The hepatitis A virus (HAV), found in the stool and blood of an infected person, causes an infectious disease of the liver. Some of the symptoms of hepatitis A are jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine, pale or clay-colored stools, fatigue, nausea, stomach pain and poor appetite. A physical examination for any tenderness, a thorough investigation of symptoms, blood tests and a medical history are all usually part of any visit to the doctor for diagnosis. The doctor will also want to know if you have been exposed to hepatitis A or if you have been traveling.

There are no specific medications to treat hepatitis A. Rest and avoiding vigorous exercise is recommended. One may need to take an absence from school or work if performing those activities requires too much energy. It is important to try to eat a balanced diet during this period and to drink plenty of fluids. Because of the gastrointestinal upsets with this virus, sometimes eating several small meals a day is better than three large ones. Because the liver is where substances are broken down, it is important to avoid those things that are toxic to it, such as alcohol. Even Tylenol, which may seem benign, can cause serious damage to the liver if not taken properly. Consult with your health care provider before taking or stopping any medication if you have hepatitis. Symptoms last an average of two to six months.

The greatest control measure in preventing the transmission and spread of this disease is for people to wash their hands. This does require vigilance on an individual’s part — particularly those who work in day care centers with all of the frequent diaper changes. Speak to your physician about receiving the hepatitis A vaccine to avoid this disease. If you have been exposed, an injection of immune globulin (IG) given within two weeks may prevent you from getting hepatitis A.

Written by Betty Tryon, B. S. N.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult with your physician if you have questions regarding this topic.

A hospitalist — a physician who practices exclusively in the hospital setting — helps coordinate your care while you are in the hospital. Hospitalists have been a part of the medical field for many years, and are one of the fastest-growing types of doctors because of their important role in coordinating care and providing continuity for patients during their hospital stay.

Like a primary care doctor, hospitalists are trained in general internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics and other specialties. Some specialize in critical care medicine, cardiology or other subspecialties.
Hospitalists serve as liaisons for both patients and their physicians. Hospitalists are available to see patients frequently — sometimes more than once a day — to monitor their progress, answer questions and check in on the efforts of other health care professionals involved in patients’ care. Because hospitalists do not maintain medical practices outside the hospital, they can focus their attention exclusively on patients’ medical care while they are inside the hospital.

If you are admitted to the hospital for surgery, a hospitalist may coordinate your inpatient care after your procedure. Once you are discharged home, the hospitalist will communicate with your physician about further treatment needed, help arrange follow-up care or medications needed and send your hospital records back to your primary care provider.

Hospitalists have a thorough understanding of inpatient medical care. They are uniquely qualified to recognize and diagnose medical disorders, anticipate potential problems and rapidly respond to any sudden change in the patient’s condition.
Patients under the care of a medical team led by a hospitalist often have shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries. A study at the University of California, San Francisco and Tufts University found that patients under hospitalists’ care had a 12 percent shorter length of stay in the hospital — nearly half a day — as well as better surgical outcomes and fewer return trips to the hospital.

Provided by Navarro Regional Hospital.

Compulsive overeating can be characterized as an addiction to food with uncontrollable eating patterns of perhaps thousands of calories. With anorexia, someone will literally starve themselves dangerously and, sometimes, even to death. Bulimia is all about eating an abnormally large amount of food and then using unhealthy methods to rid the body of the consumed food by vomiting, laxatives, enemas or by other equally inappropriate means.

Inherent within all eating disorders is poor self-esteem. Many feel that the only way to feel worthy or valued is to be thin. Another online blogger said, “Since I was little, I remember feeling that it was very important to be skinny. Part of it was because when I was little, the meanest thing you could call someone was “mean” or “fat.” I had an extremely low self-esteem and a fear of being fat, so I was pretty much destined to having an eating disorder.  All I remember thinking was that I could not get fat. I’d rather die.”

Do not mistake these disorders as just being on an extreme diet. The psychological and emotional aspects that play into such dangerous behavior go much further than merely losing some weight with anorexia or enjoying your food in compulsive eating.

What triggers one to go from dieting to extreme behavior is unknown. There may be several factors at work here such as body image, weight issues, family problems and perhaps genetics.

Treatment is tailored to the specific disorder. A multidisciplinary team utilizing psychology, psychiatry and support from family and friends is sometimes necessary for successful treatment. Nutritionists for counseling in the form of rehabilitation may be included. Not everyone will need such intensive care. Treatment will depend upon many factors including the length of time one has the eating disorder, family environment and the health of the patient. There are many choices for treatment, whether it be inpatient hospitalization, an outpatient program, family therapy or a day care program utilizing the home environment. The goal for treatment is to help the person gain control of his or her eating behavior. They can get healthier, and the sooner they get started down the road to recovery, the better it will be.

Written by Betty Tryon, R.N.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult with your physician if you have questions regarding this topic.

Outdoors NOW However, you may experience discomfort in the neck, jaw, arm or back, and women often exhibit vague symptoms such as abdominal pain, indigestion or heartburn. Call 9-1-1 immediately if there’s a chance you could be having a heart attack or if you’re experiencing symptoms for more than five minutes.

Women, take your health to heart! It’s not only a man’s disease. While medical advances have improved survival rates, heart disease claims more women’s lives than any other medical condition. One of the most important things to know about heart disease is if it is detected early, it can often be successfully treated. You can do that by getting regular checkups by your physician and knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose numbers.

It is important to stay fit and take care of yourself and your heart. Defend yourself against heart disease by avoiding tobacco, exercising and eating healthy. Smoking doubles your risk of developing heart disease; regular exercise will help lower your Outdoors NOW risk of heart disease. Eat healthfully — at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, will also lower your risk. While it may seem overwhelming at first to live a heart-healthy life, small improvements can make a big difference.

Don’t take good health for granted. See your physician and discuss your risks and learn how to keep your heart healthy. Prevention is our best defense against heart disease.

Written by Angel Biasatti, Director Community Relations and Marketing Methodist Mansfield Medical Center

We’ve all experienced the discomfort of stubborn water remaining in the ear after a dip in the pool or a shower, a ringing sensation after attending a loud sporting event or a concert, or the sudden sensation of the room spinning, after standing up too quickly.

Our ears are made of tiny bones, passages and structures that not only control our hearing, but also our sense of balance and equilibrium. This delicate, intricate system can be thrown out of whack by many things: a cold, an infection, medication or an injury.

A common problem is tinnitus. With tinnitus, an abnormal ear noise such as roaring or ringing is heard in the ear. The noise has nothing to do with actual sound waves in the ear, but rather, is a “phantom” sound that’s heard either intermittently, or all the time. It can develop in the outer, middle or inner ear — and it can affect not only hearing, but balance, too.

Tinnitus is challenging to diagnose and treat. It can be caused by many things and is generally a symptom of an underlying condition, such as damage to the inner ear by illness, injury or abnormal tissue growth.
Tinnitus can occur in one or both ears. The phantom sound can be constant or occur in episodes, and can be accompanied by vertigo — a spinning sensation or loss of balance. The condition can be caused by excess fluid, infection, disease of the middle ear bones or ear drum, advancing age, loud noise exposure or some prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Tinnitus can be brought on by a variety of conditions, including: impacted wax in the outer ear, an ear infection, middle ear tumors, vascular problems (circulation disorders), noise-induced hearing loss, heart problems, TMJ (chronic inflammation of the jaw), auditory nerve tumors, epilepsy, etc. Often, tinnitus goes away on its own, but if it persists, untreated, it can cause permanent ear noise and disability.

The first step in treating tinnitus is a medical evaluation by your doctor, or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. Other diagnostic tests may include an MRI or CT scan to rule out the small possibility of a tumor on the balance or hearing nerve. Tinnitus can also be treated with medication and lifestyle changes. Remember that this information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor, but rather to increase awareness and help equip patients with information and facilitate conversations with your physician that will benefit your health.

— Contributing physician: Dr. Matthew Branch, Otolaryngology, Navarro Regional Hospital: (903) 641-3850

Sources: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, www.asha.org.
National Institutes of Health, www.nlm.nih.gov.
American Academy of Family Physicians, www.familydoctor.org.
American Tinnitus Association, www.ata.org.

For many symptoms, it can be tough to tell. The tips below may help you decide if a trip to the emergency department is in order.

Symptoms that warrant an emergency department visit include:

• Any trouble breathing
• Pain or pressure in your chest
• Feeling faint, dizzy or weak
• Severe pain that comes on suddenly
• Bleeding that doesn’t stop
• Excessive vomiting or diarrhea
• Vomiting or coughing blood
• Feeling suicidal
• Having trouble speaking
• Vision changes
• Mental status changes
• Unusual abdominal pain

It’s important not to panic if you or someone else experiences these symptoms. While these signs can warn of serious medical problems such as heart attack or stroke, they could also result from other, less serious conditions.

Sometimes the answer isn’t so clear-cut. While it is true the emergency department often sees individuals who do not have true emergencies, it’s always best to err on the side of caution. But how do you know whether to call 9-1-1? If you think the medical condition seems life-threatening or might worsen before you get to the hospital, if you’re worried about moving someone who has hurt their back or neck or if you live far away and may confront serious traffic congestion or a construction delay, go ahead and call 9-1-1.

Children may display additional symptoms that require immediate attention, such as high fever combined with a stiff neck, confusion, headache or difficulty breathing; a bad choking episode for infants; or ingestion of household cleaning products or medications — even a single dose of a grandparent’s high blood pressure medicine can be extremely dangerous.

For other conditions, call your primary care physician. Many doctors will return your call even after hours, and he or she can let you know whether a home treatment, an office visit or a trip to the ER is the best choice.

Since most minor accidents and injuries happen close to home, it’s important to keep a well-stocked first-aid kit within easy reach. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recommends including the following supplies:

• First-aid manual and local emergency phone numbers
• Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin
• Assorted bandages and gauze pads
• Adhesive tape
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antihistamine
• Antiseptic wipes
• Cold packs for injuries and burns
• Elastic wraps for sprains
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Latex gloves
• Oral medicine syringe for children
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Thermometer

Contributed by Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie. For more information, go to www.baylorhealth.com/Waxahachie.

It is so common that even men can fall prey to this disease. Richard Roundtree the actor and former Massachusetts senator Edward W. Brooke can attest to this. Because of the prevalence of breast cancer in our society,
the media swamps us with information regarding it all year. Nevertheless, October is the official month of Breast Cancer Awareness. This month, there will be an increased effort in helping people become aware of what they can do to better their odds at preventing this disease or for early detection to increase their chances of survival.

Becoming aware is your first step; action is the second. Do your monthly breast self-exam. Information about how to do it properly is literally at your fingertips. Do not neglect getting your yearly mammogram. Plan to have it done in a location near you. Yes, it might be a hassle, and sometimes uncomfortable, but invasive cancer will cost you far more hassles and the uncomfortable part is off the chart. Become aware of what your community has to offer for free or minimal-fee testing. Investigate your family’s health history and discover your risks. Educate yourself about the proper diet, lifestyle choices and medications that can increase your risks. Discuss your concerns with your health care provider to determine the best course of action for you. Be your own best advocate for your health care!

Get the word out! Communicate to family members and friends the importance of being aware, and encourage them to take the necessary steps for their health. If you can, donate to reputable organizations that seek to meet the needs of those diagnosed with this disease. There are many opportunities to make a difference. Organizations that further the research of this disease are critical, but they need your help to find a cure. Breast cancer can be a frightening diagnosis, but knowledge is power. Improve your odds of survival by arming yourself with all the proper tools to fight this disease.

Written by Betty Tryon

This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult with your physician for questions regarding this topic.

Born prematurely, the triplets are one of the reasons Monika teaches classes for the community. “Knowing what it is like to have a child in neonatal intensive care, and how scary it is to take a preemie baby home, has given me extra compassion and heightened my passion to equip parents with these important skills,” said Monika, who loves to teach and has found teaching CPR especially enjoyable. “It’s just interesting how God redirected my life!

“I have that knack to relate to people,” Monika said. “And it’s absolutely a gift from up above to connect with people and get them beyond their fear, so they have confidence that they could jump in and help if they want to. When it comes time for the CPR portion of my class, people sit up and go, ‘Wow!’ When you see them … practicing and doing hands on, they relax enough to where they get the hang of it. It is exciting to then see that look of confidence like, ‘I can do this!’ By the time they leave, they’re smiling and saying, ‘Thanks, it was really good; I enjoyed it.’ And it’s genuine.”

While working in surgical intensive care in Lubbock’s Methodist Hospital during her nursing studies 24 years ago, Monika realized the importance of confidence. “I think lots of times my students come in realizing that it would be a good idea to learn these skills. Deep down inside, a lot of their desire stems from that fear of what they would do if they had to help somebody in an emergency,” said Monika. She helps students from all walks of life challenge and conquer their fear by teaching them how to give care to loved ones and even strangers who are in critical situations. Her classroom is wherever people want to meet, whether in Fort Worth at Baylor Hospital or in Burleson in a meeting hall at First United Methodist Church or in the conference room at the Chamber of Commerce where Monika feels blessed to hold classes regularly. Using baby and adult/child mannequins, plus a training Automated External Defribulator, like the one found in most schools and public places for emergency situations, Monika teaches techniques for helping children and adults who are unconscious and unresponsive and may need to have their heart shocked into a more regular rhythm. She
also teaches breathing and chest compressions for ministering to a person until the ambulance arrives.

“I do a lot of teaching at Baylor Hospital to expectant parents. It’s usually people who are expecting their first baby, who want to be safe and prepared through childproofing their homes and learning to administer CPR. On occasion, I do some baby basic classes on how to care for a newborn, something as simple as how to change a diaper, how to feed your baby, and what to look for when your baby’s getting sick. You could have a new dad with a Ph.D. in engineering who breaks out in a cold sweat when he has to change a diaper,” Monika said. “We don’t have the extended family anymore, and a lot of these new parents don’t know what to do! I teach how to hold a baby, how to comfort a baby, how to decipher some of the baby’s cries. For that I have different props like tubs, blankets, baby dolls. The soon-to-be parents constantly hold that baby doll so they get used to not putting down that baby!”

Adjusting her presentations for diverse groups, Monika keeps her classes informal and interactive. “If people want to add comments, it works for me. The big thing I use is humor,” Monika said. “I am the first one to make fun of myself. Just the other day, I picked up one of my baby mannequins and just as I got ready, I conked the baby’s head on the side of the table. I said, ‘Not the thing to do! Now we have to worry about the head!’ I don’t come across as the one with all the wisdom. I put people at ease, and that opens people up so they’re not afraid to ask a ‘dumb’ question or even to practice.”

Monika has stretched out her hand to help people in other ways. In 1999, Monika went to Brite Seminary at Texas Christian University and graduated with her Master of Divinity in 2004. While in seminary, and working full time as a nurse, Monika also pastored a church in the Hill Country, 45 miles south of Brownwood. “It was hard to leave my little country church,” said Monika, who makes a better income nursing. “Whether I’m nursing, preaching or teaching, I’m passing on something that does make a difference in that person’s life. If I can connect with someone and convey a sense of respect for their core, that’s what it’s all about.”

Written by Melissa Rawlins

If your child has had an annual doctor’s visit in the last year, chances are they’re current on any immunizations required for school admission. Your doctor can provide you a copy of your child’s immunization record for your school’s files.

From birth to age 6, children receive regular vaccinations at each pediatrician’s visit. After age 6, it’s still important to see the pediatrician regularly for a well-child visit. Additional vaccinations are given at specific intervals between ages 7 and 18, including catch-up immunizations for children who may have missed a routine immunization at an earlier age, and vaccinations for children who are at an increased risk for certain diseases or conditions.

And, even if your child has had the needed immunizations, this time of year is fitting for a well-child visit, if you haven’t already scheduled one for the year. An annual well-visit provides an opportunity for you and your pediatrician to discuss your child’s growth, nutrition, sleep, safety, illnesses that are circulating, developmental milestones, as well as any questions you may have.

Updated Immunization, or Vaccination, Guidelines

Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control updated the list of recommended childhood vaccinations. The guidelines, approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, went into effect July 1, 2010, and include the following changes:

• Yearly influenza vaccination for everyone over 6 months of age. (The fall 2010 influenza vaccine will contain the H1N1 antigen.)
• The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which guards against genital warts, is now offered to boys. Previously recommended only for girls, the vaccine is offered in a three-dose series to males ages 9 through 18.
• The addition of a booster for the bacterial meningitis vaccine (MCV4), at age 11 or 12, or age 13 through 18 if not previously vaccinated. Children at high risk — i.e., those with weakened immune systems or other health conditions — should be vaccinated earlier, between ages 2 and 10.

The Importance of Vaccinations

Recent research indicates that resurgences of certain illnesses are often due to parents’ reluctance to vaccinate their children. A 2010 study by the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research of 90,000 children enrolled in a Colorado health plan found that children were nine times as likely to get chickenpox when their parents decided not to have them vaccinated.
Unsure if your child is up-to-date or needs a vaccine that is recommended, but not required? Schedule a well-child visit with your pediatrician or family physician for a check-up and discussion of your child’s individual needs.

Provided by Navarro Regional Hospital

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention — www.cdc.gov
American Academy of Pediatrics — www.aap.org
American Academy of Family Physicians — www.familydoctor.org
Remember that this information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor, but rather to increase awareness and help equip patients with information and facilitate conversations with your physician that will benefit your health.

Written by Betty Tryon, R. N.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult with your physician if you have questions regarding this topic.