Free Medical Blog

Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women. As many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Risk factors include

• Getting older
• Being small and thin
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Taking certain medicines
• Being a white or Asian woman
• Having osteopenia, which is low bone mass

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health. To keep bones strong, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise and do not smoke. If needed, medicines can also help.

source: nlm.nih .gov

How can I tell if I have a cold or the flu?

You can reduce your risk of catching a cold or the flu by washing your hands frequently, which stops the spread of germs. Eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep also play a part in preventing colds and the flu because they help boost your immune system.

The best way to avoid getting the flu is to get the influenza vaccine each fall (in October or November), before the flu season begins. The vaccine is available by shot or by nasal spray. The vaccines work by exposing your immune system to the flu virus. Your body will build up antibodies to the virus to protect you from getting the flu. The flu shot contains dead viruses. The nasal-spray vaccine contains live but weakened viruses. You cannot get the flu from the flu shot or the nasal-spray vaccine.

Some people who get the vaccine will still get the flu, but they will usually get a milder case than people who aren't vaccinated. The vaccine is especially recommended for people who are more likely to get really sick from flu-related complications.

If you are sick, make sure that you cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands often to prevent giving your cold or flu to others.

source: family doctor .org

Winter may not officially arrive this year until Dec. 22, but cold and flu season is already in full swing.

There's good news, though: A few simple actions can greatly reduce your chances of getting a cold or the flu and help prevent your family, friends and coworkers from becoming sick as well, says Joanne C. Langan, Ph.D., R.N., coordinator of clinical resources at the Saint Louis University School of Nursing and a member of the university's Pandemic Response Planning Committee.

"These are common-sense steps everyone should take throughout the year," Langan says, "but it's especially important now that winter's here and cold and flu season is under way."

"It's all about respecting yourself in order to stay healthy and respecting others so they can be healthy as well," Langan adds. "No one wants to get sick or to pass along a cold or the flu to someone else."

Below are seven steps that Langan says are crucial to staying well this winter and prevent spreading cold or flu germs to others.

1. Get a flu shot. Unquestionably, this is the most important way to avoid getting the flu and to prevent or contain an outbreak of the illness, which kills hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year. Flu shots are particularly important for people at high risk for serious complications from influenza including young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
   
   The best time to get vaccinated is October and November but you get a flu shot in December and January and still be protected. Flu season can last as late as May.
   
   And contrary to popular belief, there's no chance of getting the flu from a flu shot, says Langan. That's because the viruses in the shot's vaccine are dead, not live.
   
   
   
2. : Wash your hands often. A study published in a British medical journal earlier this year found that regular hand washing, with soap and water, was more effective than drugs in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses such as the flu. If you can't wash with soap and water, Langan says, alcohol-based gels and wipes can be used. The gel should be rubbed until it's dry.
   
   
   
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Those are "major points of entry" for all kinds of germs, particularly those that cause colds and the flu, Langan says.
   
   
   
4. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
   
   
   
5. Practice other good health habits. To keep your immune system as strong as possible, get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious food, drink plenty of water and other fluids and learn how to manage your stress.
   
   
   
6. Cover your nose and mouth. If you're about to sneeze or cough, put your hand or a handkerchief over your nose and mouth or sneeze or cough into your sleeve. It may prevent those around you from getting sick, Langan says.
   
   
   
7. If you're sick stay home, particularly if you're running a fever or sneezing or coughing a lot. You'll help prevent others from catching whatever you have.
   

source: medical news today .com

Whether it's the low temperature and humidity facilitating the spread of viruses, or the fact that people spend more time cooped up together indoors, winter is the season for colds and flu. Experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry advise those who catch a virus to avoid wearing contact lenses.

"Many people don't realize that their eyes function differently when they're sick," said William "Joe" Benjamin, Ph.D., professor of optometry at UAB. "Tear production is altered, and eyes tend to get very dry. People may develop pink eye, conjunctivitis or other eye infections. The cornea can swell. Contacts can aggravate these symptoms."

Benjamin says people who are sick should stick to glasses. For those who must wear contacts, they should make sure to clean them thoroughly or, if possible, switch to daily wear lenses to avoid infection. Even taking contacts out to let eyes recuperate during the day can be beneficial.

source: medical news today .com