Health

Monkeypox cases have emerged across most of the United States. Symptoms of the virus include:

• Fever
• Aches and pains
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• Respiratory symptoms

Most people with monkeypox also experience a rash that’s typically located near the genitals or anus. It may also be present on other parts of the body, including the face, hands, feet, and chest.

Two vaccines are now available that may effectively offer protection against monkeypox. JYNNEOS is the only vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for anyone at risk of contracting the virus. Another vaccine, ACAM2000, may also be used to prevent monkeypox under the Expanded Access Investigational New Drug system, but is not recommended for people with a weakened immune system, an exfoliative skin condition like eczema, or people who are pregnant.

Studies have shown side effects such as myocarditis, pericarditis, brain or spinal cord swelling, and infection in patients who received ACAM2000. These reactions have not been observed in patients who received JYNNEOS.

Your doctor can help you determine which vaccine is right for you, but vaccination in general, combined with practices like safe sex, maintaining distance from infected people and animals, and disinfecting your home when an infected person has been there, can help protect most people against the virus. Children in particular may benefit from vaccination, as their symptoms are likely to be worse than those of infected teens and adults.

You can make an appointment for monkeypox treatment and prevention at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s on-site ambulatory care center by calling (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.

This month we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Carmen Nunez, Dietary AM Server.

Carmen has been at Flushing Hospital Medical Center for 20 years. She grew up on Delancey Street in Manhattan before moving to Laurelton Queens where she currently resides.

Carmen attended P.S. 20 in Manhattan, and graduated from Seward Park High School, also in Manhattan, in 1989. She has two children, a 29 year old son and a 21 year old daughter. She also has a 1 year old grandson.

In her free time Carmen enjoys going to concerts, movies, shopping, museums, spending time with family and friends. In the nice weather she likes going to the beach and also riding her bicycle with her daughter. Carmen likes to travel and some of the places she has been to are Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Florida. She enjoys different types of food, especially Mexican, Italian and sushi.  Carmen likes different types of music, especially salsa, merengue, and R&B.

Carmen is a very caring person who strives to make people’s lives better. She is known for having a friendly face and tries hard to make others smile. She believes in treating people with kindness at all times. The most important things in her life are her family, her friends and her faith.

Carmen enjoys working at Flushing Hospital because of all the nice people she works with. People take their jobs seriously and they all work together to make sure that our patients have a good experience. We look forward to having Carmen work with us for many more years to come.

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.

Everyday activities or important occasions like a job interview or a date can make you feel anxious.

However, in certain situations, you may find your level of anxiety growing far beyond what is normal, reaching a peak where you may experience physical symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain. When that happens, what you’re experiencing may not just be anxiety, but rather a panic attack. Knowing the difference between these two responses can be key to helping you identify what you are experiencing and manage the factors that trigger them.

Certain symptoms associated with anxiety are to be expected occasionally. These include:

• Nervousness and trembling
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Sweating
• Increased heart rate
• Fatigue and weakness

Panic attack symptoms, on the other hand, are generally more severe. They may include:

• Heart palpitations
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

Anyone can have a panic attack, but they’re more common for women and people in their teen and early adult years. Additionally, if you or family members have a history of anxiety disorders or other mental health issues, you’re at a higher risk of suffering from them. Substance abuse also increases this risk.

Are you consistently experiencing panic attacks and struggling to manage them? Schedule an appointment with at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Psychiatric Department, where we provide outpatient and inpatient services offering a variety of therapeutic treatments.

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.

COVID-19 is better controlled now than when it first emerged. However, it still remains a widespread health risk.

Even though vaccines have given healthcare centers like Flushing Hospital a much greater capacity to prevent and treat COVID-19 now than at the height of the pandemic more than two years ago, you may still be at risk for reinfection even if you’ve already contracted and recovered from the virus.

While it’s true that a previous case of COVID gives you a level of protection against reinfection, it does not make you immune to the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control, research is ongoing when it comes to what factors make someone more likely to be reinfected or how reinfections impact their risk of transmitting the virus to other people.

Reinfection of COVID is less likely to be severe than a person’s initial infection, though more severe exceptions do exist. It’s unclear at this time what causes some cases of reinfection to present worse symptoms than others.

It also isn’t clear how frequently reinfection may occur. However, research from the National Institutes of Health suggests that people who receive a positive result on an antibody test may be at a lower risk level of re-contracting the virus over an extended period of time. It also suggests that reinfection may most likely occur within a 90-day timeframe of your initial infection.

Though many elements of reinfection require further study, these cases are treated and prevented in the same way as initial infections.

Boosted vaccination remains the most effective measure of protection against contracting the virus, including cases of reinfection. Maintaining six feet of distance from other people, wearing a mask in indoor public places, regularly disinfecting your hands and surfaces you frequently touch, and getting tested when you’ve been exposed to the virus all also remain effective ways of preventing the spread of all COVID cases.

If you haven’t received your full vaccination or boosters, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

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.

Do you, or does someone you know, suffer from pancolitis? It’s one of four forms of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory disease that causes ulcers in your digestive tract. While the other four types of ulcerative colitis usually only impact parts of the colon and digestive tract, pancolitis typically affects the entire colon.

All forms of ulcerative colitis can lead to serious symptoms and life-threatening complications, but the problems associated with pancolitis are particularly severe.

Bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, and substantial weight loss are some of the symptoms you can expect in connection with the disease. As with any form of ulcerative colitis, pancolitis also increases your risk of developing bowel cancer.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, an estimated 600,000 to 900,000 people in the United States may suffer from ulcerative colitis. Of those people, roughly 20% may have pancolitis.

People of any age may potentially be diagnosed with pancolitis, though as with other forms of ulcerative colitis, it typically presents in people under the age of 30. You’re also more likely to develop pancolitis if a close relative, like a parent or sibling, has it.

There’s no known cure for pancolitis or ulcerative colitis in general, and since the causes of the disease remain equally unclear, there’s no obvious means of preventing it aside from seeing a doctor and developing a treatment plan as soon as you start displaying symptoms that may be associated with it.

Your gastroenterologist may prescribe aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, or biologics to help you manage your symptoms. A complete surgical removal of your colon will also eliminate pancolitis entirely. All of these treatment options come with their own side effects and consequences, though, so work closely with your doctor to determine the right plan for you.

To make an appointment with Flushing Hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine, please call (718) 670-5000.

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.

The use of sunscreen is highly promoted and protecting our skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays has become a major concern as we learn more about the damages it causes.

Today we are able to choose from many brands that offer the level of protection we need- but did you know the concept of sunscreen is nothing new? In fact, sunscreen was used by ancient Egyptians.

The Egyptians were known to use rice bran extracts, jasmine and lupine extracts as a sunscreen because they realized these ingredients had the ability to absorb the sun’s very strong rays. These chemicals are still used today in some of the modern sunscreen products.

Modern sunscreen products really started to become popular in the 1930’s. A South Australian chemist, HA Milton Blake created a sunburn cream that had some limited success. This was followed by the introduction in 1936 by the L’Oreal Company of a sunscreen product that was very effective at providing protection from the sun’s rays. In 1938 a chemist by the name of Franz Greiter developed a cream called Glacier Cream that provided added protection. He is also credited for identifying the sun protection factor (SPF) that became a standard measurement of sunscreen effectiveness.
In 1944 an American pharmacist patented a sunscreen product that eventually would become Coppertone.

Later developments in this field produced products that would protect the skin from the UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Manufacturing sunscreen is a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to evolve. With more and more literature being published about the sun’s harmful effects on the skin, people will always be looking for better ways to stay protected as too much exposure can lead to skin cancer and other dermatologic conditions.

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.

Have you noticed that some people get mosquito bites more often than others? There are several factors that may explain why they are more attractive to mosquitoes. They include:

• Blood type – people who are Type O and Type B
• Sweat – contains lactic acid, uric acid and ammonia
• Color of clothing – dark colors as well as red are more attractive
• Pregnancy – because of higher output of exhaled carbon dioxide and higher body temperature
• Heavy breathing – mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide emitted in exhaled air
• Skin bacteria – certain areas of the body have more dense bacteria such as the feet and ankles

There are some aspects that we cannot change. The ones that we can change are

wearing long sleeve garments and long pants when going outdoors, wearing Environmental Protection Agency approved insect repellants, and wearing light colored clothing.

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.

It is a fact that breathing difficulties associated with asthma can be made worse due to hot weather. One possible cause of this is due to the hot, humid air irritating the airways and causing inflammation which will lead to symptoms of an asthma attack. Another reason is that hot and humid air is heavier and therefore a person may have to struggle to breathe.

Some people with asthma experience more frequent problems with their breathing during the summer due to seasonal allergens and other fine particles that are in the air that can cause existing respiratory conditions to worsen, especially in the very young and elderly.

Additional environmental factors that affect the respiratory system are:

• Higher levels of carbon dioxide and higher temperature can lead to more spores and mold in the air.
• Higher temperatures can lead to more greenhouse gases being produced.
• Environmental production of pollutants from vehicles and factories become trapped in the atmosphere.

These environmental conditions can cause chest pain, wheezing, and coughing, and reduced lung function for those who suffer with asthma.

To help avoid asthma attacks in hot weather it is recommended to:

• Stay indoors as much as possible in an air conditioned environment
• Avoid strenuous activity
• Keep hydrated
• Try to limit being outdoors during the hottest time of day

To schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center who can help treat breathing difficulties, 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.