Green Bananas

There's a bittersweet old joke that comes to mind today:

"Doctor, Doctor, how much time do I have left to live?"

"Let's put it this way. Don't buy green bananas."

For the last few days I thought that I'd bought my last green banana because I've been very ill and in hospital until noon today. I have felt pretty grim and a little afraid that this was how I would end my days. It's a sobering thought. The doctor on call booted me out today, which is okay by me. It's good to be home again.

We stopped for a few groceries on the way home from the hospital and bought some green bananas, a symbol of hope for us both.

Tips for Safe Sneezing

clipped from www.newsdaily.com Ailing individuals who do not want to spread their infections should sneeze into their sleeves rather than their hands, a British virus expert recommends Professor John Oxford of London's Queen Mary medical school has claimed that by sneezing into one's sleeve or crook of the elbow, a person who is sick can significantly limit the spread of their infection, The Telegraph said Saturday "The new etiquette should be to cough and sneeze into your elbow," "It breaks the chain of transmission, and you must wash your hands properly and regularly." Other keys to preventing the spread of infection are repeatedly washing your hands and using disposable tissues rather than a handkerchief "You should sing 'Happy Birthday' twice over while washing your hands with hot water and soap, a quick squirt of cold water will not do it," the virus expert told the British newspaper. "The handkerchief can be a harbinger of unpleasant micro-organisms. Bacteria can multiply in them."

The new etiquette? I don't believe that the practice is new at all. Haven't we all seen others do it, or have been guilty of doing it ourselves?

Sneezing and coughing into your sleeve helps prevent airborne transmission of viruses and bacteria, but there is a certain yuck! factor in having saliva & snot caked sleeves. The good doctor should have mentioned the obvious need to handle infected clothing carefully and wash it thoroughly...and promptly!

Walkable neighborhoods & depression risk linked: study

clipped from news.yahoo.com Living in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood may help shield older men from depression, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among 740 older adults living in the Seattle area, men who lived in more walkable neighborhoods tended to show fewer depression symptoms than men from less walker-friendly areas. Walkable neighborhoods have sidewalks, streets with safe intersections, and stores, restaurants and other destinations within a short distance. In their study, Berke and his colleagues found that men who lived in such areas had lower scores on a standard measure of depression -- even with other factors, like overall health, income and exercise habits, taken into account. if pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods do offer depression protection, that would be important for older adults who are deciding where to live after they retire It could also mean that more senior centers and assisted living facilities should be built in walkable neighborhoods.

Suburban sprawl is not just an environmental issue; this study indicates that it is also mental health issue, particularly for men.

Core Health Indicators from WHO

clipped from www3.who.int Core Health Indicators Country, Indicator and Year selection These are the latest Core Health Indicators from WHO sources, including 'World Health Statistics 2006' and 'The World Health Report, 2006 Edition'. With this query system, you can construct tables for any combination of countries, indicators and years. WHO African Region WHO Region of the Americas WHO South-east Asia Region WHO European Region WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region WHO Western Pacific Region All countries Mortality Morbidity Health Service Coverage Risk Factors Health Systems Inequities in Health Demographic and Socioeconomic Statistics Information and Communication Technology All Indicators Years: (select latest available or all years) Help Latest available year All years

It is extremely enlightening to compare and contrast the core health indicators of different countries, including literacy;school enrollment; income; and telephone (fixed & mobile), computers and Internet use and availability.