October 2018 – Page 3 – Sterling HealthCare

How’s Your Dental Hygiene?

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction

If you ignore your teeth, they’ll go away.

You may not think that bad dental hygiene can land you in the emergency room, but it does! One thing in particular I’ve noticed over the years is how oblivious some people are to their smiles—especially their teeth. We see it all: loose teeth, missing teeth, broken teeth, infected teeth, sensitive teeth, erupted wisdom teeth, gingivitis, bad breath, dental infections (especially abscesses), things stuck in the teeth, mouth cancer, yeast infections, rashes inside the mouth and other conditions. The mouth is the gateway to the body. Through it, you introduce many substances that can infect or otherwise damage you. Clinically, the appearance of your mouth, gums and teeth are often a direct statement about how well you care for the rest of your body.

You would think dental hygiene is an especially difficult proposition, but it’s actually quite simple. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), all you really need to commit to good dental hygiene is less than five minutes at a time, at least twice a day. Surely that’s not too much to ask of yourself for yourself, is it?
Let’s identify three sets of conditions you should be prepared to address with your activities. Each measure contains simple tips and habits you should employ to keep your smile making the right kind of introduction.

Prevention and self-maintenance

Brushing and flossing keep your gums and teeth healthy by removing plaque and food particles that can serve as a source for infection and tooth decay. Here are your essentials.

Brush for two minutes at a time.
Brush at least twice a day and preferably after each meal.
Flossing is important. There are particles that collect under the gums and between the teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach.

Avoid the stainers. Tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars), excessive red wine and coffee contain a high quantity of very strong chemicals that stain and damage your teeth. Cranberry and grape juices also may stain teeth if consumed in excess. Besides cosmetic considerations, the staining isn’t the problem as much as fact that the chemicals causing the staining are also damaging your teeth and gums.

Prevention and professional maintenance

Do you have a dentist?

Regular dental checkups are very important for the ongoing maintenance of your teeth and the early identification of dental problems—before excessively expensive and painful options are needed.
Dental exams provide an opportunity for identification of several medical conditions and diseases whose symptoms can appear in the oral cavity (mouth).

Recognizing possible dental emergencies

It is simultaneously understandable and befuddling that patients go without dental care as long as they do. By the time they come to the ER, invariably, some of these symptoms have been present and were ignored. If you’re experiencing the following symptoms, you’d do well to see the dentist early, before you end up in the ER.

Teeth have become sensitive to hot or cold stimuli
Gums are swollen and/or they bleed with brushing, flossing or eating
Continually bad breath or bad taste in your mouth
Difficulty chewing or swallowing
Pain or swelling in your mouth, face or neck
Spots or a sore that doesn’t look or feel right in your mouth and it isn’t going away
Jaw sometimes pops or is painful when opening and closing, chewing or when you first wake up
An uneven bite
Mouth is becoming unexplainably drier than normal
You have a medical condition such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, eating disorder or are HIV positive with new dental problems.
You are undergoing medical treatment such as radiation, chemotherapy or hormone replacement therapy with new dental problems.

Upcoming Straight, No Chaser posts will evaluate individual dental emergencies.

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Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.jeffreysterlingbooks.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!

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Depression – How to Avoid It, When to Get Help

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction

This is the third post in a series on depression and suicide. In our first post, we focused on the magnitude of clinical depression and suicide. In the second post, we provided tools for depression self-awareness. Finally, in this post we provide tips for you to address depression and an inclination toward suicide. Remember that 844-SMA-TALK and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com provide crisis mental health services for those in need.

Avoiding Depression

As a physician, I’m not willing to advise you on how to ‘care’ for yourself at home if you’re clinically depressed. I can discuss how to avoid depression (to the extent possible) and what warning signs should prompt emergent access to care. If you’re good at accomplishing the items listed below, you have less of a chance of being unhappy and clinically depressed.

Avoid alcohol and other mood-altering drugs.
Eat healthily.
Exercise regularly.
Get enough sleep.
Remove yourself from negativity, including your choices in friends, mates and work environments.
Surround yourself with positivity, including your choices in friends, mates and work environments (Please note this is a different consideration than the previous bullet point.).
Learn how to relax and where to go to relax. These considerations include such things as yoga, meditation and your religion/spirituality, not the business end of a bottle or drug use.

Warning Signs

Look out for these potential warning signs for suicide: Remember that approximately 30% of suicides are preceded by the individual declaring intent. Be alert for the following additional considerations:

Increasing levels of depression, withdrawal, reckless behavior, alcohol and other drug use, and/or desperation.
Notice activity that could be a prelude to a suicide attempt, such as obtaining knives, firearms or large quantities of medication.
Changing one’s will and settling one’s life affairs in the midst of depression
Ongoing comments about lack of worth and desire to end it all.

When to get help

The following considerations should prompt an immediate visit to an emergency room or other treatment facility.

You have a compelling, overwhelming feeling that you want to hurt yourself, with or without an actual plan.
You have a compelling, overwhelming feeling that you want to hurt someone else, with or without an actual plan.
Experiences of voices or seeing things or people who are not there occur.
You find yourself crying often and uncontrollably for no apparent cause.
Your depression has affected your activities of daily living (work, school, consistent forms of recreation or family life) for longer than 2 weeks.
You think your current medications are affecting you abnormally and are possibly contributing to making you feel depressed.
You have been told or believe that you should cut back on drinking or other drug use.

I wish you and your loved ones all the best in avoiding and/or dealing with this disastrous condition. I welcome any comments, thoughts or questions.

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Are You Depressed and/or Suicidal?

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction

In our first post on clinical depression and suicide, we looked at the scope of the disease, and in the next post we will provide tips for you to address depression and an inclination toward suicide. In this post, we carefully tread onto your tendencies that may clue you into the need for help. Remember that 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com provides crisis mental health services for those in need.

I have a strong distaste for do-it-yourself websites that want to ‘screen’ you for depression. Folks, if you’re wondering whether you’re clinically depressed, you don’t need validation from some makeshift online questionnaire. That said, if you’d like to learn something, go ahead and find one. More importantly, seek assistance immediately from a qualified counselor or therapist. They do wonderful work and can get through to you before you get to yourself.

Instead of a quiz, I will simply give you common signs and symptoms consistent with the diagnosis. Note the progression in the symptoms. The bottom line is: odds are, you already know if you need help. Yes, there are different depression syndromes; I’m not getting into that. You and a psychiatrist or therapist can sort that out. Don’t be reassured by a quiz when you already know better.

Signs of depression

You may be depressed if…

You feel sad, hopeless, empty, or numb to the point where you wallow in these emotions, and they dominate your existence.
There exists a loss of interest in your normal activities of daily living. It’s not just that you don’t enjoy things. You don’t even want to be bothered with them. The desire to have sex goes away. You don’t enjoy your friends. You don’t want recreation. Your interest in eating, sleeping goes away. Alternatively, you may not be able to stop sleeping. Perhaps you can’t breathe (because of your crippling anxiety). You might actually be depressed if you have these symptoms and didn’t get the ideas from listening to the lyrics of a Toni Braxton song.
You find yourself exceedingly irritable and/or anxious. These feelings are explosive and over the top. You’re waiting, ready and looking for a reason to embrace gloom, doom or anger.

More signs

Difficulty moving forward and making decisions exists. This occurs for many reasons. Your attention may be shot. Your interests aren’t there. You’re overwhelmed. Stuck in a rut is not only where you are, it’s where you want to be.
You feel worthless and blame yourself for any and everything. Again, these feelings are explosive, dramatic and over the top.
Thoughts of death and suicide start to occur. This is where things get beyond scary. You may simply have a passive wishing that things would end and a belief that your friends, family and the rest of the world would be ‘better off’ without you. There may be fleeting voices that aren’t your own suggesting or commanding suicide as an option. You may see visions of people telling you to harm yourself. You may have an active plan. When depression gets to this point, nothing good is going to happen without intervention. Never allow someone to make such comments and then pretend as if they were insincere.

Precipitants

Now consider these most common precipitants for suicide:

Difficulties with one’s intimate partner
Difficulties with one’s physical health
Problems with one’s job
Problems with one’s finances

You will have a lot better chance getting someone help at a warning stage than preventing someone from doing something once they have a weapon in their hands. Approximately 30% of suicides result after the individual has expressed an intent to do so. Listen up…

Take the signs of depression and any expressed thoughts of suicide seriously.

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Ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic. Also, take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. Additionally, as a thank you, we’re offering you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK. Likewise, please share our page with your friends on WordPress! Also like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com! Follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Personality Disorders Screening Quiz – Now It’s Your Turn!

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction – Personality Disorders Screening Quiz

First of all, it’s been an interesting week of responses from you on the series of personality disorders. The most common comment was a request for an ability to test oneself. I’ll provide that information to you, but beforehand, here are the links to the other Straight No Chaser posts on personality disorders.

Introduction: Understanding Personality Disorders
Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders – Cluster A
Narcissistic, Histrionic, Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders – Cluster B
Obsessive-Compulsive, Avoidant and Dependent Personality Disorders – Cluster C

We need a disclaimer here. The link to this personality quiz states pretty clearly that it’s for entertainment purposes only. The results will provide you with a trend, not a diagnosis. It’s a good way to reinforce the information from the previous posts and to learn a little bit more about yourself. In case you were wondering, I scored Doctor Personality Disorder.

Here’s the link to the quiz.

Finally, I welcome any feedback or questions you have about the topic or the quiz. I think it’s safe to say that most of you should have fun with this quiz.

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Obsessive-Compulsive, Avoidant and Dependent Personality Disorders

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction – Personality Disorders Part 4

The final group of personality disorders we will review involves excessive fears expressed through thoughts or behaviors. They include avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Collectively these comprise the Class C Personality Disorders. Let’s review symptoms of each.

Avoidant personality disorder

think of the shy, hypersensitive loner

Social inhibition, timidity and isolation (e.g. avoiding new activities or meeting strangers)
Abnormal fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule
Avoidance of work and social activities that require interpersonal contact
Constant feelings of inadequacy, inferiority or unattractiveness
Extreme shyness in social situations and personal relationships
Hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection

Dependent personality disorder

You’re happy or sad based entirely on others’ treatment of you.

Difficulty disagreeing with others due to excessive fears of disapproval
Excessive dependence on others, feels the need to be taken care of, and is submissive and clingy
Fears having to care or provide for one’s self
Inadequate self-confidence, requiring excessive advice and reassurance from others, even with small decisions
Inadequate self-confidence such that one has difficulty starting or doing projects on own
Tolerance of poor or abusive treatment
Urgent need to start a new relationship when one has ended

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

think overly preoccupied with control and order

Desire to be in control of people, tasks and situations with an inability to delegate
Extreme perfectionism, resulting in dysfunction and distress when perfection is not achieved (e.g. inability to finish a project because standards of perfection aren’t met)
Inability to discard previously held broken or worthless objects
Inflexibility about morality, ethics or values
Neglect of friends, family and enjoyable activities because of excessive commitment to work or a project
Preoccupation with details, orderliness and rules
Rigid and stubborn
Tight, miserly control over budgeting and spending money

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is a type of anxiety disorder. It is important to remember that everyone can exhibit some of these personality traits now and again. That said, when these patterns of behavior interfere with one’s activities of daily living, lend a hand. Get help.

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Narcissistic, Histrionic, Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction – Personality Disorders Part 3

Again, we must start with a disclaimer about personality disorders. We don’t want all the armchair psychiatrists out there to start diagnosing everyone. The Cluster B personality disorders are defined by drama, erratic and emotional behaviors. They include narcissistic, histrionic, antisocial and borderline personality disorders.

This group of patients is defined by overly emotional or predictable behavior. Remember that symptoms aren’t enough. Also, some degree of social dysfunction must be present for these diagnoses to be made.

Antisocial personality disorder

think of a dangerous habit of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others.

Typical symptoms will include some of the following.

Aggressive, violent and/or criminal behavior
Disregard for others’ needs, feelings and safety
Disregard and violation of others’ rights
Excessively and repeatedly irresponsible
Impulsive behavior with lack of remorse
Ignoring the safety of self or others
Habitual deceit, lying, stealing and cheating
Recurring problems with the law

Borderline personality disorder

think of ongoing patterns of unstable emotions that result in impulsive actions and chaotic relationships.

Frequent and explosive bouts of anger
Impulsive and risky behavior (e.g. habitual gambling, binge eating, unsafe sex)
Intense fear of being alone or abandoned
Ongoing feelings of emptiness
Paranoid worsened by stress
Unstable or fragile self-image
Unstable and intense relationships
Up and down moods, often as a reaction to interpersonal stress
Suicidal thoughts, threats and behaviors

Histrionic personality disorder

think of overly dramatic and emotional actions meant to draw attention to oneself.

Constantly seeking and demanding attention
Easily influenced by others and believes relationships are closer than they are
Excessively concerned with physical appearance
Excessively emotional, dramatic or sexually provocative to gain attention
Speaks dramatically with strong opinions but few facts or details to back them up
Shallow, rapidly changing emotions

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Think of an excessive sense of self-importance and self-preoccupation with a lack of empathy for others

Arrogance
Envy of others or belief that others envy you
Exaggeration of achievements or talents
Unreasonable expectations of constant praise, admiration, favors and advantages
Fantasies about power, success and attractiveness
Inability to recognize others’ needs and feelings
Unfounded belief that you’re special and more important than others

It is important to remember that everyone can occasionally exhibit some of these personality traits. That said, when these patterns of behavior interfere with one’s activities of daily living, lend a hand. Get help.

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Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction – Personality Disorders Part 2

First of all, what do you really know about paranoid and other personality disorders? Maybe you are reading this because you may be wondering if these disorders are applicable to someone you know. Another good read would be to gain perspective on your own habit. Whereas it’s important to get friends and family to help if needed, resist the urge to practice armchair psychology. Although the idea of a personality disorder is something that may lead to playful banter, these issues can be quite serious.

In this post, we discuss the group of disorders that involves especially odd thinking or behavior. As a group, these are known as Cluster A personality disorders. Although there are three disorders in this group (paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal), we’ll focus on paranoid personality disorder.

Another important consideration is that those with personality disorders do not necessarily have psychosis. As is the case with all personality disorders, a single cause is unknown. There is a mix of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers that appear to play roles.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Individuals with paranoid personality disorder (PPD) have a long history of distrust and suspicion. Consequently, this often leads to social isolation and poor functioning. Even more, PPD often results in compromised school, work and personal relationships. It is more common in men and families with psychotic disorders.

Symptoms may include the following:

Constant feeling of being in danger
Unjustified belief that others have hidden motives and are trying to harm, deceive or exploit
Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others
Hesitance to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will use the information against you
Perception of innocent remarks or unthreatening situations as personal insults or attacks
Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults, with a tendency to hold grudges
Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful
Inability to work together with others
Detachment and social isolation
Lack of insight that feelings are unjustified

Furthermore, treatment is difficult because people with this condition are often very suspicious of doctors. Fortunately, medications and behavioral (talk) therapy can often be effective. This type of therapy is effective at reducing paranoia and limiting the impact on the person’s daily functioning.

The other two disorders in Cluster A are schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders. Causes and treatments are similar to those in PPD, but here are some of the defining symptoms of each.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Think of an excessively flat personality

Appearance of indifference to others
Inability to take pleasure in activities or accomplishments
Inability to pick up on social cues
Little emotional expression
Little interest in sex or interpersonal relationships

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Think of abnormal thoughts and activities

Belief that incidents or events have hidden messages meant specifically for you
Belief that you can influence people and events with your thoughts (aka magical thinking)
Inappropriately indifferent responses to others
Inappropriate or flat emotions
Lack of comfort with close relationships, even with family
Odd perceptual experiences, such as hearing a voice say your name
Social anxiety

Above all, it’s not enough to have some symptoms. A level of social dysfunction is necessary to establish a diagnosis.

Click here for an introduction to personality disorders.

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Understanding Personality Disorders

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction – Understanding Personality Disorders, Part 1

Personality disorders are a much bigger deal than we make them. In fact, we really take mental health for granted. Your ability to cope and exist within your environment is a primary determinant of your quality of life. As a result, mental illness is commonly seen and often is severe. On the one hand, many live with psychoses: unhealthy and debilitating mental disorders that take people beyond normal function. On the other hand, many others live with personality disorders. As a result, these conditions create limitations in one’s ability to interact with the world and all within it. These patterns of behaving, thinking and functioning lead to difficulties perceiving and responding appropriately.

This series of posts review the three categories of personality disorders (known as clusters) and treatment options. These categories of disorders were developed based on similar traits and symptoms. Remember, they are not mutually exclusive, and an individual can suffer from more than one disorder at a time.

Today, we address what puts you at risk and when personality or mental disorders require medical intervention. It is a medical fact that you are not likely to maintain a steady state of functioning with these disorders. Also, these disorders tend to progress and become worse without intervention. We want these posts to provide insight into human behavior and allow you to obtain any help you or a loved one may need.

Norms of Behavior

It’s fair to say that society shapes behavioral norms and judges behavior based on one’s adherence to those norms. Thus, your environment has a large role in the determination of normal or abnormal behavior. That said, there are objective standards for behavioral deviancy. You should be especially sensitive of deviancy during childhood, as this is when personality develops.

In general, your personality is a result of the interaction between genetic and environmental considerations. You start with genetic factors passed by parents (e.g. your temperament). These are combined with how your environment embraces, molds and enhances your genetic inclinations. In simple terms, that means you may be prone to certain behaviors (even abnormal personality disorders) from birth. However, expression of these behaviors likely require circumstances and/or events in your life to stimulate full development and expression.

Factors that trigger personality disorders

Beyond the interaction of genetic and environment, a precise cause of personality disorders isn’t known. Fortunately, we can identify certain factors that increase the risk of developing or triggering personality disorders.

Family history of mental illness, including personality disorders
Low level of education and lower social and economic status
Verbal, physical or sexual abuse during childhood
Neglect or an unstable or chaotic family life during childhood
Being diagnosed with childhood conduct disorder
Variations in brain chemistry and structure

Know when to get help

Finally, when should you see a physician for a possible personality disorder? Basically, the short answer is always. If you have any signs or symptoms of a personality disorder, see your doctor or mental health provider ASAP. Remember, it’s better to have been evaluated and found normal than to have needed an evaluation and not have obtained it.

If you or a loved one is having personality disorder-type issues, here are considerations you’ll want to have addressed.

What can I do to help myself?
What type of personality disorder might I have?
How do you treat my type of personality disorder?
Will talk therapy (psychotherapy) help?
Are there medications that might help?
How long will I need to take medication?
What are the major side effects of the medication you’re recommending?
How long will treatment take?
How does my support system become empowered to best help me?
What other support is available?

Finally, click here for tips on mental health and happiness!

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Challenges to Your Mental Health and Happiness

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction

You all have challenges to your mental health and happiness. We are mindful that there are as many of you unsuccessful as there are successful in navigating these challenges. Everyone has thoughts about the keys to happiness, but we can objectify the conversation! Let’s identify what is most likely to make you unhappy and lead to depression. You may find this hard to believe, but outside of medical causes of psychiatric illness and factors outside of your control, there are actually three choices we make that most commonly adversely impact your happiness and good mental health. Take it as you will, but the data is quite clear. Stay away from these circumstances, and you’re less likely to be unhappy. Sometimes mental health is achieved via addition by subtraction.

Health Problems

People who are sick or have significant illness in their families generally aren’t happy. Although this may seem obvious and perhaps unfair, given that some illnesses and conditions are inherited or occur haphazardly, be mindful of the things you can control. Of course, this gets to the negative effects of obesity and smoking. More so than any other health-related activities/conditions, these will eventually lead to deteriorating health and subsequent unhappiness.

Job Problems

You don’t have enough to do with your time? As the saying goes, an idle mind is the Devil’s workshop. It should be pointed out that neither too much work nor the wrong type of work (i.e., low job satisfaction) seems to promote either happiness or solid mental health. On average, people change careers seven times during their lifetimes. It’s often due to a search for happiness and actually is a good thing to do to avoid being stuck in a bad situation. Follow the job you love, and you’re more likely to be both happy and successful.

Relationship Problems

You make bad relationship choices? Well there’s one specific choice that is shown to be most likely to reduce your happiness—choosing a neurotic partner. What’s neurotic? For one particularly disruptive example, think about the so-called Drama Queen/King. A neurotic partner responds emotionally to events that wouldn’t affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They’re more likely to interpret minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions persist for unusually long periods of time. In short, if you want to be really unhappy, become attached to such a person. They will negatively affect your world, keeping you embroiled in drama and unhappiness, no matter how good the financial, physical, or other parts of your relationship.

Now your results may vary but probably won’t. I’m not make judgements, just sharing the data. Your life choices have consequences as related to your mental health. Choose wisely!

Click here for more on avoiding depression.

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Tips to Avoid SIDS and SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths)

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Jeffrey Sterling

Introduction

Whether you’re expecting, a parent or even a grandparent, most have heard of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Unfortunately, what you’re really concerned about is Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID). SIDS is the leading cause of this category.

SUID is defined as sudden and unexpected deaths in infants less than one year of age. In order for a death to be a SUID case, the causes must not be immediately apparent. There are approximately 4,000 SUID infant deaths per year in the U.S. The three most frequently reported causes of SUID are as follows: SIDS, cause unknown, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. Half of SUID cases are due to SIDS.

Tips for the first year of life

This post provides tips modified from recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They are meant to help you reduce the risk of SIDS and SUID in your home. Consider these tips applicable for the first year:

Place your baby to sleep on his back for every sleep and nap.
Place your baby to sleep on a firm sleep surface. Never put your baby to sleep on a chair, sofa, waterbed, cushion, or sheepskin.
If your baby falls asleep in a car safety seat, stroller, swing, infant carrier, or infant sling he should be moved to a firm sleep surface as soon as possible.

Tips about bed equipment

Do not use a crib that is broken or missing parts, or has drop-side rails.
Cover your baby’s mattress with a fitted sheet. Do not put blankets or pillows between the mattress and the fitted sheet.

Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the crib. Pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, bumper pads, and stuffed toys can cause your baby to suffocate.

Things parents can do to avoid SUID and SIDS

Place your baby to sleep in the same room where you sleep but not the same bed. Keep the crib or bassinet within an arm’s reach of your bed. You can easily watch or breastfeed your baby by having your baby nearby. Babies who sleep in the same bed as their parents are at risk of SIDS, suffocation, or strangulation. Too often, parents can roll onto babies during sleep or babies can get tangled in the sheets or blankets.

Breastfeed as much and for as long as you can. Studies show that breastfeeding your baby can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
Schedule and go to all well-child visits. Your baby will receive important immunizations. Recent evidence suggests that immunizations may have a protective effect against SIDS.
Keep your baby away from smokers and places where people smoke. Keep your car and home smoke-free. Don’t smoke inside your home or car and don’t smoke anywhere near your baby, even if you are outside.

Do not let your baby get too hot. Keep the room where your baby sleeps at a comfortable temperature. In general, dress your baby in no more than one extra layer than you would wear. Your baby may be too hot if she is sweating or if her chest feels hot.
Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. This helps to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you are breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is going well before offering a pacifier. This usually takes 3 to 4 weeks.

More Tips

Do not use home cardiorespiratory monitors to help reduce the risk of SIDS. Home cardiorespiratory monitors can be helpful for babies with breathing or heart problems but they have not been found to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Do not use products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS. Products such as wedges, positioners, special mattresses, and specialized sleep surfaces have not been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. In addition, some infants have suffocated while using these products.

Give your baby plenty of “tummy time” when she is awake and you are present. This will help strengthen neck muscles and avoid flat spots on the head. Always stay with your baby during tummy time and make sure she is awake.

If you’re an expectant mom, go to all prenatal doctor visits. Do not smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs while pregnant and after birth.

Print this out!

Keep these tips handy. We certainly don’t want your sudden bundle of joy to become a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Click here for additional tips about caring for your newborn!

The post Tips to Avoid SIDS and SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths) appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.

Introduction

Prevention and self-maintenance

Prevention and professional maintenance

Recognizing possible dental emergencies

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Avoiding Depression

Warning Signs

When to get help

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Introduction

Signs of depression

More signs

Precipitants

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Introduction – Personality Disorders Screening Quiz

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Introduction – Personality Disorders Part 4

Avoidant personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

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Introduction – Personality Disorders Part 3

Antisocial personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder

Histrionic personality disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

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Introduction – Personality Disorders Part 2

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

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Introduction – Understanding Personality Disorders, Part 1

Norms of Behavior

Factors that trigger personality disorders

Know when to get help

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Introduction

Health Problems

Job Problems

Relationship Problems

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Introduction

Tips for the first year of life

Tips about bed equipment

Things parents can do to avoid SUID and SIDS

More Tips

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