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T H E S A M A R I T A N
F A L L 2 0 1 2
N E W S , V I E W S & T I P S
S A M A R I T A N H E A L T H
Distracted driving
could be deadly driving
t doesn’t matter which direction you’re traveling—if your foot’s on
the gas pedal but your attention is on something other than driv-
ing, you’re headed for disaster.
Every day, Americans die as a result of distracted driving.
More than ,
are injured.
Any nondriving activity you engage in behind the wheel can be
dangerous. at includes things like eating, adjusting your radio
or music player, texting, or talking on a cellphone.
In recent years, phones in vehicles have drawn particular atten-
tion. Did you know that:
Using a phone while driving delays your reaction time as much
as having a blood alcohol content that meets the standard for
drunk driving?
Sending or reading a text takes your eyes o the road for about
. seconds? When traveling at miles per hour, that’s like driving
the length of a football eld blindfolded.
To keep yourself—and others—safe while driving, remember
this: When your car is on the road, your attention should never be
o the task at hand.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Highway Traf c Safety Administration
Pregnant? Exercise is a healthymove
As a mom-to-be, you’re
lovingly cautious when it
comes to protecting your
little one. So you’re bound
to wonder about exercise:
Is it even safe to work
out when you’re having a
baby?
Experts saymost women
can—and should—exercise
when they’re pregnant,
as long as they’re in good
health and their doctors
are on board with the idea.
Exercising can help
anyone feel better and be
healthier. But pregnant
women may reap addi-
tional rewards.
For starters, exercising
can help boost your stam-
ina and strength for when
it’s time to deliver the baby.
Exercise can also help
you:
Reduce your risk for
gestational diabetes or help
you manage it.
Lower your stress and
your risk for postpartum
depression.
Return to your pre-
pregnancy weight after
your baby is born.
Keep i t safe
So what
moves should you make?
e rst one is to check
with your doctor to make
sure exercise is a safe op-
tion for you.
Once you’re cleared, you
might try walking briskly.
Or how about swimming or
pedaling a stationary bike?
You might even consider
joining an exercise class for
pregnant women.
Being active even just
minutes at a time is ne.
It’ll helpyou accumulate the
recommended
minutes
of moderately intense aero-
bic exercise each week. Be
sure to start slowly if you
haven’t been active.
And always follow your
doctor’s advice.
For example, activities
in which you could fall or
injure your stomach are
o -limits.
And you may be told not
to exercise on your back af-
ter the rst trimester, since
that could reduce your
baby’s blood supply.
Sources: American Academy of Family
Physicians; Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; March of Dimes
How to treat
minor wounds
When you wind up with a minor cut or
scrape, it’s o en easy to treat the wound
yourself.
First, wash your hands. en, rinse the
wound with cool water to help remove any
dirt and carefully clean around it with
soapy water.
An antibiotic ointment may help pre-
vent infection and aid healing, but it’s not
usually needed.
Small, uncovered wounds may stay dry
and heal more quickly without a bandage.
Some exceptions include wounds that could
get dirty or irritated by clothing. In such
cases, apply a bandage and change it daily.
If a scab forms, leave it alone. Scabs
help protect wounds and will fall o on
their own.
Some wounds need a doctor’s care.
ey include deep, gaping or jagged cuts;
wounds with dirt that can’t be removed;
and wounds that become in amed or
drain pus.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
I
Colonoscopy:
e life it saves
may be yours
Finding cancer early, when treatment is
most likely to be successful, is a good thing.
But preventing cancer is even better.
at’s why it’s so important to know
about screening guidelines for colonoscopy.
is test, which is focused on cancers of
the colon and rectum, can help both pre-
vent and detect cancer.
Colonoscopy involves the use of a long,
exible tube with a light and camera on
the end.
While you’re sedated, the tube is guided
through your rectumand colon and the cam-
era transmits images to a computer screen.
is enables your doctor to spot tumors
and—just as important—polyps, which are
growths that can sometimes turn into cancer.
If the polyps are removed—something
that’s typically done during the procedure—
cancer can be stopped before it ever starts.
at should o er plenty of motivation to
be screened.
But here’s a little more incentive: Recent
research shows that people who have pol-
yps removed signi cantly reduce their risk
of dying from colorectal cancer.
By having a colonoscopy, you may not
simply prevent cancer—you may save
your life.
e Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention recommends that screening
for colorectal cancer begin at age
—
earlier if you’re at high risk for the disease.
Generally, colonoscopy is repeated every
years.
Have your physician’s office cal l
Samaritan’s Short Stay Unit at
-
, ext.
, to schedule
your colonoscopy.