Skin Wellness- How to Maintain Your Beautiful Exterior

Posted on May 6, 2013 by mcminnclinic

True story: Her hands were cracked, dried, bleeding and painfully burning. She had tried all of the usual over-the-counter remedies, and had been to 4 different dermatologists. She had been placed on numerous prescription salves, and she had taken oral steroids and other medications. Still she suffered for months on end with no relief. Nothing was working. She came to see me as the doctor of last resort. I started with a history and then proceeded with an examination. She was dry all over, but her hands were in particularly bad shape as described above. After contemplating the issue, I started her on a targeted nutritional program to build her skin health from the inside out. When I saw her back in the office a few months later, I could hardly believe my eyes! Her hands were as smooth as a baby’s bottom. The thick, dry skin was gone. There was no sign of the cracking and bleeding. The patient was relieved that she didn’t have to live a life of suffering with this painful condition, and she was delighted with the outcome. I shared her joy in seeing such an amazing recovery. All of this was accomplished with no drugs, but only by fixing her gut and giving her body the nutrients it needed to heal itself.

I use this story to illustrate the importance of skin health, and to point out that we need to build skin health from the inside out. We tend to take our skin for granted until something goes wrong. Also, we focus on the cosmetic topical aspect of skin care while ignoring the underlying functional and structural integrity of the skin. Certainly topicals may be helpful, but attention to the fundamentals of nutrition, hydration, hormone optimization, detoxification, and stress management plays a crucial role in optimal skin health.

Skin is the largest of all of our bodily organs. It is what interacts with and protects us from our environment; heat, cold, chemicals, UV radiation, and infection. It has many important bodily functions such as: detoxification, regulating hydration, and controlling body temperature. It carries blood vessels, and is home to many of our nerve endings. It houses the fifth sense, which is the sense of touch. Finally, it is the first thing that we and others see, so understandably it is important for our appearance to others and our own sense of self.

It is also important to understand that many underlying medical conditions, including nutrient deficiencies and toxins, may manifest themselves as skin conditions. Drug reactions, cancer, infections, gut dysfunction, rheumatologic conditions, allergies, and more may present as skin conditions. Stress, both acute and chronic, may affect the appearance and health of the skin. All sorts of skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and hives may experience an exacerbation during a time of intense stress.

As you can see, skin is not just something to hold our innards in. It deserves its rightful place, right up there with heart and brains, in the list of complex and important organs. Now here are some tips to help you maintain beautiful, glowing, youthful, healthy skin at all stages of life.

*Attend to the foundations of wellness: Nutrition, optimal hydration, exercise and restorative sleep. All of these affect your skin health.

*Diet: It all starts with what you eat. Start with a whole food (not processed food), mainly plant food diet, with added lean protein, and some “good fats.” Your body needs the fiber to keep the gut healthy which affects the skin. Your skin needs the bioflavenoids for healthy vessels and blood supply for the skin. It needs the protein to help build the skin. It needs the good fats to build healthy cell walls and lubricate the skin.

*Foods rich in the “good fats” include: salmon (and other cold water fish), walnuts, canola oil, olive oil, flax seed, flax oil, and fish oils.

*Maintain good gut health. Good digestion, absorption, and metabolism are important for these nutrients to get to the source.

*Add a good multi-vitamin and multi-mineral

*Also add extra beta-carotene, biotin, and B complex

*Add extra anti-oxidants: Vitamin A, C, E, D, and selenium.

*Antioxidant rich foods such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, and green tea may also be helpful.

*Avoid frequent prolonged hot baths and hot tubs.

*Avoid harsh detergents.

*Avoid over exposure to household cleaners and chemicals.

*Avoid lotions, oils, sprays, sunscreens, etc. with toxins and harsh chemicals.

*Acupuncture and Chinese herbals may also be helpful.

*Avoid sugar, simple carbs, and processed food.

*Get your hormones tested, optimized, and balanced. Hormones play a critical role in maintaining skin health.

*Healthy levels of testosterone for men and women are important for skin moisture thickness.

*As women lose their estrogen, everything dries out, creating a significant increase in facial wrinkles. Supplementation with bio-identical estrogen can help tremendously. Also, topical estriol face cream may also be very effective for wrinkles, and skin moisture

*Don’t smoke- this is disastrous for your skin.

*Avoid overexposure to the sun or tanning beds.

*Use natural skin care products without toxins.

*Dry brush exfoliation in the AM before your shower may also be helpful.

*Topical Vit C and Vit E, and regular skin care may also be helpful.

Bottom line: Take care of your skin, so that it can take care of you.

Yeast Overgrowth Syndrome

Posted on January 2, 2013 by mcminnclinic

“I never got better until they treated the yeast.” I have heard this statement many times from patients suffering from various maladies such as headaches, brain fog, depression, irritable bowel, chronic sinusitis, weight gain, and fatigue. Due to the modern day world that we live in I am seeing more and more people suffering with yeast overgrowth. Old fashioned doctors used to say that “good health starts in the gut.” I think that they were right.

Poor gut health can manifest itself in many ways. Ideally we have a perfect balance in our guts with good bacteria, bad bacteria, and yeast. It is a symbiotic relationship. We can not live without our friends the “good bacteria.” Yet the modern American lifestyle tends to promote poor gut health. The standard American diet (or SAD diet) is full of sugar, simple carbs, and processed food, which is not good for the body, but which is ideal for the overgrowth of yeast. Yeast loves to feed off of sugar. When you combine this with the overuse of antibiotics in our society, it makes for a toxic environment in our guts, and that is often the beginning of a slippery slope to worsening health.

Chronic sinusitis is a classic example. We go to the doctor with a stuffy nose, and the standard response is to start antibiotics. However, according to the Mayo Clinic “fungus (yeast) is the likely cause of nearly all of these problems.” So in the long run, if we don’t treat the yeast, the antibiotics kill the bacteria, promote more yeast overgrowth and they can actually make the problem worse.

At McMinn Clinic we have Yeast Overgrowth Syndrome on our radar screen, and when appropriate we treat yeast overgrowth with a comprehensive and robust anti-fungal protocol. We have been blessed with many testimonials from our patients with stories of recovery, often after suffering with symptoms of yeast overgrowth for many years.

Call McMinn Clinic at 868-1313 and set up your appointment for a thorough evaluation for yeast overgrowth syndrome.

Feeling Fat, Fatigued, and Depressed; Think Low Thyroid

Posted on November 26, 2012 by mcminnclinic

Many experts now agree that millions of Americans are falling through the cracks when it comes to the diagnosis and management of low-thyroid conditions (hypothyroidism). Unfortunately, the lack of proper attention to this issue often results in the patient living a life of fatigue, low mood, struggles with obesity, and many other problems.

Although the thyroid gland is small, it has powerful effects on the body. Thyroid hormone regulates the metabolic rate of every single cell. If thyroid function is underactive (hypothyroid) a person can have a multitude of symptoms, sometimes subtle and sometimes profound. These symptoms may include, but are not limited to: fatigue, weight gain, cold extremities, low libido, dry skin, aches and pains, fibromyalgia, constipation, hair loss, brittle nails, poor memory, low stamina, headaches, puffy face, and low body temperature. Perhaps the most common and important of the symptom being varying degrees of fatigue.

Diagnosis of low thyroid conditions, like most medical conditions, starts with listening to and examining the patient. Symptoms, as mentioned above, family history, and physical signs often point to the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. If thyroid disease is suspected, a thorough lab evaluation should also be performed to assist in the diagnosis. However, the goal is to treat the whole patient, and not just to treat the labs.

If hypothyroid disease is confirmed, then proper treatment may include thyroid medications. There are several medications on the market, which may be quite helpful in relieving low thyroid symptoms. These include Synthroid, Armour thyroid, Cytomel, compounded thyroid, and others. One patient may respond well to a particular medicine, while another patient may find that a different medication works best to alleviate his or her thyroid related symptoms. Although Synthroid is often the drug of choice for many physicians, I have found Armour thyroid to be particularly effective in many of my low-thyroid patients. For others, Cytomel may be the key to alleviating their symptoms.

In summary, thyroid dysfunction is a condition that may have a profoundly negative impact on many patients. Yet according to various experts, millions of Americans suffer from inadequate diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism. Proper evaluation and treatment of these patients may help tremendously in improving their symptoms, and their quality of life.

Women’s Health

Posted on July 27, 2011 by mcminnclinic

Throughout my career in medicine, when studying the care of children, I have often heard the phrase “Children are not just small versions of adults”. They have their own unique characteristics that make them different than adults, and which require a different approach when providing medical care. I have found the same is true when it comes to women’s health care, i.e. women are not just different versions of men. Certainly, men and women have their similarities. At the root of our existence, bodies of both men and women have the fundamental missions of surviving and reproducing, albeit the way men and women go about both of these is very different. Fundamentally women are biologically, chemically, hormonally, genetically, mentally, and spiritually, and sexually different than men. As a result, there are a whole host of conditions and diseases that disproportionately affect women, such as depression, anxiety, obesity, thyroid problems, and many autoimmune diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Now let’s begin to take a look as some of the differences which contribute to these discrepancies.

The most profound difference between women and men is the fact that women have babies and men don’t. This basic fact propels us into a whole host of other characteristics that distinguish women from men. In addition to the obvious anatomical differences there are many other unique characteristics of women. Women go through puberty earlier, mature quicker, but have fewer fertile years than men. In order to produce healthy offspring, women must have a higher percent of body fat, and a higher waist to hip ratio. They have different mating, sexual, and orgasmic tendencies than males. Men are taller, with more body hair and have thicker skin. Women tend to tolerate pain better and live longer. Sugar metabolism in the brain is different in women and men. This may help to explain why women are more likely to suffer depression and act impulsively, while men are more likely to be aggressive and hyperactive.

Women generally have smaller organs, including liver and bladder. I can personally vouch for the bladder issue after taking many long road trips with my daughters and having to stop every thirty minutes for the potty. The smaller liver is associated with an increase in sensitivity to toxins. This fact may help to explain why women are much more likely to suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity disease than men. Also associated with the liver is the fact that alcohol is metabolized more quickly by women, therefore the effects of alcohol come on quicker and are more pronounced. Compounding this fact is the tendency of women to be more likely to be binge drinkers. Women also have a higher fat to water ratio which makes it more difficult for them to dilute toxins.

Men and women both have breast tissue, but breast cancer is much more common in women than in men, and it has reached epidemic proportions. This contributes to breast cancer being the most feared disease of women. However, it is vitally important to understand that heart disease kills about six times more women than breast cancer. Hearts are smaller in women. They beat faster and are less prone to atherosclerotic disease while being more prone to spasm of the heart arteries.

Differences in men and women are seen even at the genetic level. In many situations, men and women may have many of the same genes, but the expression of the genes often has a significant gender based component.

Hormonally men and women are quite different. Women have the cyclic production of estrogen and progesterone associated with ovulation, while men have about 10 times as much testosterone as women. This has a profound effect on women at every level.

The implications of these differences are profound for women. In my many years as an ER doctor, we applied a male model of heart disease to women for many years. In order for a women to be considered for a cardiac diagnosis we thought that she had to have the same symptoms that men had, i.e. chest pain, nausea, left arm pain, and shortness of breath. Recently we have begun to realize that almost half of women with a heart attack have no chest pain. The symptoms of a woman’s heart attack may be very subtle. As a result women often don’t get the help they need until it is too late. Women are less likely than men to survive their initial heart attack, less likely to get out of the hospital alive, and more likely to die within a year of their heart attack.

As evidenced by the above differences, women and men are each unique unto their own. Yet most of the medical literature is based on studies of men. Historically we have just assumed that what is good for men must be also good for women. The American medical community was so negligent in this arena that the federal government finally had to step in and in 1993 they passed a law that required that women be included in medical studies. Medicine still has some catching up to do as far as appreciating the uniqueness of women. We need to develop a more gender specific approach to diagnosis, treatment and prevention in order to improve women’s outcomes. If men had to deal with many of the issues that women experience, there would have been solutions long ago, but instead the medical community often turns a blind eye to women’s concerns. Indeed, women are not just different versions of men. There are fundamental differences at every level, which have a profound effect on wellness.

To Menopause or not to Menopause? That is the Question

Posted on May 25, 2011 by mcminnclinic

Imagine that you are traveling through the journey of life and you come to a fork in the road. As you stand at the fork, looking left, then right, you can clearly see down each path. Obviously, others have traveled this path before because the terrain is well-worn. You discover that your decision as to which path to travel has been aided by a road sign.

The sign pointing to the left reads as follows: “Travel here for hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, insomnia, weight gain, low libido, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, rapid heart beat, dry thin skin, headaches, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, hair loss, and osteoporosis.”

The sign pointing to the right reads: “Vibrant living ahead.”

Which path will you choose? To menopause or not to menopause? That is the question.

For most of our history as humans on this earth, women did not have such a choice. For most of our existance, the life expectancy of a woman did not allow most women to reach the age of menopause. They died before they got there. For those rare and lucky women who reached the ripe old age which lead to menopause, they suffered in silence as the sweat of the hot flashes poured off their chins, and they soaked their own beds night after night. Then along came hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Suddenly everything changed. Finally, women had the right to “opt-in” and go through menopause, or “opt-out” and say “no thank you” to the misery.

For many years the only “opt-out” options were synthetic drugs such as Premarin, Provera, and PremPro. Now at this point, I have a confession to make. When I was a young doctor (many years ago), just about every woman who came through our clinic was placed on PremPro. This is an artificial patented drug, that is not a true human hormone, but has hormone like activity. The mantra we all learned was that the women who received PremPro were going to live longer and better. This notion had been drilled into our heads since we were medical students. We bought it hook, line, and sinker. Everything was hunky-dory until the drug companies made the mistake of doing a major study attempting to show what a great drug they had, and how smart we all were for prescribing it. Unfortunately for us all, the studies didn’t show what they thought they would. In fact, they had to halt the studies half way through because so many women were being affected by heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Many women were taken off these drugs without being offered any alternative. Others were left on the drugs only to take their chances with the consequences.

Meanwhile in Europe, for the last fifty years women have been offered another option called bioidentical hormones. These are compounds which are made to be 100% exactly the same as the natural human hormones they are intended to supplement. The body cannot tell the difference between its own hormones and bioidential hormones, because there is no difference.

For example, if your body is low on potassium, do you eat a banana, or do you take some patented drug that your body has never seen before which has been synthesized to have potassium like activity, but lots of negative side effects. It seems clear to me that most people would wisely choose to eat the banana. Likewise, it seems only reasonable to chose the bioidentical hormones which are just exactly like the body’s own natural hormones.

At this point as one is standing at the fork in the road, it seems to boil down to risk and benefit. In the big picture the evidence seems to support that bioidentical hormone therapy, if used properly, can help a woman live longer and better. Here are a few examples:

*A study publishes in the journal “Obstetrics and Gynecology” showed that women who took estrogen lived longer than women who did not take estrogen.

*A study in the medical journal Lancet showed that women who took transdermal estrogen had less blood clots than women who took Placebo.

*A huge study in the International Journal of Cancer showed that women who took a combination of bio-identical estrogen and progesterone had less breast cancer than women who took placebo.

*A study in JAMA showed that the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease was significantly reduced in women on hormone replacement therapy.

*Numerous quality studies have shown heart protective benefits of women who start hormone replacement early in menopause.

*Another study in JAMA showed a significant improvement in cognitive function (memory and thinking skills) in women who took hormone replacement therapy.

*Studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy can help to reduce hip fractures in osteoporotic women.

*Major studies have also shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can reduce the incidence of colon cancer.

*A study in the International Journal of Dermatology showed that hormones can significantly reduce skin wrinkle depth, and improves thickness and elasticity of skin.

*Numerous studies have proven that HRT can help to boost a sagging libido.

*Studies have clearly shown that HRT is effective in treating vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, and pain with intercourse.

*HRT can be a miracle cure for those awful hot flashes, night sweats, as well as the associated insomnia.

HRT is not for everybody. However as you approach the crossroads of menopause, it’s important to know that you have a choice. Carefully consider your options. The right choice for one woman may not work for another. For many women, the right choice is a carefully designed, evidence based, closely monitored, customized plan of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which will help her live a longer and more vibrant life.

Integrative Medicine….The Next Frontier

Posted on May 3, 2011 by mcminnclinic

The patient, the patient, the patient! It’s all about the patient. As a physician, or for that matter any sort of healer, we must never lose our focus as to our most important mission. It is to use our knowledge, experience, listening skills, examination findings, referral network, and test results to help every patient reach his or her maximal potential in mind, body, and spirit. Mother Theresa had a wonderful saying: “one, by one, by one.” Also, in medicine, we must realize that each patient is unique and different, and what therapy one patient responds to, another may not.

Integrative medicine, also called complimentary medicine, attempts to do just that. It is individualized, patient focused, open minded, evidence based, and outcomes oriented. It has an expanded toolbox of therapies. Too many times in this world we tend to put up walls, which define traditional turf battles. The Hatfields hate the McCoys, The Tutsies battle with the Hutus. Alabama and Auburn fans aren’t always the best of friends on game day. Thereto in medicine, healers sometimes lose focus on what is important. Instead of an open- minded search for the best treatment for the patient, we tend to look at the possibilities through a narrowly focused set of glasses. To a hammer, all the world looks like a nail. Likewise, many healers can’t look past their own discipline, training, and bias to consider other modalities, which may ultimately produce the best result for the patient.

Traditional western medicine is a marvel of scientific endeavor. Were it not for this amazing medical discipline, I and many of my family members would not be alive today. I stand in awe of many of the modern high tech capabilities of today’s doctors. However, I and other integrative medicine practitioners also realize that there are also other modalities, which have been utilized for hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, which should also be considered while devising the patient’s treatment plan. These modalities may include nutritional therapies, detoxification, mind body therapies, massage, spiritual healing, breath work, hormone balancing, neurotransmitter adjustment, and acupuncture.
I have personally had patients who have responded well with Acupuncture, who had previously found no relief at vaunted medical institutions such as Mayo Clinic.

I do believe that integrative medicine is the wave of the future. Little by little, patients finding that the old model of “sick care” is not working for them. They get sick, go to the doctor, and get on pill after pill. They are awakening to a new approach, which is true wellness medicine. They are demanding a change, and the medical community is starting to listen. Ten years ago integrative medicine was not on the radar screen. Now you will find that Harvard, Duke, Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Cleveland Clinic (just to name a few) all have integrative medical clinics. The tide is slowly turning toward a more open minded and inclusive form of medicine, and in the long run doctors and patients will both benefit.

Healthy Sexuality

Posted on February 20, 2011 by mcminnclinic

Healthy Sexuality by James E. McMinn M.D.

Healthy intimate relationships are good for mind, body, and spirit. Many studies have shown that people who are blessed with long term loving relationships are generally happier, healthier, and live longer. However, most of us find that it is not always easy to wake up on the sunny side of the bed every morning in our personal lives. Of all of the issues that couple struggle over, money and sex are probably the two most common causes of relationship discord. They can both bring us great joy, or if they are not going well, they can bring us serious misery, frustration, and stress. We’ll leave the discussion of money for another place and time. Today we’ll focus on intimate relationships.

There are many reasons to devote attention and energy to the intimate part of our relationships. Sexual intimacy is a basic biological need. It’s good for you, and your relationship in many ways. It decreases stress, boosts self-esteem, and nurtures relationships. It can relieve pain, improve sleep, and act as a natural anti-depressant. It may also boost the immune system, improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and improves cardiac health. Finally, it brings you closer together as a couple, plus it’s fun and it feels good.

Despite all of these great positive effects of a satisfying sexually intimate relationship, lost libido and other sexual maladies are some of the most common complaints I hear in my practice. Those who can identify with these issues are in good company. About one third of American women are not interested in sex. 113 million Americans are living with the TINS syndrome ( Two Income- No Sex). The number one factor in quenching sexual desire is fatigue, followed by stress, poor communication, stale relationships, anxiety, medical problems, and lack of sleep. Other issues have to do with emotions, values, upbringing, self-image, health, and ultimately life balance. The tone of the relationship on a day to day basis also plays a significant role in the bedroom. A dishonoring relationship in our actions, words, and tone is bound to foster resentment and to chill the passion down below. I frequently hear a similar refrain: “he yells at me all day, and then wants to have sex at night. It just doesn’t work that way for me”.

Besides low interest, the other common areas of frequent concern for women are problems with arousal, orgasm, and painful sex. These are all multifactorial issues with physical, psychological, and social components. Not infrequently, there are also hormonal imbalances, which may also be major contributors to these problems. Certainly, testosterone is king for both men and women when it comes to libido, however adequate estrogen is also important for a woman’s sex drive. Similarly, if a woman has a hypothyroid condition, or adrenal fatigue, sex is going to be low on her priority list. Neurotransmitter dysfunction may also contribute to diminished sexuality. Frequently, but not in all cases, proper testing and balancing of these hormones with bio-identical supplementation may result in a significant improvement in these problems.

As it turns out, one of the most common sexual stressors of women is a frustration shared by their partners, i.e. problems such as early ejaculation, erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) should be taken seriously. Although it may be due to benign causes such as performance anxiety, it may also be the canary in the coal mine signaling significant vascular problems elsewhere, such as the heart or brain. Low interest, or lack of sexual desire is also a problem for many men. The good news is that these problems are treatable in the vast majority of cases. There are many different techniques, and options for therapy. In most cases, where there is a will to improve the problem, there is a way.

In the end, it’s really more an issue of priorities than it is about sex organs. It’s about caring for each other more than caring for the leaky faucet, the ball game, or the TV show. The amount of enjoyment you get out of a sexual relationship depends on the amount of attention you put into it. It’s your birthright to have a healthy, satisfying, and fulfilling sexual relationship. There’s no reason to think that you have to give up this part of our life as we grow older. However, it doesn’t always come easy, and we definitely must deal proactively with intimacy problems. If we don’t address these issues, they are not going to go away on their own, and they’re probably going to get worse, leading ultimately to more dysfunction, frustration, and stress. Once a week becomes once a month, which insidiously becomes once a year. Before you know it, you’re just glorified roommates. If you don’t resolve to act, then you’re resolving not to act.

Finally, let me leave you with some practical tips. First, it’s all about balance. We need to attend to the pillars of health in order to live our overall life and our sexual life to the fullest. That means getting the proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, stress reduction, and exercise. Attention to these principles will bring our body, mind, and spirit into a state of balance. Only in this state can we realize our full potential in our lives and in our intimate relationships.

More specifically, make physical intimacy a priority in your life. Put it on the schedule if you need to. Commit to an agreed upon desired frequency of interactions and stick to it. Get away, or get a baby sitter. Learn to practice intimacy mindfulness. Learn to let go, and be in the moment, not worrying about the kids or the job. The amount of enjoyment you get out of a relationship depends on thought, energy, and creativity you put into it. Finally, if you’re having problems, get some professional help. See a counselor, or get your hormones checked, and oh yes, don’t forget to do your Kegels.

The sexiest organ of all is not the genitals or the breasts, it’s the brains. It all starts up top. Use this sexy organ to commit to a lifetime of intimacy. Then make it happen.

Women’s Health

Posted on January 31, 2011 by mcminnclinic

Throughout my career in medicine, when studying the care of
children, I have often heard the phrase “ Children are not just small
versions of adults” . They have their own unique characteristics
that make them special, and which require a different approach
when providing medical care. I have found the same is true when
it comes to women’ s health care, i.e. women are not just different
versions of men. Certainly, men and women have their similarities.
At the root of our existence, bodies of both men and women have
the fundamental missions of surviving and reproducing, albeit
the way men and women go about both of these is very different.
Fundamentally women are biologically, chemically, hormonally,
genetically, mentally, and spiritually, and sexually different
than men. As a result, there are a whole host of conditions and
diseases that disproportionately affect women, such as depression,
anxiety, obesity, thyroid problems, and many autoimmune diseases
including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Now let’ s begin to take a look as some of the differences which
contribute to these discrepancies.

The most profound difference between women and men is the fact
that women have babies and men don’ t. This basic fact propels us
into a whole host of other characteristics that distinguish women
from men. In addition to the obvious anatomical differences
there are many other unique characteristics of women. Women
go through puberty earlier, mature quicker, but have fewer fertile
years than men. In order to produce healthy offspring, women
must have a higher percent of body fat, and a higher waist to hip
ratio. They have different mating, sexual, and orgasmic tendencies
than males. Men are taller, with more body hair and have thicker
skin. Women tend to tolerate pain better and live longer. Sugar
metabolism in the brain is different in women and men. This may
help to explain why women are more likely to suffer depression
and act impulsively, while men are more likely to be aggressive
and hyperactive.

Women generally have smaller organs, including liver and
bladder. I can personally vouch for the bladder issue after taking
many long road trips with my daughters and having to stop every
thirty minutes for the potty. The smaller liver is associated with
an increase in sensitivity to toxins. This fact may help to explain
why women are much more likely to suffer from multiple chemical
sensitivity than men. Also associated with the liver is the fact
that alcohol is metabolized more quickly by women, therefore
the effects of alcohol come on quicker and are more pronounced.
Compounding this fact is the tendency of women to be more likely
to be binge drinkers. Women also have a higher fat to water ratio
which makes it more difficult for them to dilute toxins.

Breast cancer is much more common in women than in men and
it has reached epidemic proportions. This contributes to breast
cancer being the most feared disease of women. However, it
is vitally important to understand that heart disease kills about
six times more women than breast cancer. Hearts are smaller in
women. They beat faster and are less prone to atherosclerotic
disease while being more prone to spasm of the heart arteries.

Differences in men and women are seen even at the genetic level.
In many situations, men and women may have many of the same
genes, but the expression of the genes often has a significant
gender based component.

Hormonally men and women are quite different. Women have the
cyclic production of estrogen and progesterone associated with
ovulation, while men have about 10 times as much testosterone as
women. This has a profound effect on women at every level.

the same symptoms that men had, i.e. chest pain, nausea, left arm
pain, and shortness of breath. Recently we have begun to realize
that almost half of women with a heart attack have no chest pain.
As a result women often don’ t get the help they need until it is too
late. Women are less likely than men to survive their initial heart
attack, less likely to get out of the hospital alive, and more likely to
die within a year of their heart attack.

As evidenced by the above differences, women and men are
each unique unto their own. Yet most of the medical literature
is based on studies of men. Historically we have just assumed
that what is good for men is also good for women. The American
medical community was so negligent in this arena that the federal
government finally had to step in and in 1993 pass a law that
required that women be included in medical studies. Medicine still
has some catching up to do as far as appreciating the uniqueness of
women. We need to develop a more gender specific approach to
diagnosis, treatment and prevention in order to improve women’ s
outcomes. Indeed, women are not just different versions of men.
There are fundamental differences at every level, which have a
profound effect on wellness.

James E. McMinn, M.D.

Low Thyroid

Posted on November 30, 2010 by mcminnclinic

Low thyroid (hypothyroid) is a common and potentially devastating problem in America. It affects approximately 10 million women in America, and according to the Thyroid Foundation of America, more than half of the patients with low thyroid in are undiagnosed. Of those who are diagnosed, many are not receiving optimal treatment.

Thyroid hormone affects every single cell in the body, and it is the master controller for overall metabolism. The most common symptoms of low thyroid that I see in my office are fatigue (low energy) and the inability to lose weight. Other common symptoms include constipation, fibromyalgia, depression, brain fog, anxiety, dry skin, hair loss, low body temperature, low stamina, cold intolerance, cold hands and feet, low libido, generalized aches and pains, swelling, edema, puffiness, and brittle nails. Actual diseases that may be associated with low thyroid include hardening of the arteries, generalized inflammation, cardiovascular disease, abnormal lipid (cholesterol) levels, abnormal menstrual periods, infertility, poor pregnancy outcomes, low mood, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and obesity.

The standard screening test most doctors use is called a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test (TSH). TSH may certainly be helpful in diagnosing a low thyroid condition. However, if a patient presents with symptoms consistent with low thyroid, such as fatigue, I feel that a more thorough evaluation is often warranted. Often upon further evaluation, and especially with clinical correlation, the patient may be found to be hypothyroid even with a normal TSH. I frequently find that in such cases when the thyroid function is optimized, the patient’s symptoms improve dramatically.

The most common treatment for low thyroid is Synthroid. However, I have found that many patients respond better to a more natural and well rounded thyroid preparation such as Armour thyroid.

If you’re feeling fatigued, gaining weight, or having other low thyroid symptoms, call McMinn Clinic at 205-868-1313 for a thorough thyroid work evaluation.

Women healing: Jim McMinn works for women’s health

Posted on September 3, 2010 by webmaster

By Madison Underwood

If you’ve glanced at the cover of a magazine or watched TV news anytime in the past 12 months, you know that healthcare reform is causing a major buzz these days. Most of that talk revolves around who pays for healthcare and how. But bubbling just under the surface, there’s another debate about the way American doctors approach patient care.

Birmingham doctor Jim McMinn ascribes to an integrated approach to medicine. “Ultimately there’s one thing that trumps science, and that’s the patient,” he says.
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