SPOTTING HEALTH SCAMS

Transcription

1 WORKSITE wellness JANUARY 2007 SPOTTING HEALTH SCAMS You see the ads everywhere these days Smart Drugs for Long Life or Arthritis Aches and Pains Disappear like Magic! or even testimonials claiming, This treatment cured my cancer in one week. It s easy to understand the appeal of these promises. But there is still plenty of truth to the old saying, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Quacks people who sell unproven remedies have been around for years. Today they have more ways than ever to peddle their wares. In addition to TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, infomercials, mail, and even word-of-mouth, they now can use the internet websites offer miracle cures; s tell stories of overnight magic. Sadly, older people are often the target for such scams. In fact, a government study found that most victims of health care fraud are over age 65. The problem is serious. Unproven remedies may be harmful. They may also waste money. And, sometimes, using these remedies keeps people from getting the medical treatment they need. INSIDE THIS ISSUE... GET HEALTHY TIPS OF THE MONTH 2 Unproven remedies promise false hope. Often they offer cures that are painless or quick. Why do people fall for these sales pitches? After all, at best these treatments are worthless. At worst, they are dangerous. One reason health care scams work is that they prey on people who are frightened or in pain. Living with a chronic health problem is hard. It s easy to see why people might fall for a false promise of a quick and painless cure. TENSION HEADACHES TIPS FOR TEENS RECIPE OF THE MONTH 5 You may see unproven remedies in products for: Anti-Aging. Claims for pills or treatments that lead to eternal youth play on the great value our culture places on staying young. But, aging is normal. A product may smooth your wrinkles, but no treatments have yet been proven to slow the aging process. Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and not smoking are your best bets to help prevent some of the diseases that occur more often with age. In other words, making healthy lifestyle choices can increase your chances of aging well. Arthritis Remedies. Unproven arthritis remedies can be easy to fall for because symptoms of arthritis tend to come and go. You may believe the remedy you are using is making you feel better when, in fact, it is just the normal ebb and flow of your symptoms.

2 2 HEALTHCARE BUILT FOR YOU GET HEALTHY TIP OF THE MONTH You may see claims that so-called treatments with herbs, oils, chemicals, special diets, radiation, and other products cured arthritis. This is highly unlikely. Individual testimonials alone do not guarantee that a product is effective. Instead, scientific studies proving that a treatment works are needed. While these products may not hurt you, they are costly and aren t likely to help much either. There is no cure for most forms of arthritis, but rest, exercise, heat, and drugs which can help many people control their symptoms. If you are thinking about a new treatment, talk with your doctor first. Cancer Cures. Quacks prey on people s fear of cancer. They promote treatments with no proven value for example, a diet dangerously low in protein or drugs such as Laetrile. By using unproven methods, people with cancer may lose valuable time and the chance to receive a proven, effective treatment. This delay may lessen the chance for controlling or curing the disease. Memory Aids. Many people worry about losing their memory as they age. They may wrongly believe false promises that unproven treatments can help them keep or improve their memory. So-called smart pills, removal of amalgam dental fillings, and brain retraining exercises are all examples of untested approaches that claim to help memory. Be wary. Question what you see or hear in ads or on the internet. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV stations do not always check to make sure the claims in their ads are true. Find out about a product before you buy. Don t let a sales person force you to make a snap decision. Check with your doctor first. Remember stories about the old snake oil salesman who traveled from town to town making claims for his fabulous product? Well, chances are today s quack is using the same sales tricks. Look for red flags in ads or promotional material that: Promise a quick or painless cure, Claim to be made from a special, secret, or ancient formula often only available by mail or from one sponsor, Use testimonials or undocumented case histories from satisfied patients, Claim to be effective for a wide range of ailments, Claim to cure a disease (such as arthritis or cancer) that is not yet understood by medical science, Offer an additional free gift or a larger amount of the product as a special promotion, or Require advance payment and claim limited availability of the product. Source:

3 HEALTHCARE BUILT FOR YOU TENSION HEADACHES More than 90 percent of headaches are tension headaches, which become more frequent and severe during times of emotional or physical stress. Tightness or pain in the muscles of the neck, back and shoulders may accompany a tension headache. A previous neck injury or arthritis in the neck can also cause tension headaches. A tension headache may cause pain all over your head, pressure, or a feeling like having a tight band around your head. Your head may feel like it is in a vise. Some people feel a dull, pressing, burning sensation above the eyes. The pain may also affect the jaw, face, neck, and upper back. You can rarely pinpoint the center or source of pain. Try the following suggestions to prevent tension headaches: Reduce emotional stress. Take time to relax before and after you do something that has caused a headache in the past. Try progressive muscle relaxation. Reduce physical stress. When sitting at a desk, change positions often, and stretch for 0 seconds each hour. Make a conscious effort to relax your jaw, neck, shoulders and upper back muscles. Evaluate your neck and shoulder posture at work and make adjustments if needed. Exercise daily. It will help relieve tension. Treat yourself to a massage. Some people find regular massages very helpful in relieving tension. Limit your caffeine intake to 1 to 2 cups per day. People who drink a lot of caffeinated beverages often develop a headache several hours after they have had their last caffeinated beverage or may wake up with a headache that is relieved by drinking caffeine. Cut down slowly to avoid caffeinewithdrawal headaches. TIPS FOR TEENS HOW MUCH SLEEP DO I NEED? Until recently, teens were often given a bad rap for staying up late, oversleeping for school, and falling asleep in class. But recent studies show that adolescent sleep patterns actually differ from those of adults and kids. STRESS TIP OF THE MONTH These studies show that during the teen years, the body s circadian rhythm (sort of like an internal biological clock) is reset, telling a person to fall asleep later and wake up later. Unlike kids and

4 4 HEALTHCARE BUILT FOR YOU adults, whose bodies tell them to go to sleep and wake up earlier, most teens bodies tell them go to sleep late at night and sleep into the late morning. This change in the circadian rhythm seems to be due to the fact that melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleeping and waking patterns, is produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults. This can make it harder for teens to fall asleep early. These changes in the body s circadian rhythm coincide with a time when we re busier than ever. For most teens, the pressure to do well in school is more intense than when they were kids, and it s harder to get by without studying hard. But teens also have other demands on their time - everything from sports and other extracurricular activities to fitting in a parttime job to save money for college. Early start times in some schools also play a role in this sleep deficit. Teens that fall asleep after midnight may still have to get up early for school, meaning that they may only squeeze in 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night. An hour or 2 of missed sleep a night may not seem like a big deal, but it can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time. This sleep deficit impacts everything from a teen s ability to pay attention in class to his or her mood. Research shows that 20% of high school students fall asleep in class, and experts have been able to tie lost sleep to poorer grades. Lack of sleep also damages people s ability to do their best in athletics. Slowed responses and concentration from lack of sleep don t just affect school or sports performance, though. The fact that sleep deprivation slows reaction times can be life threatening for teens that drive. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration estimates that 1,500 people are killed every year in crashes caused by drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 who are simply tired. (More than half of the people who cause crashes because they fall asleep at the wheel are under the age of 26.) Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional troubles, such as feelings of sadness and depression. Sleep helps keep us physically healthy, too, by slowing our body s systems enough to re-energize us after everyday activities. Even if you think you re getting enough sleep, you may not be. Here are some of the signs that you may need more sleep: Difficulty waking up in the morning Inability to concentrate Falling asleep during classes Feelings of moodiness and even depression Source: Teens Health

5 5 HEALTHCARE BUILT FOR YOU HOT SKINS Yields: 1 serving RECIPE OF THE MONTH Cooking Time: 10 minutes What You Will Need: Medium baked potato ¼ teaspoon oregano 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon paprika Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut cooled baked potato in half crosswise. Scoop out insides and reserve for another use, leaving a thin layer of potato along the skin. Cut in half again lengthwise and place on baking sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with seasonings and bake 10 minutes or until crisp. Dip skins in mustard, salsa, homemade catsup or non-fat sour cream. Nutritional Information: Calories: 97, Calories from Fat: 1 Total Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0g, Sodium: 10mg Carbohydrate: 2g, Fiber: 4g Protein: 2g SVHP-0455