Concierge and commercial medical services represent two distinct approaches to healthcare delivery, each offering unique benefits and considerations for patients. Understanding the differences between these models can help individuals make informed decisions about their healthcare needs.
Continue reading The Difference Between Commercial and Concierge Health Services | Fullerton, CA
Concierge medical services offer a comprehensive approach to healthcare, providing patients with personalized attention and a wide range of preventive measures tailored to their individual needs. As a gynecologist, my journey into concierge medicine began over 25 years ago when I recognized the need for a more holistic approach to women’s health. Since then, I have expanded my services to encompass not only gynecology but also preventative cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, female urology, and my unique Longevity Program.
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Smart lifestyle choices are the key to enjoying the most life has to offer. If you’re wondering how you can make a change that is going to make you feel better, these are some things we invite you to consider.
Continue reading Here’s How You Can Boost Your Health | Fullerton, CA
In this fast-paced world, we are all juggling responsibilities at home, work, and in our personal lives which cause us stress. Stress is a normal part of being human, and helps us navigate the world in its own way. Yet, chronic stress can be very detrimental to our health and well-being. Chronic stress is believed to raise the risk of increased blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic back pain, and depression, and inhibit our immune response. The symptoms of stress can stem from a variety of factors, but overcoming it is key.
Continue reading The Symptoms and Causes of Stress, and How To Overcome It | Fullerton, CA
Breast cancer is a leading type of cancer in women, affecting just under 300,000 men and women each year. While breast cancer is the leading cancer in women, it does not discriminate based on the age or sex of the individual. The mutation of a breast tissue cell into a cancerous one is not something we can predict, but it is something we can attempt to prevent.
Continue reading Common Warning Signs of Breast Cancer | Fullerton, CA
Heart attacks are a jolting experience. They can make anyone overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, and like their world has been turned on its head, and for good reason. Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States. The following are ways you can begin recovering from a heart attack, and help yourself avoid one.
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How long and how well you sleep each night has a profound impact on your health. It is recommended everyone get no more than eight hours of great sleep per night, as too little or too much sleep sharply influences your well-being. Here are some simple ways you can improve your sleep.
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In 1991, the National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) launched the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), designed to test the effects of hormone therapy on heart disease, bone fractures, breast cancer and colon cancer. One group of women who had undergone a hysterectomy received oral estrogen (Premarin) alone [estrogen replacement therapy or ERT]. A second group received a combination of Premarin and progesterone (PremPro) [combination hormone replacement therapy or HRT]. A third group received a placebo, which contained no hormones. In 2002, the study was stopped because the Provera group was associated with a slight increase in the incidence of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke, and blood clots.
Continue reading A Brief History About Estrogen Replacement | Fullerton, CA
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are more common in women than men, primarily due to the normal female anatomy, with the urethra (tube leading from the bladder to the outside), located very close to the vaginal opening. This allows bacteria from the vagina, and especially the rectum, to enter the bladder, and subsequently cause an infection.
Continue reading How To Diagnose, Treat, and Prevent Urinary Tract Infections | Fullerton, CA It is estimated that for ten million Americans (85% of whom are women), incontinence of urine is socially embarrassing, physically limiting, or a significant disability. In fact, after psychiatric and neurological disorders, the uncontrollable or accidental loss of urine is the second most common reason individuals are placed in nursing home facilities.
Among women, between the ages of 45-64, 40% are estimated to have experienced incontinence of urine. Women often perceive that their problem is a normal result of bearing children and getting older, and therefore just cope with it. The true number of non-institutionalized women who have quietly altered their lives because of accidental loss of urine is actually unknown because they are reluctant to discuss their urinary incontinence. Women are frequently embarrassed and hesitant to admit their problems to their family, friends, or even to their personal physician.
However, they also limit exercising, dancing, traveling, and other activities, which would otherwise require them to be away from nearby toilet facilities. They frequently will change the style of clothes they wear to avoid embarrassment.
Urinary incontinence occurs when there is a sudden increase in abdominal pressure during certain activities such as laughing, coughing, sneezing, running, bending, lifting, etc. The primary cause of the problem is a weakness of the pelvic tissues (prolapse), which normally supports the bladder (cystocele) and its sphincter. The amount of urine loss with each episode of stress, varies with the degree of weakness, the volume of urine in the bladder, and the intensity of the abdominal pressure. Yet, urinary incontinence is a symptom of a condition, which is not normal and usually can be successfully treated to restore normal bladder function.
There is a type of urinary incontinence known as urge incontinence, in which someone perceives the urgent need to urinate, and will likely fail to get there in time. The amount of urine loss can vary with the cause of the urge, the volume of urine in the bladder, and the strength of the pelvic tissue. The most common physical cause is an infection of the bladder (cystitis) and/or urethra (urethritis), and it is corrected with the treatment of the infection. There are other causes such as chronic inflammation of the bladder, polyps or tumors, and certain medications. When no physical cause can be found after a complete medical evaluation, the cause is usually a result of a learned habit. Treatment may include medications, bladder retraining programs, and pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegel exercises).
There are other less common, but important types of urinary incontinence:
Overflow incontinenceis a frequent spilling of a small amount of urine when the bladder is over-distended and can occur with certain medications, after pelvic surgery, or trauma.
Reflex incontinenceis the loss of urine when the person is completely unaware of the need to urinate, such as while sleeping or washing their hands. This type of incontinence may indicate an underlying neurological disorder.
The first step in correcting urinary incontinence is sharing the problem with your physician. Before your visit, you will be asked to fill out a patient history for urinary function form. This form should be completed prior to your office consultation.
You may be given a two-day “voiding diary” to record the number of liquids you drink and the number of times and amount you urinate during the day and night. You will also list the circumstances under which you regularly experience urinary urgency or incontinence.
After your patient history, physical examination, and voiding diary are completed and reviewed, simple office tests are performed which will further identify the primary cause of your incontinence. Once the cause (or causes) is determined, the proper treatment and alternative will be recommended and explained. Treatment begins with having a thorough understanding of normal urinary function, the cause of your urinary problem, and your treatment alternatives. Successful treatment is a patient-physician team mission and is an achievable goal.
If you would like more information on cholesterol, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD at 714-912-2211 or visit www.gordongunnmd.com to schedule an appointment today.
Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Fullerton and all surrounding areas.
