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.

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.

Choosing the Right Form of Birth Control

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Michael Hinck

Family planning services provide comprehensive educational, medical, and social support to individuals who wish to control the number of children in a family, and the interval between births.

A big part of family planning involves a decision to use some form of birth control. It is estimated that half of the women in the United States of reproductive age (13-44) are in need of some form of birth control; that is, they are sexually active and able to become pregnant, but not trying to. For these women and their partners, there may be several reasons why they do not wish to become pregnant including their current marital status, career goals, or financial situation.

Determining the proper form of birth control that best suits your lifestyle is an important decision. There are various forms of birth control available and not all methods satisfy everyone’s needs. Some of the types of birth control include:

Intrauterine Device (IUD) – A small t-shaped device that is placed in your uterus and is very effective. These devices last for a number of years, are easy to use, and can be removed at any time.

Birth Control Implant – The implant (Nexplanon) is a small rod, about the size of a matchstick that is inserted into your upper arm just under the skin.

Birth Control Shot – A shot that keeps you from getting pregnant, Depo-Provera or “Depo” for short is effective for three months.

Birth Control Vaginal Ring – The ring (NuvaRing) is a small, bendable ring that you insert into the vagina. It can be left in for three weeks and taken out during the fourth week.

Birth Control Patch – The patch is a thin piece of plastic that looks like a bandage and sticks to the skin. Put on the patch once a week.

Birth Control Pill – An oral form of contraception that is taken daily. It should be taken at the same time every day to enhance effectiveness.

Condom – A popular method, the male condom is placed over the penis before sex to prevent sperm from reaching the vagina and helps protect from most STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections)

Internal (Female) Condom – The female condom is inserted into the vagina before sex to prevent sperm from reaching the vagina and helps protect from most STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections).

Diaphragm– A diaphragm is a shallow, dome-shaped cup made of silicone that is inserted into the vagina before sex.

Cervical Cap – A silicone cup that is inserted in the vagina to cover the cervix and prevent sperm from reaching the uterus.

Sponge – The sponge is a round piece of plastic foam that is inserted into the vagina prior to sex.

Spermicide – Spermicides include a variety of creams, films, foams, gels and suppositories that are inserted deep in the vagina and contain chemicals to stop sperm from moving.

Sterilization (Tubal Ligation) – A surgical procedure that closes or blocks the fallopian tubes so you can’t get pregnant.

Fertility Awareness – By carefully tracking your menstrual cycle you can determine the days you can get pregnant. This is not the most effective form of birth control. Talk to your provider for more information on other methods.

Jamaica Hospital’s Contraception and Family Planning Department can offer information on each birth control option. Together, our staff can work with you to determine the best method of family planning to suit your specific needs. To make an appointment, please call 718-291-3276.

Treating Prostate Cancer

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Xavia Malcolm

Prostate cancer is one of the most common diseases that affect men’s health. It is estimated that one in every seven men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis during his lifetime.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you most likely have questions about available treatment options.

Before recommending a course of treatment, your doctor will need to determine the stage or severity of the disease. This can be concluded by using imaging technology to assess how aggressive the cancer might be. Some of the testing methods utilized by physicians include:

multiparametric MRI
enhanced MRI
positron-emission tomography (PET)

Once the stage of the prostate cancer has been determined, your doctor will recommend the best treatment option. Treatment is unique to each individual and may include a combination of therapies and medication management.

Depending on the severity of your case, treatment may include:

Active Surveillance- This is where your doctor will monitor your cancer closely. Surveillance typically includes conducting blood tests and digital rectal exams every six months, observing changes in symptoms and possibly administering prostate biopsies each year.
Surgery- One of the most common options used to treat prostate cancer is surgery. Surgery is usually considered when cancer has not spread outside the prostate gland. A radical prostatectomy is the operation that your doctor may perform. It involves removing the entire prostate gland as well as surrounding tissue.
Radiation Therapy- Is often used to treat cancers that have grown outside the prostate gland and have spread to nearby tissues. High levels of radiation are used to kill cancer cells or to keep them from growing.
Hormone Therapy- Also known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or androgen suppression therapy, is an option a physician may explore when cancer has spread too far to be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. The goal of hormone therapy is to reduce the amount of male hormones (androgens) that are produced. This helps delay the progression of prostate cancer.
Chemotherapy- If hormone therapy is not working; your doctor may consider chemotherapy as a form of treatment. During chemotherapy, a combination of cancer–fighting drugs is administered by mouth or intravenously. This form of treatment is best used to shrink or eliminate cancer cells that have spread outside the prostate gland into other parts of the body.

Making treatment decisions can be challenging. Your first step in making a decision is to learn about your options. As an informed patient, you will be able to help your doctor to make a care plan that is best for you.

To schedule an appointment with a urologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-206-7110.

TALK YOURSELF POSITIVE

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Joann Ariola

With all the running around we do and the stress we deal with each and every day, try to take a moment to center your mind and bring wellness to your entire being. Try reciting these and other positive affirmations to help start your day in a positive way.

What is Scoliosis ?

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the backbone (spine ). In the majority of cases, the cause of this curvature is unknown. In general, girls have a higher risk of developing scoliosis than boys do.However, there are cases where the curvature is due to a person having muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. Other causes of scoliosis include birth defects, heredity, and spinal injuries. Not all abnormal spinal curvatures are considered scoliosis. A non-structural deformity can be due to one leg being longer than the other.

Many cases of scoliosis are considered to be mild and other than the spine having an abnormal sideways curvature, there is little impact on the body’s ability to function properly. In serious, the curvature of the spine may be so severe that it affects the chest cavity and causes problems with lung function. It may also affect the heart’s ability to function properly.

Symptoms of scoliosis:
• Hips that are uneven
• Uneven shoulders
• Uneven waist
• Back pain
• One shoulder blade that protrudes more than the other

In severe cases the ribs on one side of the body may protrude more than the other side
In order to diagnose scoliosis a physician will perform a physical exam that includes visualizing the patient’s posture, taking a family history, performing a neurological exam to check for muscle weakness, numbness, and abnormal reflexes. A series of x-rays will also be taken to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment of scoliosis is determined by the severity of the abnormal spinal curvature, the age of the patient, the location of the curvature, and whether or not the curvature is “C” shaped or a “double S “. In many cases no treatment will be required, only careful monitoring to see if the condition worsens over time. In cases that are moderate a brace may be prescribed to prevent the worsening of the condition. Severe cases of scoliosis may require surgical intervention. This procedure involves fusion of two or more vertebrae and the use of either rods, plates and screws to hold the spine in place.

If you think that your child may have an abnormal curvature of the spine, speak with your pediatrician about an evaluation. To schedule an appointment with a pediatrician at Jamaica Hospital, please call 718-206-7001.

Jamaica Hospital Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Xavia Malcolm

Today Jamaica Hospital Medical Center hosted a baby shower for women in our community in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. Our lactation consultants along with special guests spoke to moms-to-be about the importance of breastfeeding and the many health benefits it provides.

Each year, August first to seventh is designated World Breastfeeding Week to encourage breastfeeding around the world and improve the health of babies.

World Breastfeeding Week was created 25 years ago by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to promote the health benefits infants receive from being fed breast milk exclusively for the first six months of life. The observation is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Organizations including WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics have found that in addition to being an optimal source of nutrition, breastfeeding offers babies protection from bacteria and viruses that can lead to potential life threatening diseases. Breastfeeding also benefits mothers; women who choose to breastfeed are less likely to develop breast or ovarian cancer, diabetes and post-partum depression.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is a designated Baby-Friendly USA facility that promotes exclusive breastfeeding. Our hospital provides several social and clinical programs to support pregnant and nursing mothers. Some of our programs include breastfeeding education classes, CenteringPregnancy and breastfeeding support groups.

Last year, we opened a lactation lounge for our community to utilize and access 24 hours, 7 days a week.

For more information about the services we provide, please visit www.JamaicaHospital.org.

Bobby Serina, RN

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

The entire staff of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Emergency Department is critical to treating hundreds of patients every day. For over twenty years, one of the people who has dedicated his career to taking care of patients is Bobby Serina, RN.
Bobby grew up in the Philippines where he attended Liceo De Cagayan College of Nursing. He graduated in 1979 then started working at Doctor’s General Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City in 1980 as an ER/OR nurse. Bobby furthered his education during this time and obtained his BSN Supplemental in 1981. In 1985 he decided to go abroad, traveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he worked at the 1400 bed Riyadh Central Hospital in the emergency room.
While Bobby was working in Saudi Arabia he met his beautiful wife Menchi who is also an ER nurse. They are blessed with three beautiful children and two grandchildren. He worked in Saudi Arabia for ten years and had the opportunity of a lifetime when he went to work in the Royal Palace clinic in Riyadh. In the years that Bobby spent in Saudi Arabia he learned the culture of the country and the Arabic language which he still speaks very well. In 1983 Bobby’s wife came to the United States and shortly afterwards, he followed.
Bobby has been working at Jamaica Hospital for twenty years and he describes his experiences at the hospital as amazing and would not trade it for anything. He feels that he learns something new every day which he feels is so important. He enjoys working with the wonderful people at the hospital who come from so many different parts of the world. Bobby describes the ER as a collaborative effort between the EMS responders, PCA’s, PAR’s, transporters, PA’s, physicians and hospital administration. The camaraderie amongst the staff and the fact that they share a common goal of helping our patients is why they work together so well. Bobby really enjoys making a big difference in patients’ lives and he says, no matter how stressful each day can be, at the end of the day he says he feels a great deal of accomplishment.
Bobby is dedicated to his profession and to providing patients with the highest level of care and compassion. When he isn’t working, he enjoys running, working out, playing tennis and basketball. What is especially important to Bobby is his family and he enjoys spending time with them as often as possible.

Can Yoga Naturally Lower your Blood Pressure?

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Joann Ariola

Practicing yoga can give your overall health an added boost. Studies have found that it is also helpful in fighting hypertension when combined with other methods of management such as a healthy diet, medication and aerobic exercise. Research indicates that on average patients who incorporated yoga into their care management routine saw a notable reduction in their systolic blood pressure (top number) and diastolic blood pressure (bottom number).

It is believed that yoga is an effective complementary treatment for hypertension because it increases and strengthens the body’s ability to take in oxygen. Additionally it can help improve resiliency to stress; a trigger in elevating blood pressure levels.

If you decide to include yoga as a part of your care, it is important to know that not all yoga poses are created equal in high blood pressure management. There are some poses that are helpful and there are others that can be harmful.

Yoga poses that can be beneficial are:

Bridge pose
Posterior stretch pose
Savasana pose
Child pose

Yoga poses that should be avoided or modified include:

Bow pose
Camel pose
Feathered peacock pose
Balasana pose

It is important that you speak with your physician before trying yoga. Your physician will assess your health and advise if you are physically capable. If your doctor has given you the green light, inform your yoga instructor about your hypertension. This information will help in the prevention of injuries or the exacerbation of your medical condition.

Testing for Allergies

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

It is estimated that 30 percent of Americans suffer from allergies. Historically, allergy testing was performed by specialists in the field of Allergy and Immunology. Often times this involved performing skin tests and then monitoring the results. Now this whole process can be performed by a physician through a simple blood serum test and Jamaica Hospital is now one of the few hospitals in New York that is offering this new and exciting technology.
Often times, allergy symptoms are similar to other health conditions such as colds and sinus infections. Allergies typically do not cause fever but they can cause itchiness, eye discomfort and a runny nose. It is important to determine what the cause of these symptoms is before treating the symptoms. People tend to purchase medications over the counter to treat their symptoms, but they may not be treating the correct cause of their discomfort.
With the new technology and equipment that is available at Jamaica Hospital, testing of a small sample of blood serum IgE, can determine if a person is allergic to any of the hundreds of known allergens. This quick testing will help to determine wat course of treatment should be started on. Another advantage of this testing is that it can be ordered by any physician. A correct diagnosis leads to a more accurate treatment plan.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Jamaica Hospital to discuss having allergies, please call 718-206-7001.

Do You Need More Or Less Sleep As You Get Older?

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Research indicates that as you get older, you will need less sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following hours for each age group:

• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours

• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours

• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours

• Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours

• School-age children (6-13): to 9-11 hours

• Teenagers (14-17): to 8-10 hours

• Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours

• Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours

• Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours

It was also found that adults tend to take longer to doze off, sleep more lightly and wake up more often during the night than children and adolescents.

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