- Osteoporosis
- Medical Weight LossSome physicians also recommend a pill called Zyban for up to two months after quitting. Medical studies showed a greater success rate in people taking zyban when compared to people taking placebo. Zyban also decreased the weight loss and irritability in many patients after quitting cigarettes, but keep in mind there are no panaceas. No matter what pills, nicotine replacement therapies or support groups a person employs, quitting cigarettes is not easy. It requires determination, persistence and good old-fashion will power.
- Smoking CessationMost experts now recommend selecting a “quit date” and completely abstaining from tobacco use after the set date. Studies demonstrate greater success with this “cold turkey” method as compared with gradual reduction in cigarette use over time. People may seek support through group counseling or encouragement from their physicians and family members. Many programs also employ hypnosis to help improve determination. Medical studies have shown mixed results concerning hypnosis as an aide to smoking cessation. Some studies showed a benefit from hypnosis and other studies demonstrated no advantage.
- Sleep Disorders
- Emergency CareThe Alair System mildly heats the airway walls causing a reduction in some of the extra muscle present in the airway. This may allow the airways to stay open and help patients breathe better. Bronchial Thermoplasty is indicated for the treatment of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older whose asthma is not well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. A 2007 study using patients with severe asthma showed patients had fewer severe asthma attacks, visits to the emergency room, and asthma symptoms after Bronchial Thermoplasty treatment. More detailed results of the study and the Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System are available from the staff at Southeast Houston Pulmonology.
- Flu ShotsCurrent recommendations suggest anyone over the age of sixty receive a flu shot. Most authorities also recommend a flu shot for anyone suffering from a chronic lung or heart disease including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart failure or asthma. Healthcare workers including nurses, doctors and medical office personnel should also receive flu shots, as should pregnant women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and residents of chronic care facilities such as nursing homes.
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- GlaucomaSpiriva is an inhaled medicine that dilates narrowed bronchial tubes in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema. For patients with emphysema and chronic bronchitis, spiriva helps to prevent sudden attacks and worsening symptoms, but it should not be used to relieve emergent symptoms and respiratory distress. Spiriva rarely causes side effects, but patients occasionally complain of dry mouth or difficulty urinating. In rare cases, spiriva may precipitate an eye disease know as acute angle glaucoma. For this reason patients should notify their doctors of difficulty seeing or any prior history of glaucoma while taking spiriva.
- Pregnancy
- Internal MedicineDr. Louis Hamer graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1988. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Temple University.....
- Bladder CancerCigarette abuse remains a major health problem in the United States. Smoking increases the risk of suffering a stroke, developing lung or bladder cancer and experiencing a heart attack. Smoking also worsens osteoporosis and peptic ulcer disease. Quitting cigarettes ranks high as one of the key things Americans can do to improve their health and longevity.
- Lung CancerExposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma, a malignancy of the lining around the lungs. Mesothelioma occurs almost exclusively in people with prior asbestos exposure.
- Anxiety
- UltrasoundSome diseases cause fluid to accumulate in the pleural space surrounding the lung. This accumulation, or effusion, of fluid restricts breathing and causes chest discomfort and shortness of breath. Thorocentesis describes the drainage of this fluid through a small tube allowing the lung to expand. Dr Hamer performs this procedure in our office by placing a small plastic tube in the lining around the lung under direct visualization with an ultrasound machine.
- RadiologyEast Houston Regional Medical Center is a community hospital in East Houston. It offers a modern intensive care unit, bronchoscopy facilities, interventional radiology and consultative services.
- X-Rays
- Computed TomographyAsbestos injures the lungs and surrounding tissues in several different ways. Just the mere exposure to asbestos causes inflammation in the lining around the lungs (pleural space) and on the surface of the diaphragm, which is the muscle that assists us to breathe in and out. Doctors can detect evidence of prior asbestos contact by examining x-rays and CT scans of the chest. In people with prior asbestos exposure these studies reveal calcification along the diaphragm and the lining of the lungs. In itself, the calcification of the diaphragm and pleural space is not harmful; it only serves as a marker of the exposure.
- Interventional RadiologyClear Lake Regional Medical Center is a 482-bed tertiary care referral center in Webster, Texas. The facility offers intensive care units, interventional radiology, thoracic surgery and an open-heart surgery program. Located in Webster, Texas, it serves Clear Lake, Pasadena, Webster and the surrounding areas.
- UlcerWarfarin thins the blood and prevents the formation and spread of blood clots, but patients taking it are more susceptible to bleeding as well. Falls or other injuries can lead to large bruises or internal bleeding. Similarly, any laceration will bleed more if a patient is taking warfarin. Conditions such as prior ulcer disease, intracranial bleeds and diverticulosis predispose patients to bleeding in the intestines, bladder, stomach, or even in the brain.
- EczemaReducing the quantity of dust mites in the home can serve as a very effective way of treating asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis (runny nose), and allergic conjunctivitis (red itchy eyes). Commonly utilized mechanisms for decreasing exposure to dust mites in the home include...
- Allergies