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[Stress]
F
M eel as tl life is one endless rat
race? Between the demands of work,
family and life in general, the amount
of stress a person faces on a daily
basis can be overw helming. The
holiday season often brings about
added stress. The key to surviving
stress and the adverse effects it can
have on an individual's physieal and
mental health is learning how to
manage it.
Stress is defined as a feeling of
emotional or physical tension.
I motional stress usually occurs w hen
situations are considered difficult or
unmanageable, and it can be triggered
by different things for different people
such as financial issues, relationship
difficulties, or serious illness. Physical
stress refers to a physical reaction
the body has to various stressors such
as pain. Ironically, physical stress
often leads to emotional stress, w hich
is frequently experienced as a
physical discomfort of some kind
such as stomach cramps or headaches.
According to Burton Carriker. a
licensed counselor and Program
Administrator for Houston
Healthcare's Behavioral Health
Services, not all stress is bad though.
"The fight-or-flight response that
kicks in when we are facing an
emergency protects us by preparing
our bodies and minds to act quickly."
he explains. “Stress becomes a
problem w hen everyday annoyances
trigger this fight-or-flight response.
Research indicates that chronic stress
can play a major role in high blood
pressure, heart disease and other
ailments."
Carriker suggests keeping a stress
journal' and write down when
something causes stress, including
any reactions to the stress and coping
techniques. “Sometimes it is clear
w here stress is coming from." he
Wound Care Treatment...
Specialized Care Available at Houston Medical Center
mosl people, pound
heals naturally w ithout any
complications. But when the body's
natural healing process is hampered
by medical conditions such as diabetes
or vascular disease, a wound can
become a complex medical problem
requiring specialized treatment and
care.
Houston Medical Center’s
\\ ound Care l nit offers specialized
treatment for skin w ounds due to
chronic illnesses such as diabetes or
resulting from a surgical incision to
more critical wounds from bums and
traumatic injury.
Management 101
continues. "But other times it may
not be so clear why you feel
stressed. Once you know that,
then you can take steps to reduce
the stress or handle it more
productively."
According to Carriker. an
individual stress management
program should focus on positive
thinking w ith an emphasis on
refocusing the negative to be positive
and making a concentrated effort to
stop negative thoughts, lie also
suggests taking a mini-vacation
periodically such as a long weekend
to relax and have some fun. "Nothing
or no one has the power to make us
feel stressed." he explains. ‘lt's our
ow n internal reaction to external
events that generates our stress. If
you are one of those people w ho
frequently overreacts to stress,
adopting a new attitude may help you
cope with life's little curve balls in
a more relaxed way."
Carriker suggests trying the
following steps to manage and reduce
everyday stress:
■ Prioritize. Use a calendar or a
notebook to figure out what needs
doing and w hat doesn't. Make
realistic to-do lists and allow ample
time to accomplish each task.
■ .lust say no. Don't say 'yes' out
of guilt. An excuse is not needed to
say 'no' graciously.
■ Rely on social support. The
support that family , friends and co
workers have to offer may be crucial
to reducing stress. Social involvement
with others w ill also help avoid
isolation and depression, conditions
that increase stress.
■ Concentrate on the present. A
lot of stress builds up when one
worries about past events or what
will happen in the future, especially
those that are uncontrollable. Instead,
concentrate on present conditions that
can be changed.
“We perform various types of
treatments for w ounds, mainly
compression wraps for leg ulcers and
negative pressure treatment where a
special dressing is attached to a pump
that is then applied to the w ound. The
pump puts suction on the wound to
manage drainage." explains April
Herndon. RN, Certified W ound.
Ostomy and Continence Nurse at
Houston Medical Center. "The
negative pressure treatment is cutting
edge technology that can shorten
healing time by up to one-third."
Approximately 50 percent of
patients treated in wound healing
centers hav e a diabetes-related
chronic, non-healing wound. "The
most common wounds we treat at
£.
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■ Tackle problems
one at a time. It is much easier to
work out a solution to one problem
than three or four at once. Isolating
problems also tends to make each
one less intimidating.
■ Relax. Read a good book, go
for a walk or jog, get a manicure or
meditate. Devote at least 20 minutes
each day to relaxation
■ Pick your battles. Some things
are just not worth getting angry about.
When it comes to v oicing complaints,
choose wisely.
■ Get an emergency plan. Keep
doctors' numbers posted and
insurance information handy. Make
car-pool prov isions for when the car
is sidelined.
■ Don't overreact. Keep in mind
that some of the stress may actually
be created by overreacting to life’s
unavoidable situations. Stop and
think. "Is this really worth getting
worked up about ’" More often than
not. the answer is no.
■ Accept life. Take action when
appropriate, but most important, let
go when a situation is uncontrollable.
Carriker says that because stress
is unavoidable in life, it is important
to find ways to decrease and prevent
stressful situations and decrease
negative reactions to stress. "A large
part of stress is a matter of
perception how you view a situation
determines how much stress it causes
you." he adds. "Only you can best
evaluate the amount of stress in your
life and learn better ways of coping
with it."
Houston Medical Center are
circulatory leg ulcers and diabetic
foot wounds," comments Herndon
“For diabetic wounds, we do
extensive and fairly aggressive
treatments such as debriding. w here
w e remov e the dead tissue from the
wound to speed up the healing process
and to prevent infection which can
lead to gangrene and possible
amputation. We also make sure the
patient has the proper footwear to
guard against future wounds.”
Failure to successfully treat critical
and chronic non-healing wounds costs
health care providers billions of
dollars each year not to mention the
pain and suffering it causes for
patients and their families. According
• n «,,
J JNI
Common symptoms
of stress include:
■ Rapid heartbeat
■ Headache
■ Stiff neck and/or tight shoulders
■ Backache
■ Rapid breathing
■ Sweating and sweaty palms
■ Upset stomach, nausea or
diarrhea
Stress can also be exhibited in
one's thinking, behavior or mood.
A person under stress may:
■ Become irritable and intolerant
of even minor disturbances
■ Feel irritated or frustrated,
lose their temper more often,
and yell at others for no reason
■ Feel jumpy or exhausted all
the time
■ Find it hard to concentrate
or focus on tasks
■ Horry 100 much about
insignificant things
■ Doubt their ability to do things
■ Imagine negative, worrisome
or terrifying scenes
■ Feel they are missing
opportunities because they
cannot act quickly
Burton Carriker, Program
Administrator for Houston
Healthcare 's Behavioral Health
Services and a licensed counselor,
will lead a class on stress
management on Monday.
November 13 at 7pm at the
Houston Health Pavilion EduCare
Center Call 923-977/ to pre
register for the class.
to Herndon, early intervention is
crucial in wound treatment,
particularly for those with diabetes.
"Patients with diabetes should
examine their feet regularly or have
their feet examined bv a physician or
other health care provider on a regular
basis." she says. "Routine
examination is the most basic and
easiest preventive action that can be
done in wound care."
The Mound ( are Unit at Houston
Medical Center also offers monthly
prev entiv e foot care clinics for
diabetics. Patients must be referred
by their primary care physician for
the foot clinic as well as for treatment.
Call (478) 322-4849 for more
information.
I!m (!\ki;
A Service nr Houston Healthc are
Arthritis Day
.loin us for lunch and four sessions
focused on arthritis Topics include
Houston Healthcare's Human
Motion Institute program, arthritis
drugs, pain management and more
Must pre-register
Wednesday November 13
10 am 3pm
Lunch will be seis ed tram
12 12:30 pm
Houston Health Pavilion
EduCare C enter
Call 033-0771 to pre-register
Georgia National Fair
Health Fair
Bring the family and join Houston
Healthcare in Reaves Arena for
health screenings, education and
information. Booths will be open
to the community on all areas of
health education for all ages.
Screenings available will include:
free blood pressure screenings,
glucose screenings for SI. and lipid
panels (cholesterol) for 525. There
is no charge for attending the
health fair.
Wednesday October II
2:1111 6:00 pm
Georgia National Fairgrounds
and Agrii enter
Reaves Irena
Call 023-0771 tor more
information
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Screenings
Leg pain while exercising may not
be due to overexertion, feeling tired
or merely a sign of old age. These
symptoms may be due to Peripheral
Vascular Disease (PVD). Diabetics
and individuals with other cardiac
problems may be especially at risk.
To be screened, you must have an
appointment which can be made
by calling 923-9771.
Thursday December 7
Want 4pm
Houston Wellness Center
Education Room
Houston Mall
Appointments only
Cost is 320
When Your Student Has
Asthma!
Asthma has reached epidemic
proportions worldwide, especially
among school-aged children.
Understanding basic facts about
asthma and how to manage it at
school becomes a critical issue for
anyone who works at a school or
with school-aged children. This
FREE educational seminar will
provide teachers, coaches,
cafeteria workers, bus drivers,
administrators, day care prov iders,
school nurses and other personnel
a basic understanding of all aspects
of asthma including how to manage
it at school. Guest speakers include
Dr. Steve Wade, pediatrician, and
Darlene Rumph, Respiratory
Therapist. Refreshments will
be served. Seating is limited.
Pre-registration is required.
Tuesday. October 1 7
6 Rpm
Houston Health Pavilion EduCare
Auditorium
Call 023-977! to pre-register.