Health Articles

American Heart Month

Since 1963, United States Presidents annually have issued a proclamation designating February as “American Heart Month.” For me, this year’s American Heart Month hits a little closer to home than it has in past years. Over the last nine months, my father had a heart attack and a number of procedures leading to a triple bypass. His health is now stable. Nonetheless, the series of events reminds me of my own genetic vulnerability.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is corona…

Recent FDA Announcement on Sunscreens

Summer is now in full swing. The kids are swimming in the pool, playing in the park, and heading out to camp. With nary a cloud in sight, it’s a good time to make a visit to the sunscreen aisle at the local pharmacy. We all know that quality sunscreen is necessary to protect us from the harmful effects of the sun. However, interpreting the labels on different sunscreens can be tricky. A few weeks ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made an announcement about sunscreen requirements that may confuse the issue a little further.

Starting in June 2012, sunscreen manufacturers wil…

Snus: A New Threat from Big Tobacco

As cigarette smoking rates continue to decline, tobacco companies are not taking defeat lying down. RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris continue to develop new products in order to recruit new users. On February 13th, Dr. Erin Sutfin of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center traveled to El Paso to discuss these products with members of the Paso del Norte regional Smoke Free Network. Dr. Sutfin is a developmental psychologist who researches tobacco use, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Among other topics, she discussed snus (rhymes with “goose”), a new product peddled by big tobacco. …

Discover more about the region with innovative web site

With all that’s going-on in medical reform, talk of taxing certain foods and drinks, improving regional mass transit, and a changing economy, I have lots of questions like:

How many people in the county have medical insurance? What is the density of fast food restaurants in our region? What is the average travel time to work? How many households are without a vehicle in the county? How many families live below the poverty level?

Fortunately for residents of the Paso del Norte region there is a simple, fast, and free way to get these answers and more. A newly launched website [ww…

Leadership Essential for Advancing Health

Improving the public’s health in the Paso del Norte region is more critical, challenging, and complex than ever. Looking to the future, I foresee dramatic change in how health problems are prevented and treated. Shaping those changes for the benefit of all residents will require extremely capable and collaborative leadership from government, private industry, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, hospitals and clinics, families, and others. Only by the hands of strong, transformational leaders will we succeed in making this region a vibrant and healthy place to live.

Lea…

Avoiding the Mental Illness Stigma

We talk about mental health and physical health as if they were two different parts of the human body. The truth is physical health is interconnected and cannot be separated from the body’s mental health. When we have a cold or cut, we tend to seek advice from family, friends, or healthcare providers. Unfortunately, mental illness is not as willingly discussed. Stigma, or the perception that having mental illness is socially unacceptable, is one major reason people avoid talking about mental illness. The burden of mental illness in the United States is among the highest of all diseases. …

Protect your hearing

Listening to music reminds me of some of the most relaxing and inspiring times in my life. When I was younger I remember going to concerts where the music was so loud all I could hear was ringing in my ears for hours after. Some might remember the days when your options were a radio or tape player the size of a large handbag with a single earphone to listen to music. Today, there are a wide range of options. New technologies allow portable, almost unlimited music storage and battery life. It is concerning that today’s children and youth are listening more than twice as long as previous ge…

The Family Table

Its 6:00 p.m. and I’m late for dinner again. As I walk in the door my daughters call out “Dad, you better hurry we’re already starting.” I rush to wash my hands and get to the table. Then as we start eating, my phone rings. My older daughter reminds me of our rule to be “unplugged” at this time. That means, no television, phones, computers, etc. I apologize to all then shut my phone off. Setting aside quality family time in a quiet, distraction free environment takes prioritizing and practice. Barriers to gathering at the family table may seem difficult to overcome. Yet the lasting benefi…

Regional Cooperation for Your Health

I recall, years ago, participating in a teambuilding workshop. We played an activity, with which you may be familiar. Each of us took a single stick and easily broke it; then we bundled the sticks and could not break them. The moral was something like, “we are stronger together than we are apart.”

Like the bundling of sticks, regional agencies are binding together for stronger health and human services. That’s good news for anyone who needs to visit a doctor, or who is trying to eat better, exercise more, quit smoking, or teach a child about healthy relationships. The following are a few…

ACA and its Unique Permutations on the U.S.-Mexico Border

While the pros and cons of the the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been discussed ad nauseam, few have discussed the unique implications for residents of the U.S.-Mexico border region, particularly folks living in Texas.

In 2007, Theresa Byrd (Texas Tech) and I conducted a survey of El Paso County to determine what proportion of residents access health care services in Mexico. We also wanted to learn which services they use, and why they cross for care. We found that 32% of El Paso residents crossed into Mexico for some type of health care service. Of those that crossed, 27% were accessi…