People with Asthma and COVID-19
Article Featured on CDC.gov
This information is based on what we currently know about the spread and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Risk of Getting COVID-19 if you have asthma
People with asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. COVID-19 can affect your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs), cause an asthma attack, and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.
What to do if you are in a high risk demographic for COVID-19
Severe Outcomes Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) — United States, February 12–March 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 18 March 2020. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6912e2external icon
COVID-19 is a new disease and we are learning more about it every day. Older adults are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
8 out of 10 deaths reported in the U.S. have been in adults 65 years old and older
Among adults with confirmed COVID-19 reported in the U.S.:
- Estimated percent requiring hospitalization
- 31-70% of adults 85 years old and older
- 31-59% of adults 65-84 years old
- Estimated percent requiring admission to intensive care unit
- 6-29% of adults 85 years old and older
- 11-31% of adults 65-84 years old
- Estimated percent who died
- 10-27% of adults 85 years old and older
- 4-11% of adults 65-84 years old
What you can do
- If you have a serious underlying medical condition
- Wash your hands often.
- Avoid close contact (6 feet, which is about two arm lengths) with people who are sick.
- Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched services.
- Avoid all cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
- Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying condition or if you are sick.
- For more information on steps you can take to protect yourself, see CDC’s How to Protect Yourself
Stress and coping
If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others call
- 911
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. (TTY 1-800-846-8517)
- Older people are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 which may result in increased stress during a crisis.
- Fear and anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions.
- Learn more about stress and coping.
Things you can do to support yourself
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories and social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
- Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
- Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.
Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm
Two Injury-Prone Areas Bow Hunters Should Scout For
Article Featured on OSMSGB
If you think about the basic actions of shooting a bow – pull back with the fingers and arm, rotate through the shoulder, hold, and release – it probably becomes clear why upper extremity conditions are some of the most commonly diagnosed injuries among bow hunters. The drawing back of the strings demands a lot from the smaller muscles of the rotator cuff, forearm, wrist, and fingers. Plus, repetitive target practice to improve aim, timing, and other hunting skills can easily result in chronic pain or injury from overuse.
Everything you need to know about total ankle replacement surgery
Article Featured on OSMSBG
A total ankle replacement, also called total ankle arthroplasty, is a surgical treatment option for patients suffering from ankle pain, typically due to arthritis or injury. If this pain is impacting a patient’s quality of life or keeping them from walking comfortably, they might benefit from a total ankle arthroplasty. While lesser known than a total hip, knee or shoulder replacement, total ankle replacements are gaining popularity.
Six Tips to Keep Your Knees & Joints Healthy
by Stacey Colino, AARP
If you’ve walked, jogged and hiked this far without any major knee trouble, there’s more you can do than thank your lucky stars. A few basic steps can help you protect your knees as you age.
Besides being the largest joint in the human body, “the knees are unique in that the motion involved is very complex,” says Sanjeev Bhatia, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon and codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Hip and Knee Joint Preservation Center at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois. “The knee has three compartments, any of which can cause pain with wear and tear.”
With the passage of time, a certain amount of wear and tear on your joints is inevitable. But it doesn’t have to affect the way your knees feel, function or move. If you experience a clicking or popping sensation in the joint when you walk, bend or lunge, but there’s no pain or swelling, you don’t need to worry about it, says Dennis Cardone, D.O., an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York City. On the other hand, if you have pain or swelling with that clicking or popping, it’s best to schedule a visit to your doctor.
Otherwise, to minimize your risk of experiencing pain, stiffness and inflammation in your knees, take these steps to protect these essential joints.
Why Knee Pain Could Be a Thing of the Past
By David C. Flanigan, M.D. | Article Featured on US News
AS WE AGE, WE’RE MORE prone to experience joint pain, but knee aches and pains might be the result of a bigger culprit: osteoarthritis. As the most common chronic joint condition, about 31 million Americans are diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in their lives. This occurs when cartilage in the joint wears away, and it causes stiffness and swelling that worsens over time.
Sleep Hygiene and Back Pain
Article Featured on Spine Health Institute
Give Your Spine a Good Night’s Rest
Sleep. It’s one of the most natural and nurturing human activities, and it’s something we all require to keep our minds and bodies functioning properly. But did you know you can actually sleep the WRONG way? Think about the last time you awoke with a stiff neck after lying in an awkward position. Or maybe your back started hurting the second you got up for work. Whether you aggravated an old injury or created a new one, it happened when you weren’t even conscious!
The truth is, each of us can benefit by following certain “sleep strategies” that minimize the pressure on our spinal column while we’re at rest. This starts with learning the proper way to get into and out of bed so as to reduce unnecessary twisting of the spine.
Getting Into Bed
Obviously, if you’re prone to chronic back or neck pain, or if you’re trying to recover from a recent back injury, having a good mattress is a key to your comfort. While mattress shopping isn’t fun – or cheap! – it’s worth knowing what to look for when the time comes. Our Spine U library has a quick video that demonstrates how to choose the best mattress for your back.
That said, even the best mattress can’t keep you from straining a muscle when you’re getting into or out of bed. That’s why we recommend the “log roll” sequence, especially for those just recovering from a back injury. Here’s how it’s done:
- First, sit on the edge of the bed and use your arms to slowly lower your body down onto your side while bringing your legs and feet onto the bed.
- Roll onto your back while keeping your back and hips in line. Avoid twisting your back by tightening your abdominal muscles.
- To get up, slowly roll onto your side and slide your legs off the side of the bed. Be sure to keep your abdominal muscles tight.
- With your elbow and hand, push into the mattress and lift up into a sitting position.
This quick video demonstrates the log roll.
Lying on Your Back
If you typically sleep on your back, learn the correct “supine” position to avoid putting undue stress on parts of your spine.
- Start by completing the log roll sequence to lie down.
- Use a medium-sized pillow under your head to ensure that your body and head are at equal height.
- If needed, place a small pillow in the curve of your lower back for support.
- Place one or two pillows under your knees to keep your spine in a neutral position.
This video demonstrates the proper supine position.
Sleeping on Your Side
If you prefer lying on your side, it’s important to keep your hips and neck in alignment. Here’s how.
- Use the log roll sequence to get into bed.
- Place a medium-sized pillow under your head so your head and body are raised by the same amount.
- If needed, place a small towel roll in the curve of your neck.
- Place a thin- to medium-sized pillow between your knees to help support your lower back.
This video demonstrates the proper side-sleeping technique.
For Stomach Sleepers
In general, it’s not very wise to sleep on your stomach because of the strain that this position puts on your back and neck. But if this is the only way you’re able to sleep, you can reduce the pressure on your spinal column this way.
- Start the logroll sequence and use your arms to lower your body down on your stomach while lifting your legs onto the bed.
- Use a very thin pillow or no pillow under your head to keep your neck in line with your body.
- Place a thin or medium-size pillow under your stomach and pelvic region to help keep your spine in a neutral position.
- Bring one leg to your side and slightly bend it. Place a medium pillow underneath your knee to relieve pressure on your lower back.
Here’s a video that shows the best possible way to sleep on your stomach.
Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm