Barb's Daily Dose

Don't Wait for Chest Pain

Did you know that when a woman has a heart attack, she may not have the same symptoms as men. Only about 60 % of women will experience crushing chest pain, while the 70% of men have chest pain with a heart attack. 

Because women's symptoms may be more subtle and not as obvious as men's are, this can delay treatment, which puts a woman at increased risk.

Yoga Poses

Are you as flexible as Gumby?  If you're not, then you'll want to take a peak at these simple Yoga poses that will help you strengthen your core and keep your back healthy.  These are poses that anyone can do.

Measles

I was just talking to a reporter about the recent increase in Measles cases. This is one of those highly contagious infectious diseases that has been just under the radar for years, but recently has increased dramatically. Most people under 40 haven't seen a case of measles and don't know anyone who had measles. If you're over 50, chances are that you had measles or knew someone else who couldn't go to school for a week while recovering from measles. 

Five S Method for Calming Babies

The Five S Method

1. Swaddling
2. Stomach or Side position
3. Shushing Sounds
4. Swinging, and
5. Sucking opportunity.

These methods were tested with babies who had received vaccinations.  There was one group of babies who were calmed with the Five S Method and another group was offered sugar water.  Most babies using the Five S Method were able to become calm within 45 seconds, while the babies who were offered sugar water were still crying, despite their using one of the Five S ingredients, sucking.

When to Use Ice or Heat

A few days ago, my husband strained his knee while playing with our son.   He didn't feel anything immediately, but after about 10 minutes had a slight pain on the inside of the knee cap.  It's tough getting older!  He made a bee-line to freezer, exactly the right thing to do and got out an ice pack.  Ofter the next 24 hours, he used ice and tried to avoid stressing the area to see if it improved on it's own.

Why I Became a Nurse

I'm reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  It's a brilliant book with shiny pearls of life's wisdom tucked within innocuous paragraphs and chapters like gems waiting to be discovered  There was one passage that made me gasp.  I thought that Dr. Verghese had been reading my mind when I read his description of why someone would want to care for others.

Knee Replacements

Steve could barely get up the 3 stairs that lead from his driveway to his house. The arthritis in his knee was killing him. He knew that weight loss would help, but he couldn't help but wonder if playing high school and college football hadn't done irreparable damage to his knees. They creaked and groaned like the old man he was becoming.  He knew when the weather was about to change and he tried ice and over the counter Advil to help the swelling. He knew that he needed a knee replacement, but couldn't imagine how he'd manage the recovery.

Probiotics Combat Diarrhea That Results From Antibiotics

Before you read further, let me warn you in advance that some of what I'm discussing here has to do with bodily fluids and diarrhea. If you're a caregiver and have dealt with this, I hope this helps. 

Recently, I was working with a family who's elderly mother had intermittent diarrhea as a result of gall bladder issues and some antibiotics she was taking for an infection.  She wouldn't leave the house for fear of an accident.  Embarrassing, depressing and isolating.

Testosterone Gel for Men

There's another new testosterone gel that's been approved for men in the US.  We have AndroGel and now recently, the FDA approved Bio-T-Gel.  These help treat low testosterone in men, which affects an estimated 5 million men.

Talking to the Elderly

As I have lived with the elderly, I've become much more interested in how they think. I came across this article from Reuters on how older adults and the elderly are different when it comes  talk therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when treating anxiety and depression.