News

Establishing a Back-to-School Sleep Routine with Your Children

With the summer season being full of barbeques, late nights and days spent by the pool, you and your family may have fallen out of your usual school year habits including a consistent sleep schedule. Jeannie Pruitt, BSA Sleep Disorders Clinic Manager, has some tips and tricks for how you can get your kids back on a healthy sleep routine for the beginning of the school year.

Pruitt suggests that consistency is key when it comes to establishing a healthy, back-to-school sleep routine.

Summer Colds vs. Allergies

Sometimes the common symptoms of a cold —runny nose, coughing, scratchy and sore throat, fever and body aches—can overlap with what we think are the signs of seasonal allergies.

Knowing the difference between a cold and an allergy can help you treat the root cause of your symptoms. Common colds are caused by viruses, whereas allergies are an immune system’s response to environmental triggers, known as allergens.

Colds are more likely to cause:

Milk Matters: Mom's Meal Plan While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a great way to provide your baby with a variety of nutrients that help to keep your baby healthy. While breastfeeding, it is important to keep up with your own health as well.

Follow the tips below to help you stay healthy while breastfeeding.

Get Those Calories

Surviving a Summer Pregnancy in Texas

A summer pregnancy in the Texas Panhandle may not always be the easiest. It is normal for expectant mothers to feel uncomfortable and overheated. While carrying your little one, your body is working overtime to cool down and the heat doesn’t help. That is why it is so important for pregnant women to take proper precautions, so overheating does not happen during pregnancy, which can lead to heat exhaustion and heatstroke. The most common symptoms of heat exhaustion (which can lead to heatstroke) include headache, dizziness, pale skin, profuse sweating, weakness and fainting.

Weight Loss Surgery at BSA Gives Mom New Lease on Life

For years, Chylo Graham was on a diet rollercoaster and wanted desperately to step off.

“I had tried all diets and my body just wouldn’t cooperate,” Graham explained. “Every time I would lose 15 pounds, I would gain back 30.”

At 27 years old, Graham weighed 265 pounds. The mother of four struggled to keep up with her children and husband on hikes and when visiting amusement parks.

“I got on a ride once and they told me I couldn’t ride because the seatbelt wouldn’t buckle,” Graham shared.

The excess weight was also taking a toll on her feet.

Gruver Man is Thankful for BSA's Exceptional Care during Open-Heart Surgery

Russ Chisum, 64, was on his way to meet his wife and sister in Panhandle, Texas, when he began experiencing severe discomfort in his chest.

“During the drive I stopped for gas and when I got back into the car, something felt very wrong,” Chisum said. “It started feeling like there was a belt tightening around my chest.”

This was not his first time experiencing discomfort in his chest. In the weeks prior, Chisum could barely catch his breath while walking or climbing stairs.

Hernias Happen – BSA Can Help

A hernia occurs when there is a weakness or hole in the muscle wall, allowing a bulge of tissue to protrude through the muscle.

The symptoms of a hernia may include a dull ache, feeling of weakness, heaviness, pressure or a burning sensation in the abdomen, groin or scrotum. A soft bulge may develop, typically getting worse as the day goes on.

The most common types of hernias are inner groin, outer groin, belly button, surgical scar site and upper stomach. Inner groin hernias are the most common type of hernia, and account for 75% of abdominal wall hernias.

Summer: The Perfect Season for Men to Improve Their Health

June, known for the start of summer, is also National Men’s Health Month. During summer months, men are encouraged to practice preventive health measures and improve their health. 

As temperatures begin to rise for the summer months, one important preventive health measure men can practice is protecting their skin from the sun.

Mother of Three Survives Diabetic Coma at BSA Hospital

Losing 160 Pounds to Gain a Healthier Lifestyle

Weighing in at 343 pounds, Braxton Bjork experienced daily joint pain, difficulty standing for extended periods of time, high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. On July 20, 2017, Bjork made a life-changing decision to improve his health through bariatric surgery at BSA Hospital. Less than two years since surgery, Bjork has experienced an overall weight loss of 160 pounds.