Better Health - August 2022

Brass quintet to play free concert on Saturday at Forest Park, masslive.com/entertainment

Better Health D

|

MUSIC: Brahms’ complete piano works at Tanglewood, D9 ART: ‘Marking Time’ exhibit at Oxbow Gallery, D9 ENTERTAINMENT: Smoky Robinson surging at 82, D9

| SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2022

Family Health A family medicine practice encompasses pediatrics, adolescent medicine, adult medicine and geriatrics.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF ISTOCK)

By Keith J. O’Connor, Sr.

are at the heart of outpatient we care for. We are trained to coordinate care with special- some 745 family medicine care. Each family medicine take care of anybody in the ists when needed, including residency programs in the mental health providers. A United States, including two When Dr. John Romano was resident will care for his or her family who walks through completing medical school at own patients under the guid- our door who needs care,” Dr. well-trained family medicine in Boston and three in Central Baldor said. specialist can care for the MA (Worcester, Leominster, UMass Chan Medical School ance of faculty preceptors.

Care will include prevention A family medicine practice majority of the problems a Lawrence). It is a three-year in Worcester and considering what specialty to pursue, and routine care, but resiencompasses pediatrics, patient has coming through ACGME-accredited training dents will also coordinate adolescent medicine, adult the door, so they don’t have to program that will train a total he knew that a residency in family medicine would be a and manage urgent medical medicine and geriatrics. go elsewhere for care. of 12 residents over the next good fit for his “interests and issues, chronic conditions and “If you have general health Dr. Baldor came to Baystate three years who will join the much more. concerns that can be taken in 2019 from UMass Chan team of family physicians alstrengths.”

Choosing the right physicare of in the office, a famMedical School, where he ready practicing there. While “I love talking with patients and building a rapport with cian can be a daunting task, ily medicine physician can had been on the faculty since Baystate has a long history of address issues such as annual 1986, providing primary care training the physicians of the them and earning their trust. especially if you are looking Getting to know my patients over time and building a treatment regimen that works for them is hard to match in other specialties,” Dr. Romano said.

He was among the first five residents to arrive in early July at Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program, the only program of its kind in western Massachusetts, where they have already begun seeing patients.

“Although I’ve only been here for a month, and I have so much to learn, what has really stood out to me so far is what you don’t learn in medical school. While there you are focused on learning the physiology of disease and not on the inner workings of how to run a clinic and deliver care,” Dr. Romano said.

The new program is based out of the Greenfield Family Medicine practice at 48 Left: Drs. John Romano, Rachel Anderson, Bradford Ferrick, Mmaserame Gaefele, Daniel Albrecht are the first five residents to Sanderson St., where the participate in Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program. Right: Dr. Robert Baldor, founding chair residents have joined a team of the new Department of Family Medicine at Baystate. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF BAYSTATE HEALTH) of family physicians already located there. The core faculty has been practicing for for yourself, your children of checkups for infants, children, while teaching medical stufuture, establishing the UMadifferent ages, and possibly adults and seniors, provide dents and residents. He noted ss Chan Medical School – Baydecades and will be teaching your aging parents. Dr. Robert disease prevention and health that the first board certified state campus in Springfield and guiding residents – one second-year resident and four Baldor, founding chair of the maintenance, evaluate, family physicians entered the where the innovative PURCH new Department of Family manage and treat acute and field in the 1970s and today program (Population-based first-year residents.

Medicine at Baystate, says chronic illnesses like hyperthere are over 70,000 family Urban & Rural Community In addition to Dr. Romano, tension, diabetes and COPD, medicine physicians practicHealth) was founded, actuthe first five residents are sec- if a family is looking for one ond-year resident Dr. Mmase- physician to care for every along with injuries, and much ing throughout the county, ally has a tie-in with family member, choosing a family more,” Dr. Baldor said. more than in any other medi- medicine. rame Gaefele and first-year medicine doctor might be the Family practitioners also cal specialty.

“When UMass Chan residents Bradford Ferrick, Rachel Anderson, and Daniel best choice. provide immunizations, famAccording to the American Medical School in Worcester Albrecht.

“Unlike a pediatrician, geri- ily planning and contracepAcademy of Family Phyopened its doors back in the 1970s, Family Medicine was While family medicine resi- atrician or obstetrician, for ex- tion, skin care, joint injections sicians, Baystate Health’s and other treatments related Greenfield Family Medicine one of its first offerings,” Dr. dents are trained in inpatient ample, we are not defined by to sports injuries, and can Residency Program joins Baldor said. care, family medicine doctors the age or sex of the patients Special To The Republican

Dr. Baldor noted the new family medicine residency program is a “game changer” for Franklin County and the surrounding area where there is a shortage of primary care physicians, a challenge experienced by many areas of the country today.

“When people are looking for a primary care physician, they take many factors into consideration, and now they have one more to think about here in the Pioneer Valley – providers who take care of them and their entire family throughout their lives,” he said.

Dr. Johnson noted when deciding where to complete his residency, Baystate Franklin Medical Center offering its new program under Dr. Baldor’s direction was top on his list, especially because of its mix of both rural and urban medicine.

“Working collaboratively with the other four residents has really been awesome.

They are a like-minded, smart, humble, fun, interesting group who all share the same focus of what family medicine can offer and as physicians are intent on delivering the best possible primary care,” he said. “And it is exciting to be welcoming new residents each year into the program who will be bringing different skills into the mix….it’s just a privilege to be here.”

For more information on the Department of Family Medicine at Baystate visit https://www.baystatehealth. org/education-research/ education/umms-baystatecampus/academicdepartments/family-medicine or to make an appointment at Baystate Medical Practices Greenfield Family Medicine call 413-773-2022.

%%SATFOL-%%3MONTH%%2DATE

D2 | SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2022

THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM

Hearing Healthy Loss

is not something that should be taken lightly

By CORI URBAN

Special To The Republican

The majority of hearing losses are permanent, and causes include exposure to loud noise, hereditary factors, ototoxic medications and high fever.

“Some causes of hearing loss cannot be controlled.

However, you can reduce your risk of hearing loss by avoiding loud noise or consistently using hearing protection, having periodic hearing evaluations to monitor your hearing and maintaining your overall health,” said Susan B. Chunyk, an audiologist and president at Hampden Hearing Center in East Longmeadow.

Some of the signs people experience when they are losing their hearing are difficulty understanding speech in noisy listening situations, problems understanding speech clearly when the speaker is wearing a mask, needing the volume on the television or telephone turned up, missing parts of what others are saying — or thinking everyone is mumbling; feeling fatigue from using so much listening effort in group settings and avoiding social or family activities due to frustration from trying to communicate.

Although hearing loss can occur at any age, the incidence increases with age.

“Adults will often experience a gradual decline in hearing for high-pitched sounds, known as presbycusis,” Chunyk explained. “The change in hearing can be

so gradual, in fact, that the person with the hearing loss is the last one to know.”

It is estimated that 30-35 percent of adults between age 65 and 75 years and 40-50 percent of people aged 75 and older have hearing loss.

Some 40 million Americans have hearing loss. “With the youngest Baby Boomers turning 58 this year, audiologists test many new patients every year. We have seen increased referrals from primary care physicians who are now more aware of the effects of untreated hearing loss,” Chunyk said.

Untreated hearing loss increases the risk of cognitive decline, and the more severe the hearing loss, the higher the cognitive risk.

“Although we cannot prevent all hearing loss related to aging, we can reduce the risks through better overall health and reduce the impact through early identification and treatment of hearing loss by consistent use of professionally fit hearing aids,” said Chunyk, who earned a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders and a master’s in audiology from the University of Connecticut. She was awarded a doctorate in audiology from A.T. Still University at the Arizona School of Health Sciences.

She is licensed as an audiologist by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Connecticut and certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is fluent in

American Sign Language.

Some hearing losses are temporary, such as those resulting from middle ear infections or earwax blocking the ear canals. That type of problem can be treated medically.

“The majority of hearing losses, however, cannot be cured, but rather managed, through use of hearing aids,” Chunyk said. “People who are fit with hearing aids when the hearing difficulty is first noticed receive better benefit than people who wait to take action until the hearing loss is ‘bad enough.’ Early treatment of hearing loss helps the individual make use of auditory memory and prevents the person from having to work so hard at listening through the hearing aids.”

Research has shown that untreated hearing loss impacts the emotional level of hearing, leading to depression, isolation, loneliness, anxiety, insecurity, paranoia and poor self-esteem. People with hearing loss also have an increased risk of falling.

When patients ask Chunyk if their hearing will get worse, she tells them there are two things they can do to prevent further loss: Avoid loud noise and stay as healthy as they can. “Following your doctor’s orders can improve your overall health and your hearing,” she said.

For more information, go to hampdenhearing.com

Hobbies

families can enjoy together

R

esolutions to get fit might garner the bulk of people’s attention come New Year’s Day. But resolution season also marks a great time for busy families to commit to spending more time together.

Hobbies can bring people together, which makes them an ideal outlet for families who want to spend more time with one another. Families on the lookout for hobbies they can enjoy together can consider the following activities.

Hiking:

Hiking is a family-friendly activity that’s free and ideal for individuals who also want to turn over a healthy leaf as the new year dawns. The cardiovascular benefits of hiking are well-documented and include lowering hikers’ risk for serious ailments, including heart disease. But the exposure to nature that hiking provides can benefit entire families. A 2015 study published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning found that hiking can help to reduce feelings of anxiety. Hiking trails run the gamut from flat trails that are ideal for families that include young children to more challenging trails that require a little climbing.

have some surprising benefits for youngsters. According to Nemours KidsHealth¨, cooking can be a great way for parents to reinforce basic math skills kids are learning at school. Older kids who don’t need such lessons can benefit from cooking with their parents by learning to prepare nutritious meals that can lay the foundation for healthy eating habits throughout adulthood

Painting:

Painting together as a family can benefit both adults and children in unique ways.

Harvard Medical School notes that studies have found that artistic expression can help people with depression and anxiety.

Young

children, including preschoolers, also can benefit from painting, which helps them develop both their fine and gross motor skills and improves hand-eye coordination. Parents of adolescents should know that painting has also been found to be a productive outlet for teenagers to express themselves, and the process of seeing a painting project through from inception to completion can boost confidence and self-esteem.

As the new year dawns and resolutions are made, families can look to various hobbies they can engage in together to make the year ahead both happy and healthy.

Cooking:

There are plenty of family-friendly hobbies that can be enjoyed at home. Cooking is one such hobby, and it can

Going to the Pool?

Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry! Ask us about drying units.

Mental Health | Addiction | Crisis

Get Well. We Can Help.

The Finest Hearing Care by Doctors of Audiology

Call today: 413-BHN-WORK (413-246-9675) 24-Hour Crisis Line: 413-733-6661 Visit bhninc.org for more information

—— SINCE 1984 ——

200 North Main Street North Building, Suite 103 East Longmeadow, MA

413-525-7979 Susan Bankoski Chunyk, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology

hampdenhearing.com info@hampdenhearing.com

Jennifer Lundgren Garcia, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology

Enjoy a rewarding career with great benefits and professional growth opportunities at BHN! View all openings and apply at bhnworks.org

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2022 | D3

%%SATFOL-%%3MONTH%%2DATE

THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM

Nutrition

when feeding children away from home

C

Weightlifting

tips for beginners S trength training is a vital component of an effective exercise regimen. Guidelines from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommend adults include moderate- to high-intensity strength training activities in their workout regimens at least twice per week.

Individuals with little weightlifting experience may not recognize the value of strength training, which is often associated with building as much muscle as possible.

Though strength training helps build muscle, it’s also a great way to burn fat. Muscle increases resting metabolic rate, which means individuals who engage in strength training will burn more fat during rest than they would if they did not include such exercise in their workout regimens.

Stronger muscles also provide more support to bones and connective tissues, which reduces injury risk. That’s an especially important benefit for aging men and women.

As valuable as strength training is, it’s imperative that individuals approach weightlifting and other strenth-building exercises with a measure of caution.

Improper form or going too hard too soon can increase injury risk. Beginners can heed these tips as they acclimate to strength training.

• Work with a personal trainer. Proper form is imperative to avoiding in-

jury while strength training, and personal trainers can guide individuals through an assortment of exercises to make sure they’re performing them correctly. If a long-term commitment to a personal trainer is beyond your financial means, find a trainer with limited commitment packages or one who lets clients pay on a session-by-session basis.

Many fitness facilities include one or two free personal trainer consultations for new members, so take advantage of these opportunities when they’re offered. If you plan to work out at home, ask a friend with weightlifting experience to show you the correct form or watch online tutorials.

• Begin with light weight.

Beginners should avoid reaching for the heaviest dumbbells on the rack. Mastering form is vital at the beginning stages of a new strength training program, so go for lighter weights and gradually add weight as your body acclimates. If you find yourself completing a set without much effort, you can add a little more weight. But start with light weight and build from there.

• Warm up with some light cardio prior to lifting any weight. The fitness experts at Gold’s Gym note that some light warmup prior to a strength training workout increases range of motion, decreases injury risk and contributes to more permanent change in muscles. Keep warmup sessions to between five and 10 minutes, opting for anything from a low-intensity jog on a treadmill or session on an elliptical. After warming up, perform some stretches that target the muscles you’ll be focusing on during your workout. A trainer or online tutorial can be good sources of stretches to perform before working out a particular muscle group.

• Recognize the need for recovery. Rest and recovery is vital for any athlete, and that includes strength training beginners who are not yet lifting a lot of weight. Rest helps to build lean muscle tissue and prevents injuries. When planning a strength training regimen, ensure muscles get adequate rest by never working out the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

Strength training beginners should take things slowly and gradually change their routines as their bodies become more acclimated to exercises designed to make them stronger.

hildren can be picky eaters. Parents know that getting kids to eat anything, much less healthy foods, can sometimes make the dinner table feel more like a battlefield than a place to break bread. That’s especially so when the dinner table is in a restaurant, where savvy youngsters might know less nutritious dishes like macaroni and cheese or fried chicken fingers are on the menu. But the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet are so numerous for youngsters that it’s worth doing whatever it takes to get kids to embrace nutrient-rich foods, both at home and when dining out.

The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that a healthy diet can stabilize children’s energy levels, help them maintain healthy weights and potentially prevent mental health conditions, including anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But recognizing the importance of a healthy diet and getting kids to embrace one are two different things, especially

contain ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup and flavoring agents, are typically high in calories, salt, sugar, and fat.

While highly processed foods tend to be easier to make and readily available at restaurants, serving them to youngsters can start kids down the • Make meals all-inclusive. road to poor dietary habits, When preparing school lunch- potentially increasing their es or taking youngsters out risk for obesity and diseases for a night on the town, make like heart disease and diabetes. When packing snacks for sure to offer a mix of foods from the five food groups. The school lunches or taking kids out to restaurants, be sure to AAP recommends parents offer vegetables, fruit, grains, include or bring along healthy low-fat dairy, and/or quality whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables. This can protein sources, which can include meat, fish, nuts, ensure kids get some healthy seeds, and eggs. Offering each fare during mealtime. of these foods at every meal may not be feasible, but kids • Enhance foods if necesshould eat foods selected sary. While high amounts of from the major food groups at sugar, salt and fat can jeoparevery meal. dize the health of adults and youngsters alike, the AAP notes that small amounts of • Avoid highly processed foods. The National Institutes these substances can be used to enhance kids’ enjoyment of Health notes that studies of healthy foods and increase have suggested there’s a link the likelihood that they will between highly processed eat them. foods and health problems.

Such foods, which typically when kids are dining out and being tempted by unhealthy alternatives. In recognition of that, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following strategies to parents who want their kids to eat healthy when they’re away from home.

“

MY CASE WAS A MYSTERY

AND BAYSTATE SOLVED IT

”

Kalia,

Heart Tumor Survivor from Bantam, CT

Kalia had struggled with health issues for years. “I had migraines, fainting, a feeling of heaviness in my legs, and flare ups of red dots on my hands and feet,” she remembers.

Despite extensive testing, no cause was ever identified. But when an echocardiogram ordered by provider at Baystate showed a rare type of tumor in her heart, Kalia was immediately transported to Baystate Medical Center and

underwent open heart surgery to remove it.

“I wasn’t getting properly oxygenated blood to my body for probably my whole life. We finally figured out what was wrong, and I can’t express how thankful I am,” she says.

To watch Kalia’s inspiring story, go to BaystateHealth.org/Kalia