- Behavioral Health, Senior CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogStudies show four out of five adults take over-the-counter (OTC) medications to treat pain, fever, allergies, heartburn and other problems. Most of the thousands of OTC medications on the market are safe when taken as directed, as long as they do not interfere with other medications or health conditions. Many people who take OTC supplements may not realize the Food and Drug Administration does not directly monitor or approve these non-prescription drugs. It is important to do your own research to know what you are taking and why. Taking more than the recommended dose of an OTC medication can be dangerous. For example, taking too much acetaminophen, which can be found in pain relievers, can cause severe liver damage or acute liver failure. Read the labels on your OTC medications carefully to prevent accidental overdose. This is especially important if you take more than one medication at a time to relieve multiple symptoms. Know the ingredients, dosages, timing and other instructions. Along with carefully reading labels, you may want to consult with your doctor or pharmacist before starting a new OTC medication. Sometimes OTC drugs interact with medications you’ve been prescribed. Those with chronic health conditions are at greater risk of serious adverse reactions while taking OTC medications. Adults age 65 and older are likely to have additional health issues, and take roughly 40 percent of OTC medications consumed. Because of this, seniors should take extra precaution. In general, do not take OTC medications longer than 10 days for pain or longer than three days for fever without consulting your physician. If you have concerns about medications, it’s important to talk to your doctor. To find a primary care doctor near you, visit findadoc.aahs.org or call 443-481-5555. Originally published Jan. 28, 2016. Last updated April 25, 2018.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWe need each other. That’s one of the things this pandemic has taught us. And even though we are physically distant, there are ways we can lean on one another for hope, comfort and help. Our high-risk and most vulnerable neighbors need us the most. Especially when it comes to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. As you create your plans to be vaccinated, here are some ways you can lend a hand to a neighbor in need. Vaccine Registration Ask if you can help with filling out a vaccine interest form or completing online registration. Community members without an e-mail address or computer can contact the Luminis Health COVID-19 vaccine call center at 443-481-6852 for assistance with registration. We can also answer frequently asked questions about an upcoming appointment. And translation services are also available. Transportation Offer a ride or help arrange transportation for your neighbor to their vaccination appointment. If the clinic is located somewhere they have never been, offer support by mapping out the area and checking for parking options. Don’t forget to wear a mask! Resources and Information Questions around how to receive the vaccine can also come with questions about the vaccine itself. Be reassuring and print and share information from Luminis Health or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Luminis Health’s COVID-19 information web pages and blog articles provide resources about the virus and vaccine. Like this one on the “Five truths about the COVID-19 vaccine.” Connection A simple “Hi,” “Hola,” “How are you?” can make a big difference in someone’s day. When watching your distance, you can also leave a note on your neighbor’s door or mailbox letting them know who you are, where you live, how to reach you and how you can help. By working together, looking out for one another and sharing hope, we can end this pandemic — together. Download our printable neighbor notes.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIf you’re celebrating Easter today, we hope the Easter Bunny filled your basket with all your favorite treats! Did you know that some of the most popular kinds of Easter candy actually have some major health benefits? Here are a few sweet examples: Orange jelly beans are loaded with Vitamin C* Vitamin C may help to ward off cold symptoms and boost your immune system — and research indicates it could also protect against heart disease and several types of cancer. You probably know that oranges are a rich source of Vitamin C. Well, so are orange jelly beans! About 25 orange jelly beans contain 50 percent of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. Enjoy several handfuls today to get the most out of this Easter favorite. Chocolate eggs are high in protein* Just like real eggs, chocolate eggs are packed with protein — six grams of protein per ounce serving! Chocolate peanut butter eggs contain even more — around eight grams per egg. Protein helps build strong bones and muscles, so have an egg or two with your Easter breakfast. Chocolate bunnies are a good source of iron* Not getting enough iron in your diet can cause anemia, along with symptoms such as fatigue. To prevent this, make sure you eat all of your chocolate bunnies, which are high in iron. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, so we recommend that you eat these with a side of orange jelly beans. *Wait a minute… Does this all sound too good to be true? It is — because today is not just Easter, it’s also April Fools’ Day! While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in some candy today, remember to do so in moderation, and enjoy these sweets as part of a balanced diet. Happy Easter!0
- Community, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThere have been a lot of amazing changes happening in the Laboratory lately. The group has been working diligently to improve workflow and efficiency in one of the busiest areas of the hospital. Accuracy and efficiency are hugely important—almost every patient who passes through our doors will need to use lab services before they are discharged. More than 3,000 specimens pass through the lab on any given day, and the team needs to be able to process them quickly and accurately. Making their workflow as efficient as possible will keep costs low for patients. It will also put results in the hands or their caregivers quicker, helping them make faster, more accurate care decisions for their patients. One of the improvements the team recently made is in their workflow once a specimen enters the lab. They recently participated in a week-long rapid improvement event (RIE) to reduce the amount of time it took for a specimen to begin to be tested once it was received as well as reduce errors and decrease costs. Specimens arrive in the lab through the tube system, via delivery or drop-off. Once received, the lab assistants receiving the specimen must determine where the specimen needs to go for testing and, if necessary, prepare the specimen. This receiving and dispersal area is known as Central Accessioning. The first step was to take a closer look at the work area. The team determined that the Central Accessioning station was cluttered and not effectively used. The set-up of the station forced the lab assistants to make multiple stops in several areas within the workstation before finally delivering the specimen to the testing station. Extra walking means extra time. The team worked to redesign the workflow and eliminated the need to use the majority of the Central Accessioning station. The accessioning team can complete all work in a clean central location. This new centralized workstation means that instead of walking in a scattered “spaghetti” pattern, the Central Accessioning team walks “the bat cape.” The bat cape pattern represents the standardized walking pattern of receiving and delivering specimens to testing. The team saw results immediately, including: A cleaner space: The team was able to remove cubicle walls which were made unnecessary in the revamped accessioning station, giving the space a cleaner, more open feel and allowing for a more efficient walking pattern. Quicker processing: On average, a specimen would spend more than 16 minutes in accessioning before moving on to testing. That’s been reduced to less than seven minutes. Increased specimen processing: Each employee can now process more than 600 specimens per day, up from 424 before the rapid improvement event (RIE). Elimination in overtime: The team was putting in an additional 2.4 hours before the RIE. Decrease in errors: Before the RIE, six specimens processed incorrectly. Now, that’s down to four.0
- Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIf you’ve ever dreaded laughing at a good joke or sneezing for fear of an “oops” moment, then you know what it’s like to live with urinary incontinence. You may be hanging back from doing things you love, worried you can’t get to a bathroom and embarrassed about leakage you can’t control. Here’s a start to learning more about the condition — its causes and treatments — so you can see that it’s possible to get back to living your best life. Incontinence is more common than you think. An estimated 15 to 25 million Americans deal with incontinence. But it’s hard to put a firm number on it because so many people are too embarrassed to talk about it. We do know women are two times more likely than men to develop urinary incontinence — and that physiology plays a part. The structure of a woman’s internal organs, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause all have an effect. Aging does too because pelvic floor muscles that support the urinary tract muscles weaken as you age, making it harder to hold in urine — though it’s not necessarily a normal part of getting older. There are different types of incontinence. The most common types of incontinence in women are stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and a mix of the two. Stress Incontinence Stress incontinence makes having fun unpredictable. Things like laughing, dancing and exercise put pressure on your bladder, causing uncontrollable leakage. You don’t feel an urge to urinate; it just happens. Weak pelvic floor muscles or the bladder out of its normal position are usually the culprits. Urge Incontinence A “gotta go” feeling you can’t ignore is urge incontinence, or overactive bladder (OAB). OAB can happen when certain nerves and bladder muscles don’t work together. Your brain tells your body you need to go to the bathroom, even if your bladder isn’t full. That signals the bladder muscle to contract, and the sphincter — the muscle that controls urine flow — relaxes. The urge comes on suddenly, even if you’ve recently emptied your bladder, and you may not make it to the bathroom. Some people have a frequent urge to go — up to eight times a day — and then barely go when they get to the bathroom. Mixed Incontinence Having more than one type of incontinence isn’t uncommon. If you do, stress and urge incontinence are usually the two that combine and lead to leakage. You don’t have to live with it Too many people stay silent about incontinence, assuming events like pregnancy, childbirth and aging make it an inevitable part of life you have to get used to. Not true. It’s very treatable, and often with self-help methods you can do it yourself. Lifestyle Changes For some people, reducing the risk of leakage is as simple as making lifestyle changes, such as: Avoiding lifting heavy objects Avoiding liquids in the evening Limiting caffeine and alcohol, which make you produce more urine Losing weight to relieve pressure on the bladder Kegel Exercises Weak pelvic floor muscles — those that support the bladder — are often at the root of leakage problems. Kegel exercises involve strengthening the muscles that control urine flow by tightening and relaxing them. Doctors often recommend women do Kegels during pregnancy to prevent incontinency problems. You can work with a physical therapist to learn how to do Kegels effectively. Bladder Retraining Timing is everything when it comes to staying dry. Finding the sweet spot takes practice. It may involve making sure your bladder is empty to prevent the urge to go. Make a pit stop every two hours if you know the urge to go hits every 2 ½. But you may have to retrain your bladder if the urge to go too often is a problem. That involves gradually extending the time between bathroom visits. For instance, if you go to the bathroom every hour, stretch it to an hour and 15 minutes, increasing the time over a few weeks. Medications, Devices or Medical Procedures If self-help approaches don’t help, your provider may suggest other options, such as: Medications that can help relax bladder muscles or block nerve signals that cause an urge to go Vaginal inserts available over the counter can be used to reduce stress incontinence A pessary, a ring-like device your doctor fits you for to support pelvic floor muscles and reduce stress incontinence Injections of a bulking agent in tissues around the bladder to help keep the opening closed and prevent leaks Pelvic floor stimulation to nerves and muscles to strengthen them and to reduce the urge to go A sling is a small piece of synthetic material surgically placed to support the urethra to improve leaking from stress incontinence Incontinence doesn’t have to control your life. Yes, it can feel awkward to talk with your doctor about bathroom habits. But incontinence is a very treatable condition. A full evaluation with a pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon can help you determine the best treatment for you. Asking for help can get you back to a life free of worries about leakage. Authors Aparna Ramaseshan, MD, is a Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon (FPMRS), at the Women’s Center for Pelvic Health. To make an appointment, call 443-481-1199.0
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