Health is Wealth
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What does it mean to inspire inclusion? For #IWD2024 the campaign theme #InspireInclusion emphasizes the importance of #diversity & #empowerment in all aspects of society & underscores the crucial role of #inclusion for #genderequality https://bit.ly/IWD24ii #March8 #IWD
The next time you have a check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here’s a list of five that may surprise you.
1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.
2. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.
3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.
4. It eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.
5. It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.
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Overcome social apprehensions: When you turn down opportunities to make new friends or visit people, ask yourself why you are avoiding them. Remember that other people want to be liked, too, and will generally welcome the outreach. — #HarvardHealthTipoftheDay #HarvardHealth
Your bed should be a place of relaxation and rejuvenation. But if you’re having trouble sleeping, that’s likely not the case.
Not only can not sleeping be frustrating, but getting a good night’s sleep is vital to maintaining your overall health and mental well-being. Seven or more hours of quality sleep each night recharges your body physically, but can also help flush toxins from your brain and allow your mind to fully rest — which assist in your mental alertness, decision-making, and overall clarity the next day. And if you’re sick, your brain needs to be in tip-top shape to help you recover.
That’s why sleep expert Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO, says you should do everything you can to address any sleep issues you’re experiencing.
Besides external influences like recurring noises (from a crying infant to a snoring partner) or travel-related time changes that keep you up at night, sleep deprivation may come in many other forms.
“For example, some people experience chronic insomnia — a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says. “Others may experience cycles of waking up but not being able to get back to sleep.“
And sometimes, even if you’re able to fall asleep but were focused on unresolved issues or worries right before you closed your eyes — this may affect the quality of sleep you actually achieve. “You may find yourself groggy in the morning or feeling tired, cranky or unproductive,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says. “Also, a lack of sleep can affect your judgement and emotional response to otherwise normal daily activities.”
Many of us tend to bring our daily stress to bed with us — which is exactly the place it doesn’t belong. It’s not easy to leave stress at the end of your day. But keeping these stressful thoughts in focus right before sleep can definitely prevent you from getting some good shuteye.
“This is something you should try to avoid whenever possible, as it can cause a variety of sleep problems,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer notes. “It may take practice, but committing to stress-reduction behaviors at the end of your day is very important. The more active you are in kicking stress out of bed each night, the more likely your overall sleep quality will improve.”
You may not be aware that bringing stress to bed could be causing a negative cycle to form. If you have trouble falling asleep, the longer you lie awake, the more aggravated you may become. Soon you may unknowingly associate your bed as a place of discomfort, rather than one of comfort. The key is to remove any negative association with your sleep space by forming healthy pre-sleep habits. Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer offers these tips for developing better pre-sleep practices:
If trying some of the strategies above to reduce or manage your stress aren’t helping your insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT-i) might be a good option.
“CBTi is a structured program that helps you identify and replace thoughts and behaviors that cause (or worsen) sleep problems with new habits and thought patterns that promote healthy sleep,” explains sleep expert Michelle Drerup, PsyD.
“CBTi is offered by trained specialists nationwide, including at many larger hospitals or academic medical centers,” Dr. Drerup adds. “There are also several online programs, such as Cleveland Clinic’s Go! to Sleep program.”
A lack of sleep may also indicate a variety of sleep disorders or other health concerns that need to be addressed with proper medical diagnosis and treatment. Once your medical conditions are treated, you may eventually see your sleep improve.
Underlying medical conditions that may prevent you from sleeping include:
“If any of these are the case, you likely won’t sleep comfortably through the night until the problem is identified and properly treated by a knowledgeable primary care physician or specialist,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says.
Make sure you keep track of symptoms you are experiencing, and tell your doctor about them as soon as possible. Your primary care physician may explore your sleep history and/or give you a physical examination. This could include examining your upper airway muscles, for example. If sleep apnea is suspected, you may be referred to a sleep disorders center for a comprehensive sleep study. Or you may be suffering from other conditions that could result in treatments like short-term hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants or other kinds of medicines — all which depend upon proper diagnosis.
Overall, the key to getting better sleep comes from first identifying your sleepless activity, reducing your stress before you hit your bed, and talking with your doctor if you notice other symptoms — so you can get back on track to a good night’s sleep.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-do-if-you-cant-sleep
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Another reason to include that cup of #coffee in your morning routine – coffee may help your skin stay healthy! #HarvardHealth http://bit.ly/2zn0MyF
It’s uncommon in kids under 3, but providers may test under certain circumstances
We’ve all done it
Stared into the mirror, flashlight trained on our open mouths, searching for the telltale white patches that typically indicate strep throat. If we see them, we’re off to our primary care practitioner or nearest medical express center for a rapid strep test and, if needed, a course of antibiotics. No big deal.
But when it comes to your baby or toddler, any hint of illness does feel like a big deal.
The fact that untreated strep can cause complications makes the guessing game all the more stressful. That’s why we asked pediatrician Wadie Shabab, MD, FAAP, whether it’s possible for children under 3 to contract strep throat and what worried parents should do if they think their wee one has it.
Acute streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) is a highly contagious bacterial infection. It can spread through respiratory droplets or through direct contact, like sharing a cup or touching an infected surface. Strep has an incubation period — the time when you’re contagious but aren’t yet showing any symptoms — of two to five days, which makes it easy to spread, especially in crowded places like schools and daycare facilities.
Strep throat is most common in kids between the ages of 5 and 15. Certain strains of strep throat can cause a red rash known as scarlet fever or a skin infection called impetigo. Luckily, antibiotics can speed up the recovery process and reduce the amount of time a person’s contagious.
Left untreated, strep throat can cause rheumatic fever or a serious kidney problem called acute glomerulonephritis. But these complications are rare. Where we see do see rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis, it’s usually in resource-poor countries with limited access to antibiotics.
That’s the cloud. Here’s the silver lining: “In general, it’s uncommon for children younger than 3 to have strep throat,” Dr. Shabab says. It’s much more likely that a virus is causing your kiddo’s discomfort.
And there’s more good news: Strep infections also tend to be milder and cause fewer dangerous complications in infants and toddlers than they do in older kids.
While rare, it is possible for a very young child to contract strep throat. And the infection can cause different symptoms than the ones you see in older children and adults. Here are some things to look out for:
Even if your baby ticks most of those boxes, Dr. Shabab says it’s possible a healthcare provider will decide not to test or treat for strep.
Why would your pediatrician opt out of strep testing your sick child? Dr. Shabab says that in addition to contracting strep being rare, the likelihood of complications is also rare.
“We treat strep to decrease the duration of the symptoms and prevent complications such as sinus infections, ear infections and abscesses in the throat area,” he explains. “But the most important reason we treat strep throat is to prevent acute rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis.”
According to Dr. Shabab, it’s very rare for children under 3 to develop these complications, so providers frequently opt not to test and let whatever is happening resolve on its own.
But as with any rule, there are important exceptions to be aware of.
More often than not, a child under 3 isn’t going to have strep throat. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when it’s important to be sure.
Your healthcare provider will likely perform a throat swab on your child if they’re ill and:
If your little one’s test comes back positive, their provider might prescribe antibiotics.
The single best way to reduce your risk of strep throat is by practicing good hygiene. Unfortunately, children under 3 aren’t known for their cleanliness. Still, getting your children in the habit of washing their hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water throughout the day, before eating and after sneezing or coughing is a great first step. And modeling the behavior will help you avoid getting sick, which improves your kiddo’s chances of staying healthy, too!
Here are a few other things you can do to minimize the chances of strep making its way into your home:
It’s rare for children under the age of 3 to get strep throat — and still more unusual for them to get seriously ill as a result. Again, healthcare providers rarely test for it as a result, unless your child is ill and:
Very young children tend not to have the same symptoms as older children with strep throat. If you’re concerned about their symptoms — especially if they have a fever — contact their pediatrician immediately.
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