Monitor glucose during holidays
Family history is one of the strongest predictors of risk for diabetes, so anyone related to the patient is at increased risk. Given the increase in the amount of Type 2 diabetes in children and the elderly, all family members of all ages should be checked, says Dr. Kathleen Wyne, endocrinologist at UT Southwestern."I ask patients with diabetes to take their glucose meter to Thanksgiving (or Christmas) dinner. I ask them to check every family member's sugar two hours after starting the meal," Dr. Wyne said.
Diabetes screening can be done by checking a fasting glucose or by doing a glucose tolerance test (drink a 75-gram glucose load then check the sugar two hours later). Although a holiday meal is not the same as a 75-gram glucose load, it is typically a large caloric load, so it is a nice easy way to screen family members. "Anyone who has a 2-hour sugar greater than 200 needs to go to the doctor within the week for further testing. If the 2-hour is 140-199, he/she stills need to go to a doctor because of "prediabetes."
--UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Evergreens and allergies " a seasonal irritant
An evergreen tree, decorated and fragrant, conjures up Christmas for many people. But for the estimated one person in 10 who is allergic to mountain-cedar pollen, a live tree can be a harbinger of holiday misery.
Evergreen, a member of the juniper family, and some of its close relatives remain popular as Christmas trees - especially among people who like to cut down their own trees, says Dr. Dave Khan, associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"During late November, mountain cedars begin releasing airborne pollen, the trees' fertilizing agent," he says. "Fortunately, the Scotch pines and Douglas firs that are the mainstays of most Christmas-tree lots don't pollinate in the winter. But any live Christmas tree can cause allergies because anything from outside that's brought inside is likely to bring mold spores with it."
Molds - microscopic plants without stems, roots or leaves - reproduce by releasing spores into the air to settle on plant or animal matter and grow into new mold clusters. Far more numerous than pollen grains, mold spores also can cause allergic reactions.
"One thing you can try with a live Christmas tree is to treat it with a fungicide," Khan says. "All in all, getting an artificial tree and keeping it dust-free is probably the healthiest bet for an allergy sufferer."
--UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Watch children's exposure to certain toys during the holidays
Forget what the neighbors' kids play. Be wary of the social-emotional risks of certain toys. Many send a violent message that could lead to destructive behavior.Dr. Joel Steinberg, professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, says, "Parents should be very careful in selecting toys that may encourage violent behaviors, such as toy guns, knives, bow and arrows, or computer games and violent videos."
Youngsters who play "violent video games" are not participating in real life experiences. If they run into a roadblock on a computer game, they may destroy it, and that's not appropriate in real life, the physician says.
Steinberg offers these other holiday-shopping tips: Purchase toys that are age appropriate. Toys too advanced may frustrate your child. Be sure the toys aren't designed so a child can break them and choke on small parts. Test a noise-making toy next to your ear. If the sound is too loud or irritating for you, then it's likely to be harmful to your child. Pull-toys with strings more than 12 inches in length could be a strangulation hazard for babies.
--UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Holiday cooking? Make it well done.
When it comes to pork, well done is the safest way to order.
Whether you're cooking serving ham for the holidays or ordering pork chops at your favorite restaurant, pork that's not cooked to the point it's well done could put you at risk for infection and illness.
Food and nutrition experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say that pork not cooked to an internal temperature of at least 155 degrees Fahrenheit is underdone and could still harbor disease-causing parasites.
Undercooked pork can result in an illness called trichinosis. This illness causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, muscle soreness, and pain and swelling around the eyes. Dr. Vickie Vaclavik, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern, says it's a bad idea to eat any meat that's still red around the bone. Another kind of meat that's best eaten after it's cooked well done is ground beef. Undercooked ground beef has been known to spread the E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness or even death.
To protect yourself and your family from food-borne illness, invest in a meat thermometer that will tell you if your meat is thoroughly cooked. Turkey and all poultry should be cooked until juices run clear.
Each year, nearly 76 million people in the United States suffer from food-borne illnesses. More than 5,000 people every year die from these illnesses.
--UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Pneumonia vaccine something to consider
As we wait for more flu vaccines, Dr. Paul Pepe, emergency medicine professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, says groups considered at high-risk for the flu should also consider getting a certain pneumonia vaccine.
The bacteria kills more than 40,000 people each year and these deaths are often associated with bacterial "super-infection" " in other words, a bacterial infection on top of a serious viral infection.
"In a way, the same group of people we need to target for influenza vaccination, the very young, the very old and those with chronic lung and heart disease or compromised immune systems, should also receive pneumococcal bacteria vaccines," said Dr. Pepe. "And what's great about this immunization, in contrast to the flu vaccine, the person generally will not need those additional annual shots after the first one."
Symptoms of pneumonia can include cough with "mucous" production, fever, and chest pain. A pneumococcal vaccine can lower the risk of pneumonia caused by the common types of bacteria by the same name.
Medicare covers the vaccine.
Holiday slump? Do something nice for yourself
Do you feel blue during and after the holidays? If so, you're not alone says Dr. Madhukar Trivedi of UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Trivedi, an associate professor of psychiatry and an expert in mood disorders says most people suffer from holiday blues. He has some suggestions for the feelings of malaise.
Set realistic resolutions for the new year. If you aim too high, you'll frustrate yourself.
Don't dwell on things that went wrong " think, instead, of what went well.Do something nice for yourself. After all, you've been doing things for others.Exercise. It's been shown that exercise makes people feel better.
If after trying all these tips, you still feel out of sorts, you should make an appointment to talk with a specialist, such as your family physician or a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist.
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