KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffLocal doctor suggests health resolutions for 2010
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By Kathy Sweeney - bio | email
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - If you hope to be healthier in 2010, one local doctor suggests starting the year with a trip to see your own physician.
Dr. Byron Glenn from Cape Urgent Care and Family Medicine says you should start the new year knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers.
High blood pressure can be a sign of many health conditions, including heart and artery damage, kidney damage, and vision loss.
High cholesterol levels can put you at risk of stroke and heart disease.
Dr. Glenn also suggests getting tested for diabetes, if you have a family history.
If you are entering the new year with a pre-existing health condition, Dr. Glenn says you may want to consider a complete health screening, including an electrocardiogram, or EKG.
An EKG measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat and can show if parts of the heart are becoming large or overworked.
"Something that's often neglected are those that may be suffering from fatigue, not sleeping well, and increased irritability," Dr. Glenn said.
Those symptoms, he suggests, could represent a number of health concerns, including thyroid disease, sleep apnea, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.
For tobacco users, Dr. Glenn points to the new year as a great time to "develop a plan for smoking cessation and execute it".
He also encourages us to set realistic goals "directed at healthier eating habits and lifestyle modifications" that include modest exercise.
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