Coryell Health celebrated all of our medical practitioners to honor them for their commitment to their patients and the communities they serve. Now more than ever, it takes hard work and dedication to care for patients, yet they do it with compassion and a warm smile. National Doctors’ Day is a holiday to go above and beyond to let our physicians know how grateful we are for what they do for us, our families and the world.

Left to right: Left to right: Zoe Walker, MD; Rhonda Mangum, APRN, FNP-BC; Jantzen Matli, DO; Adrian Dirk, MD; Diedra Wuenschel, DO; Alecia Eads, FNP-C; Amy Stewart, FNP-C; Karly Keith, PA

Many of our amazing physicians are not pictured.

When viewing a total solar eclipse, it’s critical to wear sunscreen, a hat and other protective clothing. If you’re watching the entire eclipse, you may be in direct sunlight for hours, and it’s essential to cover up while drinking plenty of water.

Even though the sun is partially or completely covered during the phases of a total solar eclipse, that doesn’t make the sun’s rays any less dangerous for your skin. “We have noticed the paper eclipse glasses don’t stay on well, especially for young children whose heads are smaller than the glasses frames. Wearing a hat or a cap can help prevent the sun rays from shining through the top of the glasses gap,” adds Diedra Wuenschel, DO: https://coryellhealth.org/eclipse-safety-tips/.

If you’re considering a new piercing or your children are asking for their ears to be pierced, you need to know these safety precautions and tips to protect from injury and infection.

What Are the Complications Associated With Ear Piercings?

You might not hear about it often, but many people who get their ears pierced experience complications, discomfort or infection afterward. In a survey, 35% of people questioned following a piercing stated that they experienced various complications. These can arise for several reasons, from unclean piercing instruments to an allergic reaction to the jewelry used in the process.

Where Should I Get My Ears Pierced?

If you choose to get a piercing or allow a minor to get a piercing, choosing a reputable, clean establishment is vital. “If you make the choice to get an ear piercing, it’s vital you choose a reputable piercing provider who abides by the Texas Health and Human Services’ regulations,” said Coryell Health provider Amy Bass, APRN, FNP-C.

You should look for this standard setup:

Are Piercing “Guns” or Needles Safer?

Piercing guns are never a good alternative to piercing needles, according to the Association of Professional Piercers. Piercing guns can’t be properly sanitized, are prone to malfunctions and may cause significant tissue damage. Needles create a small hole in the tissue where jewelry is then inserted, so the skin heals around the new path created by the needle. A piercing gun, which tears through the skin, is usually more painful and may cause swelling and potential infection. On top of these issues, training for gun piercing is not standardized, which can lead to inadequate expertise and misuse of the device.

“For young children, you also may want to select an earring with a screw locking mechanism that reduces the risk of the earring back coming off and becoming a choking hazard,” said Coryell Health family nurse practitioner Amy Bass.

How Important is Earring Selection?

Choose earrings made of hypoallergenic materials, such as sterling silver and 14-, 18- or 24-karat gold. These types of metals are not likely to cause an allergic reaction. Note that nickel frequently causes allergic reactions, so be sure the jewelry selected for piercing doesn’t have nickel during the piercing process and wait to replace the earrings until completely healed. 

Some individuals will still react to stainless steel, silver and even white gold, as they may be mixed with nickel, which could lead to an infection depending on your skin’s sensitivity. Wearing 14K yellow gold earrings consistently throughout the first year may help avoid irritation and complications. Consider the upfront cost of quality metal earrings as an investment in long-lasting, healthy piercings.

“About 35% of ear piercings result in a complication of some kind, so you’ll likely need some sort of medical intervention,” Amy Bass, APRN, FNP-C, said. “Sometimes the back or front of the earring can get embedded in the skin of the ear, which could also become a problem. If you notice an embedded earring back or pain, redness, puss or swelling that lasts longer than 24 hours after the piercing, we advise you to contact your doctor for an examination.”

How Can You Prevent Complications?

What can you do at home?

• Always wash your hands with soap and warm water before touching your ears or earrings.
  • If you touch your new piercing with dirty hands that haven’t recently been washed, germs will transfer and could lead to an infection.
• Clean with saline solution.
  • Use the saline solution provided by your piercer three times a day for six weeks for an earlobe piercing. After the healing period has ended, it is recommended that you continue using your ear care solution as needed to keep your new piercing and earrings clean. 
• Avoid harsh cleansers.
  • Avoid cleaning your piercing with hydrogen peroxide or antibacterial soaps, which can damage your healing skin.
• Don’t touch.
  • Avoid touching the new piercings, except when cleaning them.
  • Moving or rotating jewelry is not necessary during cleaning/rinsing and may actually irritate the piercing.
  • Leave jewelry in your ears at all times. Even well-healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes! If removed, reinsertion can be difficult or impossible.
• Try to keep your hair away from your new piercings.
  • To prevent bacteria from transferring from your hair to your new piercings, try braiding, using a hair tie or wearing a headband to pull your hair back at night for at least the first month.
  • Having hair pulled away from piercings will also keep hair from getting caught on your earrings. Ouch!
• Use petroleum jelly as needed.
  • Using the squeeze tube variety to prevent contamination, gently apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly around each opening. This will keep the piercings moist and less painful.
• Avoid swimming until piercings are fully healed.
  • While healing, stay out of pools, hot tubs, lakes, and oceans because this could increase the risk of infection.
• Don’t remove earrings too early.
  • Leave earrings in for eight weeks, giving your ears time to heal.

“To prevent irritation or damage to your freshly pierced ears, it’s crucial to avoid harsh products and excessive touching,” adds Amy Bass, APRN,
FNP-C.

If you choose to get a piercing, it is important to note that complications are possible even if you follow these precautions, but these safety precautions can reduce the risks! If you have concerns about a possible current infection, call your doctor right away.

Save and print this Caring for New Piercings PDF and post it in a visible spot so the information is easy to access. If you’re thinking about a piercing for you or your child and are still worried about how it might affect your health, call (254) 248-6204 to speak with Amy Bass, APRN, FNP-C with Coryell Health’s Advanced Wound Center for more information

Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep “for optimal health,” according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. We all know most teens are getting much less sleep than the recommended hours, and this is before factoring in the additional hours lost due to the implementation of daylight savings time. Due to their youth, many people assume that teenagers can get by skimping on sleep, but the opposite is true. Early school start times, combined with teens’ natural inclination to stay up late, can result in shortened sleep, an increase in accidents, and a higher risk of depression. Parents need to know that these negative effects can be mitigated, but vigilance is needed. Planning for the time change can be key to lessening the impact of time change. Experts say starting an earlier-to-bed routine of 15 to 20 minutes each day for at least several days in advance of the time change can make a difference. If that’s not possible, do your best — every little bit helps. For most younger children, moving their bedtime and wake time by about 10 to 15 minutes earlier, starting three days before the time change, can help them adjust.

Don’t forget about yourself- parents also need to make sure they are getting the rest they need. – Emily Leib, PA, Coryell Health Sleep Specialist

For more information, contact your Coryell Health primary care physician or Coryell Health’s sleep center at (254) 248-6296.

Ladies, Listen to Your Heart

A 2019 survey from the American Heart Association found that only 44% of women correctly identified heart disease as a leading threat to their health. Why such a low number?

We often base our understanding of heart disease on male experiences due to the historical underrepresentation of women in clinical trials. It’s important to understand that heart disease presents itself differently in women and men.

Chest pain, or angina, is the most common symptom of heart disease in both men and women. However, it’s extremely common for women to show more subtle symptoms compared to classic chest pain, including:

• Jaw, neck or upper back pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Fainting
• Indigestion
• Extreme fatigue

These symptoms in female patients may be mistaken for anxiety or gastrointestinal problems. Women’s symptoms may not fit into a “typical” definition of what heart disease looks like and are misunderstood more often than men’s.

Women are also more likely to experience these three less common kinds of heart attacks:

• Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive arteries (MINOCA): heart attack with a coronary spasm rather than coronary arteries significantly narrowing
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD): results from a tear in the inner wall of an artery, creating a flap or swelling
• Stress cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome): a more subtle heart attack with a lack of blocked arteries like in coronary artery disease, typically resulting from severe physical or emotional stress

Men typically show signs of:

• Squeezing chest pressure or pain
• Jaw, neck or back pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Shortness of breath

Why Do Women and Men Show Different Symptoms of Heart Disease?

In addition to women having smaller hearts and more narrow blood vessels than men, women and men experience cholesterol buildup in different parts of the body. Men typically develop plaque buildup in the largest arteries that supply blood to the heart. In contrast, women are more likely to have buildup in the heart’s smallest blood vessels, known as the microvasculature.

Coryell Health Cardiology Can Help

If you think you may be at risk for heart disease, talk to your primary care physician, and they can refer you to a Coryell Health cardiology specialist. Our cardiology team diagnoses heart problems and performs procedures to decrease your risk with the latest medical technology and a personalized touch.

We understand that each patient is unique and may develop heart disease from various factors. We help manage heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure through expert nutritional advice and listening to your specific needs.

Don’t hesitate — speaking up and going to the doctor could save your life. To make an appointment, call Coryell Health at (254) 865-2166.

The Benefits of Coryell Health’s Respite Care

Do your caregiving responsibilities leave you emotionally and physically drained on a regular basis? Do you worry about being away from your loved one in the case of an emergency?

The challenges of being a caregiver can take a toll on your physical, mental and emotional well-being. If you find yourself neglecting your needs, it might be time to explore respite care with Coryell Health.

1. Caregivers receive a much-deserved break.

Respite care with Coryell Health provides a break for caregivers, offering temporary relief from caregiving responsibilities and burnout. Whether it be for a couple days or a couple weeks, caregivers can take time off to run errands or go on vacation without worrying about leaving their loved one alone.

2. Respite care provides assistance in an emergency.

If you’re a primary caregiver for an elderly loved one, an unexpected event that requires you to step away can be stressful. Coryell Health’s respite care can be a simple solution when other obligations take you away from caregiving.

3. Residents receive personal attention from professional caregivers.

Respite care provides professional assistance with a personal touch to ensure your loved one’s well-being. Coryell Health’s program provides a variety of benefits for families, including medication management, fall prevention, meal preparation and memory care. You’ll never have to worry that your loved one won’t receive the care they need when you’re gone.

4. Respite care is one of the most flexible care options.

Although you do have to arrange timing with us slightly ahead of time, respite care with Coryell Health allows caregivers to take time off whenever they need to. Our flexibility makes it easy to schedule times that work for you and your loved one.

If you don’t take care of yourself, how are you supposed to care for your loved one? There is no need to feel guilty about taking a well-deserved break from caregiving now and then. With care available under the same roof and on the same campus as our hospital and clinics, respite care from Coryell Health provides your loved one with a highly trained staff ready to meet their needs in a safe and secure environment. Some residents enjoy it so much that they keep coming back to our respite care program after their first stay.

“We had a family who brought their loved one to stay with us several times when they went on vacation,” said Susie Keeney, CALA, CDP, Director of Assisted and Independent Living at The Oaks. “When it came time for their loved one to stay full-time, it was an easy transition because she already knew the staff and residents.”

Consider the benefits of respite care with Coryell Health. Call us at (254) 248-6293 to learn more about our respite care program and
discover the relief it can bring.

Coryell Health was recently awarded a five-star rating by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We are honored to receive a five-star rating because it is a true reflection of our dedication to providing quality healthcare,” said Lauren Shelton MSN, RN – Chief Quality Officer. “I am exceedingly proud of the work that our physicians and team members do on an ongoing basis to ensure that the most current, evidence-based treatment protocols are in place at Coryell Health.”

“CMS utilizes a Five-Star Quality Rating System to provide the public with an easy-to-understand summary of Hospital Quality,” Shelton said. The overall quality rating is based on five areas of quality measures. All hospital systems participating in Medicare and Medicaid are rated from one star to five stars. This information is then publicly reported on https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?redirect=true&providerType=Hospital.

Have a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season With These Tips

As the holiday season approaches, our calendars become full of festivities and cherished moments with loved ones. It’s also a time when our physical and mental well-being can easily take a backseat.

Coryell Health understands the importance of maintaining balance during this time of year. From healthy eating advice to combating loneliness and serving the community, we have tips to help you thrive during the holidays.

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips from Coach Mardi

Do you enjoy holiday food or practice healthy habits? The answer: both! Mardi Mason, our Ideal Protein and weight loss expert, has some invaluable tips to help you indulge without compromising your health.

1. Plan Ahead

You’re not always in control of what food you’ll be served. Plan for family gatherings and parties accordingly by bringing a healthy dish with you. If you’d like to eat a dessert, cut back on carbs during the meal.

2. Avoid the Buffet

When faced with an assortment of yummy foods, grab a small plate of the items you enjoy most and walk away. Eat vegetables first to help curb your appetite. Then, feel free to dig into the rest of your plate!

3. Enjoy Your Favorites

There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie. Choose small servings of the dishes you love and can’t get any other time of year. Treat yourself!

4. Stay Active

Try to fit in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Your exercises don’t have to be hardcore — going on walks with loved ones after a holiday meal can help combat stress and calorie intake!

5. Get Your Rest

The holiday season can cause a lack of sleep. Sleep loss may make it harder to manage your blood sugar. When you’re sleep-deprived, you tend to eat more and prefer foods high in sugar and fat. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night to prevent mindless eating.

How to Avoid Loneliness During the Holidays

While the holidays are a time of togetherness, they can also be challenging for those feeling isolated. Here are some strategies to foster connection and combat loneliness.

1. Get To Know Your Neighbors

Building a sense of community starts with a friendly “hello.” Strike up conversations, exchange contact information and consider organizing a small gathering to foster connections with those living near you.

2. Phone a Friend

The holidays are the perfect time to rekindle relationships. Take the time to catch up with an old friend or family member. Share stories, reminisce and let them know they’re in your thoughts during this special time of year.

3. Share a Meal

There’s nothing that brings people together quite like food. Invite a neighbor or friend over for a cozy meal. Whether it’s a potluck-style gathering or a home-cooked dinner, sharing a meal creates a space for conversation and bonding.

4. Join a Club

Whether it’s a hiking club, book club or another hobby-based group, joining a club allows you to meet new people who share your passions. Engaging in activities you love alongside like-minded people can create meaningful connections.

5. Create a Holiday Bucket List

Encourage yourself to get out there and try new things with a holiday bucket list! Activities could include attending local events, preparing new recipes or engaging in acts of kindness. This list can serve as a guide to ensure you make the most of the season.

Give Back This Season

When you help others, you can’t help but help yourself. According to the Mayo Clinic, volunteering leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety, especially for people 65 and older. Here are a few opportunities to serve the Gatesville community and to connect with others.

1. Gatesville Care Center

Nearly 46,000 Central Texans rely on the Central Texas Food Bank each week for nutritious meals. Volunteer with their local food pantry at the Gatesville Care Center to provide food for families in need.

1. Boys & Girls Club of Gatesville

Help mold the future by volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club of Gatesville. Volunteers are able to assist in all areas of their youth development programs. Become a homework helper or tutor to a child who needs it! Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

2. Keep Gatesville Beautiful

Help keep our community clean through Keep Gatesville Beautiful. From improvement projects to educational presentations, Keep Gatesville Beautiful has plenty of opportunities to help out. 

3. Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet

While our soldiers care for us, you can care for their pets. Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet provides opportunities to foster a service member’s pet while they’re deployed. If you can’t foster a pet, you can still help! Visit their website for more information.

4. Friends of the Gatesville Public Library

Join a group of educators, homemakers, students and retirees in making our community a better place to live by providing access to a first-rate library. Check out their website to learn more about the Friends of the Gatesville Public Library.

5. Coryell County Museum and Historical Center

The Coryell County Museum is a hidden gem containing the largest collection of spurs in the country and other interesting attractions. To volunteer, visit their Facebook page.

Don’t let your health slip through the cracks during the holidays. Contact your Coryell primary care physician for more wellness tips and personalized advice. For individualized weight loss coaching, call (254) 404-2556 or email weightloss@coryellhealth.org to schedule a consultation with Coach Mardi.

From all of us at Coryell Health, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!