The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/596385
The Press-Dispatch Health and Wellness Wednesday, November 4, 2015 C-5 Ask SHIP: Medicare Advantage plan enrollment Rehabilitation Services Outpatient erapy • Physical erapy Occupational erapy • Speech/Language erapy Semi-private rooms with free cable TV available for extended rehab Good Samaritan Home & ReHabilitative CenteR Where Caring People Make the Difference ASCSeniorCare.com Good Samaritan Home & Rehabilitative Center 231 North Jackson Street, Oakland City, IN Phone 812-749-4774 2909 Howard Drive • Jasper, IN 47546 (812)482-6161 • Moving forward rehabilitation • Auguste's Cottage Memory Care • Skilled Nursing Services • Long Term Care • Hospice • Respite Caring people make the diiference! Wearing white after Labor Day By Fran Petit Press-Dispatch Staff fpetit@pressdispatch.net Wearing a white ribbon is the symbol and show of support for Lung Cancer patients. November is officially Lung Cancer Aware- ness Month and brings lung can- cer into focus. The American Cancer Society (ACS) strives to increase public understanding of the disease, in- cluding its prevalence, approach- es to screening and prevention, treatment options and resources that offer updated lung cancer in- formation. The 2015 estimates for new cases of lung cancer are 221,200 : 115,610 in men and 105,590 in women. The ACS predicts 158,040 deaths from lung cancer: 86,380 in men and 71,660 among wom- en for 2015. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second most common cancer among both men and women in the United States. Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain. Can- cer from other organs may also spread to the lungs. Research has found several risk factors that may increase your chances of getting lung cancer. SMOKING According to the ACS, ciga- rette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarette smoking is linked to about 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Using other tobacco products, such as cigars or pipes, also increases the risk. People who smoke cigarettes are 25 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. Even smoking a few cig- arettes a day or smoking occa- sionally increases the risk of lung cancer. The more years a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day, the risk in- creases. People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than the risk for people who never smoked. Cigarette smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body: lungs, mouth, nose, throat, voice box, esophagus, liver, blad- der, kidney, pancreas, colon, rec- tum, cervix, stomach, blood and bone marrow. SECONDHAND SMOKE Smoke from other people's cigarettes, pipes, or cigars al- so causes lung cancer. When a person breathes in second- hand smoke, it is like he or she is smoking. In the United States, two out of five adults who don't smoke and half of children are exposed to secondhand smoke. Every year, about 7,300 peo- ple who never smoked die from lung cancer due to secondhand smoke. RADON Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from rocks and dirt, and gets trapped in build- ings. It cannot be seen, tasted or smelled. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon causes about 20,000 cases of lung can- cer each year, making it the sec- ond leading cause of lung cancer. Nearly one out of every 15 homes is thought to have high radon lev- els. The EPA recommends test- ing homes for radon. OTHER SUBSTANCES Examples of substances that increase the development of lung cancer include asbestos, arsenic, diesel exhaust, and some forms of silica and chromium. PERSONAL OR FAMILY HISTORY OF LUNG CANCER If someone is a lung cancer survivor, there is a risk of devel- oping it again, especially if they smoke. The risk of lung cancer may be higher if the parents, brothers or sisters, or children have had lung cancer. This could be true because they also smoke or they live or work in the same place where they are exposed to radon and other substances that can cause lung cancer. RADIATION THERAPY TO THE CHEST Cancer survivors who had ra- diation therapy to the chest are at a higher risk of lung cancer. DIET Scientists are studying many different foods and dietary sup- plements to see whether they change the risk of getting lung cancer. There is much still not known. However, it is known that smokers who take beta-carotene supplements have an increased risk of lung cancer. ARSENIC Arsenic in drinking water pri- marily from private wells can in- crease the risk of lung cancer. SYMPTOMS Different people have differ- ent symptoms for lung cancer. Some have symptoms related to the lungs. Some whose lung can- cer has spread to other parts of the body have symptoms specif- ic to that part of the body. Some just have general symptoms of not feeling well. Most peo- ple with lung cancer don't have symptoms until the cancer is ad- vanced. Lung cancer symptoms may include: • Coughing that gets worse or doesn't go away • Chest pain. • Shortness of breath • Wheezing • Coughing up blood • Feeling very tired all the time • Weight loss with no known cause. Other changes that can some- times occur with lung cancer may include repeated bouts of pneumonia and swollen or en- larged lymph nodes inside the chest in the area between the lungs. These symptoms can happen with other illnesses, too. The two main types of lung cancer are small cell lung can- cer and non-small cell lung can- cer. These categories refer to what the cancer cells look like under a microscope. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer. If lung cancer is diagnosed, other tests are done to find out how far it has spread through the lungs, lymph nodes and the rest of the body. This process is called staging. The type and stage of lung cancer tells doctors what kind of treatment you need. Lung cancer is treated in sev- eral ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. People with non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, ra- diation therapy, targeted therapy or a combination of these treat- ments. People with small cell lung cancer are usually treated with radiation therapy and chem- otherapy. Doctors from different special- ties often work together to treat lung cancer. Pulmonologists are doctors who are experts in dis- eases of the lungs. Surgeons are doctors who perform operations. Thoracic surgeons specialize in chest, heart and lung surgery. Medical oncologists are doc- tors who treat cancer with medi- cines. Radiation oncologists are doctors who treat cancers with radiation. Alternative medicine in com- bination with current practices are sometimes chosen by the cancer patient. Complementary medicine is used in addition to standard treatments and alter- native medicine is used instead of standard treatments. Medita- tion, yoga and supplements, like vitamins and herbs, are some ex- amples. For more information, visit the National Cancer Institute's Lung Cancer Treatment page. This site can also help you find a doctor or treatment facility that works in cancer care. Q: I am considering enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan next March when I turn age 65. After six months, if I decide I don't like using a managed care plan, can I drop my Advantage plan and purchase a Medicare Medigap plan without being medically underwritten by Me- digap insurance companies? A. Medicare beneficiaries have a 12 month period to try out a Medi- care Advantage plan. If you are dis- satisfied with the plan during that 12 months, you can disenroll from plan. You can then rejoin Original Medicare and still have a guaran- teed issue right to purchase a Me- digap policy. A guaranteed issue right means an insurance compa- ny can't refuse to sell you a policy. The Medigap insurance company cannot deny you coverage, no mat- ter your health status. (A few states have more generous rights than oth- ers.) You are eligible for this trial peri- od in one of two situations: • You joined a Medicare Advan- tage plan when you first eligible for Medicare at age 65. • You first signed up for Origi- nal Medicare and a Medigap poli- cy but then switched to a Medicare Advantage Plan. This trial period applies only to the first time you switched to a Medicare Advantage Plan. This Trial Right would not ap- ply to people under age 65 because they are not guaranteed issuance of a Medigap policy in the state of In- diana. If you stay with a Medicare Ad- vantage plan for more than 12 months or already used the one tri- al period, you can switch to Origi- nal Medicare during the Fall Annu- al Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7). Your new coverage would begin January 1. However, insurance companies offering a Medigap policy in most states can apply medical underwrit- ing at that time, meaning you would not have a guaranteed issue right. The company can charge more, or delay or deny coverage. Or, you can switch to Original Medicare during the Medicare Ad- vantage Disenrollment Period ( Jan- uary 1-February 14). Changes you make will go into effect the first day of the following month. Switching back to Original Medi- care may affect your Part D pre- scription drug coverage. You may want to enroll in a Part D plan when dropping an Advantage plan that in- cluded prescription drug coverage. If you or someone you know needs help with the Annual Enroll- ment Period, Medicare Advantage Plans, or any other Medicare relat- ed question, call SHIP at 1-800 -452- 4800, 1-866 - 846 -0139 TDD or on- line at www.medicare.in.gov. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. Snack foods that promote better sleep According to the National Sleep Foundation, changes in sleep patterns are a part of the aging process. Many people expe- rience difficulty falling asleep and then staying asleep as they age, and that difficulty can make men and women over 50 feel more tired during the day. But even though difficul- ty sleeping may be a part of ag- ing, that does not mean men and women over 50 cannot take steps to improve their sleeping pat- terns. For example, certain snack foods may help to improve quali- ty of sleep, especially when these foods replace less healthy snack- ing options. While men and wom- en over 50 should always consult with their physicians before mak- ing any changes to their diets, the AARP notes that the following are a handful of snack foods that pro- mote better sleep. • Almonds: Magnesium is a mineral with muscle-relaxing properties, and almonds contain enough magnesium to help men and women get a better night's sleep. A small amount of almonds before bed might be enough to make falling and staying asleep easier. • Bananas: Much like almonds, bananas provide a substantial amount of magnesium. Bananas also contain the amino acid tr yp- tophan, which many people asso- ciate with Thanksgiving turkey. While tr yptophan might be most often associated with the sleepi- ness people feel after eating a hol- iday meal, it also has been linked to better sleep quality, so a ba- nana shortly before bed might be just what you need to fall and stay asleep. • Cheese and crackers: One more traditional snack may just help you get a better night's sleep. Cheese and crackers contain tr yp- tophan and carbohydrates, which can induce a better night's sleep and help you fall asleep sooner. • Cherries: Cherries contain the sleep hormone melatonin, and the AARP notes that recent stud- ies indicated that participants who drank tart cherr y juice on a daily basis fell asleep more quickly and slept longer and better than partic- ipants who did not. • Hummus: The primar y in- gredient in hummus is chickpeas, which are loaded with tr yptophan, folate and vitamin B6. Folate has proven especially beneficial to old- er men and women who need help regulating their sleep patterns, while vitamin B6 helps the body regulate its clock. • Peanut butter: Peanut butter is another snacking item loaded with tr yptophan. Spread some peanut butter on a carbohydrate, whether it's a slice of toast or some crack- ers, before going to bed, and you may enjoy a better, longer sleep. • Walnuts: Like cherries, wal- nuts contain melatonin, which can contribute to a longer, more restful night's sleep. Walnuts also can help regulate stress, which is a leading cause of sleeping diffi- culty. Many men and women expe- rience difficulty sleeping as they age. But the right foods may just help combat such problems and help men and women get a more adequate night's sleep.