Did you change a flight? Or move a project deadline to avoid jinxing its success. Whether or not you’re superstitious, it’s safe to assume you’ll dodge black cats and ladders on that dreaded day…just in case the urban legends are true. 

Friday the 13^th is the only day people suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia – the morbid, irrational fear of the date. 

Do you suffer from a bona fide phobia or are you just spooked? 

“It’s in our nature to do what other people in our environment do,” said Dr. Britta Ostermeyer, chief of psychiatry at Ben Taub General Hospital and the Harris County Hospital District. “If we see that other people are concerned about certain events, we tend to become concerned as well.”

Fear is the normal response to genuine danger. Meanwhile a phobia is a type of anxiety disorder – a strong, excessive, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. 

“A phobia is a mental disorder that causes enormous anxiety and distress for a person,” Ostermeyer said. “It essentially interferes with a person’s life – disturbing daily functions.”

The American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education estimates 7.8 percent of American adults have phobias. They are the most common psychiatric illnesses among women of all ages and are the second most common among men older than 25. 

Phobias may cause a person to avoid common places, circumstances or objects, even though they logically know there isn’t any danger. In fact, the person might even panic at the idea of coming in contact with the source of their phobia. 

If a person suffers from any phobia – whether of Friday the 13^th or of heights – Ostermeyer suggests seeking medical help when it interferes with daily activities. 

“Treatment for phobias can involve behavioral therapy, which entails systematic de-sensitization,” Ostermeyer said. “In therapy, patients will gradually confront their fear, until their anxiety is gone.” 

While some are dreading this Friday, Ostermeyer is looking forward to it. After all, 13 is her lucky number. 

“Whenever 13 came up for me, it has turned out well,” Ostermeyer said. “If you have a positive outlook, then, indeed, good things might happen.” 

So whether it’s just a fear or actual paraskevidekatriaphobia, don’t worry— there are only two more days this year April 13 and July 13 where you’ll have to hide under the covers to avoid the dreaded day.

The program is open to students who are entering grades 9-12 and are 14 to 18 years of age. 

HCHD volunteers work at Ben Taub General Hospital, Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, Quentin Mease Community Hospital and in the hospital district’s community health centers.

Duties range from being a hospitality host/greeter and performing clinical duties to assissting in a nursing station.

The program runs from June 13 to Aug. 19. Students must commit to volunteer eight of the program’s 10 weeks. 

To apply, students are required to fill out an application, write an essay and include a personal letter of reference. The students and a parent or guardian also must attend orientation. 

Applications must be submitted by Friday, March 30, 2012. No exceptions. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Space is limited, so apply early!

Please return your completed paperwork to the Harris County Hospital District Volunteer and Guest Services Intake Coordinator via fax 713-440-5505; or scan and e-mail to volunteer@hchd.tmc.edu or mail to Volunteer Services  1504 Taub Loop  Houston, TX  77030.

“These unique hospital-based programs provide students the valuable opportunity to train with leading-edge technology at Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson general hospitals,” said Cleveland Black, PhD, administrative director, Learning and Resource Center. 

The deadline for the radiography and sonography programs is March 31. 

Students learn alongside physicians from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine at HCHD’s Level I and III trauma centers. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend an information session at 9250 Kirby, Suite 1800, Houston, Texas 77054, on the following dates in the radiology classroom: 

Dates and times for the 2012 information sessions are:

• January 11, 5 p.m.
• February 15, 5 p.m.
• March 7, 5 p.m.
• March 24, 10 a.m.

For more information, call 713-634-1550.

It’s the mantra that millions of people will repeat as they make resolutions for 2012. Hoping this year will be different, Harris County Hospital District clinical nutrition manager Shaynee Roper offers some simple steps to accomplish your goal. 

It starts, she says, by recognizing that losing weight is a lifestyle change and not merely a change in diet. 

“A lot of people set goals and are really gung-ho in January and February, but then their energy fades because they’re not making a lifestyle change,” says Roper, LD, RD, a registered and licensed dietitian with more than 20 years of experience. “Most want a quick fix, but if you have more than 8-10 pounds to lose, it isn’t going to be a quick fix. You have to stay on task and stick with it for 6-12 months to see results.” 

Here are five tips: 

1. Set small goals. A weekly goal of losing a pound or perhaps five pounds over a month is reasonable. Or better yet, don’t set weight goals, but rather set goals of reducing or eliminating bad foods like fried food or sweets.
    
2. Jot down everything you eat and drink for two weeks. Learn from this food journal what you can reduce and eliminate. Drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables.
    
3. From your food journal, identify trigger foods that you overeat or are not healthy. When you identify these trigger foods, start with one or two that you want to reduce or eliminate from your diet. This means making sure that the unhealthy foods like candy or salty chips are not in your house or easy to get. After a few weeks, add another food from your list to reduce or eliminate or make another change to your diet.
    
4. Find another activity like exercise, reading a book or riding a bike to replace the urge to eat when you’re not hungry. Learn to recognize the difference between “hunger” (need to eat) and “appetite” (desire to eat). Exercising for 30 minutes a day, at least 4-5 times a week, is highly recommended.
    
5. Reward yourself for your accomplishments. Maybe it’s buying a new pair of shoes for achieving a weight loss or for eliminating fried foods from your diet. However, don’t reward yourself with food. 

When reducing or eliminating foods from your diet, you should do it gradually. 

“Pick one or two changes to make.  Work on these for 2 weeks before adding more,” Roper says. “It may seem like a slow process, but remember, it’s more a lifestyle change. Doing it slowly will help you stick with it and make you feel like you’re not giving up everything all at once.” 

For exercise, Roper suggests breaking up the 30-minutes of recommended activity into small 5-10 minute segments throughout the day. Maybe it’s doing leg lifts or arm curls while at a computer desk, walking a hallway or stairway or doing sit-ups or crunches while watching TV. 

“Any exercise will get your metabolism revved up and into gear,” she says. 

While losing weight is an individual effort, Roper encourages having family and friends support you. 

“Sometimes if you have to answer to someone else like a family member or friend, you are more likely to follow the plan that you have set for yourself,” she says. “If you have to meet someone at the gym, you are more likely to show up and exercise.” 

For more information or help in setting a personal weight-loss plan, consult your physician and/or a dietitian.

These tiny batteries are common in toys, but they’re also present in a multitude of household devices like remote controls, calculators, handheld games, books and even musical greeting cards. 

“To a child, these small batteries may look like candy,” said Dr. Daniel Ivan, pediatrician, Aldine Health Center, part of the Harris County Hospital District and assistant professor, Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. “If swallowed, they can trigger a storm of major medical complications, sometimes ending in death if not treated and removed in time.” 

According to the National Poison Data System, studies show that up to 2.7 percent of all button batteries result in serious medical problems, with most problems caused by batteries 20 mm or more in diameter. In children, the majority of ingestions happen in those younger than six, with the highest rate between one to two years old. 

The injuries are produced by electrical discharge, destruction of the tissues from battery pressure or leakage of the battery contents. While some swallowed batteries may pass through the system and are eliminated in a few days, others can get stuck in the child’s esophagus. 

Dire consequences may include: esophageal burns; fistulas (abnormal connections between the digestive tract and airways or blood vessels); perforations of the esophagus, stomach or gut; spillage of the battery content in the chest of abdomen; and poisoning with heavy metals, such as mercury. 

Although some of the ingestions are observed, frequently they may go unnoticed. Dr. Ivan says a child who was previously in good health and all of a sudden has pain swallowing, refuses to drink, drools, coughs, vomits or has chest pain, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain or fever could raise the question of possible ingestion of a foreign body. 

If parents suspect their child swallowed a button battery:

• Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 202-625-3333 or Poison Control Center at
  1-800-222-1222
• Provide information about the battery type and size, if available
• Avoid inducing vomiting since this may bring the battery back from the stomach into the esophagus. Do not give the child any food or drinks.
• Take the child to an emergency room, since in most cases X-rays are needed to identify the position of the battery in the body.
• If fever, abdominal pain, vomiting or blood in the stool develop after the ER visit, report symptoms immediately.
• If directed by a physician after an ER exam, check the bowel movements until the battery has passed. 

“Prevention through education is a better alternative than treatment,” says Dr. Ivan. 

Caregivers should:

• Properly dispose the used batteries.
• Secure the battery compartment so that a tool is required to open them.
• Improve the integrity of the seal area of button batteries.
• Avoid using devices that use batteries greater than 15 mm in diameter.
• Avoid letting children play or manipulate devices containing disc batteries, which can easily be removed/dislocated.

“This is the time of year families traditionally get together,” says Dr. Britta Ostermeyer, chief, Psychiatry, Ben Taub General Hospital, part of the Harris County Hospital District. “We count the faces around the table and we notice those who are not here, and it hurts.” 

Dr. Ostermeyer says she sees many patients who express concern of deepening grief for the upcoming holiday season, they dread the time as more feelings of grief, pain, sadness, emptiness and anger emerge. 

“The holidays are a part of normal life and it’s OK to feel guilty. Those feelings are normal and understandable,” says Dr. Ostermeyer. “There’s no need to pretend to be happy, just be you.” 

Friends and family can also offer support by being good listeners — allowing the grieving person to cry and letting them know it’s OK to show feelings. While some may not talk about the loss to the grieved person out of concern, sometimes not bringing up the person is hurtful, so don’t be afraid to share a favorite memory. 

Dr. Ostermeyer offers the following suggestions to help grieved family members through the holiday:

• Acknowledge your feelings, be true to yourself. You do not have to feel a certain way, give yourself permission to feel whatever you are feeling.
• Take care of yourself, both mentally and physically, manage your stress level and balance your grief.
• Don’t be shy to ask for help and support from others. The holiday season is about sharing and giving.
• Try to make a meaningful holiday contribution and make a difference by volunteering.
• Create new traditions, such as lighting a candle in your loved one’s memory. New traditions can help cope with loss. 

If people are in a depressed mood and suffering from loss of interest, impairment of daily activities and functions, changes in appetite, memory problems, and fatigue, they may be suffering from depression and should seek professional mental health services. 

“Remember that the holidays will pass and you will make it through. You do not have to pretend to enjoy it; just try to have a good time. And if happiness slips through the grief, allow for it to happen,” says Dr. Ostermeyer. “Your loved one would want for you to be happy.”