What is the difference between a cold and the flu?

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:



What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.
How can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu?
Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu.
Some allergy attacks can also mimic symptoms of a cold. Learn more.
What are the symptoms of the flu versus the symptoms of a cold?
In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.
Learn more about influenza prevention, transmission and treatment.
Learn more about preventing and treating the common cold.

This News is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Mansfield and Southlake, TX

 

/by

Are There Vitamin-D Health Benefits?


Low concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) are most likely an effect of health disorders and not a cause of illness, concludes a comprehensive review of observational studies and randomized clinical trials of vitamin-D status and health outcomes published online December 6 in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The new analysis, showed moderate to strong associations between lower concentrations of Vitamin D and higher risk for conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to infectious disease, glucose-metabolism disorders, and mood disorders.
Researchers found no effect on disease occurrence as a result of supplementation, by evaluating 172 randomized clinical trials, including 34 intervention studies involving vitamin-D supplementation of patients with low 25(OH)D concentrations.
“The discrepancy between observational and interventional studies suggests that low Vitamin D is a marker of ill health,” write the researchers, led by Philippe Autier, MD, MPH, PhD, vice president of population studies at the International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France.
The authors speculate that a key mechanism that causes lower 25(OH)D concentrations in people with illness is disease-related inflammation. “Inflammatory processes involved in disease occurrence and clinical course would reduce 25(OH)D, which would explain why low vitamin-D status is reported in a wide range of disorders,” they state. In the interventional studies, which involved 2805 individuals, participants had a baseline mean 25(OH)D concentration less than 50 nmol/L. Supplementation with 50 µg/day of vitamin D resulted in no significant improvement in health status.
They add that ongoing trials will provide more information, but in the meantime they advise against vitamin-D supplementation.

No Effect of Vitamin-D Supplementation in Diabetes, Cancer
As part of their review, the authors also conducted a meta-analysis of 16 trials that focused on the effects of vitamin-D supplementation on HbA1c, the standard measure of long-term blood glucose control in diabetes. Although the observational studies showed an association between type 2 diabetes and low vitamin-D levels, supplementation with the vitamin had no effect on reducing HbA1c.
The data also showed that high 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with a protective effect on colorectal cancer, but not other cancers. However, 2 large intervention trials showed no reduced risk of any cancers, including colorectal, with vitamin-D supplementation.
One exception was seen in the elderly population (mainly women), who showed a slight reduction in all-cause mortality if they received vitamin-D supplementation of 20 µg/day. However, the authors speculate that the improvement could be related to vitamin-D deficits caused not directly by the illness itself but by lifestyle changes resulting from the illness, such as a lack of mobility, restrictions on exposure to sunlight, or dietary modifications related to treatment.
“In elderly people, restoration of vitamin-D deficits due to aging and lifestyle changes induced by ill health could explain why low-dose supplementation leads to slight gains in survival,” they suggest.
Further Insights Will Emerge From Ongoing Trials
The researchers note that important further insights should emerge from 5 trials that are currently under way. These trials involve between 2150 and 20,000 patients aged 50 years or older and are investigating the effects of 40 to 80 µg/day of vitamin-D supplementation on the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infections, declining cognitive function, and fractures.
“The first results are not expected before 2017, but these studies have the potential to test our hypotheses,” they observe.
The editors say the key factors that drive continued research into vitamin D for the prevention of nonskeletal disorders include “the relatively low toxicity of vitamin D, the glimmer of positivity from some trials, and the large body of evidence from prospective observational studies.”
Dr. Autier agreed, adding that commercial influences, such as the vitamin-D supplement industry and manufacturers of vitamin-D testing products, have also helped fuel the enthusiasm.
“Commercial influences were more than happy about the explosion of observational data on vitamin D and diseases,” he told Medscape Medical News. “A third main player is the artificial UV tanning industry, which encourages tanning booths because of the ‘vitamin-D sufficiency’ issue.”
Vitamin-D Supplementation “Ill-Advised”
For proponents of nonskeletal health benefits from vitamin D, there is no shortage of potential explanations for the lack of results in interventional studies, the editors add.
“For those who ‘believe,’ the lack of benefit found in most trials completed thus far can be attributed to issues including inadequate supplementation, testing of a population not sufficiently vitamin-D deficient at baseline, incorrect formulation, underpowering, or insufficient follow-up,” they observe.
Dr. Autier noted that trials conducted prior to about 2000, such as the large Women’s Health Initiative, did indeed use low doses or involved too few subjects to reach a sound conclusion, but he added, “More recently published randomized trials have taken care of these aspects, and these arguments are less relevant than, say, 5 years ago.”
Some supplementation if an individual’s vitamin-D concentration falls below a “sufficiency” threshold of 75 nmol/L continues to be recommended — an ill-advised practice, Dr. Autier asserted.
“The wealth of evidence from randomized trials shows that this medical behavior is not grounded and taking vitamin-D supplements will make no difference on health status,” he said. “It would be wiser to seek reasons underlying the low vitamin-D level, such as inflammatory processes or undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases, and fix them.”

This News is Brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Mansfield and Southlake, TX

 

/by
, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Body Contouring After Weight Loss Surgery

Plastic Surgery Procedures (Body Contouring) After Weight Loss

Most patients who undergo gastric bypass, or some form of gastric banding procedure, do lose weight. Many lose a lot of weight. But this massive weight loss brings problems of its own.
Typically patients are left with large folds of excess skin, along with loose muscles and sometimes localized pockets of unsightly fat tissue. In such cases, bariatric plastic surgery procedures, body contouring procedures and lipoplasty (liposuction), can help to reshape the normal structures of the body in order to improve appearance and self-esteem.
Plastic surgery is not an easy option. Mostly, it involves exchanging one cosmetic problem (eg. loose skin) for another (scars).
Plastic Surgery Procedures to Remove Loose Skin and Fat
For patients suffering from morbid or malignant obesity, choosing bariatric surgery to reduce calorie intake may offer them a passport to a healthy life. But even if such surgery causes them to lose substantial amounts of weight, they may face new problems which may necessitate further operations.
Plastic Surgery to Remove Loose Skin
When bariatric surgery (eg. gastric bypass) leads to dramatic weight loss, excessive amounts of skin can accumulate and hang in various areas, including face, neck, breasts, upper and lower abdomen, flanks, armpit, back, buttocks, arms, forearms, thighs, legs, and calves. This surplus skin can cause considerable hygienic problems, skin irritation, skin breakdown, pain and infection.
Plastic Surgery Procedures to Remove Excess Residual Fat
In addition, even though the patient might have experienced massive weight reduction, this weight loss may not be evenly spread around the body. This also depends on the patient’s type of obesity condition (whether gynoid or android). Body Contouring procedures can help to reduce these fat deposits, either by surgical excision or lipoplasty.
Cost of Plastic Surgery Procedures
The price of bariatric-related plastic surgery procedures can vary significantly, depending on several factors.

  • Patient’s condition
  • Complicating factors
  • The plastic surgeon
  • The hospital chosen
  • The type of anesthesia
  • Complications arising

Patient’s Needs
The full cost of your plastic surgery procedure is unlikely to become clear until after you have been examined by your surgeon, and your individual requirements and needs ascertained. Even then, you may need follow-up procedures after your plastic surgery.





Body Contouring Surgery Options

  • Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
  • Arm Lift (brachioplasty)
  • Body lift (Circumferential Panniculectomy)
  • Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
  • Breast Reduction (Women)
  • Buttock Lift
  • Face Lift
  • Forehead Lift
  • Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
  • Liposuction (Lipoplasty)
  • Thigh lift (Thighplasty)

Dr. Bishara will discuss these and other treatment options with you during your consultation to determine which procedures are right for you. Our  treatment plan is specifically designed for patients who have recently undergone bariatric surgery and are left with loose, sagging skin as a result of the extreme weight loss. Please call our office at (817) 473-2120 for more information or to schedule a consultation or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com for more pictures of body contouring patients.

/by
, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Weight Loss Surgery- What To Know

Weight Loss Surgery, How Do I Get Started?

Taking the first step is often the hardest when it comes to weight loss, so True Results provides some easy-to-use tools and free services to help you get informed and get started on your journey.
In North Texas, True Results has teamed up with Baylor Health Care System to provide innovative weight loss solutions for life.
True Results provides a comprehensive program and an expert medical team that’s with you every step of the way. They have specialized bariatric centers in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Phoenix, Tucson and St. Louis.
True Results opened the nation’s first state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center to be recognized by the American College of Surgeons as an Accredited Outpatient Bariatric Center.
Losing weight is about more than just looking good. It’s about being healthy. Bariatric patients who lose a significant amount of weight typically improve or resolve weight-related co-morbidities including Type-II diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), sleep apnea, joint pain and asthma.

Quick Weight Loss with Bariatric Surgery


If you are overweight and are looking for quick weight loss, then a surgical weight loss procedure may be the right approach for you. True Results has excellent quick weight loss centers in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Phoenix Tucson and St. Louis. Their centers are specially designed for outpatient bariatric procedures.  True Results specializes in the Lap Band and Sleeve Gastrectomy surgeries, and both can be performed in outpatient centers.  Lap Band procedures and the Sleeve Gastrectomy are available in all Texas and St. Louis markets.
To help you understand the differences in the Lap Band Procedure, Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery and Gastric Bypass Surgery, this page provides a brief overview of each procedure.

Lap Band Procedure

Lap Band Surgery IllustrationGastric banding, commonly known as a Lap Band procedure, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safe and effective weight loss. It is a silicone band – like a ring or belt – that is placed around the upper part of your stomach.
It is designed to place a precise level of pressure on the nerves around the upper part of your stomach so they send signals to your brain that you are not hungry.  Because the band also constricts the upper portion of your stomach, you will eat less food at one time and still feel satisfied.
The Lap Band system includes a small access port that is safely placed under your skin.  The port is not visible and it is unlikely that anyone will know you have the Lap Band system, unless you tell them.
The band is adjusted by adding or removing saline through this access port with a small needle to ensure it continues providing optimum weight loss results.  True Results has the most experienced team of weight loss surgeons in America and pioneered performing this procedure in an outpatient setting.
True Results offers the Lap Band procedure at all of its specialty weight loss centers in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Phoenix, Tucson and St. Louis.

Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve)

Sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical weight-loss procedure in which the stomach is reduced to about 20% of its original size.
Gastric sleeve is a restrictive procedure where approximately 80% of the stomach is removed, creating a small vertical sleeve about the size of a small banana.  This procedure is not reversible.
This procedure limits the amount of food you can eat and helps you feel full sooner. It allows for normal digestion and absorption. Food consumed passes through the digestive tract in the usual order, allowing it to be fully absorbed in the body.
The majority of sleeve gastrectomy procedures are performed using a laparoscopic technique, which is considered minimally invasive. This procedure can be done in an outpatient, same-day surgery center or an inpatient hospital setting.
True Results offers the Sleeve Gastrectomy throughout Texas and in St. Louis.

Plastic Surgery Procedures After Weight Loss- Body Contouring

Most patients who undergo gastric bypass, or some form of gastric banding procedure, do lose weight and many lose a lot of weight. But this massive weight loss brings problems of its own.  Sometimes the need for plastic surgery or body contouring procedures are needed to get rid of excess fat, loose muscle and fat tissue.  The office of Dr. Mark Bishara offers many body contouring procedures that help patients look and feel their best after their weight loss. These procedures are designed to improve the appearance of the body and provide highly effective results. Many of these body contouring procedures can be combined in order to achieve your desired appearance.  Please call our office at (817) 473-2120 or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com for more information.

 

/by
, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hair Loss Treatment Options


While many men are fine with hair loss, for others baldness demands a remedy, which they seek in a variety of ways.
Over the years, the number of treatments that have been claimed to cure baldness has been exceeded, perhaps, only by the number of jokes about the condition. But since baldness — as unappealing a prospect as it may be for many men — is not an illness, procedures and drugs to treat it may not get the scrutiny given those for genuine medical conditions.
Things have gotten better, so there’s some of the older techniques and older treatments … and there are newer ones, so it’s a work in progress.  But while treatments have come along that have not worked well, there are things available for men who are losing or have lost their hair and would like to cover their pates. There are a variety of medical and surgical options, as well as things that are completely noninvasive.
Male pattern baldness is typically associated with the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Over time, the presence of this hormone has been linked to the thinning or “miniaturization” of hairs. The new hair that grows grows thinner and less pigmented.
For most men, noticeable hair loss begins in their 20s or 30s, but some see it even younger. Male pattern baldness tends to start later, affecting, to some degree, 20 percent of men by the time they reach the age of 20. But for most of these men, there are a lot of options to stop, reverse or delay hair loss. Here are a number of treatment options that have been tried and the pros and cons of trying them out.

Follicular Unit Transplant


Performed in two different ways, follicular unit transplantation remains the best surgical option for men seeking to counter their hair loss.  Hair transplant is the gold standard. It’s 100 percent. The body doesn’t reject its own hair.
FUT performed by Dr. Mark Bishara is a method of hair restoration surgery in which hair is transplanted only as natural, individual follicular units. This ensures that patients will achieve the most natural results and also allows Dr. Bishara to transplant the maximum amount of hair into a small area. These follicular units consist of up to four individual hairs in each follicle.
During the FUT procedure, the hair is trimmed short and then the scalp is numbed with a local anesthetic before being removed through a vibration distraction technique. The removed follicles are then stripped to their most natural state and then placed in the recipient area. Sutures are placed in the donor area, which are usually hidden by the patient’s hair. The healing process begins immediately after the procedure, and patients are usually able to resume normal hair care after a week. Hair growth typically begins about three months after the FUT procedure.
Rogaine
Surgery may be fine for some, but others prefer pharmaceutical treatments to the knife. The decision to pursue actual surgery … is not something everyone wants to do.  Many patients begin with medications.

One of those pharmaceutical interventions is the topical application of minoxidil, a foam known to many by the brand name of Rogaine. It’s probably not going to work that well for people who have already lost a lot of their hair,  but for those early on in the process, minoxidil works great.

Hair Plugs

In this process, which is no longer widely used, a small, circular cone of scalp –was removed from the back of the head and placed in a hole put in the front. It’s really not done much anywhere anymore. While follicles are able to blend into the scalp and look natural, plugs never did because of their size — they were 30 times larger than the follicles transplanted now. The size made the plug look completely unnatural, something that can be gotten around — when done properly — with the modern follicle transplant.

Propecia


Propecia is a great medication [for hair loss]. It works about 85 percent of the time, at least to prevent further hair loss.
Originally designed to treat enlarged prostate, Propecia, known scientifically as finasteride, can be taken orally on a daily basis to counter hair loss. It has been shown to be highly effective, but it is not perfect. It works best when the patient is younger and the hair loss is early on. It doesn’t grow hair on a bald scalp; it only reverses the miniaturization process. Propecia has really remarkable results.

Flap Hair Restoration

The hair flap, also known as flap rotation, has not been done in a while. The hair flap involved isolating a flap of skin from the back of the head — where the hair was still growing — and rotating it to the front, maintaining the blood flow through the artery attached to the skin. The problem with the flap is it’s much too dense and you’re using up too much hair in a small area. The procedure had other drawbacks- It’s very unnatural looking and the hair is in the wrong direction.

Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT)

The low- level laser therapy treatment is also known as “The Cold Laser”. The laser light generated by low-powered (cold) lasers has recently come into use as a non-surgical hair restoration treatment for patten hair loss.
LaserCap | Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT)The LaserCap® using Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT) can help men and women of all ages who suffer from hair loss by emitting pulses of laser light energy to the scalp to stimulate the hair follicles and improve blood circulation in the area, encouraging hair growth once again. Recently, the FDA has announced its approval of Low Level Laser Technology for use in the promotion of hair growth for men, with approval for women anticipated soon as well. Dr. Bishara fully endorses the results of this advanced technology and is proud to offer LLLT in his office through treatment with the LaserCap.

Stem Cells

Needless to say, stem cells aren’t used as a hair loss treatment now, but hopes are high that we’ll have an endless supply of hair 20 years from now.  Doctors had differing opinions — ranging from five to 20 years — on how soon stem cells would be available. But the consensus was that hair treatments would change.
Fortunately, there are several treatments available to help promote hair growth or restore hair loss. These treatments are minimally invasive and affordable, and allow patients to enjoy a renewed confidence as thick, full and beautiful hair is restored. Hair loss treatment includes topical and/or oral medications, laser comb therapy, and transplantation.
Dr. Mark Bishara is proud to offer a wide range of comprehensive hair restoration procedures. Combined with his extensive experience and advanced skills, these procedures are often highly effective. The best treatment option for each patient depends on the location and extent of hair loss. Dr. Bishara will take the time to evaluate each patient, discuss his/her individual goals and together develop a personalized treatment plan using one of his many successful hair loss treatment options.  Please call us for more information at (817) 473-2120 or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com.
 
 
 
 

/by