I started this blog 7 years ago as a way to vent my frustrations with our messed up healthcare system. Since then, I’ve written hundreds of posts on healthcare policy and reform, navigating the system to save money, and staying healthy to avoid being in the system altogether. Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories, asked questions, or suggested topics for me to research. Healthcare has some powerful … read on The post Frugal Nurse on sabbatical appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

Look for a few simple, inexpensive ingredients Flu is raging across the country. Most cases don’t require a trip to the emergency room or even the doctor. But there are a few over-the-counter (OTC) flu medicines that can help treat the most common symptoms: fever, headache, sore throat, muscle pain and cough. You don’t need to spend a lot of money, and these products can be used for other … read on The post The best over-the-counter flu medicines appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

The holiday season is upon us, and isn’t that when illness always seems to strike? Few things are germier than a school where lots of kids and adults are stuck in small rooms, touching the same objects and breathing the same air. Kids bring those germs home on their hands and touch everything there, too. Then parents get sick and spread the virus to co-workers. And so on, and so … read on The post Tips to prevent colds and flu appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

It’s cold season and products that claim to prevent or significantly shorten colds are flying off the drugstore shelves. The best strategy to prevent a cold is to wash your hands frequently. Still, the advertisements for such products are both pervasive and persuasive. But are they worth buying? Vitamin C and zinc are the supplements used in most of these products. You can buy them in capsules, lozenges, teas or … read on The post Save your money: Vitamin C and zinc don’t prevent colds appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month Every year, more than 250,000 kids under the age of 14 are injured by toys. So if you’re shopping for young children this holiday season, here are some tips and resources to help keep kids safe. Prevent Blindness, the sponsors of Safe Toys and Gifts Month, offers this pretty comprehensive do and don’t list: Avoid toys that shoot or include parts … read on The post Keep kids safe – Toy safety tips appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

The 2019-20 flu season is underway, although it’s not widespread yet. Do you want to know when the flu is active in your area? Use a flu map to track the flu week-to-week. Then you can take extra precautions to avoid getting sick. The CDC’s FluView map shows flu trends based on reports to public health officials. Other flu maps to track the flu Two other interactive flu maps are … read on The post Flu Maps: Track the flu to know when it’s active in your community appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

Dish up your family health history Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. Did you know it’s also National Family Health History Day? “Over the holiday or at other times when families gather, the Surgeon General encourages Americans to talk about, and to write down, the health problems that seem to run in their family. Learning about their family’s health history may help ensure a longer, healthier future together.” As a nurse, … read on The post Know your family health history appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

One big problem in our healthcare system is its lack of price transparency. Different insurance companies negotiate different rates with different networks. Middlemen called pharmacy benefits managers (PBM) similarly control drug prices. Cash pricing is something else altogether. So it made me laugh to listen to two physicians—who I think are stars in the conversation about REAL healthcare reform—banter about trying to order a meal at McDonald’s… It’s ridiculous, … read on The post What if McDonald’s billed for services like hospitals? appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

The CDC reached out and asked that I join other health professionals in sharing this Flu Prevention Resource Sheet. It’s full of flu facts, tips, and helpful links. Sláinte, FN The Flu Prevention Resource Sheet for Healthcare Workers, Teachers and Concerned Parents The U.S. flu season is just beginning, and can last until May (with peak infections hitting between December and February). While it’s far too early to predict … read on The post Flu resources from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more

Soy products used to confuse me. As a nurse, I worked with breast cancer patients. At the time there was confusion about whether women with breast cancer, or at a high risk of getting breast cancer, could safely eat soy. That’s because soy contains an abundance of isoflavones. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens or plant compounds that mimic estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors in our bodies. Because most breast cancers … read on The post The health benefits of soy (soy milk, tofu and edamame) appeared first on Frugal Nurse ..read more