Archive for February 11th, 2010

Venturing to Vancouver? These Medical Services Take the Gold

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 by

The XXI Olympic Games will commence tomorrow in Vancouver, Canada.  If you are one of the 2.3 million people expected to descend on British Columbia you should familiarize yourself with the recommended hospitals and emergency information.  You could be perfectly healthy when you arrive, but the elements and the large volume of people in crowded areas will expose you to potential injury or illness.  The Centers for Disease Control has put together a webpage full of suggestions for keeping healthy at the games, but in the event these tips fail to help you, here is some additional information:

In the event of an emergency anywhere in British Columbia, call 911. 

If you don’t need immediate assistance, but you are looking for medical advice, HealthLink BC offers 24/7 non-emergency access to a nurse hotline by calling 811.

Looking for a pharmacy?  Chain stores include Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs and Pharmasave.  Pharmacies are also available in supermarkets and discount stores, such as Zellers.

The majority of the Olympic events will be held in Vancouver, but some events will be held in Whistler and Richmond.  Familiarize yourself with the options closest to where you will be staying and the events which you will be attending. 

VANCOUVER
St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver was selected by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) as the primary hospital for Olympic visitors.  Vancouver General Hospital will play a similar role for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and coaches.    

St. Paul’s Hospital
1081 Burrard St
Vancouver
+1.604.682.2344

Vancouver General Hospital
855 West 12th Ave
Vancouver
+1.604.875.411

Vancouver Coastal Health operates hospitals and urgent care centers in the greater Vancouver area.

There are also other facilities available in Vancouver, including the University of British Columbia Hospital, which also operates an Urgent Care Centre in the Koerner Pavillion.  A private outpatient facility called False Creek Surgical Centre is also offering urgent care services during the games.

UBC Hospital – Koerner Pavillion
2211 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver
+1.604.822.7121

False Creek Surgical Centre
6th Floor – 555 West 8th Ave
Vancouver
+1.604.739.9695

RICHMOND
Richmond, the site of the speed skating events, is served by Richmond Hospital.  There is also a private urgent care center called MCI Medical, located next to Zellers at the Landsdowne Mall in Richmond.

Richmond Hospital
7000 Westminster Highway
Richmond
+1.604.278.9711

MCI Medical
8311 Lansdowne Road
Richmond
+1.604.276.9550

WHISTLER
Although there is no hospital in Whistler, the site of the alpine events is served by Northlands Medical Clinic:

Northlands Medical Clinic
101-4359 Main Street
Whistler
+1.604.932.8362

If you’re visiting the Olympics, but not staying in Vancouver, Whistler or Richmond, visit mPassport.com for information on the facilities available where you are.  Healthy Travel Blog readers, sign up for a free thirty day trial of the mPassport mobile website here, just select coupon code and enter the code “Vancouver.”

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Don’t let the cold take a bite from your fun.

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 by

While you are ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, or hiking in the cold you may not feel the chill, but you still need to protect your skin.  Long term exposure to cold temperatures, or even short term exposure to extreme temperatures can lead to frostbite.

Frostbite is the freezing of your body from the outside in – starting on the outer layers of your skin and working its way to your muscles.  The most common areas for the cold to attack first are the toes, feet, the tip of the nose, the tops and lobes of the ears and the fingers. 

As frostbite sets in the skin will turn red then blue, and as the damage gets more severe, the blue will change to white or yellow or maybe even black.  Likewise the feeling will progress from tingling, leading to burning and then throbbing pain. 

The best way to prevent frostbite is to be prepared for it. Know the temperatures your skin will be exposed to (don’t forget to include the wind chill in your calculations) and dress to protect your skin appropriately:  Dress in layers,  wear warm socks and gloves to protect your hands and feet and wear a ski mask and ear muffs to protect your nose and ears.  If you feel warm or hot while you are out in the extreme cold, don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a reflection of the outdoor temperature. It is probably an effect of your body temperature, so don’t remove the layers protecting your extremities.

If you think you have frostbite the best thing to do is call a doctor.  If this is not an option, take steps to restore the frozen areas to normal temperatures. The best way to do this is to soak or wrap them in warm water.  Using hot water could lead to more burning and skin damage.  Do not rub any of the areas affected and do not let fingers or toes rub together, this can cause further damage.  As the skin returns to normal temperatures, it is common for blisters to develop and skin to become very tender. It can take weeks or months for your skin to return to normal after frostbite. 

In some cases, the effects of frostbite will not show up for months, so if you can’t get to a doctor immediately, get to one as soon as you can.

Because good circulation helps deter frostbite, keep hydrated and avoid alcohol when you are going to be out in the cold.  Diabetics, smokers and anyone else with poor circulation should take extra precautions to stay warm and protected as they are more vulnerable to this condition.

For additional information on frostbite, visit Web MD or see what the Ice Road Truckers have to say about it. 

Take the time to protect your skin before you head out in the cold.  65% of the people who get frostbite will suffer long-term effects – you don’t want to be regretting your haste in the winter as you head for the beach in July.

Photo info: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blac/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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