for your
health
OUTDOOR HEALTH
June is
Myasthenia
Gravis
Awareness
Month
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS (MG),
which means “grave muscle weakness,” is an often
misunderstood and under-diagnosed autoimmune
neuromuscular disease
that affects voluntary
muscles. It strikes people
of all ages, races and genders—currently at least
70,000 people in the
U.S.—and while treatments are available to
improve muscle strength,
there is no known cure.
Symptoms include
weakness in muscles that
control eye movements
and eyelids, chewing, swallowing, coughing, facial
expressions, arm and leg
movements and breathing.
A rare disease, it is frequently not diagnosed correctly because many of its
symptoms are similar to
those of other disorders. A
doctor can confirm a diagnosis of MG via several
types of diagnostic tests.
This is the 12th year
that the Myasthenia Gravis
Foundation of America has
conducted an awareness
campaign in June. The
theme this year, “Uniting
for a Cure: Together we are
Stronger,” is geared to promote an understanding of
the scope of this disease,
to further the foundation’s
mission of facilitating the
timely diagnosis and optimal care of individuals
affected by MG and to
fund research to find a
cure. To learn more about
this disease and about
ways you can help, visit
www.myasthenia.org.
—David Wight
Avoidingheatstroke
By Dr. Gerald Kumin
IN THE SUMMERTIME,
with the combination of
exposure to high tempera-
tures and inadequate
liquid intake, it’s easy to
become dehydrated. You
lose ;uids through
perspiration and your breathing cycle. As
your core temperature rises you perspire as a
cooling mechanism, but you lose ;uid and
electrolytes. If you fail to take in ;uids and
dissipate heat adequately, your core tempera-
ture rises and can result in heatstroke.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency and a
life-threatening condition, de;ned by a body
temperature of 104 degrees or higher. This
excess heat damages the heart, kidneys,
muscles and brain, and may result in death.
Most susceptible are the elderly and young
children. Young children playing outdoors in
the heat are often reluctant to stop playing and
go indoors for liquids, and elderly individuals
in a hot, non-air-conditioned living space may
have a diminished thirst sense and not realize
when they are becoming dehydrated.
Buyer’s
pıck
Kim Walior
Pharmacy Buyer
ACCORDING TO MANY ex-smokers, quitting cigarettes is likely the toughest thing they’ve ever done.
It’s a matter of overcoming a physical addiction to nicotine, the stimulant that cigarettes
deliver to your body. When smokers try to quit,
the cravings they feel are mostly due to nicotine
withdrawal, which often causes
irritability, inability to concentrate,
drowsiness or insomnia.
Nicotine gum has been used
for more than 20 years to effectively help smokers quit. Unlike
nicotine patches, nicotine gum
allows the user control over
when and how much of a nico-
With low blood ;uid volume, the heart cannot beat strongly, the kidneys have limited function and can fail, the muscles cramp and with injury release toxic pigments, and the brain can be permanently damaged by a toxic temperature. Causes of heatstroke include exposure to high temperature for a prolonged period, excess physical activities in high heat and containment in a hot space, such as when a child is trapped in a car with no ventilation or air conditioning. Early symptoms include fatigue, weakness, nausea, vomiting, lightheaded- ness and muscle cramps. Treatment for extreme cases is emergency cooling of the body with ice (the person can be placed in a tub ;lled with ice) and intravenous hydration. Prevention of dehydration and heat- stroke is important. You need to stay in cool surroundings. Staying in the shade, using a fan to cool the skin, using air conditioning, carrying an umbrella to create shade, limiting prolonged exposure to heat, engaging in shorter sessions of physical activity and having access to cool liquids to drink, such as water or electrolyte beverages, should avert an adverse condition. C
Costco member Dr. Gerald Kumin has 39
years of medical experience and practices
in nephrology and internal medicine in
Naples, Florida.
AGE FOTOSTOCK
tine dose is delivered. Using the gum reduces
withdrawal symptoms and allows the user
to gradually cut down on the amount of nicotine
needed to function normally.
JUNE 2012 ;e Costco Connection 45
