Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Are you stressed at work? Maybe it’s time for you to take a vacation. According to a recent poll, Americans who work 50 hours a week or more are not taking the vacation days they’ve earned throughout the year. More than that, “30 percent say they do a significant amount of work while on vacation,” said Robert Blendon, a professor and health policy analyst at Harvard and director of the survey, in a news release. Instead of taking a traditional week-long vacation, Americans have started to take days off here and there and are always available via phone and email.…

With back-to-school season in full swing – hello, August! – you’re likely wondering whether your child needs an annual physical, or, if they’re competing in sports, a sports physical. Dr. James Hahn,  a pediatric sports medicine specialist with St. Elizabeth Physicians, explains what sports physicals are, and when it’s the right time to bring your child in to get one. As Hahn explains, sports physicals are not intended to replace your child’s annual check-up. To learn more about the difference between the two exams, click here.

A deadline is looming, your officemates are chattering, the phone won’t stop ringing and the boss is pestering you for a project while you try to squint past that afternoon glare coming off your computer screen. And then, it hits: An office headache. We’ve all been there at one time or another – one study found that more than 47 million American adults had experienced a severe or debilitating headache within the previous three months. The obvious option is the one we usually gravitate toward. Open your drawer, take out an aspirin, Aleve or other anti-inflammatory pill and pop one.…

Health problems can manifest themselves in many ways, giving subtle alarms that “something’s going on” in your body. One of the most subtle alarms, and probably overlooked as much or more than any other, is a loss of body hair. Why should you notice if the hairs on the back of your fingers, arm hair or other hair seem thinner than before – or even more alarming, missing altogether? It could be a sign of some benign changes, like a hormone imbalance, or something more severe, like diabetes. The most common problem hair loss points to is one of several…

Sure, you might know to apply and reapply sunscreen. But, in the video below, Dr. Aleah Gibson explains four more tips for preventing a sunburn from ruining your summer fun. A few weeks ago, Gibson, a family physician with St. Elizabeth Physicians, talked more about choosing and utilizing a sunscreen. You can watch that video here.

When you consider that office workers spend thousands of hours sitting in office chairs at their desks, it’s not surprising at all that surveys identify those chairs as a major problem when it comes to the health of those employees. According to one survey, most back, neck and shoulder maladies can be traced at least partially to office chairs, or more specifically, poor use of them. Whether it’s not having your chair set correctly or you’re spending too much time in it, your office throne is probably the cause of the pain you suffer by the end of the work…

Everyone snores occasionally. A sometimes embarrassing part of being human. However, if your mate continues to point out that your nighttime noises resemble that of a poorly maintained chainsaw, the issue can advance from an embarrassment to a real concern. First, let’s take a look at what snoring really is. Snoring is a health problem. The level of health problem depends on its cause. Snoring results when you can’t move air freely through your mouth and nose when you sleep, and the surrounding tissues vibrate as you breathe. The reasons air has problem moving freely can be the result of…

Fruit salad is a tried and true staple of brunches and summer get-togethers across the country, but we can almost guarantee you’ve never had it this way before. The following recipe is courtesy of the American Heart Association and contains honey instead of artificial sweeteners and fat-free yogurt instead of ice cream or whipped cream. Fruit Salad with Lemon-Mint Yogurt Dressing Ingredients Dressing 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint 1 tsp. honey 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Salad 1/2 cup cantaloupe balls 1/2 cup blackberries 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup…

According to an article from Lifehack.org, “from 1980 to 2008, the number of obese individuals has doubled.” That’s a pretty startling statistic, causing many to begin combating obesity. The problem is they are approaching the fight the wrong way. Here are six mistakes people make when fighting obesity: “Starve and binge” In the short-term, starving and binging will probably show some good results; however, in the long run, you might actually start to gain weight. In order to avoid a decrease in metabolism and the inevitable weight gain, eat small, nutritious meals throughout the day. “Just count…

Different generations come with their own set of stereotypes. Learning how to see past these and what leadership styles your employees will respond only serves to help you.  Cincinnati.com defines the generations this way: Traditionalists (born before 1946) – Characterized by their loyalty, discipline, and work ethic. Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) – Usually optimistic, they value things like equal rights. They may be out of touch with modern technology. Gen X (born 1965-1980) – More skeptical than the baby boomers who came before them. They are characterized by a more independent streak and value diversity. Millennials (born 1981-2000) – Also…