Gallstones: What They Are and How to Treat Them
You just ate a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a milkshake. You’re feeling bloated and nauseated. Now there’s an ache in your abdomen underneath your rib cage. What’s going on?
According to the experts at Yale New Haven Health, you may have a gallstone.
Learn more about gallstones
It’s Time to Take Your Blood Pressure – Seriously
High blood pressure is often called a “silent killer.” Why? Because high blood pressure can damage the body’s organs, with few if any early-warning signs. Also called hypertension, high blood pressure contributes to more than 500,000 deaths each year in the United States.
“The single most important thing people can do is get their blood pressure checked and then talk to their healthcare professional about next steps,” said Rachel Forman, MD, a neurologist at Yale New Haven Health and an assistant professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine.
Keeping your blood pressure within a healthy range is important in managing certain health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. You can take an active role in your health by monitoring your blood pressure at home and sharing the information with your doctor.
To help you get started, consider Better Beats, a self-monitoring blood pressure program offered by Yale New Haven Health. The program shows you how to measure blood pressure at home and keep a diary of readings. You can choose between a two-week program or a 90-day program. A registered nurse coaches participants on heart-healthy lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, and helps you set personal goals.
Benefits of Better Beats:󠇒
- Participants in the two-week program meet twice weekly with the registered nurse for coaching. People gain a better understanding of how lifestyle choices impact blood pressure. This program is ideal for those:
- who have just been discharged from a hospital or telemonitoring program and want to make sure their blood pressure remains in check, or
- who are at risk for high blood pressure, hypertension or heart disease and want to gain a better understanding of their heart health and their blood pressure numbers
- Participants in the 90-day program have regular coaching sessions with the registered nurse. They are expected to meet blood pressure reduction goals set based on individual needs by the end of the program. People are expected to work closely with their primary care physician to review blood pressure results as well as medications. The 90-day program is ideal for those diagnosed with high blood pressure or uncontrolled high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypertension or other heart-related conditions. It’s also a good choice for those who complete the two-week program and feel they could benefit from additional nurse coaching. The coach conducts a monthly check-in to review current blood pressure trends and provides continued coaching for the 90 days with a final check-in call six months later.
To learn more about the Better Beats program, call 203-688-9010.
Learn more about blood pressure readings and what they mean
When Mosquito Bites Trigger More Than an Itch
Most people expect a mosquito bite to be a minor irritation – a small, itchy bump that disappears within a day or two. But for some, the body’s response can be far more intense: severe swelling, redness, and pain.
This condition is known as Skeeter Syndrome, a local allergic reaction to proteins in mosquito saliva.
Learn more about Skeeter Syndrome
Help Us Get Closer to Free!
The 15th Annual Closer to Free Ride rolls off the starting line on Sept. 6, and you’re invited to ride along with us! The Closer to Free Ride fuels research and care at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Riders of all levels have the chance to experience five professionally designed and fully supported routes ranging from 10 to 100 miles long. If you’re not in the New Haven area, you can join as a Remote Rider and complete your own route wherever you may be.
Also consider sharing your energy and enthusiasm with the Closer to Free community as a volunteer at the pre-ride check-in, the start/finish line or on the ride route as a member of the Road Crew.
Register as a rider or volunteer
Can’t ride with us this year? Make a donation to a specific rider or team.
Go for a Stroll with YNHH Doctors
Take a walk and chat with local doctors as part of Yale New Haven Health’s Walk ‘N’ Talk with a Doc. Walks are each Saturday through September along the Farmington Canal Greenway Trail in New Haven. Please arrive by 8:45 am. Walks begin at the entrance on the corner of Shelton Avenue and Starr Street and last approximately one hour. Parking is available at New Freedom Missionary Baptist Church, 280 Starr St., New Haven. For more information, email Andy Orefice or call 203-688-5671.
Wellness Walks sponsored by the West Haven Health Department are also offered on select Saturdays throughout August. Yale New Haven Health providers will be available with other local practitioners to discuss health and wellness in our daily lives. Walks will start at 9 am on Aug. 2, 16 and 30 at Atschuler Beach, Savin Rock Trail, West Haven. For details, call 203-937-3660.
Billing Questions?
Yale New Haven Health offers financial counseling to patients and families. Spanish-speaking counselors are also available. To make an appointment with a financial counselor, call 855-547-4584.
