- Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWomen are more likely to experience bladder control problems, also known as urinary incontinence. Many women think that accidental leakage is a normal part of aging. While incontinence is common, it is not normal. The good news is there are many options for help, and most women who get treatment see their symptoms improve. Here are a few treatment and self-help options to help you manage incontinence. Maintain a healthy weight and diet. Carrying extra weight adds stress to your pelvic floor and impacts function of the nerves and muscles in your genital tract. Also, find a healthy balance of fluid intake to stay hydrated without overdoing it. This can reduce your trips to the bathroom. You also want to drink the right kinds of fluids. Beverages like coffee, tea and energy drinks with artificial sweeteners can irritate your bladder and create a sudden urge to ‘go.’ Live an active lifestyle. Fitness plays an important role in managing your incontinence. While high-intensity exercises can increase your risk of incontinence by placing pressure on your pelvic floor, regular physical activity keeps you normal. Kegel exercises, with or without the help of a physical therapist or professional trainer, can also help you better control your pelvic floor muscles and help with leakage. Try physical therapy for the pelvic floor. Pelvic physical therapy can help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and aid in function of the organs that support your pelvic floor. Physical therapy might include pelvic floor contractions for urge control as well as stretching and strengthening exercises to help decrease pain. Therapists can also help you with proper Kegel technique to make sure you are getting the full benefit of the exercise. Talk to your doctor about medication to help control symptoms. There are several medications available to help manage the muscle spasms in your bladder that cause incontinence. Your doctor can help you learn both the risks and benefits of using medication. Talk to your doctor about minimally invasive surgery treatment. If other treatments fail to improve your symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery to treat incontinence has advanced to include minimally invasive options. Minimally invasive surgery allows for a faster recovery and quick return to daily activities. Most surgical patients leave the hospital less than 24 hours after surgery. Urogynecology is a field of medicine dedicated to the treatment of pelvic floor disorders, including incontinence, in women. Places like Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) Women’s Center for Pelvic Health have urogynecology doctors to help patients of all ages optimize and maintain pelvic wellness. Don’t let incontinence take away from your quality of life. Talk to a urogynecologist about a treatment plan specific to your symptoms. Author Kay Hoskey, MD, is a urogynecologist with AAMC Women’s Center for Pelvic Health. Her office can be reached at 443-481-1199. Originally published Aug. 28, 2017. Last updated Sept. 1, 2025.0
- Orthopedics, Senior Care, UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe first thing you should do is get a proper diagnosis. Many patients with bone and joint pain assume they have arthritis. This can be a dangerous assumption. There are many different causes of joint pain that aren’t related to arthritis. Talk to your doctor to find out what is causing the pain. Exercise Moderate exercise is an integral part of treating arthritis. Activities such as walking, swimming, or gardening can help keep your bones strong and your joints limber. Modify Your Activities Proper body mechanics can lead to a more effective use of your body and reduce strain on your joints. Here are some guidelines: Practice good posture Avoid sitting in low chairs to reduce stress on your knees While traveling, get up and move around every hour or so Avoid running and jumping Reduce climbing activities Avoid any activity that causes prolonged discomfort. Take Over-the-Counter Medications/Vitamins As Needed Pain-relievers and anti-inflammatories can help relieve joint swelling and pain. Pain from arthritis may vary greatly from day to day. Start with medications with the least side effects and take them only when necessary. Plus, supplements with vitamins C and D and calcium may be helpful. Ask your doctor what is best for you. Things to Consider: Orthotics/Braces/Assistive Devices: Various devices are available to help minimize pain, discomfort, and stress. They can assist you in accomplishing tasks more simply. Ask your physician or physical therapist if there are devices that would help you. Prescription Medications: When over-the-counter medications are ineffective in reducing the pain, swelling, and stiffness from arthritis then prescription medications may be helpful. Injections: Cortisone injections directly into joints may help relieve both swelling and pain. Surgery: Surgeons specializing in arthritis can provide you with all of the options and help determine if surgery is right for you. To learn more, visit askAAMC.org/Joint. Originally published March 5, 2015. Last updated April 26, 2018.0
- Behavioral Health, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhile heart attacks are physical health problems, many people don’t realize they can create mental health issues as well. Feeling depressed after a heart attack isn’t uncommon. According to the American Heart Association, up to 33 percent of heart attack patients experience depression. When someone has a heart attack they’re typically doing something, such as running or walking up stairs. After the heart attack they may be afraid their heart is delicate and hesitate to complete common activities. Most heart attack patients experience feelings of shock or sadness after a heart attack, but some people can slip into a deeper depression. If these emotions continue for several weeks, it’s time to seek help. Because depression can affect physical health, addressing symptoms quickly can help avoid other problems down the road. I tell patients, “You’re going to go back to your usual life, as long as you take the right steps.” These steps include faithfully taking prescribed medications, eating a healthy diet and exercising. And cardiac rehabilitation can help. Cardiac rehab provides a safe environment to start increasing physical fitness. AAMC’s Outpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program includes counseling to help patients improve their health and reduce the risk of future heart problems. Oftentimes, patients who choose to participate in cardiac rehab have better outcomes than those who don’t. Family members and loved ones also play an important role in helping heart attack patients recover. If you think you know someone experiencing post-heart-attack depression, look for these warning signs: -Extreme changes in appetite -Extreme changes in sleeping patterns -Avoiding previously enjoyable activities -Insomnia -Restlessness -Fatigue -Feelings of worthlessness -Feelings of excessive or inappropriate guilt -Trouble concentrating Encourage people who show these signs to seek help. For some, support groups are a healthy environment to cope with depression after a heart attack. AAMC’s healthy hearts cardiac support group is available for those who have experienced heart issues. Call 410-507-3766 for more information. Heart attack patients can experience the same quality of life as they did before their heart attack, but sometimes they need to take extra steps to get there. Author Baran Kilical, MD, is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist with Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published Feb. 23, 2016. Last updated March 27, 2019.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute will enhance elder care services in Anne Arundel County Gilchrist, Maryland’s largest nonprofit leader in serious illness and end-of-life care, today announced a joint venture with Luminis Health to form Luminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute. The joint venture will enhance comprehensive geriatric care services in Anne Arundel County. The Luminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute will provide an integrative continuum of care for the elderly across multiple settings, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, long-term care facilities and at home. These services will help address the complex medical, emotional and social needs specific to the elderly. The joint venture expands on Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center and Gilchrist’s existing partnership for hospital-based palliative care services. In-hospital hospice care will also be available at Anne Arundel Medical Center. The Luminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute will provide services in Anne Arundel County, with plans to expand to Prince George’s County through Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in the future. “Gilchrist is pleased to partner with a nationally recognized regional health system to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care to those with serious illness, whenever and wherever they need it,” said Catherine Y. Hamel, president of Gilchrist. “Luminis Health shares our commitment to serving patients throughout all stages of life.” “Our partnership with Gilchrist is a natural evolution of our nationally recognized Institute for Healthy Aging to provide expansive care and services to our older adult population and their families,” said Mitch Schwartz, president of Luminis Health Clinical Enterprise. “It’s about providing the right care, at the right time and the right place, and this new partnership will ensure that elderly health care is seamless. We are pleased to have the expertise of Gilchrist in hospital-based palliative care and, now, geriatric care and hospice services beyond our hospital walls into the communities and homes of the people we serve.” By 2034, older adults (65 and over) are expected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. Maryland will experience a projected 136 percent increase of individuals aged 80 to 84, between 2005 and 2040. Sixty-three percent of individuals 60 and over live in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. The Luminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute aims to better meet the needs of this elderly population and improve their quality of life while reducing costly, unnecessary hospitalizations.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogHip and knee replacements have grown to become one of the most popular and successful elective operations ever performed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 1.1 million total joint replacements performed in the U.S. in 2012. Estimates show that by the year 2030, there’ll be 572,000 hip replacements and 3.48 million knee replacements performed annually in the U.S. Given the high demand, hospitals are studying ways to best provide this care to patients. This is especially true at Anne Arundel Medical Center. When I started doing joint replacement surgeries 13 years ago, the average length of stay for a patient who had hip or knee replacement was three nights. This is changing. Patients are going home sooner. For instance, four years ago at AAMC, only 10 percent of patients who had hip and knee replacement surgery went home on the first postoperative day. This year in July, we saw 80 percent of patients who had a hip replacement, and 60 percent of patients who had a knee replacement, go home in one day. This includes a growing number of patients going home the same day of their procedure. How is it possible to be discharged the next day, or even on the same day, after this type of procedure? The answer lies in a team approach always focused on the patient. There are a growing number of programs focused on helping speed up postoperative recovery, supporting early discharge and decreasing postoperative complications after joint replacement surgery. Locally, there is the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program at AAMC. Early on, we were concerned that with a shorter length of stay patients may need to come back to the hospital with medical or surgical issues, but this was not the case. Our data shows that earlier discharge does not increase re-admissions. With high-quality hip and knee replacement surgery, patients have a safe recovery — even when they go home on the day of surgery. Advancing outcomes in joint replacement surgery Hospitals and surgeons continue to engage in work to further improve joint replacement care. Here in Annapolis, the joint replacement team at AAMC is developing clinical programs to increase the number of patients who leave the hospital earlier and get on the road to recovery faster. And by using predictive models, we’re able to better understand and choose patients who are good candidates for going home on the day of surgery. Postoperatively, we’re working closely with physical therapists to develop protocols to use after surgery to accurately show when a patient is safely ready to go home. Our efforts are focused on early recovery, to get you back to your own home and normal life sooner without hip or knee pain. Author James MacDonald, MD, is a joint surgeon at the Center for Joint Replacement at AAMC. To see the latest outcomes report from AAMC’s Center for Joint Replacement, visit askAAMC.org/JointOutcomes. To reach his practice for an appointment, call 410-268-8862.0
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