May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

The month of May has been designated as “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Spring is the beginning of the peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers. Asthma affects approximately 24.5 million Americans, 6.3 million of them are under the age of 18. More than 50 million people in the United States have some type of allergy and that number is increasing every year.
If a person knows that they have asthma, it is suggested that they avoid things that can trigger an attack. Triggers are anything that the body is sensitive to that causes the airways to become inflamed.
Common triggers are:
• Pollen
• Changes in weather
• Dust
• Stress
• Exercise
• Chemicals
Symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. There is no cure for asthma however there are medications that can help to keep it controlled.
Allergies are a very common chronic illness that lasts a long time or occurs frequently. Allergies occur when the body comes in to contact with a substance that causes the immune system to overreact.
Some of the more common substances people are allergic to are:
• Food
• Insect bites
• Latex
• Mold
• Pets
• Pollen
• Medications
Symptoms of allergies may include watery eyes, sneezing, itchiness, rash, hives and difficulty breathing. Severe cases can lead to anaphylactic shock which is potentially life threatening due to a lowering of the blood pressure and a dilation of the blood vessels, if not treated quickly.
Doctors can perform tests to see how you respond to small amounts of allergens. There are ways to treat allergies, the best method though is to avoid things that you know will cause a reaction in the first place. There are medications available to control allergic reactions and doctors can give injections that act to train the immune system to not overreact to these substances.
To schedule an appointment at Flushing Hospital with a physician to discuss controlling asthma and allergies, please call 718-670-5486.

For more hospital events, highlights, health and fitness tips, visit us on

and follow us on Twitter or

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.

National Asthma and Allergy Month

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

The month of May has been designated as “National Asthma and Allergy Month by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Spring is the beginning of the peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers. Asthma affects over 25 million Americans, 6.3 million of them are under the age of 18. More than 50 million people in the United States have some type of allergy and that number is increasing every year.
If a person knows that they have asthma, it is suggested that they avoid things that can trigger an attack. Triggers are anything that the body is sensitive to that causes the airways to become inflamed.
Common triggers are:
• Pollen
• Changes in weather
• Dust
• Stress
• Exercise
• Chemicals
Symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. There is no cure for asthma however there are medications that can help to keep it controlled.
Allergies are a very common chronic illness that lasts a long time or occurs frequently. Allergies occur when the body comes in to contact with a substance that causes the immune system to overreact.
Some of the more common substances people are allergic to are:
• Food
• Insect bites
• Latex
• Mold
• Pets
• Pollen
• Medications
Symptoms of allergies may include watery eyes, sneezing, itchiness, rash, hives and difficulty breathing. Severe cases can lead to anaphylactic shock which is potentially life threatening due to a lowering of the blood pressure and a dilation of the blood vessels, if not treated quickly.
Doctors can perform tests to see how you respond to small amounts of allergens. There are ways to treat allergies, the best method though is to avoid things that you know will cause a reaction in the first place. There are medications available to control allergic reactions and doctors can give injections that act to train the immune system to not overreact to these substances.
To schedule an appointment at Flushing Hospital with a physician to discuss controlling asthma and allergies, please call 718-670-5486

Young girl in autumn park blowing nose. Standing in park in warm clothing.

Hand Hygiene day

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

Since 2005, the World Health Organization has been leading a global effort to improve hand hygiene in order to reduce infections among healthcare workers and the patients that they care for. This initiative is recognized on May 5th every year throughout the world.
Proper hand hygiene is very important in keeping germs from spreading from person to person. Hands should be washed:
• Before, during and after preparing food
• Before eating
• Before and after taking care of a person who is ill
• Before treating a wound
• After using the bathroom
• After sneezing, coughing or wiping a runny nose
• After taking out the garbage
• Before coming in to contact with a baby
• After touching pets
Usually warm water and soap are sufficient to clean your hands. If the cleanliness of the water is questionable, a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol can be used, keeping in mind that it may not remove all chemicals from the skin and doesn’t kill all types of germs.
There is no exact amount of time that hand washing should take but a good rule of thumb is about 20 seconds or about the same amount of time that it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song.

Smoking Cessation and Weight Gain

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

One of the reasons that people don’t want to stop smoking is because they are worried about gaining weight. Smoking increases the rate of metabolism so when a person quits, their metabolism slows and they tend to eat a little bit more than they did when they were still smoking. As a result, people will typically gain four to 10 pounds when they quit. When you snack between meals, over the course of time, you can slowly be adding on the pounds. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so it reduces these cravings. Smoking also makes people feel good, so that is another reason that people will eat sweet foods such as cookies and cake to replace cigarettes.

If you find yourself craving something sweet to eat, there are healthy alternatives:

Fruits and vegetables
Fat free or low fat snacks
Sugar free candies

Drinking plenty of water and brushing your teeth frequently throughout the day will keep your breath fresh and will take away the urge to smoke.

Try finding alternate activities that will keep you busy so that you won’t have the desire to reach for a cigarette. It might be helpful to go to a movie theater, take a long walk, use the stairs instead of an elevator when possible, read a book and spend time with people who are supportive and who don’t smoke.

Smoking is a leading factor in heart disease, cancer, stroke, and many other illnesses. Speak to your physician to learn about ways to quit and how to manage the changes your body will experience. If you would like to speak with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-670-5486 to schedule an appointment.

April is Irritable Bowel Awareness Month

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

April is Irritable Bowel Awareness Month. For many people who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), finding out which foods agree with them and which foods cause them discomfort is essential to living successfully with the disease.
IBS is a condition whereby certain foods will cause intestinal discomfort after being consumed. These symptoms can include:
• Bloating
• Gas
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea or constipation
There is no general rule of what to eat and what to avoid in treating IBS. A physician will go through a patient’s daily diet and see if there are certain foods that are more likely to act as irritants. Foods that typically cause a problem for people with IBS have a high concentration of insoluble fiber which are found primarily in whole grains and vegetables and that do not dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber rich foods pass through the intestine almost intact and can act as a natural laxative. The foods that physicians who treat this disease recommend avoiding include:
• Nuts
• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Beans
• Cabbage
• Raisins
• Broccoli
The act of eating and chewing stimulates the digestive tract. It has been suggested that instead of eating one or two full meals every day, eating five or six smaller portion meals may prevent the digestive tract from becoming over stimulated.
To make an appointment with a physician specializing in IBS at Flushing Hospital please call 718-670-5486.

History of Sutures

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

Sutures (also known as stitches) have been around for thousands of years and are used to hold wounds together until the healing process is complete. They were first described as far back 3000 BC in ancient Egyptian literature. For centuries they were made from plant materials like hemp, or cotton or animal material such as tendons, silk, and arteries. The material of choice for many centuries was catgut, a fine thread woven from sheep intestines.

In the 1800’s it became apparent that it was a good idea to sterilize the catgut before using it to suture wounds, In the 1860’s the physician Joseph Lister devised a technique for sterilizing catgut and it was perfected finally in 1906. Eventually, sterilization took place by exposing the suture material to radiation which was more effective than previous techniques. Each development helped to reduce the risk of infection.

Early in the 20th century synthetic materials were developed that could be used for suturing. These synthetic materials, still used today, were categorized as “absorbable” or ‘non-absorbable’ depending on their ability to be absorbed during the wound healing process.

Absorbable sutures usually dissolve anywhere from 10 days to eight weeks and are made from:

Silk
Catgut
Polyglycolic acid
Polylactic acid
Monocryl

Non – absorbable sutures don’t dissolve naturally and are usually removed after the wound has closed. They are made from:

Nylon
Polyester
Stainless steel
PVDF
Polypropelene

Additional new technology has added laser technology and surgical glue to the tools available to physicians for wound healing. These new materials help the process go quicker and also make the scars less visible. However, even with all the new modern techniques for suturing a wound, many of the basic concepts used today were first developed thousands of years ago.

Surgical stitches

World Health Day is April 7th

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

In 1948 the World Health Organization held the first World Health Assembly to address health issues affecting people around the world. Each year the World Health Organization chooses a health topic that it wishes to draw global attention to and that is a subject of major importance. April 7th was chosen as World Health Day to honor the founding of the organization.
This year the World Health Organization decided to focus on diabetes. The main goal is to increase awareness about the rise in diabetes and its staggering burden and consequences, particularly in low and middle – income countries. It also is designed to set in motion a set of specific effective and affordable actions to control diabetes.
• These actions include:
• Prevent diabetes
• Diagnose diabetes
• Treat and care for people who have diabetes
The World Health Organization estimates that 350 million people in the world have diabetes and this number is expected to double in the next 20 years. In 2012 approximately 1.5 million worldwide people died from illness directly related to the disease.
Diabetes is a disease for which there is no cure but there are ways to treat it and keep it under control. Early diagnosis and management are key factors to successfully controlling the disease.
If you have a family history of diabetes, you are at higher risk for developing the disease. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital to check you for the disease, please call 718-670-6051.

World health day

Natural Remedies for Constipation

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

Supplement

Everyone knows that being constipated can be a very uncomfortable feeling and pharmaceutical companies offer us all kinds of products to alleviate the condition. Many of these contain chemicals that taken in large quantities or that are used to frequently can have harmful side effects. What many people don’t realize is that there are also simple natural home remedies that may work just as well and are generally well tolerated.
Constipation may be caused by stress, lack of fiber in the diet, being inactive physically, weak abdominal muscles, hemorrhoids, not enough fluid intake and certain foods can lead to difficulty going with bowel movements. It is a good idea to determine what the cause might be before beginning a home therapy treatment plan. If it happens only occasionally these remedies may work, if it is more frequent, a trip to the doctor is advised.
Some home remedies that you may want to try are:
• Lemon juice and warm water
• Fennel seeds – dry roasted fennel, ground up into a powder and taken with water
• Figs – soak in water for a few hours then peel the skin, grind them up and eat them
• Castor oil – one to two teaspoons
• Honey – A teaspoon taken daily
• Dandelion tea – one cup two or three times a day
• Flax seed – one tablespoon in a glass of water. Wait two hours before drinking
It is very important that a person drink at least eight glasses of water every day. People who are constipated often have low fluid intake and this is an essential component of having regular bowel movements. If you suffer from frequent constipation, it is a good idea to speak to a doctor who may be able to identify the cause and offer a solution. To schedule an appointment with a doctor at Flushing Hospital, please call 718-670-6071.

History of the EKG

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

An EKG machine measures the electrical activity of the heart. It displays this activity by drawing waves on a piece of paper that is either displayed on a screen or drawn on a piece of paper that runs through a machine.
• Late 1700’s – The first step in the development of the modern electrocardiograph machine was the creation of a machine that could sense, but not measure, electric current. This machine was called a galvanometer.
• 1786 an Italian physician, Dr. Luigi Galvan, discovered that skeletal muscles worked by producing electric current. In
• 1842 Dr. Carlo Matteucci working at the University of Pisa discovered that there is an electrical current that comes with each heart beat in a frog.
• Mid 1800’s a machine called the “Rheotome” was invented that could now measure this electrical current.
• 1872 – further refinements to this Rheotome led to a machine devised by Gabrrile Lippman of the “capillary electrometer”.
During this time, a British physiologist, Augustus Waller, was able to record the first human electrocardiogram that using this technology with electrodes placed on the chest and back of a patient. This demonstrated electric activity taking place before ventricular contraction. In
• 1893 – Dr. Wilhelm Einthoven, a Dutch physiologist, refined the capillary electrometer to show five deflections in the electrical current passing through the heart. The five waves were initially called ABCDE, but were changed to PQRST after a mathematical correction was made to compensate for the inertia in the capillary tube. He used the phrase “electrocardiogram” for the first time at a meeting of Dutch physicians. In
• 1901 – Dr. Eintoven he developed a string galvanometer, a more sensitive machine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for his invention of the electrocardiograph.
As time passed, the electrocardiograph machine became much smaller and much more accurate. In 1903 it weighed 600 pounds and by 1930 it weighed about 30 pounds. Tthe importance of an electrocardiograph was recognized as being essential in diagnosing cardiac from non cardiac pain and able to help diagnose a myocardial infarction or a heart attack. Today we use a 12 lead electrocardiogram as a major tool in diagnosing heart disease. The machine today weighs just a few pounds and is an essential tool in diagnosing diseases of the heart.

World TB Day

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

March 24th has been designated globally as “World TB Day”. The event began in 1982 is sponsored by the World Health Organization and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and is intended to raise awareness that anyone can contract TB to make health professionals aware of the importance of testing people for the disease.
This date was chosen to celebrate the discovery by Dr. Robert Koch of the Mycobacterium tuberculoisis (the bacteria that causes tuberculosis) in 1882. This important discovery was the beginning of the steps being taken to control and hopefully one day eradicate the disease. Unfortunately, TB is still one of the leading causes of death around the world.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial disease that affects mainly the lungs but can also affect the kidneys, brain and the spine. Signs and symptoms may include:
• Coughing up blood
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Chills
• Night sweats
• Loss of appetite
• Pain with breathing
TB is spread by coming into contact with the airborne droplets of the bacteria from an infected person. People most susceptible are those who have compromised immune systems and include people undergoing chemotherapy, have diabetes, are very young or very old, and have HIV/AIDS. There are antibiotics that given to fight the disease but depending on the strain and their resistance to treatment, may require months or years of treatment.
A routine physical usually includes a TB skin test. If you would like to schedule a physical exam and a TB test with one of our physicians, please call 718-670-5486.