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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2007)
Update on Caremark Pharmacy Cards by Demise Barker, CHS Tech Greetings, tribal members! In August 2006, the Siletz Tribal Council gave a directive to change the Pequot Pharmacy cards. The ID num ber used to be your Social Security num ber; now that ID number is different. We have the new pharmacy cards now. If you have not received one, please call Contract Health Services to see if you need to be updated. You are required to update yearly. If you have received an update recently, please fill it out and send it back in. If you need update forms, visit the tribe's Web site, www.ctsi.nsn.us. Click on Healthcare, Contract Health, then Registration Form. You have a $500 annual retail on your card. If you live in the 11-county service area, you are required to get your medication at the Siletz Commu nity Health Clinic, Grand Ronde Clinic, or Chemawa Indian Health Center. Those of you who live outside the service area have the $500 retail. Any questions, please call Contract Health Services at 1-800-628-5720 or 541-444-1236. Clinic Health CHA-MAY WEEYA- MEDICINETALK -ir Siletz Community Eye Care and Diabetes People with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to suffer from glaucoma and the longer someone has diabetes, the more common glaucoma is. Glaucoma is a condition caused by the buildup of pressure in the eye that can. over time, damage the optic nerve. People with diabetes also are at greater risk for developing cataracts and retinopathy. Be sure to schedule an annual eye exam. During your exam, ask the doctor to check for signs of diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Parents: The First Line of Defense Understanding the Five Stages of Nicotine Addiction We all want what is best for our children, even if we do the exact thing we caution our children from doing, like smoking. Until approximately age 8, parents still have the greatest influence over whether their child will become a regu lar smoker. Understanding the stages of addiction can help parents educate, prevent, and hopefully intervene in their child’s health choices about smok ing and the use of other drugs. Often peer pressure and role model emulation propel youths past this un pleasantness until tolerance develops. Ages 13 through 18 Experimentation: The repeated, Preparation: When a child forms a albeit irregular, use over an extended pe riod of time, usually in a social context. Consolidation: Regular smoking depending on context, such as at par ties, on weekends, with alcohol, or in smoking circles. Addiction: Daily use of cigarettes with an internally regulated need for a certain nicotine level knowledge base about smoking and de velops beliefs and expectations about use. The Good News! We can intervene Ages 0 through 7 Ages 8 through 12 Initiation: The first two or three cigarettes tried during adolescence. These usually produce adverse effects such as nausea, coughing, and dizziness. and prevent use at any stage. Talking with your child is not enough even if you don’t smoke. Many resources are available to help you have current, ac curate, and age-appropriate materials on hand when the subject comes up. Be proactive; ask if your child’s school has prevention programs, cur riculum goals, and expectations about tobacco abuse education. Further, find out if an enforced no smoking school policy is in place. Talk to other family members about your beliefs about smoking and ask them to help give the message of prevention. Parents are the first line of defense against nicotine and other drug addictions. The Tobacco Prevention and Edu cation Program has lots of information, pamphlets, flyers, stickers, and pro gram and project ideas that can be sent to you wherever you are! Further, if you are a current smoker and want to quit, Quit Kits, information, and sup port are just a phone call away. Please call or write to DeAnna Pearl, tobacco prevention coordinator, at l-8(X)- 648-0449, ext. 1659; 541-444-9659; or e-mail siletztobacco@ctsi.nsn.us. Tooth Talk by Mary Ellen Volansky, RDH, MS Oral Care and Cancer Treatment Oral health problems are common in persons receiving treatment for cancer, which causes changes to our mouth. Cancer treatments can cause dry mouth, increased mouth acidity, vom iting (which allows stomach acids to reach the teeth), and a decrease in the body's immunity to infections. All this increases the risk of tooth decay, peri odontal problems, and oral sores. A cancer team is the group of health care providers who work to help you maintain your health. Team members can include but are not limited to the following: a cancer treatment special- ist/physician (oncologist), radiology oncologist, internal medicine practitio ner. case manager/nurse specialist, and a dentist/hygienist. You should include a dentist/ hygienist as a member of your cancer team whether you are an adult or a child. When possible, it's recom mended to have a dental checkup be fore you begin cancer treatment. Having a dental checkup before treatment reduces the chances of an existing Ux)th or gum problem flaring up during cancer treatment. By having regu lar dental checkups, you reduce the chance that you will experience the discomfort, inconvenience, and time spent in a den tal office for an abscess or toothache during chemical or radiation therapy. There are steps to prevent or man age the painful mouth problems you 16 • Siletz News • might experience with cancer treat ment. Included here are some self-care tips you can try and advice for when to contact your cancer team members. I) b. Prevention for your mouth during cancer treatment: a. Soak an extra-soft toothbrush in warm water to make it softer. b. Brush your teeth and tongue gently. c. Brush after every meal. d. Brush at bedtime. Use low- abrasive toothpastes with fluo ride. Over-the-counter (OTC) desensitizing toothpastes can help with teeth sensitive to cold. e. Floss once a day. If flossing hurts in one place, keep floss ing in the others. f. Rinse often with water. g. Choose soft, easy-to-chew foods - applesauce, eggs, etc. 2) Avoid the following: a. Stay away from mouthwash with alcohol in it. b. Avoid spicy, sour, or crunchy ftxxls. c. Avoid very hot or icy-cold foods, d. Avoid alcohol. e. Stop smoking or chewing tobacco. c. d. e. f. 3) Care for mouth problems: a. Sore mouth, sore throat □ Rinse often with *4- teaspoon of baking soda February 2007 and l/8-teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Don’t swallow. Mouth pain □ Ask your cancer team about medicine that can help with oral pain. □ For swelling/abscess, contact your cancer team for treatment options. Dry mouth: □ Sip water often. □ Use sugar-free candy. □ Use saliva substitutes. One OTC brand is Biotene; your dentist can prescribe others. Saliva helps with eating, talking, and overall oral comfort. Saliva also washes the sugar and acids that cause cavities. Eating problems: □ Ask for medicines to numb the pain. Stiff chewing muscles: □ Three times a day, open and close your mouth as far as you can without pain. Repeat 20 times other than when eating. Vomiting: □ Rinse after vomiting with a solution of %-teaspoon of baking soda in I cup of water. Don't swallow. g. Cavities: □ Ask your dental profes sional for a prescription for fluoride with which to rinse or brush. Fluoride is for preventing cavities, not a treatment for cavi ties once you have them. □ If you have tooth decay and pain, see your dentist. Check your mouth every day. Look in the mirror for changes. Sores on your cheeks or tongue can be pain ful; they can be red or white. Some oral sores have a film over them that may come off; the skiu underneath the film can be painful. Bleeding of gums, tongue, or cheeks and pain and/or swelling are other reasons to contact your cancer team. The medical or dental team mem ber can provide you with information and directions for care. This information was taken from a brochure developed by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, updated Aug. 10. 2006. I expect this booklet to be available in the clinic around Feb. I. Do you have questions, advice to offer others that I can share, or topics you would like covered here? E-mail me at toothtalk@ctsi.nsn.us. The outline above will be posted on the tribe’s dental Web page.
