by Kristi Jain | Oct 27, 2021 | Uncategorized
Here we are deep in the thick of another COVID fall with All Hallows Eve just days away. Halloween will always be one of my favorite celebrations. It will be a bit different again this year. Traditional trick or treating and costume parties may be limited but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a spook-tac-ular celebration. Rather than lamenting about what you can’t do, be grateful for the things you can do. Get creative and have some serious, socially distant, safe fun!
BARE BONES
The Halloween celebration might be down to bare bones, but the fun can be ratcheted up a few notches. How about a creative spooky meal? One year John and I prepared spaghetti and eyeballs with witch finger breadsticks. Another year we started our meal with monster brain dip (guacamole inside a skull) and bat chips (tortillas cut with a bat cookie cutter.) We’ve had meatloaf shaped like a brain drizzled with blood (ketchup) and mashed potato ghosts. Gross, yes. Fun, YES!
SPEAKING OF BONES…
Yes, I have a skeleton hanging from a noose off our bedroom balcony. Mr. Bones is a challenge for me to assemble each year. The head, hands, pelvis, and feet are easy. The bones of the arms and legs take a bit more thought. Each year when I assemble him, it reminds me that our skeleton is actually a pretty complex piece of machinery.
DID YOU KNOW?
WWW.bidmc.org helped me with a few fun facts about the bones of a human body that might be of interest to you.
- The adult body has 206 of them.
- There are 26 bones in the foot.
- The hand including the wrist contains 54 bones.
- The femur, or thighbone, is the longest and strongest bone of the skeleton.
- The stapes, in the middle ear, is the smallest and lightest bone.
- Arms are among the most commonly broken bones accounting for almost half of all adults’ broken bones.
- The collarbone is the most commonly broken bone among children.
- The only bone not connected to another is the hyoid, a V-shaped bone located at the base of the tongue.
- Bones are made up of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and collagen as well as other minerals.
HDD
You may be wondering what HDD and diagnostic ultrasound have to do with bones and skeletons. The fact is that ultrasound cannot penetrate bone. It can only see the outer surface of bony structure and not what lies beneath. It can however produce pictures of muscles, tendons ligaments, nerves, and joints through the body.
When you and your provider determine diagnostic ultrasound is indicated, we will move our bones as fast as possible to take care of you. Call us at 505-350-3397.
Have a safe and fun Halloween!
by Kristi Jain | Oct 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog will cover a bit of necessary medical jargon. Stick with me on this. It could be helpful someday. Most of you that read the blogs are not medical professionals, yet I know a few of you are. The question today is, are medical professionals explaining things thoroughly and are patients understanding?
MEDICAL JARGON
It is important to cover a bit of medical jargon occasionally for those of us who don’t have an extensive knowledge of medical terminology. It is also important for those healthcare professionals to understand many of us don’t understand and extra time needs to be taken to explain.
MY FRIEND
My friend told me that she hasn’t been feeling well. Her doctor ordered blood a test. The test indicated she had high D-dimer. What the heck that is that? I asked her and she also had no clue. It was happening in her own body, yet she had no understanding. Did she not understand the explanation or did the healthcare provider not make it clear? Of course, the first person I ask about this is John Jain. This question is his area of expertise.
JUST IN CASE
I hope you never need to know this information, but just in case, here it goes. Apparently D-dimer is a small protein fragment present in the blood after a blood clot is degraded by fibrinolysis (the breakdown of the fibrin protein in blood clots). D-dimer concentration may be determined by a blood test to help diagnose a thrombosis (blood clot.)
BLOOD CLOTS
Blood clots are fairly common. A thrombus is called a blood clot. It is a healthy response to an injury intended to prevent bleeding but can be thrombosis when clots obstruct blood flow through healthy blood vessels.
PURPLE SOCKS
Back to D-dimer. John explained this to me in layperson terms. Simply because you have high D-dimer doesn’t necessarily mean you have a blood clot. Just because you have a blood clot doesn’t mean you will have high D-dimer. He explained by saying, “Just because you wear socks, doesn’t mean they are purple and just because you own purple socks, doesn’t mean you are wearing them.” Does that simplify it any?
STOP
If you have a medical condition and it gets explained to you in terms that only the chief of surgery can comprehend, STOP! Back that truck up. Ask again and again until you get it. It you are easily overwhelmed or nervous, bring someone with you who can listen, take notes or help remember what you can’t.
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
Informing yourself by asking Siri has its place however, Google and Siri might make you a hypochondriac, scare the heck out of you and throw you into a tailspin of needless worry. It is best to ask a trusted reliable healthcare provider who knows you and your medical history. Remember, one size doesn’t fit all.
HDD
Blood clot = emergency! If you have a concern about blood clots, contact your provider immediately. HDD can help in the diagnosis and treatment of DVT among myriad other conditions. Call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Oct 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog has little to do with ultrasound. It does however concern your health. The subject du jour might be affecting you at this very minute as you use your phone, computer or tablet to read this blog.
OUCH
As you work, study, type, check e-mail, text, play games or do whatever else you use your devices for, do you find yourself tipping your head from side to side in search of that elusive stretch. Why? Your neck hurts!
“TECH NECK”
Tipping side to side, front to back and head rolls may bring relief from what I just discovered is called “tech neck” and it is starting to affect many people in a serious way. The “work from home” phenomenon where the less than optimal workspace seems to be a contributing factor.
WHAT IS IT?
Tech neck is described as the pain experienced when the cervical spine (neck) is tilted forward for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown individuals spend approximately four hours per day staring at their smartphones. The misalignment of your head relative to your neck can cause pain. The average head weighs about 10 to 12 pounds when bent forward. Tipping forward about 60 degrees creates a load of as much as 60 pounds on your neck!
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION…
Have you seen people with hump at the base of their neck? It is called kyphosis and is more commonly known as dowager’s hump. It can result from chronic forward leaning. Along with maintaining good posture, the following tips from goodpath.com could help with dowager’s hump as well as tech neck.
- Evidence shows that regular stretching and strengthening exercise helps improve flexibility and strength of your muscles as well as the ligaments and tendons that support them.
- Take breaks. Research shows break periods are very beneficial in preventing and lessening neck and other musculoskeletal pain by allowing time for you to stretch and change positions. These changes help lessen the effects of maintain a forward head posture.
- Ergonomic changes. Organize your workspace ergonomically to lessen the stress on your body. The couch or your bed with your device on your lap may not be the most ideal position for the health of your neck, shoulders and back.
- Maintaining good posture is the best way to prevent problems.
IN THE LONG RUN
Are there long-term effect of untreated tech neck? The answer seems to be yes. Due to the anatomy of your neck and nearby structures, headaches, shoulder pain and upper back pain are possible. Continued wear and tear on the neck leads to changes in the cartilage and vertebrae of the cervical spine. Over time, the spinal nerves may be affected (pinched nerve.)
HDD
High Desert Doppler can’t help with your tech neck. Only you can prevent that. We can however help when musculoskeletal ultrasound is indicated. We can see detailed, real-time ultrasound images of muscles, joints and cartilage. If we can help, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Sep 29, 2021 | Uncategorized
During a recent gym visit, I noticed one of the trainers sporting a t-shirt with a saying on the back that caught my eye. If you are sporting a few extra pounds, this is the blog for you. If you are skinny, you may want to tune in as well.
YOU CAN’T OUTRUN YOUR FORK
The t-shirt the trainer was wearing said “You can’t outrun your fork.” Many years ago, that would not have made a bit of sense to me. It certainly does now. So, what exactly does that mean?
80/20
Many have heard the 80/20 rule. When it comes to weight loss, does the adage “80 % diet, 20% exercise” hold true? The answer seems to be yes. According to an article from Women’s Health Magazine, the key to successful weight loss is taking in fewer calories than you burn.
COMBINATION
Remember it is easier to see results when you combine moderate exercise with thoughtful eating. It all comes down to this. It is easier to cut out a few hundred calories from your diet than burn a few hundred calories through working out.
SHOULD I DITCH THE WORKOUT?
Absolutely NOT!!! Exercise is essential to help maintain a healthy body. John and I have a cardiologist friend who reminds us, “No exercise, no dinner”. There is no magic elixir or mystery for weight loss. The secret is out. Clearly, a combination of reduced caloric intake and a reasonable amount of exercise is the elusive magical mystery.
SURVIVOR
Many of you have seen or heard of the TV reality show “Survivor”. The premise for the reality competition is, a group of strangers are placed in an isolated location where they must provide food, shelter and fire for themselves. By the end of the competition, the remaining players have been at their location around 40 days. Their weight loss is shocking. With such a drastic calorie reduction, dramatic weight loss is a given.
NO NEED TO STARVE
What the Survivor contestants prove is that calories do count, and by reducing the number of calories we ingest, weight loss becomes more successful. Just because you are reducing the number of calories you ingest, doesn’t mean you need to starve. It is all about smart choices and moderation.
BE SMART
Whether you are thick or thin, try to be a bit more health conscious. Even skinny people can be dangerously fat on the inside. Research shows that fat can build up around the abdominal organs including the heart, liver and kidneys. It is called visceral fat. This can act as a silent killer because people can have a lot if it despite appearing thin. Watch your diet. Exercise. Be smart. Get checked.
ULTRASOUND
Remember, ultrasound is not a crystal ball, yet it can help us to see what lies beneath the surface. If you and your healthcare provider have questions or concerns as to what is going on inside you, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Sep 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog asks the question, “Do you ever have a gut feeling?” Of course you do. We all do. What studies are now finding is that there is more of a gut/brain connection than previously thought.
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY
The medical community is now realizing that gut health and its incredible complexity is more important than ever to our overall health. In the past two decades, numerous studies have shown links between gut health and overall health including the immune system, mood, mental health, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, skin conditions and cancer.
WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?
Mercola.com suggests that your brain and gut communicate via the vagus nerve. Recently researchers have come to realize the gut serotonin regulates emotions in a much more complex way than originally thought. Not only can your emotions influence your gut, but your gut can influence your emotions.
PRETTY SIMPLE?
Our digestive system was once thought to be a relatively simple body system comprised of one long tube. You eat, it passes through, then comes out the other end. Simple right? Not so fast. According to Dr. E. M. Quigley, his study on gut bacteria says having a variety of “good gut bacteria” can enhance your immune system function, improve symptoms of depression, help combat obesity and provide numerous other benefits. Not as simple as previously thought.
COMMON SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY GUT
- Upset stomach
- A high sugar diet
- Unintentional weight changes
- Sleep disturbances
- Constant fatigue
- Skin irritation
- Autoimmune conditions
- Food intolerance
WHAT CAN I DO?
For one, you can try lowering your stress level which is hard on your body, including your gut. Try getting 7-8 hours of uninterrupted shut eye. Eat slowly so you can get full digestion and absorption of nutrients, which help reduce digestive discomfort and maintain a healthy gut. Drink up. No, not martinis. Staying hydrated has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the mucosal lining of the intestine as well as on the balance of “good” bacteria in the gut. Consult your doc before you try prebiotics. They can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, while probiotics are live good bacteria. Check for food intolerances. If you have abdominal pain, bloating, cramping, nausea, fatigue and acid reflux just to name a few, you may have a food intolerance and might want to consider changing your eating habits.
YOUR SECOND BRAIN
Can gut health be the key to happiness? Tone up your digestive system. Keep both brains happy and healthy and moving. When waste passes out of your body in an efficient manner, your gut will produce chemicals like serotonin that keep you feeling good.
HDD
Although we are unable to see much in the gut or intestines via ultrasound, give us a call if there is something we can see. Our number is 505-350-3397.
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