August 2017 - Health BeatHealth Beat

Dr.’s Tips: Health Symptoms and Warning Signs That Should Never Be Ignored

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Xavia Malcolm

Dr. Alan Roth; Chairman of Family Medicine

Occasionally we may experience symptoms that we choose to ignore under the assumption that “it’s nothing serious” or “it will pass.” However, it is important to remember our bodies are designed to provide us with warning signs that alert us when a serious problem is developing.

“There are times when your body is telling you that you need to pay attention and seek medical assistance immediately. Symptoms can be indicators of disease or conditions that may be potentially life threatening,” shares Dr. Alan Roth, Chairman of Family Medicine at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

Ignoring telltale signs can be a detriment to your health. Here are a few health symptoms that you should not take lightly or dismiss:

Leg pain with swelling – Swollen legs serve as a symptom of many medical conditions including heart failure. If the heart is not functioning properly, it is unable to circulate blood throughout the body causing blood and other fluids to back up in the veins and store in the limbs. If the swelling is accompanied by pain, there is a possibility that you have developed a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis.
Severe and sudden head pain- These are two common symptoms of a brain aneurysm. This occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain and results in intense levels of pain. A sudden and severe headache is also indicative of a stroke.
Severe and sudden abdominal pain- This could be a sign that you have an aortic aneurysm that has ruptured. Aneurysms are bulges in the aorta and while they can form anywhere in the body; they are most commonly found in the belly area. Aortic aneurysms can lead to stroke, blood clots or death.
Chest Pain – Intense discomfort of the chest that include pressure or pain are symptoms synonymous with a heart attack. Other symptoms of a heart attack you may experience include: shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting or sweating. Intense chest pain can also be indicative of a condition that is known as aortic dissection, this is caused by a tear in the aorta.
Unexplained weight loss- If you have lost more than 5% of your body weight within a period of six months without changing your diet or trying to lose weight, there may be need for concern. Weight loss is a common symptom of several cancers. It is also a symptom that presents itself in people with endocrine disorders and could also be a sign of diabetes.
Abdominal discomfort with bloating- In women, if abdominal pain with bloating persists almost daily and consistently for more than two to three weeks, it is a reason to raise concern. The symptoms are common in cases of ovarian cancer. Other symptoms include changes in bowel movement and pressure in the pelvis or lower back.

While some of these symptoms are alarming and others are more subtle, you should always pay attention to changes in your body. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, It is highly recommended that you do not ignore them and seek immediate medical attention, as it can be the difference between life and death in some cases. To schedule an appointment with a physician at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-657-7093.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Meet Ann Marie Gonzalez

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

This month we would like to introduce you to Ann Marie Gonzalez, Senior Accounting Clerk in the Business Office at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Ann Marie has been with the hospital for over 17 years and is well known to everyone at the hospital for her warm personality and enthusiasm.
Ann Marie grew up in Williamsburg Brooklyn and is a graduate of Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood. Her Italian family background taught her to love family and friends and have respect for other people. She is married to her husband Joe who also works at Jamaica Hospital and has two daughters, the older one recently got married . Ann Marie and her family currently live in Manalapan New Jersey and they share their home with a cat and dog which they adore.
She enjoys entertaining at her home and the more people that show up the happier she is. Ann Marie is known for her cooking and her baking skills which she learned from her mother and grandmother. Nobody leaves a dinner party at her house feeling hungry. She is also known for her generosity. If anyone ever needs anything they know that they can count on her to be there for them.
There are so many reasons why Ann Marie enjoys working at Jamaica Hospital. Her co-workers are like family to her. They work well together as a team and she looks forward to coming to work every morning because of all these wonderful people. Ann Marie enjoys interacting with the patients both on the phone and in person, always trying to make sure they have a pleasant experience. She is thankful for all of the opportunities that Jamaica Hospital has given to her and her family.
Ann Marie brings her joy of life to Jamaica Hospital. She always wants to make a positive impact on other people’s lives and through her cheerful personality, she makes every day a little bit nicer for everyone she meets.

Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Joann Ariola

The Mayo Clinic describes Parkinson’s disease as a progressive disease of the nervous system that causes a tremor, muscular rigidity combined with slow and imprecise movement of the body. It is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The disease mostly affects people who are middle-aged and elderly people.

Parkinson’s signs and symptoms may include:

Tremor – A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers.
Slowed movement –Over time, Parkinson’s disease may reduce your ability to move and slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming.
Rigid muscles – Muscle stiffness can occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can limit your range of motion and cause you pain.
Impaired posture and balance –Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems.
Loss of automatic movements – Decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.
Speech changes – You may speak softly, quickly, slur or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than with the usual inflections.
Writing changes – It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.

Managing some of the symptoms, such as tremor can be helped with medications. The medications prescribed can act as a substitute for dopamine and send a similar signal to the neurotransmitter in your brain.

Although these medications can become less effective over time, some patients realize significant improvement of their symptoms after starting treatment and continue to do.

To see these and more information regarding Parkinson’s disease visit

History of the EKG Machine

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

An EKG machine measures the electrical activity of the heart. It displays this activity by drawing waves on a piece of paper that is either displayed on a screen or drawn on a piece of paper that runs through a machine.
• Late 1700’s – The first step in the development of the modern electrocardiograph machine was the creation of a machine that could sense, but not measure, electric current. This machine was called a galvanometer.
• 1786 an Italian physician, Dr. Luigi Galvan, discovered that skeletal muscles worked by producing electric current. In
• 1842 Dr. Carlo Matteucci working at the University of Pisa discovered that there is an electrical current that comes with each heart beat in a frog.
• Mid 1800’s a machine called the “Rheotome” was invented that could now measure this electrical current.
• 1872 – further refinements to this Rheotome led to a machine devised by Gabrrile Lippman of the “capillary electrometer”.
During this time, a British physiologist, Augustus Waller, was able to record the first human electrocardiogram that using this technology with electrodes placed on the chest and back of a patient. This demonstrated electric activity taking place before ventricular contraction. In
• 1893 – Dr. Wilhelm Einthoven, a Dutch physiologist, refined the capillary electrometer to show five deflections in the electrical current passing through the heart. The five waves were initially called ABCDE, but were changed to PQRST after a mathematical correction was made to compensate for the inertia in the capillary tube. He used the phrase “electrocardiogram” for the first time at a meeting of Dutch physicians. In
• 1901 – Dr. Eintoven he developed a string galvanometer, a more sensitive machine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for his invention of the electrocardiograph.
As time passed, the electrocardiograph machine became much smaller and much more accurate. In 1903 it weighed 600 pounds and by 1930 it weighed about 30 pounds. Tthe importance of an electrocardiograph was recognized as being essential in diagnosing cardiac from non cardiac pain and able to help diagnose a myocardial infarction or a heart attack. Today we use a 12 lead electrocardiogram as a major tool in diagnosing heart disease. The machine today weighs just a few pounds and is an essential tool in diagnosing diseases of the heart.

Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD)

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Joann Ariola

If you work outside of normal daytime hours such as evening shifts, night shifts, rotating shifts or swing shifts, you may be at greater risk for developing shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).

SWSD is a sleep disorder that disrupts the circadian rhythm of an individual.

Your circadian rhythm is often called a “body clock.” It is a cycle that lets our bodies know when to rise, sleep, and eat.

More than 15 million people in the United States work various types of shifts. Some are better able than others to adjust to working irregular hours, but for those that are unable to adjust, SWSD can become a major factor in lessening their quality of life.

Some symptoms of sleep shift disorder are:

Excessive sleepiness
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Problems concentrating
Irritability
Headaches
Increase risk of making mistakes and having accidents

SWSD can also have adverse effects on your health. Chronic sleep shift disorder can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive issues and depression.

If you are a shift worker with irregular hours there are some treatment measures that can help:

Exercise Regularly
Keep a healthy diet
Keep your sleep area dark with black out drapes or use a sleep mask
Avoid alcohol and caffeine at least three hours before bedtime
Put away digital devices. The light from your device can play tricks on your brain, making it think it is daylight
If possible, take a 10-20 min nap during your shift

If none of the above treatment options seem to help you adjust to your irregular work schedules, you might want to consider contacting a sleep clinic. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s has a state-of-the-art Sleep Center. Call 718-206-5916 for more information or to make an appointment.

7 Ways to Keep Your Bladder Healthy

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Xavia Malcolm

Very often we take bladder health for granted until a problem starts to develop. Bladder problems can lead to discomfort, difficulty urinating, frequency in urination and in some cases, mad dashes to the bathroom.

The good news is by taking an active role in your bladder health you can avoid infections and reduce the risk of developing several medical problems. Here are seven ways you can help improve your bladder’s health and help it to function properly.

Don’t wait long to use the bathroom. Holding in urine can add pressure to the bladder and increase the risk of developing infections.
Do not rush when emptying your bladder. Rushing may result in your bladder not emptying completely- this can lead to bladder infections.
Avoid food or drinks that contain irritants. Certain food or drinks that contain ingredients such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, acid, spices, excessive amounts of salt and alcohol can worsen bladder problems.
Drink enough water throughout the day. Drinking your daily recommended amount of water can help flush out bacteria in the urinary tract and help prevent bladder infections.
Practice Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Kegels are a good way for men and women to maintain bladder control.
Avoid constipation by adding fiber to your diet. Constipation often results in a full rectum which adds pressure to the bladder.
Urinate after having intercourse. Men and women should try to urinate after sexual intercourse. This helps to flush away bacteria that may have entered during sex.

If you are experiencing difficulty urinating or have questions about maintaining bladder health, please call Jamaica Hospital Medical Center at 718-206-7110 to schedule an appointment with a urologist.

Contact Lenses and Children – When Are They Ready?

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Michael Hinck

This week is Contact Lens Health Week and Jamaica Hospital wants to answer a common question that many parents who have children that wear glasses ask – When is my child old enough to start wearing contact lenses?

The answer to that question is less about their age and more about their level of maturity. Physically, a child’s eyes can tolerate contacts at a very young age. Before considering contact lenses for your son or daughter, you should consider how they handle other responsibilities. The fact is, there are some eight year old children who are ready and there are some teenagers who are not. Wearing contacts is a major responsibility and children not only need to display that they can apply them, but they also need to exercise proper hygiene and grooming habits to handle wearing and caring for them.

While a child’s ability and maturity to handle contacts might vary from age to age, research has shown that the majority of children (51 %) receive them between ten and 12 years of age, while over 22% receive them when they are either 13 or 14 years old. Only 12.4 % of kids are prescribed contacts between the ages of eight and nine.

If they can handle the responsibility, most doctors believe that wearing contacts is a good thing for children and teens as they are generally more motivated to get fitted for and adapt better to wearing them than other age groups. They are also less likely to develop dry eyes or other issues that are common in adults who wear contact lenses. Another reason to have your child consider wearing contact lenses is that in some cases they can actually slow down the progression of nearsightedness. In fact, a number of studies have proven that certain types of contacts offer significant control for many nearsighted children.

Professionals have also noted that there has been great advancement in the production of contact lenses over the years, which has contributed to more and more children now opting for them over glasses. The progress in the development of disposable contacts makes maintenance easier and improved materials provide more durability and safety.

One of the biggest reasons more and more kids and parents are switching to contact lenses over glasses is the benefits to children who play sports. Even the safest eyeglass frames and lenses can cause injuries if they break. As opposed to sports goggles, contact lenses also offer better peripheral vision and an unobstructed view of the playing field. Contacts also remain stable on an athletes face while they are running, and unlike many sports goggles, they don’t not fog-up during competition.

A less common yet potentially important consideration for switching to contact lenses is how it affects a child’s self-esteem. In a recent poll, 71% of children asked cited self-esteem as a ‘very important” factor when determining whether or not to be fitted for contacts. Additional research found that wearing contacts “significantly improves” how children and teens feel about themselves.

The best thing about making a decision to switch to contacts is that it isn’t permanent. If you think your child is ready and willing, speak to your eye doctor about getting fitted. If he or she tries it, but isn’t ready, they can always go back to wearing glasses. Together, you, your child and their doctor can decide if the time is right.

To make an appointment at Jamaica Hospital’s Ophthalmology Center, please call 718-206-5900.

Anxiety, Fatigue, Heat Intolerance and Other Telltale Signs of Graves’ Disease

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Xavia Malcolm

Graves’ disease, also referred to as Basedow’s disease is an immune system disorder that affects the thyroid gland.

The disease is caused by a malfunction in the body’s immune system that creates antibodies known as thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI); which attach themselves to healthy thyroid cells and mimics the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This causes the affected cells to work overtime in overproducing and releasing thyroid hormones.

When the body produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism), it can have a negative impact and lead to symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, hand tremors, weight loss and anxiety. Many of these symptoms can be found in a person diagnosed with Graves’ disease along with the following common signs:

Enlargement of the thyroid gland
Changes or irregularities in menstrual cycles
Frequent bowel movements
Fatigue
Bulging eyes (Graves’ ophthalmology)
Erectile dysfunction
Thick, red skin (Graves’ dermopathy)

Although it is possible for anyone to develop Graves’ disease, some people are more at risk than others. Factors that could increase the risk of the disease include:

Age- Individuals under the age of 40
Pregnancy- Pregnancy or recent childbirth in women who are genetically susceptible
Smoking- Smokers have an increased risk of Graves’ ophthalmology because the immune system is compromised
Gender- Women are seven to eight times more likely to develop the disease than men
Living with other autoimmune disorders- People with diseases such as type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis that compromise the immune system are more at risk

If you are at risk or experiencing symptoms, an endocrinologist, a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the body’s hormone- secreting glands can assess your medical history and conduct an examination. If it is determined that you do have Graves’ disease, your doctor may recommend a course of treatment that is best for you.

There are typically three options for treating patients with Graves’ disease that include: medication, radioiodine therapy or thyroid surgery. The most common approach for treatment is radioiodine therapy. In addition to treatment, your doctor may also suggest making changes in your lifestyle such as improving your diet.

To schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call, 718 206 7001.

Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

Have you ever experienced heel pain when you take those first few steps in the morning? The cause of this discomfort may be due to a tightening of the band of tissue known as the plantar fascia that runs along the bottom of the foot, from the heel to the toes.

When this ligament becomes strained, irritated, inflamed or swollen and causes pain when walking, the condition is known as plantar fasciitis.

Risk factors and causes of plantar fasciitis:

•High foot arches
•Flat feet
•Standing or walking on a hard surface for long periods of time
•Being overweight or obese
•Poor fitting shoes
•Tight Achilles tendons or calf muscles
•Tiny tears in the plantar fascia caused by repetitive straining
A proper diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is made by a physical examination of the foot and obtaining a comprehensive medical history of the patient. An x-ray or an MRI may be needed to see if there is a bone fracture that is causing the problem, also to determine if there is a bone spur present on the bottom of the heel.

Treatment of plantar fasciitis can involve taking an anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, stretching exercises, shoe inserts known as orthotics, steroid injections, and ultrasound. In severe cases, a surgical procedure may be necessary to provide relief.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist at Jamaica Hospital to evaluate any foot conditions that may be causing discomfort, please call 718-206-6712.

Psoriasis

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

Psoriasis is a condition that is characterized by raised, red scaly patches. It is often found on the scalp, knees and elbows but can show up on other parts of the body as well. It causes skin cells to multiply at a faster rate than normal which can lead to a buildup of lesions. Areas affected by psoriasis also tend to feel warmer because they contain more blood vessels.

Although the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown there is a correlation between genetics and the body’s immune system.

Psoriasis is not contagious so it does not get passed by coming in to contact with a person who has it. It affects men and women equally and can develop at any age, but it is most common between the ages of 15 and 35 years old.

Common signs of psoriasis include:

•Red patches of skin with thick silvery scales
•Cracked and dry skin that may bleed
•Stiff joints that may become swollen
•Itching, burning and soreness
•Nails that are pitted, thick and ridged
There are certain risk factors for developing psoriasis. This includes stress, smoking, obesity, alcoholism, skin infections, a vitamin D deficiency, and a family history.

Psoriasis is diagnosed by examining the skin. An assessment is conducted based on the thickness and redness of the skin. If a person is diagnosed, there are three ways that treatment for psoriasis can be approached. Topical creams and ointments that contain corticosteroids are the most commonly prescribed medications for mild to moderate conditions. Light therapy that is either natural or artificial ultraviolet can be used and is directed at the area of the body that is affected. In severe cases, medications that are either injected or taken orally may be required. Depending on severity, these treatments can be offered by themselves or together. There are also alternative treatments that are being used and this includes Aloe Vera which comes from a plant and omega-3 fatty acids that comes from fish oils.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist at Jamaica Hospital for any type of skin condition, please call 718-206-7001.