July Issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter Reports:

Friday, June 21, 2002

Asthma Increasing in Older Adults

ROCHESTER, MINN. — Asthma isn't just a disease diagnosed in children. According to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, it is increasingly common in people over age 65. And it can be serious. A recent Mayo Clinic study found that over 40 percent of older adults with asthma are hospitalized at least once for asthma or related conditions.

Asthma is primarily related to an inflammation of the airways in your lungs, which makes breathing difficult. Though there is no cure, asthma can be managed. Check with your doctor if you experience these symptoms: • Episodes where breathing is difficult (These episodes might be triggered by exercise, cold or exposure to pollen, dust, pet dander or smoke.) • Unexplained coughing or wheezing most of the time • Wheezing or coughing while sleeping, which wakes you up

Choose the Right Clothes for Sun Protection

Your old, faded gardening shirt might not offer good protection from an afternoon in the sun. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers these tips on sun protection and clothing. Choose clothes that are: • Tightly woven — Thick, tightly woven fabrics block more sun. Polyester, wool, silk and unbleached cotton offer the best protection. • Dark — Dyes added to clothing help absorb ultraviolet rays before they reach the skin. • New — The more clothing has been washed, the less effective it is in blocking sun rays. • Loose fitting — Looser garments that cover as much skin as possible are best.

And, it is always important to apply a broad-spectrum sun screen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more. Broad spectrum means it provides protection against ultraviolet A and B radiation.

Ganglion Cyst — Not Cause for Alarm but Should be Checked

It's a lump, it's ugly and it's on your wrist. According to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, it might be a ganglion (GANG-glee-on) cyst. It looks and feels as though a small lump — from the size of a pea to a peach pit — has formed beneath the surface of the skin.

Doctors don't know what causes these cysts to appear, often abruptly. The growth is typically painless or only mildly bothersome. Effective removal treatments are available but the cyst may go away without treatment. While a ganglion cyst isn't cause for undue alarm, its symptoms do mimic other serious tumors that appear on the hand, wrist or foot. It's important to see your doctor if a lump appears in any of these areas.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page, monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll-free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

Shelly Plutowski 507-284-2417 (days) 507-284-2511 (evenings) e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

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