Newswise — SHOES...CHOOSING FASHION OVER COMFORT CAN LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS Shoes"¦the most important accessory to any outfit. However fantastic they are, shoes that are more about looks than comfort can have your feet screaming by the end of a day.
While much in the shoe industry has changed for women in recent decades, one thing hasn't: Many still insist on wearing beautiful but uncomfortable shoes. High heels place pressure on the front of the foot and throw the body out of alignment; they're one reason women are four times as likely to suffer foot pain as men.
"Knee and back problems, shortened calf muscles and an awkward gait all can be attributed to heels higher than two inches," says Timothy C. Abigail, D.P.M., a podiatrist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Garland.
The higher the heel, the worse the problem. "A three-inch heel increases pressure on the ball of the foot sevenfold, which can cause calluses, pinched nerves and bunions," he says. Women also can develop plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the connective tissue running from the heel to the arch.
For women who feel they must wear high heels at work, Dr. Abigail suggests rotating shoes frequently. "If you spend the day in heels, change as soon as you get home to flats so you can alleviate the pressure on your feet," he recommends.Look for shoes with a square toe or a wider European cut for more toe room. "We also like wide or stacked heels, which can help prevent sprained ankles," he says. And while most people wear orthotics in their low-heeled shoes or walking shoes, companies do make versions that can be worn in high-heeled shoes. Dr. Abigail offers these tips for a proper shoe fit:
- Always try on new shoes at the end of the day, when your feet are at their widest.- Try on both shoes, and buy the pair that best fits your larger foot.- There should be at least a half inch of space between the longest toe and the end of the shoe.- Walk around in a new pair of shoes for at least five minutes before purchasing them. If shoes don't fit when you try them on, they won't fit later. For more information about Baylor Medical Center at Garland, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit http://www.BaylorHealth.com. MONITORING YOUR HEALTH...TIPS FOR ROUTINE HEALTH SCREENINGS Physicians on the medical staff at Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth recommend the following common health screenings. People with existing conditions or specific symptoms should discuss the need for additional or more frequent tests with their doctor. Test: Fasting blood glucoseFrequency: AnnuallyTarget results: 100 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)Need to know: Results between 100 and 125 indicate impaired glucose tolerance, also known as pre-diabetes, which warrants follow-up evaluation and testing. Results above 126 indicate the presence of diabetes. In the case of elevated blood glucose levels, physicians will typically prescribe changes in diet and exercise and possibly medication. Test: Blood pressureFrequency: Annually; more often in people with high blood pressureTarget results: 120/80 mm Hg (systolic pressure/diastolic pressure, measured in millimeters of mercury)Need to know: High blood pressure (hypertension) is indicated by results above 140/90. Results between 120/80 and 140/90 indicate pre-hypertension. Medication and lifestyle changes are often prescribed for hypertension. Test: CholesterolFrequency: AnnuallyTarget results: Total cholesterol: 200 mg/dL or lower; LDL ("bad" ) cholesterol: 70 mg/dL or lower; HDL ("good" ) cholesterol: 40 mg/dL or higherNeed to know: Cholesterol is measured in total and individual readings. Medication and lifestyle changes, including decreased saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet, are often prescribed. Test: DEXA bone scan (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) for bone mineral density (BMD)Frequency: Postmenopausal women under age 65, all women after age 65; sooner if you are at increased riskTarget results: T-score of "1 or higher (Your T-score is your BMD compared to the BMD of the average 30-year-old.)Need to know: A negative T-score indicates that you have thinner bones than the average 30-year-old. A T-score of "2.5 or lower can indicate osteoporosis. The scan measures BMD in the spine and hip. Test: Blood count (hemoglobin)Frequency: AnnuallyTarget results: 13 to 17 g/dL (men), 12 to 15 g/dL (women) (grams per deciliter)Need to know: A low blood count (anemia) is fairly common in women of childbearing age. It's far less typical in men and can be a warning sign of colon cancer, warranting follow-up testing. Test: PSA (prostate-specific antigen)Frequency: Annually for all men after age 50Target results: 4 ng/mL or lower (nanograms per milliliter)Need to know: Elevated PSA levels can indicate prostate problems, including cancer, and should be followed up with a urologist. Test: Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)Frequency: At age 35 and every few years after thatTarget results: TSH level of .3 to 3Need to know: A TSH level above normal may indicate hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid); a TSH level below normal may indicate hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Some other recommended screenings include routine tests such as a colonoscopy for people over the age of 50 (even earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer). Unless there's a family history or other cause for concern, women should have an annual pelvic exam and Pap smear as soon as they become sexually active or at age 18, and should begin having annual mammograms around age 35 or 40. Men should have annual prostate exams beginning at age 45. Certain self-exams also are recommended—breast exams for women and testicular exams for men—and should be performed monthly to check for signs of cancer.
For more information about Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit http://www.BaylorHealth.com. NEW PRE-NATAL TEST PROVIDES EARLIER RESULTS "Is my baby healthy?" This is a common concern among high-risk mothers—those 35 and older—who especially want to be assured that everything is OK with their pregnancies. H. Frank Andersen, M.D., medical director of maternal/fetal medicine on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, offered the following tips about first-trimester screening, a relatively new prenatal test.
- First-trimester screening tests are performed between the 11th and 13th weeks of pregnancy. - The test looks primarily for Down syndrome and a genetic abnormality called trisomy 18. - The test is more accurate than the testing traditionally done in the second trimester. The first-trimester screening detects almost 90 percent of both Down syndrome and trisomy 18 cases; second-trimester screening detects only about 65 percent. - The test consists of an ultrasound and a blood test. The ultrasound, which must be performed by a specially trained sonographer because of the precision required, measures nuchal translucency, or fluid in the skin in the back of the baby's neck. A thickened nuchal fold indicates an increased risk of Down syndrome or trisomy 18. The blood test measures maternal hormones PAPP-A and beta-hCG. The data is analyzed and compared with normal values, and then the result is a combined risk assessment. - There are no risks involved with the test. It's just a blood sample and an ultrasound, and it can be done in one visit. - If a screening result is positive, it doesn't necessarily mean the baby has a birth defect, but rather that the risk is greater than average. Parents may wish to consider follow-up testing. - Chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis will provide a yes-or-no answer; however, these are invasive and associated with a small risk of miscarriage. - If the first-trimester test result is positive, we have couples meet with a genetic counselor who will go over what the test means, put their specific results into perspective and offer follow-up options. - The first-trimester test provides more precise information earlier in the pregnancy, and it poses less risk to mom and baby than amniocentesis. For more information about Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit http://www.BaylorHealth.com.
Baylor Medical Centers at Garland, Fort Worth and Dallas are affiliated with the Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System.
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