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Meet Our Staff
Dena Inmon is one of our Dental Assistants at Boyett Health Services. She resides in Hamilton, AL with her husband Shannon and her children, Dalton, Blake and Destiny. She is a 1995 graduate of Phil Campbell High School. Dena graduated in 2006 from the Dental Assistant Program at Wallace State Community College. She has a very sweet personality and is a valued and dedicated part of our team. Dena is very devoted to her family. She enjoys spending all of her time with those she loves, and faithfully attends her local church. |
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And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley
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What's So Special About Your Family Physician?
Your doctor, Brent Boyett, is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). He has made a commitment to meet high standards of patient care that requires participation in ongoing practice improvement, knowledge assessment, professionalism and continuing education. This means that he keeps up with the latest advances in healthcare to meet the constantly changing needs of you and your family.
As a family physician, Dr. Boyett is concerned about the total health of you and your family and is trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of chronic and acute illness as well as address wellness and health promotion. He receives a broad range of training that includes adult and pediatric medicine, obstetrics and woman's health, psychiatry and geriatrics. Family Physicians are trained in both ambulatory and hospital care. Dr. Boyett practices emergency room care and has previously practiced in nursing homes. Some family physicians hold extra training certificates in areas such as sports medicine, geriatiric medicine, sleep medicine and hospice and palliative medicine.
WHAT IS THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE?
The American Board of Family Medicine is the second largest medical specialty board in the U.S. The ABFM was founded in 1969, and is a voluntary, not for profit, private organization that seeks to:
- Promote excellence in medical care.
- Assure the public of qualified family physicians who engage in lifelong learning.
- Support high standards in medical education and training in family medicine.
- Evaluate family doctors that apply and hold certificates in family medicine.
The ABFM was the first medical specialy board to require recertification, or continual testing of it's certified doctors, and has required a
significant commitment from its doctors in the area of continuing medical
education from the beginning.
WHAT IS BOARD CERTIFICATION?
To be board certified, Dr. Boyett must hold an unrestricted license to practice medicine and have completed 3 years of specialty training in Family Medicine after graduation from medical school.
But it doesn't end there. He has successfully completed a series of additional educational requirements within Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians. This allows ABFM to continually assess it's Diplomates. Additionally, Dr. Boyett is required to retest on a regular basis, and he must participate in ongoing educational and continuous practice improvement activities between exams. Doing this provides evidence to you that he is keeping up with the latest medical knowledge.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ABFM:
Visit their website at www.theabfm.org or you may call ABFM verification service at 1-866-ASK-ABMS.
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Hello Friends! Hope you've been enjoying this Spring weather! As they say, "April showers bring May flowers!". We've sure had our fair share of rain, but it brings the beauty of the season with it. Doesn't it?
Easter is just around the bend. Oh, how Spring is the perfect season for the celebration of Easter! We commemorate the rising of our Savior as we watch the earth rise from a wintry death into the newness of life! Please know all our office staff sends warm wishes your way as you enjoy the month of April. God's blessings to each of you! |
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Sun Kissed Skin
 Warmer days and sunshine rays have us all itching for the glow of a summer tan. Do you want to banish your pale skin in favor of a deep, dark tan? Spring certainly urges many of us to contemplate the best way to get that sun-bronzed glow, whether it is turning to self-tanners, tanning booths, a stretch in the sun,or a combination ofthese.
To many people, summer means hanging out at the pool or the beach, soaking up rays and baking in the sun in pursuit of the perfect golden tan. Indeed, most Americans, including up to 80% of people under age 25, think they look better with a tan. But this has not always been the case.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, pale was in. European women would casually twirl frilly parasols to shield themselves from the sun. Back then, if you showed up in public with a tan, a man could be mistaken for a field hand, and a woman for a prostitute. Tans were labour tans and not leisure tans like they are today. In the early 1920s, "sun therapy" became popular and was prescribed for everything from fatigue to tuberculosis. Also in the '20s, fashion fixture Coco Chanel made a splash with her divine golden hide, compliments of the French Riviera. But, before you don your bathing suit and head to the pool - or into a tanning booth - spend a few minutes finding out about your skin and sun exposure. These facts can help you get the look you want without stressing your skin.
How Tanning Happens
The sun's rays contain two types of ultraviolet radiation that reach your skin: UVA and UVB. UVB radiation burns the upper layers of skin (the epidermis), causing sunburns.
UVA radiation is what makes people tan. UVA rays penetrate to the lower layers of the epidermis, where they trigger cells called melanocytes (pronounced: mel-an-oh-sites) to produce Melanin. Melanin is the brown pigment that causes tanning. Melanin is the body's way of protecting skin from burning. Darker-skinned people tan more deeply than lighter-skinned people because their melanocytes produce more melanin. But just because a person doesn't burn does not mean that he or she is also protected against skin cancer and other problems.
Tanning Downsides
UVA rays may make you tan, but they can also cause serious damage. That's because UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB rays. UVA rays can go all the way through the skin's protective epidermis to the dermis, where blood vessels and nerves are found. Because of this, UVA rays may damage a person's immune system, making it harder to fight off diseases and leading to illnesses like melanoma, the most serious (and deadly) type of skin cancer.
Melanoma can kill. If it's not found and treated, it can quickly spread from the skin to the body's other organs
Skin cancer is epidemic in the United States, with more than 1 million new cases diagnosed annually. Although the numbers of new cases of many other types of cancer are falling or leveling off, the number of new cases of melanoma is growing. In the past, melanoma mostly affected people in their fifties or older, but today dermatologists see patients in their twenties and even late teens with this type of cancer. Experts believe this is partly due to an increase in the use of tanning beds and sun lamps, which have high levels of UVA rays.
Exposure to UVB rays also increases your risk of getting two other types of skin cancer: basal and squamous cell carcinoma. The main treatment for skin cancers is excision - cutting the tumors out. Since many basal or squamous cell carcinomas are on the face and neck, surgery to remove them can leave people with facial scars. The scars from surgery to remove melanomas can be anywhere on the body, and they're often large.
Cancer isn't the only problem associated with UV exposure. UVA damage to the dermis is the main factor in premature skin aging. To get a good idea of how sunlight affects the skin, look at your parents' skin and see how different it is from yours. Much of that is due to sun exposure, not the age difference!
Trauma-free Tans
Staying out of the sun altogether may seem like the only logical answer. But who wants to live like a hermit? The key is to enjoy the sun sensibly, finding a balance between sun protection and those great summer activities. Sunscreens or sunblocks, which block or change the effect of the sun's harmful rays, are one of your best defenses against sun damage because they protect you without interfering with your comfort and activity levels.
The SPF number on a sunscreen shows the level of UVB protection it gives. Sunscreens with a higher SPF number provide more defense against the sun's damaging UV rays.
Here are some tips to enjoy the great outdoors while protecting your skin and eyes from sun damage:
- Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day, even on cloudy days and when you don't plan on spending much time outdoors. Wearing sunscreen every day is essential because as much as 80% of sun exposure is incidental - the type you get from walking your dog or eating lunch outside.
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Ideally, it should also be hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic so it doesn't cause a rash or clog your pores and give you acne.
- Apply sunscreen thickly and frequently. If you're not sure you're putting on enough, switch to one with a higher SPF. Regardless of the SPF, always reapply sunscreen after a couple of hours. Most broad-spectrum sunscreens are more effective at blocking UVB rays than UVA rays.
- Reapply sunscreen every 1½ to 2 hours and after swimming or sweating. In direct sun, wear a sunscreen with a higher SPF, like SPF 30. While playing sports, use sunscreen that's waterproof and sweatproof, but still reapply sunscreen every 1½ to 2 hours.
- Take frequent breaks. The sun's rays are strongest between 10:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. During those hours, take breaks to cool off indoors or in the shade for a while.
- Wear a hat with a brim and sunglasses that provide almost 100% protection against ultraviolet radiation.
Even when you're serious about protecting your skin, you may sometimes want the glow of a tan. Luckily, many products on the market - but not sun lamps or tanning beds - will let you tan safely and sun-free.
One safe way to go bronze is with sunless self-tanners. These "tans in a bottle" contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which gradually stains the dead cells in your skin's outer layer. The "tan" lasts until these skin cells slough off, so exfoliating or vigorously washing will make the color fade faster. Typically, these "fake bakes" last from several days to a week.
You may have to try a few brands of self-tanner to find one that looks best with your skin tone. Options include sprays, lotions, and towelettes, and they're easy to use. For a subtle, goof-proof glow, try one of the new moisturizers that contain a modest amount of fake tanner, letting you gradually build up a little color without blotches and staining - or the smell that some people dislike. All of these options are cheap, too, usually around $10.
You might also check out salons that offer airbrush tanning. Airbrush tans may look more like a natural tan with more even results. With an airbrush tan, a salon technician will hook up a DHA solution to a spray compressor and spray the tan onto you. Your eyes, lips, and nose will be covered to protect them during the process, which takes anywhere from about 5 seconds to 1 minute. A few hours after the application, you'll start noticing your new, safe tan.
With both self-tanners and airbrush tanning, you'll get better results if you exfoliate your skin with a scrub brush or loofah before the tanner is applied. This evens your skin tone and removes dead skin cells.
And with both types of sunless tanning, you'll still need to wear sunscreen when you go outdoors to protect you from the sun's rays. Fake tans don't generate melanin production, so they won't protect you against sunburn. But the upside is that you get the warm glow of a tan while you keep your skin beautiful for years to come. |
Lyme Disease
What is Lyme disease?
What is the history of Lyme disease?
Interestingly, the disease only became apparent in 1975 when mothers of a group of children who lived near each other in Lyme, Connecticut, made researchers aware that their children had all been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This unusual grouping of illness that appeared "rheumatoid" eventually led researchers to the identification of the bacterial cause of the children's condition, what was then called "Lyme disease" in 1982.
Ticks are carriers of the Lyme bacterium in their stomachs. The ticks then are vectors that can transmit the bacterium to humans with a tick bite. The number of cases of the disease in an area depends on the number of ticks present and how often the ticks are infected with the bacteria. In certain areas of New York, where Lyme disease is common, over half of the ticks are infected. Lyme disease has been reported most often in the northeastern United States, but it has been reported in all 50 states, as well as China, Europe, Japan, Australia, and parts of the former Soviet Union. In the United States, it is primarily contracted in the Northeast from the states of Maine to Maryland, in the Midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in the West in Oregon and Northern California.
What can I do to prevent Lyme Disease?
*Check your household pets for ticks. A dog tick is much larger than a deer tick, and it is not a known carrier of Lyme disease. There is no reason to suspect the disease can be contracted by humans from pets, but the tick must be destroyed to prevent direct human contact.
* Wear protective clothing such as long sleeves and pants when in areas known to be home to deer ticks. While this may be uncomfortable during hot summer months, it will reduce your chances of picking up a tick. Provide a barrier to ticks by tucking your pants into your socks. This makes it unlikely they will find a piece of skin to penetrate and attach to.
* Choose light-colored clothing to wear outdoors during spring and summer. This will make it easier to see the ticks on your clothing. Some are as tiny as a speck of dirt.
*Take advantage of tick repellents that contain DEET. A mixture containing 20 to 30 percent DEET is the most effective. Spray the repellent on all exposed clothing and skin. Be sure to follow the directions and cautions on the label. For repellents that are safe for your children, click here.
* Stay away from areas that are wooded, bushy and overgrown with tall grass. If you must walk in an area that is known to be tick infested, stay as far away from leaf litter and tall grass as possible.
* Provide a tick-free area around your home. Ticks thrive in areas that are humid and wooded. Sunny, dry environments are not tick-friendly. Keep your lawn mowed and remove leaf litter. If you live in an area where bird feeders attract deer, it is a good idea to remove them.
*Be sure to check your body and your head for tiny ticks after coming in from the outdoors. There are many tips available that can be helpful in knowing how to check yourself and where to check.
Tick Removal
If a tick is attached to you, follow these steps to remove it:
1. Grasp the tick close to it's head or mouth with a pair of tweezers. Do not use your bare fingers. If needed, use a tissue or paper towel.
2. Pull it straight out with a slow and steady motion. Avoid squeezing or crushing the tick. Be sure not to leave the head of the tick embedded in the skin.
3. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and water. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly, as well.
4. Save the tick in a jar and watch the site of the bite carefully for the next two weeks for signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease.
5. If all of the tick cannot be removed, make an appointment with your doctor, and be sure to bring the tick in the jar to your appoinment with you.
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