Texas Tech Health Check

With the number of people aged 65 years and older projected to more than double in the next quarter century, the need for caregivers will increase as well. Caregiving, especially for adults with dementia, is even now expensive and labor intensive, with some choosing home-care putting pressure on family members and even leading to burnout. Gayle Ayers, D.O., a psychiatrist, with the TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging, is back with us this time to talk about caregiver burnout and stress and what we can do about it.

September is designated as Healthy Aging Month, but social isolation and loneliness among older adults negatively affect their mental and physical health.  What does that mean and what can we do to help minimize that risk? Gayle Ayers, D.O. is a psychiatrist with the TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging and our guest for this and the next episode. Dr. Ayers explains how the number of older adults who feel isolated increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that negatively impacts mental health, contributing to depression and anxiety, and can accelerate cognitive decline, including dementia. 

Violent and horrific images of events and even descriptions of these incidents in the media seem frequent and unavoidable, especially recently. This can have a significant impact on your mental health. Natalie Scanlon, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in the TTUHSC School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, explains what impact these images can have on our mental health and on young, developing brains. She recommends setting boundaries and taking a break from the media and other sources of news and gives us tips on how to talk to children about these events.

Breathe easier as you listen to this podcast about lung health and learn about keeping your lungs healthy. Anuhya Alapati, M.D., pulmonologist in the Department of Internal Medicine, is our expert for this episode. Dr. Alapati tell us  about how to keep our lungs healthy by explaining what symptoms to watch out for, precautions we should take, how exercise helps with lung health and debunks some common myths about lung health. 

Many of us are aware of our thyroids, but how many of us know what it does or what happens when there’s a problem with our thyroid. Mohammad Sidani, M.D., guest for this episode, tells us all about the thyroid, including the origin of its name, and why if you’re on thyroid medication you should take it exactly as prescribed. Dr. Sidani is a Texas Tech Physicians surgeon and with the TTP Multispecialty Clinic in the UMC Health and Wellness Hospital. Although Dr. Sidani specializes in endocrine surgery, he explains that there are tailored treatments which don’t necessarily involve surgery and if they do, they don’t involve removing the entire thyroid. If surgery is necessary, because of the possible complications, he recommends patients talk to a high-volume thyroid surgeon about treatment.

Mental disorders affect men and women, but men are less likely to have received mental health treatment than women in the past year. Men are also more likely to die by suicide than women, according to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What does it mean when men bottle up their emotions? How can we encourage them to seek help? Taylor Johnston, LPC is a licensed professional counselor associate in the Department of Psychiatry’s Counseling Center where he sees patients through our employee assistance program and program of assistance for students. Taylor stresses the importance of a support system, self-care and mindfulness, plus counseling, help lead to better mental health.

The Counseling Center at TTUHSC
Call 806-743-1327 or 800-327-0328

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call or text 988

If you are in crisis and one of the following applies to you:

• You feel you are in immediate danger of harming yourself.
• You feel you are in immediate danger of harming someone else.
• You have recently been assaulted or had a traumatic experience.

Please do one of the following:

• Call 911 – you will be connected with the police who can help you get emergency services.
• Call the StarCare Crisis Team  806-740-1414.
• Go to your local emergency room.

If you or a loved one have food allergies, make sure you check those epinephrine injectors before you hit the road to either drop off a kiddo at camp, take a family vacation or join your friends or family for a meal. Also make sure that you and your loved ones know how to use it properly. That’s the advice from James Tarbox, M.D., an allergist with Texas Tech Physicians. 

Dr. Tarbox tells us what happens to someone when they’re triggered by a food allergy, explains the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance, and why we should be prepared if you or a loved one has food allergies. He also shares some upcoming good news for those who do not like needles but have allergies. 

Be mindful of your feet as you step into the heat this summer. Our expert for this episode is Jerry Grimes, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Grimes reminds us to keep our feet safe by wearing footwear that's appropriate for the occasion, applying sunscreen on our feet if they’re exposed to the sun and if you can’t feel your feet or have diabetes, making sure to check your feet daily. 

Women are the most common caregivers, but they must remember to prioritize their physical health too. Jennifer Ward, M.D., assistant professor for the School of Medicine's Family and Community Medicine, explains why having annual checkups and screenings is important, but so is knowing one's family medical history. Dr. Ward tells us some common health issues among middle age and older women, debunks some myth's about women's health and reminds patients to advocate for themselves. 

We’re highlighting women’s health this month and would like to encourage women and girls to prioritize their health. One of the ways to do that is by becoming physically active. Toby Brooks, Ph.D., is program director for the TTUHSC School of Health Professions Master of Athletic Training. Brooks also has worked as an athletic trainer and/or strength and conditioning coach with numerous professional, collegiate, and high school athletics programs. He shares with us what women can do to ease into or step up their exercise routines, and why we should think of it as a long term investment and gift to ourselves and our families.