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In ModerationBy Janet Marshall
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.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1257967730
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.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1256850997
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.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1256747417
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!
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1256571340
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.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1255541949
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.)
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1243000076
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
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1242400325
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.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1241795610
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).
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1241106110
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.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1241019863
Apr. 28, 2009 1:26 pm
Here's some more information on swine flu, courtesy of Dr. Lillis: (And if you didn't see my original post on this, which quotes a briefing Dr. Lillis wrote, check that out, too.) At this time, there are 64 confirmed cases in the United States (45 in New York City all concentrated in the same prep-school population of students who travelled to Mexico City). Of the 64 confirmed cases in the United States, only one was briefly hospitalized, and all recovered with zero deaths in the United States. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control are sending teams to Mexico to investigate reports of deaths from influenza like illnesses. At this time, only about 20 deaths are confirmed due to swine flu. The World Health Organization has deemed this threat significant, raising the pandemic threat to level four (out of a possible six on a scale of severity) due to the early pattern suggesting relatively easy human-to-human transmission, however, many questions remain since there have been no deaths in the United States or Europe, while there have been few confirmed deaths in Mexico. The European Union and United States have both recommended against non-essential travel to Mexico.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1240939590
Apr. 28, 2009 11:50 am
You may recognize Dr. Christopher Lillis' name from his monthly column in Healthy Living. What you may not know is that Dr. Lillis, along with being a doctor at Chancellor Internal Medicine, is a biological expert on the National Medical Response Team (which is the proper name for the D.C. area's "When really bad things happen" mass casualty team). Lillis wrote a swine flu briefing for his team Sunday afternoon, and I'm posting much of it below for people who want to know more about it. Perhaps the juiciest part, from a "how worried should I be?" perspective, is near the end, so skip ahead to the part I've italicized if you really want to know if it's time to panic; the more clinical stuff is at the beginning. See for yourself: The “swine flu” is a H1N1 strain of influenza A virus that is a new subtype not previously detected in humans. At this early stage of investigation, it appears to have mutated from its endemic swine form into a virus that is spread from human to human. The virus is spread through respiratory droplets, therefore wearing a respiratory mask can prevent transmission as well as thorough hand washing. Individuals with possible exposures are encouraged to stay home from work and avoid close contact with others. It is not yet known how easily transmissible this new H1N1 strain is. Clinicians need to consider H1N1 influenza when seeing a patient with a febrile upper respiratory illness who live in an area where other cases have been identified, or have travelled to an area where human cases have been identified. In Virginia, local Health Departments are tasked with arranging specimen testing through DCLS (Department of Consolidated Laboratory Services). Individual clinicians can collect respiratory swabs for refrigeration. Contact your local Virginia health department by calling 866-531-3068. Influenza basics: The H refers to the hemagglutanin protein while the N refers to the neuraminidase protein. The hemagglutanin protein allows for the influenza virus entry into red blood cells, while the neuraminidase protein stimulates the production of more mucous in the human host. To prevent infection, a human must be immune to the specific hemagglutanin protein on the virus surface. The influenza virus mutates quickly, even after human infection, thus leaving the influenza vaccines only incompletely effective. The H1N1 has mutated into various strains, can be endemic in swine and birds, but once the virus mutates to cause infections in humans it can be quite devastating. The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919 that killed between 50-100 million people worldwide was an H1N1 influenza A virus. A strain that has recently mutated is the most dangerous, as the human host will have little immunity to a yet unseen strain of virus. ..... In my best estimation, given the information at hand thusfar, the H1N1 influenza A virus has little potential to cause a mass casualty event, while it will likely cause an influx of patients into emergency rooms, clinics and private practices. Encourage calm among worried family, friends and professional contacts while the investigation is ongoing, and emphasize hand washing, avoiding close contact with sick individuals, “self-quarantining” behaviors (staying home from school or work when sick) and testing for individuals who meet the case definition: · Fever >100 F + Cough/sore throat · Traveled to San Diego, CA; Imperial County, CA; New York City; Guadeloupe County, TX; Mexico City References:http://www.vdh.state.va.us/news/PressReleases/PDFs/2009/042409HealthAlertSwineFlu.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm
This is Janet again-- thanks to Dr. Lillis for permission to print this. For those who are nervous about this, perhaps the best thing you can do is head to the sink, and give your hands a good scrub.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=58&p=1240933824
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Janet Marshall is the Healthy Living editor at The Free Lance-Star. She thinks most things are fine in moderation.
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