A toast to the top 10 tips offered by experts this year
Suburban Chicago News, Katie Foutz
Published December 2, 2008
Throughout the year, The Sun has reported ways to maintain a healthy mind and body, with advice from Naperville doctors, counselors, alternative medicine practitioners and patients themselves. Below are some of the best tips they had to offer in 2008. Tack this list to the bulletin board to have the healthiest new year ever.
1. Improve your online searches. The prescription for conducting Internet searches for quality health information: Start with a trusted Web site (such as
www.webmd.com or
www.healthfinder.gov), and discuss your findings with your doctor, said Dr. Ron Glas, a family practice physician with Edward Medical Group in Naperville. With all their years of medical school and professional experience, doctors have the expertise to help patients put online medical information in perspective, Glas said. (He ends up easing a lot of anxiety.)
2. Talk about your emotions. Sharing with a group of people going through the same thing makes you feel better - something children learned at Edward Health and Fitness' Camp Hope, a camp for kids with cancer in their family. Need a conversation starter? Create a drum circle, practice yoga, or do a craft project together to get your group in the groove.
3. Stay safe in the sun. The Environmental Working Group suggests avoiding sunscreens with oxybenzone or benzophenone-3 - chemicals that are absorbed into the skin - and instead looking for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which reflect and scatter sunlight. Newer zinc oxide products, including those from Blue Lizard and Olay, blend in better with the skin than the pasty white concoctions of the past.
4. Take a compliment. High school girls in our Girl Talk series shared how they address the pressure to be pretty. Courtney Anderson, then a senior at Neuqua Valley High School, said she and her friends boost their own moods by dressing up one day of the week, dubbed "Manhunt Monday." Her classmate Brittany Jadwin feels good when she's good at something - even pickle ball.
5. Get informed about vaccines. When a new outbreak of measles hit a handful of unvaccinated youngsters in DuPage County, Rashmi Chugh, medical officer of the DuPage County Health Department, renewed the push for vaccination. She pointed to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Immunization Action Coalition that says like any medicine, vaccines come with risks that can be serious, such as severe allergic reactions. But consider the complications from vaccine-preventable infections: paralysis from natural polio infection, mental retardation from natural Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection, liver failure from natural hepatitis B viral infection, deafness from natural mumps infection or pneumonia from natural chickenpox infection. Informed choice is your right: Illinois law requires vaccines for all children entering school, but parents can claim exemptions for medical or religious reasons.
6. Protect your lungs. Smog can irritate even a healthy person's lungs, said Brooke Emmerich, respiratory therapist and asthma coordinator at Edward Hospital in Naperville. For example, people who exercise breathe 10 percent to 20 percent more air than others, she said. So on days when air quality is bad, she recommends exercising indoors or at least away from major roadways.
7. Bug off. If DEET-based mosquito repellents irritate your skin or you're concerned about their safety, alternatives to DEET-based products include Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Expedition SPF 30. Many insect repellents, such as California Baby and Burt's Bees, also use the power of plant-based ingredients. Naturopath Tony Koufos, owner of All Natural Spa in Naperville, recommends dabbing on essential oils such as lemongrass, rosemary or citronella to keep bugs at bay.
8. Put your medical records into an electronic format. Your prescriptions, allergy alerts and medical history will be available anywhere if something happens to your paper copies. Do your homework first - about 20 online personal health records providers allow patients to sign up for free. Others charge $25 to $400 per year, depending on the number of family members enrolled and special services provided. Dr. Robert Millar, owner of Lakeside Family Practice in Naperville, cautioned that free PHR programs marketed directly to consumers come with a data-transfer fee if your doctor doesn't have a compatible program.
9. Fight hospital-acquired infections. Mary Anderson, infection control manager for Edward Hospital, said patients have a lot more power than they think when it comes to preventing disease. The simplest way? Hospital patients and visitors should keep their own hands clean. They also can ask their health care providers to wash their hands or wear gloves.
10. Enjoy the moment. Susan Behnke, co-owner of Universal Spirit Yoga in Naperville, believes that to stay positive in bleak economic times, you should hit "pause." Some people may have only 15 minutes, some an hour and a half - but "take time for you for a couple of asanas or to take a deep breath and enjoy that moment in the present," she said.
