Monthly Archives: June 2024

National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month

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June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), headache disorders are some of the most common disorders of the nervous system. The WHO also states that 1 in 7 adults worldwide has migraines and that it can be three times more common in women than men.

Headache is a general term that describes the pain in the scalp, head, and neck. There are many different types of headaches. They may be primary conditions such as tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches, or they may occur due to underlying health conditions.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and are more common in women. People often experience occasional tension headaches and don’t seek medical care. If you are experiencing tension headaches for 15 days or more a month, consult your primary care provider.

Causes of Tension Headaches:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Alcohol
  • Caffeine or caffeine withdrawal
  • Dental problems such as frequently grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw.
  • Eyestrain
  • Keeping your head in one position for a long time.
  • Not getting enough sleep.

Symptoms of tension headaches typically feel like dull pressure around the head. You may also feel muscle tightness in your head or neck. The pain is usually mild to moderate and is not accompanied by other symptoms. Tension headaches can last from half an hour to a week.

Ways to treat and prevent tension headaches:

  • Exercising regularly
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Maintaining good posture while seated and taking breaks from sitting.
  • Managing daily stress

Migraines are a severe, recurring type of headache that is often debilitating. Migraines have four phases which are prodrome, aura, migraine headache, and postdrome.

Although the exact cause of migraines is unknown, researchers believe genetics are a factor.

There are a few conditions and lifestyle factors that can trigger a migraine:

  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression
  • Epilepsy
  • Sleep disorders
  • Caffeine or withdrawal from caffeine
  • Certain medications or taking particular medications too often

Migraines are more likely to occur in the morning, making it common to wake up with a migraine. Some people have a predictable pattern or migraines, such as just before a menstrual period. Other people may have trouble recognizing what triggers their migraines.

There is no cure for migraines but they can be managed and prevented with over-the-counter triptans and pain relievers.

Cluster headaches are sudden, severe headaches on one side of the head that peak within the first 10 minutes. You may also have a stuffy nose, drooping eyelid, a watery eye, and swelling or redness on the same side as the pain.

The cause of cluster headaches is unknown, but they often run in families and affect more men than women.

Here are some triggers of cluster headaches:

  • Alcohol
  • Being exposed to heat
  • Bright lights
  • Overexertion
  • Processed foods
  • Smoking

Cluster headaches, especially acute ones are often treated with anti-inflammatories, triptan medications, and DHE injections.

If you commonly experience migraines or headaches, you can receive specialized treatment from a neurologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center. To schedule an appointment, please call (718) 206-7001.

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.

Swim Safety

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Summertime is here. That means time will be spent at beaches and pools where we can cool off. Here are some important things to know before getting in the water.

When around a body of water, there is always a risk of drowning. Drowning only takes a moment and often happens in silence. A child or a weak swimmer can drown in the time it takes to send a text, check a fishing line, or apply sunscreen.

Death and injury from drowning happen every day in home pools and hot tubs, at the beach, or in oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, bathtubs, and even buckets.

Here are some facts and statistics on drowning:

  • It is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 years old, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14.
  • About 40% of drowning deaths among children ages 5-14 occur in natural water like lakes, rivers, or oceans.
  • More than half of the fatal and non-fatal drownings among people 15 years or older occur in natural waters.

Drowning can also be non-fatal. Non-fatal drowning can result in long-term health problems and costly hospital stays. Drowning injuries can cause brain damage and other serious outcomes, including long-term disability.

There are steps that you can take to prevent death or injury. Water safety is key, so being water-competent is imperative.

Here are three components of water competency:

  1. Water Smarts
  • Put a fence around your home swimming pool. It should be at least four feet high, fully enclose the pool, and separate from the house. It needs a self-closing and self-latching gate. All toys that might attract a child should be removed when the pool isn’t used.
  • Know your limitations, including physical fitness, and medical conditions.
  • Never swim alone. Swim with friends or where there are lifeguards or water watchers present. Always wear a life jacket while boating, regardless of swimming skill. Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket appropriate for your weight, size, and water activity. Floaties, armbands, or water wings do not prevent children from drowning and can easily slip off, especially when kids jump in the water. Water wings can produce a false sense of safety for parents and children.
  • Swim sober.
  • Understand the dangers of hyperventilation and hypoxic blackout.
  • Know how to call for help.
  • Understand and adjust for the unique risks of the water environment such as:
  • River currents.
  • Ocean rip currents.
  • Water temperature.
  • Shallow or unclear water.
  • Underwater hazards, such as vegetation and animals.
  1. Swimming Skills

Swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning, but over half of U.S. adults have never taken a swimming lesson. Learn how to perform these five skills in every type of water environment that you may encounter:

  • Make sure you can get in and out of the water safely.
  • Float or tread water for at least 1 minute.
  • Turn over and turn around in the water.
  • Swim at least 25 yards.
  • Exit the water.
  1. Helping Others

These actions will help your family and loved ones avoid emergencies – and help you respond if an emergency occurs:

  • Closely pay attention to children or weak swimmers in and near the water.
  • Knowing the signs that someone is drowning.
  • Knowing ways to safely assist a drowning person, such as “reach or throw, don’t go”.
  • Knowing CPR and first aid.

 

It is important to be well-prepared when in and around pools and bodies of water. If you or someone you are with are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately.

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.

Summer Heart Health Tips

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The summer months come with many things. Warmer weather, beautiful flowers, longer days full of trips to the beach, and parties and barbecues. Warmer weather also brings extreme heat and added risk factors that can affect heart health.

As the body works harder to keep its core temperature to normal levels, a strain is placed on our organs, especially the heart. This can have hazardous effects on people with pre-existing cardiovascular problems and people with a healthy heart as well.

Being in extreme heat for too long can cause two serious heat-related illnesses in which your body can’t control its temperature: heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Heat exhaustion symptoms include:

  • Heavy sweating
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Muscle cramps
  • Tiredness
  • Dizziness and fainting

Here are some ways to prevent heat exhaustion: Move to a cool place, loosen clothing, use cold compresses, and sip cool (not cold) water.

Heatstroke or sunstroke symptoms include:

  • Fever of 104 degrees or more
  • Severe headache
  • Behavioral changes
  • Confusion
  • Hot, red skin
  • No sweating
  • Rapid heartbeat and loss of consciousness

Here are ways to prevent heatstroke: Quickly move the individual to a cooler place, use cold compresses, and do not give them anything to drink.

People at risk of being severely affected by extreme heat are those with a history of:

  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Stroke
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes

There are many ways to take preventative measures to ensure you stay safe in warmer and sometimes extreme temperatures.

You can do this by:

  • Knowing the heat illness warning signs.
  • Seeing your doctor to know if you’re at risk of having heat-related heart problems.
  • Avoiding spending too much time outdoors during the hottest days of the summer
  • Applying sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside, especially during peak sun.
  • Wearing loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing.
  • Staying cool in areas where there is air-conditioning or a fan. If either isn’t accessible, apply cold compresses (ice-pack or ice-water-filled bottle to your pulse points.
  • Hydrating by drinking plenty of water to help regulate your body temperature, and avoiding drinking too many alcoholic drinks because they can dehydrate you.
  • Eating water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, salads, and cold soups.
  • Being smart about exercising. If it is too hot to work outside, do it indoors.

 

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you can schedule an appointment at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Cardiology Department by calling (718) 206-7100.  If you are experiencing an emergency, please dial 911 right away.

 

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.