Before you travel with kids, it’s a good idea to make sure they’ve been vaccinated against measles.

by Dr. David Sugerman

(NAPSI)—As a parent, I know that preparing for international travel with kids is more than just packing a suitcase. Whether we are visiting relatives we haven’t seen for a long time or helping our children see the world, we all can agree that protecting our family’s health is the top priority. As a doctor, I know that beyond sorting out missing socks and packing suitcases, there is another important step to prepare for international travel: measles vaccination. Your whole family needs to be protected by measles vaccination, including babies as young as six months old.

While the risk for measles in the U.S. remains thankfully low due to high rates of immunization, measles can occur anywhere in the world, and you can be exposed during international travel. Every year, U.S. residents who are unvaccinated get measles while traveling internationally and get sick after they come home, often spreading it to others. Measles is more than just a little rash; it’s a serious disease that can cause severe complications, especially in young children. Measles is also highly contagious. If one person has it, up to nine out of 10 people nearby can become infected if they are not vaccinated.

The good news is that two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provide safe, long-lasting protection against measles. While most children receive their first dose of MMR vaccine around one year old, babies as young as six months old who are traveling overseas should get an early dose to help protect them when they are the most vulnerable. And while most children get their second dose after the age of four, children between one and four years of age should get a second dose before traveling internationally to provide the best protection.

Why risk being exposed away from home when you can protect the whole family by vaccination? It takes about two weeks to develop protection from the vaccine, so now is the time to plan before you take a trip. If your trip is less than two weeks away, you can still get a dose of MMR vaccine. As a reminder, college kids or young adults traveling might need a dose, too, if they didn’t get all of them as a children. As a doctor, I hope you will talk with your own doctor, nurse, or clinic about measles vaccination to protect the whole family. As a dad, I might never find that missing sock – but I’ll have peace of mind knowing my family is protected from disease by vaccination.

You can learn more about measles vaccination and how to plan for travel here at: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/travel/index.html.

Dr. David Sugerman is a medical officer in the Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Extreme heat can be deadly, but you can take steps to stay safe.

(NAPSI)—Much of the U.S. could face hotter than normal conditions this year as the climate crisis drives higher temperatures—but you can keep yourself and those you care about safe.
Consider these facts and figures:

• 2023 was the hottest year on record, and scientists warn that 2024 could break records again.
• Since the 1960s, heat waves have become more frequent, more intense and longer lasting.
• Heat-related deaths are on the rise.

What You Can Do

When extreme heat blankets the country, the American Red Cross recommends you take these steps:

1. Slow down by postponing or limiting outdoor activities, including strenuous exercise. If you must work outdoors, take frequent breaks and try to schedule tasks early or late in the day. Remember, hot cars can be deadly—never leave children or pets in a vehicle.

2. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugary, caffeinated and alcoholic drinks. Be sure animals have access to plenty of fresh water and shade.

3. Spend time indoors in an air-conditioned place. If you don’t have air conditioning, go to a public library, shopping mall or public cooling center. Call 211 to find an open location. Check on loved ones and neighbors who may be at risk and lack air conditioning to ensure they are safe.

Signs of Illness

You should also know how to recognize the signs of heat-related illness and what to do. It’s critical to react quickly.

• Heat can make anyone ill, especially older adults, the very young, pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions. People who work outdoors, have limited personal resources and live in places without green spaces are also at higher risk.
• Heat cramps are an early sign of trouble and include heavy sweating with muscle pains or spasms. To help, move the person to a cooler place and encourage them to drink water. Get medical help if symptoms last longer than an hour or if the person has heart problems.
• Heat exhaustion is a more severe condition signaled by cool, pale and clammy skin; a fast or weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; tiredness or weakness; or a headache, dizziness or passing out. To help, move the person to a cooler place, loosen tight clothing and encourage them to sip water slowly. Use wet cloths, misting or fanning to cool them off. Get medical help right away if symptoms worsen or last longer than an hour, or if the person vomits or acts confused.
• Heat stroke is a deadly condition that requires immediate medical help. Symptoms include a high body temperature; hot, red, dry or damp skin; a fast or strong pulse; a headache or dizziness; or nausea, confusion and passing out. Call 911 right away if you think someone may have heat stroke. Then move the person to a cool place, and use wet cloths, misting or fanning to help cool them off. Do not give the person anything to drink.

Extreme Weather on the Rise

Along with heat waves, the U.S. is experiencing more frequent and intense disasters. The Red Cross encourages everyone to prepare now by making a plan to stay safe, gathering important supplies and knowing how you’ll stay connected. Visit redcross.org or download the free Red Cross Emergency app for real-time weather alerts and safety information in English and Spanish. Find the app in smartphone app stores by searching for the “American Red Cross.”

(NAPSI)—Incidents involving dog attacks on Postal Service employees rose to more than 5,800 cases last year—but you can help get those numbers down and keep your own mail delivery up.

What’s Being Done

As part of the USPS 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, the organization offers crucial information for dog owners on how to be good stewards for safe mail delivery and protect both their pets and their postal delivery person.

“Letter carriers are exposed to potential hazards every day, none more prevalent than a canine encounter. All it takes is one interaction for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS Manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness. “The U.S. Postal Service consistently encourages responsible pet ownership. The national dog bite campaign is an effort to promote dog bite awareness to keep our customers, their dogs, and letter carriers safe while delivering the mail.”

What Dog Owners Can Do

Letter carriers know all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive. Dogs are generally protective of their turf and dog owners have an important responsibility to control them to ensure safe mail delivery.

Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day. Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions.

When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep dogs inside the house or behind a fence, aAway from the door or in another room; or on a leash.

Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.

Stay Informed, See the Mail Before It Arrives

By using Informed Delivery, a free USPS service, customers can digitally preview incoming mail and packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. More than 52 million customers have enrolled since the service was launched in 2017. Sign-up is at informeddelivery.usps.com. This service can help dog owners anticipate when their carrier will arrive.

Consequences of a Dog Attack

According to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555. When a postal worker suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee.

Staying Focused on Delivering

Letter carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present. They are taught to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory.

If a dog attacks, carriers are also trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something – such as a mail satchel – between them and the dog and to use dog repellent, if necessary.

Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day.

Letter carriers have tools to alert them to dogs on their routes. A dog alert feature on carriers’ handheld scanners can remind them of a possible dog hazard, and dog warning cards must be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to addresses where a dog may interfere with delivery.

Holding the Mail

When a carrier feels unsafe, mail service can be stopped. Until the carrier feels safe enough to restart delivery, the mail will have to be picked up at the dog owner’s local Post Office. If a carrier feels a house or neighborhood is unsafe to deliver the mail and there is no way to inform residents their mail service has been suspended, the residents would have to contact the supervisor at their local Post Office for more information. The residents would also have to pick up their mail at the Post Office until it is safe to resume delivery. If a dangerous dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a Post Office box to receive mail.

Post Office Facts

The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 167 million addresses six, and often, seven days a week.

Learn More

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com/dogbiteawareness.

(NAPSI)—If you’re like most Americans, you take a dietary supplement every day, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

 Yet, adds the Cleveland Clinic, approximately 35 percent of adults in the United States have vitamin D deficiency.

This can be a problem because, doctors at Yale point out, possible symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include: 

 •Muscle pain

•Bone pain

•Increased sensitivity to pain

•A tingly, “pins-and-needles” sensation in the hands or feet

•Muscle weakness in body parts near the trunk of the body, such as the upper arms or thighs

•Waddling while walking, due to muscle weakness in the hips or legs

•A history of broken bones

•Muscle twitches or tremors

•Muscle spasms

•Bowed legs (when the deficiency is severe) 

 Why Doctors Are Also Keen on K 

 As the NIH also explains, vitamins D and K together “play a central role in calcium metabolism. Vitamin D promotes the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, which require vitamin K to function properly. Evidence supports the notion that supplementation [with both] vitamins D and K might be more effective than the consumption of either alone for bone and cardiovascular health.”

 The Good News and the Bad News

Commonly referred to as the “sunshine vitamin,” D3 can be naturally produced in the body following exposure to the sun­—but not everyone can or even should spend a lot of time exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which can cause premature aging, cancer and other problems. 

 Foods such as fish, beef, liver, eggs and cheese naturally contain vitamin D3, but not everyone can or should eat enough of those foods.

 Explains registered dietitian Ryan Turner: “It can be hard to get enough D3 through food.” 

 The Better News

Fortunately, high quality D3+K2 supplements are available from a family-owned business that provides premium, scientifically proven fitness and wellness products. What’s more, these pills contain calcium. According to Johns Hopkins Medical School, taking these nutrients together reduces your risk of hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis and fractured bones.

 The firm’s mission is to help individuals achieve their health and fitness goals through clean and effective supplements with an emphasis on transparency, quality, and information to empower customers. Backed by science and empowered by nature, the company, EarthNutri, is commited to transparency and ensuring that only the most potent and pure ingredients make it into your hands. Its D3+K2 supplement is an excellent alternative way to get sunshine vitamin without sunburn, ultraviolet radiation, lactose or cholesterol.

With EarthNutri, what you see is what you get: Transparent, natural and powerful because the power is in the premium, U.S.-sourced ingredients. When you choose vitamins that provide both purity and potency, you can have peace of mind knowing you’ve done much to help your health. 

 Learn More

For further facts about supplements with premium ingredients, clean products, and powerful information that help you live your life to the fullest, visit www.earthnutri.com.

Lately is seems as though you can’t pass a park or court without spotting people engaged in a lively game of pickleball. The fast-moving sport seems to have come out of nowhere and captured the interest of young and old alike, who can’t get enough of it. With all that play there is inevitably the possibly of strain and injuries, caution chiropractors.

People who may have been inactive or less active over the past few years should be especially careful when picking up a pickleball paddle and charging into “the kitchen” (the non-volley zone on either side of a pickleball net). “For some, starting to play pickleball has resulted in a rather sudden increase in physical activity, which is one of the risk factors we see for injuries in many other sports,” explains Dr. Michael Braccio, an American Chiropractic Association (ACA) member and pickleball enthusiast.

Even if you are in fairly good shape and exercise regularly, you may not have experience with racquet sports, which can also leave you vulnerable. Elbow, shoulder and wrist injuries are the most common in pickleball, says Dr. Braccio. Injuries in the knees and ankles are common in the lower body. Even low back pain can result from the squats and lateral lunges that are common during “dink rallies” (soft, low shots).

As in sports, when it comes to injuries a good offense is just as important as defense. Dr. Bracco offers a few tips to help keep pickleball players in the kitchen and out of their doctor’s office:

Do warm up. While you may be tempted to just step on the court and play, not allowing your body to properly warm up could increase your injury risk. Aim for a 5- to 10-minute warm-up and include some light cardio movements along with shoulder exercises such as arm circles.

Don’t overdo it. “It’s not uncommon to start playing pickleball multiple days in a row for several hours,” says Dr. Braccio, “which can result in a sudden increase in load, increasing the risk of injuries. So, gradually increasing the amount of load can be a useful strategy, making sure that there are recovery days so that the body can adapt.”

Do strength training exercises. Another way to prevent pickleball injuries is to condition your body so it can better tolerate the increased load. “Strengthening exercises for the rotator cuff, core and knees are all areas that people playing pickleball would benefit from focusing on,” Dr. Braccio says, “initially working on building up general strength in those areas and then working into performing quicker movements similar to the movements in pickleball.”

Don’t forget to protect your eyes. Pickleball Magazine reports that the average pickleball travels baseline to baseline in just one second – half the time it takes a tennis ball to cross the same distance.

Taking these steps can help you continue to play the sport you love without injury, while also enjoying the social benefits. “For myself, not only is pickleball a lot of fun, but the community surrounding it is awesome,” shares Dr. Braccio. “There’s a great social aspect of playing with friends and meeting new people.”

For more on chiropractic, injury prevention tips or to find an ACA member in your area, visit www.handsdownbetter.org.