Now, listeners of Star 101.5 (KPLZ-FM) can get healthier even while they’re sitting in traffic. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7:40 a.m., Star 101.5 presents the Northwest Hospital Health Tip of the Day. On-air personality Ana Kelly has teamed with Northwest Hospital physicians and staff to bring listeners useful information and interviews about diet, fitness and preventing disease. Tune in today to learn how to live a happier, healthier life!

Health Tip for 11/17/2008

Everyone keeps saying that washing your hands frequently is the best way to stop cold and flu germs right in their tracks. It really is, if you do it right. First of all, it takes a little more than a quick splash of warm water. Here’s what the hand hygiene experts at Northwest Hospital advise: First, get your hands wet, then add some soap. Now rub your hands together for a good fifteen seconds. Now rinse thoroughly. This sends the germs down the drain, and out of your life. Dry your hands completely, and you’re good to go. The important thing about hand washing is to do it often, especially before eating, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing and before AND after taking care of someone who is sick. When in doubt, wash often so cold and flu germs have a hard time traveling from hand to hand.



Health Tip for 11/13/2008

There are three little tricks that anyone can perform to get that luscious skin you see in the magazines. Dr. Jennifer Reichel (RYE-shull), a dermatologist at Northwest Hospital, says the first trick is to avoid tobacco, especially cigarettes. Tobacco smoke cuts off the oxygen to the skin, plus it causes more wrinkling and thickening of the skin. The second trick is to avoid the sun. I have a zero sun-tolerance policy for faces, necks and chests, because those are the prime locations for skin cancer, and because sunlight makes that delicate skin age faster.
The third trick is to drink alcohol in moderation. Dr. Reichel says if you drink too much, your skin will definitely suffer. Alcohol causes small blood vessels to widen and sometimes break under the skin. And because it’s dehydrating, it can also lead to premature wrinkles.





Health Tip for 11/11/2008

Measles vaccine is ninety-nine percent effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The problem is that babies under one year old are too young to get the shots. When parents make sure that older kids are up to date on their measles vaccinations, they reduce the risk that kids will bring the potentially deadly illness home to the baby. Measles is easily spread by sneezing and coughing, especially if kids aren’t protected. If your children have a high fever, cough, runny nose, a rash that started on the face and red, watery eyes, keep them away from school, and call the doctor. While you’re at the doctor’s office with the sick child, ask for a mask to cover the child’s nose and mouth, to prevent passing measles on to others. Measles’ complications can kill, so protect your child, your family and your community by making sure your children are inoculated against measles.



Health Tip for 11/10/2008

It is possible to wear high heels without any pain – but only if you have an extremely rare kind of foot. If you’re like the rest of us in the real world, if you wear heels, your feet hurt. Crunching your toes together in a pointy high heel is setting yourself up for serious pain. You can even predict if those shoes will hurt. Trace around the shape of the shoe, then see if your toes fit within that outline. The right shoe will help prevent pain and even damage to your feet. Look for shoes with removable insoles, to give all those toes a little extra breathing room.



Health Tip for 11/6/2008

You may have wondered, as your family settles in for another winter of sniffles and coughs, just how long a cold virus can survive outside the body. Dr. Jim Bowers, the Chief of Outpatient Medicine at Northwest Hospital, says cold and flu viruses actually do better in cold weather.
He notes that a recent study shows that these bugs can survive up to seven minutes outside a host, but they have longer survival when the weather is cold and the humidity is low. That’s why winter is cold and flu season. The bottom line is that to avoid colds, you need to stay warm and drink plenty of water. It also helps to wash your hands frequently, because viruses can live on doorknobs and other surfaces long enough to be passed along. If you already have a cold or the flu, make sure to cover your coughs, to help keep viruses away from the people around you.




Health Tip for 11/4/2008

Gotta run, gotta walk, just gotta get that exercise, no matter what the weather. To get the most out of your wet weather workouts, take a close look at the conditions. Wind chill, the combination of wind speed and air temperature, can increase the speed at which your body loses heat. This means you’re at increased risk of developing hypothermia if conditions are severe, so layer up! Wearing several layers of clothing will help you stay warmer. As you exercise, your body temperature will go up. If you’re wearing several layers, you can unbutton to cool down slightly, and then zip back up as you start to cool down. Wool and fleece are great insulators, trapping warm air to keep you cozy. Also, fleece dries quickly, unlike cotton, which will stay wet and make you cold. The outer layer should be waterproof but breathable, so you can focus on getting a great workout!



Health Tip for 11/3/2008

You got lots and lots of sun this last summer, and now you have something on your face that you’ve never seen there before: sun spots! Dr. Jennifer Reichel, a dermatologist at Northwest Hospital, says they look a lot like big freckles, but sun spots don’t fade away once you’re out of the sun. These spots can appear on your face or hands at any age, and can be caused by tanning booths as well as the sun. People with light skin are especially susceptible. The good news is, there are a couple of prescription medications that can fade these spots. Once you’ve been to the doctor and started fading your sun spots, remember that to keep them from coming back, you need to avoid further sun exposure. Staying away from tanning beds and wearing a high-SPF sunscreen this winter when you go skiing or hiking will help.




Health Tip for 10/28/2008

You’ve been really good about getting out and walking or running, and the results are starting to show: you’re a couple pounds lighter and you have a lot more energy. The problem is, your feet hurt during every workout, and for hours afterward. If you’ve been trying to run through the pain, it may be time to slow down and go visit your primary care or foot doctor. You could be working on a stress fracture in one of the bones in your feet. If you’re noticing some swelling on the top of your foot toward your toes, or redness, swelling or increasing pain the longer you’re on your feet, you may have a problem that needs expert attention. Get the pain treated, and ask your foot and ankle specialist how to prevent future injuries. A simple over-the-counter orthotic, shoe insert, or custom orthotic, along with the right shoes, may be what you need to get back out there.



Health Tip for 10/27/2008

Skin redness takes more people to the dermatologist than any other skin condition. Dr. Jennifer Reichel, a dermatologist at Northwest Hospital, says folks of every age worry when their skin starts looking too red. This is a problem that shows up more in people with light complexions, and it can be due to inherited problems, as well as too much sun or broken blood vessels right below the surface. The good news is that this is usually a cosmetic problem, rather than serious medical issue.
Many cases of redness on the face can be treated with a specially tuned laser or medications fairly easily. Before you decide to go for laser treatment though, talk with your dermatologist about just what is making you look like you’re blushing all the time.




Health Tip for 10/23/2008

A lot of runners and walkers consider their shoes old friends. They lace them up every morning and can’t figure out why their feet, ankles or knees hurt after they exercise. The fact is, they may not be paying attention to the signs of wear that mean it’s time for new sports shoes. For example, it may be time to check the tread wear on the sole of the shoe. If the tread is compressed on one side of the shoe but not the other, or the tread is worn away, it may be time to toss the old shoes. While some walkers and runners need soft shoes, depending on the type of foot they have, most of us need some support from our running shoes. If your shoes have become too flexible and flimsy, it’s time to go get fitted for new shoes. If your feet hurt, putting on the right pair of shoes will likely help you feel more comfortable and reduce the chances of injuries that might take you off the road.



Health Tip for 10/21/2008

At this time of year, the kids are back in school and we’re all up to our ears in activities, things to do and places to go all week long. As Dr. James Bowers, an internist at Northwest Hospital knows, all these distractions can keep you from exercising. He adds that it’s important to not give up on the exercise routine you developed since the last holidays. Promise yourself to keep that exercise going. So many people give up exercising once summer ends, and before you know it, they’re up five pounds or more.
Gaining weight every winter makes it harder to lose weight the next time. This creates a vicious cycle that can pile on more pounds every year. This winter, rather than trying to lose weight, focus on maintaining your current weight through the holiday season.




Health Tip for 10/20/2008

You probably remember a few years back, when it was hard to get a flu shot. This year, there’s a good supply of vaccine available, and it’s easy to get the shot at local pharmacies and clinics. Before you take the whole family out for a little vaccine, talk to your family doctor, especially if you have any severe or life-threatening allergies, or if you’ve been diagnosed with certain other syndromes. Also, if you’re ill at the moment, put off getting flu vaccine until you’re feeling better. As for who should get the inoculation, it’s for anyone over six months of age who is at high risk of complications from flu, or anyone interested in staying healthy this winter. Anyone who lives with or cares for others who are at high risk should also get vaccinated. This will help protect you and everyone around you, including seniors and young children. The best time to get a flu vaccination is between October and December, but it’s really never too late to get that ounce of prevention.



Health Tip for 10/16/2008

Almost everybody needs a moisturizer to help keep faces and necks smooth and attractive. The trick, says Dr. Jennifer Reichel, a dermatologist at Northwest Hospital, is to find and use the right one every day. You don’t need a moisturizer if you have really oily skin, but for everyone else, the right moisturizer can help prevent problems. Make it part of your daily routine – wash and then moisturize every morning, using a cream or lotion that has an S-P-F between 15 and 20, to reduce potential sun damage.
You don’t have to buy fancy creams at a department store to find a moisturizer that works for you. Less expensive products from the drug store can be just as effective. Look for one that doesn’t leave a lot of shine. Watch out for the cream’s alcohol content, too, since it can sting and dry out your skin.




Health Tip for 10/14/2008

It’s time for flu shots, but some of us just don’t like injections very much. The vaccinations can be given to anyone age six months and older. Your arm might be a little sore for a couple of days, but serious side effects are extremely rare. You can also try the vaccine in mist form, which is sprayed into the nose. This form of the vaccine is for healthy people ages 2 through 49, who do not work with people who are at high risk of complications from influenza. High risk people are over 65 years old, or between six months and five years old, residents of long-term care facilities, people with chronic health problems or pregnant women. No matter what people may say, you can’t get the flu from injectable flu vaccine, since it’s made of inactivated virus. In the meantime, wash your hands frequently, and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, to help prevent passing on any germs this flu season.



Health Tip for 10/13/2008

You may wonder why public health officials think measles is a big deal. Though it is much less common than 40 years ago, measles can be deadly. The Centers for Disease Control says there have already been a lot of cases of measles this year here in Washington. The symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, a rash that usually starts on the face and red, watery eyes. In about one out of five cases, patients develop ear infections, pneumonia or seizures. Children can, and do, die of these complications every year. The good news is that measles can be prevented with vaccinations – talk to your doctor about that. If you find out that your child has been exposed to measles, call your doctor right away, and keep your child away from others, to prevent the disease from spreading. Measles can be especially dangerous to babies under a year old, since they are too young for the vaccine.



Health Tip for 10/9/2008

Do you ever wonder why your feet sometimes hurt when you walk or run? Your feet are full of tiny moving and supporting parts, including 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles, any of which could be bothered by your shoes. That’s why it’s important for runners and walkers to go the extra distance to make sure their shoes are not only the right size, but give their feet the right kind of support. Many people can just wear a generic sports shoe and get along fine, but if you have bunions, hammer toes, a wide or narrow foot or a narrow heel, you need to have your feet measured and analyzed , including your foot and body type, how active you are and other factors to make sure you get the right fit. In many cases, it’s a good idea to schedule a workup by a foot and ankle specialist, to help prevent problems before they get the chance to start.



Health Tip for 10/7/2008

Right this minute, somebody somewhere is writing a magazine article about what you should eat if you want perfect skin. Dr. Jennifer Reichel, a dermatologist at Northwest Hospital, says while there is no magic combination of foods that will clear up acne or stop wrinkles, you can take some simple nutritional steps to improve your skin.She says you should try for a balanced diet, without going overboard on carbs or fats and with lots of fresh vegetables, fruit and fiber. Get good hydration, too, by drinking plenty of water every day and using the right moisturizer for your particular skin. If you find that a particular food disagrees with your skin, take it off your menu. Scientific research doesn’t show that any one food causes everyone to break out, but you may be sensitive to certain ingredients, like chocolate or cooking oil.




Health Tip for 10/6/2008

You can tell from all the coughing: we’re right in at the start of flu season. For many of us, that means we need to get at least some family members lined up for flu shots. Public health authorities recommend the vaccine for children between 6 months and five years old, and for all children up to age 18 who have chronic illnesses, like diabetes or asthma. The shots are also recommended for adults with chronic illnesses, or those over 65 years old, and family members and others who live and work with them. Of course, you don’t have to be in a high-risk group to get the shot – it’s a great tool for maintaining good health. By getting the vaccine, healthy parents and healthcare workers can also help protect others in the community. Although flu shots don’t prevent every flu-like illness, the shot should protect you from severe symptoms and help you and your entire family have a happier holiday season.

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