to a lot of other kinds of cancer, too.)

The American Cancer Society is actively fighting cervical cancer on many fronts. We are helping women get tested for cervical cancer, helping them understand their diagnosis, and helping them get the treatments they need. The American Cancer Society also funds new research to help prevent, find, and treat cervical cancer.

CLICK BELOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR CERVICAL HEALTH SCREENING WITH OUR OFFICE.

Hemorrhoids Are Common and 4 Other Facts About Your Irritated Anus

“A few things to know about hemorrhoids.”

— Dr. Dale

From Hemorrhoids Are Common and 4 Other Facts About Your Irritated Anus

It’s not easy to tell someone you have a swollen vein in your butt, but hemorrhoids are a problem many people have, whether they are in your rectum or in the skin around your anus. If you are nervous about bringing up a hemorrhoid conversation, these simple facts might ease your mind.

YES, THEY REALLY ARE QUITE COMMON

Not everyone talks about what’s irritating their anus, but you are not alone. The U.S. National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that about one in 20 people has hemorrhoids, and that number is even higher in people above age 50. You are more likely to develop them if you experience constipation or diarrhea often, sit on the toilet for a long time, strain during a poop, or even lift heavy things, the NIDDK says. Anal intercourse and obesity are also factors, the Mayo Clinic adds.

PREGNANT WOMEN ALSO GET THEM MORE

Growing a baby in your womb can have a lot of strange side effects, like constipation, which is one thing that can cause hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Dr. Roger W. Harms notes that “for many women, hemorrhoids resolve after delivery.”

HERE ARE THE SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Hemorrhoids might be itchy or uncomfortable, and may bleed bright red blood while you are pooping. A lump near your anus may be sensitive or swollen. Internal hemorrhoids, inside your rectum, might get pushed through your anus and become painful or irritated.

If you spend a lot of time on the toilet, you might develop hemorrhoids.Pixabay, public domain

THERE ARE WAYS TO TREAT THEM AT HOME

If they are not severe enough to rush to a doctor and you’d rather not display your anus to a health professional, you can do some things at home to ease the symptoms of your hemorrhoids. The Mayo Clinic lists home remedies like eating more fiber and drinking more water, to soften your poop and make you strain less to get it out; soak your fanny in warm water and gently cleanse the skin in the affected area; wipe after a bowel movement with moist towelettes instead of dry toilet paper; relieve swelling with cold compresses; take over-the-counter pain relievers; or use a topical treatment like witch hazel on a pad or hemorrhoid cream. The NIDDK also recommends staying away from foods that tend to constipate you, like fast food, meat, ice cream, chips or processed foods.

THEY LOOK DIFFERENT FROM CANCER

If you see a lump on your anus, your mind might jump to cancer. Some of the signs might be similar, but there will be other indications of colon or rectal cancers, apart from bleeding. The Bowel Cancer Foundation says those can be a change in pooping habits or consistency, severe stomach pain, a lump in the abdomen, unintended weight loss or weakness.

Why You Lose Your Appetite When You're Upset

“A very interesting read.”

— Dr. Dale

From Why You Lose Your Appetite When You're Upset

The Question: Why does stress cause some people lose their appetite while others self-soothe with more food than normal?

A family emergency, difficult breakup or even the drastic acts of a new president can leave a person without a desire to eat. On the other hand, it could lead to a few ice cream binges. Clearly, stress and appetite are closely linked.

But why do some people eat more when they feel stressed out and others eat less? There may be a straightforward answer to this question: Short-term stress tends to make us eat less, while persistent stress tends to make us eat more. It’s all in how our brains perceive the stressor.

What makes you eat less

Intense or imminent stress triggers the same fight-or-flight response that’d be activated if your life were in danger, Mary Dallman, a physiology professor at the University of California San Francisco, told HuffPost. In life-or-death situations, the brain produces appetite-suppressing hormones and glands pump out adrenaline to put eating on hold so your body can devote its energy to survival.

But even if you aren’t physically in danger, your brain might react as if this were true, Dallman explains. And yes, this can apply to the political climate.

“Some people... are intensely threatened by Trump’s ascendency and both previous and subsequent behaviors. They can’t control the situation and are afraid of the consequences,” Dallman told HuffPost in an email. This intense stress revs up the fight-or-flight response, and they lose their appetite.

What makes you eat more

On the other hand, people may find themselves eating more in the current political climate because they’re continually anxious about the state of affairs but do not feel imminently, personally threatened, Dallman said.

Low-grade stress that persists over time like this makes the brain release cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite. Research has shown that calorie-dense foods are especially appealing to stressed individuals. Food can even act as a medication of sorts, Dallman says.

“Under mild-moderate stressors (not perceived as life-threatening), animals (and people) go for rewards of comfort foods... they eat for pleasure, not for need, and distract themselves with eating (or drinking or drugs) from the stressors,” she wrote.

So what should you do?

Whether you’re triggered to eat less or more by stress, there are ways to feel better. The Harvard Mental Health Letter suggests meditation, exercise and social support as good ways to curb stress. We also know that constant self-care, a healthy diet and talking things out with a therapist can make things better.

Because a healthy brain is a healthy you.