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Archive for August, 2012
Posted on: August 30th, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
Is there a point in the day when you’re struggling to find energy? Do you wish you could stay more focused at work or keep up with your kids when you come home? The underlying problem to these issues most likely starts with what you’re eating, from breakfast to dinner and everywhere in between.
 Superfoods contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep your mind and body performing at their peak. “Superfood” is a buzz term in health and nutrition circles right now, and for good reason. These foods are ultra-healthy and have been shown in studies to improve brain function, which allows you to answer “no” instead of “yes” to all of those opening questions. There are many good resources out there about superfoods, but here is an abbreviated list of some of the most common ones and their benefits.
Dark chocolate: yes, you read that right. Rich in antioxidants, a square a day can help improve mood, focus and concentration.
Blueberries: can reverse age-related decline in motor function, balance and coordination.
Spinach: not just for Popeye, this leafy green has powerful nutrients and has been shown to slow development of dementia in women.
Eggs: the yolks are rich in choline, which helps improve memory and minimize fatigue.
Coffee: one cup a day provides antioxidants and helps increase your metabolism.
Broccoli: boasting tons of vitamin K, broccoli has been shown to slow the aging process and improve memory function.
Avocados: contain healthy fats for good blood flow to keep your mind sharp and running at its peak performance.
Wild salmon: the gobs of omega-3 fatty acids help develop brain tissue, while the lean protein does wonders for your muscles.
These and the other superfoods not listed will help you live a healthier, more energetic lifestyle. While some of these may cost a little more at the supermarket, you get what you pay for. And as always if you feel your nutrition leaves you lacking certain vitamins and minerals, Juro’s Pharmacy can help you find exactly what you need. If you are what you eat, why not be super?
Posted on: August 28th, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
The progression of oxygen portability has been astounding looking back over the last decade or so. Starting with simple E-tanks on wheels, the portable oxygen industry has produced smaller, but more efficient compressed air, liquid air and oxygen concentrators for easy use when the patient is on the move.
 Portable oxygen concentrators like the Inogen One can be used on airplanes for oxygen therapy as you fly. But what about flying on an airplane? What is allowed and what’s not? The Air Carrier Access Act passed in 1986 and revised in 2009 prohibits airlines from discriminating against those with disabilities, which includes those that need to use portable oxygen/oxygen concentrators.
The best bet for being able to receive oxygen on your flight is to bring a portable oxygen concentrator, which uses ambient and gives the user a purer form of it. Compressed air can only be used if it is supplied by the airline, and liquid oxygen is considered to be a hazardous substance by the Federal Aviation Administration and cannot be used. The Inogen One concentrator, carried by Juro’s Medical, is one model that is approved by the FAA for use on an airplane.
If you intend on traveling with your portable oxygen concentrator (POC), you will need to inform your airline 48 hours before hand in most cases. With most airlines you will need to provide a statement from your physician on their letterhead to be able to use your POC. Another restriction of POC use is not being able to plug in your device to the airplane’s electrical system. Because of this, you will need to make sure your POC’s batteries are fully charged and bring backups in case of a long flight.
While not complicated, traveling with your POC is centered around planning in advance. Knowing your airline’s regulations about notification and your physician’s statement and what all that needs to include are key to avoiding problems at the airport and enjoying your trip. For any of your portable oxygen needs be sure to give us a call or come by!
Posted on: August 23rd, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
As an athlete throughout high school and college, I’ve had to go through many sports physicals. In high school they were conducted by our family physician that I’d seen since I was a kid. While these always seemed pretty extensive, the sports physicals in college seemed a bit slap dash. Maybe it was because they had to get through all of the athletes at the college (about 400 or so) in a certain period of time. Still, in all the physicals I’ve been through, I’ve had blood drawn once.
 A yearly full health exam can help catch diseases and keep you feeling at your best. With that in mind, I’ve always wondered about the thoroughness of sports physicals. Sure, they get important information like height, weight, pulse, blood pressure, eye sight, hearing, a brief medical history and a short physical examination of the major body systems. But they also miss out on a lot, too.
In a full health examination you’re not only cleared to play sports, but you are given a better overall picture of the state of your health. A full health care exam can give you or your child access to laboratory testing of their blood and urine to test for any unknown medical conditions. Your health care provider can also any needed immunizations and can screen for any important adolescent health issues like diabetes, obesity or depression.
Your doctor can also provide guidance on a number of topics like nutrition, exercise, confidence, sex, family, responsibility and independence.
In my opinion it’s easy to stay regular about going to the doctor for a yearly exam when you’re forced to get one for sports. However, now that I’ve graduated and my athletic career is over, I alone have to be responsible for my own health, just like everyone else. Juro’s Medical helps you stay on top of your overall health by offering free health seminars over various topics. I strongly encourage you to go to those and to get a yearly full health exam.
Posted on: August 21st, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
Everywhere you look, the words “healthy,” “diet” and “fit” are there, staring you in the face. To say that our nation is currently obsessed with its health is not an understatement. That being said, only a portion of the population is eating right and exercising regularly.
 Riding bikes is just one way that you can get your whole family to exercise. More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese, and no state has reached the “Healthy People 2010” goal of lowering obesity prevalence to 15 percent. No state has an obesity rate less than 20 percent, and 36 states had an obesity rate of at least 25 percent. All of this adds up to an oversized nation.
Beating obesity doesn’t have to be hard, but there are challenges along the way. To keep your family healthy or even lose a little weight, following these tips to help America beat obesity.
- Think fresh- your diet will play the biggest role in your ability to lose weight. When you go to the grocery, stick to the outsides of the store. That’s where you’ll find the kind of things you should stock up on such as fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats and certain dairy products. Only venture into the middle aisles for specific healthy items; don’t wander up and down every aisle. You’ll be more prone to pick up unhealthy, processed foods.
- Drink water- soda and other sugary drinks are a waste of money. Water boosts your metabolism by giving your muscles and organs the hydrogen and oxygen they need to break down food and build muscle, which you will need after you…
- Exercise- yes, it can’t all be about the food. You have to get moving too. If you’re just starting out after a long layoff, don’t push yourself too hard or you will hurt yourself. There are plenty of resources that can help you get off the couch and get going again. And remember, it takes about four weeks for your body to get into a routine, so willpower is key. You’ll get there.
While general, these tips can get you going down the road to a healthier lifestyle. Juro’s Pharmacy can help by offering vitamin and mineral supplements for better health. If you need additional help, there are professionals who can help you with nutritional and exercise-related questions. Good luck!
Posted on: August 16th, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
Menopause is not exactly an event in our lives that we look forward to. We hear about it from our mothers or aunts or in videos in health classes we have to take when we’re younger. However, just like other not so pleasant things like taxes or sitting in traffic, menopause is inevitable.
 If you're heading down this road in life, contact us about Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Of course, we know that when we get to be in our mid-40s that menopause is just around the corner, and by 50 menopause will most likely be in full effect. Some of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats, are easier to deal with than say, mood swings and behavior changes.
These changes in our body are caused by the decrease of the hormones estrogen and progesterone as we age. While menopause is a natural force in our bodies, we do have options as to how we experience it. One of these options is Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or BHRT, available at Juro’s Pharmacy.
Instead of using synthetic estrogen therapy, BHRT uses bio-identical hormones to better sooth the symptoms of our menopause. This therapy can ease discomfort from hot flashes, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, vaginal dryness and other menopause symptoms as well.
In addition, Juro’s can customize our therapy. Since every woman experiences menopause differently, many of the one-size fits all treatments are not as effective as we need them to be. The Compounding Center at Juro’s can give us each a customized therapy plan for our specific hormone levels. Not only is the dosage ideal for our hormone level, but the delivery form can be customized for what we like best, whether it’s a topical cream, capsule, lozenge and more.
Menopause can be a physically and emotionally tough time to get through for some of us, but we can make it easier on ourselves with Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy from Juro’s Pharmacy to help manage our symptoms effectively.
Posted on: August 14th, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
Diseases have always been a natural enemy for humans since the beginning of time. A look through the history books proves that, with the Black Death in Europe being the moist poignant example. However, advances in medical knowledge and technology, most specifically in the 20thcentury, have allowed for the mass production of immunizations that have wiped some diseases from the face of the earth or reduced the occurrences of certain diseases to almost none.
 Immunizations allow us to be protected from diseases like polio and rubella. These “older” diseases, such as rubella, diphtheria, pertussis and polio are almost non-existent in the United States as vaccines are an important part of a child’s early life. While some vaccinations are given at or near the time of birth, others are given as we grow up to protect against these diseases.
However, disease like human papillomavirus, or HPV, have recently come to the public’s attention, as has the need for immunizations against these diseases. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases sponsor National Immunization Awareness Month during August.
This month serves as a time to remind everyone to get caught up on their shots, as scary as that may seem for some of us. There are shots for everyone, not just young children, although they do need a series of shots to protect against measles, polio, hepatitis and chicken pox. Here are some of the shots various age groups need:
- Pre-teens require shots at age 11 or 12 to protect against whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, meningitis and HPV.
- Teens need a booster shot at age 16 for continued protection against meningitis.
- Adults need a shot every 10 years to protect against tetanus and diphtheria, while those 65 and older need a one-time shot for pneumonia.
Take time this month to assess your family’s vaccination status and get everyone the shots they need, especially before school starts. While we don’t provide vaccinations, the helpful staff at Juro’s can help point you in the right direction. Stay healthy and safe, and happy Immunization Awareness Month!
Posted on: August 11th, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
 Using the "20-20-20" rule can keep your eyes from being constantly strained. They say that our eyes are “the window to the soul.” If that’s true, then most of the times these days in this digital world the only thing looking into our soul are screens from computers, tablets, smart phones and televisions. Two decades ago, few people worked on computers all day, and smart phones, tablets and hand held gaming devices didn’t exist. My, how times change.
Now, we spend most of our time staring at computer screens at work (yours truly included), staring at phone screens while sending texts and tweeting or staring at our high definition 1080p television screens. All of this can put a terrible strain on the muscles in our eyes and cause eyestrain problems. When the muscle in our eye that controls focusing is overworked from focusing for too long, symptoms can occur. These include eyes aching, watering, blurred vision or a mild headache.
So how can we avoid the drain from our electronic device screens in this increasingly digital world? To start with, try customizing your environment. By this I mean to use a larger or screen magnifier if possible to reduce eyestrain, and make sure you are seated properly with good lower back support in your chair. Next, think about the lighting, both in your work environment and at home. Keep the bright lights above from the ceiling to a minimum if possible, and keep your desk light pointed down. While too little light causes eyestrain, too much irritates the eyes.
Also, when looking at your computer screen you should be 24-28 inches away, and the center of the screen needs to be 4-6 inches below your eyes. Finally, there’s the “20-20-20” rule: every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to focus on something 20 feet away to give your eyes a break.
If your eyesight is still not as great as you want it to be, taking certain vitamin supplements can help. These and all your medical needs are available at Juro’s Medical and Pharmacy should you need them.
Posted on: August 10th, 2012 by JurosMedicalBlogger
As the calendar moves deeper into August the new school year becomes closer and closer for many kids across the United States. Even though most kids are in the same schools they have been in for previous school years, “back to school” anxiety can still creep in. This can also occur with parents as well, as they get nervous for their children being away during the days. However there are ways to counteract this anxiety in our children as well as in ourselves to ensure they get started off on the right foot.
 The thought of a new school year can make any kid or their parents anxious. It starts with you. While they may be young, kids can still pick up when we don’t feel quite right about something, and if we don’t feel right, they don’t feel right. Take some time to reduce your stress, anxiety and worry during the day. It not only will help your kids, but it’s also good for your own health as well.
Talk with your kid. Be sure to do this when you’re both relaxed, like when playing a board game or even in the aisles of a store when shopping for clothes or school supplies. Try and keep things open-ended like saying, “What are your thoughts on your schedule for this year?”
Validate their feelings. Tell them it’s normal to be nervous, maybe even telling them a story about when you were nervous before school. Then tell them that you know they’re capable of great things despite any challenges they may face. This will help to instill confidence.
Take a field trip. Visit the school before the school year starts to help them readjust to being there. If it’s their first attempt with lockers, make sure they know how to open them before they get there on a busy first day of school.
These are just a few tips to help you and your child be more comfortable with school starting. Hopefully you can put them to good use to avoid the first day of school jitters this year, and good luck to you and your children from Juro’s Medical and Pharmacy!
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