- Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMaintaining good health during pregnancy involves more than just watching your weight and taking your prenatal vitamins and folic acid. It also includes managing your blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. The force is created with each heartbeat as blood is pumped from the heart into the blood vessels. If the pressure in your arteries becomes too high, you have high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Sometimes high blood pressure is present before pregnancy. In other cases, high blood pressure develops during pregnancy. SEE MORE: Are you at risk for high blood pressure? Take this quiz! While there is no exact cause of hypertension during pregnancy, there are many factors that increase your risk of having it. Your risk may be higher if you’re: Pregnant for the first time Overweight or obese Over 40 years old African American Giving birth to multiples Have a history of hypertension Hypertension is known as the silent killer because those who have it often do not have symptoms. “This is why it’s so important to come to all of the prenatal care appointments,” says Laura Merkel, MD, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at Annapolis OB-GYN. “Even if you’re feeling great, we want to see you, measure your blood pressure and check on your baby.” While many women with high blood pressure deliver healthy babies, hypertension can affect the kidneys and increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Other complications include: Fetal growth restriction: High blood pressure can decrease the flow of nutrients to the baby through the placenta. The baby may have growth problems as a result. Preterm delivery: If the placenta is not providing enough nutrients and oxygen to your baby, your provider may decide that early delivery is better for your baby than allowing the pregnancy to continue. Placental abruption: This condition, in which the placenta prematurely detaches from the wall of the uterus, is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Cesarean delivery: Women with hypertension are more likely to have a cesarean delivery than women with normal blood pressure. A cesarean delivery carries risks of infection, injury to internal organs, and bleeding. Your health care provider may also test your urine for protein because hypertension during pregnancy may lead to preeclampsia. This is the most serious form of hypertension during pregnancy. Along with high blood pressure, there are signs that some organs may not be working properly. Preeclampsia is a serious condition characterized by the following signs and symptoms: High blood pressure. Swelling of face/hands. Protein in urine. Changes in vision. Call your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. Preventing High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy There isn’t a magic pill or one single medication that prevents high blood pressure during pregnancy. The good news is there are some simple ways to keep your blood pressure down. You can: Reduce salt intake. Limit intake of caffeine. Avoid tobacco entirely. Get lots of rest. Drink at least 10 glasses of water every day. Do not drink alcohol. Reduce stress levels. Elevate your feet when possible. After the birth of your baby, your care team will closely monitor your blood pressure. Your gynecologist and nurses will watch for any symptoms of preeclampsia. Typically, blood pressure falls back into normal and safe levels within a few weeks of delivery. However, we encourage all new moms to continue monitoring themselves once they’ve arrived home, especially as it relates to high blood pressure. Signs your blood pressure may still be high are: A headache that won’t go away. Irregular vision (spots, blurry vision). Nausea or vomiting. Very little urine output. You just don’t feel well overall. “If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider right away,” says Dr. Merkel. “Don’t attribute a bad headache to being a normal pregnancy symptom, it could be something more serious.” Originally published April 4, 2018. Last updated April 26, 2019.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs the weather warms up, you may be packing up the little ones and heading to the playground more often for some outdoor fun. But it’s important to keep safety top of mind as your kids play. From 2002 through 2015, there were more than 350,000 playground slide injuries involving children younger than six years old, according to a 2017 University of Iowa study. The study looked at a national database of injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms. You might think it’s safer to go down the slide with your child, but it actually puts them at risk for a leg fracture. “Unfortunately, we see too many of these fractures every year. We don’t see this happening in children who go down the playground slide alone,” says Dr. Edward Holt, an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics. More than a third of the children in the University of Iowa study broke a bone. Those breaks usually involved the child’s lower leg. Typically, these injuries occur in children between the ages of 8 months to two years, Dr. Holt says. “The weight of the parent behind the child twists the child’s leg if his toe touches the sliding board,” Dr. Holt explains. If you don’t want to let your toddler go down the slide alone, then make sure the child’s feet don’t touch the slide, Holt says. “In this case, it’s best to remove the child’s rubber-souled shoes before going down the slide,” he says. Beyond the playground Some backyard toys can be every bit as dangerous as those on your neighborhood playground. Trampolines, for example, cause thousands of injuries every year in the U.S. and the American Academy of Pediatrics even warns parents not to buy them. Dr. Holt says the most common injuries he sees are sprained ankles, wrist and leg fractures, arm and elbow injuries, and head and neck injuries, which tend to be the most serious. “Before you buy a trampoline, set up rules for the use of it. Then go over those rules with your kids and get their buy-in. You should also look at your homeowners’ insurance and liability policy to make sure that backyard trampolines aren’t excluded from your policy,” he says. Children under the age of six should not play on an adult-sized trampoline, Dr. Holt adds, though there are child-sized trampolines available for younger kids. If you do buy a trampoline, Dr. Holt says place a net around the trampoline so children can’t fall off. And make sure the trampoline has a ladder to prevent children from trying to jump off of it. You should also place the trampoline on a level surface with padding on the springs and frame. Dr. Holt also urges parents to avoid having the trampoline next to a tree or second-story deck. He says children could run into those things or worse, be tempted to jump off of them onto the trampoline. Author Edward Holt, MD is an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics who specializes in foot and ankle problems. Originally published May 24, 2018. Last updated April 26, 2019.0
- General Page Tier 3BlogMay 5 is Cinco de Mayo, and you might be planning to eat Mexican food to celebrate. But a delicious Mexican meal doesn’t have to be high in fat, calories or salt, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Here are some of the Academy’s tips for how to stay healthy on Cinco de Mayo: Include avocados, peppers, tomatoes, mangoes or jicama in your meal. Dip into fresh salsa, and make a dessert with a berry or other fruit base. Skip the sour cream, cheese and other high-fat fare, in favor of tortillas filled with veggies, chicken and beans. Prepare dishes that are grilled, broiled, baked or stir-fried. Skip the fried tortilla shell for a taco salad, and ask for sauces and toppings to be served on the side. Choose soft corn tortillas. Season food with chilies, lime, cilantro and other fresh, natural flavors that don’t overpower with salt. Drink alcohol in moderation on Cinco de Mayo. Opt for a light beer or a margarita on the rocks, and skip the salt on the rim. Ann Caldwell, nutrition coordinator at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, says if you choose to indulge in guacamole on Cinco de Mayo, consider portion size. You can also dip veggies, such as thinly sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or celery, instead of chips. Salsa is another healthy alternative, she says. Here’s her recipe for fresh, delicious salsa. Fresh Tomato Salsa for Cinco de Mayo Fresh salsa is easy to make and simply delicious to enjoy! Ingredients 3 ea. Tomatoes, fresh, chopped (3 cups) ½ ea. Red onion, finely chopped 1/3 c. Green pepper, finely chopped 1/3 c. Red pepper, finely chopped 1 ea. Jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 ea. Juice of one lime ½ c. Cilantro, chopped Salt and pepper to taste (Add a pinch to ¼ tsp. of ground cumin for additional flavor) Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight before serving. Originally published May 3, 2017. Last updated May 3, 2021.0
- Cancer Care, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLast year, I wrote about the popularity of the Juul device among middle school students, high school students and young adults. Juuls, which look like USB flash drives, are a type of e-cigarette used to inhale flavored “pods” that contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. While nicotine itself does not cause cancer, it is highly addictive and harmful to the developing brain. This puts young people, whose brains continue to develop into their mid 20s, at higher risk of developing mood disorders, issues with memory and learning and poor impulse control. They are also more likely to develop an addiction to other substances later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, many of these devices are also used for substances like marijuana. Over the past year, awareness of the risks associated with juuling has grown, and public health officials have cracked down on e-cigarette manufacturers’ sales to youth. Here are some of the major developments. Take our pledge to love your lungs, and be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card! Nicotine Use on the Rise The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 27 percent of high school teens used tobacco products in 2018, an increase of 38 percent over the past year. More specifically, e-cigarette use, also known as vaping, increased 78 percent among high school students, from almost 12 percent in 2017 to 21 percent in 2018. The use of other tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars did not really change. Therefore, we can reasonably attribute the increased nicotine use to e-cigarettes. READ MORE: Does your child Juul? Combatting Nicotine Use Thankfully, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), called teen vaping an epidemic and announced increasing restrictions for the industry. These measures include targeting retailers of Juuls through multiple undercover sting operations, taking action on flavored products that are appealing to youth, closing online sales to minors and curbing marketing of tobacco products to youth. The FDA also expanded its tobacco prevention campaign, “The Real Cost,” to educate teens on the dangers of e-cigarettes. Last September, the FDA conducted an unannounced inspection of Juul Labs’ headquarters in San Francisco, seizing over 1,000 pages of documents and ordering Juul to develop a youth prevention plan. In response, Juul improved its age verification system for purchases made on its website. Shoppers must now either provide the last four digits of their Social Security number or upload a valid government-issued ID for review. Juul also says it has increased its secret shopper program to verify that retailers are following the standards, while issuing fines for those that do not. Tobacco 21 Most recently, the Maryland General Assembly approved Tobacco 21, a bill that raises the age for purchasing tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes from 18 to 21. That law went into effect Oct. 1. Final Thoughts Learning more about the different types of e-cigarette products, including Juul, is an important first step in addressing youth vaping. It is also important to recognize the signs of e-cigarette use. The flavorings in the Juul and other tobacco products contain chemicals that may be safe to eat, but are not safe to inhale into the lungs. These chemicals can be irritating to the lungs and can cause coughing, wheezing and an increase in asthma symptoms. The secondhand vapor, much like secondhand smoke, contains chemicals and is not harmless water vapor. While I applaud the efforts of local and federal government to curb the use of e-cigarettes by our youth, parents and other influential adults must continue to talk to their children about the dangers of juuling. Author Stephen Cattaneo, MD, is a thoracic surgeon and medical director of Thoracic Oncology at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- Community, News & Press Releases, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogToday is an important day for our community. We have learned that the appeal against the approval of a cardiac surgery program at Anne Arundel Medical Center will be dropped. This means that after more than two years of being tied up in the court system, we can move forward with our plans to bring this important service to our community. AAMC remains one of the busiest facilities in the state of Maryland for treating life-threatening heart attacks. We are also one of the best in delivering this life-saving care in the shortest amount of time, which is critical to the patient. This cardiac surgery program will allow us to provide the full continuum of cardiac services. In essence, we will no longer have to transfer hundreds of AAMC patients to other programs outside of our region each year. This is a true win for our patients, their families and the community! With the ability to move forward, we are able to begin our recruitment of key staff to lead and develop our program. We anticipate that we will be able to provide patients with cardiac surgery services in spring of 2020. Your unwavering support for this program has helped bring us to where we are today. On behalf of everyone at AAMC, we are grateful. I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.0
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