Seven-time Olympic medalist Shannon Miller inspired a crowd of 120 women with her message of “making your health a priority” at Stony Brook Medicine’s sixth Annual Women’s Health Day on Oct. 20.
The half-day event, held at Advanced Specialty Care, featured breakout sessions led by 10 Stony Brook Medicine experts and a keynote address by Miller. She shared her memories of her gold-medal winning performance at the Olympics and how she used the lessons learned from her training days — goal setting, maintaining a positive attitude and a never-give-up spirit — when faced with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer at age 33.
Stony Brook Medicine experts educated attendees on various health topics, gave them opportunities to ask questions and provided useful tips on how to improve their health. Breakout sessions provided health education on topics, including breast cancer, heart disease, healthy hair and skin, pelvic floor disorders and memory loss.
Here’s what our experts had to say about taking time for yourself and living a healthy life.
- With only a small amount of weight loss (5 to 10 percent) through healthy eating and exercise, you can improve your health and reduce your risk of developing diabetes>.
Taking Steps to Stop Diabetes Before It Starts
Deirdre Cocks Eschler, MD, Endocrinologist, Stony Brook Medicine
- Get your mammogram every year, and live a healthy lifestyle.
What Every Woman Should Know About Breast Cancer
Patricia Farrelly, MD, Breast and Oncologic Surgeon, Stony Brook Medicine
- Wear sunscreen every day to protect your skin. If you are experiencing hair loss, consider platelet rich plasma injection (PRP), a natural and non-surgical medical procedure that uses the patient’s own blood plasma to stimulate hair growth. PRP is an effective treatment for men and women with a variety of types of hair loss.
Rolling Back the Clock: The Latest Procedures and Therapies for Hair and Skin
Adrienne Haughton, MD, Dermatologist, Stony Brook Medicine
- Pain — and particularly back pain — can be from a variety of sources. Proper treatment of persisting pain can be aided by having a specialist identify the true sources of the pain>.
Sacroiliac Dysfunction: An Under-Recognized Source of Low Back Pain in Women
Donald S.F. Macron, MD, MA, Spine Physiatrist, Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute
- If you’re having problems with pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence or an overactive bladder, don’t feel embarrassed to talk about it with your doctor. There are many treatments that can help.
Pelvic Floor Disorders Affect One in Four Women: What You Need to Know
Hafsa Memon, MD, Urogynecologist/Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon, and Steven Weissbart, MD, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon
Women’s Pelvic Health and Continence Center, Stony Brook Medicine
- Exercise is key to slowing the progression of memory loss — just 30 minutes a day for five days per week improves blood flow to the brain.
Is Memory Loss Part of Normal Aging?
Nikhil Palekar, MD, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry and Medical Director, Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute
- Women can experience a heart attack without having any chest discomfort. Symptoms can include: extreme unusual fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, excessive sweating without a normal cause, upper body pain, sleep disturbances or stomach problems. If a symptom >comes on suddenly or worsens, don’t delay seeking emergency care.
Heart Disease in Women
Puja Parikh, MD, Interventional Cardiologist and Co-Director, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Program, Stony Brook Heart Institute
- Don’t underestimate the importance of overall foot care and key preventive measures such as proper shoe wear. Make sure to address problems right away before it’s too late.
Why Does My Foot Hurt? From Bunions to Heel Pain
Megan Paulus, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Fellowship-Trained Foot and Ankle Specialist, Stony Brook Medicine
- When it comes to dry eyes, don’t forget to blink frequently and completely when looking at computer screens, iPhones, tablets and even TV to protect and moisturize your eyes.
Women and Dry Eye
Sarah B. Weissbart, MD, Ophthalmologist, Cornea and External Disease Specialist, Stony Brook Medicine