Food Allergy Action Month

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

May has been designated as Food Allergy Action Month in an effort to educate Americans about food allergies and to support those who suffer from them.

Recent surveys indicate that 15 million Americans now suffer from food allergies. This number indicates that food allergies are much more common than previously believed and the number of people with allergies is steadily growing. It is now estimated that one out of every 13 children has a food allergy.

An allergic reaction occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies a food component as a hazardous substance and attacks it. The effects of food allergies may appear on the skin, in the respiratory passage, or in the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms of food allergies may vary from mild to severe, and in extreme cases, they can even be fatal.

Minor reactions include:

Skin rash
Eczema
Diarrhea
Stomach cramps
Nausea

Serious Reactions Include:

Obstructive inflammation of the tongue and respiratory tract
Panting and wheezing
Lack of oxygen, leading to blue lips
Unconsciousness
Drop in pulse rate

Anaphylaxis is a very serious allergic reaction that can cause death. This type of allergic reaction requires immediate action and medical attention. If you or a loved one has a severe food allergy, you must be prepared for an emergency. Learn the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and know what the emergency care plan is. It may include the administration of epinephrine, a life-saving drug.

Over 170 different foods have been reported to cause an allergic reaction, but the food products that cause the most reactions are:

Soy
Milk
Fish / Shellfish
Peanuts / Tree Nuts
Eggs
Wheat

There is currently no cure for food allergies. To prevent an allergic reaction, it is important for the person with the allergy to stay away from foods that cause symptoms. Contact with even the smallest amounts of the allergen can cause serious problems. To avoid an allergic reaction, take the following precautions:

Learn to carefully read food labels and ask about ingredients in prepared foods
Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after touching food
Use clean, uncontaminated utensils when preparing foods
Educate others about food allergies.

Every year in the United States, approximately 30,000 individuals are brought to hospital Emergency Departments and 150 people die due to severe allergic reactions. Jamaica Hospital joins the effort to raise awareness about food allergies and urges everyone to learn more about this growing, yet manageable issue.

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.

Information About Diverticulitis

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

If you are experiencing prolonged abdominal pain, it is probably a good idea to be checked out to see what is causing it. This type of pain could be something serious.

Diverticulitis is a disease affecting the intestinal tract, usually the colon. When tiny pouches are formed in the lining of the intestine they are called diverticula and when they become inflamed it is called diverticulitis.

There are several risk factors that can cause diverticulitis to occur. Age and a diet that is high in fat and low in fiber factor since it affects people more frequently who are over the age of 40. Other risk factors include obesity, a history of smoking and not exercising.

Symptoms of diverticulitis include:
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Abdominal cramps
• Upset stomach
• Bloating

Diverticulitis can be diagnosed through a CT scan testing the blood and urine and examining the stool for blood.

Treating diverticulitis is dependent on its severity. In mild cases, it may suffice to adopt a bland diet, drink lots of fluids, and to take an antibiotic. Once the condition has healed, adding fiber to the diet will be beneficial to keeping the intestines functioning properly. In more severe cases, surgery may have to be performed.

Jamaica Hospital First In Queens To Join HealingNYC’s Relay

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

The opioid epidemic continues to plague New York City communities. According to the City’s Department of Health, there were 694 confirmed overdose deaths from January to June 2018, and a fatal drug overdose reported every six hours.

More New Yorkers die as a result of a drug overdose than homicides, suicides and motor vehicle accidents combined.

In Queens, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center which operates one of the City’s busiest emergency departments, has experienced firsthand the detriment the epidemic has caused. Last year, Jamaica Hospital’s emergency department treated over 200 patients for opioid drug overdoses.

“Over the years, we have seen the numbers continue to increase significantly. This epidemic has profoundly affected many individuals and families. Opioid addiction has impacted all genders, ages, ethnicities and those of all socioeconomic backgrounds,” explained Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin, Chairman of Emergency Medicine. “No group is untouched.”

“At Jamaica Hospital our goal is to improve the health of our community in all aspects. We are committed to doing all that we can to combat the opioid crisis,” shared Dr. Shi-Wen Lee, Vice Chairman of Emergency Medicine. In addition to providing life-saving treatments in the emergency department, the hospital is the first in Queens to participate in New York City’s Relay program.

The Relay program, which was launched in 2017 under HealingNYC, targets survivors of opioid overdoses who are at high risk for a future, fatal overdose. According to New York City’s Department of Health, “In the hours after someone survives an opioid overdose, a trained Relay “Wellness Advocate” meets with the survivor in the hospital emergency department to offer overdose risk reduction counseling, overdose rescue training, and an overdose prevention kit containing naloxone. Participating hospitals can contact Relay at any hour of the day or night, on every day of the year, and a Wellness Advocate aims to arrive within the hour. Wellness Advocates stay in contact with overdose survivors for up to 90 days and connect them to appropriate services”

“Jamaica Hospital is proud to work in collaboration with Relay. Since the program’s inception in August 2018 at this facility, our emergency department has made over 50 patient referrals,” said Joshua Sclair, Emergency Medicine Administrator. The hospital’s participation in the initiative offers the community resources that can potentially reduce the number of overdose deaths and provide access to supportive services.

Any person in need of treatment for their addiction can come to the emergency department at Jamaica Hospital and receive help. The hospital has designated detoxification beds and staff that are specially trained to help patients with their treatment.

Poison Prevention Week- Child Safety Tips

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

How Obesity Contributes to Lower Back Problems

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

There have been numerous reports about how people who are obese are at a higher risk of developing a variety of serious health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Obesity can also negatively impact a person’s life in many other, non-life-threatening ways, such as how it can contribute to lower back problems.

As the structure that helps support the body and influence movement, the back has a normal spine curve that is most effective when it is in a neutral position. When a person is obese any added weight in their midsection can shift the pelvis forward and cause the spine to curve excessively inward, placing abnormal pressure on back muscles that are now forced to bear that weight.

Based purely on statistics, there is a very strong association between excess weight and lower back pain. A recent article in the American Journal of Epidemiology assessed that lower back pain was directly related to an increased body mass index (BMI). According to the research, people within a normal weight range were at a low risk of lower back pain, overweight individuals were at a moderate risk, while those who were obese were at the highest risk. The study also concluded that obese people were more likely to have back pain issues more frequently and require medical care to treat their lower back pain.

Obesity is a growing problem in American, affecting nearly 40 %, or approximately 93 million adults in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To address this issue, experts recommend eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. If however, you have tried all diet and exercise programs and are still obese, there are surgical options available to you.

Does Your Child Have a Growth Disorder?

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

When is a lack of growth a cause for concern? All children grow at different rates. The same boy that is the smallest in his class in elementary school might be the tallest at his high school graduation. In most cases lack of height can be attributed to genetic factors or in other instances it could just be that the child is a “late bloomer.”

After years of collecting statistics on childhood development experts have developed a standard growth chart. Pediatricians use this chart as a guideline to monitor the growth of their patients against other children of the same age during a child’s annual well visit. Children are ranked by percentile (from 1 to 100). If a child is ranked either below the 3^rd or above the 97^th, a doctor will usually want to investigate potential reasons as to why.

While in most cases there is no need for concern, for some children, a lack of growth could be caused by a growth disorder. The most common reason for a growth disorder is related to the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. One of the main functions of this gland is to release growth hormones to your body. When the pituitary gland doesn’t make enough growth hormone, it causes a condition known hypopituitarism, which can slow down a child’s rate of growth. Special tests can determine if a child isn’t producing enough growth hormone. If not, daily injections of growth hormone can often help them grow at a more conventional rate.

Another gland that produces hormones important for growth is the thyroid. Your thyroid makes a hormone called thyroxine. If it makes too little, the condition is called hypothyroidism. Having too little thyroxine cause a child to grow more slowly. Doctors can do a simple blood test for hypothyroidism. If it’s needed, pills can be prescribed to compensate for the lack of this hormone.

Thankfully, many growth disorders can be successfully treated today. The best advice is to make sure your child sees their pediatrician for their annual visit so any issue can be immediately identified. If you do not have a pediatrician, you can make an appointment to see one inJamaica Hospital’s Ambulatory Care Center.

For more information, or to make an appointment, please call 718-206-7001.

Break Free from Osteoporosis by Learning How to Prevent and Manage the Disease.

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones, making them more susceptible to breaking. Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have an increased risk, due to poor bone density. In fact, one in two women and one in four men will break a bone due to osteoporosis in their lifetime.

There are a number of factors that can increase the likelihood that you’ll develop osteoporosis – some are controllable, but others are not. Some of the factors are:

• Gender – Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.
• Age – The older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
• Race – You’re at the greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Asian descent.
• Family history – Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts you at greater risk.
• Body frame size – Men and women who have small body frames tend to have a higher risk because they may have less bone mass to draw from as they age.
• Hormone levels – Osteoporosis is more common in people who have too much or too little of certain hormones in their bodies.
• Dietary factors – Those with a lower calcium intake or have a history of eating disorders are at an increased risk
• Medications – Long-term use of oral or injectable steroids can interfere with the bone rebuilding process
• Lifestyle – Excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use can contribute to the weakening of bones.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), the keys to combatting osteoporosis are diet, exercise, and lifestyle. Recommendations include:

Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D in your diet
Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption
Participate in weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercises on a regular basis

A bone density test can be performed to measure the proportion of mineral in your bones. During this painless test, you lie on a padded table as a scanner passes over your body. In most cases, only a few bones are checked — usually in the hip, wrist and spine.

Hormone therapy or medications can be administered to treat osteoporosis, but there are side effects. Please consult your doctor. If you do not have a doctor, Jamaica Hospital has qualified physicians at our Ambulatory Care Center. To make an appointment, please call 718-206-7001.

The Benefits of Choosing a Pediatric Dentist for Your Child

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

If you were to look in a textbook for a description of a pediatric dentist, you would read a definition that states “the branch of the dental healing arts that focuses on the condition of children and associated structures of the oral cavity.” However, if you ask a pediatric dentist to define what they do, you will get a much different answer. The truth is a pediatric dentist is so much more and there are many benefits to having a pediatric dentist treat your child.

One of the biggest advantages of choosing a pediatric dentist is their gentle nature. Going to see the dentist can be overwhelming for many adults, so imagine how a young child must feel. Pediatric dentists are aware of these common concerns and because they have the training and skills to manage them, they are best suited to make your child feel comfortable and at ease once they are in the dentist’s chair.

While having a dentist who makes your child feel comfortable is important, it is equally as important to make sure that the person taking care of them is well qualified; this happens to be another advantage of selecting a pediatric dentist. Pediatric dentists receive an additional two years of formal training to focus on the growth and development of a child’s oral cavity, from birth through the teenage years. Since pediatric dentists specialize in caring for children’s teeth, they are naturally better equipped to address the many potential problems that may occur, such as a delayed loss of baby teeth or the development of cavities and tooth decay.

Pediatric dentists take a holistic approach to provide care to children and work with parents to identify environmental factors that may contribute to poor dental health, such as dietary choices and the potential risks associated with habits such as thumb sucking, teeth grinding or the use of a pacifier. These interactive opportunities serve to empower the entire family to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Statistics indicate that pre-school children are getting more cavities than ever before, with one out of every four children having one by the age of four. In addition, children miss more time from school due to toothaches than they do from the flu. Due to these alarming facts, a pediatric dentist will practice developmentally-based dental care by focusing a great deal of time during your child’s initial visits on teaching them about good dental habits, such as how to properly take care of their gums and teeth.

The pediatric dental team at Jamaica Hospital is dedicated to treating all children, from the time their first tooth erupts through their high school years. They believe the world is a happier place when it is filled with smiling children and they take pride in maintaining those smiles.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment at Jamaica Hospital’s Pediatric Dental Center, please call 718-206-6980.

Tubal Reversal Offered at Jamaica Hospital

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

For women, the decision to have tubal ligation, or getting their “tubes tied,” is a difficult one, but that decision no longer needs to be a permanent one. Doctors at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center now offer a tubal reversal procedure for women, giving them the opportunity to become pregnant again.

Tubal reversal is a simple, minimally invasive procedure that reconnects the fallopian tubes and restores their ability to function after a previous sterilization procedure. The surgery is performed by trained doctors, who use specially designed instruments to gain access to the fallopian tubes. The ends of the damaged tubes are reconstructed and repaired. Once the surgery is complete, testing will be performed to make sure that the tubes are open or “patent.”

Dr. Khaled Zeitoun, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Gynecologist, perform this procedure with great success at Jamaica Hospital. “This procedure gives women a second chance at having a baby,” states Dr. Zeitoun. “The effectiveness of tubal reversal is approximately above 50% and is a much more affordable fertility option than other procedures such as IVF (in vitro fertilization).”

While the overall success rate for conception is high for those who have tubal reversal surgery, there are some factors that affect this success, such as the degree of damage to the tubes during the original tubal ligation procedure, the weight and health status of the patient and other medical factors in the patient and the partner.

The procedure traditionally takes from 2-4 hours and recovery time is minimal. “In most cases, patients can try to become pregnant during their next ovulation cycle and every cycle after that, which is another benefit when compared to other options which only allow patients one chance of conception,” explains Dr. Zeitoun.

To learn more about the tubal reversal procedure or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Zeitoun, please call 718-206-7642.

Stuttering

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Stuttering, sometimes called stammering or dysfluency is a disruption in the normal patterns of speech. It can take many forms, such as:

• Repeating a sound or a syllable, especially at the beginning of the word, such as “li- li- like.”
• Prolongation of a sound such as “ssssss”
• Complete stoppage of speech or the omission of a sound.
• Repeated interruption of speech with sounds such as “uh” or “um.”

Stuttering can begin at any age, but it’s most common among children who are learning to form words into sentences. Boys are more likely than girls to stutter.

Approximately one out of every 20 children will develop stuttering that lasts for more than six months, but this does not necessarily mean that stuttering is going to be a lifelong problem. Knowing what to look for and responding appropriately to your child’s stuttering will go a long way toward preventing it from becoming a more long-term or even permanent condition.

Why does stuttering begin? At one time many people thought that stuttering was the result of either physical or emotional trauma. While there are rare instances of stuttering following traumatic events, this is not the typical factor when determining why stuttering begins. Instead, experts point to other factors that contribute to stuttering:

• Family History – According to research, 60% of all stutterers have someone in the family who also stutters.
• Child Development. – Children who have other language and speech problems are more likely to stutter than children who don’t.
• Neurophysiology – Which part of the brain processes language can contribute in identifying why some children stutter
• Family Dynamics – Some children’s stuttering has been attributed to high family expectations and a fast-paced lifestyle.

Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your child’s stuttering. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist known as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who can evaluate your child and determine whether or not there is a risk of a long-term problem. In most cases, treatment primarily focuses on training and working with the parents to develop techniques to help the child cope with and get beyond his or her stuttering.

Parents of children who stutter can also help by creating a relaxing atmosphere at home that encourages speech, even if a stutter is present. Some tips include:

• Create opportunities for talking that are relaxed, fun, and enjoyable.
• When conversing with your child, try to create an environment with limiting distractions, such as the presence of television.
• Don’t be critical of your child’s speech or insist on precise or correct speech. Don’t correct his speech, or complete his sentences.
• Don’t put pressure on your child to verbally interact with others when stuttering becomes a problem.
• Listen attentively to what your child is saying, maintaining normal eye contact without displaying signs of impatience or frustration.
• Model a slow, relaxed way of speaking to help your child slow down his own speech.
• Don’t be afraid to talk with your child about stuttering and answer questions. Explain that disruptions in speech are common.