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Prevent Getting Coronavirus

Prevent Getting Coronavirus

Mar 3, 2020 | Health, Safety, Travel

Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends…Help to Prevent Getting Coronavirus

March 3, 2020

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, the new strain of coronavirus is in all the news.  Any advice on how to prevent getting this illness, for which there currently is no vaccine?

A:  As of last Sunday, newscasters reported that there are over 80,000 cases of COVID-19 in 60 different countries around the world, and nearly 3,000 people have died from it.

Last night’s update reported that there were only 91 known cases in the USA, ranging from no symptoms to mild symptoms, to severe illness requiring hospitalization. Six death had been reported between California and Washington State.  Travel restrictions have been implemented to try to prevent further spread of contagion.  Countries with far more cases of the Coronavirus, like Italy, have advised anyone over age 65 to avoid being in crowds, since older people – especially those with other health issues – have been hardest hit.

National and local health officials have offered the same preventative advice that they do for the more common flu:

  • WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY – Use soap and water for Pic of person washing their hands with soap and water20 seconds – that’s about how long it takes  to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” TWICE – or take along hand sanitizer if you will not have easy access to water.
  • COUGH OR SNEEZE CAREFULLY into your elbow (or into a tissue that you dispose of immediately, and then wash your hands…again).
  • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE, nose, or eyes with unwashed hands.  And shaking hands may be a thing of the past, at least for now.
  • KEEP YOUR DISTANCE – Since transmission between people is most often by sneezing or coughing, which can spray 3-6 feet, try to keep 6 feet away from others when possible.  Some American corporations have begun canceling conferences.  Some people are choosing to avoid non-essential air travel.

  • IF YOU ARE ILL, STAY HOME (PLEASE!) – Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing.  For the sake of yourself and others, if you begin feeling ill, stay at home until at least 24 hours after the fever has ended.  Testing gradually is becoming more widely available; your doctor can decide if you should be tested.  Call ahead before visiting a medical facility to describe your symptoms, in case you need to be isolated from other patients.

Most of these suggestions are good practices even in times with no threat of a pandemic.  Health officials say that they are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

 

EAT RIGHT,  MOVE MORE,  AND STAY WELL

Stay healthy while flying this summer

Jul 17, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Travel, Wellness

ASK MR. PEDOMETER & FRIENDS…

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, we will be on a very long flight to our summer vacation destination.  How can we avoid germs while flying?

A: I was surprised at the answer provided by Consumer Reports On Health: “Most illnesses contracted on a plane are picked up from surfaces, not through the air,” according to Mark Gendreau, M.D., a researcher who studies infection risk during air travel.  He offers the following tips:

  • “USE HAND SANITIZER (one with at least 60% alcohol) before and after touching seatback trays and seatbelt buckles, where the bugs are plentiful.”
  • “IF YOU SIT NEAR A PASSENGER WHO’S COUGHING OR SNEEZING, adjust the air vent above your seat so that the air flows away from your face.”
  • “AND STAY HYDRATED: Dry cabin air can dehydrate protective membranes in your nose and mouth, leaving you more susceptible to infection.”

I hope those suggestions can help you arrive at your distant destination feeling healthy and ready to enjoy your vacation…once you adjust to the time change

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Is it true that extended flights can be a health hazard?  

Feb 20, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Travel

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, I am planning a vacation that will include very long airplane flights.  Is it true that extended flights can be a health hazard?

A:  Yes, but that also is true of extended time spent sitting in a car or on a train or bus…or even at home.  A recent newspaper article entitled “Clot Work,” by Ilene Raymond Rush, calls attention to venous thromboembolism (VTE), the medical terminology for formation of blood clots inside blood vessels or veins where they should not form.

The main cause of VTE is immobility. Ironically two-thirds of the cases result from hospitalization, or just after hospitalization.  That is why doctors now prescribe low doses of blood thinners to prevent blood clots.  Being immobile, for whatever reason, causes blood to pool in the veins, can lead to blood clots, particularly in the legs.  Other causes can be damage to a vein or blood vessel due to injury or surgery or problems with proteins in the blood that balance bleeding and clotting.

This is a serious problem:  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 900,000 Americans per year are   VTE, and 100,000 Americans die each year from this condition!

The article concludes by saying, “To combat clots, experts suggest moving around every two or three hours if you’ve been sitting in a car, plane or train; maintaining a healthy weight; and quitting or avoiding smoking.”

Mr. Pedometer knows from experience that moving around during a long flight may not be easy – especially if your airplane seat is in the middle of a row – but it is well worth the effort, to avoid potential blood clots.

And if you are more of an armchair traveler, preferring to stay at home, don’t forget to get up and move around at least once an hour.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Shifting Time Zones

Nov 1, 2017 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Travel, Wellness

Q: Mr. Pedometer, you frequently mention your business travels, which likely take you to different time zones. How do you adjust? I am dreading the November switch from Daylight Savings Time! It seems to take me longer each year to adjust to the one-hour time change. Any suggestions?

A: It is a challenge, to be sure! Ignoring the change from Daylight Savings Time is not an option, but it’s equal to one time zone change. Start NOW with the new time zone breakfast, caffeine, and exercise. Your body will adapt in a day or so.
If one MUST adapt to a new environment at once, when traveling, there are really only two solutions:

1. Start adopting the designated time zone before the trip, in your own time zone; and

2. Kickstart your destination metabolism with breakfast, coffee, and exercise at your destination’s breakfast time.

However, if one does not have to adapt, because the stay is short (fewer days than time zone crossings), do not try to adjust, but do critical thinking and actions as though in your home time zone.

Better Homes & Gardens magazine recently gave other suggestions for ways to stay “energized and upbeat”:

“The shift from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time can throw off your body’s internal clock,” says M. Safwan Badr, MD, a sleep specialist at Wayne State University. “You may have trouble falling asleep at night or feel groggy in the morning.” He notes that less daylight can impact your body’s mood-regulating hormones. Try the following tips:

1. THE RIGHT MOVES — “Walk outside for 20 minutes in the morning. Exposure to sunlight helps turn off your body’s production of sleep-producing melatonin. If you’re still fuzzy-minded, take a walk around noon, when the sunlight is intense.”

2. THE RIGHT BITES – “…Whole foods give you the largest energy and mood boost. One star is fatty fish: Salmon and tuna are high in omega-3s, which raises serotonin levels, a chemical that helps regulate mood. Vitamin D may also lift moods. (Aim for 600 IU/day; milk and salmon are good sources.)

?  And don’t forget chocolate (as if!); it, too, boosts serotonin.

?  ….If caffeine is your go-to; small doses of coffee or tea throughout the day are more effective than two Grandes at breakfast.

?  To nod off faster, try a small bowl of whole-grain cereal and milk; the carb-protein combo helps your body make the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan.”

3. THE RIGHT LIGHT – “If you feel unusually down when daylight is scarce, you may be one of the 10-20 percent of Americans with some form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mild to moderate depression that starts in autumn and eases in spring. A treatment involving sitting in front of a special light box for about 30 minutes each morning can work as well as therapy and medication. Look for a light that has 10,000 lux, emits as little UV as possible, and treats SAD (some are for issues like skin conditions).”

Mr. Pedometer advises starting tonight to move toward Standard Time. Otherwise, on Sunday, November 5, it may seem “too early” to go to bed at your regular time, but doing so will help you get up and get going on time Monday morning!