Your Health

Cancer camp

Children age 5-12 with parents or loved ones who have cancer can share their experiences with other kids at a free camp this summer.

Edward Cancer Center's Camp Hope offers traditional summer camp activities, plus therapeutic sessions including arts and crafts, music therapy, scrapbooking, martial arts and yoga.

Licensed clinical social workers will run the therapy sessions.

The camp will be held the weeks of June 22 and Aug. 10 at the Edward Health & Fitness Center in Woodridge.

For more information, call (630) 527-6363.

Kids' workout

Potential Training and Wellness Center in Antioch and Spring Grove will offer two days of free conditioning classes for children.

The classes will train children in different age groups from 5 and up in flexibility, mobility, strength and cardiovascular conditioning.

The classes will run in the day and evenings Monday and Wednesday, June 8 and 10, in Antioch, and Tuesday and Thursday, June 9 and 11, in Spring Grove, as a sample precursor to a 6-week training program.

Call trainer and owner Al Roth at (847) 395-9200.

Free eye care

Local ophthalmologists are offering free eye exams and eye care for seniors starting today.

EyeCare America, a public service program sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, will offer free exams and care for any disease detected in the initial visit for up to one year, at no out-of-pocket cost.

The program is designed for U.S. citizens and legal residents 65 and older who have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years and are not covered for health care by an HMO or the Veterans Affairs.

The offer runs through the end of August. To check eligibility and find an eye doctor near you, call (800) 222-3937.

Insurance expanded

A new law takes effect today that allows dependent young adults up to age 26 - and up to age 30 for military veterans - to be covered by a parent's health insurance.

The law applies to any unmarried dependents, regardless of whether they're attending school. All policies must offer an initial 90-day enrollment and can't deny coverage due to an existing medical condition.

For more information, see insurance.Illinois.gov or call (877) 527-9431.

Clot socks don't work

Compression socks that are meant to prevent blood clots in stroke patients don't work, according to a new study.

Research in the British medical journal Lancet studied 2,518 patients hospitalized for strokes caused by blood clots. About half wore thigh-length support stockings and half did not.

After 30 days, ultrasounds found that 10 percent of all patients got a blood clot in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis.

Those who wore the socks were no less likely to get a clot - but they were more likely to suffer cuts or abrasions, ulcers, blisters and dead skin.