Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Written by: Dr. Kenneth Cheng
With record temperatures recorded around the country this summer, there is reason to be concerned about your children out in heat.
Football and the fall athletic season is almost upon us and it is especially important to be aware of the warning signs of serious health conditions, such as heat stroke, and prepare yourself and your family to throw around the pigskin.
Warning signs that something may be wrong include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches and dizziness, according to physicians. In many cases, however, individuals can display systems of heat stroke suddenly and without warning.
Extreme symptoms, on the other hand, include high body temperature, lack of sweating with flushed, dry skin, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, strange behavior, hallucination, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure or even a coma.
According to a study out of the University of Georgia, most of the heat-related football fatalities during the past 30 years were children under the age of 18 and athletes, along with infants, the elderly and those who work outside are among the most susceptible.
Although the best solution is to avoid extreme heat, there are a few prevention measures you and your family should take when the love of the game draws you out to the field or you just can’t miss your family reunion:
- Wear loose fitting, light clothing
- Get to a cooler place
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Take extra precautions with certain medications – ask your pharmacist or doctor about possible side effects while out in the hot sun
- Avoid being inside a hot car, especially children and older adults
- Avoid strenuous activity in the heat
So why it’s great to have fun in the sun, play in the grass and get some exercise, make sure to take the appropriate precautions when headed out the door.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Written by: Krista Reader
Should we still send our kids to school with an apple for their teacher when school starts this fall? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 98% of commercially grown apples contain pesticide residue.
In the Environmental Working Group’s yearly shopping guide, the data earned the fruit the top spot on the “Dirty Dozen” list, accompanied by celery, strawberries, peaches and spinach. But, before you cross apples off the grocery list or start bringing onions – which topped the clean list – for teachers, the pesticide residue measured well below unsafe levels determined by the USDA.
“It’s a headache,” Mark Seetin of the U.S. Apple Association told The Wall Street Journal. “It implies that something terrible is going on. But growers are doing nothing illegal. They’re just trying to keep their apples fresh and nutritious.”
Others in the industry calculate that crop losses would double without these chemicals, leaving consumers without the choice between often expensive organic fruits and commercial grown options.
The pesticides are used for a variety of functions including keeping the apples free from blemishes, warding off and insects that may take food, sunlight or water from the plants and to keep the fruit fresh before reaching your shopping cart.
To test the pesticide levels, the USDA washed samples of the fruit for 10 seconds under cold water in order to mimic the average American consumer.
The lists are not compiled in order to scare consumers, according to the Environmental Working Group, but more of a guide to encourage shoppers to consider buying organic for thin, edible skinned fruits and vegetables – virtually guaranteeing a pesticide-free product – and be aware of the data.
According to members of the group, the health benefits of a diet “rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure.”
For those that don’t want to take the risk, onions were joined by corn, pineapples, avocado and asparagus at the top of the clean list.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Written by: Dr. David Bloom
Alarm clocks, traffic jams, deadlines, bank accounts and the dog barking across the street in the middle of the night can all be contributing to your body’s battle with obesity.
According to recent research, stress has been linked to biochemical changes in your body that trigger cravings for a bag of potato chips instead of reaching for an apple.
Often people allow stress to control their eating habits. Working under deadline at work may mean it’s easier to grab a burger and soda at a drive-thru rather than taking the time to make lunches at home. Unfortunately, as stress may cause people to eat inappropriately and gain weight, the extra pounds cause further stress extending the cycle.
The body’s feel-good chemical – serotonin – plays a major role in what your body craves.
As you find yourself drawn to sweets, pasta or potatoes (what we affectionately refer to as comfort foods), your body is encouraging you to self-medicate with carbohydrates, which raise the body’s serotonin level. More often than not, the carbohydrates you ingest are full of fat.
Chronic stress can contribute to the excess release of cortisol by the body. Cortisol manages fat storage in the body, how the body uses energy and even helps with the development of short term memories in the brain. As more cortisol is released while experiencing stress, it can increase your appetite and can leave you yearning for sugary or fatty foods.
A lesser known hormone in the body, neuropeptide, also plays a role in how our bodies process food while undergoing continual stress. While experiencing stress, nerve cells in the body release neuropeptide that encourages fat accumulation and increases the body’s desire to take in more foods high in fat and sugar.
If stress enables your body to work against you and your goals, how do you break the cycle?
Don’t allow yourself to get too hungry. If you’re the type of person who gets the evil look in your eye when you haven’t been fed, be cautious and prepared – bring healthy snacks in your bag or keep a few in your car.
Keep portion size in mind. After a stressful meeting or getting out of a traffic jam, it is understandable that you may want eat the plate your food is served on. Starting out with small portions, chewing each bite and pausing to put your fork down can help your calorie intake.
Eat healthy snacks. The best snacks are ones that combine more than one food group. Peanut butter and celery sticks, cheese and small tomatoes or even a handful or nuts or pack of yogurt are an easy choice to avoid snacks high in fat and sugar.
Calm down. Eating properly and taking a few minutes to exercise or just relax can work miracles for how your body deals with stress. Finding time to stretch, spend time with friends and taking a short walk around the block will help your body combat the hormones that may be working against you.
In addition to weight gain, stress has been linked to numerous emotional and physical disorders including
- depression
- anxiety
- heart attacks
- stroke
- hypertension
- immune system disturbances that increase susceptibility to infections
- a host of viral linked disorders ranging from the common cold and herpes to AIDS and even certain cancers
- autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis
If stress is getting the better of you, we strongly recommend taking the time to talk to a specialist or your primary care physician before more serious issues occur.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen
Our yearly supplies of flu vaccines are coming in! Please give us a call at (949) 706-3300 or contact us via this website to schedule an appointment.
Who Should Consider the Flu Vaccine This Year?
Infants and children 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year for the 2011-2012 influenza season. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for “universal” flu vaccination last year in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people.
Potential High-Risk Groups: While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that the following groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications:
- Pregnant women
- Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
- People 50 years of age and older
- People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
- People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including: Health care workers, household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu, household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
Vaccines We Have Available:
- Flu shot — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, sometimes a micro needle, in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women.
- Nasal-spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.
- High dose Fluzone – sometimes indicated for 65 years of age and older
* “Healthy” indicates persons who do not have an underlying medical condition that predisposes them to influenza complications.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen
Leanne Flesch is assuming responsibility for all medical insurance billing and management functions. Leanne has extensive industry experience and is working with the team to ensure your medical insurance needs are handled quickly and easily. She is taking over this function from Susan Le, who after 3 years of providing outstanding service to our patients, is leaving to embark on an exciting new management opportunity. We are thrilled for Susan and wish her the very best.
Feel free to call Leanne anytime you have questions regarding your medical insurance or if you would just like to connect. She can be reached at 949.706.3300 and looks forward to meeting you!
