Hometown Health Newsletter: Waycross - MC2443-WC

hometown
health
4
STUDIES
SHOW
BREAST
HEALTH
10
F a l l 2 0 15
DOCTOR’S
ORDERS
IS IT A COLD
OR THE FLU?
Heart disease
and women
PAGE 6
14
GOOD
QUESTION
MENOPAUSE
MYTHS
Focusing on the
‘health’ in ‘health care’
At Mayo Clinic Health System, we’re in the business of keeping
you well.
That may seem obvious. But for many years, health care providers
were more focused on taking care of people when they were sick.
We’ve begun to realize the real goal of health care should be keeping
people healthy — and providing support for their needs both inside
and outside the doctor’s office.
That’s why we’re partnering with organizations like our local
schools, including Blackshear Elementary School in Blackshear
and Memorial Drive Elementary School in Waycross, where we’re
working with staff to develop health-related lessons and events.
And we provide Sports Medicine support to young athletes at high
schools in Ware, Pierce and Brantley counties.
But no matter how focused you are on staying healthy, there will
still be times you’ll need to see a health care provider. We want to
make sure you have a lot of options when you do. Sometimes, you’ll
see your primary provider. Other times, another member of your
care team, such as a nurse practitioner or dietitian, will be a better
fit. And you don’t always need to come to Waycross or Jacksonville
for care. Our clinics in Douglas and Folkston bring our specialists
to other communities, making care more convenient. Many minor
illnesses can even be managed through our nurse line or
Patient Online Services. Be sure you sign up for
this free service. Visit mayoclinichealthsystem.org
for more information.
Why so many options? Because health care
is not one size fits all. Your needs are different
from your neighbor’s, and may be
different this year from last year’s
needs. Our goal is to provide you
with exactly the right care, in the
right place, at the right time —
each time.
. John Presutti, D.O., CEO
R
Mayo Clinic Health System
in Waycross
2
2
inside
hometown health
Studies Show:
Breast health
Hunting safety tips
Doctor’s Orders:
Is it a cold or the flu?
Mother-to-be happy to find
prenatal care close to home
Good Question:
Menopause myths
3
Fitness & Book Clubs
4
7
10
12
14
15
things about
this issue of
Hometown
Health
Heart Health:
Men aren’t the only ones with
cardiovascular disease — young
women have the highest risk these
days. Find out why on page 6.
Cold or flu? George
Pujalte, M.D., explains the
difference on page 10.
Pregnancy shouldn’t
mean an end to your
fitness routine. Turn
to page 12 to learn
how to exercise safely
during pregnancy.
5
&
TOP 5:
events
Healthy food choices on the go
For a complete calendar
listing or to register, visit
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
Losing weight and eating
healthy doesn’t mean
swearing off fast food.
The occasional fastfood stop can fit into a
healthy lifestyle if you
know what to order.
classes
Blood Drive
Wednesday, Oct. 7
and
Wednesday, Dec. 9
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Annex Cafetorium
Breast-feeding Class
Thursday, Nov. 12
5 to 6:30 p.m.
$10
Mothers only, please.
Childbirth Class
Saturday,
Nov. 14
9 a.m. to
4 p.m.
$20
Mother
and partner.
1
Keep portion
sizes small
2
Watch what you drink
Many beverages are high in
calories. For example, a large
regular soda (32 ounces) has about
300 calories. Instead, order diet soda,
water or unsweetened iced tea.
Skip ice cream drinks. Large shakes
can contain more than 800 calories
and all of your saturated fat
allotment for the day.
32 oz. Soda
300 Calories
Pick the smallest
sandwich that the restaurant
has to offer. Multiple-patty
burgers contain close to
800 calories. Instead,
try a 250- to 300-calorie
children’s burger. It could
cut the calories in half.
Double Burger
800 Calories
3
Opt for
grilled items
Fried and breaded
foods, such as crispy
chicken sandwiches and
breaded fish fillets, are
high in fat and calories.
Go for grilled or roasted
lean meats — turkey,
chicken breast, lean ham
or lean roast beef are great
options.
4
Choose healthier
side dishes
Most fast-food restaurants
offer healthier sides. Instead of french
fries, consider a salad with low-fat
dressing or a baked potato. Other
healthful options include fruit, yogurt,
corn on the cob or baked potato chips.
5
Go green
Entrée salads are usually
offered with grilled chicken,
shrimp or vegetables. Pair that with a
fat-free or low-fat dressing, and you
can easily enjoy a meal under 500
calories. Avoid high-calorie salads
with deep-fried shells, breaded
chicken or extras, such as cheese,
bacon bits or croutons.
Sourced from mayoclinic.org
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
3
STUDIES SHOW
| hometown health | Fall 2015
Breast density and
its effects on women
Each year, 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast
cancer in the U.S. And that number is on the rise,
according to Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., an internal medicine
physician at the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota.
Breast density
One risk factor that’s associated
with a higher risk of developing
breast cancer is dense breast tissue.
“Dense breast tissue is the amount
of connective tissue, milk ducts and
glands relative to fatty tissue in
the breast,” says Dr. Pruthi. Breast
density is classified as D1 through
D4, with D1 as the fattiest — and
least dense — breasts and D4 as a
very dense breast where greater
than 75 percent of the breast is
composed of ducts and glands.
Although many women
with dense breast tissue don’t
develop cancer, Dr. Pruthi says
there is evidence that women
with D3 and D4 breast densities
have twice as high of a risk of
developing breast cancer compared
to women at average risk.
“We don’t know what causes
dense breasts,” says Dr. Pruthi.
“But women who are menstruating
and premenopausal produce more
estrogen, which increases their
4
likelihood of having dense breast
tissue since the tissue is stimulated
by hormones.” Older women
produce less estrogen and generally
have less ducts and glands, and
have more fatty tissue.
Diagnosing and treating dense
breast tissue
If a mammogram reveals very
dense breast tissue, the next step
is to determine if supplemental
screening is needed to further assess
the breast tissue.
Several imaging methods are
used as supplemental screening
to improve the detection of
tumors. “These imaging methods
include whole breast ultrasound,
molecular breast imaging, digital
mammography, 3D tomosynthesis
mammograms or magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI),” says
Dr. Pruthi. “Milk glands and ducts
can make breast density difficult to
interpret, so we try to decide on the
best test, taking into account
Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.
Internal Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minn.
the patient’s risk factors, family
history and density.”
Dr. Pruthi says the only way
for women to be diagnosed with
dense breast tissue is through
a mammogram. She follows
the American Cancer Society’s
recommendation that women
should get a mammogram at age
40, followed by subsequent yearly
mammograms.•
The Mayo Clinic
Breast Cancer
Book
Whether you’re facing a cancer
diagnosis or trying to prevent
breast cancer, this book brings
you the most accurate, reliable
and up-to-date information
available about prevention,
treatment, coping and living
with hope.
store.mayoclinic.com
Disclosure Policy:
Your right to know
LESS DENSE
D1
Almost entirely
fatty breasts
indicate that the
breast tissue is
almost entirely
composed of fat.
Up to
30 percent
of women have
this result.
Physicians in some states
are required by law to inform
women when tests reveal they
have dense breasts. What
happens from there hinges
on conversations between
women and their providers.
MORE DENSE
D2
D3
D4
About
About
About
30 percent
10 percent
Scattered areas
of fibroglandular
(milk ducts and
glands) density
indicate some
scattered areas
of density, but
the majority of
the breast tissue
is composed of
fatty tissue.
30 percent
of women have
this result.
Heterogeneously
dense (almost all
tissue composed
of milk ducts
and glands)
indicates some
areas of nondense tissue, but
the majority of
the breast tissue
is dense.
of women have
this result.
Extremely
dense breasts
indicate that
nearly all of the
breast tissue is
dense.
of women have
this result.
“Patients with a high risk of
breast cancer typically get an
MRI, but patients without that
risk can decide between the
other supplemental imaging
tests,” says Dr. Pruthi. “Some
tests involve more radiation,
and some can result in higher
false-positives — so it all
depends on what the patient
feels most comfortable with,
as well as her understanding
of the risks and benefits of
each test.”
Women with
D3 and D4
breast densities
have a
2x
higher
risk
of developing breast
cancer compared to
women at average risk.
© Mayo Clinic Breast Density Images. Sourced from mayoclinic.org
In-house specialty
physicians
improving care
for hospitalized
patients
Hospital medicine physicians now provide care for hospitalized patients at Mayo Clinic
Health System. These physicians, called hospitalists, are board certified in internal
medicine and specialize in caring for hospitalized patients. They are on the hospital
campus at all times and provide 24/7 care to patients and their families.
“Hospitalists offer excellent care to our patients,” says Brent Waters, M.D., a family
medicine physician at Georgia Physicians South in Blackshear, Georgia. “They’re
available for our patients during emergencies and when questions arise.”
Hospitalists partner with each patient’s primary care physician to ensure the best
possible care both in the hospital and afterward. Following discharge, the primary care
physicians resume the care and treatment of their patients.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
5
FEATURE
| hometown health | Fall 2015
Getting to the heart of the matter:
Women and cardiovascular disease
Are you feeling chest pain? Tingling or numbness in your left
shoulder? Nausea? You might be having a heart attack —
but you might not realize it.
Double-edged sword
“ Cardiovascular
disease is
80 percent
preventable
with an optimal
heart-healthy
lifestyle.”
haron Mulvagh, M.D.
S
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minn.
6
Nearly 1 million men and women die of
cardiovascular disease each year in the
U.S. Approximately half of those deaths
are from heart attacks, while the rest are
mostly from strokes and heart failure.
The good news? The number of
deaths from cardiovascular disease is
decreasing in both groups, according
to Sharon Mulvagh, M.D., director of
the Women’s Heart Clinic and associate
director of Preventive Cardiology at
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
The bad news? More women than men
are dying of cardiovascular disease and
in higher numbers.
But Dr. Mulvagh says the worst
news is that just over half of women
realize that cardiovascular disease is
their No. 1 killer, and even fewer young
women know this.
The million-person question
“The death rate from heart attacks in
women ages 35–54 has actually been
increasing by 1.5 percent per year over
the last decade,” says Dr. Mulvagh.
Why are younger women dying from
heart attacks more often? Dr. Mulvagh
says the reasons can be narrowed down
to a few important elements.
“Younger women have more risk
factors for cardiovascular disease, and
the factors seem to be more impactful
for women,” she says. “Women who
smoke, have high triglycerides and/
or have diabetes are two times more
likely to develop cardiovascular disease
than men. And the biggest thing driving
women’s risk is obesity.”
A supersized problem
“Obesity in the United States has
increased dramatically over the last
few decades — about one-third of the
population is normal weight, one-third
is overweight and one-third is obese,”
says Dr. Mulvagh. “This environment
we’ve lived in for 50 years, which
influences people to be overweight or
obese, is quite striking. We’ve supersized
everything — soft drinks, food — and
women appear to have been more
affected than men.”
Dr. Mulvagh says women, especially
those approaching midlife, tend to
develop a metabolic syndrome —
sometimes called prediabetes — that
increases heart disease risk if three of
these five characteristics are present:
• High blood pressure
•Glucose intolerance (elevated fasting
blood sugar)
• Elevated triglyercides
•Low HDL (high density) and high
LDL (low density) cholesterol
•35” or greater waistline for women
(40” or greater for men)
“All of these factors are lifestyle-induced,”
says Dr. Mulvagh. “Cardiovascular disease is
80 percent preventable with an optimal hearthealthy lifestyle.”
Family history plays an important role too.
Dr. Mulvagh says if you have an immediate
family member or relative who has had a
heart attack, it’s even more important for you
to lower your risk by living a heart-healthy
lifestyle.
How to have
a safe hunt
Most states in the U.S. have a
long-standing hunting tradition, and
safety is one of the most important
parts of hunting, whether you’re
a novice or experienced hunter.
Unique symptoms
Although women share some symptoms
of cardiovascular disease with men, they’re
often different.
“Nearly 60 percent of women having a
heart attack experience classic chest pain
symptoms,” says Dr. Mulvagh. “But women
tend to have more atyptical symptoms
than men.”
For example, women tend to have shortness
of breath more often. Some women only
get pain in their shoulders and back, or
experience profound fatigue. “Symptoms
can be hard to figure out, especially if it’s
something new. It’s very concerning — listen
to your body and get checked out,” says
Dr. Mulvagh.
Many hunters use a tree stand —
an elevated platform secured to a
tree — to hunt deer. Although tree
stands are effective tools, they can
be extremely dangerous.
Safety
harness
“We see tree stand-related falls with
alarming regularity,” says David
Ciresi, M.D., the trauma medical
director at Mayo Clinic Health
System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
And the reason is simple: Many
hunters don’t use a safety harness.
A typical conversation with a
patient who has fallen from a
tree stand goes like this:
Did you have
a harness?
Preventing the percentages
Dr. Mulvagh says you can help prevent
cardiovascular disease by maintaining a
healthy body weight and eating primarily
vegetables, fruit and lean sources of protein
while avoiding refined carbohydrates (white
sugar and starches). She recommends two
brief sessions of strength training per week,
at least 30 minutes of regular exercise most
days of the week or 60 minutes if you’re
overweight or obese.
“I like how the science journalist Michael
Pollan put it,” says Dr. Mulvagh. “’Eat food.
Not too much. Mostly plants.’ And get active.
For most people, this boils down to eating
less and moving more — a simple formula to
protect your heart.”•
Yes.
David Ciresi, M.D.
Trauma Center
Mayo Clinic
Health System
Eau Claire, Wisc.
Did you
have it on?
No.
Tree stands are often sold with a safety harness
included, but if not, it’s important to buy one. The
most effective harnesses have shoulder and leg
straps and include a safety strap to put around the
tree to climb the stand. The strap is then secured to
the tree while hunting to avoid falls.
Safety starts long before hunting. Tell people where
you’re going to hunt and when you will return.
Use recommended equipment properly, practice
appropriate weapon safety and enjoy your hunt.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
7
FEATURE
| hometown health | Fall 2015
Express Care
now open
for life’s little
emergencies
There’s a new option in
Waycross for diagnosing and
treating life’s little emergencies:
Express Care at Mayo Clinic
Health System. Formerly called
Convenient Care, Express
Care offers expanded hours,
a renovated office, and new
providers to meet your needs.
No appointment is necessary.
Most types of insurance are
accepted.
“This is a great option for many
minor care concerns,” says
Muhammad Akram, M.D.
“We focus on treating minor
illnesses and injuries
as quickly as
possible. Patients
are seen on a
first-come, firstserved basis.”
Express Care hours:
Monday through Friday
9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8
Muhammad
Akram, M.D.
Express Care &
Family Medicine
Waycross
Express Care’s
new office:
1921 Alice St., Suite A4
Waycross
Express Care offers evaluation and treatment
of a number of conditions, including but not
limited to:
•Allergies
• Pregnancy testing
• Athlete’s foot
• Respiratory infections
• Bladder infections
•Ringworm
•Bronchitis
• Scalp rash
• Chlamydia testing
•Shingles
• Cold sores
• Ear infections
•Shots:
flu, tetanus, adult hepatitis B,
tuberculosis, and measles,
mumps and rubella (MMR)
•Fever
• Sinus infections
•Flu
• Skin infections
• Itchy skin
• Sports physicals
•Laryngitis
• Strep throat
• Minor cuts
•Sties
• Minor rashes
• Swimmer’s ear
• Minor sunburn
• Swimmer’s itch
• Mononucleosis testing
• Throat cultures
• Pink eye
• Tick and insect bites
• Diabetes testing
• Poison ivy and poison oak
Stephanie Reese, D.O.
Now showing:
Meet our
providers
Want to learn more about a
provider you’re scheduled to
see? You can get a sneak peek
by visiting our website, where
we’re posting short videos of
many of our providers. You
can learn things ranging from
what drew them to medicine
to what you can do to get
the most out of your health
care. To view the videos, visit
mayoclinichealthsystem.org.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
9
DOCTOR’S ORDERS
| hometown health | Fall 2015
Cold vs. Flu
‘Tis the season. Cold and flu season, that is.
Below, George Pujalte, M.D., a family medicine and
sports medicine provider, outlines the difference
between the two, and shares how to keep yourself
George Pujalte, M.D.
Family Medicine
Waycross
Cold or flu?
— and those around you — healthy this year.
When to see your provider
Many cold and flu symptoms are
Dr. Pujalte says that in most cases,
the same, including stuffy nose,
both colds and the flu can be
sore throat, cough and headache.
treated at home with rest, fluids
One difference? Flu symptoms
and over-the-counter medications.
tend to be more severe.
But if you or a loved one are
But there are other differences
at high risk for complications
as well.
due to an underlying condition
“The flu often comes with
such as diabetes or asthma,
a sudden fever, whereas colds
see your provider. Infants who
do not,” says Dr. Pujalte. “And
show signs of dehydration,
patients with the flu often
such as crying with no tears
also experience chills,
or having significantly
fatigue and body or
fewer wet diapers than
Cold symptoms
tend
to
be
primarily
muscle aches.”
normal, should also
above
the
neck,
while
Another way to
be evaluated. And
flu symptoms are
tell the difference:
severe or unusual
more likely to be felt
Cold symptoms tend
symptoms, such as
all over the body.
to be primarily above
vomiting, confusion,
the neck, while flu
chest pain, stiff neck or
symptoms are more likely
difficulty breathing,
to be felt all over the body.
10
warrant a trip to the emergency
department.
Back to fitness
If you were sick for more than
three days, you may need to wait
until a day or two after you feel
better to return to your regular
exercise routine. Dr. Pujalte
suggests easing back into activity,
increasing your duration of
exercise first, then your intensity.
An ounce of prevention
The best way to avoid developing
a cold or the flu is still the easiest:
Washing your hands. Dr. Pujalte
says getting a flu vaccine is
important, too.
Your best shot at protection
What’s the best way to protect yourself against the
flu? Getting vaccinated. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recommend a yearly influenza
vaccination for everyone age 6 months or older.
Cover
your sneeze
or cough.
The best way to avoid developing a
cold or the flu is still the easiest —
washing your hands.
1
2
The flu vaccine
comes in two forms:
shot. Available to
A
everyone 6 months
and older.
Nasal spray. Approved
for healthy people ages
2 to 49 who aren’t
pregnant.
Contact your provider
to schedule an
appointment for a
flu vaccination.
Rub your
hands vigorously
for at least
20 seconds.
True or false:
The flu vaccine can
give you the flu
False: The vaccine can’t give you the flu.
You might develop the flu or flu-like symptoms after
getting the vaccine for other reasons, such as:
• Reaction to the vaccine. Muscle aches and
a fever may occur after a flu shot. The nasal
vaccine can cause runny nose, headache and
sore throat.
• The two-week window. It takes up to two weeks
for the vaccine to become effective, so you could
develop the flu during this time if exposed.
• Mismatched flu viruses. In some years, the
vaccine doesn’t match the viruses circulating
during the flu season. If you are exposed to
a strain of the flu that is not contained in the
vaccine, you could develop the flu.
• Other illnesses. Other illnesses, including the
common cold, produce flu-like symptoms.
Adapted from mayoclinic.org.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
11
PATIENT FEATURE
| hometown health | Fall 2015
Mother-to-be happy
to find prenatal care
close to home
Tiffany Warren loved
being pregnant with her
daughter, Sadie, now
2½. But she didn’t love
the 45-minute trips to
Jesup for her prenatal
doctor appointments.
“I delivered Sadie in Jesup
out of sheer necessity,”
says Warren, a counselor
at Memorial Drive
Elementary School in
Waycross. “At the time,
we didn’t have any female
OB-GYNs here in town.”
By the time Warren
became pregnant with
her second child, things
had changed. Three
obstetrician-gynecologists
now provide care at Mayo
Clinic Health System.
Warren chose to receive care
Tiffany and Daniel Warren
enjoy exercising with their
little ones, Sadie and Max.
“ There were definitely mornings I didn’t want to get out of bed and
run, but I did it and was always happier afterward.” Tiffany Warren
12
from one of them, Machelle
Borders, M.D.
“I’d heard nothing but good
things about Dr. Borders,”
says Warren, who says the
doctor’s reputation is welldeserved. “I loved her right
away. She’s very down to
earth. She’s laid back, yet
professional. I felt like I could
ask her anything.”
One of the first questions
she asked: What were
Dr. Border’s thoughts on
exercise during pregnancy?
“I’m an avid runner, and I
wanted to know her opinion
on exercising while pregnant
because there are many
different opinions out there,”
says Warren.
Dr. Border’s advice to
Warren was simple: Listen
to your body, and slow down
or stop when your body tells
you to.
“She told me that no one
knows my body better than I
do, and I should trust it,” she
says. “It was so refreshing to
hear a doctor say that.”
With her doctor’s
encouragement, Warren
kept up her running habit
throughout her pregnancy.
“I ran three half marathons
and then a 12K at 30 weeks,”
she says. “After that I started
scaling back the distance. The
last race I ran was a 5K at 37
weeks. Then I stuck to shorter
distances on the treadmill or
elliptical.”
Though it wasn’t always
easy, Warren exercised until
the morning she delivered.
“There were definitely
mornings I didn’t want to get
out of bed and run, but I did
it and was always happier
afterward,” she says.
Max Thomas Warren
arrived on Friday, March 27,
a healthy 7 pounds, 10.8
ounces. Warren has nothing
but praise for the team that
delivered her “sweet
baby boy.”
“Dr. Borders and the
team of nurses were
wonderful,” she says. “I
absolutely loved all of
my care.”
Just two weeks after Max
arrived, Warren was once
again off and running. Her
motivation?
“Exercise balances
everything out for me,
psychologically as well as
physically,” she says.
“I eat healthier when I’ve
exercised, and I feel better
when I exercise.”
She’s passing on that
knowledge — and her love
of running — to her daughter.
“Sadie likes to run with
Mommy, so we run together
on weekends,” says Warren.
“She ran her first 5K
with me at Mexico Beach
over the 4th of July.”•
Machelle
Borders, M.D.
OB-GYN
Waycross
Exercise during pregnancy? Yeah, baby!
Ah, pregnancy.
Time to sit back,
put up your feet and
relax, right? Wrong.
Most women should try to exercise at least 30 minutes most
days throughout pregnancy. Exercise can help reduce discomfort
during pregnancy, boost mood and prevent weight gain. Other
potential benefits include reducing the risk of gestational
diabetes and pregnancy-related high blood pressure.
In general, it’s safe to continue to exercise at your pre-pregnancy
level. If it’s been a while since you exercised, talk with your
provider before starting a new routine.
Adapted from mayoclinic.org.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
13
Q&A
| hometown health | Fall 2015
Q: W
hat’s one myth you hear
good
question
about menopause?
Sigismund Lee, M.D.
Surgery
Waycross
A:
There is a myth
that the treatment of other
medical or surgical problems is
always the same in all women
regardless of menopause.
But the truth is that there are
specific diseases that require
evaluation and processing of
a panel of information, such
as a woman’s menopausal
status. For example, treating
breast cancer in women who
are postmenopausal requires a
different class of medications,
called aromatase-inhibitors,
rather than the hormone
receptor antagonists. This is
just one of many considerations
when your team is tailoring your
care plan.
14
John Pennington, M.D.
Hospital Medicine
Waycross
A:
A common misconception
is that symptoms of
perimenopause are caused by
an absence of estrogen. Many
patients find this confusing
because symptoms may
sometimes persist for years. In
truth, perimenopausal symptoms
are due to falling levels of
estrogen, not a complete absence
of estrogen. This problem
becomes easier to understand and
address when we keep in mind
that it’s the change in estrogen
levels and not the absence of
estrogen levels that leads to the
symptoms of perimenopause.
Otherwise, we would expect the
symptoms to continue throughout
a woman’s lifetime. While falling
levels may indeed occur over the
course of several years, they will
eventually stabilize.
Jennifer Rafus
Certified family nurse practitioner
Primary Care
Waycross
A:
Sometimes women
think that hormone therapy
is the only treatment for
menopausal symptoms.
But there are several holistic
therapies that also help, such
as massage, Reiki, reflexology,
essential oils and acupuncture.
Short-term hormonal therapies,
exercise/dietary changes, stress
reduction (including optimal
sleep hygiene) and natural/
herbal supplements may also
help. I encourage women to
be open minded and patient
when trying different kinds
of treatments. Menopausal
symptoms can begin as early as
the 30s and may last ten years
or more, so it’s important for
women to remember that there
are many treatment options
for bothersome symptoms. If
one treatment isn’t working, a
different one might.
CLUBS
| hometown health | Fall 2015
How much physical activity should the average adult get?
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:
MODERATE
VIGOROUS
Get at least 150 minutes of moderate
aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous
aerobic activity per week. You also can do
a combination of the two.
75 MINUTES A WEEK —OR—150 MINUTES A WEEK
Vigorous aerobic
exercise includes
activities such as
running or aerobic
dancing.
book
club
Moderate aerobic
exercise includes
activities such
as brisk walking,
swimming or
mowing the lawn.
STRENGTH
TRAINING
Try to do strength
training exercises at
least twice a week.
SET GOALS
Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical
activity every day. If you want to lose
weight or meet specific fitness goals,
you might need to exercise more.
STRENGTH
AEROBIC ACTIVITY
Even brief
bouts of
activity
offer
benefits.
2 TIMES A WEEK
If you want to aim even
higher, you can achieve
more health benefits,
including increased
weight loss, by upping
your exercise to 300
minutes per week.
Strength training can
include use of weight
machines, push-ups,
pull-ups or activities
such as rock climbing
and even gardening.
Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life!
This book offers help for improving your
heart health and reducing your risk of
heart disease in 10 easy-to-follow steps.
Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High
Blood Pressure, 2nd Edition
This guide explains issues related to
blood pressure while covering risk
factors, healthy weight, medication
alternatives and other elements to help
you make essential treatment decisions.
Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions
DVD
for Heart Health DVD
Mayo Clinic partnered with alternative
health and wellness experts at Gaiam,
a leading lifestyle company for yoga,
fitness and wellness products and
content, to bring you this integrated
health action plan designed to help you maintain a
healthy heart. The DVD presents a three-step plan
that covers: understanding your condition, eating
well, and exercise and stress-relief techniques.
Find these and other Mayo Clinic titles at your local
Mayo Clinic Store or visit store.mayoclinic.com.
WEIGHT
LOSS:
WORK UP TO
45 MINUTES
OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY A DAY
hometown health
For more information, visit our website,
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
Hometown Health™ is published as a
community service for the friends and patients
of Mayo Clinic Health System. If you have
comments or suggestions for Hometown
Health, contact Audrey Laine Jeffords, Public
Affairs, 912-287-2572.
Information for Hometown Health stories is
provided by Mayo Clinic Health System
professionals. If you have medical questions
about these stories and how they affect your
health, please contact your healthcare provider.
Mayo Clinic Health System consists of Mayoowned clinics, hospitals and other health care
facilities that serve the health care needs of
people in more than 70 communities in
Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The
community-based providers, paired with the
resources and expertise of Mayo Clinic, enable
patients in the region to receive the highestquality health care close to home. Mayo Clinic
Health System in Waycross is a non-profit,
mission driven, acute-care community hospital
licensed for 231 beds. The tradition of care
began over fifty years ago and continues today
with more than 1,700 employees, physicians,
and volunteers. ©2015 Mayo Foundation for
Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.
MAYO, MAYO CLINIC, Mayo Clinic Health System and
the triple-shield Mayo logo are trademarks and
service marks of MFMER.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
15
1900 Tebeau St.
Waycross, GA 31501
Fall
checkups
more Hometown Health,
✔ Register for Patient Online Services ✔ For
visit our blog
Create an account to access your lab results,
clinical notes, medication lists and other
portions of your health record 24/7,
communicate with your provider and more.
Go to mayoclinichealthsystem.org and click
Patient Online Services in the top banner.
✔ Schedule your mammogram
Mayo Clinic, the American Cancer
Society and other organizations
recommend women begin yearly
screening at age 40.
Mammograms are available Monday,
Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call 912-287-4180 to
schedule your appointment.
Read patient stories, get guidance and
advice from health experts and explore
health topics. You can share your story
there too. To visit the blog, go to
mayoclinichealthsystem.org
and scroll down to the
Hometown Health blog.
Express
✔ Use
Care for life’s little
emergencies
Get quick, convenient
care at our new
Express Care clinic
located at 1921 Alice St.,
Suite A4 in Waycross.
For a list of services,
turn to page 9.
Express Care
hours:
Monday through
Friday
9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and
Sunday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.