Many people suffering from arthritis feel especially stiff upon waking in the morning. It can be difficult to get going with your day when it takes longer to loosen your joints and alleviate the aches and pains these illnesses cause.

Although there is very little scientific evidence that cold weather directly causes arthritis or alters its course, there is no doubt that the cold makes arthritis feel worse.

When air pressure drops, as it does on cold winter days, this can affect the balloon like tissue surrounding the joints. Lower air pressure means the balloon can expand a little, which places additional pressure on already sensitive joints. People can actually feel the pressure around them changing in their joints. This is the reason many people say they can predict coming bad weather in their joints.

One doctor from the National Institutes of Health suggests:

“Do what you can to keep warm. Bundle up from head to toe in several layers, preheat the car before getting into it and make sure your home or apartment is kept warm.”

Additional suggestions are: Sleep under an electric blanket, warm clothing in the dryer before dressing and drink warm or hot drinks, such as coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

It can also be helpful to keep the joints moving. Before going out in the cold, warm up your joints, and a regular, yearlong exercise program can also be extremely helpful to relieve the extra joint pain of winter.

Dr. Josyann Abisaab is an emergency room physician at the Presbyterian Hospital of New York, wishing you a warm, pain free winter.

Josyann Abisaab: Arthritis, Joint Pain and Winter is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

As Michelle Dressman, a pediatric ER nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland explains, patients get evaluated upon arrival. The length of time that you have to wait will depend on your symptoms and history, not whether or not you arrived with blinking lights.

If you do decide that you need an ambulance, make sure to find out which hospital they plan to take you to. Some hospitals may be better suited to help with you with the specific type of issues that you have. A major medical center, for instance, may be more suited for your needs than is a community hospital. This is particularly true if you have neuromuscular disease or other tricky issues.

Ambulances: Do They Get You Treated Faster in the ER? is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

There is virtually no end to accidents that may occur during the summer months, with children enjoying swimming, boating, outdoor playing and sun exposure. Accidents can be avoided, however, and it’s important for parents to know these safety tips.

Emergency room doctors like Josyann Abisaab see boating accidents each summer that could easily be avoided with the proper care. Children should always wear life jackets when they are in a boat, or when they are going to be near bodies of water.

The life jacket needs to actually be the right size for the child. The jacket should fit tightly and it should be worn exactly as instructed with all of the straps belted.

Adults who are taking a boat ride with a child should also wear life jackets. This is both to protect them in the water, and to set a good example for the children on board. Blow-up water toys like air mattresses, wings and toys should never be used as life jackets or as personal flotation devices.

Keeping these boating tips in mind will help to keep everyone safe and secure while enjoying the warm, summer months and the water activities that abound.

Boating Safety Tips with Josyann Abisaab is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

Here are some guidelines to help decide what to do in different cases requiring a decision about the next step in treatment.

In the case of a child who is injured over the weekend who was already brought to the emergency room for treatment:

•    Contact your child’s pediatrician and tell him/her what the ER doctors said over the weekend. If your pediatrician agrees with the assessment, then have him make an appointment for you to see the specialist that the ER doctor recommended. It is very common to need a referral to see a specialist.

•    Make the appointment yourself if your pediatrician can’t get an appointment for you  soon enough. Call the specialist and tell him “My doctor (give his name) said that we need an appointment with you as soon possible.”

If you feel that you need a diagnosis of an illness or other similar situation urgently then it is best to proceed as follows:

•    Ask your doctor if he agrees with the urgency of the matter. If you don’t have a primary care physician, you can call a nurse’s hot-line. This is a good way to find out just how urgent it is. Just as you should not stay home if you have bronchitis, you should also not wait for hours at the emergency room for just a cold.

•    Before you leave for the ER, call a local urgent care center and find out how long the wait there is. Consider going to the urgent care center instead of the emergency room if the line there is not long. If it turns out the situation is a minor one, then you’ve saved yourself a trip to the ER, and if it is truly dire, then the urgent care referral will get you into to see an ER doctor sooner.

Josyann Abisaab is an emergency room doctor practicing medicine in New York City’s Presbyterian  Hospital.

Josyann Abisaab Urges Urgent Care When Appropriate is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

If you’re heading to the beach, make sure that all babies under six months of age are kept out of the direct sunlight. If the sun can’t be avoided completely, it is acceptable to apply a small amount of sunscreen to the baby. Whenever possible, dress babies in light weight clothing that covers their arms and legs and give them brimmed hats for protection.

Safety Issues Over Spring Break: Dr. Josyann Abisaab is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

There are a few things that can be done in advance to prevent such injuries:

1.       Train your instincts. Practice falling on a safer surface, and train yourself to react by tucking in your chin and rolling with the initial impact. If you can, try to fall on the back of your shoulder as this is a strong area of your body.

2.       Practice regaining your balance in a quick manner. Use a bike, or think of other ways to flex your balance muscles.

3.       It is important to wear a helmet and wrist guards. They may seem foolish, but they really can make a significant difference in a fall.

Avoiding the ER: Wrist Fractures is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

The careful behavior should begin at home; children should not be allowed to carve pumpkins on their own. Pumpkin carvers, adults as well, should make sure to use a carving knife instead of a regular kitchen knife, so that their movements can be smoother and more controlled, even while cutting through the pumpkin’s thick skin. Also, make sure the handle of the knife is dry before it is used, to avoid slipping. If a cut on a finger or hand does occur, raise the area above the heart and apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth. If the bleeding persists, a visit to the ER might be necessary.

Halloween Safety Tips: Dr. Josyann Abisaab is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

Good News for Cardiac Arrest Patients is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Updates is a post from: Josyann Abisaab

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death among young children.  Children shouldn’t be left unattended while in a bath, pool, lake or other body of water and home swimming pools should be protected and securely locked.

Since people drive more during the summer, there is an increased rate of car accidents.  Make sure that children are always buckled and that they are always in the age-appropriate car seats while traveling.  Heat and dehydration also cause a great deal of E.R. visits.  Never leave a child in the car and keep kids well hydrated during the summer.

3 Health Hazards for Kids During the Summer is a post from: Josyann Abisaab