Alimentação e exercício - Food and exercise

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 HI, DANIEL HERE. Someday, I'll be Dr. Daniel Disease Detective hot on the trail of a nasty new virus. But, I gotta get through science class first. So, for now, I made my section of BAM! a tour through the world of tracking and stopping diseases. Wondering what a "disease detective” is? Curious about how new diseases spread, like SARS? Now's your chance to find out more!!

DISEASE DETECTIVES

• Dr. Asthma
  Meet Dr. Asthma and learn about his role at the CDC.

• Vector Victor
  Meet the Vector Victor and learn about epidemiology.

Dr. Asthma

This disease detective knows a lot about his case.
Dr. Asthma spends lots of time on the phone and travelling around the country to work with other CDC groups, as well as outside organizations, on the topic of asthma. Dr. Asthma's team closely tracks the asthma cases that occur in the U.S. Their goal is to learn more about what's going on with asthma, so that they can stop the disease in its tracks. Dr. Asthma also oversees national programs to help people get their asthma under control.
Asthma: The basics.
Asthma is a breathing condition that leads to coughing, wheezing (whistling sound while breathing), trouble catching your breath, and a chest that feels tight. Even chest pains, dizziness, and always having to clear your throat can be signs of asthma, and should be checked out by a doctor.
For people with asthma, things like cold or dry air, dust, pollen, pollution, cigarette smoke, or stress can be "triggers," which cause the body to pump out chemicals that make the airways shrink, stopping air from getting through to the lungs—and causing an asthma attack. An asthma attack can feel like trying to suck air in and push it out through a straw!
Physical activity can cause asthma attacks too. Although experts aren't entirely sure why physical activity sometimes brings one on, a likely explanation is that fast breathing through the mouth (like what happens when you get winded) can irritate the airways. Dr. Asthma advises, "When smog levels are high, it's always a good idea to participate in physical activity in the morning instead of in the afternoon — smog levels rise later in the day."
Is asthma a big problem for kids today?
"About five million young people in our country have asthma," says Dr. Asthma, "When your parents were young (about 30 years ago), asthma was an uncommon disease seen in only about 3% of people. Now, it's up to at least 7%, and rising. As young kids, more boys have asthma. But some people 'grow out' of asthma (their lungs get bigger and they no longer have symptoms). As teenagers, slightly more girls have the disease."
How can kids help their friends who have asthma?
If their condition is under control, people with asthma can do the same things that you can. So, your job is to help them know that it's okay to use their inhalers or take their medicines. Also, don't worry about catching asthma 'cuz it isn't contagious.
If your friend or relative is having an asthma attack, it can be scary to watch. But according to Dr. Asthma, the first thing to do is stay calm. Encourage the person to use an inhaler (if it's on hand) and get help.
What causes asthma, anyway?
No one knows for sure yet. Dr. Asthma reports that people's genes help decide whether they develop asthma. Some researchers think that since today's young people are exposed to germs that are different than the ones that kids faced 20 or 30 years ago, their immune systems might not develop in the same way, leading to more asthma and allergies. The fact that more people than ever are overweight also might be related to increased asthma cases. (This does not mean that you should lose weight if you have asthma, though if you're overweight, it could help. Talk to your parents or your doctor to find out.) Perhaps something in the environment causes asthma... One thing is for sure — the disease detectives have leads and they're on the case!

THE VECTOR VICTOR

“I’ve been fascinated by the CDC all of my life, and I can’t believe I actually work here! It’s like being a real life disease detective.” says the Vector Victor.
Epidemiology: The facts
If you like mysteries, you’ll love epidemiology! Like crime scene investigators, epidemiologists begin their case crackin’ by looking for clues. They gather information about what happened—Who is sick? What are their symptoms (signs that show someone is not feeling well—headache, sore throat)? When did they get sick? Where could they have been exposed to the disease? Investigators then study the answers to these questions to find out what led to a particular health problem. Then, they use what they have learned to prevent others from getting sick.
These real life disease detectives work in many different places—some work in laboratories where they look for viruses or bacteria in blood samples, others work in cities or towns where there are diseases, and some interview people who are sick and then try to figure out how and why they got infected.
Vector Victor studies epidemics (unusual outbreaks of diseases). Although trackin’ down diseases and crackin’ the case are the most exciting parts of Vector Victor’s job, she says that one of the most important things she does is collect background information on diseases from all across the county. These facts give the disease detectives what they need to know to figure out if an outbreak or epidemic is really happening or not, and how serious it is.
Have you ever been called in to investigate an outbreak?
Yes. One summer, Vector Victor was part of a team from the CDC that went to Louisiana to investigate an outbreak of the West Nile virus. Vector Victor and her team were invited by the Louisiana state health department to conduct a study in local hospitals and health centers to learn more about West Nile. They also hoped to crack the case of West Nile fever. The question they needed to answer: Of those people who were carrying West Nile virus, how many actually got West Nile fever? Vector Victor and her teammates were on call around the clock, and sometimes had to go into the hospital in the middle of the night to examine the patients! They collected blood samples to learn more about the West Nile virus, traced how long it stays in the patient’s body, and to find out how many people were actually sick with West Nile fever. Vector Victor and her teammates are still hard at work examining the information they gathered from 196 patients.
Vector Victor’s detective work didn’t stop there—she was also assigned to an outbreak case in Utah at Dinosaur National Monument where lots of student workers were sick. Vector Victor made a detour on her way to visit her family for a camping trip, and stopped in Utah to investigate. After spending a few days researching and examining the students, it turned out that a fungus called Valley Fever had made its way further north than it ever had before. Another case solved.
What’s a vector?
Vector Victor says that vectors are usually arthropods (animals with jointed arms and legs, a body with many sections and it’s skeleton on the outside) like ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, and other creepy crawlers. They can carry diseases from one person or animal to another—sometimes without even getting infected.
One of Vector Victor’s biggest projects at the CDC is monitoring Lyme disease—which is carried by ticks. She says it’s an interesting trail to follow. Ticks pick up Lyme disease from mice (who don’t even get sick from the disease!), lay their eggs and travel around on deer, and sometimes end up on humans who can get sick if bitten. Vector Victor says that ticks need to be attached to a human for 1-2 days to infect them, so follow the CDC’s Tick Tactics to keep ticks away while you’re outside in areas where ticks live.
What do you like most about being a real life disease detective?
Vector Victor says that the best thing about her job is that she gets to do so many different things. “One day I may work on a big project surveying diseases on a national level, and the next I might be across the country somewhere working 16 hour days on a disease outbreak. Getting to do both is so cool!”


 

MEETING THE CHALLENGE

Not everyone has it easy when it comes to doing physical activity — but if you're facing a challenge, it doesn't mean you can't be a superstar. Check out how athletes overcome physical challenges to make it to the top!

Don't Let Asthma Keep You Out of the Game

Today, more than ever, asthma is not a barrier to physical activity.
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U Can Do It 2

Whatever your challenge, if you ever wondered, "Can I be an athlete?", the answer is "YES"!
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MEETING THE CHALLENGE

Don't Let Asthma Keep You Out of the Game

Today, more than ever, asthma is not a barrier to physical activity. In fact, if you keep your asthma under control, you can do it all! Need proof? Well, did you know that:

• At the 1984 summer Olympics, 67 of the 597 American athletes had asthma. Among them, they won 41 medals.
• Twenty percent of the athletes at the 1996 summer Olympics had asthma brought on by physical activity.
• Almost 30% of the American swimmers on the 2000 summer Olympic team had asthma and used inhalers.

Asthma didn't hold them back, and it shouldn't hold you back, either!

Who has asthma?

Asthma — which makes it hard to breathe, and causes coughing and wheezing — affects about five million American kids and teens? That's almost 1 in 10!
Famous people like rapper Coolio have asthma, although he's better known for his hit songs like "Gangsta's Paradise" than for his fight against the illness.

Physical Activity → Asthma?

Things like cold or dry air, dust, pollen, pollution, cigarette smoke, or stress can "trigger" asthma. This can make your body pump out chemicals that close off your airways, making it hard for air to get into to your lungs, and causing an asthma attack.
Physical activity can trigger asthma attacks too. Experts don't know for sure why physical activity sometimes brings one on, but they suspect that fast breathing through the mouth (like what happens when you get winded) can irritate the airways. In addition, when air pollution levels are high, physical activity in the afternoon is harder on the lungs than morning activity — pollution levels rise later in the day.

Get Fit

So, should you get a doctor's note and skip gym class? Sorry, no. Doctors want their asthma patients to get active, especially in asthma-friendly activities like these: swimming, bicycling, golf, inline skating, and weightlifting.
Why are these good choices if you want to be physically active?

• They let you control how hard and fast you breathe
• They let you breathe through your nose at all times
• They don't dry out your airways
• They mix short, intense activities with long endurance workouts
• You can do them in a controlled environment (for example, a gym with air that's not too cold or dry)
• Usually you do them with other people, who can help you if an attack comes on

Getting regular physical activity can improve your breathing, and lead to fewer asthma attacks. Just remember to follow these tips. (In fact, this is good advice for everyone, not just those with asthma.)

• Ease into it.
  Start your workout with a warm-up, and don't overdo it by running five miles on your first day if you get winded walking around the block! Finish up with a cool-down.
• Take a buddy.
  It's more fun and a friend can help if you get into trouble.
• Respect your bod.
  Stay away from the things that trigger your asthma. Help out your airways by breathing through your nose instead of your mouth. Take it easy on days when your asthma symptoms are really bugging you. And stick to the medicine routine that your doctor has set up.
• Take breaks.
  Treat yourself to rest and drink plenty of water.
• Mix it up.
  For example, try going inline skating one day and taking a long walk the next.

Feel Good

To feel your best, do the right stuff to control your asthma. And listen to your doctors — they're on your team!
Dr. Asthma says that people with asthma "should expect to live a life that really isn't affected by asthma, except for having to follow the directions." He also says to speak up if you are having symptoms, and remember to "keep a good attitude and keep working to control the disease." (Wanna read the full disease detective profile?)
So, get out there and get moving! With good habits and today's medicines, you can go for the gold — or just join your friends on the basketball court, in the pool, on the dance floor...
 

Need more proof?

• Read about the American Lung Association.

FUEL UP FOR FUN

Whether you hit the court, the field, the track, the rink, or your back yard to get some physical activity, you'll need some fuel to keep you going!
Here are some great snacks to munch on to keep your body movin' and your stomach silent:

• Fresh veggies like carrots and celery sticks
• Snack-sized boxes of raisins
• Pretzels
• Low-fat yogurt
• Crackers — try graham crackers, animal crackers, or saltines

  Tips

  No matter what type of physical activity you do, you should always be sure to drink plenty of water — before you start, during the activity, and after you're done, even if you don't feel thirsty.
  
• Bagels
• Fig bars
• Fruit juice boxes (make sure you choose 100% pure fruit juice, or for an added boost, try orange juice with added calcium)
• Small packages of trail mix
• Fresh fruits such as bananas, oranges, grapes (try freezing your grapes for a new taste sensation!), and berries