Don’t let the bed bugs bite. Bed bugs are small, oval-shaped insects that hide in dark cracks and beds and bite you while you sleep. If you suspect you have bed bugs, search your bedroom and contact a licensed pest control operator.

Imitating a friend’s body language shows your friend that you are listening, empathetic and engaged in the

conversation. If your friend leans towards you as she speaks, leaning towards her shows her

that you’re comfortable and relaxed.

Research suggests that smoking may lead to an increased progression of multiple sclerosis. A recent study of MS patients showed that smokers experienced more

severe disease and were more likely to have primary progressive MS, a continual decline

in health.

Living Well with Diabetes

NEWS YOU CAN USE!HealthQuicks ABCs of Cutting Your

Breast Cancer RiskOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an ideal time to learn what steps you can take to reduce your breast cancer risk. Lynn Canavan, M.D., breast surgeon gives you the ABCs of preventing this disease.

A is for Apples, whole grains, and the many other foods that comprise a healthy, low-fat diet. Research shows that eating a healthy diet and exercising can reduce all cancer rates by 30 to 40 percent.

B is for Butt out that cigarette. Smoking is known to increase risk of many types of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. If you smoke, your doctor can help you choose a medication to help make quitting easier.

C is for Control. Obesity is linked to increased breast cancer risk, especially in postmenopausal women. Work with your doctor to control your weight.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes are now living quality lives thanks to education and advances in disease treatment and management.

“Patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes used to begin a rapid decline,” says Alvin Huang, M.D., endocrinologist on the Baylor Plano medical staff. “Today, patients live longer and better lives.”

“Type 2 diabetes is with you continually,” he explains. “You can’t ignore it, or consequences will follow. I encourage my patients to embrace and care for the diabetes. That way, they gain control of the disease instead of letting it control them.”

In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas may continue manufacturing insulin, but the insulin is no longer used effectively by the body. Some patients can manage the disease with diet and exercise, while others depend on medications. Patients with Type 1 diabetes are solely dependent on insulin medications because the pancreas does not manufacture any of its own.

“While many advances have been made in both types of diabetes, the most dramatic changes have occurred in the treatment of Type 2,”

Dr. Huang says.

To help patients fully understand the disease and the best ways to manage it, Baylor Plano offers a Diabetes Self Management Program. This outpatient program helps educate patients on ways to cope with the disease and to lead as normal a life as possible. For more information on the program, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit BaylorHealth.com/Plano.

You encounter germs everyday, so it’s up to you to get your body in germ-fighting shape. Valerie Kasmiersky, MD, family medicine physician on the Baylor Plano medical staff, offers tips on boosting your immune system.

•Restup: Genetics, age and activity level come into play when determining the ideal amount of sleep your body needs, but a good estimate is between seven and a half to nine hours a night.

•Cleanup: According to research, almost 90% of sickness comes from germs on your hands. So wash your hands.

•Drinkup: Water helps your entire body op-erate at its best. Aim for at least 64 ounces each day, and get more if you exercise frequently.

•Spiceitup:Garlic is an ef-fective disease fighter and can prevent bacteria from developing. Consider including garlic in your next meat or poultry dish.

Boosting Your Immune System

Is heartburn burning you out? Determining what triggers your heartburn can help you keep symptoms under control. Rassa Shahidzadeh, M.D., gastroenterologist on the Baylor Plano medical staff provides a few answers to common questions about heartburn and offers tips on preventing heartburn pain.

What’s burning?Heartburn is typically a burning sensation felt in the center of your chest and can mimick other conditions such as cardiac angina (pain due to heart condition.) Not everyone feels heartburn the same way and has also been described as upper abdominal pain, sore throat, hoarseness of the voice, chronic cough, and even sinus problems.

Heartburn can occur in anyone at any age and is also due to a number of conditions including obesity, pregnancy, delayed gastric emptying, etc. Certain medications and food will increase acidity in the stomach or change the function of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a band of muscle located between your stomach and esophagus. When this occurs, food and stomach acid can travel up to your throat, causing the harsh acid reflux taste. Heartburn is medically known as acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).

The majority of people have experienced heartburn sometime in their life. According to research, one in five Americans experience heartburn once a week, and about 25 million people in the United States experience symptoms of heartburn daily.

What triggers heartburn? Because each person’s body is unique, different activities and foods may trigger heartburn in different people. For example, you may feel fine after eating a spicy meal, but your friend may feel sick afterwards.

Food is not the only heartburn trigger. Heartburn can also be triggered by the time and way you exercise as well as various medications used to treat pain. The key to overcoming heartburn is learning what triggers symptoms in you and learning to avoid those triggers.

FoodEating large amounts of greasy or spicy food right before you go to sleep is one way to trigger heartburn. The most common triggers of heartburn are foods with a large amount of fat, big portions, and eating late at night.

Avoiding foods with a high-fat content can help keep heartburn under control. Fat is harder to digest and stays in your stomach longer, which can aggravate your digestive system. Fattening foods also cause the LES to relax more, allowing the acid in your stomach to make its way back up into your throat.

The following foods and drinks are common heartburn triggers: •spicyfoods•onions•garlic•peppers•chocolate•citrusfruitsorjuices•coffee•sodaswithcaffeine•peppermint•tomatoes

Help prevent heartburn by following these tips:

•Eatsmallmeals.Eatingfivesmallmealsa day as opposed to three large ones can help prevent heartburn symptoms.

•Eatearly.Trynottoeattwohoursbefore you go to bed so your body can fully digest the food. Lying down makes digestion more challenging.

•Raisetheheadofyourbed.Gravitycan bring acid up to the throat at night when lying down flat.

•Seeyourphysician.Heartburnmaynot improve in some people even with strict diet control. Chronic acid reflux can lead to serious conditions such as constricting of the esophagus which could affect your ability to swallow and life-threatening conditions such as bleeding and esophageal cancer.

Exercise Don’t exercise immediately after you eat as this can increase pressure on the abdomen. Try to wait for two hours after eating before you begin exercising. In addition, always drink plenty of water when exercising, and try to avoid sports drinks that have a high-carbohydrate content. If you must have a sports drink, then consider diluting it with water.

MedicationFrequent use of aspirin or other similar pain medication, called anti-inflammatories, can worsen and cause heartburn. Certain blood pressure medication and medications for heart

disease are also known to cause occasional heartburn

symptoms. Other types of medicine that may lead to heartburn include: some asthma medications, anti-anxiety pills, and muscle relaxers.

Chemotherapy drugs and some medicines

used to treat osteoporosis can increase your chance

of experiencing heartburn or causing damage to your esophagus. To help reduce the likelihood of experiencing heartburn because of your medication, take your medication with a large amount of water and try not to lay down for about an hour after you take your medication.

Always consult with your physician regarding the medications you are taking and any symptoms you may experience. Your physician may be able to offer another treatment plan.

Heartburn Triggers

Are you a good candidate for genetic testing for cancer? Lynn Canavan, MD, breast surgeon on the Baylor Plano medical staff, answers questions about genetic testing for cancer.

What is genetic testing? Genetic testing involves taking a sample (blood or tissue) to examine a person’s DNA for certain genes or mutations (errors in genes) linked to a disease. We can now use genetic testing to determine who is at high risk for getting certain types of cancer and to determine what treatment is most appropriate once a diagnosis has been made.

What genetic testing is available for cancer? Genetic testing is cur-rently widely available for breast, ovarian and colon cancer. These tests are appropriate in families that have numerous members with these cancers and in families where these cancers are diagnosed at an early age. Only 10% of women with breast cancer have the BRCA gene mu-tation. But now we have a new genetic test to determine which women are high risk for developing breast cancer that is not related to family risk. This test is called Decode and will determine the 5% of women who are at high risk based on their non-inherited genetic makeup.

Who should get tested? Genetic testing for a BRCA mutation is primarily recommended for those with: •Astrongfamilyhistoryofcanceratanearlyage•Afamilyhistoryofbreastandovariancancers•Afamilyhistoryofmalebreastcancer•AshkenaziJewishheritagewhoalsohaveafamilyhistoryofcancer•Personaldiagnosisofbreastcanceratanearlyageorovarian

cancer at any age

The Decode test is appropriate for any woman over the age of 30. No family history of breast cancer is necessary and requires only a swab on the cheek to complete the test.

To learn more about the role heredity plays in ovarian cancer and the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, join us for a free seminar onTheOvarianandBreastCancerLink on Friday, October 2 from 12 to 1 p.m. in Conference Room A/B on the Garden Level at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. To register call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit BaylorHealth.com/PlanoEvents.

The websites referenced herein are provided solely for the convenience of the reader. Neither Baylor Health Care System, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, nor their subsidiaries, affiliates, or community medical centers own these websites or control their content or privacy, and the reference to these websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the entities that own the websites or of the information, products, or services offered by them. Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano or Baylor Health Care System. Photography may include models or actors and may not represent actual patients. ©2009 Baylor Health Care System. BRMCPL-386-FY09, WHQ-11thED. MOD-09109. 26,444. 9/09

The Ovarian and Breast Cancer LinkFriday, October 2. 12 to 1 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Nirmala Vallurupalli, MD, gynecologist on the Baylor Plano medical staff, discusses which women are at an increased risk for ovarian cancer, how breast cancer can increase one’s risk for ovarian cancer, the role heredity plays in ovar-ian cancer and provides details on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.Support for People with Oral Head & Neck CancerTuesdays, October 6 & November 3. 6 to 8 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. To register call 214.820.2608.Caring for a Loved One With CancerWednesday, October 7. 12 to 1 p.m. Education Center 1-4, Garden Level.PresentedbyJuneHunt.Lunch provided.

Weight Loss Surgery Informational SeminarOctober 7 & 27; November 4 & 24. 6:30 p.m. Education Center 1, Garden Level. Nick Nicholson, MD, bariatric surgeon on the Baylor Plano medical staff. Baylor Plano’s surgical weight loss program offers gastric banding, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy to help you try to achieve a healthy weight.Diabetes Support GroupThursdays, October 8 & November 12.5:30 to 7 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, GardenLevel. Saturday Mammography ClinicsSaturdays, October 10 & 24; November 14 & 21. Appts. begin at 8:30 a.m. Women’s Imaging Center, Medical Pavilion II, Suite 100. Living Well with Cancer Information Session Mondays, October 12 & November 9. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Dinner provided.

Weight Loss Surgery Support GroupWednesdays, October 14 & November 11. 6 to 8:30 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. To register, call 469.814.5677.Celebrating Life and Fall Fashion ShowThursday, October 15.Physician Panel featuring breast cancer

specialists on the Baylor Plano medical staff: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Reception: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Fashion show featuring breast cancer survivors: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Willow Bend, 6121 W. Park Blvd., PlanoYour Health This MonthWednesday, October 21. 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Free blood pressure and sco-liosis screening and education, breast cancer risk assessments and education, diabetes education, asthma screening, body fat assessments and nutrition education. Cholesterol and Glucose testing is available for $15. Us Too!Prostate Cancer Support Group. Tuesdays, October 27 & November 17.6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Dinner provided.

Healthy Lungs SeminarWednesday, November 4. 12 to 1 p.m.Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Matthew Curry, MD, pulmonologist on the Baylor Plano medical staff, will discuss how smoke, second hand smoke, asthma, bronchitis, and envi-ronmental elements affect the health of your lungs. Complimentary lunch.

Balancing Diabetes and Nutrition in a Busy WorldFriday, November 6. 12 to 1 p.m. Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Brett Young, MD, family medicine physi-cian on the Baylor Plano medical staff, discusses strategies to help those with diabetes eat well while leading a busy life. Complimentary lunch.

Your Health This MonthFriday, November 13. 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.Conf Rm A/B, Garden Level. Free body fat assessment, lung volume screening, bone density screening, sleep disorder assessment, blood pres-sure screening, and sleep, osteopo-rosis, and lung volume education. Cholesterol and Glucose testing is available for $15. Diabetes Self Management ProgramClasses are offered at various times. To register call 469.814.6896.

Calendar of Events October & November 2009All programs held at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano unless otherwise noted. For more information or to register for a program, please call 1.800.4BAYLOR (422.9567) or visit BaylorHealth.com/PlanoEvents.

Baylor Plano Has The Answers

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