Taken from Dr. Inglis 'House Calls'

Dear reader, You've been awakened from a deep sleep by the sound of your back door being rattled. What do you do? Besides trying to quell the runaway beat of that muscle in your chest, you hopefully have near you a way to protect yourself. While a baseball bat is good, and a squawking home security alarm is even better, there's another option to consider. Thanks to a constant reader who sent in the following safety tip, this is an idea that a lot of us may be able to use: Keep your car keys on your nightstand. If you hear someone trying to break in, you can use the key fob to set off the car alarm. This will wake the whole neighborhood, of course, but more important -- hopefully it will scare off any would-be burglar. Thieves are slinking cowards to begin with, so a piercing alarm isn't something they'll want to try to maneuver around to get to your silver. The tip came from a neighborhood watch group, and it may be something you want to alert your neighbors to do, as well. If an alarm isn't immediately turned off and continues to sound, it'll be the signal to others that there's trouble and to call for help. I recommend you give it a test run from your bed to make sure it'll work. But do your neighbors a favor -- try it midday so they won't miss any sleep.

Allergies could cut the ignition to your cognition

If you're suffering from seasonal allergies, think twice before reaching for an antihistamine. The temporary relief just isn't worth the long-term risk.These drugs have been linked to a hastening of memory loss in otherwise healthy older folks.

One study measured that decline to be 1.5 times faster for patients who took a drug with anti-cholinergic properties than those who didn't.

And it's not just antihistamines that you should be concerned about. They're just one drug in the larger family of anti-cholinergic drugs, which includes anti-depressants as well as drugs to treat irritable bowel syndrome.The way the anti-cholinergic class of drugs work is that they end up blocking the effects of acetylcholine. This is the all-important neurotransmitter that is involved with your ability to learn and the functioning capacity of your memory.

For a natural remedy to take the sting out of seasonal allergies, try quercetin. It's a bioflavanoid known to curb the release of histamine when your immune system encounters an allergen. The usual dose is 500 milligrams two to three times per day.You'll also find it naturally in onions, apples and leafy green vegetables. Even though the amounts may be smaller than you would find in a supplement, the effect can still be pronounced.Be patient, as it takes a few weeks to see results. But the good news is that it won't cost you your brain power.

Vitamin deficiency may be causing your chronic pain

If your pain meds just don't seem to be cutting it lately, your doctor may be keen to up your dose. Before you go along with it, you'd better read this.A recent study showed that vitamin D levels make a difference in how high a dose of opiods you need and for how long you're likely need them.

I just wrote in House Calls a few weeks ago about the dangers of these drugs. They've risen to the realm of infamy for being the 2nd leading cause of death in this country.This study linking vitamin D included 267 patients who had entered a pain rehabilitation center.

Over 27 percent of the 140 who were using opiods were deficient in vitamin D. Research has shown that if you are deficient in vitamin D— an essential nutrient needed for your bones and to help fend off arthritis—your body's reaction to pain can be affected.

Before you up your dose of pain meds, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D status. Have him to order a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood level test. It provides the most accurate assessment of vitamin D in your body. The results should be at least 30 nanograms per milliliter, but I like to see levels above 40 nanograms per milliliter to keep you on the safe side.

Sources for vitamin D include 15 minutes in the sun every day, with bare face and arms. The challenge for most of us is with those winter months if we don't happen to live in a warm, sunny climate. (I'm sure you don't like your arms exposed to arctic temps any more than I do.)

Try taking 1,000 IUs of vitamin D year round plus an extra 1,000 IUs from November through April (2,000 IU daily total). These doses are well within the safe range.

Over-prescribed med ups heart risk for children

It seems like every child who has difficulty paying attention or sitting still is now being slapped with an ADHD diagnosis and a fat bottle of pills.

But before docs get any more kids started on the Big Pharma bandwagon, heart experts are asking that they take a deep breath—and first give their young patients an EKG.

Frankly, doctors should be taking a deep breath—and their sweet time—before putting anyone on a prescription. But for our most vulnerable and youngest citizens, who just happen to be your children and grandchildren, there should be a great deal of due diligence performed before their health is risked.

If a structural heart defect exists that hasn't yet been diagnosed, a drug like Ritalin can stimulate a child's blood pressure and heart rate, leading to drastic consequences.

The heart folks recommend that a full family history be taken along with an EKG as a precautionary measure before even thinking about placing a child on an ADHD drug. These drugs had already raised concerns relating to heart risks for children with congenital heart defects, which finally led to a "black box" warning being added to the amphetamine-based drugs such as Adderall. This occurred after reports of 25 deaths—19 of which were children.

If you have a child or grandchild who has been given any of these drugs, don't assume that all is well just because nothing has happened. They should still get an EKG—this test can literally save lives. Voice your concerns: Don't be afraid to ask the doctor any and all questions you may have.

A bit of DASH to slash heart attack and stroke risk

If you're looking to reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack—and who isn't— you might want to try a diet initially designed to lower blood pressure.

A huge study that involved 88,000 women for a period of 25 years found that for those who ate meals that closely resembled the DASH diet—recommended to reduce high blood pressure—had a 24 percent lower incidence of heart attacks and an 18 percent lower incidence of strokes.

The DASH plan includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, it pushes for more plant-based proteins over meat selections. While this isn't a bad idea, there's nothing wrong with including grass-fed cattle or free-range poultry and all the fish you want (see www.mbayaq.org for the Seafood Watch Program's safe- fish list).

Also, I want to alert you to a common problem I encounter when people go on a healthy diet. Over and over again I see people working hard on cutting out the processed junk and getting enough fruits and vegetables. The problem they run into are cravings. This usually goes along with the belief that a healthy diet should somehow be a deprivation diet. Nothing could be further from the truth, and any diet or food plan that causes hunger and cravings will ultimately fail.

Cravings usually result in bingeing on "low fat" processed carbs. Avoid this harmful practice and satisfy your body's needs by making sure you get enough healthy fat. Those cravings are a message to your brain from your body that it's not getting what it needs to run itself—and more often than not, it means a lack of adequate healthy, natural fat found in fish, nuts, nut butters and olive oil. Even small to moderate amounts of organic dairy in the form of yogurt, cheese and butter are okay. If you get cravings on your "healthy" diet, consider experimenting with a little more of these healthy fats. Fat is not the enemy (except for Trans fats in the form of hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats found in margarines, packaged baked goods and a wide variety of processed, frozen-food products.)

And while you may not currently be dealing with high blood pressure, but you can start eating better today. You know what they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.