Health
6 ways to prevent holiday illness: Ask a doctor
With the holidays approaching, polls show that 82% of Americans plan to gather for the holidays to share celebrations, gifts, memories — and sometimes, unintentionally, germs.
“Such gatherings pose a higher risk of spreading infections, especially to children, elderly family members, and those with weaker immune systems or multiple medical comorbidities,” said Varvara Probst, M.D., a clinical assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida.
There are steps you can take, however, to reduce the risk of getting sick when spending time with family and friends.
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Fox News Digital spoke with doctors about how to keep gatherings from turning into “super-spreaders.”
1. Get current on vaccinations
Vaccinations play a big role in preventing holiday illness, according to Probst.
82% of Americans plan to gather for the holidays to share celebrations, gifts, memories — and sometimes, unintentionally, germs. (iStock)
“Staying up-to-date with flu and COVID vaccinations is one of the most helpful strategies to reduce the risk of infection and hospitalization,” she told Fox News Digital.
Pneumococcal and RSV vaccinations are also recommended for older adults, Probst added.
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“While these steps can’t prevent every illness, they greatly lower the chances of serious infections and help keep family gatherings more protected and enjoyable for everyone,” she said.
2. Wash hands frequently
Regular and thorough handwashing is a simple yet powerful method to prevent the spread of germs between people and from contaminated surfaces like door knobs and furniture, doctors agree.
“This is especially important when traveling for long distances or if someone at home is feeling unwell,” Probst noted.
There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of getting sick when spending time with family and friends, doctors say. (iStock)
It’s also best to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, as this can introduce microbes directly to areas where they are most likely to cause infection, the doctor cautioned.
3. Limit close contact with sick people
Whenever possible, avoid close contact with those who have colds or stomach bugs, Probst recommended.
Children, the elderly, and those with existing conditions or weakened immunity are most at risk.
“If you do need to interact with someone who is sick, wearing a mask and washing hands frequently can help minimize exposure to infection,” she advised.
4. Be mindful about large gatherings
Those who are at higher risk should try to avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces, Probst said, as germs can linger in the air with a higher chance of being inhaled.
“While not always necessary, wearing a mask in crowded areas is especially beneficial for people with weakened immune systems or multiple health conditions, and can reduce the amount of germs you breathe in,” she added.
5. Prioritize nutrition and nutrients
Eating “fresh and properly prepared food” can help to reduce the risk of stomach bugs or food poisoning, according to Probst.
Eating “fresh and properly prepared food” can help to reduce the risk of stomach bugs or food poisoning, a doctor advised. (iStock)
Jesus Lizarzaburu, MD, a family physician with TPMG Grafton Family Medicine in Yorktown, Virginia, also recommends taking vitamin C a few weeks before the holiday season starts to help prevent sickness.
Vitamin D can also improve immune responses, he told Fox News Digital, and there is evidence that zinc can decrease the duration of cold symptoms.
6. Focus on healthy behaviors
Maintaining good sleep habits, staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise can boost the immune system, which can help you fight off infections and illnesses if you catch something, according to experts.
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How sick is too sick?
In some cases, it may be best to skip a holiday gathering to prevent spreading infections and getting others sick.
“Symptoms that indicate you may be too sick to attend a family gathering include a fever, muscle aches, persistent and strong coughing, frequent sneezing with large amount of nasal discharge, or frequent vomiting and diarrhea,” Probst said.
Fever, muscle aches, persistent and strong coughing, frequent sneezing with large amount of nasal discharge, or frequent vomiting and diarrhea warrant skipping a holiday gathering, according to medical experts. (iStock)
These symptoms often suggest a high risk of spreading viruses, which can be particularly dangerous for children, the elderly and those with existing medical conditions or weak immune systems, she said.
“In such cases, it would be safer to recover at home,” the doctor added.
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It may even be possible to spread a virus even after symptoms have abated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those experiencing persistent symptoms should see a doctor for health guidance.
Health
Scientists May Be Able to Make Grapefruits Compatible With Medications They Currently Interfere With
You may be among the millions of people who have seen a surprisingly specific warning like this on the labels of drugs you take:
Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication.
Such warnings are issued for dozens of substances, including docetaxel, a cancer drug; erythromycin, an antibiotic; and some statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to more than a third of American adults over 40.
The problem is a set of molecules, furanocoumarins. High levels of furanocoumarins interfere with human liver enzymes, among other processes. In their presence, medications can build up to unhealthy levels in the body. And grapefruits and some related citrus fruits are full of them.
But there is no such warning for other kinds of citrus, such as mandarins and other oranges. Citrus researchers at the Volcani Center in Israel reported Wednesday in the journal The New Phytologist that, by crossing mandarins and grapefruit, they’ve uncovered genes that produce furanocoumarins in some citrus fruits. It’s a finding that opens the possibility of creating grapefruit that doesn’t require a warning label.
Scientists had worked out the compounds’ structures and pieced together a basic flowchart of how they are made years ago, said Yoram Eyal, a professor at the Volcani Center. But the precise identities of enzymes catalyzing the process — the proteins that snip off a branch here, or add a piece there — remained mysterious. He and his colleagues knew that one way to identify them was to breed citrus high in furanocoumarins with those without. If the offspring of such a cross had varying levels of the substances, it should be possible, by digging into their genetics, to pinpoint the genes for the proteins.
“We were afraid to approach it, because it’s very time-consuming and it takes many years,” he said, noting how involved it can be to grow new trees from seeds and assess their genetics. “But finally, we decided we have to dive in.”
When they examined the offspring of a mandarin and a grapefruit, the researchers saw something remarkable. Fifty percent of the young plants had high levels of furanocourmains, and 50 percent had none. That particular signature meant something very specific, in terms of how the ability to make these substances is inherited.
“We saw there was only one gene that could have controlled it,” said Livnat Goldenberg, a Volcani Center researcher who is the lead author of the new study.
The researchers soon identified the gene controlling the production of furanocoumarins in leaves and fruit, which produces an enzyme called 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, or 2OGD for short. Mandarins, it turns out, have a mutated form of this gene that keeps the enzyme from functioning properly. This version cropped up in all the mandarin and orange varieties the researchers checked, explaining why they do not cause the same problems as grapefruit in people taking prescription medications. In these plants, furanocoumarin production is paused.
With gene editing technology, it should be possible to alter the gene in grapefruit as well, Dr. Eyal suggests. The team at the Volcani Center is now exploring that project.
Looking at how widespread this mutated version is in mandarins and some other citrus, the scientists speculate that some gene nearby on the genome must play an important role in a highly prized trait. A long-ago citrus breeder, selecting for some unknown quality, must have unwittingly spread this furanocoumarin-busting version of the gene to an ancestor of modern varieties of mandarins and oranges.
All these years later, that person’s work is coming to light, under the gaze of geneticists, who may, someday, put grapefruit back on the menu.
Cases of tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” are on the rise in the U.S., according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis, the disease commonly infects rabbits, hares and rodents. However, it is zoonotic, which means it can spread from animals to humans.
The bacteria is a “tier-1 select agent,” a classification given to agents and toxins that “present the greatest risk of deliberate misuse with significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effects to the economy, critical infrastructure or public confidence, and pose a severe threat to public health and safety,” per the CDC.
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Although tularemia is relatively rare, with only 2,462 diagnoses between 2011 and 2022, cases have risen 56% compared to the prior decade (2001 to 2010), as reported in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Cases of tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” are on the rise in the U.S., according to a new report from the CDC. (iStock)
“Increased reporting of probable cases might be associated with an actual increase in human infection, improved tularemia detection or both,” the report states.
Millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease every year are caused by sugary drinks, according to newly published research.
Tufts University in Boston led the study, which found that about 2.2 million new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease were attributed to sugar-sweetened sodas and juices each year, according to a press release.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine this week.
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The highest rates were found in Colombia, where 48% of new diabetes cases were linked to sugary drinks, and in Mexico, where nearly a third of cases were attributed to them.
Meanwhile, in Latin America, more than 24% of new diabetes cases were linked to sugary beverages, and 21% in sub-Saharan Africa, the study found.
About 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease occur each year worldwide due to consuming sugar-sweetened soda and juices, according to the findings of a new study. (iStock)
In South Africa, 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases were attributed to sugary drinks.
Sugary drinks are rapidly digested, causing a spike in blood sugar levels with little nutritional value.
Sugary drinks cause blood sugar to spike because they are “rapidly digested,” the research team said.
When consumed on a long-term basis, these types of beverages, in addition to increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, the researchers added.
Men are more likely than women to suffer the consequences of sugary drink consumption, as are younger adults compared to their older counterparts, a new study asserts. (iStock)
Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author, said in a university press release, “Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations.”
He added, “Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well-equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences.”
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Certain groups are more likely to experience negative health effects from sugary drinks, including men and younger adults, the researchers noted, as news agency SWNS also noted.
New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the research, said the findings were to be expected, as diets rich in added sugars are more likely to increase the risk of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
When consumed on a long-term basis, these types of beverages can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, experts say. (iStock)
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major cause of added sugar in the diet and easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness,” she told Fox News Digital.
“The high calorie content and lack of satisfaction due to little protein, fat or fiber in these drinks can lead to excess calorie consumption, which can lead to weight gain — especially gains in visceral fat (belly fat), which has been found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes,” she went on.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness.”
Palinski-Wade pointed out that there were some limitations to the new research.
“This was an observational study, not a causation study, and shows only an association between diets containing sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes,” she noted.
“It does not prove that those drinks alone trigger an onset of type 2 diabetes.”
What needs to change?
To remedy the issue, the study authors called for a “multi-pronged approach,” including public health campaigns, regulations on advertising and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, the release stated.
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“We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages globally, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease,” first author Laura Lara-Castor, now at the University of Washington, said in the release.
Approximately 65% of adults in the U.S. consume sugar-sweetened beverages daily. (iStock)
Mexico implemented a sugary drinks tax in 2014, which has shown to be effective in reducing consumption, the researchers stated.
“Much more needs to be done, especially in countries in Latin America and Africa, where consumption is high and the health consequences severe,” wrote Mozaffarian.
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“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”
Many different factors are involved in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, Palinski-Wade noted.
“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”
“However, reducing your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages can go a long way toward improving overall blood sugar regulation and future health.”
The new research was supported by the Gates Foundation, the American Heart Association and Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for further comment.
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