park-avenue-doctors

What You Should Know About Liver Disease

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 17:44:07 GMT

What You Should Know About Liver Disease

Diagnosing liver disease early is very important – unfortunately, people with liver disease rarely look or even feel sick. Here are some facts you should know about liver disease, its causes, and what liver disease treatments are available.

Most people think that liver disease is caused by too much alcohol, but there are actually many possible causes. Liver disease can be caused by a virus, such as hepatitis A, B, or C; an autoimmune disease; obesity; an overdose of medications or drugs such as acetaminophen; some herbal remedies; excessive amounts of vitamins; a parasite; or genetics.
The reason that early diagnosis and treatment are so important is that the liver can repair itself if treatment begins before too much damage is done. The liver is the only organ in the body that can replace damaged cells easily.
There are over 100 types of liver disease, and it affects millions of Americans.
If someone does have signs of liver disease, they might include chronic fatigue; loss of appetite; leg, ankle, or abdominal swelling; abdominal pain; dark urine color; itchy skin; and a tendency to bruise easily.
Some risk factors for liver disease include exposure to toxins, sharing needles to inject drugs, unprotected sex, type 2 diabetes, and a family history of liver disease.
The procedure to diagnose liver disease may involve blood tests, a CT scan, an MRI, an ultrasound, or a liver biopsy.
The options for treating liver disease may include lifestyle changes, medication, or surgery, depending on how severe damage to the liver is.
The liver performs an amazing amount of functions that are necessary for living. It makes blood clotting factors, amino acids, bile to help digest food, and cholesterol. It converts waste products to be urinated out, and it metabolizes medications so that they can be used by the body. As you can see, keeping your liver healthy is important!

The experts at Park Avenue Medical Professionals in New York specialize in liver disease and its treatment. If you are showing any signs of liver disease, call 212-427-2000 for an appointment right away.

Is it COVID, the flu, a cold, or allergies?

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:41:14 GMT

Is It COVID, the Flu, a Cold, or Allergies?

If you are feeling sick in this era of COVID, you may be wondering what exactly you are sick with. It doesn’t help that flu season has just begun. Is that stuffy nose the onset of the flu, COVID-19, a cold, or is it just allergies? Unfortunately, it is not easy to tell.

The only way to know for sure if you have COVID or the flu is to be tested, but there are some signs that might point you in the right direction:

If you have congestion or a runny nose, it is most likely a cold, as this is an uncommon symptom for the flu or COVID.
As often reported, a symptom that is very unique to COVID is loss of taste or smell. This would be a very quick and dramatic loss, not a gradual one as you would experience with a cold.
Colds come on gradually, flu comes on abruptly, and COVID comes on 2 to 14 days after you have been exposed to it.
A symptom of COVID is shortness of breath, whereas flu and colds typically don’t have this.
Colds and the flu usually last for only 7 to 10 days, whereas COVID can last for a lot longer.
Allergies don’t cause a fever or chills, whereas fevers are common in the flu and can happen with COVID.
Sneezing is typically a symptom of a cold, not COVID or the flu.
Nausea or vomiting is a symptom of COVID.

A vaccine for COVID is still in the making, but flu vaccinations are readily available and are considered to be the best protection against the flu. It is a good idea to get one as early as possible. If you are in a high risk category, which includes patients with cancer, COPD, or a weakened immune system, you should ask your doctor what extra precautions you should be taking to avoid COVID and the flu.

If you’re not feeling well, Park Avenue Medical Professionals in New York can determine what exactly the problem is, which is the first step to feeling better! Call 212-427-2000 for an appointment.

5 Signs You May Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 17:38:33 GMT

5 Signs You May Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Do you think you may have irritable bowel syndrome? Some of the most common symptoms of IBS are:

Cramping
Gas
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Diarrhea or constipation

Symptoms are typically chronic and don’t go away. If you’ve been experiencing this discomfort for months or even years, now may be the right time to seek the help of an experienced gastroenterologist. You may experience cramping and abdominal pain associated with a bowel movement. You may also notice changes in your bowel movements. All of these things are good reason to contact our practice.

It is possible for your symptoms to manifest in other ways and you shouldn’t consider this list exhaustive. Symptoms also range in severity by individual.

For some people with IBS , changing what they eat and drink, and managing stressors can alleviate symptoms. Other people may need medical attention.

IBS affects the large intestine. It seems to be triggered by stress and certain foods. You may find that your symptoms worsen in response to wheat, dairy, coffee or other foods. While the exact cause isn’t well-established, IBS is linked to gut microbe changes, intestinal muscle contractions, nerves in the digestive system and stress-related factors.

The gastroenterologists at Park Avenue Medical Professionals diagnose IBS and other gut disorders.

If IBS is present, we will determine the right treatment course for you. Treatments may include:

Avoiding certain foods and/or beverages
Reducing stress
Prioritizing sleep
Exercise
Supplements
Medications

Talk to our doctors about what may be right for you. Uncomfortable GI symptoms can really hinder your quality of life. These symptoms are inconvenient all the time, but especially when they arise at work, while exercising, or while trying to enjoy leisure time with family and friends. Our doctors will help you find an answer to the underlying problems.

Our experienced gastroenterologists in Manhattan determine the cause of your symptoms and recommend effective treatments to provide relief. Whether you are suffering from IBS or another GI disorder, we are here to help. Please contact us today .

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Get a Mammogram

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 16:33:16 GMT

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Get a Mammogram

October is breast cancer awareness month. Amidst the sea of the oranges, reds, and browns of fall, the stores shelves are punctuated by pink. Breast cancer month is dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer and the importance of mammograms . It’s also the biggest fundraiser for breast cancer research.

Why Are Mammograms So Important?

Mammograms, a specialized set of x-rays of the breast, are the most comprehensive tool doctors have at their disposal for detecting cancer early. A mammogram can detect breast cancer three to four years before a lump can be felt, giving the person with cancer significantly increased odds at treating and beating the cancer.

Who Needs a Mammogram?

Every woman should begin having annual mammograms at age 40. However, some women may need to begin screening at a much younger age. If you had a mother, sister, aunt, or other close relative who was diagnosed with breast cancer younger than 40, you should begin screenings earlier. Talk to your physician about when. If you have had genetic testing and have the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 “breast cancer gene” you should begin screenings early. And if you discover a lump, no matter your age, you should talk to you doctor about getting a mammogram.

Are Mammograms Safe?

The amount of radiation the breast is exposed to during the mammogram is negligible. Skipping this essential cancer screening tool puts you at risk. Mammograms are a safe and effective screening measure that can save your life by detecting cancer before you have any symptoms or can tell you have it.

At Park Avenue Medical Professionals, we strive to develop a long-term relationship with our patients by delivering the highest quality care – whether it’s a scheduled well visit or an urgent health concern that needs immediate attention. Learn more about our general medicine and urgent care services by contacting our office . You can also make an appointment by filling out this form . In order to get a prompt response for same-day urgent care appointments, please contact our office directly by calling 212.427.2000 .

Best Treatments for Chronic Pain

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:12:36 GMT

Best Treatments for Chronic Pain

Do you suffer from chronic pain? Chronic pain is defined as ongoing pain that continues longer than six months. The frustration that many people experience with chronic pain is that it can prevent them from enjoying a full life. How many times have you had to turn down an invitation to go do something with friends because you were in too much pain to enjoy whatever they were doing? How many times have you questioned whether or not to even get out of bed? If you struggle with chronic pain, you’ve probably tried many solutions. Our team will work with you to find a solution that will minimize your discomfort or eliminate your pain.

Conditions that Can Lead to Chronic Pain

From old sports injuries to cancer, chronic pain management is something many people need. The goal is the same: eliminate as much pain as possible, improve your mobility, and improve your quality of life. Unfortunately, chronic pain can continue even after the injury or illness that initially caused the pain is resolved. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Some people can experience suffer chronic pain even when there is no past injury or apparent body damage. Chronic pain is linked to conditions including headaches and migraines, arthritis, cancer, nerve pain and diabetic nerve conditions, back pain and back injuries, and fibromyalgia.

When you work with our general practitioners, we can accomplish this through a variety of treatments, including:

Pain medication, including NSAIDs
Physical therapy and rehabilitation
Surgery
Acupuncture

What Happens When You Don’t Treat Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain can cause a domino effect in the body. As you tense with the pain you are experiencing, you may begin to have additional pain from tension. Your mobility may be affected, but beyond that, there is also an emotional impact.

At Park Avenue Medical Professionals, our physiatrists provide care for both acute and chronic pain. Our board-certified physiatrist will design an individualized treatment program to decrease your pain, improve your mobility and reduce the risk of further injuries. Learn more about our physiatry services by contacting our office at 212.427.2000 . You can also make an appointment by filling out this form.

Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 16:05:37 GMT

Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

It is a common assumption that if someone has something wrong with their liver, they have been a heavy drinker. However, there are other causes of liver disease, including hepatitis. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects people who drink very little or not at all.

What Is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when the body stores excess fat in your liver. The fatty buildup is most likely caused by the body not processing glucose properly. It is often associated with complications from Type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that more than 30% of American adults have NAFLD.

How Do I Know If I Have NAFLD?

For most people, there may be no symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and there is no cure for it. However, with the proper lifestyle changes, you can manage the disease successfully. Diagnosing it as early as possible is crucial. If liver damage is severe, treatment may require a liver transplant.

Certain circumstances can you more likely to develop NAFLD:

Having diabetes or being pre-diabetic
Being obese or overweight
Genetic history of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Being of south Asian or Hispanic descent
Being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome

Cirrhosis

It’s important to make lifestyle changes and dietary changes as early as possible in your diagnosis of NAFLD to avoid developing cirrhosis. Cirrhosis occurs when the liver, having endured damage over months and years, begins to deteriorate and lose function. You can manage NAFLD effectively by exercising regularly, transforming your diet, and losing weight. Symptoms of cirrhosis may include feeling lethargic or having no energy, yellowing skin and eyes, and abdominal pain and swelling. You may also experience itchy skin, nausea, and dark-colored urine.

Park Avenue Medical Professionals offers comprehensive liver disease treatment (hepatology) services on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Our board-certified NYC liver disease specialist has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating all types of acute and chronic liver diseases. Learn more about our hepatology services by contacting our office at 212.427.2000 . You can also make an appointment by filling out this form.

Is It Stress or Sleep Apnea?

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 15:50:43 GMT

Is It Stress or Sleep Apnea?

New Yorkers are pretty tough overall, but the experiences of this year have even the toughest among us struggling to cope. If you’re feel groggy and tired during the day, can’t focus on anything, or feel tired even after a whole night in bed, you may simply attribute it to lack of sleep due to stress. It very well may be stress impacting your sleep – high levels of stress can impact your life in a myriad of ways – but it could also be a sign of sleep apnea .

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which you stop breathing during the night and it prevents enough oxygen from getting to your brain. Over time, sleep apnea can become progressively worse, and it can trigger other health complications, from high blood pressure to Type II diabetes. There are three types of sleep apnea – obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea.

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

In most cases, a sleep study is performed to observe you while you are sleeping. You will be connected to monitors that will measure how many times and for how long you stop breathing throughout the night. This, combined with a thorough examination and health history, will help our physicians determine what kind of sleep apnea you have and how best to treat it.

Treating Sleep Apnea

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive. While it can sometimes be treated with lifestyle changes – losing weight, changing your sleeping position, reducing your alcohol intake – you most often need the intervention of a device, such as a CPAP mask or oral appliance, to help maintain your airway so that you can get enough oxygen.

If you are struggling to get the restorative sleep you need, the first step to a better night’s sleep begins with a consultation at Park Avenue Medical Professionals. Our physicians offer comprehensive diagnosis and treatments for a wide range of sleep disorders. We are known for our compassionate care and personalized approach. Schedule an appointment today by contacting our office at 212.427.2000 . You can also make an appointment by filling out this form .

Boost Your Immune System with these 5 Habits

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 17:03:12 GMT

Boost Your Immune System with These 5 Habits

As stay home orders and cancelled events extend through the summer, as much as we’d like to move away from the conversation about COVID-19 as a society and as a medical group, we simply cannot. There is still as much unknown as known about this disease; but medical professionals around the globe have gathered enough detail to determine that boosting your immune system can help.

Eat Healthy

The internet abounds with jokes about the “Coronavirus 15” from everyone being stuck at home and eating. But making sure you get the proper nutrition does make a difference in your overall health. Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, stay hydrated, eat lean proteins, and avoid sugar.

Exercise and Sunshine

Exercise is a great way to minimize risk. It is turning out that Vitamin D may play a significant role in minimizing the symptoms in people who contract COVID-19. One of the best ways to make sure you have enough Vitamin D is to get outside. You need the sun to absorb the vitamin, which is stored in your body.

Lose Weight

The most recent reports on COVID-19 reveal that a disproportionate number of people with obesity had worse symptoms, spent more time in the ICU, and had a higher mortality rate. Even 20 minutes of vigorous exercise a day makes a difference.

Manage Stress

Lowering your stress level can improve your immune system. Given the amount of stress everyone is feeling with extended stay home orders and worry about contracting the disease, stress levels are at an all-time high. Exercise can help with stress, as can meditation and yoga.

Stay Connected to Others

Whether it’s a weekly phone call to your mom or Zoom calls with your work team, be sure to maintain your relationships with others. Call, play online games with friends, video chat with your grandkids, but stay in touch with friends and family.

Coronavirus and Heart Disease

Fri, 15 May 2020 17:03:12 GMT

CORONAVIRUS AND HEART DISEASE

While most people have been talking about the impact COVID-19 has had on the lungs and the resulting respiratory issues, as more data is gathered about the disease, we’re discovering that not only can it have an impact on the heart but that people who suffer from heart disease are at higher risk for complications from getting the novel coronavirus. According to a study of more than 44,000 covid-positive patients, only 4.2% had cardiovascular disease , but they accounted for almost a third of the deaths.

The Relationship Between Hearts and Lungs

Your heart can impact your breathing. Your heart and lungs are partners in your overall health. Your lungs and heart work in conjunction with each other to make sure your entire body and brain have the oxygenated blood it needs to thrive. Because of this symbiotic relationship, both your heart health and your lung health contribute to your breathing health.

The Heart – Coronavirus Connection

Not only do people with heart disease and other heart conditions tend to have a weakened immune system but their hearts are already working harder to circulate oxygenated blood. Add the respiratory stress from COVID-19 to the mix, and the heart may be forced to work harder than it is able to. Some early research is also showing that this strain of coronavirus, like others, can destabilize plaque in arteries, causing a blockage and potentially putting people at higher risk for a heart attack. COVID-19 can be even more serious for people with heart disease. People over the age of 65 with coronary heart disease or hypertension are developing more serious symptoms and should therefore take stringent precautions – stay at home, have someone deliver groceries to your porch or garage, maintain social distance – to avoid being exposed.

Park Avenue Medical Professionals’ cardiologists offer services in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Our board-certified NYC cardiologist has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease and performing cardiac testing. Learn more about our cardiology services by contacting our office at 212.427.2000 . You can also make an appointment by filling out this form .

Separating Fact From Fiction Regarding COVID-19

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 17:03:11 GMT

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION REGARDING COVID-19

For the last few months, this country has been reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic . Our area of the country – New York City especially – has been one of the hardest-hit areas, and unfortunately, in the midst of panic, disinformation gets spread quickly – often much more quickly than the truth.

COVID-19 Myth 1: Kids Don’t Get the Virus

Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only do children and young people get the virus, but because their symptoms are milder, they tend to carry it to more people because they do not know they are ill. And children who are immunocompromised or have asthma or other medical conditions can be at great risk from the virus.

COVID-19 Myth 2: You Can Get the Virus Again

Once you’ve had the novel coronavirus, your body builds antibodies. You cannot contract the virus again. However, it is possible that after having the virus, your lung capacity will continue to be diminished for quite some time, which may make you vulnerable to other viruses.

COVID-19 Myth 3: This Virus Is Just a Flu Bug that Will Run Its Course

When major sporting leagues cancel their seasons and Disneyland closes their doors, you can be assured this is more than just a simple flu that will run its course. The weeks of quarantine, social isolation, and social distancing have been an effort not to eradicate the coronavirus but to slow the spread long enough for the hospitals to gear up with the equipment they need to better handle the influx of patients, so that we don’t exceed capacity for the number of urgent cases there are.

COVID-19 Myth 4: Conspiracy!

This is not all just a conspiracy, foreign or domestic, to try to impact economic and political stability. It is a real virus with real and deadly consequences. If you believe you may be ill, please call for an appointment.

park-avenue-doctors

What You Should Know About Liver Disease

What You Should Know About Liver Disease

Is it COVID, the flu, a cold, or allergies?

Is It COVID, the Flu, a Cold, or Allergies?

5 Signs You May Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome

5 Signs You May Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Get a Mammogram

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Get a Mammogram

Why Are Mammograms So Important?

Who Needs a Mammogram?

Are Mammograms Safe?

Best Treatments for Chronic Pain

Best Treatments for Chronic Pain

Conditions that Can Lead to Chronic Pain

What Happens When You Don’t Treat Chronic Pain?

Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

What Is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

How Do I Know If I Have NAFLD?

Cirrhosis

Is It Stress or Sleep Apnea?

Is It Stress or Sleep Apnea?

What Is Sleep Apnea?

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

Treating Sleep Apnea

Boost Your Immune System with these 5 Habits

Boost Your Immune System with These 5 Habits

Eat Healthy

Exercise and Sunshine

Lose Weight

Manage Stress

Stay Connected to Others

Coronavirus and Heart Disease

CORONAVIRUS AND HEART DISEASE ﻿

The Relationship Between Hearts and Lungs

The Heart – Coronavirus Connection

Separating Fact From Fiction Regarding COVID-19

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION REGARDING COVID-19

COVID-19 Myth 1: Kids Don’t Get the Virus

COVID-19 Myth 2: You Can Get the Virus Again

COVID-19 Myth 3: This Virus Is Just a Flu Bug that Will Run Its Course

COVID-19 Myth 4: Conspiracy!

CORONAVIRUS AND HEART DISEASE