S moke S ignals
JULY 1, 2016
Health & Wellness Center Closures for July
• Friday, July 1 – 1 to 5 p.m.
• Monday, July 4 – All day (Independence Day)
What are cataracts?
Men’s Health Awareness
The leading causes of death for all age groups for males and females
are shown below. However, the leading cause of death for males
from birth through age 44 and females from birth through age 34
is unintentional injuries; the percentages are higher for males at
almost every age.
Unintentional injury deaths include car accidents, drug overdos-
es, falls, fires, poisonings, drowning and other causes of accidental
death. Suicide and homicide are also among the leading causes of
death for younger males.
Males
Cause
1
2
3
A cataract is a cloudiness of the lens in your eye that prevents light from
passing to the retina, which can impair your vision. Cataracts sometimes
remain small and unnoticeable. But with more developed cataracts, it's
like constantly viewing the world through a foggy window.
Cataracts Are Natural
Cataracts form naturally as you age. When dead cells shed from your
lens, they gather in the lens and form clouded spots. Since new lens cells
form on the outside of the lens, all of the older cells are compacted into
the center of the lens, resulting in a cataract.
Surgery is the only way to remove cataracts and restore your vision.
Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgical pro-
cedures in the United States. It is also one of the most successful. More
than 95 percent of cataract surgeries result in improved vision. However,
like any surgery, there can be complications that can be severe or sight
threatening. Your chance of developing complications is greater if you
have another eye disease or serious medical condition. Complications can
usually be successfully treated, but it's important to discuss your medical
history with your eye care professional before making the decision to have
cataract surgery.
Types of Cataracts
There are three common types of age-related cataracts. Anyone is sus-
ceptible to any type, or combination of types, as they age.
Nuclear Cataracts: These are by far the most common type of cataract.
The cells that your eyes’ lenses shed throughout your lifetime can’t be lost
into the air. Instead, they gather in the center, or nucleus, of the lens. This
causes the lens to thicken and yellow, creating an opaque cloudiness that
steadily worsens over time.
Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts: This type of cataract forms beneath
the lens capsule, a small membrane that holds the lens in place. They can
develop rapidly and worsen significantly within a matter of months. People
taking high doses of steroid medications have a greater risk of developing
this type of cataract.
Cortical Cataract: This type of cataract develops in the lens cortex,
the outside edge of the lens. Changes in the water content of the lens
fibers create fissures that look like the spokes of a wheel growing in from
the edge of your eye. As the cataract develops, white streaks grow toward
the center of the lens and scatter light that passes through to the retina.
Delaying Cataract Formation
There are other factors that come into play in cataract formation. UV
exposure, smoking and medications, such as steroids, can contribute in
hastening the development of cataracts. Although there is no way of com-
pletely preventing cataracts from forming, using UV protective sunglasses
when you’re outside, quitting smoking and proper follow-ups with your
medical and eye care provider when taking certain medications can help
to delay cataract formation.
Diagnosing Cataracts
Because cataracts can deteriorate your vision slowly over the years, you
may not notice the effect they have on your daily activities. Fortunately,
your eye care professional can help you detect cataracts early through
standard eye and retinal examinations.
The Importance of Eye Exams
After a standard vision test, your eye care professional will typically
dilate your pupil to examine the lens and other parts of your eye. These
annual eye exams are especially important as you age so that you can
diagnose cataracts as they start developing and respond accordingly. It is
important to make sure your glasses or contact lenses are strong enough
to compensate for your decreased vision. As your cataracts develop, you
can discuss with your eye care doctor whether surgery would be beneficial.
Call the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center to schedule your com-
prehensive eye examination at 503-879-2096 or 1-800-775-0095.
29
4
Females
Cause
%
Heart
disease
Cancer
Unintent-
ional injuries
24.6
23.5
6.3
5.4
5
Chronic
lower
respiratory
diseases
Stroke
6
Diabetes
3.1
7
8
Suicide
Influenza
and
pneumonia
Alzheimer's
disease
Chronic liver
disease
2.5
2.1
9
10
4.1
2.0
1.8
%
Heart
disease
Cancer
Chronic
lower
respiratory
diseases
Stroke
22.4
Alzheimer's
disease
Unintent-
ional injuries
Diabetes
Influenza
and
pneumonia
Kidney
disease
Septicemia
4.6
21.5
6.1
5.8
3.8
2.8
2.3
1.8
1.6
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the following
suggestions on its National Men’s Health Week page.
o Get good sleep;
o Toss out the tobacco;
o Move more;
o Eat healthy;
o Tame stress;
o Stay on top of your game (preventive care, symptoms to watch
for, keep track of your numbers).
To schedule a wellness exam, call the Grand Ronde Health &
Wellness at 503-879-5086 or 1-800-775-0095.
Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center
Lab/X-ray hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday:
8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. – closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. – closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Grand Ronde Health &
Wellness Pharmacy
Please be advised for:
Refill Requests
In order to best serve you, please note the following time re-
quirements for refill requests:
(Valid) Refills remaining – 48-72 hours
No refills remaining – up to 7 days*
*this allows us time to coordinate and correct any
needs that may exist for your refill
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE OUT BEFORE
THIS TIME FRAME ON A MAINTENANCE MEDICATION
SO THAT WE CAN BEST ACCOMMODATE YOUR NEEDS.
Thank you for allowing us to serve your prescriptions needs.
Sincerely,
Your Pharmacy staff