Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource - March 27, 2002

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

A Special Report on Stress

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The March issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource comes complete with a special report on stress that includes detailed information about what stress really is, how it affects your health, and how you can alleviate or reduce stress in your daily life.

The body has a variety of physical responses to stress that are intended to protect you from serious danger. You may have heard these called the "flight or fight" response, and they can, in fact, save your life. But when these responses occur repeatedly in daily life, they can have a detrimental effect on your physical well-being. Immune system problems, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal disorders are some of the most common health problems that can be attributed to stress.

With this in mind, Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers eight pages of stress management techniques, including:

• Signs and symptoms that spell stress overload.
• Cutting stress at home and at work.
• Relaxation techniques that calm frazzled nerves.
• Setting the stage for a good night's sleep.

Stress is not just a social phenomenon. It's also a physical one with potentially serious ramifications. You can reduce your stress and the related health risks by learning to cope more effectively. Advances in Breast Cancer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The March issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource details advances in the treatment of breast cancer.

Surviving breast cancer is more likely than ever. In fact, the chance of surviving five or more years after a diagnosis of localized breast cancer is more than 95 percent. One of the most high-profile treatment techniques is sentinel node biopsy. This approach is an attempt to determine if only one or a few lymph nodes near the site of the cancer need to be removed, thereby reducing the need for more extensive surgery. Removal of all of the lymph nodes is an extensive surgery that can result in swelling and numbness of the arm as well as skin infections.

Preoperative chemotherapy is another treatment that aims to reduce the extent of cancer surgery. Doctors try to shrink the tumor with chemotherapy so that the patient can have a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy. Avoiding mastectomy is an important goal in itself. However, research has found no differences in the chances of cancer recurrence, or in survival rates, whether chemotherapy was given before or after surgery.

This is an important and exciting time in the field of breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment. Physicians and researchers are working every day to bring hope to women facing breast cancer.

A New Kind of Contact Lens

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Maintaining contact lenses can be a burdensome chore, but the March issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new kind of contact lens.

The new lenses can be worn for up to 30 days without removal. If the lenses are removed before replacement time, they will need to be cleaned and disinfected, and the wearer must give the eyes a one-night break before putting the lenses back in.

The FDA approved the new lenses based on a study of 697 people who wore the lenses for one year. About 67 percent of the wearers achieved an average wearing time of 22 to 31 days and nights. About five percent experienced one episode of corneal inflammation. Less serious problems included conjunctivitis, dry eyes, and mild burning or stinging sensations.

The FDA points out that extended-wear contact lenses carry a greater risk of vision-threatening complications than lenses worn only during waking hours. That's why it's best to discuss all of your options with your optometrist or eye doctor.

###

Mayo Clinic is a private group practice of medicine dedicated to providing diagnosis and treatment of patient illnesses through a systematic focus on individual patient needs. Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale offers outpatient healthcare in 66 medical and surgical specialties and programs. Mayo Clinic also provides care at primary care practices located throughout the Valley and at the new Mayo Clinic Hospital. The hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the Clinic. MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com), a health information website, is available as a resource for your health stories.

###

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.