What is Chronic Inflammation ?

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Inflammation is one of the body’s ways of healing itself. It is the immune system’s response to an internal or external irritant.

Inflammation can be acute, meaning short-lived or it can be chronic (long lasting).

Chronic inflammation can last for weeks, months, or even years, leading to damage to healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Eventually, in some cases, this can result in internal connective tissue scarring, DNA damage, and even tissue death. Chronic inflammation is linked to the development of asthma, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation include body pain, anxiety, weight loss or gain, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea or constipation), and general fatigue.

Factors that can contribute to chronic inflammation include:

Long-term stress
Alcohol abuse
Obesity
Smoking
Lack of sleep
Exposure to chemical irritants
Autoinflammatory disease
Acute inflammation that worsens

One way to diagnose chronic inflammation is through a blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP) which shows up when there is inflammation in the body or high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) which shows inflammation of the heart.

Treatment of chronic Inflammation can be achieved with:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Steroids
Dietary supplements (fish oil and lipoic acid)
Weight loss
Exercise
Stress reduction

Some foods can affect chronic inflammation. Tomatoes, salmon, sardines, olive oil, and nuts can help reduce chronic inflammation while fried foods, hot dogs, sausages, and highly processed foods like white bread and pastries can make it worse.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of chronic inflammation, consult with your physician to see what treatment options may be helpful to you. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-670-5486.

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.

A Tasty Spring Evening Recipe for Linguini and Shrimp Scampi

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Warm springtime evenings call for an easy to prepare, delicious linguini and shrimp scampi recipe. This is a recipe from the Food Network that we recommend.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/shrimp-scampi-with-linguini-recipe-1942429

Meet Our New Beginnings Team Member Christine Parasram, RN

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we would like to introduce you to our Assistant Head Nurse in our NICU, Christine Parasram, RN. Christine began her nursing career in the NICU in August of 2018, and became an Assistant Head Nurse in July of 2023.

Although Christine’s career at Flushing Hospital Medical Center began six years ago, her history with our hospital began much earlier. She started the first few weeks of her life as a preemie in Flushing Hospital’s NICU.

In addition to being a NICU graduate, what further inspired Christine to become a NICU nurse was experiencing the early arrival of her daughter who spent the first few months of her life in the NICU. Christine still remembers how intimidating the NICU was as a parent. She deeply admired the nurses who cared for her fragile newborn daughter. Christine’s firsthand experience gave her the passion for taking care of her patients and the empathy for caring for the patients’ families.

Childhood Asthma

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Did you know that asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease? It is more commonly found in children who live in the inner city and more prevalent in African Americans than Caucasians, and in males more often than females.

Asthma often runs in families. Children who have brothers or sisters or parents with asthma often will have asthma themselves. Asthma can also be caused by certain types of allergens.

Risk factors for childhood asthma include:

. Allergies – environmental or food
• Family history
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Being in an environment with second hand smoke
• Living in an inner city versus in a suburban area
• African American
• Low birth weight baby.

Signs and symptoms of childhood asthma include:

• Rapid breathing
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Feeling tired or weak
• Chest pain on exertion

If you would like to have your child evaluated for asthma, please contact the ambulatory care center at Flushing Hospital Medical Center at 718-670-5486 for an appointment.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Samantha Gibson

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Samantha Gibson, Office Manager for the Case Management & Social Work (CM / SW) Department.

In an era where dedication and commitment are often undervalued, Samantha began her career at Flushing Hospital Medical Center 17 years ago this month. Celebrating 17 years of service at a hospital is a testament to unwavering dedication and passion. Samantha, a valued member of our hospital family, has reached this incredible milestone, marking a journey filled with compassion, and excellence. Starting out as an administrative assistant, she has since grown into the role of office manager – part of the CM/SW leadership team at Flushing Hospital.

Outside of work, Samantha is a native of Brooklyn, New York and attended Fort Hamilton High School as well as Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus. She enjoys all genres of music, especially R&B and Reggae. Samantha is a proud mom of one son – Seth, and enjoys spending quality time with family, watching movies and sports as well as cooking and going out to eat; her favorite foods are Caribbean and Italian dishes. Traveling is also one of her favorite pastimes, she enjoys going on cruises, traveling often to California and abroad to different countries – especially Barbados. She finds joy in the arts, with a passion for writing and photography; her creative spirit shines through her poster designs that you may have seen hanging in the main lobby celebrating her department during National Case Management and Social Work months.

As she celebrates 17 years of service, she reflects on the impact she has made and the lives she has touched. One of the main reasons she enjoys working at Flushing Hospital is being able to interact with people from all walks of life – this has proven to be very rewarding and enriching to her. The things that are most important to her are family and good health. She strives for personal growth, peace of mind and well-being. Looking ahead, as Samantha continues her journey with us, we look forward to many more years of collaboration, growth and success. Her unwavering dedication and passion for excellence continue to inspire us all, shaping the future of healthcare and our hospital community. We are proud to have her on our team.

Enjoy A Healthy Springtime Recipe

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Spring has arrived and what better way to celebrate than with a tasty, easy to prepare meal made with creamy mushrooms, peas and chicken. Here is a delicious recipe from the Food Network for chicken, mushrooms and peas. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chicken-with-creamy-mushrooms-and-snap-peas-recipe-1972982.

Natural Ways to do Spring Cleaning

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Springtime means spring cleaning. If you’re looking for an alternative to store bought cleaners, check out these low-cost, non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning solutions for a fresh smelling home:

Baking Soda – cleans, softens water, and scours. You can also use baking soda to deodorize food storage containers and sprinkle on your carpet to absorb smells before vacuuming.
White Vinegar – cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up. Use equal parts white vinegar and water to wash both the interior and exterior of your fridge.
Lemons – effective against most household bacteria. Use lemon peels in your garbage disposal to help deodorize it.

You can also try these combinations:

All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, and bathroom mirrors.
Mold and Mildew cleaner: Use white vinegar or lemon juice full strength. Apply with a sponge or scrubby.
Window Cleaner: Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Only use the black and white newspapers, not the colored ones. Don’t clean windows if the sun is on them, or if they are warm, or streaks will show on drying.
Furniture Polish: For varnished wood, add a few drops of lemon oil into a 1/2 cup warm water. Mix well and spray onto a soft, slightly damp, cotton cloth. Wipe furniture with the cloth, and finish by wiping once more using a dry soft cotton cloth.

One more tip: Whenever you clean your home, save the floor or carpet for last. Clean window blinds and shelves first and then work downwards. This allows time for the dust to settle before vacuuming.

Meet Our New Beginnings Team Member Yuna Lee, RN

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month we are proud to highlight Yuna Lee, RN, a nurse in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Yuna began her nursing career at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in 2014 and in our NICU in 2015. Her passion for working with babies, especially pre-term babies, began when she was doing her clinical rotations in nursing school. One of the babies she worked with was born at 23 weeks, was on a ventilator and weighed only 600 grams. It was at that point that her passion for taking care of fragile babies really blossomed.

The babies in the NICU are very delicate and fragile. It really takes a special type of person to care for them properly. Yuna’s main role is of course to take care of the babies, but she also has to comfort the parents of these babies because they very often need support.

Yuna feels very fortunate to be working with such a wonderful team in her unit. They have all become like a family to her. She also enjoys working at Flushing Hospital because it is her community and she is helping to make people’s lives better.

How a Plant-Based Diet Can Help Your Heart Health

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Plant-based diets, which prioritize foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains with only small, occasional servings of animal protein, are associated with a lower risk of heart disease at any age. However, not everyone may fully understand what a healthy, nutritious plant-based diet looks like.

A wide variety of foods can fall under the “plant-based” umbrella, with many options not necessarily providing significant benefits to your heart health. Some foods, such as white rice and white bread, are highly processed, meaning that you will not receive many of the necessary nutrients to promote better heart health from them. Other foods that are best avoided include those that are high in sugar, sodium, and extra additives.

A plant-based diet does not have to involve cutting out all meat. You can make beneficial changes for your heart health by keeping your overall meat consumption at a moderate level and by eating healthier types of meat. It is recommended that you stick to unprocessed red meat and poultry, as well as limit your meat portions to approximately three 3.5-ounce servings each week.

Fish can also be a healthy, beneficial element of a plant-based diet. Similarly, however, you should keep your intake at a moderate level, meaning that you should limit your fish consumption to two servings of approximately 3 ounces of fish per week. Fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel can be a particularly beneficial addition to your diet.

Remember that what you eat is not the only thing that matters when it comes to your heart health; you also need to monitor how much you eat and how physically active you are. Make sure to stay within the recommended number of calories for you to consume each day and to follow an exercise routine that incorporates strength and aerobic activities three days per week.

If you experience heart problems or may be at risk of heart disease, you can schedule an appointment with a cardiologist at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Cardiology Department by calling (718)-670-5486.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Richard Calvo

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Richard Calvo, HVAC Mechanic in Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Engineering Department.

Richard has been at Flushing Hospital for eight years. He began his career at the hospital in the Housekeeping Department working the overnight shift cleaning the operating rooms. He then transferred to the Engineering Department, first as a grounds keeper and then on to the position he currently holds as an HVAC mechanic.

Richard grew up in Oceanside, Long Island where he attended elementary school through high school. His family is very important to him and he enjoys spending his free time with them. Richard has two cats and a dog in his home. In his free time he enjoys reading, especially studying about pressure boiler systems. His favorite TV programs are Japanese Anime. Richard also enjoys comedies and shows about the supernatural. His favorite foods are sushi and Italian food. He listens to different types of music, especially rock, rap and alternative. He has traveled to Florida and hopes one day to visit Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Richard’s favorite sports to participate in and to watch are MMA, boxing and swimming.

Richard enjoys working in the Engineering Department at Flushing Hospital because his coworkers have become like family to him. It is a wonderful place to grow and learn. We look forward to Richard continuing to work with us for many more years.