Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

For some of us, preparing to put that swimsuit on gets us thinking about losing those extra winter pounds that seemed to creep up on us. Anytime you can find the motivation to lose weight, it is a good time to start thinking about living a healthier life. However, a crash diet is not the way to achieve long-term weight loss. Brittany Diehl MS, RDN, LD, registered dietitian at the St. Elizabeth Physicians Weight Management Center says, “Crash dieting with extreme calorie restriction, juicing, fasting or diuretics will help you lose weight from water retention in the first week, but…

When you have a loved one being cared for in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), it can be very “intense.” Elizabeth Hlebak, RN in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at St. Elizabeth Edgewood, understands the journey you may be on and has some advice for you. She said, “The first thing to understand is there is an entire care team taking care of your loved one. It is a very busy place and people will be in and out of the patient room all day and night.” Most families feel overwhelmed in the busy atmosphere, and they are often intimidated…

You are sleeping, and you wake up yet again with tingling, numbness and pain in your hands and fingers. And if that isn’t bad enough, you are dealing with the same symptoms as you try to work at your desk all day. You probably have carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition in the wrist caused by a variety of factors but ultimately it compresses a nerve that passes through a passage in your wrist called the carpal tunnel. If conservative measures like bracing fail, the best way to relieve the pressure on this nerve is to cut, or release, the…

Thumb arthritis pain can be debilitating, making ordinary tasks difficult to complete. If you suffer from thumb arthritis, pain is the most common symptom. Other symptoms include: Pain when you grip, grasp or pinch an object, or use your thumb to apply force. Swelling, stiffness and tenderness. Decreased strength in your hand and thumb. Decreased range of motion. Thumb and hand appear collapsed. The good news is there are several options to relieve the symptoms of thumb arthritis, ranging from over the counter treatments and non-surgical therapies to surgical interventions. Dr. James Baker, an affiliated hand surgeon and fellowship trained…

Learn About the Health Benefits of Pumpkins During the Annual Craze This is the time of year the leaves start to change, the sweaters and jeans come out of the closet and the smell of pumpkin spice fills the air. While some of us may agree that pumpkin spice toothpaste is going a bit too far, there are healthy ways to realize the health benefits of pumpkin while fresh pumpkins are readily available. “It is the time of year that we find comfort in the smell of pumpkin spice,” said Rebecca Jilek, MPH, RD, LD, CDE, registered dietitian and certified…

St. Elizabeth Healthcare is proud to offer personalized, comprehensive midwifery care to patients in the Tri-State area throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum. “All of the nurse midwives at St. Elizabeth are from Northern Kentucky,” says Sister Kay Kramer, who was the first midwife on staff at St. Elizabeth Healthcare 18 years ago. “We all live and work in our community and have recognized that women are seeking midwifery care for their pregnancies.” The team of midwives at St. Elizabeth Physicians Women’s Health all have their nursing degrees and a Master of Science degree with a specialization in nurse midwifery.…

Women suffering from pelvic floor disorders can benefit from specialized physical therapy. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles and ligaments that stretch from the pubic bone to the tailbone, supporting the bladder and reproductive organs. Women with urinary incontinence, bowel problems or sexual dysfunction ““ as well as a number of other issues ““ can benefit greatly from pelvic floor physical therapy. Patients will see a change in their ability to control their pelvic floor, which increases confidence and translates to a better quality of life. Pelvic Floor Disorder Treatment Options St. Elizabeth offers a variety of treatment…

October is a special month designated by the American Cancer Society to help raise awareness for breast cancer. We feel October is a good time to remind women 40 and over to schedule their mammogram. Mammograms play a key role in early breast cancer detection and help decrease breast cancer deaths. The goal is to detect breast cancer before clinical signs are noticeable. Mammograms can often show a breast lump before it can be felt. Here are seven tips to help answer your questions about getting a mammogram. Mammograms are to look for changes not cancer. A mammogram is an…

The 21st annual Family Health & Fitness Day USA, a national observance organized by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC), is Saturday, September 30. With the intent of promoting family involvement in physical activity, the day reflects one of the goals set by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health. This year, create your own family fun. Before deciding on which activities you’ll choose, let each member of the family make suggestions. Pick activities that are safe, fun and keep everyone moving. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Start the day right. Too often…

According to the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, ovarian cancer is the most fatal of all gynecologic cancers and the fifth leading cause of cancer among women in the U.S. Each year, more than 21,000 American women are diagnosed with the disease. What risk factors should women be aware of in the fight against ovarian cancer? Genetics About 10 to 15 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary tendency to develop the disease. The genes associated with breast cancer and ovarian cancer are linked (BRCA1 and BRCA2), which means women who have had breast cancer…