Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 37)

Description: Anything from a general feeling of discomfort in your midsection to stabbing pains centralized in one part of your abdomen. DIY or Doc? Stomach pain is a challenge for doctors because of the number of things it could indicate. “Often, you’ve just eaten the wrong thing,” says Ward. “But it can also be as serious as appendicitis or a gallstone.” If vomiting and diarrhea accompany the pain, go to a doctor. If your stomach feels rock hard, is protruding, if it hurts to move or laugh, or if you have blood in your stool or urine, go to a doctor ASAP. These can be signs of something more serious than a bad burrito the night before. Ailment: Stomach pain Description: Let’s look at two common injuries—a suspected sprained ankle and a minor cut. DIY or Doc? For a sprained ankle, if you can walk on it, it’s unlikely that you’ve broken it. In this case, says Ward, follow the RICE method: Rest the injured body part, apply ice and compression (a wrap bandage will do), and elevate it above the heart to alleviate pain. If you can’t walk or it hurts to press on the bone, you probably need an X-ray. Or, if pain lasts more than three days, you start to lose feeling or skin begins to change colors, go to a doctor. For cuts, it’s a matter of whether the bleeding will stop. Apply firm, consistent pressure. “If it won’t stop bleeding, you’ll probably need stitches,” says Ward. Ailment: minor injury Much wis dom is pa sse d do wn through the gen erations, but wh en it com es to he alt h, some home remedies can be as questionable as grandma’s “mystery casser ole.” Tom Felger, M. D., a board member of the Am erican Ac ademy of Fam ily Physicians, gives his take on a few. Gi nger ale for nausea ? “I don’t know of any scienc e behind that. The herb ginger should hel p. But wit h ale , you have carbonat ion , which cou ld irritate it worse ,” say s Fel ger. Ins tead, try an ant aci d, Ma alox or mi lk to cut down on ext ra sto mach aci d, alt hough, he add s, “it’s no t so much science as what works for people.” Cu p of coffee to rel iev e a he ad ac he ? “I’ve never he ard that one,” says Felger. “In fac t, wit h caf feine being a stimulant, it could po ssib ly ma ke thi ng s wo rse , un les s it wa s a [caffe ine ] wit hd raw al he ad ach e.” He say s aspirin may be a better cho ice . “Go wit h the simple thing s firs t.” Putti ng ice or butte r on a bu rn ? “When you cut off circula tion, which is what ice does, you’re going to get les s pain,” says Felger, alt hough he wa rns this is a “very temporar y solution .” Runn ing a minor burn under cool water may be better to cut down on pain. As for butter, “I thi nk that’s an urban my th,” says Felger. “It would n’t be any thing I would recommend .” Til ting your he ad back to stop a nose bleed ? While this isn’t ide al—“It wo n’t change the bleeding , and you can cou gh up the blood ,” Felger says—it’s not neces sarily a dangerou s tac tic . The better solution is to pre ss on the lower par t of the nose wh ere it’s sof t. “If you put pre ssu re on it, the ble ed ing wil l sto p,” he say s. An ice pack over the nose will constrict blood ves sels and help sto p the flow of blood . Vim & Vigor • SPRI NG 2011 Home Remedy Myths 37

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Parrish Medical Center
Table of Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
What’s New?
Watch Your Step
A Workout for Every Mood
Don’t Fail Your Heart
If Your Bones Could Talk
Healthy Travels
Over 40 and Fabulous
Do-It-Yourself Health?
Fighting Words
Balancing Act
Giving & Getting
Fitness & Wellness Go Hand in Hand
Stopping PAD in Its Tracks
Community Health
Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Parrish Medical Center