PeaceHealth St. John | Healhy You | Spring/Summer 2016

5 / 8

I’ve been hearing
about well-woman
checkups. What are
they, and what’s involved?
A This is a once-a-year visit to
your primary care provider for
a general health check. For women it
includes a breast exam and a Pap test
if needed.
A well-woman checkup can help
you learn what screenings and tests
you may need and when you need
them. Depending on your age,
health, and other medical conditions,
your provider may suggest routine
screening for:
■ ■Breast and cervical cancers
■ ■Diabetes
■ ■High blood pressure
■ ■High cholesterol
■ ■Osteoporosis
■ ■Depression
■ ■Sexually transmitted infections
Your provider may ask you about
things like your lifestyle and any
medications you take.
Your answers can help your provider
understand—and discuss—your
risk factors for diseases that could
affect your future. He or she can
also make sure you are up-to-date on
immunizations.
If you haven’t had a regular
checkup for a while, put making
an appointment at the top of your
to-do list. No matter what your
age, checkups are important and
one of the best things you can do to
stay healthy.
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Morgan Evans, DO
Family Medicine
PeaceHealth Medical Group–
Lakefront
1718 E. Kessler Blvd.
Longview, WA
360-747-5800
What can I do to
get rid of varicose
or spider veins?
A The first line of treatment
is to try several lifestyle-
related actions:
■ ■Exercise regularly to improve
leg strength.
■ ■Maintain a healthy body weight.
■ ■Eat a low-salt diet rich in fiber.
■ ■Wear compression stockings.
■ ■Elevate your legs when
you’re resting.
■ ■Avoid sitting or standing still for
long periods.
If your veins cause you pain,
itchiness, swelling, or other symptoms,
talk with your doctor about possible
medical treatments. A few of the most
common include:
■ ■Sclerotherapy
■ ■Surface laser treatments
■ ■Endovenous techniques
■ ■Surgery—for very large veins
If you’re having pain, even if it’s
just a dull ache, don’t hesitate to
get help.
Even if you don’t need to see a
doctor about your varicose veins,
you should take steps to keep them
from getting worse. The single most
important thing you can do to slow
down the development of new varicose
veins is to wear gradient compression
support stockings as much as possible
during the day.
Learn more at peacehealth.org/
st-john-surgery.
VEIN HEALTH
George Fortner, MD
Vascular Surgery
PeaceHealth Medical Group–
Surgery
1615 Delaware St.
Longview, WA
360-501-3500
My provider wants
me to have an
electrocardiogram
(EKG). What is that?
A An EKG is a painless test
that records the heart’s
electrical activity.
Many heart problems change the
heart’s electrical activity in distinct
ways. Consequently, doctors can use
an EKG to diagnose many different
heart problems.
For example, an EKG can detect
heart attacks that are in progress or
that happened in the past.
Other things it can reveal include:
■ ■A lack of blood flow to the heart
muscle (heart disease)
■ ■A heart that doesn’t pump forcefully
enough (heart failure)
■ ■A heartbeat that is too fast, too slow,
or irregular (an arrhythmia)
When you have your EKG, a nurse or
technician will tape soft, sticky patches
called electrodes onto your skin.
There are special types of EKGs, so
ask your doctor what kind you need.
The standard one is done while you’re
resting and completely still. It can
only find a heart problem if it occurs
during the test.
But some problems come and go or
only happen during exercise. So you
may need an EKG that uses a small
device to record your heart’s electrical
activity for up to 48 hours or one that’s
done while you exercise.
HEART
Sandi Rosenzweig, ARNP
Family Medicine
PeaceHealth Medical Group
812 Ocean Beach Highway,
Suite 200
Longview, WA
360-636-6900
Heart and
Stroke Walk
When: Saturday,
May 14; festivities
start at 8:30 a.m.; walk
starts at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Lake Sacajawea
Info: Join PeaceHealth
and the American
Heart Association for
a 5K (3.1-mile) walk
to inspire healthy
behaviors and raise
funds to help fight heart
disease and stroke. Call
503-820-5300 or email
to
learn more or to sign up.
SAVE THE DATE!
Heart Health
Nutrition
Join our two-hour heart health
group class to learn about
lifestyle changes that can help
prevent and treat heart disease.
Call 360-636-4943
for more information.
5