Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 11-10-17

Health
Hypo-Gluco-What?
Start getting into the sub- ject of blood sugar, and you may feel like you're speaking another language! Here are some of the most common words and phrases you might hear when you're talking to your doctor about metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, or diabetes.
Blood Glucose
Glucose is a kind of sugar that your cells use for energy. Your body makes it from the food you eat and delivers it to your cells through your blood. A "blood sugar" level -- or how much glucose is in your blood -- is usually measured in mil- ligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
Glucose Meter
A device that measures your blood sugar. First you put a test strip in the meter. Then you prick your fingertip
PART I
with a lancet, a gizmo with a spring inside that pops a small needle out against your skin to get a drop of blood. You touch the test strip to the blood, and your number will show up on the display.
Read the directions for your model to make sure you're using it right.
Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia
These are the doctors' way of saying your blood sugar is high or low. (A good way to re- member the difference is that "O" sound is in both "hypo-" and "low.") Usually hyper- glycemia is over 160 mg/dL, but your doctor may have set a different target for you. Sometimes people have high blood sugar in the very early morning, called "dawn phe- nomenon." Hypoglycemia is usually less than 70 mg/dL; you could pass out if it's se- vere.
WHEN SMOKING IS THE CAUSE
Cigarettes are packed with can- cer-causing chemi- cals. They also disarm the lungs' natural defense system. The air- ways are lined with tiny hairs called cilia. To protect the
lungs, they sweep out toxins, bacteria, and viruses. Tobacco smoke stops the cilia from doing their job. This lets the cancer-causing chemicals build up.
SECONDHAND SMOKE
While smoking is
the top cause of lung
cancer, it is not the
only risk factor.
Breathing in second-
hand smoke at home
or at work also ap-
pears to raise your
risk. People who are
married to someone who smokes are 20% to 30% more likely to get lung cancer than the spouses of nonsmokers.
CAN YOU GET CHECKED?
A type of scan called spiral CT may pick up early lung cancers in some people, but it's not clear whether it finds them early enough to save lives.
DANGEROUS WORK
Some jobs
make lung cancer
more likely. People
who work with ura-
nium, arsenic, and
other chemicals
should try to limit
their exposure. As-
bestos, which was
once widely used in insulation, is a known cause of lung cancer. It’s rarely used now, but workers who were exposed years ago are still at risk.
SYMPTOMS
Lung cancer be- gins quietly. There are usually no symp- toms or warning signs in the early stages. As it gets worse, you may no- tice:
• A cough that won't go away
• Chest pain, especially during deep breaths • Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Coughing up bloody phlegm
• Fatigue
DIAGNOSIS
If your doctor thinks you might have lung cancer -- for in- stance, because you have a long- lasting cough or wheezing -- you’ll get a chest X-ray or other imaging tests. You may also need to cough up phlegm for a sputum test. If ei- ther of these tests suggest that you could have cancer, you'll probably need to get a biopsy.
TWO MAIN TYPES
Small-cell lung cancer is more aggressive, meaning it can spread quickly to other parts of the body early in the disease. It is strongly tied to cigarette use and is rare in nonsmokers. Non-small-cell lung cancer grows more slowly and is more common. It's responsible for almost 85% of all lung cancers.
NEW TREATMENTS
Targeted therapy plus chemotherapy may help, if other approaches don’t work. One type prevents the growth of new blood vessels that feed cancer cells. Oth- ers interrupt the signals that prompt lung cancer cells to mul- tiply, as shown in the image here.
Immunotherapy works with your immune system to fight ad- vanced cases of non-small-cell lung cancer. It doesn’t work for everyone, but when it does, the results look strong. You’d also get chemotherapy.
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017