WARM UP:

One Joke: 

What did the doctor say to the rocket ship? (Answer at bottom)

One Fact: 

The sensation of touch travels at approximately 124 mph from the fingertip to the brain!

One Quote:

"People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures." - F.M. Alexander

One Guess…Name That Disease: (Answer at bottom)

• Epidemiology: This uncomfortable skin condition affects primarily women when they are exposed to cold or humidity.

• Signs and Symptoms: Blistering and itching of the fingers, toes, earlobes, and nose.

• Pathophysiology: Damage to the capillary beds causes blood to perfuse throughout the surrounding tissue. Associated with frostbite, Raynuads, lupus, and COVID-19.

• Treatment: Vasodilators such as amlodipine/nifedipine (calcium channel blockers). Prevention through decreased exposure is a priority.

• Prognosis: Some patients will live with this for their entire life and for others it is self limiting, resolving in 2-3 weeks. Secondary infection from excessive itching is the main concern.

  

  Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

HEALTHCARE HEADLINES:

• Add this to the list of reasons it’s harder being a girl: women pay billions more in out of pocket expenses for their health care. It’s estimated that the average woman pays $266 more out of pocket annually, which doesn’t even include maternity services!

• The dental therapist will see you now. There’s a push in states like New York and Massachusetts to create the dental equivalent of physician assistants to address unmet need for services. The practice started in 2004 in Alaska to treat tribal areas.

• Siesta for all? Regular napping has been linked with decreasing brain shrinkage as we age.

WATER COOLER WONDERS…the stuff we found interesting this week:

• Video: Ever wonder why people have an accent when they speak in a foreign language?

• Survey: Check out the 15 happiest places to live in America. Shout out to Madison, WI!

• Photos: Celebrate the end of summer with some fantastic night photos. We love the satellite flare over Lake Superior.

TOGETHER WITH VERB:

Caffeinated Energy Bars

Skip the overpriced lattes. Organic Green Tea in a plant-based bar that’s perfectly pocket-sized and ready to unwrap anytime, anywhere. Over 3000 5-star reviews.

5 BARS FREE

Powered by Swapstack

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY:

A picture is worth a thousand words. Or, in this case, 200 calories. See the difference in what you get on your plate with 200 calories worth of different foods:

THANKS FOR READING!

At The Hyperthalamus, we’re on a mission to educate and entertain health care workers. Because we believe work should be a fun place to hang out with your colleagues and make them feel dumb for not knowing the answers to our trivia questions.

Help us grow by referring your friends to The Hyperthalamus newsletter!

• Send us 1 referral: we’ll send you a list of the best active discount codes for health care workers you’ll find anywhere!

• Send us 10 referrals: we’ll give you $10 to use at the Amazon store as a thank you!

• Send us 50 referrals: we’ll give you a set of scrubs!

Joke Answer: “Time to get your booster!”

Disease Answer: Chilblains (Pernio)