NEWS TIPS FROM SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM
To pursue any of the stories listed below, contact Jill Bloom at 410-601-5025 or by e-mail at [email protected]
Summer is the Height of Tick Season, Increasing the Risk of Lyme Disease
With the return of warm weather, more people will be out in areas where they could be exposed to ticks, many which carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. There are a number of symptoms that signal Lyme Disease. John Meyerhoff, M.D., a rheumatologist and Lyme Disease expert at Sinai Hospital says the disease is easy to diagnose when patients have the classic symptoms of a "bull's-eye rash," arthritis, or facial palsies. While blood tests can help diagnose Lyme disease, the tests can sometimes give misleading results if done inappropriately.
The most common symptom is an oval rash at the sight of the tick bite. Others include, muscle and joint pain and brief episodes of joint swelling, headaches, a stiff neck, fatigue and fever. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause neurological and heart problems. Antibiotics are the most common treatment for Lyme disease and are very effective if given early.
Dr. Meyerhoff says if you can't avoid being in wooded areas where ticks are commonly found, wear pants and long-sleeved shirts and apply an insect repellent. After being outdoors, remove clothing and inspect the body thoroughly for ticks. If any ticks are found remove carefully with tweezers. Also check your pets for ticks. If you develop symptoms after exposure to ticks, let your doctor know.
Trampoline Injuries on the Rise
More children are ending up in the emergency department with injuries related to trampoline accidents. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, more than 52,000 children under age 15 sustained trampoline injuries in 1995. The most common injuries are sprains and fractures.
"Some injuries can be quite severe," says James Wood, M.D, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Sinai Hospital. Dr. Wood has treated a number of children who have received fractures from jumping on a trampoline. "I tell parents to avoid letting their children play on trampolines because the risk of injury is to high," says Dr. Wood. "One percent of all spinal cord injuries in adolescents are due to trampolining."
Volunteer Program Helps Families with Parenting
Taking a newborn home from the hospital can be a stressful experience, especially for first-time parents. It can be even more difficult if the new parents have no family around to help out. A program at Sinai Hospital can help minimize that stress for new parents. The First Weeks Parenting Program provides trained volunteers, called Parent Aides, to help teach new parents positive parenting techniques and to help them build self confidence in their parenting roles. In addition to stressing positive parenting skills, Parent Aides in the program provide emotional and crisis support, offer companionship and act as role models.
"The relationship between a Parent Aide and the family often begins the last month of pregnancy and usually continues through the first six months of the baby's life," says Rebecca Hartman, a social worker who acts as a consultant to the program. "Often times, though, these relationships can last much longer." The Parent Aides report that their experience is that they get back more than they give. The First Weeks Parenting Program has served over 85 families since it began six years ago.
Performing Arts Medicine Keeps Dancers on their Toes and Musicians Playing
When sports professionals get injured, it often attracts significant attention. We rarely hear about injuries suffered by another kind of athlete-- performing artists. Dancers and musicians place tremendous stress on their bodies, practicing for hours at a time, overusing muscles and straining fragile nerves. "The arts require a fine level of motor activity. A seemingly minor injury can have disastrous consequences," says Scott E. Brown, M.D., a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Sinai Hospital who treats professional, recreational and student musicians, as well as dancers practicing modern, jazz and ballet disciplines." Dr. Brown says that 75 percent of musicians and 90 percent of dancers have reported problems significant enough to affect their performance.
Dr. Brown is also president of the Performing Arts Medicine Association and co-editor and chief of the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science. A recreational musician himself, Dr. Brown uses a number of holistic approaches to help performing artists recover from their injuries including relative rest, therapeutic exercises and medication when needed.
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For more health information, visit Sinai's website at http://www.sinai-balt.com.
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