For many Americans, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season. As people here in Florida take advantage of extra time outdoors, they often pack a picnic basket or even carry along a portable grill. As with cooking and eating indoors, outdoor meals can be nutritious–or they can be loaded with the fat and sugar that can wreck our health.

Turning to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Rodale, publisher of Prevention and other magazines related to health and fitness, we found these suggestions for how to make your picnic as tasty and healthy as possible.

Bring Healthy Snacks
Munching something quick means having snackable foods handy. Healthy choices include:

• Cut veggies, such as carrots, celery, and broccoli
• Sliced fruits, such as apples, or smaller ones such as berries, cherries, and grapes
• Whole-grain crackers
• Dried fruit
• Raw or dry-roasted nuts
• Popcorn

Make Healthy Substitutions
While potato salad is a summer staple, you should avoid the fat and calories in one of the salad’s usual ingredients, mayonnaise. Instead, look for recipes that call for vinegar. Here are some other good options for making healthy food swaps:

• Instead of bringing soda, take along water, sparkling water, or freshly brewed iced tea.
• As with the potato salad, look for cole slaw recipes you can make with vinegar instead of mayonnaise.
• Replace processed sandwich meats with healthier choices—try roasting a turkey or chicken at home and then bring cold slices on your picnic.
• For a more flavorful alternative to water, bring along healthy fruits and vegetables with a high water content, such as:
  • Watermelon
  • Grapefruit
  • Lettuce
• If you bring along dairy products, opt for low- and non-fat choices over the full-fat kind.

Grill Healthy Veggies
When you fire up the grill, you can make tasty dishes with such vegetables as:

• Summer squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Corn

At St. Lucie Medical Center, we want everyone to eat as well as they can all year round. Check out our online Health Library for more information on food nutrition. You also call our Consult-A-Nurse® service at 800-449-8345 for information on food and health.

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All women of a certain age will experience menopause, but how it affects them physically and psychologically varies greatly. May 12th marks the start of National Women’s Health Week for 2013, sponsored by the U.S. government’s Office of Women’s Health, so we’re offering some ways women can address the symptoms that can make menopause such a difficult time in their lives.

Hormone Therapy
For many women, replacing the hormones their bodies stop producing is an effective treatment for moderate to severe menopause symptoms. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT—formerly known as hormone replacement therapy) involves taking estrogen alone or with progestin. According to the Food and Drug Administration, MHT is effective in reducing the severity of:

• Hot flashes
• Vaginal dryness
• Bone loss

The therapy, however, does have some health risks, so women should consult with their doctors before taking hormones. Some women also choose to take bio-identical hormones, which are synthesized from plants. The government has no proof that these hormones are safer or more effective than traditional MHT drugs.

Coping With Specific Symptoms
Whether taking hormones or not, women can follow these tips to help deal with some of the most common symptoms of menopause:

Hot Flashes

• Avoid triggers, which can include spicy foods, stress, caffeine, and exposure to high temperatures
• Dress in layers so you can remove a layer as needed
• Keep a fan handy

Vaginal dryness

• Use a water-based lubricant during sex
• Consider using a vaginal moisturizer

Sleeping Difficulties

• Avoid daytime naps
• Keep a routine for when you go to bed and when you wake
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine near bedtime

Mood Swings

• Reduce your stress through exercise or enjoyable activities
• Find a women’s support group
• Consider therapy

Lifestyle Changes
For some women, basic lifestyle changes may reduce menopause symptoms—and they promote good overall health. These include

• Eating a balanced diet
• Exercising regularly
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing stress through such activities as meditation or yoga
• Losing weight, which might help fight hot flashes

If you’re dealing with menopause and want help coping, St. Lucie Medical Center is here for you. Our Consult-A-Nurse® service can answer basic questions and offer physician referrals. Give us a call at 1-800-449-8345.

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Checking a patient’s blood pressure is part of almost any medical exam, and for folks with consistently high numbers, it’s a regular part of life. May is High Blood Pressure Education Month, so here’s a brief look at what you’re risking if your blood pressure is beyond the recommended levels, and what you can do to help lower it.

The Dangers of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is sometimes called the silent killer, since it has no outward symptoms and can lead to serious medical conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypertension is a risk factor for:

• Heart attacks
• Chronic heart disease
• Strokes
• Kidney disease

Here are the common range of numbers for blood pressure and what they mean:

• Normal: Upper (systolic) of less than 120 and lower less (diastolic) less than 80
• Prehypertension (a condition that increases the risk of hypertension): Upper between 120 and 139 and lower between 80 and 89
• Hypertension: Upper of 140 or more and lower of 90 or more

Statistics show that African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure, and at a younger age, than members of other races and ethnic groups.

Some Simple Steps for Prevention
You can make several lifestyle changes to help get your numbers under control. These include:

• Following the DASH diet, which features:
  • Eating less sodium (salt) and items that contain sodium
  • Avoiding foods with fat and cholesterol
  • Eating more fruits and vegetables
  • Eating more foods rich in fiber and potassium
  • Eating fewer sweets and foods with sugar added
• Keeping your weight at the right level for your sex, age, and height, also called the Body Mass Index (BMI), which you can calculate here
• Exercising more—ideally at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise during a week
• Quitting smoking
• Drinking alcohol in moderate amounts—only one drink per day for women and two for men

We’re Here to Help
At St. Lucie Medical Center, we know the dangers of high blood pressure to your health. If you have questions about hypertension or want a doctor referral to help treat it, call our Consult-A-Nurse® service at 800-449-8345.

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Sinusitis is the medical term for inflammation somewhere in the sinuses, four pairs of cavities around the nose, eyes, and upper cheekbones. If you have sinusitis, you’re not alone: According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), about 31 million Americans were diagnosed with it in 2009.

People sometimes think the stuffy nose they’re experiencing is from a cold, when it could be a symptom of acute sinusitis. A cold or an infection may trigger acute sinusitis, but unlike a cold, acute sinusitis typically lasts more than 14 days and has other symptoms not associated with a cold. Sinusitis can also become chronic and last for several months.

Signs of Acute Sinusitis
According to the NIAID and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the symptoms for acute sinusitis include:

• Nasal secretions in the back of the throat (post-nasal drip)
• White, yellowish, or greenish discharge from the nose
• Stuffy nose
• Pain in one or more of these areas:
  • the forehead
  • upper jaw and teeth
  • between the eyes
  • the neck, with accompanying earaches
• Bad breath
• Coughing
• Fever
• Feeling tired
• Tenderness in the face, especially at the bridge of the nose or under the eyes

During an exam, a doctor will look for these symptoms:

• Redness in the sinuses, nose, or throat
• Swelling of nasal tissues
• Tenderness in the face

Chronic Sinusitis
Chronic sinusitis is usually linked to inflammation, unlike the acute variety. The longer-lasting form of the disease has most of the same symptoms, though chronic sinusitis often causes less pain. Chronic sinusitis can have several causes:

• Recurring cases of acute sinusitis
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Pre-existing health conditions, such as cystic fibrosis

While acute sinusitis can usually be treated with antibiotics, the chronic form might require nasal steroids or in some cases, surgery. If you think you might be experiencing acute of chronic sinusitis, St. Lucie Medical Center is ready to help. Our Consult-A-Nurse® service can answer questions you have about your symptoms and help find the health care provider right for you. Call us at 1-800-449-8345.

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From time to time the media reports on outbreaks of meningitis, particularly when it leads to death. April 24 is World Meningitis Day, sponsored in part by the Meningitis Foundation of America. The day highlights efforts to educate people about this disease and how to prevent it.

What is Meningitis?
Meningitis, sometimes called spinal meningitis, is an infection of the fluid that surrounds our spinal cord and brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease can be caused by:

• A virus
• Bacteria
• Fungi in the environment
• Parasites
• Certain diseases or medical conditions, such as cancer, a head injury or brain surgery

The most common forms of the disease in the United States are viral and bacterial meningitis, with the bacterial forms usually being the most severe. Without prompt, proper treatment, it can be fatal.

Who’s at Risk?
Anyone can get viral meningitis, but risk factors include:

• Age—children under five are most at risk
• Weakened immune system
• Exposure to the virus through contact with fecal matter or bodily secretions of infected people

For bacterial meningitis, the common risk factors include:

• Age—Infants are at a higher risk, but different bacteria are more likely to strike different age groups, with Streptococcus pneumoniae possibly affecting anyone from children to older adults
• Living arrangements—People who share close quarters, such as college students or members of the military, can be susceptible to an outbreak
• Existing medical issues—Diseases or anything else that can weaken the immune system increase the risk
• Travel—Visiting certain areas of the world where bacterial meningitis is more common, such as sub-Saharan Africa, is a risk factor

Preventing Meningitis

• Vaccinations can help people, especially children, avoid developing bacterial meningitis.
• Taking antibiotics while healthy is a precaution sometimes recommended when one family member has bacterial meningitis.
• Vaccinations against diseases that can lead to viral meningitis are recommended. These include measles, mumps, and chicken pox.
• Practicing good hygiene regularly is always sound medical advice.

Getting Help
If you have more questions about meningitis or would like a physician referral, call our free Consult-A-Nurse® service at 1-800-449-8345. If you or a loved one have any symptoms associated with bacterial meningitis, our nurses can recommend a doctor so you can begin immediate treatment.

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Chances are, you or someone you know suffers from arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, it’s the number one cause of disability in America, affecting one in five adults. The good news is a variety of medical professionals can help arthritis sufferers minimize their pain and maximize their mobility so they can lead the lives they want.

Occupational therapists (OTs) are one group of trained practitioners who work with arthritis patients. Their specialty is offering tools or modifying environments that help a wide range of patients. Since April is Occupational Therapy Month, let’s take a look at what they can do for people with arthritis.

Evaluation
When first meeting with an arthritis sufferer, an OT will determine the extent of the patient’s problems and potential solutions by assessing such things as:

• Range of motion in the affected joint(s)
• Muscle strength
• Extent of pain and sensation
• Ability to perform certain activities, and for how long
• Possible use of orthotics or splints
• Possible home- or work-environment changes

Treatment
OTs can directly aid in treatment and teach patients how to help themselves. These procedures can include:

• Applying heat or cold to reduce pain
• Offering training in techniques that protect joints and conserve energy, such as:
  • Using assistive devices and adaptive equipment, such as grab bars or lever-style door handles rather than round knobs
  • Changes to usual habits and activities
• Explaining techniques for controlling inflammation, which can include:
  • Elevating limbs
  • Wearing compression garments
  • Exercising affected joints
• Outlining activities a patient should avoid while offering exercises that can improve strength and mobility
• Teaching relaxation techniques that reduce the stress often associated with any chronic illness or that result from lack of sleep or the patient's inability to perform certain activities

Getting Help Now
At St. Lucie Medical Center, we offer excellent occupational therapy services through our Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. Along with OTs, the staff includes physical therapists and specialists in a wide range of rehabilitation disciplines. To see what our OTs can do to helping you live with arthritis, get a referral from your physician, then call 772-398-1999.

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Over the course of our lifetime, our knees can really take a beating and everyone is apt to feel some pain in their knees at some point. But when is that pain a cause for concern?

Serious Knee Conditions
The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons say these knee ailments and conditions require a doctor's care:

• A deformity of the knee, which can indicate a fracture
• Fever along with swollen or red joints, which can be signs of rheumatoid arthritis
• For teens, pain below the kneecap that gets worse with activity and does not respond to at-home care could be a sign of Osgood-Schlatter disease
• Swollen, warm, and tender kneecap that feels worse with activity, which could indicate a fracture or bursitis
• Torn ligament or cartilage, which is often the result of an athletic injury

Serious Symptoms
 The National Institutes of Health say these symptoms warrant calling your doctor:

• Inability to bear weight
• Severe pain even when not standing
• Clicking in the knee
• Pain that persists after three days of home treatment
• A locking or buckling knee
• These conditions in the calf below the knee causing pain:
  • swelling
  • numbness
  • tingling

Reducing the Risk of Injury
Some tips for reducing your risk of developing a serious knee injury during physical activity include:

• Warming up before exercising and cooling down after
• Running on a soft surface, such as a track
• Using proper athletic shoes
• If overweight, losing weight

For Less Serious Injuries
Some minor knee sprains and strains can be treated at home. The best remedy is to:

• Apply ice
• Rest the knee
• Elevate the knee as much as possible to reduce any swelling
• Apply a bandage or elastic sleeve to provide support
• Take ibuprofen to reduce swelling and ease pain
• Sleep with a pillow beneath or between your knees

At St. Lucie Medical Center, we know how important your knees are. If you have a knee problem that requires inpatient care, our Orthopedic and Spine Institute is ready to help. Please call 800-382-3522 for more information or for a physician referral.

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We’ve all seen people driving with a cell phone against their ear or while drinking their morning coffee. It seems harmless enough, and we’ve probably done it ourselves too. But those two acts are just some of the potentially dangerous activities that fall into the category of distracted driving.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so it’s a good time to look at this practice, which the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA) says kills more than 3,000 people on average each year. Several hundred thousand more are injured because of distracted drivers.

What's a distraction?
Basically, anything that takes a driver’s eyes or attention off the road is a distraction. The NHSTA says the activities that are unsafe for drivers include:

• Talking on a cell phone
• Texting
• Talking to passengers
• Reading maps or other printed matter
• Eating and drinking
• Adjusting music devices, such as an ipod, CD player or radio
• Watching a video
• Using a GPS system
• Combing hair or doing other personal grooming

Of these, the government says, texting is the worst. It takes almost five seconds for a driver to send or receive a message. During that time, an automobile going 55 miles per hour would cover the distance of a football field.

Questions about distracted driving:

• Who drives distracted most often?

Statistics say it’s people under 20, who are responsible for 16 percent of distracted-driving accidents.

• What are the laws in Florida on texting while driving?

Florida currently has no statewide limits on texting while driving a car, and state law prohibits municipalities from banning the practice.

• Are hands-free devices OK to use while driving?

Studies say no. Engaging in any cell phone conversation increases the risk of a driver having an accident.

If an accident occurs:
At St. Lucie Medical Center, we hope you’ll heed the warnings about the dangers of distracted driving. But other drivers might not be as aware, and you could still find yourself in a distracted-driving accident. If that or any other kind of emergency strikes, you can count on the staff at our Emergency Department to be ready to help. For more information on our emergency department, call 1-866-4HCA-DOCS (442-2362).

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America’s emergency rooms are bustling places. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), an average of 300,000 people are treated each day in emergency departments across the country. But at times, what people think are medical emergencies really aren’t. Or, conversely, they underestimate the danger posed by a medical condition.

Head for the Emergency Room
The ACEP has a list of medical conditions and symptoms that indicate you shouldn’t hesitate about going to the emergency room:

• Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness
• Difficulty breathing and/or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or upper abdomen
• Confusion or changes in mental state
• Changes in eyesight
• Any sudden or severe pain
• Bleeding that you can’t stop
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Severe or persistent diarrhea
• Suicidal feelings
• Difficulty speaking
• Unusual pain in the stomach

Symptoms for Kids
The National Institutes of Health has additional symptoms and conditions that mean a child should receive emergency care. Call 911 if a child:

• is choking
• has stopped breathing or is turning blue
• suffers a head injury and passes out, throws up, or behaves abnormally
• injures the neck or spine
• is severely burned
• has a seizure that lasts three to five minutes
• is bleeding uncontrollably

For some emergency conditions, you can either call 911 or take the child to the hospital yourself. These include:

• Breathing difficulties
• Passing out
• Severe allergic reaction, with trouble breathing, swelling, hives
• High fever with a headache and stiff neck
• High fever that doesn’t improve with treatment
• Suddenly hard to wake up, sleepy, or confused
• Possible broken bone, especially if the bone is pushing through the skin
• A body part near an injured bone is numb, tingling, weak, cold, or pale
• Rapid heartbeat that doesn’t slow down

Be Prepared
If a trip to the ER is in order, you can help the staff and yourself by following these tips:

• Bring a list of any allergies and medications.
• Bring a list of current immunizations.
• If you think someone has been poisoned, bring the ingested substance with you.
• Try to stay calm.

At St. Lucie Medical Center, our Emergency Services department is ready 24 hours a day to help you and your loved ones deal with a medical crisis. Our ER wait times are regularly updated on our website for your convenience.

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The numbers are staggering: some 26 million Americans have diabetes, and about one-quarter of them don’t even know it. Another 79 million people are prediabetic, which puts them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease in adults.

These figures come from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which, on March 26, will hold its annual Alert Day. The day is meant to highlight diabetes and encourage Americans to take the Risk Test to assess their chances of developing it. Floridians might be particularly interested, as statistics from the state's Department of Health put it as our sixth-leading cause of death.

Are you at risk? Here’s a quick rundown of some of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, from the ADA and the National Institutes of Health:

• Age – People over 45 are more susceptible.
• Heredity – Diabetes tends to run in families.
• Exercise – Lack of regular exercise is a contributing factor.
• Weight – Excess weight, especially around the waist, increases the risk.
• Metabolic syndrome – This medical condition is a combination of three or more conditions:
  • blood pressure at or above 130/85
  • fasting glucose level at or above 100 mg/dl
  • waist circumference of more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women
  • low levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol
  • triglycerides level at or above 150 dg/ml
• Race/ethnicity – People in these groups are at greater risk:
  • African Americans
  • Hispanic Americans
  • Asian Americans
  • Native Americans
  • Pacific Islanders
• Gestational diabetes – This condition, which affects some pregnant women, can be a risk factor for them later on.

Despite the dangers of diabetes, early detection and proper treatment mean millions of diabetics lead normal lives. At St. Lucie Medical Center, we want to help diabetics every way we can, including with our Diabetes Self Management Education Program. Through personal interaction with our staff and courses they take on their own, diabetics get the dietary and behavioral modification tools they need to keep their disease in check. For more information on our program, please call (772) 398-3741.

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