WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET THE FLU

Lots of people get the flu, but what do you do? Here are some tips:
Drink lots of liquids, like water, chicken broth, and other fluids.
Get plenty of sleep. If you can't sleep anymore, keep resting. Listen to music, watch a movie, or read a book or magazine.

If you're feeling achy, ask your parent for some medicine. But avoid aspirin because it can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome (say: ry sin-drome).

Wear layers. You might be cold one minute and hot the next, so if you wear plenty of layers you can pull your favorite sweatshirt on and off.

Wash your hands! You don't want to spread the germs that cause the flu. Also, don't share cups and eating utensils, like forks and spoons, with anyone.

Most of the time you will get better in about a week, but it's important to let your parents know if you have trouble breathing, your muscles really hurt, you feel confused, or if you start feeling worse at any time. These could be signs that you need to see your doctor again.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD

TAKING CARE of YOUR EARS

As body parts go, your ears don't ask for much. They don't need to be brushed like your teeth or trimmed like your toenails. All your ears need is to be washed regularly, so wash them with soap and water while you're sudsing up the rest of your body in the bath or shower.

The Facts on Earwax
You might wonder about earwax and whether it needs to be cleaned out. Actually, even though earwax seems yucky, it serves a purpose. Your ear canal makes earwax to protect the ear. After it is produced, it slowly makes its way to the opening of the ear. Then it either falls out or is removed when you wash. If you want, you can clean the opening of your ear gently with a washcloth.
There's an old saying that you shouldn't put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Not all old sayings are true, but this one is! You can hurt your ear by poking around in there. It's not even a good idea to use a cotton swab. This can push wax deeper in your ear, where it can get stuck. Irritating the ear canal with a cotton swab can even lead to an ear canal infection.
And definitely don't put anything sharp in your ear because it can cause bleeding or serious damage. If you think you have dirt or too much earwax in your ear, ask your mom or dad to help you clean it out.

Taking Care of Pierced Ears
Pierced ears may look pretty, but you need to take good care of them or things can get ugly! When you first get your ears pierced, leave the earrings in until your ears are completely healed. If you don't, your holes could close up.
You'll also want to prevent infections in your newly pierced ears. Wash your hands before touching your pierced ears. Applying rubbing alcohol also can help keep germs away. With an adult's help, soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and apply it to both sides of the hole (with the earring still in your ear). Then twirl the earring several times to make sure the alcohol gets in and around the earring post.
If you think one of your pierced ears may be infected, tell your mom or dad. An infected earlobe may be swollen, red, warm, and painful, and it may ooze a fluid called pus. Don't wait for it to get better by itself because the infection may spread and make you sick.

Tips for Swimmers
Sometimes, swimming can lead to a case of swimmer's ear. That's when your outer ear gets infected, causing swelling and pain. This happens when water gets stuck in your ear canal. This can irritate the skin, making it easier for bacteria to invade the skin and cause an infection. If you think you have swimmer's ear, your mom or dad needs to call the doctor. Special eardrops can help you get rid of it.
To prevent swimmer's ear, dry your ears after swimming and shake out excess water, especially if you feel it stuck in there. Again, with your parent's help, a few drops of rubbing alcohol can dry out any moisture in there. Drying your ears will keep you — and your ears — in the swim!

Ears, Hot and Cold
Now you know how to keep your ears happy underwater, but what about when it's hot outside? When the sun is beating down, wear a hat or remember to rub some sunscreen on your ears, so they don't get fried. And when winter rolls around, keep them covered up with a hat or headband. Why? Because when it's freezing outside, it's easy for ears to get frostbitten. Brrrr!

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD

Choosing High Quality Vitamin Supplements

If you want to supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals or other products, you probably want to know more about the supplements you are choosing. The choice to use a dietary supplement may provide health benefits, however sometimes these products may be unnecessary for good health or they may even create unexpected risks.
Not all vitamins and dietary supplements are created equally. There are no standards that require that the ingredients listed on the label match what is actually inside the capsules or tablets inside the bottle.
It is also important to remember that claims made for the effects of dietary supplements are not approved by the FDA. This lack of approval doesn't mean the supplements are not effective, however, and choosing the right ones will impact your health a great deal.

Which Supplements to Take
If you are pregnant, nursing a baby, or have a chronic medical condition, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist or doctor before purchasing or taking any dietary supplements. He or she will take your medical history, your diet, and your current medications into consideration and choose any diagnostic tests necessary to prescribe a dietary and nutritional supplement program. Please don't try to do all this on your own, when there are so many qualified professionals available.

If you are in good health and you are simply searching for some extra vitamin supplements to ensure that you getting all the nutrition your body needs, then start with a simple vitamin supplement program like this:

- Multi-Vitamin Supplement
- Calcium and Magnesium
- B Complex
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Unless you have consulted with a health care provider, please follow the dosage instructions on the labels.

How to Select a Brand of Vitamins
When you are ready to shop for supplements, please take the following points into consideration:

Join ConsumerLab.com to find out which brands of supplements they have tested.

Read the label on the bottles. Ingredients for the supplements should be from organic sources whenever possible.

Dietary Supplements should be tested for toxic substances and any kind of contamination such as lead or mercury.

Look for hypoallergenic products if you have sensitivity problems. Avoid wheat, yeast and corn.

Look for an expiration date and make sure the product is fresh. If there is no expiration date on the label, buy something else.

Dietary supplements are not regulated, so the amount of the nutrients that are claimed on the label might be different than what is really in the pills. Contact the lab that makes the vitamin supplements and ask them how they test their products. A good company will have professionals who can answer your questions. If you don't get an answer, you may wish to find another company.

You may also check with the store to see if they are sure of the supplements' quality.

If you have questions about a certain brand, don't be afraid to look up their contact information, call them and ask about the five points above. Reputable supplement labs will have answers and documentation available for all your questions. Keep in mind that some of the highest quality products are only available through health care providers.

If It Sounds To Good To Be True
It probably is. Use caution and good sense when you come across inflated claims for vitamin supplements. Your e-mail spam box is probably filled with e-mails making these claims for various herbs and supplements. Also keep in mind that cheaper often means poor quality. Buy your vitamin supplements from health care providers, nutrition stores and whole foods markets.

Source:
U.S. Food & Drug Administration Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition. "Dietary Supplements."