With the news that the Disneyland measles outbreak continues to spread, I was happy to run across this YouTube of the magic comedy duo Penn and Teller. They use a simple but effective game of grapefruit bowling to get their pro-vaccination point across. Enjoy! (Oh, warning, they use a couple of bad words…)
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Frugal Nurse… Continue reading
I like all things snarky so I enjoyed reading a recent post by a physician poking a bit of fun at health and wellness fads.
Remember the old aphorism You are what you eat? Well, forget it. In today’s busy world who has time for “eating in moderation” or “being heart healthy”? I think that if there’s one thing that the health and wellness industry has proven time and time again is that miracle cures and gimmick diets work. Every. Single. Time. Not only are they logical and effective, but also completely safe.
(Don’t forget he’s kidding here!)
… Continue readingThe
A recent aspirin study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says that too many patients are being treated unnecessarily with baby aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
At this time, the guidelines suggest a daily baby aspirin (81mg) for anyone with a 6% or greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke within the next ten years. This risk, determined by your doctor, is based on a variety of factors such as age, weight, family history, history of other diseases, etc.
But in some physician practices, up to 71% of the patients who have … Continue reading
Isn’t Florida known as the “Sunshine State”?
Then why do they have so many tanning beds?
That’s what I learned in a recent New York Times article regarding the dangers of tanning beds: Warning: That Tan Could Be Hazardous.
Here in the Sunshine State, there are more tanning salons than McDonald’s restaurants, CVS stores or Bank of America branches, according to a 2014 study by University of Miami researchers.
Interesting. I would have expected my city of Seattle (and yes, it is just as gray and wet as rumors say) to have more, but it doesn’t. And for that … Continue reading
News stories like this make me crazy: Disneyland measles outbreak grows, sparks concern. Or this from my local newspaper: Measles makes it to Seattle from Disneyland.
At least 17 people have been infected in the outbreak, which occurred among people who visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Orange County, Calif….It’s likely that a person who was contagious visited the theme park during that period and spread it to others.
A 20-something young woman from Washington state was one of those infected with measles while at Disneyland. Judging by her age, she is most likely one of … Continue reading
US News & World Report published another one of their ubiquitous “Best of” lists this week. This one focused on diets. January, after all, is the month of diet resolutions 😉
For the fifth year in a row the winner was the DASH diet.
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (or High blood pressure). It was a study implemented in the early 1990s and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
It’s really more dietary guideline than diet, and emphasizes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables (especially those high in minerals such as calcium, potassium … Continue reading
An article last week in the MIT Technology Review issued a warning that our health care information, including medical, insurance and financial records, might not be secure.
… Continue readingAlong with vast troves of credit card information and celebrity snapshots, hackers stole a record number of medical records from U.S. health-care facilities this year. In 2015, attacks targeting health data will become even more common, according to security researchers.
Carl Leonard, principal security analyst for Websense, says hackers are breaking into the computer networks of health-care facilities with increasing frequency and taking valuable personal information that is often secured improperly. In August,
On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a health advisory. It appears this year’s flu vaccine is not a great genetic match for the majority of flu cases seen thus far. This is called a virus “drift.”
That’s too bad, but because the flu vaccine is made before the flu season starts, it’s always a bit of an educated guess. Some years are a better match than others.
Related post: Get your seasonal flu shot
The media has been reporting that the vaccine is less effective this year, and perhaps you … Continue reading
Two things happened last week that reminded me you can never be too careful in our health care system, especially when medications are involved.
Large pharmacies oversee hundreds of prescriptions every day. Add that to numerous phone calls, glitchy computers and impatient customers, and mistakes are bound to happen.
Protect yourself with a few simple steps at the counter:
My 84-year-old mother called me on Friday afternoon in a bit of a panic. She had just returned from visiting my brother on the … Continue reading
Use it or lose itThere are several pieces of advice for helping prevent or delay age-related dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Keeping your brain active and fit can be especially fun and rewarding, as it usually involves learning something new. Examples of good brain-stretchers are:
I love to play games. Board games, card games, word games or video games. You can play with others, which also … Continue reading