Too much bad cholesterol or too little good cholesterol coursing through your bloodstream increases the risk that the waxy substance can start lining the walls of arteries that supply blood to the heart and brain. That’s bad enough, but why exactly can high cholesterol cause heart disease? Why is high cholesterol bad? Whether the good…
High blood pressure puts extra strain on the heart and arteries. Years of untreated high blood pressure and the strain it puts on artery walls creates places for cholesterol to build up and form hardened patches of plaque. If the plaque ruptures, bits and pieces enter the bloodstream, where they can form blood clots. High…
If you are experiencing stress or not handling your stress with healthy tools, it may affect your heart health. When the body feels stress, the natural reaction is to release adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that can cause your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. Many know this…
As consumers, we’ve become accustomed to really convenient service. We can preorder and pick up our groceries, get food delivered from our favorite restaurants, and shop for a product online and have it the next day (sometimes the same day!). Increasingly, health care providers are offering consumers equally convenient service for their health needs. With…
A high body mass index, or BMI, and a sedentary lifestyle increase your risk for heart disease. It’s important to understand how these two factors impact your heart and what you can do to decrease your risk for developing heart disease. What is BMI? BMI is a screening tool used to measure body fat. You…
Tobacco smoke does plenty of damage to the lungs, eyes, bones, bladder … every organ in your body. But why is smoking a risk factor for heart disease? It’s the chemicals in tobacco smoke that damage blood cells and can harm how your heart pumps and the structure of your blood vessels. “It’s the toxic…
Heart disease is the most common cause of death for adults with diabetes. Discover the link between diabetes and your heart, and learn what actions you can take to decrease your risk. What is Type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. When you have diabetes, your body has trouble…
Emergencies can happen at any hour. That’s why at Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital, OB hospitalists are standing by to help women who are pregnant or have just given birth. OB hospitalists are physicians whose primary role is to care for pregnant women while they’re in the hospital and their obstetrician isn’t…
Pregnancy is an exciting time as you await your little one. Your body will go through many changes, and you’ll have a lot of questions. As you near your due date, you should know what symptoms could be signs of serious pregnancy complications. According to Kris Ellen Barnsfather, M.D., OB/GYN with Norton Women’s Care, there are…
Eating seasonally means consuming produce that is purchased around the time it is harvested. Why include seasonal produce in your weekly meal plan? Seasonal produce is fresher, tastier and more nutritious than food consumed out of season. Take strawberries for example: The best time to eat them is summer, when they are growing locally and…
David Elder considers himself lucky. Had things gone differently, the 66-year-old retired accounting professional might have become another lung cancer death statistic. In 2017, David developed what he thought was a minor hernia. He had bouts of stomach pain and over a two-month period lost about 40 pounds. David was familiar with lung cancer’s symptoms…
Norton Healthcare announced today it will waive copays and deductibles for furloughed federal government employees in need of urgent or emergency care. This includes visits to 14 area Norton Immediate Care Centers, Norton eCare eVisits and video visits, and emergency departments at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital, Norton Hospital, Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital,…
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