Fredericksburg.com - In Moderation

If you’re planning to dash out for last-minute storm supplies, here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you have:
-- a battery-operated flashlight
-- a battery-operated radio
-- lots of batteries!
-- a good supply of the medicines you take every day, plus those you may need or want, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
-- sand, salt or cat litter to thaw out icy walkways.

A food thermometer might be another good buy. If you lose power, the thermometer can tell you if your food has stayed cold enough (under 40 degrees) to eat.
The CDC advises packing milk, meat, fish eggs and other spoilable foods into a cooler surrounded by ice if your power goes out.
Foods that are in the freezer, the CDC says, will stay safe for up to 24 hours in a half-full freezer, and 48 hours in a full one. Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut as much as possible. And don't forget, your back porch can be a great freezer in cold weather. I once worked at a place where the boss kept his beer cold all winter on the office balcony.

As for groceries, pick up things like canned tuna and peanut butter that provide lots of nutrients and won’t go bad. Fruit is also great to have on hand -- apples and bananas, for instance, won't go bad and will help you stay well. Nuts, crackers, dried fruit and canned vegetables are also good buys. I think it's wise to also have some chocolate.

Also stock up on water. When I lived in Florida, we kept jugs of water on hand during hurricane season. We were also taught to fill our bathtubs when a storm was coming. If the water supply was compromised, we’d have our own stash for drinking and for flushing the toilet.
It’s no different here now. Friends in Caroline County who lost their water supply over the weekend were grateful they’d stocked up. You would be, too.

Other tips from the CDC:
-- Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by using generators, grills and other gas- propane- and charcoal-burning devices outside only. Don’t use them in your home, garage or carport, or near your windows.
-- Dress in layers to stay warm, and wear a hat if your heat goes out. You can start suffering hypothermia when the indoor temperature drops below 60. Speaking from experience, it takes only a few heat-less hours for the temperature to drop below 60.

If you venture out during a storm and get stranded in your car, stay with it “unless safety is no more than 100 yards away,” the CDC advises.
If you’re stuck, run the engine and heater for only 10 minutes of every hour, and be sure the tailpipe isn’t blocked. Keep a “downwind” window cracked.
It’s wise to drive with an emergency kit containing blankets, non-perishable food, water, flares, a flashlight and sand or cat litter to help your wheels get traction. A well-charged cell phone can also come in handy.

Finally, as this next storm approaches, find your deck of cards. And checkers board. And yoga mat. Have a little fun. Get a little exercise. Spring’s 39 days away, but who’s counting?

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Shovel Safely

Feb. 4, 2010 3:22 pm

Used to exercising intensely in the cold? No? Then don’t think you can go outside and shovel two feet of snow without suffering some consequences.

If you’re young and otherwise healthy, a round of hard-core shoveling probably won’t leave you any more sore than a vigorous, new workout program would. But if you’re older or have any physical ailments, please be careful this weekend—and consider getting someone else to dig you out. If you’re over 65, you’re not only more vulnerable to a heart attack, broken hip or pulled muscles, you’re also more vulnerable to frostbite and hypothermia.

“Cold weather puts an extra strain on the heart," say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s advice about shoveling snow or performing other hard work in the cold. Otherwise, if you have to do heavy outdoor chores, dress warmly and work slowly. Remember, your body is already working hard just to stay warm, so don’t overdo it.”

Yes, we all need to clear our sidewalks and dig out our cars after a snowfall. But a quickly shoveled walkway isn’t worth suffering over. I know I’ll take it easier this weekend than I did during the Dec. 19 storm. My husband was recovering from surgery that weekend, so the shoveling became my chore, and I ended up having a bad asthma flare-up (despite getting lots of help digging out from friends and family, a stranger in search of a job, and a kind neighbor with a snow blower). Being dug out definitely wasn’t worth the weeks of coughing that followed—and it wouldn’t be worth it to you, either, if shoveling harmed your health. So ...

Shovel smartly: Lift with the legs, people. It’s true of hoisting boxes, and it’s true of hoisting snow. Squat down rather than bending at the waist. Don’t let the pressure of all that snow fall on your back. Also, clear the snow often—don’t wait until every last flake falls to start the job. Break it into lighter, more manageable chunks.
If you can, push the snow rather than lifting and dumping it, recommends the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (and you can just imagine why they weigh in on this). The academy also advises warming up your muscles before heading outside.

For asthma sufferers and those with other cold-sensitive lung conditions: Consider wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose. I wear one, and I hear lots of terrorist and bank robber jokes, but the mask heats the air before I inhale it. It’s my best bet for preventing a flare-up.

If you end up sore: A heating pad and some ibuprofen or acetaminophen are good balms.

As for the kids: They will want to be out in the snow, and they should get to enjoy it, but they need to come in if they show any of these signs of hypothermia: shivering, confusion, slurred speech, exhaustion, drowsiness, bright red, cold skin. Signs of frostbite include numbness and white, grayish or yellow skin.

If you're young and fit: Shovel your hearts out, but be sure to stay warm and hydrated.

Finally: It’s not a myth that shoveling snow ups your risk of suffering a heart attack. So stop right away if you experience any heart attack symptoms, including chest pressure or pain, shortness of breath, jaw pain or nausea. (For a fuller list of symptoms, see heart.org).

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Novel idea by mich22408
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Stress

Nov. 11, 2009 2:28 pm

I found a great Web site today while fishing around for ways to shape an upcoming story on stress. My goal: To find some good stress inventories, or ways to measure your stress and put it into perspective. With the holidays coming up, many people will experience more stressors (or the same stressors as usual, but more acutely). If you're curious about how your stress level measures up, or about how skilled you are at coping with stress, check out this Web site, from the University of California, Irvine:

http://www.health.uci.edu/stress/stressinventory.aspx

The site provides links to several stress measurement checklists -- some short, some long, on sites including mayoclinic.com.

There are lots of stress inventories available online, and not just the ones linked to on the UC Irvine site. One of the most well-known is the Holmes and Rahe inventory, which you can find online, and which has you check off which kinds of life events/adjustments you've coped with (death of a family member, divorce, etc.) in the past year.

Interestingly, when I tried several different inventories, the results were really different. Some said I was among the lucky few to be relatively free of stress, while others said I suffered from moderate to severe stress. It all depends on which questions the inventories ask. I found some of these assessments more accurate than others, but all were thought-provoking and worth taking, especially in this busy and expectation-laden time of year.

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Germ-blocking mitts?

Oct. 29, 2009 5:16 pm

Everyone wants to stay well, so it's hard to knock anything intended to keep us germ-free. And yet, I can't resist poking fun at a product pitched to me earlier today -- Gotta Go Mitts.

Gotta Go Mitts are little plastic mitts small children are supposed to stick over their hands when they use public restrooms. Kids, parents know, often do gross things in bathrooms. They lift the seat, touch the trash can, pick up things off the floor -- it's cringe-worthy. The idea behind these mitts is that they can maximize children's safety while minimizing parents' worry.

But I wonder: After kids leave the stall, do they take the mitts off and wash their hands? Because if they do, then why bother with the mitts? And if they don't, then aren't the mitts getting in the way of forming a hand-washing habit? And really: Will kids too impulsive to resist touching a dirty floor actually wear a mitt?

Common sense tells me a good hand-washing after a trip to the restroom is effective enough. Of course, small kids can't always reach the faucet, and lifting a squirmy child over a wet sink can be tough. (That's partly why I carry hand sanitizer.) But mitts? Check out the Web site if you're curious -- gottagomitts.com. There are some glowing testimonials. Looking at the site made me wonder if we're becoming a nation of germaphobes, but I'd be curious to hear what you think.

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H1N1 Vaccine Update

Oct. 28, 2009 12:30 pm

In the next week or two, local doctors’ offices should have “robust supplies” of the H1N1 vaccine, Dr. Christopher Lillis told me this morning.
Small numbers of doses are beginning to trickle in to area doctors' offices, “and doctors will be reserving those doses for the highest risk groups until larger supplies arrive,” said Lillis, a Fredericksburg physician and Healthy Living columnist.
High-risk groups include pregnant women, children and people with underlying medical conditions (visit cdc.gov for a full list).
A letter from state health commissioner Karen Remley to the medical community on Tuesday gives more details:
“Despite the vaccine production delays, Virginia has been approved to order enough vaccine to provide initial orders to all private provider medical offices registered with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) as vaccinators,” the letter says. “Those orders were placed yesterday and vaccine should start to arrive in your offices in the next 3 to 7 days. Although initial quantities are small and are only partial shipments, this should allow all offices to begin to vaccinate those patients in the priority groups designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

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h1n1 vaccine

Oct. 26, 2009 11:35 am

A few details about the H1N1 vaccine -- though, sad to say, no new information about when or where you can get it:

FOR THE ALLERGIC:

People with egg allergies should know that it may be possible for them to get the shot -- despite the fact that the vaccine is made with eggs. New guidelines from the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology advise people with a history of egg allergy, or a history of bad reactions to vaccines, to get checked out by an allergist. An allergy specialist can evaluate a person's allergy, consult about whether the benefits of being vaccinated outweigh the risks of a reaction, and be on hand during a vaccination to respond with emergency care if needed.

“The vast majority of patients with egg allergy and/or suspected sensitivity to other components of the vaccine can be vaccinated following an evaluation by an allergist," Dr. Peter Smith, a Fredericksburg allergy and asthma specialist, said in a press release. "Even patients who have experienced adverse reactions to vaccines in the past can often be inoculated safely using allergy guidelines.”

Dr. James T. Li, chair of the allergy and immunology division at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, expressed a similar view in a story posted on medicalnewstoday.com.

"Persons with a history of allergy to egg or a past reaction to an influenza vaccine may still be able to receive the H1N1 vaccine or the seasonal flu vaccine safely," Li said. "I believe that anyone with this concern should check with their doctor and consult with an allergist."

FOR ASTHMATICS:

Smith, in the press release, urged those with asthma to get vaccinated against both the seasonal and H1N1 flu, as the flu and asthma can be a really hazardous mix. But he cautioned that those with asthma should not get the flu mist, but rather, the old-fashioned shot. That's because the mist is made with weakened, live virus and can trigger a bad response in people with asthma or who are immunosuppressed. The injectable version is safer for people with these complicating illnesses because it's made with dead virus.

FOR VACCINE SKEPTICS:

For those concerned about the safety of the h1n1 vaccine, check out Dr. Christopher Lillis' column, coming up this Sunday, Nov. 1, in Healthy Living.

FINALLY...

If you have any inside information about when and where the H1N1 vaccine will be available, do share!

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Holidays

Oct. 14, 2009 1:39 pm

It's not too early to start thinking about the holiday season, is it? What I'm wondering is what kind of Healthy Living stories readers would most like to see in the next couple of months. Food, exercise, stress, family, relationships, grief, alcohol, dieting, gifts -- anything and everything we worry about/strive for/struggle with all year long seems so much more profound during the holiday season. So, if you have advice to share on navigating the demands (health, relationship, financial, spiritual, etc) of the season in a healthy fashion, by all means, share it! I'm building a list of story ideas and would welcome yours.

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Car safety

May 22, 2009 9:47 am

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 and up, so if you've ever worried that your child's car seat isn't properly installed, consider attending a car-seat safey event at GEICO next Saturday, May 30. Free car seat inspections and installation help will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Also, people whose children are on Medicaid can receive a free convertible or booster car seat as long as they pre-register and bring their child's Medicaid card to the event. You can pre-register by calling Healthy Families-Rappahannock Area at 540/288-1937.

The event, at One GEICO Blvd., is co-sponsored by Healthy Families, GEICO and the Virginia Department of Health's Low-income Safety Seat Distribution and Education program.

Here are some startling stats from the press release about this event:

"Every year, more than 90,000 children under age 8 are injured in car crashes. More than 1,000 are killed...Approximately 70 percent of car seats are improperly installed or children are improperly restrained. Child safety seats reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers."

So, make sure your kids are buckled in properly. And make sure you are, too. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for adults up to age 35 -- when they become the second leading cause, after accidental poisonings from narcotics. (And as we get older, diseases -- especially heart disease -- take over those top spots. But that's another story.)

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Naps

May 15, 2009 11:12 am

I had a fascinating conversation this morning with a local sleep specialist, Dr. Maha Alattar, on the subject of naps. So many people are tired, moody and unable to concentrate, at least on occasion, because they haven't slept enough. One great solution: Nap! If only employers sanctioned it...Alattar said even a 5-minute nap can be helpful, believe it or not. But you have to be careful: Nap at the wrong time, or for the wrong reasons, and you might suffer.

I'll share more of what Alattar said -- about sleep woes, naps and caffeine -- in a story in next Sunday's (May 24) Healthy Living.

Meantime, you might find this interesting:

Fatigue is so prevalent in our society that some people are actually paying to take naps -- see this story the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about nap "spas," where you fork over $$$ to snooze in comfort:

www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/07/10/nap_rejuventate.html

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NAPS by MGWork

Mother's Day

May 8, 2009 11:13 am

I heard from a lot of women after posting a request for moms to tell me what they really want for Mother's Day. A lot of love permeated their responses, as you'd expect. A lot of fatigue came through as well. Moms (and all adults, really) are supposed to take good care of themselves so they can take care of others. But so many women seem to feel they just don't have enough time for themselves: to exercise regularly, go to the dentist, enjoy some solitude or, sadly, even schedule their mammograms. Many moms I heard from are hoping for a break this weekend from their daily responsibilities, and here's hoping they get that! Other moms have even deeper concerns that won't be fixed with a holiday -- concerns about their family's financial well-being, and about the safety of children serving in Iraq.

Interestingly, as I researched this story, I realized there's an awful lot of medical information available about women's health from the perspective of what happens during pregnancy, childbirth and immediately afterward. But there seems to be less information out there about the effect of parenthood on a woman's health as she ages. Anyway...you can read more about women's Mother's Day wishes this Sunday in Healthy Living.

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Pandemic, or business opportunity?

Apr. 30, 2009 11:41 am

I can't help but shake my head and chuckle when an e-mail like this lands in my basket:

Subject: "Survive the Swine with Belli Skincare"

Text: "With updates about the Swine Flu everywhere you look you maybe wondering what you can do now to help prevent yourself from being affected. Belli Skincare ... has a Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer that can help you get through the day worry and most important germ free."

Bad grammar and utterly opportunistic. Quite a combination.

For those seeking a Swine Flu update, check out cdc.gov, or my colleague Jim Hall's blog.

For those seeking a little perspective on this latest medical scare, see my post below. (and murphy22, thanks for your note about that).

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A little perspective

Apr. 29, 2009 11:44 am

All the talk about swine flu has me thinking about numbers, and perspective:

-- Hunger kills 24,000 people around the world every day, according to TheHungerSite.com

-- Malaria kills 3,000 children every day, according to the World Health Organization

-- Domestic violence kills three women in the U.S. every day, on average, according to the U.S. Department of Justice

-- About 120 people die every death in vehicle accidents in the U.S., according to CDC stats.

And swine flu? It's killed one person in the U.S. so far.

Of course, swine flu is worrisome (and you can read lots more about it in my previous posts, which contain lots of information from local Dr. Christopher Lillis). I don't mean to minimize its significance, especially as more cases appear.

But those old stories, about the need for mosquito nets and seat belts and more food, and the need to prevent domestic violence -- it's hard not to think about them, too.

On a totally unrelated note: I'm working on a story about what moms really want, from a health and peace-of-mind perspective, for Mother's Day. So moms, if you have thoughts to share, I'd love to hear from you.

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Thank you for the info Janet, keep it coming.. by msdaisy