Category Archives: Health

Caregiver challenge: Needs double as end of life nears

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By Maureen Salamon, HealthDay

 

Reliance on caregivers doubles as people near death, and half of those caregivers—typically unpaid family members—report having no time for themselves, a new study indicates.

 

The research used a nationally representative sample of about 2,400 older adults in the United States. The study authors found that caregivers provided nearly twice the number of hours of help each week to dying individuals than to those not at the end of life.

 

“We were certainly aware when dealing with end-of-life care that families are mostly involved, but we couldn’t quantify that prior to this [research],” said study author Dr. Katherine Ornstein. She’s an assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

 

More than 34 million Americans provided unpaid care to an adult aged 50 or older in the past 12 months, according to 2015 figures from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. Most caregivers are female.

 

Ornstein and her team drew from two nationally representative surveys in which caregivers in the United States reported their experiences caring for dying adults over age 65. The researchers contrasted this data with that of other caregivers providing ongoing care.

 

Older adults were classified as being at the end of life if they died within 12 months of the surveys’ completion.

 

The study found that dying adults had an average of 2.5 caregivers assisting them. Those near the end of life received 61 hours of help per week compared to 35 hours of help per week for older adults who weren’t at the end of life.

 

More than one-third of the end-of-life caregivers reported physical difficulty related to their duties. Just over half reported having no time for themselves. These figures were 21 percent and 40 percent, respectively, for other caregivers.

 

Nearly nine in 10 caregivers are unpaid, according to the study. For end-of-life caregivers who were spouses, nearly two-thirds reported receiving no help from family or friends.

 

“What we see now is, on average, there are 2.5 people helping someone at the end of life. You can imagine if they don’t have that, it’s much more difficult,” Ornstein said. “When spouses are serving as caregivers, the majority are reporting doing it alone and have the [most challenging] consequences.”

 

Barbara Coombs Lee is president of Compassion & Choices, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization for patients’ rights and end-of-life issues. She pointed out that the caregivers surveyed in the new study didn’t necessarily know ahead of time that the person they were caring for was at the end of life.

 

This lack of awareness may have increased caregivers’ stress levels, she said.

 

“This told me the caregivers were probably struggling, not knowing this was an end-of-life situation. Our [organization’s] research indicates that uncertainty about decision-making is an inherent and extremely powerful source of stress,” Lee said.

 

“I would guess that many of these people didn’t know they were dying … so they pursued heroic, torturous, futile treatment,” she added. “Often the default decision [to continue treatment] increases the caregiver burden.”

 

Ornstein said she hopes greater awareness of the family burden of caregiving, especially at the end of life, comes from her research.

 

“We need to think about expanding access to palliative care services, which can help facilitate the delivery of supportive services to families earlier,” she added. “And we can see how we need to provide more paid family leave so families can provide the support we’re pretty much expecting them to provide.”

 

Lee agreed with the need for expanded access to hospice and palliative care.

 

“One of the big barriers to access to hospice is [an] information gap,” Lee said. “People don’t understand that hospice is appropriate to them in their journey in their illness. Palliative care utilization would go up if people had more candid conversations and were privy to information that physicians have but aren’t sharing.”

 

The study was published in the journal Health Affairs.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

More screen time ups kids’ odds for nearsightedness

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Less screen time, more outdoor time. For eye health, it’s good to break away from the screen. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

 

Kids with summer birthdays, especially those who spend long hours playing on smartphones and tablets, might be at greater risk for vision problems, a new study suggests.

 

Nearsightedness, also called myopia, is on the rise worldwide. It’s what eye doctors call a refractive error, meaning the eyes can’t focus light properly. The result: Close objects look clear; distant ones, fuzzy.

 

It’s most often caused by continuously focusing on close objects while the eyes are still developing—as in reading, for example. But the growing use of electronic devices seems to be making the problem worse, researchers report.

 

“As ever, everything should be done in moderation,” said lead researcher Dr. Christopher Hammond, chairman of ophthalmology at King’s College London in England. He urged parents to limit kids’ use of electronic devices.

 

That appears to be especially important for kids born in the summer, the study suggests. That’s because they start formal schooling at a younger age than kids born in winter so they are exposed to more reading sooner. And that increases myopia risk, the researchers said.

 

The researchers added that, while their study doesn’t prove smartphones, tablets and computer games cause nearsightedness, those devices may lead kids to spend less time outdoors. And less time outdoors also appears to increase myopia risk.

 

“We know that time outdoors is protective, and so kids should spend probably up to two hours a day outside,” Hammond said.

 

Myopia can be corrected with glasses, laser surgery or contact lenses. Later in life, however, sufferers are more likely to develop sight-robbing conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma, the researchers said.

 

Experts predict that by 2050, nearly 5 billion people worldwide will have myopia. That compares to about 2 billion in 2010.

 

Genes have been linked to a person’s risk for the condition, but even if it has a genetic component, that doesn’t account for the dramatic increase, Hammond said.

 

For the study, his team collected data on nearly 2,000 twins born in the United Kingdom between 1994 and 1996.

 

The researchers reviewed results of eye tests, as well as social, economic, educational and behavioral data on the twins between the ages of 2 and 16. They also had questionnaires completed by parents and teachers.

 

On average, children started wearing glasses for myopia at age 11. About 5 percent had amblyopia (“lazy eye”), and about 4.5 percent had a squint. Overall, 26 percent of the twins were nearsighted, the study found.

 

Kids who had college-educated mothers, those who were born in summer months and those who spent more time using electronic devices had a higher likelihood of nearsightedness, the study found.

 

The findings were published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

 

Dr. Tien Wong, medical director of the Singapore National Eye Center, is co-author of an editorial that accompanied the study.

 

“Evidence supports a link between device screen time and myopia, which includes time on phones and tablets,” he said.

 

This is concerning in view of how many young kids have access to these devices, Wong said. Evidence shows 2-year-olds spend up to two hours a day using digital devices.

 

“Managing your child’s device screen time and increasing their outdoor play can help reduce the risk of developing myopia,” Wong said. “We must better monitor our children’s device activities, even during their preschool years.”

 

Surprisingly, the researchers said children born as a result of fertility treatment had a 25 percent to 30 percent lower risk for myopia. They said that may be because many are born premature and have developmental delays, which could account for shorter eye length and less myopia.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

Keeping Up With Your Resolutions? 5 Tips for Active Senior Living

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

Very few people will be surprised that in a study of popular New Year’s resolutions in the United States, getting more exercise topped the list, along with eating healthier and spending less money. For aging adults, getting active can be a difficult goal, but it’s an important one. If you’re pursuing active senior living in 2019, but are feeling discouraged, we’ve got a few tips on how to get back on track.

1. Have Fun With It

Exercising isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but getting active doesn’t have to be a chore. The key is to pick an exercise or activity that is fun and interesting for you. Ideally, you should think of something that will get you excited to get going; for example, if you love the feeling of slipping into a pool, try swimming every day, or if you’ve always enjoyed being out in nature, go for a walk or short bike ride whenever you can. Alternatively, explore some fun exercises that are new to you, like dance fitness, spinning classes, or yoga.

If you can’t find anything that speaks to you, incorporate hobbies and activities that you love into simple exercises. Try listening to audiobooks, music, or podcasts while you run or lift weights, or help out friends and neighbors with dog-walking.

2. Start Slow

One of the big reasons that people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions is that they set goals, then get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results. Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a 5K, or simply pursue active senior living, it can’t happen overnight. Ease into daily exercise by starting with five or ten minutes of activity, and gradually increasing to 15, then 20, then 30 minutes every day. Starting slow will also help you stick to it — jumping in at 30 minutes a day gets exhausting when your body isn’t use to that much exercise, leading to procrastination, frustration, and avoidance.

3. Keep Your Doctor Involved

It’s not empty advice — you really should talk to your doctor before you begin a new exercise routine. Not only can they evaluate your heart, lung, muscle, and bone health so you have a good baseline to start from, but they can also recommend activities that will be the most beneficial for your body, age, and goals.

4. Make It Part of Your Daily Routine

Making a lifestyle change is never easy, which is why you should try to incorporate exercise and activity into your daily routine from the moment you set your goal. Set aside time before breakfast, or right before you shower at night. Maybe you want to do strength exercises while your favorite show is on TV. Whatever time makes sense for you, just be sure to hold yourself to a schedule until exercising becomes routine.

5. Get Others Involved

Getting active is so much more fun when you do it with friends. Get together with others who have resolved to achieve active senior living in 2018 and come up with a few things you can do together, like weekly jogging or a community fitness class. Even having one fitness buddy can help you stay motivated and enthusiastic about your goals. Share your progress, get feedback, and make exercising part of your social life.

 

Keeping your resolution to get active in 2019 may seem hard now, but by starting slow and having fun, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll be able to achieve.

 

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Reining in the pain

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By Marie Havenga, Spectrum Health Beat

Photos (except where noted) by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

 

With the wind in her face and the reins in her hands, Shanna Ruffner guides Jag, her quarter horse, through corkscrew-like barrel racing drills at a farm near her Otsego, Michigan, home.

 

Ruffner, 39, has been steering horses through barrels since age 2.

 

She’s always felt freedom and exhilaration aboard a horse’s back. Until last year.

 

After many repetitive motions at work, she felt pain.

 

The pain in her hands started like a slow walk, waking her up at night about this time last year. By November, the sensation had galloped into her daily life, affecting just about everything she attempted to do.

Taking a toll

Ruffner has worked for years for General Motors in the Lansing Delta plant, assembling Traverse and Enclave vehicles.

 

“I do a lot with the main wiring harness for the motor, plugging in different things and bolting things to it,” Ruffner said. “I also torque down the strut, tie bar and hub on the front end and attach radiators to the undercarriage before it gets married to the body.”

 

It’s important work, but repetitive work. And it eventually took a toll on her.

 

“I started experiencing numbness in my fingers about a year ago,” she said. “It finally got to the point in November that I could no longer sleep because it was waking me up. My hands would completely go numb in the middle of the night. They would go numb and they would burn. It was just unbearable.”

 

It became increasingly more difficult to work, and also risky to ride.

 

“It made it difficult to ride a strong, powerful horse because my hands would go numb while I was riding,” Ruffner said. “I ride a very powerful gelding. It’s a good thing we have a good bond because if it were any other horse, I don’t think I’d be able to ride.”

 

Still, the pain sometimes outweighed the fun. It was a crushing blow for Ruffner, who followed in her dad’s hoofprints so many years ago.

 

Her dad, George, who died in 1996, rode competitively and taught his daughter all he knew about barrel racing.

 

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

As a child, Ruffner competed in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Texas.

 

But in the last year, she felt like her condition was holding her over the barrels.

 

“It made it hard to pull and made it hard to hang on,” she said. “It just didn’t feel quite right. I didn’t have as much control as I would have liked to have.”

 

A horse wasn’t the only thing that became difficult to steer. She experienced trouble driving a car.

 

Ruffner’s commute from Otsego to Lansing spans an hour and 15 minutes. About 10 minutes into her drive, her hands would go numb. And eventually, they’d be numb before she even turned on the ignition.

 

She enjoyed taking her sons, Trenton, 18, and Brady, 15, to the movie theater for family outings. But the numbness closed the curtain on those outings, too.

 

“I got to the point I didn’t want to go to the movie theater because I knew my hands would bother me by the time I got there,” she said.

‘It was simple’

Last spring, with pain and numbness continuing to canter, Ruffner saw a specialist in Lansing for a nerve test.

 

“They basically hooked up different electrodes to see how the nerves react,” she said. “The nerve testing came back that I needed surgery on both my hands.”

 

In June, she consulted with Peter Jebson, MD, a Spectrum Health Medical Group orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon.

 

Within 10 days of first seeing Dr. Jebson, on June 27, she underwent carpal tunnel release surgery in his office.

 

“It was simple,” Ruffner said. “I felt a little pressure when they were cutting (the ligament), but as far as anything else goes, the worst part of it was the shot of the local (anesthetic) to numb my hand. It was a piece of cake.”

 

Ruffner needed only Tylenol to keep the pain at bay.

 

“It’s felt really good,” she said.

 

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

Dr. Jebson said he’s pleased with Ruffner’s progress.

 

“With carpal tunnel, you have pain, particularly at night,” he said. “You can have bothersome numbness and tingling and also functional loss. She had the entire constellation of symptoms. But she’s already experiencing 100 percent pain relief and 90 percent of the tingling has improved. She is doing very well and the incision looks good.”

 

Dr. Jebson said carpal tunnel release surgery has come a long way in recent years. It used to be performed in an operating room in a hospital or outpatient surgery facility, under general anesthesia, which is significantly more expensive. The new technique, developed in Canada, saves patients money, pain and healing time.

 

“It also used to be a larger incision,” he said. “The patient used to be casted or splinted after surgery. We’ve progressed to where we now do minimally invasive incisions.”

 

Dr. Jebson and his Spectrum Health Medical Group team of hand specialists—Drs. Kevin Chan, Randy Lovell and Levi Hinkelman—perform about 750 in-office hand surgeries each year, including carpal tunnel release, trigger finger, trigger thumb, De Quervain’s tendonitis release, simple tendon laceration repairs and ganglion cyst excisions.

 

Dr. Jebson estimates performing procedures in the office suite saves patients and health care insurers $2,000, “which is significant with the increasing shift of financial responsibility to patients with higher co-pays and deductibles,” he said.

 

“Not only does it save patients a significant amount of out-of-pocket expense because they’re not using anesthesia and they’re not at a surgical center, patients don’t have to go for any preoperative testing, which saves them a lot of time,” Dr. Jebson said. “And this doesn’t require IV antibiotics.”

 

Office-based surgery is also environmentally friendly, producing only one bag of waste for a day’s worth of surgeries versus one bag for every procedure.

 

“It’s a significant savings to society in general,” he said. “It’s a multiple win and provides true value for patients. It’s the future—it will be the standard of care in three to five years across the country. We’ve been doing it for four years now and happen to be a nationally recognized program.”

 

Ruffner is pleased—especially that she’ll be able to return to work soon.

 

“I’m a self-admitted workaholic,” she said. “Being home all the time is difficult for me.”

 

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

It may be a bit before she bounces back to barrel racing—her saddle weighs 19 pounds and she has a 5-pound weight restriction.

 

But she has plans beyond lifting saddles. She aims to have surgery on her left hand, too.

 

“By the time this journey is all said and done, I will have had surgery on both hands,” Ruffner said. “I want to get it done and over with and be pain-free and resume a normal life.”

 

She hopes to be running barrels again by mid-September, with both hands healed and weight restrictions lifted.

 

“It’s a rush,” she said of barrel racing. “I love the adrenaline. You get to go out and run as fast as you can around three barrels without hitting them on a 1,000-pound animal that has a mind of their own. They have a personality and temperament all their own. You learn the true meaning of teamwork. It’s one thing to be a team with another human. It’s entirely different to be a team with an animal.”

 

But Ruffner said she truly appreciates the teamwork with Dr. Jebson and other Spectrum Health staff, in getting her back to where she wants to be.

 

“Anybody that is fearful of having carpal tunnel release surgery done should know, the way Dr. Jebson does it, they shouldn’t be fearful,” Ruffner said. “Have the surgery and take care of it as opposed to waiting until your hands are completely numb all the time. This experience has been so easy.”

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Use caution with home health tests

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Before you buy a home health test kit, look for the words “FDA-approved” on the package. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay

 

Home pregnancy tests are commonplace, but that doesn’t mean that every type of self-test for health issues is reliable.

 

And even if results are accurate, you shouldn’t forgo getting advice from your health care provider, especially if the condition is life-changing and requires very targeted treatment.

 

Some kits that let you test at home are fast and inexpensive. They can uncover problems before symptoms start, allowing for early treatment and lowering the risk of later complications. Others help you monitor your health.

 

Home glucose test—some of the most common—show how well you’re controlling diabetes, but even these everyday tests require input from your doctor. So take precautions when using a home test, and remember that they don’t replace regular health-care visits.

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers home tests medical devices and, in light of this rapidly growing category, is working to set standards for the tests and establish rules on how to regulate them.

 

Many home tests are reliable, including those for hepatitis C and HIV.

 

But some are more problematic, like DNA tests—genetic testing for your own disease risk and for genes associated with disorders that could be passed on to a child.

 

Before you buy a store kit, look for the words “FDA-approved” on the package. Be sure to read any disclaimers to understand a test’s limitations and heed the advice to get health counseling for positive results.

 

And no matter what type of test you do, always discuss results with your doctor, even if you get a normal finding. Most results should be evaluated along with your medical history and a physical.

 

Also, many DNA home kits do not test for every possible genetic mutation, so you can get false negatives as well as false positives. Take your findings to your doctor and discuss whether more comprehensive testing will help you get more accurate answers.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

Strategies to help young children learn life skills and gain self-confidence

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Courtesy MSU Extension

By Tracy Trautner, Michigan State University Extension

 

“I love you too much to deny you the privileges of making mistakes.” – Kathy Lee Gifford, The Gift That I Can Give.

 

If your goal as a parent is to protect your child from getting hurt or avoid confrontation, then you are parenting from a fear-based perspective. This can create anxiety for a child attempting to explore their world and learn from their mistakes. It is difficult to let “stuff happen”, as a parent’s natural instinct is to protect their children. We don’t want our children to feel distressed so we protect them. However, is parental protection worth missing out on some of the valuable life lessons a child can learn when they are given the opportunity to explore and make mistakes on their own?

 

When children are able to process their emotions related to good or bad decisions, parents may not need to say or do anything else. Instead of jumping in and protecting children, learn to trust natural consequences to do much of the teaching for you. Dealing with frustration is a building block for coping skills in life.

 

When you constantly remind your child what to do, such as pack their backpack or put their dishes in the sink, you are teaching your child they are not capable of being responsible without you telling them what to do. This parenting technique will not teach your child to respect themselves or develop necessary confidence skills to be successful later in life. When we allow our children to attempt something new and fail at a young age, the consequences are far different than when they make a similar mistake later.

 

For example, allowing them to negotiate on their own for a turn on the swing or deciding to do something against the rules of the school just because they want to be liked by their friends are both scenarios that will teach valuable lessons for the future. The worse possible outcome is they are sad because they did not get a turn on the swing or sent to the school office for a few hours of detention. Next time—and there will definitely be a next time—they will be a better negotiator or able to stand up to their friends and say “no” when they are making bad decisions. These lessons would not have been learned if a parent or caregiver was hovering and guiding their child’s every move.

 

Fast forward when they are 18 years old and have not developed a strong sense of self because they have been protected their whole life. They may get into a bad situation where the outcome is much more severe and possibly has life-altering consequences.

 

While it is hard thing to witness, when we allow a child to fail frequently early in life, they will build strong resiliency skills that will allow them to deal appropriately with letdowns and sticky situations in the future. According to pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Cunningham, young children are more resilient than we think and cannot grasp the gravity of situations like adults can and don’t dwell on things to the same extent.

 

When a child makes a mistake, help them reflect the situation as well as the part they played in the scenario. Focus on the moment they made a decision to participate or make a bad choice and discuss alternative options that would have had a better outcome. We want our kids to feel equipped and competent. It can be a great feeling for parents when they feel they have raised young adults who are responsible, trustworthy and resilient.

 

Michigan State University Extension suggests helping the child process their decision by asking what happened, how it happened and why it happened. In the future, they will think about this process, make better decisions and take responsibility for their actions. It will encourage them to think things through next time. With some thoughtful, compassionate guidance, we can turn unhappy events into a valuable learning experience that will help the child make better decisions in the future.

 

To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2017 impact report: “Preparing young children for success” and “Preparing the future generation for success.” Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from the Michigan 4-H website.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

 

 

Five home hacks to reduce your food waste footprint

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By Christi Demitz, Jenna Kaufman-Ross, Michigan State University Extension

 

In our modern culture of endless choices, food waste has become a hot topic among food policy advocates and environmental officials. According to the Food Waste Alliance, about 80 billion pounds of food are tossed in American landfills each year, which contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions and billions of dollars wasted. If aggregated into one giant heap, this amount of wasted food would fill the Rose Bowl Stadium, which would make for a pretty pungent football game!

 

Fortunately, the USDA and EPA have teamed up in an effort to cut U.S. food waste in half by the year 2030. While this goal addresses over half of the food waste in landfills, it fails to address the nearly 50 percent of food waste generated by residential and consumer sectors. Therefore, it is important to recognize the steps we can take to reduce food waste. Below are five easy strategies for repurposing and revitalizing food right in your home kitchen. Such creative, simple solutions can help reduce personal food waste while consequently stretching your food budget!

  1. Look for inner beauty. When shopping for fruits and veggies, do not judge a book by its cover! Just because produce might look odd or unconventional, it is still as delicious and nutritious as its more traditionally shaped peers. Oftentimes these ugly veggies are deemed inedible by shoppers and left to rot in the store and eventually thrown away. Save the ugly produce! Reserve bizarre fruits for smoothies and jams. Chop up peculiar veggies for soups, stews, sauces and salads. You can oven roast them, or feature them whole in a crudité.  More and more companies, such as Imperfect Produce on the West Coast and Hungry Harvest on the East Coast, are hopping on the ugly produce bandwagon. Additionally, super markets such as Walmart have started discounting misshapen produce to lessen their food waste footprint. While such systematic initiatives have not yet sprouted in Michigan, take it upon yourself to be an ugly produce hero and rescue these poor edible outcasts. For more ugly inspiration, follow @UglyFruitandVeg on social media.
  2. Create a broth bag. This genius idea from The Kitchn.com gives purpose back to all those vegetable “odds and ends” and redirects them into flavor-boosters for soups, stews, stocks and sauces. When cutting up your vegetables, save those nubs, cobs, ends and tops and freeze them in a container or freezer bag for a later use. Otherwise demoted to the garbage heap, these odds and ends are filled with optimal flavor potential. For a decadent, next-level soup, add your leftover hard cheese rinds to the broth bag and freeze.
  3. Preserve your herbs. Chop your leftover herbs and freeze in ice cube trays topped with a bit of olive oil. Once frozen, pop them out and store in freezer bags for a later use. Drop cubes into sauces, soups, stews or any other time you are in the market for an herb-infused olive oil.
  4. When in doubt, make pesto. Pesto is traditionally a sauce made with basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts (or walnuts), garlic and lemon. Get creative by using kale, carrot tops or beet greens along with or instead of the basil.
  5. For all other food scraps, compost. You have heard of composting. You know, that cyclic concept of conserving all of your food scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, peels and skins and turning them back into fertile soil for future growth. Though it sounds idyllic, it is oftentimes associated with smelly, rotting food, which can be a major barrier for those considering composting. Services such as Organicycle and other similar programs aim to eliminate that barrier and make composting about as hassle and smell-free as it gets with curbside pick-up for a low cost, and for those ambitious gardening folk out there, Michigan State University Extension offers programs and resources to manage your own compost pile!

We can all do our part to reduce food waste. Just employing a few of these tricks can cut back on your residential waste and might even save you a buck or two! For additional resources on food waste reduction, head to MSU Extension.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

 

 

The words we use

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By Bob Smith, LMSW, CAADC,
Clinical Manager, Cherry Health

The way we speak often impacts the way we feel and changes the lenses in which we see the world. One area in which this has impacted those suffering from substance use disorders are common terms I hear of being either clean or dirty to describe one’s using status.

These terms are used widely to describe people suffering from addictions and present themselves in use through media, news organizations, agencies, providers, trainers and even those individuals suffering from addiction themselves. They have become so broadly used and interconnected in the treatment of addictions that at times it seems we have lost sight of the impact these statements have on how individuals, providers, and our country views addictions.

Addiction is a disease defined by the American Medical Association and the American Society on Addiction Medicine including changes in the way our body and brain function. Over time and left untreated, addiction is a progressive relapsing disease, severe, disabling and ultimately life-threatening. We do not label those suffering from heart disease, diabetes or cancer as clean or dirty, and instead we treat them with compassion and empathy.

We all need to take responsibility for shifting these perspectives to disrupt the cycle of placing individuals suffering from a disease into a category of being labeled externally and internally dirty. When individuals use substances, or are screened for substances in their body, the correct terms we should be using is testing positive or negative for substances. I would challenge all of us to actively confront these statements when we hear them.

We all can be part to making changes starting with educating our patients on how they speak about themselves, educating our co-workers, writing letters to our local and national news broadcasters and Congressmen when they use these terms, as well as advocating for continuing expansion of treatment services in our community.

Whether we are suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, alcohol or opioid addiction, or any other chronic health concerns, we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.

‘Bystanders are usually the first responders’

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By Jason Singer, Spectrum Health Beat

Photos by Chris Clark

In October 2017, a bullet shattered Paolo Bautista’s arm in a mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas.

As the bullets rained down on concertgoers, Bautista’s quick-thinking sister stuffed her wound with a sock. A stranger pulled a belt tight above the hole. Doctors say this makeshift tourniquet saved Bautista’s life.

Fifty-eight people died in that incident.

As the number of mass shootings in America increases—there were 11 school shootings in the first three weeks of this year—advocates would like to see tourniquet kits made available in public spaces such as schools, shopping malls and arenas.

Doctors believe tourniquets could potentially save lives if they were more readily available in places where mass shootings can occur.

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

“In reality, bystanders are usually the first responders,” said Laura Maclam, injury prevention and outreach coordinator for trauma services at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. “Whether it’s three minutes or six minutes or nine minutes that you’re waiting for the ambulance, if you can get care during that time, it can be the difference between life and death.”

Maclam is spearheading Butterworth Hospital’s Stop the Bleed campaign, part of a nationwide effort to increase the number of tourniquets in public spaces and teach citizens how to apply them.

“Just like we train people to administer CPR, we should be training people on how to stop bleeding,” Maclam said.

Past is present

Tourniquets are not a new invention.

As Alexander the Great marched through Asia and northeast Africa during the fourth century B.C., tourniquets were used to staunch the bleeding of wounded soldiers.

They were used by the ancient Romans under Julius Caesar and during the American Revolution under George Washington, and by nearly every army in between.

The most basic tourniquet is basically a tight cord or bandage placed above a wound, which compresses the limb and restricts blood flow. It prevents injured people from quickly bleeding to death.

But tourniquets fell out of favor after World War II, when medical experts blamed prolonged cutoff of blood flow for the number of amputations soldiers were suffering.

Transportation was much worse in those days, and it often took many hours—if not days—for wounded people to get treatment. That’s no longer the case.

The thinking began to change after a study found that 10 percent of combat deaths in the Vietnam War could have been prevented by tourniquets.

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

In the 1980s, the Israeli military adopted them. And by 2005, the American military had re-adopted them after a study at an Iraq hospital showed that 87 percent of patients who came in with a tourniquet survived. Among those who were good candidates for tourniquets but didn’t receive them, none survived.

“Tourniquets have come along way,” Maclam said. “When applied properly, they can cause quite a bit of pain, but they stop blood loss very effectively.”

If a tourniquet stays on many hours it could still lead to amputation, but that rarely happens, Maclam said. And even if it did, “loss of limb is better than loss of life.”

Life lessons 

The Stop the Bleed campaign began in 2012 after the Sandy Hook school shooting in which 20 children and six adults were massacred.

“There’s a research project called the Hartford Consensus that came together after Sandy Hook,” Maclam said. “What they realized: Potentially several of those lives could have been saved if some bleeding could have been controlled at the scene.”

The Obama administration heavily promoted the Stop the Bleed campaign. It recommended that tourniquet kits be added to locations where automatic external defibrillators are available—places such as stadiums, business offices, airports, airplanes, hospitals and shopping centers.

Maclam and Butterworth Hospital’s goal is to get tourniquet kits in as many places as possible in Michigan.

They’re providing free or low-cost training to any person or group who wants it. The Spectrum Health Foundation recently donated $10,000 to the campaign.

Maclam said anyone, including children as young as 11, should be taught the basics of how to stop bleeding in an emergency scenario.

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

“I think I could teach anyone,” she said. “It can be a little scary—some people don’t want to think about blood or an open would—but it’s just like teaching someone CPR or an AED. It’s a little upsetting, but it’s important.

In the last decade, 40 percent of mass shootings have occurred at education institutions, Maclam said. These types of large gathering places are prime for this sort of campaign.

“So, looking at universities, local schools, the arena, the places you think about where people gather—sporting events, malls, school buses, elementary schools, mass transit,” she said. “There’s a program out of Seattle—they have light rail there—and they taught all their employees. Any opportunity where people can gather, those are probably the best targets and the best places for installation and training.”

Beginning last year, Michigan passed a law requiring students to learn how to administer CPR and AED before graduating. Maclam believes tourniquet kits should be included in that curriculum.

“I think this will be included with that education moving forward,” she said. “In order to graduate, what a great thing to add.”

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

10 Things You Can Do To Get Some Sleep

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By Ronald Christian Rivera, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist, Leonard Street Counseling Center

sleep
Courtesy Cherry Health

We know that sleep problems can cause some forms of obesity, irritability, memory problems, immune concerns,  anxiety and depression. Check out this article with a list of 10 things we can do to promote a good night’s sleep:

  1. Understand that every person needs at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
  2. Develop a sleep hygiene plan that becomes routine every night, if possible.
  3. Get rid of your television and i-technology in your bedroom.
  4. Go to bed at the same time every night.
  5. Do not eat a heavy meal before bedtime, but do eat some small carbohydrate before bed.
  6. Exercise daily but not at night.
  7. Avoid emotional conversations or arguments right before going to bed.
  8. Don’t drink too much caffeine or alcohol during the night.
  9. Don’t nap during the day…exercise instead.
  10. If you can’t sleep, get up and clean your toilet instead or wash your floors.

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.

Children and grief

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Photo supplied

By Tracy Trautner, Michigan State University Extension

Loss can mean many things. It can come in many forms and possibly be the loss of a loved one, a pet, a house due to a fire or of a family due to a divorce, just to name a few.

Everyone experiences and copes with a loss differently and children are no different. Depending on the developmental stage and age of the child, the responses will vary. Preschool children usually see death as temporary because they see the cartoon characters on television die and come back to life. Children 5 and older think more like adults about death but still feel it will not happen to them or people they know.


Young children may feel that the death is their fault. They may also act younger than they are, need extra attention and cuddling, make unreasonable demands and possibly wet their beds. Children of all ages may have nightmares, be irritable or show anger towards surviving family members. Additionally, older children may withdrawal from others, have a drop in academic performance, be distracted, unable to focus, have memory problems, profound sadness, experience loneliness and depression and irregular sleep and appetite patterns.

A child should never be forced to attend a funeral. Discover other ways to honor or remember a loved one. Some possibilities include planting a tree, lighting a candle, writing a story about that person, looking at photographs or telling stories. In addition, allow the child to decide how they would like to be comforted and greeted at a memorial service and funeral. Respect the child to decide if they would like to give or receive a hug or kiss, a high five or not be touched at all. Adults assume that a hug or kiss will comfort a sad child, but it absolutely needs to be the decision of the child.

When talking to children about death or loss, be direct and simple. Use words such as “died” or “death” or the “body has quit working” instead of “passed away” or “went to sleep”. Children are literal thinkers and may be afraid to go to sleep as a result. Allow them to take a break from grieving. They will not grieve continuously and will need opportunities to laugh and play. It’s OK to laugh. It doesn’t mean they aren’t still grieving the loss. Also, with a hurtful loss there is really no such thing as closure. Whether it is the death of a loved one, pet, family unit, house, etc., they will remember the situation for the rest of their lives.

Children will eventually process, learn to cope and are able to move on with their lives. Encourage them to remember in a way that works for them. One way to help is for adults to validate a child’s feelings and comments. Let them know it is OK to feel sad, mad, afraid, confused or lonely and that, possibly, you do as well sometimes. Avoid saying “you have to be brave this time of year”, “everything will be OK”, “I know how you are feeling”, which will only repress their feelings and keep them from expressing their feelings to you now and in the future.

Finally, as an important person in a child’s life, remember to take care of yourself and your well-being as well. It is OK for children to see your tears and to feel your pain. Ask them for a hug when needed. It allows your children to know it is OK to feel emotions and ask for comfort. If being around your child or other family members is too much, take a break and allow others to spend time with them. Care for yourself by eating, exercising and sleeping well. Grief can come in waves and be overwhelming at times. You cannot take care of others if you are hurting yourself. Give yourself a break when it comes to committing to extracurricular activities, cleaning the house or feeding the family home-cooked meals every night. Accepting help is a good lesson for young children to learn for the future.

During this time, everyone’s life may be in chaos. Young children need structure but at the same time change will happen, and change is good. They thrive on rituals and traditions but those will change as well. Make new traditions, talk about the future in a positive way, and share specific, good memories of the person, pet or life that has been lost.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Flu is on the rise

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The flu hasn’t reached epidemic levels in Michigan just yet, although it has spread in other states, so there’s still time for vaccinations. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Eve Clayton, Spectrum Health Beat

Flu season hasn’t hit Michigan hard yet, but it’s definitely here.

That’s the word from Daniel McGee, MD, a hospitalist with Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

The influenza virus has reached epidemic levels in other states, Dr. McGee said, explaining that a moderate level of flu is popping up regionally.

“We’re not seeing a ton of it … which may mean that people are getting their flu shots,” he said.

For kids and adults who haven’t had a flu shot this season, it’s not too late.

“The good news is there’s still time to get a flu shot. But get it soon, because it takes two weeks to take effect,” Dr. McGee said.

Time will tell if the vaccine is a good match to the type of flu circulating this year, or how bad of a flu season it will be. So far, 11 children have died from the flu in the United States this 2018-19 flu season. For the 2017-18 flu season, 185 children died.

“It’s early yet,” Dr. McGee said, emphasizing the importance of the vaccine and getting immediate care for the flu.

If you suspect you or your family member has the flu, call your doctor right away, Dr. McGee said, because the medication Tamiflu can treat it—but you have to start taking it early in the course of the illness.

Flu symptoms include fever, coughing, headache, muscle aches and tiredness. Symptoms generally last five to seven days.

Bottom line? Get your flu shot—it’s really the best thing you can do to prevent the illness.

Beyond that, it’s what your mom always told you: Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently as you and your family practice good hygiene.

“That’s really the best advice,” Dr. McGee said. “That, and get your flu shot.”

To find a flu clinic near you, use the Flu Vaccine Finder—a blue box on this page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you think you have the flu, get seen today with a MedNow appointment. To arrange a video visit, call 844.322.7374.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

 

Bigger family, lower cancer risk?

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Do siblings lower your cancer risk? New study finds people with big families are less likely to develop the disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay

 

If you come from a large family, you may have a lower risk of cancer, a new study suggests.

 

Researchers analyzed data from 178 countries and found that people from larger families were less likely to get cancer than those from smaller families.

 

The link between family size and cancer risk was “independent of income, levels of urbanization and age,” study senior author Maciej Henneberg said in a University of Zurich news release. He’s a guest professor in the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the university, in Switzerland.

 

Family size included not just parents and their children, but also members of the extended family in the household.

 

This protective effect of a large family was stronger in men than in women, according to the study published recently in the journal BMC Cancer.

 

It’s important to note, however, that the study only found an association between family size and cancer risk. It did not prove a cause-and-effect connection.

 

Family life can be stressful, but can also provide positive emotional environments that can boost a person’s resistance to diseases, including cancer, the researchers said.

 

Family members supporting one another in following a healthy lifestyle may also provide protection against cancer, the study authors added.

Resolve eating unhealthy snacks at work

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By Sheilah Hebert, Michigan State University Extension

 

It is mid-afternoon and the vending machine down the hall is calling out to you. Do you take the calling and grab a candy bar and soda to satisfy the afternoon snack attack? This might leave you with feelings of guilt or feeling sluggish an hour or two later. Many people, especially those who work desk jobs, struggle with this battle on a daily basis. What is the key to beating the vending machine blues?

 

Michigan State University Extension says that planning is the number one weapon against the “vending machine assault.” If you know you are always hungry at 2 p.m., then it makes sense to have snacks handy when hunger strikes. We often run into problems when we wait to decide what to eat until we are very hungry and we then reach for the closest, quickest option. Having something quick and healthy that is readily available before we get to that point helps us to choose better options. To prevent eating unhealthy foods, MSU Extension recommends the following tips:

  • Try to pack snacks for a whole week or several days at a time and select a variety of options to choose from, so that there is always something appealing regardless of how you are feeling. Some days you may want a salty, crunchy snack like nuts or trail mix, whereas other days something sweet like fruit may be more of what you have a craving for.
  • Most offices have a refrigerator to store lunches or snacks, so bringing along a small stock of yogurt or cheese, which gives you a protein packed snack that is readily available, will give you a healthy option to curb your afternoon hunger.
  • Similar to yogurt or cheese, stocking up on carrots or jicama and hummus can help to provide you with the kick you need to finish off your day.

By packing foods at home you can control the portion size of your snack. Sometimes our best laid-out plans still go awry and we end up at the vending machine anyway. If this is the case, try to choose snacks that are lower in calories such as baked plain chips instead of regular flavored ones and tea or sparkling water instead of soda.

 

Do you have control over what is in the vending machine or can you talk to the company and make suggestions on healthier choices? If so you can ask them to follow snack options from the National Alliance for Nutrition and Physical Activity and American Heart Association Guidelines.

 

Just say no.

Remember that everything is fine in moderation, so if you generally make healthy choices, it is okay to occasionally splurge on that candy bar or bag of chips when the vending machine comes calling. Being prepared ahead of time will help make the vending machine habit a once in while occurrence rather than a once a day choice.

 

Happy snacking!

 

Michigan State University Extension offers nutrition education classes and policy, systems and environmental initiatives to support healthy choices in the workplace. Contact your local MSU Extension office to find support near you.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

 

 

Think genes dictate your life span? Think again

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Courtesy Spectrum HealthBeat

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

 

Your life partner has a much greater influence on your longevity than the genes you inherited from your family, according to a new analysis of the family trees of more than 400 million people.

 

“While it is a widely held belief that lifes pan heritability ranges from approximately 15 to 30 percent, the findings discussed in this paper demonstrated that the heritability of human longevity is likely well below 10 percent,” said lead researcher Cathy Ball. She is a chief scientific officer for Ancestry, the popular genealogy website.

 

Earlier estimates were skewed because they didn’t account for the strong influence that a person’s spouse or life partner can have on their longevity, Ball and her colleagues said.

 

People tend to select partners who share traits like their own, the researchers explained. If you have a lifestyle that’s going to contribute to a longer life, you’ll likely choose a mate who shares that lifestyle.

 

Dr. Gisele Wolf-Klein is a geriatrician with Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y. She said, “Chances are you’re going to try to partner with someone with equal interests in terms of health habits. If you find someone who wants to run a marathon with you rather than be a couch potato, chances are you’ll keep running more marathons.”

 

Wealth could be another nongenetic trait shared by mates, the researchers suggested. If income contributes to lifespan and wealthy people tend to marry other wealthy people, that could also add to their longevity.

 

After correcting for the effects of such mating, Ball’s team concluded that genetics contributes not more than 7 percent to longevity, and possibly even less.

 

“The research findings expose the complex dynamics of longevity,” Ball said. “Although there is a genetic component, this study shows that there is a major impact from many other forces in your life.”

 

For the study, researchers combed through 54 million public family trees generated by Ancestry.com subscribers, which represented 6 billion ancestors.

 

From there, the team refined the records until they wound up with a set of human pedigrees that included more than 400 million people, each connected to another by either birth or marriage.

 

Things got interesting when the researchers started looking at people related only by marriage. They found that siblings-in-law and first-cousins-in-law had similar life spans, even though they aren’t blood relatives and generally don’t live under the same roof.

 

Further analysis showed that factors important to life span tend to be very similar between mates. People are choosing folks who share values that will either shorten or extend longevity, the researchers noted.

 

The findings were published Nov. 6 in the journal Genetics.

 

“I think it’s a very optimistic and positive message for us,” said Wolf-Klein, who was not involved in the research.

 

“It outlines something that’s becoming more and more obvious to all of us—we have a certain control over who we are and what we become,” she added. “Regardless of your genetics, if you adhere to good diet, good exercise, healthy habits, you can overcome some of the dooms of genetics.”

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

Diabetes and travel: Behind the wheel precautions

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By Pamela Daniels, Michigan State University Extension

Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

It’s that time of year for residents of the northern states to drive south in search of warmth and sunshine, leaving the cold and snow behind. For others it’s time to take that long-awaited family road trip, escaping harsh weather for more mild conditions. No matter the distance or length of the road trip, what’s at the top of everyone’s list is arriving there safely. For individuals with diabetes, getting there safely becomes more than just safe driving.

For a person who is insulin-dependent, blood glucose level is paramount to the ability to drive safely. Experiencing a rapid drop in insulin levels (a severe hypoglycemic event) could possibly bring on symptoms of double vision and disorientation. Clearly problems for any driver behind the wheel.

For road trip safety, understand your physical health, chart your blood glucose levels frequently and don’t skip meals. Be prepared. Talk with your doctor about fast-acting glucose products that can be used in the event of an emergency. Your doctor and diabetic nurse educator are the best people to talk to regarding which glucose products are right for you.

Michigan State University Extension recommends these behind the wheel tips for diabetics:

  • Keep a glucose kit in your car at all times, it should be tolerant to warm and cold temperatures.
  • Before driving any distance be aware of your levels; think about how you are feeling, don’t be afraid to ask someone else to drive you if you’re feeling tired or stressed.
  • Carry your cell phone with pre-programmed numbers of 911 and family members in the case of an emergency.
  • Stop often, don’t skip meals, eat the right foods and sugars which will keep you active and alert.

As always, buckle-up, don’t text and drive and enjoy your road trip!

Michigan State University Extension recommends the following professional diabetes resources:

American Diabetes Association: Driving & Diabetes

National Institute of Health: Understanding the risk of diabetes and driving

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

‘When she’s happy, I’m happy’

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By Sue Thoms, Spectrum Health Beat

Photos by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

 

Alyssa D’Agostino can endure a lot: a battle against breast cancer, then leukemia, then a relapse of leukemia.

 

But when she realized she would not be home for her daughter Gianna’s ninth birthday—that drove her to tears.

 

“We have to do something.”

 

Katie Celentino heard that message over and over again from staff members at the bone marrow transplant unit at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, touched by D’Agostino’s sorrow.

 

And so they did. In 24 hours, they pulled together a purple unicorn party that left Gianna nearly speechless.

 

The little girl burst into the staff room for the party with a big “Oh!” as she whirled around, taking in the birthday banner, a unicorn drawing on the whiteboard, party hats and a table brimming with colorfully wrapped presents. Nurses and nurse technicians greeted her with a lively round of “Happy Birthday!”

 

D’Agostino sat beside her daughter, eyes sparkling above her yellow face mask. She wore her party attire, a green tinted wig and a headband decorated with a silver unicorn horn and peach flowers.

 

“This is so amazing,” she said. “I’m blown away big-time.”

 

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, D’Agostino underwent surgery and chemotherapy and emerged a survivor.

 

Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

In July 2017, she learned she had acute myeloid leukemia. It went into remission, but resurfaced in April 2018. Again, she was hospitalized as she began chemotherapy treatments.

 

In late August, she went to Butterworth Hospital, with plans to get the disease back into remission so she could undergo a bone marrow transplant.

 

Five straight months in a hospital: That has been her spring, summer and autumn.

 

She hoped she would be home for Gianna’s birthday. She had gifts and planned a surprise celebration with family. When she learned that would not happen, she said, “I was devastated.”

And then, she learned a party was in the works on the fifth floor of Butterworth Hospital.

 

Celentino, the nurse manager, said staff members eagerly joined together to make the day special. Nurses came in on their day off or stayed after their shifts ended. Nurse technician Courtney Fend used her artistic skills to create a birthday banner and unicorn drawing.

 

Sharing Gianna’s big day was deeply rewarding for the staff, Celentino said.

 

“We don’t always get to see these moments,” she said. “These are the things that matter to our patients. This is why they matter to us.”

A gift of happiness

Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

Gianna, a third-grader at Chandler Woods Charter Academy in Belmont, Michigan, came to the party with her grandmother, Alice D’Agostino. She wore her Halloween costume—a purple and black outfit with a purple wig. She dressed as Mal from the Disney movie Descendants.

 

Her mom’s gift made the outfit complete. She gave Gianna a pair of black boots, just like Mal’s.

 

Gianna bubbled with enthusiasm as she opened her gifts: sparkly pencils and coloring books, fluffy unicorn pajamas, card games, glittery nail polish, hair chalk, a jewelry box and a kit for making her own jewelry.

 

She thanked everyone and went around the room giving hugs.

 

Gianna then sat beside her mom and they wrapped their arms around each other.

 

D’Agostino said the celebration exceeded all her expectations. And seeing her daughter’s happiness was a gift in itself.

 

“I just loved seeing her face light up,” she said. “When she’s happy, I’m happy. Doing something special for her just makes me feel good.”

Is it normal aging or Type 2 diabetes?

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An older adult’s health care provider can help to determine if they’re experiencing normal aging or if Type 2 diabetes is present. (Courtesy Michigan State University Extension)

By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension

According to the Michigan State University Geriatric Education Center of Michigan, Type 2 diabetes continues to increase in the United States population. For adults over the age of 65, diabetes occurs in approximately 27 percent and pre-diabetes occurs in 50 percent of this population. When caregivers think about the overall goals of care for their loved one, it is important to understand how diabetes affects the quality of life for older adults.

The American Geriatrics Society says that older people with diabetes experience higher rates of mental and physical disability and premature death. They are also more prone to develop other illnesses, like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. In addition, they also have a greater risk for several conditions associated with the aging process, such as depression, reduced mental function, urinary incontinence, harmful falls, persistent pain and over-medication.

Is it normal aging or is it because of Type 2 diabetes?

In order to figure out how your loved one is affected by Type 2 diabetes, it is important to know how to recognize the difference between normal aging and health problems caused by diabetes. Aging and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes have some similarities: they both can bring on poor eyesight, fatigue, high blood pressure, depression, as well as more frequent urination and higher rates of heart disease and stroke.

Michigan State University Extension says that symptoms can also look similar, but for different reasons. With aging, there may be gait changes because of arthritis and osteoporosis, but gait changes with diabetes may result from neuropathy.

Restlessness and confusion sometimes occurs with normal aging, but with diabetes it results from very high or low blood sugar. Slower reaction time often occurs with normal aging, but for people with diabetes, it can be a result of high or low blood sugar.

These and other symptoms should be signs that our loved one needs to be assessed by your health care provider to determine if they are experiencing normal aging or if Type 2 diabetes is present. Signs of very high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) include increased urination for several days, dehydration, which develops because the person doesn’t drink enough liquids and a change in alertness from generalized fatigue to stupor, coma or seizures. These changes may be mistaken for a stroke or mental illness.

How can your health care provider help?

You will need to work with your older adult’s health care provider to determine plans that are based on the status of your loved one: the high functioning individual, older adults with memory loss and elders at the end of their life. Planning also needs to take into account the living situation of the older adult, how much caregiving and support the older adult needs and how much they actually have.

After a thorough assessment, your health care provider will determine a medicine regime. Insulin will be the quickest way to get a very high blood sugar under control. Then, it will be crucial for you and your loved one to attend diabetes education classes in your community.

The major goal is blood sugar management. Besides medications to resolve high blood sugar, the American Diabetes Association says that it’s also important to help your loved one to improve healthy eating habits and physical activity. Supporting your older loved one to manage their Type 2 diabetes is a real challenge. Reach out to the many community resources available to help you and your family meet the challenge of helping your loved one maintain a high quality life.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

5 ways to boost your metabolism

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Boost your metabolism by eating a wholesome breakfast each day. This is just one of a few ways to rev up your calorie-burner. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Spectrum Health Beat Staff

 

Unfortunately, it’s true: Our metabolism slows down as we age.

 

On average, we lose 2 to 8 percent of our muscle mass per decade, and that slows our metabolic rate.

 

A recent article in U.S. News & World Report cites the importance of maintaining lean muscle to combat the decline.

 

“Strength training can help decrease this process, but adjusting your diet to eat less is also critical,” said Jill Graybill, a registered dietitian at Spectrum Health.

 

You can speed up your metabolism, but don’t be fooled by claims that popping a few supplements or eating certain foods will get the job done, Graybill cautioned.

 

“There is a lot of misinformation on this subject,” she said. “Most of it is smoke and mirrors.”

 

Genetics can give some people an edge, but the best way to increase your metabolism is to adopt a few good habits, including these:

1. Build resistance

Use resistance exercise to build more lean muscle mass. More muscle burns more calories, even at rest.

2. Eat breakfast

The morning meal has been shown to jump-start the metabolic process.

3. Eat every four hours

This little trick speeds up your metabolism. Skipping meals slows it down.

4. Think protein

Include protein each time you eat. It takes more energy to break down, again, revving up your metabolic rate. Sources include dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, eggs and meat. Plus, protein is slower to digest, so you feel full longer.

5. Eat enough

Yes, even while losing weight. A diet that is too low in calories slows your metabolism to a crawl. Don’t sabotage your efforts by eating too little. Most people should not go lower than 1,200 calories a day or they risk not meeting their nutritional needs. Only go lower if you’re under medical supervision.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Obesity thief

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By Pam Daniels, Michigan State University Extension

Obesity has a way of creeping up on us. Naturally, throughout our lifespan our weight increases, but if you have seen a dramatic increase in you or your child’s weight, especially around the waistline, it may be time to think about what is contributing to the excessive weight gain.

Obesity is a complex problem in our society, there is no easy fix. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, genetics, drugs and disease can all affect weight along with social and cultural factors such as our environment, how we eat, what we eat and when we eat.

The topic of obesity is constantly in the media, and is a component of the nutrition education offered by Michigan State University Extension. The four-part documentary series, Weight of the Nation, which premiered on HBO in 2012 examines how it has been possible that the epidemic has grown almost undisturbed, stealing self-identity and our health by talking to experts ranging from geneticists, to professors to pediatric endocrinologists.

It is easy to recognize obesity and yet feel no connection to the obesity epidemic. This lack of attachment is part of the reason why it flourishes, but if we are honest with ourselves and believe the statistics, we can see that the obesity epidemic lurks very close to home.

When we are overweight, our bodies begin to break down over time, making us more prone to certain chronic diseases. Chronic health risks associated with obesity include:

  • Coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Cancers, such as endometrial, breast and colon cancer
  • High total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides
  • Liver and gallbladder disease
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
  • Degeneration of cartilage and underlying bone within a joint (osteoarthritis)
  • Reproductive health complications such as infertility
  • Mental health conditions

Disease prevention and self-management are ammunition in the battle against obesity. Regularly visiting your doctor is the first point of contact in developing prevention and self-management strategies.

Other strategies include good nutrition, being physically active and controlling your weight. Other weight management resources include Michigan State University Extension’s weight management, chronic disease, and disease prevention management programs, along with the Center for Disease Control, Overeaters Anonymous and the National Institute of Mental Health.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Is Your Baby Social?

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Photo courtesy of Cherry Health

By Michelle Fitzgerald, LMSW, Maternal Infant Health Program Social Worker, Cherry Street Health Center

Parents and caregivers focus a great deal on a child’s health. Children go to regular doctor’s appointments, Women Infants and Children (WIC) teaches about healthy nutrition, and extra care is taken when there are sniffles and sneezes. Sometimes social-emotional health is overlooked, but adequate social-emotional development will help a child to live a healthy and happy life.

 

You might be wondering what social-emotional means; it’s about how your child interacts with the world around him/her, and how he/she manages and controls emotions. Good social-emotional development leads to success with friends as well as adjusting well to changes and challenges. Children with good social-emotional skills can focus more effectively in school, have fewer behavior problems and bounce back from difficult encounters. In short, these skills are very important!

 

How can you help your child develop these crucial skills?

  • Physical touch: This starts at birth with skin to skin contact and continues throughout childhood with hugs and positive physical touch.
  • Communication: Talk to your child at their level and listen to them– reading is also a great activity.
  • Realistic expectations: Familiarize yourself with developmental steps for your child’s age. You can sign up for free developmental questionnaires for your child from birth to age 5 here.
  • Be a good role model: Your child learns from you; show them how to handle frustration, how to listen and how to share.
  • Positive discipline: Set your child up for success. For example, don’t yell at your baby for putting something dangerous in their mouth; you know your baby will put everything in their mouth, so keep the dangerous items out of reach! Set good boundaries for your child and be consistent in enforcing those boundaries.

This is a very short list of activities to get you started! Find more information on social-emotional health below:

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health

12 ways to celebrate the holidays in assisted living communities

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


The holidays are always a time of year full of fun and a flurry of activities. Some people may be afraid that living in a senior community means missing out on some of the good times, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Assisted living communities have a lot of great ways to celebrate the holidays, from religious and spiritual services to festive activities and holiday outings.

We have put together a list of our favorite ways to celebrate the holidays, many of which are already happening in our Vista Springs communities.  We’re wishing all of our community members joy this holiday season!

Trips to local churches or chapel

Many churches and other places of worship have special holiday services that you may want to attend. Assisted living communities will often organize trips to visit places, or if there is a service you want to attend that doesn’t have a specially planned trip, speaking to your event organizer can help you plan a visit.

Visits from local dance and music groups

Local dance companies, choirs, and bands have winter or Christmas programs that they love to share. Many senior living communities like Vista Springs will invite these groups to come and perform, so make sure have get an event schedule so you don’t miss out on anything.

Pop-up vendors and shops

Pop-up shops and holiday vendors will often come visit communities and bring the best of holiday shopping right to you! Not only does this provide a great way to socialize with the rest of your community, but you can get great deals on gifts for your family and friends all from the comfort of your own front door. Usually these are one day events, so if you plan on attending make sure to keep room on your schedule.

Craft projects

Ever wanted to make a pinecone wreath? A special ornament? A tiny Christmas tree? Assisted living communities like Vista Springs have these and any number of other fun craft projects that you can take part in. Have a good time and feel like a kid again while getting a little messy with glue and ribbons. Crafts are a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

Community decorating

Most senior living communities will ask residents to help them put up decorations around the common spaces. Decorate trees with ornaments, hang garland, and put out table centerpieces to give the entire space that homey holiday feel. Some communities also have decorating contests to see who can make their doorway the most festive, so you can go all out and show your decorating skills to everyone.

Cookie decorating

Everyone likes cookies, and during the holidays that’s especially true. Assisted living communities can have cookie decorating activities so you can have fun and eat your work. If there aren’t cookies, see if there are any gingerbread house constructing or decorating activities planned in your community.

Trips to music performances

When local groups can’t come and perform at your community, you can get a chance to go and see them someplace else. Many assisted living communities, Vista Springs included, will plan trips to go see concerts and other live music performances wherever their normal venue is. Enjoy a nice trip out and listen to good music to help you keep in the holiday spirit.

Outings to local events

Similar to trips to listen to music, assisted living communities can have planned outings to event spaces that are holding holiday displays or special gatherings to celebrate the holidays. Parades, light displays, or house and garden tours are all examples of events that your community can have plans to see. One of our favorites is the Christmas light show at Fifth-Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids.

Visits to tree farms

Another fun place to visit over for the holidays are Christmas tree farms. While you might not be planning on taking a tree home with you, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy yourself and get some fresh air. Look at local crafts and handmade decorations, and relax with the smell of pine trees with other community members.

Community group performances

Many assisted living communities have their own choirs and other groups that put on holiday performances. Maybe you are even part of one! These ensembles have put a lot of work into their programs, so make sure to show up and support your community members as they entertain.

Movie viewings and game nights

Watch your favorite holiday movies or play fun board games with other community members. While you might have movie or game nights other times of the year, during the holidays there are often special treats like cocoa and snacks to help you get in the holiday mood and get the most out of community gatherings.

Dinner parties

Almost all communities will have a dinner party planned where you can invite family and friends to come and visit you at your home and celebrate together. Most of these parties happen early on in December, so if you have family members that you won’t be able to see later on in the year this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some special time together.


The festivities of the holidays can be found anywhere, especially in your assisted living community. With all these activities, you can have holiday fun every day of the month.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

CDC: 1 in 5 high school students vape

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America faces an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, which threatens to engulf a new generation in nicotine addiction and lung damage. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

More than 20 percent of high school students use electronic cigarettes, risking nicotine addiction, lung damage and the temptation to try traditional smokes, U.S. health officials reported.

Between 2011 and 2018, the number of high school teens who started vaping, as e-cigarette use is called, increased from 220,000 (1.5 percent) to just over 3 million (20.8 percent), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“These new data show that America faces an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, which threatens to engulf a new generation in nicotine addiction,” Alex Azar, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said in a news release.

Those startling statistics have prompted federal health officials to take action.

On Thursday, U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb announced that his agency was seeking to stop the sale of flavored e-cigarettes other than mint and menthol flavors to minors.

His proposals include having stores that sell vaping products make them available only in age-restricted areas. In addition, Gottlieb called for stricter age verification for e-cigarettes sold online.

“By one measure, the rate of youth e-cigarette use almost doubled in the last year, which confirms the need for FDA’s ongoing policy proposals and enforcement actions. HHS’s work will continue to balance the need to prevent youth use of e-cigarettes with ensuring they are available as an off-ramp for adults who are trying to quit combustible [tobacco] cigarettes,” Azar said.

The findings were reported in the Nov. 16 issue of the CDC publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“The youth use of e-cigarettes is at an epidemic level. It’s truly troubling,” said Erika Sward, assistant vice president for national advocacy at the American Lung Association.

E-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking regular cigarettes, she said. Moreover, chemicals in them can cause lung damage and result in addiction to nicotine.

According to the new report, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 78 percent from 2017 to 2018.

During the same year, the use of flavored e-cigarettes among high school students already using e-cigarettes increased from 61 percent to 68 percent.

In addition, the use of menthol or mint-flavored e-cigarettes rose from 42 percent of all e-cigarette users to 51 percent.

Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

E-cigarette use also increased among middle school students, from less than 1 percent in 2011 to nearly 5 percent in 2018, researchers found.

“FDA has to act, but we also need state and local government to act as well,” Sward said. “This is too big for everybody not to have a role in reducing the use of e-cigarettes.”

Sward said the lung association is upset that the FDA stopped short of banning mint and menthol e-cigarettes. “FDA’s plan is not going to go far enough,” she noted.

Many teens use mint and menthol e-cigarettes, which Sward believes are specifically marketed to attract minors.

“The tobacco industry knows that mint and menthol help the poison go down,” she said. “And they have been using menthol cigarettes to addict millions of people for decades, and that trend has tragically continued with e-cigarettes.”

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

How Often Do Seniors Need Preventative Care Checkups?

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

Growing older doesn’t mean it’s time to slow down. In fact, many seniors are speeding up and revising what it means to be a retiree. Preventative care works helps keep seniors active and avoid health problems: here’s what you need to know about how often those appointments need to happen.

 

As we age, we become more prone to chronic disorders such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. What older adults don’t realize is that meeting with a specialist like an ENT or optometrist can detect symptoms of significant health problems. A simple eye exam can reveal carotid artery blockages, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. In many cases, problems detected early on responded better to treatment, which is why regular checkups and screenings are more for seniors. Proactively monitoring your health is the best way to preserve a happier independent lifestyle.

 

Regular meetings with a specialist or your primary care physician is a low-stress way to maintain overall wellness in seniors. But how often should they go? Here are three appointments that you should never forget to make and keep.

Physicals

Surprisingly, only 62% of Americans get physicals. Part of this is due to the fact that some older adults are unsure how often they need a physical examination. For seniors, if your over 65 and in good health, you should go once a year at minimum. However, it is important realize just as everyone has different medical needs, the ideal physical schedule varies senior to senior. If you’ve had cancer, your physician might tell you to come in more often. Health insurance coverage also plays a factor in how often you should be booking a physical. Medicare Part B does not cover routine preventative physical examinations, but it does cover an Annual Wellness Visit every 12 months. Check with your doctor to see if they accept Medicare Part B, and payment options for physical exams. What makes regular physicals so valuable to seniors is that they have the ability to track key health measurements over time. Having a baseline can tell you what areas you need to be on top of, and if what you’re doing is effective.

Vision

Changes in vision are nearly unavoidable with age. What’s more alarming is that many eye diseases have no early symptoms. Conditions like glaucoma and cataracts can be silent and progress extremely quickly. After the age of 60, seniors are more susceptible to eye diseases that can leave permanent vision damage. The American Optometric Association recommends annual eye examinations for everyone over age 60. An optometrist, as we’ve mentioned before, can detect health problems affecting other parts of the body. Regular visits can improve the chances of maintaining good eye health in older adults.

Hearing

Hearing loss can be a sudden or gradual process. However, seniors are more at risk. In fact, one in three older adults between the ages of 65 and 74 experience hearing loss. This is because, as we age, the structure of the inner ear changes. Unfortunately, many seniors wait until their hearing loss dramatically affects their lives before taking action. For example, one of the most common causes of injury in seniors is falling. Hearing disorders can disrupt the balance in the inner ear, making it more likely that seniors will suffer a fall. The National Campaign for Better Hearing encourages everyone to get a baseline hearing test at 60 years of age and be retested annually.

 

Aging can do a number our bodies, which is why they need more attention. Committing to annual physicals and screening for both ears and eye is essential for a senior’s. One test could make a huge difference. Proactive approaches, like preventative care, helps seniors live a long fruitful life.

 

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Make it a Mediterranean holiday season

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Your meals don’t have to be dominated by meats and sweets. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Irene Franowicz, RD, CDE

Spectrum Health Beat


If you’re looking to eat healthier, but don’t want to give up those deliciously satisfying foods, look no further.


What you want exists—it’s the Mediterranean diet.


The best part of it all: A plethora of research correlates this cuisine with improved health and longevity. A Mediterranean-style diet reduces risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, and it also fights inflammation and adds antioxidants.


People who eat this kind of diet live longer with less disease.

Offer a Middle Eastern vegetarian appetizer menu at your holiday events and reap the delicious health benefits. You can buy many of these items at a Middle Eastern deli.

The diet limits red meats, placing emphasis on plant-based proteins and nuts, and promoting seafood and chicken along with legumes, veggies, high-antioxidant fruits and whole grains.


The result is a lower-glycemic diet, which can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and the function of cells in the pancreas, which helps to improve blood sugar control.


Olive oil replaces butter in Mediterranean recipes, and delicious herbs and spices make it easier to reduce salt.


In my series Eating the Mediterranean Way, participants have reported significant reductions in blood sugar with minimal weight loss. Because the cuisine emphasizes good fats instead of low fat, it’s better for weight loss than a low-fat diet.


The Mediterranean diet is more satisfying because people feel less deprived by their meals—they’re getting essential nutrition in a delicious way. They also report reduced cravings for sugar, which makes weight loss easier.


An important thing to keep in mind: Lifestyle is just as important as food.


People from Mediterranean countries enjoy and savor their food, turning every meal into an excuse for a social occasion with family and friends. A little red wine may be part of the menu, too.


Learn more about or sign up for the next Eating the Mediterranean Way class by calling 616.774.7779.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Staying safe at college

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By Tracy Trautner, Michigan State University Extension

 

Safety on and off college campuses should be a major concern for parents. As parents want to ensure a safe learning environment for their children, this is a logical emotion to have. When thinking about college crime these days, statistics show that property crimes far outweigh violent crimes on campuses.

 

Having more burglaries than robberies means kids have to be smarter about protecting their personal property. Campuses across the country have increased security in many ways, including additional training for campus police as well as more video cameras strategically placed around campuses.

 

Advise your child to lock their door and windows and stay alert when alone or walking around campus. If possible, use the buddy system when exercising or going to parties. Safety experts also recommend avoiding shrubbery and hedges where assailants could hide.

 

Safety messages and warnings seem to be typically directed towards the safety of women, however men can also be victims of a crime. Share the following safety information with both your son and daughter.

 

Michigan State University Extension recommends the following measures to keep college students and their property safe.

  • Keep an eye on belongings when at the library or cafeteria. A quick trip to the bathroom, grabbing copies off the printer or getting another piece of pizza are all great opportunities for someone else to get their hands on textbooks, phones or laptops.
  • Get a lock for a laptop. It is a simple and inexpensive investment to protect college projects, homework and class notes.
  • Load important numbers into your phone such as campus police, roommates and resident advisor, as well as numbers to call to cancel credit cards that might have been stolen.
  • Use a campus escort system if available. They are there for the sole purpose of students making it home safely at night. Use this valuable service when out at night or any time you don’t feel safe.
  • Know where the campus safety office is located. Visit the office and ask campus police if they have:
    • Blue light emergency phone stations.
    • Campus escort services.
    • Safety maps with suggested routes.
    • Support for safety apps like those listed below.
  • Discretely tell a close friend, such as a roommate, where you are going.
  • Trust your instincts. If you think you are being followed, quickly get someplace safe. If you think you are indeed in danger, run and make a lot of noise. Criminals like quiet, distracted guys or girls who will be easy victims.
  • A lot of crimes occur at parties, so go with friends and keep a close eye on beverages and food.
  • Enroll in a self-defense class and learn how to defend yourself. It is empowering and a great exercise. Many campuses offer self-defense classes, and a class will make you feel safe and more confident. A few classes and tips from a professional instructor is really what you need to be able to stay safe—however, still follow the safety tips listed above whenever possible.

The campus of Michigan State University has this statement as part of their safety policy: “MSU is a safe campus, and student safety and security is our first priority. However, students should always keep personal safety in mind. We recommend that students always lock their room doors and never prop or hold exterior doors; walk in groups on campus at night and make sure someone knows where they are going and when they will be back if they are going to be away.”

 

Every college or university is required to submit an annual security and fire safety report. For more information about the safety of the college your child is interested in, review their security and safety report.

 

For more accurate information on on-campus crimes versus crimes in the vicinity of the campus, visit Campus Safety and Security. It is a website that can give you more specific data about crimes at campuses around the country.

 

For very detailed information about a specific college, visit the National Center for Education Statistics, which is handy for researching everything about a potential college, from varsity athletic teams to financial aid and enrollment numbers, not just crime statistics.

 

Parents are always concerned about their child’s safety, but this is especially true as they let go of many of the safety measures they had in place before the child left the home. Check out the following links for great information to discuss with your child on issues they might not have thought about before. Much of the information could be applied to students of all ages, including high school students as well as adults.

To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2016 impact report: “Preparing young children for success” and “Preparing the future generation for success.” Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2016, can be downloaded from the Michigan 4-H website.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Lamenting the noisy neighbor

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Living by airports, highways and other noisy environments could lead to adverse heart health, according to new research. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay 

 

Living in noise-saturated neighborhoods might be more than simply annoying, with new research suggesting it seems to raise the risk for serious heart problems.

 

Chronic noise from traffic and airports appears to trigger the amygdala, a brain region critically involved in stress regulation, brain scans have revealed.

 

Noise is also associated with increased inflammation of the arteries, which is a risk factor for stroke, heart attack and heart disease, said lead researcher Dr. Azar Radfar. She is a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

 

“We are not the first group talking about noise and cardiovascular disease,” Radfar said. “What we really show here is the mechanism linking noise to major adverse cardiovascular events.”

 

For the study, Radfar and her colleagues analyzed imaging scans of 499 healthy people, looking specifically at their brains and blood vessels.

 

The investigators then used the participants’ home addresses to obtain noise level estimates of their neighborhoods, based on aviation and highway noise data kept by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

 

People in the noisiest neighborhoods had higher levels of activity in their amygdala and more inflammation in their arteries, the researchers found.

 

The research team then followed the study participants for an average 3.7 years, to see if these symptoms of stress would lead to heart problems.

 

The findings showed that people exposed to chronic noise had a greater than threefold risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or other major cardiovascular event, compared with people who had lower levels of noise exposure.

 

That risk remained elevated even after the researchers accounted for other risk factors, such as air pollution, high cholesterol, smoking and diabetes.

 

But the study could not prove that noise caused heart risks to rise.

 

Still, the amygdala appears to increase heart risk by triggering the release of hormones that fuel blood vessel inflammation, the researchers concluded.

 

Dr. Nieca Goldberg is director of the NYU Langone Tisch Center for Women’s Health in New York City. She said, based on this research, noise is “a link in the chain of cardiovascular risk, and I think it is an interesting question for doctors to ask their patients when assessing their cardiac risk.”

 

Radfar even suggested that people affected by transportation noise might consider soundproofing their homes.

 

On a community level, highway and urban planners can protect the populace by making road-noise barriers a part of road construction, Radfar suggested.

 

And, Goldberg added, if you’re in a noisy neighborhood, you might also want to consider other ways to reduce your stress. These might include yoga, meditation or aerobic exercise.

 

The findings are to be presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Chicago. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

 

Sidestep these menu minefields

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Did you know that the extra calories in a typical restaurant meal can mean a gain of two pounds a year for those who eat out just once a week? (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay

 

People with food allergies aren’t the only ones who need to be aware of menu minefields when eating out. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important that you don’t fall prey to these temptations.

 

It’s not only supersized meals that can be your diet downfall—restaurant meals, in general, have jumped in size. If you’re not careful, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns that the extra calories in a typical restaurant meal can mean a gain of two pounds a year for those who eat out just once a week.

 

And, year after year, those pounds can really add up.

 

At breakfast, say no to over-the-top omelets. Eggs are healthy options at any meal, but dishes that smother them in cheese, sausage and other high-saturated fat ingredients can turn a simple 80-calorie egg into a dish with more than 1,000 calories.

 

Steer clear of oversized meat portions. A 3-ounce lean filet is a good once-in-a-while choice, but that tempting 16-ounce slab of prime rib delivers 1,400 calories even before you add in all the trimmings.

 

Pasta-and-protein dishes can more than double the calories of either a simply sauced dish of pasta or a broiled chicken breast, and even more when smothered with cheese or cream sauce.

 

A “personal” pizza sounds like a sensible serving, but it can come with far more calories than one gooey slice, especially if topped with an assortment of cured meats.

 

Chicken wings are one of the worst bangs for your buck because 75 percent of the calories come from fatty skin and breading, and provide little protein.

 

If you crave any of these dishes, make them at home where you can control ingredients and portion sizes.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Move your way to the best you

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Lace up those shoes and get started on your exercise revolution. It will change your life more than you might think. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Kim Delafuente, Spectrum Health Beat

 

Is your best “you” buried under unrealistic expectations, out of control stress and pure exhaustion?

 

You’re not alone. According to recent research, far too many of us are letting stress control our lives and increase the size of our waistlines.

 

When people become stressed, the hormone cortisol really gets to work, making weight control more difficult and it can be a snowball effect on your health.

 

One way to stop, or at least mitigate, cortisol’s dastardly effects is to exercise. Exercise can decrease the levels of cortisol circulating in the blood stream, plus it has the added benefit of giving you a positive boost of feel-good endorphins.

 

Regular exercise could certainly be a great connector to your best self. It helps us think more clearly, reduces stress and puts you in a better frame of mind.

 

Let’s take a poll. When was the last time you said:

  • “I am confident.”
  • “I am strong.”
  • “I am taking charge of my health.”
  • “I feel happy and healthy.”
  • “I have my stress level in check.”
  • “I feel in control of my life.”
  • “I am the best me.”

Has it been a while?

 

Now, let me ask you this: When was the last time you said “I get to exercise” (and meant it)?

 

Get to exercise, really? Does anyone honestly feel that way?

 

Yup, it’s true. I would say that most everyone who has managed to sustain an active lifestyle says that every time they work out. They have truly found something they enjoy about moving.

 

Maybe it’s the sense of accomplishment, the camaraderie, the endorphin boost, or the results that keep them going. Or maybe, underneath the sweat, they have discovered better versions of themselves.

 

When we tell ourselves (and anyone else listening) that “I have to exercise” it sounds like one more chore on the never-ending to-do list.

 

So what if we thought of exercise as something special like getting a pedicure, going shopping, or taking a weekend getaway? All of a sudden it sounds like a gift and it becomes something we look forward to each day. You even might find yourself saying “I get to exercise.”

 

The time to start is now. Arrange a walk with a friend, join a group exercise class, or find a good workout on YouTube. These are all manageable starting points.

 

There is no need to take on a hard core workout at the get-go. Even 10 minutes several times a day can make a difference. The more you exercise, the more you will feel confident, stronger, less stressed and happier.

 

Your best “you” might even start to surface.

 

Can’t wait to get started? Great, but don’t forget your new mantra “I get to exercise!”

 

Now get on those shoes and get going! What are you waiting for?

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Hand washing with children

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Courtesy MSU Extension

By Ann Arnold, Michigan State University Extension

 

For more information contact Stephanie Ostrenga, ostrenga@msu.edu.

 

Keeping children’s hands clean at home and school is an essential tool in keeping them healthy and stopping the spread of germs. Parents and caregivers can set a good example and teach children the proper way to wash their hands by demonstrating proper hand-washing each time they wash their hands. This may take several times to have the children get the hang of it, although it will improve with practice and age.

How should we teach children to wash their hands?

  • Have clean disposable paper towel available.
  • Turn the water on to a comfortable, warm temperature.
  • Get both hands wet and then remove hands from the water and apply soap.
  • Rub hands together vigorously until the soap turns into lather or is full of bubbles
  • Rub the palms of the hands, the back of the hands, in between the fingers, underneath fingernails and around the wrist. Continue this process for at least 20 seconds.
  • Rinse hands until all the soap and dirt is rinsed from the hands.
  • Dry hands thoroughly with the disposable paper towel as germs like to grow in wet and warm places.
  • Leave the water running while you dry your hands, and then use the paper towel to turn the water off before throwing it away. This prevents germs from getting onto hands from the faucet handle.

When should children wash their hands?

  • Before and after handling food
  • Before and after eating food
  • After using the restroom (after washing hands, use clean dry cloth to open the door when leaving, then dispose the paper towel into the trash)
  • After combing or touching hair
  • After playing with or petting an animal
  • After playing outdoors
  • After coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose

Remember to wash your hands frequently throughout the day and practice proper hand-washing with your children or students. This coloring page is one of many free resources from Fight BAC! that can be used with children to reinforce hand-washing practice at home and at school. Michigan State University Extension recommends that you wash your hands thoroughly and continue to monitor your children’s hand washing techniques to keep them healthy and prevent illness.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Equanimity is yoga for the brain

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By Tracie Abram, Michigan State University Extension

 

Are you about to send your last child to college, the military or into the work field? How is this soon-to-be separation affecting you? Do you have friends or co-workers that will be empty-nesters or have entered this phase who seem to be managing better or are more emotionally calm?

 

When a child leaves the house in search of independence, it can be an emotional time for all involved. To make this transition easier, it may help to focus on the positives and what you will gain and practice equanimity.

 

In the book, Buddha’s Brain–The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom by Rick Hanson, PH.D. and Richard Mendius, MD they describe that the human mind defaults to negative emotions and suffering, but with practice, you can re-wire the brain to develop equanimity. The word equanimity comes from the Latin roots meaning “even” and “mind”. The definition of equanimity is mental calmness, composure and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

 

In a sense, equanimity is your brains circuit breaker. It breaks the chain of suffering by separating the feeling tones of experience from the machinery of craving, neutralizing your reactions to those feeling tones. The authors also state that psychologists have a term they call “demand characteristics” for the aspects of situations that really pull at you. With equanimity, situations have only characteristics, not demands.  When you have equanimity, you do not grasp after enjoyable experiences or push against undesirable ones, you have space, or a buffer zone, between you and your feeling zones and are able to not react impulsively.

 

How do you train your brain to not react but to maintain calm? In the book there are five stages to developing the factors of equanimity:

  1. Understanding–Develop an ability to recognize that rewards and painful experiences are transient, meaning both do not last that long or are that awful. Life is a continuum of change and that most of the factors that shape the future are out of your hands.
  2. Intention–Keep reminding yourself of the important reasons for equanimity, you want more freedom from craving and suffering it brings.
  3. Steadiness of Mind–Pay particular attention to the neutral feeling zone. Through sensitizing yourself to the neutral aspects of experiences, your mind will become more comfortable staying with them, and less inclined to seek rewards or scan for threats.
  4. Spacious Awareness–The space of awareness allows every content of the mind to be or not to be, to come and to go. Thoughts are just thoughts, sounds are just sounds, situations are just situations and people are just being themselves.
  5. Tranquility–Do not act based on the feeling tone. Set aside a period every day, even just a minute long to start with then increase or extend that time, to consciously release preferences for or against anything. Your actions will be guided more by your values and virtues rather than your desires that are reactions to positive or negative feeling tones.

In closing, Buddhism has a metaphor for the different conditions in life. They are called the Eight Worldly Winds:

  • Pleasure and pain
  • Praise and blame
  • Gain and loss
  • Fame and ill repute

As you gain equanimity, these winds have less effect on your mind. When managing the emotions of separation, think of the gains your child is striving for rather than the loss to you. Michigan State University Extension offers social-emotional health development programming throughout the state that are designed to help participants navigate feelings and stress. Peruse their website to find a Stress Less with Mindfulness or RELAX: Alternatives to Anger series event in your county.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

What Seniors Should Know About the Winter Blues

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

When fall and winter roll around, it’s not uncommon for people to get a little blue. You or someone you know may feel more tired, unmotivated, and sad — but just because it happens every year doesn’t mean it’s normal. What’s commonly known as the “winter blues” could be something more. Especially during the cold and dark months, attention to senior mental health is critical for overall wellness.

It’s not just “feeling down”

Sadness and anger are part of a healthy spectrum of emotions, so feeling down or upset once in a while is totally normal. However, if a mood change lasts for a week or more, it could be a bigger problem than the blues.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, often abbreviated as SAD, is a mental health condition that affects sufferers during certain seasons. While it’s usually associated with winter, SAD can actually occur at different points of the year for different people. The disorder is more common during winter in the northern states, as our northern latitudes receive less sunlight than the south.

Aging adults may be at higher risk of depression and SAD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Senior physical health and senior mental health go hand in hand – depression is more common in people with other illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer, and around 80% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition.

Another condition that could be the cause of winter blues is vitamin D deficiency. While vitamin D deficiency is something that should be addressed no matter what age, the condition is particularly serious in aging and elderly adults. Symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency are easy to overlook, and include:

  • Muscle aches
  • Bone pain
  • Fatigue
  • Depression symptoms

If left undiagnosed and untreated for too long in seniors, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to a higher risk of osteoporosis, so be sure to talk to a medical professional if you’re concerned.

It’s treatable

The good news about the different causes of winter blues is that they’re pretty well understood by the medical community and they’re totally treatable.

There are a variety of treatments for SAD that have been tested and proven to work in almost all cases. Here are a few:

  • Antidepressants
  • Increased sun exposure
  • Light box therapy
  • Cognitive behavior therapy
  • Regular exercise
  • Mindfulness practices

If you think you might be suffering from SAD, talk to your doctor about what treatment is best for you.

For vitamin D deficiency, the treatment is a little more cut and dry. Incorporating vitamin D-rich foods into your diet is the most natural way to tackle a deficiency. Great foods include:

  • Egg yolks
  • Cheeses
  • Fatty fish
  • Beef liver
  • Fortified dairy products

A doctor may also recommend nutritional supplements, but remember to never begin taking vitamin supplements without first consulting a medical professional, as they may interfere with other treatments and medications.

If you or someone close to you goes through the winter blues, there’s a chance that treatment can help. Regardless of whether you feel the effects of SAD or vitamin D deficiency, be sure to pay close attention to your physical and mental health this winter. Spend time with family and friends, get plenty of exercise and nutrition, and make the cold months just as enjoyable as the rest of your year!

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Family decision-making tips

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By Terry Clark-Jones, Michigan State University Extension

Family life can be fun, rewarding and complicated. Some of the more emotional discussions that families deal with revolve around problem-solving and conflict resolution.

The following are some tips to help with family decision-making:
  1. Avoid discussing an issue or problem at an inappropriate time. Problem-solving tends to be difficult when people are angry or tired. Have a discussion when everyone is calm.
  2. Do not begin the decision-making process with a closed mind. You may be surprised at the creative solutions your family creates together when everyone is open.
  3. Be sure to listen to other people’s viewpoints and feelings. Agree or disagree, those are their feelings. Respect them.
  4. Clarify to make sure you understand correctly and you are not making assumptions.  Always check to make sure everyone is on the same page.
  5. Do not let anger become a barrier to progress. Getting angry, criticizing, calling names, blaming, using sarcasm or other aggressive behavior does not help. If you are angry, take a break.
  6. Do not give in just because it is easier. Saying, “I guess you’re right” with a big sigh, or being submissive in order to avoid conflict is not problem-solving, it’s avoidance.
  7. Be realistic. Try to attach decisions to resources such as time, energy and money.
  8. Avoid ultimatums. Ultimatums threaten other people into submitting to what they want. For example, “You’ll do it or I’ll divorce you!”
  9. Be respectful. Refusing to regard individual differences in personalities, goals, values, emotional investments and lifestyles does not encourage teamwork. Go back to tip #3.
  10. Communicate directly. Using a middle-person to communicate with another family member can cause even more emotions to flare and can lead to misunderstandings.
  11. Be involved in family decisions. If you do not take an active interest in decisions that concern other members of the family, which could benefit by your involvement, do not be hurt when others are disinterested in your problems.
  12. Establish suitable boundaries around family decision-making. Example of this might be who will be involved in the process; immediate family, extended family, in-laws.

By becoming aware of these tips, families may be able to communicate effectively without anger and hurt. They will be able to create a plan that is agreeable to all involved and successfully resolve family issues.

Visit the Michigan State University Extension website for more information and check out a variety of educational programs throughout the state.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Eyes could be the window to predicting Alzheimer’s

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Eye tests could one day make it possible to screen people in their 40s or 50s for early signs of Alzheimer’s, and begin treatment to delay further progression of the disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay

 

An eye exam might spot people with Alzheimer’s disease before they show any symptoms, researchers report.

 

“All of us have a small area devoid of blood vessels in the center of our retinas that is responsible for our most precise vision. We found that this zone lacking blood vessels was significantly enlarged in people with pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease,” explained co-principal investigator Dr. Rajendra Apte. He is a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

 

Previous studies have found that the eyes of people who had died from Alzheimer’s showed signs of thinning in the center of the retina and deterioration of the optic nerve.

 

In this new study, Apte’s team used a noninvasive technique called optical coherence tomography angiography to examine the thickness of the retinas and fibers in the optic nerves of 30 people, average age mid-70s, who had no symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

 

A form of the test is available at many eye doctors in the United States.

 

After the eye tests, PET scans and cerebrospinal fluid analyses revealed that about half of the study participants had elevated levels of the Alzheimer’s-related proteins amyloid or tau. So, even though they didn’t have any Alzheimer’s symptoms, these people were likely to develop the disease.

 

“In the patients with elevated levels of amyloid or tau, we detected significant thinning in the center of the retina,” Apte said in a university news release.

 

According to study first author Dr. Bliss O’Bryhim, “This technique has great potential to become a screening tool that helps decide who should undergo more expensive and invasive testing for Alzheimer’s disease prior to the appearance of clinical symptoms.” O’Bryhim is a resident physician in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences.

 

“Our hope is to use this technique to understand who is accumulating abnormal proteins in the brain that may lead them to develop Alzheimer’s,” she added.

 

It’s believed that Alzheimer’s-related plaques can accumulate in the brain two decades before symptoms appear, so scientists are trying to find ways to detect the disease earlier.

 

Currently, PET scans and lumbar punctures are used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s, but these methods are invasive and expensive.

 

Further research is needed, but this eye test could one day make it possible to screen people in their 40s or 50s for early signs of Alzheimer’s, and begin treatment to delay further progression of the disease, the study authors suggested.

 

The study was published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

 

Keeping Kids Safe and Warm this Winter

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Courtesy Cherry Health

By Dr. Jenny Bush, Director of Pediatrics at Cherry Health and Pediatrician at Westside Health Center

As winter is coming we all worry about making sure our young ones are kept warm when we go out. We must remember though, that we also want them to be safe. The emergency room sees many young children with serious injuries in the winter due to big coats or snowsuits causing car seat straps not to work well. Even when the straps seem tight, the force of a car accident can squish down the coat and allow space for the child to slip from the straps and get hurt.

Here are some tips for keeping your child both warm and safe:

  • When possible, warm the car before you get in.
  • Have your kids wear their hats, mittens and warm shoes or boots.
  • For babies in an infant seat, place them in the car seat with the straps tight, then tuck a blanket around them or use a car seat cover. Make sure nothing is over the baby’s face. Store the seat inside when not in use so that the baby is not in contact with the cold seat. Nothing should ever be placed between the baby and the car seat, as that makes them less safe.
  • For toddlers or young children, have them wear their coat to the car, take it off to strap them in tight and then turn the coat backwards and place it over their arms (see picture below). Another option would be to have a blanket kept in the backseat for them to use.

Consider having a winter emergency kit in the car. Include back up clothing, socks, and mittens, a blanket and some snacks.

While these tips focus on kids, they do apply to adults as well. Large coats can also cause our seat belts to be ineffective. We need to be safe so that in the case of an accident we can focus on our kids and help calm them.

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.