From Candy Bowls to Cold Medicine: Your October Health Check

October puts candy bowls, pumpkin coffee, and cold medicine on the same shopping list. We’ve covered plenty of these seasonal questions over the years. Here’s a fresh look at a few favorites, with practical ways to use the advice this month.

Candy, excitement, and your teeth

Our October 2024 RN article tackled a familiar claim: candy makes kids hyperactive. A review of controlled studies didn’t find that sugar changed children’s behavior or thinking overall. Halloween also brings costumes, friends, and a late evening, so there’s plenty of excitement around the candy.

For teeth, how often you reach for sweets deserves attention. The American Dental Association recommends enjoying candy with a meal or shortly afterward, when extra saliva helps wash away food and acids. Pick a time to enjoy a few favorites, then put the bag away instead of grazing throughout the day.

Look for the extras in your fall favorites

The Ghost Calories in Your Day looked at the little additions that are easy to overlook: coffee creamer, syrup, dressings, and snacks eaten straight from the bag. Check the serving size and added sugars on packaged foods and drinks. At the coffee counter, asking for less syrup is one simple way to adjust your usual order.

For ideas at home, Cozy Comforts: Healthy Alternatives to Fall Favorites offers seasonal options such as cinnamon apples, roasted squash, and turkey chili. Choose something you’d actually enjoy making. A pot of chili that leaves you lunch for tomorrow can be especially useful during a busy week.

Know what happens when you get a scare

A sudden noise in a haunted house can get your heart pounding before you’ve even worked out what happened. That’s part of the body’s fight-or-flight response. Hormones such as adrenaline can increase heart rate and breathing as your body prepares to react.

Haunted House, Healthy Heart explored that familiar Halloween jolt. Enjoy the movie or maze for fun, and keep exercise as its own habit. A neighborhood walk to see the decorations gives you another way to enjoy the season while moving.

Give shorter days a steadier routine

Our October 2025 RN article covered light, sleep, and seasonal fatigue. Start with a bedtime and wake-up time you can keep fairly consistent. Spend some time outside when you can, and give yourself a quieter hour before bed with less bright light and screen time.

Try attaching those habits to something you already do, such as a short walk after lunch. If ongoing fatigue or low mood is getting in the way of daily life, talk with a clinician about what’s going on.

Put flu prep on the calendar

Flu Shots & Full Plates brings together two seasonal basics: vaccination and eating well. The CDC recommends September or October vaccination for most people who need one flu vaccine dose for the season. Ask your clinician or pharmacist about the right timing for your household.

For the food part, keep it practical. Add vegetables to soup, include a protein source such as beans or chicken, and keep a few easy meals available for days when nobody feels like cooking.

Give your medicine cabinet ten minutes

BHT’s October toolkit includes a Cold & Flu Cabinet Check. Review expiration dates, active ingredients, and age-appropriate options for your household, then make a short restock list. You’ll have a better idea of what’s already available when someone gets sick.

If you’re eligible for and enrolled in Nice Healthcare through BHT, you have access to $0 primary care visits. Nice also offers 550+ common medications at $0, including select over-the-counter options, when prescribed and managed by a Nice clinician. Check the current free-medication list and participating pharmacies with Nice before filling a covered prescription.

While you’re checking your benefits, see whether you’re due for a preventive dental visit. It’s one more useful thing to put on the calendar before the holiday rush.