Author Archives: NurseBridgid

Go Red for Women in February!

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The American Heart Association, for the past nine years, has been promoting the GO Red for Women Campaign to make women aware of their risks for heart attacks (cardiac arrest).  I not only support this as a female Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) but also as some who works with cardiac arrest patients, the more people know their risks and how to stay healthy, the more empowered they are to actually BE healthy! Approximately 8.6 women die annually, worldwide, from heart attacks; that is a lot of women who may have not known the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and gone for help too late, or not at all. Show your support on Feb 1st 2013 by wearing red and spreading the knowledge to other women in your life about the signs of heart attacks in women (which can differ from men) as heart attack is the highest rate of death among women.  Knowledge is power and can save your life!

go-red-for-women-logo

 

What are signs and symptoms of heart attack (cardiac arrest) in women?

– Fullness or pressure in your chest (may come and go and feel like a gas bubble or indigestion)

– Nausea and/or vomiting

– Sweating

– Jaw pain: may resemble that of temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) pain

– Light-headedness, feeling of faintness

– Chest pain that may come and go, and not be extremely painful, but more annoying.

Most women do not get the typical left arm pain that radiates into their chests, as men typically do.  Women tend to come into the hospital later on in their heart attack than men because they just think they are feeling unwell with a cold/flu, very run down, but really they are in the early stages of their cardiac arrest…so there is more cardiac damage done by the time women come in for care.

What do I do if I think I’m having a heart attack?

–  Call 911 (or emergency services)

– If someone is with you, and you know where a local hospital is, have them take you, but only if they are able to drive safely (If they are super stressed and freaking out, it might be safer for you to sit tight and call for Emergency Services)

And I totally know that it is easier said than done, but try to stay calm, and relax as much as possible. There are many options for quick and efficient treatment, and people live full and healthy lives after having heart attacks.

What can I do to prevent heart attacks?

Eat a clean healthy diet, low in sodium and saturated fats, and get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day.  Keeping your heart in-shape is the best way to prevent a heart attack.  Also, talk to your HCP about your risks, and getting your blood pressure and labs checked at your annual exam can also help you to know your risk factors.  The American Heart Association also put together a little heart test, to test your knowledge. Know the symptoms and share with other women in your life to help save their life.

Spread the knowledge, it will save lives.

Yours in Good Health

B

You might want to pass on the Chapstick….

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It’s been one cold winter, no matter where you live. And when it’s cold, we tend to ramp up the heat, which sucks the moisture from our bodies.  Plus, it’s so cold, we tend to not to want to drink the same amounts of water that we do in the summer, or when it’s warmer out, so our lips tend to get drier than normal, as unlike the rest of your skin, your lips don’t produce oils that can keep them from drying out.  I know tons of people who automatically reach for their favorite lip balm, constantly, and still have dry lips….well there’s a reason for that!

Why do most lip balms dry out your lips?

The skin of your lips is very thin and sheds every 28 days, they don’t produce any oils, and they aren’t protected from UV exposure on their own due to lack of melanin, so they do tend to dry out really easily. This is one case where you really need to read ingredients because if they have menthol, camphor, phenol, or any form of alcohol (things that have alcohol in them end with the letters “-ol”), that means that they will give you that tingle, but the tingle is usually the alcohol drying on the top layer of the skin on your lips.  So, if feels like it is adding a layer of moisture, and that minty/alcohol tingle takes any moisture you just added away.  That’s truly a bummer because so many lip balms, chapsticks, etc. that you see in the local pharmacy are filled with drying agents. You almost become addicted, because you feel like you have dry lips, apply your favorite lip balm, and it dries them out more, leading to the need for more lip balm…and the cycle continues.

Even Hilda likes to use coco butter on her lips!

Even Hilda likes to use coco butter on her lips!

What does actually moisturize my lips?

Some people really do like that tingly feeling, so it can be hard to move to a product that doesn’t allow for that tingly sensation, but to truly get moist lips, you have to ditch that tingle, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But what you can use is petroleum jelly or Vaseline work great and are very cheap.  You can also use either cocoa butter or Shea butter sticks, which are a bit pricier, but more portable than Vaseline tubs.  And, if you don’t like those options, then search other lip balms that do not contain alcohols, but are oil/lipid based as that helps to add moisture to your lips…and keep them moisturized!

What else can I do?

– Keep your mouth covered by a scarf in really cold weather

– Drink your 8 glasses of water a day

– Wear an SPF when going outdoors to prevent UV damage

– Use a humidifier at home if you use heat, to help keep your lips full of moisture

– Don’t pick or pull at dry skin from your lips- it can make the situation worse.

– If your lips are very chapped all the time, you may want to see a Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) to see if maybe you have a vitamin deficiency, and not necessarily a dryness issue!

So ditch your products with the tingle, and get some real moisture for your lips. You’ll save money in the long run, and have better looking moist lips!

Yours in Good Health

B

Have an annoying bump in your mouth? It may be a mucocele!

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I bet many of you have had a mucocele and maybe didn’t know what it was, and by the time you think to figure out what it is, it’s gone! I tend to be a teeth grinder when I am stressed, much to the chagrin of my dentist, but every now and again, I will bite my inner lip, so I tend to be really sensitive to any sorts of bumps and lumps in my mouth because I usually just assumed I have done some damage during my midnight teeth mashing! Instead of the trauma caused by teeth grinding, you can get some small bumps on the tissues in your mouth that are little fluid filled bumps that may be a little painful, but more annoying than anything else, and that, my friend, is a mucocele!

What exactly is a mucocele?

Mucoceles are painless thin little cysts (fluid filled sacs which has clear fluid once popped but can look almost bluish inside your mouth) usually on the inside of the lips and/or cheeks, and are quite common. The can also occur on the roof of the mouth, the tongue, or on your gums. They can vary in size, and the larger they are, the more annoying they can be, but they usually do not cause any pain, but they can just be irritating depending where they are (especially if on the tongue).  They are thought to occur due to sucking the tissue from your lips/cheeks between the spaces of your teeth (it’s a working theory), so the size of the mucocele would depend on the size of the space between your teeth. Although, they are especially common around an sort of oral piercing sites, so I am not sure how that works with the teeth sucking theory!

credit: oralmaxillo-facialsurgery.blogspot.com

credit: oralmaxillo-facialsurgery.blogspot.com

How are they diagnosed and treated?

The good news is that Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs) can just visualize it to diagnose it, and once we diagnose it, I am sure you will recognize it in the future (to save yourself a co-pay and trip to the HCPs office!) That being said, sometimes they become large and will keep coming back, which would require them to be removed by an oral surgeon or a dentist (depending on size, placement, and their level of comfort). Often, smaller mucoceles will just rupture on their own, spontaneously, and then not come back. If they are big and causing a lot of irritation, an HCP may have to rupture it for you using a sterile needle (which sounds painful, but it’s not.) I do not suggest rupturing them with any sort of sharp object on your own, as you risk an infection….and oral infections are neither fun, nor easy to treat!

How can I prevent them?

There’s nothing you can do other than remove oral piercings that you may have that there are commonly mucoceles around, and trying not to suck on your teeth.  I am not sure if people really intend to suck on their teeth, I don’t think it’s a conscious thing….but if you do, try to stop!

The important things to know is that they are common, and if they become uncomfortable go to see your HCP to get them removed.  They are in no way detrimental to your health, but to make sure that if they do need to be ruptured or removed it is done under the care of an HCP to make sure it is as clean as possible and prevent the risk of infection. So, next time you might feel a little annoying bump in your mouth, you have a little more insight as to what it is!!

Yours in Good Health

B

 

The Benefits of Raw Milk

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People think I am bonkers for my obsession with raw milk and raw dairy products, and there is a lot of fear about drinking raw milk, and I think that is due to people not really understanding what it is and all of the benefits.  I will not lie and say that there are no risks, because there are, and some people with immunocompromised systems (due to illness, chronic disease, and/or medications) that should probably not drink raw milk, and those who are pregnant should always err on the safe side and only ingest pasteurized food.

What is Raw Milk?

Raw milk is milk that is not pasteurized. The pasteurization process that involves heating the milk to a temperature, for a length of time and then immediately cooling it; this diminished the amount of pathogens (viruses and bacteria) present, and makes it safer to consume, although there still are some present, and an expiration date.  Raw milk from cows that are fed a clean antibiotic and hormone free diet, is a completely balanced diet in itself, with proteins, probiotics, and other vitamins and minerals.  There are some true raw milk fanatics that solely live off of raw milk.  I am not that person, but it can be done!

Raw MilkWhat are the Benefits?

As I referenced before, Raw Milk has a lot of protein in it, in the form of amino acids (the building blocks of protein for our bodies.) There are 8 amino acids present in raw milk, some of which aid the body in absorbing and binding iron, others have anti-viral properties, and anti-microbial properties (some specifically to kill off bacteria that can cause cavities!) And, while it does have carbohydrates in the form of lactose present, many who are “lactose intolerant” are able to tolerate Raw Milk because it has the bacteria lactobacilli bacteria, which breaks down the lactose, so your body doesn’t have to!  It also has saturated fat in it, which I know is not usually thought of as good for you, but it helps to trigger the satiety response; you feel full faster and tend to eat less. It is also full of vitamins and minerals, including lots of calcium, to make for a healthy a vitamin packed snack. Also, because it isn’t pasteurized, it is full of probiotics (active bacteria that are beneficial to your health.) All the vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, probiotics, and cholesterol, this is a full day of good stuff in a glass!

What are the Risks?

Because Raw Milk is not pasteurized, there is a risk that some harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, or E. Coli can be present in the milk.  If they are present, then you are at risk for those infections, which can cause stomach cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and can require hospitalization for severe dehydration treatment.  This is why people who are immunocompromised from age, chronic disease, or medications AND pregnant women and young children should steer away from Raw Milk.  Really this is the biggest risk.  There have been numerous people who have gotten sick from Raw Milk in the past, and the risk is highest when the cows are not grass-fed and if they were fed foods with hormones and antibiotics. If they are not grass-fed, and free ranged, there is a risk that the cows can be infected from the food and exposure to the bacteria in feces.

Raw Milk production is very highly regulated, and it is illegal in some states, and very strict rules in others, so my personal opinion is that the risks from Raw Milk are very low, and I have been strictly drinking Raw Milk for 4 years, with no issues. It tastes fresh, delicious, and it adds a nutritional benefit to my morning smoothies, tea, etc. I am not the kind of person who used to sit down with a glass of milk normally, but I started once I began drinking Raw Milk. The pasteurization process with traditional milk found in stores, kills off  not only almost all of the probiotics, but a lot of the vitamins and minerals are lost, along with some of the amino acids. If you are interested in giving it a try, you can check out the regulations by state.  You will feel better, absorb more calcium, and look better too; the less processed foods you add to your diet the better!!

Yours in Good Health

B

A Teeth Whitening Diet??

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We all know that there are foods we eat than can stain our teeth, like drinking coffee, red wine, tea,  and eating blackberries, beets, or blueberries.  But there are some foods that stain your teeth that may shock you AND some that you can eat that will help to promote teeth whitening.  So, no need to go to the dentist every couple of years and pay $500 for teeth whitening.  Eat your way to white teeth!

What foods can cause staining?

Other than the ones I just referred to above, there are some real shockers.  You think that you are safe from staining your teeth by drinking white wine?  Apparently the tannins and acids that are present in white wine, actually scratch your teeth and promote staining by other foods. Sodas (dark) tend to stain teeth due to the color of the beverage, but also light sodas can stain the teeth due to the acidity of the beverage, as well as sports drinks (think: Gatorade).  Isn’t that a total bummer?  You think that drinking light-colored things wouldn’t necessarily be awesome for your teeth (most of those items do have high sugar content) but you wouldn’t think that they would either stain your teeth or pave the way for staining! Apparently whatever would stain a white cotton T-shirt, would also stain your teeth.

bunny food or happy teeth food?

bunny food or happy teeth food?

What foods can I eat to make my teeth pearly white?

Apples! Apples, while yes they do have some acidity to them, are also really crunchy and full of fiber which can help scrub the teeth.  Actually most hard and crunchy fruits and vegetables will also help to scrub teeth clean and make them glisten: raw cauliflower, celery, green beans, carrots, pears, and jicama (to name a few) are not only low in calories, and high in fiber and yumminess, they also clean your teeth!  So next time you see  veggies out as finger food, grab them and start chomping for some last-minute whitening!

Some cheeses and other dairy products (think milk and yogurt) contain enzymes that help to strengthen teeth and prevent decay, so it helps to keep your enamel looking nice and white!

Strawberries can help to polish teeth and make them appear whiter and shinier, due to an enzyme called malic acid that is present in them.

Water helps to wash away anything that may be caught on your teeth that could cause staining if left there. And if you have no water and no toothbrush, what are you to do?  Chew on sugar-free gum! While dentists don’t normally love it, it also helps to clan your teeth by grabbing some of the stain causing items off of your teeth, plus it helps to promote  more saliva in your mouth.  Saliva can help to neutralize acids, thus prevent tooth decay and staining.

Is there anything else I can do?

Brush your teeth three times a day!  I am totally the nerd at work with a toothbrush and floss in a little pack that I keep in my desk to brush my teeth after lunch, and I’m really OK with it because I don’t have little brown nubs in my mouth (that was a little too far!) But avoid smoking, tobacco stains are some of the worst to get out of your teeth and it’s just really a bad habit anyway (think about ways to quit). And finally, when you are drinking tea or coffee or anything that might stain those beautiful chompers, drink through a straw, so at least you don’t stain your smilers (they are what everyone sees first!)

So brush those teeth, eat raw crunchy fruits and veg, and when you do need your caffeine fix?  Use a straw (just make sure that your beverage is a good drinking temperature or risk burning your mouth!) and keep those teeth happy and white!

Yours in Good Health

B

How to add calcium to your diet!

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I know a lot of people that are lactose intolerant, or just tend to really dislike dairy, and want to add more calcium to their diet. Calcium adheres to the bones and helps to prevent osteoporosis. It can be a bit tricky to know how much you might need to eat of various foods to get the amount of calcium that you need each day. Calcium is also a bit of a tricky supplement to take because you need vitamin D to absorb the calcium, without vitamin D, you only actually absorb about 10-15% of the calcium you ingest.  Vitamin D can be taken in supplement form but the best way to get Vitamin D?  Spend 30 minutes in the sun, outside of the most intense sunlight times (10am-2pm) with only light sunscreen on (and it’s best absorbed without any on).

How much calcium do I need?

From the ages of 10 to 20 your body absorbs the most calcium to the bones, and slows significantly after the ages of 30. It is suggested that the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)  for the ages of 9 to 18 is 1300mg, ages 18 to 50 is 1000mg, and ages 51+ is 1200mg per day. If you think that an 8oz serving of yogurt has around 400mg of calcium, and an 8oz glass of milk has around 350mg, cheese has about 300mg per 1.5oz serving, eating three servings of dairy, really help you to hit that RDA for calcium.  If you can’t tolerate dairy, or just don’t like it, fear not, there are other ways to get in enough calcium, you just need to pay attention to your diet.

milk, muesli, beans, tahini..sources of calcium!

milk, muesli, beans, tahini..sources of calcium!

How do I get my calcium on?

The good news is that we live in a world full of fortified foods, and soy, almond, and coconut milks all have around 300mg of calcium in an 8oz serving, as does Orange Juice fortified with calcium.  One serving of beans (1/2 cup) gives you around 100mg, 1/4cup of almonds (in any form) adds 80mg, and green leafy vegetables are chock full of calcium (1 cup of uncooked kale/spinach/etc has about 200mg).  And, if you are really into sardines, you are really in for a surprise, 8 medium-sized canned sardines has 370mg of calcium! And for all of you tofu lovers, 1/2 cup of tofu has 270mg of calcium.  Your after dinner treat of frozen yogurt? 100mg of calcium.  So pay attention to the foods you eat, most likely you are getting a good amount of calcium, and remember that most cereals and breads are fortified with calcium, so read the labels.

What else can I do?

Remember that your body can only really absorb a maximum of 500mg of calcium at a time, so if you are taking supplements, be aware of that!  Remember to get your sun for the Vitamin D to aid in absorption of calcium into your bones. Also doing low weight-bearing exercises, lifting low amounts of weights, ankle weights, helps to strengthen your muscles around your bones and keep the calcium in your bones instead of stripping off.  Too much calcium can cause some bad things, so make sure just to get the approximately the amount that you need! So get that calcium in and strengthen those bones!!

Yours in Good Health

B

Breathe Better in 2013

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I know smokers hear a mouthful from us non-smokers all the time, between the dirty looks, the coughing as we walk by, the comments that people feel the need to shout out….I get it, it’s annoying, but your habit of smoking, affects us non-smokers! We are exposed to the carcinogens that you are burning, inhaling, and then exhaling into airspace that we are also using. It seems trite, I totally get that, but you are not only exposing me as an adult, but children, animals, and other innocent people who may already have some health issues (think about a child with asthma; they should be able to walk down the street without having an increased risk of an asthma attack because someone is smoking near them).  But it’s a new year, and a great time to make a commitment to yourself and to better health! If you won’t quit for anyone else, quit for you!

Why should I quit? 

-443,000 people die a year from smoking related deaths, which is more deaths than from suicide, alcohol, illegal drugs, motor vehicle accidents, and murders combined!!!

– It increases your risk of lung cancer by 23 times (versus non-smokers)

– Heart disease and stroke risk increases by 2 to 4 times

– Increases you risk for other cancers: oral, larynx, skin, gums, cervix, bladder, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, esophagus….among others

– And specifically for women, smoking can cause: low weight births, stillborn births, infertility, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

AND, in case no one else has noticed, tobacco products are EXPENSIVE!!  I couldn’t afford to smoke a pack or more a day.

lighter:light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are the immediate benefits of quitting?

Within 12 hours of quitting, your blood oxygen levels increase back to a “normal” (pre-smoking) baseline and your carbon monoxide levels drop down to normal.

In 24 hours your chemical withdrawal symptoms will start (and will peak in 72 hours.)

Within 48 hours your nerves that have been damaged will reverse, and your sense of smell and taste will start to return.

Within 2 weeks your anxiety levels reduce (anxiety will be higher right after you quit in a response to stopping nicotine) and your blood circulation has restored to your gums and teeth.

At around 8 weeks, your risk of heart attack/disease starts to decrease significantly, and your lungs start to work better and more efficiently.

After 1 year of quitting, your risk of heart attack and stroke are at around 1/2 the risk of a smoker, and when you reach that 5 year milestone your risks are that of a non-smoker!!

The effects reverse, and your body starts feeling better so quickly after you quit, you just have to get through the cravings!

How do I quit?

Quit with a friend/buddy/significant other: it makes it easier if you keep each other in check. Or get support from help groups (1-800-QUIT-NOW, for teens Smokefree Teens, and women Smokefree Women) that can coach you through cravings, or talk to you about what you might be feeling every time you reach for that lighter and that pack of smokes.

Use nicotine replacement gum, inhalers, patches, etc and slowly wean yourself off of the nicotine so you just have to deal with changing your behavioral patterns, not the physical chemical cravings. There are also some medications and other treatments your Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) can prescribe for you, but there are quite a few side effects so you should be under the care of an HCP if you choose to take that route.

Make some lifestyle changes (just like when you are trying to lose weight) that you can stick with.  If you normally smoke when you drive to work, change routes. If you light up after dinner, go for a walk, get up and do something active that will change your “smokers routine”.  If you smoke when you hang out with certain people, don’t hang out with them for a while. I am NOT saying that it is easy, but it is hard work that you are putting in to make yourself healthier, and to live a life free of disease.  Life is hard enough, why add medical issues that you don’t need/want to deal with? And, again….the cost just blows my mind; wouldn’t you rather buy something cool that you’ve coveted with the money you save from not smoking??

Talk to your HCP, get a baseline physical, and then a year after your successful cessation of tobacco use, and you will see a HUGE difference in your health, all for the positive.

Yours in Good Health

B

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Diagnosis & Current treatments

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In light of the Marathon Monday bombings, fires in Texas, the Sandy Hook School shooting, the devastation of hurricane Sandy, along with other horrific and traumatic events have occurred recently, there have been many people experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, including me, the first few days after the bombing. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is frequently associated with combat veterans coming back from war, but it is also associated with other traumatic events, and is commonly misunderstood.  There are many side effects, some subtle and some not so, but the average person tends not to really understand this disorder, what sufferers go through, and the current available treatment options.

What is PTSD?

PTSD is the bodies stress response after some sort of traumatic event, usually where people feel their lives (or others around them) are in danger.  Some events that can result in PTSD are: exposure to live combat (i.e. war veterans), serious accidents (car accidents, plane crashes), physical and/or sexual abuse (especially during childhood), large-scale or national disasters (terrorist attacks, school shootings), after a loved one’s suicide or traumatic loss of life, and natural disasters (tornadoes, forest fires, hurricanes).  Basically any major traumatic event will lead to some form of PTSD, which can be transient, in that the symptoms come and go, or are experiences for a short period of time then go away and never come back, while some people experience the symptoms for the rest of their lives.

one of the many reasons for PTSD

one of the many reasons for PTSD

Who will get PTSD?

It is truly unknown why some people experience symptoms and others don’t.  You can put two people in the exact same situation and they will respond differently, and it is very difficult to predict who will have more severe symptoms.  Usually the experience itself determines if people have symptoms and the length of time. Some other factors that may lead to a more intense PTSD reaction:

-If the event was fatal (people died)

– How close the survivor was to the event (i.e. someone who actually had a gun aimed at them during en event and were not shot would have more risk of long-term symptoms vs. their significant other would be effected by the event but have a lesser risk for long-term symptoms)

– If a person was injured during and event or lost someone close to them

– The control you felt during the event(s) or lack thereof

– If treatment, therapy, assistance was sought out after the event

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

As I stated earlier, some of these symptoms are more subtle than others, and most people who survive traumatic events will have some of these symptoms immediately, then they can go away, or continue on. I was in a state of hyper-arousal for a few days following the bombing and definitely having nightmares, but I also felt like I was in a fog and very forgetful, so I appreciated people being understanding with me. Once the symptoms last more than 4 weeks continuously and start to effect your personal life and work life, or cause you great distress consistently, you fit the criteria for PTSD as a diagnosis. The four main symptoms of PTSD are: 1. Reliving the event (having nightmares, constantly thinking about the events during the day causing you to be unable to concentrate). 2. Avoiding similar situations (If you were in a traumatic car or plane accident, no longer riding in cars or planes). 3. Inability to feel (many PTSD victims have a lack of experiencing true feelings after the event, they describe themselves as being “numb”  or having “dulled” feelings). 4. Constant hyper-arousal (always anxious and expecting something bad to happen, constantly looking over their shoulders, worried). These symptoms can lead to behaviors by the victims to try to combat them.  Some people drink or take drugs to slow their minds so they aren’t constantly thinking about the event, while some become severely depressed leading to suicidal thoughts/actions or extreme anger, or acting out and being very promiscuous to try to get their mind off of the event. These are all coping skills that are not healthy and can lead to problems at work, in relationships, suicide, and addiction.  There are ways to help and alleviate the symptoms of PTSD.

 

What are the Treatments?

Some people are treated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibtors (SSRIs) to help with depression.  Psychotherapy (counseling) in conjunction with SSRIs can help to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD and help people to get back to their mental state (basically) from before the event.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most effective type of therapy to help victims to work through their feelings about the event and their responses to it; you learn the skills to actively change your thoughts and feelings in response to the traumatic event.  Essentially you work through your feelings and change your response, and no longer keep your feelings bottled up about the event, prior, and after. There is also Prolonged Exposure therapy, where you talk about the event and your feelings so extensively, that it no longer causes you such pain and anxiety, you then expose yourself to   things you have been staying away from to decrease your anxieties.

There are treatments out there, and they are not quick or easy, but they work.  All victims need to know that they should not keep their feelings inside, and they need to talk to a therapist that will help them work through their feelings. I was encouraged to talk about the event with people at the hospital that experienced the same event, and talk to everyone who asked; it was very, very hard, but also made me feel better.  I also used the outlet of writing about the event as a form of therapy, and I felt SO much better having people hear my story. It can be horrible to relive experiences, but it will be worth it to work through the feelings and anxiety, and be able to live your life without the fear or stress of that traumatic experience, and truly begin to live your life again.  If you know anyone with symptoms, or you think you might have symptoms, talk to a family member, your HCP, a therapist, anyone to get help.  If you are in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or call a suicide prevention line (800-273-8255) * if you are a veteran, you can press 1 after dialing the same suicide prevention number and speak with someone trained to specifically work with veterans.

**The FBI set up a victim assistance line specifically for the victims of Monday’s bombing.  Please ask for help, and talk to someone….anyone. It WILL make you feel better.

Take control of your life back.

Yours in Good Health

B

Animal Assisted Therapy: Pro or Con?

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At my hospital we offer Animal Assisted Therapy animal visits a couple of days a week, patients and their families are asked when they are admitted if they like animals and if they are interested in getting a visit.  The handlers of the therapy animals (which are all certified and up to date on all vaccinations), then will go to various floors where patients have requested a visit, make sure it is still acceptable with their current state of health and with various procedures, etc. and then will pop in for a 15-30 minute visit, depending on what is allowed by the patient and their Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs). There are differences of opinion about Therapy Animals in the hospital, however, and some feel that these visits can be detrimental to patients health.

The two cutest therapy dogs on planet earth....if I do say so myself!

The two cutest therapy dogs on planet earth….if I do say so myself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are the two sides to the debate?

Obviously I’m biased on this one, I love animals, and have two therapy dogs of my own, and there is another side to the story; I’d like to pretend there isn’t one, but I will give you both sides of the debate so you can make your own judgement!

Pro:

The overall goal of Animal Assisted therapy is to improve the cognitive, social, and emotional functioning of any given patient. It was first used in the 18th Century with patients that had mental/psychiatric disorders, and though it was based on no real science at that time, it was found that the patients were better able to socialize with one another when caring for and being with animals. Sigmund Freud found that children and adolescents were much more comfortable and open in therapy when animals were present, they helped to decrease stress.  In modern-day life, the therapy is based on a biophyllia hypothesis, which basically states that because humans depended upon animals for survival long ago, when we see an animal at rest, is signals to humans that they can be calm and restful as well. Animal assisted therapy is currently brought to prisons, hospitals, nursing homes/extended care facilities, and with home therapy; patients who use animal assisted therapy see great results and report feeling better, they have seen elderly with significant dementia who can be aggressive or mean, change their behavior when there is an animal around. Children with autism that had extreme inability to interact with humans, are able to show emotion and interact with animals. There was a study performed in 1998 that found patients with various mental disorders, including anxiety, had observed and reported decreased in anxiety after animal assisted therapies. Another study on 2007 looked at patients with heart failure and found that after three months with animal therapy, their blood pressure and heart rates were decreased at rest, showing less strains of stress on the heart, and they had and improved quality of life. There have been numerous other studies published, but these are a couple with tangible results.

Con:

There are numerous HCPs that either don’t believe in the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy or are just really against it.  One reason that some HCPs don’t buy into it is that the research studies that have been published aren’t the strongest scientifically speaking, they aren’t studying the neuron effects of patients as they get therapy with a dog, for example, instead they report based upon the patients actions and reported feelings after therapies. Mostly, just like anything else, poking holes in the research is the way to show negativity or “prove” it doesn’t work. The biophyllia hypothesis (mentioned above) is also highly questioned as a theory in general, as the basis for it is pretty weak.  One reason why one, very outspoken, Medical Doctor, is very anti Animal Assisted Therapy is because he thinks of the animals as vectors to transmit disease and bacteria; not that the animals themselves are dirty, but that so many people pet the animals without washing their hands, and even if I do clean my hands, I could (theoretically) obtain others bacteria from my hands.  There are very few bacteria/viruses that dogs and humans can share in common, so the concern is strictly with bacteria that might travel from patient to patient. Of course, there is also the risk that some patients have low immune systems from their disease process or are allergic.

Just to reiterate: we do not bring therapy dogs to rooms of people who do not request them (due to allergies, they don’t like dogs, etc.) OR if it is medically inappropriate. The dogs are washed and clean when coming into the place of therapy, and every place is different, but it is normally requested that people either wash their hands or use an alcohol based antibacterial cleaner on their hands before touching the therapy animals. I never really thought about the fact that my cute little pooches could be vectors for bacteria BUT I don’t normally like tons of random people touching them, so when they are used for therapy, I do keep an alcohol based cleaner on me to strongly encourage use before petting my dogs!  And just from personal experience, patients and the hospital staff light up when they get visited by the therapy animals, and the atmosphere that can be highly charged with stress, feels lighter, happier, and everyone has a smile on their face. I think that says it all!

So, what do you think?  Would you be willing to allow it for you or your family member? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Yours in Good Health

B

A Happy and Healthy New Year!

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I hear a LOT of chatter about “my diet starts tomorrow!”, “I think I’m going to go gluten-free to lose some weight”, and my favorite “Just signed up for a new gym, so I know I’m going to go every day, and 2013 will be my year.” I appreciate all of the gusto, and that people decide to make a change, with a definitive date in mind (i.e. New Years day), and I REALLY want everyone to be successful, so why don’t we make a resolution we can stick to?  Perhaps, being healthier in 2013! There are so many things you can do to be healthier without making ridiculous requests of yourself that you know you won’t be able to keep.

How do I go about being healthier?

–Make a commitment to exercise: Try something new, something different, and something you aren’t committing to for a whole year! So don’t spend a ton of money at a gym, maybe get a pack of passes to a yoga and/or Pilates studio? Pole dancing? Spinning? Boot camp? Pick your poison; try something new, and stick to a two to three month commitment.  There’s no need to be married to it, if you like it, stick with it, if you don’t, you are not out a ton of money and you will find something new, but you are trying something new exercising, and you’re excited about it, which means you’re more apt to do it.  Paying a ton of money and signing a years contract to a gym does not mean you will actually be going there to run on that hamster wheel…right?

–Take the time for nutrition: Make a food journal, if you feel that you need to step up your diet and eat healthier, and figure out where your calories are coming from.  Don’t cheat yourself, but write down everything (including beverages) that you ingest during the day, and try to find ways to make it healthier, or cut calories.  Do you snack on candy at work? Bring trail mix (full of fiber, some sweetness from dried fruits, and protein from nuts) which will keep you satiated longer than candy and you will feel better, or just bring some protein in the form of nuts, yogurt, jerky, etc. if you bring your own snacks that you enjoy and are healthy, it will cut down on the amount of mindless snacking, that can add up in calories! Plus making your own food, you have more control over the ingredients and the amount of fats/sugars added, so your nutrition is literally in your own hands.

–Try to decrease refined sugars: It is difficult and definitely a commitment, but I am not a huge fan of people quitting things cold turkey, as it were. Watch the foods you are eating, and read nutrition labels, and try to cut out anything with extra sugars added and cut down on how much you add to your morning coffee (for example), or breakfast cereal.  Try Coconut palm sugar or agave, something that is not a chemical, with a low glycemic index that still makes your sweet tooth feel satiated!

–Commit to eat out LESS: Eating out or getting take out foods a lot, not only will cost a lot, but there are hidden fat and calories in take out food, that you wouldn’t add yourself.  If you don’t cook, maybe grab a friend and take a cooking class?  Or just teach yourself, as long as you make a commitment to learn to cook, you can do it…even if not burning toast is a feat for you, give yourself a pat on the back for getting it done! Some food items that seem like you have to buy them because they would be hard to make, are so easy to make and more delicious when you make them yourself, like: hummus and pita chips, salads, soups, etc..  So simple, and you can cut fat, calories, and extra sodium! I made a tomato basil bisque with 1/4 of the fat and calories that you would normally get at a restaurant- so easy, fast, and yumbos!

 

Easy, yummy, good for you, and cost friendly!

Easy, yummy, good for you, and cost friendly!

–Try not to obsess about numbers: I am the opposite of most people and I don’t even own a scale.  I judge my weight based off of how I look and feel in clothes.  I roughly know what I weigh, but I am never certain until I go for a check up and I get weighed! But, if you are someone who weighs themselves a few tips: don’t do it daily (especially for women, hormones can really mess with that number), but weigh yourself at the same time weekly (this will give you a better average), and don’t be so obsessed with ONE number that you want to weigh.  Just be healthy, and exercise, and your weigh will come down to what it should be; if you starve yourself or workout like bonkers to hit a certain number, once you hit it, you will most likely won’t stay there: you set yourself up for failure.

Truly making a commitment to yourself and bettering your health is the first decision that you make, from there on, it is so easy to stick to it: buy healthy foods (buy groceries primarily from the outer aisles of the store), stock up on healthy snacks and keep them around (if you have easy access to healthy foods you are more apt to eat them), and try some new exercises, grab a buddy and go! The only person that can impeded your commitment to a healthier you IS you, so make that decision, go for it fully, and take charge over your own body.  It will feel good to be healthy, and starting off with healthy choices makes you feel good and will lead to a chain reaction of healthy choices.  So here’s to 2013 and a healthier version of you!!!

Yours in Good Health

B