Kansas City Academy of Family Physicians

Opioid use and misuse is at an all-time high resulting in a record number of overdose deaths in America. From 1999 to 2014 more than 165,000 people died from overdoses related to prescription opioids alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid prescribing is fueling the epidemic. In 2012, a staggering 259 million prescriptions were written for painkillers, enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills. These numbers are so concerning that the United States Surgeon General has sounded the alarm by sending a letter this month to every physician in the United States requesting their help in stemming the tide of opioid misuse. America’s top doctor is urging his colleagues to educate themselves on how to treat pain safely, to screen patients for an opioid disorder and most importantly, shape how the country looks at substance use disorders by talking about them and treating them as a chronic illness, not a moral failing. The opioid epide...

Zika virus, also known as ZIKV, is the latest infectious disease threat to capture the attention of the American public. With its origin in Brazil, the host country of this year’s Summer Olympics, and its association with potentially severe birth defects, Zika understandably has many people concerned. In the continental United States, there have recently been confirmed cases of Zika infection transmitted by mosquitoes in one Miami, Florida neighborhood. At least for now, however, there is very little risk of a person becoming infected with Zika from mosquitoes here in the Midwest. At this time there are NO locally transmitted cases of Zika Virus in the greater Kansas City area. The most common  symptoms  of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. Other symptoms include muscle pain and headache. Many people infected with Zika won’t have symptoms or will have mild symptoms, which last less than a week. However, Zika virus infection during pregnanc...

Members of your Kansas City Academy of Family Physicians and their families recently participated in the 2016 Komen Race for the Cure at Union Station. They also debuted the new KCAFP shirt, a dri-fit royal blue T-shirt with "Health is Primary" emblazoned across the back. KCAFP members can order shirts (valued at $13) for $10 each by sending payment to KCAFP at  P.O. BOX 7922,  Kansas City,  MO  64114. Please include contact information, quantity and sizes (adult small to XL available) needed. Shirts ordered by Sept 4 will be available at the upcoming KCAFP tailgate event at the Royals game in September; details coming by email! Email chapter exec Jim Kelly at  jkmk82@yahoo.com for questions.

                 Did you know that in the U.S. alone, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their lives? Countless more individuals are affected by sub-clinical disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, mortality rates among those suffering from eating disorders are around 4-5%.                 The negative health impacts of disordered eating patterns are profound, and some may be lifelong. Disordered eating can lead to osteoporosis, muscle loss, tooth decay and heart failure. Additionally, eating disorders are often accompanied by substance abuse, depression and other mental health diseases.                 Due to the multi-faceted treatment challenges that accomp...

March 24 th was World TB Day, this commemorated the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced the cause of tuberculosis (TB).  He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery of mycobacterium tuberculosis, proving TB disease is caused by a microbe and not by heredity as was previously believed.  TB is an ancient disease; evidence of the disease is seen in skeletal remains more than 8,000 years old. Tuberculosis is spread in the air; it is not easy to catch and usually requires repeat exposures to cause disease in others.  Most cases of active TB infect the lungs, but it can infect other parts of the body like the lymph nodes, spine, or brain.  The good news is that TB is both preventable and curable.   When a person breaths the TB bacteria into their body the immune system often stops the infection from spreading.    This person will have a positive TB test result, but will not feel sick.  They do not have any symptoms of disease, a...

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the base of the neck just below the Adam's apple and above the collarbone.  Your thyroid gland makes hormones that help control the function of many of your body’s organs, including your heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin. Making sure that your thyroid gland is healthy is important to your body’s overall well-being. Most people are unaware of this organ’s vital functions until there is a problem, and only then do they truly become aware of its value.  It is estimated that over 30 million Americans have a thyroid condition, including many who may not know they have a thyroid problem or who have been misdiagnosed.   The most common thyroid conditions include: ·          Hyperthyroidism – This develops when the body is exposed to excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. This disorder occurs in almost one percent of all Americans and affects women five to ...