Healthy Living

I won’t be winning any popularity contests with this topic, but let’s go ahead and talk about energy drinks.

It’s hard to believe how popular they are – you can find them at the checkout counter of every convenience store, grocery store, gas station, and of course, on the internet.

Energy drinks are beverages that contain large doses of caffeine and/or non-caffeine stimulants. They are used to increase energy, enhance mood, and delay sleep.

They are definitely not harmless, as many people seem to believe. Here is an example. I was conducting a free blood pressure screening at a community fair and a young 33-year-old man asked me to check his blood pressure. The result was the highest of the day: 165/104. When I asked him if he had any history of hypertension or heart disease, he denied any knowledge of it.

Upon further probing, he admitted he had just finished a 5-hour energy drink, something he did at least once daily. When I explained how unhealthy energy drinks were, his response was, “Then why do they sell them?” My reply was, “Because people will buy them. They sell cigarettes, don’t they?” Of course, there may be more health issues involved with this young man, but it was certainly an eye-opener for him.

The issue becomes even more concerning when young children are involved. Poison control data show energy drinks and young kids don’t mix. More than 40 percent of 5,156 calls about energy drinks to U.S. poison control centers involved children younger than 6, with some suffering serious cardiac and neurological symptoms, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014. That’s an alarming statistic.

Many people don’t realize stimulants in energy drinks may have other names which are less recognizable than caffeine. Look for these ingredients on the label:

Caffeine stimulants:
• Methylxanthines
• Theine
• Mateine
• Guaranine/Guarana
• Methyltheobromine
• Methyltheophylline

Non-caffeine stimlulants:
• Ginseng
• Ma-huang
• Ephedra
• Other ephedra-like substances

Symptoms of caffeine poisoning may include: nausea, vomiting, nervousness, tremor, insomnia, restlessness, delirium, sweating, headache, seizures, and increased heart rhythm. Seek medical attention for these symptoms. The Poison Control Center hotline number is 1-800-222-1222.

Alternatives to energy drinks include fruit juices, decaffeinated green tea, and low-fat milk. But hands down, the healthiest choice for a beverage is water. No calories, no preservatives, no fat, no sugar, and especially no caffeine. For those who dislike the taste of water, I suggest squeezing a few drops of lemon or lime juice to make it more palatable.

Bring a reusable water bottle wherever you go and avoid energy drinks...and be kind to your heart.

Since our daughter and her family moved to the San Francisco area years ago, we have traveled to that fascinating city many times to visit them. They love the city life and are very savvy when it comes to negotiating public transportation like Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) or the maze of city streets.

I am not so savvy. Several times my daughter cautioned me not to gaze up at the skyscrapers looking like a distracted wanderer. She reminded me there are personal safety ideas that everyone should be aware of, not just city dwellers or visitors.

When I returned home I decided to ask for some basic personal safety tips from Dave Guiher, the Hartford HealthCare East Region Public Safety Manager. His advice:

• Be mindful of your surroundings.
• Stay in well-lighted areas.
• Walk confidently, projecting an assertive, purposeful image.
• Keep your purse close to your body, and hold it tight. If it has a long strap it's even better to place it diagonally across your body, with the purse under your arm. Close all zippers and clasps.
• Keep your cell phone handy in your pocket, but don't walk around using it.
• Avoid walking alone at night, and walk or travel with a friend during the day, if possible.
• If you are ever confronted by a person who you fear will attack you, run away, yell for help, scream, “Get away from me!” — do whatever you can to attract attention. If the person is after your purse or other material items, throw them one way while you run the other.

Be careful and mindful of these tips all the time and it will soon become second nature. Then you can relax and enjoy all of the unique experiences community life has to offer, whether in an urban, suburban, or country setting.

A wise physician once said, “The best medicine for humans is love.” Someone asked, “What if it doesn’t work?” He just smiled and said, “Increase the dose.” That’s a wonderful sentiment, and good words to live by, but we all know that sometimes love is just not enough —medically speaking.

Many of us are well aware of Maddie Guarraia, a brave and courageous 9-year old girl who battled cancer for five years, and died on Wednesday morning. She was an inspiration to thousands of people who never met her. Her mother Amie’s Facebook page, “Mad About Madeline,” garnered more than 25,000 followers. Her mother chronicled her journey as she fought leukemia like a warrior. Her mother frequently posted pictures, always of a smiling Maddie, surrounded by her beloved family and friends. She had an infectious smile that was like a mega-dose of anti-depressant.

Maddie brought the community together in an outpouring of support that most of us have never seen before. I never had the opportunity to meet Maddie, but like so many others, I felt that she touched my life by witnessing her bravery and courage. Maddie was fighting for her life, but was always thinking of others with a kind and generous spirit. For example, Maddie’s wish was that people would collect toys to donate to children battling illnesses at Yale-New Haven Hospital. More than 70 organizations and businesses from Niantic to Rhode Island participated in “Madeline’s Wish Toy Drive.” That was quite a feat, considering the current economic climate.

She was the motivation to conduct several bone marrow drives in the community to combat childhood cancers. The Waterford Police Department made her an honorary police officer, Badge #8, and the whole department truly loved and supported this young girl.

Her mother made a request on Facebook to share how Madeline has impacted your life. The response was overwhelming. Almost 1,000 people responded with stories of how witnessing Maddie’s brave struggle provided the impetus to withstand a difficulty in their own life. Strangers declared their love and devotion to this courageous girl —and that was just the impact documented through Facebook. Who knows how widespread beyond social media boundaries her positive influence really was?

She gave her love freely and made a profound and lasting impact to so many. People said she made them “smile more, complain less.” Nine-year old Maddie made more of an impact on the emotional health of thousands than I have made in 40 years of nursing. Come to think of it, maybe that wise physician was right after all — a good dose of love from a 9-year old girl might be the best medicine for us all.

“Something just doesn’t feel right when I swallow.” That's what my old college friend kept saying. We were planning a trip to Europe with our husbands and really didn’t want any health issues to foil our plans. But Grace wisely followed up on her instincts. She repeated her complaint and her primary care physician listened, investigated her symptoms, and ordered some tests. The shocking news was that Grace had thyroid cancer.

Dr. William Culviner is a board certified ear, nose and throat specialist and surgeon in private practice with Eastern Connecticut Ear, Nose & Throat, P.C. with offices in Norwich, Willimantic and Colchester. I asked him to shed some light on the incidence of head and neck cancers. Frankly, I thought they were a fairly rare form of cancer.

Oral, head and neck cancer is a type of cancer that can be found in the mouth, including the tongue, throat, lips, voice box and salivary glands, as well as the sinuses, nasal cavity and thyroid. It is the sixth most common form of cancer in the world with over 100,000 cases diagnosed annually in the United States alone.

Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco and alcohol use, and people who use both are at a higher risk for developing these cancers than alcohol or tobacco use alone. Thyroid cancers are often related to family history or exposure to radiation although they can develop in anyone. Cancer of the lip can be caused by excessive sun exposure and adults over 40 are at an increased risk.

Over the past decade there has been at least a four- to five-fold increase in the number of oropharynx cancers in the United States, related to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The oropharynx includes the tonsils and the base of the tongue. Notably, physicians have recently seen a significant increase in oropharyngeal cancer related to HPV in younger (college age) patients.

Many times a patient has no signs or symptoms of cancer, although some report changes in the way the tissues inside of the mouth look or feel. Others have persistent pain in the mouth or a sore that won’t go away or sometimes gets larger. Discolored patches or lumps inside the mouth, thickening of the cheek, difficulty swallowing, jaw pain, tongue numbness, bad breath and voice changes can also be associated with oral cancer.

Persistent symptoms should be evaluated by a health care professional. A painless screening examination of your head and neck should be performed during your annual physical by your primary care physician or allied health professional or during a dental cleaning. Most of the time, these symptoms are not an indication of cancer, but it’s important to have them checked out since treatment is more successful when caught early.

Fortunately, Dr. Culviner and his associates are once again providing two head and neck cancer screenings that are free and open to the community. On Thursday, April 14, screenings will be given in the Windham Hospital Family Health Center (Second Floor) at 5 Founders St., in Willimantic, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 855-HHC-HERE or 855-442-4373. And, on April 15, screenings will be held in the Backus Hospital main lobby conference rooms from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but you can just walk in; no appointments are needed for the event at Backus.

My friend Grace subsequently went ahead with the surgery and chemotherapy and I am happy to report she has been declared cancer-free. She missed our trip, but probably saved her life. Not surprisingly, she is a big advocate of following through on your instincts and getting screened. All you have to do is just say “Ahhhhh.”