Harlandale Clinic

04/28/2023

Diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal. It happens when the body doesn’t make enough insulin, or the body doesn’t respond to insulin as it should.

Chronically high blood glucose levels can cause damage to blood vessels, nerves, tissues, and other vital organs

Early signs of diabetes:
Elevated levels of sugar in the blood stream, dehydrate the body cells, and increase fluid volume within in the vascular system. Dysfunctional or lack of insulin would not allow the body cells to utilize glucose for energy, and results are:

1. You feel very thirsty

2. You need to urinate a lot and often

3. Dry mouth and skin

4. You feel very hungry (even when you’re eating)

5. You feel very tired

6. You’re losing weight unexpectedly

7. Blurry vision

How do i know I have diabetes?
The only way to know for sure if you have diabetes is to get tested for it. If you’re regularily noticing any of the above symptoms, don’t hesitate to let us know. While there is no cure for diabetes, it is a treatable condition. And the earlier prediabetes or diabetes is diagnosed, the better.
The following results suggest you could have diabetes:
- Fasting blood glucose test of 126 mg/dl or higher
- Oral glucose tolerance test of 200 mg/dl or higher
- A1C of 6.5% or higher

Is there anything I can do to prevent diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes ( insulin deficiency) is not a preventable illness, but prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes ( insulin resistance) can be prevented with early treatment and intervention. While some things you can’t change, like your genetics, age, and family history, there are other risk factors you can change to lower your risk of developing diabetes:
- See your healthcare provider often. Active management is an important part of preventing or delaying diabetes. .
- Make healthy eating a lifelong priority. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends eating more fruites, vegetables, nuts and whole grains to help lower your risk.
- Be and stay active. The ADA recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week (a little over 20 minutes a day) to help lower your risk. Create a plan with your healthcare provider to safely increase activity over time.
- Aim for a healthy weight. Carrying excess weight, especially around your middle, raises your risk for diabetes.

02/04/2023

Can not lose the weight? Having irregular menstrual periods? Having excessive pain and acne? You may have PCOS. Keep reading to find out.

Individuals with PCOS have at least two of the following three characteristics:
Higher than typical levels of testosterone. This can manifest as acne or excessive hair growth, especially around the face (hirsutism).
Irregular or absent ovulation (release of egg from an o***y). This can manifest as fewer or missing menstrual cycles.
Polycystic ovaries. This can be seen on ultrasound as a more than usual developing follicles in both ovaries.
PCOS is very common and affects 5% - 10% of people with ovaries. Symptoms of PCOS may include irregular menstrual periods, obesity with difficulty losing weight, excessive growth of central body hair (a condition called hirsutism), and infertility caused by absent or decreased frequency of ovulation. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should consult with your healthcare specialist to discuss treatment options. Learn more about symptoms, treatment options, options for those actively trying to conceive and more by calling our clinic and having an appointment with our OBGYN Specialist, Dr. Melhem Danda, MD, FACOG

11/21/2022

6 tips to lower your blood pressure:

1. Keep a healthy weight
Striving for a healthy body weight — defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 kg/m to 24.9 kg/m — can help lower your blood pressure. In fact, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), losing as little as 5 to 10 pounds can help lower high blood pressure.

2. Reduce salt intake
Salt can cause your body to hold onto extra fluid, which can cause blood pressure to creep up in some people. The AHA recommends most adults consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium (salt) daily to help lower blood pressure. Packaged and restaurant-prepared foods make up 70% of the sodium we eat, so eating fresh foods and preparing your own meals can help lower your daily salt intake.

3. Follow the DASH diet
The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a set of recommendations to help lower blood pressure. The diet recommends:

Plenty of fruits and vegetables
Fiber-filled foods, such as whole grains
Decreased fat intake, especially saturated fats
Decreased salt intake

4. Keep active
Regular exercise is an easy way to lower blood pressure, and lose weight. One study found that in people with high blood pressure, exercise was just as effective for lowering systolic blood pressure as medications.
The AHA recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week.

5. Quit smoking
Ni****ne can lead to high blood pressure and cause a host of health problems. There are plenty of resources to help you quit. And your healthcare provider can give you information about which method might be best for you.

6. Reduce alcohol intake
Alcohol can raise your blood pressure, especially if you drink a lot of it over time. The AHA recommends that men have no more than 2 drinks per day and women have no more than 1 drink per day. A drink is defined as 12 oz of beer, 4 oz of wine, 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz of 100-proof spirits.

11/12/2022

How to Stop Snoring:

Why do you snore so much?
Snoring is common. About 40% of adults, snoring is a regular part of their nighttime routine.

Snoring is caused by the vibration of soft tissues obstructing the throat during sleep.

Here are the most common causes of snoring:

1- Obstructive sleep apnea: This is a sleep-related breathing disorder where the airway is blocked and breathing stops during sleep.
2- Obesity: The pressure of the extra body weight on the airway can cause narrowing that can lead to snoring.
3- Nasal septum deviation.
4- Nasal congestion.
5- Back sleeping position: Sleeping on your back narrows your airway and can worsen snoring.

Ways to stop snoring
1. Lose excess weight
Weight loss can help with snoring. Getting your weight closer to a target body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 can improve snoring.
2. Limit alcohol and hypnotics at night. Alcohol and sleeping pills relax the throat muscles around your airway, making it more likely to collapse during sleep. While alcohol and sleep medications may help you feel sleepier, ironically, both can worsen the quality of your sleep.
3. Try a steroid nasal spray. This will relieve nasal congestion and improve nasal breathing during sleep. Your snoring will likely get better when you rely less on mouth breathing.
4. Avoid sleeping on your back: Sleeping on your back (the “supine” position) shrinks your airway, sometimes by as much as 30%. And when you lie down, the weight of your neck, chest, and abdominal tissues increase pressure on the throat and can cause turbulent airflow, or snoring. For that, turning on your side when you sleep is a quick fix. Sleeping on your side can decrease your sleep interruptions by up to 50%.

Try anti-snoring devices to stop snoring:
1. Nasal dilators and strips
2. Oral appliances: They focus on your mouth, rather than your nose. They work by changing the position of your jaw, soft palate, and tongue to maximize the space in your mouth.
you’ll need to find a dental specialist who can measure your mouth and find the right device for you.
3. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine
If your snoring is caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is your best bet for improving your sleep and snoring.
CPAP machines work by pushing a constant flow of air into your airway, nose, or mouth to keep them from collapsing with sleep.

11/05/2022

Harlandale Clinic on KSAT

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/11/02/harlandale-clinic-opens-its-doors-in-historical-south-side-building/?fbclid=IwAR3NWb1Wplu6R-wOuV_PBa9PRh_f7ajFOikzJL-HAtb9MgRBq14nrvysms8

11/04/2022

For both men and women: Can Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy help?

Many men and women experience hormone imbalance. The symptoms of this imbalance can range widely and are often treated with medications prescribed for depression, low libido, joint pain, memory loss, insomnia, anxiety, and more.

Having one’s hormones checked will reveal whether they are optimized and help avoid imbalances. Pellet hormone therapy may help alleviate issues with imbalances and improve quality of life.

Learn more about these issues by contacting us at Harlandale Clinic. We are a certified provider for Biosana BHRT.

11/04/2022

We came on news :-)

The clinic was opened because Dr. Melhem Dandan, MD, sensed the need for medical services in the area.

11/04/2022

What Is Sciatica, and How Is It Treated?

Sciatica is a common type of lower back pain that travels down into the buttocks, thigh, lower leg, or foot. It’s usually on one side of your body.
It’s caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve.

What is the treatment for sciatica?
The first step for treating sciatica involves some simple but effective home remedies:
- Heat or ice packs may help.
- Over-the-counter pain medications, like Tylenol and Motrin, can ease pain and inflammation.
- Lidocaine patches can help some people.
- Keep moving as much as possible, as too much time in bed can make things worse.
- Avoid prolonged sitting or standing.
- Stretching, light exercise, and maintaining good posture can help ease pain and prevent future episodes of sciatica.

If your symptoms do not get better with these treatments, then you have options:
- Prescription medications, like muscle relaxants, pain medications, steroid pills, or nerve pain medications
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Spinal steroid injections
- Spine surgery

For most people (nearly 90%), sciatica gets better with non-surgical treatments and time. If your pain doesn’t get better within 6 weeks, you may need to make a medical appointment to check for other causes of back pain.

See us at Harlandale Clinic if you think we can help.

10/19/2022

Interesting sleep study
A weighted blanket of approximately 12% body weight used at bedtime prompted the release of higher concentrations of melatonin, as measured in the saliva, compared with a lighter blanket of only about 2.4% of body weight.

This suggests that weighted blankets may help promote sleep in patients suffering from insomnia, according to the results from a recent small, in-laboratory crossover study.

10/13/2022

Heartburn is a burning sensation in your chest that usually occurs after eating. It’s caused by acid traveling backwards from your stomach to your esophagus.

Three main types of OTC medications are available to treat heartburn: Antacids, Histamine-2 blockers, and Proton Pump Inhibitors. OTC heartburn medications can be effective, but they shouldn’t be used indefinitely.

OTC heartburn medications may interact with other medications and cause unwanted side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking these medications.

10/12/2022

Your best shot at stopping the flu

Flu season is back — and this year, it might be bad. American researchers typically look to Australia, where the flu season takes place before ours, to see what’s coming our way. And Australians just had their worst flu season in years.

Most likely, the past two flu seasons were mild because we were still taking COVID-19 precautions. But now that masks are off and life is relatively back to normal, so is the risk for seasonal flu.

So, what can you do? Getting the flu vaccine is a good first step. It may not prevent all flu infections, but, according to the CDC, it will reduce your need for a flu-related doctor visit by up to 60%.

If you are 65 or older, be sure to receive one of the vaccines designed for older adults, as they offer more protection.

10/06/2022