02-07-2022

SAturdAy, July 2, 2022
5
Some pandemic health habits that can be kept
lydiA hAleS
We're two and a half years into
the Covid-19 pandemic and it
seems other viruses are
making a grab for the
spotlight. There are outbreaks
of hand, foot and mouth
disease at childcare centres
across the Northern Territory
and north Queensland,
soaring influenza case
numbers, and the emergence
of monkeypox in Australia
(though experts say it's
unlikely to take off).
The good news is that
continuing some of the health
and hygiene habits adopted
because of Covid will also
reduce the risk of contracting
other lurgies, experts say.
Studies have shown the
number of people soaping
their hands after a trip to the
toilet was low before the
pandemic: around one in four
globally, and one in two in
areas with good access to
hand-washing facilities.
This led to a lot of (grubby)
finger-pointing early in the
pandemic, with a deluge of
public messaging and
awkward celebrity videos
emphasising the importance
of washing your hands
thoroughly with soap and
running water for 20 seconds,
or using hand sanitiser if you
can't get to a tap.
Dr Kerry Hancock, an
Adelaide-based GP with a
special interest in respiratory
medicine, says although it's
now known that Sars-CoV-2
mainly spreads through the
air, hand hygiene is the
"cornerstone" of infection
prevention - and a simple way
to cut transmission of other
viruses and bacteria.
"It's such an easy thing to do,
to keep washing or sanitising
our hands before we eat or
touch things … but anecdotally
I think people aren't as
fanatical about it as they were
six months ago, at the peak [of
Covid cases] in South
Australia."
Associate Prof Holly Seale,
an expert in perceptions and
behaviours regarding
infectious diseases from the
University of New South
Wales, notes most people are
taught from childhood about
hygiene in the context of
protecting themselves - but
hand hygiene goes both ways.
Making sure your hands are
clean before a trip to the shops
or a ride in an elevator is
"certainly about protecting
other people as well".
However, wearing gloves to
protect yourself from germs
on surfaces, such as
supermarket trolleys, is
unnecessary, Seale says.
"People who wear gloves are
less likely to wash their hands
and may be increasing their
risk because they think their
hands are clean." Seale
recommends everyone over
six months old get the
influenza vaccine, which in
2022 is protective against four
strains.
In 2021, Australia recorded
zero flu deaths, with federal
health data from January to
early November clocking only
598 confirmed cases. In
contrast, three people have
died from influenza this year
to-date, and more than 47,860
people have caught it. "We've
had a couple of years where flu
hasn't really been around, and
there's certainly concerns that
people have lower levels of
Natural ventilation, such as opening a window, can help with airflow, particularly
in residential settings.
Photo: iStockphoto
protection," Seale said.
The federal government
already foots the bill for a flu
vaccine for those at high risk,
but the jab has temporarily
been made free for the general
population by all state
governments - so everywhere
except the Northern Territory
and the ACT - at time of
writing.
Seale calls this "a great
initiative" and one that might
"really shift people into
considering flu vaccination as
part of their normal practice.
Because once you've received
it once, you're more likely to go
back and get it again."
It may be worth making the
jab free long-term, Seale adds.
Along with the flu vaccine,
Hancock urges that everyone
stay up to date with
vaccination against whooping
cough (pertussis), a "nasty
illness" that erupts in Australia
every few years.
One of the biggest lessons of
Covid-19 has been the
importance of unwell people
staying away from work and
social events, says Associate
Prof Sheena Sullivan, an
infectious
disease
epidemiologist at the Doherty
Institute.
She hopes employers will
lead by example, which might
mean helping staff work from
home if well enough, or
addressing cultural barriers to
using sick leave - such as fear
of "letting the team down". But
casualised workforces and
areas people can't work from
home continue to present a
"real risk" to disease control,
and must be addressed by
government, Sullivan says.
"It became clear early in the
pandemic that a lot of people
who work with some of the
most vulnerable in our
communities are part of this
large casualised workforce,
who don't have sick leave
entitlements, and are
disincentivised from taking
time off … that includes people
who work in aged care and
disability care, as well as other
essential services such as
meatpacking."
Sullivan hopes that when
people must go out while they
have respiratory symptoms,
there will be a long-term shift
towards wearing masks out of
courtesy to others.
"I work with people who
understand viruses quite well
so it's an unusual
environment - but there are
people who, if they know
someone in their family is
unwell or they have
symptoms themselves, they
start wearing an N95 while
they're at work."
Seale suggests employers
provide free surgical masks or
respirators in case staff are
caught out by newly
developing respiratory
symptoms while at work.
AShley BroAdwAter
Have you ever had a long
string of nightmares and
didn't know what was
causing them? It's
frustrating. Nighttime is
supposed to be the time to
relax and recharge for the
next day, and it's hard when
your fears and anxieties
come with you.
We talked to a couple of
experts about unexpected
culprits, and we have some
bad news: Some pretty
common, relatable factors
(listed below) can trigger
nightmares. But don't worry
too much - we'll also cover
tips that can help you enjoy
your life while decreasing
the chance of a nightmare.
A night out at the bar can
be a lot of fun, but it may not
be so great when you're
trying to sleep later. While
alcohol can help you sleep
deeply at first, "as the blood
alcohol level reduces, the
reverse happens: There is
more shallow sleep and
more frequent waking. This
can lead to more REM [or
rapid eye movement] sleep,
which triggers nightmares
and vivid dreams," said Phil
Lawlor, a sleep expert at the
mattress company Dormeo.
Antidepressants and
opioids can also increase the
frequency of bad dreams.
"While it is not entirely clear
why this happens - there's
still so much we don't
understand about the brain -
the increased level of
neurotransmitters, such as
dopamine, that these
substances provide, create
changes in the way we
dream, often leading to
more vivid dreaming and
thus more intense
nightmares," said Verena
Senn, a sleep expert with
Emma Sleep who has
researched sleep and the
brain for almost 15 years.
Melatonin, a supplement
that can help you fall asleep,
can also cause bad dreams.
(You just can't win, it
seems!) "There is no
conclusive evidence as to
how melatonin affects our
dreams; however, there are
connections to high levels of
melatonin causing
nightmares because you are
less likely to leave enough of
the transition time between
Sneaky causes of having
being awake and being
asleep," Lawlor explained.
The fix: You can still have
that glass of wine at night (if
that's healthy for you
otherwise). Just drink it at
least four hours before bed,
according to Lawlor.
Addressing the
medication and supplement
side is a little harder since
you may need those things
to function. Ultimately, talk
to your doctor. "I would
recommend discussing
these concerns with your
doctor, as they are bestplaced
to help you
understand your options,"
Senn said.
Yep, your bedtime snack
may hurt you, too. "This is
because your body will be
working hard to break down
food and will send signals to
your brain to be more active,
which may trigger
nightmares," Lawlor said.
"Additionally, food can
interrupt sleep patterns due
to night sweats and acid
reflux. Sugary treats and
spicy foods can trigger more
brain waves; they are
directly linked to being sleep
disruptions."
Senn agreed. "No matter
what we eat, the closer we
indulge to our sleep time, the
nightmares
harder our body will be
working to digest while we
rest. Eating in the hours
before sleep is a habit that
will certainly cause sleep
disturbances and can trigger
nightmares," she said.
The fix: Listen, if you're a
nighttime snacker, we hear
you. Eating something
before bed can be
comforting and help ensure
you fall and stay asleep. So
how can you have the best of
both worlds? The timing of
when you eat matters. Eat
your last meal two to three
hours before going to bed.
As far as choosing the right
foods, it's a bit of a guessing
game - but only a little bit.
"There is not conclusive
evidence to prove that there
are specific foods that
directly help sleep. That
said, there are foods that
have been proven to
promote sleep and make
people feel drowsy," Lawlor
said.
He recommended
proteins such as chicken,
turkey, nuts and seeds. He
also recommended teas,
such as chamomile tea and
green tea, to reduce stress.
Lastly, he encouraged
consulting with your
dietitian or doctor before
Sad woman suffering while layin in bed at night.
making any major changes
to your diet.
Ah yes, the trigger you
probably don't want in your
life to begin with.
"Anxiety and stress caused
from traumatic or worrying
situations can trigger
nightmares because your
subconscious mind will turn
fearful thoughts into a
fearful story, and unpleasant
story," Lawlor said.
"During sleep, there is
elevated limbic activity. …
The elevated limbic activity,
particularly in the amygdala
[which is the part of the
brain that deals with
emotions] during REM
sleep, may therefore
exacerbate the emotional
intensity experienced during
dreams, which can cause
nightmares," Senn
explained.
The fix: Lawlor suggested
getting enough sleep since
sleep deprivation can lead to
both stress and nightmares.
Senn suggested not
engaging with scary books,
movies or games before bed
since they can trigger your
body's fight-or-flight
response. (That's a no on
"Texas Chainsaw
Massacre.")
Photo: Getty
SydNi elliS
Memory is a fickle thing. For
example, you may remember
something significant that
happened a decade ago, but
not what you had for dinner
last Tuesday. Or maybe you
are simply forgetful with the
little things, like misplacing
your keys, reading texts but
forgetting to respond, or
losing track of appointments.
Everyone forgets things
every now and then, but if you
are often forgetful - with
important things just out of
grasp in your mind or words
right on the tip of your tongue
- it can feel debilitating and
beyond frustrating.
Although some memory loss
and forgetfulness is normal
with aging, according to the
National Institute on Aging,
some things can exacerbate
your forgetfulness no matter
your age.
"There are a number of
common habits that can make
us more forgetful," said
Michele Goldman, a
psychologist and Hope for
Depression Research
Foundation media adviser.
Below, experts explain
several things you may not
realize you're doing that affect
your memory. If you've been
feeling more forgetful lately,
then keep reading to see if
you've developed any of these
habits.
Sleep has many health
benefits, including improving
memory. Not sleeping enough
can affect your ability to learn
new things by up to 40%, and
it can affect the hippocampus
part of your brain, which is
responsible for making new
memories.
"Sleep allows our brains to
restore," Goldman said.
"Certain stages of sleep,
including REM sleep, are
specifically associated with
memory consolidation or the
process of newly learned
information
being
transformed into long-term
memory."
The Sleep Foundation
recommends adults get about
seven to nine hours of quality
sleep a night. Not getting
enough sleep or having poor
quality sleep can make us
more forgetful because "the
new information we learn is
not being stored in our longterm
memory and is more
likely to be forgotten or lost,"
Goldman said.
Julia Kogan, a health
psychologist in Florida and
creator of the Master Stress
Method, said sleep is related to
attention and focus - two
things that are critical when it
comes to memory.
"If we are skipping on sleep,
we are less likely to be
attentive, focused and
energetic," she said. "If we are
lacking attention, then we are
unlikely to be able to retain
information well. Therefore,
those who regularly skip sleep
are more likely to be forgetful
since the attention parts of
their brain, especially in the
prefrontal cortex, are not
going to be as sharp."
Kogan said forgetfulness is
often "an attention problem."
She explained that being
attentive and focused is an
important part of
remembering information.
"If we did not fully pay
attention, are distracted, or we
are not in a mental state to
retain information, then we
are not going to fully attend to
the information, resulting in
what looks like forgetfulness,"
Kogan added.
Distraction can also happen
when you multitask. "Working
on various tasks at the same
time can actually lead to less
productivity and more
forgetfulness," Kogan said.
She recommends focusing on
one thing at a time. One way to
do this is by time-blocking at
work by splitting tasks into
manageable activities with
small breaks.
"This might look like 45
minutes of a specific task with
no interruptions or other
tasks, followed by a 5-to-10-
Common behaviors that make people forgetful
experts break down the habits that can negatively impact your memory and offer solutions on how to sharpen
your mind.
minute break," Kogan said.
"Exercise is important for
your overall health, including
your memory," said Valentina
Dragomir, a psychotherapist
and founder of PsihoSensus
Therapy and PsihoSensus
Academy. "Exercise increases
blood flow to the brain and
helps to protect brain cells.
Also, there is [research] that
shows sedentary habits are
linked to thinning in some
brain regions that are
important for memory."
"Regular exercise ? not
necessarily strenuous exercise
? helps reduce the risk of a
number of common illnesses
that are linked to memory
loss, including high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, and
diabetes to name a few,"
Goldman added.
Have you recently started
taking a new medication? This
could be affecting your
memory, too. "Medicines like
antidepressants, allergy
medications, blood pressure
stabilizers, and more can
affect memory due to their
sedative properties," said
Sanam Hafeez, a
neuropsychologist, teaching
faculty member at Columbia
University, and founder and
director of Comprehensive
Consultation Psychological
Services, P.C.
Other medications that can
make you more forgetful
include benzodiazepines,
cholesterol-lowering drugs,
antiepileptic agents, narcotic
painkillers, antihypertensive
drugs, incontinence
medications, antihistamines
and more.
"Some medications only
impair your memory when
you are taking them, and
others can have more longlasting
effects," she noted.
Talking to your doctor and
finding the best medication for
you and your lifestyle will help.
"Alcohol can damage brain
cells and lead to memory
problems," Dragomir said.
"According to research, longterm
drinking causes the brain
to decrease in size."
Kogan said those with an
alcohol use disorder or those
who binge drink are more
likely to experience short- and
long-term memory loss.
"When drinking, alcohol
impacts the hippocampus,
which is largely responsible
for learning and memory,"
Photo: Collected
Kogan explained. "Alcohol can
impact how the nerves in the
hippocampus communicate,
leading to forgetfulness."
She added, "People who
drink heavily tend to be
deficient in certain vitamins
and other nutrients, which can
also lead to forgetfulness."
Smoking is another habit to
kick if you want to improve
your memory. "Smoking
damages brain cells and stops
new ones forming in the
hippocampus, which leads to
forgetfulness," Dragomir said.
She also cited a study in the
Journal of Neuroscience that
shows "chronic exposure to
nicotine might impair brain
mechanisms related to
learning and memory."
"Smoking can impair lung
and heart function, which
slows oxygen transport to the
brain," Hafeez added. "Less
oxygen in your brain can lead
to less brain function, causing
memory loss."
The THC in marijuana may
also impact learning and
memory. "Marijuana has been
shown to produce short-term
issues with working memory
specifically, as well as
attention," Kogan said. The
problem is worse the more you
smoke. "In heavy users, it has
been shown that marijuana
can cause issues with learning
and memory for weeks after
cannabis consumption."
Food can impact our brain
as well. "What we ingest
impacts how we feel
physically, mentally and
emotionally," Goldman said.
"A diet that is lacking balance
can impact the body in a
negative way."
If you are looking for foods
to boost brain function,
Harvard Medical School
suggests opting for leafy
vegetables, fatty fish, berries,
tea and coffee, and walnuts.
Hafeez recommends also
"consuming a diet rich in antiinflammatory
foods." These
include fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, legumes and
healthy fats, among others.
Organization is important
when it comes to memory.
"We are much more likely to
forget things when our
external environment is in
disarray," Goldman said. "A
chaotic, cluttered, or
disorganized environment
works for some, but not for
most individuals."
She recommends finding a
system that works for you.
"Keep a notebook, create a
schedule, get a calendar -
whatever the system, be
consistent and follow
through."
Part of being organized is
finding a placed for
everything, including those
often-misplaced keys. "Set
specific places for items to
decrease the chance you will
lose them; for example, the
keys go on a hook by the door,
they are not placed down
absentmindedly when we
walk in and drop our
belongings," Goldman added.
"Both anxiety and
depression can impair
concentration, making it more
difficult to attend to small
details," Goldman said. "It can
be challenging to remain
organized; we might be easily
overwhelmed and lack focus."
Trauma survivors in
particular "tend to have
impaired memory," according
to Goldman. "The nervous
system is in overdrive trying to
ensure safety and protection,
which means non-lifethreatening
details are more
likely to be forgotten."
"Because stress, anxiety,
and depression can impact
attention, learning, and
memory, it is very important
to address these concerns in
order to sharpen our
memory," Kogan added.
"Those struggling with anxiety
and depression should seek
evidence-based treatments,
such as cognitive behavioral
therapy or acceptance and
commitment therapy."
One of the best things you
can do to combat forgetfulness
is to stimulate your brain.
"Keeping your brain active by
learning new things, playing
games, reading, or other
stimulating activities is a way
to keep the 'muscles' of your
brain in shape," Goldman
said.
The American Psychological
Association recommends
taking "mental snapshots" of
things in life, like where you
parked, to pull up in your
brain when you forget. It also
suggests training your brain
through mnemonic devices
and vanishing cues or using
technology to help you
remember things.
"Think of your brain and
memory as something that
must be used and exercised
like any other part of the body
or it will atrophy," Hafeez said.