Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine
Do you take a multi-vitamin? Do you eat store-bought bread or drink milk? Do you go for the flavored vitamin water rather than filling your glass at the tap?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may be getting more vitamins than your body needs. “If you take a multi-vitamin daily and consume fortified foods and naturally vitamin-rich foods, you’re likely meeting or maybe even exceeding the daily limits,” says SIU registered dietitian Sara Lopinski.
This excess of vitamins can be potentially dangerous, which is why many experts are warning consumers to opt for plain water instead of the vitamin waters that are so prevalent in the convenience store coolers. The vitamins in the water are often two to three times more than the average person needs in a single day. Many of these waters also contain antioxidants, which are needed to help fight infections, but too much of a good thing can throw the body off kilter. The excess of some vitamins, like B and C, can be excreted in the urine; however, others like A, D, E and K stay in the body. This can cause potential health problems, such as poor liver function.
Lopinski suggests paying attention to your diet and learning what’s in the foods you eat on a daily basis. “For most people, if they eat healthy, they shouldn’t need all the added supplements,” she says. Pregnant women, the elderly and those with health conditions should speak with their physicians to find out if they are getting the proper amount of nutrients.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine
Recent studies show that living to see 100 birthday candles may be the norm for babies born in first world countries since the year 2000.
Longer lifespans have created an unprecedented shift in the number of elderly in the United States. The proportion of older adults is also increasing as the first of the baby boomer generation began to fuel the 65 and over population in 2011. The last baby boomer will reach the age of 65 in 2030, making one of every five Americans age 65 or older.
Leading the charge in taking care of the elderly are the SIU physicians who embrace the philosophy of “treating the person, not the disease” as they integrate evidence-based and narrative medicine into their care. “Creating a dialogue is the first step in promoting health,” says Dr. Masaya Higuchi. Dr. Higuchi is the director of geriatric and palliative medicine for family and community medicine (FCM). Knowing the patients on a more personal level allows the physicians to help keep their patients aging healthily, according to Dr. Higuchi. “Respecting each individual and their values and dignity rather than pre-defining quality of life for them is important.”
Tips for talking to your doctor:
1. Make a list of questions you have for your doctor and items you want to discuss. Put your list in order of importance.
2. Think about how you will describe your symptoms.
3. During your visit, be sure that you understand any tests or procedures your doctor is recommending for you. Discuss possible alternatives to these tests.
4. Consider bringing a family member or friend with you so that you have someone to help you recall information and bring up concerns you might have forgotten.
Read more in aspects magazine.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine
Approximately half of the 29 million Americans with diabetes have a condition called diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage caused by high blood sugar. Symptoms range from tingling and numbness in the extremities to digestive issues and shooting pain. If the condition isn’t treated, patients may develop more severe conditions such as bladder and kidney infections, sexual dysfunction and ulcers on the feet.
Although proper management of diabetes can lessen the complications, progress can be slow. For those with nerve problems in the feet, ulcers can lead to infections and possibly amputation. In 2010, about 73,000 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations were performed in adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Self-care of the feet is and important part of reducing the chances of long-term damage or amputation. Here are 10 tips for taking care of your feet.
1. Inspect your feet daily for cracks, calluses and wounds but do not trim corns or calluses.
2. Wash your feet gently.
3. Moisturize your feet with alcohol-free moisturizer, avoiding skin between the toes.
4. Cut nails carefully and straight.
5. Always wear clean, dry socks that fit properly.
6. Keep the insides of your shoes clean and dry.
7. Keep your feet warm and dry – avoid extreme temperatures.
8. Never walk barefoot.
9. Wear proper diabetic footwear and break in new shoes slowly.
10. Be sure to have a physician examine your feet regularly.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Lauren Murphy, SIU School of Medicine
Could changing the way you think for a few moments a day lead to a healthier you? A recent study from Carnegie Mellon University says yes! Mindfulness training influences health through stress reduction pathways, which, in turn, leads to improved health.
So, what exactly is mindfulness training?
According to SIU School of Medicine’s Ruta Kulys, LCSW, who is certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), mindfulness, or the awareness of one’s thoughts and emotions, has the potential to help us respond rather than react.
“Mindfulness training helps people develop their ability to concentrate and to be aware of their experience as it occurs,” explains Kulys, who has been teaching this practice to patients for more than 12 years. “Mindfulness practice gives us the tools to learn about ourselves— our emotions, our thoughts, what we are feeling in our bodies. These are constantly changing and the practice is an opportunity to pay attention and to take stock of our own experiences.”
In its most basic form, Kulys says mindfulness training is learning to pay attention. “It’s simple, but it involves practice. Just as you can’t learn to play the piano in a day, mindfulness training takes regular practice.”
What are the benefits?
“People who practice regularly report feeling calmer, better equipped to handle the tough times and better able to appreciate the good times,” explains Kulys.
Kulys’ patients aren’t alone. The recent Carnegie Mellon University research suggests mindfulness training can reverse the body’s stress response. When people become stressed, activity in the prefrontal cortex decreases while activity in other areas of the brain, including the hypothalamus and amygdala, increases. Chronic stress can lead to a range of health issues, including hypertension, GI problems, anxiety and depression. Mindfulness training, however, has been shown to reverse this pattern, softening the biological response to stress.
“If we don’t have healthy ways to manage stress, then we use unhealthy ways to manage stress: we eat too much, drink too much, work too much and further damage our health,” explains Kulys. But, mindfulness training can help individuals identify and manage that stress. “If we pay attention, we notice the small physical and emotional signs of stress,” says Kulys. “If we don’t pay attention, we often don’t address the signs of stress until they become too big to ignore.”
So, how can you learn to be more mindful?
Kulys recommends taking three simple steps:
1. Stop and breathe. Noticing your breath brings you into the present and can help you shift out of automatic-pilot.
2. Do one thing at a time. Take a break from multi-tasking and pay attention to doing just one thing. When you are eating, just eat. When you are listening to someone, give them your undivided attention.
3. Check in with yourself. Take a few minutes a day to take stock of what you feel in your body, what your predominant mood is and what thoughts are occupying your mind. Use this information to inform how you take care of yourself.
BONUS STEP: Remind yourself that it is not selfish to focus on yourself. Taking care of yourself is not selfish, it is responsible. No one can do it but you. Remember that one of the best things you can do for the people you love is take care of yourself.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

After fighting throat cancer for five years, John Pearson is finally cancer-free.

Written by Cindy Davidsmeyer, SIU School of Medicine

John Pearson speaks through an electrolarynx with an oral adapter. His distinct voice, generated through a handheld device, is a constant reminder of the throat cancer he was diagnosed with in 2009 after smoking cigarettes for 25 years.

Head and neck cancers similar to Pearson’s account for approximately four percent of all cancers in the United States. They are more common in men and in people over age 50. Pearson, a husband and father of three, urges others not to wait to get screened. “I was diagnosed in 2009. Earlier that year, I had a sore throat and ignored it. It got the point where I couldn’t swallow,” he explains.

After being diagnosed with throat cancer, Pearson underwent a total laryngectomy and has a stoma/tracheotomy. Five years, 200 hours of surgery, 59 days in the hospital, 35 days of radiation and eight weeks of chemotherapy later, Pearson is cancer-free and determined to make a difference. “If we can get people to stop buying and smoking cigarettes, that will be a gift to me. I caused my cancer. This is a way to make it right,” Pearson says.

Making it “right” for Pearson is volunteering to speak to health classes in Springfield schools about the dangers of smoking. “Once people see me, they will know,” Pearson says, wiping tears from his face. “I pick my daughter up from school, and I see kids smoking. I don’t want them to go through what I went through, what I put my family through.”

Pearson will always speak through the electrolarnyx and carry the scars of the Stage 4 cancer that nearly cost him his life. “My family’s life is forever changed,” the Mattoon native said. “I live every day like it’s my last.”

Should you get screened for head, neck and oral cancer? If you smoke or chew tobacco, consume alcohol regularly or have a family history of head and neck cancer, you are at higher risk and should be tested. Regular check-ups can detect the early stages of head and neck cancer or conditions that may lead to it.

You should also be on the lookout for these warning signs:
• Persistent earache or sore throat
• Difficulty or pain with swallowing
• Hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks
• An ulcer in the mouth or throat that does not heal
• A lump in the neck or thyroid gland
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) positive

If you have any of the warning signs or are at an increased risk of developing head, neck or oral cancer, you should schedule a screening. Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU will offer a free cancer screening performed by SCI head and neck surgeons on Monday, April 13. During the screening, a doctor will take a brief patient history, ask about potential risk factors and look for cancer that affects the ears, nose, mouth, throat, voice box, neck and thyroid gland.

For more information about the free screening, visit http://www.siumed.edu/news/Releases%20FY15/HeadandNeck_CancerScreenings_3-26-15.html.

Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Steve Sandstrom, SIU School of Medicine
There’s a potential shortage of primary care physicians on the horizon as more patients seek health care under the Affordable Care Act and the Baby Boomers age. What’s a medical school to do?
When you fall ill or have a medical need that surpasses the available over-the-counter remedies, it’s time to see a doctor. It’s very likely that the physician you see is a primary care doctor, what was once known as a “GP” — a general practitioner.
For many of us, these doctors are the first line of defense. They are men and women who can treat everything from a respiratory infection to a broken leg, help us fight diabetes or understand depression.
But a shortage is looming. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) estimates that by 2020, the need for primary care physicians will grow to 45,000.
SIU School of Medicine was built on the principle of meeting the health needs of people in our region by educating doctors — including but not limited to primary care doctors.
The mission is being fulfilled. In last month’s residency matching program, 51% of SIU’s graduating doctors chose primary care practices. About half of SIU’s 2,615 graduates have gone into primary care. According to the AAMC, SIU School of Medicine ranks among the top 30 percent of all U.S. medical schools in graduates working in primary care.
The School’s current dean, Dr. J. Kevin Dorsey was recently quoted on NPR about the commitment required to get doctors-in-training to look beyond the larger paychecks of medical specialties, and consider the greater good of primary care. It’s an ongoing struggle — just like staying healthy.
Make an appointment for a checkup with your primary care physician. If you don’t have one, call SIU HealthCare at 545-8000 for help.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois