August, 2020

Even During COVID-19, Don't Skip Your Child's Shots

Families are focused on staying healthy during the pandemic. And that's the right thing to do, but health experts have an important reminder for parents. COVID-19 prevention shouldn't mean skipping your child's vaccines. Vaccines help protect kids of all ages from serious diseases. Those include diseases like whooping cough and measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children get many of their shots by age 2. Despite that recommendation, it seems that fewer kids have b...

How to spot a COVID-19 contact tracing scam

Scammers are up to new tricks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now they're posing as contact tracers. To be crystal clear, contact tracing is a real thing—it's when someone from a health department uses phone calls and other means of communication to identify those who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Contact tracing is one of the best tools we have to help slow the spread of the virus. Sadly, would-be crooks are pretending to be contact tracers too. Their con? They may try to steal...

Make sure your kids get a good night's rest

Want to help your kids start each day off right? Make sure they hit the pillow early enough each night. Getting enough sleep benefits children in many ways. For starters, well-rested kids tend to behave better. They learn better too. And they may have fewer illnesses since sleep is good for the immune system. For sleepy kids, it's a different story. Being drowsy can make kids crabby. It’s hard for them to concentrate on school work when they're tired. Worse, chronically sleepy kids may hav...

How vaccines are developed

Vaccines help protect us from many diseases, but have you ever wondered what it takes to get a vital new vaccine to market? It's a rigorous testing and approval process. The basic steps: 1. Exploratory and preclinical research. In the earliest stages of development, lab scientists conduct basic research—they begin to explore the feasibility of a new vaccine. A candidate vaccine may then be studied in cell or tissue cultures and in animals but not yet in humans. 2. Clinical trials. Next, if...

Finding meaning and joy as we age

If there’s one guarantee in life, it’s this: change is inevitable. This reality becomes more obvious as we get older. Careers end in retirement. Kids move out of the house. Loved ones and close friends may pass away. We may endure our own health struggles as we advance in years. Change has its fair share of challenges, but it can also present opportunities to evolve, grow and find new avenues of happiness. Focus on the things that give you pleasure . Indulge in family, hobbies or oth...

Coping with addiction while socially distancing

The isolation brought on by social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic can be hard on anyone. It may be especially tough for people in recovery from a substance use disorder. The isolation you may feel from social distancing can stoke feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety. All of these things can make it harder to stay away from alcohol and drugs. If you're in recovery and worried about a relapse, there is some good news. For example, groups like AA and Narcotics Anonymous are offer...

Take extra care of your mental health

You're preoccupied and having difficulty focusing. Your sleep isn't great, and you aren't eating as well as you know you should. You may be stressed out by COVID-19. It's not unusual to be anxious during a disease outbreak—especially a pandemic like this one. But chronic stress isn't good for your body or mind. It might be time to take some steps to ease the pressure on yourself. How do you know if your mental health is suffering during this outbreak? You may be feeling stressed if you're ...

Breastfeeding: Good for Baby and for You

When it comes to feeding your baby, Mother Nature knows best. Breast milk has just what a baby needs to grow and thrive. Plus, breastfeeding is good for you too. Here are some of the benefits you'll both enjoy. Breast milk has the right mix of protein, fat, sugar and water. It's also easy for a baby to digest. Breast milk helps protect your baby from illness, such as an ear infection. It lowers the risk of SIDS sudden infant death syndrome , and breastfed babies have a lower risk for problems li...