Feature Channels: Winter Holidays

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While it is important to get vaccinated against the flu virus as early as possible, it is never too late to reap the benefits of this vaccine. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the peak months for the spread of the flu virus are January and February and the season can last into mid-May. Those at highest risk of complications from the flu are young children; people 65 and older; pregnant women; and people with health conditions such as heart, lung or kidney disease, or a weakened immune system.

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'Tis the season for ghouls and ghosts, witches and skeletons, and the bane that arrives around fall to haunt our scales and waist lines: the holiday creep. "How you manage this holiday really sets the tone for how you will handle the rest of the season," said Adrienne Youdim, MD, medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Weight Loss Center. "It marks the beginning of a holiday season that is laden with sweets, pies, celebratory feasts, cocktails, parties and other temptations that can derail important lifestyle changes."

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Many people use food to deal with stress. Doing this only leads to seriously weight gain, especially this time of year.

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Traditionally high passenger volumes and the possibilities of bad weather are realities for holiday travel. Travelers on U.S. airlines usually find that ticket prices and overall costs are higher. Dean Headley, co-author of the national Airline Quality Rating from Wichita State University, says while industry airline performance quality has improved each year since 2007, the travel experience has become more stressful and uncertain, especially around the end-of-the-year holidays.

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Fall/Winter Health Tips from NY-Presbyterian Hospital.

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Dr. Dan Iosifescu offers tips and tricks on beating the winter doldrums.

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Plants and animals could be affected by unusually high temperatures and less-than-average snowfall.

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The presents have been opened. The tree has been put away. Now come the bills. What is the best way to tackle holiday debt? Pay down the loan with the highest interest rate first. But consumers often take a slightly different approach, according to a consumer behavior expert at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Ja’Nyah Crawford-Scotland was born at 11:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day, the first baby to be born at Loyola University Medical Center in 2012. The healthy baby girl weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces.

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Loyola physiologist gives clever tips to prepare for winter and offers exercises for improving balance

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A Loyola University Health System physician advises B vitamins, exercise and other ways to prevent a New Year's hangover. He also has advice on what doesn't work.

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With the countdown to 2012 just around the corner, Vanderbilt’s Emergency Department is bracing for what is likely to be one of the busiest weekends of the year. Alcohol-related injuries and deaths typically spike on New Year’s Eve, causing physicians and staff to prepare for an influx of patients requiring help after overconsumption.

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With the start of a new year, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute experts are encouraging people to ring in new healthy habits and offer a number of free and low-cost strategies to help people maintain good health and possibly reduce various cancer risks.

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Time can stand still, or at least look the same from year to year, two calendar reform advocates say.

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This year, make sure your New Year’s fitness resolution includes your kids. Doing so could make working out and losing weight a lot more fun, according to fitness expert Michael Berry. Berry, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Wake Forest University, said fitness with the kids must include more than a predictable schedule.

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Loyola has claimed the first new year baby in Chicago for 2 out of 3 years: Here's the rules shared by Loyola OB/GYN chair, Dr. Karen Deighan.

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IEEE Spectrum previews the technology news of the coming year. In choosing our subjects, we considered mainly the likelihood of their figuring prominently in headlines, not whether the technologies themselves would succeed.

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Across the Loyola University Health System physicians, nurses and staff are bringing joy and spreading cheer this holiday season. As a health system we are given the unique opportunity to bring hope and peace to many who are facing some of life’s darkest moments.

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Indulging during the holidays means more acid reflux, but prolonged reflux can lead to Barrett’s disease and esophageal cancer. The University of Michigan has refined a minimally invasive procedure to treat esophageal cancer, and the need for surgery keeps going up. It’s one of the most common cancers among white males and obesity and acid reflux increases the risk.

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It’s no surprise that the holidays have a tendency to increase the amount of heart problems, but the risk of having a heart attack could be reduced just by sticking to a few common-sense steps.

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The UC San Diego Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care & Burns offers these holiday safety tips to insure an enjoyable time for everyone.

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When you’re caught under the mistletoe, the tradition is to kiss the person next to you. But this holiday season you may want to wow them first with some cool mistletoe facts from a Smithsonian botanist.

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Giving during the holidays, or at any time, not only helps others but helps ourselves and appears to lead to a happier and healthier life. This conclusion by Stephen G. Post, Ph.D., Professor of Preventive Medicine, Head of the Division of Medicine in Society, and Director, Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, is based on a review of scientific and medical studies covering several decades on the benefits experienced by individuals who act sincerely for the benefit of others.

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Researchers at Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research and Education offer research-based tips for keeping your resolution.

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An international study of holiday shopping and religion finds that dominant religious groups are more likely to experience “consumption mass hysteria” while shoppers in minority religions may view malls much differently: as central meeting places that “can play an active role in the creation of a sacred event.”

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First day of winter brings Loyola orthopaedic surgeon's tips on what not to do this season so you do not end in the emergency room.

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Dieting is a skill that involves trial and error, just like learning how to ride a bicycle, says Loyola weight specialist, Dr. Jessica Bartfield. Tips to help New Year's resolutions for weight loss come true

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With holiday gatherings, New Year celebrations, and constant travelling, hand washing is one of the most important ways to prevent getting sick and spreading germs. Many illnesses, including the common cold, are spread by not washing hands properly with soap and water. According to statistics from the National Library of Medicine, the common cold accounts for approximately 22 million missed days of school and 20 million absences from work (which includes time away from work to care for sick children).

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As the New Year rolls in, many people will be looking to better themselves by resolving to lose weight, quit smoking and manage stress. Sticking to resolutions for more than a few weeks, however, is a lofty task that takes a great deal of motivation and even lifestyle changes. Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss tactics to help people meet and keep their health goals in 2012 and shed light on why it can be so challenging.

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During his 23-year career, Steven Polevoi, MD, the medical director of the UCSF Emergency Department, has done everything from treat traumatic injuries to deliver babies. While medical emergencies occur throughout the year, Polevoi sees the winter season and its related overindulgence as a pivotal time for preventing emergencies by listening to our bodies.

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Practical goals and preparation are the keys to success, a Saint Louis University physical therapist says.

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University of Alabama experts offer 15 predictions for the coming year. So, what’s ahead for 2012? Look for President Barack Obama to face, and defeat, a surprise Republican nominee, online doomsday groups to spike, the Occupy Movement to re-emerge, fuel prices to remain unstable and much more.

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Jesus’ mother Mary — exhausted by childbirth and the trip to Bethlehem — lies asleep in the hay. Next to her, Joseph tenderly holds the newborn son he hadn’t counted on. It’s not a conventional illustration of the Nativity. That image, in a greeting card reproduction of original art by Roger Loveless, would have startled Christians in earlier times. But that card and other more recent ones demonstrate how the story of a savior’s birth has been captured in differing ways by artists across time, say art historians at Baylor University.

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From decorating a patient’s room to arranging for music or massage therapy, UAB experts offer tips to bring the holidays to the hospital.

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Many parents are scanning the latest “recommended toy” lists as the holidays draw near. An education expert at Washington University in St. Louis says that, while educational toys are a fine idea, children receive the most benefit when their parents play with them and engage them in their new gifts.

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Need help choosing a New Year's resolution? Below, the University at Buffalo offers its annual list of 10 suggestions for achieving health, happiness and success in the new year. Each resolution is based on the work of UB faculty in 2011.

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Wake Forest Baptist psychologist offers New Year’s resolutions suggestions.

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Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center dermatologist Amy McMichael, M.D., recommends a proactive approach to winter skin care.

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Meet a Michigan mom who's living life while waiting for a new heart, plus find out how many "drinks" are really in your favorite cocktail.

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Nearly 45 percent of Americans will make New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, many of us will fall off after the first week. If you’re one of those individuals, the Monday strategy could increase your odds for success: Make Monday the day to recommit to your resolutions with 52 Healthy Monday Tips.

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When making New Year’s resolutions this year, committing to a specific plan for when and where you are going to accomplish each goal will make you more likely to succeed, says psychologist E.J. Masicampo. In a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, he found that committing to a specific plan to accomplish a goal not only makes it more likely to be done, but also gets it off your mind so you can think about other things.

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Fitness Expert gives tips for staying on track during the holidays.

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Tips for weight management and healthy eating over the holidays.

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Top tech gift suggestions from Ryerson University expert.

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Family members and friends can choose gifts that will make caregiving easier and provide a much-needed respite from the often overwhelming demands of caregiving, according to Michael Noe, MD, associate dean for community relations and clinical affairs in the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.

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Loyola hospital says out of town travelers often discover elderly relatives in decline and seek help at the ER - tips on what to look for and what the ER will do.

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Just in time for the holidays, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Earth Rangers – a Canadian conservation group that works directly with children and families – have launched a campaign to protect the “real” reindeer, namely woodland caribou that call home to boreal forests of northern Ontario.

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According to Dian Griesel, Ph.D, a nutritionist, it’s misguided to think of eating healthy as a “resolution.” Like most of our resolutions, this one will soon be broken.

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An American Studies course at Rowan University challenges students to examine celebrations, holidays and rituals in American culture.