Chickenpox ... in adults?

TV personality Barbara Walters made news this week when she developed chickenpox after first having a bad fall.  It turns out that she never had the disease as a child, making her still susceptible even in her 80s.  I was asked to comment about adults getting chickenpox in this article:

Barbara Walters Hospitalized For Adult Chicken Pox Complications

Lots of topic covered, with the bottom line being, you really don't want to get this disease!

Another great reason to wash your hands

Along with the seasonal influenza, many have experienced what they called the "stomach flu."  Not a flu bug at all, the most common organism causing several days of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea is the norovirus, which is currently spreading throughout the area.  Our local CBS affiliate had me on for an interview on Monday, January 28, with comments about the disease:

Dangerous Strain of Norovirus Spreads Through Maryland

Bottom line lesson:  whether for influenza, norovirus, or any of a number of other diseases, wash your hands with soap and water.  Sing "Happy Birthday To You" slowly while washing, to give adequate time for cleaning.

Eat well, sleep well, move well....

It's not rocket science, but you can do great things for your immune system and your health in general by following some simple principles:  Eat healthy, exercise the best you can, and get a good night's sleep.  Sure, there are more, and I might even be convinced to post more on the blog, if asked, but for now, enjoy this little segment from our NBC affiliate, WBAL-TV, broadcast today:

Foods, exercise key to boosting immune system

Let's be honest.  Isn't this the kind of advice your mother, or grandmother, would have told you?

Avoiding Germs Beats Fighting Them

The spreading of germs is clearly a hot topic these days.  Here is yet another article that I had the chance to submit some comments for, among the others cited.  Appearing in Health Magazine in the December, 2012, issue, the article is called Avoid Germs Wherever You Go.  I've posted it here for you to enjoy!

Flu-Mania and the media

I guess that "flu-mania" is all around us these days.  It's on the news and in the paper, and certainly in the blog-o-sphere.  A clever blog called "Free Range Kids" contacted me about a recent television spot and being overly careful about becoming infected, and the result was this post:

Take 2 Doses of Flu Hysteria and Don’t Touch ANYTHING

I do have a nice little quip in there, have a look at that entry, and wander around her blog, too!

Flu 411 : 2013 style

No doubt about it, influenza is sweeping the country.  The Baltimore Sun newspaper interviewed me for an article about the flu called

Flu 411

Check out the article, and let's see if it gets picked up on the syndicate!