You Hit Head, Have Lingering Dizziness: What Should You Do?
Does dizziness after hitting your head always mean you should head to the emergency room?
“Head injuries can be serious,” says J. Mark Anderson, MD, DABFM, of Executive Medicine of Texas and who is board certified in family medicine.
“If you injure your head and experience dizziness, fatigue, nausea or a change in vision, you should be evaluated immediately,” continues Dr. Anderson, who is board certified in internal medicine.
“In the event that you lose consciousness at any time during a head injury, it should be treated as an emergency.
“Concussions have gained a great deal of attention over the last decade, and for good reason.”
Imaging is Very Important
Dr. Anderson continues, “New imaging techniques, such as fMRI [functional MRI], have allowed researchers to see changes in brain activity after a head injury.
“We also now know that damage to the brain can be on a microvascular level, often not seen on routine scans.
“A healthcare provider can determine the best way to treat a head injury, and all head injuries should be a cause for concern.”
What if Your ONLY Symptom Is Dizziness After Getting Hit in the Head?
“Many people believe that dizziness after hitting the head is caused by ‘jiggling of the brain, which is close, but not exactly the case,” explains Dr. Anderson.
“Most dizziness after a hit to the head is actually caused by a disturbance in the inner ear.
“This dizziness is called vertigo and is a result of tiny crystals in the inner ear being disturbed.
“This often goes away on its own, but may require assistance from a healthcare provider.
“People who experience vertigo after a mild head injury often develop benign paroxysmal positional vertigo,” also known as BPPV.
“A technique called the Epley maneuver can often instantly reset the disturbed crystals.
“Mild vertigo is often not serious, but if vertigo persists or is followed by fatigue, nausea or the feeling of passing out, a proper evaluation by a healthcare provider is in order.”
Dr. Anderson is coauthor of the award-winning book, “Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health,” and host of the nationally syndicated Staying Young Show which goes to podcast as Staying Young Show 2.0.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/9nong
Twitching in the Tiny Muscles of the Ankle Explained
Even the tiniest muscles are prone to twitching and this includes in the ankle.
Often, the arch or a single toe starts twitching, but the small muscles in the ankle joint may also act up from time to time for no apparent reason. (more…)
Permanent Dent in Arm from Resting It Against Desk
A dent in a limb is often associated with muscle atrophy in the mind of the layperson.
Somehow, someway, perceived or actual dents in the arm or leg have barged their way into the hypochondria realm.
Keep reading to be reassured that there is no basis for the assumption that a dent means muscle atrophy… (more…)
Fasting Glucose 109, Normal A1C: What Does this Mean?
A normal A1C is always good news, but what if it comes with a fasting glucose of 109, which is in the so-called prediabetic range?
“A fasting glucose is a snapshot of what someone’s blood sugar is at that exact moment,” begins J. Mark Anderson, MD, DABFM, of Executive Medicine of Texas and who is board certified in family medicine.
“It can show that someone has an increased risk of diabetes, but it’s not necessarily diagnostic,” continues Dr. Anderson.
“That is why many healthcare providers will routinely collect an A1C during a physical exam or if there is a concern about diabetes.
“An A1C is a blood test that looks at the amount of glycated hemoglobin (glucose bound to hemoglobin), giving a better long-term evaluation of your blood sugars.
“Generally, it paints the picture of your blood sugar over the past two to three months.
“It’s best to have an A1C of 5.6 or less. 5.7-6.4 is considered prediabetes and 6.5 or greater is considered diabetic level.”
Fasting Glucose of 109: What this Might Mean
As Dr. Anderson mentioned, the fasting glucose number reflects a snapshot in time, but this doesn’t mean you should kick it under the rug, either.
Years ago my fasting glucose was a little less than 109; it was 106.
The medical document said I had “impaired glucose metabolism,” even though I had not been given an A1C text.
This diagnosis was very premature. It sent me into a tizzy and I pursued more information via medical journals, where I learned that a fasting glucose can be elevated (prediabetic range) just from a single night of bad sleep, let alone many nights of poor sleep over a period of weeks.
Chronic anxiety can also boost fasting glucose numbers into the low 100’s.
It was no coincidence that I had gotten only a few hours’ sleep preceding the morning of my test, and that for the several weeks prior I had been struggling with sleep due to significant anxiety over a sick family member. The daytime stress added to the equation.
I’ve had many fasting glucose readings since, and all have been in the 80’s. My A1C tests have all been normal.
So if you have a fasting glucose (aka blood sugar) of around 109 but a normal A1C, this is no cause for worry.
However, consider it a wakeup call to your stress levels, sleep quality, dietary habits and exercise.
It’s tough to avoid stress and anxiety, but you should do all you can to choose your battles in life wisely rather than stress your mind out over trite matters.
Limit processed foods as much as possible and hit the gym hard.
A healthy diet and rigorous exercise will go a long way at preventing type 2 diabetes and an abnormal A1c.
Dr. Anderson is coauthor of the award-winning book, “Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health,” and host of the nationally syndicated Staying Young Show which goes to podcast as Staying Young Show 2.0.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Cramping in the Forearm Muscles: Can this Be Serious?
The muscles of the forearm are relatively small but can cramp up due to many causes.
The question is can this ever mean a serious condition?
How LONG Can You Have Skin Cancer Without Knowing It?
“Skin cancer can look like many things; therefore people can go long periods of time without recognizing that they have a skin cancer,” says Dr. Steven Musick, MD, a board certified dermatologist who runs Musick Dermatology, LLC, in Swansea, IL, which provides state-of-the-art medical and surgical care for all disorders of the skin, hair and nails. (more…)
How Long Does It Take Melanoma to Grow to 2 Millimeters?
It’s a fact that melanoma can be well under six millimeters, and in fact, can be only one millimeter in diameter.
The ABCD rules for melanoma certainly do not apply to all such skin cancers. (more…)
Can Melanoma Patients Live More than 30 Years?
How many people walking around today were diagnosed with melanoma 30 years ago?
This deadly skin cancer is on the rise, but is highly curable when caught at the stage 0 or “in situ” (in place) stage. (more…)
Can People Ever Smell Skin Cancer?
Have you been sniffing at that strange mole or patch on your skin to see if you could smell something odd that might mean cancer?
Melanoma produces a distinctive odor that some dogs can detect. But can a person? (more…)
What’s the Biggest that Melanoma In Situ Can Grow?
Melanoma in situ is the earliest stage of this skin cancer, and it will often spread out before it goes deep.
So what’s the biggest an in situ melanoma of the superficial spreading type can actually grow while still remaining in this stage 0 phase?
There are many kinds of melanoma. The most commonly diagnosed, by far, is the superficial spreading type.
In this type, the tumor increases in diameter in a two-dimensional plane before it begins vertically burrowing below the top layer of skin.
The increase in diameter can occur for quite some time before the tumor begins penetrating the dermis, which is the second layer of skin below the epidermis.
“The size of the melanoma can range up to 6.5 mm or more, and if left untreated, it can grow from there and possibly spread to other parts of the body,” says Dr. Gretchen Frieling, MD, Triple Board Certified Boston Area Dermatopathologist.
A Study Investigated just How Big an In Situ Melanoma Can Get
The journal Cancer (vol. 91, issue 5) describes an investigation involving stage zero melanoma — which has a 10 year survival rate of 99 percent.
The study involved three groups of patients who were diagnosed with in situ melanoma.
They were divided into three groups according to the size of the stage 0 tumor:
• Equal to or under five millimeters
• Bigger than five millimeters but less than 10 millimeters
• Larger than 10 millimeters
So according to this study, melanoma in situ can actually grow to over 10 millimeters. A pencil eraser is five millimeters.
However, nobody knows exactly how long it takes for a pin-point melanoma to grow to 10 millimeters while it remains in its earliest stage.
If a mole appears suspicious in any way (increasing in size, changing in color, developing ragged edges or bumps on it), you should NOT wait to see what happens over the next several months.
It should be biopsied immediately. Dr. Frieling says, “The goal with any cancer or illness is to detect and treat as soon as possible.”
Dr. Frieling’s website is gfacemd.com. In addition to 15+ years of experience in dermatology and dermapathology, Dr. Frieling provides advanced micro-enhancement techniques to optimize the health and beauty of her patients’ skin.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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