Tag Archives: hepatitis

CDC Now Recommends Hepatitis B Vaccine for Diabetics

We are now in the era of preventative medicine. Susan G. Komen’s recent reversal of their funding to Planned Parenthood was mainly due to the protest by people because their funding helps provide mammograms to detect breast cancer in women who can’t afford them. Thousands of free flu shots are provided in low income areas. Recently the Centers for Disease Control released new recommendations for 2024 that include Hepatitis B vaccine recommended for diabetics.

Diabetics have a lot on their plate, figuratively speaking of course. Not only is it their responsibility to monitor their blood sugar, food intake, exercise and medication usage, but they also have to make sure they have yearly dilated eye exams, do daily foot exams, and twice a year dental exams and cleanings. Complications of diabetes include effects on the eyes like blurred vision and possible blindness, gum disease, and nerve pain that results in lack of sensation in the extremities like the feet. That’s why all these screenings are so important to diabetes care. With having weakened immune systems diabetics are encouraged to get flu and pneumonia vaccines. Added to this conversation now is the Hepatitis B Vaccine. (more…)

Protect Your Family Against Food Borne Illness

I’m terrified of food borne illnesses and rightly so. E. coli, salmonella and hepatitis are only a few of the diseases that can be contracted from food that is improperly prepared. I’ve compiled the following tips for safe food handling from the CDC, USDA and FDA websites.

When you prepare:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food. Also be sure you wash your hands when switching from meat to produce.
  • Freezing meat (raw or cooked) is perfectly fine but be sure to thaw it properly. Plan ahead so that it can be thawed slowly in the refrigerator, as opposed to on the counter at room temperature.
  • As a general rule, rinse all fresh produce.
  • Do not rinse your chicken. Rinsing chicken is unnecessary and only spreads bacteria from the raw meat to your sink where it so easily travels to other areas.

(more…)

Ideal Diet for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C (HCV), a viral liver disease that leads to the inflammation of the liver, affects about 3.9 million Americans. Hepatitis C is a condition within a class of hepatitis diseases, considered the most serious and life-threatening of them all.

While there is medical treatment available for those with hepatitis that can delay the progress of the disease, diet is an important factor in keeping the person’s immune system strong and healthy.

A diet for a person with HCV is not that much different than a diet that is recommended for anyone who wants to stay fit, strong and maintain a healthy body weight.

Here are nutrition and health guidelines for a person with hepatitis C: (more…)