Stay Healthy

The new fall clothes and sneakers have been purchased, notebooks have been organized and kids throughout the region have settled into what families hope will be a successful new school year. However, according to the latest statistics, one in five children ages 13 to 18, or 20 percent of youth in this age group, have or will have a serious mental illness — causing significant functional impairment in their day-to-day lives in school, at home and with peers.  Childhood mental disorders include a range of disorders that can be diagnosed and begin in childhood, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, behavior disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders and substance use disorders, among others.     

In honor of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the 30th anniversary of Monthly, we offer 30 facts and tips to increase breast cancer awareness:

Memory Matters is a nonprofit organization that ensures that even those dealing with memory loss feel safe in the community going about their everyday lives. As part of its efforts, it is working with area businesses and organizations to spread awareness.

The nonprofit group launched its Purple Angel Project in January, and has already trained 650 employees at more than 30 Hilton Head Island businesses to recognize the signs of dementia, as well as how to help someone who is suffering from dementia and memory loss — skills that will be invaluable on Hilton Head, where the latest U.S. Census showed that 68 percent of island residents are older than 65.

WHEN TEAM HAPPY FEET SETS OFF AT THIS YEAR’S LOCO MOTION, THEY’LL HAVE PLENTY TO BE HAPPY ABOUT.

Carolyn Neely is smiling. She is ordering lunch at Bluffton’s Corner Perk, the late summer heat ruling out a coffee and casting pearls of condensation on her water glass. Along May River Road, cars are rumbling along. And Carolyn Neely is happy.

Happy because she can call herself a survivor, smiling because she knows all too well how much the deck was stacked against her.

In his best-selling book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,” Atul Gawande tells a story about a maverick geriatric doctor, Bill Thomas, who takes a job in a New York nursing home and decides to combat what he calls the three plagues: hopelessness, helplessness, and boredom.

Breaking all the rules, Thomas brings in dogs and cats and 100 parakeets and gives the animals and birds to residents, telling them to take care of them as their own.

Visiting an island with a bright blue sky and world-class beaches can lead to irrational decision-making. Like going outside unprotected from the sun.

Summer on Hilton Head Island is ideal for swimming, boating, golfing, riding bicycles and horses, fishing and frolicking in the surf. But even a few minutes of the island’s sun can cause skin damage.

Ultraviolet rays accounted for 80 percent of skin aging in a recent study of almost 300 women published in the Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology.

Welcome to 2015! Are you ready for a change? Do you want to start the year with resolutions that radiate throughout the year and longer?  
The New Year symbolizes rebirth. We cannot go back and relive 2014, but we have blank pages to write in 2015.  
Perhaps you went through a divorce, had a baby, retired, or maybe nothing extremely life-changing occurred in 2014, but you are ready for transformation, a new beginning, a new you!  

Enjoy the lazy days of summer, but follow these tips to avoid or minimize the risks that summer fun can pose to your eye health.

FOREIGN BODIES

In sand traps or on the beach, objects such as sand, no-see-ums, and debris can lodge under your eyelids. Keep a squirt bottle of water handy to flush the eyes. If you can’t easily dislodge the object, a visit to your eye doctor may be necessary. A golf coach wouldn’t hurt either.

Simple, short-term goals key to reaching fitness goals

GETTING FIT, STAYING FIT AND FEELING FIT.

As a Physical Therapist, I’m a firm believer that a strong core is the key to everything. I’ve seen a direct correlation betweenhaving a weak core and back pain, rotator cuffissues, running injuries and more. These basic but functional exercises are a great addition for runners, cyclists, swimmers, cross fitters, triathletes, yogis,and more. I put 90% of my patients on a core strengthening programbefore we do anything else.
— Laura Fromdahl,
Physical Therapist, (Fit Chics Founder, Triathlete)