“Culture is a pattern of shared attitudes, beliefs, self-definitions, norms, roles, and values that occur among those who speak a particular language, or live in a defined geographical region,” (Giddens, 2013, p. 29). There are different aspects of all cultures. Not every culture has the same family values, communicates the same way, has the same beliefs in health, develop the same health problems, or practice the same spirituality. The Mexican culture demonstrates differences in all of these aspects from other cultures practiced around the world. The differences among cultures make it important for nurses and healthcare providers to offer culturally competent care between each of them. Family has a different definition in…show more content… A few health beliefs that are popular within the Mexican culture are empacho and susto. Emphaco is a type of stomach illness that is caused by undigested food getting stuck in the walls of the stomach. This happens due to excessive eating, not chewing food completely, eating spoiled foods, or eating at the wrong time of day. Treatments for empacho include herbal tears, stomach massages with warm oil, and dietary restrictions. Susto, is known as “fright sickness.” This could be caused by a traumatic experience that scares a person’s spirit out of their body. Symptoms to look for with susto are insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and depression. Treatments include herbal teas, and relaxation techniques. Other uncommon treatments are spitting a mouthful of alcohol or water into the persons face unexpectedly, or even the use of a folk healer to return the soul back to the body factor (Promoting Cultural Sensitivity, n.d.). It is important for the nurse and healthcare provider to be aware of these beliefs. Caring for a patient with these beliefs can be simple. As a nurse you need to seek an understanding of the cause of their illness from the patients point of view. Not understanding their health beliefs can be a sign of disrespect. Although the nurse or healthcare provider may not be aware of the illness or the treatment that the patient is seeking, it is…show more content… The most common health problems affecting the Mexican population are hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Obesity affects eighty percent of men and seventy-six percent women. This is because of cultural influences and environmental factors. Untreated diabetes is also an issue that is growing within the Mexican population. The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes within the Mexican population is greater than those in others (Hispanics and Heart Disease, 2015). As a nurse, it is important to provide patient teaching to help treat these common health problems or even prevent them all together. Teaching your patients how to test their blood pressure regularly and change their diet could help treat their hypertension tremendously. Teaching patients a good diet does not only help with hypertension, but also with obesity and diabetes within the population. Patient teaching for someone with diabetes could be as simple as teaching them how to test their glucose. Without patient education to both the patient and their families, diseases and illnesses could be left