Phone:

(403) 823-3345

Address:

140 Riverside Dr E, Drumheller, AB, T0J 0Y4

Blog, Health, Home, Image, Medical, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Rapid movement causes brain tissue to change shape, which can stretch and damage brain cells. This damage also causes chemical and metabolic changes within the brain cells, making it more difficult for cells to function and communicate. Since the brain is the body’s control center, the effects of a concussion can be far-reaching.
Concussions are usually not life-threatening, but the effects of a concussion can change a life and the injury should be treated seriously.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion
The signs and symptoms of a concussion are incredibly important because a concussion doesn’t show up on imaging like an X-ray, CT, or MRI scan and there is no objective test, like drawing blood or saliva, that can determine if a patient has a concussion. A doctor makes a concussion diagnosis based on the results of a comprehensive examination, which includes observing signs of concussion and patients reporting symptoms of concussion appearing after an impact to the head or body. Concussion signs and symptoms are the brain’s way of showing it is injured and not functioning normally.
Concussion signs are what someone could observe about you to determine if you have a concussion. Signs of a concussion range from obvious to much more nuanced, but even one sign of a concussion after a hit to the head should be reported to a medical professional.
Concussion symptoms are what someone who is concussed will tell you they are experiencing. When responding to a possible concussion in a child, remember that a concussed child may not be able to clearly communicate the symptoms they are experiencing because of their age and limited vocabulary, and the fact that they have just experienced a brain injury.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Back-To-School Hacks from Food Allergy Canada

– Pack delicious snacks for school, so you won’t be tempted by food from your classmates
– Label your lunch bag with your name and allergies to avoid confusion
– Label your water bottle with your name
– Check that your child’s auto-injectors and asthma puffers/ inhalers are not expired, review their emergency plan and what to do in case of a reaction
– Remind your child to let you/ others know if they think they are having an anaphylactic reaction
– Review your school’s policies on food allergy and anaphylaxis management
– Update your child’s anaphylaxis emergency plan and share it with your school. If your child has asthma, update this information too
– Talk to your child’s teacher and other school staff about your child’s food allergy and review emergency procedures
– Talk with your child about their food allergy ad practice using an auto-injector training device together
– Keep extra safe snacks in their backpack, so they always have something handy to eat
– Supply your child’s teacher with safe snacks in case your child forgets theirs
– Read the ingredient labels of hand sanitizers and check for any food allergens that need to be avoided
Post-secondary students: Advise school admissions and foodservices management upon registration regarding your food allergy
– If you live with roommates and have a shared kitchen, ensure they are aware of your allergy and write your name on food you don’t want others to touch
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

August 31 – Overdose Awareness Day

On August 31 landmarks across the world will light up in purple to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. This action acknowledges the lives of those lost to overdose and helps to spread the message that overdose is preventable!
2024 THEME: “TOGETHER WE CAN”
No one should stand alone in our fight to end overdose. While every individual action matters greatly, coming together as an international community creates a powerful collective action. One that moves us with greater speed toward our shared goal of preventing, and ultimately, ending all overdoses.
Through their 2024 theme, “Together we can” they’re highlighting the strength of coming together and standing in support of those connected to the tragedy of overdose.
This August 31, reach out and connect with others in your local community and join the global IOAD movement. Our collective voices are stronger, louder, and the most impactful when brought together.
Let’s remember, together, we can end overdose.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Steps 9 –12 of Anxiety Canada’s – Our 12-step back to school checklist for parents

Follow these simple tips to help students minimize their anxiety on the first day back.
9. Choose a Special Object
• For younger children who are nervous about separating, suggest taking a special object to school that reminds him or her of home
• Put a reassuring note in a child’s lunch can also help ease separation anxiety on the first day of school.
10. Walk with a Friend
• Try and arrange that your child walks with a friend to school for the first couple of days
• Arrange play days with school mates leading up to the first day
11. Talk to the Teacher
• Let the teacher know that your child is having some separation anxiety
12. Praise and Reward
• Most importantly, praise and reward your child for brave behavior!
Health, Home, Image, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Steps 5 – 8 of Anxiety Canada’s – Our 12-step back to school checklist for parents

Follow these simple tips to help students minimize their anxiety on the first day back.
A couple of days before school:
5. Do a dry run
• Go to school several times – walking, driving, or taking the bus
• For young children, describe and draw out the route and include how long it will take
• For younger children, go to the schoolyard and play a few times before the first day of school
6. Tour the School
• For new students, take a tour of the school
• Show your child the classrooms, the cafeteria, and the bathrooms
• Meet your child’s teacher with your child present, if possible
7. Plan the Outfits
• Ask your child to help choose the outfits for the first week of school
• Let your child pick out his or her favorite outfit for the first day
8. Pack the Backpack
• Together with your child, pack the backpack the night before, including non-perishable treats
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Steps 1 – 4 of Anxiety Canada’s – Our 12-step back to school checklist for parents

Follow these simple tips to help students minimize their anxiety on the first day back.
One week before school:
1. 💤 Start your School Sleep Routine – Routines can be relaxed in the summer, so a week prior to school is a good time to adjust the family schedule to get everyone back into morning and bedtime habits.
• Establish bedtimes for the school year and start following them
• Ensure the entire family is up when they would be for school
• For older children, give them their own alarm clock and let them practice using it
• Ensure that the entire family get involved so that your child doesn’t feel alone with these changes
2. 🍎 Promote Healthy Eating Habits – Nutrition is extremely important; it’s hard to cope well when you are tired or hungry, so provide your child nutritious and frequent snacks and build in regular routines.
• Start having your meals around regular mealtimes
• Ask your child to help you create a school lunch menu for the first week of school
• Allow your child to pick out his or her favorite snacks
• Allow your child to help you plan your dinner meals; this way they will have a yummy dinner to look forward to
3. 📚 Shop for Supplies – Make picking out school supplies a fun task!
• Create a list of school supplies with your child
• Plan a fun shopping trip to pick out supplies
4. ❤️ Encourage Your Child to Share His or Her Fears – Talk to your child about his or her worries and practice coping skills
• Touch base with your child at a regular time each day to discuss your child’s worries and encourage him or her to problem solve and plan
• Role-play with your child
• Focus on the positive aspects – ask your child to list the three things that they are most excited about on the first day
• Practice calm breathing with your child – they can learn to use this when her anxiety rises
• Develop cognitive coping cards that your child can use to help cope with anxiety a couple of days before school
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Insect Stings

Stings and bites from bees, wasps, ants, and other insects often cause pain, swelling, redness, and itching.
 
How can you care for yourself at home?
▪️ Do not scratch or rub the skin where the sting or bite occurred.
▪️ Put a cold pack or ice cube on the area. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. For some people, a paste of baking soda mixed with a little water helps relieve pain and decrease the reaction.
▪️ Take an over-the-counter antihistamine to help relieve swelling, redness, and itching. Calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream may also help. Do not give antihistamines to your child unless you have checked with the doctor first. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
▪️ Your doctor may prescribe a shot of epinephrine to carry with you in case you have a severe reaction. Learn how and when to give yourself the shot and always keep it with you. Make sure it has not expired.
▪️ Go to the emergency room anytime you have a severe reaction. Go even if you have given yourself epinephrine and are feeling better. Symptoms can come back.
 
When should you call for help? You have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. These may include:
▪️ Sudden raised, red areas (hives) all over your body.
▪️ Swelling of the throat, mouth, lips, or tongue.
▪️ Trouble breathing.
▪️ Passing out (losing consciousness). Or you may feel very light-headed or suddenly feel weak, confused, or restless.
▪️ Severe belly pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
 
Call your doctor or 811 or seek immediate medical care if: You have symptoms of an allergic reaction not right at the sting or bite, such as:
▪️ A rash or small area of hives (raised, red areas on the skin)
▪️ Itching
▪️ Swelling
▪️ Mild belly pain or nausea
▪️ You have a lot of swelling around the site (such as your entire arm or leg is swollen)
▪️ You have signs of infection, such as:
▪️ Increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the sting.
▪️ Red streaks leading from the area.
▪️ Pus draining from the sting.
 
Health, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Measles

Measles is an extremely contagious virus that spreads easily through the air when someone who has measles coughs or sneezes. Measles is sometimes called rubeola or red measles. Measles tends to be more severe in babies and adults.
It can cause:
– High fever
– Cough
– Runny nose
– Red eyes
– Blotchy, red rash that appears 3 to 7 days after the fever starts, beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and to the arms and legs
If you or a loved one is showing symptoms of measles, stay home, avoid contact with others, and call Health Link at 811 before visiting any hospital, clinic, or healthcare provider. The registered nurse who answers your call will guide you on the next steps.
The MMR-Var vaccine is given as part of Alberta’s routine immunization schedule for children and is free. It protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox (varicella). Contact your local public health to book a vaccination appointment. If you have any questions about measles or immunizations, please contact a primary care provider including your doctor, pharmacist, midwife, nurse practitioner, or public health nurse.
Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

#DYK – Guardian Radiology

Guardian Radiology is a community-based radiology provider with multiple locations throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Access and availability are a primary focus for Guardian Radiology, negating unnecessary commutes to larger centres and decreasing wait times are major components to our practice philosophy.
Supported by Canada Diagnostic Center; Canada’s largest teleradiology provider, Guardian Radiology provides outpatient ultrasound imaging services to rural communities.
Our Drumheller location is a teleradiology site offering ultrasound services. Ultrasound scanning uses sound waves to image soft tissues. Ultrasound evaluation for vascular disease, abdominal pain, or obstetrical care are common studies performed.
Guardian Radiology is located inside of the Drumheller Associated Physicians Clinic, 140 Riverside Drive East, Drumheller, AB.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Local Giant Water Fight Event

What better way to have fun in the sun than with a Giant Water Fight?
Join the fight on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at the Drumheller Aquaplex.
Everyone is invited to bring their water guns, play water safety games and learn all about drowning prevention at the Drumheller Aquaplex.
There will be precautions to ensure that safety is at the forefront for every participant, including staff:
🌊 Water guns will need to be emptied and rinsed in a bleach water solution before entering change rooms; water guns can only be filled with pool water or water from the taps at the Aquaplex
🌊Water safety games will happen throughout the swim, focusing on drowning prevention and layers of protection for aquatic activities
🌊Safety reminder that staff supervising the pools are not to be sprayed
No preregistration required.
Join us for an exciting afternoon of fun, games, and safety education! Don’t miss out!
Regular admission pricing applies.
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