According to the CDC, every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke and every 4 minutes someone dies, making it the fifth leading cause of death in the country. A stroke happens when a blood vessel that carries oxygen to the brain becomes blocked, which then causes brain cells to die. This can be caused by an artery that becomes blocked (ischemic stroke), a ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke), or transient ischemic attack caused by a temporary clot. Someone might suffer a stroke for various factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. Some ways to prevent having a stroke are by having a healthy diet, exercising, avoiding drugs, and drinking alcohol in moderation.

The treatment for stroke depends on the type of stroke you suffered. If you suffered from an ischemic stroke, one of the treatments is an injection of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) which is given through a vein in the arm. For a hemorrhagic stroke, treatment can be surgery to repair blood vessels. Recovery and rehabilitation come next, which its main purpose is to help you recover as many functions possible to help you live an independent life. Some professionals that help with your recovery are neurologists, physiatrists, nurses, and physical therapists.

If you suffered a stroke and want a second opinion on the recovery treatment you are taking please visit SecondOpinions.com for your peace of mind.

April is Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month. During this month it is very important to raise awareness on how to protect and treat yourself. STDs, also referred to as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are diseases/infections transmitted through sexual contact, through the passing of blood or other fluid liquids from person to person. They can also be transmitted from a mother to a child during pregnancy or childbirth.

STDs/STIs can cause vaginal bleeding, penis discharge, pain during sex, painful urination, and many other symptoms. The causes to these symptoms are bacteria, such as gonorrhea, parasites, and viruses, such as HIV and human papillomavirus. There are many ways to prevent, some ways of prevention are getting tested, abstaining from sex, getting vaccinated, using condoms, and not sharing needles.

Depending on the type of infection, treatment can consist of antibiotics and antiviral drugs. Some infections can be treated but not all can be cured. If you or someone you know has STI/STD, visit SecondOpinions.com to get a second opinion from our experts to help you receive the best treatment for your health.

March is Sleep Awareness Month, which is meant to educate and motivate you to sleep better. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report more than one third of American adults do not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep leads to a lower quality of life and not functioning properly on daily activities.Getting a good night’s sleep can help you perform better and live a healthier life. There are many sleep disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome, which are treatable once you have been diagnosed. When you don’t sleep enough for a few days, sleep deprivation takes place, which means your body will demand for those hours.

Suffering from sleep deprivation has many negative effects. The negative effects can be impaired judgement, slow reaction time, and an impairment to other functions. Sleep deprivation can also cause memory problems, depression, a weak immune system and it increases stress. If a good sleeping habit is not attained, later in life you could suffer from health issues, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and mental impairments. In order to have a good sleep, it is important to stay active during the day and avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. At night, before bed it is important to sleep in a dark and quiet room, avoid large meals, and to not use electronics an hour before bed.

Having good sleeping habits is vital for a long and healthy life. An adult, 18-60 years of age should have at least seven hours of sleep every night. If you or anyone you know suffers from a sleeping disorder and would like a Second Opinion, visit SecondOpinions.com to help you live a restful, healthier, and happier life.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects over 2.5 million people worldwide, women being affected 2-3 times more than men. MS is a serious disease of the central nervous system, that disrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body. In MS the immune system attacks myelin, which is the protective sheath that covers the nerve fibers, which causes the communication problems from the brain to the body. Depending on the amount of nerve cells that have been affected, the symptoms will vary.

This disease follows four courses, clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, Secondary-Progressive MS, and Primary progressive MS. It is important to detect any symptoms so that one can be checked to see if MS is present. The symptoms are many, some of them being:

• Numbness or weakness
• Tingling or pain
• Balance problems
• Double vision or blurred vision
• Slurred speech
• Bladder issues
• Walking difficulty

Unfortunately there is no cure for this disease yet, but there are treatments to help. The treatments available to help manage MS are medications and physical therapy. If you’d like a second opinion, visit SecondOpinions.com to help you and your loved ones have peace of mind.

A baby can be very vulnerable, especially one in the womb. If steps to prevent an infection are not taken, the baby can become seriously affected. There are many infections that can cause serious health problems to babies in the womb, some of them are cytomegalovirus (CMV), Group B Strep, zika, and listeriosis. Some of these infections can lead to miscarriages, life-threatening infections to the newborn, still-birth, and other serious problems such as hearing loss.

About 1 in 200 babies are born with CMV, which is usually passed from the carrier to others through body fluids, such as saliva and urine. The best way for a pregnant woman to prevent CMV is by not sharing food and utensils and avoid contact with infants and young children. Another infection that affects babies is Group B Strep. In the United States 1 in 4 women carry this bacteria. If you’re pregnant it is important to get tested to see if you have Group B Strep. Listeriosis is also a prenatal infection, which is caused by eating contaminated food with a bacteria called Listeria. You can prevent by not eating raw unpasteurized milk, raw or lightly cooked sprouts, among many other types of foods and the ways they are cooked. Zika is a virus that can be passed on to the baby during pregnancy or near time of birth. Zika can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites, not traveling to where Zika is present, and protect self if you have a partner that has traveled or lives in an area where Zika is present.

If you have been diagnosed with an infection and would like help, visit SecondOpinions.com to see if you are taking the necessary steps to have a healthy baby.

In the United States one in four deaths is caused by heart disease, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women. Anyone, including children could be at risk of heart disease if the heart is not properly taken care of. February is American Heart Month in which the focus is to raise awareness to take care of your health and avoid heart disease.

If you suffer from conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or if you smoke you could be at risk of suffering from heart disease. In order to avoid heart disease it is important to have healthy habits, such as not smoking or to stop smoking, having a healthy diet, and staying active to keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.

Your heart is important, take care of it. If you or anyone you know suffers from heart disease or any of the conditions mentioned above and would like a Second Opinion to see if the treatment being taken is correct please visit SecondOpinions.com. A second opinion will provide you with further understanding of your diagnosis for your Peace of Mind.

One in nine American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In American men, one of the most common types of cancer is prostate cancer, especially among African-American and older men. Prostate cancer happens when cells in the prostate gland start to grow uncontrollably. The prostate is a gland found only in men, which makes fluid in semen to transport sperm.

In the early stage prostate cancer does not show any symptoms or signs but it does once it advances. It may cause symptoms such as, blood in semen, erectile dysfunction, decreased force in the stream of urine, and discomfort in pelvic area. Although the causes are not yet known, some of the factors are race/ethnicity, age, family history, smoking, and obesity.

Due to not knowing the real causes of prostate cancer, prevention is vital. Prevent by choosing a healthy nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising. For early detection a blood test can help. If found with prostate cancer some of the treatments you may use are hormone therapy, radiation, chemotherapy, and biological therapy. When dealing with cancer a second opinion is vital to help decide on the right treatments. Visit SecondOpinions.com to receive a Second Opinion that will help you choose the right treatment path for you.

The leading cause of death from cancer in the United State is lung cancer. Lung cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the lungs which then start to grow and multiply. Cancer can travel and spread to other parts of the body, if not diagnosed at an early stage. Lung cancer is most common in people who smoke, making tobacco use one of the leading causes.

Lung cancer is not just caused by smoking, but also by secondhand smoke, family history of lung cancer, and exposure to toxins. Some of the symptoms are coughing that doesn’t go away, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, and bone pain. There are different types of lung cancer but the two main types are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell is the most common among heavy smokers. As for non-small cell lung cancer, it covers several types of lung cancer, such as adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. The treatments depend on the type of lung cancer the person is diagnosed with but include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Prevention is vital, some of the steps to take are to stop smoking tobacco or to not use tobacco products at all, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, gases, chemicals, and anything that can harm your lungs. An accurate diagnosis is very important and a second opinion can save your life by helping you find the best treatment. Visit SecondOpinions.com for your peace of mind.

The pancreas is an organ behind the stomach that releases enzymes to help with digestion and produces hormones that help process sugars. When the cells in the pancreas begin to grow uncontrollably it becomes cancer. In 2018 alone, over 55,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

It is not clear on what causes pancreatic cancer but some of the risks that increase the chances are pancreatitis, diabetes, a poor diet, smoking, obesity, and family history. Some of the symptoms or signs of pancreatic cancer are diabetes, weight loss, jaundice, pain in the abdomen and back, and blood clots. There are two types of pancreatic cancer, exocrine pancreatic cancer and pancreatic endocrine tumors. The most common type of pancreatic cancer is exocrine. As for the endocrine tumors, they are uncommon, making only about 5%.

The treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The best ways to prevent pancreatic cancer are to stop or never smoke, maintain a healthy weight, and eat a healthy diet. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, visit SecondOpinions.com to help you find the best treatment to recover your health and live a healthy life.

In the United States, about 3.4 million people suffer from epilepsy. Epilepsy occurs as a result of genetic disorder or from a brain injury, such as a stroke or trauma. This neurological disorder has abnormal cell activity in the brain which causes seizures, a period of unusual behavior, sensations, and loss of awareness.

Caused by the abnormal activity of the brain, the seizures vary because the brain controls many parts of the body therefore those parts can be affected. The symptoms vary but include uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs and loss of consciousness or awareness. The seizures depend on the part of the brain that is being affected, therefore there are different types of seizures. Two types of seizures are partial and generalized. Partial seizures happen when only one area of the brain is affected, while generalized seizures happen when both sides of the brain are affected.

To be diagnosed with epilepsy, you must have at least two unprovoked seizures in a period of over 24 hours. Epilepsy is an incurable condition that can only be treated. To control the seizures medications or sometimes surgery can be used, while others require lifelong treatments. Visit SecondOpinions.com to help you find the right treatment for epilepsy.