Posted on May 19th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Pfizer, inc. (the big pharmaceutical company) is unrolling a program on Thursday to help those without insurance the ability to continue certain medications for free for up to a year. On that list includes Viagra. I turned to my friend and asked, “Viagra?” To which he responded, “Unemployed people need a stress release now more than ever! Don’t take that away from them.” Ha! Point taken.
In this economy that is recovering one day and reversing the next, the stress response is something I learn about from all of my patients. More important than how much stress [...]
Posted on May 11th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
I recommend probiotics to nearly all of my patients. They are the healthy flora that live in your large intestines and help you to fight off bugs while keeping things regular. A recent study presented at the 2009 European Congress on Obesity found that taking probiotic supplements which contained Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, starting in the first trimester and continuing for at least a year post-partum were less likely to develop that central abdominal fat.
They compared 256 pregnant women who took the probiotic and received dietary advice, only received the dietary advice, or didn’t receive anything and found that [...]
Posted on May 11th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Many women have had their ovaries removed for non-cancerous reasons. The procedure is called an oophorectomy and commonly occurs with a hysterectomy. Once the ovaries are removed, a huge portion of hormone production comes to a screeching halt. A recent study in the 2009 May issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology examined the long term consequences of an oophorectomy of both ovaries and cancer risk.
The great news is that your risk for breast and ovarian cancer goes down. The not-so-great news is that your risk for all-cause mortality such as coronary heart disease and lung cancer increases.
“Bilateral oophorectomy at the time [...]
Posted on April 30th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
There are different types of anemia, however the one you might hear about most often is iron-deficient anemia. This means your body does not have enough iron either because you do not eat it, you do not absorb it, and/or you are bleeding it out somewhere (most commonly due to your period).
What many women don’t realize is that the symptoms of out-right iron deficiency, and having low iron stores (ferritin) can be very similar. Therefore your initial screening test is normal (the CBC) however your ferritin is low or low-normal.
The common symptoms include:FatigueFatigue with physical exertion (not because you are [...]
Posted on April 30th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Given the news lately, the word ‘flu’ seems to be on everyone’s mind. There are many strains of the flu and yours isn’t necessarily the ‘swine’ kind. If you are experiencing fever, body aches, chills, cough, headache, and sore throat then you may want to talk with your doctor. Remember that allergies don’t cause a fever and not all sore throats or headaches are flu related.
To improve your immune system and give it the support you need, consider using natural anti-viral herbs to ward off the flu or in addition to the medications given to you by your healthcare practitioner.
Echinacea [...]
Posted on April 7th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Did you know it’s almost springtime? Here in Oregon we were lucky enough to have a weekend of sunshine and 70 degree weather. This meant that everyone was outside, in their yard, and on their bikes playing in the fresh air. This also means that allergy season is quickly upon us. If you are an allergy sufferer and are looking for a more natural way to support your nose then read on!
There are a variety of natural supplements that are useful for allergies and you may consider starting now so that your system is ready [...]
Posted on April 7th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
In some parts of the country, this weekend was a real kick-off to spring. The weather was beautiful and warm enough for all of those trees and spring bulbs to pop out some color. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, this means the start of itchy eyes and runny noses. Here are some tips to help you combat the sniffles and sneezing this year.
1)Rinse out your nose. Consider using a Netti pot or other similar device that rinses water up one nostril, into your sinuses and out the other. This amazing little tool removes all of that [...]
Posted on March 9th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
“Don’t take away my wine!” was the cry of many a woman over the last few weeks when research reported one glass of alcohol per day increases the risk of cancer. As one of my post-menopausal patients so eloquently stated, “When they took me off HRT years ago due to the negative studies I turned to wine to relax and unwind. Now I’ve got nothing so I’m going to need a doctor’s note in case I hurt someone.”
Of course she was saying this in jest however the latest research caused quite a ruckus amongst the female [...]
Posted on March 9th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Everywhere you turn someone is coughing, hacking, blowing their nose, and sneezing in your general direction. You try to take cover but the germs spray all over you and you feel yourself going down. Here are 5 tips to help avoid the flu or recover quickly.
1)First and foremost – wash your hands and wipe down the things you use most. When was the last time you cleaned your cell phone or keyboard? How about your phone at work or at home? Do you wash your hands after grocery shopping and handling the shopping cart? [...]
Posted on February 24th, 2009 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Much like duct-tape, magnesium is a jack-of-all-trades. It can be used in a pinch to help a multitude of problems and is actually essential to all of your cells! Did you know that over 300 enzymes require magnesium to function and more than 50% of our magnesium resides in our skeleton? Are you getting the necessary amount?
There are several forms of magnesium, with magnesium oxide as the most common however it’s the most difficult to digest making it a waste of your money. Better absorbed varieties include magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate (which does not typically cause [...]
