Let me share a story about two of my patients, Bob and Tim. I’ll set the scene for you.
They meet for lunch at the local sushi restaurant. The conversation starts off with niceties. How is the wife? How are the kids? Who do you think will win the presidency? The lunch is served. Bob says to Tim, “How have you been feeling?” Tim replies, “Well, to tell you the truth my bowels have been impacted for the last week and my stream isn’t what it used to be. The docs gave me some medicine three weeks ago that gave me the trots. So now I went from being clogged to the trots to being clogged again. They’re planning to perform a colonoscopy next week.”
At this point in time, Bob (who is sharing the story with me) no longer wants to eat any of his meal. Hearing the details about Tim’s intestinal problems has made him feel nauseated. Bob tells me that he is tired of listening to his friends complain about their intestinal and bodily dysfunctions.
I have noticed that complaining about one’s health is typical for many baby boomers. As we get older, our days are devoted to going to the doctor, trying new medicines, and getting poked or prodded and sometimes both, either just to maintain what one has or in the quest to stay and feel younger.
To be honest, when someone asks how you are feeling, the best reply should be, “Hanging in there” or “I’m fine.” Most people do not want to hear the truth, especially in detail. The exception should be when you are visiting your doctor. He/she should want to hear every detail about how you feel. You may say something that could suggest a condition for which your doctor would recommend an MRI, X-ray, blood work, or other more in-depth study.
For example, a new patient who is only 52 years old reported to my office with complaints of neck pain. An exam was performed and I determined that he was suffering with neck spasms. Towards the end of the exam he said, “I don’t know if this means anything, but I have been experiencing cramping pain in the back of my knee for the last few weeks. I wasn’t really going to share it with you, but do you think it might be related to my neck?” I quickly reviewed his chart, which revealed that he had high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I referred him for an ultrasound and it turned out that he had a medium-sized clot in his leg. He was prescribed blood thinners and is fine today. What would have happened if he had never shared that piece of information? I can tell you that the outcome would have been a bad one.
So the rules when complaining about your health are two-fold—with family and friends, keep it brief and avoid the details, especially during meal time! But share how you feel with your doctor in great detail, as it may save your life.
The best way to avoid complaining at all is to stay healthy, exercise, create proper nutritional habits, and take time to de-stress.
That’s it for now.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Importance of Vitamin B12
I am often asked whether I believe in vitamins and supplements. Many people are confused about which vitamins and supplements they should take.
Quite often the general public is led by marketing through commercials and print ads. If we believe all the advertising, there would seem to be a vitamin or supplement to cure, or at least help with, every ailment. Unfortunately, that is not true. If that were the case, we Boomers would be taking almost every type of vitamin and supplement out there. How many of us suffer with knee pain, low back pain, headaches, hip pain, stomach issues, heart problems, and so on?
There is a significant lack of direction when it comes to deciding what we should be taking. It can be very upsetting to try to figure it out on our own. There are certified nutritionists who can help guide one through these murky waters by suggesting a vitamin or supplement for your body and your needs. But try to avoid the heavy sales tactics at your local nutrition/holistic store; I have had many patients who have walked out of the store with $200-300 worth of goods that provide very little benefit.
As the economy appears to be worsening, it is my humble opinion that the best bang for the buck with respect to vitamins is a B complex. B complex vitamins are usually labeled B-50 or B-100 for 50 milligrams and 100 milligrams of the B vitamins. Each B vitamin plays an important role in the function of the body.
One of the most important B vitamins is B12. The Mayo clinic states Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation. It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.
A recent study in Neurology (Vogiatzoglou A, et al. Neurology. September 9, 2008; Vol. 71, Iss. 11, pp. 826-832) concluded that low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly. In other words, vitamin B12 plays an important role in the mental ability of the elderly.
So if you have to choose just one vitamin group, I highly recommend the B vitamins. And, if you are not losing your shirt in this economy, the best advice about vitamins and supplements I can give is that you should consider being evaluated by a certified nutritionist to determine your needs.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
http://www.drmichaelkaye.com/
Quite often the general public is led by marketing through commercials and print ads. If we believe all the advertising, there would seem to be a vitamin or supplement to cure, or at least help with, every ailment. Unfortunately, that is not true. If that were the case, we Boomers would be taking almost every type of vitamin and supplement out there. How many of us suffer with knee pain, low back pain, headaches, hip pain, stomach issues, heart problems, and so on?
There is a significant lack of direction when it comes to deciding what we should be taking. It can be very upsetting to try to figure it out on our own. There are certified nutritionists who can help guide one through these murky waters by suggesting a vitamin or supplement for your body and your needs. But try to avoid the heavy sales tactics at your local nutrition/holistic store; I have had many patients who have walked out of the store with $200-300 worth of goods that provide very little benefit.
As the economy appears to be worsening, it is my humble opinion that the best bang for the buck with respect to vitamins is a B complex. B complex vitamins are usually labeled B-50 or B-100 for 50 milligrams and 100 milligrams of the B vitamins. Each B vitamin plays an important role in the function of the body.
One of the most important B vitamins is B12. The Mayo clinic states Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation. It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.
A recent study in Neurology (Vogiatzoglou A, et al. Neurology. September 9, 2008; Vol. 71, Iss. 11, pp. 826-832) concluded that low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly. In other words, vitamin B12 plays an important role in the mental ability of the elderly.
So if you have to choose just one vitamin group, I highly recommend the B vitamins. And, if you are not losing your shirt in this economy, the best advice about vitamins and supplements I can give is that you should consider being evaluated by a certified nutritionist to determine your needs.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
http://www.drmichaelkaye.com/
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