Vascular Insights Issue #5

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011

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ISSUE 0005

VASCULAR INSIGHTS A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF VASCULAR ASSOCIATES, LLC

For the 5th time in as many nights, Herb is awakened by his restless leg syndrome.

Should Santa Claus be wearing Compression Stockings? Read the story on the back to find out!

IN THIS ISSUE Meaning of Thanksgiving.....pg.2 Gesundheit..........................pg.3 Understanding DVT............pg.4 Understanding DVT Con’t....pg.5 Santa Claus..........................pg.6

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THANKSGIVING FUN FACTS The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast.

In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.

Each year, the average American eats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.

Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

Although, Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.

Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef. ________________ Information taken from: www.whsv.com/seasonal/ misc/33852054.html

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Thanksgiving: What it really means, amidst all the food, shopping, and time off from work.

Article by: Bud Shuler, MD, FACS

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hanksgiving has come and gone, which to many, meant good food, football, and some well-deserved time off from work. To others it was the lead in to the holiday shopping season with Black Friday’s mad rush for the best deals of the year. Originally, according to Wikipedia, Thanksgiving began across Europe as festivals to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Thereafter, from a traditional standpoint, we in the United States, have tied it to the Plymouth settlement and their appreciation to the Wampanoag Native Americans for help in surviving in the New World. President Lincoln, in 1863, established Thanksgiving as a nation-wide holiday on the final Thursday in November in an attempt to bring together a warring country. Later, in 1941, President Roosevelt established the holiday earlier, on the forth Thursday, in an attempt to stimulate the economy. Surprisingly, I have never tied Black Friday to FDR. Thanksgiving, however, should be a time to reflect on what God has provided and a opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings.

But what of these blessings? Many of us in this country are on hard times. Many of our family members, or ourselves, are without work or struggling to make ends meet. Times seem tougher now than ever before. But we are blessed with the ability to choose how we accept these challenges. We should still thank our God for what we do have. Father Steve

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added perspective to the elementary students at Holy Nativity Episcopal School’s weekly chapel service on Wednesday, and reminded them of some of the basics of why we should be thankful. 70% of the world’s population cannot read because they are unable to go to school. 80% of homes in the world don’t have running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing. And at least 50% of the world goes to bed hungry and has no clean water source to drink. If you have money in the bank, in your pocket, or in a jar on your dresser, you are in the wealthiest 8% of the world. 92% of the world is poorer financially. However, to many of them wealth is not measured in homes, food, or dollars but in relationships.

Families are closer and relationships are more meaningful.

So as we gather together during the upcoming holidays, let us each take the time to remember from where we came and who brought us to where we are now. Let our family and friends know how much we appreciate them. We have a short time on this earth to live and love and be thankful for what we do have.

Let’s all commit to being more thankful over this next year and focus on what we do have rather than what we don’t. I know we will be happier.

Life is short, and we haven’t much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So let us be swift to love, and make haste to be kind, and the blessing of God almighty, be with you now and forever, Amen. [based on the words of Henri Frederic Amiel (18211881)]

GESUNDHEIT

Article by: Clark Stream, PA-C

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esundheit is the German work for health. When a person sneezes, Germans typically say gesundheit to wish them good health. Another common response to an audible sneeze is “God Bless You”. The custom to bless a sneeze reportedly began on 16 February 590 A.D., when Pope Gregory decreed that whenever someone sneezed, others should say “God bless you” in response. During this time Rome was dealing with an outbreak of the bubonic plague. The blessing was given in belief that the one who sneezed wouldn’t then develop the plague. Regardless of what we say when someone sneezes, we know that the sneeze can be the start of an illness such as a cold.

According to the Guinness World Record, a 12-year-old in England named Donna Griffiths holds the longest attack of sneezing on record. Apparently, she sneezed for over 978 days between January 1981 and September 1983. At first she sneezed every minute, but as the days moved into weeks and years her sneezes occurred every five minutes.

The world speed record for a sneeze is over 115 mph. A sneeze is an irritation to the nasal mucosa that can send up to 40,000 droplets from the nose to a distance of up to 10 feet. With the holiday season in full swing comes an increased opportunity to contract illnesses avoided so far this year. As the temperature

outside drops your chances of catching a cold increase. You can reduce your chances by following these 6 simple steps: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Sneeze into the bend of your arm.

Avoid touching your face with your hands as cold viruses can easily enter your body through the eyes and nose.

Wash your hands with soap and water. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are a great alternative to carry with you during this busy time since cold viruses can live up to three hours on surfaces.

Get plenty of rest. Exhaustion can make you more susceptible to the airborne germs that multiply during the colder months. Studies show that 6-8 hours of sleep help fend off germs that can bring down your immunity.

Eat as healthy as possible while on the run this holiday season. A balanced diet of carbohydrates, healthy fats, protein and limited processed foods are a great start. Like always, fruits and veggies are best. Also, plenty of vitamin C can help prevent colds.

Finally, if you’re the one with the cold…be polite…cover your mouth when you sneeze and wash your hands often to prevent spreading the cold virus.

A cold is the one thing you don’t want to share this holiday season. Gesundheit and God bless you.

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Understanding Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) this Holiday Season Article by: Jennifer Clark, PA-C, MPAS

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ver the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go! The holiday season is here and for most everyone that means some sort of travel; whether you yourself will be making a trip, or loved ones are coming to visit you. Knowing this, it is very important to get the word out about DVTs and how to prevent them. As you read this you may be wondering, what is a DVT? A DVT is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins in the body, most commonly in the legs. DVTs affect over 2 million Americans a year, and of that 2 million, over 600,000 suffer a life threatening complication called a pulmonary embolism (PE). A pulmonary embolism occurs when a piece of the blood clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs. This can be a life-threatening condition with approximately 60,000 - 100,000 related deaths a year which is more than both breast cancer and AIDS combined.

DVTs can happen to anyone, but certain things can make people more prone to developing blood clots.

The following is a list of some of the most common risk factors for developing a DVT:

• • • • • • • • •

Immobility Recent surgery Obesity Dehydration Bleeding disorder/Family history of blood clots Cancer Pregnancy Hormone replacement therapy/birth control pills Recent traumatic injury

Long periods of inactivity can cause blood clots to develop.

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Wear compression stockings during a long haul flight to help prevent DVT’s from developing.

By understanding these risk factors you can be more proactive in preventing the development of a DVT. If you are traveling over the holidays make sure you make frequent stops if you are driving or get up and walk the aisle if you are flying for several hours. If possible elevate your legs. Stay hydrated with water and/or liquids with electrolytes. When traveling invest in a pair of knee high compression hose to wear during your trip, this will help improve the circulation in your legs which can help prevent a DVT. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a DVT can be difficult at times, sometimes people can be relatively asymptomatic, or perhaps even attribute the symptoms they do experience to something else such as a skin infection or muscle strain. Most commonly we see that DVTs cause pain, swelling, redness and warmth of the affected limb. If you experience any of these symptoms it is important to have further evaluation. For more information on DVTs you can go to www.preventdvt.org. This is a very useful website that has a tool you can use to assess your risk for developing a DVT. I hope you share this useful information with your family and friends and I wish you the very best holiday season filled with many blessings, love, and laughter.

Make sure to stop and stretch your legs during a long distance car trip! www.ArteryandVeins.com

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Should Santa Claus Wear Compression Stockings?

Article by Clark Stream, PA-C

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es he should!! Why? Imagine how his legs feel the day after Christmas. Imagine how your legs feel now, sitting, reading this newspaper. Anyone who has heavy, achy, tired, swollen, restless legs should wear compression hose. So why should Santa Claus wear compression stockings? Most of the year, Santa spends long days, standing at his factory overseeing all the elves in their toy manufacturing, which gives Santa heavy, tired, swollen legs. As Christmas approaches, he sits in his chair for hours talking to good boys and girls about what they want for Christmas. Prolonged sitting can cause him to have achy, cramping and restless legs. After all the toys are loaded into his sleigh, Santa travels around the world.

This lengthy trip puts him at risk to develop a DVT, (deep vein thrombosis). A demanding job like Santa Claus is demanding on his legs; wearing compression stockings can only help.

What are compression stockings?

Compression stockings are specialized socks worn from the foot to the knee or thigh. These stockings have a measured pressure (tighter in the foot and gradually less tight at the knee). Compression stockings are an excellent and simple method of treating disorders such as chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, lymphedema, skin ulcerations, and are used to prevent the formation of blood clots in the leg. The stockings do not eliminate the varicose veins but they do help reduce the symptoms of swollen, achy, heavy, tired and restless legs.

Who should wear compression stockings?

Anyone who experiences great fatigue in the legs should look at the first-line, non-invasive, affordable and stylish approach to leg health… compression stockings. Many insurance companies require compression hose use prior to having varicose vein treatment.

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Where to purchase compression stockings?

Many people know that compression stockings improve your leg health but don’t know where to go to purchase them. Most medical supply stores have trained staff to help you find and fit into the right stocking for your needs.

Several pharmacies and retail stores carry compression hose and stockings. Online retailers have many different brands and styles to choose from. Make sure you know what you’re ordering before you go this route. Your doctor is often the best resource; he might have them in the office.

So Santa, for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year let’s fill our stockings with stockings.