Thursday, Aug

HEALTH & WELLNESS Options & References for a Healthier Life

Mobile devices and neck pain: Tips for avoiding ‘Tech Neck’

ave you been working in a makeshift home office during the pandemic? Are you reading this on your phone, computer or another mobile device? Are you looking down, shoulders hunched, while doing so? If so, your posture may be contributing to neck pain, headaches and other symptoms consistent with “tech neck”.

Tech neck, also called “text neck,” is a growing phenomenon that’s due to the ubiquitous presence of screens— such as cell phones, tablets and improperly angled computers—in our daily lives. In 2019, People spent nearly 6 hours each day using digital media, including more than 4 hours on non-voice activities on mobile devices, according to a survey done by (U.S.) eMarketer.

But the curved posture most of us assume while emailing, texting or reading on our devices simply isn’t good for the cervical spine, better known as the neck. Since our properly positioned neck muscles are designed to support the weight of our head—about 10 to 12 pounds—constantly dropping our heads forward to look at a device actually puts about 60 pounds of force on the neck.

“Tech neck is actually an overuse or repetitive stress injury”. “Rolling our heads

Out of all the visits children make to health care providers, 1 in 5 result in a prescription for antibiotics. That’s about 50 million prescriptions a year. But here’s the worrisome part: 10 million of those prescriptions are for respiratory illnesses that antibiotics aren’t likely to help. Basically, 1 in 5 of those 50 million prescriptions shouldn’t have been written in the first place.

This is a real problem. Antibiotics can be lifesaving and should absolutely be used when they are needed — but they are not without risks and problems. They can cause side effects, such as vomiting, diarrhea or allergic reactions. By killing off bacteria that grow naturally in the body, they can lead to other health problems. Also, the more we use antibiotics, the more bacteria figure out how to outsmart them, leading to antibiotic resistance. If we want our antibiotics to work at all, we are going to have to use them less.

Now, obviously patients don’t write prescriptions. Ultimately, the medical profession is responsible for this problem. But patients and families can make a difference. It helps when families don’t ask for or expect a prescription — and it helps when families ask questions anytime an antibiotic is prescribed.

Take this quick quiz to check your antibiotic smarts

and shoulders forward places a great deal of strain on the spine and can pull it out of alignment, even leading to pinched nerves and disc herniations. It’s not necessarily a minor problem.”

Symptoms of tech neck

How do you know if you’re dealing with tech neck? In addition to soreness in the neck and shoulder areas, symptoms also include: • Stiff neck • Neck spasms • Unexplained headaches • Upper back pain, ranging from nagging discomfort to sharp spasms • Shoulder tightness • Radiating pain down the arms and into the hands

Even more concerning is that children and young adults—among the heaviest users of mobile devices—are developing these symptoms as their spines continue developing.

“Some research suggest that tech neck can lead to chronic spine problems and even early development of arthritis in the neck” says Kaliq Chang, MD, an interventional pain management specialist board-certified in anesthesiology. “Because the consequences can be lifelong, it’s especially important to avoid tech neck and to see a doctor if your symptoms won’t go away.” prescription for antibiotics.

Answer: False. Turns out that most ear infections get better without antibiotics. In some circumstances, such as in young infants, severe infections, or children with immune system problems, antibiotics are necessary. But for most healthy children, all that is really needed is some acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain, some time, and some TLC.

Question: Which of the following set of symptoms means your child has sinusitis? A. A cough for a week, with fever at the beginning and not since B. Green nasal discharge and cough for four days, fever to 101 C. Both of the above D. None of the above

Answer: D. The common cold, caused by a virus, can give you cough, fever, and green nasal discharge — and antibiotics are not only unnecessary, they won’t do a thing. Antibiotics should only be considered if: • There is nasal congestion and cough, preferably with fever, that has lasted for 10 days or more (it still may be a cold, your doctor needs to examine and be sure) • There is new fever, congestion, and cough after a cold seemed to be getting better • There is high fever (103

F or more) and severe congestion and cough for three days

How to prevent tech neck

Prevention, of course, is always the best option when it comes to health problems, including tech neck. But since cell phones and other mobile devices can’t be ignored in modern-day society, how can this be accomplished? • Hold your cell phone or tablet at eye level whenever possible. Even better is to also keep your laptop or desk top computer screen at eye level as well. • Take breaks every 20 to 30 minutes. Look up from your screen for several minutes. Even better, get up from your chair and walk around. • Limit device use to only necessary tasks. Reducing screen time is a healthy goal for many reasons, not just spinal health”. • Exercise and stretch muscles in the neck, shoulders and upper back on a regular basis. • Sit at a slightly reclined position when using devices—not strictly upright.

Sitting at a 25- to 30-degree angle, with good lower back support, places much less force on the spinal discs in the back and neck than sitting up ramrod-straight. This way, neck and shoulder muscles aren’t taxed to hold your head up.

“The bottom line is to be

Parents: how smart are youabout antibiotics?

mindful of your neck and doesn’t find anything else that worries her.

What should happen? A. You should get antibiotics, because pus means there must be a bacteria present B. You should get a strep test and antibiotics C. You should get a strep test, but no antibiotics unless the rapid strep test or culture comes back positive.

Answer: C. Turns out that pus doesn’t necessarily mean there are bacteria. Some of the nastiest throat infections are caused by viruses — which, again, antibiotics don’t treat.

Question: (True or False) Since sometimes colds can lead to ear infections or sinusitis or pneumonia, it’s a good idea to take an antibiotic to prevent that from happening.

Answer: False. While it’s really understandable to want to “be on the safe side” and ward off a bacterial infection, most colds don’t lead to bacterial infections — and if you are in touch with your doctor, you should be able to pick up the signs of anything that needs to be treated by antibiotics.

To learn more about smart use of antibiotics, check out these resources from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Posted By Claire McCarthy, MD In Children's Health,Health,Infectious diseases,Pets Article reprinted from Harvard Health Blog: https://www.health. harvard.edu/bloghttps://www.health. harvard.edu/blog/parents-howsmart-are-you-about-antibiotics-2016111510678 shoulder position whenever you’re using a mobile device,” Dr. Chang adds. “Vigilance is key to preventing tech neck.”

Credit: Kaliq Chang, MD, is an interventional pain management specialist board-certified in anesthesiology at Atlantic Spine Center. Atlantic Spine Center is a nationally recognized leader for endoscopic spine surgery with several locations in NJ and NYC. http://www.atlanticspinecenter.com, www.atlanticspinecenter.nyc

Beaufort Inn announces 2nd, 3rd Healthcare Heroes

From staff reports

The Beaufort Inn has named its second and third winners in its Carolina Healthcare Heroes contest – Lysa Hester and Linda Arp.

Hester, announced on Aug. 1, is a Radiological Technician at Colleton Medical Center and has been in her position for 10 years.

Arp works as a Respiratory Therapist at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where she retired, and then decided to continue working due to the need for healthcare workers.

The Beaufort Inn has teamed up with area businesses to award a total of six Carolina Healthcare Heroes with a relaxing retreat in Beaufort.

Included in each vacation giveaway is a two-night stay at The Beaufort Inn, a $50 gift certificate to Bang’s Salon & Spa, a $25 gift certificate for breakfast or lunch at Blackstone’s, a $100 gift certificate to Saltus River Grill for dinner, and a carriage tour for two provided by Southern Rose Buggy Tours.

Michelle Green as the first winner. She works at Beaufort Memorial Hospital as a Nursing Assistant and has worked there for 11 years.

The Beaufort Inn will randomly choose one winner each week for the next three weeks. Submissions are being accepted until Aug. 17. Once the recipients confirm their nomination, The Beaufort Inn will announce the winners on social media.

Any healthcare worker in North Carolina or South Carolina is eligible to win. Nominations are to be submitted on The Beaufort Inn’s website at www.beaufortinn.com/Carolina-healthcare-heroes.

Winners will be able to redeem their vacation within one year from the time the winner is announced. Certain terms and conditions apply. For additional information, please visit www. beaufortinn.com/Carolina-healthcare-heroes.

Family medicine physician joins Beaufort Memorial Primary Care

From staff reports

Beaufort Memorial has added a family medicine physician to the medical staff at its Beaufort Memorial Primary Care practice.

Dr. Ross Watson comes to the Lowcountry from his residency at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. A graduate of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Martin, Netherlands Antilles, the California native earned an undergraduate degree in biology from University of California, Irvine.

After graduation from college, Dr. Watson served on e m e r g e n c y medical services crews t h r o u g h o u t Dr. Ross the West beWatson fore going to medical school. During residency he volunteered at an outreach center for runaway and homeless youth.

At Beaufort Memorial Primary Care, Dr. Watson joins board-certified internists Drs. Andrea Hucks and Alejandro Garcia Salas, and board-certified nurse practitioners Mary Beth Donovan, Ronda O’Connell and Amy Wagner. He will begin seeing patients later this month, partnering with them to prevent, diagnose and treat acute and chronic illness.

Located in the Beaufort Medical Plaza, 989 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, the practice provides a full range of general adult outpatient medical care with an emphasis on wellness and chronic disease management and prevention. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Watson or any of the practice’s providers, call 843- 522-7600.