Doctor Offers Advice for Coping With the Sick Santa Syndrome

The existence of a new and clearly seasonal disorder has been suggested just in the nick of time. Or, some might say, the St. Nick of time.

The patient is Santa Claus--or, more accurately, the legions of impersonators who bounce children on their knees in shopping malls, ring bells in supermarkets and otherwise personify Christmas.

At issue is what a Norfolk, Va., Navy doctor calls the Sick Santa Syndrome, a hodge-podge of symptoms including low back pain (from lifting little ones or packages), ankle sprains (from not being able to see his feet), and a lingering sort of flu-cold (brought on by face-to-face contact with hundreds of children similarly afflicted.)

It should be no surprise, suggests Dr. Mark Dembert, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., to find Santas with low-grade fever, headache, nasal congestion, a general feeling of malaise, painful swallowing, a cough, swollen glands, depressed appetite and increased thirst. It all sort of goes with Santa’s turf.

“Risk factors for this syndrome . . . include ho, ho, ho-ing; hugging; listening; reassuring and winking done face to face,” Dembert concludes. “There is little one can do to prevent the syndrome. Influenza shots are warranted for this high-risk population. Vitamins may be worthwhile.

“The regimen of a proper diet and plenty of exercise and sleep should be started well before post-Thanksgiving store sales are announced. At the first sign of illness, sick Santas should seek good medical care.”

Danger for Swimmers

A training technique used by young competitive swimmers and increasingly employed by recreational-fitness swimmers in their 20s, 30s and 40s may have possible fatal consequences if it is overused, doctors warn.

In question is what swimmers and swim coaches commonly call “hypoxic” lap swimming in which swimmers complete several laps while holding just one breath of air. Hypoxic training is intended to enhance race endurance.

Though the technique was developed specifically for competitive swimmers, hypoxic training is increasingly being used by swimmers beyond the competitive age bracket who use vigorous swimming to stay in shape.

The warning comes from three University of Virginia School of Medicine physicians who recounted an episode in which a 19-year-old swim team member using hypoxic training techniques was found unconscious at the bottom of a university pool. The young man was saved by quick action of a lifeguard and--because he was in top condition--recovered fully and even swam in a race two weeks after the episode.

The outcome might have been far different for someone in lesser shape, the doctors cautioned in the New England Journal of Medicine. By holding one’s breath too long, a swimmer may risk losing consciousness. If he or she is not found immediately and treated, death can easily occur. In fact, said Rick Goeden, a swim coach at the YMCA in Pacific Palisades, the newly described near tragedy is just the most recent report in a series of such episodes.