All Entries For sickness
10 Surprising Ways to Stay Healthy
You wear contacts daily, your iPad is practically glued to your lap and a little marmalade on your toast sounds like a sweet breakfast move, but these seemingly innocent everyday habits (to which you barely give a second thought) can affect your health in a big way. Luckily, little tweaks to these routines can keep you safe and well all year long. Here, 10 to try. Read More ›
Boost Your Immune System
No More Sick Days
Don't let colds and flu spoil your season. Stop sniffles before they start by strengthening your immunity. Click through to discover the newest germ-fighting tips straight from the experts.
The doctor says... Take a deep breath
People who have high stress levels are more likely to get sick because stress hormones can weaken the immune system. But new research shows that meditation or exercise (or both!) can counter stress and strengthen immunity, lowering your odds of catching a cold or the flu. A recently published eight-week study found that people who practiced meditation for 45 minutes a day had a 33% to 60% reduction in respiratory infections, and another group who exercised 45 minutes a day had similar success in staying healthy. If you can't find that much time, aim for a 30-minute walk five days a week, and try to set aside at least 5 to 10 minutes daily to do something calming—even if it's just closing your eyes and slowly breathing in and out for a slow count to five. Read More ›
What Alternative Cold Remedies Really Work?
Cold Cure-All?
They say there’s no cure for the common cold, but walk though any drug store and you’ll see plenty of products trying to convince you otherwise. In addition to antihistamines and pain relievers, there are plenty of homeopathic remedies—products containing diluted amounts of minerals and ingredients––stocking the shelves. But do they really work? We spoke to doctors and got their take on the most popular treatments. Read on to learn which ones are worth reaching for when you feel a cold coming on, and which to pass up. 
Airborne
This purported immune-system booster, which is available in effervescent tablets, packets and chewables, encountered some trouble in 2008 when the company was sued for falsely claiming that the remedy prevented colds. Airborne eventually settled the class-action lawsuit, and changed its promise. Now, the blend of 14 vitamins and herbs claims to “help support your immune system.” So is it worth a try if you’re feeling ill? “It’s essentially a multi-vitamin with some herbal supplements as well,” says Yael Halaas, MD, ENT, an ear, nose and throat doctor based in New York City, meaning it doesn’t contain any magic cold-busting ingredients. And according to Linda Dahl, MD, a New York City board-certified otolaryngologist and surgeon, homeopathic remedies don't undergo the same type of testing that over-the-counter and prescription drugs do. “There’s no way to say if it will help one person versus another. If you eat well, take vitamins and get sleep you’ll be in good shape. This remedy won’t hurt, but it won’t necessarily help, either,” she says. However, if you are deficient in certain vitamins, it might be worth a shot.
Everything You Need to Know about Preventing Cold & Flu
Just as you hear someone cough or sneeze this time of year, you may wonder if that is something you should be worried about. Many people will come down with a cold or the flu during the winter months. But how should you take care of yourself when you are sick or around someone who is sick? Do you know the difference between the symptoms of a cold, allergies, and the flu? We have rounded up a variety of resources to help you learn about and sort out all the details about colds, the flu, and your immune system.
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Poll: Did You Get a Flu Shot This Year?
Every year, especially since having kids, I go back and forth about getting the flu shot. My family is generally healthy and we don't usually get much more than a routine cough and cold during the winter. My husband works in a hospital where the flu shot is mandatory, and since my daughter started preschool, I've gotten them for my children, too. But I've never gotten the flu shot, which I might live to regret some day. Read More ›
Quiz: The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick
Gene Stone has been writing about health (among other topics) for more than two decades.
A few years ago the idea occurred to him that perhaps he was talking to the wrong people. Why not find those people we all know—the ones who say they never get sick—and ask them for their secrets. So he did just that, interviewing many dozens of people around the world until he selected twenty-five people who each possess a different secret of excellent health—a secret that makes sense and has a proven scientific underpinning.
This book tells the story of those people and their secrets, which include food-related secrets—garlic, vitamin C, probiotics, veganism, brewer's yeast. Exercise secrets—the benefits of lifting weights, the power of stretching. Environmental secrets—living in a Blue Zone, understanding the value of germs. Emotional secrets—seek out and stay in touch with friends, cultivate your spirituality. Physical secrets—nap more, take cold showers in the morning. And some wisdom that goes back generations: chicken soup, for instance, and Chinese herbs.
In The Secrets Of People Who Never Get Sick you will find meet 25 people who manage to stay well, along with their secrets, the history and science behind each one of those secrets, and most importantly, how the reader can benefit from the secrets as well. Read on to take a quiz that will teach you The Secrets Of People Who Never Get Sick. Read More ›
An Easy Way to Battle the Common Cold
I don’t need to look at a calendar to know that cold season has arrived in my house. Runny noses, sneezing and coughing are the norm since my daughter recently started preschool again. I love this time of year for the cooler weather and changing leaves. But in some ways I dread it because at least one person in my family always seems to be sick from October through January. Read More ›
Hand-washing Is Still the Best Way to Prevent Illness
With the recent outbreak of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus and now with seasonal flu just beginning to appear, hand-washing is still considered to be one of the most effective means of preventing the spread of disease. Strangely enough, how a simple act of washing our hands for 20 seconds with good ol’ soap and water can do wonders to keep us all healthy.
Having recently spent some time in the hospital with my Dad after his hip replacement surgery, the one common denominator on all patients’ doors was the sign encouraging hand-washing by every person entering and leaving the room. If you preferred not to wash your hands, anti-septic foam dispensers were found just inside the door. These dispensers are commonplace in many doctor’s offices these days, as well as retirement homes. Have you noticed too, that retail stores, banks, and even some fast food restaurants have resorted to keeping a bottle of alcohol based gel on the counter?
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Is Gluten Intolerance on the Rise? What You Should Know
Gluten is a protein found in products made from wheat, rye and some forms of oats. In some people, gluten can trigger an immune response, which damages the fingerlike projections of the small intestine known as villi causing them to become flattened which limits their ability to absorb nutrients properly.
People that suffer from gluten-sensitivity may become diagnosed with an autoimmune condition known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy, non-tropical sprue, or celiac sprue, which are three different names for the same condition. Since the exact cause of celiac disease is unknown, prevention is difficult. For those that can recognize risk factors or identify multiple suggestive symptoms, early diagnosis and treatment can limit long-term complications and ensure a long and healthy life. Celiac disease diagnosis is typically based on results of a series of blood tests and perhaps small intestine tissue evaluation to look at specific antigens and antibodies.
A New York Times article last week reported that celiac disease is frequently overlooked and under diagnosed.
Here are some facts from the article that I found interesting.
- One out of every 133 people in America has diagnosed celiac disease compared to 10 years ago when it was only about one out of every 10,000 people across the United States.
- There are approximately three million Americans with celiac disease.
- It takes about ten years for a person with symptoms to receive a diagnosis of celiac disease.
- In 2003 there were approximately 135 gluten-free products on the market compared to today where there are over 830.
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Exercise Reduces Sick Time Better Than Drugs
As cold and flu season quickly approaches (or has already arrived if you live in my house), questions arise about exercise and illness. Is it okay to exercise if I have a cold? How soon after an illness can I return to regular activity? A lot of us are going to get sick this year, so it's good to know what to do if it happens to you. But what about preventing illness in the first place? We take our vitamins and eat our fruits and vegetables, but can exercise help protect you from getting a cold? Research says "yes." Read More ›
5 Surprising Foods that Fight the Flu
There are a variety of tips to prevent viruses. When you do find yourself not feeling well, there are various cold and flu survival guides to help you cope which is good since this year the fear of the flu is at an all time high.
We have long known that consuming hot liquids like tea or soup can help break up congestion and that unfortunately, viruses take time to run their course. However, what if there are specific foods you could try this year to help the cold and flu viruses move on more quickly to help you get back on your feet.
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Can 8 Cups a Day Protect You from Cold and Flu?
My mom is a bit of a germaphobe, and I've inherited some of her tendencies, like always opening the door of a public restroom with a paper towel upon exiting or touching door handles in public places in less conspicuous places (where others are least likely to have touched them). I do things like this all the time, but when it's cold and flu season, my radar for germs is on full-force. I don't know about where you live, but something is definitely going around Cincinnati!
Everywhere I've gone the past couple of weeks, I've encountered sniffling, coughing people. At the grocery store, in the gym, and even in my workplace! One of my Pilates clients, a regular whom I usually train twice a week, went missing for three weeks straight. Turns out she had the swine flu, as did each of her kids (and every kid she cares for in her at-home daycare business). That really hit home for me. Needless to say, I'm doing everything in my power to avoid germs right now. I simply do not want to get sick!
I had a recent conversation with Coach Tanya that I just had to share. I'm sure that our dailySpark readers, water connoisseurs that you are, will appreciate this one! Read More ›
Is it OK to Exercise When You're Sick?
When temperatures begin to dip, it isn't too unusual to see a rise in the number of people walking around with the sniffles and the dreaded runny nose. Much of this has to do with the colder temperatures outside while the warm, dry air inside becomes a breeding ground for these viruses.
It is important to note that a cold is not the flu. While colds and the flu are both caused from viruses and can share common symptoms, colds tend to have milder symptoms, such as a runny nose, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention colds generally do not result in other health related issues such as pneumonia.
Flu on the other hand, can be quite contagious, lead to fever, aches and pains, chills, upper respiratory symptoms, a cough and other more serious health related risks such as pneumonia, which may or may not require hospitalization.
Many health experts advise one to continue an exercise regimen at a moderate pace but avoid doing any high intensity workouts if you have a cold, however, now is not the time push your body into some high intensity activity.
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