Author: eastcary

Participation in sports and physical activities offers numerous benefits, from improved cardiovascular health to enhanced mental well-being. To ensure a safe and healthy experience, it’s crucial to prioritize sports physicals for athletes of all ages. As your trusted family physicians, we understand the significance of ensuring your child’s health and safety before they dive into the world of school sports and physical activities. In this blog, we’ll explore the vital role of sports physicals in preparing your young athletes for a successful and injury-free school year.

The Role of Sports Physicals:

Sports physicals, also known as pre-participation physical examinations (PPE), are comprehensive assessments aimed at evaluating your child’s physical health and fitness before they engage in organized sports and physical activities. These examinations provide a thorough understanding of your child’s overall well-being and help identify any underlying medical conditions that could impact their performance or safety on the field.

Key Components of a Sports Physical:

Medical History Review: Our experienced family physicians will discuss your child’s medical history, including any previous injuries, allergies, chronic conditions, and family medical history.

Physical Examination: A thorough physical examination will be conducted to assess vital signs, cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal strength, flexibility, and other relevant factors.

Vaccination Status: Ensuring your child’s vaccinations are up to date is essential for safeguarding their health and the health of their teammates against preventable diseases that can spread in group sports settings.
Discussion of Lifestyle Factors: We’ll discuss nutrition, hydration, sleep patterns, and any habits that may impact the child’s performance or health. We’ll provide guidance to optimize your child’s performance and recovery during sports activities.

Benefits of Sports Physicals:

Early Detection of Health Issues: Regular sports physicals can identify underlying health concerns, such as heart conditions or respiratory issues, which might otherwise go unnoticed.

Injury Prevention: Evaluating an athlete’s physical condition helps prevent potential injuries by addressing muscle imbalances, flexibility issues, and other factors that could increase injury risk.

Customized Guidance: Based on the assessment, we can offer tailored advice on training, conditioning, and injury prevention strategies that align with your child’s unique needs and goals.

Clearance for Safe Participation: A sports physical ensures that your child is physically fit to participate in specific sports, reducing the risk of complications during training and competition and promoting a safer and more enjoyable experience.

At East Cary Family Physicians, we’re committed to providing comprehensive care that supports your child’s overall well-being. Our comprehensive sports physicals are designed to provide a solid foundation for a safe and rewarding athletic journey. By detecting potential health issues, preventing injuries, and offering personalized guidance, we aim to empower your child to to perform at their best while maintaining optimal health. Schedule a sports physical appointment with us today and set your family’s athletes on the path to success and well-being.

Just because Summer is winding down and coming to an end, it doesn’t mean that you can stop worrying about sun safety! The sun is more dangerous than many of us realize, and can even do harm when we don’t feel the weather being hot. Because of this, we should take the necessary steps to stay safe when we are having fun. 

How is the sun dangerous?

Though the sun gives us Vitamin D, it also emits harmful UV rays. These rays can increase the signs of aging with wrinkles and unevenness, burn your skin and cause painful immediate symptoms, or harm the eyes and worsen your vision over time.

The UV index is an index that standardizes how much UV is being emitted on a particular day. A low UV index of 1 or 2 is considered completely safe. A UV index of 3, 4, or 5, is considered moderate, where some damage may begin to occur. A UV index of 6 or 7 are high and 8, 9, or 10 are very high. If possible, you should avoid going outside on these days or take severe precautions. If the UV index is 11 or higher, this is considered extreme and should be avoided at all costs.

What should I do to stay safe?

The safest thing to do on days with a higher UV index is to avoid being in the sun, at all. However, we know that this is not always practical. It’s not always fully effective either, because you can still get burned through a window! If you are going outside, bringing a thin fabric to cover the skin can keep that skin from getting burned. A brimmed hat to provide shade can also keep you cooler on a hot day.

As well as this, you must remember the importance of sunblock. SPF 30 or higher is necessary to keep you safe. It is also important to choose your sunblock based on the conditions. Some sunblocks may not hold up to moisture or friction, so these are important to note when choosing your brand. You cannot just put on sunblock before a day in the sun and consider yourself safe, either. It is important to reapply sunblock as per package instructions, or every couple of hours. 

Sunglasses are the last and most stylish step to staying safe in the sun. It may be surprising to hear, but many people, especially children, do not know about the dangers of the sun on their eyes. Some kids stare into the sun until they’re in pain, so make sure to have that conversation with your kids. Sunglasses can prevent UV rays from getting into your eyes, but not all sunglasses are built the same. When buying your sunglasses, look for the “Polarized” label to ensure that you are getting something of high quality that can protect you.

Blood pressure is a vital indicator of health, seeing that it is directly linked to the force and rate of the heartbeat. There is a strong correlation between high blood pressure and an increased likelihood in many detrimental health effects, such as stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. Blood pressure can be an indicator of overall health and a healthy blood pressure is important in order to maintain one’s overall health. However, high blood pressure is treatable and preventable. If you have high blood pressure, it is not too late to take control of your health.

If you are suffering from high blood pressure, the first step on your health journey is to learn about your ailment. Being educated on a healthy lifestyle and how to control one’s blood pressure is important so that you can understand the steps you can take to better your health. We have compiled a list of the most common and effective ways to manage high blood pressure without invasive treatments:

• Avoid alcohol and smoking: Smoking is detrimental to many aspects of your health. Cigarettes not only contain over 70 known carcinogens, but nicotine also acts as an adrenergic agonist, meaning that it can mimic parts of the sympathetic nervous system that increase things like blood pressure in the body. Alcohol also has many detrimental health effects, and even consuming excess amounts of alcohol in one sitting can temporarily increase blood pressure. Binge drinking and consistent routine drinking can also result in long term side effects. If you have issues with blood pressure and also alcohol or smoking, that may be the cause of your high blood pressure and it would be of value to you to manage your consumption of tobacco and alcohol.

• Manage Stress: Though there is no proven causational link between stress and high blood pressure, stress hormones in excessive quantities can be damaging to your health. It is important for your overall health to understand your stress and know how to control it. One way to control and manage stress is exercise. Routine exercise not only helps to manage stress, but also has other health benefits, like improved mood and sleep. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, and massages are other ways to manage one’s stress. 

• Eat healthy: Foods that are high in sodium, fats, and sugars can be damaging to your health. A healthy diet is essential for maintaining an overall healthy body, but it is also specifically beneficial for controlling blood pressure. A healthy diet that is high in vitamins, nutrients, and variety, while low in added sodium and overly processed foods is key to lowering or managing blood pressure. A healthy diet also reduces the probability of diabetes, heart disease, and more.

We are often informed about the importance of physical health, via exercising, physical check ups, or eating healthy, but it is important that mental health does not get overlooked. To be an overall healthy person, one must pay attention both to physical and mental health. Mental health is something that everyone should be aware of, and many struggle with their mental health. Whether you are a parent or friend of someone struggling with mental health issues or are impacted yourself, it is something that everyone can benefit from learning about.

Taking control of your mental health can be beneficial in enhancing your overall health, mood, and wellbeing. It’s important to feel your best, not only physically but also mentally. There are many ways to take and maintain control over your mental health, but we have compiled a list of some effective proven methods that you may be able to benefit from:

• Exercise: Exercise can help relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety by releasing endorphins in the body. These endorphins and other linked hormones in the brain can improve your mood. Serotonin and dopamine are among these linked hormones that can improve your disposition, help you to feel more at ease, and more. Routine exercise can also improve one’s physical health and sense of self- esteem.

• Eat Healthy: Eating a diet of well-balanced nutrients and vitamins can be good for both your physical and mental health. A diet high in “brain foods” like nuts, leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, lentils, and food high in omega-3’s can improve the symptoms of depression and anxiety. It’s also important to note that a healthy mind comes from a healthy body. 

• Meditate: Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, and other similar acts can help to ease tension and stress. Engaging in other calming mentally productive activities, like going on walks, laying in the grass, or whatever you may enjoy can also give you similar benefits. Taking a moment to focus on your mind and destress every now and then can be very beneficial in the long term and especially useful in managing stress.

• Consider Therapy: Though we have provided a few ways to take control of your own mental health, it can often be helpful and productive to seek help externally. Therapy can help you share and diagnose problems that may be impacting your mental health. It can also help you to learn more about yourself from a professional.

February is Internationally celebrated as Black History month and this year the theme is Black Health & Wellness.

Some staggering facts around black health:

1. In 2019, live births were 548,075
2. In 2020, 18.7% of adults aged 18 and over in fair or poor health
3. 38.7% of men above the age of 20 are obese
4. In 2020, 14.5% of adults aged 18–64 without health insurance coverage
5. Leading causes of death are: heart disease, Cancer & Covid-19

In the United States, February is Black History Month, a month dedicated to honoring African-American history. It’s also a month dedicated to bringing attention to the highly inequitable treatment of Black people in the United States.

This article highlights five of the numerous Black Americans throughout history who have had and continue to have a significant effect on people’s health and well-being in the United States and throughout the world.

Dr. Patricia E. Bath

Dr. Patricia E. Bath was an ophthalmologist, inventor, and laser scientist best known for her contributions to blindness prevention, treatment, and cure. Among her contributions with the most impact on public health was the invention of a new device and technique for cataract surgery known as the Laserphaco. When she filed for and received a medical patent for the device, she became the first Black American woman to do so.

When asked what led her to her career path, she responded, “My love of humanity and passion for helping others inspired me to become a physician.”

Dr. William G. Coleman Jr.

Dr. William G. Coleman Jr. was the first permanent Black scientific director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural Research Program (IRP). He directed the NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. He took the leadership on transdisciplinary research that focused primarily on the biological and non-biological determinants of health disparities and their influence on the outcomes of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, among other chronic diseases.

Upon his death, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) founded William G. Coleman Jr., Ph.D. Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Innovation Award designed to support high-impact one-year innovative research projects.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison

Dr. Mae C. Jemison is best known as the first Black female astronaut and the first Black American woman in space. Before becoming an astronaut, she earned her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1981. While earning her degree, Dr. Jemison studied abroad in Cuba and Kenya and worked in a refugee camp in Thailand, which were experiences that ignited a passion for global health. In June of 1987, she became the first African American woman to be admitted into the NASA astronaut training program. After leaving NASA in 1993, she accepted a teaching fellowship at Dartmouth.

Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston

Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston is a pediatrician who became the first Black woman to direct a Public Health Service Bureau and whose groundbreaking research on sickle cell disease resulted in nationwide screening programs for children at birth.

Because of her contributions to public health, she received the National Medical Association scroll of merit in 1999. She had a day established in her honor in Cincinnati and Lincoln Heights, Ohio. Additionally, a scholarship program at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine established a scholarship program in her name dedicated to giving full scholarships to economically disadvantaged minority students every year.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett

Dr. Kizzimekia Corbett, PhD, is a scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who is at the forefront of the development and production of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. At the beginning of the pandemic, she was among the few NIH scientists who briefed then-president Donald Trump on the coronavirus.

Corbett was born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, and grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Her teachers recognized her talent when she was very young, and they encouraged her mother to place her in advanced classes.

Dr. Corbett’s work and what she represents is vital in a country where Black students are less likely to engage in STEM fields.

As a health and wellness community, it is vital that we continue to honor Black individuals’ and communities’ presence and contributions in the health and wellness space—past, present, and future.