Stomach Flu (Gastroenteritis)

Since there is a lot of the stomach flu (gastroenteritis) going around, I thought I’d share some links to some helpful information.  I had a round of it earlier in the week and it’s no fun.  Stomach flu is contagious so it’s important that you wash your hands frequently when around a sick person and when you are the one who is sick.

Symptoms of stomach flu include:

-Diarrhea

-Nausea/vomiting

-Low-grade fever

-Abdominal aches and pains

When to see a doctor:

Call your doctor if:

You're not able to keep liquids down for 24 hours

You've been vomiting for more than two days

You're dehydrated — (you are excessively thirsty, have dry mouth, deep yellow urine or little or no urine, and severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness

You notice blood in your bowel movements

You have a fever above 104 F

If you have an infant, call your baby's doctor right away if your baby:

Has vomiting that lasts more than several hours

Hasn't had a wet diaper in six hours

Has bloody stools or severe diarrhea

Has a sunken fontanel — the soft spot on the top of your baby's head

Has a dry mouth or cries without tears

Is unusually sleepy, drowsy or unresponsive (1)

If you have diarrhea and/or vomiting, you should stick to a liquid diet such as water, low-fat chicken broth, non-caffeinated sports drink or tea.  Once the symptoms pass, you can move on to bland foods such as pretzels, crackers, bananas, chicken, and boiled potatoes.  Stay away from any kind of fatty or heavy foods.

(1) Taken from Viral Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

For further information, check out these links:

Hand Washing: Do's and Dont's (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Prevent the Spread of Norovirus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Stomach Flu: How Long Am I Contagious? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Healthy Nutrition for Kids

The kids in this country are gaining more weight than ever before.  Parents need to get their children eating healthy at a young age so they will grow up knowing what kinds of foods are good for them.  It’s never too early to start.  Rachael Ray formed the Yum-O organization (www.yum-o.org) to help fight childhood obesity.  She has some great recipes for kids of all ages.  If you get young children involved in the kitchen at an early age, they will develop a healthy respect for food.  The Yum-O site has a great recipe search engine where you can limit your searches to different age groups to find recipes that will be appropriate.

Good nutrition starts at home.  Here are some tips to help you:

Be careful what kinds of foods you buy.  You need to limit the amount of junk food your kids eat.  Instead of things like French fries, try fresh fruits and vegetables instead.  Make sure you read the labels because very often, things labeled “low fat” have a lot of sugar in them.

Make sure you serve a variety of healthy foods so your kids won’t get bored with the same thing over and over again.  Pay attention to portion sizes because a lot of times, appropriate portion sizes are smaller than you think.

Stay away from really sweet fruit juices, soda, sports or energy drinks, and sweetened iced tea.  Encourage your children to drink plenty of water or milk.

Encourage your children to get plenty of exercise.  Limit their time in front of the TV or computer.  Encourage your children to get involved in a sport they enjoy.

For more information on healthy nutrition for kids, check out these links:

Tips for Healthy Children and Families (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity across Your Lifespan: Helping Your Child (Tips for Parents) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Childhood Nutrition (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Diet and Nutrition (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Health and Nutrition Information for Preschoolers (Dept. of Agriculture)

Kids Eat Right (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Heart Health and Physical Fitness

Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks.


Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.


You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by taking steps to control factors that put you at greater risk:

• Control your blood pressure

(The single most important risk factor for stroke.)  More information can be found at High Blood Pressure (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

• Lower your cholesterol

As blood cholesterol levels rise, so does the risk for cardiovascular disease.  For more information on lowering your cholesterol, visit: High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) and Treating High Cholesterol: A Guide for Adults (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

• Don't smoke

Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Visit Smoking and Your Heart (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) for more information.

• Get enough exercise (see information below)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer in America.  In 2004, about 871,000 adults in the United States died of CVD, accounting for about 36 percent of all deaths.

Lack of physical activity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and most Americans are not physically active enough to gain any health benefits. Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking or many other activities can help your heart. Whether it's included in a structured exercise program or part of your daily routine, all physical activity adds up to a healthier heart.  Check out these sites:

Get Active (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)

Guide to Physical Activity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Physical Activity Improves Quality of Life (American Heart Association)

The Exercise Habit:  How much exercise do I need?

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/basics/059.html

Physical Activity for Everyone: Energize Your Life!

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/everyone/index.htm

Heart Medications

Are you confused by all the different kinds of heart medications such as Antiplatelet Agents, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors, Beta Blockers, statins, etc., etc...

There are so many different kinds of medications that it's hard to keep them all straight.  The American Heart Association has a great resource on heart medications, that you should definitely check out if you need information on these medications.  Check it out at Cardiac Medications (American Heart Association).

Here are some other great web sites to check out:

"ACE Inhibitors" and "ARBs" to Protect Your Heart? (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

MedlinePlus: Blood Thinners (National Library of Medicine)

Check this resource out if you take herbal supplements and heart medications:  Herbal Supplements May Not Mix with Heart Medicines (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)