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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2015)
6 B SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH Most medications increase fall risk DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently wrote that antihistamines used for sleep can increase the risk of falls. Are there any sleep aids that don’t increase fall risk? — C.A.L. ANSWER: Since almost all med- ications are associated with fall risk, reducing the overall number of med- ications should be a goal for all of us who prescribe medication for older people. Some medications are more risky than others, such as the antihist- amines I mentioned, but also prescrip- tion sleep aids such as Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata, antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and oth- ers, diazepam (Valium) and related drugs. Major tranquilizers such as Seroquel are high risk. Insomnia itself increases fall risk, so effective treatment that doesn’t use medications that cause problems the SALOME’S STARS ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Careful, Lamb. Taking on too many tasks at one time can cause you to cre- ate more snarls each time you try to work your way through the tangled mass. Best to handle one job at a time. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Making bold moves is what Bovines do. But the best moves are made with lots of data to provide backup just in case you charge into an unexpected complication. A new relationship shows promise. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Sharing credit for a job well done is easy for you to do, but not necessarily for your partner. But fair is fair. Don’t let yourself be denied the right to have your contributions recognized. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Communication is important to help next day is the goal. Melatonin works for some people; melatonin 0.3 mg might be effective and appears to have a lower risk of falls. Better still, non- drug treatment such as cognitive behavior therapy, including sleep hygiene, has no risk of medication- associated falls and may reduce over- all fall risk by improving sleep. Basics of sleep hygiene include avoiding long (longer than 20 min- utes) naps, avoiding bright light (including TV and computer) before bed, reserving the bed strictly for sleep and maintaining the same bed- time and wake time every day. A CBT therapist can give much more detailed and personalized information. DEAR DR. ROACH: After a terri- ble bout of IBS, my doctor tested me for C. diff, and it came back positive. He put me on an antibiotic and told me I was just a carrier. Can you please explain to me what it means to be a “carrier”? I would hate to think that I might pass it on to my grandchildren by touching them, or changing their diapers, etc. I work in a hospital and feel I have a “dirty” secret, because all I get is, “Just wash your hands.” Any informa- tion that you may have on the subject would be greatly appreciated. — M.D. ANSWER: A carrier is someone who harbors a condition but who has no symptoms of the condition. There is a possibility of passing on a condi- tion when you are a carrier. In your case, the bacteria Clostridium dificile, universally called “C. diff,” is present in about 3 percent of all healthy adults. However, somewhere between 20 percent and 50 percent of patients in hospitals and long-term-care facilities have asymp- tomatic C. diff. The spores of C. diff are very, very difficult to eradicate and can be found on many surfaces, and so hospital workers as well as patients may become infected (with symptoms of diarrhea) or can be carriers. This may be how you acquired the bacteria. Current guidelines do not recom- mend treatment for carriers. The most important way to prevent your passing on the infection is good hand-wash- ing. The best method is warm water and soap after using the bathroom. (My hospital recommends singing “Happy Birthday” in your head twice to be sure you are washing long enough.) Alcohol sanitizers are inef- fective for C diff. By being meticulous in hand-washing, you can minimize the risk of passing on the bacteria. bridge a gap that can lead to problems at home and/or at the workplace. Find a way to get your points across before the breach becomes a chasm. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Relationships, whether business or personal, need to be watched carefully for signs of trouble. Any negative indi- cations should be dealt with before they become too burdensome. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Congratulations. A more positive aspect highlights much of the Virgo’s week. You should find others more receptive to your suggestions, and also more likely to act on them. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) All work and little play could wear the Libra’s usually positive attitude down. Take some much-needed time off. Perhaps a short jaunt with some- one special is the way to go. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) This is a good time to expand your view from the known to the unfamiliar. Confronting new situa- tions could be challenging, but ulti- mately also could be extremely satisfy- ing. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Giving advice to those who just want validation for what they’re doing can be unsettling. So back off and save your counsel for those who really appreciate it. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Cultivating a more posi- tive attitude not only makes you feel better about yourself, but also has an upbeat effect on those around you, especially that certain someone. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Keeping the lines of communication open and accessible is the key to establishing the right foun- dation on which to build an important and meaningful relationship. Stay with it. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Before agreeing to act on a request, consider using your perceptive Piscean talents to see what might lie hidden beneath its surface and could possibly cause problems later on. Siuslaw N ews ! AD IT DAY E R TO www. the siuslawnews.com E -E DITION • S PORTS • T OP S TORIES • O BITUARIES • W EATHER • F ORUMS • B LOGS