Inflammation Information

It’s Time for Some Inflammation Information

The right kind of inflammation is essential to your body’s healing system. But chronic inflammation can be a problem.

Maria Werly, MD, Family Medicine, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

Maria Werly, MD, is a Board-certified family medicine and integrative holistic medicine physician with AdventHealth Medical Group Primary Care at Lenexa. Dr. Werly earned her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and she completed her family medicine residency, including service as chief resident, at Adventist Health Glendale in California.

hink about inflammation as your body talking to you. For example, if you sprain your ankle, it swells up and may become red and hot to the touch. This is your body telling you to stay off the ankle as your immune system releases white blood cells to surround and protect the area.

This type of short-term, acute inflammation is good because it protects you. It’s how your body fights injuries and infections and helps speed up the healing process.

But when inflammation gets turned up too high and lingers for a long time, and the immune system continues to pump out white blood cells and chemical messengers that prolong the process, that's known as chronic inflammation.

When this happens, white blood cells may end up attacking nearby healthy tissues and organs.

“Persistent or chronic inflammation can lead to several diseases many of us are quite familiar with including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver and autoimmune disorders,” said Maria Werly, MD, Family Medicine Physician, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission.

Many factors can contribute to chronic inflammation. Genetics, diet, sleep patterns and other habits are all possibilities. For example, unknown food allergies can cause inflammation in your intestine.

Fortunately, there are quite a few steps you can take. Diet and exercise have an especially strong impact on managing or reducing chronic inflammation since they both can also help reduce weight and improve sleep.

“Small changes over time will make a difference. Eat foods with color. The best choices include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. On the other hand, there are some choices to consider avoiding, like foods high in fat, sugar or salt along with ultra-processed foods (which remove most natural vitamins and nutrients),” said Werly.

Physical activity has also been shown to decrease inflammation. 150 minutes of exercise a week can have a great impact. For example, that’s taking a brisk 30-minute walk, 5 days a week.

“In addition to physical health, mental health and psychological stressors contribute. Find time to do something you enjoy which allows you to decompress and clear your head, even if only for a short time each week. Try to limit blue light exposure after sundown. This will improve your ability to fall asleep as well as stay asleep. Focusing on these areas ensures you will be headed down a healthier path for the future,” said Werly.

How can you tell if you have too much inflammation or if everything is just fine?

These are some of the signs to look for:

3 You’re tired all the time. Too little or too much sleep can create inflammation. If you are sleeping less than seven hours or more than nine, the cells in your body may respond to these irregular sleep patterns as if they are an illness. 3 You have aches and pains. Experiencing pain regularly can be an indicator of a lot of inflammation. It could also be a signal that you have developed arthritis. Rather than put it down to age, or dismiss it as no big deal, check it out with your doctor. 3 You’re experiencing digestive issues. Ongoing symptoms like diarrhea or gassiness could be signs of chronic inflammation, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. It is extremely important not to ignore these symptoms which could signal a food allergy, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, or other issues. 3 You keep getting headaches. They could be affected by neurogenic inflammation, which is a type of inflammation in the brain. If you experience a recent onset of headaches or migraines or notice changes from previous headaches or migraines, you may benefit from a neurological exam. That can rule out any organic reasons for the symptoms, including inflammation. Participate in a fun and engaging in-person hands-on cooking class to learn how easy and enjoyable it can be to cook with foods that contain beneficial antiinflammatory compounds that support vibrant health. For more information or to register, visit AdventHealthKC.com/Events or call AdventHealth Class Registration at 913-676-7777, option 2.

f course, every baby’s birth is miraculous. But on June 28th, 2021, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission had the thrill of delivering its 150,000th baby. That’s more miracles than anyone imagined back in 1962 when it began as Shawnee Mission Hospital. Since those humble beginnings, the AdventHealth Birth Center has become a world-class facility, with expert physicians, luxurious amenities and a whole-person approach to mother and baby care. For more than half of those 59 years, Dr. Michael Magee has been in the middle of it all, delivering thousands of babies, at all hours of the day and night. “Just before I started in 1988, a woman in labor would be given a room until it was time for her to deliver her baby, and then the birth would take place in the OR. But around that time, we converted to the LDRP (Labor, Delivery, Celebrating the Milestone Recovery, Post-Partum) concept. The Special of 150,000 Babies Born at Addition Maternity Center, as it was called, really made AdventHealth Shawnee Mission the birth experience so much better for moms and

We love welcoming newborns into the world, from the bottom of our hearts. Which is why we are excited to gift these custom Charlie Hustle onesies to all babies born at the AdventHealth Birth Center.

The Story of the AdventHealth Birth Center

1962 1970

Shawnee Mission Hospital opened. 1,000th Baby Born!

1991

New maternity and women’s services facilities added.

dads. It became a whole family event,” said Michael Magee, MD, OB/GYN.

In addition, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission has been recognized by The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program® for demonstrating superior nursing practices and outcomes.

“As doctors, we get spoiled by the incredible nursing care provided here. A labor nurse, for example, may stay with the family for 12 straight hours or more, ready to provide critical care if needed, but also providing the warmth and support patients really appreciate,” said Magee.

An exciting new era for the community was launched in 2013 with the opening of the AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Birth Center. This state-of-the-art facility was thoughtfully designed for each new mom, baby and family. Every room is an elegant retreat designed to comfort laboring women, encourage family involvement and allow the medical staff to provide unparalleled care.

“The new Birth Center is so spacious – there are separate floors for labor & delivery, post-partum and a Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Incredibly, more than 5,000 babies were delivered there last year,” said Magee.

These days, Magee often delivers the babies to many of the women that he brought into the world over the past 33 years. And one of his sons, Max, has recently joined the AdventHealth Shawnee Mission community, as an OB/GYN.

“I actually went into med school thinking I wanted to do general surgery. But as an OB/GYN, I have the opportunity to do so many things – including deliveries and surgeries – and I can look forward to building relationships with my patients from when they’re young all the way through menopause,” said Max Magee, MD, OB/GYN.

As Johnson County’s leader in the care of women, babies and families, the AdventHealth Birth Center provides the compassionate, expert and exceptional care mothers, fathers and families come to expect from our facilities.

To find an OB/GYN, visit MyHealthKC.com today. In early October 2021, the AdventHealth South Overland Park Hospital will open, offering local families easy access to trusted, compassionate care focused on the whole person – including the area’s newest Birth Center at 165th and 69 Highway.

Michael Magee, MD, OB/GYN

Dr. Magee is a Board-certified OB/GYN with a special interest in minimally-invasive robotic surgery. Dr. Magee received his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and completed his training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC.

Maxwell Magee, MD, OB/GYN

Dr. Magee received his bachelor’s degree in Integrative Physiology at the University of Iowa, earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, AZ.

2013 2015 2021

The Shawnee Mission Birth Center opened, tripling the size of the birthing capacity. We continued to be the leader in maternity care in KC by surpassing 5,000 births annually. On June 28, we celebrated our 150,000th delivery! Our South Overland Park campus, including the new birth center, will open in Fall 2021!