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Safe in the Summer – Tips to Protect Yourself and Family

July 3, 2012 in Community, ER/Urgent Care, Exercise, Heart, Heat Safety, Lifestyle Tips, Outdoors with 1 Comment

The Dog Days of Summer are here and while you are most likely prepared for all the fun things this presents, are you ready for problems that come with the summer months as well? Sheila Dolbrow, RN, CFN, CA – CP SANE, and the Trauma Coordinator at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center shares with us some of the top summer related safety concerns below. Join Sheila on July 12th for the Summer Safety Seminar at the St. David’s Round Rock Health and Wellness Center at the Chasco YMCA as she goes into detail on how to keep your family safe during the summer months.

  1. Do you know what to do in a disaster? Do you have a family plan?  -  I have found that a lot of people have never considered this and with recent storms, wildfires, and the threat of tornados and such many families have no plan for shelter, evacuation or anything else. At the seminar, I will have educational booklets that are full of family activities and materials for emergency preparedness.
  2. Water safety - We have already had multiple drownings in the area associated with the lakes and there have been several near drowning situations involving children associated with swimming pools.  I will cover some high points of boating safety, pool safety and appropriate floatation devices for kids.
  3. Bicycle/ATV safety – We had several fatalities over the last year here at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center related to bicycle and ATV accidents. I will cover general safety related to helmet use, choosing the right helmet, etc.
  4. Heat-related safety - With temperatures well over 100 degrees everyone needs to be aware of risks involved with outdoor activities during extreme heat and the use of sunscreen.
  5. Distracted Driving – This is one of the biggest safety concerns of our time. I will go over all the ways you can be distracted.

The seminar will be from 6:00 -7:30 p.m. and registration is required so call 512-478-3627 and sign up today. We hope to see you there!

Holly Krivokapich
Health and Wellness Coordinator

Blow the Whistle on Skin Cancer

June 29, 2012 in Heat Safety, Holiday, Lifestyle Tips, Outdoors with 1 Comment

Do you love the warm feeling of the sun on your skin – that warmth you feel all the way to your bones? Do you love being outside walking, gardening, or even just reading a book on a park bench? OF COURSE YOU DO! Everyone wants to be outside living an active life and feeling healthy and vibrant. But what about the harmful effects of the sun? Did you know that up to 90% of skin changes that people think are related to aging are actually from the sun?

By now we all know that too much sun can cause skin damage. But what is “too much”? Too much sun = a lot of sun over your lifetime or more than one bad sunburn.

Skin damage, called photo-aging, not only contributes to wrinkles, but it can also cause loose or sagging skin or a loss of elasticity and firmness. It may also give your skin a leathery texture or cause spots and unevenness in color.

The good news is that your dermatologist has treatments to help you actually repair skin damage! Some options are: laser treatments, dermabrasion, chemical peels, and wrinkle fillers. A dermatologist can also prescribe topical creams or serums that help to reverse or repair sun damage, some options are: DNA repair serums, antioxidants, ceramides, skin-lightening products, and retinols.

The appearance of your skin may be your primary focus, but you cannot forget that excessive skin damage can lead to skin cancers. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. There are three types of cancer that are most commonly discussed:

  • Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer with about 1 million cases per year. While rarely fatal, it can be very disfiguring.
  • Squamous cell carcinoma is another common form of skin cancer, with about 250,000 cases and 2,500 deaths per year.
  • Melanoma is the most serious skin cancer, and is less common than basal or squamous cell cancers. Melanoma occurrences are growing faster than any other kind of cancer. Melanoma is often found in white men, but it also affects younger women with fair skin or with many moles. If detected early, the survival rate is nearly 99%.

What can you do to protect your skin while enjoying outside activities?

  • Self Examination – Check your skin for any changes or new moles. And don’t just check the easy places – check your scalp, the back of your legs, under your breasts, and your back – use a mirror if necessary.
  • Request Mole Mapping – Your dermatologist can “map” your moles by taking photographs of your skin and comparing older photos to new photos for changes.
  • Avoid Too Much Sun – Use sun screen with an SPF of 15 or more (and don’t forget to re-apply!), wear a hat, or long sleeves, or a cover-up.
  • See a Dermatologist Annually – Get yourself checked by a professional and ask questions about your risk, your skin type, and any treatments that may be right for you.

Sources: American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org and The Office on Women’s Health at www.4woman.gov

To find a dermatologist near you,
please call 512-478-3627 or 1-888-868-2104

5 Surprising Foods That Hydrate

June 20, 2012 in Heat Safety, Lifestyle Tips, Outdoors with 0 Comments

It is summer in Texas!!! We all know how important it is to our health to stay hydrated. Water would be the best option, however most liquids (with the exception of alcohol) will count toward your fluid intake. While it can sometimes be hard to drink the recommended amount of water a day, did you know that there are also some foods that have a high water content and can help meet your fluid needs as well? As an added bonus, these foods also provide vitamins/minerals and carbohydrates to help the fluid be better absorbed. Here are five foods that serve a double purpose in hydrating and fueling your body.

  1. Tomato Sauce
  2. Broth Based Soups
  3. Natural Applesauce
  4. Yogurt
  5. Sugar-Free Jello

I hope to see you for class on Thursday, June 28th at the St. David’s Round Rock Health and Wellness Center where we will cover the topic Fueling the Athlete Within (click here for class information.) We will be discussing nutrition and exercise and specifically cover: protein, carbohydrates, fluids, sodium, pre & post work out meals and snacks and lastly discuss ‘myth vs. fact’ on powders, pills, shakes and bars! Registration is required and space is limited so sign up today by calling 512.478.3627.

Tarie Beldin, RD, LD
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center

5 Recommendations for Record Breaking Heat and Pregnant Women

August 22, 2011 in Baby/Infant, Children, Community, Heat Safety, Lifestyle Tips, Outdoors, Women, Women: Ages & Stages with 0 Comments

This week I interviewed one of our new Maternal Fetal Medicine physicians, Dr. Linda Fonseca. Here in central Texas, we all know the heat has been exhausting and it has the opportunity to take an even greater toll on those who are pregnant.

Here are the things we chatted about:

Meg – How does the heat affect women who are pregnant?

Dr. Fonseca – “Pregnant women are more susceptible to dehydration because of the pregnancy and it can lead to serious problems. Heat can exacerbate dehydration from other conditions such as morning sickness or the stomach flu worse. Dehydration during pregnancy can lead to pre-term contractions or pre-term labor which can affect the outcome of the baby.”

Meg – What are the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and also heat stroke?

Dr. Fonseca – Many of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion can be easily disguised as something else. For heat exhaustion, be on the lookout for such things as: headaches, dizziness, cold or clammy skin, thirst, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, dark urine and fatigue. Dr. Fonseca states that the signs and symptoms for heat stroke are much more severe and life threatening including: mental confusion or lethargy (an abnormal state of drowsiness), core body temperature of 104 degrees, seizures and lack of perspiration.

Meg – What can a patient do to decrease the risk of heat exhaustion?

Dr. Fonseca – “During these days of high temperatures, make sure to stay indoors as much as possible”. Dr. Fonseca encourages women to run errands in the early morning hours when it is still cool outside as opposed to the middle of the day when temperatures are the highest. She also recommends staying hydrated – “carry around a water bottle and take several sips throughout your day even if you are not thirsty”. Dr. Fonseca would like to remind women that they should increase their water intake if they are doing anything outdoors and to stay away from caffeinated drinks like soda or tea that can increase dehydration. “Caffeine is a diuretic which can cause your body to dehydrate much more quickly.” She also recommends wearing light clothing when doing anything outdoors and try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Meg- What is an adequate water intake to prevent dehydration? Many women feel like 8-10 glasses of water per day are hard to achieve because they feel very full.

Dr. Fonseca – “The goal is still 8-10 glasses per day especially in these high temperatures.” Dr. Fonseca encourages women to take small sips of water throughout the day to prevent those uncomfortable “full” feelings that accompany the growing fetus. The plastic water bottles most people are familiar with are approximately 16oz so a person would need 4-5 bottles of water per day to meet the water requirement.

Meg – Any special foods or drinks you recommend to ward off dehydration or electrolyte imbalance?

Dr. Fonseca – “I generally encourage my patients to eat fresh fruit (instead of dried fruit), especially in the summer that is high in water such as peaches, watermelon, or cantaloupe.” Dr. Fonseca tells her patients to stay away from caffeine and sugary drinks that may rob your body of water. She encourages them to drink water and supplement with electrolyte enhanced liquids such as Gatorade, vitamin water or pedialyte.

Always an advocate for sunscreen, she reminds patients to make sure they are wearing an SPF in the summer wherever their skin will see light, but especially on their face. “During pregnancy there is an increase in melanin which can increase the chance of chloasma during pregnancy. Chloasma is hyper pigmentation caused by an increase of hormones while you are pregnant. Make sure to wear an SPF daily when leaving the house.

-Has anyone out there had a baby during these summer months? What advice do you have for our moms to be?!

Stay cool-
Meg