Doctor Column

An Update on New Blood Pressure Targets

For years physicians have struggled to identify the optimal blood pressure for a given patient population. The group of experts collectively known as the JNC (Joint National Commission) has been historically tasked to address the use of antihypertensive agents. Every few years, the JNC publishes recommendations on various topics as they relate to hypertension.

PART 2: A PARENT’S CHECKLIST GUIDE TO HEARING LOSS

Hearing loss is the most common birth defect in the US. Parents are encouraged to be proactive about a child’s hearing, speech and language development. These are some of the steps a parent can take to tract your child’s development. The following checklist is provided as a ‘guide’ by the American Academy of Otolaryngology to determine if your child has a loss of hearing. Check only those factors that apply to you, your family or your child.

PART 1: “DOCTOR, CAN MY CHIILD HEAR?”

Shanika passed the hearing screening test done at the hospital two days after birth. The parents left the hospital feeling that everything was fine with their baby. Gradually she became less responsive to sounds. She was not startled by loud noises, nor did she turn her head in the direction of voices or sounds.

HC SMART: #2 / PSA Screening for Prostate Cancer

Elevated PSA levels must be interpreted thoughtfully and with care. There is not a level of PSA that is specifically diagnostic of prostate cancer. To use PSA in order to estimate a man’s risk of prostate cancer, PSA should be interpreted over time and in the context of other risk factors; such as a strong family history of prostate cancer and African-American ethnicity.

MIDDLE EAR INFECTIONS: OTITIS MEDIA (OM)

Otitis Media (OM) is a serious disease. It is an inflammation or infection of the middle ear -namely- that air filled cavity located behind the eardrum and in front of the inner ear. Several vital structures occupy this middle ear space and one of them is important for our ability to hear and another is the nerve that controls facial movements. Also, the middle ear is extremely sensitive to pain.

Gluten Aware

The media has focused a lot of attention on gluten free diets and the role of gluten in inflammatory disease. The important thing to remember is that one should be “gluten aware”, not terrified of gluten. Only those with Celiac diesaese have to be strictly wheat free.