Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Summer 2019

Summer 2019 7 Wellness To make an appointment with one of our OB-GYNs, call 325-481-2285 . myth myth myth fact myth fact For years, ovarian cancer was considered a silent killer that rarely produced symptoms. And many women weren’t diagnosed until their cancer was advanced. But doctors now have identified certain warning signs, including: ●  ● Bloating. ●  ● Having pelvic pressure or abdominal pain. ●  ● Feeling full quickly or having trouble eating. ●  ● Feeling a need to urinate often or urgently. If these symptoms are unusual for you—or they happen almost daily for more than a few weeks—tell your doctor. If ovarian can- cer is causing them, acting quickly may help detect the disease at an early, highly treatable stage. Unfortunately, this test, which measures the blood levels of a protein called CA-125, isn’t a reliable screening test. Even though blood levels of CA-125 are often elevated in women with ovarian cancer, there are also harmless reasons for high levels. As a result, the test isn’t useful for routine screening. Source: American Cancer Society fact Ovarian cancer is almost always deadly. If my Pap test is normal, I don’t have ovarian cancer . Ovarian cancer doesn’t cause symptoms. The CA-125 blood test can check healthy women for ovarian cancer. fact W hen it comes to cancer, breast cancer is on a lot of women’s radars—think of all those pink ribbons. But how much do you know about ovarian can- cer? And is what you do know accurate? Make sure you’re not misled by these misconceptions. It certainly can be life-threatening. In fact, ovarian cancer kills more women than any other reproduc- tive cancer. Still, when found early—before it’s spread outside the ovaries—the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 92%, reports the American Cancer Society. The Pap test spots cancerous or precancerous changes in your cervix—it isn’t a test for ovarian cancer. myths about ovarian cancer Take control of your diabetes More than 30 million Americans have diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one out of three US adults may have pre- diabetes. Diabetes can often be managed and it is possible to prevent prediabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic health condition that occurs when the body can- not use or produce insulin effectively, resulting in high blood sugar levels. Complications from diabetes include blindness, amputations, stroke, heart disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and more.The National Kidney Foundation has announced that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. A new option: The San Angelo Diabetes Coalition (SADC) provides free resources and education to the community. The SADC is com- prised of Angelo State University, La Esperanza Clinics, San Angelo Health Foundation, Shan- non Medical Center and San Angelo Commu- nity Medical Center, and is funded through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Oftentimes, indi- viduals fall through health care system gaps due to social barriers.The SADC provides free dia- betes education classes and one-on-one coaching programs individually tailored to each patient. Patients work with community health work- ers (CHWs), a registered nurse, and have access to registered dieticians and physical therapist- recommended activity as part of the free program. A CHW is defined as frontline health person- nel that bridge cultural and linguistic barriers, expand access to coverage and care, and improve health outcomes. Community health workers reduce health disparities, boost health care quality and affordability, as well as empower individuals and communities for better health. Positive results: The SADC has seen im- provements to patient health, diabetes self-man- agement and an improved quality of life. In 2018, the Coalition saw an average improvement of 11% from the average baseline hemoglobin A1c. Take control: If you or someone you know needs help living with diabetes, call the SADC at 325-657-8308 or “like” the San Angelo Diabetes Coalition on Facebook at facebook.com/ SADiabetesCoalition .