by Kristi Jain | Jul 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog is born of a recent medical experience I thought I’d share. Due to circumstances beyond their control, my appointment with my healthcare provider was running over an hour late. That in itself stressed me out along with an exuberant, overly chatty medical assistant delivering a lengthy soliloquy about her entire life as I waited. I felt my blood pressure rising!
STRESS
When my practitioner finally entered the room an hour late, she was exceedingly kind and apologetic. Being in the medical field, I understand sometimes emergent situations arise and take priority causing delays. I was by no means angry, yet I was naturally stressed about the delay. Who wouldn’t be? I didn’t necessarily have anywhere else to be, I was just irritated and tired of waiting.
ON THE RISE
When Chatty Cathy (my medical assistant) took my blood pressure, it was remarkably high. Gee, I wonder why. I was certain it was an error as I have never had high blood pressure in the past. It was decided to take it in the other arm. It was slightly lower but not much. It was then I decided I needed a better understanding of this invisible thing called blood pressure.
WHATS WHAT?
When you get your blood pressure numbers, there are two of them. The top number is your systolic blood pressure. The bottom one is called your diastolic blood pressure.
SYSTOLIC (TOP NUMBER)
WebMD explains when your heart beats, it squeezes and pushes blood through your arteries to the rest of your body. This force creates pressure on blood vessels, and that’s your systolic blood pressure. Here is how to understand your systolic blood pressure number:
- Normal: Below 120
- Elevated: 120-129
- Stage 1 high blood pressure (also called hypertension) 130-139
- Stage 2 hypertension: 140 or more
- Hypertensive crisis: 180 or more. Call 911
DIASTOLIC (BOTTOM NUMBER)
The bottom reading is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. This is the time when the heart fills with blood and gets oxygen. This is what your diastolic blood pressure means:
- Normal: Lower that 80
- Stage 1 hypertension: 80-89
- Stage 2 hypertension: 90 or more
- Hypertensive crisis” 120 or more. Call 911
If your blood pressure is within normal range, continue with your healthy diet and active lifestyle. If it is above normal range, you and your provider may consider medication, treatments, and lifestyle changes. This might entail cutting back on sodium, getting more exercise, losing weight, eating a healthier diet and limiting alcohol.
AFOREMENTIONED
If the aforementioned modifications sound like no fun, it is less fun to endure the damage to your arteries, heart, brain, kidneys and eyes if you were to suffer the effects of a stroke or heart attack.
HDD
Although ultrasound can’t help you with blood pressure issues, it can help with assisting your provider by seeing what lies beneath the surface of your skin, for instance your heart. If diagnostic ultrasound is indicated, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Jul 14, 2021 | Uncategorized
Every now and again, I have to sideline my witty, motivational, inspirational blogs for a dose of reality. Let’s cut the chit chat and get down to brass tacks. How is your cholesterol???
WAKE UP CALL
I humbly use myself as the example today. At a recent routine visit with my healthcare provider, my blood tests revealed my LDL (bad cholesterol) was slightly high. Wakeup call!
REALLY?
Me, who watches what she eats (well, most of the time), deprives herself (well, some of the time) and works out 5 days a week. REALLY? Yep, really. A suggestion was to take medication, which frankly, I wanted nothing to do with. I was reminded that losing a little weight and modifying my lifestyle can really make a difference in my cholesterol level.
WHY IS CHOLESTEROL THE BAD GUY?
Let me share what I learned from WebMD. Cholesterol plaque (the medical term is atherosclerosis) can be the cause of heart disease. Plaque begins in the artery walls and grow slowly and painlessly throughout the years. It can block blood flow in the arteries. Worse, cholesterol plaque can suddenly rupture. The blood clot that forms over the rupture can causes a heart attack or stroke. Blocked arteries caused by plaque buildup and blood clots are the leading cause of death in the U.S. Reducing cholesterol and other risk factors can help prevent cholesterol plaque from forming.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
The bad news is that atherosclerosis and cholesterol plaque is progressive, meaning, they get worse with time. The good news is it is preventable. Reducing risk factors can slow or stop the process. Eat a healthy diet loaded with lean protein and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Get frequent exercise and stop smoking.
HEART ATTACK AND STROKE
Although these suggestions won’t unclog arteries, they do lower the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Some studies show that with aggressive treatment, cholesterol plaque can even shrink slightly.
THE OTHER GOOD NEWS IS…
If you have concerns about your health due to genetics or just some poor lifestyle choices, we have people who can help you determine what is going on and what you can do. Here at HDD, we have expert echocardiographers who can perform a non-invasive ultrasound exam of your heart (echocardiogram) to help determine if you might have coronary artery disease, aneurysm, enlarged cardiac muscle, valve problems, chamber abnormalities or inflammation.
If you have questions or concerns about your heart or any other symptom that ultrasound can help diagnose, feel free to call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Jul 7, 2021 | Uncategorized
I hope everyone had a happy and safe fourth of July. In years past we would grill hot dogs and hamburgers, have ice cream cones and burn hundreds of dollars’ worth of fireworks deep into the night. We thought it was fun. That was before our pets put a stop to it. They simply can’t tolerate the explosions.
KA-BOOM
So many of our friends spent Independence Day pet sitting. At dusk comes the ka-boom of all sorts of fireworks. The illegal ones are favored in our neighborhood. Beautiful to look at but nearly put our dogs into cardiac arrest. This is a busy time for our vets and shelters. Many get sick and others run away.
DOG ULTRASOUND?
As many of you pet owners know, our animals get sick just like we humans do. Many friends have asked if High Desert Doppler can do ultrasounds and echocardiograms on their pets. The answer is yes. It seems there is a backlog of this business in Albuquerque and New Mexico in general.
ROAD TRIP
We have had friends have had to drive their dog or cat to Texas to get an ultrasound. It is with this in mind that HDD has decided to start a venture into veterinary ultrasound.
MAMMALS ARE MAMMALS
HDD has the personnel, expertise and equipment to provide excellent service to our best friends, our pets. Our mammalian pets are built very much like we humans with the same organs in relatively similar places. It goes without saying that they do represent some technical issues that must be overcome.
THE CHALLENGE
Our pets have no understanding about what is happening to them. It can be scary for the pet and challenging for the sonographer. It is especially important for the sonographer (practitioner of ultrasound) to have the patient remain still. Some may simply require a muzzle while others that are agitated or combative may require sedation. In addition, we cannot get the sound waves to go through their hair, so the pets must be shaved in that particular area.
HDD
We are reaching out to veterinarians in the area to let them know we are available to perform ultrasound on their patients. If your four-legged loved ones have a need for ultrasound, you can ask your veterinarian to contact us and arrange a date and time for us to meet you at the doctor’s office and get the necessary exam done. Please feel free to call us at 505-350-3397 is you have any questions regarding yourself, Fido or Fluffy.
by Kristi Jain | Jun 30, 2021 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog discusses the old adage “You are what you eat.” When I was young, this made absolutely no sense to me, nor did I care what it meant. Bring on the potato chips, green chili cheeseburgers, diet cokes and Twinkies. Still, many folks could simply care less about nutrition. Why does it matter?
IT MATTERS BECAUSE…
Nutrients from foods contribute to the wellness of every single cell in our body from your immune and digestive systems, bones, muscles, organs and your hair and skin. Although we are totally oblivious, our bodies are in a constant state of repair. Does your body have a lot of work to do?
CELLS
Every cell in our body has an expiration date. Each day, our body is busy making new cells to replace those that have “expired.” The health of these new cells is largely determined by how well we’ve been eating. A diet filled with low nutrient highly processed foods gives our body little to work with.
THE GOOD STUFF
Although some may disagree on the definition of “good stuff” a nutrient rich eating plan can help build cells that work better and are less susceptible to disease and premature aging. Common sense tells us our bodies function best with foods free of additives, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners and hormones. Idsmed.com says foods with one-word ingredients are generally whole and minimally processed for example, spinach, blueberries, almonds, salmon and lentils. No, “fries” don’t fall into this category! There is strong evidence that the closer to nature you eat, the fewer calories it will take you to feel satisfied. If you are a meat eater, keep in mind that lean protein like fish, chicken and turkey are favored over a 22 oz porterhouse.
BABY STEPS
How does one anticipate a pleasurable culinary experience with kale, quinoa, salmon when you had your tastebuds are geared up for a supersized value meal? It is believed that the road to success is paved with baby steps. Start slowly and try to incorporate one or two more servings per day of fruit or veggies than you normally do. Consider munching on a handful of almonds in lieu of a bag of flaming hot Cheetos.
COVID HANGOVER
I get it. We had been sequestered for about a year and a half. Home cooked meals were the norm simply because eating out was not an option. Now that we are starting to re-open, it is time to eat out again, right? The experience is truly why we venture out but in all honesty, our home made meals are by far healthier and more delicious than restaurant fare. Perhaps a healthy balance is what we should seek.
HDD
If you fuel your body with healthier food choices, the rewards will be evident. Healthy choices lead to healthy bodies which increase the odds of wellness, a longer, happier and healthier life. If you and your practitioner discover that your body is in need of diagnostic ultrasound, call High Desert Doppler at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Jun 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
Hello! I hope you enjoy the blog du jour. Searching for inspiration each and every week to write blogs that are informative and interesting can be daunting. To this point, the feedback has been very encouraging and uplifting and for that I am grateful. On the other hand, I believe most people have a bit of difficulty digesting criticism.
STRIKING A CHORD
Let’s face it. If you have the courage to speak up, chances are you may strike a cord and receive positive reinforcement, receive no feedback (no news is good news,) or hit a nerve and become the target of someone’s ire. Criticism is something folks deal with daily, yet it doesn’t have to be aggressive, it can be constructive.
DON’T BE SHY
Although we may shy away from it, the right kind of critiquing is a highly effective tool to improve performance. Jobcase.com says the purpose of constructive criticism is to help the person receiving feedback improve. It can come in the form of performance reviews in the workplace or simply by means of casual conversation. For some this can be pretty uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to.
FEEDBACK
Personal attacks intended to make someone look bad or damage their self esteem is simply mean and unnecessary. Respectful and tactful feedback is acceptable, necessary and helpful. Something I learned long ago is it isn’t always what you say, it’s how you say it.
THAT’S AWKWARD.
Who hasn’t received feedback or constructive criticism that hasn’t felt awkward? I have been the recipient and it has made me feel insecure. Keep the following in mind. Without feedback, you don’t know whether you are doing a good job or not.
BUT HOW?
If you don’t often receive feedback, a confrontation might have you shaking in your boots. No need to panic. Jobcase.com offers some tips that will help you if you if you are the recipient.
- Recognize the benefit. Remind yourself that good things can come out of the criticism.
- Although challenging, avoid jumping to excuses. Listen attentively and absorb the critique instead of rushing to a response or worse yet, an unwanted reaction!
- ASK QUESTIONS. It’s time to clarify what you heard and ask questions you may have.
- REMAIN CALM. Controlling emotions may be challenging. To benefit from the feedback, it is important to stay in control of your emotions. Take a deep breath and remain calm.
- BE GRATEFUL. Although this one may sting, be sure and thank the person for the feedback for taking their time to deliver it. Feedback is an act of caring and deserves to be recognized as such.
“There is only one way to avoid criticism. Do nothing; say nothing; be nothing.”
-Elbert Hubbard
HDD
Yes, we at HDD have been the recipient of feedback. The majority have been kind and others aggressive. We strive to make them a learning tool to better ourselves for you. If we can help with any of your diagnostic ultrasound needs, call us at 505-350-3397.
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