New Treatment for Urinary Urgency, Frequency and Urge Incontinence

by Ann Welbes, CURN, BSN, Continence Specialist, West Shore Urology

A new treatment for Urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence is now available in the Continence Clinic at West Shore Urology.

This treatment is an alternative to the bladder therapy that has been offered for the past three years. It is called Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation. It is a minimally invasive treatment that can provide relief of symptoms in patients who have failed other traditional forms of therapy including behavioral modification and medications.

Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) involves the use of a small, hand held, battery operated Neuromodulation system. This system delivers gentle electrical impulses that stimulate the sacral nerves via the tibial nerve. The sacral nerves regulate bladder function. Stimulation of these nerves can alter bladder activity and reduce symptoms.

During treatment, a small, slim needle electrode is inserted near the tibial nerve above and behind the ankle bone and is then connected to the hand held stimulator. The electrical impulses from the stimulator travel to the tibial nerve and then to the sacral nerves in the lower back. Stimulation of the sacral nerves can result in less urgency of urination, allowing more time to get to the bathroom, and fewer episodes of uncontrollable urine leakage. Effects of treatment can also reduce the frequency of urination, allowing patients to participate in activities of daily living without the fear and embarrassment of frequent trips to the restroom, which can often dominate their lives. Patients are also taught simple techniques to help suppress the urge to urinate and help them get to the bathroom without leaking urine.

Stimulation is given for 30 minutes each treatment session. Initial therapy consists of 12 treatment sessions, typically every two weeks. Patients can expect to see reduction in symptoms by approximately the fifth or sixth treatment. Possible side effects are minimal but include pain or discomfort at the needle site, and/or redness or inflammation near the site.

PTNS is contraindicated in persons with heart problems, implanted pacemakers and defibrillators, bleeding tendencies or vascular problems. It also cannot be used in pregnant women or persons with nerve damage. Patients at West Shore Urology are screened and evaluated by the physician prior to treatment to ensure appropriate patient selection.

We are very excited to offer this new treatment option to those suffering from overactive bladder symptoms in addition to a wide range of treatments currently available through the Continence Clinic. If you have failed treatment for these symptoms in the past, this may be the treatment option for you.

West Shore Urology's Continence Clinic is run by Nurse Specialist Ann Welbes, CURN, BSN, a certified Urology Nurse specially trained in continence care. For more information, call (231) 739-9492 or visit www.westshoreurology.com.

Einstein, Newton Knew: Move Something!

by Lana Carson, Nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Omni Fitness Club

"Nothing Happens Until something moves." - Albert Einstein

I'm sure Einstein wasn't trying to get people to exercise, however, his "principle" is just as applicable to our exercise efforts as it is physics.

One of the programs we offer at the Omni Fitness Club, is a trade-in on home exercise equipment. We actually apply the dollar amount of the equipment trade-in towards the purchase of a membership! (No &it's NOT to buy exercise equipment for the Omni.) We actually started this program because most people don't use their home equipment! (Therein lies Einstein's principle!) Some of you may be thinking of your own lonely treadmill down in the basement or the stationary bike in your spare bedroom which serves more as a clothes hanger than it does a piece of exercise equipment.

Having equipment is only one part of the equation, using it is the other! (Since we started with Einstein, I'll use mathematics lingo.) The principle is simple, you don't have to be a genius to understand it. (You + Exercise = Improved Health and Fitness.) So why, when it comes to exercise, does it seem easier to figure out the Theory of Relativity, than it does to just get up and get moving?

For a possible answer, let's look at Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion. It states, "Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it." Again, I highly doubt Isaac Newton was thinking about "couch potatoes," but it's interesting that this complex physics theory can also be applied to a simple behavior pattern! Think about it, if you are not currently involved in a regular exercise program, you're in a "state of rest."

And it is going to take some sort of "force to be pressed upon you to compel you to change," right? So, what is the force going to be? Is it going to be a warning from your physician to lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol, or to lose weight? Is it going to be the aches and pains you feel from chronic stress or poor physical conditioning? Or is going to be the time you miss with your family because you just don't have any energy left at the end of the day?

We don't have to rely on complicated scientific principles to just get up and get moving. Although we can apply Newton's Law of Momentum to our lives once we do get out of the "state of rest." Once we're in motion we will remain in motion. And it won't just include exercise, your whole life will gain momentum! Just think of all things you would do right now if you had more energy, if your knees and back and neck didn't ache, if you slept better at night, and if you felt better about your body!? Wow! The possibilities are endless!

A final note; you can look at your life and exercise habits as complicated or too big to tackle, much like trying to understand the theories in physics and mathematics or you can see things in a much simpler manner and apply them to your life right now. Just move, it's that simple.

If you would like help getting started, feel free to contact Lana Carson at the Omni Fitness Club at (231) 739-3391 or visit us at www.omnifitnessclub.com for a list of community programs and services in an area close to you!

If you would like help designing a fitness program that's just right for you, call MarySue or Lana at the Omni Fitness Club at (231) 739-3391.

The MSM Story: Why and How it Works

by Eric Johnson, Manager, Health Hutt

The human body requires a continuous supply of usable sulfur, and MSM is one of the primary organic sulfur-containing molecules for use by living organisms.

From life's earliest beginnings, primitive marine organisms (blue-green algae and phytoplankton) have absorbed inorganic sulfur from ocean waters and produced organic sulfur molecules, primarily dimethyl sulfonium salts. These salts are released back into the sea, where they are converted to dimethyl sulfide, which readily evaporates, ending up in the upper atmosphere. Dimethyl sulfide is then oxidized by UV light, forming DMSO and MSM. The two compounds are delivered to land masses in rain water, and absorbed by plants. MSM is a stable end-product of this process, and thus serves as a primary source of sulfur in the food chain.

Though present on earth since before life appeared on dry land, and known to science since the 1950s, MSM has only recently been recognized as having importance in human nutrition.

MSM occurs naturally in the blood, body fluids and tissues. It is now believed that a minimum MSM concentration of 0.2 parts per million is necessary for the body to function normally. MSM may be the most easily absorbed and non-toxic source of nutritional sulfur occurring in nature.

Sulfur is a structural mineral that maintains the strength of various tissues by forming sulfur "tie-bars" (sulfhydryl bonds) between connective tissue proteins. MSM serves as a readily available source of sulfur for this function, and thus helps maintain the pliancy of tissues and cell membranes. Repair of damaged tissue depends upon a supply of sulfur for continuation of reactions involving sulfhydryl groups (-SH). Sulfur is required for the maintenance of healthy hair, skin and nails. In view of the presence of MSM in biological systems since the beginning of evolution, it is logical to assume that all higher life forms, including humans and animals, are well adapted to use MSM as a sulfur donor.

Stop in today at one of the three locations of the Health Hutt for more helpful information and suggestions on a healthier lifestyle!

To ask about natural remedies or other vitamin supplements phone the Health Hutt closest to you. In Muskegon call (231) 739-1568. Be sure to watch "Forever Young" Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Comcast Cable 97.

Cold Sore and Canker Sore Prevention and Treatment Available

by Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., Northshore Dental Associates

With cold weather coming on and the days still sunny, many people are experiencing an increase of mouth sores. Cold sores and canker sores are two different and distinct problems but both are annoying to those who suffer with them.

Cold sores, commonly called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes virus. They appear around the mouth, usually affecting the lips, mucous membranes, gums, and skin, but these also can spread to the eyes and fingers.

Cold sores are caused by a virus that lasts forever once an individual gets infected. This virus lays dormant and occasionally becomes activated causing an outbreak. Triggers for activation of the virus are stress, sun exposure, menstruation, trauma and poor diet.

Once activated, the individual will feel a tingling or burning sensation prior to the appearance of a blister. During this time and as long as the blister is present, the person is highly contagious. You should not share utensils, food, lipstick, lip balm, etc. with someone who has a cold sore. The individual should also avoid kissing and sexual contact until the sore has healed.

Canker sores are small (1-2mm) sores inside the mouth. They are white, painful, inflammatory lesions that appear on soft tissues and folds of the inner cheeks, lips and floor of the mouth. Their cause is unknown and they clear up on their own within 10 to 14 days. They can be extremely painful but unlike cold sores, they are not contagious. Triggers for canker sores include acidic foods, spicy foods, trauma and stress.

Treatment for both canker sores and cold sores is directed at relieving pain. Products on the market exist for both. Some prescribed medications can prevent an outbreak or lessen the severity of an outbreak of cold sores. If you are troubled by mouth sores, please see your dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., at Northshore Dental Associates, 1179 Whitehall Road in North Muskegon, can be reached at (231) 744-6100.

Check Your Hearing

from Hearing Wellness Center

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition among older Americans - right behind high blood pressure and arthritis.

It's estimated that nearly one-third of people over the age of 60, and close to half of those over 75, have some degree of hearing loss. For most people, hearing loss is one of the realities that comes with aging. And while much can be done these days to improve with age-related hearing loss, many older people don't get as much out of life as they could because of hearing loss that goes undiagnosed or untreated.

Try these few simple checks to see how you're hearing, but remember, this does not take the place of regular visits to your Doctor or Audiologist to monitor your hearing and get help when needed.

- Rub your shoes together

- Listen to your watch (if it ticks)

- Have someone else adjust the volume on the radio or television so that it's pleasing to them.

- Adjust the faucet so it drips.

- When you are talking with someone, close your eyes and see if your ears "close" too.

Hearing loss can have a major impact on a person's physical, social, and emotional well-being. It can cause embarrassment, interfere with a person's ability to interact with others, and contribute to feelings of depression. It can cause some people to withdraw from family, friends and social activities.

While many problems are due largely to an aging hearing system, there may be other contributing factors, including:

- Damage from a lifetime of noise exposure

- Disorders of the inner ear or auditory nerve

- Age-related diseases

- Ototoxic drugs

- Heredity (it runs in families)

If you don't have a hearing problem, taking the following steps may help reduce your chances of developing one. And if you already have hearing loss, these guidelines may help you keep the problem from getting worse.

- Avoid loud or prolonged exposure to noise.

- When you can't avoid noise, wear ear protection.

- If your ears produce excessive earwax, have your ears cleaned periodically by a health care professional. (Do not use cotton swabs, as you will lodge more earwax even deeper into the ear canal than the small amount of wax you will remove.)

- Avoid ototoxic drugs. If you're taking one already, talk with your doctor and see if there's a less-ototoxic alternative.

- Stay healthy and be mindful of risk factors, such as hypertension.

Margaret M. "Peg" Sass-Simon, M.A., CCA-A, is a clinical/educational audiologist with Hearing Wellness Center, 6653 Grand Haven Road, Spring Lake. In Muskegon, call (231) 798-2323.