Fall bustles with the start of school and the continual grind at work. It's easy to skimp on your rest. We’ve got five reasons for you to make sleep a priority, and five health issues that could be ruining your rest.

1. Plenty of R&R (rest and relaxation) can boost your mood, focus and energy. Conversely, people with poor sleep habits experience higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety.

2. Want your kids to get A’s and B’s? Make sure they catch their Z’s. Well-rested equals alert in the classroom, and a regular sleep routine may boost math and literacy scores. Some schools are even starting later in an effort to help kids improve learning.

3. Reap the benefits of beauty sleep. When the body is sleep-deprived it produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can cause weight gain and oily skin.

4. Getting your eight hours in could cut your risk for chest pain, heart attack and stroke. A recent study by West Virginia University indicates that people who sleep five hours daily are more than twice as likely to experience these problems.

5. Rest is a responsibility, and apparently so is justice. In a study that appears in SLEEP, Swedish naval officers were more likely to act morally and make moral judgments when fully rested.

Maybe you want to get your shut-eye but can’t quite get your eyes to shut? Sleeplessness plagues 60 million Americans. These are just a few health problems that could be keeping you up at night:

1. Your thyroid helps regulate your sleep patterns. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can cause difficulty sleeping, fatigue and irritability.

2. Believe it or not, menstruation can affect your sleep patterns. Two in three women experience menstrual insomnia—disturbed sleep due to tossing and turning and general menstrual discomfort.

3. Maybe you do sleep, but continue to experience tiredness regardless of how much sleep you get? If you snore, have a dry throat on waking or regularly become irritable, you may want to talk to your doctor. This could be a symptom of sleep apnea.

4. Your sweetie slumbers soundly while you lay awake at night, so you decide to wake him up. Sound familiar? Ladies, you may have a case of sleep envy. You’re not alone, either. Up to 40 percent of women envy the ease with which their darlings doze. Jealous much?

5. Some people toss and turn through the night before finding sleep. If this is caused by painful or irritating tingling or tugging in your lower limbs, you may have a condition known as restless leg syndrome (RLS).

Want to keep up with the latest sleep science? Visit the National Sleep Foundation site or check out the journal SLEEP.

Proper medication disposal can keep you and those around you safe. That's why it's important to keep track of expired medicines and to dispose of them properly.

Proper drug disposal can help protect against reactions from expired medications, accidental ingestion (i.e., by children), and potential prescription drug abuse by others. It can also protect the environment by ensuring cleaner water sources. We've compiled a list of tips to help you practice drug safety:

• Color-code drug packages/bottles with different-colored stickers according to expiration date (i.e., by season or month). Writing a larger, more visible expiration date on the package with a permanent marker may also help.
• Don’t flush expired drugs down the toilet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has specific guidelines on what can and cannot be flushed. Flushing drugs can cause pollution to human water supplies and danger to natural aquatic habitats.
• The Office of National Drug Control Policy suggests crushing pills, if possible, and mixing them with sand, coffee grounds, gravel, etc., before returning them to the bottle and throwing away. This ensures that no one will try to use the substance. Always make sure labels with personal information have been removed. Then, simply throw the container in the trash.
• Some communities have drug take-back programs. These programs are organized specifically to safely dispose of prescription drugs and other potentially dangerous household wastes. Talk with your pharmacist about other options to properly dispose of over-the-counter and prescription medications if your community does not offer a drug return program.           

For more on proper medication disposal, visit the FDA’s site for the Department of Health&Human Services.

Going barefoot is one of summer’s joys, but it also puts your feet at risk for infection, irritation, and cosmetic damage. Exercise caution whenever you head off for the beach, the pool, or even the backyard this season. These ten tips will help you protect your feet from harm in the following months:


1)    Always apply 40 SPF or higher sunscreen to your feet before going outdoors. Your feet can get sunburned, just like the rest of your body. Severe burns can cause blistering and peeling, which can eventually lead to infection.

2)    After a day spend around the water, be sure to dry your feet thoroughly, especially between your toes. Dark moist areas are breeding grounds for fungus and bacteria.

3)    Trim toenails straight across the toe to help diminish your risk for ingrown toenails. Even if long nails look nice when perfectly polished, short nails are far less of a risk.

4)    Choose socks made from synthetic fibers instead of cotton. Synthetic materials wick moisture away from the foot, while cotton and wool absorb dampness. Dry socks can help prevent blisters and foot infections.

5)    If you wear close-toed shoes during the summer, be sure that they fit well, breathe, and expand easily. Choose shoes with wider toe boxes and leather or synthetic outers that wick away moisture and move with your feet.

6)    Wear hard-soled shoes or sandals when on the beach, pool deck, or while in the backyard. Shards of glass and other sharp objects can be difficult to spot in sand, on cement, or in grass.

7)    Wear water shoes or flip flops while showering in locker rooms and public restrooms. Locker room floors are notorious for harboring fungi that cause ringworm and athletes foot, and viruses that cause warts.

8)    Exercise caution when wading in the ocean. Shells, crabs, jellyfish, stingrays, and other bottom-dwelling marine life can cause damage to unprotected feet. Water shoes can offer extra protection.

9)    Keep an eye on your feet. Contact a podiatrist if your skin’s texture or color abnormally changes, or if you notice any variances in your in nail texture, color, or thickness. These symptoms can be signs of infection.

10)    If you suspect you have injured your foot or contracted an infection, seek attention from a medical specialist. If a treatment plan is prescribed, follow the doctor’s orders and finish the medication or exercise therapy. Uncompleted medication regimens and physical therapy courses can stifle recovery.


Want to dish out your own summer foot safety advice? Visit the Healia Foot Injuries and Disorders Online Health Community and Support Group.

Reported cases of swine flu in the United States are continuing to climb since last week. On Monday, the World Health Organization reported that 40 cases of swine flu have now been confirmed in the United States.  However, there are breaking reports that there have been 28 cases of swine flu among high school students in a New York City school. Many more cases are likely.

Swine flu is mainly spread from person to person when the virus is carried in droplets from coughing or sneezing of infected people. You can also become exposed by touching contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs, and then touching your mouth or nose. In the past, most cases of swine flu in people were those who were in close contact with pigs. The swine flu virus may be shed by infected people beginning 1 day before symptoms and up to 7 or more days after symptoms start. 

Typical symptoms of swine flu are similar to the regular flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some infected people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting with the new swine flu.

The regular seasonal flu vaccine does not cover the new swine flu virus, but there are ways to reduce your risk of getting swine flu. Here are 7 tips for preventing the swine flu from affecting you:

• Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds. Try to do this after you cough or sneeze or touch surfaces in public places. If soap is not available, carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you cough or sneeze. And immediately dispose of the tissue after use.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth as the flu virus can enter your body that way.
• Avoid close contact with sick people and avoid places with large numbers of sick people such as hospitals.
• If you have flu symptoms, call your doctor to see if you should receive one f the recommended prescription drugs. The swine flu virus is susceptible to the prescription flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza.
• If you think you may have the flu, stay home from work or school and avoid close contact with family members and others.
• Avoid direct contact with pigs. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products.

Share your tips about how to stay away from the swine flu or ask a question about swine flu on Healia Communities.


_{Photo: Mussels, Flickr, Creative Commons}

A Presidential proclamation has designated April as National Cancer Control Month and the public is urged to adopt healthy habits to reduce the risk of cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that 1,437,180 new cases of cancer will occur and 565,650 people will die of cancer in the United States in 2008.

The good news is that there has been significant progress in America’s battle with cancer in the last decade. In NCI’s latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, published in November 2008, overall cancer incidence rates decreased 0.8 percent per year from 1999 through 2005. And death rates for all cancers dropped among all racial and ethnic groups and in men and women, except for American Indian/Alaska Native people. Cancer death rates declined for 10 of the top 15 types of cancer. The NCI report also noted that the overall decrease in cancer incidence and death rates was mainly a result of declines in lung, colon/rectum, and prostate cancers among men, decreases of breast cancer and colon/rectum cancers among women, and a leveling off of lung cancer deaths among women.

As part of their cancer awareness efforts, the NCI has provided four personal recommendations for cancer prevention and control:

Quit smoking
If you smoke, quitting smoking is probably the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of cancer and other serious diseases.  Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Smoking also increases the risk of many other types of cancer, such as cancer of the throat, mouth, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix.

Talk with your doctor about cancer screening
Regular screening for cancer reduces the risk of developing certain cancers and helps detect cancer in its early and most treatable stages. Ask your doctor or other healthcare professional about what cancer screening tests are appropriate for your gender, age, and personal profile. Studies have shown that most Americans know about common screening tests for cancer such as mammograms, Pap smears, and colonoscopies, but few know when they should be conducted.

Improve your diet
Eating a well-balanced healthy diet may reduce your risk of developing cancer and other serious illnesses. A healthy diet includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. But a healthy diet also avoids foods that are low in overall nutrients (such as candy and soda pop) and limits the intake of Trans and saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, and may also limits intake of foods with a high glycemic index.

Increase physical activity
Regular physical activity can help reduce your risk of colon, breast, and other cancers. Studies have also shown a link between regular physical activity and reduced risk of prostate, lung, and endometrial cancer. Regular physical activity can also improve your health by helping with weight control; promoting emotional well-being; and reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

To support National Cancer Control Month, Healia has recently made several cancer information resources from NCI available, including cancer information summaries, and directories of cancer organizations and cancer healthcare providers. Other cancer-related information sources include health guides, health quizzes, and cancer-related communities.


_{Photo: TBG, Flickr, Creative Commons}

It’s NCAA college basketball tournament time again and the "March Madness" can make your heart rate and blood pressure rise. This is especially true if you are watching your favorite team in a close game or sitting there helpless as a bracket-busting mid-major team ousts your championship pick in the first round. While this elevation in blood pressure is temporary, for sports fans there may be no better time to think about the lasting effects that chronic high blood pressure can have on your health, effects that may include kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and early death.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has come up with a series of tips for ways to help control your high blood pressure at any time of the year. Follow these 10 tips and the AHA says you may be able to lower your high blood pressure to a healthier level:

• Know your blood pressure. Have it checked regularly or buy a reliable monitor to check it yourself at home.
  
• Know your ideal weight. Maintain your body weight in healthy range that is near the ideal.
  
• Skip the salt. Don't add extra salt salt to your meals and avoid foods with high sodium levels. Many processed and prepared foods contain large amounts of sodium so your sodium intake can be sky high without ever adding extra salt to anything. Check the packaging on prepared foods for the sodium levels and try to limit your sodium intake to between 1,500 mg and 2,400 mg per day.
  
• Eat nutrient-rich foods. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain high-fiber foods according to American Heart Association recommendations.
  
• Limit alcohol intake. Don’t exceed one drink per day if you are a woman or two drinks a day if you are a man.
  
• Take your medicine properly. Your blood pressure medications should be taken exactly as the doctor prescribed. Be careful not to run out of pills, not even for a single day as it can have serious repercussions for your blood pressure.
  
• Keep appointments with the doctor. Make sure to see your doctor regularly and go to all your follow-up appointments.
  
• Get physical. Increase your physical activity level, but be sure to follow your doctor's advice about the type and amount of exercise that is right for you.
  
• Have your family checked. Make certain your parents, brothers, sisters and children have their blood pressure checked regularly. If you have high blood pressure, they are more likely to have it, and the reverse is also true.
  
• Live a normal life in every other way. Don’t let high blood pressure restrict your enjoyment of life. Constantly worrying about your health may actually make your high blood pressure worse.

Talk to your doctor to find out more information on lowering your blood pressure and keeping it low. To learn about preventing high blood pressure before it occurs, see "How can I Prevent High Blood Pressure" in the Healia Health Guide to High Blood Pressure.

_{Source: American Heart Association, 10 Ways to Control Your High Blood Pressure, Reviewed 01/08. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=578}

_{Photo: KitAy, Flickr, Creative Commons}

For people with springtime allergies, this time of year can be difficult to deal with. Fortunately, there are ways to help minimize your exposure to potential outdoor allergens and thereby reduce their aggravating effects. Yesterday, we provided a list of the top 5 "dos" for preventing outdoor allergy symptoms. Today we present a list of the top 5 don’ts for minimizing symptoms caused by springtime allergies.

• DON'T mow lawns or be around freshly cut grass, as mowing stirs up pollens and molds.
  
• DON'T rake leaves, as this also stirs up pollen and molds.
  
• DON'T hang sheets or clothing outside to dry, as they will collect pollens and mold.
  
• DON'T grow too many, or overwater, indoor plants if you are allergic to mold. Wet soil encourages mold growth.
  
• DON'T take more medication than recommended in an attempt to lessen your symptoms. If your symptoms are worsening, talk to your doctor or allergist about adjusting your medications.

To find out more about outdoor allergy treatments and prevention, see "What Treatments are Available for Outdoor Allergies?" and "How Can I Prevent Outdoor Allergies" in the Healia Health Guide to Outdoor Allergies.

 

_{Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Tips to Remember: Outdoor allergens. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/outdoorallergens.stm}

_{Photo: tanakawho, Flickr, Creative Commons}

It’s that time of year again. In many parts of the country, the snow has melted, the grass has resumed its growth cycle, flowers have started to appear… and springtime allergy season has begun.

For people with springtime allergies, this time of year can be difficult to deal with. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help minimize your exposure to potential outdoor allergens and reduce their aggravating effects. The following tips include the top 5 things you can do to help avoid symptoms caused by outdoor allergens. Tomorrow’s list will give the top 5 "don’ts."

• DO keep your windows closed at night to prevent allergens such as pollens or molds from drifting into your home. If you live in a warm climate, use air conditioning, which not only cools the air but also cleans and dries it.
  
• DO minimize your activity during 5 and 10 a.m. when pollen is usually emitted.
  
• DO keep your car windows closed when traveling. Use the "re-circulate" setting on your vehicles’s vent system to keep allergens from getting in.
  
• DO try to stay indoors on days when the pollen count or humidity is reported to be high, and on windy days when dust and pollen can be blown around.
  
• DO take your allergy medications as prescribed by your allergist/immunologist regularly, in the recommended dosage. If your current regimen isn’t working, make an appointment with your allergist to have your medication adjusted.

To find out more about outdoor allergy treatments and prevention, see "What Treatments are Available for Outdoor Allergies?" and ""How Can I Prevent Outdoor Allergies" in the Healia Health Guide to Outdoor Allergies .

_{Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Tips to Remember: Outdoor allergens. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/outdoorallergens.stm}

_{Photo: spakattacks, Flickr, Creative Commons}

This weekend is the start of Daylight Saving Time. Sunday, March 8 at 2am, most Americans will "spring" forward one hour (despite the fact that the recent lengthening of DST now means the "springing" actually takes place during the winter). In a previous blog post, we presented some of the health problems associated with the sudden time change and its attendant lack of sleep, and provided some tips for easing the transition into DST. We also mentioned that the adjustment can be made more easily if you regularly practice good sleep hygiene. In this article, we present some tips for good sleep hygiene that, if practiced regularly, can not only aid the transition to DST but also help you fall asleep more easily and get more restful sleep for the rest of the year.

In order to practice good sleep hygiene, researchers advise you to:

• Go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even on the weekends.
• Avoid daytime naps or limit them to one brief (15-30 minutes) mid-afternoon nap.
• Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening and do not use it to help you sleep.
• Avoid caffeinated products (coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) after mid-afternoon.
• Eliminate tobacco use, especially close to bedtime and during the night.
• Exercise regularly during the day, but avoid evening exercise.
• Avoid using the bedroom for homework, reading, business affairs, TV-watching, or exercise.
• Keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable.
• Set aside about 45 minutes or more to wind down at the end of the day before going to bed.
• Avoid stress and worrisome thoughts in the evening before sleep.

For more information about good sleep habits, read the Healia Health Guide to Excessive Sleepiness. If you have a question about methods for easing the transition to DST, Ask the Experts at Healia Health Communities.

_{Source: University of Michigan Center for Sleep Science, Principles of Sleep Hygiene. http://www.med.umich.edu/neuro/Sleeplab/patients/resources.htm#principles}

_{Photo (adapted): ***j9***, Flickr, Creative Commons}

People with diabetes have difficulty converting the food they eat into usable energy. So, while everyone should be concerned with proper nutrition, it is especially important for diabetics to eat healthy. In fact, 80% to 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, so eating healthy to lose weight can help reduce the impact of the disease and may even cause it to go into remission completely.

Diabetes causes blood sugar levels to be higher than normal, so the short-term goal of a healthy diabetes diet is to keep blood sugar levels under control. A healthy diet for a type 2 diabetic also involves reducing your intake of fats and overall calories, which can help blood sugar levels in the long-term by reducing your weight.

For a type 2 diabetic, following a meal plan with reduced calories and an even distribution of carbohydrates as well as replacing some carbohydrates with healthier monounsaturated fats can improve blood glucose levels. In many cases, moderate amounts of weight loss and increased physical activity can control type 2 diabetes. Here are some general guidelines on how to balance your diet with fat, carbohydrates and protein.

1. Reduce your intake of dietary fat, especially saturated fat. Reducing fat intake may help contribute to modest weight loss, although to really lose weight, you need to consume fewer overall calories as well. The current American Diabetes Association guidelines advise that less than 7% of calories should come from saturated fat, the fats that raise levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol should be less than 200mg per day. Avoid foods that contain trans-fats entirely. This means any product that contains partially hydrogenated oils.
   
   
2. Keep your protein intake in the range of 15% - 20% of your total calories. Many sources of protein are also high in fat, but there are also low-fat protein options, such as low-fat dairy products, legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts), skinless poultry, fish, and lean meats.
   
   
3. The carbohydrates you eat should be ones that have the lowest impact on your blood sugar level. Examples include whole-grain breads or cereals, pasta, brown rice, beans, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are also good sources of dietary fiber, which can help lower blood glucose levels as well as cholesterol levels. Learn to read labels for total carbohydrate content, rather than just sugar content.
   
   
4. While it is very difficult to avoid sugar entirely, you should limit your intake of foods that are high in sugar and calories but low in overall nutritional value. These include common junk foods such as candy bars, sports drinks, soda pop, potato chips and cookies, as well as food made from refined grains such as white bread, white rice, muffins, and waffles. When you do consume sugar-containing foods, remember to substitute them in place of other carbohydrate sources (such as potatoes) instead of just adding them on to a meal.

For more specific information that is tailored to your individual needs, see a nutritionist or dietitian. To find out more about nutrition, join the Healia Health Community for Diet and Nutrition. For more information about Type 2 diabetes, including more on how to lose weight by eating a healthy diet, read the Healia Health Guide on Diabetes Type 2 or join the Healia Health Community for Type 2 Diabetes.

_{Source: National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus, Medical Encyclopedia: Diabetes Diet, updated 06/08. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002440.htm}

_{Photo: MJorge, Flickr, Creative Commons}