Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 40)

12 FATIGUE 3 WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN: “It’s easy to pass off fatigue as due to stress, not sleeping or burning the candle at both ends,” says Sandra Fryhofer, M.D., past president of the American College of Physicians. “But it could be due to a medical condition—anemia, an underactive thyroid, heart disease, depression or hepatitis.” WHAT TO DO: If you’ve suffered from fatigue for more than two weeks, Fryhofer recommends that you make an appointment with your primary care physician to ﬁnd out its cause and how to treat it. UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN: Stepping on the scale to discover you’ve lost 10 pounds without even trying only sounds like a dream come true. If you haven’t changed your eating habits and you’ve lost a noticeable amount of weight, it can be a serious red ﬂag. The list of suspects includes diabetes, an overactive thyroid gland and cancer, according to Neil Shulman, M.D., and Jack Birge, M.D., co-authors of Your Body’s Red Light Warning Signals: Medical Tips That May Save Your Life. WHAT TO DO: “Go to your doctor,” Birge says. “This calls for a prompt investigation.” 40 SPRING 2 013 WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN: It might be something as simple as a sore throat. “But it also might mean a hidden malignancy or the ﬁ rst signs of Hodgkin disease,” Birge says. WHAT TO DO: Make an appointment to see your physician if the lump is larger than 1-inch wide or has lasted more than two weeks, Birge advises. Your physician will determine whether the lump is a discrete mass and may order a biopsy. SEEING SPOTS WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN: If you’re seeing specks or “ﬂoaters,” they may be more than annoying. They could be symptoms of retinal detachment, and you should see an eye-care professional immediately. WHAT CAN BE DONE: Small tears can be treated with laser surgery, during which tiny burns are made around the hole to “weld” the retina back into place. Another option is cryopexy, which freezes the area around the hole and helps reattach the retina. These procedures are usually performed in the doctor’s ofﬁce. More complicated cases may require a hospital stay. FAINTING WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN: If you’ve fainted or felt extremely dizzy after quickly standing up, you may suffer from more than embarrassment. Called syncopy, it can be a symptom of internal hemorrhaging from an ulcer, high blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes, severe dehydration, anemia or serious heart irregularities such as arrhythmias, Birge says. WHAT CAN BE DONE: Your primary care physician may order tests to check your blood sugar level and blood count and to monitor your heart. 6 BLOOD IN URINE WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN: There are many causes of bleeding into the urinary tract, such as bladder infection, but “one of them is cancer, which may be in the kidney, ureter, bladder or prostate,” Shulman says. “At the time when they are still curable, these cancers often do not cause pain.” WHAT CAN BE DONE: In addition to a urinalysis, your physician may order an ultrasound of your kidneys or a cystoscopy to see the interior lining of the bladder. If a suspicious mass is found, a biopsy usually will be performed. PHOTOGRAPHY BY THINKSTOCK 5 A NECK LUMP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
Where Lasting Weight Loss Begins
Open Heart Surgery Journey
You’re the Star
Heart-to-Heart
Lighten Up!
Have No Fear
Work It!
Diane Keaton
What Are the Chances?
9 Symptoms Never to Ignore
When Allergies Attack
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Aiding Babies
Back on Top
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center