Don't Miss the Zwanger-Pesiri Health Fair - July 27th!

Save the date! Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology is having its second annual Health Fair! Please join us on Saturday, July 27th from 12pm to 4pm for a FREE, fun, educational and inspirational afternoon.

WHERE: The parking lot of Zwanger-Pesiri's Lindenhurst Office at 150 East Sunrise Highway (next to the Babylon Town Hall).

WHO'S INVITED? Everyone! Bring your entire family. There will be activities for all ages, including health information, activities and demonstrations!

WHO WILL BE THERE?  Mingle with Zwanger-Pesiri staff, and vendors providing health information, including:

• Physician specialists
• Personal training
• Aerobics
• Zumba
• Acupuncture
• Nutrition
• Smoking cessation
• Weight loss
• Skin & beauty care
• Fertility
• Health insurance
• Blood drive from the New York Blood Center -- Free Mets tickets with all donations!!!
• Blood pressure, glucose & bone density screenings
• Carnival games, clowns, face painting, and many other activities for kids
• Rock climbing on a 30 foot tall rock wall
• 65 foot obstacle course
• Food and drinks
• Live music
• Free parking
• and much, much more!

Don't miss this opportunity to get out and mingle with your neighbors while you learn about how to maximize your health, and the health of your family. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, contact Wendy Valentin at 631-930-9434 or email wvalentin@zprad.com

Rain date - Sunday, July 28th.

Q & A -- MRI Concerns From a Patient with Claustrophobia

We are always happy to answer questions from readers!  Below is a question about MRI. If you have a question you'd like answered (either in this blog or via email), feel free to email us.


Q: My doctor wants me to go for an MRI of my neck and upper back, but I suffer from claustrophobia. The thought of being in a small space like that just terrorizes me. I know I need to get the MRI, but I haven't been able to make myself call for an appointment because of my anxiety. Can you suggest anything to help?

A: Yes. First of all, know that you are not alone. Many people suffer from claustrophobia or other disorders that make it difficult for them to consider getting an MRI scan (which involves lying on a table in a tube-like device and staying still for a period of time). At Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology, we use MRI units with wide openings and short bore designs in order to minimize claustrophobia and increase comfort.

Some people (particularly those with claustrophobia, those who are severely anxious or in pain, and children) sometimes have trouble staying still for an MRI exam. For these patients, Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology offers MRI with I.V. sedation. A sedative will be administered intravenously by a board certified anesthesiologist. You will be monitored before, during, and after the MRI exam by both the anesthesiologist and a nurse. The sedative will calm you, enable you to lie still, and make the MRI process much easier and more relaxing. I.V. sedation is safe and effective, and there are no lasting effects.You will, however, need to have someone with you to drive you home.

Tell your physician about your claustrophobia and ask him or her to specify on the prescription, "MRI with I.V. sedation." Let the Zwanger-Pesiri team make your MRI as pleasant and non-stressful as possible.

Do you have a question about MRI or any other topic regarding radiology?  Email us at zwangerpesiri1@gmail.com.

Image Gently - Pledging to Reduce Radiation Exposure in Children

As parents, we spend a great deal of time worrying about our children. When an injury or disease strikes, the last thing that parents want to worry about is whether their child is getting unnecessary radiation as part of the diagnostic process. At Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology, your children are our priority, which is why we have committed to the Image Gently campaign.

Image Gently is an initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging which began in 2008. The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness of radiation protection in the imaging of children and to reduce unnecessary exposure. Since the campaign began, over 20,000 medical professionals and groups have taken the pledge -- including ZPR. Image Gently provides protocols for pediatric computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine, and interventional radiology.

The Image Gently pledge reads as follows, "Recognizing that every member of the healthcare team plays a vital role in caring for the patient and wants to provide the best care, I pledge:

• to make the image gently message a priority in staff communications this year
• to review the protocol recommendations and, where necessary, implement adjustments to our processes
• to respect and listen to suggestions from every member of the imaging team on ways to ensure changes are made
• to communicate openly with parents."

A new study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics has revealed that CT dose-reduction strategies  in children can result in a drastic decrease in radiation-induced cancers later in life. According to the study's lead author, Diana Miglioretti, Ph.D., "We estimated that the number of cancers caused by CT scans performed on children could fall dramatically - by 62 percent - if dose-reduction strategies like that instituted by the Image Gently initiative were targeted to exams with the highest quarter of doses and if CT scans were used only when medically necessary." 

ZPR is proud to have made the Image Gently pledge, and wants to reassure parents that we always strive to treat your children as though they were our own.

ZPR also participates in the Image Wisely campaign, for radiation safety in adult medical imaging.

Women in Their 40s Still Want Breast Cancer Screening

    Before 2009, the recommendations on breast cancer screenings were that women should start being screened via mammogram in their 40s (or earlier if family history warranted it). In 2009, the U.S Preventive Services Task Force changed its breast cancer screening recommendations to start at age 50 for women of average risk, and suggested that women in their 40s should consult with their physicians. So what has happened since then?

A new study has revealed that women in their 40s do not want to give up breast cancer screening, and are still being screened at similar rates to those prior to the 2009 recommendation change.

The study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, compared mammogram use before 2009 and after the 2009 guideline change. Researchers hypothesized that women in their 40s would report a significantly reduced use of mammography after 2009, but this was not the case. In 2008, 53.2% of women aged 40-49 had a mammogram, compared with 51.7% in 2010. By comparison, 65.2% of women aged 50-74 were screened in 2008 compared with 62.4% in 2010. Neither difference is statistically significant.

So what does this mean? Despite changes to the screening guidelines in 2009, women in their 40s are still getting tested at around the same rates as before. It is worth noting that both The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Cancer Society recommend that breast screening via mammogram begin at age 40. Furthermore, most insurance companies continue to pay for routine mammograms for women in their 40s.

At Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology, we offer digital mammography, as well as the latest advancement in breast imaging, 3D tomosynthesis, at nine of our locations.

Coping with Seasonal Allergies

 Are you suffering from itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing?  You're not alone!  Seasonal allergies affect millions of people each year, making the beautiful spring season a time of misery. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is the most common seasonal allergy, and is caused by the immune system overreacting to inhaled pollen from plants and trees. Symptoms are similar to the common cold – sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, and itchy, watery eyes. While allergies are rarely life-threatening, they do cause lost work days, decreased productivity, poor performance at school, and a lower quality of life.

There are treatments which can help with some of the symptoms. Often, antihistamines are used to treat allergy symptoms. Antihistamines are available both over-the-counter and by prescription. (Older antihistamines, however, can cause significant drowsiness.) Other ways that allergies are treated are by minimizing exposure to pollen, showering frequently (to wash off any pollen), using saline nasal sprays, decongestant sprays or steroid sprays, and desensitization with allergy shots. 

Local and national pollen count information is available at www.pollen.com. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you might consider staying inside on days when the pollen count is at its highest. 

If allergy symptoms do not improve, and sinus pain and pressure persist despite treatment, a physician may order a computed tomography (CT) scan of the sinuses. A CT scan will show whether the symptoms of pain and pressure are actually coming from an infection or something else, and will also show if there are any anatomical causes for the sinuses to be blocked. Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology offers CT at nine of our locations.

How has this allergy season been treating YOU? Is it better or worse than previous years? Let us know in the comments!

Angelina Jolie Opts for Double Mastectomy After Positive BRCA Results

In an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday, May 14th, Angelina Jolie revealed her decision to have a preventive double mastectomy after finding out that she carried the BRCA1 gene, which drastically increases the risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie, whose mother died of breast cancer at the age of 56, was told by doctors that she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. While only a fraction of breast cancers result from a gene mutation, those who have a BRCA1 defect have about a 65% chance of developing breast cancer -- although the specific risk is different for each woman.

Jolie bravely opted for a preventive double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, which she described in the New York Times' article. While many might have kept this information private, Jolie "wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent," she wrote. "I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer."

She went on to say that "I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options."

Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology offers the BRCA Genetic Test for women who are at risk of mutations in two breast cancer susceptibility genes -- BRCA1 and BRCA2. Patients complete a risk assessment form for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome, and then the BRCA test is performed using the "swish and spit" method (no blood is drawn). The test is appropriate for those who can answer "yes" (for themselves or a close family member) to any of the following questions:

• Are you of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry with breast or ovarian cancer in your family?
• Do you or a member of your family have a history of ovarian cancer?
• Does male breast cancer run in your family?
• Have you or a family member had breast cancer at 45 years old or younger?
• Have there been two breast cancer diagnoses in a SINGLE person, with one diagnosis at age 50 or younger?
• Have there been two breast cancer diagnoses at age 50 or younger on either your mother's side OR father's side of the family?
• Have there been three or more breast cancers diagnosed on either your mother's side or your father's side of the family?

 If so, and you would like to discuss having a BRCA test, please call (516)798-4242 ext 2022.

As Jolie wrote in her article, "For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices."

Don't Miss Walk MS: Long Island - This Saturday, May 18th!

  

Join us this Saturday, May 18th!

The MS Pooch Parade was a "howling" success! Over 3,000 people and 500 dogs showed up on Sunday, May 5th at Belmont Lake State Park to join in the Pooch Parade -- part of Walk MS: Long Island 2013, presented by Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology. The weather cooperated for the 3.5 hour event that covered about 2 miles. The community event raised money to assist in the search for a cure for multiple sclerosis, a chronic, debilitating disease. MS strikes people of all ages, races and nationalities.

Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology is pleased to be the lead sponsor of Walk MS: Long Island 2013 -- which will take place this Saturday, May 18th, at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY. Money raised by this event, and the Pooch Parade, supports promising research to find a cure for the disease, as well as programs to help Long Islanders affected by MS. Your contribution and participation help your neighbors and community members who live with MS every day.

Please join us this Saturday to help make a difference! Register to walk, or volunteer, by visiting www.walkMSlongisland.org or call (631) 864-8337, ext 2 . Our ZPR staff looks forward to walking with you towards a cure for MS.  See you on Saturday!