Living Well Podcast by Jefferson Health

Helping Children Navigate Grief Around the Holidays

The holidays are upon us and millions of Americans will be missing a loved one at the family gathering this year. Jefferson’s Safe Harbor program helps families manage their grief together with helpful activities, support groups, and resources. In this episode, coordinators of the program talk about things a grieving family can do around the holidays to honor their lost loved one. They share three Cs that are valuable to coping with grief: choice, communication, and compromise.

 

Visit Safe Harbor’s website for a list of books on grief, answers to frequently asked questions by children about their grief, and more.

 

Read Ashley Jefferson’s full article on the Safe Harbor program for more from today’s interview, including how you can support others who are grieving, too.

 

Follow Jefferson Health:

@TJUHospital on Twitter

@JeffersonHealth on Instagram

@JeffersonHospital on Facebook

Taking Care of Your Health This Fall—From Breast Self-Exam and Women’s Health to the Latest on COVID Immunity

Dietician Recommends Pumpkin All Year Round 

Did you know that some of your favorite fall treats may not contain real pumpkin at all? Dr. Cheryl Marco discusses the incredible nutritional value of the real deal. Pumpkins, their seeds and pulp are rich in vitamins and minerals and are among the best-known sources of beta carotene. 

  

COVID Update 

Dr. John Zurlo gives an update on the state of the virus. Data is showing that the vaccines developed for the virus have just as much efficacy against the variants as they do against the original virus. And while it’s important that antibodies produced from natural and vaccine-induced immunity can help defend our bodies against the virus, they won’t necessarily completely prevent future illness or stop the spread of COVID-19.  
MORE INFO: 
How Effective Are the Vaccines Against the Variant, Should We Get Booster 
What to Expect For Booster Shots This Fall 

 

How to Give Yourself a Self-Breast Exam and When to Start Screening 
Self-breast exams are important in the detection of breast cancer and should be started between the ages of 25 and 30. Learn how to appropriately perform a self-exam, and what imaging is needed if pursuing medical help. 
MORE INFO: 
Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer 
What I Wish People Knew About Surviving Breast Cancer 
Best Diet For Better Breast Cancer Outcomes 
10 Things Everyone Should Know About Mammograms 

 

Midwifery on the Rise in the US, Jefferson Health Expanding Services 
For a practice that has been around for centuries, there are still many questions and myths surrounding midwifery. Jefferson midwives bust common myths like that midwives don’t have formal training, you can’t use pain medicine under the care of a midwife, and more. 
MORE INFO: 
Is a Midwife Right For You? 

 
Follow Jefferson Health: 

@TJUHospital on Twitter 

@JeffersonHealth on Instagram 

@JeffersonHospital on Facebook 

COVID Update and A Look into the Future

With information about COVID-19 continuing to rapidly change, we kick off the new season of The Health Nexus Podcast by checking in with the Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. John Zurlo. He weighs in on emerging variants, return to school, booster shots, and more.

 

Since the time of recording, guidance has been released by the FDA recommending a booster shot for adults over the age of 65 years. The agency will likely issue a final decision shortly.

 

For more information on managing COVID for yourself and your family, visit TheHealthNexus.org. You’ll find personal stories from patients dealing with Long Haul COVID and tips from pediatricians on keeping your children safe as they go back to school.

 

Follow Jefferson Health:

@TJUHospital on Twitter

@JeffersonHealth on Instagram

@JeffersonHospital on Facebook.

Living with Long COVID and Hopes for New Treatment

The term Long COVID, also known as Long-Haul COVID, has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for post-COVID conditions and symptoms affecting patients for multiple weeks after their initial infections. Patients experience a string of strange symptoms like brain fog, rashes and weight loss. Newly released guidance from the Biden Administration now categorizes "long COVID" as a physical or mental impairment, entitling qualified individuals with the illness to discrimination protections under the American Disabilities Act.

 

In a quest to find answers, many patients have turned to social media to figure out what is happening to their bodies. In this episode, three women discuss their symptoms, their discovery that it’s COVID-related, and how vitamin C infusions, food elimination and other alternative practices are bringing hope to their otherwise hopeless journey.

For more information on integrative medicine to treat long COVID, check out Marcus Institute of Integrative Health.

Read more from our experts on Long COVID and learn about Jefferson’s involvement in a CDC study on the condition. Plus, hear more from one of the women featured in the episode, Alexandra Hackett. 

 

Follow Jefferson Health @TJUHospital on Twitter, @JeffersonHealth on Instagram and @JeffersonHospital on Facebook.

What You Need to Know For A COVID-Free Summer

Restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID are easing up and vaccines are effective, but the virus is still a risk. Before you head out to enjoy common summer activities, make sure you understand any associated risks for COVID for you and your family.

Infectious disease physician Dr. Mark Fussa and family medicine physician Dr. Karen Dong discuss how you can assess your personal risk and evaluate certain activities like dining and travel. Also, pediatrician Dr. Vanessa Carlo gives the outlook for children and teens and what parents can do to prepare for vaccine distribution in younger age groups.

Read more on The Health Nexus about how you can stay safe this summer and also how to cope with social anxiety as COVID restrictions are lifted.

How to Regain Your Smell and Taste After COVID

COVID often presents itself with an unusual symptom-- the loss of taste and smell, also known as anosmia. Americans have taken to quirky remedies found on social media to try to regain their senses. But no need to continue scrolling. Otolaryngologist Dr. David Rosen from Jefferson Health shares ways you can bring back your smell and taste with at-home and over-the-counter treatments, and also discusses a new clinical trial.

If you're interested in learning more about the clinical trial, please call 215-955-6760.

Read more from Dr. Rosen on The Health Nexus. And check out other articles on how the pandemic is affecting our bodies and when to schedule a mammogram after receiving your COVID vaccine.

Follow Jefferson Health @TJUHospital on Twitter, @JeffersonHealth on Instagram and @JeffersonHospital on Facebook.

 

The Creatives of COVID: Finding Inspiration Amid a Pandemic

The last year has often felt like a never-ending one. It’s as if the year 2020 was just one long month of March. And here we are, a year later, with tremendous social and economic upheaval, and a virus that continues to devastate across the world. Amid the chaos, though, there has been so much creativity. 

In this episode, we meet four individuals who brought especially creative projects to Jefferson Health, including artists who discovered new talents and patients who gave back to their care teams in creative ways.

For more stories about our lives in the pandemic, including a multimedia-rich oral history of the past year, visit TheHealthNexus.org.

Follow Jefferson Health @TJUHospital on Twitter, @JeffersonHealth on Instagram and @JeffersonHospital on Facebook.

How the Stress of COVID Can Affect Your Body

It has been a stressful year in America with the threat and the impact of the coronavirus still very real in our everyday lives. All of that stress could be affecting your physical and mental health in ways you wouldn’t expect-- and you’re not alone.

In this episode, Dr. Beth Schwartz and Dr. Paul Chung, a gynecologist and urologist respectively, discuss how the stress of a pandemic is affecting men and women and what each can do to address their physical and mental health.

Check out more on The Health Nexus for how COVID could be affecting your period, and how understanding the activity in your brain can help with stress.

Follow Jefferson Health @TJUHospital on Twitter, @JeffersonHealth on Instagram and @JeffersonHospital on Facebook.

Do You Have a Cold or COVID?

In this episode, we compare and contrast symptoms of the common cold, the flu, and allergies with the coronavirus. Hear from various experts at Jefferson Health on how you can identify your symptoms and what you can do to treat each. Plus, get insight on what this upcoming flu season could look like as it intersects with the coronavirus.

Check out more on The Health Nexus, like what you should know about colds vs. the coronavirus, how to determine if it's seasonal allergies or the coronavirus, and insights from our expert on an impending "twindemic."

Follow Jefferson Health @TJUHospital on Twitter, @JeffersonHealth on Instagram and @JeffersonHospital on Facebook.

Diversity and Inclusion in Health Care, Academics and Business

In a time when racial tensions are high, many are focusing on how America can create a more equitable and inclusive society. This episode of The Health Nexus Podcast explores what various industries like health care, academics, and the corporate world need to do to promote equality. Hear from Jefferson's Chief Diversity Officer Lisette Martinez, clinical nurse advocate Tiffany Gibson, and PhD student Lebaron Agostini on their personal experiences and recommendations.

Check out TheHealthNexus.org for more content on diversity and inclusion, like how therapy can address racism, coping with racial trauma, and four staff members who share their coming out stories.

Follow Jefferson Health @TJUHospital on Twitter, @JeffersonHealth on Instagram and @JeffersonHospital on Facebook.