- Surgery, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs February marks Heart Health Month, show your heart some love by eating a nutritious diet comprised of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, exercising regularly, and avoiding smoking. Taking these steps can decrease the chance that you may need heart surgery one day, but if you do need heart surgery, medical advancements have improved options and outcomes for surgery patients. Here are five things you should know about heart surgery: If Your Arteries Are Blocked, Surgery Can Help. A blocked blood vessel can lead to a heart attack, stroke and other problems. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common type of open heart surgery performed on adults today. The surgeon uses a blood vessel taken from another part of the body to provide an alternate route for blood to go around the blockage. When You Have A Valve That Doesn’t Work, Doctors Can Replace it Without Surgery. Conditions like aortic stenosis can keep the heart valve from opening fully and make it difficult for blood to flow. Left untreated, aortic stenosis can damage the heart muscle and lead to severe complications. The good news is that aortic stenosis can be fixed without surgery. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a game-changer. It is a minimally invasive alternative to a traditional surgical valve replacement, deploying artificial heart valves using small catheters. This avoids the need for open-heart surgery and can lead to less pain and faster recovery. TAVR demonstrates outstanding results, providing a viable treatment option for patients who previously had limited choices, ultimately extending their lives and enhancing their overall quality of life. Traditional Surgery Can Work for A Valve Replacement, Too. Certainly, open heart surgery remains a viable method for replacing a damaged heart valve. Surgeons have performed the procedure for more than 50 years, yet Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR) is still considered major surgery since it involves opening the chest to perform the procedure. Nevertheless, it has a high success rate, with a low likelihood of significant complications. You Should Treat A Bulge In Your Blood Vessel Before It Becomes an Emergency. An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement of the aorta, which is the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. When an aneurysm gets too large, it can tear or rupture which may be life-threatening. There is a lot at stake, so it’s important to know the warning signs, which can include: Chest pain Coughing up blood Dizziness Hoarseness or trouble swallowing Pulsing near the belly button Shortness of breath Sudden and intense abdominal or back pain If you or a loved one have an aortic aneurysm, treatment often starts with medication and keeping a close eye on it. However, if it’s large or fast-growing, surgery may be the best option to replace the weak section of the aorta with a graft, or tube. Surgery Can Correct Heart Rhythm Problems. Today, doctors can help arrhythmia issues. But when medications and catheter ablations don’t work, surgical ablations can be performed with improved success. If you are concerned about your heart health, schedule an appointment with a primary care provider or cardiologist. If heart surgery is recommended, we provide skilled, compassionate surgical care for all heart conditions at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. Consultations are available in Lanham, Annapolis, and Kent Island. Author Murtaza Dawood, MD is an experienced cardiothoracic surgeon who is recognized for performing operations for complex valve disease and atrial fibrillation. He is known for treating mitral valve regurgitation as well as aortic valve disease.0
- Community, Pediatrics, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogFamily routines are everything our current COVID-19 times are not: consistent, predictable and reassuring. While you may not consider yourself a “creature of habit,” you’ve likely hoped for a sense of normalcy to return to daily life. But for everything you’re feeling, your children are likely suffering more significant effects. Learn how routines can help Our children are in a constant state of development as they grow. New information and experiences shape and re-shape how they see the world — even before coronavirus came our way. Familiar routines can help kids find stability and a sense of security in good and bad times. Research shows family routines can support essential building blocks for kids, including better sleep, improved resilience during times of crisis and success at school and in social situations. Know where to start Where to start depends on your family’s needs. Play back your last few days and think about any stressful situations that developed. Was it getting your kids out the door in the morning? Putting dinner on the table? Getting everyone to bed? Chances are, you’ll notice patterns, and developing routines that address your family’s stressors can bring calm to critical transition times, such as: Before school After school Bedtime Weekends Start small. Setting little “constants,” like doing homework every night right after dinner, reading a book together before “lights out” or remembering to lay out school clothes, may be just what your family needs. Around mealtimes, you might try: Family scheduling. If you’re answering daily questions about when things are happening or always rushing to find a soccer jersey, library book or birthday present, established routines make it easier to stay on the same page. Put a family calendar where your kids can see it and check it together daily, preferably at the same time every day. Knowing what to expect can be comforting to your kids and avoid confusion. Meal planning. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to feed your family every day. We suggest writing down three to five wholesome meals and making them every week until you can serve them with your eyes closed. These will be your go-to meals on weeks when you get busy. To simplify your meal schedule (and resist buying not-so-healthy or more expensive take-out options regularly), you might: Batch cook and freeze grab-and-go family favorites, like sausage-and-egg breakfast sandwiches or black bean burritos. Prep kids’ lunches the night before, or wash and cut up fruits and veggies for them to find easily. Try recurring weekly meals, such as Taco Tuesdays, Pizza Fridays or Soup on Sundays. Plan for periods of high stress When your family is especially busy or you’re dealing with stressful events — like COVID, a life transition or illness in the family — it can be easy to let things slide around the house. But quick daily routines can help you feel in control. They can also help keep your home running smoothly and mean you won’t have to face a mountain of household tasks at once later. You might try: Cleaning up dishes after every meal Getting up a half-hour earlier in the morning Running a load of laundry every day Running the dishwasher every night The great thing about routines is that once you’ve established them, you don’t have to think about them: they will become more automatic the more you do them. Make time for special moments It’s important to make sure you’re savoring the good stuff — the kind of everyday special moments that keep your family feeling connected. Once a week or month, you could consider scheduling: A date with your partner. Having time scheduled on the calendar is an excellent reminder to take time for your relationship, even when things are hectic. One-on-one time with each of your kids. You could let them pick a game to play or a park to visit together. You don’t need to keep up with your routines perfectly for them to work. Aiming to hit them most of the time will be enough to have an impact. And if things fall off track, it’s never too late to start again. Start small — and just keep building from there. You’ve got this. Authors Jennifer Williams is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor0
- Men's Health, Women's Health, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSummer is in full swing! With school out for the year and summer vacations on the calendar, there’s a lot to look forward to this time of year. But summertime also means an increased risk of sun damage, heat-related illnesses and other seasonal ailments. Here are some of the most common summer safety concerns and what you can do to address them. Stay safe in the sun As we expose more of our skin during the summer, we are also exposing ourselves to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, which damages skin cells. Sunburns significantly increase the risk of developing skin cancer. In fact, more than five sunburns as a child can double your risk of developing skin cancer later in life. A suntan also increases your risk of skin cancer, the most serious of which is melanoma. It’s important to protect your skin and eyes all year long, but especially in the summer, when UV rays tend to be stronger. Wear UV-blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes and the sensitive skin around them. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protector factor (SPF) of at least 30, which will screen out 97 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays as well as protect against ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. Apply approximately two tablespoons of sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours, especially if swimming or sweating. Consider limiting your time in direct sunlight, especially between 10 am and 4 pm, when UV light is strongest. For more summer safety tips, visit www.askAAMC.org/sunsafety. Enter our Instagram contest, and help us spread the word about the importance of sun safety! Beware of heat exhaustion and heat stroke Outdoor activity can lead to heat exhaustion, one of the most common conditions kids experience in the summer. The signs include severe thirst, nausea, fast and shallow breathing, headaches, muscle pain and cool, clammy skin. If your child is showing signs of these symptoms, immediately bring them somewhere cooler, remove excess clothing, encourage them to drink cool fluids and call your doctor. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can turn into heat stroke, which is extremely serious. Symptoms include a pounding headache, dizziness and light-headedness, red, hot, dry skin, cramps or muscle weakness, rapid, shallow breathing, nausea, vomiting, confusion and unconsciousness. If you think someone has heat stroke, call 911 immediately. While you wait for medics to arrive, work to cool the person down by moving them to a shaded area, fanning them and cooling their skin with water. You can prevent heat exhaustion by making sure your child is drinking water early and often, especially if they are playing outside in the heat. Be prepared when traveling Nothing can spoil your vacation like getting sick or injured. But if this does happen, it helps to be prepared. If you’re older or have chronic health issues, see your doctor four to six weeks before your trip to make sure it’s safe for you to travel. Check to make sure your vaccinations are up to date, and make a list of your current medications and allergies. Include the names and phone numbers of your doctors and your pharmacy. Remember to bring a note on your doctor’s letterhead if you are taking controlled substances or injectable medications. You should also program health information, including medical conditions and emergency contacts, into your phone (both Apple and Android products have built-in apps for this). If you have a history of heart disease, ask your cardiologist to give you a wallet-sized version of your latest electrocardiogram (EKG). Over-the-counter medicines, including ibuprofen and a thermometer, should also be a part of your travel kit. Don’t let illness put a damper on your summer activities. Following these safety tips will help you have a relaxing, fun and, most importantly, healthy summer. Authors Joanne Ebner is a cancer prevention program manager at Anne Arundel Medical Center. You can reach her office at 443-481-5366. David Afzal, DO, is a family medicine physician with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Waugh Chapel Family Medicine. To find an AAMG doctor in your area, visit MyAAMG.org. Mike Remoll, MD, is the medical director of the Emergency Department at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- Men's Health, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen Nakeya Johnson had her third child in 2010 she knew something had to change. With three small children at home, her health and wellness had taken a back seat to family and work responsibilities. But, on January 1, 2013 Nakeya decided to make a serious commitment to getting healthier. I gave up soda,” said Nakeya, a medical secretary with AAMC Oncology and Hematology. “I started drinking water, eating a healthy breakfast and I got moving!” Nakeya made it a priority to visit the AAMC Employee Gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays when her schedule permitted, and when she couldn’t make it, she began getting up at 5 am to walk. “I realized that I could get up that early and fit in a work out,” Nakeya said. She still follows that routine – adding jogging and strength training to her routine – and to date she has lost more than 70 pounds! Nakeya credits technology with helping her get and stay fit. “I find so many workout routines on YouTube,” she said. “I have walking videos and weight lifting routines to help me strength train.” Nakeya also uses her FitBit to track the number of steps she takes every day and the My Fitness Pal app on her phone to help her keep track of the calories she eats. She participates in AAMC’s Weight Watchers at Work and focuses on portion control when it comes to eating. “I am a stress eater,” Nakeya said, “but now, when I feel stressed, I excuse myself from my kids and I go to my basement and do a five minute workout instead of eating a cookie. It’s amazing how much exercise helps reduce stress!” Staying active and making healthy choices is a family affair with the Johnsons. After seeing Nakeya’s progress, her husband started exercising regularly. Nakeya has become a role model for her children who are also more active and aware of the importance of making healthy choices. “My kids are always pointing out things that aren’t on our ‘healthy eating’ list,” laughs Nakeya. Asked what advice she has for others looking to improve their health and fitness, Nakeya stressed having faith in yourself. “You will get discouraged because it does take time to see results, but you have to have faith that you can do it. I kept telling myself I wasn’t turning back once I started and I didn’t.”0
- Adventure Therapy at Luminis Health PathwaysWe use every tool to help you recover and stay strong when you're receiving inpatient substance use treatment at Luminis Health Pathways. Besides being unique and fun, our adventure therapy program offers:Personal motivation through excitement. Our on-site ropes course features more than 20 high and low activities. Plus vertical challenges that include a 45-foot climbing tower and a 12-foot climbing wall.A chance for reflection. Adventure therapy offers a respite from the chaos of daily life. It takes place on our tranquil Pathways campus, nestled in a beautiful, wooded area just outside Annapolis.Expert staff. You'll be in good, safe hands during your adventure therapy. Our staff is specially trained to work with those recovering from substance use.TreatmentConditions/Services/Treatments PageDare to Believe in YourselfTrust — in yourself and others — plays a big part in recovery from substance use. Adventure therapy challenges you to regain the trust you've lost. It confirms your ability to handle whatever the future holds. What is Adventure Therapy?Adventure therapy is a form of behavioral psychotherapy that uses team-based exercises and daring obstacle courses to teach you to believe in yourself.Activities like walking a rope bridge high in a tree canopy test your motivation and commitment.Set outdoors, adventure therapy is a full sensory experience. It taps into the stress-relieving power of nature. And taps into helping you make behavior changes critical to your healing process.You're safe every step of the way. Your harness protects you from falling, but you still must have the determination to walk across that bridge to get to the other side."If I can do that, I can do anything." That's a typical feeling after completing adventure therapy.0
How can we help?
Common Searches
Common Searches
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?
Your Account
View your Dashboard
Messages
Billing Summary
Find Care
Schedule Appointment
My Care Team
My Record
Appointments
Medications
Insurance Summary
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?