40 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • MARCH 15, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
5 ways to care for and comfort your sick child
If you’re a parent, a big part of your job
is making sure your children feel well. No
matter how many times you wash their
hands, sterilize their toys or keep a sparkling
clean house, inevitably the germs
will win. All parents know that taking
care of a sick child can be a stressful experience
that can leave you feeling helpless -
especially when they have a cough that is
keeping them up at night.
On top of that, if you’re trying to juggle
a job, keep the house in order and get
enough sleep yourself, the experience can
feel overwhelming.
Emily Schuman, founder of the popular
lifestyle parenting blog Cupcakes and
Cashmere, has had more than her fair
share of days spent taking care of her toddler
when she is sick. Th e following are
some of her best cough and cold remedies
to help care for your little one when
they’re sick.
1. Sleep is great medicine
Parents know that a sleepy child is a
crabby child. Just as sleep is vital for a
child’s mood, it is also a crucial step in
combating coughs and colds. Naps and
early bedtimes should be a priority. To
help your sick child sleep better and longer,
you might have to give them more
cuddles than usual!
2. Reduce their coughing
One of the worst parts of taking care
of a sick child is hearing them cough,
which is also uncomfortable for the child.
In fact, a recent Vicks VapoRub survey*
found that nearly all (94 percent) moms
say coughing from being sick makes
sleeping diffi cult for their child, and 92
percent say fi nding symptom relief to
improve their child’s sleep is top priority.
Fortunately, Vicks VapoRub, a cough
remedy moms have used for over 100
years, is safe, eff ective, has long-lasting
vapors and is fast-acting for children ages
2 years and up. When applied on the
chest or throat, the medicated vapors in
Vicks VapoRub last up to eight hours, to
help quiet the cough, which in turn helps
moms and their children sleep better and
get the rest they need.
3. Bring out the humidifi er
With winter comes dry air, and when
you add in central heating, the air is even
dryer. Th is is particularly uncomfortable
when you have a cold or cough. Placing
a humidifi er near your child’s bed can
do wonders as far as allowing them to
breathe more comfortably and sleep better.
4. Feed them nutrient-rich foods
When you’re sick, it’s easy to gravitate
toward comfort food like mac and cheese
or sweets. But it is important to make sure
your child gets plenty of nutrients from
food like fresh fruits and veggies. Soups
and smoothies are perfect ways to get
your little ones to eat these foods.
5. Provide them with activities
and distractions
Being sick is not fun, and not just
because your child feels lousy. Th ey’re
also cooped up, bored and incredibly
restless. Make sure you have plenty of
rainy-day activities, like coloring books
and special toys, ready for them. If they
feel up to it, encourage them to make a
fort out of the couch cushions. It’s also
the perfect time to let them have extra
screen time.
It’s hard to have a sick child at home,
but getting ample sleep, having Vicks
VapoRub on hand, using a humidifi er,
eating well and being prepped with some
creative distractions can go a long way
toward comforting your child and making
things easier for the entire household.
And remember as stressful as it can be
caring for a sick child, nearly nine in ten
(87 percent) moms say it can be a bonding
experience.*
* Th is content is based on an online
survey conducted by Kelton in October
2017 among a sample of 1,016 American
mothers with children between the ages
of 2 and 17.
Courtesy BPT
Technology can help people manage Type 2 diabetes in real time
Th ere is no disputing that digital health
technology and connected devices can
produce massive amounts of data. But
that data, on its own, is not always particularly
useful.
Th e real value comes from translating
that data into personalized and actionable
information and putting it into the hands
of people, in real time, whose health
might depend on those facts and fi gures.
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage
members with Type 2 diabetes may be eligible
to utilize new wearable technology
to help monitor their glucose levels 24/7
via the convenience of a cell phone. Th ey
can also connect directly with a health
coach to seek individual support, share
information and make behavior changes
to improve their health.
Announced in mid-January with
DexCom, Inc., the leader in continuous
glucose monitoring, at the Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas, this innovative
pairing - high-tech, real-time wearable
monitors with direct access to diabetes
coaches - will be available to eligible
plan participants across multiple regions
throughout this year.
Here’s how the blend of high-tech and
high-touch care supports people managing
Type 2 diabetes:
1. Dexcom’s Mobile Continuous
Glucose Monitoring System (CGM) technology
consists of a sensor - usually worn
on the abdomen - that continuously reads
glucose levels just beneath the skin.
2. A transmitter sends the data to a
smartphone, which processes and displays
updated data every fi ve minutes and
can reveal relationships between eating,
exercise and blood sugar that are diffi cult
to observe with only test strips and a glucose
meter.
3. Diabetes coaches help participants
interpret the transmitted data and give
guidance on how to change behavior pertaining
to nutrition and exercise to help
keep glucose levels in a safe range.
4. Participants also receive an activity
tracker to help them understand and
act upon data gathered by the wearable
device.
5. Glucose data summaries can be
shared with participants and their primary
care providers to help foster better care
coordination, which ideally may result in
increased glucose control, reductions in
medications and an empowered approach
to managing diabetes.
“With more than 27 million people
nationwide living with Type 2 diabetes,
there is urgent need to address
this epidemic in new ways,” said Brian
Th ompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare
Medicare & Retirement. “Continuous
glucose monitoring can be a game changer
for people enrolled in our Medicare
Advantage plans, as the data can be translated
into personalized information that
can be acted upon in real time.”
To learn more about UnitedHealthcare
Medicare Advantage plans, visit
UHCMedicarePlans.com.
Courtesy BPT
Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere and 3-year-old daughter, Sloan, rely on Vicks VapoRub as
their go-to cough remedy.