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Sleeping is one of the innate activities that human beings incur in them. Everybody has to get his/her sleep in order to lead a healthy and wealthy life. It is impossible for a person to lead a life without sleep. Generally it is seen in TV series that people are not sleeping, or vampires do not sleep. They do not have a bed for sleeping. It’s a bit humorous to watch that stuff and imitate them, but in reality it is an impossible thing to do or imitate.

Human beings should get the right amount of rest, which they acquire while sleeping. Sleeping habits increase the immunity and freshness in the body. Our body takes a rest during sleeping. The Gallop report says that human beings should sleep more than seven hours a day. The report also says that among five Americans, two do not get the adequate amount of sleep that is they do not get recommended sleep. The researchers at Gallup researched on 1031 US adult citizens and found out that only 59% get recommended sleep in 2013 at a night. The number seems to be almost same after 1990’s survey. The 1942’s survey reportedly showed 84% US citizens getting the required amount of sleep that is more than seven hours a night.

According to the sleep recommendations, by the National Sleep Foundation the sleeping habits a difference between persons, but one should get at least seven to eight and nine hours to sleep in at night. It is a crucial part of life and also for the stable and proper working of the body. Teenagers and kids were recommended to sleep more that is more than 8 hours. School kids usually have lots of studies and exams, so they always needed 10 and more than 10 hours of sleep. These are the recommendations made by the National Sleep Foundation. Normal people lead a normal life with good eating and sleeping habits. Sleep is the most important part among the various activities of life which should be taken care of.

It is not a Healthy Living News; in the Gallup survey which showed that only a few people get an adequate amount of sleep. Only 5% of the people slept eight hours at night while 14% slept only five or less than five hours a night. People generally do not know, but it has an adverse effect on the human body. 29% reportedly said that they slept eight hours a night, while twenty five percent of the Americans said to have a slope of seven hours and twenty six percent said that they slept just six hours in a night. This is how the ratio of sleep makes a difference in the lives of an individual. 43% of the American citizens reportedly said that they could have felt better if they could have slept a little more. This is how sleep affects our body, mind and soul. It provides mental pleasure and chucks the unpleasantness from the body. It provides a healthy attitude in an individual.

by Dr. James Polakof & Michelle Polakof, CSMS

The Lifestyle Lift was created by Dr. David Kent, a cosmetic surgeon in Michigan and is touted as an alternative to a traditional facelift.  It’s  advertising campaign promises to take years of aging off your face. To date, more than 200,000 Lifestyle Lifts have been performed , but a large percentage of patients have been disappointed. In fact, over 1000 formal complaints have been filed.  A recent Consumer Affairs report from a study they conducted reveals that the procedure had only a 2% full satisfaction rating with 5 stars, while the dissatisfaction percentage was 76%, earning only one star.  So how can the American cosmetic surgery public be so gullible as to buy-in to a largely unpopular procedure?

It’s all about external and internal marketing. Millions of dollars are being spent in television commercials and infomercials touting pleased patients with dramatic pre and post-operative photographs.  In addition, once in the door of a Lifestyle Lift facility, patient counselors can be ruthless – employing a myriad of closing methods to book patients.  These high pressure super sales techniques are not only leading to increases in Lifestyle Lift procedures, but costing ethical plastic surgeons millions of dollars in facial rejuvenation revenues.   And before you blink, in the not too distant future, other companies will soon be employing massive advertising campaigns, adding further competition to the mix.

Is a sinus headache really a sinus headache, or is it something else?

Sinus headaches come from sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinus membranes.  You feel pressure and pain around your eyes and forehead.  The other symptoms are those common to a cold or hay fever:   nasal congestion, fever, coughing (especially at night), sore throat, and a bad taste in the mouth.

A common sinus headache can be treated with over-the-counter medications — aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil being the usual remedies.  However, if these symptoms occur, it is time to see a doctor:

Your pain continues for at least 10 days, or you have only temporary minor relief from over-the-counter medications, or you have a fever over 100̊.

You should also see a doctor if:

You have sinus headache symptoms regularly, and/or

The sinus headache symptoms are debilitating, and/orYou are affected by bright light or noise, or

You have nausea or vomiting with the headaches. 

These are the potential symptoms of migraine headaches, and can only be adequately treated by a trained physician.

When cancer symptoms appear life-threatening,
immediate treatment can make all the difference. That was
the case for Robert Jones, who saw his Primary Physician
Sikander Kajani, MD, after unintentionally losing 10
pounds and finding nodules in his throat.
“Dr. Kajani got on the phone right away,” says Robert.
Within hours, Robert had a consultation and biopsy
performed by Marc Kerner, MD, FACS, Surgeon, which
confirmed a diagnosis of a rare stage 3 thyroid cancer. Ten
days later, he underwent surgery.
“The procedure involved removing cancer that extended
from behind his ear to across his neck and under his chin,”
explains Dr. Kerner, who also discovered during the
procedure that the cancer had reached his carotid artery—a
major artery that carries blood from the heart to the head.
“His disease also involved the nerves to his voice box. We
used a specialized nerve monitoring device available at
Northridge Hospital to carefully remove the tumor from the
nerves. The monitoring device allows us much greater
precision and confidence that the nerve function will remain
intact and that we can prevent a voice injury.”
“Dr. Kerner’s surgical skills were great,” proclaims
Robert. ”Being an ENT and a plastic surgeon, he was able to
remove my cancer with minimal scaring.”
Robert’s treatment continued with radiation to kill any
remaining cancer cells. He is now cancer free, back working
for himself in the wholesale automotive industry and
enjoying life with his family. “I wouldn’t say it was a walk in
the park,” he asserts. “But when you think of the alternative,
I’m grateful we caught it and treated it right away.”

Sleep related problems affect many Americans.  The most commonly known disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, affects at least 40 million people in the United States.  It is characterized by snoring, breath-holding during sleep and cessation of airflow into the lungs for greater than 10 seconds.  Most people experience daytime fatigue, falling asleep while driving or watching television, and morning headaches.  One never feels truly rested.

Why is it dangerous if it goes undiagnosed and treated?  There is a 5-fold increase in automobile accidents in those affected with the condition.  Add to that the myriad of other sleep related problems that occur with obesity and you have a recipe for disaster.  Just remember that when you are driving along side an 18-wheeler is driven by a sedentary truck driver who is 50 pounds overweight, and has poor sleeping habits.

Why is sleep apnea detrimental to our health?  A recent study from Finland identifies that men between 40 and 60 years old with sleep apnea have an increased incidence of cardiac problems such as irregular heartbeats, hypertension or high blood pressure, and stroke.  The irregular heartbeat can contribute to sudden death especially during sleep or in the early morning hours.

The field of sleep medicine is still in its infancy.  It has only been in the last 30 years that physicians have even studied disorders related to sleep and it is clear that we have an awful lot to learn.  We are beginning to understand the complexities of neurochemistry and how our brain regulates our sleep.  When sleep is disrupted for whatever reason, and especially in those with sleep apnea, our brain chemistry becomes unbalanced leading to a vicious cycle of ever-increasing poor sleep.

We are experiencing an epidemic of obesity in this country.  The primary risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea is obesity.  Much less common are deformities of the facial bones, tongue, soft palate and tonsils which contribute to the condition.  We are just beginning to understand the linkage of poor sleep patterns, disturbances in brain chemistry, and resulting obesity.  This terrible cycle makes it almost impossible to lose weight which is one of the first-line therapies for sleep apnea.

To make the definitive diagnosis, we put people through an overnight sleep test which quantifies the number of obstructive events that occur per hour.  The severity of the apneas correlates with an increased risk of those medical complications such as hypertension.

In addition to weight loss, there are a number of treatment options which include CPAP, which is a mask that is placed over the nose during sleep.  Think of it as a reverse vacuum cleaner.  The mask and machine pumps air through the nose opening up the tissues of the nose, palate and tongue, thus overcoming the apnea and obstruction.

Additional treatment options are available for those that cannot tolerate CPAP.  These include oral appliances, which thrust the tongue forward during sleep, and upper airway corrective surgery.  An interesting finding in the Finland study mentioned earlier is that even partially surgically treated patients have a reduced risk of cardiac complications over those people who received no treatment at all.

Overall, we are just beginning to understand the complexities of sleep.  This includes the brain chemistry changes that occur during our sleep cycles and the relationship between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea.

Marc M. Kerner, MD, FACS
Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery
UCLA School of Medicine
Chief of Surgery,
Northridge Hospital Medical Center

Acid Reflex affects 1 in 3 Americans and is caused by an abnormal esophagus.  The flow of ingested food and fluid between your esophagus and stomach is regulated by a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter. In patients with acid reflux disease the valve does not close properly due to muscle contraction and allows acid from the stomach to escape and rise into the esophagus

Common symptoms of acid reflux are: Heartburn: a burning pain or discomfort that may move from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, or even up into your throat, Regurgitation: a sour or bitter-tasting acid backing up into your throat or mouth

Other symptoms of acid reflux disease include: Bloating, Bloody or black stools or bloody vomiting, Burping, Dysphagia — a narrowing of your esophagus, which creates the sensation of food being stuck in your throat, Hiccups that don’t let up, Nausea, Weight loss for no known reason, Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat.

To control acid reflux medication can be prescribed and patients must make dietary and lifestyle changes.  Chocolate, Caffeine and spicy foods should be eliminated from your diet.

Here are other steps you can take:

• Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
• Quit smoking.
• Put blocks under the head of your bed to raise it at least 4 inches to 6 inches.
• Don’t eat at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down.
• Try sleeping in a chair for daytime naps.
• Don’t wear tight clothes or tight belts.
• If you’re overweight or obese, take steps to lose weight with exercise and diet changes.

Foods that can help are oatmeal, ginger, aloe vera, banana, melon, fennel, fish and seafood, celery, chicken and turkey, parsley and roots and greens.

It’s that time of the year that many people often find themselves with sore throats that are red and itchy and can be very painful. Sore throats can make swallowing painful and can even make it hard for a person to get sleep.

For minor sore throats gargling with warm water and salt can help ease the pain. Over the counter lozenges and sprays can also help with pain. If you find the pain persists after 2 days, then you could have a more severe problem. Consult your physician immediately. Antibiotics may need to be prescribed.

Patients with constant sore throats may have even more severe problem. They may need to have their tonsils removed so seeking medical advice is imperative if the painful sore throat consists over time.

As healthcare delivery gets more complicated with Obamacare, payers and patients are going to demand data that supports certain procedures or treatments for either satisfactory or unsatisfactory outcomes. One of the more difficult things to measure is the effects of sinus surgery. We have known for years that people suffering from chronic sinusitis have poor quality of life as measured on a validated questionnaire. Recent published papers have shown that the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI), the Chronic Sinusitis Survey(CSS), and the Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22) are valid measures for following patient outcomes with chronic sinusitis. Even though these measure slightly different quality of life indicators, they all have validity in measuring outcomes. These surveys,which we have used for a number of years, allows us to measure the treatment effects of medication and surgery.
 
Another recently published paper in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology showed that patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery had improvement in postoperative quality of life scores. This was noted even for patients who had undergone multiple procedures. The difference in improvement was greatest in patients undergoing their first surgery; patients undergoing multiple procedures also noted improvement as well. This points to the fact that patients do get better, and feel better after endoscopic sinus surgery.

It’s almost that time of year again where first we have the Santa Ana Winds and then we see Fires causing the air quality to become extremely unhealthy. Many people begin feeling tired and weak with cold and allergy symptoms.
 
According to Ear, Nose and Throat specialist Marc Kerner, MD, FACS, “the unhealthy air conditions cause many people to suffer sinus infections and while many over the counter remedies can give temporary relief to sinus problems it is important that people with sinus infections seek treatment from immediately to avoid further complications.”
 
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
 
Sinusitis means your sinuses are infected or inflamed. Your sinuses are hollow air spaces within the bones surrounding the nose. They produce mucus, which drains into the nose. If your nose is swollen, this can block the sinuses and cause pain and infection.
 
Sinusitis can be acute, lasting for less than four weeks, or chronic, lasting much longer. Acute sinusitis often starts as a cold, which then turns into a bacterial infection. Allergies, pollutants, nasal problems and certain diseases can also cause sinusitis.
 
Symptoms of sinusitis can include fever, weakness, fatigue, cough and congestion. There may also be mucus drainage in the back of the throat, called postnasal drip. Treatments include antibiotics, decongestants and pain relievers. Using heat pads on the inflamed area, saline nasal sprays and vaporizers can also help
 
For people who do not have symptoms and see that the air quality is unhealthy, limit out door activity as much as possible.