Health Briefs TV Relay the Best Remedies for the Common Cold

There is no cure for the common cold but there are some remedies that make it more tolerable than others, which Health Briefs TV relays.

When we feel like we’re catching a cold, we want whatever we can to shorten it and make it less miserable. Fortunately, there are some good remedies for that.

Honey is not only affordable, but comes in different varieties and tastes. Organic, locally produced honey is best, but a little more expensive than the average store bought variety. There are clover based honeys, orange flower based honeys and several others. Honey soothes sore throats when drizzled in hot tea or warm lemon water. It alleviates a cough too. Try the darker colored honeys for best taste.

Zinc is also been proven to make colds better. Taken in small dozes (such as a lozenge) throughout the first few days of a cold, is can shorten the illness. Zinc taken over the course over five months has shown to prevent some people from catching a cold. We remind readers that zinc taken in high doses is toxic.

Hot drinks such as hot tea, warm salted water and warm lemon water are also good for a cold. The heat provides relief from runny noses, coughs, sore throats, chilliness and tiredness. The Health Briefs TV show also recommends hot chicken soup to warm chilled bodies and nourish bodies depleted of nutrients.

What doesn’t seem to work: researchers found no real benefits from taking elevated Vitamin C products, using the herb echinacea, or eating a chili pepper in any way shape or form.

What do you do when a cold is coming on?

 

Add some honey to tea to soothe sore or scratchy throats

Health Briefs TV Reports on Improving Health in the US

Americans are making improvements to their health, as a recent report from a major US health insurance company finds in a recent survey. Health Briefs TV reviews how the United States is becoming a healthier nation.  

As a country, the US rate of smokers decreased five percent in adults, and has gone down 29.5% since 1990.

Immunizations are increasing among children 19 to 25 months, when vaccines are most needed. The current rate of vaccinated children is at 71.6%, despite those who decline to immunize their children against disease.

Preventable hospitalizations have decreased, which means that more people are taking better care of themselves overall. The rate dropped eight percent overall.

Infant mortality rates also dropped. Since 1990, the rate has been reduced 41%. The US is a developed country with decent healthcare, yet, there was no change in this percentage from last year.

Cardiovascular deaths are also down. This indicates people are more aware of what they need to do to prevent them and are taking active steps to better health and a longer life.

Health Briefs TV notes that the US needs to work harder on reducing obesity, helping families get out of poverty, and prevent premature death from a variety of causes.

Overall, US citizens are more aware of living healthier lives and making lifestyle changes to feel better and live longer. Learn more here. 

Health Briefs TV on What Your Cough Means

Sometimes, it seems that a cough is just a cough. But there are different types of coughs which Health Briefs TV shares with readers.

Asthma can cause coughing when airways become inflamed. It is a dryer cough which ends with a rattle or wheeze. It can get worse at night. If this sounds familiar, go visit the doctor who can order a lung function test. Over the counter meds and longer-lasting medications are usually prescribed for relief.

Allergies can cause post nasal drip which can produce an either wet or dry cough. Mucus drips down the throat tickling nerve endings which cause coughing. Coughing is worse at night. Itchy eyes and sneezing also are also symptoms of allergies.

Gastroesophagal reflux disease or GERD is the second most common cause of chronic coughing. It is a dry, spasmodic cough and one which occurs when gastric acid backs up in the esophagus. It is most common as soon as you lie down in bed at night or after eating.  

COPD is another kind of chronic cough. It is mostly caused by chronic bronchitis or emphysema from smoking. The Health Briefs TV show notes that is produces a wet, mucus cough and occurs mostly in the morning.

If you have one of these types of chronic coughs, visit the doctor to see if there is anything which can help lessen it.

Health Briefs TV Examines How to Choose the Best Hospital

Hospitals are graded on several categories and by several different organizations. Health Briefs TV reviews how to find the best one.

The hospitals people choose has much to do about where their surgeon or specialist practices than the grades they get. If the best doctor for the medical need is affiliated with a specific medical center then that is where one will usually go. There have been more than 100 mergers and acquisitions in the medical care field since 2012. How does this affect the rating the hospital gets?

Basically, the patient or someone in their family might want to ask others they know about the facility and its services. Patients can ask the doctor if there is any other medical center they are affiliated with since some medical professionals are affiliated with more than one. One can also go online and search for reviews for the hospital. Often, this is best place for the most honest information about rooms, nursing care, food and services for the medical facility someone is about be admitted to. The Health Briefs TV show also knows that there are a few organizations which grade hospitals. But until they all agree on a standardized format, the inquiring patient may find different scores.  Patients with questions about specific health care institutions should address to them their medical care professionals. 

Health Briefs TV Examines Reusable Medical Equipment Guidelines

Reusable medical devices called duodenoscopes are the culprits in the recent rash of hospital patients diagnosed with medical experts call the “Superbug”. Health Briefs TV examines what they are and reviews guidelines for their usage.

Duodenoscopes are the flexible tubes fitted with tiny lights and advanced cameras used to diagnose or treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Roughly 500,000 procedures a year in the United States alone take place using this piece of medical equipment.  The scopes are inserted down a patient’s throat so the physician can get perfect view.  When done, the scopes are put in a device which sterilizes them.  This is the health industry standard for ensuring reusable medical equipment is clean and sterile.

There have been several cases from hospitals in the country which reported that the standard way to sterilize equipment is not doing the job. Medical professionals have suggested, and some are using alternative methods of ensuring equipment is safe to reuse. These methods utilize ethylene-oxide sterilization and swabbing the equipment after each use to collect any pathogens left on them. They expensive ways to clean the equipment, but have reduced the number of patients infected with pathogens and bacteria from “almost clean” devices.

The Health Briefs TV show notes that patient health and safety should come before expense. When patients become very ill after reusable medical equipment is employed again, the cost of treating one patient can be quite hefty.  Prevention is always the best way to work and more so in a health care setting.

Health Briefs TV on Which Care Facility to Use

Where does a worried parent take a child with a sports-related injury? Where do adults go when they have a fever, body aches and congestion? Who can stitch a wound received when slicing tomatoes?  Health Briefs TV answers these questions.

Worried parents should take a child with a sports injury to the ER.  The emergency room is the best place to get CT scans, X-rays and immediate care if a child is knocked unconscious.

Adults with a fewer below 103 who feel they have the flu might want to go to a retail medical clinic such as the kind found in drug and discount stores.

A finger wound from slicing tomatoes which is not too terribly deep can be taken to an urgent care center where it can be butterfly stitched or stitched by a doctor. One can usually get in and out in about an hour.

Health Briefs TV also notes that urgent care centers are well-placed around the country where people live. They can perform a wide variety of services for less money and time than the hospital emergency room. However, if a fever spikes at 103 and up, or chest pain is felt, it is best to visit the ER. The operative word is “emergency”.  Don’t take chances with your life or anyone else’s.

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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 Explores Ways to Pay a Medical Bill

Medical bills can be very high and very hard to pay.  But there are innovative ways to pay them when money is tight. 

Health Briefs has found some good suggestions to help readers manage hefty bills for medical procedures.

Keep in mind that these kinds of bills are negotiable. While it may not be reasonable to think that almost half the bill can be dickered away, one can get some of the charges removed.

It is reported that almost half of all medical bills have errors. The more extensive the treatment or procedure, the more likely there will be mistakes on the bill. Take time to review each line item. If there is charge for something suspicious, highlight it and call the doctor’s billing manager about it.

Go online and look up the cost of a medical procedure to be sure that an overcharge was not made. If the line item on the bill is more than what is found online, mark down the difference to discuss with the billing manager.

Health Briefs TV suggests reviewing the explanation of benefits from the health insurance company and comparing it to the bill. Call and ask the medical professional’s billing person for an appointment to go over all the charges. Be prepared before going in with the above items in hand. Keep in mind that persistence can pay off. Keep at it respectfully and perhaps the bill will be reduced.

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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 Break the Nicotine Habit One Day at a Time

Some smokers we know have said quitting smoking is the easiest thing they ever have done – because they have done it so many times. Now that the New Year has begun, there may be readers who committed to break the nicotine habit once and for all. Health Briefs TV applauds you and shares some suggestions which might help make the commitment stick.

Whichever way you choose to quit, announce it to everyone you know. Post is on social media.  The more support you have behind you, the more successful you will be.

Replace the bad habit with a good healthier one. If the urge to light up strikes right after dinner, take a pleasant walk outside with a family member, spouse, and even the family dog.

Get rid of everything in the home that reminds you of smoking. This means all ashtrays, lighters and hidden cigarettes. Health Briefs suggests throwing them all in the trash and then throw that bag in the Dumpster. Out of sight out of mind.

If stopping at a favorite gas station or convenience store, just say no when the clerk automatically hands you a pack of your regular brand. The power of saying “no thanks I quit” will make you feel like you can quit for good.

If stress is trigger, if social drinking is a trigger or if there are any other triggers, find a placement for them. Take a 10 minute break from work and go outside and walk. Order a different drink at the bar and sit where no smoking is allowed.

Check out the timeline below to see how not smoking approves overall health:

• After 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
• After 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• After two weeks to three months: your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
• After 1 to 9 months: coughing and shortness of breath decreases and lung functions improve.
• After on year: chances of heart-related illnesses are cut in half.

Quitting smoking is not easy. Get support from everyone you know. Take it one day at a time. After three months, the habit itself is broken.

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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 and the Ten Most Healthy States in the U.S.

The Healthiest State in the U.S.

Where we live plays a large part in how healthy we are. Health Briefs TV takes a look at the ten healthiest U.S. states, as rated by United Healthcare Foundation, and how they made it to the top of the chart.

Nebraska has a low rate of drug deaths, a high rate of high school grads, a good rate of child immunizations. Although it is 10^th on the list, the western state has a high rate of binge drinking and large gap in health status by education level.

North Dakota is ninth on the list due to its low rate of drug-related deaths, high immunization rate for teens and lower rate of low birth weight.

Colorado is one of those states with an abundance of outdoor activities which is why it is in eighth place. The state has lower numbers of obesity and diabetes and the lowest in the country.

New Hampshire has a high rate of active residents, a low rate of infectious diseases, and low infant mortality rates, which is why it is seventh on the list.

Minnesota may be a terribly close place in the winter but it came in sixth place for the lowest obesity and diabetes rates in the nation, as well as having a low rate of drug deaths.

Utah is fifth. This state has a low number of people who smoke, 2^nd lowest diabetes rates in the country, and a low percentage of children in poverty.

Connecticut is fourth because the state has a low prevalence of smoking,  a high immunization rate among children, and a low occupational fatalities rate.

Massachusetts is third as it most noted by researchers of having more residents with health insurance than other states. 

Vermont is one of the healthiest states in the U.S. High school graduations are up, children living in poverty is down, violent crimes and binge drinking rates are also down.

Hawaii is the healthiest state in the U.S. Obesity, cancer and preventable hospitalization rates are all down. The percentage of smokers hs gone down by 21% in the last year. Health Briefs TV applauds each of these states for their great work in helping residents achieve overall health and wellness.

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Health Briefs TV with an Update for Flu Season

Last year’s flu epidemic left many people seriously ill for longer than necessary. This year, a new strand of the flu virus is active. Health Briefs TV reminds readers how to lower the chance of catching the flu virus and what to do if one thinks they have it.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control report that only 48% of the flu virus samples taken through last month were related to this year’s North American vaccine. While this may be a little alarming, it is imperative to note that this year’s flu shot still provides some level of protection. It covers several strains of the virus, including H1N1 and several strains of influenza B, which is strong match with current viruses. The Health Briefs TV show encourages readers to get the flu shot.

The medical community provides treatments for people who develop flu symptoms that can reduce the severity of the illness and shorten the length of time one is sick at home. Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) lower the flu virus’ ability to reproduce and they are effective on almost all strains of the flu. If symptoms are apparent, visit the doctor for advice and prescribed medications. Have a healthier year.

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