When we think about caring for ourselves, we often equate that to healthy eating and physical activity. However, proper sleep is just as critical for both mental and physical health – especially now. Families are continuing to navigate changes in their lives on account of the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of sleep can impact how we respond to stress and anxiety.
The reality is that almost 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia and another 22 million suffer from sleep apnea. Lack of sleep not only impacts quality of life, but it can alter your immune system and lead to other serious conditions. In fact, research suggests that sleep is necessary for removing a toxic protein in our brain tissue called beta-amyloid. This protein is associated with the onset of dementia.
So, what are some steps you can take to ensure you’re getting enough sleep this holiday season as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic? Here are a few tips to get your sleep routine back on track:
Mercy Medical Group was one of just a few physician organizations in California to receive the 2020 Excellence in Healthcare Award, California’s top honor for provider organizations, from the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) for its top performance in clinical quality, patient experience and cost measures.
By now, most of us have fallen into some sort of routine and are doing our best to protect ourselves, our families and community from COVID-19. We wash our hands, we wear a mask in public, and we physically distance. Even though we know the CDC guidelines, it can be difficult to know when and how to apply those guidelines to our everyday lives. Two Dignity Health Medical Group physicians, Zachary Brewer, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon and Syama Varudu, MD, an Internal Medicine physician with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, share the best practices that they use every day.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase education and awareness around a disease that affects women of all ages and ethnicities. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., second only to skin cancer. Close to 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Joelle Jakobsen, MD, FACS, a general surgeon and breast cancer specialist with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group in Folsom, and Carmichael Calif. and Daniel Herron, MD, director of Women’s Imaging at Dignity Health Advanced Imaging, shared helpful information on breast cancer and mammograms.
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