The American Cancer Society updated its colon cancer screening guidelines to say that screening should begin at age 45 for people at average risk instead of age 50, as previously recommended. To learn more, we sat down with UNC REX gastroenterologist Rig Patel, MD, the medical director of REX Digestive Healthcare. Why has the guideline…
Finishing cancer treatment is a major cause for celebration. However, many survivors face a new set of challenges as they begin processing the difficult experience they just went through and start thinking about what comes next. During cancer diagnosis and treatment, all of the energy and focus is spent on getting through the treatment. Once…
Halitosis—or persistent bad breath—can be awkward, embarrassing and even offensive. And it doesn’t discriminate. Everyone gets halitosis at some point, and doctors estimate that 20 to 30 percent of people in the U.S. have it at any given point. While bad breath is usually just a nuisance in need of a minty fix, it can…
You may have heard the buzz around hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Sports teams and cyclists love them, they cure deep-sea divers who get “the bends” (decompression sickness), and Michael Jackson was rumored to sleep in one (he denied it). But what can these incredible machines do for the rest of us? Turns out these pressurized chambers…
You started your day like any other. You got up, got dressed, went to work and felt normal until it hit you in the middle of your team meeting: that telltale rumble and the mad dash to the bathroom. You’ve been sidelined by diarrhea and vomiting. Your co-workers say you have the “stomach flu,” but…
If you’ve had a heart attack or heart surgery, your doctor is likely to recommend cardiac rehabilitation, a 12-week program designed to help you strengthen your heart and reduce the likelihood of another heart event. It’s a simple program that can be a lifesaver—cardiac rehab reduces mortality by more than 50 percent, compared with patients…
People who are diagnosed with cancer usually have a few immediate questions. What will treatment be like? Am I going to be OK? And for parents: How will I tell the kids? It can be a tough reality to face. But Kimberly Fradel, a licensed clinical social worker with UNC REX Cancer Care, encourages parents…
The flu is simple, right? You get it from germs, it feels terrible and then you get better. Turns out there’s a bit more going on. Every year, millions of people will get sick from the flu—but many don’t know how it works or spreads or what they can do to prevent it. Christopher Hurt,…
For many women, peeing while sneezing is more than a common occurrence—it’s a frequent annoyance and often an embarrassment that many experience in silence. What they might not realize is that urinary incontinence is normal: About a quarter to a third of Americans experience it. And though many might think it’s a permanent issue, it’s…
Your lungs are always at work, but you don’t notice how critical they are until they fail you. We all get the occasional cold or flu and suffer through the coughing and wheezing. Fortunately, these short-term lung problems go away. Unfortunately, millions of Americans deal with chronic lung disease, which can be life-limiting, painful and…
Many of us joke about being sleep-deprived, but the condition puts a major damper on quality of life—not to mention it can be downright dangerous. Poor sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness, accidents and difficulty carrying out daily functions. Our cognitive abilities become impaired, our reaction times slow down and we get grumpy, anxious and…
According to the CDC, hypertension (high blood pressure) affects 70 million Americans. It’s a condition which can lead to weakening of the arteries, stroke, and heart and kidney disease if is not controlled. High blood pressure is a measured blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher. Shockingly, one out of three American adults…
