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TexanENT.com
512.550.0321
JULY 2020
Satellite Offices:
601 A Leah Avenue San Marcos, TX 78666 Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
1009 W. San Antonio Street Lockhart, TX 78644 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month
‘EAR, NEWS, AND THROAT’
R enee and I are going to be crazy busy this July. We’ll be moving into our new house at the end of the month. We closed back in May and have spent the last few months getting it ready for our family to call home. Renee has had her design gears turning since we first saw the place. She has her own interior design business, so remodeling the kitchen and the master bathroom are ideal projects for her. Audrey is also pretty excited, though I don’t know if she really gets what’s happening. She knows there’s a new house, but I don’t think she realizes that we won’t be living in our old house anymore. I’m sure she’ll be happy about the move once she realizes it means she won’t have to share a room with her new baby sister in the future. This move has been a long time coming. Since Audrey came along, we’ve had three people and two dogs squashed into our little two-bedroom home. When my parents come to visit, they have to sleep on a pullout Murphy bed in the living room. It’s a nice house, but with the new baby coming soon, we’re going to need more space. We’d rather not make the girls share a room. I can’t imagine that having two kids with conflicting nap schedules in the same room would be a smooth experience. Plus, we want HOME SWEET HOME “I lived in the same house from the time I was born until I was a senior in high school.”
A Busy Month for the Evans Family
to avoid having Audrey being woken up at 3 a.m. by a screaming baby. The new house is quite a bit bigger. Both kids will have their own room and we’ll have a guest room for my parents. Moving the family like this is a somewhat new experience for me. I lived in the same house from the time I was born until I was a senior in high school. Then, about six months before I went to college, we moved down the street in the same neighborhood. My parents still live in that house. They’ve lived in a total of two houses for the last 50 years. Talk about putting down roots. Moving to a new house isn’t something I really did when I was growing up, so I’m pretty excited to go through this now as a parent, looking for a place to raise my kids. I can’t say if we’ll stay in this new house for 50 years. Our situation could change and we might move again in five years, or this could be the house where our kids graduate high school from. Whatever the future holds, I’m looking forward to starting the next chapter of our lives there. The new house has a great backyard with oak trees and a view of the hilly country. I can imagine the kids and the dogs all running around and playing in the
backyard. We’ll also be within walking distance of a park with a playground, and I’m excited to bring the kids there. It’s going to be really nice. And with Renee working her magic, I’m sure the whole place is going to look really great.
–Dr. Seth Evans
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Commercial space travel might still be the stuff of science fiction stories, but thanks to computer programs and augmented reality, your family can still experience what it’s like to explore space. NASA and other organizations provide a wealth of free resources that make space exploration come to life for stargazers and future astronauts alike. Take some time to explore a few of our favorites today. TOURING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION First launched in 1998, the International Space Station is a multinational space research laboratory. Nineteen different nations have sent astronauts, cosmonauts, and space tourists to the space station to conduct scientific experiments. It’s truly the stuff science fiction dreams are made of! In 2012, Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams filmed a full tour of this amazing floating lab and even included a quick lesson on how to work out in zero gravity. “Visit” the space station for yourself at Bit.ly/ISSTour. EXPLORING DEEP SPACE VIA VIRTUAL REALITY On Jan. 30, 2020, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope concluded its 16-year mission researching exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system. This data was used to create Exoplanet Excursions, an immersive virtual reality experience that lets your family experience the Spitzer’s discoveries and control the telescope yourself. These incredible excursions are available on Oculus or Steam, so visit Spitzer.Caltech.edu/vr to start your adventure and explore deep space today! PLANET-HOPPINGWITH NASA Have you ever wondered would it be like to stand on another world? Then “book” your next vacation with the Exoplanet Travel Bureau! This program takes you on digital tours of real exoplanets NASA has discovered. Though we don’t know what the surfaces of these worlds look like, artists have used scientific data to create 3D landscapes to explore. See them all, from Kepler-16b to TRAPPIST-1e, at Exoplanets.NASA.gov/ alien-worlds/exoplanet-travel-bureau.
BE YOUR BEST SELFWITH THE HELP OF OTHERS
HOWTO IMPLEMENT A VIRTUALWELLNESS CHALLENGE
A lot of people struggle to keep up with a regular wellness routine because they lack accountability to hold them to it. Whether it’s exercise, meditation, or healthy eating, if you go through the process alone, it’s that much harder to will yourself to see it through. But at a time when isolation is still one of the best ways to stay healthy, how can you involve others in your wellness plan? The answer is simple: Create a virtual wellness challenge! UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS A wellness challenge cultivates healthy competition among participants that keeps them motivated to stick with their wellness regimens. Challenges can be fully customized depending on the goals and abilities of those participating, and when the challenge is carried out virtually, participants have more freedom and flexibility in their routines without missing out on any of the social interaction that makes it fun. GET STARTED Every challenge should have a quantifiable goal depending on the theme. Challenges like working out for 30 minutes a day, getting seven hours of sleep at night, eating 1 cup of leafy greens with every meal, or meditating for 15 minutes every day are all great examples. Whatever it is, the target should be clear and reasonable in order to encourage maximum participation and low burnout. STAY ACCOUNTABLE Treat the challenge like you would a weekly book club. Set a time every week to meet via a video call to share wins and setbacks, discuss necessary changes to the challenge, plan for the next week’s challenge, and offer encouragement. If you really want to up the inspiration, determine a prize to be awarded to the person who actively participates the most. Just be sure you have a tangible way to record and share those results, like video evidence of the activity. A wellness challenge shared among friends and family is a great way to work on your physical or mental well-being and stay connected with loved ones when you aren’t able to visit them in person. That kind of consistent personal connection can be wellness in and of itself.
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THE DANGERS OF PEDIATRIC SLEEP APNEA
Last month, we addressed how a pediatric ENT doctor can help diagnose sleep disorders in children. There are a number of common pediatric sleep disorders, such as insomnia or restless legs syndrome, but one of the most damaging and underdiagnosed sleep disorders is sleep apnea. This is a condition in which the airways are blocked during sleep, which causes a person to stop breathing and wake up hundreds of times a night. Many people assume that only adults can suffer from sleep apnea. In reality, up to 4% of children may suffer from undiagnosed sleep apnea. The reason so many children with sleep apnea don’t receive treatment is because the symptoms of sleep apnea are often mistaken for “normal” childhood behaviors. Common signs of sleep apnea, such as tossing and turning, night sweats, and snoring, are regarded as kids just being “restless sleepers.” Sleep apnea can also cause kids to feel sleepy during the day. Many parents make the mistake of assuming kids who are tired during the day just need to go to bed earlier. It’s incredibly important for parents to recognize the signs of sleep apnea. This sleep disorder can cause a number of major health and behavioral problems throughout a child’s lifetime. Complications due to sleep apnea can include:
• • • •
Bed-wetting
Slowed growth
Hormonal/metabolic issues
Behavioral problems (irritability, lack of concentration, easily distracted, acting out)
Children with sleep apnea can also be misdiagnosed with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because they can become hyperactive when tired during the day.
There are a number of reasons why someone may develop sleep apnea. In children, sleep apnea is most commonly caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids. If you suspect your child may be suffering from sleep apnea, then call Texan ENT right away. We can help you schedule a sleep study to determine if your child really has sleep apnea and guide you through the next steps if they do.
• •
High blood pressure
Increased risk of stroke or heart attack
HAVE A LAUGH
Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
INSPIRED BY NOMNOMPALEO.COM
There’s nothing quite like a refreshing treat on a warm summer’s day. Mix up this cool appetizer for your new favorite snack.
Ingredients
• • • •
1 tbsp chopped chives Salt and pepper, to taste 1 English cucumber, peeled
• • • • •
1/4 cup paleo mayonnaise 1/4 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp Tabasco, or to taste
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered for garnish
1/2 lb salmon, cooked 1 tbsp minced shallots
Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, paprika, and Tabasco. 2. Flake the salmon into large bite-size pieces. 3. Add the salmon, shallots, chives, salt, and pepper to the Tabasco mixture and combine. 4. Cut the cucumber into 3/4-inch slices. 5. Using a melon-baller, scoop out the center of each cucumber slice but leave the bottom fully intact so the filling doesn’t fall through. 6. Divide the salmon mixture and put dollops into each cucumber slice. 7. Garnish with cherry tomato.
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512.550.0321
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1180 SETON PARKWAY, SUITE 330 KYLE, TX 78640
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Page 1 Making a House a Home
Page 2 Go Planet-Hopping With NASA
Page 2 Stay Accountable With a Virtual Wellness Challenge
Page 3 3 Signs Your Child Has Sleep Apnea
Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
Page 4 Word From the Westies
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3 STEPS TO HELP YOUR PET GET USED TO BEING ALONE AGAIN
Hello, everybody!
something to occupy their time. It’s also great to have plenty of toys around for your pet to play with. Playing music or audiobooks while you’re gone so the house isn’t completely silent can also help pets feel more relaxed. 3. Talk to your veterinarian. Separation anxiety can lead to destructive behavior in both dogs and cats. Anxious pets may cause damage to your house, scratching door frames, tearing up the carpet, or even urinating on your belongings. Some pets’ anxiety may even cause them to hurt themselves. If your pet is suffering from severe separation anxiety, then call your veterinarian. They may be able to prescribe medications that will help your pet feel calmer. Your veterinarian may even know a trainer who can help you effectively address your pet’s harmful reactions to being alone.
We’re not sure why, but for a while, our humans have been home way more than they usually are. We’ve been able to spend tons of time together. However, we hear that a lot of humans are going back to their usual routines now. This can be pretty stressful on pets who have gotten used to having their people around all the time. Here are some strategies to help your pets prepare for being home alone again. 1. Spend time out of the house. If you aren’t yet working full time again, start with baby steps. Help your pets get used to not having you around by leaving for short periods of time. Go for a long walk or a short drive. If you’ve gotten used to bringing your dog along on errands, then leave them home instead. This will help ease your pet back into the old schedule. 2. Give your pet lots of fun distractions.
As we work to get back to normal, it’s important that we’re looking out for everybody — pets and people alike.
Having things to do when you’re gone can help pets adjust to being alone again. Food puzzles are a great way to give your pets
Izzy& Emma
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