Iowa Radiology Blog

1 in 3 deaths in the U.S. result from heart disease or stroke, amounting to about 2,200 deaths each day. One American dies of stroke approximately every four minutes. Since 1964, February has been recognized as American Heart Month in an effort to increase awareness of cardiovascular disease and reduce its death toll. You can do your part by understanding your risks and taking action to mitigate them with healthy habits and preventive care.

Have you made a list of New Year's resolutions? Here are 5 that are worth keeping for a healthier 2017!

For all the things we love about the holidays, like great food, time with friends and family, and celebration of the good things in life, it can also be an incredibly stressful time of year. The pressure to plan the perfect family celebration, buy gifts, organize a large meal (and perhaps plan additional parties for friends or coworkers), accommodate guests, and be merry and joyful through it all can be overwhelming, to say the least. For those who have suffered recent losses, such as the death of someone dear or the end of a significant relationship, these burdens can feel even heavier.

Caring for another person, whether a child, parent, spouse, or another loved one, is often much more than a full-time job. When someone is dependent on you, it’s easy to start thinking that you simply don’t get to take care of yourself anymore—their needs can seem so much more pressing. The fact is, though, that you can’t effectively take care of anyone else when your own needs go unmet for long periods of time. While you may well have to put some of your own priorities on hold during times of great need, self deprivation shouldn’t become the new normal.

Comfort is important for everyone, particularly during unusually stressful situations. When children have to endure medical procedures, however, providing comfort is vital. Medical procedures, including radiologic imaging, and the strange machines, loud noises, discomfort, and unfamiliar people and surroundings that can accompany them can create a great deal of stress for anyone—especially kids. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do as a caregiver to help your child through these often difficult situations.

 In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, we’re highlighting a vital aspect of women’s health care that receives far too little attention: heart health. Traditionally (and erroneously), heart disease and heart attacks have been viewed as primarily a men’s problem. The fact is that heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the U.S., afflicting 1 in 3 women and accounting for 1 in 4 female deaths. What’s more, women and their health care providers often do not recognize symptoms of heart attack because they can be quite different from the symptoms that men experience.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones degenerate, become porous, and lose mass or density. As a result, bones become weaker and may break easily, even from minor impacts or stresses as small as sneezing. Osteoporosis is very common, affecting an estimated 54 million Americans; studies suggest that as many as one in two women and one in four men age 50 and older may suffer a broken bone as a result.[1] What can you do to help detect osteoporosis and prevent injury?

Tendinitis (also spelled "tendonitis") is a painful condition involving an inflamed or irritated tendon (the strong, rope-like tissues which attach muscles to bones). Most common in shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and heels, tendinitis is often considered a normal, if unpleasant, consequence of age or activity.

If you suffer from chronic tendonitis or plantar fasciitis, you know it’s always been something you just have to live with. Conservative treatment has always been geared towards reducing symptoms and easing your pain, with the only real alternative being surgery. Now there’s a nonsurgical procedure that does something revolutionary: it treats the causes of tendonitis and plantar fasciitis, not just the symptoms. Iowa Radiology and Unity Point Iowa Lutheran Hospital are excited to offer Tenex Health TX™, which does something no other non-surgical therapy can do: it removes the source of pain that causes chronic tendon and plantar fascia disease.

Pregnancy is a wonderful time, but it can also be frightening -- it seems like there are a million and ten things that can harm your unborn child. At Iowa Radiology, we know how nervous you might be about undergoing a radiologic procedure while you’re pregnant. Our policies and procedures are designed to keep both you and your baby as safe as possible, with the lowest risk to both of you.