Blog ~ Jeanette M. Williams, MD

Exciting News!!

Shingles is an awful infection. It presents as a very painful, blistering rash on the skin that usually presents on the torso, neck or face, though it can present anywhere. Sometimes the pain can last for years after the rash has resolved. I always feel so sorry for my patients when they get this.

Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus that we had when we were young. We cleared that infection, but the virus can continue to live in our nervous system for many years. Some people may not remember having chicken pox, but studies show that close to 99% of adults over 50 have been exposed or infected. This means that these same people are at risk of having a shingles infection!We have had a shingles vaccination around since 2006 called Zostavax. I was happy to make this available to my patients because decreasing their risk of this awful illness with a simple vaccine makes a lot of sense to me. That vaccine was only about 50-70% effective, but it was the best we had.

It’s hot outside!

The Calistoga weather forecast says we will be in the 90s ALL week. Are you staying hydrated? I am sure many of you are tired of hearing me say it, but it is so important. We need to drink water! Our adult bodies are 50-60% water, with an even higher percentages in kids! That is a lot to maintain, but so important. Every cell in your body needs it. How much do you need to drink? It might sound silly, but I think the best and easiest way to check yourself is by…

HEALTHY ADVICE FOR THE DAY

… If I were just going to give you all one piece of advice for keeping yourself healthy, it would be figure out a way to make exercise a daily habit. Exercise helps EVERYTHING! It improves energy, improves sleep, improves mood, decreases risk for heart disease, strokes, dementia, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and improves just about everything else you can think of!

Often, if we try to schedule our exercise later in the day, we find things that get in the way of our following through with this plan. One great way to combat this problem is to…