With one in five Americans estimated to develop skin cancer during their lifetime, we’re reminded that when we bask in the sun, we must also do what we can to protect our delicate skin. Use lotions and make-ups that include SPF of at least 15 to give you a basic protection each day. The St. John’s Mercy Hospital also suggests an annual check-up of your skin’s condition and for you to monitor any oddities to be able to alert your physician as soon as they appear.

I tend to grab a hat if I’m going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time. It’s an easy way to ensure my face is protected, but also a reminder to me that I need to make sure my arms and legs are also covered with sunscreen or sleeves. Prevention isn’t difficult to do, but something you simply need to make into a habit – like anything else. If you need to, put it on your list of to-dos or toss a hat and sunscreen in your car to assure that it will always be there if you need it.

Now, get out and enjoy. It’s another nice day out there!

Luckily, inflammation isn’t hard to prevent. Like with the deterrence of most of the diseases inflammation causes, foods play a big role. Replace some of the highly processed meat in your diet with fish a couple times a week. Some types of red meat can be hard for your body to process and lead to inflammation, while fish is naturally rich in anti-inflammatory fatty acids.  Don’t like fish?  Consider adding a fish oil supplement to your diet.

Adding fruits, vegetables and variations of nuts to your diet can also make a big difference. Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients and nuts are rich healthy fats, all of which help reduce inflammation while promoting your health at the same time. Making these few small changes in your daily diet can go a long way in reducing your chance of chronic inflammation and in turn help prevent the many diseases it may cause.

• EVLT – (Endovenous Laser Treatment) This procedure takes less than an hour to complete and uses a laser that heats and can eliminate or close varicose veins. The blood is routed to other – more healthy – veins. It is nearly painless. You’ll have to check with your insurance company to see if it is covered under your plan, as it varies.
• Sclerotherapy – A 15 – 20 minute solution for smaller varicose veins and spider veins, this treatment uses a chemical irritant injected into the vein that causes them to gradually fade. This treatment is considered cosmetic and is often not covered by insurance.

For more information on these and other treatment options, call or schedule an appointment with a vascular surgeon. In St. Louis, call (314) 251-6840.

She’s not the only one out there that has struggled…is struggling, within.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a difficult time and simply need to talk. Please contact the Sansone Family Center for Well-Being at their helpline: (314) 362-7005.

You can find out more here.

Nitrolingual Pumpspray is a fast, safe and effective treatment for relief of an attackor prevention of angina associated with coronary artery disease. It acts within one minute! Typically, people have used a tablet which can take up to 30 minutes to absorb into the system and is difficult for another person to give. The pumpspray can be sprayed anywhere inside the mouth and it begins acting.

This treatment is used by medical professionals to treat angina attacks, commonly found in emergency rooms, doctor’s offices and ambulances. Everyday people need to know about this treatment and that’s why I’d like to help get that information out there to you. If you know of anyone or have angina yourself, please check this out. With this, you not only get relief from the pain, but comfort in knowing you can get out and live the life you deserve without fear or hesitation.

For more, go to anginaspray.com.

Seventeen years ago she was diagnosed with wet macular degeneration. This is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Americans aged 65 and older.

Because older people represent an increasingly larger percentage of the general population, vision loss associated with AMD (age-related macular degeneration) is a growing problem. Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular). Neovascular refers to the growth of new blood vessels in any area, such as the macula, where they are not supposed to be. Dry form is more common. The wet form of the disease usually leads to more serious vision loss and is very painful. Catherine also lost her eye to glaucoma. The pressure was too high in that eye.

We all have eye exams every year knowing that this disease is in our family. Knowing your family health history is important so you can be a step up on early detection and prevention.

What’s your family health history?