A Health Newsletter Serving the North Coast Schools Medical Insurance Group
Vol. 27, No. 4 | April 2019

In this Issue: Director’s Note | Recognizing Heart Attacks and Strokes | Health Screenings | Recipe: Muffin-Tin Quiches

Director’s Note

Stacy Lane, JPA Director

Did you know that there are many medical conditions that can be identified by having an eye exam?  Common conditions that can be identified by your optometrist or ophthalmologist include:  cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes,  hypertension, autoimmune disorders, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, cancer, tumors or aneurisms.  While maintaining optimum eye health is key to optimum eye health and wellness, it is also an opportunity for you to make sure your current prescription is accurate.

VSP, our vision partner, recommends you have an eye exam once per year, but no longer than once every two years.  You may need to have your eyes examined more often if you have a family history of eye diseases, diabetes, you have generally poor health, or you’re taking medications that may have potential side effects on the eye.  The American Optometric Association suggests that children should have their first regular eye exam at six months of age. Another vision exam should take place when a child is around two or three years of age, when their vision undergoes its most rapid development and vision correction is most effective.

For more detailed information on your VSP eye coverage, please log into your account or contact them directly at 800.877.7195.  There is a large resource database including benefit coverage, claims history, contracted provider finder, special membership offers, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Typically in our April newsletter, I let you know about our rates for the upcoming program year.  Since the Board meeting was after the press date for this month’s newsletter, I will provide you with an update next month.

Recognizing Heart Attacks and Strokes

What to do when every second counts

Heart disease and stroke are two of the top killers among both women and men in the U.S. Nationwide, someone dies from a heart attack about every 90 seconds, and stroke kills someone about every 4 minutes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quick medical help could prevent many of these deaths. Fast action can also limit permanent damage to the body. You might know the most common symptoms of heart attack: sustained, crushing chest pain and difficulty breathing. A heart attack might also cause cold sweats, a racing heart, pain down the left arm, jaw stiffness, or shoulder pain.  Many don’t know that women often have different heart attack symptoms than men. For instance, instead of having chest pain during a heart attack, women may feel extremely exhausted and fatigued or have indigestion and nausea. 

The symptoms of stroke include sudden difficulty seeing, speaking, or walking, and feelings of weakness, numbness, dizziness, and confusion. “Some people get a severe headache that’s immediate and strong, different from any kind you’ve ever had,” says Dr. Salina Waddy, an National Institute of Health (“NIH”) stroke expert.  At the first sign of any of these symptoms, fast action by you, someone you know, or a passerby can make a huge difference. We now have medicines, procedures, and devices that can help limit heart and brain damage following an attack, as long as medical help arrives quickly.  If the heart is starved for blood for too long—generally more than 20 minutes—heart muscle can be irreversibly damaged. 

Emergency treatment for stroke depends on the kind of stroke. The most common type, ischemic stroke, is caused by a clot that clogs a blood vessel in the brain. The clot-dissolving drug tPA works best when given soon after symptoms begin. NIH research shows that patients who received tPA within 3 hours of stroke onset were more likely to recover fully.  Other strokes are caused by a hemorrhage—when a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain.  Even if you’re unsure, don’t feel embarrassed or hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you suspect a heart attack or stroke. You should not go get your car keys. Your spouse shouldn’t be driving you to the hospital.  The emergency crew is trained to treat these symptoms, and it could mean the difference between life and death. 

Heart attack or stroke can happen to anyone, but your risk increases with age. A family or personal history of heart attack or stroke also raises your risk. But some risk factors for heart attack and stroke are within your control. Treating them can dramatically reduce your risk. If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, work with your doctor to get these conditions under control.  Know your numbers [blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol] and what they mean.  You can also prepare for a medical emergency, to some degree. A hospital may not have access to your medical records when you arrive. Keep important health information handy, such as the medicines you’re taking, allergies, and emergency contacts. It would be important for the medical team to know, for example, if you’ve been taking anticoagulants to help prevent blood clots; these blood thinners put you at increased risk of bleeding. You might consider carrying an NIH wallet card that lists heart attack symptoms and has room for your personal medical information.

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/08/can-you-recognize-heart-attack-or-stroke

Annual Health Screenings

The North Coast Schools Medical Insurance Group conducts annual health screenings that are mostly free for members (a few types of test have a nominal fee).

Recipe of the Month:
Spring Vegetable Lasagne

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for pan

• 2½ cups low-sodium vegetable or no-chicken broth

• 1½ cups mascarpone cheese

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

• 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt

• 8 cups tightly packed fresh spinach leaves (about 10 ounces)

• 9 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles

• 3 cups thinly sliced carrots, turnips and/or radishes

• 8 ounces crumbled farmer’s cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
2. Whisk broth and mascarpone in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, oregano and salt; remove from heat.
3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Arrange 4 noodles in the prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping. Top with ¼ cup of the spinach and ¾ cup vegetables. Pour on 1 cup of the mascarpone mixture and top with 1/3 cup farmer’s cheese. Repeat to make 4 layers. Cover with a piece of foil coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake the lasagna for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until the edges start to crisp, about 15 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Profile

• Egg Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Healthy Immunity
• Low-Calorie
• Vegetarian

Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/263914/spring-vegetable-lasagna