Too long a visit to the beach can result in a severe sun burn…or worse. Summer health challenges include insect bites, long neglected muscles being challenged, new food allergies and travel ills. It’s best to avoid these issues but be ready if they occur. We prepared a Summer List so you have simple treatment remedies easily available.
· The American Academy of Dermatology suggests wearing sunscreens that advertise a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.
· A few recommendations include Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral, with SPF50+, and
Banana Boat Light as Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ NYTimes
· Best Bug Bite recommendations from Healthline
· Diarrhea medicine (Imodium or Pepto-Bismol) OTC
· Antacid also Pepto-Bismol…chewable are best.
· Pain and fever medicine (acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen)
· Don’t forget your prescription meds. Ask you Doctor for refills so you don’t run out.
Be aware and be prepared for unfamiliar foods. Common concerns include nut and shell food allergies. If you suffer from these allergies, be sure to have your prescription Epinephrine auto injector handy. And, if you are traveling, be sure to carry your meds in your carryon. Do not pack them in a checked bag.
If you’re traveling outside the USA, be sure to check for any travel restrictions leading up to and when you’re leaving. Virtually all Covid requirements have vanished, but travel restrictions can appear overnight. And a friendly warning, many countries require you have at least six months left on your passport before it expires…you might not be allowed entry if you don’t.
On a Healthy Note…
Eat Blueberries… and enhance brain function and memory, shorten reaction times, lower your blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. This is the result of a double-blind placebo-controlled trial organized by King’s College London. The researchers attribute these beneficial effects to blue pigments called anthocyanins
Trouble Sleeping…You’re not alone!
Insomnia can be caused by everyday stress, work schedule, late eating or something physical including a wide range of illnesses from minor infections, drug side effects, chronic pain or sleep apnea. Over stimulation before bedtime from simply watching TV or playing video games can also cause sleep issues and should end well before bedtime.
A common physical condition that is frequently overlooked is Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea is common, but often not diagnosed. It interrupts sleep because your upper airway becomes blocked multiple times during your sleep causing interruptions or complete stoppages of your airflow. Causes vary, but include obesity, enlarged tonsils or increased hormones are common causes of sleep apnea.
“Sleep apnea affects 20 percent of obese people, and men more than women. It increases sharply in women after menopause. It is often linked to heart disease and metabolic issues like diabetes”. Johns Hopkins Medicine
Diagnosis requires a sleep study and absent surgery, the frequent treatment is to wear a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) mask while you sleep. This will keep your airway open during sleep and enable a healthy night’s sleep. Most CPAP wearers agree that getting use to wearing a CPAP mask can be difficult, but once used to it, sleep is delightful, daytime energy returns and overall health improves.
Unfortunately, 85% of sleep apnea cases are not diagnosed…and 50% to 80% of individuals with Atrial Fibrillation cases have sleep apnea. Cleveland Clinic.
Sleep Apnea is easily diagnosed with a painless sleep test, the treatment is generally a CPAP mask. If you’re a Medicare patient, most tests, doctors’ visits and equipment have generous benefits.
A virulent and dreaded diagnosis is pancreatic cancer. It is usually viewed as a death sentence. Much research has been done, but we now have a potential path forward to a cure.
A group of scientists in Mainz, Germany tried a new approach. “Using genetic data, BioNTech scientists then produced personalized vaccines designed to teach each patient’s immune system to attack the tumors. Like BioNTech’s Covid shots, the cancer vaccines relied on messenger RNA. In this case the vaccines instructed patient’s’ cells to make some of the same proteins found on their excised tumors, potential provoking an immune response that would come in handily against actual cancer cells”. New York Times
The study was small, but the results were highly encouraging. Each patient needed a “personalized” vaccine which was given just nine weeks after they had a tumor removed. For patients who did not appear to respond to the vaccine, the cancer tended to return 13 months after surgery. Patients who did respond to the vaccine showed no signs of relapse during the roughly 18 months they were tracked.
The cost is very high, around $100,000, as each patient receives a “personalized” vaccine. Testing continues to improve the results and decrease the cost. In addition to BioNTech, both mRNA and Merck are working to develop “personal” vaccines to treat other cancers.
This personalized approach may be the long-sought answer to defeating this devastating disease.