Health Questions FAQ
Ask Dr. Paul and Nurse Brigner!
We often confront important questions about health and what we should do in our lives to promote healthy living. Many Americans are searching for good sources of information.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: My mom just died from heart disease and both of my aunts have it. My doctor says, because of my family history, I am likely to be at risk as well. Can you give me a list of risk factors and what exactly is your industry doing to help fight this awful condition? (St. Louis, MO)
A: Genetics and lifestyle choices have a tremendous impact on your risk of getting certain diseases. The American Heart Association lists risk factors for heart disease as:
Q: My mom just died from heart disease and both of my aunts have it. My doctor says, because of my family history, I am likely to be at risk as well. Can you give me a list of risk factors and what exactly is your industry doing to help fight this awful condition? (St. Louis, MO)
A: Genetics and lifestyle choices have a tremendous impact on your risk of getting certain diseases. The American Heart Association lists risk factors for heart disease as:
- Increasing age
- Heredity (including race). People with family history of the disease have greater risk. So do African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and some Asian-Americans.
- Smoking
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Physical inactivity
- Obesity and overweight
- Diabetes
The pharmaceutical industry is working hard to educate the public about heart disease and our scientists are working daily to come up with more & better treatments for heart disease. In fact, there are more than 211 medicines in the pipeline to fight heart disease and stroke.
Q: At my last physical, my doctor told me to get a test for osteoporosis, which was surprising because I am not hunch backed or feeling any back pain. However, my bone density test showed that I do have the beginning stages of the disease. What can I do? (Laredo, TX)
Osteoporosis threatens millions of Americans. The U.S. Surgeon General warned that half of all Americans older than 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass if no immediate action is taken.
Q: At my last physical, my doctor told me to get a test for osteoporosis, which was surprising because I am not hunch backed or feeling any back pain. However, my bone density test showed that I do have the beginning stages of the disease. What can I do? (Laredo, TX)
Osteoporosis threatens millions of Americans. The U.S. Surgeon General warned that half of all Americans older than 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass if no immediate action is taken.
According to the report, osteoporosis is a "silent" condition because many Americans are unaware that their bone health is in jeopardy. In fact, four times as many men and nearly three times as many women have osteoporosis than report having the condition. One of the most dangerous myths about osteoporosis is that only women need to worry about bone health. Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races, and while bone weakness manifests in older Americans, strong bones begin in childhood.
The Surgeon General calls for Americans to take action to improve and maintain healthy bones.
These recommendations include:
Getting the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D. High levels of calcium can be found in milk, leafy green vegetables, soybeans, yogurt and cheese. Vitamin D is produced in the skin by exposure to the sun and is found in fortified milk and other foods. For individuals who are not getting enough calcium and vitamin D in the diet, supplements may be helpful. The average adult under 50 needs about 1000mg of calcium per day and 200 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D (one cup of vitamin D fortified milk provides 302 mg of calcium and 50 IU of Vitamin D).
Maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active at least 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 minutes a day for children, including weight-bearing activities to improve strength and balance.
Taking steps to minimize the risk of falls by removing items that might cause tripping, improving lighting, and encouraging regular exercise and vision tests to improve balance and coordination.
The report also calls on health care professionals to help Americans maintain healthy bones by evaluating risks for patients of all ages, recommending bone density tests for women over the age of 65 and for any man or woman who suffers even a minor fracture after the age of 50. In addition, the report calls on health care professionals to look for "red flags" that may indicate that someone is at risk, including people who are under 50 who have had multiple fractures, or patients who take medications or have a disease that can lead to bone loss.
After reviewing your risk factors, your doctor may prescribe certain medicines that keep your bones strong or even rebuild bone.
Q: My doctor diagnosed me with “pre-diabetes” last week and told me I needed to eat better and exercise. Does that mean I will eventually get diabetes and take insulin shots for the rest of my life?
Q: My doctor diagnosed me with “pre-diabetes” last week and told me I needed to eat better and exercise. Does that mean I will eventually get diabetes and take insulin shots for the rest of my life?
A: Pre-diabetes means you are “at-risk” for developing Type 2 diabetes, but the results of your blood test do not quite put you in the category for “diabetes.” If you are a pre-diabetic, you have a unique opportunity to make significant lifestyle changes, such as eating healthier and exercising more, so that you may avoid the diagnosis of Diabetes. Call your doctor for more information about diabetes or visit the American Diabetes Association website for tips to prevent Diabetes (http://www.diabetes.org/home.jsp).
Q: For the past few weeks, I have been going to the bathroom and urinating almost every hour but when I go, I don’t produce a lot of urine. I went to my doctor and he put me on medicine for a large prostate. Why would my prostate have anything to do with me having to go to the bathroom all the time? (Evergreen, CO)
Q: For the past few weeks, I have been going to the bathroom and urinating almost every hour but when I go, I don’t produce a lot of urine. I went to my doctor and he put me on medicine for a large prostate. Why would my prostate have anything to do with me having to go to the bathroom all the time? (Evergreen, CO)
A: Your doctor most likely placed you on medicine to reduce the size of your prostate, which commonly swells as men get older and impairs the flow of urine. Many symptoms of a swollen prostate or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) are because the urethra (tube that urine flows through) is blocked because the swollen prostate is pressing against the urethra, making it difficult for men to completely empty their bladder and experience relief from fullness and urgency sensations. It is extremely important to treat BPH because urinary retention and strain on the bladder can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence.
Q: I had pain in my side and a bad rash near my waist. When I went to the hospital, they told me I had shingles and put me on medicine. What exactly is shingles and how can my wife avoid going through all I have endured? The ER doctor told her about the new vaccine for shingles. Is this true? (Clinton Township, MI)
A: Shingles, a painful virus that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox (Varicella), only occurs in adults later in life who have had chickenpox before. The virus settles into the nerves and, for unknown reasons, is reactivated in some people later in life, causing painful blisters, typically around the waist region. Antiviral drugs can lessen the severity and length of the Shingles attacks.
Your emergency room physician was referring to a newly approved (May 2006) shingles vaccine for people 60 years and older who had chickenpox. Researchers have found that giving older adults the vaccine reduced the expected number of shingles cases by half. Talk to your primary care provider to get more information on this Shingles vaccine.
Q: Every year, my daughter comes home from college and our entire family gets the flu. This year, we want to get flu shots to help prevent it from making us so sick and ruining our holiday. When is it considered “too late” to get flu shots and what are some good tips we can use to prevent us from getting it? (Richmond, VA)
A: Every year over 100,000 Americans are hospitalized due to the flu. Even though young children and the elderly are at highest risk for complications due to the flu, it is important for everyone to get vaccinated. October and November is the best time to get vaccinated, however, you can still get vaccinated in December and January because flu season can extend as late as May.
If you or a family member comes down with the flu this year, follow these simple tips from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing to prevent getting others around you sick.
- Wash your hands often and use antibacterial hand gel.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to prevent the spread of germs.
- If you are sick, get plenty of rest and drink fluids.
A. There are several important things to know:
- Canada says it can not monitor drugs bound only for export. Its focus is the medicines used by Canadians.
- Some Internet pharmacies that claim to be Canadian are actually located in other countries. Even drugs that are mailed from Canada may actually be from countries without strict safety regulations, like India, Vietnam, and Latvia.
- You may be asked to sign a waiver that would release the online pharmacy from responsibility if your medicines are not what they purport to be.
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Surgeon General have stated that there are serious safety risks with buying imported medicines, even from Canada.
Q. I am traveling this summer and wonder if you have any travel tips for me since I am on several medications. (Topeka, Kansas)
A. Here are a few simple safety tips:
- Talk with your healthcare provider to develop a plan that meets your needs. A pharmacist can also help you with any questions.
- If you are changing time zones, it is very important to develop a revised dosing schedule since some medications must be precisely spaced apart to control blood levels of the medication.
- Don't store medicines in areas that are susceptible to extreme heat, direct sunlight, cold or humidity (i.e. car) because it could decrease the effectiveness of the medication.
- Take along more medication than the number of days you’ve planned to be away. Refill your prescriptions so that you have at least 5-7 day supply of medications left in the event of an emergency or unavoidable travel delay.
- If you are flying, keep your medications in your carry-on luggage so you have access to them during your flight and you will not lose them in the event your luggage gets lost.
- If you require insulin and syringes, the American Diabetes Association recommends that you have copies of your prescription for medication and supplies to provide to airport security personnel.
- Beware of over-the-counter medicines from other countries because many medicines available by prescription in then US are over-the-counter in other countries and may not undergo similar quality control. Keep your medications with you in a carry-on bag in properly labeled containers. Some airports require the prescriptions or actual bottle before you can enter the country.
- Many medications cause “photosensitivity” which means sensitivity to sunlight so even if you don’t usually sunburn, be careful because taking certain medications could greatly increase your chances of getting a bad burn.
Q. My wife recently discovered a lump in her breast. Her doctor thinks it is cancer, and we are waiting for the results of the biopsy. What is going on in research for breast cancer and where can I learn more about treatment options? (Erlanger, KY)
A. Unfortunately, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, the second most frequently diagnosed cancer after lung cancer. The good news is that we have some amazing medicines and treatments available for breast cancer patients. In fact, there are more than 49 new medicines in development that are being tested specifically to treat breast cancer. http://www.phrma.org/files/Cancer%20Survey.pdf Treatment varies according to the stage of the cancer and ranges from surgery and radiation, to chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy. For more information, go to: http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/patient.
Q. I am a diabetic and can pretty much bet on what my blood sugar is going to be in certain situations. However, it has been really high since last week. Can two days of extreme stress at work elevate my blood sugar? (Boulder City, Nevada)
A. First, check with your healthcare provider and explain your high glucose levels. It is important to know that in people with diabetes, stress can alter blood glucose levels. Stress, which can be physical or mental, like problems with your marriage, job, health or finances, can definitely affect the glucose level. When stress occurs, the body prepares to take action and stores up energy (glucose) to get the body ready to fight the stress. Unfortunately for people with diabetes, insulin isn’t able to let the extra energy into the cells and glucose accumulates in the blood, elevating the blood sugar to very high levels.
A. Unfortunately, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, the second most frequently diagnosed cancer after lung cancer. The good news is that we have some amazing medicines and treatments available for breast cancer patients. In fact, there are more than 49 new medicines in development that are being tested specifically to treat breast cancer. http://www.phrma.org/files/Cancer%20Survey.pdf Treatment varies according to the stage of the cancer and ranges from surgery and radiation, to chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy. For more information, go to: http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/patient.
Q. I am a diabetic and can pretty much bet on what my blood sugar is going to be in certain situations. However, it has been really high since last week. Can two days of extreme stress at work elevate my blood sugar? (Boulder City, Nevada)
A. First, check with your healthcare provider and explain your high glucose levels. It is important to know that in people with diabetes, stress can alter blood glucose levels. Stress, which can be physical or mental, like problems with your marriage, job, health or finances, can definitely affect the glucose level. When stress occurs, the body prepares to take action and stores up energy (glucose) to get the body ready to fight the stress. Unfortunately for people with diabetes, insulin isn’t able to let the extra energy into the cells and glucose accumulates in the blood, elevating the blood sugar to very high levels.
It is important to monitor glucose levels and plan good meals when experiencing stress. Also, diabetics who are under stress may not take good care of themselves and forgo needed exercise or drink more alcohol, which also causes an increase in glucose.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that before you check your glucose levels; write down a number of your stress level rating, on a scale of 1 to 10. Then, write your glucose level next to it so you can find out whether mental stress affects your glucose control. Talk with your health care provider or member of your diabetes management team to develop strategies to cope with your stress so that your glucose levels are not severely affected.
Q. The doctor prescribed me a brand name drug but the pharmacist gave me a generic. How are they different and why does the brand name drug look different from the generic?
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
The American Diabetes Association recommends that before you check your glucose levels; write down a number of your stress level rating, on a scale of 1 to 10. Then, write your glucose level next to it so you can find out whether mental stress affects your glucose control. Talk with your health care provider or member of your diabetes management team to develop strategies to cope with your stress so that your glucose levels are not severely affected.
Q. The doctor prescribed me a brand name drug but the pharmacist gave me a generic. How are they different and why does the brand name drug look different from the generic?
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
A. The Food and Drug Administration (www.fda.gov) defines a generic drug as a copy of a brand-name drug in dosage, safety, strength, how it is taken, quality, performance and intended use.
While a generic drug must have the same active ingredient as the brand drug, colors, flavors, and certain other inactive ingredients may be different.
While a generic drug must have the same active ingredient as the brand drug, colors, flavors, and certain other inactive ingredients may be different.
Q. I would like to print out drug information that is easy-to-understand on all of my medicines and my husband’s medicines to have for our records. I can’t remember what all of them are for and hate to bother my doctor.
(Albany, New York)
(Albany, New York)
A. You can ask your pharmacist or go to the FDA website on Patient Information Sheets http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/DrugSafety/DrugIndex.htm, click on the name of your specific medicine, and read the “patient friendly” description of things you should know about your medicine.
Q. I would like to be a pharmacy technician because I think it would help me to go beyond that level and become a pharmacist. I would eventually like to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Where can I learn more about the educational process of becoming a pharmacy technician as well as a pharmacist?
(Salem, Massachusetts)
(Salem, Massachusetts)
A. It is best to contact your state board of pharmacy because requirements may differ, depending on which state you live in and plan to practice. See http://www.nabp.net/whoweare/boards3.asp.
Q. I visited a farm and my friend said that I should not drink the unpasturized milk because I could get a terrible stomach bug, called Listeria. What is it and how can I find out what foods I should avoid?
(Houston, Texas)
(Houston, Texas)
A. According to the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/whillist.html), listeria is a harmful bacteria (listeriosis) that may be found in refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, dairy and unpasturized milk. You can get listeria by eating contaminated foods processed or packaged in unsanitary conditions or by eating vegetables contaminated from the soil or manure used as fertilizer.
You can avoid this bacteria by taking a few simple steps. Maintain your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and the freezer at 0 degrees. Refrigerate or freeze perishables and discard food that’s left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Use ready-to-eat, perishable foods, such as dairy, meat, poultry, and seafood as soon as possible. Clean your refrigerator regularly and wipe up spills immediately. Clean the inside of the refrigerator with hot water and mild dishwashing detergent, then rinse. Once a week, check expiration dates on all products in your refrigerator.
You can avoid this bacteria by taking a few simple steps. Maintain your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and the freezer at 0 degrees. Refrigerate or freeze perishables and discard food that’s left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Use ready-to-eat, perishable foods, such as dairy, meat, poultry, and seafood as soon as possible. Clean your refrigerator regularly and wipe up spills immediately. Clean the inside of the refrigerator with hot water and mild dishwashing detergent, then rinse. Once a week, check expiration dates on all products in your refrigerator.
Q. I am looking for a doctor and would like to know how to find out more information on my physician (i.e. where he went to school, any special residencies, etc).
(San Antonio, Texas)
(San Antonio, Texas)
A. You can go to the American Medical Association website http://www.ama-assn.org/ and go to a section “For Patients: Doctor Finder.” The AMA Doctor Finder provides information on virtually every licensed physician in the United States, including more than 690,000 doctors of medicine and doctor of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine.
Q. I don’t know what some of the abbreviations mean on my prescription and my prescription bottle, such as “prn”.
(Troy, Texas)
(Troy, Texas)
A. The medical abbreviation “PRN” means “as needed.” Your provider determines the times of administration for a medication according to the individual patient needs. If you think that he/she intended for you to take it more regularly or if you have any questions, ask your provider for clarification.
Q. How many milligrams are in a gram?
(Tyler, Texas)
(Tyler, Texas)
A. A milligram (mg) is a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a gram (g) (1 gram = 1000 milligrams). Your correct dosage recommendation should be clearly written on your medication label. If you have any questions, you should ask your pharmacist or provider about your dosage questions.
Q. My 11 year old child was on a prescription. Because she is feeling much better, I don’t think she needs to take the rest of it, especially since it is an especially large pill. Is this okay?
(New Cumberland, PA)
(New Cumberland, PA)
A. The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the importance of reading and following the directions on the label. For example, certain medicines may say “Take full course” which means that your child should finish taking the entire contents of the prescription, even if she is feeling better. This is especially true if your child is taking antibiotics because the infection can come back if you stop too soon. You should ask your doctor or pharmacist if this medicine may be crushed if it is too big for your child to swallow. Also, some medicines may come in liquid form. Check with your pediatrician.
Q. I was just diagnosed with OCD and my doctor said that this condition requires life-long medication in order to manage the symptoms. What is OCD and where can I get more information on it?
(Roseburg, Oregon)
(Roseburg, Oregon)
A. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) as a condition that affects approximately 3.3 million people. Those with OCD may suffer from recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions), which they feel they cannot control. These obsessions can severely affect a person’s life and treatment may be appropriate. A combination of medications and behavioral therapy are often effective in treating OCD. See http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/ocdfacts.cfm to find out more about OCD.
Health Questions Archives
Paul Antony, MD, MPH is PhRMA’s chief medical officer. He completed his premedical and medical training at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and George Washington Universities. He is board-certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and joined the association after serving in the U.S. Navy, most recently as flight surgeon and senior medical officer for the Marine One Presidential Helicopter Squadron.
Sharon Brigner, MS, RN, is Deputy Vice President of Access & Affordability at PhRMA. A registered nurse with experience in health policy management, nursing care administration, direct patient care and research, she previously was a senior health policy analyst with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and treated patients as a clinical research nurse in neurology at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.
Ask A Question