Gila Regional Medical Center | Wellness Companion | Winter 2018

WELLNESS COMPANION w 3 IF you’ve smoked for many years, you don’t need to be reminded of your high risk for lung cancer, a dis- ease that until recently has been hard to detect in its early stages. But that is changing, thanks to low-dose com- puted tomography (CT) screening. Here’s why you might consider it: Typically, lung cancer doesn’t cause symptoms until it has spread to other parts of the body. That’s why it often has a poor prog- nosis. If lung cancer does develop, regular screening may help find it early—when treatment may be more effective. A CT scanner uses x-rays to take detailed pictures of your lungs. The scan takes just a few minutes. Screening guidelines The need for screening depends partly on your smoking history and age. Different groups have somewhat Cardiac rehab It helps you feel better as your heart heals IT’S normal to be worried about your return to normal life when you’ve had a heart attack or any type of heart surgery. How much activity is too much—or too little? What kinds of foods should you eat? Can someone teach you how to tamp down your stress after all that you’ve been through? You can find the answers to these and other questions in a cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program. What is cardiac rehab? Cardiac rehab helps people who have heart problems, such as heart failure or angina, recover their health. It typically includes a progres- sive exercise program, nutrition lessons, education on heart- healthy living and mental health counseling. And it’s all done under medical supervision. Sometimes cardiac rehab begins before someone leaves the hospital. It may continue for sev- eral months after the person goes home, either at the hospital or in a community rehab center. Your rehab will be tailored to fit your specific health needs. Exercise will begin slowly and progress as your abilities improve. If you smoke, you may be referred to quit-smoking classes. You’ll get help if you need to lose weight. Have questions about your heart health? Make an appointment with our cardiology experts by calling 575-538-4112 . Sources: American Heart Association; National Institutes of Health L U N G C A N C E R S C R E E N I N G Is it right for you? different guidelines. The U.S. Preven- tive Health Task Force recommends getting screened if, for instance, you: w  w Are in the age range of 55 to 80. w  w Currently smoke or quit less than 15 years ago. w  w Were or still are a heavy smoker, such as someone who smoked a pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years. You will want to discuss with your doctor the potential downsides of being screened. These include the possibil- ity of a false alarm (finding some- thing that looks like cancer but turns out to be benign after an imaging test or a biopsy) and exposure to radiation. And if you still smoke? Lung cancer screening doesn’t replace the need for quitting. That’s still your best defense against the harmful ef- fects of smoking. Additional source: American Cancer Society Ready to quit smoking? Visit smokefree.gov to get started.