LEWAC Health Articles
by Glen R. Smith, M.D., Ph.D. Internal Medicine/Endocrinology Email:hwellness@aol.com
List of Articles-The following articles were submitted for publication in The Buffalo Challenger and The Criterion from August of 2004 through November of 2004.
Diabetes
Diabetes, is it in your genes? Or is it the environment? Before I answer both of these questions, let’s define diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that is caused by the pancreas’ inability to produce enough insulin, or any insulin, or the body’s resistance to insulin. Let’s also establish this point: The body produces its own insulin. In fact, it’s the organ we call the pancreas that produces insulin.
Here’s how it works: We consume food in the form of carbohydrate, fat, protein, etc. The body processes this food and the carbohydrate is converted to glucose (sugar). This is a good thing, because we need glucose, which is fuel for our body. This fuel gives us energy to walk, talk, think – in other words, move our body parts.
Some sugar is good, more is not better. When too much sugar (glucose) gets into the system, the burden is on the pancreas to produce insulin to bring the glucose down. Many years of overworking the pancreas can deplete its insulin-making capacity, causing the pancreas to stop producing the insulin necessary to handle all of the excess sugar in the body. As a result, many people must take 1) medication and/or 2) insulin injections to put insulin back in circulation in the body. See entire article
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Arthritis - I
The root term “arthr” means joint. The ending “itis” mean inflammation . The word arthritis then means inflammation of the joint. Some people usually talk about arthritis as though it was a single disease. However, the term arthritis refers to more than 100 different diseases that can cause, stiffness, redness pain, swelling and limitation of joints and connective tissue throughout the body.
Once arthritis develops, it usually becomes chronic. Arthritis is a very prevalent disease, which affects over 70 million people in the United States and is surpassed only by heart disease as a cause of work disability. It accounts for over 70 million workdays of restricted activity.
Each year arthritis is responsible for 39 million doctor visits and more than half a million hospitalizations. It costs the economy almost $65 billion dollars a year.
See entire article
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Arthritis - II
In my previous article, I defined arthritis as inflammation of the joint. I pointed out that this term refers to more than 100 different diseases that can cause stiffness, redness, pain, and limitation of joints and connective tissues throughout the body – and that once arthritis develops, it usually becomes chronic. I also pointed out that osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common.
It is very important to know that arthritis is a very serious disease that can lead to major health problems and even death. For this reason, it is imperative that the individual does not second-guess his or her type of arthritis or the treatment needed. Arthritic conditions must be diagnosed and monitored by a trained health care professional.
Because arthritis is so prevalent and often chronic, people with this disease usually succumb to the many myths surrounding the disease and quite often delay seeking proper medical diagnosis and treatment. Individuals often fall prey to expensive “cures” and treatments that have no proven medical or scientific benefits.
Before we can address prevention and intervention of these diseases, I must first address and dispel some of the myths surrounding arthritis.
Myth #1: Arthritis is just a part of getting old and as we age, everything falls apart – therefore, there is nothing we can do about it. Fact: Arthritis is not just an old person’s disease. It can strike people at any age and although there are many forms of arthritis, the disease can become chronic. There are many things that we can do to delay the onset and alleviate pain and disability.
Myth #2: Because arthritis is often chronic and is so widespread, there is no need to take it seriously or go to the doctor and get proper treatment as a result of early diagnosis. Fact: Since there are over 100 different types of arthritis, it is imperative that a patient get an accurate diagnosis of his or her type of arthritis so that the proper treatment and course of therapy can be recommended, since some forms of arthritis can indeed be cured. In many instances, through proper treatment, severe disability can be delayed or prevented. See entire article
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Arthritis - III
The two most common and destructive forms of arthritis, i.e. Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis, usually become chronic once they develop. Several of the over 100 different forms of arthritis are curable or are highly controllable, e.g. gouty arthritis and some forms of infectious arthritis. This greatly underlies the importance of seeking early medical advice, having accurate diagnosis and early therapeutic intervention.
Many individuals suffer irreparable joint and connective tissue destruction because they allow themselves to minimize the seriousness of the complications, accept unfounded myths, e.g. “arthritis is just a part of getting old” or “because arthritis is so widespread and often chronic, there is no need to take it seriously or go to the doctor and get proper treatment as indicated by their diagnosis.” In my previous article I tried to dispel some of these myths.
There are very few diseases the treatment of which has been subjected to such quackery, unfounded and unproven treatments and attempted cures as arthritis. Because this disease can be so debilitating and chronic, affected individuals are often willing to try anything at any cost. Unfortunately, there are more than enough individuals out there who readily capitalize on the “any cost,” although they may be aware that their therapy is unlikely to be effective or even help. As I pointed out in my last article, once the specific form of arthritis has been accurately diagnosed, there are many forms of treatment that can delay further joint damage, relieve pain and suffering, and help in mobility. See entire article
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