Summer ’s here, teens and parents — now what?
Summer is upon us, and for many teens in this country, school’s already out. Now what? Typical and cherished summer activities like jobs, internships, and camps may be on hold. There is a general sense of uncertainty about what the coming months will bring, and higher levels of worry in cities and states that struggled with many cases of COVID-19. This is going to be a very different summer than usual for many teenagers and their families. As the weather heats up, here are four tips to guide parents in helping their teens plan for the months ahead.
Validate your teen’s reaction to current circumstances
Teens ma...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 17, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kathryn D. Boger, PhD, ABPP Tags: Adolescent health Behavioral Health Infectious diseases Parenting Source Type: blogs
4 parenting tips to break the negativity loop
“It’s a beautiful day outside,” you say, smiling. Your son replies, “It’s supposed to rain later.” You share, “That game was fun!” Your daughter adds, “I messed up one of my turns.”
If you find that your child tends to channel Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh and has difficulty seeing some of the bright moments in a day, below are some ways to help them interrupt a negativity loop. The first tip works well for all ages. Choose the other tools depending on whether your children are younger or older.
Start by validating emotions
Parents have a lot of wisdom to share with their children, and their advice often ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 17, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Jacqueline Sperling, PhD Tags: Adolescent health Behavioral Health Children's Health Parenting Source Type: blogs
Global mental health in the time of COVID-19
Just months ago, who could have imagined that the world would be looking down the barrel of a spiraling health crisis and economic recession unlike any witnessed in our lifetime? Now, in a world gripped by the fear of a marauding virus, mental health is emerging as a key concern.
Diverse pathways to poorer mental health
The reaction of the media and governments to the epidemic served to fuel anxiety. The dramatic way the term “pandemic” was announced by the WHO after weeks of watching the epidemic unfolding around the world was a hair-raising moment. Apocalyptic messaging about millions of dead bodies littering our cit...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 16, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Vikram Patel, MBBS, PhD Tags: Health Health care disparities Health trends Mental Health Source Type: blogs
New drugs approved for advanced BRCA-positive prostate cancer
Defective BRCA genes are well known for their ability to cause breast and ovarian cancers in women. But these same gene defects are also strong risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer in men. About 10% of men with metastatic prostate cancer — meaning cancer that is spreading away from the prostate — test positive for genetic mutations in BRCA genes. Fortunately, these cancers can be treated with new types of personalized therapies.
In May, the FDA approved two new drugs specifically for men with BRCA-positive metastatic prostate cancer that has stopped responding to other treatments. One of the drugs, called rucapa...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 15, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Charlie Schmidt Tags: Health Prostate Knowledge Treatments HPK Source Type: blogs
Treating mild sleep apnea: Should you consider a CPAP device?
This study supports a comprehensive approach to evaluation and treatment of mild OSA. While all people with mild OSA may not need to be treated with CPAP, there are patients who can greatly benefit from it.
Treatments may be trial and error until you and your doctor get it right
When sleep apnea is mild, treatment recommendations are less clear-cut, and should be determined based on the severity of your symptoms, your preferences, and other co-occurring health problems. Working in conjunction with your doctor, you can try a stepwise approach — if one treatment doesn’t work, you can stop that and try an alternative. Man...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 15, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Melanie Pogach, MD Tags: Ear, nose, and throat Sleep Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs
How to stock a plant-based pantry (and fridge) on a budget
Given the current pandemic and related economic stressors, many of us are trying to maintain healthy habits while watching our expenses. One of the areas where we can support our immune system is through our food choices. We all have to eat, and eat several times a day, and selecting foods that support our health and our planet — while also saving money — is now a priority for many.
People are going meatless for many reasons
About a quarter of the US is now vegetarian, especially people ages 25 to 34. A survey from 2017 studied US attitudes toward animal farming, and found that 54% of Americans were trying to purchase ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 12, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Uma Naidoo, MD Tags: Cooking and recipes Food as medicine Healthy Eating Heart Health Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Driving across the country in a pandemic
Thinking about traveling during the pandemic? Before heading out, there’s a lot to think about, including:
Do you have risk factors for severe COVID-19, such as advanced age or chronic medical conditions?
What about your co-travelers’ health and risk factors? Are your co-travelers part of your household or tight social circle?
Is the virus spreading in the places you’re going?
Who are you going to see along the way, and what’s their health risk profile?
If you get sick while traveling, will healthcare be available? And do you have the supports you need in case you have to quarantine for two weeks when you return h...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 11, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health Infectious diseases Source Type: blogs
Better heart health in eight weeks? Double down on fruits and veggies
Two decades ago, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study tested the effects of three different diets on almost 500 participants over eight weeks. The first diet was a typical American diet, relatively low in fruits and vegetables (3.5 servings daily) and high in junk foods and sweets. The second offered more fruits and vegetables (8.5 servings daily) as well as seeds, nuts, and beans, and not many sweets. The third was the very healthy DASH diet, rich in fruits and vegetables (9.5 servings daily), beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and barely any sweets. Participants truly stuck to each diet plan: All m...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 11, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Food as medicine Health Heart Health Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Helping people with autism spectrum disorder manage masks and COVID-19 tests
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many new challenges for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Features of ASD, including impaired social and communication skills, repetitive behaviors, insistence on sameness, and especially sensory intolerances, make adapting to wearing face masks and the experience of a COVID-19 test particularly challenging.
Challenges of wearing face masks with ASD
Many people with ASD are highly sensitive to touch, and the face can be especially so. Wearing a face mask involves many unpleasant sensations. On the surface, there’s the scratchy texture of fabric, tight contact where the top of...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 10, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robyn Thom, MD Tags: Adolescent health Anxiety and Depression Behavioral Health Caregiving Children's Health Health care Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs
Study gives insight — and advice — on picky eating in children
As a pediatrician, I hear it again and again from parents: “My child is a picky eater.”
All children are picky eaters at some point or in some way during childhood; it’s part of how they assert their independence. But some children are pickier than others, stubbornly refusing to eat everything except a few chosen foods.
So what is a parent to do? A new article published in the journal Pediatrics gives some insight into picky eating — and into how we can prevent it and help.
What does this study on picky eaters tell us?
Picky eating starts early — and stays. Researchers looked at the habits of children ages 4 to 9...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 9, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Behavioral Health Children's Health Healthy Eating Nutrition Parenting Source Type: blogs
Are statins enough? When to consider PCSK9 inhibitors
For well over 30 years, physicians have understood the role of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or “bad”) cholesterol in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). LDL cholesterol levels are directly correlated with increasing CVD risk and, as summarized in a recent blog post, lowering LDL cholesterol levels, through both lifestyle changes and medications, has been shown to reduce this risk.
Statins are the first-line choice of medications for lowering LDL cholesterol. They are widely prescribed for both primary prevention (reducing CVD risk in patients without known CVD) and secondary prevention (preventing subsequ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 8, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alyson Kelley-Hedgepeth, MD Tags: Drugs and Supplements Heart Health Source Type: blogs
How to socialize in a pandemic
In early March, when most Americans began social distancing, the hope was that life would get back to normal after just a few weeks. It’s become clear now that some distancing will be needed for many more months, or even years, to keep the coronavirus at bay. But quarantine fatigue is real. Abstaining from all social contact for the long haul won’t be a sustainable option for most people. So, how can we make decisions about socializing during the coronavirus pandemic?
Risk isn’t binary
Public health messaging over the past several months has focused on staying home as much as possible. Staying home alone or with your...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 5, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Julia Marcus, PhD, MPH Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health Infectious diseases Relationships Source Type: blogs
The doctor will “see” you now: Teledermatology in the era of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare delivery across the world. Headlines about shortages of lifesaving resources and personal protective equipment have dominated our attention. But patients and doctors are also facing quieter challenges. Social distancing measures and concerns about transmission of the virus have significantly reduced the number of patients coming into hospitals and doctors’ offices for non-COVID-related health concerns — sometimes at a significant detriment to their health — due to delays in diagnosis or treatment.
In response, hospitals and clinics are increasingly turning to telemedic...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 4, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kristina Liu, MD, MHS Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health trends Skin and Hair Care Source Type: blogs
Easing stress and seeking normalcy in traumatic times
For most Americans, 2020 has already been a rough year — and it’s not even half over. A pandemic, natural disasters, economic decline, and, for many, the loss of a job have taken a toll on their mental health.
“Stress is particularly acute when you’re experiencing a situation that is outside of your control,” says Dr. Kerry Ressler, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “You may feel stuck, frozen, or helpless.” After a traumatic period, even when things settle down, it can be difficult to move on and regain a sense of normalcy.
Reducing stress and regaining your footing
So, how can you reduce yo...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 3, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kelly Bilodeau Tags: Anxiety and Depression Coronavirus and COVID-19 Mental Health Stress Source Type: blogs
5 winning ways for kids to burn energy
Could your kids power the electrical grid, if you could only figure out how to tap that energy? Someday, all the hours spent cooped up at home will be a memory, not a daily reality. But if your children are bouncing off the walls with schools and day care still closed and summer coming, here are five active ideas to safely channel their energy. Pandemic or not, preschoolers benefit from active play throughout the day, and children ages 6 to 17 should rack up at least 60 minutes of activity daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And since regular activity boosts health and lifts mood, everyone s...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 2, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Lauren Elson, MD Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Exercise and Fitness Parenting Source Type: blogs
