March 18 , 2010

Make sure your health is top of your to-do list for Spring. A complete physical with your medical provider will help you formulate what you need to work on for maximum health, whether it’s high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma.

Collaborating with your medical provider, you can assume a more proactive role in self-management of your health and any you chronic conditions you may have.

So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and schedule your appointment. Your commitment to a healthier you begins with a simple phone call. Make that appointment today!

And speaking of action and re-growth…

Your generous donations to NECC help us work toward our goal of providing quality healthcare for those with the least access to it –people with cultural and linguistic differences who may not be able to afford private insurance. Helping us helps them build healthier families and stronger, healthier communities.

So, get going. The days are longer, brighter and warmer. You have no excuse for not enjoying Spring in beautiful Southern California. Spring forward off that couch!

By taking care of your health – and those of others in your community – you may have one of the best Springs ever – and the best health for you and your community!

Or you can send a check to:
Development Dept.
Northeast Community Clinics
2550 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801

Be Well,

-Christopher Lau, MD
NECC Executive Director/CEO

Physicals: Figuring Out The Big Picture

The main benefit from getting a “routine physical” is not that your doctor pushes on your spleen or orders a bunch of tests; it is that you sit down with your doctor and review your risk factors, figuring out the big picture of your health.

How to Determine Your Medical Risks
So when you sit down with your doctor, what things should you be discussing? What things determine your risk?

• Heredity – If everyone in your family has a heart attack when they are young, it is smart to worry about heart disease early. If they all lived to be 100, then not so much. Discuss the significance of these facts. Some diseases are more significant to have in your family tree than others. Colon cancer, for example, has a strong genetic link, whereas leukemia is not as clearly genetic.
• Lifestyle – Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you spend your time in front of the TV eating cookie dough ice cream? Do you work around asbestos or lead? All of these facts need to be discussed because they can affect your health.
• Your Medical History – Diabetes, high blood pressure, past history of cancer, or prolonged use of certain medications will play a big part in determining what has to be monitored or watched out for.
• Age and sex – people who are in their 20’s are more likely to die from accidents than they are of cancer. Men have heart disease earlier than women, but women are much more at risk for breast cancer.

You can make your visit fruitful by doing your homework beforehand. Be ready to share any changes in your family history, any new allergies or medications (including over-the-counter), and any changes to your lifestyle. Also look at the latest preventive medicine guidelines so you’ll know what to expect and what questions to ask. 

What Happens During the Physical Exam?

The physical exam is probably the least important part of this entire process. A good history and discussion of risk factors is far more important than a thorough examination. The most important parts of the exam are the blood pressure, weight, breath sounds, and heart exam. Women, of course, get their own special exam.

Which Medical Tests Do You Need?

Finally, the preventive medicine is done. That is where you get stabbed, poked, and sent off to get embarrassing tests. Some people only feel like they’ve gotten a good exam if they have a lot of blood tests drawn and procedures run. Wrong. A test should only be done to someone when the benefit outweighs the risk.
These are the preventive medicine procedures most important:

• Cholesterol.
• Blood Pressure. 
• Cancer screening tests, including pap smears and mammograms for women, and prostate cancer screening for men. Colon cancer screening tests should be done for those people at risk (which includes everyone over age 50).
• Immunizations against tetanus, shingles, pneumonia, and other diseases should be done according to recommended guidelines.
• You should discuss ways to change your lifestyle to reduce your future risk of disease. The earlier you make changes like quitting smoking, the bigger the benefit.
• If you have tests run by your doctor and don’t hear about the results, don’t assume “no news is good news.” You should always find out the results of any test you have done, and what those results mean.

Be Prepared for your Annual Physical

Here are important preparations and goals: 

• You should walk into the exam with accurate personal information, including allergies and/or addictions as well as a list of your current medications including vitamins.
• Then discuss the significance of this with your doctor and learn your risk.
• Your doctor should examine you and order tests to address your risk factors.
• You should always walk out with a plan to prevent disease or detect it early.

Join NECC at Our March Events

2010 Health and Fitness Expo
Sunday, March 21 (10am-2pm – Convention Center, downtown Los Angeles)

Southeast Communities Health Fair
Saturday, March 27 (10am-2pm – Elizabeth Learning Center, 4811 Elizabeth Street, Cudahy)

Springtime Wildflower Walks - Healthy, Low-Impact Exercise.

Spring is only a few days a way, and the days are already longer. This time of year, California bursts forth with color from all the wildflower blooms, making it a great time to get outside and take a nature walk or two. It's a great way to get some healthy, low-impact exercise.

Here are a few easy places to spot flowers right here in the Los Angeles area.

The Eaton Canyon Natural Area in Pasadena has many walking trails and demonstration gardens. This year you can view golden currant, fuchsia flowering gooseberry, bush monkeyflower, and lilac verbena, among others.

In Burbank’s Verdugo Mountain Range, park at the Stough Canyon Nature Center and take a hike along Stough Fire Road for many colorful delights.

The Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park is another great destination for a walk. Zoo Drive is decorated with California poppies and other wildflower species. Bring a picnic, throw a frisbee, and enjoy one of the country's most beautiful urban parks.

Finally, if you haven't been to the Cornfields State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles, you're in for a real treat. There's a 1-mile trail that rings the park, a flat and easy walk. Along the way take a moment to admire the abundance of arroyo lupines.

NECC's Dietician on KMEX.

NECC's own registered dietician, Erika Rodkeveller, was recently interviewed about proper nutrition on KMEX, Channel 34, Morning News.

Erika talked about the importance of including fruits and vegetables in your daily meals and avoiding high sugar fructose.  

Her six-minute interview reached 1.2 million homes in the greater Los Angeles area.