- Physical TherapyGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe way we breathe can either induce stress or encourage healing and calmness. Inhaling and exhaling properly affects us mentally and physically. What’s in a breath? Breathing is not only taking in oxygen. It’s also about managing the levels of carbon dioxide, a gas released when exhaling, that contributes to our respiratory function. The longer you practice exhaling through your nose, the more relaxed your body will feel as it releases more carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a potentially toxic gas when it builds up in the body. What impacts my breathing? Seasonal allergies, along with irritants such as smoke, dust, pollen and fragrances effect the efficiency of breathing. These pollutants cause internal swelling, excessive mucous, coughing and a host of other health issues. What can I do to breathe better? Deep breathing lowers blood pressure and promotes the body’s balance. Diaphragmatic breathing is a form of deep breathing. Also known as “abdominal breathing or belly breathing,” it encourages full oxygen exchange as you inhale air into the deepest parts of the lungs while engaging your abdominal muscles. Practice deep breathing by lying on your back with a pillow under your head with your knees bent. Place one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest. Inhale or breathe through your nose, allow your belly and chest to rise and then exhale out of your mouth. This technique is most effective when the stomach rises higher than the chest. How will intentional breathing and wearing a mask improve my health? Walking and taking deep breathes on a regular basis helps keep you healthy. The American Heart Association recommends 30 to 50 minutes of exercise daily to promote respiratory strength. Wearing a mask reduces the risk of transmitting COVID-19, the flu and other contagious diseases. Some ways to minimize the discomfort and anxiety of wearing a mask include: Using essential oils (placing a drop of lavender oil in your mask), chewing gum or wearing lip balm. Ultimately, wearing a mask is a form of self-care and shows respect for others. Luminis Health Physical Therapy is opening a new location in Upper Marlboro on Nov. 12. Authors Rhonda Fowler PT, MS, CLT, CWS, is a physical therapist at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. Clarissa M. Ocampo, MM MA CCC-SLP, CLSVT LOUD, is a speech language pathologist at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center.
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogOver the last few years, we’ve all heard a lot about vaping. Especially its popularity among teens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked 2,807 lung injuries to vaping as of February 2020. And the agency has also linked vaping to 68 deaths across 29 states and Washington, D.C. We’re shining a light on five things you need to know about this trend right now. Symptoms can vary. Coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhea, fever, chills or weight loss – all could be symptoms of vaping illness. Some symptoms can appear over a few days. Others might appear over a few weeks. Vaping affects more than your lungs. Defective e-cigarette batteries can cause injuries. Including severe burns, fires and explosions. E-cigarette liquid has also poisoned children and adults. Vaping continues to be growing in popularity among teens. Two years ago, more than 3.6 million kids were vaping. In one year, vaping by high school students increased 78 percent. And vaping by middle school students increased 48 percent. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine – which is highly addictive. Nicotine itself is not known to cause cancer. But it is a stimulant that can cause health problems. A person’s brain isn’t fully developed until age 25. Nicotine can lead to permanent changes in the brain – affecting memory, learning and cognition. And it could increase the risk of addiction to other substances. Remember, too, that e-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances. E-cigarettes contain at least 60 potentially toxic chemicals. These can irritate your lungs and can cause lasting lung damage and disease. There’s no safe level of vaping. Research shows that e-cigarette vapor caused DNA damage in the lungs and bladder in mice exposed to the equivalent of three to six years of vaping. We’ve also seen research that shows that e-cigarette users’ oral tissue looks like that of cigarette smokers with cancer. In Maryland, you have to be 21 to buy tobacco (unless you are 18 and serving in the military). Decades ago, the cigarette industry touted their products’ safety as they marketed to teens. The first studies that linked smoking to lung cancer appeared in the 1920s. But the U.S. Surgeon General didn’t release the first report connecting smoking to lung cancer and chronic bronchitis until 1964. We expect that we will also have to wait and see what the long-term effects of e-cigarettes will be. Until then, we encourage you to talk to your kids about the dangers of vaping. It is just not worth the risk. Author Stephen Cattaneo, MD, is a thoracic surgeon and medical director of Thoracic Oncology at AAMC. Originally published Nov. 18, 2019. Last updated Nov. 9, 2020.
- Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogDid you know that the foods you choose to fuel your body today, affects your heart tomorrow? Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of heart disease cases are preventable with the right food choices. Here are a few recommendations for a healthy diet and lifestyle to keep your heart happy: Include Fruits and vegetables. Whole grains (fiber > 3gms per serving). Beans and legumes. Nuts and seeds. Fish (preferable oily fish that provide omega-3 fatty acids), skinless poultry, and plant-based alternatives. Healthier fats such as olive oil and non-tropical oils. Fat-free and low-fat dairy products. Limit Sodium and salt, pickled and smoked foods. Strive for < 1500mg Na/day. Saturated fat. Sweets and added sugars, including sugar-sweetened beverages. Red meats (if you choose to eat red meat, select lean cuts). High fructose foods. Avoid Trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils. Processed foods loaded with sugar, salt and fat. Tips Choose wisely, even with healthier foods. Ingredients and nutrient content can vary. Look for the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark in the grocery store to easily identify foods that can be part of an overall healthy diet. Learn more at heartcheck.org. Compare nutrition information on package labels and select foods with the lowest amounts of sodium, added sugars, saturated and trans fat, and no partially hydrogenated oils. Watch your calorie intake. To maintain weight, consume only as many calories as you use up through physical activity. If you need to lose weight, consume fewer calories and burn more. Eat reasonable portions. Often this is less than you are served. Avoid foods such as dips and finger-food snacks that are difficult to gauge amounts consumed. Prepare and eat healthy meals at home. You’ll have more control over ingredients and portion sizes. Eat a wide variety of foods to get all the nutrients your body needs, most of which are prevalent in fruits and vegetables. Deeply colored fruits and vegetables are highest in micronutrients. Do aerobic exercise four to five times a week and include strength training three to four times per week. For more heart-healthy diet options, consider the Mediterranean or Dash diet for a well-balanced eating plan. Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published March 4, 2018. Last updated Nov. 6, 2020.
- Behavioral Health, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThank you. It’s a simple, yet powerful, phrase. One you probably taught to your children as soon as they could talk. And sometimes you probably have to remind them to use it when they get a gift or a compliment. But when you remind them to say thank you, you aren’t just teaching them to be nice. You’re teaching them how to be happy. Positive. Resilient. Did you know that more and more research is shining a light on a connection between gratitude and greater happiness? Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions. It helps to alleviate depression, improve health, build strong relationships and better manage adversity. Feeling grateful for even the smallest things in life can help you be more patient, too. That’s according to research from Northeastern University. Grateful teens are also building emotional resilience because it helps them look on the bright side. This is especially important for teens, who often see things in black and white. Looking for some guidance on how you can raise a grateful and generous teen? Here’s our advice. Walk your talk. It starts with you. Talk about what you are grateful for so your child has a good example to follow. Bonus – the more you do it, the more you’ll find reasons to give thanks. Start a gratitude conversation. Dinner is already the perfect time to catch up with your teen – why not ask them what they are grateful for? Feel free to come up with your own examples, as we mentioned earlier! Or consider making a gratitude jar. Support your teen during the hard times. Life can be challenging. If something difficult happens, acknowledge it. But then, bring them back to the present when they’re ready. Talk to them about what they can learn from the experience. How can they grow from it? Give them time and space – but also encourage them to view it as a learning experience. Encourage your teen to volunteer. Nothing beats real-world experience. When your child helps people in need, they will appreciate what they have even more. Adolescents are naturally entitled. That’s simply the way their brain works. But you can help them focus and build their gratitude muscle and emotional strength. Think of your teen’s emotions as a rubber band that you can stretch. Like a rubber band, they will return to their original shape. Even when pushed to their limit. Keeping that “gratitude muscle” in shape will help them bounce back and carry on. Want to start a gratitude conversation? Spread the positive vibes with our how-to guide on creating a gratitude jar. Authors Ruth Milsten, LCSWC, is a mental health specialist with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Mental Health Specialists. To schedule an appointment with her, call 410-573-9000. Waseem Hussain, MD, is a primary care doctor with Doctors Community Medical Center. Originally published Nov. 19, 2018. Last updated Nov. 4, 2020.
- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMany of us have had a Snickers bar or two and could probably eat the candy bar every day. But, we know it’s not nourishing. A candy bar is not a hearty meal with vegetables, protein and fruits. Instead, it’s a quick sugar fix that wears off. Then, we want more and more of it. If we only ate candy bars – as tasty as they are – our health would deteriorate. Digital devices are very similar. The constant connection to others, and even the sound of a ringtone, give us instant gratification. But that gratification quickly wears off – just like a sugar fix – only to leave us wanting more. As a result, our health is impacted in more than just one way. We are spending more time than ever before watching videos, browsing social media and swiping screens on tablets and smartphones. Research shows the average American adult spends more than 11 hours per day interacting with media on digital devices. We are developing a digital addiction. Technology can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health. When we are constantly connected, it can cause psychological issues, such as distraction, expectation of instant gratification and even depression. Physically, it can cause vision problems, hearing loss and even neck strain. Here are a few steps you can take for a digital detox to recharge your mind and improve your quality of life: Plan quality time with others. Before sitting down at the dinner table, put your phone away and ask others to do the same. This will make room for conversation and, if practiced frequently, it can improve your relationships and quality of life. Change your ringtones. If you have to keep your phone around due to your work or profession once you get home, change the tone of your notifications to distinguish work-related calls over calls that can wait until later. Delete unnecessary apps. You’re likely hoarding apps. You need your phone for calls, texts and emails. Do you really need all those other apps? Be selective. Keep one or two that you absolutely need. Schedule some offline time. Make sure to put your phone down to relax for a couple of hours, especially before bedtime. Multiple studies have shown that blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. Set your phone on sleep mode and disable any buzzing, as that could also lead to distracting emotions and thoughts. It can even cause anxiety that can interrupt your sleep. Set the example. Don’t forget, if you’re a parent or have young children around, they’re paying attention to your every move. If you put your phone down, this will teach them to do the same. If you treat your phone as a luxury item instead of a necessity, you’ll soon realize that it’s meant to be enjoyed sometimes but not lived by. And just like you wouldn’t eat a candy bar every day, you should consider putting your digital devices away more often. This will help you build meaningful relationships and take care of your physical and mental health. Plus, it’s good to detoxify once in a while! Visit Luminis.Health/BehavioralHealth to learn more about Luminis Behavioral Health Care or to schedule an appointment.
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
Find Care
Schedule Appointment
My Care Team
My Record
Appointments
Medications
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?