Laugh Yourself to Better Health

Posted on February 17, 2012 by urgentray

How many times have you heard, laughter is the best medicine? Did you see the movie Patch Adams? Patch Adams is a real doctor who believes humor can be healthy. Laughter and humor have been linked to better health physically and psychologically. I would like my doctor to write me a prescription for laughter as needed throughout the day.

A good belly laugh can really center a person. Have you ever been with friends or family and the laughter and humor is flowing without effort and for those moments any depression or pain that may have been weighing you down are gone…you are centered, unencumbered. If only you could keep that feeling forever.

There have been studies that have shown a link between humor, laughter and positive attitude with improved health and improved self esteem. There was a study done where undergrad college students answered questions on a Coping Humor Scale (CHS) and the Situational Humor Response Questionnaire (SHRQ). They found that those with the highest scores had lower levels of loneliness, depression and stress. They also had higher self esteem. They deduced that students with a sense of humor perceived themselves as having a higher quality of life.

Humor has been used in different settings and for different reasons. One group of people that were studied were Midwestern females in their 50′s diagnosed with breast cancer. The patients were asked about the coping mechanisms that they used for depression and pain. Topping the list was prayer and spiritual healing. After prayer was support groups, humor and massage. These coping mechanisms fall under something called complementary therapy (CT). CT is those things that may not heal or cure but make us feel better. Of course humor alone cannot heal a disease. But used in conjunction with conventional medicine, CT can alleviate pain and negative feelings.

As a paramedic, I have transported thousands of patients and humor has been a tool, in my med bag, that I used when I felt is was appropriate. There have also been times in my career, when working with a new medic and the inexperienced partner pulls humor from the bag at just the wrong time. Believe me it can be disastrous. When the patient doesn’t laugh and the family gives a disapproving stare…that is when damage control and a heart felt apology is required.

I believe in humor as a mental health staple. Everyday we need people around us who make us smile and lend some laughter to our day. An apple a day may be healthy but a laugh a day can give you immediate gratification.

 

Posted in Health Issues, News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sleep and Dreams

Posted on January 24, 2012 by urgentray

Did you get enough sleep last night? Do you know your body and how much sleep is needed? As an adult you should have a pretty good idea of how well you feel with the right amount of sleep. My wife gets headaches if she sleeps in past 8am. I could sleep till noon if my job wasn’t in the way.

Most adults should get 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Your lazy teenager that stays up all night and sleeps all day is actually obeying his sleep hormones. His sleep messengers don’t kick in till about 1am. Ours, as adults, kick in around 10:00pm.

Sleep is closely tied to good health. But experts and scientist don’t know exactly why we sleep. They know for sure that all mammals sleep. But why? Maybe to regenerate our bodies and brains. The reason we know sleep is so important is because those who suffer from any of the long list of sleep disorders can attest to the health issues tied to there sleep disorder.

Disorders include but are not limited to:

          1. Sleep Apnea
          2. Snoring
          3. Insomnia
          4. Sleep Deprivation
          5. Restless Leg Syndrome
          6. Night Terrors (Sleep Terrors)

Any of these disorders can cause sleep problems for both the person who suffers from it and their partner.

Did you know that you can accumulate a sleep debt? A sleep debt occurs when you do not get enough sleep, night after night. Think of it like a bank account. If your sleep account is balanced at 8 hours of sleep per night and you go out with your friends for 3 or 4 nights and only get 4-6 hours of sleep you are now sleep deprived, your account is low. Symptoms of being sleep deprived include being drowsy during the day, nodding off at your work station and needing a greater amount of stimuli to stay awake. Some people have physical problems like stomach upset and decreased appetite. The only way to bring your account current is to sleep in, let’s say, on Sunday. Once you are well rested you need to go to bed early enough to keep your body well rested in the next week.

Are you thinking to yourself, “I do go to bed on time and I still fall asleep at my desk. I need 4 cups of coffee to keep me going in the morning.” You, my friend, may have an addiction to caffeine. Being reliant on stimulants like coffee and nicotine will cause your body to rebel until the drug of choice is fed to your starving addiction.

Do you dream at night? Do you have nightmares? A dream can be described as “a vivid, complex, hallucinatory experience generally accepted as real by the dreamer.” (Dement).  Scientist know that all mammals sleep but do animals other than humans dream? The answer is yes. MIT scientists studied rats and found that their brain waves, while asleep, exhibited the same brain waves as when they were awake running on a circular track.

No one knows why we dream. Some dreams are pleasant and we are disappointed when we wake up and the beautiful supermodel is gone. Some dreams are terrifying and cause panic until you awaken, relieved, to find we are not naked at school but home safely in bed. Why do we have these dreams? Again scientist hardly understand sleep so they have only theories concerning dreams.

One theory presented by Sigmund Freud was that dreams are latent sexual and physical/emotional desires. That theory is all but forgotten by modern psychiatrist. But that is where we get dream analysis. Like a horoscope, they are fun to read but they are not based in science.

Another theory by Harvard University psychiatrist, James Allen Hobson, is that the brain is randomly firing neurons as we sleep. These random neurons are interpreted by our brains as dreams. He does believe that we can think about the dreams we remember and relate them to our lives possibly making them useful.

Sleep is needed by all of us. Some enjoy it more than others. Leonardo da Vinci the greatest of DREAMERS believed he could get by on short 10-20 minute sleep intervals sleeping no more than 2 hours a day. I enjoy sleeping too much to give this a try but those who have tried it boast of the added free time. I would squander that free time watching more TV or playing video games.

Sleep and dream scholars are trying to learn the how’s and why’s of sleep. In the future, we may find the gene or part of the brain that causes sleep and dreams. Maybe our children will raise their children taking a pill that simulates sleep thus allowing them to work 18 hour days. How cool would it be if college students could take a “sleep substitute” pill giving them an additional 6-8 hours to study (party).

I don’t look forward to the sleep substitute pill. I enjoy bed time when the house becomes quiet and the kids are in bed. It’s then that I decompress from the day, read a little or watch something other than Nicktoons. Ultimately, I don’t have to worry about a society that doesn’t sleep. I don’t think it will happen in my life time…or will it? There is already a pill for shift workers that find it difficult to stay awake through the night and sleep during the day. The affliction that is being treated is excessive sleepiness (ES) secondary to shift work disorder (SWD). The drug is used to combat sleepiness thus allowing the night worker to stay awake during his or her shift. The sleep substitute pill is coming!

 

Posted in Health Issues, News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Childhood Obesity Part 2

Posted on January 16, 2012 by urgentray

This is part 2 of the 2 part blog discussing childhood obesity. In this part I will discuss how children are the victims of marketing and how parents can become their children’s role model.

The next time you find your son or daughter parked in front of the TV watching the same cartoon you’ve heard a thousand times but have never seen, stop and watch. Sit down with your kid and pay close attention to the commercials. They are designed to instruct your child to bug you for the newest toy or snack. There is actually a snack that you can temporarily tattoo your tongue with!

The marketing of processed fatty fast food is hard to resist. With the huge portion sizes and the toys and cartoon character that are in a kids face 8 hours a day on 10 different cartoon channels. Who can expect a child to resist. And the convenience, that is what sells the parents. After being at work for the last 8-10 hours, the last thing Mom or Dad want to do is cook dinner. So on the way home we pick up some burgers and fries for dinner. The kids, again, have no choice. The parents are the direct line to the fatty, sugary, salty mess that is fast food.

As much as I would like to blame “Big Business” for our children’s weight problem, the truth is parents are to blame. We have the power to say NO to bad food and YES to walking and jumping and playing. I realize there may be some genetic issues which may lead to obesity like slow metabolism or a thyroid problem but for the most part diet and lack of exercise is to blame I have read a lot of articles on childhood obesity and few of them spent more than a sentence talking about genetics. Mostly it’s the example set forth by the parents that causes childhood obesity. If parents are not home when the child comes home from school, children tend to over consume fatty, sweet and salty snacks. If the parents do not exercise than the child probably won’t exercise either.

Parental influence, I believe, is the top reason children become fat or obese. The influence a parent has on a child can not be understated. Even from birth the choices made by parents may influence if a child becomes fat or not. Some studies have shown that breast feeding is better for a child than bottle feeding. The thought being that a breast fed baby stops eating when they are satisfied whereas a bottle fed baby is encouraged to drink the whole bottle. Other studies have indicated that breast fed babies are introduced to multiple flavors influenced by the mother’s diet. Bottle fed babies are exposed only to the flavor of the formula. Also the availability of fruits and vegetables early in their life predisposes them to acceptance of fruits and vegetables as school children.

Children do not shop, parents do. The parents decide what types of food will be in the house and available for the child to eat. If the child is home unsupervised, what choice does the child have but to snack on chips and cookies found in the pantry.

There are new programs and ad campaigns directed at the childhood obesity epidemic. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, has begun the “Let’s Move” campaign aimed at helping kids make healthy choices. Due to all the reasons specified in this blog, The First Lady recommends giving parents the knowledge to make healthy food choices for their family, provide healthy foods in schools and helping kids become more active. But like all programs aimed at helping, there is a group which does not approve of The First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign. Those against Mrs. Obama’s campaign is the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA). This group believes the “Let’s Move” campaign singles out fat and obese kids as unhealthy and will bring undo ridicule on them. Therefore the “Let’s Move” campaign should educate everyone, of all sizes, to lead a healthy life style. NAAFA believes you can be heavy and be healthy. NAAFA is a civil rights organization not a health organization. You can visit their web site at http://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/.

Another campaign that NAAFA is against is a public service campaign is Georgia. This new campaign is drawing controversy for how it depicts fat children. The first phase of the campaign can viewed here http://www.healthhabits.ca/2012/01/03/stop-sugarcoating-childhood-obesity/ . The campaign is meant to be a three phase public service announcement. Phase 1 is meant to attract attention, which it is doing. Phase 2 will educate parents that there are ways to prevent and reverse childhood obesity. Phase three will offer support and tools to battle obesity.

Posted in Health Issues, News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Top Ten Reasons to Go to Our Urgent Care

Posted on January 11, 2012 by urgentray

1. Our Urgent Care is conveniently located close to home.
2. Our Urgent Care is open early and closes late (8am to 8pm)
3. Our Urgent Care is open 7 days a week
4. Our Urgent Care is located in clean modern buildings.
5. Our Urgent Care has experienced Emergency Department Doctors
6. Our Urgent Care can perform X-Rays
7. Our Urgent Care has in-house lab results for common illnesses such as Flu and Strep
8. Our Urgent Care hires the best Nurses, Radiology Technicians and Paramedics.
9. Our Urgent Care is less expensive than an Emergency Department visit.
10. Our Urgent Care strives to register, examine and treat in under 60 minutes.

Posted in Health Issues, News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Childhood Obesity Part 1

Posted on January 6, 2012 by urgentray

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in our community some are calling it an epidemic. As the following chart indicates, the prevalence of overweight children and adolescents has increased since 1963. What are the reasons? Who is to blame?

Figure 1. Prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents ages 6-19 years

NOTE: Excludes pregnant women starting with 1971-74. Pregnancy status not available for 1963-65 and 1966-70. Data for 1963-65 are for children 6-11 years of age; data for 1966-70 are for adolescents 12-17 years of age, not 12-19 years.

SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, NHES and NHANES.

While researching obesity in childhood, I found a lot of stats that gave dollar figures, costs of obesity on our society. The costs are staggering but difficult to understand. I can not wrap my head around billion dollar figures. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates the cost of obesity in children and adults to be $117 billion, $61 billion of that is in direct medical costs.

Much of the blame falls on the parents. The likelihood of a child becoming obese is significantly higher if one or more of his parents are obese. Other factors that lead to children becoming obese include over eating, lack of exercise, over consumption of the wrong types of food such as snack food and processed fast food and metabolism. Another factor to consider is marketing and the influence fast food marketing campaigns have on children.

Serving sizes have grown over the last 20 years. People now, especially kids, are accustomed to large size servings or super size servings. The marketing of soda and fast food makes it hard for us,as adults, to pass up the “deal”. When a medium soda costs 90 cents and the large which is 50% larger than the medium is only 10 cents more, how can you refuse? If it’s hard for adults to pass up the deal how can we expect kids to refrain from having the larger portion. After all, bigger is better! Right? Take this Portion Distortion quiz from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/index.htm .

There are a number of reasons why kids do not exercise as much today as they did years ago. The child’s physical environment may be a contributing factor. Those in urban setting may have no space to play. There may be a lack of open space. There may be crime or traffic that inhibit the child from running around.

The child may live in a suburb. A child in a suburb, as result of urban sprawl, may not be able to walk or ride their bike to school due to distance and lack of bike paths. These children may be left unsupervised after school due to both parents working. These children may be told to stay indoors. These “Latchkey” children play video games and watch television. In the old days these kids may have been allowed to go outside to play because Mom was home, supervising. There just weren’t as many electronics 20 years ago. Video games were not as prevalent. Cable TV and satellite television didn’t televise cartoons 24 hours a day on 10 different channels. The child may not have role models to look up to. The child’s parents may be obese and they don’t model good exercise or healthy living habits.

Kids today have it rough. I know, as adults we tell our kids how tough it was back in the 70′s and 80′s but really, we didn’t have the distractions kids have today. This was part one of a two part blog about childhood obesity. Next week I will discuss the marketing of fast food and snack food and role we play as parents to keep our children healthy and happy.

Posted in Health Issues, News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Holidays

Posted on December 22, 2011 by urgentray

The Our Urgent Care family would like to wish everyone a joyous and happy holiday season.

Holiday Hours are as follows:

December 24 Open  8:00 am to 4:00 pm

December 25 Closed

December 26-30 Open   8:00 am to 8:00 pm

December 31 Open 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

January 1  Closed

 

Posted in News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Keep Your Familiy From Getting Sick This Holiday Season

Posted on November 11, 2011 by urgentray

The holiday season is upon us and Our Urgent Care will begin to see an increased number of food borne illnesses or food poisoning. If you ask these people what they ate or when the symptoms began it is usually after a family gathering. If your family is anything like mine, after everyone is finished eating the turkey, ham and all the side dishes stay out for everyone to snack on. This could be up to 6 hours or longer.

There are ways to keep you and your guests from getting sick this holiday season. The first thing is the turkey. If you buy a frozen turkey be sure to defrost it in the refrigerator. It will take awhile so be sure to allow about 24 hours for every 5 pound for a whole turkey. The reason the turkey should be thawed in the fridge is if it is allowed to thaw on the counter, bacteria already present on the turkey surface, will grow rapidly when the temperature is above 40 degrees. Even if the center is still frozen, bacteria is growing on the outside. You can also thaw a turkey in the microwave, if your microwave is big enough. Cook the bird right after thawing in the microwave because parts of the turkey may have begun to cook in the thawing process. One other way to defrost a frozen turkey is to submerge it in cold water. Make sure the bird is wrapped well in a waterproof package because you don’t want a waterlogged turkey. As with microwave thawing, cook the bird soon after thawing in cold water because the temperature may have risen above 40 degrees allowing bacteria to grow. The water should be changed every 30 minutes.

Thawing the turkey in the refrigerator may leave behind juices from the bird on the refrigerator shelf. Be sure to wash the shelf and anywhere the turkey has had contact. Use a solution of bleach and water or hot soapy water. One of the top reasons people get sick is they allow other food products like vegetables to come in contact with the bird juices. Hands, utensils, cutting boards and counter tops are all common areas where cross contamination occurs. Now that you are ready to cook your turkey, cook it to at least 165degrees in an oven no less than 325 degrees, according to the CDC. A pop up indicator is nice but use a separate food thermometer to verify the bird is cooked throughout. Stuffing is best cooked outside the turkey but if you do cook it in the turkey it must also reach 165 degrees.

If you have cooked your turkey properly and avoided all of the cross contamination issues, the next way people get sick is from food that is left out on the table for too long. Remember 2 Hours, that is the maximum time hot or cold food should be left out on the table. Any longer and the food reaches the optimal temperature for bacteria to grow. Don’t leave the turkey out all afternoon for people to snack on. The same goes for the potato salad or any other mayo based salad.

Finally, you avoided getting you and your guests ill while preparing the meal, you placed all perishable food items back in the fridge in under 2 hours. So now, how long can you keep snacking on the left overs? The turkey can be made into sandwiches and soup for up to 4 days. The stuffing and gravy is safe for only 1 or 2 days. Mashed potatoes are safe 3-4 days. Go to www.foodsafety.gov for more information on food safety.

Have a safe holiday season and hopefully everyone will leave your house stuffed and happy.

Posted in Health Issues, News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Our Urgent Care Has Flu Season Covered

Posted on October 18, 2011 by urgentray

Flu season is fast approaching. Most experts place flu season as early as October and going as late as May. It’s October so the staff here at Our Urgent Care are ready and we have the vaccine specific for this year’s flu season.

Let’s talk a little about what the flu is. First of all, the flu is a respiratory illness not a gastrointestinal (stomach) illness. You may have some nausea, vomiting and diarrhea but according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) these symptoms are more common in children. Secondly, flu can be prevented with a flu shot and good hygiene.

The CDC has a list of what the most common symptoms are for the flu. They include:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Sore Throat
  • Nasal Congestion
  • Body Aches
  • Headache
  • Fatigue

If you are experiencing these symptoms, go to your closest Our Urgent Care in Wentzville, St. Charles or Maryland Heights. Our staff will do a flu swab to determine if you have the flu. We will treat your most immediate symptoms from dehydration and sore throat to a fever and chills.

The best way to avoid the flu is to get a flu vaccine. The flu shot is an inactive vaccine meaning it is not a live virus. You cannot get the flu from the vaccine. The nasal-spray flu vaccine is sometimes used in healthy individuals without a history of respiratory illness and wheezing in the past year. The nasal-spray is made with weakened flu virus. According to the CDC these live, weakened viruses cannot cause the flu.

Each year scientist from the World Health Organization, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study viruses from around the world. They study the viruses to determine which flu strains will most likely cause the biggest problem this flu season. If you are interested in which viruses were chosen for the 2011-2012 flu season, go to www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccine-selection.htm .

Now you know the symptoms of the flu and you know that Our Urgent Care stocks the proper vaccine for this year’s flu season. Now let’s talk about prevention. The vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu, according to the CDC. Another way to prevent the flu is good hand hygiene. Wash your hands often especially after using the restroom and before touching your face, nose, mouth or eyes. If you are unable to wash, carry a pocket size hand sanitizer with you and use it often.

An important aspect of the flu is to try and keep it to yourself. Be considerate of others and stay home from work or school. When you cough or sneeze use a tissue and throw it out immediately. If you experience flu symptoms and have to go out in public, be considerate of others and wear a mask to cover your mouth and nose.

There is good news for those of you who catch the flu. Call your doctor within 48 hours of the symptom onset and he may prescribe an anti-viral medication. These medications will not cure you of the flu like an antibiotic will, but it may help shorten the duration of the flu and possibly it’s severity.

 

Posted in Health Issues, News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Rain Didn’t Stop Our Fun!

Posted on September 15, 2011 by urgentray

It was a fantastic showing for the Fight Like a Firefighter Run/Walk to benefit Breast Cancer Survivors.  Director Kevin Guerra would like to thank the 10 or so Our Urgent Care employees who showed up for the charity event.

The Gang Line-Up in Front of the Pink Fire Truck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see SCRUBS made an appearance and what an appearance it was!  His buddy Fredbird was there and together they played with the kids and teased the adults.

Buddies mug for attention

 

 

Fredbird's Signature Move!

 

SCRUBS was not to be out done.  Everyone loves SCRUBS…………..

 

 

 

 

….from adults to children SCRUBS can bring a smile to your face.

 

 

 

As you can see the rain didn’t stop the fun. We can’t wait until next year.  Keep coming back to find out where SCRUBS will be next.  There is a Health Fair coming up in October.  We’ll give everyone plenty of notice.  Until next time SCRUBS says keep smilin’!

SCRUBS has a tough job.

 

Posted in News, Scrubs' News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

SCRUBS and The Gang From Our Urgent Care Are Walking For Breast Cancer Awareness

Posted on September 8, 2011 by urgentray

Mark your calender for Saturday September 10th for the Wentzville Firefighters Community Outreach event, Fight Like a Firefighter. Scrubs and the gang are walking 1.25 miles to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Actually, I don’t know if Scrubs is going to walk, Pandas are not known for there stamina or their ability to walk long distances. I do know, he will be handing out balloons to the kids and giving hugs and high fives.  Check out the Firefighters page for more information.  http://www.wentzvillefirefighters.org/#!

Posted in News, Scrubs' News, Uncategorized | Leave a comment