Marion County Medical Center

Health Shorts

November 2002

What You Can Do for Colds and Flu

Get a flu shot, particularly if you are over age 60 or have medical conditions that increase your risk.
Once you get respiratory symptoms, drink plenty of fluids.
Chicken soup is highly recommended. But any soup will do.
Don't see your doctor unless your symptoms are prolonged or severe. Antibiotics won't treat a viral illness, and your best relief will come from over-the-counter medications.
Take aspirin or ibuprofen for aching muscles.
For a sore throat, gargle with soluble aspirin or suck throat lozenges.

SOURCE: David Courtney, "There Is a Cure for the Wintertime Blues," Practice Nurse, November 17, 2000]

Helmets for Skiing, Snowboarding?
When a skier or snowboarder collides with a tree or other object, a serious, even fatal, head injury can occur. That's why some doctors are recommending helmets for these sports, particularly for children and beginners. Helmets on the market today offer significant protection without being too cumbersome.
[SOURCE: "Winter Exercise: Cold-Weather Fitness," Adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter, MayoClinic.com, October 16, 2002]

Head Home with Wind at Your Back
When running, walking or cross country skiing during the winter months, plan your workouts so the wind is at your back during the last part of your journey-when you are sweatiest. When the weather is particularly cold, be sure to move at a pace you can maintain comfortably and don't push your usual endurance level.
[SOURCE: "Winter Exercise: What To Do When the Weather Turns Cold," Mayo Clinic Health Letter, December, 1998]

What's Your Antibiotic IQ?
Colds are viral rather than bacterial, and antibiotic medications have no effect against viruses. Yet a recent Harris poll found that nearly half of Americans incorrectly believe that antibiotics are at least somewhat effective for treating colds. Of those who didn't know the facts about antibiotics, 19 percent had a high school education or less...but 10 percent had graduate degrees.
[SOURCE: "Public Aware of but Confused about Antibiotic Resistance," AORN Journal, May, 2002]

Do Antibiotics Increase Risk Of Allergies in Children?
While conclusive proof is lacking, scientists have found some indications that antibiotic use in children may be linked to the development of asthma, hay fever and eczema. These allergies have all increased significantly over the last several decades in developed countries where antibiotic use is high. One study of children in a large general practice population found that those who were given one course of broad spectrum antibiotics before age one had double the risk of becoming asthmatic compared to other children. Another study found that children given one course of antibiotics had a four-fold increased risk. In both studies, those given additional courses of antibiotics had even higher risks. Scientists believe that the antibiotics may destroy certain types of bacteria that have beneficial effects on the developing immune system.
[SOURCE: "Could GP Antibiotic Use in Children Lead to Allergies?" Pulse, April 29, 2002]

Reducing Agricultural Use of Antibiotics
One major reason for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains is the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock and chicken feed. One recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine [October 18, 2001] reported finding antibiotic-resistant salmonella in ground meat. Several producers have promised to cut back on the use of antibiotics, and the Food and Drug Administration recently proposed new regulations.
[SOURCE: "Overdoing Antibiotics," Harvard Health Letter, November, 2002]

Diagnosing Seasonal Depression
Most of us get a little depressed when the cold days and long dark nights of winter set in, but for some the winter doldrums assume a more serious guise. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by generalized feelings of depression, carbohydrate craving, fatigue, an excessive need for sleep and decreased libido. A diagnosis of SAD requires that symptoms occur in winter months and improve during the summer. Symptoms that occur at other times of year may be caused by clinical depression or another diagnosis requiring a different approach to treatment. It's important that SAD be diagnosed by a physician before beginning any treatment.
[SOURCE: Erin Michalak, et al, "How To Recognize When Winter Gloom Becomes and Illness," Pulse, January 7, 2002]

Self Help for Winter Blues
Many Americans experience a milder form of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) known as subsyndromal SAD or, more commonly, the winter blues. Symptoms of winter blues include tiredness, lethargy and poor concentration. Self-help strategies for winter blues include getting out in the sun as much as possible (by taking a brisk walk over your lunch hour, for example), eating a healthy diet and maintaining a regular exercise and sleep schedule. If depression persists or grows worse, make an appointment with your doctor.
[SOURCE: Erin Michalak, et al, "How To Recognize When Winter Gloom Becomes an Illness," Pulse, January 7, 2002]

Primary Care for SAD
By some estimates, as many as 10 million Americans, mostly those living in northern states, suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of winter depression. The sheer number of persons with SAD makes it logistically impossible for all of these patients to be treated by mental health professionals. Most SAD patients will be seen by primary care physicians who need to be alert for symptoms and aware of treatment options.
[SOURCE: Mary D. Pinkowish, "Effective Treatment for Winter Depression," Patient Care, January 15, 1999]

Heart Attacks Peak over Holidays
A study conducted at the University of Southern California found a 33 percent increase in heart attacks from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. This spike in heart attacks over the holidays may be partly a result of overindulgence in high fat, salty foods and alcohol. Holiday stress may also play a role as many individuals suffer depression and disappointment when reality falls short of idealized media images of celebrations and family life.
[SOURCE: "Winter the Most Dangerous Season," USA Today Magazine, October, 2000]

Holiday Gifts That Won't Bust Your Diet
Cookies and sugary treats tend to pile up in many homes as friends and neighbors exchange holiday gifts. But gifts of food don't have to be diet busters. Your friends will welcome healthy gifts such as a box of citrus fruits (plentiful at this time of year), a mixture of nuts, a basket of pears or apples, a bean soup mix, dried fruits or an assortment of teas.

Fitness-Oriented Gifts
Looking for holiday gift ideas? For your fitness-minded friends, consider the following:

a membership to a health club, Y or fitness center,
outdoor exercise clothing such as a cap, glove liners or fleece jacket,
hand weights for strength training,
a subscription to a running or other fitness publication.

Such gifts are, of course, for individuals already interested in exercise and should not be used as a not-so-subtle reminder.

Secure Yule Tree Around Toddlers, Pets
If you're putting up a tree this holiday season, you should take extra precautions if young children or pets will be admiring the dangling ornaments. As well as setting the tree in a sturdy tree stand, anchoring it to a nearby wall or window frame with guy wires will keep it upright if a toddler or your cat should grab at the branches. Fishing line or light, strong wire can be wrapped around the trunk about two thirds of the way up with each end secured to a wall, ceiling or window frame to ensure the tree is stable. The wires are almost invisible. Wire the tree before you start decorating and test it to make sure it won't topple. Put glass ornaments and decorations with small pieces high on the tree and save the lower branches for soft stuffed ornaments that are safe for young children.

Top Ten Dangers to World Health
About 40 percent of all deaths worldwide can be attributed to one or more of the top 10 health hazards identified in this year's annual World Health Report published by the World Health Organization. Malnutrition, or underweight, is listed as the top threat, responsible for 1 of 14 deaths globally, while its opposite number, overweight, ranks 10th on the list. Other health dangers, ranked from number two to number nine, are: unsafe sex, high blood pressure, tobacco, alcohol, contaminated water, sanitation and hygiene, iron deficiency, indoor pollution and high cholesterol. If effective programs were put in place to reduce these health hazards, WHO estimates that persons in the poorest countries might enjoy an additional 10 years of healthy life while those in the richest countries might gain an extra five years.
[SOURCE: Emma Ross, "World's Top Health Hazards Ranked," AP Health, October 31, 2002]

Health Shorts

November 2002

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