Barbara Ebel, M.D. - The Credible Medical Fiction Writer
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Stroke Awareness by Barbara Ebel, M.D.

12/26/2013

 
I hope you’re not thinking that strokes only affect old people and you’re not near that age group to worry about this topic. Yet, you’re probably somewhat familiar with what to watch out for and what to do if someone seems to be having a heart attack!

Strokes don’t just affect the elderly and they are the 3rd leading cause of death and the number 1 cause of disability in the U.S.  How about familiarizing yourself with the warning signs and primary methods of treatment? Knowing them may come in handy someday – for yourself, a loved one or a neighbor.

A neighbor is shoveling snow and his arm becomes weak and his speech sounds slurred when he calls over his dog. Only 50% of stroke victims can name even one sign of a stroke!

Here’s a great way to remember the major warning signs of a stroke: the “FAST” mnemonic:

Face – facial droop (is a person’s smile uneven or is one side of their face drooping?)
Arm – arm weakness or paralysis (is one arm weak or feeling numb? Ask them to raise both arms and one may drift downward).
Speech – slurred speech (is the person unable to speak or difficult to understand?).
Time – this is a neurologic emergency! (If you’re suspicious they are having a stroke, it’s time to call 911).

There are a variety of risk factors making us more susceptible to having a stroke. Some of them include hypertension, tobacco use, Diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, history of TIA’s, atrial fibrillation, valvular disease,
obesity, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use.

Here’s a little tidbit about what causes a stroke. You can think of them as being hemorrhagic (bleeding due to a ruptured blood vessel) or ischemic (less blood supply to that area of the brain due to an obstruction). For instance
, the ischemic type can occur due to an embolism or a thrombus lodged in a brain’s blood vessel.

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So what about treatment? Obviously prevention is the best management. Talk to your doctor about low dose aspirin as a secondary prevention. Eating fish once or more per month is also touted to reduce your risk for stroke.

But here’s your big role in this! If a stroke is occurring, it’s a race against the clock to get medical treatment that can prevent lasting damage. Call 911 and make a note of the time as medical personnel will want to know. The first line of treatment is tPA. That’s intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. It’s a clot-busting drug that must be used within three hours. It helps restore blood flow to the brain and increase chances of survival.

Secondly, there is a relatively small time window for endovascular treatment of an acute ischemic stroke from the stroke’s onset (up to eight hours). If the patient failed tPA treatment or they aren’t eligible for intravenous tPA, then a neurointerventional radiologist can perform a minimally invasive surgery, using a thin catheter tube to insert a stent into the blocked artery and remove the blood clot.




Okey dokey, now you’ve been armed with food for thought regarding stroke awareness and prevention. Consider making life style changes to reduce your risk factors for stroke and remember the FAST acronym. After all, getting out in the crisp cold and clearing some fluffy snow off your front path can be a safe and invigorating activity.  As the following pictures demonstrate, there are easy and difficult ways to shovel snow!

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Happy New Year everyone and consider gifting yourself or a loved one my fun health book "Younger Next Decade: After Fifty, the Transitional Decade, and what You Need to Know."
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Feel free to leave comments below to the left after the recipe!
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This is one of my favorites….full of oatmeal and blueberries (which I freeze during the summer and pull out for this recipe).  I also don't make them as muffins...but in cake or loaf pans and adjust the baking time accordingly.

        Lemon Blueberry Oat Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup fat-free milk (I use 2%)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

TOPPING:
½ cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened


DIRECTIONS:
  • In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the egg, egg white, milk, butter, lemon peel and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in berries.
  • Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or use paper liners; fill two-thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter.
  • Bake at 400° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 dozen.
Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.
Nutritional Analysis: One muffin equals 166 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 158 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.
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Feel free to leave comments below to the left.


Glad Tidings by Barbara Ebel, M.D.

12/19/2013

 
                     Glad Tidings!
                                                 
These popular Christmas words pop up in a variety of  lyrics and holiday jingles such as:
                Glad tidings! Glad tidings!
                                    - or –
                 Glad tidings we bring…….

I can’t help but hum along when I read them or think of people raising wine or champagne glasses ready for a holiday toast.  Whether it’s at a once-a-year club membership gathering, an office party, subdivision social, or holiday home party,   alcohol will be on hand.  Women will be decked out in their finest red or green holiday sweaters and men in Santa Claus or Christmas tree ties and they’ll be mulling in front of buffet tables and making regular rounds to the bar set-up.

Which brings me to this week’s blog topic of alcohol. I had already decided on it before I spotted an article this week in USA Today. That writer was one step ahead of me but we’ll do our own spin on this important topic. Yes, it is related to everyone’s health, and it’s extremely timely for
the next two weeks. Besides the important ‘alcohol’ take-home message, I’ll try to tread easily with a little levity. Be amused at James Bond’s movie statistics for vodka martinis; there’s little doubt that Hollywood is capable of spinning glamour into alcohol consumption.

How much alcohol do you think you normally drink or how much might you consume Christmas week or on New Year’s Eve? Most folks  drink a lot more than they take credit for. Here are the facts (from my book Younger Next Decade) - the following amounts of alcohol each constitute a ‘drink:’

 0.6 fluid ounces or 1.2 tablespoons of pure alcohol mixed in your beverage constitutes a drink.
A single shot glass (1.5 ounces) of alcohol such as 80-proof whiskey or gin (that’s about 40% alcohol),
Five ounces of table wine (that’s about 12% alcohol),
Twelve ounces of beer or a cooler - that is about 5% alcohol.
If you drink two 12 ounce beers, that’s already two “drinks,” and if you were to polish off a 750 ml bottle of wine, you’ve had five drinks.

It adds up, doesn’t it?  The point is that what constitutes a drink is a lot less than the aver
age person would admit.

Point number two is this and we’ve heard it dozens of times. The next two weeks are among the deadliest times of the year to be on the road. Besides the regular  holiday crashes due to stress, time constraints and aggravated drivers, our highways and byways are more dangerous due to drunk drivers.

Be cautious this holiday season. Don’t let yourself become a statistic and watch out for loved ones. Decide ahead of time who isn’t going to drink when going out with friends or family. There needs to be a designated driver!



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Know that in bigger cities such as Boston, Chicago and New York there is a cab-hailing app called Hailo. There is a discount code available at certain bars for cab rides because funds have been donated – check out information about Hailo online ahead of time.

Wrap up 2013 in a safe and responsible manner. Raise that glass for health and happiness - it doesn’t necessarily have to have alcohol in it!

Feel free to leave comments below. Since you may have recipes and food figured out for the holidays, rather than leave a recipe, I’ll leave you with some poignant words from a previous President, and Glad Tidings  everyone:
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“On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ with prayer, feasting, and great merriment. But, most of all, we experience it in our hearts. For, more than just a day, Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over hate. It is present when men of any creed bring love and understanding to the hearts of their fellow man.

The feeling is seen in the wondrous faces of children and in the hopeful eyes of the aged. It overflows the hearts of cheerful givers and the souls of the caring. And it is reflected in the brilliant colors, joyful sounds, and beauty of the winter season.

Let us resolve to honor this spirit of Christmas and strive to keep it throughout the year.

Nancy and I ask you to join us in a prayer that prudence, wisdom, and understanding might descend on the people of all nations so that during the year ahead we may realize an ancient and wondrous dream: ‘peace on earth, goodwill toward men.’”

RONALD REAGAN, Christmas Message, December 24, 1981.

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