A new year ahead means new adventures, opportunities, and growth. If you want to make the most of it by staying healthy and informed, the medical experts at Bon Secours want to make it a little easier. Don’t miss this quick, eye-opening round-up of TOWN’s best wellness and preventative care insights shared by our friends at Bon Secours over the past year.
A Standout Preventative Care Procedure
Colon cancer is the nation’s second leading cause of cancer death—but it can be easily preventable with routine colonoscopies. “While the prep is unpleasant, it shouldn’t stop you from having a colonoscopy,” says Dr. Veeral Oza, a gastroenterologist and interventional endoscopist with Bon Secours St. Francis Gastroenterology. That’s because most colon cancers start as polyps, which doctors can remove during the procedure. “That’s where colonoscopy is the most beneficial: Finding that polyp and taking it out.”
Unexpected Advice for a Common Problem
With 26 bones in our feet, it might surprise you that “the most common diagnosis we see is plantar fasciitis,” reveals John Womack, MD, a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon with Bon Secours Piedmont Orthopaedics. If you’ve experienced that stabbing pain that indicates inflammation of the plantar fascia (the thick tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone and toes), “get on a diligent stretching program—say 4 to 5 times per day for a minute—and I don’t recommend custom fancy arch supports,” he adds. “You can get something off the shelf that works just as well.”
Keeping Your Spine Top-of-Mind
When healthy aging applies to your spine, “time is tissue,” says James Whaley, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Bon Secours Piedmont Orthopaedics. While there are true emergencies, many spine issues can improve with conservative treatments like injections and physical therapy—and preventative planning. “Older patients can experience compression fractures, and I think that really underscores the importance of bone health and having a conversation with your primary care provider, to make sure that if you do have osteoporosis, you are getting the appropriate treatment,” Whaley adds.
Technology = Peace of Mind for Seniors
“At Bon Secours, our patients have direct access to their medical record through MyChart,” shares Julia Paduano, a nurse practitioner at Stoneview Internal Medicine. “It’s a web-based portal that also offers end-of-life planning. Healthcare power of attorney, your living will, all of those important documents can be uploaded through MyChart, where they’re validated by an advanced care planning team to make sure the signatures are on each page and that it’s dated correctly. In times of emergency, we need those documents in order to fulfill your wishes as a patient.”
Matters of the Heart: Not Always the Same for Both Sexes
When sweltering summer heat, for example, starts overworking your heart and causing stress, the warning signs can vary drastically. Chest pain, shortness of breath, and extreme weakness are symptomatic of coronary artery disease, but sometimes there are no symptoms before a heart attack. Women’s symptoms can differ from men’s and often are atypical, like nausea, vomiting, and back pain. Fatigue and leg swelling could signal heart failure, while value issues might not surface until you undergo testing or routine screenings.
