Healthy Foods

Are you able to pick out the healthiest foods on the menu at a restaurant? According to a new poll by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, most people are unable to identify the dishes lowest in calories, salt, and fat. I’ll give you a sample question. Which popular dish in a typical restaurant is lowest in calories? A ham and cheddar omelet, country fried steak and eggs, three slices of French toast with syrup and margarine, or three pancakes with syrup and margarine. The answer? Country fried steak and eggs. If that isn’t hard enough, there are other issues like understanding the difference between carbohydrates, fat, and protein and what it means. One suggestion is more restaurants take advantage of the heart-healthy option signals that can be used to signal good choices. It’s very important we look at that option.

Flu Shot Confusion

One thing I can assure you, this is not going to be the last report you hear, this fall, about H1N1 or different flu vaccines. It’s going to be something we talk about all fall long. But one thing you should be aware of is there are two different vaccines that will be out there. There’s one called the seasonal flu vaccine, that’s the influenza vaccine, much like the one we get every year; you get in the fall into the winter. It goes against 3 specific influenza viruses, the one they think are most likely to hit. The other vaccine is the H1N1 vaccine. It’s going to be called the Novel flu vaccine. That particular vaccine isn’t even out yet, it’s being tested. They’re hoping it will come out in October. That vaccine, you’re going to have to get two doses 21 to 28 days apart, again all that information will be released as time goes on. Like I said, we haven’t heard anything close to the end of this. For more information, click onto www.MyMedicalReports.com.

H1N1 Update for College Students

Many colleges are already putting plans in place and publicizing those plans for students. Basically, if a student gets H1N1, they’re recommending that each students, that develops the problem, have transportation to go home as part of their preparedness. They should remain home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever, without the use of fever reducing medications. In addition to that, for students who need to remain on campus or can’t get home, they believe self-isolation is important, which includes, social distancing-keeping about 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask when moving into a shared bathroom, and also continuing frequent hand washing and the use of a hand sanitizer. Obviously all of theses things are important because they are anticipating problems ahead of time and that may be the most important way to reduce spread. For more information, click onto www.MyMedicalReports.com.

Foot Pain and Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a big medical term, but it’s an important one. It’s one which talks about the fact that sometimes people can have pain in their foot. Usually, it occurs when they first wake up in the morning. This pain can actually be quite difficult to deal with. It is pain that responds to stretching and to wearing comfortable shoes. But over a period of time, it may get worse and not respond to these simple treatments. You may have to see your doctor to have an evaluation, looking at what else can be done. For more information, click onto http://www.mymedicalreports.com/.

Treating Viral Sore Throats

Pharyngitis, or sore throats, are very common and we often treat them with antibiotics. But what we are learning, and we’re learning rapidly, is the fact that pharyngitis also can actually be treated quite well by trying to take a symptomatic approach. Gargling with salt water, those types of things, because many of the causes of sinus problems, ear problems, and even sore throat, are the fact that it’s a virus, not a bacteria, and we don’t necessarily need an antibiotic on board all the time. For more information, click onto http://www.mymedicalreports.com/.

Silent Heart Attacks

In four out of nine people who have had mild heart attacks, the event goes undetected. That's because patients do not recognize or dismiss the symptoms. Those most likely not to know they've had a heart attack are women, particularly those who are overweight, diabetics, and the elderly. The problem is people don't know when they are at risk for future problems if they don't know they had a heart attack in the first place. Now these findings are based on a study of 4000 men and women in the Netherlands. Of course, chest pain is the most common, but by no means the only sign that suffers notice. Other symptoms can occur, such as shoulder pain, jaw pain, arm pain and excessive sweating. People who have had a heart attack make certain lifestyle changes that can prevent future heart attacks. That's why it's important to know. For more information, click onto http://www.mymedicalreports.com/.

Mercury Filling Safety Controversy

It is a subject filled with controversy. Are those silver amalgam fillings safe? Well the question has been asked, because part of the silver amalgam filling is mercury, and mercury in high levels has been shown to increase the risk of kidney neurologic damage. Now, the long awaited studies found no evidence that dental fillings containing mercury can cause IQ lowering brain damage or other neurologic problems in children. These amalgam fillings, also called silver fillings, are made of mercury and other metals. They have been used for over 100 years. They are not used more often anymore because of resin composite fillings, which are considered more appealing, and because they match the teeth. The studies were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. While the study revealed children with mercury fillings had higher mercury levels in their urine, there was no evidence they had a higher incidence of kidney damage. For more information, click onto http://www.mymedicalreports.com/.