Spring 2020 Individual and Family Newsletter

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is in the news, but what is it? CTE is a rare brain degenerative disorder thought to be caused by repeated head traumas. Although experts are still trying to understand this disorder, it is believed to be seen in some athletes involved in soccer, boxing, football and hockey. Military personnel exposed to explosive blasts, those that have been physically abused, repeated banging of the head, and athletes in other contact sports can also lead to repetitive head injury and risk of developing CTE.

Some signs and symptoms are considered to include: difficulty thinking, impulsive behavior, depression, and emotional instability. Symptoms typically do not begin until years after the injuries and get worse over time. No cure currently exists, but precautions include protective headgear, mouth guards, and adhering to proper return to play protocols after a potential brain injury in sports. 

Not everyone who experiences repeated concussion go on to develop CTE. A medical professional should be seen if you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, head injuries (even if emergency care is not needed), memory problems, and/or personality and mood changes. 

For teenagers, sleep plays a critical role in staying healthy, feeling happy, and maintaining good grades. But sleep doesn’t come easily for some teens. An increased amount of screen time throughout the day has been linked to insomnia and symptoms of depression in adolescents. 

The Blue Light Effect 

Electronics emit an artificial blue light that can suppress the release of the body’s sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. In turn, this can interfere with the body’s internal clock that signals when it’s time to sleep and wake up. They may experience problems falling asleep as well as difficulty staying asleep. As a result, these teens sleep fewer overall hours; over time, that sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms of depression. 

Getting Back on Track 

Limiting overall daily screen time can help improve sleep issues, but most importantly, restricting use right before bed can play a key role in helping teens fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality. Consider setting a digital curfew one to two hours before bedtime (the earlier, the better). 

There are many benefits to today’s tech-driven world: Access to more information, the ability to connect with others in an emergency, and a chance to make friends with new people in new places. Managing the amount of time adolescents spend plugged into their electronic devices helps give them the benefits without as many drawbacks, especially when it comes to sleep. 

Do your eyes water on windy days? Are you always stuffy when it rains? That’s no surprise. Weather is a common allergy trigger. What can you do? Unless you’re prepared to settle down in a bunker, there’s no way to avoid the weather. But you can work around it and reduce your allergy symptoms. 

• Pay attention to the weather. Check local pollen and mold counts. Spend less time outside when you’re likely to have problems. 
• Prepare for allergies. If you have the same allergy at the same time every year, get ahead of it. Ask your doctor if you can start taking allergy drugs about 2 weeks before you usually start sneezing, coughing, or itching. That way, you can stop them before they start. 
• Control your environment. You can’t change what’s happening outside, but you do have some control over conditions in your house. Use air conditioning to filter out mold and pollen. Use a dehumidifier to ward off mold growth and dust mites. 

Get the right diagnosis. See your doctor to have an allergy skin test, which can show you exactly what triggers your symptoms. The change of seasons also has a big effect on allergies. 

• Spring - Plants begin releasing pollens in February or March. Tree pollens are also a common spring allergy. 
• Summer - Early, grass pollen can trigger reactions. Later, ragweed and other weeds can become a problem. Mold can hit its peak in July. 
• Fall - Ragweed season usually ends with the first frost in October. 
• Winter - Indoor allergens, like pet dander and dust mites, can become more of a problem in winter because you spend more time indoors.

1. Preheat grill for medium heat. 
2. In shallow bowl, mix mustard, honey, mayonaisse, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. 
4. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. 
5. Baste occasionally with reserve sauce during last 10 minutes. 
6. Watch carefully to prevent burning