Temperatures in your car can rise 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes.  Don’t forget to check the backseat!  Children overheat four times faster than adults meaning heat stroke and death can happen faster than you think. Even the most vigilant parents can overlook a sleeping baby in the car.  If a child is left in a vehicle they can overheat, resulting in devastating injury, permanent brain damage or death.

A couple of tips for prevention:

• Put something you need in the backseat (purse or briefcase) or place something in the front seat to remind you that your child is in the car.
• Never leave children unattended in or around a vehicle. More tips on [Heat Stroke in Kids]: http://www.nhtsa.gov/safety/hyperthermia

“When thunder roars, go indoors!”

Weather can be unpredictable. The risk of injury and death increases when severe weather unexpectedly occurs.

According to the National Weather Service, when you hear thunder, immediately seek shelter indoors.

Did you know?

If you can hear thunder, this indicates that you are within striking distance of lightning.

Water and power lines conduct energy and so it is important during to avoid these objects (such as swimming pools, lakes, sinks, baths, corded phones and computers) during a thunderstorm.

If you are caught outside during a thunderstorm with no possible way to seek shelter indoors, avoid open fields, tall structures (such as trees or tall buildings), and never lie flat on the ground.

Source: National Weather Service

Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital is hosting a Stroke Support Group for stroke survivors, those who care for stroke survivors, and those who would like additional information about surviving a stroke on Wednesday, June 26, 1:30 p.m. in the Classrooms.

The June topic is “Emotional Ups and Downs after Stroke” and features Tom Bisbee, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist who deals with mental disorders attributable to diseases of the nervous system.

Future programs include:  On August 28, the Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital chef will demonstrate and prepare low-fat dishes.  On October 30, a Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital pharmacist will discuss the perils of taking multiple medications.  The Stroke Support Group annual Christmas Party will be held December 18.

Future programs include:  On August 28, the Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital chef will demonstrate and prepare low-fat dishes.  On October 30, a Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital pharmacist will discuss the perils of taking multiple medications.  The Stroke Support Group annual Christmas Party will be held December 18.

The group meets on the last Wednesday of every even month from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in the Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital Classrooms located at the West Entrance of the McKay side of the hospital.

Refreshments will be served for this free program but participants must register by calling 281.913.3470.

June is National Men’s Health Month and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land is teaming up with the Sugar Land Skeeters and Classic Chevrolet to present the 3rd annual Tune up for Life, a men’s health event. Come enjoy rock ‘n roll music while viewing classic cars and tune up your body with free health screenings.

There are over 20 free screenings to choose from including: blood pressure, bone density, orthopedic, glucose, dental and more. And if you complete a screening scorecard you will receive a general admission ticket to attend a Skeeters game at Constellation Field. Tickets available for the first five hundred.  You will also be entered to win an opportunity to throw out the first pitch as well as VIP Insperity Suite tickets courtesy of Classic Chevrolet.

Saturday, June 29, 2013, 9 a.m. – Noon
Constellation Field
1 Stadium Drive
Sugar Land, TX 77498

Event is free but registration is required by calling 713.222.CARE
memorialhermann.org

Free Screenings Available

In the past few years, it has become increasingly evident that concussions can cause serious long-term neurological damage if not properly treated. Athletes in high-impact contact sports are particularly at risk, with one in 10 suffering a concussion during any sports season.

Limiting full-contact practice during the football season gets us one step closer to making high-impact sports safer for our children.  According to The Houston Chronicle, an amendment calling for no more than 90 minutes of full-contact practice per player per week was passed Tuesday by the University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council. It now awaits approval by the commissioner of education.  This amendment follows the NFL’s latest collective bargaining agreement, which also limited contact practices.

Summer Ott, Psy.D., director of the Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute Concussion Program, says “while this is a step in the right direction, we still have a long way to go as it doesn’t address proper tackling techniques or limiting upright blocking drills where we tend to see the most concussive injuries during practice. Additionally, parents must pay particular attention to their youth sports athletes as these leagues are not regulated in the same way UIL sports are.”

Athletes who experience any of the signs and symptoms of a concussion after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body should be kept out of play for the remainder of the day and be seen by a health care professional experienced in evaluating concussions.  Your health care provider can then refer you to a primary care sports medicine physician, neuropsychologist, neurologist, or other specialist in rehabilitation.  For more information, visit http://ironman.memorialhermann.org/conditions-treatments/concussion-treatment-in-houston/

Lung cancer will be responsible for 27 percent of all of cancer-related deaths this year, according to the American Cancer Society. This shocking statistic makes lung cancer the most lethal cancer – even above breast and colon cancers. Because lung cancer is rarely diagnosed early, survival has traditionally been poor. When lung cancers are diagnosed early, the chance for cure increases dramatically.

Learn more about Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital’s Lung Cancer Screening Program

(May 30th, 2013)

Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital celebrated one year since performing their first TAVR Procedure.  TAVR, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, is a minimally invasive heart procedure to treat patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not candidates for open heart surgery.  Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital has performed 30 TAVR procedures in their first year, and is the only hospital outside of the Texas Medical Center that is approved to perform this procedure.  Available at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, this less-invasive technology allows a new aortic valve to be placed within the diseased valve while the patient’s heart is still beating.

More about Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital’s TAVR Celebration

The predictions are already in: plenty of blue skies and lots to do outdoors. While you’re enjoying the lazy days of summer, don’t forget about that sunscreen. Yes, we’ve all heard it over and over – use sunscreen.  But are you familiar with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling rules for sunscreen?

There are two forms radiation from the sun – Ultraviolet A (UVA), which is thought to be responsible for premature aging and wrinkling of the skin, and Ultraviolet B (UVB), which primarily causes sunburn,” says Dr. Melissa Montoya Celi of Memorial Hermann Medical Group at Northwest.  “But both UVA and UVB rays increase your risk for skin cancers, including melanoma.”

More sun safety tips

The Mischer Neuroscience Institute (MNI) at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center achieved a significant milestone recently after being recognized by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association as meeting The Joint Commission’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification. MNI is the first and only stroke program in the state of Texas to meet such standards. The certification solidifies MNI’s place in an elite group of providers focused on complex stroke care. Complex Stroke Centers are recognized as industry leaders and are responsible for setting the national agenda in highly specialized stroke care.
More about MNI’s prestigious certification

The most important thing you and your family can do in preparation for a hurricane is to be able to survive on your own after the storm. This means having enough food, water, and other supplies to last at least three days. You may want to consider storing enough supplies to last up to two weeks. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they can’t reach everyone immediately. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days or weeks. You should store your kit in a designated place at home and have it ready in case you need to leave your home quickly.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit