Month: December 2018

2018-12-12T06:01:01

(BPT) – The holidays are sneaking up on us and, for many people with hectic lives, there are school programs and work holiday parties to attend, trees to decorate, cookies to bake and halls to deck. It seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all of that and shop for the perfect gift for everyone on your list, even if you could manage to snag a parking spot at the mall.

But there’s good news! You can take care of all of your shopping online in a snap, while sitting in front of the fire in your jammies sipping a pumpkin spice latte. And you won’t be alone. According to Shopify, total online holiday sales this year in the U.S. is expected to top $123 billion.

It doesn’t mean you have to settle for cookie-cutter gifts, however. You can find some truly unique and surprising products online to help you make your way to holiday gift-buying perfection. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Say it with flowers … and a twist. Beautiful floral arrangements can add a sense of magic to your holiday gift giving, but why not make that gift do double duty? If you hop on the 1-800-Flowers.com website and do a search under “Christmas,” you’ll find many options for floral arrangements in vessels that will last long after the new year has dawned.

Focus on table decorations. Search for centerpieces, candles, floral arrangements, tablecloths, runners and other decorations to spruce up the holiday table. They’re an easy way to add some festivity to any room, perfect for people on your list who may be empty nesters and as such don’t take the time to decorate like they used to when their children were small.

Personalized gifts. How about a bottle of wine etched with personalized holiday greetings from you and your family? Or a pendant for your best friend with her children’s names on it? Monogrammed wine glasses or ice buckets? Would you be surprised to learn you can find it all at 1-800-Flowers.com? Most personalized gifts are delivered in gift boxes right to your loved one’s front door.

Take the crowds and hassle out of your holiday shopping this year. Curl up with some holiday cheer and choose exactly the right thing for everyone on your list.

2018-12-11T06:01:00

(BPT) – Travel, music festivals, ziplining, touring breweries with friends — Tim Steele always enjoyed a life full of adventure. His health was generally good, but before partially retiring from his career as a computer salesman he decided to schedule some checkups for peace of mind. That’s when he was surprised to learn he had hepatitis C.

“It was out of the blue,” Tim says. “I didn’t have any symptoms. I had no clue. If I had not gone to the doctor, I’d just be sitting around with hep C.”

Although surprised from the diagnosis, he was ready to tackle his health problems and learned there were treatments available. “Knowing that there were treatments available that could cure hepatitis C, helped ease my anxiety about the diagnosis,” he says.

In the U.S., approximately 3.4 million people are infected with chronic hepatitis C.[i] Nearly half of Americans with hepatitis C virus (HCV) do not even know they have it, as the disease often does not exhibit symptoms.[ii],[iii] Even among patients diagnosed with HCV, many choose not to seek out care because they are symptom-free, or for other reasons such as lack of access to treatment or fear of side effects.[iv]

It’s important to talk to your doctor, even if you are not experiencing symptoms, as chronic hepatitis C is a major cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, and a primary reason for liver transplants.[ii] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic liver disease in people with hepatitis C can progress slowly, without any signs or symptoms, over several decades.[v]

Fortunately, there are a number of treatments available that can cure people with hepatitis C, meaning the virus is not detectable in the blood months after treatment ends.[vi] Tim found the treatment that worked for him and received blood tests showing the hep C virus was not detectable.

“I want to share my journey in the hopes it will help others diagnosed with hepatitis C,” says Tim.

Tim’s friends and family were also relieved to know there were treatment options available. In fact, loved ones play an important role in helping those with a positive hepatitis C diagnosis get the care they need. Keep in mind, people with hepatitis C may need physical, emotional and spiritual assistance.[vii] Caregivers can help by:

• Encouraging loved ones to take action
• Offering to listen
• Providing advice, hope and support
• Managing and accompanying your loved one to medical appointments
• Encouraging loved ones to keep their liver healthy

Go to HepC.com or call 1-800-HEPC-INFO (1-844-4372-4636) for more information and tools that can help you start a conversation with your doctor and get the support you need. While on the site, you can find a doctor that specializes in treating hepatitis C.

Sponsored by AbbVie

References:

[i] Messina JP, Humphreys I., Flaxman A., et.al. Global distribution and prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes. Hepatology. 2015;61(1): 77-87 (and supplementary appendix).

[ii] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Viral Hepatitis in the United States: Data and Trends. Available at https://www.hhs.gov/hepatitis/learn-about-viral-hepatitis/data-and-trends/index.html. Accessed on November 26, 2018.

[iii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis C Questions and Answers for the Public. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm Accessed on November 26, 2018.

[iv] American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. HCV Guidance: Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C. https://www.hcvguidelines.org/evaluate/testing-and-linkage. Accessed November 26, 2018.

[v] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis C Questions and Answers for Health Professionals. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/hcvfaq.htm Accessed November 26, 2018.

[vi] World Health Organization: Hepatitis C – Key Facts – July 2018. http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-c.

[vii] American Liver Foundation. Tips for Caregivers. Available at https://liverfoundation.org/caregivers/resources/tips-for-caregivers/. Accessed November 26, 2018.

2018-12-10T12:01:00

(BPT) – Living with knee pain can become part of a daily routine for many, and some resign themselves to thinking it’s just part of the aging process. Often, people live with the pain for years and delay having important conversations with their doctors.

According to a recent survey of more than 500 U.S. women ages 45-65, including those who have had joint replacement surgery and those planning to have joint replacement surgery, 58% of respondents who had yet to have joint replacement surgery experienced pain for more than five years and an average of six days a week.

Dr. Anna Kulidjian, an orthopaedic surgeon at Scripps Clinic-Green Hospital in San Diego, CA, has seen firsthand how knee pain can affect patients’ lives beyond their own daily routine.

“Pain is a terrible thing. It changes your personal relationships, your ability to work, ability to interact with friends, colleagues and family.”

This was no different for Barb Crawford, a former elementary school teacher, wife and grandmother who lived for years with the burden of knee pain prior to considering surgery.

“I was miserable. It affected not just my duties as a teacher, but the activities I knew and loved to do with my husband Ted,” Barb recalls.

Barb, like many others who have suffered through countless years with knee pain, felt like she had run out of options.

“I had tried a lot of different things, whether it was injections or physical therapy. Nothing seemed to work to treat the pain,” Barb recounts.

Having conversations with a loved one about their knee pain can be difficult, but support can come in a variety of ways. With her pain mounting, Barb remembers getting the confidence to consult a surgeon from her fellow teachers. All it took was a nudge.

“No one really spoke up, but when I told my fellow teachers I was considering surgery their encouragement helped me take the next step.”

For Barb, that step was having the right conversation with her surgeon. It was important for her to understand what to expect before and after surgery, and to ensure that her husband was involved throughout the process.

“Although knee replacement surgery is performed more than 760,000 times each year in the U.S. alone¹, the decision to proceed is tough and l emphasize to patients the importance of a strong support system. We encourage friends and loved ones to participate in the process any way they can,” comments Dr. Kulidjian.

“It was really hard for me to watch Barb suffer for years,” recalls Ted. “She would come home at night and just sit around because the pain had taken all her energy during the day.” In fact, the same survey mentioned above showed that 52% of respondents say their knee and/or hip pain makes it difficult to be a part of their family.

After Barb and her surgeon discussed options, they decided having both of her knees replaced with the ATTUNE^® Knee System was the right choice for her.

And Ted was her biggest supporter.

“Barb approached rehabilitation with the right attitude. We went to physical therapy together and I was there to watch her do her exercises and witness her success,” Ted recalls.

With her dedication to rehab, Barb was able to return to the things she loved and the people she loved with a renewed outlook on life.

Now, nearly five years since Barb’s knee surgery and full recovery, Ted and Barb reflect positively on how they’ve been able to get back to living their lives.

“We did it together,” says Ted. “It changed my life just as much as it changed hers.”

“It was the best decision I ever made, and for me it was so worth it,” Barb concludes.

It’s important to remember that the performance of knee replacements depends on age, weight, activity level and other factors. There are potential risks and recovery takes time. People with conditions limiting rehabilitation should not have these surgeries. Only an orthopaedic surgeon can determine if knee replacement is necessary based on an individual patient’s condition.

For more information and to hear more stories from people who have received the ATTUNE Knee, visit www.ATTUNEKnee.com.

About the Survey

DePuy Synthes commissioned the survey which was conducted online by Edelman Intelligence between June 4 – 15, 2018 in the United States among 253 women 45-65 years old who had knee and/or hip replacement surgery in the last five years and 271 women 45-65 years old who are planning to have knee and/or hip replacement surgery in the next two years.

© DePuy Synthes 2018. All rights reserved.

102872-181119 DSUS

¹2017 GlobalData.

2018-12-10T07:01:00

(BPT) – Ruddy, red complexions or blotchy skin can mar your red carpet look, and there was little that could diminish this redness and erase broken blood vessels in time for your big event — until now. 

Beauty A-listers know that the secret to a flawless complexion is not just about camouflage makeup and staying out of the sun. That’s why they flock to see a pro for Cutera’s Laser Genesis treatment. Laser Genesis is the same YAG laser that reduces scarring, minimizes pores and smooths fine lines and wrinkles, yet it also works to reduce redness and even skin tone with no downtime in as little as 30 minutes, about as long as it takes to sip a soy latte. 

It’s not just the millions of people who live with the skin condition rosacea that experience redness and flushing either. Over time, the sun’s UV rays thin the skin and dilate superficial blood vessels, which is why skin tends to look redder as you age. And if you already have flushing or rosacea, this is a double whammy, resulting in more dramatic flushing and redness. 

The laser’s energy specifically targets blood vessels, shrinking them. The very same laser also gently heats the upper level of your skin to boost the production of collagen and elastin, the two main structural proteins that give skin its youthful appearance. The new supply of collagen and elastin smooths uneven texture and wrinkles from the inside out. The result? An immediate glow. The collagen regeneration occurs gradually under the surface, revealing fewer lines and wrinkles, tighter pores and other visible improvements within just a few weeks. 

“Laser Genesis is a no-downtime treatment for rejuvenation and decreasing redness,” says New York City dermatologist Bradley Bloom. “It can be used on all skin types and is very comfortable. Since it is a non-invasive laser treatment, there is no downtime and makeup can be worn right away. We use Laser Genesis all the time and our patients love it.” 

Sometimes referred to as a “lunchtime laser facial,” Laser Genesis is quick and painless, taking less than 30 minutes per treatment session. “I recommend a series of treatments to get the best results, and it can be used on the face, neck and chest,” he says. 

For these reasons, Laser Genesis is one of the most popular procedures at Dr. Bloom’s practice and also at Dr. Tahl Humes’ VITAHL Medical Aesthetics in Denver and Chicago. “We use it to treat almost every patient because it is so versatile and patients often find the treatment soothing and comfortable. We can address pore size, texture, fine lines, wrinkles and redness, and also use it for overall skin health to maintain the results from more aggressive treatments patients undergo.” 

So if you’re ready to get red carpet ready, schedule a consultation with a Cutera Laser Genesis provider near you today: https://cutera.com/patients/find-a-provider.