======================== JeffNEWS, August 1, 1995 ======================== You and Your Health and Safety Commit to Get Fit at the Commons -------------------------------- The membership drive for the 1995-96 year is under way at Jefferson's fitness and recreation facility, the Commons. Joining the Commons makes it easy to exercise and stay in shape. It's located on campus in Jefferson Alumni Hall, there's no travel involved, so all you have to do is commit yourself and schedule the time on your calendar to work out. It offers something for everyone, no matter your fitness level: swimming, racquetball, fitness center and weight room, aerobics classics, massage therapy and more. Yearly memberships run from September 1 through August 31. Fees are $320 for an individual and $535 for a family of up to four. For more information, please call 7743 or stop by the Activities Office, B-100 Jeff Hall, to have a look around the facility. Take Special Care With Youngest Sunworshipers --------------------------------------------- Dermatologist Steven Greenbaum, MD, JMC clinical associate professor of dermatology and chief of cutaneous surgery, says many parents don't realize that a child's skin is less tolerant of harmful ultraviolet rays and can burn much faster than an adult's. The best form of prevention for young and old alike is to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible. When you and your children do spend time in the sun, whether at the beach or in the backyard, Dr. Greenbaum suggests: o Use sunscreen. SPF 15 sunscreen is sufficient for most adults, but choose one with a higher number for children. Apply a waterproof variety to all exposed areas at least 30 minutes before going outside (even on overcast days) for maximum sun protection. o Avoid midday sun. If you are outdoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., make sure your child wears sunscreen, a t-shirt and a wide-brim hat. o If your child does get sunburned, keep him or her out of the sun until the skin has healed. Use cool compresses to relieve the pain and sooth the skin. Do not pop any blisters that may form. o Infants six months old and younger should never be left out in the sun. A baby's skin is especially sun-sensitive and over-exposure to sunlight could permanently damage the skin. New Vaccine Means No More Chickenpox ------------------------------------ With the Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of a chickenpox vaccine, one of the last remaining major diseases of childhood may soon be a memory. Jefferson pediatrician Patricia Camody-Johnston, MD, answers questions parents may have about the vaccine. Who should get it? Children between the ages of 12 and 18 months who do not have history of chickenpox should be immunized. Older children or adults who never had the disease should be vaccinated as well. Pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems should not receive it. How is the vaccine given? Like most other vaccines, the chickenpox vaccine will be injected into the arm. Young children will get one dose; children over age 13 and adults will get two doses, given four to eight weeks apart. How effective is it? The vaccine is 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing chickenpox. If you are immunized and get chickenpox, it's usually a very mild form of the disease. Are there any side effects? Some people experience mild soreness, redness, swelling or a rash at the injection site. Reactions usually occur within the first two days of the vaccination but can occur up to one month later. Beat the Heat Before It Beats You --------------------------------- When the temperature and relative humidity soar into the 90s, the weather can have a severe effect on your health. Whether you're working or playing outdoors, be alert to warning signals of heat-related illnesses, says Joseph Zeccardi, MD, director of the division of emergency medicine. Fainting spells or light-headedness are symptoms of heat exhaustion. If you start feeling faint, cool off inside, replenish body fluids and take deep breaths to increase oxygen to the blood. To reduce risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke: o Drink plenty of noncaffeinated fluids throughout the day. Coffee, tea and soda with caffeine cause the body to eliminate water. o Use air conditioners or fans when the temperature rises above 90 degrees, or 80 degrees when the humidity is high. o Limit strenuous outdoor activity. o Dress in light-colored, loose-fitting, natural-fabric clothing to keep cool. o Rest when feeling short of breath. New Test Safeguards Newborns ---------------------------- The FDA has cleared a new test, more sensitive and quicker than previous ones, to identify expectant mothers who carry Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacteria that lives in a woman's genital tract, and can cause life- threatening problems if passed to newborns during labor. As many as 40 percent of all pregnant women carry GBS, a cousin of the bacteria that causes strep throat, without any noticeable symptoms, says Neil Silverman, MD, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine. Intravenous antibiotics, given during labor to women at greatest risk of passing the infection to their baby, minimizes the threat of serious infection in the newborn. Unfortunately, until now, there was no test that was both fast and sensitive enough to identify women carrying the bacteria to allow doctors to treat them in the period before delivery. Previous tests for GBS were usually performed some time in the third trimester, which may be too soon to catch late-occurring infections, or not sensitive enough to detect the majority of carrier women. The new test is far more sensitive than earlier tests and can be performed in as little as 30 minutes. Summer Eye Care Tips -------------------- Certain summertime activities carry risks to the eyes that you can avoid with a few simple precautions, brought to you by Wills ophthalmologist Jack B. Jeffers, MD. o Be careful around the eye area when applying sunscreen products. These products can cause conjunctivitis and inflammation of the cornea if they get into your eyes. If this happens, wash your eyes immediately with clear water or a commercial eye wash. o Wear sunglasses that screen out 98 to 100 percent of ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B light (check the label). Wear sunglasses in both bright and hazy light. o Don't wear contact lenses while swimming. Wearing soft contacts in any kind of water makes you susceptible to a painful, potentially blinding parasitic infection. o Wear goggles in chlorinated water to guard against chemical conjunctivitis. o Wear protective polycarbonate sports goggles or a face guard when playing baseball, hockey, racquetball or other sports. o High-powered water guns, whose force at close range can be damaging to the eye, should not be part of your child's toy box. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Information provided by: Editor, JeffNEWS (215) 955-6204 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------