Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/872903
COMMUNITY FORUM H E A R T D I S E A S E I N W O M E N B L U E L I G H T, G O O D N I G H T Do you have a comment about an article you read in th r ive? We welcome your feedback! Email AskThrive@nym.org and let us know if we can print your name and submission. B A C K P A I N I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT A PATIENT WHO HAD A SPINE TUMOR IN THE SUMMER 2017 ISSUE OF THRIVE ["SAVING THE SPINE," PAGE 13]. SHE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING BACK PAIN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I ALSO HAVE BACK PAIN, BUT IT ISN'T CONSTANT. SHOULD I TALK TO A DOCTOR ABOUT IT? WENDY That's a good question, Wendy. Typically, you should see a doctor about back pain if you experience any numbness, tingling, weakness, fever, unexpected weight loss or difficulty urinating. Additionally, you should contact your doctor if you have pain after a specific injury or if you have back pain that isn't going away after six weeks. If your doctor confirms that the back pain is not a cause for serious concern, maintaining a healthy weight and performing regular exercise can help alleviate your symptoms. —Vincent Miccio, M.D. Rehabilitation Medicine Interventional Spine Specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital I WAS SURPRISED BY YOUR ARTICLE IN THE SUMMER 2017 ISSUE OF THRIVE ABOUT HEART DISEASE AND MENOPAUSE IN WOMEN ["HEART OF MENOPAUSE," PAGE 10]. I HAD NO IDEA THAT HEART DISEASE WAS A BIGGER RISK FOR ME THAN BREAST CANCER. I ALSO DIDN'T REALIZE THAT HEART ATTACKS COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT CHEST PAIN. AS SOMEONE WHO IS ABOUT TO ENTER HER 50S, I APPRECIATE KNOWING THAT I SHOULD BE KEEPING A CLOSER EYE ON MY CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE AND OVERALL HEART HEALTH. I ALREADY EXERCISE REGULARLY AND DO MY BEST TO EAT A HEALTHY DIET, BUT I'LL INCREASE MY EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD. DEBRA M. OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE MADE IT A HABIT TO CHECK MY WORK EMAIL RIGHT BEFORE BED. AFTERWARD, I GIVE MYSELF AN ADDITIONAL 20 MINUTES TO AN HOUR TO CHECK SOCIAL MEDIA OR SEARCH THE WEB, JUST SO I CAN HAVE SOME "R & R" TIME. IT WAS EYE-OPENING TO READ IN THRIVE THAT THE LIGHT FROM MY PHONE COULD PREVENT ME FROM FALLING ASLEEP LONG AFTER I PUT DOWN MY PHONE ["BALANCING BEDTIME," SUMMER 2017]. AFTER READING THIS, I STARTED TO PUT MY PHONE AWAY A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME, AND I FOUND MYSELF FALLING ASLEEP SOONER AND FEELING MUCH MORE ALERT DURING THE DAY. I'M MORE PRODUCTIVE NOW THAN WHEN I WAS GLUED TO MY PHONE AT NIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE TIP. RHEAMA C. P H Y S I C I A N RE F E R R A L / / 718 . 49 9. C A RE 31 R E A D E R L E T T E R S