Ask the Harvard Experts: For COVID-19, Defining ‘Older’ and ‘Chronic Disease’
Q: I keep hearing about how older adults and those with chronic diseases have a higher risk from COVID-19. What is “older” and a “chronic disease”? A: Indeed, older adults and those with chronic health problems who get COVID-19 are more likely to require hospitalization and admission to an intensive care unit. “Older” is more […]
Caring for COVID-19 at Home
The chills started on a Friday in March, along with a fever — four days after Jerry and Colleen Rzepka flew back to Chicago from Orlando, Florida. With Jerry too exhausted to move any more than absolutely necessary, the retired couple stayed inside their Naperville home all weekend. Jerry took the back bedroom in their […]
‘It’s Not Over Until It’s Over’
5 things to know about hitting the COVID-19 peak As New York, California and other states begin to see their numbers of new COVID-19 cases level off or even slip, it might appear as if we’re nearing the end of the pandemic. President Donald Trump and some governors have pointed to the slowdown as an […]
Facing the Anguish of My Father’s COVID-19 Diagnosis
Above photo: Writer Katie Colt, as a baby with her father Norman Sack. Photo courtesy of Katie Colt My mother recently received a call from my father’s memory care facility in northern Cook County, letting her know that he had tested positive for COVID-19 — the facility’s first known positive case. I don’t know with certainty […]
Shutting Out the Coronavirus Threat for Seniors in Continuing Care Communities
With tight restrictions in place at their continuing care retirement community, Tom and Janice Showler are getting on each other’s nerves. Most days, Tom, 76, likes to drive out of their community ― Asbury Springhill in Erie, Pennsylvania — to the store to pick up a few items. “If you follow the right protocols, the […]
Temperature Check
Tips for tracking fever, a key symptom of coronavirus contagion After I was told I’d been exposed to the novel coronavirus, I tried to follow the best medical advice. I started working from home. I socially isolated. And I “self-monitored” for signs I’d been infected. Or, at least, I tried to. COVID-19 symptoms seem pretty […]
Chicago Health’s COVID-19 Resource Guide
With millions of people in Illinois unemployed, under lockdown and caring for loved ones, we’ve developed a list of local resources to help you through the COVID-19 crisis. We’ll check back regularly and update as we find out about more resources. If you know of any we’ve missed, (including in the suburbs), please let us […]
Coronavirus Comic Relief: Leaders Really Meme It When They Say Stay Home
Above illustration: Hannah Norman/KHN Illustration; Getty Images As the city confronts a wave of COVID-19 patients, Chicagoans are managing to get some belly laughs. The source? Memes of their leader staring down would-be social-distancing violators. In one doctored image, a somber Mayor Lori Lightfoot peers down from the roof of the famous Superdawg hotdog stand […]
Cancer Patients Face Uncertainty as Coronavirus Cripples Hospitals
Above photo: National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov. Photo by Rhoda Baer The federal government has encouraged health centers to delay nonessential surgeries while weighing the severity of patients’ conditions and the availability of personal protective equipment, beds and staffing at hospitals. People with cancer are among those at high risk of complications if infected with the […]
Doctors Ponder Best Advice as Patients Recover from Coronavirus
When David Vega fell ill with the novel coronavirus in mid-March, fever, chills and nausea left the 27-year-old Indiana medical student curled up in bed for days. After a test confirmed he had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, his doctor advised Vega to isolate himself at home for an additional week. The week […]
Smart Lifestyle Choices to Support Your Immune System During Coronavirus Crisis
So much of the COVID-19 pandemic is beyond your control — all of our control — and yet it’s undoubtedly affecting you, your family and your community. However, you can feel more empowered by making changes to support your immune system and your overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends hygiene […]
Ask the Harvard Experts: Lower Coronavirus-Related Stress with the Relaxation Response
Q: The coronavirus outbreak has raised my stress level. I am worried that it is making me more susceptible to infection. What can I do now to feel calmer? A: The stress response is also known as “the fight or flight” reaction. It’s what the body does as it prepares to confront or avoid danger. […]
Sheltered at Home, Families Broach End-of-Life Planning
Long before she contracted COVID-19 at a Kirkland, Washington, nursing home, Barbara Dreyfuss made sure to document the wishes that would govern how she died. The medical directive she signed last year at the Life Care Center outside Seattle called for no resuscitation if her heart stopped, no machine to help her breathe. The 75-year-old, […]
What to Do if You Lose Your Health Insurance During the Coronavirus Crisis
You can’t control whether you lose your job and your benefits because of COVID-19. You can, however, take steps to protect yourself in case you wind up without health insurance during the global pandemic. Don’t panic. Take a breath. Collect yourself. And then make a plan. 1. If you have a spouse with insurance, try […]
Stop the Coronavirus: The Science of Washing Your Hands
It seems surreal: Twenty seconds of handwashing with plain soap and water are powerful enough to destroy microscopic coronavirus particles and help prevent the spread of the disease to yourself and others. But the science is real. Thanks to their molecular makeups, soap and water, combined with regular handwashing, can kill the coronavirus and other […]
Does Everyone Over 60 Need to Take the Same Coronavirus Precautions?
She knew it wasn’t a good idea and her daughter would disapprove. Nonetheless, Barbara Figge Fox, 79, recently went to four stores in Princeton, New Jersey, to shop for canned goods, paper towels, fresh fruit, yogurt and other items. “I was in panic mode,” says Fox, who admitted she’s been feeling both agonizing fear and […]
Why the Coronavirus is Worse than the Flu and When to Seek Medical Attention
With its symptoms of high fever, cough and body aches — and its potential to be severe — the coronavirus has drawn comparisons to the flu. However, make no mistake: The new coronavirus is no flu. Even though both are spread through respiratory droplets, the coronavirus is affecting people with far more severity and rapidity […]
View from the Frontline
A day in the life of an emergency medicine physician preparing for the coronavirus Meeta Shah, MD, is an emergency medicine physician and associate chief medical informatics officer at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She assisted in developing a video visit platform for triaging coronavirus patients through Rush’s current virtual care services. Here’s her first-person account […]
Seattle Nurses Scrounge for Masks to Stay Safe on Pandemic’s Front Lines
As the caseload of patients with the new coronavirus grows, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) are in short supply — and nurses in Washington state are resorting to workarounds to try to stay safe. Wendy Shaw, a charge nurse for an emergency room in Seattle, says her hospital and others have locked up […]
Op-Ed: Lessons from 9/11
We Must Act Swiftly to Beat Back COVID-19 On the morning of 9/11, the trauma director of the New York hospital where I was working mobilized a team of anesthesiologists, nurses, surgeons and surgical residents — myself included — to Ground Zero to care for the wounded. Amid the chaos, ashes and whirling office paper, […]
Amid Pandemic, Programs Struggle to Reach Vulnerable Seniors Living at Home
Close down group meals for seniors. Cancel social gatherings. The directive, from the Illinois Department on Aging, sent shock waves through senior service organizations late last week. Overnight, Area Agencies on Aging had to figure out how to help people in their homes instead of at sites where they mingle and get various types of […]
Take a Deep Breath: Making Risk-Based Decisions in the Coronavirus Era
Just last week, it seemed okay to have lunch out or maybe meet up with friends for a game of pickup soccer. Now, in the fast-moving world of the coronavirus response, that’s no longer the case. More and better social distancing is required. But what’s still acceptable? We reached out to public health experts, who, […]
Sensory-Friendly Events
Chicago theaters and museums set the scene for families with special needs Chicago has a wealth of cultural opportunities, but for some families, those options are off the table. Families with children on the autism spectrum often opt to stay home if they feel their loved one might be disruptive at a busy museum. Others […]
Being Aware of Parkinson’s Drugs
There is a long list of drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease, and many people take a mix of medications to manage the motor skills and side effects. The gold standard and most potent is levodopa, which the brain synthesizes to form dopamine. Other options include dopamine agonists and anticholinergic drugs to help reduce tremors. MAO-B […]
Putting Treatments into Motion
Parkinson’s disease — a progressive movement disorder — has no cure, but better treatments are giving more hope If you had told Rick Mazursky 13 years ago that he would be working out most days, hitting stickers on a boxing bag while simultaneously spelling words aloud, or balancing on a stability ball while throwing punches, […]
Aiding People with Alzheimer’s Through the Arts
While people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia gradually lose the ability to speak and to remember, the arts can help ground them, keep them engaged and let them express themselves. “The arts enrich the quality of life of individuals with memory loss and provide them with a sense of purpose and meaning,” […]
Communicating with People with Memory Loss
Lessons Lynn Roberts learned while caring for her mother When interacting with someone with Alzheimer’s disease, it can be helpful to avoid confrontation, create a calm environment, and focus on communicating slowly and clearly. Correcting them, or trying to jog their memory, might make them feel frustrated or agitated. Play along. Enter their reality. “I’d […]
Stolen Memories
The losses of Alzheimer’s disease mount for patients and their families Lynn Roberts first noticed her mother’s memory issues in 2007. At 70 years old, her mother still had her quick wit and independence and could fully care for her husband, who had Parkinson’s disease. But her memory was starting to wane. While driving, her […]
What it’s Like to Live with Dementia
Chicago resident Tom Doyle shares with us what living with dementia is like for him. Here are his words, as told to Chicago Health writer Kate Silver. Last year, my husband, Levi, and I were attending a meeting for the Alzheimer’s Association at a downtown hotel, and we took a break for lunch. The waiter […]
7 Foundations for a Healthy Brain
While growing older can bring maturity and wisdom, it can also bring a decline in our cognitive abilities, like memory, processing speed and other brain functions. But healthy lifestyle behaviors can reduce the risk of dementia, says Klodian Dhana, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center and […]
How Different Types of Dementia Affect the Brain
Restituto Miranda Sr. occasionally reminisced about driving a taxicab, working in an office supplies store and riding his motorcycle. But there was one problem: To the best of his family’s knowledge, Miranda — who had worked as a meat cutter with the American Meat Packing Corp. in Chicago — never had done any of these […]
Dealing with Dementia
Types of memory loss vary, but the effects can be profound Rosemary Pagura of Elk Grove Village and her friends thought little of it when Rosemary said she couldn’t remember where she put the dessert for their party. “We all laughed. But the next day, when I found the dessert right in the very front […]
Eliminating the Fear Factor
Testicular cancer’s high cure rates turn panic into promise Testicular cancer rarely makes the headlines. Because so few men are diagnosed with the disease each year — the American Cancer Society puts the number of new cases at 9,610 annually — many men don’t pay attention to it. But they should. The earlier testicular cancer […]
Hidden Hormonal Disorder
Polycystic ovary syndrome’s far-ranging impacts on women’s health Back in 2013, Danni Allen, a native of Mundelein, shed 121 pounds and was crowned winner of NBC’s popular reality show, America’s Biggest Loser. Determined to keep the weight off, Allen maintained a lifestyle that included a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Yet in 2016, Allen […]
Back on Track
Treatments for scoliosis help adolescents at a tender time A diagnosis of scoliosis can throw a child a curveball. Typically, at age 10 to 15 — just as kids embark on the sensitive years of adolescence — they might notice that one hip appears higher than the other. Or their shoulders or waist might look […]
Smart Stats Brain – By the Numbers
Can Smartphones Detect Signs of Dementia?
Smartphones and watches have proven themselves in the health world. They can track sleep quality, heart rate and even the severity of a head injury. But can they also spot signs of cognitive decline? In August 2019, health measurement company Evidation Health set out to answer that, publishing the initial results of a study conducted […]
Sharing the Healing Power of Music
If music heals the soul, then patients at some Chicago hospitals are in luck. Award-winning nonprofit Sharing Notes organizes volunteer musicians to bring hospital patients weekly interactive performances of classical, folk, jazz and other styles of music. Allegra Montanari, Sharing Notes’ founder and executive director, wanted to share her love of music with others after […]
Moving Your Mind to Combat Anxiety
Physical exercise is a great stress-reliever, and teens these days are under a lot of stress. So when two Evanston Township High School students were looking for healthy ways to deal with their anxiety, they developed a program called Moving Your Mind, movingyourmind.com. Free, monthly classes for local teens combine physical activity — from indoor […]
SuperBetter Game Aims to Decrease Depression
One in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety, the World Health Organization reports. While some video games and apps can contribute to anxiety, one new game is designed to increase optimism, self-efficacy and social support. After suffering from a severe concussion in 2009, game designer Jane McGonigal created a resilience-building game and watched her anxious […]
Hope for Huntington’s Disease?
A progressive and fatal neurological disease, Huntington’s disease affects the entire brain. It’s “a constellation of three types of issues: motor, cognitive and psychiatric,” says Danny Bega, MD, a neurologist and director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Huntington’s disease clinic. There are no curative or preventive therapies, but there has been “an explosion of research in […]
Brain-Friendly Fats
There’s nothing fishy about omega-3 fatty acids Dietary fat is in fashion — and the type of fat you eat matters, especially for your brain health. The human brain is nearly 60% fat, and it thrives on fatty acid molecules for optimal function and health. Because the body cannot make fatty acids from scratch, it’s important to get […]
Feed Your Brain with Smoked Salmon Poke Bowls
When it comes to brain health, there’s nothing fishy about fish. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish are an integral part of cell membranes — including those of brain cells. Older adults who ate at least one serving of fatty fish such as salmon once a week performed better in cognitive skills, showing fewer negative […]
As Coronavirus Testing Gears Up, Specialized Swabs Running Out
The two top makers of the highly specialized swabs used to test patients for the novel coronavirus are straining to keep up with the demand, even as both the Italian and U.S. governments are working with them to increase production, including at a key manufacturing site in the midst of Italy’s outbreak. The nasopharyngeal swabs […]
Instead of Battling Knee Pain, Defeat It
From the first evaluation through rehabilitation, NorthShore Orthopaedic & Spine Institute is enhancing the patient experience and improving outcomes with highly specialized surgeons, physicians, nurses and therapists all under one roof.
Artificial Alternative
Cervical disc arthroplasty a better option than spinal fusion for many patients By Bob Bong Above photo: Dr. Mark Mikhael and his patient, Ann Sciortino. Cervical disc arthroplasty is a relatively new surgical procedure in which degenerated or herniated discs in the cervical spine (the neck) are replaced with artificial devices. The procedure is used to […]
Facing a Surge, Chicago-Area Hospitals Are Fighting for Coronavirus Tests
Photos courtesy of Rush University Medical Center With a fever, a cough and trouble breathing, Chicago resident Deborah Lielasus, who lives in North Center, was worried that she had COVID-19. Because she is 60 years old and immunocompromised due to autoimmune myelitis — both coronavirus risk factors — she was extra-concerned. She feared that her […]
Learning from the Dead
The enduring gift of donating a body to science When Phillip was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, his mind started spinning to end-of-life issues. He didn’t want to be buried. It was a waste of money and a waste of space. He felt okay with cremation, but the outcome seemed empty. He wondered if there […]
Former Federal Virus Hunter Says U.S. Needs to Act Before New Germs ‘Kick Your Door In’
Above photo: Dennis Carroll waits to be interviewed for the Netflix production of “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak.” Carroll for 15 years directed the pandemic influenza and emerging threats unit at the federal Agency for International Development (USAID) that helped identify more than 2,000 zoonotic viruses, or germs in animals. (Courtesy of Dennis Carroll) […]
The Misunderstood Heartbreak
Finding resilience after the devastation of perinatal loss Oak Park resident Lyndsi James* was just shy of 39 weeks pregnant with her second child in February 2013. Hagen’s room was ready, decorated with cars, trucks, airplanes and a letter “H” that his 3-year-old sister, Genevieve, had painted for him. Lyndsi’s doctor said that Hagen could […]