News
Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer for men and women combined in the United States, yet 1 in 3 adults have never received a colon cancer screening. These screenings allow your provider to detect signs of cancer, quite often before you have any symptoms. When found early, colon cancer has a five-year survival rate of roughly 90%.
Your primary care provider (PCP) can help you determine the best time to start receiving regular colonoscopies, but until your next appointment, here are some answers to common questions our patients ask about colorectal cancer screenings.
Do I Really Need a Colon Cancer Screening?
Yes. People of average risk should receive a screening colonoscopy every 10 years. “Average risk” means you do not have a personal or familial history of colon cancer and/or a history of inflammatory bowel disease, as these increase your risk of colon cancer. You’re also at a higher risk for colorectal cancer if you’re African American.
Those at average risk should begin regular colorectal cancer screenings at age 45, as the number of younger patients with colon cancer has risen in the past few years. If you are above-average risk, your PCP may recommend starting earlier or having more frequent screenings.
Read More: Cancer Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
Why Are Colonoscopies So Effective for Cancer Screenings?
A colonoscopy is the most thorough screening test available. While other imaging tests only look at part of your colon (and could potentially miss signs of cancer growth), a colonoscopy uses a small camera to examine your entire colon and rectum.
Not only can colonoscopies detect cancer, they can prevent it as well. Polyps are precancerous growths on the interior walls of the colon. It can take as long as 15 years for polyps to develop into cancer. If your provider finds a polyp during your colonoscopy, he or she can remove it before it becomes cancerous.
Read More: 5 First Steps Following a Cancer Diagnosis
How Can My PCP Help Me?
One of the most important cancer-prevention measures you can take is talking with your PCP. Because your PCP is familiar with your health status and history, he or she can advise you on the best schedule for you to follow regarding colorectal cancer screening. In addition, if you have risk factors you can modify, such as your diet or exercise habits, your PCP can help you make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk.
Stay in the know with other health tips and benefits by signing up for MRHC news updates.
If you’re a parent, it’s common to worry about your child. And if your child isn’t feeling well, you’re almost certain to wonder when to take your child to the doctor or another healthcare provider. Should you always go, just to be on the safe side? Or is it better to wait it out?
Mild Symptoms, Stay Home?
If your child only has a low fever, mild symptoms and is behaving almost normally, you might be OK with skipping a doctor’s visit. But if your child is not up to date on vaccines or has missed their annual flu shot, a trip to the primary care provider (PCP) may be needed.
The best way to know if your child needs to see a doctor is to watch how they act. Do they still have energy? Is their appetite normal, despite a fever or cough? Or are they acting lethargic and complaining about or appear to be in extreme pain?
Read more: Well Child Visits
When You Should Seek Care?
Fevers are normal as a body fights infection. But if your child is under 3 and has a fever of 102.2 degrees or higher, you need to call a doctor. An older child with a temperature this high could also need prompt medical care. Other potentially serious symptoms include:
- Bluish appearance
- Excessive diarrhea
- Inability to eat or drink
- Severe stomach, throat or ear pain
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble swallowing
- Widespread rash
- Worsening symptoms
Even if you think your child just has a cold, you should still call your child’s pediatrician or family medicine provider if your child has not gotten better after three days.
Read more: Sick Child Visits
When Is a Child Too Sick to Go to School?
In the past, many parents have sent children to school with minor colds and runny noses. But as COVID-19 cases in the area continue to rise, now is not the time to take risks. If your child has any symptoms that could be cold, flu or COVID-19, they need to stay home—and so do you.
If you think your child has the coronavirus and you’re looking for medical guidance, Magnolia Regional Health Center’s team of PCPs can provide testing, medical care and advice on how long you need to stay away from other people.
If your child is under the weather, find a PCP at care.mrhc.org/primary-care or call (662) 664-5181.
Occasional acid reflux—also known as heartburn—is common and not usually cause for concern. If acid reflux occurs frequently, however, it may be a sign of a more serious problem.
Normally, a muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) keeps stomach acid from flowing backward into the esophagus. If the LES weakens, acid can get through. That can cause a burning feeling in your chest that can last up to two hours, especially after eating or during sleep.
Acid reflux that happens at least twice weekly may be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). Ignoring GERD can lead to serious consequences for your health. These may include physical changes to the esophagus that can make it difficult to swallow or set the stage for cancer.
Curing acid reflux isn’t always possible, but there’s a lot you can do to manage it. You can:
1. Change habits that can make acid reflux symptoms worse.
One of the most important lifestyle changes you can make is to stop smoking, if you are in the habit of doing so. Smoking can hinder your production of saliva, which plays a role in reducing heartburn. Tobacco may also boost production of stomach acid and weaken the LES, according to the ACG.
Smoking isn’t the only harmful habit you can change. Eating too close to bedtime can trigger acid reflux, so avoid meals and snacks within at least two hours of sleep.
2. Raise the head of your bed.
Use wooden blocks or other means to move the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches higher than it is when flat, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends. That small amount of elevation during sleep may reduce acid reflux.
3. Lose weight.
If you’re overweight, shedding excess pounds may help improve symptoms.
Learn more: Magnolia Regional Health Center Weight Loss Seminar
4. Avoid foods and beverages that trigger symptoms.
Cut back on or eliminate spicy or fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, peppermint, tomatoes and tomato products, and citrus fruits.
5. Try over-the-counter medications.
Non-prescription antacids may be all you need to treat occasional acid reflux, but they are unlikely to be enough to provide long-term relief from GERD.
6. Consider prescription medications or surgery.
If lifestyle changes and over-the-counter drugs don’t provide enough relief from symptoms, your primary care provider (PCP) may recommend a prescription medication, such as an H2 blocker or proton pump inhibitor. If your issues continue, your PCP may refer you to a specialist for additional treatment options, which may include surgical procedures to strengthen the LES.
Ready to manage acid reflux? Call (662) 664-5181 or visit care.mrhc.org/primary-care to find a primary care provider who can help.
By: Dr. Beth Lindsey, Rheumatologist at Magnolia Specialty Clinic
Osteoarthritis is a common cause of joint and back pain. In fact, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the world and one of the leading causes of chronic pain and disability. It goes by many names, including “wear and tear” arthritis, “old age” arthritis, and degenerative arthritis. Although osteoarthritis is more common in patients over the age of 50, it can develop at younger ages. Osteoarthritis is due to the natural “wearing down” of cartilage – the “cushion” in all of our joints – that occurs gradually over time.
This is not an autoimmune or inflammatory process, although it can sometimes be just as debilitating as more severe joint diseases. The onset and severity of joint symptoms vary widely, and genetics plays a role in this. If one of your parents or grandparents has osteoarthritis, it is more likely that you will develop osteoarthritis around the same age and in the same joints as your family member. “Wear and tear” of the joints may also be accelerated by injuries, overuse or repetitive motion of particular joints, excess weight, smoking, and other medical conditions that contribute to joint damage over time such diabetes mellitus, gout, or peripheral neuropathy.
While there is no way to completely prevent osteoarthritis, there are ways to decrease your risk and protect the joints from damage: regular exercise including strengthening muscles and stretching, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding use of tobacco products, and avoiding injury. To learn more about osteoarthritis, I recommend the following sources: The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org), the American College of Rheumatology (www.rheumatology.org), and Up To Date (www.uptodate.com).
Magnolia Regional Health Center (MRHC) physician, Dr. Peyton Preece, was recently named a 2020 American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) James M. Lally, DO, National Emerging Leader Award recipient.
The National recognition award, given in Dr. Lally’s name, serves to honor an outstanding osteopathic physician, between two to six years, whose leadership inspires others, whose noticeable accomplishments motivate those around them, and whose medical knowledge, combined with patient empathy enrich the lives of those they serve.
“It’s an incredible honor to receive a recognition such as this, which is voted on by such an incredible group of physicians and leaders,” said Preece. “It’s a testament to the incredible team I have around me at both MRHC and the Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association, and I extremely thankful to them for this opportunity.”
Preece, an internal medicine physician who has been with MRHC for 8 years, currently treats patients in a hospitalist role with the organization and helps to lead the Internal Medical Residency program and Medical Student program in the role of Internal Medicine Associate Program Director & Director of Student Medical Education.
Preece attended medical school at Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville, Ky., then moving on to complete both his internship and residency at Magnolia Regional Health Center.
“We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Preece and thankful he is a member of our team,” said Jim Hobson, chief executive officer at MRHC. “Dr. Preece plays key roles in providing quality care for our patients, educating and training future physicians for our region and bringing valuable innovation and leadership in the multitude of projects he helps guide within our organization.”
By: Jim Hobson, chief executive officer of Magnolia Regional Health Center
For more than a half-century, Magnolia Regional Health Center (MRHC) has served Corinth and the area surrounding Alcorn County as the community-based healthcare provider of choice for many of our community members. This year, as it has been for all of us, has been like none MRHC has experienced before. The state of healthcare in rural communities like ours was already uncertain before the COVID-19 pandemic which added a new layer to the unknown.
In these moments of uncertainty, the Magnolia team kept our sights set on serving our community, not only through the pandemic but well into the future. Through a months-long planning process, MRHC has laid out a road map to guide the organization into the future. The planning process intentionally focused on aspects of our organization which have had great opportunity for growth in recent years to better improve the care and patient experience we deliver at all levels of MRHC.
The new strategic plan focuses on three initiatives: engage, evolve, and enhance.
- Engage, we are committed to engaging team members and fostering an exceptional culture. Our team members are the heart and soul of our organization and we want to create and sustain a culture that allows every employee to thrive. We also know cultural and clinical excellence are aligned. As we continue building a culture that gives all team members the opportunity to do their best work, we will also deliver better care for our patients.
- Evolve, Magnolia must continue to evolve and have a strong financial foundation to ensure certainty for our team members, patients and community. Financial strength gives us the ability to provide services tailored to our patients’ and communities’ needs so that we can continue to provide care to our friends and neighbors for generations to come.
- Enhance, as Magnolia works to improve the overall health of our patients and community, enhanced primary care is vital to fulfilling our mission. Primary care helps patients meet their basic health and wellness needs and primary care providers help connect patients to specialty care physicians when needed. Focusing on enhance primary care services will make a difference for patients and our region as a whole.
Our strategic plan provides a clear path forward in these uncertain times. Magnolia has a vision for the future, a strong foundation on which to build and a responsibility to evolve so that we can continue to meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve for generations to come.
Thank you for allowing us to be your trusted healthcare partner.
