Care Smart.  Care Strong.

Medical research shows caregivers are at increased risk for a variety of serious medical conditions, yet caregivers are know for putting their own health on the back burner.  Don't become a patient! Arm yourself with important health information.

The Link Between Caring For and Becoming a Heart Patient

Are you caring for a loved one with a serious heart problem?

A report presented at an American Heart Association conference showed that family caregivers who provide all or moset of the patients care are at higher risk for heart problems, themselves.

Also, those caregivers who experienced caregiver strain after six months were more likely to become depressed. There's increasing research that supports the idea that stress and depression are big contributors to the development of heart disease.

In a related study, researchers found that teaching family caregivers about their increased risks for cardiac problems, and showing them heart-healthy meal ideas led to the caregivers improving their eating habits within six weeks.

These findings have doctors thinking. As one who conducted the study said, "It's important that we develop more systematic approaches to identifying caregivers, educating them and providing them with the proper support systems. If a caregiver dies of a heart attack, it's not going to help the cardiac patient."

Important Heart Stats

According to the American Heart Association:

• More than 41 million women in America are living with one more more types of cardiovascular disease.
• Only one out of five women think of heart disease as their greatest health threat.
• Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S.
• Heart disease takes the life of a woman at a rate of about one per minute.
• One in thirty women die of breast cancer. One in three die from heart disease.
• In Pennsylvania, 60% of women in Pittsburgh are overweight, 20% smoke, and 61% don't get enough exercise:  all factors shown to increase risk of heart disease.

Do you know the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack? 

Read more from the American Heart Association.  If you experience any of the signs or symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately!  Minutes save lives!

What are Common Flu Symptoms?

Flu symptoms usually come on strong with that "wow, I feel like I've been hit by a bus!" feeling. Common symptoms include:

• headache
• high fever
• fatigue
• body aches
• sore throat
• cough
• nasal congestion
• diarrhea and/or vomiting (more common in children)

These symptoms can also be related to other illnesses (including a plain old cold). If you're not sure what it is, and you're not getting better, make sure to get yourself checked.

What Can I Do to Keep the Flu Away?

1. Stop Smoking. It damages your respiratory tract and can lower your resistance to infection.

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner to kill or rinse-off viruses you may have picked up by touching contaminated doorknobs, phone receivers, remotes, and shopping cart handles, for example.

3. Try to avoid crowds, and steer clear of people who are coughing or sneezing. The virus is easily passed in the air.

4. Keep your resistance up by eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and getting six-eight hours of sleep.

5. Consider getting a flu shot. If you have any concerns about potential risks, discuss them with your healthcare provider so that you can make an informed decision.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Diabetes

featured with permission from the Joslin Center Library on Managing Your Diabetes

1. About one third of all people with diabetes do not know they have the disease.

2. Type 2 diabetes often does not have any symptoms.

3. Only about ten percent of all people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

4. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented with moderate weight loss (10-15 pounds) and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) each day.

5. The meal plan for a patient with diabetes isn't very different than what is recommended for healthy people.

6. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.

7. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease than someone without diabetes.

8. Good control of diabetes significantly reduces the risk of developing complications and prevents complications from getting worse.

9. Bariatric surgery can reduce the symptoms of diabetes in obese people.

10. The indirect national cost of diabetes in 2007 was 174 billion dollars.

Diabetes Issues

Get important diabetes information from the Joslin Center

• Have you or someone you love recently been diagnosed with diabetes? Get the information you need in the Beginner's Guide to Diabetes

• Guidelines to help you make sense of Diabetes Type 1

• Type 2 Diabetes: Know Your Risk Factors. About 75-million people in the U.S. either have Type 2 Diabetes or are on their way to developing it. Are you at risk?

• 4 Myths About Diabetes: Busted!

• Plan ahead to be able to relax and enjoy special occasions with diabetes.

• Learn the language of diabetes. Get definitions to the terms you need in Diabetes A to Z

We all hear a lot about the importance of drinking water.  Problem is, not enough of us do it on a recular basis. One other big health benefit to drinking plenty of water is a boost to your immunity system.  Filling up with water feeds every cell in our bodies and allows all of the organs and systems in our bodies to function at peak performace.  When we don't drink enough water, we get body aches and pains, we feel sluggish, and we get headaches.  Those are very common signs of mild dehydration.  Instead of reaching for a pain pill, reach for a glass of water.

How much to drink?  One good guideline is to try for half your body weight in ounces of water. So for example if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces (9-10, 8-ounce glasses) of water a day.

If you have a problem with the taste (or lack of) with water, try chilling it and adding orange, lemon, lime, grapfruit, or cucumber slices for a little flavor.  (this is how many fancy spas serve water to their guests).