Archive | October 2019

QUOTE FOR THURSDAY:

“Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.

Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.

Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them”

Safe Kids (safekids.org)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

 

Happy Halloween! More safety tips on candy

 

Halloween Candy Safety Tips

Parents should take precautions about Halloween candy safety, but its also important to have a realistic sense of harm. Its easy for the media to give us the sense that the world is a more menacing place than it really is. In the 1980s, a myth spread about the serious risk of troubled people using poison and razor blades to tamper with Halloween candy. Almost all reports were discredited.

But no amount of debunking can completely alleviate parent anxiety. After all, however rare, it could happen. Some Halloween candy safety precautions include:

  • For young children, remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
  • Instruct your children to show you all their candy before eating it so that you can carefully inspect it for tampering.
  • Tell your children not to accept or eat anything that isnt commercially wrapped.
  • Throw out candy or treats that are homemade, unwrapped, or have torn wrapping.

And managing the Halloween candy craze? First, to reduce trick-or-treat munching, give your children a snack or light meal before you leave the house. Decide ahead of time how many pieces of candy they can eat on Halloween night.

Pumpkin Carving Safety Tips

  • Carve pumpkins on stable, flat surfaces with good lighting.
  • Have children draw a face on the outside of the pumpkin and then do the cutting yourself.
  • Place lighted pumpkins away from curtains and other flammable objects, and do not leave lighted pumpkins unattended.
  • If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that childrens costumes wont accidentally set on fire.
  • Artificial lights and candles are a safer alternative to real candles.

Halloween Costume Safety Tips

  • If possible, have your children wear clothing that is bright, reflective, and flame retardant.
  • If your child is carrying a prop, such as sword or pitchfork, make sure that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if your child falls on them.
  • Avoid long, baggy, or loose costumes to prevent tripping.
  • Insist that your children wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Mom’s high heels are better for costume parties, not trick-or-treating.
  • Securely fit hats and scarves to prevent them from slipping over your childrens eyes.
  • Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have your child wear a mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If you use a mask, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

BE SAFE WITH YOUR ANIMALS!

QUOTE FOR WEDNESDAY:

“Kids love the magic of Halloween: Trick-or-treating, classroom parties and trips to a neighborhood haunted house. But for moms and dads, often there is a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns, especially when it comes to road and pedestrian safety.

In 2017, 7,450 pedestrians died in traffic or non-traffic incidents, according to Injury Facts. Non-traffic incidents include those occurring on driveways, in parking lots or on private property.

Here’s a scary statistic: Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. In 2017.”

National Safety Council

 

 

QUOTE FOR TUESDAY:

“Fill up first!  What kid doesn’t want to eat their favorite candy right when it goes into their trick-or-treat bag? Having a healthy meal BEFORE your kids go trick-or-treating can reduce their temptation to snack while walking or to overindulge, because their tummies will be full.”

American Heart Association

8 Halloween Tips regarding your oral and overall health.

halloween       halloween3

Have a Healthy Halloween

Have a Healthy Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, which for most children means bags of free candy and a chance to build a stockpile of sweets for the winter. No surprise, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and safety challenges. “It’s OK to eat that candy on Halloween but it’s important to have a eating plan of the goodies to help protect the teeth from constant exposure to sugars to the teeth and even the waist line to prevent cavities and obesity. This makes complete common sense to mom and dad with older sisters or brothers and even role models to the little peeps who may need direction by you helping them eat the goodies in a moderate way with no pigging out on the candies.

Here’s a few ideas on how you can help your family stay mouth healthy on Halloween and even through out the year for lovers of sweet goodies; especially young ones who may need direction.

 

So how do we go about this? Well here are some ideas that you may find useful:

 

1.) Know when the time is right to eat the goodies.

 

Eat Halloween candy (and other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals. This helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and rinse away food particles.

 

2.) Choose the candy carefully you give out Halloween or have at Halloween parties for kids with the candies you allow your kids to keep throughout the year.

 

Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time. Aside from how often you snack, the length of time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to an increased risk for tooth decay.

 

3.) Avoid candies that can put your teeth in sticky situations.

 

Sticky candies cling to your teeth. The stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay.

 

4.) Have a plan that you put together.

 

It’s tempting to keep that candy around, but your teeth will thank you if you limit your candy laying out around the house after the Halloween day or parties. So what you do is have the family pick their favorites and even consider donating the rest, like to family and friends in a moderate amount to school teachers to even your doctors at a visit for the staff to even homeless. ”   If you even can take the time look for organizations that help you donate candy to troops overseas, like Operation Gratitude to boy/girl scout organizations, etc… Do a little researching.

 

5.) Drink more water when eating candy.

 

If you choose bottled water, look for kinds that are fluoridated. Drinking fluoridated water can help prevent tooth decay. The kids won’t even know the difference.

 

6.) Maintain a healthy diet.

 

Your body is like a complex machine. Just like cars we the human body needs its fuel. For us the fuel is food. The foods you choose as fuel are so important with how often you “fill up” with them which in the end affecting your general health; this includes your teeth and gums including obesity.At these Halloween parties or on Halloween day or in even everyday life avoid excess in sodas, sport drinks and flavored waters. When teeth come in frequent contact with beverages that contain sugar, the risk of tooth decay is increased.

 

7.) Give out on Halloween/the Halloween parties chewing gum that are with the ADA Seal.

 

Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals helps reduce tooth decay, because increased saliva flow helps wash out food and neutralize the acid produced by bacteria. You might even want to think about giving sugarless gum out as a treat instead of candy.

 

8.) Other general ideas with the candy suggestions is have the children do the following:

Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Remember, replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.

– Cleanse between the teeth. Floss your teeth once a day. Decay-causing bacteria get between teeth where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. Flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.

-Visit an ADA Dentist

Regular visits to your ADA-member dentist can help prevent problems from occurring and catch those that do occur early, when they are easy to “treat.” This can also can help prevent them going into bigger problems and more expensive treatments to the mouth.

QUOTE FOR MONDAY:

“Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.”

U.S. FDA and Drug

THE TRICK TO ENJOYING HALLOWEEN CANDY IS THE ENDING RESULT OF WHAT THE TREAT IS, HOPEFULLY HEALTHY!

halloween4   halloween 2

TRICK                             or                                  TREAT

halloween picture         HALLOWEEN1A

The trick to enjoying your favorite Halloween treats? Moderation, according to the results of the National Confectioners Association’s (NCA) new national survey. As the holiday approaches, nearly 80 percent of parents report that they have a plan in place to help their children make smart decisions when it comes to the enjoyment of treats. More than three-quarters of Americans will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters this year and many others will participate in community-sponsored Halloween events, display a seasonal candy bowl or attend a Halloween party. NCA projects that retail sales of Halloween candy in 2015 will be $2.6 billion, a boost to the U.S. economy that helps support 55,000 manufacturing jobs and hundreds of thousands of jobs in related industries.

“People understand that candy is a treat, and this year’s survey tells us that they are celebrating Halloween in more ways than ever and practicing moderation,” said Alison Bodor, executive vice president of the National Confectioners Association. “Parents, including me, are embracing Halloween celebrations and traditions, but we’re also using the holiday as an opportunity to teach our children how to enjoy candy as a fun part of a balanced lifestyle.”

Bodor added that the U.S. confectionery industry supports 465,000 American jobs. “From our industry’s own manufacturers to the jobs we help support on the farms where our ingredients are grown and in the stores where our products are sold, candy makers are supporting good-paying jobs in this country. Confectioners are vital to the economic success of their communities – at Halloween and year round.”

According to NCA’s seasonal survey, more than 90 percent of parents discuss or plan to discuss balance and moderation with their children relative to their candy consumption, and while most report having these conversations year-round, many use the holiday as a starting point.

Those who stay home to hand out candy also recognize the importance of balance and moderation. More than 60 percent of respondents prefer to hand candy to trick-or-treaters, rather than having the ghosts and goblins help themselves, and nearly 60 percent of those surveyed believe that up to two pieces is just the right amount per household.

Halloween Is Meant For Sharing Halloween continues to be the top candy-giving holiday with 86 percent of people gifting or sharing chocolate or other candy. Seven in 10 people believe that holidays like Halloween are meant for enjoying candy, and that it is important to do so in moderation. Parents support the notion that sharing is a critical piece of the Halloween celebration – a full 80 percent report that they enjoy some of their children’s Halloween bounty by either sneaking it when the kids aren’t looking (23 percent) or by instituting a house rule that it must be shared (57 percent).

Candy Is Always A Treat NCA’s survey revealed that 81 percent of Americans support the notion that candy is a treat and 75 percent agree that it is okay to enjoy seasonal chocolate or candy. Almost 20 percent of consumers say they are more likely to buy seasonal candy in smaller portion sizes than they were five years ago.

Everyone Has A Favorite Americans love chocolate year-round, and Halloween is no exception. A full 70 percent of people say chocolate is their favorite Halloween treat, followed by candy corn (13 percent), chewy candy (6 percent) and gummy candy (5 percent). Despite chocolate’s popularity, most Americans (63 percent) say they stock their trick-or-treat candy bowls with a mix of chocolate and non-chocolate, so that they can be sure to have something everyone will like. When it comes to selecting candies in shapes like spiders, eyeballs and brains to inspire seasonal celebrations, parents are 24 percent more likely than non-parents to pick creepy candy over other Halloween themes.

Keeping An Eye On The Candy Stash Nearly four in five parents (79 percent) encourage moderation by keeping tabs on their children’s candy consumption following Halloween, but they take different approaches. Some limit their children to a certain number of pieces per day (35 percent), a total number of pieces overall (14 percent), or a general amount of calories (9 percent) and then take the rest away. Twenty-one percent opt to take responsibility for the candy and dole it out as appropriate. NCA supported research at Pennsylvania State University to help parents learn practices that promote balance and moderation with treats in their homes. As part of that research, a scientific literature review published recently in the Journal of Pediatric Obesity concluded that simply restricting or forbidding children from having snack foods or other treats, like candy, is not an effective approach to helping them learn how to consume these foods in moderation.

WAYS TO HANDLE HALLOWEEN IN MODERATION:

Something Good to Eat

  • Let kids enjoy a little bit of trick-or-treat loot at a time — say, two snack-sized candy bars a day.
  • Don’t allow candy to substitute for healthy stuff. Plan a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Halloween day. Serving well-balanced meals should ensure that sweets do not replace essential nutrients.
  • If you’re hosting a children’s party, serve plenty of fruit and vegetables as well as a kid-friendly meal like pizza. Set up one bucket of candy and let kids take just a few pieces.

Alternative Treats

A growing number of parents are bucking the candy-giving tradition altogether. The 2000 American Express Retail Index estimated that 18% of adults distributed non-candy treats. In some of these homes, children may have special dietary needs. Other parents are alarmed by reports about the increasing rate of child obesity, and some parents just hope to lessen the day’s sugar intake.

A recent study even showed that kids welcome such alternatives. Researchers offered trick-or-treaters in five Connecticut neighborhoods two bowls to choose from: one with lollipops or fruit candy and one with inexpensive Halloween-themed trinkets. About half the kids skipped the sweet stuff and took a toy instead. So consider making the switch at your house.

From the grocery:

  • sugar-free lollipops
  • fruit
  • raisins
  • granola bars
  • popcorn
  • trail mix

From the party-supply store (purchased in bulk, these items should cost about 20 cents each):

  • plastic vampire teeth
  • glow-in-the dark stickers
  • temporary tattoos
  • spider rings

More cool options:

  • crayons and stickers: Crayola makes special crayon packs that feature three Halloween-inspired colors. The cost of twenty packs plus twenty color-in stickers is about $3.99.
  • personalized photos. Start the unique tradition of becoming the neighborhood “phantom photographer.” Dig out your child’s i-Zone camera and give everyone who comes to the door a sticker picture of himself in costume. At approximately $18 per three-pack of film, you can expect to spend about 50 cents per trick-or-treater.

Acts of Sweetness

Halloween is a great time to teach children about sharing. This is a day when kids are inspired to be like Spider-Man or other heroic do-gooders. Encourage their charitable attitude by turning trick-or-treating into a save-the-world mission. In addition to candy, have your child ask for donations for a non-profit organization or school program.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEKEND

“Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg.  The pain when sciatica nerve damage is diagnosed can radiate along those areas all the way down to the foot.  Each patient case varies in how far the pain radiates along those areas.”

MAYO CLINIC

 

Sciatica Nerve Damage.

sciatica 3 Sciatica2

Sciatica is pain, tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve roots that lead to the sciatica nerve. The sciatic nerve is formed by the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord into the lower back. It goes down through the buttock, then its branches extend down the back of the leg to the ankle and foot. When something presses on the sciatica nerve, like a herniated disc, it presses on that nerve which causes the pain from the buttock that can radiate all the way down to the foot. The intensity of the pressure on the nerve and where its pressed decides if it goes to the foot or less. Other causes of sciatica nerve damage:

The most common cause -a bulging or ruptured disc in the spine pressing against the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve.

-Sciatica Nerve Damage can be a symptom of other conditions that affect

*Narrowing of the spinal canal due to spinal stenosis. This spinal canal narrowing pinches on the sciatica nerve.

*Bone spurs-they are growths that are small forming along joints caused by arthritis.

*Simply injury (like a car accident or fall) causing nerve root compression=again the same result-pinching the sciatica nerve.

*Pregnancy-not as common as a cause as the others listed.

*Rarely but also tumors could cause the problem also.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of sciatica include pain that begins in your back or buttock and moves down your leg and may move into your foot.

*Weakness, tingling, or numbness in the leg may also occur.

*At times a inconsistent stabbing feeling or pricking feeling in the ankle or foot

*Sitting, standing for a long time, and movements that cause the spine to flex (such asexercises using the knee to chest) which may make symptoms worse.

*Walking, lying down, and movements that extend the spine (such as press-ups) may relieve symptoms.

How is sciatica diagnosed?

Sciatica is diagnosed with a medical history and physical exam. Sometimes x-rays and other tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are done to help find the cause of the sciatica.

What are the Complications?

Although most people recover fully from sciatica, often without any specific treatment, sciatica can potentially cause permanent nerve damage. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:

-Loss of feeling in the affected leg  -Weakness in the affected leg

-Loss of bowel or bladder function

How is it treated?

In many cases, sciatica will improve and go away with time. Initial treatment usually focuses on medicines and exercises to relieve pain. You can help relieve pain by:

*Avoiding sitting (unless it is more comfortable than standing).

*Alternating lying down with short walks. Increase your walking distance as you are able to, without pain.  

* Takingacetaminophen (tylenol) or Motrin (Ibuporfen) or Advil or Aleve (Naproxen). All are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which decrease the swelling of the inflammation around the area or injury to the back which will decrease the pain. More inflammation=more pinching on the nerve.

*Using a heating pad on a low or medium setting for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 or 3 hours. Try a warm shower in place of one session with the heating pad. You can also buy single-use heat wraps that last up to 8 hours. You can also try an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. There is not strong evidence that either heat or ice will help, but you can try them to see if they help you.

*Additional treatment for sciatica depends on what is causing the nerve irritation. If your symptoms do not improve, your doctor may suggest physical therapy, injections of medicines such as steroids, stronger medicines such as muscle relaxants or opiates.                                                                                                                                                

*Physical Therapy or chiropracter therapy or some form of therapy for 6 to 8 weeks.

* If the therapy is uneffective than the last resort in most cases is surgery that ranges from:

– laser surgery

– scrapping of the vertebrae pinching the nerve with leaving the rest of the vertebrae spacing the spinal cord in place or removing the vertebrae pinching the nerve and replacing it with cement (not cement we use for sidewalks that we know of).   It’s natural to want to return to your regular activities as soon as possible after surgery, but a lot depends on the type of operation you get.

 In two common methods, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, your surgeon makes a small cut in your back, which lets you recover faster. If you get spinal fusion surgery, the cut is larger, and it will take a longer time to heal.

 -small endoscopic surgery that is microsurgery removing pieces of the vertebraepinching which has a test called a discogram (injecting a dye right into the injured disc and than a ultrasound of the area is done to show the surgeon the exact route he has to follow to cure the problem. The surgeon numbs the area that he will repair with the pt wide awake; he makes a incision about 2/10 of an inch, using the cat scan as a guide for his eyes inserting a scope inserting a grabber that goes in the scope removing disc fragments that are pressing on the nerves causing the pain. It takes about 30 minutes for this procedure with only a small bandage covering the incision followed with the patient leaving the hospital in less than a few hours.                                                                                                                                                               *Other self-care treatments that may be helpful include:                                                                                                                                                -Cold packs. Initially, you may get relief from a cold pack placed on the painful area for up 20 minutes several times a day. Use an ice pack or a package of frozen peas wrapped in a clean towel.                                                                                                                                   

-Hot packs. After two to three days, apply heat to the areas that hurt. Use hot packs, a heat lamp or a heating pad on the lowest setting. If you continue to have pain, try alternating warm and cold packs.                                                                                                                                   -Stretching. Stretching exercises for your low back can help you feel better and may help    relieve nerve root compression. Avoid jerking, bouncing or twisting during the stretch and try to hold the stretch at least 30 seconds.     -Over-the-counter medications. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve) are sometimes helpful for sciatica.

References:

National Cancer Society

Web MD

Mayo Clinic

Dr. Bruce Hensel M.D. (chief medical editor channel 4)/Dr. David Ditsworth Surgeon – does back scoping -Robert Forrest Physical Therapy in Santa Monica, California.

QUOTE FOR FRIDAY

“The National Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31 each year.  The individual who started this was Nancy Reagan the founding and honorary Chair of the National Family Partnership 1980 to 1988, during her husband, Ronald Reagan’s presidency (our 40th president of the United States).  ”

National Family Partnership (nfp.org)