Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource - June 2003

Thursday, June 26, 2003

Here are highlights from the June issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource attribution is required. Also, you may reprint up to four articles annually without cost. More frequent reprinting is allowed for a fee. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Call toll free for subscription information, 800-876-8633, extension 9PK1.

Watch for Warning Signs of Endometrial Cancer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even if you're done having children, or past menopause, your uterus can cause health problems — including cancer, according to June's Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. The most common uterine cancer, called endometrial cancer because it affects the lining (endometrium) of your uterus, is diagnosed in about 37,000 American women each year. It's the fourth most common cancer among women, after breast, lung and colon cancers. The good news about endometrial cancer is that it is usually slow growing, often gives early warning signs and is curable more than 80 percent of the time if found early. In most cases, uterine cancer develops in postmenopausal women who no longer have periods. That makes the most obvious sign — vaginal bleeding — easy to notice. If you're still menstruating, however, abnormal bleeding or spotting can be a vital clue. Most of the time, unexpected bleeding isn't cancer. However, it's important to be evaluated for the possibility.

Calcium Supplements Before Menopause? Maybe

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — If you aren't getting enough calcium from your diet, you need a calcium supplement, regardless of your age. In many cases, women first need a supplement at menopause or in later years, but increasingly, calcium deficiency is seen in younger women, according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Ask your doctor how much calcium you need. Your need changes based on age and other health factors. If you need a supplement, there are many choices on what kind to take; when to take it for best absorption; and if it should be combined with vitamin D or other minerals.

Calcium supplementation is beneficial at any age when dietary intake is insufficient. There may be greater bone benefit at certain times in life — puberty and in the teenage years or in early menopause — but regardless of a women's age, calcium intake will benefit the bones as well as muscles and nerves.

Foods can provide all of the calcium you need. Some cereals have 1,000 milligrams (mg) elemental calcium per bowl. Combined with one-half cup of milk, it provides about 1,100 to 1,200 mg elemental calcium. Other good sources of calcium include dairy products; vegetables including broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts and kale; tofu; calcium-fortified juices, cereals and breads; and canned fish, such as salmon.

Know Your Nose

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — You probably don't give your nose much thought, unless it's stuffy from a cold. It does much more than allow you to smell the roses — it cleans, moistens and warms the air you breathe before it reaches your lungs, according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Consider these nose facts:

• During a normal day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. Many people inhale mainly through one nostril at a time, alternating nostrils every one to three hours.
• The nose conditions the air you breathe. The inhaled air is warmed to body temperature and humidified to 100 percent saturation by your nose. Moistening and warming the air helps prevent it from damaging the lungs.
• The nose filters particles — dust, pollen, bacteria and viruses — out of the air before they make their way into your lungs. The mucus captures inhaled particles, and the hair cells sweep it to the back of the nose where it is swallowed. This constant cleansing helps your body improve oxygen exchange in the lungs.
• The mucus membranes lining the nose and sinuses produce large amounts of mucus — between a pint and a quart a day. These secretions are normally unnoticed because they flow into the throat and stomach where the filtered particles are destroyed by stomach acids. When a virus infects these tissues, or they become inflamed from allergy, the mucus loses much of its water content, making it thicker so it flows more slowly. You may become aware of the mucus at the back of your throat (postnasal drip). Thicker secretions may cause pressure and pain in the sinuses or ear.
• Of course, your nose allows you to smell thousands of different odors, both pleasant fragrances and warning smells, such as a fire or gas leak. Sensitivity of smell is a genetic trait, and women typically possess a keener sense of smell than do men.

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-876-8633, extension 9PK1.

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