Christmas is a time when many of us pause to recognise and honour the birth of Jesus Christ, and for others it is the season of the holly and the jolly. Many people experience excesses in emotions and activity at this time each year - alcohol consumption, cooking, food consumption, spending, low-down negative feelings like loneliness and depression, joy and happiness and sexual relations.
As a consequence of these excesses, Christmas can be dangerous for your health. In addition, it's 'sniffles season'.
But there is life after Christmas, so let's engage in activities to preserve health right through to 2009.
My Christmas wishlist for Jamaicans
It's my hope that Jamaicans will observe the following during the Holy Season.
✓ If you are HIV-negative today, ensure that your status remains the same as you ring in the New Year. Do not have unprotected sex. Use a condom. This way, you decrease the possibility of starting the New Year with unwanted pregnancy, HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. In my article last December, I wrote about the increase in sales of pregnancy test kits in pharmacies in late January/early February every year because of 'Christmas sex'. That article indicated how unwanted most of these pregnancies were. Sure enough, in February of 2008, pregnancy test kits were purchased like never before. Will February 2009 be any different? Make it so.
✓ Eat in moderation.
✓ Drink wisely. Do not drink alcohol excessively.
✓ If you decide to drink alcohol, organise with a non-drinking person to drive you to and from the 'drinking venue'.
✓ Amid the Christmas activities, keep your regular doctors' appointments and ensure that you have enough daily medications to take you through the holidays.
✓ Take your prescribed medications consistently. Remember that alcohol should not be consumed in tandem with many drugs and do not stop taking your medications in order to drink alcohol.
✓ Be extra careful with the increased cooking and baking to avoid getting burnt in the kitchen. For most burns, remember it is best to apply cool running water for about 20 minutes. Butter, petroleum jelly and other greasy products are harmful.
✓ Exercise throughout the season. Do not wait until 2009 to start exercising. Move that body like your life depends on it!
✓ Remember to rest. This is especially important if you have the cold or flu!
✓ Slow down while driving. If you don't drive, adopt a zero-tolerance approach to be driven at high speeds.
✓ Finally, may the love of Jesus, the purpose of His life and the gift of His salvation touch your heart in a special way this Christmas!
Dahlia McDaniel is a pharmacist and final doctoral candidate in public health at the University of London; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
