Cholesterol is a fatlike substance that helps your body use fats, insulates your nerve and brain tissues, and helps make hormones. Cholesterol and fat are carried together through your blood vessels in packages called lipoproteins. Usually this transport system works well. But when you eat too much fat, too much cholesterol may accumulate in your blood vessels. Serious problems–even heart attacks–can occur.

A Guide for Low-Cholesterol Living Have your cholesterol level tested as often as your doctor suggests. That way you’ll know if it’s at a healthy level. You can help control your cholesterol by making changes in what you eat and taking some of the other steps discussed in this booklet.

The sooner you start, the better, because improving your cholesterol level lowers your risk for heart disease.
Testing Your Cholesterol Level A simple blood test shows what your cholesterol level is and whether you are at increased risk for heart disease.

Changing Your Diet
Reduce your weight and your cholesterol level by making wise food choices and by using low-cholesterol cooking techniques.

Exercise and Other Steps
Help control your cholesterol by getting regular aerobic exercise and reducing other heart risks, such as smoking.

Do You Have a High-Cholesterol Lifestyle?
If you’re living a high-cholesterol lifestyle, your cholesterol level may be too high or it may become high in the future, increasing your risk of heart disease.

• Anonymous- no one besides you will have access to your results since your name is never given or recorded at the testing site. Instead, you are given a unique code.

• Confidential- your name is recorded but specific confidentiality laws protect your rights and guards your HIV testing information.Medical personnel, and in some states, the state health department are the only ones allowed to have access to your test results.

There are three common types of HIV tests. Blood testing, Oral Testing (OraSure) and Rapid Testing (OraQuick).

• Blood Tests- These tests are usually done via a blood draw from a vein in your arm.
Results are given within 2 weeks.

• Oral Testing (OraSure)- This test is NEEDLE AND BLOOD FREE; it tests using a sample of mucous from inside the cheeks and gums. Results are given within 2 weeks.

How It Works…
OraSure uses a specially treated cotton fiber pad attached to a nylon stick which is placed between the lower cheek and gum and left for 2-5 minutes. The OraSure system draws HIV antibodies out of the tissues of the cheek and gum. The virus itself is rarely ever found in oral fluid. This sample, called oral mucosal transudate, contains far fewer contaminants than typically found in saliva. The pad is then placed in the OraSure® HIV-1 transport vial. The sample is then sent off to a qualified OraSure® HIV-1 testing laboratory for analysis.

Wisdom teeth have earned a reputation for causing trouble in this day and age when many of us have smaller jaws than our ancestors. Frequently when these third molars at the back of the mouth begin trying to emerge sometime during our late teens or early twenties, there’s not enough room for them and the potential for trouble begins, making a strong case for having them removed as soon as possible.

The tendency for wisdom teeth to become “impacted” or unable to move into their proper position is the cause of most problems. Impacted wisdom teeth grow in any way they can, such as sideways or at an angle. Some may partially break through the gum surface, while others remain trapped beneath the gum and bone, leading to a host of potential complications.

Potential Complications

1. Infected gums-when the tooth has only partially broken through the surface, bacteria can enter through the flap around the tooth and cause the gum to become infected
2. Decay- due to difficulty cleaning these teeth cavities form easily on them and adjacent teeth.
3. Crowding and structural damage to neighboring teeth.
4. Cyst formation- when a wisdom tooth is impacted, the sac that surrounds the tooth can become filled with fluid and form a cyst that is capable of damaging adjacent teeth, the jawbone and nerves. These cysts can grow very large and transform into tumors that are very aggressive and destructive to the jawbone and neighboring teeth.
5. Severe pain- due to pressure on neighboring teeth as the wisdom teeth attempt to grow into the mouth.

The Surgical Procedure

-Diagnosis is made via clinical exam and dental x-rays.

-The actual procedure can be done with local anesthesia alone or in combination with nitrous oxide ( laughing gas), intravenous sedation or general anesthesia.

-Once anesthesia have been administered, an incision is made in the gum to expose the tooth, usually it is necessary to remove bone and cut the tooth in multiple pieces to remove it, this is accomplished by using a surgical handpiece (drill)

-Once the tooth has been removed, the area is irrigated and sutures are used to reapproximate the gum tissue.

-Antibiotics and pain medication are usually prescribed, usually enough for 7-10 days. Usually patient have significant swelling of the jaw which usually last 4-5 days depending on how difficult the procedure was. Wisdom teeth are classified as erupted , soft tissue impaction, partial bony impaction or full bony impaction. Full bony impaction are the most difficult and are associated with significant swelling and other possible complications.

-Possible complications include dry socket, where the blood clot is lost and the socket does not heal properly. this results in significant pain this is treated by applying a medicated dressing to the socket. Numbness can occur, because the nerves near the wisdom teeth can be damaged during the procedure. In most cases the nerve readily repairs itself and the numbness is only temporary lasting usually 2-6 weeks. In severe cases, numbness can last beyond three months and may even be permanent in rare cases.

Recommendation:

The best time to remove wisdom teeth is between the ages of 16 and 19, before the roots become firmly anchored in the jaw. Also, the older we get, the denser our jaws become, making removal more difficult as

time goes on.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (oral surgeons) have 4-6 more years of training than general dentist and they are trained to diagnose and treat any possible problems associated with wisdom teeth and complications associated with their removal. Oral surgeons are also trained and licensed in administering IV sedation and general anesthesia in an office setting. The removal of wisdom teeth by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon versus an inadequately trained dentist can make a big difference as to how traumatic the experience is. An oral surgeon is trained to remove wisdom teeth in a painless and atraumatic fashion, unfortunately the postoperative course is usually associated with some swelling and discomfort. However if proper technique and medication are utilized, the procedure can be easily tolerated.

—————————————————–

• Dwight Williams, DDS, MPH

Diplomate, American Board of Oral and

Maxillofacial Surgery; Assistant Clinical

Professor, Columbia Un

He may be called a mother’s boy but 44 year-old former pilot with the Jamaican Defense Force and currently CEO of Veraboy Island Grill, Peter “Peter B” Brown is one of New York City most creative chefs specializing in West Indian dishes and seafood.

Peter B says he has always been a chef cooking for his family, friends and members of the JDF. “My mother, Miss Vera who is now 87 and resides in Jamaica was my first teacher and inspiration,” he adds.

Known as the “original barbeque man” from Chestnut Street, Peter B is very excited about his new venture –Veraboy Island Grill- which officially started seven month ago and located at 764 Burke Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467. “This has been my dream to satisfy the food needs of my hundred of clients and friends.”

After several years of feeding thousand of people at various barbeques and street festivals including the Eastern Park Way’s West Indian Day Parade, Peter B explains that he wanted to take his culinary skills to another level. “A business operation is the best option to better serve my clients, while protecting my investment and resources,” he notes.

Born and raised in East Kingston, Jamaica WI, Peter B migrated to New York in 1993 and worked in various industries including construction, medical, law and computer technology.

He however admits that the kitchen has always been his calling as, “I get more satisfactions cooking and serving people.”

A graduate of Holmwood Technical High School in Jamaica and Lehman College – of the City University of New York, Peter B is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and has also completed several other professional courses in culinary arts and customer services.

The youngest of five brothers and sisters, Peter B is ready to take on the challenges of operating his own business, while reaching out to assist the poor and disadvantaged members in the community.

“As part of our community out reach program, we assisted the youth with food and educational material,” he notes.

Peter B may be contacted at 718-618-7211 or 347-649-5927.

Healthy Eating: Strategies for a healthy diet

Here are some tips for how to choose foods that improve your health and avoid foods that raise your risk for illnesses while creating a diet plan that works for you.
• Eat enough calories but not too many.
• Maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don’t eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.
• Eat a wide variety of foods. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don’t normally eat.
• Keep portions moderate, especially highcalorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce
• Drink more water. Our bodies are about 75% water. It is a vital part of a healthy diet. Water helps flush our systems, especially the kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins.

City Doctors on Lookout for Measles

The Health Department has identified 11 cases of measles in Brooklyn during the past two months, and is urging doctors to be vigilant and promptly report suspected cases to the agency.

Nearly all the known cases have occurred in children who went unvaccinated, leaving them unprotected against the disease. Measles is not common in New York City, but it is highly contagious.

“Children should be vaccinated against measles at one year of age,” said Dr. Jane R. Zucker, the Health Department’s assistant commissioner for immunization. “Vaccinating eligible children will protect them and help protect infants who are too young to be vaccinated, by reducing their risk of exposure. Delaying a child’s vaccination increases the risk of contracting measles and infecting others.”

Measles causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. As many as one in three children with measles develop complications such as diarrhea, ear infection or pneumonia. Some children have to be hospitalized, and some can even die. Younger children, and those with weakened immune systems, are the most likely to suffer severe illness. People who contract the measles virus can spread the infection for five days before developing a rash, and for four days after the rash sets in.

Measles vaccination is required for admission to the city’s schools, colleges and daycare centers. The first measles vaccine dose should be given at the time of the child’s first birthday, with the second dose being administered at 4 to 6 years of age. In New York City, approximately 92% of children between the ages of 19 and 35 months have received a measles vaccine.