December 2016 - Health Beat

Preparing for Childbirth

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Flushing Hospital

Giving birth is one of the most beautiful experiences in a woman’s life. While every hospital will provide you with items to make your stay more comfortable, many people prefer to bring items from home to enhance their experience.

Some suggestions for the mom to be are :

• Insurance card
• Important phone numbers
• Cell phone and charger
• Comfortable clothing (underwear, bathrobe, slippers, nightgown and pajamas)
• Items for personal hygiene (toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, body lotion)
• A favorite pillow
For the baby:
• Receiving blanket
• Hat
• Clothing
• Socks
• It is also important to have a car seat for the day of discharge
Typically new moms tend to bring more supplies than they will need. Remember, the items above are all suggestions and should be used only as a guide. Most hospitals will provide new moms and their infants with basic items for comfort and for personal hygiene.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Resolve to Eat Right

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Joann Ariola

With the holidays drawing to a close, it will soon be the time for resolutions. Why not make eating right a part of your resolution.

Eating right doesn’t have to be complicated. You can begin with a simple shift to lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates into your nutritional regimen while lessening your intake of processed foods, white flour and sugar.

For more information on eating right, contact the Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center at 718-670-5486 to speak with a nutritionist.

Holiday Heart Syndrome

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Flushing Hospital

Holiday Heart Syndrome, coined in 1978, is a real syndrome in which the heart’s vulnerability to certain arrhythmias is increased by excessive alcohol ingestion (binge drinking) and the onset of a heart rhythm disturbance in people who are otherwise healthy.

The most frequently seen arrhythmia during the holiday season is atrial fibrillation, in which the top chambers of the heart quiver or fibrillate causing the heart to beat irregular and often quite fast.

Excessive alcohol intake in women is defined as consuming seven or more drinks per week or over three doses at one time. For men, heavy consumption is defined as over 14 drinks per week or over four drinks at one time by the U.S. Department of health and Human Service.

Alcohol alone does not fully explain Holiday Heart Syndrome. There are other risk factors for atrial fibrillation that are higher around the holidays such as:

Overeating
Stress
High levels of sodium consumption
Dehydration

Everyone has some degree of stress in their lives. Health concerns, family and relationship issues, financial problems can all cause stress which can ultimately affect your health; the idea of “letting go” at a holiday event and consuming more alcohol than usual as a way to forget the present may have a negative effect on your future.

If you have any heart symptoms, it is best to seek medical attention immediately; even if your symptoms appear ON a holiday.

FDNY Fire Safety Education Unit’s Holiday Safety Tips

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Xavia Malcolm

During a recent interview with Lieutenant Anthony Mancuso, head of the FDNY’s Fire Safety Education Unit, we learned that the three major causes of residential fires during the holiday season are candles, cooking and electrical failure or malfunction.

Cooking

According to the Lieutenant, cooking stands at the top of the list because it is the leading cause of fire-related residential property damage. Mancuso explained that unattended cooking is a major contributor to incidents- especially during this time of year. His advice for holiday chefs is to:

Never leave cooking food unattended
Avoid distractions while cooking
Properly prepare and follow guidelines when deep frying turkeys or other foods

In the event of a kitchen fire it is important to:

Never use water to extinguish a grease fire
Use generous amounts of baking soda to extinguish small fires. Otherwise use a fire extinguisher (if available) and call 9-1-1 immediately.

Candles

While candles are aromatic and delightful, if not handled safely they can be dangerous. Lieutenant Mancuso recommends flame-less candles, “If aromatic candles are what you prefer, there are many flame-less candle brands that offer that option.” He added, “If you choose to use real candles, do not leave them unattended.”

Electrical

When using electrical lights for decoration it is important to ensure that these products have been tested for safety. Look for UL or ETL listings or certifications on these devices. Without a UL or ETL label, you will not know how safe a product truly is. Other things to keep in mind are to never leave lights on while you are sleeping or not home and to use extension cords and power strips appropriately.

Lastly, Lieutenant Mancuso encourages residents to ensure that their smoke alarms are operational and to make certian batteries are changed as recommended. He also wants members of our community to keep in mind that following these very important tips can be the difference between life and death in some cases. The Fire Safety Education Unit of the FDNY recommends that everyone should visit http://www.fdnysmart.org/safetytips/ to learn more about fire safety.

Lieutenant Mancuso and the Fire Safety Education Unit of the FDNY wishes everyone, “A happy and safe holiday.”

An Overview on The Hazards of Smoking

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of multiple diseases and premature deaths in the United States today. It kills more Americans each year than alcohol, crack, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire and AIDS combined. There are an estimated 480,000 deaths in the United States annually that are attributed to tobacco use. It is the only legal consumer product that is lethal when used exactly as recommended by the manufacturer.

Smoking cigarettes affect many aspects of health. Tobacco smoke contains about 7000 chemicals, including low concentrations of such strong poisons as ammonia, cyanide, arsenic and formaldehyde. It also contains 69 carcinogens – substances that are known to cause cancers in humans. Direct association has been established between smoking and cancers of the lung, mouth, nose, throat, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, stomach, pancreas, cervix, bladder, kidney and blood.
In the United States, illnesses caused by smoking cost more than 300 billion dollars per year in direct medical care and lost productivity. Smokers pay twice as much for life insurance and will die on average of 13-14 years earlier than non-smokers. It costs tobacco companies approximately five cents to produce a pack of cigarettes.

Many lung conditions are either caused or aggravated by cigarette smoke. It irritates bronchial airways and stimulates mucous production leading eventually to decreased elasticity and functional failure. Patients suffering from COPD, asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema have a much higher risk of dying when repeatedly exposed to smoke.

Smokers are also at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Smoking damages blood vessels making them stiff and narrow, obstructing blood flow which results in elevated blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure or chronic skin changes.

Pregnant women exposed to tobacco smoke have an increased risk of complications such as miscarriage, premature birth, and brain and lung damage to developing fetus. Sudden infant death syndrome is three times more likely if the mother smoked during pregnancy.

Smoking tobacco is an addiction similar to heroin and cocaine. It can be successfully treated but the majority of cases require three or more attempts. Quitting smoking offers a chance of feeling better and living longer. Studies have shown that these five, common sense steps, provide the best chance for quitting smoking for good:

1. Get ready: set a quit date and throw out all cigarettes and ashtrays from your home.

2. Get support: tell your family, friends and doctor about quitting plans; search the internet for advice.

3. Learn new behaviors: distract yourself from the urge to smoke; exercise or go for a walk.

4. Get medication: combining medication like nicotine patches or Zyban with behavioral adaptation and family support quadruples your chances of success.

5. Be prepared for relapse and difficult situations- most people try to quit a few times before succeeding.

If you would like to learn more about quitting smoking, please call 718-670-5000

Low Sugar, Easy Bake Oatmeal Cherry Cookies Cookies

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Joann Ariola

With the holidays approaching, we are talking about food and baking much for often than any other time of the year.

Colleagues are bringing in their homemade bakes cookies These comforting and joyous morsels make great snacks and are sweet enough to satisfy the sweetest of sweet tooths.

But, oh the sugar and calories!

With regard to calories and nutrition, cookies:

Depending on their ingredients, can have varying number of calories.
Most of these calories are associated with sugar and fats used to make them.
The nutrients are also dependent on the ingredients used.
The nutritional details are usually available on the nutritional label on the back of the cookie box.

If you are a “cookie monster” and want to indulge without any of the guilt, try these Oatmeal Cherry Cookies from

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

1 c whole grain pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ c packed brown sugar
⅓ c granulated sugar
¼ c unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 lg egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ c old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ c dried cherries

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. COMBINE the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
3. COMBINE the brown sugar and granulated sugar, applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the oats and cherries.
4. DROP the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2″ apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

NUTRITION (per serving) 72 cal, 1.5 g pro, 13.5 g carb, 1.5 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 1.5 g fat, .1 g sat fat, 77.5 mg sodium

PREP TIME: 15 min / COOK TIME: 10 min / TOTAL TIME: 27 min
SERVINGS: 30

Enjoy!

Choosing Safe Toys for Toddlers

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Xavia Malcolm

toys toddlers -156930341 The holiday season is the best time of the year to buy toys for children. However, parents are often overwhelmed by a larger selection and choosing the best toy can become challenging. The most important thing to remember when choosing toys for toddlers is picking toys that are safe and appropriate for their age.

Each year hospital E.R.’s are visited by over 200,000 young children, typically under the age of three, who have incurred toy-related injuries. These injuries can be avoided if parents keep these guidelines in mind when buying toys:

Carefully read warning labels
Do not buy toys with small and removable parts
Check to see if toys are on a recall list by visiting sites such as recalls.gov or cpsc.gov.
Avoid buying toys with parts that launches or projects
Do not purchase toys with sharp edges or points
Make certain that cords or strings are shorter that seven inches
Avoid buying toys that make extremely loud noises
Check to see if toys have been tested for lead-based paint by visiting websites such as www.ecocenter.org

Most toys come with warning labels that advise parents of potential choking hazards and compatibility by age group. Parents should pay close attention to these labels and also do due diligence by researching toys and inspecting them for further dangers.

What Is It Called When You Are Jolted Out Of A Light Sleep?

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Michael Hinck

You are starting to fall asleep when you are startled back to consciousness by a sudden jolt to your body or the sensation that you are falling. This common and harmless feeling experienced by many is known as a hypnic jerk.

A hypnic jerk is an involuntary twitching of the muscles. They usually occur just as you are falling asleep, during what is considered the hypnagogic (hypnic for short) state of consciousness. While scientists don’t know for certain why hypnic jerks occur, some of the potential factors are believed to be:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Heavy exercise late in the evening
• Being overly tired or fatigued

While addressing the underlying cause may reduce the likelihood of experiencing hypnic jerks, it may not be possible to totally prevent them from occurring. Luckily there’s nothing to be worried about – hypnic jerks aren’t dangerous. They may be unsettling or annoying, but you don’t need to fear going to sleep just because they may happen to you.

National Handwashing Awareness Week 2016

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Joann Ariola

Flushing Hospital Medical Center believes that Infection prevention is important to all of us and each of us has a valuable role to play in keeping patients safe from infection.

According to the CDC, handwashing is like a “do-it-yourself” vaccine—it involves five simple and effective steps (Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) you can take to reduce the spread of diarrheal and respiratory illness so you can stay healthy. Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick. Handwashing is a win for everyone, except the germs.

Dr. Javeria Shakil, Director of Infection Prevention at FHMC and Maria Savarese, RN, Clinical Coordinator and Hand Hygiene Champion (pictured above) know that proper hand hygiene is important in the prevention of spreading germs.

FHMC will be hosting an educational table in the lobby of the hospital, as well as continuing our hand hygiene initiatives throughout the hospital to continue our commitment to keeping our patients safe from infection.