Summer Bummers: West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Summer is when we usually spend more time outside either exercising or just enjoying the weather. Unfortunately, it is also the time when mosquitoes and ticks are at their most active and the possibility of exposure to West Nile virus and Lyme disease increases.

According to the CDC, West Nile virus (WNV) is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms. Less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness with young children and seniors being the most susceptible. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands. Severe symptoms may include stiff neck, sleepiness, disorientation and tremors. Using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing to prevent bites, and limiting your time outside during key mosquito times like dusk, can help reduce your risk of infection.

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks and is difficult to diagnose. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, aches and pains, fatigue, the possibility of exposure to infected ticks, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans, which resembles a bull’s-eye. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.

Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitats by frequently mowing the lawn, removing leaf litter, old furniture, mattresses, and trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.

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.

July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Juvenile arthritis, arthritis in children under 18, has been diagnosed in almost 300,000 kids in the United States.

Juvenile arthritis (JA) is usually an autoimmune disorder, meaning that it affects the immune system and the body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. It targets children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, and is most often found in the knees, hands, and feet. There are various types of JA and doctors aren’t completely sure what causes this disease, but the most common symptoms are:

. Swelling of the joints

. Pain and stiffness that doesn’t go away

. Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee

. Excessive clumsiness

. High fever and skin rash

. Swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body

Arthritis in children can cause a number of issues including eye inflammation and growth problems, like uneven bones and joints.

Talk to your pediatrician or a rheumatologist if you suspect your child might have arthritis. He or she will take a family history and perform a variety of tests including a physical exam, blood work and x rays. To make an appointment with a rheumatologist, please call Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center at 718-670-5486.

FACT FRIDAY: Should you really wait an hour after eating before swimming?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Your mom probably warned you that swimming right after eating could cause muscle cramping or spasming, possibly leading to drowning, but this is one case where mom doesn’t know best. There’s no evidence to suggest that exercising after eating will give you cramps. Vigorous exercise directs blood flow away from the digestive area and to the muscles in your arms, legs and skin. If your food is still half-digested this might make you feel nauseated, but it’s unlikely to cause cramping. If you still want to follow mom’s advice, wait 20-30 minutes for the digestion process to stop.

POLL QUESTION: Can you catch germs from a toilet seat?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Answer: Highly unlikely.

According to WebMD, many disease-causing organisms can survive for only a short time on the surface of the seat. For an infection to occur, the germs would have to be transferred from the toilet seat to your urethral or genital tract, or through a cut or sore on the buttocks or thighs, which is possible but very unlikely. If you’re still suspicious, use a paper toilet seat cover or cover the seating area with toilet paper before sitting down.

Senior Spotlight: Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Sage Robinson

As we age, the amount of Vitamin D we need to support muscle movement, strong bones and a healthy nervous and immune system increases. The risk of osteoporosis, where bones become fragile and may fracture if one falls, is one consequence of not getting enough calcium and vitamin D over the long term. The amount of vitamin D you need each day depends on your age. Supplements of both vitamin D3 (at 700–800 IU/day) and calcium (500–1,200 mg/day) have been shown to reduce the risk of bone loss and fractures in elderly people aged 62–85 years.

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Beef liver, mushrooms, egg yolks, and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel provide small amounts. Fortified foods, including many breakfast cereals and some brands of orange juice, provide most of the vitamin D in American diets. Almost all of the milk in the United States is fortified with vitamin D, but foods like cheese and ice cream, are usually not.

Sun exposure causes the body to create vitamin D, however this isn’t true in older adults because their kidneys have a harder time converting it. It is also recommended to limit exposure to sunlight to lower the risk for skin cancer.

A simple blood test can be performed to determine your vitamin D levels and your doctor can suggest the best supplement dose for you. Some Americans are vitamin D deficient and almost no one has levels that are too high. Men and women should talk with their health care providers about their needs for vitamin D, and calcium.

Like most dietary supplements, vitamin D may interact or interfere with other medicines or supplements. Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other health care providers about any dietary supplements and medicines you are taking.

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What Should I Do If I’m Outside During a Lightning Storm?

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Sage Robinson

It’s summer time, the most likely time of year for surprise thunderstorms. All thunderstorms are dangerous and every thunderstorm produces lightning. Most lightning deaths and injuries occur when people are caught outdoors in the summer months during the afternoon and evening. Did you know that even if a storm is as much as 10 miles away, lightning can still strike in your area? On average in the U.S., lightning kills 51 people and injures hundreds more. Although most survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms.

According to the National Weather Service, if you’re outside while thunderstorms and lightning are occurring in your area, you should:

. Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible). Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside. Avoid isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.

. Avoid natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree in an open area. Seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of small trees.

. Avoid hilltops, open fields, the beach or a boat on the water.

. If you’re in a boat, get off the water. Get to land and find shelter immediately.

. Avoid contact with anything metal like motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs, and bicycles.

. Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls.

. If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rain ends. Avoid touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle. The steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.

Remember, rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning.

World Sickle Cell Day is June 19: What is Sickle Cell Disease?

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Sickle cell disease is one of the most serious, and common, inherited blood disorders. It occurs when a child inherits two sickle cell genes—one from each parent. It is mostly found in people of African, Hispanic, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent and affects about 100,000 Americans. It is diagnosed with a simple blood test, most often at birth during routine newborn screening tests in the hospital, but it can also be diagnosed before birth through genetic testing.

The syndrome causes normal, oval-shaped red blood cells to lose oxygen and collapse into sickle shapes. These cells can get stuck in veins, causing pain, anemia, fatigue, respiratory distress, infection, stroke and eventually organ failure and early death is possible.

People with sickle cell start to have signs of the disease during the first year of life, usually around five months of age. Symptoms and complications are different for each person and can range from mild to severe. Treatment options are also different for each person depending on the symptoms, but with early diagnosis the condition can be managed with less pain and increased life expectancy.

World Sickle Cell Day is June 19.

Are Headphones Bad for your Hearing?

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Flushing Hospital

headphones 180202758 Headphones are popular for a multitude of reasons, such as convenience and sound quality, but there is a downside to these devices. According to The Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of teens who have experienced hearing loss has increased by 33% since 1994. Do you catch yourself blasting music while listening to your headphones for long periods of time? If so, your hearing may be at risk.

Headphones come in a variety of styles, but the two most commonly used are earbuds and around-ear headphones. While around-ear headphones can have negative side effects, earbuds are the more dangerous because they are inserted directly into your ears, providing an uninterrupted route for the music to travel through your ear and straight to your eardrum. When sound enters the ear, the eardrum vibrates. These vibrations travel to the cochlea, where fluid carries them to fine hairs that trigger the auditory nerve fibers, which travel to the brain. When a sound is too loud, the hairs can become damaged, causing permanent hearing loss.

Noise is damaging at about 85 decibels, or the volume of a hair dryer. People who tend to play music up to 110-120 decibels over a long period of time while using earbuds, which increases the sound by 7-9 decibels, can experience a significant amount of hearing loss.

Want to avoid further hearing loss? Try some of these helpful tips:
• Listen to your music for no longer than an hour and no louder than 60% of volume.
• Purchase around-ear headphones with noise-cancelling technology so you can avoid blasting music and prevent music from having direct contact with your eardrum.
• Remove earwax. Earwax builds up every time you push earbuds into your ear canal, so make sure you gently clean it out to prevent hearing loss, discomfort and infection.

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Stress and Heart Disease: What’s the Connection?

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Sage Robinson

by Andrew Rubin

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 one’s health.

Stress has been shown to raise the levels of certain hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Stress can affect the way blood clots and that can increase the risk of a heart attack.

Stress can:

Cause ulcers
Exacerbate asthma
Lead to digestive problems
Cause problems sleeping
Elevate blood pressure
Lead to coronary artery disease

Stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as overeating, smoking and alcohol consumption. These activities are considered coping mechanisms that can lead to additional health problems. It is very important to identify the sources of stress and learn to manage them. Some tips to manage stress include:

Learning to cope
Having a positive approach to situations
Starting an exercise regime
Eating healthy
Getting proper rest

If these don’t work, you can speak with a medical professional who can prescribe medication. The important thing to remember is that by reducing stress you will also be lowering the likelihood of developing long term health issues.

Living With a Hernia

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Unless you’ve suffered from one, most people only know about hernias from the Weird Al Yankovic song (“Living With A Hernia”). Hernias are caused by pressure on an opening or weakness in the wall of muscle or connective tissue of the groin, belly button or upper stomach that allows a hernia sac (like a balloon) to protrude. An increase in abdominal pressure pushes the hernia sac and its contents (organ or tissue) through the opening or weak spot. The muscle weakness may be present at birth or develop at any age. The most common types of hernia are:

. Inguinal (inner groin) – fat, intestines, colon or bladder may protrude through the abdominal wall. About 96% of all groin hernias are inguinal, and most occur in men because of a natural weakness in this area.

. Incisional (resulting from an incision) — intra-abdominal organs push through the abdominal wall at the site of previous abdominal surgery. This type is most common in elderly or overweight people who are inactive after abdominal surgery.

. Femoral (outer groin) — occurs when the intestine enters the canal carrying the femoral vessels into the upper thigh. Femoral hernias are most common in women, especially those who are pregnant or obese.

. Umbilical (belly button) — part of the small intestine passes through the abdominal wall at or near the navel. Common in newborns, it also commonly afflicts obese women or those who have had many children.

. Hiatal (upper stomach) — when the upper stomach squeezes through the hiatus, an opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes. These hernias cannot be seen or felt from the outside and majority do not require surgery

Anything that causes an increase in pressure in the abdomen can cause a hernia, including lifting heavy objects without proper support and coughing or sneezing. Obesity, poor nutrition, smoking and prior abdominal surgery, can all weaken muscles and make hernias more likely.

Surgery to repair a hernia is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. Flushing Hospital Medical Center offers minimally invasive robotic procedures using the da Vinci robotic system. Hernia surgery performed using the robot allows for faster healing time, less scarring and shorter hospital stays.

If you are experiencing hernia discomfort and would like to make an appointment with a urologist, please contact the Ambulatory Care Center at 718-670-5486.