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March 2016

» Finding the path to pain relief » How do I get my toddler to stop being a picky eater? » How is hospice care different from palliative care?

Don’t suffer from hearing loss

By ROBERT PREDIT HealthDay

One’s family and friends are likely to be the first to notice some difficulty hearing, long before the person does.

Typically at this stage, the individual will deny a problem.

This is understandable, since there is usually great variability in how

Family members frequently complain that the TV volume is set too high, leading to some family squabbles.

The person with hearing loss will notice difficulty in understanding when someone talks from another room.

family insisting on getting help and the person with hearing loss reluctant to recognize the reality.

This stage may last for seven or more years before the hearing loss and the problems that go along with it are acknowledged and help is sought. The best thing adults with probable hearing loss can do is get tested.

For children who are hard of hearing, the situation is different.

Parents should be on the lookout for delayed or aberrant speech and language development, apparent inattention and poor school work.

Hearing screenings in classrooms are necessary, but not mandated in all states. Ask your pediatrician to perform a hearing test.

Three types of hearing loss Hearing loss can be caused by many different causes, some of which can be successfully treated with medicine or surgery, depending on the disease process.

• Conductive hearing loss — when

the person functions in various situations and with different people. In some situations and with some people, he or she may do pretty well.

People will not be aware of what they don’t hear (like the sounds of birds, the beep of the microwave, and soft everyday sounds). They will be aware that they do not understand speech, as when they say, “I can hear but can’t understand,” especially the high-pitched voices of children.

hearing loss is due to problems with Probably, the major complaint the ear canal, ear drum or middle ear of people with hearing loss is the difficulty they experience in and its little bones (the malleus, incus, and stapes). comprehending speech in any Sensorineural hearing loss — when kind of noisy place (restaurants,

receptions, large family dinners, in hearing loss is due to problems of the inner ear, also known as the car or on a plane). nerve-related hearing loss.

Group conversations are particularly difficult, especially when Mixed hearing loss — refers to a combination of conductive and there is great deal of cross-talk. sensorineural hearing loss. This These increasing difficulties in hearing may produce conflict means that there may be damage in between the person with hearing the outer or middle ear and in the loss and family members, with the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve.

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KNOW THE FACTS

About 20 percent of Americans, 48 million, report some degree of hearing loss.

At age 65, one out of three people has a hearing loss.

Sixty percent of the people with hearing loss are either in the work force or in educational settings.

While people in the workplace with the mildest hearing losses show little or no drop in income compared to their normal hearing peers, as the hearing loss increases, so does the reduction in compensation.

About two to three of every 1,000 children are hard of hearing or deaf.

It is estimated that 30 school children per 1,000 have a hearing loss.

Source: Hearing Loss Association of America

MORE INFORMATION The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has information at nidcd.nih.gov.

MedicaLink People often confuse hospice and palliative care.

Palliative care refers to the treatment of the symptoms of a disease such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, or anxiety, for example. Hospice care involves a team of

By Dr. Paul Bryman, New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA)

individuals who work together to provide care and comfort to seriously ill individuals and their families.

Palliative care may sometimes involve a team approach, but at times, may just be provided by your physician, surgeon or nurse.

In some respects, the need for palliative care arose from the advances in medicine we’ve seen over the past few decades. With many diseases, a patient’s life can now be extended beyond what was medically possible a generation ago.

Palliative care addresses the need to increase the patient’s quality of life and ability to tolerate medical treatments.

Perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of palliative care is that it isn’t reserved solely for those in the final stages of life. Although palliative care certainly plays an essential role in providing comfort to people who, in fact, are dying, it is also an important bridge between serious, lifethreatening illnesses and recovery to a healthy life.

A patient facing surgery for a life-threatening cancer is a good example of how palliative care fits into today’s health care environment. Patients in this situation face challenges before, during and after their surgery. A multidisciplinary palliative care team – which could consist of surgeons, nurses, specialists in pain management, clergy, massage therapists, nutritionists, pharmacists, counselors, social workers and volunteers – would work together to help address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual concerns patients and their families may encounter in their battle against cancer.

The goal of palliative care is to provide comfort for the patient who continues to seek a cure for a disease. Hospice care, on the other hand, is for those who are facing the prospect that their disease is likely to cause their death within the next six months.

Often, palliative care will transition to hospice care as it becomes evident that available treatments are unable to blunt a disease’s progress. In that case, the focus of palliative care will shift toward patient comfort and away from medical interventions that target a cure.

Like palliative care, hospice focuses on keeping patients comfortable. With hospice, however, attempts to medically cure the disease stop, and the focus becomes providing patients with peace, comfort and dignity. That doesn’t mean that all medical treatment ends. Medical treatments will continue against any conditions that are unrelated to the disease that will ultimately cause the patient’s death. For example, a person with terminal cancer who enters hospice will no longer receive chemotherapy, but will continue to receive medication to treat other health issues such as hypertension or diabetes. Some hospice programs allow patients to continue dialysis or perhaps to continue radiation therapy for pain relieving purposes. Patients can even come off hospice if hospitalization is required and re-enter hospice once discharged. The goal of hospice is to keep patients in their own homes throughout the terminal phase of their disease. Respite services are available if the caregiver needs a break or has an emergency.

As with palliative care, hospice involves an interdisciplinary team of professionals, including physicians, nurses, therapists, clergy and specially trained volunteers. In both cases, care can be provided in a variety of settings, including the patient’s home.

Finally, you may have heard that patients need to have fewer than six months to live to qualify for hospice care.

Obviously, no one can predict the time when another person will pass away.

In fact, an individual in Dr. Paul Bryman is a hospice who chooses geriatrician with the New to – or whose condition Jersey Institute for Successful stabilizes – can leave Aging (NJISA) of the hospice care and return Rowan University School to that level of care at of Osteopathic Medicine, in a later date. Once an Stratford. To contact NJISA or individual enters hospice to schedule an appointment, care, Medicare, Medicaid please call 856-566-6483. and most insurances will continue to cover that level of care as long as the patient meets Medicare’s criteria of an illness with a life expectancy of months rather than years.

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Walking problems following a stroke?

The MILESTONESM Study is looking at the safety and effectiveness of a potential new medication for the treatment of walking problems in people who have had a stroke.

You may be able to take part if you: • are 18 years of age or older • have had an ischemic stroke • have walking problems as a result of the ischemic stroke The study will last about 5 months and will involve approximately 10 visits to a study center.

All study-related visits, assessments, and study medication will be provided at no cost to you. In addition, compensation for time and travel may be provided.

Open House

Molecular Pathology and Immunology Friday, April 15 Master of 11 am to 2 pm Science (MS)* Medical Diagnostic Labs 2439 Kuser Road, Hamilton, NJ 08690

To learn more about the MILESTONESM Study, please contact the Office of Clinical Trials Management 856-566-6003

• Program overview • Faculty and student meet and greet • Lab tours

42 East Laurel Road Suite 2200, PO Box 1011 Stratford, NJ 08084 856-566-6282 rowan.edu/gsbs gsbs-stratford@rowan.edu

Primary and preventive care from infancy through adolescence • Check-ups

• Well baby and child visits

• Immunizations • School, camp and sports physicals

Convenient hours include walk-in morning hours, Saturday morning and evening appointments. Most insurances accepted.

Rowan Medicine Pediatrics Stratford 856-566-7040

Sewell 856-582-0033

Come learn about our MS in Molecular Pathology and Immunology program. This 17-month program is designed to prepare students for careers in diagnostic, immunology, molecular biology and pathology laboratories.

Lunch will be provided.

*The Master of Science in Molecular Pathology and Immunology program is a unique program of the Rowan University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) in formal affiliation with Medical Diagnostics Laboratories LLC (MDL) and HUMIGEN LLC, the Institute for Genetic Immunology, both of which are part of Genesis Biotechnology Group.

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By Dr. Jacqueline Kaari, Rowan Medicine Pediatrics

At some point, most children will go through a ‘picky eater’ stage.

Although being a picky eater can be concerning for parents, it is a normal developmental stage parents will get to witness as their child grows up. The child’s pediatrician can reassure the parents during an office visit by weighing and measuring the young child to show that he or she is growing at a normal rate.

It’s important to understand, too, that a child’s behavior may have little to do with the food he or she is eating or refusing to eat.

Young children are no different than you and me in that we want to feel like we are somewhat in control of the world around us.

This can be particularly difficult for very young children as little is

within their sphere of control. One thing they can control, though, is the food they eat.

Even if your child insists the only thing she wants for every dinner is macaroni and cheese, that doesn’t necessarily mean she is convinced suffering nutritionally. Chances are that she us that is consuming other types of food or drink eating everything on our throughout the day. And, even the pickiest plates would somehow help starving children eater will tire of consuming the same food over throughout the world, but don’t insist that your and over again. Still, keep an eye on the snacks child join the ‘clean plate club. ’ Sometimes, your child eats. Between meal milk, juice children simply won’t be hungry at mealtime. drinks or sugary, high-fat snacks, for example, Creating a conflict by insisting that they eat could diminish hunger at mealtime. will risk associating food with stress and Now that doesn’t mean that you should sit anxiety which, in turn, could affect healthy back and let your child eat just one thing in a eating habits later in life. sort of war of attrition over nutrition. It also Finally, if your picky eater is old enough, doesn’t mean that you become a short order allowing him to help you pick out healthy food cook in your child’s picky eating diner. If your choices at the grocery store or to help prepare young child only wants to eat pasta with a meal will encourage him to eat those foods melted butter, that’s okay. Serve pasta as a later.

You can also set a good example by eating side dish, with a ‘one bite is right’ rule for the a variety of foods during the meals you share other nutritious foods on his plate. with your child.

Keep in mind though that you don’t want Although it isn’t always easy in today’s a ‘one bite’ rule to become the first step in a world, try to maintain a regular schedule for bargaining session over food. Holding dessert your family’s meals. This will allow mealtimes hostage until your toddler eats his carrots or to correspond to a time when your child other vegetable may seem like a good way is hungry.

Eliminating distractions from to get nutritious foods into your child, but telephones, televisions and other electronic it really only creates the understanding that devices will also help your child to focus on dessert is more valuable than the other food eating during mealtime. you serve.

Our Dr. Jacqueline Kaari is a Rowan parents Medicine pediatrician and chairs the may have Department of Pediatrics at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. To schedule an appointment at the Rowan Medicine Pediatrics office in Stratford, please call 856-566-7040.

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A

ccording to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 76 million people in the United States live with chronic pain, but almost half of them receive no treatment. The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) pegs that number at 100 million, which translates into more than the number of people with diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer, combined. A leading cause of disability, chronic pain exacts a steep price on both those experiencing chronic pain as well as their family members.

It’s a price that can’t be measured solely in dollars and cents. Many, if not most, people who suffer from chronic pain have spent frustratingly long years chasing one therapy or another, hoping against hope to have just a day without pain or a night uninterrupted by unrelenting physical discomfort.

According to Dr. Richard Jermyn, director of the NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute (NMI) of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, pain is often neglected and undiagnosed by health care professionals.

“Pain can be difficult to diagnose and failure to diagnose acute or temporary pain could turn that short term discomfort into a chronic condition,” Dr. Jermyn said.

When nerves are injured, they bombard the brain with pain signals. Eventually, the brain begins to accept those signals as a kind of new normal.

“After that, there is always pain,” Dr. Jermyn said.

“But, if you treat pain aggressively early on, you’ll greatly decrease the chance of a transition into chronic pain.”

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A victim of three car accidents when she was younger, Dorothea Stronski, of Sewell, underwent back surgery more than 20 years ago. The surgery left her in constant pain and led her to seek out Dr. Jermyn at the NMI. As a result of her monthly visits, she can now manage her pain through a combination of medication and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to the point where she can even babysit her young grandchildren.

“I can’t do everything I used to be able to, but I can do more than when I first got injured,” she said in an interview last summer. “I used to be in bed a lot with the pain. Now I can function much better.”

OMT is a special non-invasive therapy taught to osteopathic medical students that has been shown to be effective in a wide range of conditions, either alone or by enhancing the effectiveness of other treatments.

With OMT, physicians at the NMI are able to use their hands to move a patient’s muscles and joints through stretching, gentle pressure and resistance to assist healing.

While the goal of medicine is often to prolong life, the mission of the NMI is to give purpose to life and to restore function to patients who suffer from pain, regardless of the condition that affects them.

“Patients come to the NMI because we offer so many options,” said Dr. Richard Jermyn, director of the NMI. “Our focus is on finding the right approach to help our patients regain function and quality of life.”

Pain management at the NMI is not a ‘one size fits all’ option for patients. The institute offers a wide range

Dr. Richard T. Jermyn is the director of the Rowan Medicine NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute.

To schedule an appointment at the Rowan Medicine NMI office in Stratford, please call 856-566-7010.

“...the mission of the NMI is to give purpose to life and to restore function to patients who suffer from pain, regardless of the condition that affects them.” of pain specialists and therapists who work as a team to find the right combination of therapies that help patients find relief from their pain and to restore their ability to engage in life.

Along with medications and OMT, the specialists at the NMI offer multiple therapeutic options, including rehabilitative medicine, orthopedic services, physical therapy and a specialist in headache treatment.

Recently, the NMI also added a psychiatrist because, Jermyn says, people with chronic pain will often experience depression or anxiety related to their condition.

Patients at the NMI can also take advantage of a free music medicine program. Named for its benefactor, international recording artist Melody Gardot, the music medicine program explores the use of music as a tool to assist in pain management and physical therapy.

“To help people recover, we need to explore both traditional and non-traditional types of medicine, especially for those who have severe chronic pain syndromes,” Jermyn said.

More people under 50 getting colon cancer

By STEVEN REINBERG HealthDay

Colon cancer rates are rising among men and women under 50, the age at which guidelines recommend screenings start, a new analysis shows.

One in seven colon cancer patients is under 50. Younger patients are more likely to have advanced stage cancer, but they live slightly longer without a cancer recurrence because they are treated aggressively, the researchers reported.

“Colon cancer has traditionally been thought of as a disease of the elderly,” said study lead author Dr. Samantha Hendren, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

“This study is really a wake-up call to the medical community that a relatively large number of colon cancers are occurring in people under 50,” she added.

However, Hendren said it’s too soon to say whether colon cancer screening guidelines should be altered to reflect that trend.

In the analysis, colon cancer among younger patients was often found at an advanced stage, meaning the disease has spread to lymph nodes or other organs. “Part of the reason for this is that these young patients are often diagnosed only after their cancers start to cause symptoms, such as anemia, bowel bleeding or a blockage in the colon,” Hendren explained.

Doctors should be on the lookout for these warning signs of colon cancer, she added.

Not all bowel bleeding is caused by cancer, she said. “Bright red bleeding with a bowel movement is usually due to hemorrhoids or fissures, but dark blood or blood mixed with the stool is a warning sign,” Hendren said.

People with a family history of colon cancer and others who are at higher risk should begin screening earlier than the age of 50, she said. “This is already recommended, but we don’t think this is happening consistently, and this is something we need to optimize,” she added.

“This study is really a wake-up call to the medical community that a relatively large number of colon cancers are occurring in people under 50. “ Samantha Hendren, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor The report was published online in the January issue of the journal Cancer.

Dr. Andrew Chan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said the reasons for the increase in colon cancer among younger adults isn’t known.

“It is unexplained,” he said. “It’s not simply a change in diagnoses, it’s a very real increase. There may be an effect of our environment that could be contributing to the increase.”

Smoking, obesity and physical inactivity are all risk factors for colon cancer, as is a poor diet, Chan

MORE INFORMATION Visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute for more on colon cancer at cancer.gov.

said. “When we are faced with patients who have many of these elements, we should think more about the potential of them developing colon cancer at an earlier age,” he said.

For the study, Hendren and her colleagues culled federal government data on nearly 260,000 patients diagnosed with colon cancer between 1998 and 2011.

Of these patients, nearly 15 percent were younger than 50. These patients were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced cancer and more likely to have surgery than older patients (72 percent versus 63 percent). Radiation therapy was also used more often in younger patients than in older patients (53 percent versus 48 percent), the researchers found.

Younger patients lived a little longer without a cancer recurrence, even though they tended to have more advanced cancer, Hendren said.

For patients under 50, about 68 percent survived five years, while about 67 percent of the patients 50 and older survived five years, she said. “It looks like patients’ young age helps them in their cancer treatment and survival,” she added.

These findings raise the question of whether screening for colon cancer should begin at an earlier age, Hendren said. “This would be a big and costly change, and I don’t know whether it would help more people than it would hurt, so a lot of research would be required to understand this before any changes should be made,” she said.

Chan noted that although the incidence of colon cancer is increasing among people under 50, the risk is still low. “I don’t think the data at this point support expanding screening to younger age groups,” he said.

Hendren said that “the cancer community needs to prepare for the increasing number of very young colorectal cancer survivors who will need long-term support to cope with the physical and psychological consequences of their disease and treatments.”

Postpartum depression, a jumble of powerful emotions The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect: depression.

Many new moms experience the "postpartum baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues typically begin within the first two to three days after delivery, and may last for up to two weeks.

But some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression. Rarely, an extreme mood disorder called postpartum psychosis also may develop after childbirth.

Postpartum depression isn't a character flaw or a weakness. Sometimes it's simply a complication of giving birth.

If you have postpartum depression, prompt treatment can help you manage your symptoms — and enjoy your baby.

Signs and symptoms of depression after childbirth vary, and they can range from mild to severe.

Postpartum baby blues symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of baby blues — which last only a few days to a week or two after the birth of your baby is born — may include:

• Mood swings • Anxiety • Sadness • Irritability • Feeling overwhelmed • Crying • Reduced concentration • Appetite problems • Trouble sleeping Postpartum depression symptoms Postpartum depression may be mistaken for baby blues at first — but the signs and symptoms are more intense and last longer, eventually interfering with your ability to care for your baby

appointment. If you have symptoms that suggest you may have postpartum psychosis, get help immediately.

If at any point you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, immediately seek help from your partner or loved ones in taking care of your baby and call 911 or your local emergency assistance number to get help.

Also consider these options if you're having suicidal thoughts:

• Call your mental health specialist.

• Call a suicide hotline number — in

the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

Seek help from your primary doctor or other health care provider.

Reach out to a close friend or loved one.

Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community.

• • • and handle other daily tasks. Symptoms usually develop within the first few weeks after giving birth, but may begin later — up to six months after birth. Postpartum depression symptoms may include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

Depressed or severe mood swings Excessive crying Difficulty bonding with your baby Withdrawl from family and friends Loss of appetite or eating much more than usual Inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy Reduced interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy Intense irritability and anger Fear that you're not a good mother Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy Diminished ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions Severe anxiety and panic attacks Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

Untreated, postpartum depression may last for many months or longer.

Risk Factors

There's no single cause of postpartum depression, but physical and emotional issues may play a role.

Postpartum psychosis

With postpartum psychosis — a rare condition that typically develops within the first week after delivery — the signs and symptoms are even more severe.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Physical changes: After childbirth, a

• Confusion and disorientation • Obsessive thoughts about your baby • Hallucinations and delusions • Sleep disturbances • • Paranoia • Attempts to harm yourself or your baby Postpartum psychosis may lead to lifethreatening thoughts or behaviors and requires immediate treatment.

When to see a doctor

If you're feeling depressed after your baby's birth, you may be reluctant or embarrassed to admit it. But if you experience any symptoms of postpartum baby blues or postpartum depression, call your doctor and schedule an

dramatic drop in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in your body may contribute to postpartum depression.

Other hormones produced by your thyroid gland also may drop sharply, which can leave you feeling tired, sluggish and depressed.

Emotional issues: When you're sleep deprived and overwhelmed, you may have trouble handling even minor problems. You may be anxious about your ability to care for a newborn.

You may feel less attractive, struggle with your sense of identity or feel that you've lost control over your life.

Any of these issues can contribute to postpartum depression.

Source: The Mayo Clinic

Resurrecting your exercise plan

By ROBERT PREIDT HealthDay

If your New Year’s resolution to get regular exercise is waning, there are a number of ways you can maintain your momentum, a nutrition expert says.

First, you need to have realistic goals, said Emily Dhurandhar, visiting assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University.

“Self-efficacy, or confidence in the fact that you can achieve something, is a large part of sticking to a fitness regimen. When setting your goals, stick to what you

know, since self-efficacy usually comes from having done something before successfully, and make sure you are 100 percent confident it is something you can achieve,” she said in a university news release.

“You are in this for the long haul, and consistency is the name of the game. Running one mile a day for a year is much better than trying to run three miles a day and quitting after the first month,” Dhurandhar added.

“Running one mile a day for a year is much better than trying to run three miles a day and quitting after the first month.”

Emily Dhurandhar, Texas Tech University Thinking that exercise alone will help you shed large amounts of weight could lead to frustration and disappointment. Physical activity needs to be combined with other lifestyle changes, she said.

“Exercise without any other significant changes in diet usually only produces a few pounds of weight loss,” Dhurandhar said.

“Instead, look for results in your energy levels, your mood, your strength and physical functioning, and inches lost. Even consider the fact that exercise plays a big role in maintaining body weight and consider that weight maintenance can be a victory.”

For those who are trying to shed pounds, she suggests talking with a dietitian to make sustainable changes in your eating habits that go beyond fads.

Feeling anxious or depressed is one of the main reasons people give up on exercise programs. If you have concerns about your mental health, consider being evaluated by a professional, Dhurandhar said.

She also recommends getting the support of family and friends and setting aside the necessary time for your workout program.

MORE INFORMATION The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a guide to physical activity at nhlbi.nih.gov.

GET MOVING!

You don’t have to belong to a gym for you and family members to get enough exercise. Why not start at home?

Do your own housework, mow the lawn or rake leaves.

Before meals, head outside for a short walk. Start out with a five-to-10-minute walk and work your way up to 30 minutes. If you’re heading to a nearby store, take a bike or walk and leave the car home.

While watching TV, do sit-ups, stretch or use home gym equipment. While you talk on the phone, stand up.

Take the family dog for a walk.

Park further from your destination so you get in extra steps. If you’re headed to the mall, bring some sneakers and walk a few laps.

Stretch, bend and squat while looking for items around the house.

Source: The American Heart Association.

Hair loss in African-American women Hair styling practices may be causing black women to experience hair loss, which is a major problem that often goes undiagnosed, a new survey finds.

While genetics may play a key role in hair loss among AfricanAmerican women, styling practices such as braiding, weaves and chemical relaxing may also increase their risk of hair loss, said dermatologist Dr. Yolanda Lenzy, a clinical associate professor at the University of Connecticut in Farmington.

She joined with the Black Women's Health Study at Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center to survey nearly 5,600 black women about their experiences with hair loss.

Almost 48 percent said they had suffered hair loss on the crown or top of the scalp.

"When hair loss is caused by styling practices, the problem is usually chronic use. Women who use these styling practices tend to use them repeatedly, and long-term repeated use can result in hair loss," said Lenzy.

Even though hair loss is common among black women, more than 81 percent of respondents said they had never consulted a doctor about it.

The leading cause of hair loss in black women is a condition called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). This condition causes inflammation and destruction of hair follicles that results in scarring and permanent hair loss, researchers said.

About 41 percent of survey respondents had levels of hair loss consistent with CCCA. But, fewer than nine percent said they had been diagnosed with the condition.

Along with self-monitoring, women can ask their hair stylists to alert them to signs of hair loss, Lenzy suggested.

There are a number of treatment options for hair loss in women, she added, including avoiding tight hair styles that put pressure on hair follicles and limiting use of chemical relaxers.

The findings were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology's annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. Findings

presented at meetings are generally viewed as preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The leading cause of hair loss in black women is a condition called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA).

TESTS TO HELP DIAGNOSE HAIR LOSS

The following tests are performed when attempting to pinpoint the hair loss trigger.

Diagnostic tests Hormone levels (DHEAs, testosterone, androstenedione, prolactin, follicular stimulating hormone, and leutinizing hormone) Serum iron Serum ferritin Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) Thyroid stimulating hormone (T3, T4, TSH) VDRL (a screening test for syphilis) Complete blood count (CBC)

• • • • • • •

Scalp biopsy A small section of scalp usually 4mm in diameter is removed and examined under a microscope to help determine the cause of hair loss.

Hair pull The hair pull test is a simple diagnostic test in which the physician lightly pulls a small amount of hair (approx 100 simultaneously) in order to determine if there is excessive loss. Normal range is one to three hairs per pull.

Densitometry The densitometer is a handheld magnification device which is used check for miniaturization of the hair shaft.

Source: The American Hair Loss Association

More Information:

The American Hair Loss Association has more information at americanhairloss.org

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trusted Ob/Gyn care

Count on Rowan Medicine for the best choice for your gynecologic and maternity care. With three locations in South Jersey, access to our teaching physicians and midwives at the acclaimed Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine is only a phone call away.

Mullica Hill 856-256-5800 | Stratford 856-566-7090 | Sewell 856-589-1414 rowanmedicine.com Kennedy Health is the principal hospital of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Other affiliated hospitals and health systems include Lourdes Health System, Inspira Health Network, Cooper University Hospital, Meridian Health System, Christ Hospital and Atlantic Health System.