Understanding DVTs this Holiday Season

Article by: Jennifer Clark, PA-C, MPAS

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go! The holiday season is here and for most everyone that means some sort of travel; whether you yourself will be making a trip, or loved ones are coming to visit you. Knowing this, it is very important to get the word out about DVTs and how to prevent them. As you read this you may be wondering, what is a DVT? A DVT is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins in the body, most commonly in the legs. DVTs affect over 2 million Americans a year, and of that 2 million, over 600,000 suffer a life threatening complication called a pulmonary embolism (PE).  A pulmonary embolism occurs when a piece of the blood clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs. This can be a life-threatening condition with approximately 300,000 related deaths a year which is more than both breast cancer and AIDS combined.

DVTs can happen to anyone, but certain things can make people more prone to developing blood clots. The following is a list of some of the most common risk factors for developing a DVT:

·         Immobility

·         Recent surgery

·         Obesity

·         Dehydration

·         Bleeding disorder/Family history of blood clots

·         Cancer

·         Pregnancy

·         Hormone replacement therapy/birth control pills

·         Recent traumatic injury

By understanding these risk factors you can be more proactive in preventing the development of a DVT. If you are traveling over the holidays make sure you make frequent stops if you are driving or get up and walk the aisle if you are flying for several hours. If possible elevate your legs. Stay hydrated with water and/or liquids with electrolytes. When traveling invest in a pair of knee high compression hose to wear during your trip, this will help improve the circulation in your legs which can help prevent a DVT.

 Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a DVT can be difficult at times, sometimes people can be relatively asymptomatic, or perhaps even attribute the symptoms they do experience to something else such as a skin infection or muscle strain. Most commonly we see that DVTs cause pain, swelling, redness and warmth the affected limb.  If you experience any of these symptoms it is important to have further evaluation. For more information on DVTs you can go to www.preventdvt.org. This is a very useful website that has a tool you can use to assess your risk for developing a DVT. I hope you share this useful information with your family and friends and I wish you the very best holiday season filled with many blessings, love, and laughter.

Thanksgiving is Upon us Again

Article by: Bud Shuler, MD, FACS

Thanksgiving is again upon us, which to many, means good food, football, and some well-deserved time off from work.  To others it is the lead in to the holiday shopping season with Black Friday’s mad rush for the best deals of the year.  Originally, according to Wikipedia, Thanksgiving began across Europe as festivals to celebrate a bountiful harvest.  Thereafter, from a traditional standpoint, we in the United States, have tied it to the Plymouth settlement and their appreciation to the Wampanoag Native Americans for help in surviving in the New World.  President Lincoln, in 1863, established Thanksgiving as a nation-wide holiday on the final Thursday in November in an attempt to bring together a warring country. Later, in 1941, President Roosevelt established the holiday earlier, on the forth Thursday, in an attempt to stimulate the economy.  Surprisingly, I have never tied Black Friday to FDR.  Thanksgiving, however, should be a time to reflect on what God has provided and a opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings. 

But what of these blessings?  Many of us in this country are on hard times.  Many of our family members, or ourselves, are without work or struggling to make ends meet.  Times seem tougher now than ever before.  But we are blessed with the ability to choose how we accept these challenges.  We should still thank our God for what we do have.  Father Steve added perspective to the elementary students at Holy Nativity’s weekly chapel service on Wednesday, and reminded them of some of the basics of why we should be thankful.  70% of the world’s population cannot read because they are unable to go to school.  80% of homes in the world don’t have running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing.  And at least 50% of the world goes to bed hungry and has no clean water source to drink.  If you have money in the bank, in your pocket, or in a jar on your dresser, you are in the wealthiest 8% of the world.  92% of the world is poorer financially.  However, to many of them wealth is not measured in homes, food, or dollars but in relationships.  Families are closer and relationships are more meaningful. 

So as we gather together during the upcoming holidays, let us each take the time to remember from where we came and who brought us to where we are now.  Let our family and friends know how much we appreciate them.   We have a short time on this earth to live and love and be thankful for what we do have.  Let’s all commit to being more thankful over this next year and focus on what we do have rather than what we don’t.  I know we will be happier.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Life is short, and we haven’t much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So let us be swift to love, and make haste to be kind, and the blessing of God almighty, be with you now and forever, Amen.   [based on the words of Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881)]

Gensundheit

Article by: Clark Stream, PA-C

Gensundheit is the German work for health.  When a person sneezes, Germans typically say gensundheit to wish them good health.  Another common response to an audible sneeze is “God Bless You”.  The custom to bless a sneeze reportedly began on 16 February 590 A.D., when Pope Gregory decreed that whenever someone sneezed, others should say “God bless you” in response.  During this time Rome was dealing with an outbreak of the bubonic plague.  The blessing was given in belief that the one who sneezed wouldn’t then develop the plague.  Regardless of what we say when someone sneezes, we know that the sneeze can be the start of an illness such as a cold.

According to the Guinness World Record, a 12-year-old in England named Donna Griffiths holds the longest attack of sneezing on record.  Apparently, she sneezed for over 978 days between January 1981 and September 1983.  At first she sneezed every minute, but as the days moved into weeks and years her sneezes occurred every five minutes.

The world speed record for a sneeze is over 115 mph.  A sneeze is an irritation to the nasal mucosa that can send up to 40,000 droplets from the nose to a distance of up to 10 feet.  With the holiday season in full swing comes an increased opportunity to contract illnesses avoided so far this year.  As the temperature outside drops your chances of catching a cold increase.  You can reduce your chances by following these 6 simple steps:

1.       Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
2.       Avoid touching your face with your hands as cold viruses can easily enter your body through the eyes and nose.
3.       Wash your hands with soap and water.  Alcohol based hand sanitizers are a great alternative to carry with you during this busy time since cold viruses can live up to three hours on surfaces. 
4.       Get plenty of rest.  Exhaustion can make you more susceptible to the airborne germs that multiply during the colder months.  Studies show that 6-8 hours of sleep help fend off germs that can bring down your immunity.
5.       Eat as healthy as possible while on the run this holiday season.  A balanced diet of carbohydrates, healthy fats, protein and limited processed foods are a great start.  Like always, fruits and veggies are best.  Also, plenty of vitamin C can help prevent cold
6.       Finally, if you’re the one with the cold…be polite…cover your mouth when you sneeze and wash your hands often to prevent spreading the cold virus. 

A cold is the one thing you don’t want to share this holiday season.  Gensundheit and God bless you.