Helping kids cope in a violent world

Q: I’m worried that my kids, 6 and 8, will see violence or tragedy on TV that will really upset them. How can I protect them and help them deal with what they see and hear? — Sophia H., Burlington, Vermont

A: Start by turning off the tube. According to a Senate report, by age 18 an American child will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence. Besides monitoring TV exposure, here are other things you can do.

1. Talk to your kids about what’s real on TV and what isn’t. At around age 7 or 8 they may start believing everything they see could happen to them. If they (inadvertently) see a zombie show, let them know it is fantasy.

2. Monitor your own anxiety. Kids pick up on everything, so don’t let on-screen and world events get you overly agitated. Getting the right amount of sleep (seven to eight hours), exercising daily and meditating can help keep things in perspective.

Q: Menopause symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats, are killing me, but I worry about taking hormone therapy. What can provide some relief? — Cassie J., Carbondale, Illinois

A: True, some hormone therapy is associated with a slightly increased risk of breast cancer: For every 100,000 women on HT (that combines progestin and estrogen) for a year, there are eight additional cases of breast cancer. (We recommend micronized progesterone, not progestin.) However, if you add two low-dose aspirins taken with a half glass of warm water to your regimen of bioidentical, pharmaceutical-grade HT, you’ll actually have a 10 to 30 percent decrease in breast cancer risk.

The risk of blood clots associated with HT is another reason taking aspirin is important. But there’s another way to reduce that risk. A study in the journal Menopause found 22 women (out of around 2,500) taking oral estrogen developed venous thromboembolisms (blood clots) while 13 women, out of around 2,500, using a transdermal estradiol patch did.

Ask your doctor how the risks and benefits of transdermal HT apply to YOU. And consider adding daily aspirin to that regimen. We consider it malpractice and a reason to switch docs if yours doesn’t talk to you about clots and aspirin when you two discuss HT.

It’s smart to help ease symptoms by exercising, drinking plenty of water and chilling out with 10 minutes of meditation daily. Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.