21 Jan 2014

Under-Eye 'Bags' or Festoons?

By Rick Martin
Nationally Recognized Physician Explains Why
You Should Know the Difference

For a malady that's as common to aging as waning vision, festoons - also called "malar mounds" -- aren't well understood by the public, says Adam J. Scheiner, M.D., an international eyelid and facial cosmetic surgeon specializing in the treatment of Festoons and featured on "The Dr. Oz Show" and "The Doctors."

"The more people know about the causes of Festoons and how they are often misdiagnosed, the better informed they are to be their own effective health-care advocates," says Dr. Scheiner, who educates the public through his popular blog at www.adamscheinermd.com and his new book, The True Definition of Beauty.

"A growing part of my practice is correcting treatments with less than favorable results that patients have had done elsewhere; like fillers used under the eyes to treat 'bags,' or lower eyelid surgery that doesn't address the patients' Festoons," Dr. Scheiner says.

"The lack of awareness around Festoons and how ubiquitous they are ? and how often they are misdiagnosed ? is why my practice has executed an educational marketing campaign to bring clarity to combat the misinformation and confusion surrounding this condition," he adds.

What is the difference between "bags" and Festoons?

"'Bags' are caused by fat protruding through the skin in the lower eyelid area, while Festoons, which also protrude, are primarily on the upper part of the cheek," Dr. Scheiner says. "The two together can look like one large protrusion, but they're separate issues."

Physicians will perform procedures to help a patient's lower eyelid "bags," but often they leave the Festoons behind. This is because Festoons are notoriously hard to treat. The result? When they are not repaired at the same time as the "bags," Festoons can actually look worse compared against the newly rejuvenated lower lid.

Festoons can also be a marker for pre-cancerous skin conditions on other parts of the face ? another good reason to know the difference between Festoons and "bags."

Dr. Scheiner offers tips for evaluating whether you have "bags" or Festoons, the causes of both, and solutions:

· Are they "bags" or Festoons? "Bags" often appear as puffy circles directly beneath the eye. "If you touch them, they're usually firmer, and you can't easily move them from side to side. That's an indication they're 'bags,'" Dr. Scheiner says. "Also, if you look up, they become more prominent."

Festoons, on the other hand, are high on the cheek, although they can extend to the lower lid area. "They feel squishy to the touch, and they can be easily moved from side to side. They don't become more prominent when you look up."

· What causes them? "Bags" are generally associated with aging, although younger people can also get them, Dr. Scheiner says.

Festoons are usually the result of damage. Sun exposure, smoking and aging are among the possible causes, and the results can be worsened by the contrasting pull of underlying facial muscles over the years. Fair-skinned people tend to be more susceptible to Festoons.

· What can you do about them? "Effective treatments for removing 'bags' have been available for quite some time, but physicians have struggled with removing Festoons," Dr. Scheiner says. "Festoons are complicated to treat."

Medications and steroid injections can provide temporary improvement, and some older surgical procedures offer mixed results.

One of the biggest problems with Festoons and eye "bags" is that they occur around the most expressive area of the face?our eyes. The eyes speak volumes, but they can give off the wrong message if they are framed by Festoons or eye "bags."

"My patients say people are always asking them if they're sick or if they're tired," Dr. Scheiner says. "It's hard to hear that over and over again, and it begins to impact how you feel about yourself, as well as your energy level. What I love about the advanced laser and heading protocol that I developed is that it fundamentally changes the quality and the health of the skin?it takes swollen, sun-damaged skin and makes it smooth, tight and younger. It cleans up the messages around the eyes so that people can appear well and rested."

About Dr. Adam J. Scheiner

Adam J. Scheiner, M.D. is world-renowned in laser eyelid and facial plastic surgery for his groundbreaking treatment for Festoons. He wrote the medical text on the condition and treated two complex causes of Festoons for the Dr. Oz and The Doctors TV shows.

17 Jan 2014

Live Healthy Iowa Wellness Challenge 2014

By Lenore Alonso
Need a little motivation to live healthier and be more active in 2014? Sign up and join the Live Healthy Iowa 10 Week Wellness Challenge that runs from January 27 to April 4. It is a great way to increase physical activity, eat healthier, lose weight, or maintain your current healthy lifestyle.

For a fee of $20, participants will receive a challenge t-shirt, weekly motivational emails, unlimited access to recipes, workouts, health information, free registration for Winter and Summer Iowa Games Fitness Walks, magazine subscription, and chances to win a variety of small and large prizes! Registration is now open!
Get Started Now:

1. Build or join a team of 2 to 10 people and choose a team name.

2. Go to www.livehealthyiowa.org and click 'Join Today'. If there are multiple teams formed from one location or organization, a group ID number will be given to link the teams together.

3. Complete the required registration information and submit payment online.

For more information on the Live Healthy Iowa Wellness Challenge, please visit the Scott County website: www.scottcountyiowa.com/health.

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17 Jan 2014

Courage and Compassion in the Advocacy of Mental Health Award

By Lou Ann Goral

Two Individuals honored for their dedication and efforts in working with mental illness.

DAVENPORT, Iowa - On January 11, 2014, the Vera French Community Mental Health Center honored two dedicated individuals with the Courage and Compassion in the Advocacy of Mental Health Award for their efforts and contributions to improving conditions for people with mental illness.

For almost 40 years, Chris McCormick Pries has worked at Vera French Community Mental Health Center and is currently a Board Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and the Clinical Director. Chris is also a major provider of community services for individuals, educators, counselors, and care givers in the Quad Cities. She is involved with Jason's Box, the Mental Health Legal Task Force, Eating Disorders Consortium, the Safety Net in Peril Committee, a trainer for the Davenport and Bettendorf police and a public speaker bringing awareness to eradicate the stigma of mental illness. Chris has dedicated her life to providing quality, accessible and comprehensive care to those suffering from mental illness and has worked compassionately to make their lives more complete.

Dr. William Nissen has been working with the patients of the Vera French Community Mental Health Center since 1980. He is an Adult Psychiatrist responsible for evaluating patients for the presence of psychiatric disorders, medication management and hospital care.  Dr. Nissen completed his MD, Master of Science in Anatomy, and Bachelor of Science Degrees at the University of Iowa.  He has served as Medical Director of Adult Services and continues as the Medical Director at the Vera French Pine Knoll Residential Facility. Dr. Nissen's work with individuals with persistent mental illness has helped many to live the best lives possible in the community. He encourages patients to understand their illness and to take appropriate steps to maintain their health and safety.

"Both award winners are exemplary examples of courage and compassion, not only for Vera French clients but also for their co-workers, board members and the community," stated Anne Armknecht, CEO of the Vera French Community Mental Health Center. "They have gone above and beyond in leading efforts to combat the negative social stigma and providing services that improve the lives for those suffering from mental illness."

About Vera French Community Mental Health Center:

Vera French Community Mental Health Center serves as mental health advocate for all populations in Scott County,

Iowa. Through the center's clinical and community outreach services, our staff seeks to help people live well, coping

with depression and other forms of mental illness. Services include individual, group and family therapy for children

and adults in a clinic setting. Vera French also offers school-based therapy available in elementary schools in the

Davenport, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley and North Scott school districts.

 

Additional programs for chronically ill adults include the Pine Knoll Residential care facility for 24-hour support and

three voluntary outpatient programs to assist individuals in gaining new skill sets needed to live independently.

An Adult Day Program offering group therapy helps patients transition to or remaining in a non-hospitalized status.

The Carol Center provides a place for learning skill sets, receiving a subsidized meal and peer interaction.

For more information, visit  http://www.verafrenchmhc.org

17 Jan 2014

Drug Enforcement Administration official on marijuana legalization

By Grassley Press

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today made the following comment on observations from a top official at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that state efforts to fully legalize marijuana are "reckless and irresponsible." The observations from James Capra, chief of operations at the DEA, came at a drug caucus hearing this week in response to a question from Grassley.

"The comments from this top DEA official echo what I've been hearing in Iowa.  Law enforcement officers in Iowa are reporting increases in marijuana coming to Iowa from Colorado. The Obama Administration's decision not to prioritize the prosecution of the large-scale trafficking and sale of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado will contribute to these problems.  The latest national survey of teen-agers shows high rates of marijuana use and an increase in the number of students who don't view regular marijuana use as harmful.  Meanwhile, in Iowa, marijuana was involved in one-fifth of all drug-related emergency room visits in 2011.  I appreciate the challenges facing law enforcement in dealing with the mixed messages on marijuana being sent by the Obama Administration and some states."

16 Jan 2014

Iowa Ranks 11th in the Nation with a C for for Policies that Support Emergency Patients

By Julie Lloyd, American College of Emergency Physicians
WASHINGTON – Iowa moved from 19th place in 2009 to 11th place in the 2014 American College of Emergency Physicians' (ACEP) state-by-state report card on America's emergency care environment ("Report Card"). The state received an overall C, despite critical health care workforce shortages.

"Limited access to specialists and other health care continue to burden the Iowa health care system," said Dr. Michael Miller, president of the Iowa Chapter of ACEP. "Our state has demonstrated a great commitment to injury prevention funding and disaster preparedness. We need to build on those strengths to address remaining weaknesses in the state's support for emergency care." 

Iowa received its best grade, a B for Public Health and Injury Prevention, for strong funding of injury prevention, which is reflected in the state's low fatal injury rate. Iowa has the eighth lowest rate of homicide and suicide, a very low rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and one of the lowest pedestrian fatality rates. The state still has one of the higher rates of fatal occupational injuries. According to the Report Card, funding directed specifically for occupational injury prevention would reduce that rate.

The C+ for Disaster Preparedness ranked Iowa 14th in the nation in this category. The state more than doubled its bed surge capacity since the last Report Card and has the fifth highest percentage of nurses who have received disaster training (47.2 percent). Iowa could improve this grade further by increasing medical professional registration in the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals.

Iowa received C's in both Quality and Patient Safety Environment and Medical Liability Environment, and ranked in the bottom half of the country in both categories. The state lacks specific triage and destination policies for stroke and heart attack patients and lacks a uniform system for providing pre-arrival instructions. Iowa has few legal protections in place for physicians who provide emergency care to high-risk patients. Iowa's Medical Liability Environment could be improved by the institution of pretrial screening panels to discourage frivolous lawsuits and a cap on non-economic damages.

The C- and 13th place ranking signals a decline for Iowa in the category of Access to Emergency Care from the 2009 Report Card. The state has the lowest per capita rate of emergency physicians in the nation and lacks neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, orthopedists and hand surgeons. Increased Medicaid fee levels could help attract and retain a skilled health care workforce.

"The best medicine in the world won't help you if there's no physician to deliver it in a timely manner," said Dr. Miller. "Iowa must focus on increasing our medical workforce and enacting medical liability reforms to make Iowa an attractive place to physicians."

"America's Emergency Care Environment:  A State-by-State Report Card - 2014" evaluates conditions under which emergency care is being delivered, not the quality of care provided by hospitals and emergency providers. It has 136 measures in five categories:  access to emergency care (30 percent of the grade), quality and patient safety (20 percent), medical liability environment (20 percent), public health and injury prevention (15 percent) and disaster preparedness (15 percent). While America earned an overall mediocre grade of C- on the Report Card issued in 2009, this year the country received a near-failing grade of D+.

ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

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16 Jan 2014

3 Things Every Patient Should Know When Dealing with the Health-Care System

By Ginny Grimsley
Patient Advocate Warns Those New to Insurance Coverage:
Speak Up for Yourself

With millions of people newly covered by health insurance, and 11,000 more becoming eligible for Medicare every day, more people will be visiting doctors and hospitals.

And while that's a positive, patient advocate Ruth Fenner Barash warns that the U.S. health care system is not always the benevolent safety net many people believe it to be. It can be abusive, incompetent, callous toward patients - and worse.

"Patients and their loved ones cannot blindly turn themselves over to this massive, technology-based system and trust that it will care - or take care of them," says Barash, who shares lessons learned from extensive health-care experiences in a new book, "For Better or Worse: Lurching from Crisis to Crisis in America's Medical Morass," (http://forbetterorworsebook.com/).

Her cautionary tale traces the long medical journey her husband, Philip, endured with her as his advocate. She discovered mismanagement and excess, useless interventions and a sometimes complete disregard for pain - even when there was no hope of healing.

"I learned a great deal from our experience, and with so many people now gaining access to health care, I want others to benefit from what I've learned," she says. "You can navigate the system; you just have to know how."

Barash offers these suggestions for patients and their loved ones, whether it's a trip to the doctor for a checkup or a diagnosis of a catastrophic illness.

• Avoid the emergency room - for your own sake. Emergency rooms were developed with the idea that few people would use them - most people would see their physician. But as health care costs rose, they became a primary care facility for those without insurance or the money to pay for services out of pocket. "Patients and their families were not expected to spend a long time in the E.R. - presumably, they would be seen quickly and either admitted to the hospital or treated and released - so they're not designed for comfort," Barash says. "They've become very crowded, especially in cities, and patients might wait for hours sitting in hard plastic chairs in the waiting room. For someone who's sick or injured, this can be torture."
Sick people usually are not isolated, so waiting rooms also teem with germs, she notes.

• Be skeptical - question everything. Too often, we take the first thing we're told as gospel, Barash says. "If you have the luxury of time, take some of that time to think things through, to research and get second opinions," she says. Research your physician's connections. When you're referred to a specialist, ask why that particular person. If you live in an area with a large academic community, ask around about the physicians and health-care providers with the best reputations. Who has the most experience in a particular niche? Who's doing the most promising research? How many times have you performed this procedure and what is your success rate?

• Ask what it costs - no matter who's paying. Our health-care system is absurd in the number of useless consultations, diagnostic procedures and interventions it foists on patients, Barash says. Whether our hospital bills are fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance, or we're paying a portion ourselves, we must all include cost in our discussions with health-care providers. "Part of the blame for having the most expensive health-care system in the world goes to us, the individuals, who don't question purchases or shop for prices as we would for groceries, clothing, or furniture," Barash says.  "If a test or consultation is ordered, understand why. Is it really necessary? You can say no!"

Finally, Barash says, we all must come to terms with the fact that death is a given.

"My husband's problem, and the problem many of us may be doomed to face, is the seemingly endless getting there - a dying we don't want."

About Ruth Fenner Barash

Ruth Fenner Barash studied philosophy at City College of New York and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. In 1958, she met and married Philip Barash, a private practice attorney. She went on to work in public relations and real estate, served education and civic organizations at the executive level, and taught art in various media. Her long marriage was a "harmonious adventure" despite the couple's treacherous journey through the health-care system. Her husband died in 2012.

14 Jan 2014

Walk-in Service at TRICARE Service Centers to end by April 1, 2014

By TRICARE Communications
January 14, 2014

Since the first TRICARE Service Center opened in the mid 1990's, we've seen a shift in how you get information. With today's technology, anything you can do at a TRICARE Service Center can be done online or over the phone. Consequently, walk-in service ends at TRICARE Service Centers in the U.S. by April 1, 2014. Because our overseas areas are unique, walk-in service at TRICARE Service Centers in all overseas areas will continue. This change does not affect any TRICARE benefits or health care services.

For more detailed information and updates go to www.tricare.mil/TSC.

Read the Department of Defense article www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=121473.
14 Jan 2014

11 Resolutions to Stick With

By Everyday Health
The promise of a new year sparks the desire to get healthy ? at least for the first few weeks. "Most New Year's resolutions are aimed at changing habits, and habits ? even if they have disastrous consequences for the long run ? are hard to change," says Joshua Kellman, MD, a clinical associate in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago. "They become rather hard-wired over time." But just because New Year's resolutions are tough to keep doesn't mean they're impossible. Start with a new approach: goal-setting that includes physical and emotional well-being, with milestones that increase your commitment as you reach them.

Resolution No. 1: Learn to Laugh at Yourself

Laughing is one New Year's resolution that should be easy to keep ? and it's good for your health. "Being able to engage life positively and with spontaneity is crucial to mental and even physical health," says Kellman. "And when we laugh, this is what we are doing." Studies have found that people who laugh a lot are at decreased risk for heart attack. So make a resolution to chuckle, giggle, or have a hearty guffaw ? even at your own expense when you do something silly or embarrassing. Laughing feels much better than stressing.

Get 10 more resolution goals that will help you ring in a healthy 2014.

Learn more at EverydayHealth.com »
10 Jan 2014

In Iowa's Interest: January Brings Historic Health Care Benefits and Protections

By Rick Martin

Ringing in the new year took on a new meaning in 2014 as our nation welcomed a new day in affordable, quality health care for all Americans.  On January 1st, historic provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) took effect, ensuring that no American can be denied coverage or charged more due to a pre-existing condition, charged higher premiums because of their gender, or denied coverage because of an annual benefit limit.

These new benefits and consumer protections mean that up to 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions - including 17 million children - no longer have to worry about being denied health coverage or charged higher premiums because of their health status.  Millions of uninsured Americans have new health insurance options through Medicaid or private health plans in the Marketplace.  Of those Americans, nearly 6 in 10 could pay less than $100 per month for coverage.  And millions of Americans no longer have to worry about having their health insurance cut off once they reach an annual limit on benefits.

These new benefits come in addition to the protections consumers have already enjoyed for the past three years?benefits such as free preventive services like mammograms or cancer screenings, and coverage for young adults under age 26 on their parents' plan.

In Iowa, our state has benefited from the ACA by using funding to expand outreach and enroll families in affordable health insurance options at its 14 community health centers and 94 sites across the state. In 2012, community health centers provided crucial health services for 181,781 Iowans who would have otherwise found care out of reach.

When you consider where our country was before the ACA, when Medicare recipients had to foot part of the bill for many preventive health services, it becomes clear that these historic patient protections and savings are already making a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. In Iowa, 342,501 people with Medicare received at least one preventive service at no cost to them during the first eleven months of 2013, and new data shows that, nationally, the ACA has saved 7 million seniors and people with disabilities a total of $9 billion in out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs since the law took effect. In 2013 alone, 35,100 Iowans on Medicare have saved more than $26 million on prescription drugs. These services keep people well, reduce chronic disease, and help bend the cost curve on health spending in our country.

There is no question that challenges in our health care system were decades in the making and will not be solved overnight, but every day more Americans are signing up for insurance and getting the peace of mind of knowing that they can get the care they need.  That goal was at the heart of the health reform mission - to improve access to quality, affordable health care.  The ACA does just that, helping Iowans gain access to quality healthcare when they need it the most.

For more information on enrolling in health insurance options under the ACA, visit www.HealthCare.gov. You can also visit Senator Harkin's website at  http://harkin.senate.gov/, or follow him on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/ and Twitter  https://twitter.com/.

 

A PDF version of this article is available here.

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10 Jan 2014

Anti-Glycation: the Next Level in the Battle Against Aging

By Ginny Grimsley
Things Everyone Should Know About the Effects
of Sugar on Skin

Most people today know antioxidants to be an effective method of fighting age, but few are aware of the biological process underlying for most skin damage - and what directly addresses the problem, says skin-care expert Ron Cummings.

"The word that has been on the minds of dermatologists and other skin-care researchers for many years is glycation, which is what happens on the cellular level to age our skin," says Cummings, founder and CEO of AminoGenesis Skin Care, (www.aminogenesis.com).

Glycation - damage to proteins caused by sugar molecules - has long been a focus of study in people with diabetes, because it results in severe complications, such as blindness and nerve damage. People with uncontrolled diabetes have excess blood sugar, so they experience a higher rate of systemic glycation, he says.

"Antioxidants fight inflammation caused by free radicals, which are largely created from external, environmental factors such as excessive sunlight or cigarette smoke. Glycation, though, damages from the inside out."

Using antioxidants and topical moisturizers are a good start to keeping the effects of aging at bay, but they only go so far, Cummings says. Even more important is reversing the damage to skin caused by glycation, which became possible only recently.

Cummings shares three points anyone interested in skin care should know about glycation:

• Glycation is the skin's No.1 aging factor. Sugar molecules in our body bombard our cells like a ferocious hail storm, bonding with fats and proteins. The proteins then become misshapen and excrete exotoxins that disrupt cellular metabolism. Collagen, which makes skin look smooth and plump, is a protein that's particularly vulnerable to glycation. The damage manifests as wrinkles, lines, discoloration and edema. Rather than attacking a cell from the outside, like a free radical, glycation occurs from within.

• Anti-glycation topical solutions have been clinically shown to be effective. Old lotions, from your favorite moisturizer to Grandma's secret facial solution to the new DIY recipe you found online act as a barrier to moisture evaporation. But their effect is temporary, and they don't prevent or reverse damage. New anti-glycation formulas, however, directly address aging by releasing the sugar molecule's bond with protein, allowing the cell to return to its natural shape and state.

"Just as antioxidants have revolutionized anti-aging efforts around the world, anti-glycation will be understood to be exponentially more effective," Cummings says.

About Ron Cummings

Ron Cummings is the founder and CEO of AminoGenesis Skin Care, which utilizes amino acids as the key ingredients to its age- and damage-reversing products. The formula for the solution features 17 plant-purified amino acids, which are necessary for healthy and radiant skin. The company's formulas include anti-glycation properties, which are very rare in today's skin-care products. Cummings donated one of his products, a protective agent, to support military forces in Afghanistan and received a hearty letter of gratitude from the Marines of Special Operations Company Bravo, which described the product's excellent performance, as well as a flag that was flown "in the face of the enemy, over Forward Operating Base Robinson in Sangin, Afghanistan."

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