Chippenham Medical Center Tucker Pavilion
(804) 323-8846
www.cjwmedical.com
7101 Jahnke Road
Richmond VA 23225

Rehabilitation Services

Primary Focus: Mental health services
Services Provided: Detoxification
Type of Care: Hospital inpatient

Keloids

A keloid is a type of hypertrophic scar. Keloids are made up of type I (and some type III) collagen that results in an overgrowth of tissue at the site of a healed skin injury. Keloids are firm, rubbery lesions or shiny, fibrous nodules and can vary from pink to flesh-colored or red to dark brown in color. A keloid scar is benign, non-contagious and usually accompanied by severe itchiness, sharp pains and changes in texture. In severe cases, it can affect movement of skin. Keloids expand in claw-like growths over normal skin. They have the capability to hurt with a needle-like pain or to itch without warning, although the degree of sensation varies from patient to patient.

Working the Night Shift

Try to limit night shift work, if that is possible. If working the night shift, the following tips may help people sleep better and avoid sleepiness:

• Increase the total amount of sleep by adding naps and lengthening the amount of time allotted for sleep.
• Use bright lights in the workplace.
• Minimize shift changes so that the biological clock of the body can adjust to a nighttime work schedule.
• Get rid of sound and light distractions in the bedroom during daytime sleep.
• Use caffeine only during the first part of a shift to promote alertness at night.

If sleep does not come during the day and all else fails, talk with a doctor to see if it would be wise to use prescribed, short-acting sleeping pills to help sleep during the day.

Dealing with Jet Lag

Eastward travel generally causes more severe jet lag than westward travel because traveling east requires people to shorten the day and the biological clock is better able to adjust to a longer day than a shorter day. Fortunately for globetrotters, a few preventive measures and treatments seem to help some people relieve jet lag.
Adjust the biological clock. Several days before traveling to a new time zone, gradually shift sleeping patterns and eating times to coincide with those at the final eastern destination. People can also adjust the biological clock by using light therapy. This involves exposure to special lights, many times brighter than ordinary household light, for several hours near to the new wake up time. Alternatively, after arrival, spend a lot of time outdoors to make sure the body gets the light cues it needs to adjust to the new time zone.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Although it may be tempting to drink alcohol to relieve the stress of travel and make it easier to fall asleep, people more likely to sleep lighter and wake up in the middle of the night when the effects of the alcohol wear off. Caffeine can help keep people awake longer, but caffeine can also make it harder for people to fall asleep if its effects have not worn off by bed time.
What about melatonin? The body produces the melatonin hormone to make the body drowsy. Melatonin builds up in the body as the night progresses and decreases when daylight arrives.
Melatonin is available as an over-the-counter supplement. Because melatonin is safe when used over a period of days or weeks and seems to contribute to feeling sleepy, it is a treatment for jet lag. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of melatonin is controversial and its safety when used over a prolonged period is unclear. Some studies find that taking melatonin supplements before bedtime for several days after arrival in a new time zone can make it easier to fall asleep at the proper time. Other studies find that melatonin does not help to relieve jet lag.
Be aware that adjusting to a new time zone may take several days. If traveling away for just a few days, it may be better to stick to the original sleep and wake times as much as possible, rather than adjusting the biological clock too many times in rapid succession.