Whether you’re undergoing surgery or just getting a stitch or two, the experience of going to the hospital is scary enough without increasing concerns about Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) making the trip downright terrifying. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans come down with 1.7 million HAIs in a given year and 99,000 of those infections result in death. Believe it or not, HAIs kill more people than AIDS, breast cancer and auto accidents combined!

One major cause of HAIs is the bacteria Clostridium difficile or C. diff. Every day, over 7,000 hospital patients in America are infected with C. diff. About 300 of them will go on to die from the bacteria. So what can you do to avoid an HAI? If you’re being admitted to the hospital any time soon, consider these few tips before you check in:

1. Wash Your Hands.

We all learned this in preschool but as adults some of us need reminding, especially when in the hospital. People touch their faces, including eyes, nose and mouth very often throughout the day even though they may not realize it. It’s incredibly important to wash your hands frequently and advise any visitors you have to do the same.

2. Watch for Symptoms.

Symptoms of C. diff infection can range from diarrhea and stomach cramps to nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, be sure to tell the nurse. Your doctor will likely administer tests to determine the cause of the symptoms. Hospital workers will likely isolate you and start wearing protective gowns and gloves to avoid spreading the infection.

3. Be Proactive. Take Probiotics.

Taking supplemental probiotics before, during and after your hospital visit can support the balance of gut flora and a healthy immune response. One probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii is especially useful for people with C. diff, particularly those that have recurrent C. diff infections, because it works quickly and is not affected by antibiotics. Other types of probiotics can help you maintain the balance of healthy bacteria and naturally crowd out the bad bacteria. Be sure to take a supplement with a variety of strains plus a high culture count to make the most impact.

Please note: C. difficile infection is a very serious, sometimes even fatal condition and should only be treated under the care of a qualified physician. Many physicians are now treating C. diff with a combination of probiotics and antibiotics, so be sure to speak to your doctor about the supplements you wish to take.

C. difficile, Hospital Acquired Infections, probiotics Hide

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Unfortunately, for some the wisdom of age may obscure the view out of those windows.  For people over the age of 60, age-related macular degeneration is the number one cause of vision loss. Antioxidants such as zinc, lutein, vitamins A, C and E have been recommended for vision loss and may also slow the progression of eye diseases. But now there’s also encouraging news supporting the use of fish oil for keeping your eyes healthy and your ophthalmologist happy.

Macular degeneration is a condition where the macula, a small area in the back of the eye that helps refine the focus of objects in view, becomes damaged and objects begin to appear blurry. Those with age-related macular degeneration develop blurred vision or even a “blind spot” over time that can slowly interfere with daily life, making it difficult to read, drive or even recognize faces. According to an article due to appear in the June issue of JAMA Archives of Ophthalmology, regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help reduce the risk of macular degeneration in women.

The study was conducted using information on dietary habits from over 38,000 women and included a 10 year follow up. The study surmised that eating one or more servings of fish per week was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of age-related macular degeneration when compared to eating fish less than once per month. This research confirms previous studies, some showing that eating fish cuts the risk of the disease in half!

Luckily, other studies show that taking the main Omega-3 fats found in fish, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), regularly also reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration. This is good news for the many people who are concerned about eye health but aren’t able or don’t want to consume fish. Whether it’s personal taste, limited availability or the increasing concern about the high levels of mercury in fish, many people are happy to get the benefits of Omega-3 fats in one convenient softgel rather than head to the fish counter at the grocery store.

For those looking for a one per day fish oil, be sure that you choose a high quality fish oil that offers high concentrations of EPA and DHA, has been purified to remove contaminants and is third-party tested for freshness.

eye health, fish oils, Omega 3, Women’s health Hide