This 'n that ..

For starters, the flu season is underway .. the kickoff, if you will, is when the NYS health commissioner rolls up his sleeve to get his shot .. and today was the day. The push this year is to get the 'young'uns' protected . .kids between 6 months and 5 years. The DOH points out 9 kids died from complications of flu last year. And don't worry about getting shut out .. the CDC promises ample supply. BTW . .there's a nasal mist for kids so they don't have to deal with the pain of a shot . .. it's called FLU MIST and is appropriate for people up to age 49.

With that in mind - consider this : the Consumer Healthcare Products Association is voluntarily recalling all the cold and cough - over the counter medications- for infants.
This is the reason: Potential misuse of these infant medicines, not product safety, is driving the voluntary withdrawal," the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), a trade group representing the makers and distributors of over-the-counter medicines, states in a news release.
The withdrawal only applies to cough and cold medicines that refer to "infants," not to children who are at least 2 years old.

Had in interesting and bit of a heartbreaking conversation with a guy this afternoon. He's 52 and a heart transplant patient. Real tough finding a job .. no one wants to hire a guy with a replacement ticker - and the job he's got, puts him in a position to be harassed - come on folks, just because someone is doing a job you think is menial doesn't mean it should be open season on them. We all know that happens - I'm not pointing fingers, but if we hear it going on, we can always try to stop it.
His story raises a bigger issue though - as medicine saves more people - what happens afterwards? Many cancer survivors find the same dilemma - employers afraid to take a chance on them and the potential for big health care bills.

And the next time someone tells you to stop and smell the flowers, do it. The latest research shows psychological stress can lead to depression, cardiovascular disease and perhaps upper respiratory tract infections, asthma and wound healing.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, isn't definitive, but it sure looks like a causal relationship.

I'll be at a conference on Urban health tomorrow . . if I don't get a chance to post from there - have a great weekend and remember to sign up for MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER .. it's set for OCTOBER 21 at Washington Park in Albany. Check out our website for details.

FREE DEPRESSION SCREENINGS

Pretty much every one's had a case of the blues. But depression is something much more overwhelming. It's a disease that can lead to death. Yet it's still tough for families to talk about it.

Thursday, October 11th is National Depression Screening Day and in conjunction with that sites, nationwide will offer anonymous, free, in-person and online mental health screenings. They'll address: depression
bipolar disorder
generalized anxiety disorder
post traumatic disorder

if you'd like to find a site near your home check out:
http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/locator/NDSDMap.aspx.


BTW: a study from Harvard Medical School finds identifying and treating workplace depression leads to better job retention, decreased absenteeism and increased productivity .. which leads me to share this quote .. and dang, I can't remember where I got it from ..
"When work is organized in a way that there is some stress but not too much and that people remain healthy, that is also beneficial for the company."