Page 3 - HealthBeat March 2017

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rehabilitation, and sedation dentistry to be employed to correct your dental techniques since 1986 as a cosmetic dentist and implant dentist to provide patients with new smiles, increased comfort and function. Our daily patient procedures include cosmetic crowns, porcelain veneers, dental implants, cosmetic dentures, cosmetic gum surgery, and bone grafting all performed with the control, comfort and safety of IV sedation dentistry. Dr. Jirik practices in the heart of Central Arkansas in Cabot, in his state of the art facility equipped and
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- Michael Desmuke Pastor, Independent Baptist Church
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
Send your health-related questions to healthbeat@arkansasonline.com.
on call Q:
Can I prevent
hot flashes?
SHASHANK KRALETI, M.D.
FAMILY MEDICINE • UAMS
Hot flashes are one of the most
universal symptoms associated with menopause. They are characterized by a quick feeling of heat, sometimes accompanied by sweating and redness or flushing in the face. Some women also experience an increase in their heart rate or chills after a hot flash, which can occur day and night, and might cause difficulty sleeping.
Most women experience hot flashes around menopause and after.
That said, it may help to avoid the following: stress, caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, tight clothing, heat and cigarette smoke.
In addition to avoiding potential triggers, you might also try the following:
• Keep your bedroom cool at night, using fans during the day and wearing light layers of clothes with natural fibers such as cotton.
• Practice slow, deep breathing for 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at night and when a hot flash occurs.
• Exercise daily.
• Sleep with chill pillows. Nonprescription treatments include
vitamin B complex, vitamin E and ibuprofen. While most women get them, hot flashes tend to become less severe as time goes on. If they persist, consult your physician, who
can prescribe medications for hot flashes.
Will antibiotics make my birth control pills less effective?
Some antibiotics and medications will reduce the effectiveness of birth
control pills, but the medical community is split on whether the research is sufficient to make a clear determination in all uses.
We know that the antibiotic rifamp- in, which is used to treat tuberculosis and meningitis, reduces the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Other drugs that have a known impact on birth control are certain HIV medications, some anti-seizure drugs
and the herbal supplement St. John’s wort. But when it comes to more commonly used antibiotics, the evidence is less clear. A Harvard study of more than 43,000 women concluded that antibiotics didn’t reduce the effectiveness
of birth control pills.
However, other doctors have said there isn’t
enough evidence to be certain. That is why a number of physicians and pharmacists recom- mend that women additionally use nonhor- monal forms of birth control, such as condoms, while taking antibiotics and for a week after.
This is a great issue to discuss with your physician.
What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary dis- ease, often called COPD, is a pro-
gressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe.
The two most common forms of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and many people with COPD have a combination of the two conditions. Emphysema involves damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. In chronic bronchitis, the lining of the airways is irritated and inflamed, causing it to thicken. Chronic bronchitis is also characterized by an overabun- dance of mucus in the airways.
Common symptoms of COPD include a per- sistent cough that produces a lot of mucus, shortness of breath, wheezing and tightness in the chest.
COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Other risk factors include long-term exposure to secondhand smoke, industrial dust and chemical fumes. A genetic condition can also cause COPD.
There is no cure for the disease, but a vari- ety of treatments are available. The best thing someone diagnosed with COPD can do is stop smoking, which can help slow the progression of the disease.
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