Five things new moms should know about breastfeeding

By Beverly Haferman RN, LC | February 1, 2012 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

When you are having a baby, you are faced with many questions which can seem overwhelming.  One of the most important is, how you are going to feed your baby? All governing health agencies recommend breastfeeding as the best form of nutrition for your baby, and so does Fort HealthCare. Of course, the transition to breastfeeding is not always easy, so we  will help you in every way to make this a positive and successful experience. 

Here are 5 things to remember:

  1. You will provide only one teaspoon of milk per feeding for the first 2-3 days of your infant’s life.  All infants have enough fluid to last for 2-3 days but it is important to remember that frequent early feedings will help your milk come in sooner and more abundantly.  We recommend feeding per infant cues, but at least 8 times daily.
  2. Infants are hardwired to breastfeed.  We can help this process by giving them early and unlimited access to the breast.  We initiate this with the use of skin-skin as soon as the infant is born.  This wakens the infant’s reflexes and we see infants breastfeeding more often and longer.
  3. Your infant should stay with you.  Your baby knows you and wants to be with you.  He will know you by smell and sound. By staying close to you he will be happier and you will learn to read his cues.  Babies breastfeed better when Mom recognizes their feeding cues and puts to breast.
  4. Your baby should not be given a bottle or pacifier without talking to a lactation consultant.  They may interfere with your baby’s ability to latch.
  5. Breastfeeding should not hurt.  If you are having pain past the initial latch, call for help.  Remember this is new for you and your baby.  Don’t expect perfection.

Breastfeeding gives your new baby the very best start. It supplies food, comfort, and love. Experts agree: Breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for babies during the first year of life and beyond. It’s healthy for Mom, too. Breastfeeding may be challenging at first. But you and your baby can succeed together. 

If you are having difficulty breastfeeding, call (920-568-5300) one of our five certified Lactation Consultants to provide counseling. Often, simple adjustments can make a world of difference. Visit FortHealthCare.com/Baby to learn more about how we’re helping you have a healthier baby.

Tags: , , , , , ,

What’s a PCP and why would I need one?

By Fort HealthCare | January 23, 2012 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

Choosing your medical provider is a personal choice that can have long-lasting implications. It’s like choosing to spend time with a trusted friend and advisor – one who knows all of your personal health information! Because of that, we at Fort HealthCare encourage you to get to know our providers BEFORE you make that decision. Not all doctors (nurse practitioners or clinicians) are created equally.

Doctor treating child with motherOf course we provide all of the basics: where they went to medical school, their specialties and interests, and where they see patients. However, there are so many other ways to get to know our providers. Many have detailed profiles, both in print and on video, that help you to know more personal information about that individual. Because the “Find A Doctor” directory is on our website, it is updated constantly and is the most current listing of providers at Fort HealthCare.

Primary Care Doctors Coordinate Your Care

Having a regular primary care physician (PCP) or family doctor can improve your health and your medical care experience. You’re likely to see this doctor first when you need a checkup or have minor symptoms or complaints. However, he or she does more than ease your sniffles and take your blood pressure.

A PCP’s responsibility is to:

  • Help you make health care decisions
  • Treat minor problems before they become more serious
  • Provide preventive care to help keep you well
  • Refer you when you need to see a specialist
  • Manage chronic conditions
  • Keep track of your medical records and health history

Studies show that patients who see the same primary doctor regularly experience:

  • Higher satisfaction with their health care
  • More coordinated care
  • A stronger doctor-patient relationship
  • Lower costs

You’ll also have better health in the long run. Your Fort HealthCare affiliated family or primary care doctor is trained to care for you through all the phases of life. Even if you see specialists for certain conditions, you should still have a PCP for your general health care needs. He or she will help you get the tests you need for your age and risk profile.

RELATED ARTICLE:
Study Highlights Features of High-Quality Primary Care
Americans with access to three key features of high-quality primary care have a lower risk of death, according to a new study. These features are comprehensiveness, patient-centeredness, and evening and weekend office hours, the University of California, Davis researchers said.

Tags: , , , , ,

New Year Resolution: Get your medical affairs in order

By Lori Partoll | December 30, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

“Advance directive” is a term most people aren’t familiar with until they are in the midst of a medical crisis. This year, why not plan ahead so your family knows exactly what you want for your health care? The Advance Directive is a simple and free form that allows you to direct your healthcare by naming people you trust to carry out your .

You have the right to fill an Advance Directive that will specify, in advance, what kind of treatment you want or do not want under special, serious medical conditions – primarily those that prevent you from communicating with your providers yourself. For example, if you were taken to the hospital in a coma, what would you want the staff to know about your wishes affecting your treatment?

 

Writing Advance Directives is about being prepared.

It is about making your medical wishes known in writing, through a conversation with your Agent (the person you are appointing to make those decisions for you, in the event that you cannot) and any family members who may want to be involved in your care if you were not able to make decisions for yourself. Having everyone on the same page makes it easy for all involved to make the right decision – the decision you would make.

What should I do with my Advance Directive if I choose to have one?

Place a copy with your doctor, lawyer and agent. Let them know that you have an Advance Directive and where it is located.

Consider the following:

-        If you have designed a health care surrogate, give a copy of the written designation form to them.

-        Give a copy of your Advance Directive to your doctor for your medical file.

-        Keep the original in a safe place with other important documents, but NOT in a lock box.

-        If you change your Advance Directive, make sure your doctor, lawyer, and/or family member has the latest copy.

To discuss Advance Directives, get your questions answered and/or pick-up a form for yourself, contact the medical social workers at Fort HealthCare at (920) 568-5284. It’s free and can make a world of difference to your family during what could be a very difficult time. Take a few minutes this month and make your care a priority.

Tags: , , , ,

Is hand pain slowing you down?

By James Bruno, MD | December 15, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

If you’re over 50, osteoarthritis (a.k.a. degenerative arthritis) may be a topic of conversation among you and your friends. Most of the time, osteoarthritis affects the hand, making day-to-day tasks like opening jars, getting dressed and gripping things with your hands, painful.

Thankfully, there are some solutions for hand arthritis.

Relief can come in the form of:

  • Therapy,
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication,
  • Bracing, and
  • Cortisone injections.

For pain not relieved by these interventions, surgery is an option. Painful joints can be fused. This eliminates motion of the fused joint, but also eliminates the constant aching pain.

Alternatively, some joints can be resurfaced; in fact, I can provide  surgery to resurface a painful joint at the base of the thumb on a same-day surgery basis using your own natural joint substitute. Your thumb and wrist are in a cast for four weeks, and gradually regain mobility through therapy.

This type of surgery has a high success rate for decreasing pain and preserving thumb motion. Over time, you actually gain strength in the hands. Tasks that were difficult before become easier and more symptom-free, but treatments like this should be discussed with your doctor, or an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand and wrist surgery. To make an appointment, or learn more, visit FortHealthCare.com/Ortho.

Tags: , , , , ,

Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow

By William Hofmann, MD | December 8, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

When people experience hearing loss, it can be devastating. This is never more true than when it happens suddenly. “Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss” (SSHL) is a very serious medical emergency often described as going to bed with perfectly good hearing and then waking up the next day hearing nothing, typically out of one ear.

The ear is divided into three sections: the ear canal, outer ear and inner ear and a problem occurring in any of these areas of the ear can lead to hearing loss. Sound waves travel through the structures of the ear and over sensory nerve cells that send signals to the brain to interpret sounds. Damage (often caused by loud repetitive noises, such as loud music, using loud equipment, and gun blasts) to these cells causes hearing loss over time.

One reason for the sudden loss of hearing could be from ear wax impaction. Signs of this condition are when sounds seem fuzzy, or when water gets into the ear, it hurts, “pops,” and then feels better. Other causes could be from trauma to the ear, head or neck, or complications from an upper respiratory infection.

Whatever the cause, if you experience sudden hearing loss, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.  A good rule of thumb is to seek medical attention within three days of sudden hearing loss occurring.  Waiting longer runs the risk of loss of hearing, especially if the hearing loss is due to a problem in the inner ear.

Evaluations by a primary care doctor or an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) specialist will determine the best treatment option for you. Most evaluations begin with a hearing test, followed by a medical prescription, or perhaps a recommendation for a hearing assistive device.

It is also important to note that sometimes individuals that have symptoms for hearing problems are actually undergoing treatment for respiratory allergies, where their allergy symptoms are incorrectly being attributed to the hearing issues they’re truly experiencing. An ENT specialist can evaluate, diagnose, and treat respiratory allergies and a number of conditions affecting the ears, head and neck in adults and children.

Protecting the hearing that you do have is always your best option, but if you experience sudden hearing loss, you may need medical intervention to help determine the cause and a treatment plan for your condition.

Tags: , , , , ,

“I don’t know you, so back off.”

By Kati Wetzel, RN BSN | November 30, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

There’s something special about working with pediatric patients. With adults, you can walk into a room and strike up a conversation, allowing you to develop trust and a relationship. But with kids, you have to gain the trust of Mom and Dad AND your young patient.

The baby who is feeling miserable and doesn’t understand why. The child who was poked once, twice, maybe even three times for an IV and blood draw. A teen who would rather be somewhere (anywhere!) else but here – thank you very much!

As adults, we are able to censor our responses to appropriate. The beauty of innocent children is that they don’t waste their time with being socially acceptable. Their honest responses can make providing care a bit more challenging, even when I am trying help. No, really, I am!

Some real-life examples:

“I don’t know you.”

This usually translates to, “I don’t trust you to come near me. Or my mom. Or my sister. Or my stuffed animal Rufus. Back off.”

“You look big and scary.”

This can mean, “If you step foot in my room I’m going to scream as loud as I can until you leave. Unless you brought me stickers, then you may have a chance.”

“I don’t want you to touch me.”

This is often followed by pulling a blanket overhead “so you can’t see me and then you won’t know I’m here. Oh, and by the way, I can leave this blanket over my head for a very.long.time.”

Long story short, nurses in the world of pediatrics, babies, kids, tween and teens work hard to gain trust. A seemingly simple task can take twice as long as usual, but the reward is that much greater. When I start out the day with a toddler who is terrified of me and doesn’t want me near them, and end the day coloring with that child, with a “Thank you for taking care of me,” it really doesn’t get much better than that.

Tags: , , ,

You’re not the only one

By Christopher Manakas, MD | November 16, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

Incontinence treatmentAlmost 12 million people in the United States experience urine control issues. Many things contribute to the condition:

  • Enlargement of the prostate (men)
  • Narrowing of the urethra due to scar tissue
  • Obesity
  • Older age
  • Bladder stones
  • Blockage
  • Frequent bladder infections

Stress Incontinence
This is the most common type of incontinence. It means urine is lost with activity like coughing, exercising or laughing. Any activity increasing pressure on the bladder will cause a urine leak. Many people go years without telling their physician or loved ones about this form of incontinence, because they don’t realize that it’s a treatable condition.

Urge Incontinence
Remember those commercials, “Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now?” That’s what urge incontinence feels like. The bladder muscle contracts spontaneously, causing a sudden strong urge to urinate which results in a sudden, uncontrollable rush of urine. With an overactive bladder, you may even feel the urge to urinate if you hear water running or you put your hands in water.

Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence is usually experienced as a frequent or constant dribble, in which the bladder is unable to empty itself and the urine just “overflows.” A Neurogenic Bladder is a condition where the nerve supply to the bladder is disrupted, causing multiple bladder problems, depending on injury or disease.

November is Bladder Awareness Month, now is the time to take charge of these bothersome issues. To receive the best possible treatment, it’s important to talk openly and honestly with a physician or urologist. A Fort HealthCare urologist is a specialist in the treatment of genital and urinary conditions and can suggest many non-surgical and surgical options to treat incontinence.

In the meantime, some therapies that you can put into practice on your own include:

  • Drinking water. It seems counter-intuitive, but some beverages can act as a diuretic, making the urge to go even stronger. Two-thirds of what you drink during the day should be water.
  • Avoid bladder irritants if struggling with excessive urges, such as: caffeine, aspartame, carbonated beverages, alcohol, chocolate, spicy foods, sharp cheese, tea, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, vinegar, plums, strawberries, lemon juice, onions, tobacco and pineapple. 
  • Go to the bathroom no more than every 2-4 hours. Your bladder should empty for at least 8 seconds or it was “too soon” to go.
  • If you have the urge to go but it is too soon, stop moving, sit or stand still, contract you pelvic floor four to six times, breathe deeply and relax until the urge passes. Suppress the urge if it is less than two hours since you last went to the bathroom.
Tags: , , , , ,

Big Bucks, Big Bangs and Your Ears

By Lori Fish, MS-A | November 9, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

Hunters face a unique hearing dilemma: They must be able to hear the soft footfalls of approaching deer or other game, yet need ear protection when they fire a high-powered rifle or other high-decibel firearm.

The BAD News: When you lose hearing, it almost never comes back.
The GOOD News: Hearing loss due to noise exposure is the only type of permanent hearing loss that can be prevented.

When noise is too loud, it kills nerve endings in the inner ear, eventually permanently destroying hearing. There is no way to restore dead nerve endings.

What many hunters don’t realize about noise exposure is that the sound pressure level of many shotguns is such that it only takes that brief moment of the blast to sustain permanent nerve damage, so every year of that brief exposure has a compounding effect on the hearing nerve. Each year, with every shot, the damage increases.

Preventing hearing loss is always better than trying to aid it after damage has been done, but there are a lot of options available that can help. I do specialize in custom ear molds for electronic earplugs, such as Game Ear, which can make the gaming experience as rewarding as possible. These devices provide amplification to put a hunter in touch with the environment and game while protecting hearing.

Hearing protectors come in two forms: earplugs and earmuffs. You should wear hearing protection whenever you’re around loud noises, as when using power tools, noisy yard equipment, firearms or riding a motorcycle or snowmobile.

Earplugs 

  • Small inserts that fit into the outer ear canal. 
  • Must be sealed snugly so the entire circumference of the ear is blocked.
  • An improperly fitted, dirty or worn-out plug may not seal properly and can result in irritation of the ear canal, making custom-fit ear plugs the best option.

Earmuffs

  • Fit over the entire outer ear to form an air seal so the entire circumference of the ear canal is blocked.
  • Held in place by an adjustable band.
  • Will not seal around eyeglasses or long hair, and the adjustable headband tension must be sufficient to hold earmuffs firmly in place.
  • For longer-wearing periods, they can be cumbersome.

If you’d like to get in for a fitting before gun deer season, call my office today to schedule an appointment and FREE adult hearing screening.

Tags: , , , ,

When Words Don’t Work

By Kathy Pazak, MS, CCC | November 4, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

Daniel Webster said it best when he remarked, “If all my possessions were taken from me with one exception, I would choose to keep the power of communication, for by it I would soon regain all the rest.”

grandparents talking to granddaughterSecond to being alive, the ability to communicate is the most critical human function allowing for full participation in society.  Few losses have a great impact than losing this ability. Negative feelings like anger, frustration, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem are common following loss of speech and language skills – even among those with minor impairments. 

Being unable to express yourself or to understand the speech of others is undoubtedly a cause for lowered spirits.  Many people feel isolated and alone and this loss of can be heartbreaking for the family.

One reason speech loss is so unsettling, is that it cuts you off from other people.  Whether the loss is gradual or sudden,

  • Friends tend to drift away,
  • Family may withdraw,
  • Work may become difficult if not impossible,
  • Hobbies may lose their appeal,
  • Simple household task may be given to others because of the inability to communicate.

These life changes can be stressful and felt in family matters, financial aspects of life and work-related activities.  Further, those with communication challenges are often shut out of child-rearing, decisions affecting adult children and issues related to grandchildren.

Speech therapists serve the invisible and voiceless minority who cannot always speak for themselves, yet deserve to be treated as equitably as those with more obvious disabilities. It’s not uncommon to make modifications to a building allowing easier access for those in wheelchairs, for example; why not provide a person with a speech handicap similar accommodations?  Step One is to have a speech and language evaluation.

At Fort HealthCare, we offer services every weekday at the outpatient Therapy and Sport Centers and in the hospital.  Clinicians have experience working with all age groups and encourage family members to contact their physician to request a speech evaluation. Call us for yourself or on behalf of someone you care about. Let us help keep you talking!

Tags: , , , , ,

“What did you say?”

By Lori Fish, MS-A | October 26, 2011 | Comments (0) | Share Twitter FacebooklinkedinPrint

Hearing loss causes isolation by making you feel like you are not plugged into the world you’re your relationships. Maybe you have found you opt to stay home versus attending Grandson whispers in grandfather's earsocial engagements to avoid putting yourself in setting where you can’t hear well. During the holidays, this is particularly apparent, when family and friends get together in large groups to celebrate with each other. If you don’t want to miss out, there are some options available.

You may already begin thinking about bulky hearing aids of days past. Fear not! Today’s model of hearing aid can be so tiny, no one will even notice (except you, thanks to the clarity of sound.) More than that, fewer than one in five adults who could benefit from hearing aids actually wears them. Are you one of them?

If so, you should know that hearing loss can negatively affect:

  • Relationships,
  • Job performance,
  • Mental health and function,
  • Social activity,
  • even safety.

Basically, untreated hearing loss severely affects the quality of a person’s life. If a hearing impaired person is involved in important conversations about medical care, insurance matters, or legal concerns, it can be very upsetting – or even dangerous – for them to lose the message simply because they have a difficult time hearing the conversation.

Consider this: according to a National Council on Aging survey, hearing impaired adults age 50 and older are more likely to report:

  • Sadness,
  • Depression,
  • Worry,
  • Anxiety,
  • Paranoia and less social activity than those who wear hearing aids.

A closer analysis of the survey concluded that hearing aid use was associated with a 36% reduction in depression among this age group.

Purchasing a hearing aid sometimes requires a significant financial investment, so it’s important to choose a hearing aid dispenser with your best interests in mind. A hearing aid specialist can provide a hearing test and help select the proper device, but most importantly, she will also be available to offer ongoing support and instruction.

Lori Fish, M.S.-A always offers free hearing screenings by appointment to adults 18 and over at Fort HealthCare’s Ear, Nose & Throat Clinics in Fort Atkinson, Whitewater and Edgerton.

Tags: , , , ,