Avoid Stress Eating this Holiday Season

It’s hard to turn down home cooked holiday favorites, but it might be better to resist. The Christian County Health Department reports the average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is about 7 pounds (to burn this off you’d have to walk from Springfield to St. Louis!). Be proactive in your holiday eating habits and read below to find out if you fall victim to stress eating. Content courtesy of the Christian County Health Department. 

Instead of falling into the “stress eating” habit, try eating and exercising with the idea of health in mind. Exercising serves as a double bonus as it helps you control your weight and relieves your stress at the same time.

 Check out the following “stress eating” assessment to see how susceptible you are to holiday weight gain:

• When you attend a dinner party to do you feel obligated to accept a second helping to please your host?
• Are mad dashes to the mall and social events the only exercise you get during the holidays?
• Do you bake a batch of cookies to have on hand for guests only to eat most of them yourself?
• Are you the type of person who lets yourself go and splurge on anything you want during the holidays, promising to go on a diet when January starts?
• Do you feel an obligation to eat every morsel of fattening food you may receive as a gift?
• Do you sample while you are baking holiday goodies?

Too many yes answers? If so, take steps to improving your stress eating by selecting one area and improving on it. Don’t try to lose weight during the holidays, just try to make healthier choices.

Content courtesy of the Christian County Health Department.

OCH Social Worker Shares Tips for Speaking About Adoption

Chances are, many people you know have been impacted by adoption in one way or another; yet it still remains a complex and sensitive topic. As we round out November and ease into the holidays to reunite with our family and friends, remember these conversation tips for speaking about adoption provided by OCH social worker Regina Smith, LMSW.

Many people have been personally and directly touched by adoption. Others have a loose connection with it. The topic of adoption is found in our literature, music, movies and television shows. Popular media has opened this topic for discussion, however many people may be misguided by the media on how to accurately and respectfully communicate with others about this subject. Language is a powerful tool that is used open or close lines of communication. It is important for us to understand how our language may appear to be uninformed, insensitive. Below are some tips on how to discuss adoption in an accurate, respectful manner: 

• Avoid Saying: Real parent or natural parent. For example: “Who are her real parents?”
• Proper Term: Biological parent or birth parent

Reason: The term “real” can be confusing. All parents are “real” people. There is no such thing as an “artificial” or “unnatural” parent. Biological or birth parent is a more accurate description of a person who has genetic ties to the child. 

• Avoid Saying: “Gave up or given away… for adoption.” For example: “She gave up her baby for adoption.”
• Proper Term: Made an adoption plan or chose adoption

Reason: The former suggests that there was little or no planning, or that the child was a possession which was tossed out, and never thought of again. The latter more accurately conveys the forethought and planning that was considered by birth parents for their child’s future.

• Avoid Saying: “Kept or keep… my/your baby.” For example: “Is she going to keep her baby?”
• Proper Term: Chose to parent or is parenting

Reason: Parenting is an active choice that is a lifelong decision. The former suggests that the child, again, is likened to a possession. I would keep a pair of shoes, but not a child. And, certainly the child doesn’t remain a baby for the rest of their lives. The later is more accurate way of describing parenting.

For more information about adoption:

www.nacac.org, www.jcics.org, www.adoptuskids.org

Regina Smith, LMSW is a social worker for the OCH Resolutions unit. Prior to working at OCH, she worked at a private, non-profit adoption agency, both with adoptive families as well as birth families.

Beating the Cold and Flu Season

Odds are, there will be a few or more days this winter season that you are coughing up stuff similar to that Gak stuff from the 90′s, sneezing your way through several boxes of Kleenex or unconscious thanks to a double shot of NyQuil. It’s basically inevitable. It will happen. But if you follow the helpful tips courtesy of the Christian County Health Department below, you might stand a fighting chance at limiting the amount of cash spent at Walgreens this winter. 

• Eat a balanced diet. Don’t concentrate on any one certain food. Rather eat the foods that supply your body with good nutrients on a daily basis.
• Get regular exercise. Throwing some lbs. up and down or pounding pavement (or a treadmill) helps to improve the immune system, but try not to take it too far which could temporarily suppress your immune system.
• Get adequate sleep and drink plenty of fluids.
• Do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth with your hands. Just keep your hands below the neck.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze and throw away the tissue. No handkerchiefs. They went out of style in the Reagan administration for one thing, and they also become a cesspool of germs.
• Get a flu shot if you haven’t already.
• This one is pretty obvious but wash the hands. Also become a frequent user of one of several of the 261 Purell hand sanitizer dispensers installed around the hospital.

How to Kick Your Smoking Habit

You’ve made the decision to quit smoking, but where do you go from here? There are dozens of ways to kick the habit, but not all are guaranteed to work. OCH psychologist Dr. Jason Glass takes the guesswork out and shares his evaluation of unsuccessful smoking cessation techniques and offers four solutions to help you quit for good.

Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) around 70% of smokers indicate they are interested in quitting completely.  However, many smokers find the withdrawal and cravings difficult to contend with.  If you or your loved ones are interested in quitting for good, you might be wondering what are the best and most effective approaches for smoking cessation.  The U.S. Surgeon General created the report: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update– Clinical Practice Guidelines and the research organization www. Cochrane.org has reviewed studies on the most successful interventions for treating nicotine addiction.  Below is a summary of the more popular treatments for smoking cessation:

Treatments that do not have support

• Cold Turkey:  Individuals who try to quit smoking on their own are up against significant odds.  According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2000) of individuals who try to quit without assistance, only 5% of them remain abstinent.  In other words, attempting to stop on your own may not be the best idea. 
• Acupuncture: Acupuncture is used by many individuals as an alternative to popular medicine.  Unfortunately, the available research does not support the efficacy of acupuncture as a successful treatment of nicotine dependence.
• Hypnotherapy:  Many people will seek out therapists who provide hypnosis in order to quit smoking.  However, there is no evidence in the research that hypnosis helps people stop smoking.  Researchers at Cochrane attribute this finding to poor methodology used by researchers to assess this technique.
• Aversive Smoking:  This is a behavioral technique that requires individuals to smoke more than they usually do (rapid smoking) which in turn usually makes the individual feel sick or opposite of what they feel with one cigarette.  The belief is that by “overdoing it” people will discontinue smoking.  This treatment has not received support in the literature.
• Competitions and Incentives: The researchers at Cochrane studied literature that assessed the effectiveness of workplace competitions and other incentives on smoking cessation.  What they found is that in the short-term, financial incentives did have an effect on people abstaining from smoking.  However, when the money was no longer given the effect of the competition or incentive wore off and people went back to smoking. 

Treatments that do have support

• Nicotine Replacement Therapy:  One effective approach for quitting smoking is replacing the harmful delivery of nicotine through cigarettes to the safer delivery of nicotine through gum, patches and lozenges.  According to researchers at Cochrane, individuals who use nicotine replacement alone have a 50 to 70% chance of quitting rather than if they did not use any intervention. 
• Buproprion (Zyban): This drug is an antidepressant and has been found to be useful for helping individuals deal with withdrawal, cravings, and suppressing an individual’s appetite as they are trying to quit smoking.  Zyban has support for being an effective intervention for smoking cessation.
• Varenicline (Chantix):  Like Zyban, Chantix also helps with cravings and symptoms of withdrawal.  However, this medication is not an anti-depressant and works by blocking the effects of nicotine.  In other words, if a person smokes while taking this medication they will not experience the more pleasurable effects of nicotine. 
• Combination of Therapy or Counseling and Medication: According to Cochrane and the U.S. Surgeon General’s report, the most effective approach for treating nicotine addiction is a combination of medication (nicotine replacement or prescription medications) and counseling.  Although behavioral therapy is also considered to be a promising treatment, it is not as successful as a combination of therapy and medication.  The therapeutic techniques that have been found successful involved support therapy, group therapy, stress reduction strategies and problem solving skills.

As you can see there are many methods for treating cigarette addiction.  If you are interested in quitting smoking, please consult with your physician about what might be the best treatment for you.

Jason R Glass, Psy.D. is a psychologist affiliated with Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette and the OCH of Gravette Clinic.  Dr. Glass is a provisionally licensed psychologist in the state of Arkansas and is currently under the supervision of OCH licensed psychologist Mark W. Glover, Ph.D. Some of the psychological services provided through OCH include: adult psychotherapy for anxiety and depression; anger management training; dementia evaluation and consultation; probation and parole evaluation; parental fitness evaluation; and pre-surgical psychological evaluation and consultation.

Psychology of Becoming a Parent

Growing from a couple to a family is a significant change. For one, it’s a lot more stressful. But what about the other changes soon-to-be-parents aren’t aware of? OCH Psychologist, Dr. Annie Beatty expands upon a few elements that will come to surface in your new life as you make the transition to parenthood & offers tips to make sure you maintain a sane brain throughout it all.

Parenting is rewarding and challenging, not just with the daily responsibilities involved, but also the impact it has on your relationship with your spouse. When a child is welcomed into a family, the focus shifts from your partner to the newest member.  Although this is a natural process, it potentially could leave one or both partners feeling abandoned, neglected and stressed.  Research has shown stress changes a person physiologically and emotionally; it can also impair communication patterns and interfere with intimacy.  It is important to prepare for these changes and consider the necessary adjustments in all aspects of your relationship.  A few key points to consider and prepare for include:

• Change in  daily routine (less alone time, less sleep, less time to engage in couple-related activities, less freedom to be spontaneous)
• Potential impact on one or both careers (mothers  may feel the need to stall their careers while fathers may feel  pressure to work harder to support the bigger family)
• Financial considerations (daycare, medical insurance, etc.)
• Shift from being independent to focusing on family;  shift of now being responsible for someone other than yourself
• Less privacy
• More time and focus will likely be spent on your child than your spouse

The key to making this transition smooth is to prepare your relationship for the addition of children before it happens. As always, communication is the key to keeping your relationship healthy.

Annie Beatty, PsyD works at Ozarks Community Hospital in Springfield and spends time at OCH Christian County Clinic in Nixa. She received her education from the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology and completed her residency at Burrell Behavioral Health. To contact Dr. Beatty, call (417) 875-4682 – Specialty Office, or (417) 725-8250 -  Nixa Clinic.

 

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nuclear Medicine

In honor of National Nuclear Medicine Week (October 2-8), we’ve put together a list of facts you may not know about the study of Nuclear Medicine. But before we begin, here’s a little refresher about the topic: nuclear medicine is a branch of medicine that uses radioactive substances to image your body. In other words, it provides doctors another way to look inside your body in a non-invasive manner to search for tumors, aneurysms, inadequate blood flow, blood cell disorders, and more. Here are a few additional interesting points you may not know about nuclear medicine.

1. An estimated 16 million nuclear medicine imaging and therapeutic procedures are performed each year in the United States. Of these, 40 – 50% are cardiac exams and 35 – 40% are cancer related.
2. Nuclear medicine has been around for at least 58 years.
3. There are nearly 100 different nuclear medicine imaging procedures available today.
4. Unlike other tests, procedures, etc., nuclear medicine provides information about the function of virtually every major organ system within the body.
5. Nuclear medicine procedures are among the safest diagnostic imaging tests available.
6. The amount of radiation in a nuclear medicine procedure is comparable to that received during diagnostic x-ray.
7. Children commonly undergo nuclear medicine procedures to evaluate bone pain, injuries, or kidney and bladder function.
8. Nuclear medicine procedures are painless and do not require anesthesia.
9. Common nuclear medicine applications include diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease), cardiac stress tests to analyze heart function, bone scans for orthopedic injuries, lung scans for blood clots, and liver and gallbladder procedures to diagnose abnormal function or blockages.
10. There are approximately 4,000 board certified nuclear medicine physicians and 15,700 certified nuclear medicine technologists worldwide.

Ozarks Community Hospital has an extensive list of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine services available in Springfield, Mo. For more information about the tests and services offered, visit http://ochonline.com/patients-and-visitors/services/diagnostic-imaging-services/ or call (417) 837-4000.

Top 10 Childhood Rashes – Part 2

In Part Two of the childhood rashes blog post series OCH pediatric nurse practitioner, Sandy Hinds shares the second set of common rashes among children. See below for a quick guide to identifying each of them and learn the causes, symptoms, and treatment options available.

ECZEMA  (ATOPIC DERMATITIS)

Eczema is characterized by a red, extremely itchy rash. It often starts on the cheeks at 2-6 months of age, and is most common on the creases of elbows, wrists, and knees or occasionally the neck, ankles and feet.

• Cause: Eczema is an inherited type of sensitive skin.  A personal or family history of asthma or hay fever, makes it more likely that your child has eczema.  Flare ups occur when there is contact with an irritating substances. Certain foods can cause eczema to flare up including cow’s milk, eggs, peanut butter. This itchy flare up could develop 2 hours after eating. 
• Expected Course: This can be a chronic condition, and will usually not go away before adolescence. 
• Treatment: Steroid creams is the main treatment for itchy eczema. When the rash quiets down, use it at least once daily for an additional 2 weeks. 
• Bathing and Hydrating: Hydration of the skin followed by lubricating cream is the main way to prevent flare-ups.  Your child should have one bath each day for 10 minutes.  Water soaked skin is less itchy. Eczema is very sensitive to soaps.  Some lubricating creams are Keri, Lubriderm, Nivea and Nutraderm.  Avoid applying any ointments, petroleum jelly, or vegetable shortening because they can block the sweat glands, increase itching and worsen the rash (especially in warm weather).  
• Prevention: Wool fibers and clothes made of scratchy, rough materials make eczema worse.  Cotton clothes should be worn as much as possible.  Avoid triggers that cause eczema to flare up such as excessive heat, sweating, excessive cold, dry air (use a humidifier) chlorine, harsh chemicals, and saps.  Never us a bubble bath.  Keep your child off the grass. Try to avoid the foods such as cow’s milk, eggs, peanut butter, wheat, and fish during the first year of life.  

HIVES  (Urticaria)

Hives are a very itchy rash, raised pink spots with pale centers (looks like mosquito bites.) Size can rage of ½ inch to several inches across, shapes variable, and rapid repeated changes of location, size and shape. 

• Cause: Hives are usually an allergic reaction to a food, drug, viral infections, insect bit, or a host of other substances. Often, the cause is NOT found. Localized hives are usually due to skin contact with plants, pollen, food or pet saliva. Hives are NOT contagious.
• Expected Course: 10% (or more) of children get hives for 3-4 days and then it disappears. Swelling can be common around the eyes, lips, and genitals. Some may develop as big hives (called popular urticaria) at the sites of old and new bits that can last for months. 
• Treatment: Antihistamine medicine. This medicine will not cure the hives, but I will reduce their number and relieve itching.  Benadryl is one of the most commonly used drugs for hives, with the main side effect being drowsiness.  Please check the dosage according to your child’s weight. Cool baths are helpful to relive the itching.  Avoid triggers that might cause the hives. Call your pediatrician if your child is having trouble breathing, swallowing or acting sick. Also, if the rash does not go away after 1 week, or 24 hours of antihistamines are not effective.   

SCABIES

Scabies are little bugs (mites) that burrow under the skin and cause severe itching and little red bumps. They are so small that they can only be seen with a microscope.  Usually more than one person in a family has them. 

• Care: Creams are usually prescribed by your physician.  Pregnant women need special medicines for scabies and need to see their physician.
• Expected Course: The itching and rash may last for 2-3 weeks after successful treatment with the medication. Cool baths without the use of soap, followed by 1% hydrocortisone cream, which you can buy without a prescription.
• Contagiousness: Children can return to school after one treatment with the scabies medicine, otherwise scabies is HIGHLY contagious.  The symptoms take 30 days after exposure. Machine wash all your child’s sheets, pillowcases, underwear, pajamas, and recently worn clothing.  Blankets can be put away for 3 days.  Scabies cannot live outside the human body for more than 3 days.

IMPETIGO (Infected sores)

Impetigo, or infected sores, are sores within less than 1 inch in diameter; and begin as small red bumps that rapidly change to cloudy blisters, then pimples, and finally sores. They can be covered by soft, yellow-brown scabs that can contain pus.  Impetigo often spreads from scratching and picking at the initial sore. 

• Cause: Superficial infection of the skin, caused by Streptococcus or Staphylococcus bacteria.  It is more common in the summer when the skin is often broken by cuts, scrapes, and insect bites.  When caused by the strep infection of the nose, the impetigo usually first appears near the nose or mouth. 
• Expected Course: With proper treatment, the skin will be completely healed in 1 week.  Scars are unusual unless your child repeatedly picks her sores. 
• Treatment: After the crust has been removed, antibiotic ointment should be applied to the surface three times a day prescribed by your physician. 
• Prevention: Discourage your child from touching or picking at the sores.  Keep your child’s fingernails cut short, clean and wash their hands with one of the antibacterial soaps.
• Contagiousness: Impetigo is quite contagious.  Do not share your child’s towel or washcloth.  Keep your child out of school until she has taken oral antibiotics for 24 hours.  For mild impetigo treated with an antibiotic ointment, the child can continue to attend day care or school if the sore is covered with a Band-aid. 

PITIRYASIS ALBA

Pityriasis alba is characterized by multiple oval, scaly, flat hypo-pigmented patches on the face, extensor surface of arms, and upper trunk.  Multiple patches may be seen. Pityriasis alba occurs predominantly between the ages of 3-16 years, and up to 40% of all children may be affected.  The lesions do not itch, and medical help is sought because of the child’s appearance.  It can be distressing in dark-skinned children.

• Expected Course: It is a chronic dermatitis and may be recurrent over several years.  It can be diagnosed as atopic dermatitis. 
• Cause: The cause of the hypo-pigmentation is not known, but is likely related to inflammatory mediators that inhibit melanocyte function.
• Treatment:  There is no satisfactory treatment for pityriasis alba.  Bland lubricants and topical gluco-corticorsteroids have some influence on the disorder.

All pictures courtesy of Instructions for Pediatric Patients, second edition, W.B. Saunders Company, 1999

Sandra Hinds, CPNP-PC works at the OCH Christian County Clinic located in Nixa, Mo. She received her education from the University Missouri-Columbia, the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and the Vickie Millazzo Institute. Sandra is currently a member of the following professional organizations: National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Kansas City Nurse Practitioner Networking Association. To contact Sandra, call OCH Christian County Clinic at (417) 725-8250.

Top 10 Childhood Rashes – Part 1

Not all childhood rashes are created equal. Some are more contagious, others are life threatening. And, (of course) all are unpleasant! OCH pediatric nurse practitioner, Sandy Hinds shares the top 10 common rashes among children and offers a quick guide to identifying each of them. Learn the causes, symptoms, and treatment options available (Part 1). Take note, moms and family members, and stay tuned for the second set of common rashes to be posted next week. 

HAND, FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is always caused by a Coxsackie A-16 virus. It has no relationship to hoof and mouth disease of cattle. Symptoms include the following: small ulcers in the mouth and a mildly painful mouth, small water blisters or red spots located on the palms and soles and on the webs between the fingers and toes, five or fewer blister per limb and sometimes on the buttocks. Low-grade fever between 100 and 102. It mainly occurs in children 6 months to 4 years of age.

Image of Hand, Foot & Mouth

• Expected Course: Fever and discomfort are usually gone by 3-4 days. Mouth ulcers resolve in 7 days, with the rash lasting 7-10 days. Only complication is dehydration from refusing fluids.
• Home Care: Antacid solution: use for pain relief. Children under 4 yo. ½ tsp. antacid solution in the front of their mouth 4 times a day after meals. Children over 4 yo. 1 tsp. antacid solution after meals.
• Diet: Soft diet for a few days and encourage plenty of liquids. Cold drinks, popsicles, sherbert. Avoid citrus, salty or spicy foods or ones that need much chewing.
• Fever: monitor fever and administer fever reducer as needed.
• Contagiousness: Quite contagious and usually some of your kids playmates will develop it at the same time. Incubation period is 3-6 days. Because the condition is harmless, these children do not need to be isolated. They can return to daycare when the fever is normal. Most children are contagious 2 days before to 2 days after the rash, but avoidance of other children is unnecessary.

POISON IVY

Poison Ivy causes redness and blisters, eruption on exposed body surfaces. It is shaped like streaks or patches, very itchy, onset 1-2 days from being in a forest or field.

 

Image of poison Ivy

 

• Cause: poison, ivy, sumac can cause the same type of rash. More than 50% of people are sensitive to the oil of these plants. The course usually lasts 2 weeks. Treatment reduces the symptoms, but doesn’t cure the disease. Prevention is the best approach.
• Prevention: Learn to recognize these plants. Avoid all plants with three large shiny, green leaves. If exposed wash clothing and areas of skin with soap for 5 minutes, because after 1 hour it is of little value in preventing absorption of the oil.
• Contagiousness: The fluid from the sores is not contagious, however, anything that has poison ivy oil or sap on it is contagious for about 1 week. This includes the shoes, or clothing worn as well as any pets that may have it in their fur. The rash begins 1-2 days after exposure.
• Home Treatment: Cool soaks, Benadryl (weight appropriate dosage).

RINGWORM

Ringworm is a ring-shaped pink patch, scaly, raised border, increases in size, clearing of center, mildly itchy. It is caused by a fungus infection of the skin, often transferred from puppies or kittens who have it.

Image of ringworm.

• Contagiousness: it is mildly contagious. It requires direct skin-to-skin contact. It is only transmitted animal to human, not human to human. After 48 hours of treatment it is not contagious at all. Animals must be treated by their veterinarian.
• Home Care: antifungal cream, Tinactin, Lotrimin cream applied twice daily to the rash.

FIFTH DISEASE (ERYTHEMA INFECTIOSUM) 

This rash is characterized by bright red or rosy rash on both cheeks for 1-3 days ( slapped cheek appearance) , followed by a pink “ lacelike” or “netlike” rash on extremities. Lacy rash mainly on thighs and upper arms, comes and goes several times over 1-3 weeks. No fever or low grade fever – less than 101F ( 38.4). Fifth disease was so named because it was the fifth pink-red infectious rash to be described by physicians. The other four are: 1. Scarlet fever 2. Measles 3. Rubella 4. Roseola. Fifth disease is caused by the human parvovirus B19.

Image of fifth disease.

• Expected Course: The lacelike rash may come and go for 5 weeks, esp. after warm baths, exercise, and sun exposure. No treatment is necessary. The rash is harmless and causes no symptoms that need treatment.
• Contagiousness: Over 50% of exposed children will come down with the rash in 10-14 days. The disease is mainly contagious during the week before the rash begins. Therefore, exposed children should try to avoid pregnant women, but that can be difficult. Once the child has ‘slapped cheeks’ or the lacy rash, he is no longer considered contagious and does not need to stay home from school. If a pregnant woman is exposed to a child with fifth disease, she should see her obstetrician. The doctor will obtain and antibody test to see if the mother already had the disease and is therefore protected.

ROSEOLA

Children ages 6 months to 3 years, presence of a fine pink rash, mainly on the trunk. High fever during the preceding 2-4 days that cleared within 24 hours before the rash appeared. Child only mildly ill during the time with fever, child acting fine now. Roseola is caused by the human herpesvirus-6. The rash lasts 1-2 days followed by complete recovery. Some children have 3 days of fever without a rash. No particular treatment in necessary. Roseola is contagious until the rash is gone. Other children of this age who have been with your child may come down with roseola in about 12 days. Call if the rash last more than 3 days, fever longer than 4 days or the spots become purple or blood-colored.

Image of roseola. All pictures courtesy of Instructions for Pediatric Patients, second edition, W.B. Saunders Company, 1999

Sandra Hinds, CPNP-PC works at the OCH Christian County Clinic located in Nixa, Mo. She received her education from the University Missouri-Columbia, the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and the Vickie Millazzo Institute. Sandra is currently a member of the following professional organizations: National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Kansas City Nurse Practitioner Networking Association. To contact Sandra, call OCH Christian County Clinic at (417) 725-8250.

Coping with Fall Allergies

Just when your nose finally adjusted to the sights and smells of summer, fall allergy season hits full force. Sure, the crisp autumn evenings offer a welcome relief from the summer heat; but for those suffering from allergies, fall is one of the worst times to be outside. Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette nurse practitioner Anita Marie Kane shares a few tips on how to keep the sniffles, itching and irritation at bay.

Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, throat drainage…yes it is that time of year again! We are blessed to live in a region with beautiful foliage and dramatic seasonal changes. However, one of the drawbacks to this seasonal beauty is an abundance of budding, blooming, seeding, and blowing allergens.

The CDC reports over 17.6 million people were diagnosed with “hay fever” in the last year. According to Dr. Moses of Family Practice Notebook, hay fever affects 35 million people yearly, with 3 million missed work days.

What can you do to avoid those missed days? Talk to your provider about your options. Generally, try to avoid allergens you react to, use an air purifier in the home if indicated, avoid tobacco smoke, and use a mask if needed when mowing or working in dust-filled areas. Medications may offer some relief also. These include antihistamines (such as Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin and Zyrtec), intranasal corticosteroids (such as Flonase and Nasonex) and saline nasal spray. Other options in severe cases may include systemic steroids or even allergy testing with hyposensitization.

Just remember, the season will change (and there will be new allergens!). Stay healthy, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly and get adequate rest, a healthy you is your best defense.

Anita Marie Kane, APN is a long time resident of Gravette, AR, who started out as a nurse’s aide at the Gravette hospital shortly after moving to town. She obtained her MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Pittsburg State University in Kansas. Kane specializes in Family Practice and Urgent Care.

Tummy Time and Your Baby’s Development

Tummy time plays a large role in your baby’s overall health and development. But when should you start? And how long should your baby spend on his or her belly each day? Ozarks Community Hospital/Advantage Therapy physical therapist Jennifer Witt shares specifics below and offers tips to help make tummy time more enjoyable for baby and mom.

“Tummy time.” If you are the parent of an infant, you probably hear this phrase all the time and you probably have questions. Why? When do you start? How long? What if they cry/get mad? These are questions I deal with frequently and here are some of the answers I give parents.

Why Practice Tummy Time

There are too many babies that sit in car seats, cribs, and lay on their backs for too many hours of the day. Needless to say, there are numerous reasons to implement tummy time into your infant’s daily routine!

• It helps babies achieve developmental milestones (i.e., holding head up, rolling, sitting).
• It strengthens muscles of the neck and back when infants have to hold their heads up against gravity.
• It prevents flat spots on the head and allows for proper head shape development.
• It allows infants to explore their environment from a different perspective.

When You Should Start

Tummy time should be started as soon as possible; even as soon as you get home from the hospital. The earlier you implement it into their daily routine, the less likely they will be to fight against it.  Place your infant on their tummy for short periods of time initially, gradually building up the amount of time they are spending in that position.

Need for Tummy Time Increases with Age

Tummy time should be a daily activity for infants. Again, this routine should be started as soon as you bring your baby home from the hospital. Here is a guide for how long babies should be spending time on their tummies.

• First couple of weeks: 5 minutes per day
• 1 month old: 20 minutes per day
• 2 months old: 30 minutes per day
• 3 months old: 60 minutes per day
• 4 months old: 81 minutes per day

Sometimes babies cry during tummy time. Usually, I tell parents not to pick the infants up, unless there is some harm to the little one. I recommend setting a timer for 5 minutes and then the baby can be picked up when the timer goes off.

Making Tummy Time Fun

Nothing makes my little ones cry more than placing them on their bellies! Some babies do great, others, not so much. Again, tummy time should be started as early as possible to get them used to being on their bellies. Here are some ideas for keeping it fun.

• Get down on the floor with them! It encourages engagement and bonding between the two of you.
• Place fun toys around them so that they have fun stuff to look at and eventually play with!
• Use mirrors (baby-proof, of course)! Every baby knows they’re super cute, so they really enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror.
• If your infant has reflux, try propping them up on a pillow or boppy to take pressure off their tummies.
• Place the baby on your chest while you’re lying down. This way, they can “talk to you” and still get tummy time.

Jennifer works at OCH/Advantage Therapy in Springfield, Missouri and at OCH Christian County Clinic in Nixa. She received both her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Missouri State University. She has experience in inpatient, outpatient, home health and pediatric  settings. Her primary interest in physical therapy is pediatrics, specifically the 0-3 age group covering a variety of diagnoses. To contact Jennifer, call OCH/Advantage Therapy at (417) 777-4749. For more information about OCH/Advantage Therapy visit www.advantagetherapyonline.com.