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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Peppy Hospital TOPS chapter hosting free open house
Special to the Journal
Perry Hospital’s Take Off
Pounds Sensibly club will
host an informative, fun
open house Oct. 19 from 5-6
p.m. in the Medical Library
at Perry Hospital.
This event will show
case TOPS’ commonsense
approach to weight loss
through information, moti
vation and legendary sup
port. Women, men, teens
and preteens committed to
attaining and maintaining a
healthy lifestyle are invited
to attend this free event.
Take action against the flu: Facts you need to know
Special to the Journal
This Fall and Winter,
many children and adults
in Georgia will experience
flu-like symptoms, and some
will deal with a severe strain
of the flu.
Each year, 10 to 20 per
cent of Americans become
ill, approximately 114,000
are hospitalized, and more
than 36,000 die from influ
enza and related complica
tions.
“Influenza (flu) is a viral
infection that can cause
a severe illness with seri
ous life-threatening com
plications in children as
well as adults,” says Dr.
M. Ogunsakin, Infectious
Disease specialist and mem
Breathe easy; The ways to take control of asthma
Special to the Journal
One of the most fright
ening experiences for any
parent is when a child has
difficulty breathing. The
American Lung Association
estimates that 6.1 million
children under the age of 18
suffer from asthma.
Studies show that children
today are dying of asthma
at twice the rate they did in
1980.
While asthma cannot be
cured, it can be controlled.
Recognizing the early symp
toms of an asthma attack
and taking prompt action
before symptoms worsen is
vital to avoiding a health
emergency.
According to Dr. Steve
Wade, pediatrician and
member of the medical staffs
of Houston Medical Center
and Perry Hospital, the first
step in managing childhood
asthma is forming a three
way partnership between
the child, the parents and
the physician.
“Every person with asth
ma should develop an action
plan with his or her doctor.
This action plan should
outline step-by-step treat
ment instructions and emer
gency protocol,” he says. “It
should list all medications,
including quick-relief and
long-term control medicines,
their doses and when to take
them.
Having such a plan can
help children as well as their
parents and other caregivers
know what to do in case of
an asthma attack.”
During an asthma attack,
breathing is restricted by
three physical changes that
occur in the lungs, usually
as a reaction to an allergen,
a substance that can cause
an allergic reaction.,
The most critical factor is
the inflammation, or swell
ing, of the lining of the air
passages in the lungs. In
addition, the cells lining
Asthma symptoms
Asthma symptoms can progress to an urgent situation
quickly. Warning signs include:
■ Coughing that won't stop
H Very rapid breathing or difficulty breathing; the
abdomen “sucks in” and nostrils widen when trying to
inhale
■ Severe wheezing
■ Chest pain or pressure
■ Difficulty talking
■ Heelings of anxiety or panic
■ Poor or pale skin color
■ Tightened neck and chest muscles
■ Decreased awareness or, in a child, drowsiness
■ Blue Ups or fingernails
■ A peak airflow of less than 50 percent
Health authorities, includ
ing the American Dietitic
Association, the American
Heart Association, and the
American Medical Association
agree that trendy diets and
“magic” weight loss pills do
not work.
TOPS’ philosophy is that
the best way to lose and
maintain a healthy weight is
through education, encour
agement and consistent sup
port from others.
A study conducted by the
National Weight Control
Registry found that people
who lost weight and attended
ber of the medical staffs of
Houston Medical Center and
Perry Hospital.
In addition to flu shots,
Houston Healthcare urges
adults and children to take
the following steps to help
prevent the flu:
■ Avoid close contact with
people who are sick. When
you are sick, keep your dis
tance from others to protect
them from getting sick too.
■ Stay home when you
are sick. If possible, stay
home from work, school and
errands when you are sick.
You will help prevent others
from catching your illness.
■ Wash hands often, espe
cially after you have been
out in public or touched
the passages produce more
mucus than usual, and the
muscles of the airways tight
en.
Together, these changes
make it difficult to breathe.
There are many medica
tions available today to treat
asthma.
The two most common
types are anti-inflamma
tories, which are used to
reduce swelling in the lin
ing of the air passages, and
bronchodilators, which are
used to relax the muscles in
the air passages.
Although each of these
types of drugs can be used to
both prevent and treat asth
ma attacks, anti-inflamma
tories are most often used to
prevent attacks while bron
chodilators are used to treat
attacks in progress.
Wade adds that because
asthma is a chronic condi
tion, controlling it requires
an ongoing care plan. “To
be successful, children must
strictly follow their care plan
both at home and at school,”
he continues.
“That means never miss
ing a dose of medicine, stay
ing far away from triggers
and recognizing the signs of
impending attack.”
Asthma triggers can vary
with the seasons, or come
and go as a child grows up.
Wade recommends parents
teach their children at an
early age how to identify
their triggers so he or she
can self-manage their asth
ma.
Common asthmatic trig
gers include:
■ Colds and flu are the
number-one triggers in chil
dren, causing up to 85 per
cent of all asthma attacks.
Children should be taught
the importance of washing
their hands, avoiding other
children with colds and
using paper cups for liquids.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics also recommends
annual flu shots for asth-
TAKE Off POUNDS SENSIBLY
regular weight loss support
group meetings for one year
maintained their full weight
loss. Study participants who
did not attend support group
meetings regained almost
half of their weight.
“People who participate in
support groups say the expe-
things that other people
have touched, like a gro
cery cart, a gas pump, public
telephone or even a maga
zine in the doctor’s office.
Children should wash their
hands after sharing toys or
books with other friends or
classmates.
■ Cover your cough.
Cover your mouth and nose
with a tissue when coughing
or sneezing. It may prevent
those around you from get
ting sick.
Avoid touching your eyes,
nose or mouth.
■ Teach your children to
cover their nose and mouth
with a tissue whenever they
cough or sneeze. Throw
away used tissue.
matic children.
■ Pollen, dust mites, ani
mal dander, molds, certain
foods, aspirin or other medi
cations are common asthma
triggers.
For younger children, par
ents can use simple show
and-tell techniques, such as
cutting pictures from a mag
azine, to point out examples
of what to avoid such as cats
and dogs, milk and dairy
products, grass clippings
It is an honor felt far beyond the hospital doors, an honor centered in our community and
lives of the people we serve. Houston Healthcare is extremely proud to receive the
Georgia Hospital Association's Community Leadership Award.
Because this prestigious award recognizes healthcare that goes out beyond our walls—
exemplary health education, wellness, and disease prevention—Houston Healthcare is
confirmed in our mission: improving the health of our community.
From a prenatal outreach program for healthy births, to Senior Care for lifelong fitness, to a
nationally recognized diabetes management program, Houston Healthcare is working hard
for your wellness. We thank all of our staff, physicians, volunteers and community partners
for their compassion and commitment.
4
nr
, Houston Healthcare
HEALTH
rience gives them a forum to
exchange valuable informa
tion while providing an emo
tional connection when they
might feel isolated from oth
ers,” says Michelle Lee, Perry
Hospital’s TOPS Chapter
Leader and Community
Education Nurse for Houston
Healthcare.
“TOPS meetings provide
an opportunity to share
information ranging from
reasonable menu pluns and
the benefits of exercise to
tips on strengthening social
relationships and self-accep
tance.”
■ Make sure your children
don’t share drinking glasses
or eating utensils.
The flu virus can be passed
from person to person begin
ning a day before the person
feels sick.
The virus is spread when
someone with the disease
coughs or sneezes and
spreads the virus.
A person can also get the
flu by touching a surface,
such as a doorknob, that has
the flu virus on it and then
touching the nose, mouth
or eyes.
Adults may be contagious
from one day before devel
oping symptoms to up to
seven days after getting sick.
Children can be contagious
and leaves.
■ Airborne irritants such
as tobacco smoke, air fresh
eners, aerosol sprays, paint
fumes, hairspray and per
fume also cause asthma
attacks. Keep these items
to a minimum in the home.
Parents who smoke should
also make very effort to quit
for their child’s sake.
■ Overdoing it, also
known as just being a child,
commonly leads to asthma
IMPROVING THE HEALTH
OF OUR COMMUNITY
w ' '
TOPS Club, Inc. has been
dedicated to providing long
term weight loss support
for nearly 60 years. Last
year, TOPS members world
wide lost a total of 970,824
pounds, or more than 485
tons, by making healthy
food choices, exercising and
attending weekly meet
ings. Perry Hospital’s TOPS
Chapter members lost a total
of 66 pounds last year. Perry
Hospital’s TOPS Club has
been providing support in
the Perry community for two
years. Weekly meetings are
held Thursday evenings from
for longer than seven days.
If you or your child is
already sick with a sore
throat, cough and fever, how
can you tell if it is the flu
or just a common cold or
virus?
You may have the flu
if you have the following
symptoms:
■ Became sick very quick
ly
■ A high fever (102 degrees
or higher)
■ Stuffy nose
■ Headache
■ Muscle aches
■ Feels very tired and
achy
■ Does not feel like eat
ing
■ Chills
attacks. Parents should work
closely with their child so he
or she can recognize limits
while playing soccer or some
other intense sport.
Houston Healthcare is
hosting a free educational
seminar on the basics of
asthma, including how to
manage it in a school setting,
Oct. 17 from 6-8 p.m. at the
Houston Health Pavilion
EduCare Auditorium.
“When Your Student Has
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2006 ♦
5 to 6 p.m. in the Medical
Library at Perry Hospital.
Perry Hospital's TOPS
members will provide low
fat, low-calorie refreshments
for those attending the open
house.
For more information on
the open house and the Perry
Hospital TOPS chapter,
please contact Michelle Lee
at 988-1813 or Tara Poole at
988-1827.
For more information
about TOPS, visit www.tops.
org or call 1-800-932-8677.
■ Dry cough
■ Gastro-intestinal symp
toms such as nausea, vomit
ing and diarrhea are much
more common among chil
dren than adults.
■ Usually children with
the flu do not have a sore
throat
■ Sinus problems and ear
infections may develop
These symptoms typically
last about seven days. If you
or your child has a fever or
other flu-like symptoms, it is
important to stay home, rest
and drink plenty of fluids.
If you suspect you or your
child has the flu, contact
your family doctor or pedi
atrician’s office as soon as
possible.
Asthma” is open to teachers,
coaches, bus drivers, school
administrators, day care
providers, school nurses and
other personnel who work
with children on a daily
basis. Guest speakers are
Wade and Darlene Rumph,
respiratory therapist with
Houston Healthcare.
Refreshments will be
served. Seating is limited and
pre-registration is required
by calling 478-923-9771.
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