 Photo credit to twenty20.com We’ve seen the terrifying increase in oral cancers in men due to the human papilloma virus, or HPV. It was great news in 2006 when the Gardasil vaccine for teens was released. But now that men and women are being diagnosed with rectal, oral and cervical cancers, the FDA has approved Gardasil 9 for the age group between 27 and 45. The FDA is strongly recommending that people in this age group talk with their doctors about getting the series of 3 shots that will protect them against 9 types of HPV. Still, the best time to get the Gardasil shot is before kids turn 13 or become sexually active. The FDA is looking into the effectiveness of the vaccine for those older than 45 because of the rise of sexually-transmitted diseases in that population. Get the vaccine. Control the controllable. Claudia Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch. At DrClaudia.net, click on the "Ask Me" button. Sign up for the Sunday newsletter. Don't miss a thing! It’s estimated that 7% of all car crashes and 16% of the fatal crashes in the US are related to driver drowsiness. One-third of adults typically sleep less than 7 hours a night. In general, adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep nightly. If you get less than 4 hours, you’re 15 times more likely to cause a crash than someone who slept for 7 hours. If you sleep for less than 4 hours, you’re very much like a drunk driver with a blood-alcohol level 1 + 1/2 times the legal limit. Being awake is not the same as being alert. Falling asleep at the wheel isn’t the only problem. Mistakes, not noticing and misjudging can have tragic consequences. Don’t drive drowsy and don’t drive drunk. Get some sleep; arrive alive. And, while you’re at it, don’t smoke pot and drive, either. Claudia Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch. At DrClaudia.net, click on the "Ask Me" button. Sign up for the Sunday newsletter. Don't miss a thing!  Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay Is your child overweight? Think it’s not a problem? It might not be right now, but a high body mass index during childhood, meaning birth through 11 years of age, puts your child at an increased risk for high blood pressure as well as two predictors of heart disease. These two predictors include a larger left ventricle and greater volume of blood. When will these show up? They’ll show up when the party is just getting started, from 20 to 40 years of age. They’re in college, getting married, starting families and building their careers and futures. Next thing you know, they’re seeing a cardiologist. And why? Because you didn’t address their weight gain. And, if you smoked around them or while you were pregnant, you’ve set them up for aFib which causes strokes and heart attacks. Do something while you’re still in charge of their diet and activities. You can’t live with the consequences. Claudia Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch. At DrClaudia.net, click on the "Ask Me" button. Sign up for the Sunday newsletter. Don't miss a thing!  Photo credit to illeatothat.com Are you over 45 and have some memory loss or confusion? You’re not alone. In fact, about 12% of Americans 45 and older report problems with memory and being confused, at times. This isn’t just something to dismiss because you’re getting older. This is not a part of the aging process and could be the beginnings of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. It’s critical to speak with your doctor about it and it’s just plain smart to make observations of yourself to help your doctor make an informed diagnosis. As with any other condition, the earliest possible intervention leads to the best outcome. There are effective medications now that slow the progression of the disease, so do it. Our brains aren’t supposed to fall off a cliff as we age. Oh sure, speed of processing information slows which makes us bad drivers and memory for recently learned information stalls a bit, but that’s about it. Get checked out. Claudia Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch. At DrClaudia.net, click on the "Ask Me" button. Sign up for the Sunday newsletter. Don't miss a thing! |
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