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Holiday Health Guide
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Christmastime is a difficult time for many people -- emotionally and physically. Here are some ideas for managing stress, avoiding weight gain, and making travel more pleasant. |
| About Us | |
A not-for-profit ministry of
Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust Inc.
Church of the Brethren Insurance Services provides ancillary coverage for ministers and other employees of congregations, districts, and camps.
Medical and ancillary plans are available to Brethren-affiliated employer groups.
Long-Term Care insurance is available for all members of the Church of the Brethren, their family and friends, and employees of Church of the Brethren-affiliated agencies, organizations, colleges, and retirement communities. |
Contact Us
1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
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 Greetings!
Merry Christmas! December has arrived and with it visions of sugarplums dance in our heads. Take time this month to remember the reason for the Christmas season -- Christ's birth -- and renew your spirit during this time of celebration. Also, the end of the year is upon us, and we look forward to providing Insurance services to you in 2012.
Since December is often defined by the level of stress in preparing for the holidays, our focus this month is holiday stress. We have included a comprehensive holiday-related health guide that addresses this issue and many others. Included are the following articles: "Battling Holiday Stress and Depression," "Banish Holiday Weight Gain," "Holiday Stress Eating," and "Holiday Stress - Sticking to your Budget." We hope these articles will help you to have a stress-free holiday season!
If you need more help dealing with holiday depression, consider joining Highmark's MyHealthMedia Overcoming Depression program. It's an online coaching application that can offer you an individually tailored approach to addressing depression and relapse, symptoms, coping with difficult moods, and barriers to managing depression. To get started, go to www.highmarkbcbs.com, log in (or create a login ID and password as instructed), click on Your Health, click on Improve Your Health, select a category, choose a program, and get started.
This month we also conclude the two-part series about the flu by including some articles to help you determine the difference between the flu and a cold, help you to deal with children's flu, and give you facts about influenza.
As the holidays grow near, remember to reflect on Christmases past, present, and future and enjoy the day! God bless us, every one!
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Willie, Diana, Tammy, Randy, Connie
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Children's health: influenza
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Seasonal influenza can cause serious complications for anyone of any age, but children are often more vulnerable than adults. Each year, about 20,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized because of flu complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Risks
Children often need medical care because of influenza, particularly those under age 5. Even children in this age group who are healthy are at higher risk of complications due to their age.
Severe flu complications are most common in children under 2 years old. In addition, children with chronic health problems such as asthma and diabetes are highly susceptible to serious flu complications.
Prevention
The best way to prevent children from getting the flu is to get a seasonal flu vaccine each year for them. The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months receive an annual vaccine.
In addition, it is highly recommended that certain groups always receive the vaccine, including people who work with, care for, or live with young children.
Teach your children other prevention techniques (and practice them yourself!), such as washing your hands frequently, staying home if you get sick, staying away from sick people, and covering nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
Children under the age of 6 months are at highest risk for serious flu complications, but the vaccine is not approved for children of this age. The best way to protect these infants is to ensure all members of the household and caregivers are vaccinated. If someone in the house gets sick, minimize contact between the sick person and the infant, alert your doctor, and watch your infant carefully for fever or respiratory symptoms.
Vaccinating your children
You should vaccinate your children as soon as the vaccine becomes available each year, usually in the early fall. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to completely protect the body, so the sooner people receive the vaccine, the better.
If your child is between 6 months and 8 years of age and did not receive the flu vaccine last year, he or she needs two doses of this year's vaccine. Without two doses, these children may have reduced or even no protection against the flu. The first dose should be given as soon as the vaccine becomes available, and the second dose 28 days later. Don't forget to follow up for that second dose!
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| Prevention is key during flu season |
Each year, November through March is the time when 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu. How can you protect yourself against this year's strains of the virus? Learn more about influenza by clicking here.
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| Cold or flu? |
Though the common cold and seasonal influenza share several symptoms, there are points of differentiation that will help you identify which you may have and seek proper treatment. It is important to tell the difference, as the flu can result in more serious health complications than the cold.
Common cold
Typically, symptoms of the common cold come on gradually and may start with a sore throat or irritated sinuses. The most common symptoms of a cold are nasal congestion, sneezing, and runny nose. Symptoms can also include a cough, mild headache, and minor body aches. Young children may get a low-grade fever as well, but a fever in older children or adults typically indicates the flu.
People are generally contagious during the first three days they have a cold. Symptoms tend to go away within a week.
Seasonal flu
Unlike the common cold, flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and vigorously, often starting with a high-grade fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue. In addition, flu symptoms can include a dry cough, sore throat, and sometimes a runny or stuffy nose.
Symptoms are generally more severe than with a cold. Flu symptoms tend to improve after two to five days, but can last for a week or more. You should stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone to avoid passing your illness to others.
Prevention
There are strategies that can help you avoid getting sick from either of these conditions. These include frequent hand washing, sanitizing commonly touched surfaces, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you are sick, cough and sneeze into your elbow to prevent spreading germs to others.
Also consider getting a seasonal flu vaccine each year, which is now recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all people over 6 months of age.
Treatment
For the common cold, a doctor visit is usually unnecessary. Over-the-counter medications can be effective in treating symptoms. For the flu, a doctor may prescribe anti-viral drugs that will help decrease the severity and length of symptoms.
Potentially serious health complications can occur in people suffering from the flu. Call your doctor if you think your symptoms are worsening or if you have a condition such as asthma or diabetes, or if you are pregnant.
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70 percent of people aged 65 and older will eventually need some form of assisted care and are usually not financially prepared to handle the costs related to these services.
