By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Given that the COVID 19 has visited our country, directives from the health officials are to maintain social isolation. If you are sick, stay home and don’t spread the germs to others. Sick contact contributes to community spread. Now that we are advised to stay indoors, many of us have to give up our gym routine or … Continue reading Why Exercise Boosts Up Your Immunity
By Fr. Antoine Farrugia, SDB (Malta Province) It may seem a bit of a stretch to link this corona virus to our Salesian history, but it is actually quite easy. In 1854, cholera broke out in northern Italy, and in the summer of 1854 there were over 3,000 cases in Genoa, not far from Turin. Cholera was a feared disease with a 60% death rate … Continue reading Coronavirus and Don Bosco
As many dioceses are encouraging the faithful to stay home, please find the below resource as a great tool for your families who cannot attend Mass. It was written by Fr. David O’Malley, SDB from the UK province. Spiritual Communion Resource PDF Continue reading Spiritual Communion Resource
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP This week, I am going to devote my message to the seniors because the experience of “cold feet” is quite different between age groups. Younger folks will have “cold feet” when they become indecisive when they face a major life-changing milestone. You probably have heard of having “cold feet” before their wedding. Well, for us, old folks, … Continue reading How to Take Care of Your Cold Feet?
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP I always wonder if there is a scientific base for being happy and how it affects our body. My curiosity brought me to look up the topic and found these very interesting facts. How does our body react to joy? Without digging into complex research, these few simple sentences positively affirm the value of being happy. The … Continue reading A Healthier You – Savor Small Pleasures
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Growing up in a Chinese family, the expression of love was not always verbal; “I love you” had not been uttered explicitly by my parents. Nor was it in their culture or tradition that they would openly praise the children for a job well done. As a matter of fact, the approval came from perhaps a smile, … Continue reading An Everyday Valentine Message – How to Say I Love You
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP It seems like 2020 was ushered in in the blink of our eyes, I just realize this is my second article in 2020.To my dear Salesian Families, I wish you the very BEST in 2020. Following the past tradition, I present to you the first homework from our Provincial Care Ministry. I begin with this simple question: … Continue reading Wealth, Fame and Health: Choose One
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP The New Coronavirus, known as the nCoV-2019, has sparked tremendous fear and interest within the last few weeks. I was asked if I could write on this topic in response to the inquiry about what this new Coronavirus is, and how does it affect you. As a member of the American College of Chest Physicians, I get … Continue reading Coronavirus and You
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Last edition we reviewed the role of the hypothalamus ; the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) turns off alerting signals, allowing sleep to occur. Similarly, the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) also can inhibit their activity and turn off the arousal centers, promoting sleep to occur. Today we will go over the function of the brain stem in regulating our … Continue reading Understanding Sleep – The Brain Stem
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP I have a confession to make; last week, we detailed the anatomy of the brain center that governs sleep. I have a feeling that each structure is pretty novel to you. I, therefore, take the liberty of dissecting each important part of the brain that regulates sleep and try to present the information slowly. To begin with, … Continue reading Understanding Sleep – The Hypothalamus
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP The following is the subsequent of Understanding Sleep from the Mayo Clinic. This piece might be a little more technical. But it is worthwhile to understand the anatomy in the brain that indicts how the brain functions during sleep. This is important because most of us spend one third of our daily life is under this vital … Continue reading Understanding Sleep – Anatomy of Sleep
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Before the age of technology, i.e. the time when there were no stethoscope, no EKG, no sleep lab, no ultra sound, no X-Ray, no MRI and no CT scan, doctors used their naked eyes to visualize your health, asked pertinent questions to assess your problems and felt your pulses at your wrist to determine your health status. … Continue reading Understanding Sleep (Part I)
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Impact of Modern Technology The blue light emitted by mobile phones, TVs, and tablets mimics the blue we see in the sky during the daytime. Our bodies have evolved to be awake during the day, so our brains release the hormone cortisol when we see blue-ish light. Cortisol wakes up the brain, making us alert and active. However, if … Continue reading What is the Circadian Rhythm? (Final Part)
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Your Rhythm Might be Different than Others While all humans have a circadian rhythm of 24 hours, your alignment is probably different than your friends’. People who feel energized later in the day are sometimes called night owls. Their built-in circadian rhythm is different from that of “morning people.” The technical term for whether someone is a … Continue reading What is the Circadian Rhythm (Part III)?
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Discovery of the Circadian Rhythm A long time ago, people noticed humans, plants, and animals have daily cycles of hunger and sleep. The first known written record is from a 13th-century Chinese medical textbook. In the year 1729, a French scientist Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan recorded observations about circadian rhythm as he watched a plant “wake” and … Continue reading What is the Circadian Rhythm (Part II)?
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP By the time this article comes out, you have already fallen back, re-set your clock one hour backward. We ended the daylight saving regimen this last Sunday. This annual ritual raises a subject that I am pretty curious about – circadian rhythm. I never really understand the total ramification of the phenomenon. Hence I decided to devote … Continue reading What is the Circadian Rhythm?
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP This is our last discussion on the subject of influenza vaccination. As noted before, although the U.S. has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, only 45 percent of adults and 63 percent of children get flu shots each year. For some people, the question of its efficacy remains. We need to be aware that … Continue reading Flu Vaccine: Final Words on Influenza Vaccination (Abstracts from CDC)
By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Populations at Higher Risk for Medical Complications Attributable to Severe Influenza All persons aged ≥6 months who do not have contraindications should be vaccinated annually. However, vaccination to prevent influenza is particularly important for persons who are at increased risk for severe illness and complications from influenza and for influenza-related outpatient, emergency department, or hospital visits. When … Continue reading Flu Vaccine: Guidance for Use in Specific Populations and Situations (from CDC)
