Healthy Living

No matter how old you are, exercise is important at every age for healthy bones and to prevent osteoporosis. Staying active not only improves bone health, it also increases muscle strength, coordination and balance and leads to better overall health.

This will be the topic of our next Enjoy LIFE (Lifelong Investment in Fitness and Exercise) program, “No Bones About It,” on Sept. 15 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Plainfield Recreation Center.

Dr. Ammar Anbari, an orthopedic surgeon on the Backus Medical Staff and the Norwich Orthopedic Group, will give tips on how to take care of your bones through exercise and other measures.

One of the most important tests you can get to determine your bone health is a bone density scan. This enhanced X-ray can reveal the health of your bones and determine your risk for osteoporosis, bone fractures and other serious conditions.

While age is generally a factor – the older your are the more bone loss you are likely to experience, especially if you are a woman – I have personally seen many younger people whose bone health is not where it should be.

That’s why we will follow-up the Sept. 15 educational event with free bone density scans on the Backus Mobile Health Resource Center on Oct. 20. Our medical center on wheels will travel to the Plainfield Recreation Department and offer free tests – which are simple, quick and non-invasive -- to men and women who want them.

Bone density scans are recommended at least once for all women over 65 years old. Others who should consider getting them include:

• Post menopausal women and men with additional risk factors for osteoporosis. These risk factors include cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol use, low calcium diets, family history, thin frame, age, inactive lifestyles, being female and early menopause.
• Women who sustain a fracture.
• Women who have been on hormone replacement therapy
• Men or women on prolonged steroid therapy.

To register for the Sept. 15 education session or the Oct. 20 bone density screening, call 860-889-8331, ext. 2495.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator with the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

Woundcare may not be a “sexy” healthcare topic, but it certainly is relevant and important.

There are many causes of problem wounds, but most are either a result of diabetes and arterial disease, venous disease, or pressure due to immobilization.

A few statistics show the magnitude and seriousness these wounds pose in our community.

More than 20 million Americans have diabetes and 15% of diabetics will develop a problem wound at some point. Patients with diabetes have a 15-fold increase in amputation rate compared to non-diabetics.

Venous stasis ulcers affect 2.5 million Americans and there are 500,000 newly diagnosed venous ulcers each year. Pressure ulcers are the primary diagnosis in more than 50,000 hospital admissions a year and about one in 25 of these admissions result in death. Pressure ulcer-related hospitalizations are longer and more expensive than many other hospitalizations. It is estimated that a pressure ulcer-related hospital stay is almost twice as long and the cost more than twice as much compared to the average hospital stay.

These wounds are not only severely debilitating to our patients, but also place a huge strain on the dollars in our healthcare system. Studies have shown that woundcare treatment facilities have reduced amputation rates, increased healing rates, and reduced the length of hospital stays. Obviously the best solution to this problem is prevention and a key component to woundcare at the Backus Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center is providing education and an environment to avoid future wounds after healing has occurred.

If you already have a wound, our staff of certified woundcare specialists assess the wound and the factors that caused the wound, as well as factors that may keep the wound from healing.

After this evaluation, a specific plan is developed and implemented. Treatments can include topical treatments, wound debridement as needed, compression dressings, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy when indicated.

We also have onsite access to other services that can be vital in evaluating and treating wounds including radiology, rheumatology, nutritional, and diabetic care services.

For people who have wounds that won’t heal, sometimes life can lose its enjoyment because of pain, fear and a reduced ability to get around. But there is good news. Effective treatments can help heal wounds, and education and lifestyle changes can stop them from ever coming back again.

Mark Tramontozzi, MD, is board-certified by the American College of Certified Wound Care Specialists. The information in this column should not replace the advice of your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Dr. Tramontozzi or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

“Laughter is the best medicine.” We have all heard that phrase, but do we truly believe it? Recent research has shown that humor can indeed have an effect on our physical and mental health. Paul E. McGhee, PhD, has written 13 books on humor, stress and coping. He discusses the many therapeutic benefits of laughter on his website www.LaughterRemedy.com. Among them are:

• Muscle relaxation. Belly laughs result in muscle relaxation. When you laugh, the muscles involved in the belly laugh motion first contract, then relax, increasing circulation through the musculature.

• Increase in pain threshold. During laughter and for a short period of time afterwards, pain is minimized. Part of this effect may be due to “distraction,” a well-known technique used to control pain. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, which may be considered to be one of the body’s natural painkillers.

• Cardiac exercise. A belly laugh is comparable to “jogging internally.” It increases the activity of the heart and stimulates circulation. Additionally, after the laughter subsides, the cardiovascular system goes into a state of relaxation.

• Respiratory system exercise. Repeated belly laughter makes you exhale more than inhale, resulting in a lung-cleansing effect. I remember how difficult it was to have my patients “deep breathe and cough” after surgery. A few good belly laughs is easier, more effective, and certainly more fun!

• Memory enhancement. Recalling funny anecdotes from the past to retell to others is a memory stimulant.

I keep a file of humorous cartoons, jokes, and anecdotes to share with my co-workers, family, and patients. Comedies on DVD are a wonderful resource for assured laughter for 60 to 90 minutes. Everyone appreciates the break from our increasingly stressful lives.

Who couldn’t benefit from some “humor therapy” in our lives? Let’s try to look at the lighter side of life and laugh our way towards better health. What have we got to lose?

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator with the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

Many of us grew up on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid.

But truth be told, the pyramid could get a bit confusing at times, and its logo wasn’t the most inviting icon in the world.

Earlier this summer, that all changed. Together with some new dietary guidelines, the USDA unveiled its new MyPlate logo and website, www.choosemyplate.gov.

As a registered dietitian, I find the new logo very useful and easier to use when educating patients. It makes people think about building a healthy plate during meals, and emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.

And the website delves deeper into a healthy diet. It focuses on the new dietary guidelines, released earlier this year, which emphasize:

• Enjoy your foods, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to a fat-free or low-fat milk.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, frozen meals – and choose foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

If logos and icons aren’t your thing, there is a real practical way that you can eat healthier and learn and a little something too.

Each Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a Farmer’s Market is held at Howard T. Brown Memorial Park in Norwich. Most of these events include a Backus dietitian aboard the Backus Mobile Health Resource Center, offering nutritional advice and handing out healthy recipes.

The bottom line is, whether you want to learn online or firsthand, there are many ways to learn to eat healthier. Statistics show more people need to take advantage of these opportunities.

Whitney Bundy is a registered dietitian and Director of Food and Nutrition at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Bundy or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org