An advance directive is a written statement of a person's wishes regarding medical treatment, often including the naming of a health care representative, made to ensure those wishes are carried out should the person be unable to communicate them to a doctor. Contrary to popular belief, filling out an advance directive can be a positive experience for both you and your loved ones.
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that is more than what is needed to regulate body temperature. About 7 million Americans suffer from hyperhidrosis, a disorder that often goes undiagnosed. Hyperhidrosis sufferers often feel a loss of control because the sweating happens independently—without a high body temperature or highly charged emotional situation. The condition may make you avoid social situations, especially when they involve shaking hands. Anxiety can make hyperhidrosis worse. The condition can also be triggered by certain foods and drinks, nicotine, caffeine, and some smells.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for men and women in the United States according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). In fact, the ACS estimates that 134,490 people in the United States were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2016, including 70,820 men and 63,670 women. In addition, the ACS estimates that 49,190 people, 26,020 men and 23,170 women, died from colorectal cancer in 2016.
“As we look forward to the fresh start that a new year brings, many of us will also be struggling with the addition of the unwanted pounds we’ve gained during the holidays” explains Meredith Urban, MS, RD, CDN, The Center for Metabolic Surgery and Weight-Loss Management, The Valley Hospital. “In my role as a bariatric nutritionist, I have acquired a few tips and tools that can help you get back on track—and, hopefully, back to your goal weight!”
Believe it or not, winter has officially begun! And, although there has been a lack of significant snowfall and cold temperatures in our area, we should still be prepared for the possibility of more seasonable weather.
Overall, studies indicate that 15 to 20 percent of one to three year olds continue to have nightwakings. According to Stephanie Zandieh, M.D., Director, Pediatric Sleep Disorders and Apnea Center, The Valley Hospital, “Inappropriate sleep associations are the primary cause of frequent nightwakings. Sleep associations are those conditions that are habitually present at the time of sleep onset and in the presence of which the infant or child has learned to fall asleep. These same conditions are then required in order for the infant or child to fall back to sleep following periodic normal nighttime arousals.”
Loss of vision is one of the many dreaded complications of diabetes. Over 5.3 million Americans suffer from diabetes-related retinal disease or diabetic retinopathy. After 20 years of living with diabetes, nearly all type 1 diabetics will have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, as will approximately 60 percent of type 2 diabetics. Some of these patients will experience significant vision loss.
The recent catastrophic NJ Transit train accident in Hoboken highlights one of the perils of undiagnosed sleep apnea – the threat to transportation safety. As in several other recent calamitous accidents, the engineer fell asleep at the wheel due to a medical condition that causes sleepiness, and the presence of which he was not aware. When an individual operates a vehicle of public transportation, whether it be a train, a bus or a plane, many lives are in their hands. Anytime the operator of one of these modes of transportation becomes drowsy, or worse, falls asleep at the controls, many lives are immediately placed in jeopardy. This is why these safety-critical personnel should be screened and monitored for their fitness for their work, including identifying the presence of sleep disorders. In fact, the Federal Railroad Administration is expected to issue a safety advisory this week stressing the importance of sleep apnea screening and treatment.
Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a recommendation that infants sleep in their parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed — but on a separate surface designed for infants — for at least 6 months, and preferably up to 1 year of age. Such a sleeping arrangement decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent, according to the AAP.
Valley Health System is pleased to partner with Mount Sinai Health System to offer state-of-the-art, comprehensive cancer care in northern New Jersey. This partnership will enable Valley to provide enhanced inpatient and outpatient cancer services by offering access to an expanded roster of clinical trials and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned experts in the field of cancer care, and the development of new programs and services.
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, has launched a new interactive patient care system to help educate, engage and empower patients in their care. The system helps patients and their families take an active role in their health journey, which leads to improved patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, is one of 15 U.S. sites currently enrolling patients in a research study to evaluate a potential new treatment alternative for patients with symptomatic persistent and long standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AFib).
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, and Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, NJ, are collaborating to defeat a common foe: a dangerous drug-resistant bacterium called Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile.
The breast surgery and reconstructive team at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, is taking the lead in providing new and progressive advances in breast cancer surgery. Valley was the first hospital in northern New Jersey where an innovative technique – called pre-pectoral placement of a tissue expander -- was utilized during breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy. The procedure results in diminished post-operative pain, quicker recovery time, improved mobility, and an excellent aesthetic outcome for patients.
Every March, we are all faced with the arrival of Daylight Saving Time and its impact on our circadian rhythms, our sleep-wake pattern. The 1-hour shift in time can even temporarily disrupt our ability to fall asleep at night and to wake up in the morning. We not only lose an hour of sleep, but the time change disrupts the body’s biological clock and circadian rhythm. The effect is the same as jetlag in plane travel, in which our bodies remain on the prior schedule for a period of time.
Yoga practitioners have been touting yoga’s psychological and physical benefits for more than 5,000 years. Increasingly, yoga is being recommended for some patients with heart disease.
Blood drawing for patients with hard-to-reach veins just became a lot easier and less painful at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, thanks to a small hand-held device that lights up veins like a roadmap. With the AccuVein illumination device, the need for multiple needle sticks to try to hit a good vein for a blood draw is a thing of the past.
Valley Health System, headquartered in Ridgewood, NJ, is proud to have been selected by the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute - the No. 1 heart hospital in the country - to be a regional cardiovascular affiliate.
Adam Zawislak has a passion for music, rock ‘n’ roll in particular. And as a DJ for STEEL 93 online radio, Adam loves connecting with other music fans. “We all have memories rooted in music, and these songs become your life’s soundtrack,” Adam says. Without a doubt, Adam would do anything to keep hearing his favorite tunes – which is why he panicked when he started losing his hearing three years ago.
For people contemplating a hip or knee replacement, the prospect of a long post-surgical recovery can be a daunting one. The grueling rehabilitation sessions, the frustration of re-learning everyday movements, the weeks of waiting to return to “normal”— it’s almost enough to make patients reconsider surgery. Now there is evidence that appropriate pre-surgical physical therapy — or “prehabilitation” — can help patients recover faster.
Getting ready to send your child off to school for the first time or preparing an older child to go back to school can be a daunting task, especially if your child has diabetes.
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, is pleased to announce that two of its oncologists and a research scientist are helping pave the way to an easier, more accurate, less invasive way to screen for the most common form of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men worldwide and the number one cancer killer in the United States.
As part of an innovative program aimed at reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital stays, teams comprised of a paramedic, critical care nurse and EMT have begun making house calls on heart patients soon after their discharge from The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.
They have been referred to as Open Table for medical appointments. Apps like ZocDoc and InQuicker make it as easy for patients to schedule visits to the doctor and trips to the emergency room via smartphones and laptops as it is to make online reservations at their favorite restaurants.
Vascular surgeons at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, are offering a new type of minimally invasive procedure for patients with a complex form of abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The Valley Hospital announced today that it has achieved two distinctions of quality excellence from Healthgrades – the Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ and the Healthgrades 2015 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™. This places Valley among the top 2 percent of all hospitals in the nation for patient safety and patient experience.
After a seemingly never-ending winter, temperatures have finally warmed and spring is in the air — literally. In fact, people with spring allergies are most likely already experiencing sneezing, watery eyes and fatigue because of tree pollen.
Valley Health System today announced an affiliation with Cleveland Clinic's Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute. This affiliation combines the academic, clinical, and research components of the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute with one of the New York/New Jersey area’s leading regional cardiac care providers. Under the agreement, the systems will share best practices, coordinate care and develop programs to improve quality and patient safety.
For a variety of reasons, many women choose to postpone childbearing until they are in their 30s or even 40s. But the difficult truth is that the biological clock waits for no one, and fertility declines with age. Increasingly, young women are turning to a procedure that allows them to freeze their eggs while they are fertile and store them until a pregnancy is desired.
The Valley Hospital today announced it was the first hospital in New Jersey to use a recently approved device to offer a minimally-invasive approach to the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the upper leg, a serious and common condition associated with an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
An aggressive campaign to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics has helped cut the rate of infection with a dangerous drug-resistant bacteria at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, by nearly 40 percent.
This month, you may find you feel a little more tired than usual as you adjust to the start of Daylight Saving Time, which begins at 2 a.m on Sunday, March 8.
If you’ve ever experienced intense, acute pain, you know what a relief it is when the pain finally subsides. But what if the pain doesn’t go away? It was a question to which Charles Schofield was determined to find an answer.
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, has been selected as the United States Coordinating Center for the PRAETORIAN trial, an international trial designed to compare for the first time the traditional implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) with a newer model that may reduce the risk of complications associated with these otherwise life saving devices.
Valley Health System, headquartered in Ridgewood, NJ, is pleased to announce a new partnership with parenting and maternity educator Rosie Pope for a campaign to promote pregnancy health and wellness.
February is American Heart Month, the perfect time to be reminded to take care of your heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. The good news: heart disease is largely preventable and controllable.
Mount Sinai Health System and Valley Health System today announced plans to collaborate on clinical programs, research and educational initiatives. New York City-based Mount Sinai comprises seven hospitals and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Valley Health System, headquartered in Ridgewood, New Jersey, includes The Valley Hospital, Valley Home Care and Valley Medical Group.
As you prepare your children for the start of a new school year, make sure you put “get enough sleep” on their back-to-school lists.
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