Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters By Kansas Senior Press Service
With cold and flu season come time-honored traditions for relief and prevention. But the fact that those instructions have been around for decades doesn’t mean they’re effective. Here is some current advice from health experts on your best bets in fighting colds and the flu:
Don’t sneeze into your hands. Generations of parents and teachers have told children to cover their mouths and noses when they sneeze or cough. The rule still applies, but now we are being taught to aim into our elbows or sleeves. It’s hoped that sneezing into the elbow will prevent the further spread of germs, for children and adults alike.
Keep your hands clean. Keeping your hands clean is crucial to avoid getting sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, colds and flu are viral, not bacterial, so antibacterial soap doesn’t help fight the illnesses. These soaps can actually be harmful, because environmental bacteria could become resistant. Washing your hands successfully may take longer than you’re used to; the CDC recommends rubbing your hands for 20 seconds, about the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
One recent study found that American adults, especially men, don’t wash their hands enough after using the bathroom. Researchers for the American Society for Microbiology found that one-third of men didn’t bother to wash at all after using the bathroom, while 12 percent of women didn’t. No access to soap and water? Hand sanitizers also help kill germs. An added bonus: During winter, when you wash your hands frequently, the alcohol gels can be a lot gentler on your hands.
Don’t overload on vitamins once you’re sick. Scientific research on the effectiveness of herbal remedies and vitamin supplements has drawn conflicting conclusions. The therapeutic value of zinc lozenges has yet to be proven, but zinc nasal gel may have a positive effect. And, after previous studies had concluded that echinacea was not an effective cold remedy, new research has come along to muddy the waters. A study from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy found that the herb decreased the odds of developing a cold by 58 percent and reduced the duration by about a day and a half. Nevertheless, once your nose is already stuffed, taking vitamin supplements is probably a waste of money. And if you want to take a supplement to fight colds and flu before they start, don’t overdo it. Mega-doses of vitamins really have not been shown to help, and they can be harmful.
Take it easy on the treadmill. Contrary to rumors, you cannot sweat out a cold, experts say. In fact, too much sweating can dehydrate you at a time when you need extra fluids anyway. Still, you don’t need to eliminate all physical activity. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. You don’t have to stay in bed if you feel up to taking a walk or doing some moderate exercise.
Don’t overdo it with cold remedies. Phenylephrine is the ingredient in nasal decongestant, which some people take to clear up a stuffy nose. But the medication won’t cut short your bout with a cold or the flu. Taking it orally can cause jitteriness, rapid heartbeat, or sleeplessness. On the other hand, nasal sprays can dry up a runny nose and will probably cause fewer side effects—but don’t use them for more than three or four days.
Eat what feels good—hot or cold. Foods’ enticing smells make you want to eat them, so it’s no wonder you might lose your appetite when you have a cold and your nose is stuffy. The old standby, hot soup, can open up your nasal passages and therefore improve your appetite. But you can eat other things that feel good, too.
Don’t smoke. Research shows a higher incidence of flu cases in smokers compared with nonsmokers, and, worse, a higher mortality rate from the flu for smokers than nonsmokers. Smokers are predisposed to upper-respiratory infections. Their nasal passages and upper airways are somewhat inflamed just from the smoke, and smoking can delay healing once you’re sick.
Source: CNN online
By Kansas Senior Press Service
If you are having problems or concerns with your Medicare prescription drug plan, first call your plan provider’s toll-free customer service number, which appears on the back of your identification card. Your plan provider’s toll-free customer service number is also listed with information about the plans in the back of the Kansas version of Medicare & You 2008.
After you have talked with your plan provider, help is available if you are unable to resolve issues regarding your prescription drug plan. You may call Medicare 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-633-4227. You also may receive assistance from the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) program at the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) serving your locale. To find the AAA serving you call the Kansas Department on Aging at 1-800-432-3535 or locate it on the Web at www.agingkansas.org.
The next opportunity to enroll in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program or switch to a different plan (following ’08 sign-up period which concludes December 31, 2007) will be during the 2009 enrollment period slated for Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, 2008.
By Heather Duarte
Kansas Senior Press Service
Poinsettias have filled shops and homes around the country for the past month or so. Common for gift-giving and decorating, the colorful bracts (leaves that attract pollinators) are sure to put you in the Christmas spirit. But poinsettias should not be seen as merely a seasonal decoration. With proper care, they can be enjoyed year-round in your home or summer garden.
When your poinsettia is at home, keep it in a location that receives bright, indirect light for at least six hours a day. For proper care, wait for the soil to be dry to the touch between waterings, and resist fertilizing when the plant is blooming. Finally, avoid subjecting your poinsettia to temperature extremes. If you are comfortable, so is your poinsettia. Continue caring for your poinsettia, following these guidelines, until the end of the holiday season.
Like many of us, poinsettias need a rest after the holidays. During the winter, water and fertilize weekly. By March or April, cut the poinsettia back to six or eight inches to stimulate new growth. If you would like to keep your poinsettia in a container, early spring is a great time to repot it.
Good drainage is very important, so keep this in mind when choosing a new container. If you decide to keep the plant indoors, continue to care for the plant based on the above guidelines. (You may have to water more than once a week, but continue to wait for the plant to dry out between waterings.)
If you would like to plant your poinsettia outside, wait until the danger of frost has passed and night temperatures remain above 50 degrees. Choose a location with lots of indirect sunlight. Remember, as with any plant, it is important to water and fertilize the plant regularly for it to thrive. If you plan on bringing the plant indoors for next year’s holidays, it may be easier to keep it in a container instead of putting it in the ground. If you do decide to plant it in the ground, plan on transferring it to a container in September. (Poinsettias are sensitive to cold weather, frost, and rain, so outside placement during the winter should be avoided.)
Whether your poinsettia is in the garden or in a container, pruning is required to keep it small and full. This can be accomplished through a technique called “pinching.” A pinch removes about one inch of new growth from the plant. Pinch your poinsettia twice during the year. The first pinch should occur in early July, the second in mid to late August. Avoid pinching your plant any later than Sept. 1 if you plan on forcing it to bloom for the Christmas season. Bring your poinsettia indoors after this second pinch.
Bringing your plant into bloom for the Christmas season takes some extra work, but the results can be rewarding.
Poinsettias are short-day plants. This means they require long nights (a set number of hours of complete darkness) to bloom. To bring your poinsettia into bloom, place the plant in total darkness for 12 to 14 hours each night for about 10 weeks. Total darkness is key to your success. To do this, put the plant inside a closet or box. Remember to return your plant to a bright, indirect-sunlight location during the day.
Late September or early October is a good time to initiate this process so your plants will be in bloom for the holiday season. After the 10 weeks have passed, discontinue the night treatments and water regularly. The bracts should change into a colorful display for the holiday season.
Then you can grab a cup of eggnog, sit back, and enjoy the result of all this year’s hard work.
Happy New Year!
Heather Duarte is a horticulturalist with Ryan Lawn & Tree. Thanks to Duarte and The Kansas City Gardener for permission to use this article.By Richard W. Jennings
Kansas Senior Press Service
Even though his life expectancy was a fraction of Mr. Biddle’s, Mr. Biddle envied his little bow-legged dog.
He sleeps so easily and so much, Mr. Biddle observed.
To Mr. Biddle’s way of thinking, the ability to fall asleep without effort was related to the condition of one’s conscience. Mr. Biddle had lived a long life. Consequently, he had made a number of mistakes along the way. Some of these mistakes continued to worry him, and some of these worries kept Mr. Biddle awake at night, or—even worse—entered his dreams and woke him abruptly from his slumbers.
Many were the times that Mr. Biddle wished he could trade places with his little bow-legged dog. Indeed, if a genie were to emerge from a magic lamp and offer Mr. Biddle three wishes, the dog-swap would be the first. Mr. Biddle hadn’t made up his mind about the other two wishes, but he was absolutely certain about that one.
Dogs may worry, he admitted, being a conscientious dog owner, but never for very long.
Except for a daily walk around the pond with his little bow-legged dog, and an occasional brief excursion in his rusty blue car to fetch supplies, Mr. Biddle rarely left his house. Mostly, he just performed light housework, read books and watched cooking shows on TV. His was a very quiet life.
One day, while walking around the pond during a particularly dry spell, Mr. Biddle spied an object recently uncovered by the receding water. It appeared to be a metal cookie tin, half buried in the mud, red, round and rusting at the edges.
This in itself was not unusual. People frequently threw their trash into the pond. Indeed, throwing trash into bodies of water is a natural human tendency that goes back many thousands of years. Such thinking, in fact, is what gave rise to the modern flush toilet, an invention that Mr. Biddle prized as much as he did his electric garage door opener.
Curiosity was not among Mr. Biddle’s primary character flaws, but when his little bow-legged dog insisted on going to the water’s edge to investigate the shiny object, Mr. Biddle relented, dropping the leash and following dutifully a few steps behind.
When his little bow-legged dog began barking at the object, as if it were a squirrel or a Pomeranian or a rare musk turtle, Mr. Biddle reached over and pulled it free from the muck. The cookie tin made a soft, slurping, sucking sound when he did so, which indicated to Mr. Biddle that it had been in the pond for quite some time.
Meanwhile, his little bow-legged dog began to bark furiously.
“Shhh!” Mr. Biddle warned. “You don’t want us to get another letter from the homes association, do you?”
Mr. Biddle shook the container. It was not empty, but because it did not slosh, Mr. Biddle concluded that whatever was inside had managed to remain dry. Back on the circular asphalt walking path, he sat on a bench and, using both arthritic thumbs, pried the tin open.
Immediately, a genie popped out and took the seat beside him.
Mr. Biddle was so startled that he nearly fainted dead away. His little bow-legged dog stopped barking and stared in disbelief.
“Thanks,” the genie said. “I thought I’d never get out of there.”
Raised by mannerly parents, Mr. Biddle responded, “You’re quite welcome, I’m sure.”
“I owe you three,” the genie said. “That’s the system, and who am I to go around changing it?”
“I’m sure one’s enough,” Mr. Biddle replied. “Perhaps you’ll give the other two to those more needy.”
“If you insist,” the genie said. “It makes no difference to me.”
This was how it came to be that Mr. Biddle found himself on a leather leash being led to his townhouse by his little bow-legged dog, who, once inside, turned on the television to a cooking show and began preparing dinner in a skillet, using eggs, fresh basil and Italian sausage.
Later, as Mr. Biddle dozed peacefully on the rug, he half-listened as his little bow-legged dog made a series of telephone calls on Mr. Biddle’s cell phone to people whom Mr. Biddle had wronged in the past.
“I just want you to know how sorry I am,” his little bow-legged dog would say. “At the time, I was so focused on my own interests that I failed to take your feelings into consideration. I deeply regret my behavior. I ask for your understanding if not your forgiveness.”
These calls went on for some hours, during which Mr. Biddle drifted in and out of sleep, his stomach pleasantly filled with warm eggs and sausage.
One call, to a certain very pretty, but now somewhat elderly, woman, elicited this response:
“Do you mind if I call you back later? There’s a genie at my door.”
While Mr. Biddle slept soundly, Mr. Biddle’s little bow-legged dog sat on the sofa making telephone calls and reading an account of contemporary life in Tuscany. The dog could hardly put the book down, as it celebrated a routine dependent on bright sunshine, long naps and the freshest of food.
“Listen to this,” Mr. Biddle’s little bow-legged dog would say, quoting one long passage after another. “And this is while they’re picnicking at a hot waterfall near Saturnia.”
To Mr. Biddle, his little dog’s words were hypnotic, like waves crashing rhythmically on the shore, causing Mr. Biddle to sleep all the more soundly.
A week passed, during which Mr. Biddle ate and slept and enjoyed a short daily walk. Sometimes he sat on the sofa by the front window and barked at passing beagles or Labrador retrievers or young Mexican laborers. Once he tried to escape when the UPS man delivered a package from Lands’ End to his little bow-legged dog. But generally, Mr. Biddle’s was an uneventful, quiet, pleasant life.
Mr. Biddle was lying stomach-down on the carpet in the living room chewing a rawhide novelty shaped like a corkscrew when suddenly, without warning, everything changed. His little bow-legged dog dropped the cellular telephone to the floor and snatched the beef treat from Mr. Biddle’s mouth. At the same time, Mr. Biddle stood up and began to prepare ziti pasta in an aluminum pot filled with salted water and extra-virgin olive oil.
There had been no warning, but the spell was broken.
That night, after dinner, Mr. Biddle turned on the radio, and, within an hour or so, fell asleep with his little bow-legged dog in his arms. The two of them slept soundly for nearly twelve hours, during which time Mr. Biddle did not wake up to go to the bathroom, or to check his door locks or the burners on his stove or his garage door, or to worry about his personal behavior in the distant past.
Let it be, Mr. Biddle mused as he snoozed with his face pressed against the rounded, warm tummy of his little bow-legged dog. Sufficient to the day is the worry thereof.
© Richard W. Jennings. All rights reserved. Richard W. Jennings retired from the field of advertising to become a fiction writer. He lives in Overland Park.These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm