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INTEGRIS Health On Your Health Blog

Check back to the INTEGRIS Health On Your Health blog for the latest health and wellness news for all Oklahomans.

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How Physical Therapy Improves Outcomes After Surgery

Whether you’re having a knee replaced or are undergoing an intense heart procedure, the road to recovery can be long and arduous. Physical therapy is one of the most common ways to both speed up healing and regain the strength needed to return to your everyday life.

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What Is a Child Life Specialist?

Stepping into the hospital or a doctor’s office can be a new experience for children, filled with unknowns and apprehensions. The unfamiliar sights and sounds of a hospital, the separation from loved ones for surgery and the potential challenges of navigating medical procedures can create a whirlwind of emotions for young patients. Add to that the disruption of familiar routines and the potential for ongoing treatments, and the road to recovery can seem overwhelming.

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Walking Pad vs. Treadmill - What's the Difference?

When it comes to home fitness, walking pads and treadmills often appear as two sides of the same coin, both designed to enhance your indoor exercise routine. A walking pad, with its sleek and foldable design, is perfect for people seeking a compact solution for light walking, especially in confined living spaces. On the other hand, a treadmill is a bigger machine, capable of supporting a range of activities from walking to intense running. Understanding these differences is key to selecting the right equipment to match your lifestyle and exercise preferences.

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What Causes Food Aversion?

The older you get, the more eating seems second nature by putting food in your mouth and chewing. As a child, though, trying and experiencing new foods isn’t that simple. Food aversion describes food refusal by a toddler or young child despite having the fine motor skills to do so. Children with food aversion typically have a limited diet and are highly selective in what they eat. They may have a particularly strong dislike for a food while also enjoying other foods.

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Are You Getting Enough Vitamin B12?

Essential for everything from energy production to neurological function, vitamin B12 serves as a cornerstone for maintaining vitality and wellness. However, many people may not realize they're falling short of this crucial vitamin, leading to potential health issues. In this blog, we’ll delve into the pivotal roles that vitamin B12 plays in your body, highlight foods high in vitamin B12 and explain why some people have issues absorbing this vitamin.

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Maintaining Your Mental Health During the Holidays

The holiday season can be filled with fun traditions and time with family, but it also comes with its own set of challenges that can be hard on mental health. For many people, their mental health ends up declining during the holidays. In this blog, we have five of our best tips for maintaining your mental health during the holidays.

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Fun Family Activities to Do During Christmas

Christmas time in Oklahoma City can be a magical experience when done right, as the city has many traditions and events that provide festive options for residents and visitors alike. Use this blog as a guide to schedule family-friendly events this holiday season.

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Can You Live with One Lung?

Living with one lung may seem like an impossible challenge – the lungs are a key organ that work 24 hours a day to keep us alive – but the human body has an uncanny ability to adapt. Much like living without a pancreas, gallbladder, appendix or spleen, missing out on the functionality of these organs isn’t ideal but it can be done. Learn more about what causes people to have a single lung and how you can still live a healthy life.

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Does Vaping Cause Lung Cancer?

Traditional tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals that increase smokers' chances of developing cancer. In fact, smoking is tied to 80 to 90 percent of lung cancer cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As an alternative to smoking, many people have turned to e-cigarettes to vape, including teens and young adults (read our blog on how e-cigarette use is on the rise among teens in Oklahoma). But is inhaling liquid nicotine any safer and is there any risk of cancer associated with vaping?

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November Is Movember: Raising Awareness About Men's Health

November is a time when mustaches take center stage, but it's not just about style – it's about striking up conversations and raising awareness for men's health. Movember, a global movement, is dedicated to bringing attention to pressing men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health challenges.

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American Diabetes Month: Complications, the Importance of Screenings and How to Lower Risk

American Diabetes Month serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of diabetes through lifestyle changes such as healthy eating, regular exercise and weight management. Equally vital is the role of regular diabetes screenings, which can lead to early detection and more effective management of the condition.

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Stomach Cancer Awareness: Facts, Causes and Outlook on Prognosis

Stomach cancer, though less talked about than other common cancers, poses a significant health risk that deserves more attention. By raising awareness about stomach cancer, the goal is to empower patients and the community with vital knowledge on the facts, causes and prognosis of this disease.

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What Is the Difference Between Urgent Care and an Emergency Room?

Emergency and urgent care medicine both serve an important purpose in health care, but what exactly does each facility do and how should you decide which one to use for medical problems?

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Lung Cancer Awareness: Facts, Advances in Treatment and How to Lower Your Risk

Lung cancer remains a significant health challenge, affecting millions worldwide. In this blog, we speak to Nathaniel Moulton, M.D., a board-certified interventional pulmonologist at INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Baptist Pulmonary Medicine, to learn more.

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How Do I Find a Primary Care Physician?

Choosing the right primary care physician (PCP) is a crucial step in managing your health care journey and living a healthier life. A PCP acts as your main health advocate, coordinating care, managing chronic conditions and offering preventive services tailored to your needs.

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Somatic Therapy: Signs Your Body Is Releasing Trauma

In the quest for healing from trauma, somatic therapy is a unique alternative that emphasizes the connection between mind and body. While this therapeutic approach may not be suitable for everyone, it offers benefits for individuals dealing with PTSD and other mental health conditions by focusing on physical sensations and body awareness.

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Breast Cancer in Men: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Options

Male breast cancer is a rare condition, accounting for less than one percent of all breast cancer cases, but it's still important to be aware of its signs, symptoms, causes and treatment options should you or a loved one be impacted. As part of breast cancer awareness in October, we talk to Samer Hassan, M.D., a board-certified physician in internal medicine, oncology and hematology, with INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute at Southwest Medical Center.

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Depression Awareness: Facts, Types and Treatment Options

October is Depression Awareness Month. In this blog, we speak with Cassandra Deford, director of clinical programs behavioral health, about depression and mental health conditions to learn more.

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How to Prevent Infection After Surgery

By understanding the common types of infections that can occur after surgery and implementing effective prevention strategies, patients can enhance their recovery journey and achieve better outcomes. Being informed and taking proactive steps can significantly reduce the risk of infection. In this blog, we speak to Rebecca Lewis, system director of infection prevention, to learn more.

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What Happens to Your Body When You Have Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the most common and effective forms of cancer treatment. Despite doing its job of destroying cancer cells, chemotherapy drugs also impact healthy cells and cause a wide range of side effects. In this blog, Brian Geister, M.D., and Agnel Raparthi, M.D., both with the INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute, weigh in on how chemotherapy affects the body.

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The Power of Support Groups During Rehabilitation

If you or someone you know is going through physical, recreational, occupational or speech therapy, you probably already know how challenging it can be. But did you know that joining a support group can make a world of difference?

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What Is a Diagnostic Mammogram?

When it comes to breast cancer screenings, the word “mammogram” is what most people associate with the testing that plays a key role in diagnosing cancer. But some people may not know there are two types of mammograms – screening mammograms and diagnostic mammograms.

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Is There Any Safe Amount of Alcohol?

It’s a widely held belief that drinking a glass of wine a day is beneficial to health, but experts say alcohol is a known carcinogen and that any amount of alcohol can increase your risk of negative health effects. In this blog, we talk with Bilal Ahmad, M.D., a board-certified hematologist and oncologist with the INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute at INTEGRIS Health Southwest Medical Center, to learn more.

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Understanding Breast Cancer Risk

Despite being one of the most common types of cancers, the scientific explanation for why breast cancer occurs more often than other types of cancers is unknown in the medical community. What researchers do know is which factors heighten – or lower – the risk of developing breast cancer. As breast cancer prevalence grows (women have a 13 percent lifetime risk, meaning 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed), having a basic understanding of what puts you at risk can help you prepare for the future.

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Should You Get a Routine Heart Scan?

Heart health is paramount to living a full and vibrant life. The good news is there are preventive measures that can safeguard your cardiovascular well-being. Advancements such as calcium heart scans provide valuable insights into your heart's condition.

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What Medical Screenings Do You Need After Age 40?

Reaching the age of 40 is a significant milestone that often comes with a greater focus on health maintenance and prevention. As part of Healthy Aging Month in September, in this blog we talk to Jeffrey Cruzan, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician with INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Memorial West, about the medical screenings to keep in mind as we get older.

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Examining the Impact of Digital Misinformation on Your Sleep Quality

There's a growing trend on YouTube of misinformation about sleep medicine, including tips and advice on improving sleep disorders. In this blog we visit with Viral Doshi, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist with INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, to examine how watching these videos for information can harm your sleep health.

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Mindfulness Meditation: Cultivating Presence and Emotional Well-being

In today's fast-paced world filled with constant stimuli, distractions and stressors, the practice of mindfulness meditation is a way to discover your true inner self. Mindfulness meditation offers a journey toward inner clarity and balance, one that embraces the power of the present moment and deepens self-awareness. We unravel the transformative effects of mindfulness meditation on enhancing emotional well-being and how to foster a deeper sense of presence in your day-to-day routine.

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Who Needs Platelets and How to Help

When we think about our blood, it’s easy to focus on red blood cells, but did you know there are actually three other main components that make our blood… blood? In addition to red blood cells, we have plasma, white blood cells and platelets running through our veins. Plasma is easy enough to remember – that’s the liquid part. White blood cells help our bodies fight off infections and diseases. But what about platelets?

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Is COVID Making a Comeback?

In this blog, David Chansolme, M.D., the medical director of infection prevention at INTEGRIS Health, gives us an update on the recent uptick in COVID cases across the country and in Oklahoma.

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