November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and a yearly reminder of all the work we still have ahead of us to find new and better ways to treat this horrible disease. It is a time of reflection of lives lost, and lives changed as family members become caregivers. These caregivers are truly the unsung heroes and desire our utmost respect.  In the state of Maine, there are estimated to be 29,600 people aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s and 51,000 individuals acting as caregivers. Unfortunately, 38% of those caregivers are living with depression and over 60% have their own chronic health conditions.

In recent years, Xylitol has gained popularity as a sugar substitute, praised for its low calorie content and dental benefits. However, behind its sweet allure, we have long known there are potential downsides that warrant careful consideration. And recently, a study showed that Xylitol can even increase your risk of stroke! The study, conducted by Dr. Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic, showed that after consuming Xylitol patients may have higher rates of heart attacks, stroke and even death. This product seems to cause platelets to form clots more easily. These clots can break off, resulting in heart attacks and strokes.

Have you ever noticed that you get your blood pressure checked at every single doctor appointment? That is because high blood pressure is so common. For decades, high blood pressure has been referred to as “The Silent Killer.” In recent years home blood pressure monitoring has emerged as a convenient and effective way to keep track of this vital health metric. So who might benefit from home monitoring?

For years medical professionals have presumed that heart disease affected men and women similarly. Research studies frequently included only male participants, but the medical community then applied these findings to their female patients as well.

In the past few decades, we have come to recognize that heart disease can be very different in men and women. So it is essential to educate our female patients on these differences and how they can best advocate for themselves and their health.

Let’s address the use of over-the-counter PPI’s (proton pump inhibitors) that you might be familiar with under the names of Prilosec, Omeprazole, Nexium, Esomeprazole, Prevacid and Lansoprazole. PPI’s began to be used in 1989 and were exclusively by prescription until 2001. The initial indications for use were severe heartburn that did not respond to other treatment, or complicated peptic ulcer disease.

Did you know that sleep not only improves your mood, energy and concentration the next day but that while you are sleeping your body is actually doing important functions. Some people have difficulty sleeping, or find that their sleep is restless. This could suggest a sleep disorder, and we would encourage you to speak with your physician if this lasts greater than 2 weeks. Many experts agree that sleep IS AS IMPORTANT as diet and exercise! Not getting enough sleep has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and obesity. Both the amount and quality of sleep are important factors. Most adults require 7-8 hours of sleep per day.

Have you ever felt crummy from a cold and gone to the pharmacy? There are so many cold and flu medications that it’s hard to know what to take! Have you ever taken Sudafed Sinus Congestion, Tylenol Cold and Flu Severe, NyQuil Severe Cold & Flu, Theraflu Severe Cold Relief, or Mucinex Sinus Max (these are just a few examples - there are many others)? These medications all have one thing in common - the ingredient phenylephrine.

As we gear up for the approaching fall and winter seasons, it’s time to arm ourselves with the best defense against respiratory illnesses. This includes three critical vaccines which are now available: RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus), flu and COVID-19. In this blog, we’ll explore when and how to get each, as well as which combinations are safe and effective.

It is now estimated there are 100,000-300,000 over-the-counter drugs marketed in the United States. These are commonly used to treat allergies, pain, fever, cough, motion sickness, indigestion and many other maladies. So how do you know what to take and when? What brand and dose? And is it safe in combination with prescription medication? Well, let’s start with an oldie but a goodie, and one that we’ve probably all taken at one time or another….aspirin.

Last summer the state of Maine had a record-breaking 2,600 cases of Lyme disease reported and it is safe to say with this summer’s weather conditions, we are expecting even more in 2023. It should also be noted that ticks were once primarily a problem for those of us living in southern and coastal Maine. Unfortunately, ticks are now being reported in places like Jackman, Houlton, Presque Isle and even Fort Kent.

Nancy is an older woman, a lovely retired school teacher that I’ve taken care of for many years. Nancy’s appointment was my typical thirty minutes for an annual exam. We had medication changes to clarify, hospital records to discuss, a physical examination to perform, and vaccinations that needed to be administered. We also had to review the six pages of forms that the patient is required to complete in order for Medicare to cover this appointment. But what Nancy needed time for that day was to talk about her husband and his decline. Her children lived in another state. Nancy was stressed and grieving and she needed someone to talk to….me.