Zoe Rodriquez, MD, Vice Chair of Operations, Medical Director of Ambulatory Services, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Downtown, explains what causes urinary tract infections and how you can prevent them.
Those with epilepsy in New York can find helpful services at a major medical system, including the Mount Sinai Health System, which have dedicated epilepsy centers that provide comprehensive management of epilepsy, according to Kyusang S. Lee, MD, Associate Director of the Epilepsy Program at Mount Sinai Union Square. The Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York also provides epilepsy education and advocacy combined with services such as counseling and vocational supports.
Read the Q&A in Metro New York
Thyroid disease is an under-recognized problem that can profoundly affect your day-to-day life. Getting the right treatment can be so transformative that patients will often say, “I didn’t realize how bad I was feeling for all of those years.” Here’s what you need to know from Terry F. Davies, MD, FRCP, Baumritter Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Co-Director of The Thyroid Center at Mount Sinai Union Square.
Read the article in The New York Daily News
No one likes injections. In just the first year of a healthy baby’s life, 12 shots will be administered. More injections will follow through adolescence, making needles an uncomfortable but necessary fact of life. Micah Resnick, MD, a board certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Queens, explains how to minimize the stress and pain surrounding these injections, which help you and your child stay healthy.
Only a handful of my friends get their annual flu vaccines, the rest skip out because of their needle phobia, so it is no surprise that infants and children are fearful of injections and blood draws. How can we, as parents and as physicians, help alleviate the fear? I never lie to parents when they ask me if infants can feel pain. Yes, they can. However, for babies and children of all ages, it is important that parents stay calm, smile, and use encouraging words. Your child, especially toddlers and older children, will take cues from you.
For babies, physical contact is very important. Hold your baby close in an upright position. You may want to breastfeed before, during, and after the immunization to calm your baby down. There are over-the-counter topical anesthetic creams that may minimize the pain, but these can take 30 to 60 minutes from application to start working.
Toddlers require more active intervention. Tell your toddler about the injection ahead of time. You know your child best—some young children respond well to being told just before, while other children may do better with several short discussions in the days leading up to the doctor visit. In either case, try to distract your child at the time of the injection by blowing on a pinwheel or even blowing something imaginary out of your hand. Don’t tell them it will only hurt a little, or it will be over soon. This will only remind them of the discomfort.
School-aged children are typically more reasonable. Honesty is the best policy here. The goal is to set a realistic expectation. Explain to your child that injections are necessary. Let them know that the little pinch from the needle keeps them from getting sick. For the injection, your best bet is to distract your child: you can play music or talk about a book you both like. In my office, I have colorful posters of animals and trees on the wall. I often point to those animals or ask a child to list the different ones on the wall he or she recognizes.
Talk with your child about the experience afterward. Acknowledge the pain. Give praise for doing a good job, or even just for a “best effort.” Ice cream or another enjoyable treat may also be in order.
What do you do with an absolutely inconsolable toddler or child? Number one, don’t drag it out. Take a short time to reason with your child, and if it is a no go, hold your child while the injection is given. It is only very rare cases, when the fear turns into a phobia, that the services of a psychologist may be necessary. Remember, we are hoping that your child sees injections as an unpleasant fact of life. Stay positive, stay supportive.
Micah Resnick, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Queens and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His clinical interests include well-child care, adolescent health, preventive medicine, and patient and family education. By educating patients and their families, he empowers them to make healthy decisions and strengthens their compliance with clinical recommendations.
If you have always avoided vaccination and have never had the flu, you may wonder, “Why do I need a flu shot?” Here are five good reasons, along with answers to some common questions about flu vaccine, from Brian S. Koll, MD, recently retired as Executive Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control, Mount Sinai Health System.
The holiday season is a time for celebration, fun, and decadent food. Eating healthy can be a challenge for anyone, but especially for those with kidney disease. Holiday dishes and old family recipes, while delicious, are often laden with sodium, potassium, and phosphorus, making it difficult to follow a renal diet.
“Mindless grazing on snacks and hors d’oeuvres can make anyone veer off track and can cause a lapse in dietary compliance. Thankfully, with a little planning, preparation, and mindfulness, you can enjoy a kidney-friendly holiday season, “says Jennifer Ross, MS, RD, CDN, Clinical Nutrition Coordinator with the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute.
Ms. Ross recommends that you keep the following tips in mind as festivities are in full swing:
Below are some additional ideas for each course that will help to keep you on track with your renal diet:
Remember, if you have kidney disease, or reduced kidney function, make an appointment with a dietitian to create a tailored plan to address your health needs.
Jennifer Ross, MS, RD, CDN, is a clinical dietitian at The Mount Sinai Hospital with the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute. She works closely with patients who are pre- and post-liver and kidney transplants. She is passionate about helping her patients conquer the world of nutrition in relation to their disease in order to help them live their healthiest life.
A renal diet is one that is low in sodium, phosphorus, and potassium. Those with kidney disease, or compromised kidney function, are unable to adequately filter waste from the body. A diet that reduces these nutrients limits the amount of waste, preventing the compromised kidney from being overworked. Depending on the condition of the kidney, people on a renal diet may need to limit protein, calcium, or fluids. If you have kidney disease, or reduced kidney function, make an appointment with a dietitian to create a tailored plan to address your health needs.