Slow Changes Can Lead to Wellness

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Joann Ariola

When looking for a routine that can bring wellness to your entire being, you don’t have to climb a mountain in Tibet or strip away all food you love. Experts say that the best way to bring a wellness routine into your life is through a series of small changes that will gradually make a difference.

Changes such as:
◾Meditation – Take a moment in the morning to meditate. It will set the tone for the day and clear your head to prepare for what the day may bring.
◾Music – Play calming music. The body’s internal rhythms sync with the rhythms of music. By focusing on the music and its melody, you will start to feel your breathing and heart rate begin to slow down, bringing you to a much calmer place
◾Plan a trip – According to research, happiness spikes when planning a trip.
ut down your smartphone – When the impulse to pick up your phone comes, and you resist it, you may feel a wave of anxiety. Don’t panic! Breath through the anxiety and you will see that there is calm that will follow.
◾Breathe deeply – Sit in a comfortable place, breathe naturally and settle your attention on your breath. With each inhale and exhale, mentally repeat the words “in” and “out.” Even if you mind wanders, don’t get distracted; just bring your attention back to your breathing.
◾Don’t check your email when you first wake up – When you wake, sit silently and allow your mind to wander. Take 10 minutes to just center yourself before you start your day.
◾Walk – Use part of your lunch break to take a walk. This activity will aid with digestion, keep you active and relieve stress.

No one likes change and it rarely comes easy. That’s why slowly incorporating small steps toward your goals overtime can lead to huge changes in the long run.

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.

Diabetes and Alcoholic Beverages

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

People with diabetes need to be very careful if they plan on drinking anything that contains alcohol. The reason for this is consuming alcohol can have a severe impact on blood sugar levels, raising or lowering it dramatically, which can be very dangerous.
Here are some of the ways that consuming alcohol can affect diabetes:
• It affects liver function which is important for regulating blood sugar levels
• There may be an interaction with diabetes controlling medications that can lower blood sugar too much
• Some alcoholic beverages contain carbohydrates which can raise blood sugar levels
• It acts as an appetite stimulant causing a person to overeat
• It can numb the senses which may already be impaired by diabetes
Alcoholic beverages should be consumed in small quantities, no more than two drinks for men and one for women in a 24 hour time span. Drinks should be taken with food which will help with its absorption. It is important to consume alcohol slowly to give the body a chance to process it. It is also important to stay away from alcoholic beverages that are mixed with anything sugary.
If a person has diabetes and they feel like they must have an alcoholic beverage from time to time, consult a physician to understand how alcohol will interact with medications.

Lyme Disease Prevention Tips

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Joann Ariola

With summer approaching we will be spending more time doing activities outdoors in areas such as parks, forests and hiking trails. While getting out and keeping physically fit is strongly encouraged it is important to keep in mind that being in these areas can put you at risk for Lyme disease.

Dr. Sherman Klein, MD, specializing in Internal Medicine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center offers the following information on Lyme disease, how it is spread, its symptoms, and treatment.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-born infection in New York City and in the United States. On the east coast, Lyme disease is spread by the bite of a black-legged tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Not all black-legged ticks carry this bacterium and, even if they are infected, they must be attached for at least 36 – 48 hours after a person is bitten to transmit the disease.

Blacklegged ticks are rarely found in NYC, but if you have been traveling in more rural areas of New York such as Westchester and Long Island you are at greater risk of coming into contact with an infected tick.

The annual number of cases of Lyme disease reported continues to rise each year in non-rural communities.

Some of the early warning signs of Lyme disease are:

Muscle aches
Headache
Fatigue
Fever
Rash

These signs and symptoms may occur anywhere from three to 30 days after being bitten. After an infected tick bite, a widening red area may appear at the infected site that is clear in the center, forming a bull’s eye appearance.

Dr. Klein suggests that the best way to avoid contracting Lyme disease is to avoid direct contact with ticks. You can do this by avoiding wooded and brushy areas, and high grass. If you are hiking, try to walk in the center of the trails and wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. If in a wooded area you should use a strong repellent. Dr. Klein cautions that when using any repellent, you should avoid applying the solution to your hands, eyes and mouth.

Some of the tips to find and remove ticks from your body and clothing are:

Do a check of your entire body viewing under your arms, behind and in your ears, inside your navel, behind your knees, along your legs, waist and hair. Also, check your pet.
Take a shower soon after returning indoors. If you wash within two hours of returning indoors, the ticks are more easily found and washed off your body.
Once you are indoors, take your clothing and place them in the wash using hot water and then put them in the dryer on “high” for at least 10 minutes; if the clothes were washed in cold water, place them in the dryer on “high” for at least 90 minutes

If Lyme disease is left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body causing arthritis cardiac and nervous system problems. Dr. Sherman Klein is one of the many qualified doctors specializing in Internal Medicine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center. To schedule an appointment with him, or any of our other doctors, please call 718-670-5486

National Nurses Week

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

National Nurses Week is celebrated every year from May 6th to May 12th in commemoration of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. This celebration allows us to recognize the invaluable work our outstanding nurses perform daily to improve the wellbeing of our patients and their families.

Flushing Hospital will be honoring their nurses and the wonderful work that they do at an event held on May 10th. At this event the nurses were served cuisine from various cultures which reflect the diverse ethnic backgrounds that make up the nursing staff at Flushing Hospital. Local city, state and federal officials awarded proclamations to the Department of Nursing recognizing their achievements, as well as their value to the health care industry and the patients that they care for.

Stress Awareness Month

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Joann Ariola

In 1992, the month of April was designated as Stress Awareness Month. During this time, health professionals join together to increase the public’s awareness about what causes stress and what can help cure the growing stress epidemic.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center is participating by reaching out to our social media community and sharing some helpful techniques that can assist you in managing your daily stress, such as:

Meditation – is helpful to the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress
Breathing Deeply – triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, neutralizes stress and elicits a calming feeling
Exercise – all forms of exercise can ease depression and anxiety by helping the brain releasing feel-good chemicals giving your body a chance to practice dealing with stress
Eating Healthy – choosing a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fiber may reduce the chance that stress can boost the body’s natural defense system

Prolonged, excesive periods of stress is unhealthy for any individual. A change of mindset can bring about a healthier lifestyle. That positive change can help you manage stress and bring far-reaching improvement to your health and well being.

For more information and to find out ways you can make a difference visit –

Hepatitis Awareness Month

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month which serves to educate people about the disease and ways to prevent it. Each year approximately 15,000 people die in the United States from either liver cancer or chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis. This is one of the reasons why raising awareness about the disease is very important.

Hepatitis is defined as an inflammation of the liver and can be caused by alcohol abuse, exposure to certain toxins, drug abuse, bacterial or viral infections.The three main types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis A can be mild or severe and can last weeks to months. It is spread by contact with food, liquids and objects that are infected with fecal matter from a person who is infected. Hepatitis B can be a life long illness. It is transmitted by blood, semen or other bodily fluids and as a baby passes through the birth canal. Hepatitis C is spread through sharing needles and syringes with people who are infected.

A vaccine exists for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B for populations that may be at risk. If you would like to find out if you are at risk for the disease, please schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center by calling 718-670-5486

Mumps

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Joann Ariola

Are you concerned that your child may contract mumps? First, we have to find out what mumps is!

Mumps is a viral infection that affects the parotid glands, which are located slightly below and in front of the ears. If a child has contracted mumps, these glands can swell causing discomfort. Although rare, mumps can potentially cause hearing loss, meningitis, encephalitis and orchitis (in males).

Mumps was common in the United States until a mumps vaccination became available. After the vaccination, health officials saw the number of cases drop significantly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of mumps usually appear within two weeks of exposure to the virus. Flu-like symptoms may be the first to appear, including:

fatigue
body aches
headache
loss of appetite
low-grade fever

A high fever (up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit) and swelling of the salivary glands follow over the next few days. The glands may not all swell initially. More commonly, they swell and become painful. The mumps virus is most contagious to another person from the time you come into contact with the virus to when your parotid glands swell.

There isn’t a course of treatment for mumps, so applying warm or cold packs to the swollen glands that are tender can be helpful. Additionally, health professionals encourage children between the ages of 12 through 15 months of age to receive their first measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and their second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

Although mumps is no longer very common in the United States. From year to year, mumps cases can range from roughly a couple hundred to a couple thousand. For more information on how to track mumps outbreaks state, you can visit the CDC site –

If you are interested in making an appointment with a pediatrician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, you can schedule an appointment at our Ambulatory Care Center at 718-670-5486.

What Time Do You Eat Dinner ?

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

Typically people eat dinner between 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM. Dinner time fifty years ago people ate between 5:00 PM and 6:30PM but now due to work and commuting schedules dinner time for many of us has shifted to eating later. The time that most people sit down for their dinner also varies in different parts of the country and the world. In some places around the world dinner isn’t eaten until 9 o’clock or later.

Research has shown though that eating a big dinner close to bed time can lead to weight gain because you probably won’t burn up all of the calories you take in. Also, late night eating can increase the amount of glucose and insulin in your body which can have an Effect on your ability to fall asleep. If you are going to be eating dinner late at night, it is best to make it a light one.

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Joann Ariola

Want to try something different AND delicious? Prepare your garden cucumbers using the classic Chinese technique of smashing or smacking the cucumbers to allow them to absorb more flavors in a salad.All you need to get started is:INGREDIENTS:

About 2 pounds thin-skinned cucumbers
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cucumbers
2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Small handful whole cilantro leaves, for garnish
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.
When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

How Do You Know When Your Cut Requires Emergency Care?

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Michael Hinck

Doctors in hospital emergency departments see thousands of patients everyday who have suffered various degrees of skin penetrating wounds. While many of these patients do in fact require immediate medical attention, not all do. The issue is, many patients do not know what types of injuries warrant a visit to the Emergency Department and which do not.

Dr. James Giglio Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center states “it’s tricky for patients to tell when cuts require medical attention. Many minor wounds heal without any professional intervention, but some require stiches or other types of treatment for proper healing. So how can you tell when to go to the E.R.?

According to Dr. Giglio, wounds almost always require a trip to local ER if they are:

Deep enough to expose the muscle, bone, or fatty tissue
Wide enough so that you can’t easily apply pressure to press the edges together
Located across a joint (fear of damaging nerves, tendons or ligaments)
The result of a bite (may require tetanus or tetanus treatment)
Caused by a dirty or rusty object
On the face or any other body part where scarring is a concern
Still bleeding after 15 minutes of direct pressure

Regardless of whether or not a wound requires a visit to the Emergency Department, the risk of infection increases the longer your wound remains open. Therefore immediate wound care is very important. Dr. Giglio states “It is best to gently clean the wound as soon as possible by irrigating it with thoroughly for a few minutes under tap water. You should also apply direct pressure to the wound and keep it elevated. This will slow or stop the bleeding.”

Thorough wound care is also very important to stave off infection. All wounds should be dressed with a topical antibiotic ointment and covered with a bandage. Doctors recommend reapplying ointment and changing your bandage two -three times daily for the first couple of days. If the healing wound gets wet, pat it dry and apply a dry bandage. Moist bandages delay healing and increase the risk of infection for most wounds. If you become concerned due to worsening pain, redness or swelling, contact your doctor immediately.

According to Dr. Giglio there are always exceptions to these rules. “The best advice I can give is if you are unsure about the severity of your injury, it is better to err on the side of caution and seek medical attention.”

Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides care for tens of thousands of patients every year. The doctors and staff in our Emergency Department can help you decide what level of treatment your wound requires.