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You may have to wait in line at the grocery store, bank, movie theater or airport security. But you don’t have to wait in the emergency room (ER) at Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake when you use InQuicker, an online service that lets you hold your place at the ER online while waiting in the comfort of home.

The service is designed to help patients save time, avoid hassle, and make it more convenient when they come to the ER. Users also enjoy the convenience of choosing where they wait and a projected time to see a health care professional in the ER. Patients can hold their place online by completing an online form and arriving at the hospital at the projected time.

InQuicker is intended only for individuals who have non-life threatening medical conditions. The service does not affect the wait times of other emergency room patients, nor does it allow certain people to “cut” in front of others. Additionally, if the projected treatment time changes due to an influx of patients requiring priority treatment, the user will be notified and given an alternate time.

InQuicker has designed safeguards in its system intended to prevent those who have potentially life-threatening medical conditions from using the service. Individuals requiring prompt medical treatment should go immediately to the nearest emergency department or call 9-1-1. If you do have to go the ER, be prepared. Bring a list of current medications, including how long the medicine has been taken and how often. Include a list of allergies as well as a medical history form if you have one. If possible, call your primary care physician ahead of time so they can order lab work if needed or alert ER staff about your condition. For more information or to access the service, visit DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/InQuicker.

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com

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One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...50 sheep. If you’re tired of being tired — and counting sheep to get to sleep — now may be the time to take a look at your sleep habits. Here are a few tips to help you catch those elusive ZZZZZs and have some sweet dreams.

Breaking bad habits isn’t easy. First you need to recognize your bad sleep habits. Here are a few bedtime no-nos:

  • Watching television in bed
  • Drinking alcohol or caffeine before going to bed
  • Eating a big meal late at night
  • Not exercising or exercising right before going to bed
  • Going to sleep or waking up at varying times
  • Napping late in the day
  • Not having a pre-sleep ritual

Not getting enough sleep can harm your health, contribute to poor school or work performance, and increase the risk of injury. So to avoid these negative outcomes, you will need to substitute better behaviors. You can start by changing one bad sleep habit at a time.

For example, if you like to eat a big meal late at night, instead allow at least three hours between eating dinner and going to bed or try a light snack before bed. Rather than watching TV in bed to relax, try reading a book as an alternative. And if you like to have a glass of wine in the evening, opt for a cup of tea instead. 

There will be times when you want to fall back into your old habits, but by giving yourself positive rewards and focusing on the long-term benefits of a good night’s rest, you’ll soon be sleeping like a baby. For more information about healthy sleep habits, take the free, online sleep quiz on the Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake website at DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/SleepQuiz.

Photo credit: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com

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Ever have a scratchy throat before getting the full-blown flu? What about an upset stomach before food poisoning? At least these are non-life-threatening conditions that can usually be easily treated, leading to a full recovery. The “beginnings” of a heart attack occur in more than half of patients. These early warning signs may be a little trickier to diagnose and could be chalked up to other conditions, but they should not be ignored because the symptoms can be treated before the heart is damaged.

A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage in the flow of blood in an artery that leads to the heart. Part of the heart muscle is then damaged or destroyed because it does not receive enough oxygen. The key to surviving a heart attack is knowing the warning signs so you can get emergency medical treatment.

Warning signs of a heart attack can appear at any time, at rest or in motion, and at work or play. A heart attack may strike suddenly, but most people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks beforehand. Early symptoms may include nausea, pain that travels down one or both arms, jaw or back pain, fatigue, anxiety, shortness of breath, feeling of fullness, and chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort.

Treatment works best when administered within an hour of the first symptoms of a heart attack. Clot-busting drugs can be administered and special procedures can be done to open up blood vessels. Survival will ultimately depend on how rapidly you receive treatment, how much damage there is to the heart, and the location of the damage.

To learn more about heart attack risk factors and warning signs, visit the free, online health library on the Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake website at DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/HeartAttack.

Photo credit: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com