Heath Briefs TV with Important Facts about the Measles

The measles virus is spreading rapidly from children who caught it at Disneyland. Children in five states and in Mexico are sick from the disease. And all of this could have been prevented. Health Briefs TV shares important facts about the measles and how to prevent it.

It is infectious. Ninety percent of people who are not vaccinated against the measles will get it from someone who is nearby. Babies are most vulnerable because they are too young for the vaccine.

It can kill people of any age who have not been vaccinated.  Complications from the measles such as pneumonia and encephalitis are two such complications that can take a life.

One dose of the vaccine is 95% effective in the prevention of measles.  Two doses is 99% effective. If it is possible that someone was near a person with measles who has not been vaccinated, get a vaccination now. It reduces the change of developing an infection and is certainly more effective then not getting one. Side effects from the measles-mumps-rubella or MMR vaccine are rare, and are not a valid reason to avoid the vaccine. It is the “scare factor” which prevents parents from getting their children vaccinated. Health Briefs TV asks: which is most important—the very minor possibility of the side effects of the MMR vaccine, or a child fighting for its life in the hospital after getting measles from someone who was sick with it? #measles #vaccination #vaccines #children

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Health Briefs TV on the Flu

The flu is widespread across America and there are many questions about it and the flu vaccine. Health Briefs finds and shares the answers.

Some people with the flu are contagious before they feel any symptoms. But for the most part, adults are considered contagious about 24 to 72 hours after contracting the virus and remain that way for up to five days after the onset of symptoms. Kids and people with compromised immune systems can be contagious to anyone around them for up to two weeks.

Flu symptoms are: headache, fever, chills, runny nose, muscle aches, sore throat, warm, flushed skin and watery eyes. The virus is spread when respiratory moisture droplets from an infected person are spread through sneezing, coughing, touching common surfaces and clothing.

Health Briefs suggests keeping a good supply of tissues in the home or classroom and making a visit with a healthcare professional if flu symptoms seem to be apparent. The flu vaccine is helpful in prevention of catching the virus, even though this year’s strain is not the same strain in the vaccine. Stay well.

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Health Briefs TV on How to Prevent Getting Colds and the Flu

Offices are not the best places to work during cold and flu season. Open work environments and even those with cubicles are the perfect places for cold and flu germs to spread. Health Briefs TV offers some suggestions about how to prevent getting colds and the flu this season.

Wash your hands. The lesson we learned in early childhood still holds true today: wash your hands after using the bathroom and before touching any part of the face. Use warm water, if available, and soap and vigorously rub hands together for 15 seconds. Use a paper towels to dry them.

Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing. Cubicle walls do not stop the germs flying through the air. Ask co-workers to do the same. Keep tissues on your desk also. 

Get a flu shot. It takes two weeks after the injection for immunity to build so now is the best time to visit the pharmacy.  The strain of the flu which is circulating now is particularly dangerous to seniors.

Reduce chronic stress, reduce the amount of sugar consumed, reduce salt intake and quit smoking. All of these will further boost the body’s immune system which fights of the viruses that attack it.

Health Briefs TV also recommends eating a diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals, whole grains, lean meat and fish. Get off the sofa at home and walk around the neighborhood. Clean outdoor air is good for us. Finally, lead a meaningful life. It doesn’t have to be grand. Find something that is important to you and embrace it. All of these also help build stronger bodies which can fight off colds and the flu every year.

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Health Briefs TV Dispels Common Myths about the Cold and Flu

The cold and flu season runs from October to February and generally peaks January. Roughly 20% of Americans can catch a virus which can cause severe health issues. Despite this, there are some common beliefs about the cold and flu which Health Briefs TV will try to dispel.

The flu shot does not make us sick with the flu. The vaccine is made with dead viral particles so it can’t infect us. The mist which kids use utilizes a crippled version of the virus which cannot make kids sick. It takes two weeks for our bodies for form antibodies to the vaccine to fully protect us.

Young and healthy people do not need the flu shot. While it is true that young, healthy people are less vulnerable than the very young and old, everyone should get the flu shot. At the very least, it prevents the receiver from passing the virus to others. And it prevents the transmission of the virus from infecting us.

Other myths that Health Briefs TV has heard about the flu which are not true:

The shot didn’t work if someone gets the flu. If this is the case, a variant strain of the flu that was not in the shot is at work. Antibiotics can cure the flu which is not true as antibiotics do not work on viruses. What other myths have our readers heard?

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Health Briefs TV Reminds Readers of the More Common Viruses

Please cover your mouth much better than this.

There are several viruses which are more worrisome than the Ebola virus. Health Briefs TV reminds readers of what they are and how to prevent catching one.

The Flu – Droplets from an ill person’s sneeze or cough can travel up to six feet away.  Please remember to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing around others.

Enterovirus – This is the virus that is mostly affecting young children. It can be passed by touching an infected person or surface. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer. Don’t touch the face anywhere.

Norovirus – This virus spread when an infected person touches a surface, food or water and other people tough or eat the same surface or food. Again, wash hands thoroughly before touching food or any common surface.

HIV – HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids and shared needles. To prevent transmission, don’t shares needles and wear condoms or other items to block transmission during sex.

Hepatitis – The virus is transmitted through sharing dirty needles. Don’t share needles and be sure any medical worker is using a clean, sterilized one on you, if needed.

RSV – RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It mostly affects very young children and the elderly. It is spread through coughing and sneezing.  Health Briefs TV urges readers to teach young children to cover noses and mouths when coughing and sneezing, and reminds seniors to do the same.

These six viruses are more contagious and easily spread than the Ebola virus.

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Health Briefs TV Shares News on Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Not cool at all.

The number of teens who smoke, drink, or use drugs has gone down significantly from 2002 to 2013, according to a new study. This is good news and Health Briefs reviews more information from this research.

Alcohol, binge drinking and tobacco use are also reduced for teens age 12 to 17 in the same time period. Illegal drug use is down also. Teens that have a substance dependence problem or abuse problems also went down. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also reports that in 2013, rates of illegal drug abuse fell among teens to just under nine percent. Alcohol abuse dropped to 11.6 percent from 13 percent in 2012. And binge drinking rates, one of the most dangerous forms of alcohol abuse, fell only one percent during the same time period. The Health Briefs TV show learns that the rate of preteens and teens that drove under the influence dropped three percent.

While these statistics are encouraging and positive, preteens and teens must learn from the adults in their lives that there is nothing cool about alcohol use or illegal substance abuse. Drinking and drunk driving are not normal teen activities and can lead to injury, death and jail time. Substance abuse ruins lives immediately.  Please help America’s preteens and teens get the help they need to kick an addiction before it kicks them.

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Health Briefs Looks at the Benefits Children get from Exercise

It is common knowledge that exercise is beneficial to everyone. It helps us feel better, builds stamina and energy and can boost creative thinking. Health Briefs takes a look at how exercise benefits kids too.

Recent studies have found the some brain power is given some extra power if children engage in exercise. It may not be long-lasting, say for several hours, but it does give them a little push. Sedentary kids tend to become overweight in time and their minds sluggish. This is also true for adults. Healthy kids tend to learn better than non-healthy kids. Children who are more active tend to have more energy for studying and test taking and are able to retain knowledge longer. Health Briefs believes that if parents are healthy and active, their kids will be healthy and active.  Try to urge children to take part in a team sport they like. This can be on a competitive basis or just for fun after school. Or take one day over the weekend as a family and take part in an active, fun activity such as a walk in the park or a friendly ball game in the front or backyard. Families that stay active together stay healthy, well and strong together.

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