Health Tips

Health Tip: Safety in the Shower ​



Falls and spills in the bathroom are commonplace, especially in and around the bathtub or shower.

Here are suggestions on how to prevent bathroom falls, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
  • Keep a bath mat on the bathroom floor, and quickly clean up any puddles that form.
  • Use a non-slip mat in the bathtub or on the shower floor.
  • Install and use handrails in the bathtub or shower.
  • Use a shower chair if you have a tendency to become tired or tend to slip in the shower.
 
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Health Tip: Prevent Bed Sores ​



Bed sores are injuries to the skin caused by a lack of blood supply to the area. They often occur in people who are unable to move themselves due to injury or illness.

To prevent painful and potentially dangerous bed sores in a person who is immobile or cannot sense pain, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that a caretaker:
  • Check the skin carefully and regularly for areas that are red or irritated.
  • Move and turn the patient often, into different positions that will distribute pressure on the skin.
  • Keep the bed or wheelchair well-padded.
  • Wash and dry the skin regularly.
 
Health Tip: Don't Worry, Be Happy​


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While stress is an unavoidable part of life, learning how to manage the tension can help ward off stress-related health problems.

Here are some stress-busting tips from the Detroit Medical Center:
  • Do something just for yourself.
  • Discuss your feelings with a friend or family member.
  • Exercise at least three times a week.
  • Avoid overindulging in food, alcohol or over-the-counter medications.
  • Eat at least one hot meal a day.
  • Cut down on drinks that contain caffeine.
  • Learn and use meditation or relaxation exercises.
  • Take up yoga or Tai Chi.
  • Go see a funny movie or rent a comedy from a video store.
  • Have regular physical examinations.
 
Health Tip: When to get a Physical Exam​





Regular checkups and physical exams are an important way to maintain good health, and keep any diseases or conditions you have in check.

Even if you're young and healthy, regular physicals are a good idea. Here are a few tips from the University of Maryland Medical Center on how often to be checked, and what you should be screened for at each visit:
  • You should have two physicals during your 20s. Your height and weight should be checked at both visits, and cholesterol should be checked at one of them. Blood pressure should be checked every year, and diphtheria and tetanus boosters are needed every 10 years.
  • Women need an annual pelvic exam and Pap smear, starting in their 20s -- but the frequency may decrease over time if you have consistently normal test results.
  • Between ages 40 and 65, a physical every one to five years is recommended, with height and weight being monitored at each visit.
  • At this age, cholesterol needs to be checked every five years as long as it is within the normal range.
  • Beginning at age 50, men need annual colorectal and prostate cancer screenings.
  • Beginning at age 40, women need an annual mammogram to check for breast cancer.
  • People ages 65 and older need yearly physical exams -- your blood pressure should be monitored at each visit. If your cholesterol is within the normal range, it may only need to be checked every three-to-five years.
 
Health Tip: The importance of Calcium



Calcium is a necessary mineral to build and preserve strong bones, strong and healthy teeth, and healthy muscles and tissues.

Plenty of calcium at a young age -- particularly in adolescence -- is very important to protecting bones later in life and preventing osteoporosis.

Bone mass continues to grow until about age 30 or 35. Calcium in milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products will help build bone mass. The mineral can also be found in leafy green vegetables, dried beans and fruits, and nuts like almonds.

Because the cells in bones are constantly being destroyed and reproduced, the body needs to take in more calcium than what it processes. If enough calcium isn't consumed, more bone tissue is destroyed than is created and bones are weakened.

The Harvard School of Public Health recommends about 550 milligrams of calcium per day, but that quantity can vary by age. The recommendation is 1000 milligrams a day for people between the ages of 19-50, and 1,200 milligrams a day for people aged 50 and older.
 
Health Tip: Broken Toe ?




If you've fractured a toe, it will usually turn black or blue, swell, and may bleed beneath the nail. A broken toe typically is very painful, is often difficult to walk on, and is usually just taped until the break heals.

The University of Michigan Health System offers these suggestions on how to deal with a broken toe:
  • For the first two or three days after the injury, apply an ice pack for 20 to 30 minutes, every three or four hours. After the first few days, you should ice the injury once a day until swelling and pain subside.
  • Prop your foot up on a chair, pillow or other object -- try to keep it above the level of your heart.
  • Take an over-the-counter or prescription pain medication or anti-inflammatory as directed by your doctor.
  • Wear comfortable, firm-soled shoes that will support but not pinch your broken toe, and use crutches if you still have difficulty walking. Your toe should be healed in four-to-six weeks, at which time you should be able to resume normal physical activity.
 
Health Tip: Holiday Stress? Bah, Humbug!

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(HealthDay News) -- The holidays can be the most stressful time of year. Here are tips to manage that stress, courtesy of the Arthritis Foundation:
  • Skip alcohol because it's a depressant.
  • Remember what's important, such as family, friends and your religious beliefs.
  • Laugh aloud to relax muscles and boost circulation.
  • Don't create a financial burden.
  • Make compromises, such as calling friends instead of writing out holiday cards.
 
Health Tip: If Your Child is a Sleepwalker

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(HealthDay News) -- Sleepwalking is common in young children, but many will outgrow it by the time they become teenagers.

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While sometimes a child who sleepwalks may simply wander around the bedroom, they can also exhibit dangerous behaviors like trying to walk down stairs or outside the home.
Here are suggestions on how to deal with your sleepwalking child, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:
  • When you find your child sleepwalking, don't try to wake her up as it may only frighten her. Just help her back into bed.
  • Keep all windows and doors to the house locked to keep her from wandering outside.
  • Don't let her sleep in a bunk bed, and put baby gates in front of stairs.
  • Keep the floor of her room clear to prevent falls, and make sure any breakable or harmful objects are out of reach.
 
Health Tip: Bathing Your Baby
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(HealthDay News) -- While bath time can be fun and relaxing for your newborn, you should be more concerned with keeping her safe in the tub. Here are a few suggestions, courtesy of the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University:
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  • Newborns don't need a bath every day. Every other day is fine, as long as your baby is properly cleaned up after feedings and diaper changes.
  • Your newborn will need a sponge bath at first -- don't submerge her in water until the umbilical cord has fallen off.
  • Use a bath thermometer to be sure the water is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Use a bath sponge or nonslip pad at the bottom of the sink or tub to keep your baby from slipping or sliding around in the water.
  • Keep your hand on the baby at all times, and never leave her unattended.
 
Health Tip: Experts Offer Tips to Healthy Exercise

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(HealthDay News) -- Regular exercise is an important part of heart health, but experts say about 60 percent of American adults don't get the recommended level of physical activity.
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To help educate people and encourage them to get active, the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has issued a new 44-page publication providing information about how exercise can benefit the heart and overall health.

Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart outlines the kinds of activities that offer the most heart benefits and offers practical tips, including sample walking and jogging programs; how to find your target heart zone; ideas for getting the entire family involved in fitness.

"To maintain health, all adults should be moderately active for at least 30 minutes per day on most days of the week," Karen A. Donato, program coordinator of the NHLBI's Obesity Education Initiative, said in a prepared statement.

"To help manage body weight and prevent unhealthy weight gain, at least 60 minutes per day is recommended. Children and adolescents also need to be active for at least 60 minutes per day," Donato said.


Here are some easy ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine:
  • Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Park your car a few blocks from the office or store and walk the rest of the way. If you take public transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk the remaining few blocks.
  • While working, take frequent activity breaks. Get up and stretch or walk around.
  • Instead of having that extra snack, take a brisk walk around the neighborhood or office building.
  • Do your housework, gardening, or yard work at a more vigorous pace.
  • When you travel, walk around the airport, train station or bus station, instead of sitting and waiting.
 
Health Tip: Prepare Your Child for Surgery
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(HealthDay News) -- If your child needs surgery, she'll probably be afraid and curious about what will happen -- and turning to a parent for comfort and answers. Here are some suggestions on what to tell her, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:

  • Be honest. If you don't know the answer to a question, ask the doctor and then explain it to the child. Answer questions honestly, but be sure to use language that's not frightening to your child.
  • Make sure she knows that you'll be outside the operating room waiting for her during the procedure, and that you'll be in the room with her when she wakes.
  • Keep your explanations simple, and appropriate for both your child's age and personality. If she is a worrier, only tell her -- honestly -- what she needs to know.
  • Tell her that she will fall asleep before the surgery starts, and that she will be asleep during the entire thing and won't feel any pain. Make sure that she expects some discomfort and maybe even some pain after she wakes, but that she will have medication to keep her comfortable.
  • Stay calm and relaxed. Your attitude will have an impact on your child's reaction to what is happening around her.
 
Health Tip: Eaten Bad Food?

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(HealthDay News) -- Food poisoning often occurs after eating a meal in a large, social setting like a picnic, cookout or cafeteria. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, foods in these settings are often prepared early and can be left unrefrigerated for long periods, allowing bacteria to form on the food.


Food poisoning symptoms typically begin within two to six hours after eating contaminated food. Signs of food poisoning are most often vomiting, fever, chills, headache, bloody diarrhea, weakness, and severe abdominal cramps.


Treatment from a doctor is rarely necessary, unless dehydration occurs, says the NLM. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids, but avoid milk or drinks with caffeine. You should also avoid solid foods while severely nauseated. Antibiotics usually aren't needed.
 
Health Tip: Swimming Safety​


(HealthDay News) -- Swimming is a perfect way to spend a summer day, and a great way to exercise. But accidents can happen, and teaching your children to swim properly is an important way to prevent them.

Here are some suggestions to keep your children safe, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:
  • Make sure that an adult is present any time children are swimming. Children should know that they are never allowed to get into a pool, lake or ocean without an adult around.
  • Children and novice adult swimmers should always swim with someone else in the pool.
  • Children should wear flotation devices, like a life vest.
  • Keep children who are just learning to swim in the shallow end.
  • Be careful when playing in the water -- be sure not to jump on or push anyone into the water, and don't run around pool decks that may be slippery.
 
Health Tip: Begin an Exercise Program ​



(HealthDay News) -- Most couch potatoes know how important it is to exercise. But getting started may be no walk in the park.

The American Heart Association offers these suggestions for exercise newbies or wannabees:
  • Wear comfortable, properly fitting shoes and clothing that are appropriate for working out.
  • Start slowly and build up your workout time. Eventually, you should reach 30 minutes of exercise on most (if not all) days of the week.
  • Pick an exercise schedule that works for you, and stick with it so it becomes routine. If more enjoyable, engage in two 15-minute sessions a day instead of one 30-minute session.
  • Be sure to stay hydrated, drinking water before, after, and maybe even during workouts. See what your doctor recommends.
  • Get a group of friends or family members who are willing to work out with you. This will make your workouts more fun and motivate you to continue.
  • Add variety to your workouts. Alternate between walking, biking, swimming, running or any other activities you enjoy.
  • If you miss workouts, don't give up. No matter how long it's been since you've exercised, it's never too late to start over and work your way gradually back to where you were.
 
Health Tip: Preventing Falls
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(HealthDay News) -- Falls are the leading cause of serious injury or accidental death in people over age 65.

Even strong and healthy seniors are at risk of falling due to the normal effects of aging -- such as poor balance, waning eyesight, and side effects from some medications.

To prevent falls and reduce the risk of injury, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends switching soft-soled slippers for shoes with non-skid soles. Also be sure that floors are clear, with electrical cords well-secured and out of the way.

Handrails in stairways and metal bars on bathroom walls can give seniors something to grab onto if they feel unsteady.

Keep rooms and hallways well lit with lamps or night lights. Remove loose rugs and carpets, or securely fasten them to the floor. Be sure that all flooring, including sidewalks and garage floors, are smooth and even.
 
Health Tip: Kick the Habit, for Good

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(HealthDay News) -- Most people who smoke know the habit is unhealthy and that quitting is the best option. But that's often easier said than done.

The American Cancer Society offers suggestions on how to make quitting a little easier, and how to stay smoke-free:
  • Make a firm decision to quit. Not to try to cut back, or see if you can quit -- say you're going to do it and stick with it. Choose a date that you'll be smoke-free, and pick a smoking cessation plan that will work for you.
  • Especially in the beginning, avoid places where there are other smokers or where you've frequently smoked.
  • Vary your routine. Drive different routes, go for a walk instead of a smoke, or drink water or juice instead of alcohol.
  • When you get a craving to smoke, keep your hands busy with activities like knitting, needlepoint or woodwork. Also try snacking on healthy, crunchy foods like carrot sticks or seeds, or even sugar-free gum.
  • Breathe deeply, inhaling fresh, clean air. Inhaling as you did when smoking can help simulate that feeling of inhaling -- but you'll feel better breathing in clean air instead of smoke.
  • If decide you have to smoke, make yourself wait 10 minutes. Often, by the time the 10 minutes are up, the craving has passed and you will be able to skip the cigarette.
  • Save up the money you would have spent each week on cigarettes, and treat yourself to dinner or a movie, a book, CD or some other reward.
 
Health Tip: Make Water Safe While You're Traveling ​

(HealthDay News) -- If you're planning a trip to a place where the water may not be safe to drink, here are some suggestions from the U.S. government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
  • The best solution is to bring bottled water if you know you'll be in an area where water may not be pure.
  • Boil water for one minute to kill bacteria, parasites and viruses. Boil for three minutes at higher altitudes. The CDC recommends adding a pinch of salt for each quart you boil to make the water taste better.
  • Disinfect water with iodine tablets or crystalline iodine (both can be found at sporting goods stores), following manufacturer's suggestions.
  • Use a portable water filter -- but you may need to follow up with a chemical disinfectant.
 
Health Tip: A Broken Heart Can Make You Sick ​



(HealthDay News) -- The sudden shock of losing a loved one, a failed romance, even losing a job, can all trigger a series of symptoms that mimic a serious heart attack, researchers at Johns Hopkins University say.

That's because sudden emotional stress can cause adrenalin to spike and stun the heart, causing severe heart muscle weakness.

Doctors call the condition stress cardiomyopathy, but it's often described to patients as "broken heart syndrome."

The good news? It's usually treatable, and it rarely causes permanent damage.

But check with your doctor immediately if you think you're having a heart attack, just to make sure.
 
Health Tip: Massage Therapy Can Work ​

(HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans are all too familiar with pain -- countless trips to the doctor or chiropractor, endless pain medications, sleepless nights and the struggle of getting through the day.​

The answer may lie in massage therapy.

Clinical research has shown that massage therapy can be more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies; it can reduce post-traumatic headaches better than cold pack treatments; it stimulates the brain to produce endorphins; and improve confidence by encouraging patients to effectively cope with their pain, the American Massage Therapy Association says.

It offers these tips on what to expect when you go for massage therapy:
  • The massage therapist will ask questions about what prompted you to get a massage.
  • The therapist will want background information about your physical condition, medical history, lifestyle, stress levels and any painful areas.
  • The therapist will ask what your health goals are and will discuss how massage may help you achieve those goals.
  • During a one-on-one massage, you will be asked to remove clothing to your level of comfort. Clothing is not removed during "chair" massages.
The important thing is to relax as much as possible during and after your session.
 
Health Tip: Food Allergies Can Be Deadly
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(HealthDay News) -- A food allergy is an abnormal immune system response to food.

About 4 million people in the United States have at least one food allergy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fewer than 2 percent of adults have this hypersensitivity, but 6 percent of children under the age of 3 do.

It's critical for people who have these allergies to avoid foods that may trigger a reaction.
Some foods in sensitive people can cause serious illnesses, and sometimes even death.

These include peanuts, eggs, shrimp -- and products that contain these ingredients.

Be sure to check the ingredients of any product that a person with food allergies may eat.

An estimated 150 people die from food allergies every year. Producers are now required to list all ingredients used in the manufacture of food items.
 
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