Dr. Katherine Bartush orthopaedic sports medicine specialist, spoke to News 4 San Antonio Today, to find out ways we can avoid heat-related injuries., Some symptoms of a heat injury include:, •Heavy sweating •Muscle cramping •Cold clammy skin •Nausea or vomiting •Confusion, Watch the full story
In a U.S. and Swiss study, nearly all patients with cancer developed good immune response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines three to four weeks after receiving their second dose, but the fact that a small group of the patients exhibited no response raised questions about how their protection against the virus will be addressed moving forward. Among the 131 patients studied, 94% developed antibodies…
Dr. Caitlyn Mooney, an orthopaedic sports medicine specialist, contributed to a Web MD story that speaks to the caution that needs to be taken as young athletes, once again, take to the fields, courts, tracks and rinks after such a long period away from such athletics due to restrictions of the pandemic; doctors are seeing more injuries now, like stress fractures, as a result of the long stretch…, Read the full article on Web MD
A typical Western high-fat diet can increase the risk of painful disorders common in people with conditions such as diabetes or obesity, according to a groundbreaking paper authored by a team led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Moreover, changes in diet may significantly reduce or even reverse pain from conditions causing either inflammatory pain – such as…, Fatty acids and pain, Chronic pain is a major cause of disability around the world. But although fat-reduction often is advised to manage diabetes, auto-immune disorders and cardiovascular diseases, the role of dietary lipids, or fatty acids, in pain conditions has been relatively unknown. In the new paper, Dr. Boyd and his colleagues used multiple methods in both mice and humans to study the role of polyunsaturated…
Scientists from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have discovered a mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 exploits changes in metal ion concentrations to disguise itself in the body. Varying concentrations of metal ions — positively charged atoms such as magnesium, manganese and calcium — are observed in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. “This is a newly described metal-dependent…
Researchers at UT Health San Antonio are buoyed by the news that the Novavax vaccine is strongly effective against the COVID-19 virus. Biotechnology company Novavax released Phase 3 clinical trial results from 119 sites in the U.S. and Mexico on June 14. UT Health San Antonio collaborated with University Health as part of the international COVID-19 Prevention Network and enrolled 176 Novavax…, Barbara Taylor, MD, MS, , associate professor of infectious diseases at UT Health San Antonio and assistant dean for the MD/MPH program diseases in the university’s Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. “We want to say a huge thank you to our participants for their continued commitment to helping our community end COVID-19,” Dr. Taylor said. The vaccine candidate, called NVX-CoV2373, is a protein engineered…
Teens across San Antonio and South Texas can improve their mental health while helping others through an online program introduced this spring. Project YES (Youth Empowerment & Support) is an innovative approach to helping adolescents address common mental health conditions. The program has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety, decrease hopelessness and boost a sense of control in…, Local teens help build Project YES, A high school student records her story at UT Health San Antonio for the local version of Project YES. The program is open to all, free of charge. To initiate the program locally, area youth were invited to share their stories about stress and anxiety. Their voice recordings explain the concepts of the program and provide examples that are relatable to South Texas youth. Project YES is available…, Mental health research, According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 20% of children with mental health difficulties have access to treatment, and of those 20%, only 1 in 5 complete the full course of treatment. With continuing shortages of mental health professionals in Texas and nationwide, especially in rural areas, there are not enough providers to offer evidence-based treatment. The “open…, Pandemic increases mental health concerns for all, Mental health issues in adolescents were prevalent before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Plastino, who also serves as vice chair for clinical operations in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine . “Teen pregnancy prevention and the physical ailments of health are often interrelated with behavioral health. And now that we’ve been going through this pandemic, we are more aware of…, Advice for parents, Dr. Plastino encourages parents to really listen to their children and invite them to share their feelings and concerns with them without judgement. “Try to instill hope in your children and make sure you are doing OK. I don’t think it would hurt us adults to click on the link to Project YES to see if it can help us, too.” To contact UT Teen Health, visit https://www.utteenhealth.org or call…
By: Jessica Binkley In an effort to encourage more people to get vaccinated, UT Health San Antonio has partnered with San Antonio Metro Health District to offer COVID-19 vaccines during Fiesta. The Fiesta vaccination events come as part of a larger community outreach initiative to bring the vaccine to areas that need it most. “We need to go where the people are,” said Ruth Berggren, MD, MACP,…, Receiving the vaccine will be a walk-up process, with no registration necessary., The UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing’s mobile unit, including providers from the School of Nursing and the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, will administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mission Reach Flotilla Fiesta event., Metro Health will have additional Johnson & Johnson vaccination booths set up at the following Fiesta events:, •Fiesta Fiesta at Hemisfair Park, June 17, 3-7 p.m. •Fiesta de Los Reyes at Market Square, June 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. •Longest Day Run at Comanche Park, June 19, 8-10 a.m. •Run to Remember, June 19, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. •A Day in Old Mexico & Charreada, June 20 and 27, 12-5 p.m. •Night in Old San Antonio at La Villita, June 22-25, 4-8 p.m. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is…
Have you heard about “long COVID?” In this episode of our HealthyU Webcast Series, learn about complications, persistent symptoms, research, diagnosis focus and rehabilitation. Plus, get expert answers to some burning questions about this topic. Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez runs UT Health San Antonio’s COVID-19 recovery service and hosts this episode of the HealthyU Webcast Series. Watch COVID-…
The coronavirus pandemic amplified mental health stressors long experienced by vulnerable Hispanic populations but also fortified members’ coping strategies, according to focus groups of 43 community health workers (CHWs) embedded within these communities. The research is from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and its Center for Research to Advance Community Health (…, Published in the journal Health and Social Care in the Community, the article lists six mental health stressors described by the CHWs:, • economics (related to job insecurity) • immigration (e.g., undocumented immigration legal status) • misinformation • family stress (pertaining to changes in family dynamics and the home environment) • health (concerns such as limited health care access) • social isolation , Coping skills of the community were categorized into four themes:, • behavioral strategies (such as identifying reliable information) • cognitive strategies (e.g., collectivistic thinking) • social support • spirituality “The idea for this project came from the community health workers who were contacting us and asking for resources,” said first author Luz M. Garcini, PhD, MPH , a ReACH Scholar who specializes in understanding trauma, loss and grief among…, Fear and distrust, CHWs provided input in two focus groups conducted in English and Spanish in July 2020. At the time, Hispanic community members were concerned about discrimination and stigmatization, both if they were tested for COVID-19 and if they tested positive, the CHWs said. This fear exacerbated Hispanic communities’ concerns over immigration legal status. “According to the community health workers, those…, Ways to cope, In the midst of it all, the communities proved to be very resilient, Dr. Garcini said. “The community health workers found that people were using basic skills, what we call in psychology ‘behavioral activation,’” she said. “Gardening, cooking, cleaning the house, these were lifesaving skills for them.” Hispanic communities also sought refuge in spirituality. “A lot of praying was taking place,”…, Contact your primary care provider here or learn more about our behavioral health program here ., Value of community health workers, The study pointed out the great advantages of using CHWs to assess needs and deliver health care to distressed Hispanic communities. “In the focus groups, the community health workers helped us understand the huge pressure that they have, but also the huge opportunity that they can bring in helping us, as a nation, do a better job of reaching our underserved populations,” Dr. Garcini said. The…