Show #305 Airing 7/31/05
We’re bombarded with so much medical information today. Much of it is confusing; some of it is conflicting; and I’m afraid there’s lots out there that’s really hazardous to your health where can you get good, trustworthy tips and solid advice? Here to tell us about where to get reliable resources is a reliable friend of our show, Dr. Alice Petrulis, medical director for Ohio KePRO.
Question: There is so much medical information out there, but today we’re going to talk about one place you can access solid, good information from your computer.
Answer: On our web site, www.ohiokepro.com, we have a special section dedicated to Resources for a Healthy You. Ohio KePRO has compiled a number of helpful resources to assist you in a proactive approach to maintaining good health.
Question: What are some of the items you will find on the web site?
Answer:
- A health assessment quiz.
- Information on finding a doctor if you do not have one.
- A guide on asking your doctor the right questions, including when to ask, tips for good communication, and more.
- An interactive online health record that allows you to organize and store your detailed health history on the internet.
- Information on preventing falls.
- Information on locations to receive flu shots or mammograms.
Question: Let’s focus in on a few of the items. First is the button that says to live a heart healthy lifestyle. Who should check this page out?
Answer: If you click on the red heart, you will be brought to web pages set up by the American heart Association to help promote a heart healthy lifestyle. Although those with heart disease or with a family history of heart disease would benefit from looking at this site, it focuses on what we should all do to remain healthy.
The site includes food recommendations, exercise tips and reminders, information on smoking cessation, a special section dedicated to women and heart disease, and a body mass index calculator (you fill in your height and weight to find this important number).
Question: Is there anything for families on the web page?
Answer: A really neat and important topic found on this page is building your family tree of your family’s health history. Click on the tree icon.
Answer: Most of the time, we have forgotten to share the family medical history with our children, even though sharing it is so vital. Knowing your family history can help a person practice better preventive measures regarding their health.
Are you at risk for any specific diseases? You might carry a bigger risk if it runs in your family. For example, if your dad died of lung cancer and was a big smoker, and you do not smoke, you likely don’t have an elevated risk for lung cancer. However, colon cancer tends to run in families. If your dad died of that, you may need to be screened earlier. Likewise if a parent of grandparent had heart disease before age 50. What about diabetes? Many times kids don’t even know that their parents have developed Type II diabetes. The parents take the pills and just don’t mention it, or say they have a little “sugar” problem. If the child knew beforehand, they could concentrate on weight management and proper eating.
It’s important to engage in a conversation with your children about this before illness occurs.
Question: What if you can’t get online?
Answer: Give our office a call. We will send anyone interested a Guide to Preventive Medicine booklet. It takes a look at the preventive healthcare services Medicare covers.
Practicing preventive medicine is the key to a healthy you. Check you the health information resources on Ohio KePRO’s Web site. Or give them a call to get the Guide to preventive Services. My thanks to Dr. Alice Petrulis.
