October 9th, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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In April I co-authored, Swine Flu Vs. Soap: Our bet’s on the soap! with pediatrician, Dr. Gwenn O’Keefe, founder of Pediatricsnow. We gave a brief overview about the swine flu H1N1 and discussed preventative measures.
While the information remains the same in our post, I’d like to now add a little info about the the H1N1 flu vaccine.
Health information about H1N1 is circulating the web faster than tweets zip through cyberspace and it can be very confusing.
It’s like you’re stuck in a maze and you don’t know which way to go to get out. Information about the swine flu is circulating so quickly that it can even be frightening. It’s really important that you don’t panic.
Gather your information and talk with you doctors and nurses.
Information about the H1N1 flu vaccine Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
September 29th, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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This post isn’t being written to frighten you or to cause you to mistrust hospitals.
It’s to make you aware that medical errors do occur, but there are steps that you can take to help prevent medical errors from happening.
First, some vital information
According to a recent investigation by the Hearst Corporation, a staggering 200,000 Americans will die each year from preventable medical errors and hospital infections. This report comes ten years after the highly-publicized report, “To Err Is Human” which found 98,000 Americans were dying each year of medical errors. Instead of the number of medical errors decreasing, it nearly doubled.
Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
September 18th, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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Do we need to be a detective to find out which foods are healthy?
Maybe…
In yesterday’s Washington Post, Jennifer LaRue Huget, blogger for “The Check Up” writes about the new unhealthy line of Kraft Lunchables.
Kraft calls the new line “wholesome,” but are they?
Turkey and Cheddar Sub Sandwich seems like it could be a healthy choice, but actually it is filled with fat, sodium and sugar. Here’s a complete list of ingredients that may shock you.
Digging a little deeper
I’m curious now to find out what’s behind the “New Deep Dish Cheese Pizza.” Here’s how it’s described:
You won’t have to dig deep for our Deep Dish Pizza, made with Kraft 2% Mozzarella and 2% Cheddar, deep dish crust made with whole grain, Tombstone Pizza Sauce, Tree Top® Applesauce, Mini Nilla Wafers, spring water and Tropical Punch Kool-Aid Singles.
It doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Low fat cheese, whole grain crust, pizza sauce, applesauce, mini Nilla Wafers, spring water; what’s so bad about that? One more ingredient includes Tropical Punch Kool-Aid Singles. Hmm…what was wrong with just the water? Why add all that sugar?
Okay, I’m digging deeper now to read the ingredients. Well, take a peek, and you decide. The long list of ingredients isn’t healthy. The Deep Dish Pizza is filled with fat, calories, sodium, cholesterol, and sugar.
Read the Ingredients
It’s really important to read the ingredients and not just the label. The packaging and wording are created in such a way to capture your attention and it gives the appearance that it’s healthy, but in fact it is not.
Playing detective
You could actually make a game out of this with your kids. Take them food shopping with you and have them take the “Food Label Challenge Test.” (I just made that up). Show them the package and the front label, ask them if they think it’s healthy or not. Have them read the ingredients, you may be surprised at what you find! The little gumshoes may enjoy the challenge.
So remember, make sure the next time you’re out food shopping, read the ingredients, not just the front label. Playing detective might not be such a bad idea; you may be surprised at what you find in your foods.
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
September 2nd, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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Have you ever been in a public bathroom and noticed the number of people that don’t wash their hands?
It doesn’t matter where you are.
You can be in a mall, an airport, a hospital, a restaurant, a school, a concert, work, a sporting event and the list can go on and on.
People are not washing their hands.
Hand Washing Isn’t Sexy
Okay so this topic isn’t so sexy. Not like FOX NEWS Health’s Featured Story: “Catwalk Confidence” that highlights a fitness class to teach women to “strut their stuff” in stilettos or FOX NEWS “FOXsexpert” who lets you know that size does matter.
It’s Not Sexy but It Does Matter
It matters because simple hand washing can stop the spread of germs, and can prevent infections including the Swine Flu.
In a recent story on CBS news, it’s reported that in a new survey it found that “87 percent of respondents wash their hands after using public bathrooms, but one percent of those only rinsed with water.”
It also reports that “people haven’t changed their hand washing habits in light of the swine flu outbreak.”
Whether the study is accurate or not who knows, the fact is that there are some people who are not washing their hands, and some people only rinse with water? What’s up with that?
Are You Doing It Right?
If people are washing their hands, are they doing it right? Are they lathering up long enough? Do they sing “Happy Birthday” twice? Turn off the faucet with a paper towel?
Take Notice Next Time You Use A Public Bathroom
You’ll be shocked by the number of people who do it wrong or worse, don’t do it at all.
Why Are People Not Doing It?
Why do people not wash their hands? Why aren’t they changing their hand washing habits in light of the swine flu? Hand washing is so simple. If it can keep nasty germs away and prevent the swine flu and other viruses, why aren’t people doing it? Why?
CDC Offers Great Info
It’s no secret that hand washing is the single most effective way to stop the spread of infection. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers helpful information.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:
- Wet your hands with warm running water
- Apply soap.
- Rub hands together vigorously to make a soapy lather.
- Rub all surfaces including your wrists, between your fingers, back of your hands and under your fingernails and cuticles, and around any rings.
- Rub your hands for 15-20 seconds.
- No timer is needed; just imagine singing “Happy Birthday” x 2.
- Rinse your hands well.
- Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer.
- Use your paper towel to turn off the faucet if possible.
- Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
Love the Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizers
If soap and water are not available use alcohol based hand sanitizers. They work great, and they are easy to carry with you.
With the start of school fast approaching, moms and dads encourage your kids to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating.
What’s Your Experience?
Do you wash your hands? Do you notice people washing their hands in public bathrooms or not? We would like to hear from you. Any suggestions to help spread the word?
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
August 20th, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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A Guest Blog by Kevin Soden, MD
I ran into an old friend this past week and, as all of us over 60 do, we began talking about our health and the various ailments afflicting us as we age.
He shared with me that he was currently dealing with a bad case of the “shingles” (known as Herpes Zoster in medical circles) at age 65 and how terribly painful they were. He said that he wouldn’t wish them on his worst enemy.
As many of you may know because you’ve suffered a similar problem, shingles is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
Only someone who has had a case of chickenpox – or gotten chickenpox vaccine – can get shingles. The virus stays in your body and it can reappear many years later to cause a case of shingles.
Always being the doctor, I asked my friend whether or not he’d gotten the vaccine to help reduce his risk of getting shingles.
He acted shocked and was quite angry as he explained that he’d never been told by his doctor about that there was a vaccine available that might prevent shingles.
The vaccine available for adults 60 and over to prevent shingles is called Zostavax. In clinical trials, the vaccine prevented shingles in about half of people 60 years of age and older. Even if you do get shingles after being vaccinated, it may help reduce the pain associated with shingles but it cannot be used to treat shingles once you have it.
I’m really not pushing the Zostavax vaccine because it’s not recommended for everyone but rather am reminding everyone that prevention is much better than treating after someone has a disease.
Talk to your doctor at your yearly visit to see what preventive steps you should be taking.
Check the CDC website for more information about vaccines that might be right for you especially if you are traveling to other countries.
Frankly, if your doctor is not talking to you about preventing disease, then it just might be time to find another doctor.
About Kevin Soden, MD
Dr. Kevin Soden has been a medical journalist for over 20 years appearing on CBS, NBC and most recently on NBC’s Today Show. He now serves as the host for Healthline, the national award-winning daily medical television show seen on the Retirement Living Network. He also serves as the worldwide Medical Director for Texas Instruments and Cardinal Health and teaches as a courtesy Professor at the Univ. of Florida College of Medicine.
His awards include 3 Telly’s, the 2008 CableFax award for best cable health show, the 2008 and 2001 National Award for Excellence in Medical Reporting from the National Association of Medical Communicators, a finalist for the International Freddie Awards in 2001, and as the Executive Producer for Rush of the Palms received the 2003 International Film Critics award for short films.
Kevin published The Art of Medicine: What Every Doctor and Patient Should Know…a critically acclaimed book focusing on improving doctor-patient communications. He is also the primary author of a consumer medical book Special Treatment: How to Get the High-Quality Care Your Doctor Gets. He is also a contributing author to the recently published A Practical Approach to Occupational and Environmental Medicine and to Physician Leaders: Who, How and Why Now? He has just finished his third book Think Like a Man: Male Behaviors that Can Help Woman Lighten the Load, Loosen Up and Find Happiness in a Stress-Filled World. He also is a regular contributor to numerous popular magazines.
Soden graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Medicine and is one of the original inductees into the UF Medical Wall of Fame. He also has a Masters in Public Health from the Medical College of Wisconsin and a Masters in Personnel Administration from Florida State University.
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
