HealthyLife Articles

Category: Well-Being

  • Thinking About Getting Pregnant?

    WELL-BEING

    Image of couple looking at the results of a pregnancy test.

    A healthy pregnancy starts with these steps, according to the CDC:

    *  Take a vitamin with 400 micrograms (mcg) folic acid every day. Read the label.

    *  Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs.

    *  Keep hands clean by washing them often with soap and water to prevent infections.

    *  See a health care professional regularly. Talk about any medical problems (such as obesity, diabetes, seizures) and medicine use (both prescription and over-the-counter).

    *  Ask about avoiding any substances at work or at home that might be harmful to a developing baby.

    *  Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

    *  Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it.

    *  Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.

    *  While pregnant, get early prenatal care and go to every appointment.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Women Traveling Alone: Safety Tips

    WELL-BEING

    Image of young women reading a map.

    Perhaps more than ever, women are willing to ditch their traveling companions and go solo when it comes time to hit the road and see the world. Many travel for business.

    Still, despite the trend, many women may worry that traveling alone can carry too many risks, making them a target for thieves, kidnappers,

    and other criminals.

    Barbara Foster, a veteran globetrotter and author of the book The Confessions of a Librarian: A Memoir of Loves, advises, “Sure, there are risky places and bad types out there. But with the right precautions, women can travel solo with confidence, visiting the places and meeting the people they always dreamed of and returning home with wonderful stories and memories.”

    *Steer clear of the most dangerous locales.Simply put, some places just aren’t worth the risk. Avoid “no go” neighborhoods, cities, and countries.

    *Connect with friendly contacts.Make yourself known not only to the US embassy or consul, but also to people in your field, Foster said. During her travels, Foster wrote articles about libraries she visited. Her fellow librarians were a  protective group.

    *Learn the language or at least useful phrases.Even if it’s just a few key words, speaking the language can come in handy if you need to seek help. Knowing what others are saying can also alert you to potential dangers.

    *Dress wisely, pay attention to manners, and spend money in moderation.Don’t draw needless attention to yourself. For added protection against thieves, Foster suggests carrying money and ID in a pouch under your shirt.

    *Travel in the US.You will miss many of the world’s must-see places, but if the thought of traveling abroad holds too much stress for you, it might be better to stick closer to home.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Avoid Bed Bugs

    WELL-BEING

    Image of a bed.

    Upon entering a hotel room, place your luggage in the bathtub or on the toilet seat. Bed bugs can’t crawl up these surfaces and attach to your bags. While in the room, keep luggage on the luggage rack, off the floor. Hard-sided luggage lacks the folds and creases of soft-sided bags making it more difficult for the pests to hide in your bags.

    Since bed bugs are large enough to see, check the mattress and bed frame for any signs that the pests have been hiding there. Do you notice any tiny black spots? Spots and stains are good indicators of either a current or prior presence. Pull back sheets, inspect mattress seams and examine any other upholstered items in the room.

    Bed bugs are drawn to wood-don’t neglect the nightstand and dresser. If it appears as though the critters have invited themselves into your hotel room, ask the management for another room.

    Before packing the car for the trip home, place luggage in large plastic bags and knot securely. Once home, immediately wash all clothing on the hottest temperature setting suggested by the care labels. Dry on high heat for at least  30 minutes. Avoid packing items that can only be laundered on a cold-water setting, suggest The Maids, a residential cleaning service.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • How To Make Those New Year’S Resolutions Stick

    WELL-BEING

    Image of top resolutions written on small paper notes.

    Tap into your company’s wellness program to help you make and achieve your New Year’s goals, suggests Alere Health.

    Identify your core values.

    Make a list of your core values-such as vitality, health, honesty, compassion, security-to get a sense of what is really important to you.

    Set your priorities.

    Target 3 or 4 of those values to focus on. Base your decision on values that you know would make you happier and improve your quality of life. Then look at what you are doing or not doing that is keeping that value from manifesting in your life.

    Establish specific, measurable goals.

    After you determine the changes you want to make, set specific, measurable goals to track your progress. One of the reasons that many people fail with resolutions is that their goals are too vague. Track your daily progress.

    Be realistic.

    The best health and wellness programs teach you to gradually reduce your unhealthy habits so that you can learn behaviors that will last. Go for ridiculously easy ones, and you’ll achieve your goal every time.

    Be creative.

    Who says resolutions have to be about weight loss or exercise? Getting plenty of sleep can also promote better health and vitality. Or walk around the office if you sit all day. Pledge to stand up once an hour or when you take a phone call.

    Chill out more.

    Stress is the enemy to feeling better and being more productive. Stress management programs can provide the tips and support to manage those life situations that may anger, sadden or worry you and help to keep you on goal.

    Do something for someone else.

    Many stress management programs offered by employers encourage employees to manage stress and improve happiness by doing something for others. Employers are recognizing that employees that are active and engaged in helping others in their community are often more productive and healthier than those who do not. If your company supports a special cause, or if you have one important to you, make the effort to spend a few hours a month volunteering or helping in some way.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Prevent Clothes Dryer Fires

    WELL-BEING

    Image of a man cleaning dryer duct.

    Built-up lint blocks air flow in your clothes dryer, which leads to high heat and a potential fire. Thousands of fires occur each year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

    Take these simple steps to keep your home safe:

    *  Clean the lint screen every time you use the dryer.

    *  If you use fabric softener, wash the screen in warm soapy water periodically to get rid of film build-up that restricts air flow.

    *  Make sure the lint screen has no tears (otherwise lint gets into the duct system and restricts air flow).

    *  Inspect the duct, dampers, and access covers for damage every 3 months. Clean all removable parts. Vacuum the duct to remove excess lint build-up.

    Don’t dry items that have been cleaned or soaked in gasoline, dry cleaning solvents, vegetable or cooking oil, machine oil, or other chemicals such as mop heads, which can be explosive when heated.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Stay Healthy When Swimming

    WELL-BEING

    Image of beach ball in swimming pool.

    Did you know you can get sick from swimming? Whether it’s a pool, hot tub, water park, fountain, lake, river or ocean, some water can have germs or chemicals in it that cause recreational water illness (RWI). And, the number of RWI outbreaks have increased steadily in the last 30 years.

    RWIs can ruin summer fun

    RWIs most often cause diarrhea, but they can make you sick in other ways too. They can also cause nausea and vomiting, skin rashes, and infections of the eyes, ears, skin and respiratory system.

    Most healthy people will recover from RWIs, but they can be dangerous to pregnant women, young children, and people with weakened immune systems.

    Healthy swimming guidelines

    Many times, the water may look clean and safe when it contains dangerous germs or unsafe chemicals. Though proper chlorine levels are important, some germs are not killed by chlorine. Some water may be treated with too much chlorine or an improper balance that can make people sick. So what can you do to enjoy the water this summer and stay healthy?

    *  Don’t swim when you have diarrhea or you’ve been vomiting. Even a tiny, invisible amount of germs can get in the water and make others sick.

    *  Never get swimming water in your mouth. Keep your mouth closed when underwater.

    *  Shower with soap before you swim and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Have your children wash their hands as well.

    *  Don’t allow kids to play in fountains that haven’t been treated with chlorine.

    *  Stop swimming at least once every hour for bathroom breaks and/or diaper changes. Use swim diapers on kids who aren’t potty trained. Many kids will have “accidents” in the water if they don’t get out to use the bathroom.

    *  Don’t change diapers near the swimming area. Do it in a bathroom or away from the water.

    *  If you own a pool, check chlorine levels regularly. Use pool test strips to check for proper pH levels and chemical balances.

    *  Ask to see the last pool inspection report before swimming in a public pool or water park.

    The germ that survives chlorine

    Cryptosporidium, commonly called crypto, is a bacteria that can be spread in swimming water. Chlorine won’t kill crypto, and people with weakened immune systems can get very sick from it. It can cause severe watery diarrhea and is a leading cause of RWIs. To avoid getting or spreading crypto, follow the healthy swimming guidelines on this page. It is not killed by hand sanitizer, so washing hands with soap and water is critical.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Turn Awareness Into Action

    WELL-BEING

    Image of 2 women holding a sign with the word "Prevent" written.

    Breast cancer screening guidelines vary with different health groups. The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force advises women ages  50-74 to get a mammogram every 2 years.

    Women ages 40-49 and 74+ should discuss their breast cancer risk and the pros and cons of breast cancer screening with their doctors or health care providers. Women at a high risk for breast cancer should seek expert medical advice about breast cancer screening and prevention.

    Many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early.

    Your doctor can help you decide if you should take medication to help prevent breast cancer and if you should seek genetic counseling.

    Even though you cannot control breast cancer risk factors such as aging and inheriting certain breast cancer gene mutations, you can take action to help prevent breast cancer.

    *  If you have babies, breast-feed them.

    *  Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking hormone therapy using estrogen and progestin for menopausal symptoms. Taking both estrogen and progestin for more than five years increases breast cancer risk.

    *  Lose weight if you are overweight, especially if you have reached menopause.

    *  Limit alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk.

    *  Be physically active. Strenuous exercise for more than four hours a week may help lower breast cancer risk.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine