Heart, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics, Women’s Heart Program

What’s the normal blood pressure for a pregnant woman?

If you’re pregnant and have a blood pressure of 140 systolic/90 diastolic or higher, you should see a specialist, as untreated high blood pressure can risk your health as well as the unborn baby’s. A healthy blood pressure for women and men is below 120/80. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends women who…

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Neurosciences, Parkinson’s Disease

Shaky hands don’t always mean you have Parkinson’s

You might associate uncontrollable shaking of the body with Parkinson’s disease. Although shaking is a classic sign of Parkinson’s, there are other movement disorders that include similar symptoms. Essential tremor affects about 10 million Americans, and Parkinson’s affects about 1 million. Telling these two conditions apart can be tricky, and diagnosis can take time. Signs…

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Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics

A mother’s gestational diabetes success story

Even though a gestational diabetes diagnosis felt scary at the time, for Jenna Wilson, support from Norton Children’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine made her high-risk pregnancy much less intimidating. The practice’s maternal-fetal medicine specialists, part of Norton Women’s Care, helped her feel empowered. “They always put a positive spin on everything and cheered me on, telling me…

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Endocrinology

From Hopkinsville to the White House to Norton Healthcare

A career arc that led Stephen F. Cavanah, M.D., to military service and practicing in the White House has brought the endocrinologist to Norton Community Medical Associates – Endocrinology’s Poplar Level and Brownsboro locations. Growing up in Christian County in western Kentucky, he aspired from an early age to become a doctor and decided on…

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Norton Now

There can be many reasons you always have a stuffy nose

If you feel like you always have a stuffy nose, it might be one of many reasons. Stuffy nose, or rhinitis, is caused by swelling or irritation in the nasal cavity. It can vary from mild to severe and last for a few days or may last for a few weeks. Your body normally produces…

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Cancer, Colon Cancer, Prevention and Wellness

If you’re trying to prevent colon cancer, start with lifestyle, diet changes

The old saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but the effects of a healthy diet and lifestyle go way beyond a yearly trip to the doctor’s office and can help prevent colon cancer. Diet, exercise and lifestyle have been shown to help reduce the risk for several diseases, including colon cancer…

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Employee stories - Norton Healthcare, Obstetrics

A picture-perfect nurse

Amanda Cundiff, R.N., a labor and delivery nurse at Norton Hospital, has been taking photos for over 14 years. She enjoys being behind the camera to creatively capture moments that people will recall and treasure. Not long ago, Amanda saw an opportunity to use her photography skills to help a patient. Chautauqua Henderson, an expectant…

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Norton Now

What to do when a sore throat comes and goes

When a sore throat comes and goes, it’s a sign there might be more going on than a virus, which would go away in about a week. “If you’ve got a chronic sore throat that has lasted on and off for a couple of weeks, you should see your health care provider to find out…

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KDF Marathon, Kentucky Derby Marathon Training, Sports Health

How to prepare for a long run

We have some great tips on how to prepare for a long run as race day for the GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon/Marathon approaches. Trust your training: You have been training for weeks or even months, so trust that this pivotal longest training run will feel great and come naturally. Expect the unexpected: Your…

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Sports Health

Twin sisters reunite, start fitness journey together as they approach 70

Twins are said to have a special kind of chemistry, one that sets them apart from the average set of siblings. The connection is said to be so strong, it’s like they can finish each other’s sentences. For twin sisters Marla Squires and Carla Haas, it’s more like the ability to read each other’s minds….

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Migraine and Headaches, Neurosciences

Pain at the base of the skull can be from a minor strain or muscle ache, but sometimes it means more

Pain in the upper neck, back of the head and behind the ear can be a symptom of occipital neuralgia. True occipital neuralgia is rare, affecting an estimated 3.2 per 100,000 people per year. The symptoms of occipital neuralgia can impact a patient’s quality of life, depending on severity. Symptoms include: Shooting, stabbing or throbbing…

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Brand Feature, Heart, Heart Failure, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics, Women’s Heart Program

Alexis’ heart was giving out after her 3rd pregnancy — a long-term solution would have to wait for baby No. 4

At age 25, Alexis Helm had been pregnant three times, and her heart was failing. The increased blood volume from her pregnancies and strain on her heart muscle had taken a toll, as it does with many women. With her fourth pregnancy, she knew she risked damaging her heart further but wanted to do all…

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