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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2002)
Page 8 T h e IN D E P E N D E N T , N o v e m b e r 7, 20 0 2 Flu complications are very dangerous Health Notes ByAudeen Wagner Childhood Obesity E v e ry w h e re you lo o k th e s e d ays th e re is a n o th e r a rtic le w a rn in g us a b o u t th is p ro b lem w h ich th re a te n ’s ch ild re n 's health. It’s an e p id e m ic! T h e re is a d ra m a tic increa se, in recent ye a rs, in h e a rt d ise a se , d ia b e te s, h yp e rte n sio n , a s th m a , o s te o a rth ritis and sle ep d is o rd e rs in kids. C o n d itio n s w h ich are la rg e ly th o u g h t of as “ a d u lt d is e a s e s ” have now b e c o m e c h ild re n ’s p ro b le m s, too. A nd th e y a re d ire c tly linked to obesity. M any ch ild re n eat ju n k food regularly, a nd have ve ry p o o r e a t ing habits. T h e e a sy a va ila b ility of soda s, fries, ca n d y and g reasy h a m b u rg e rs c o n trib u te s to th is co n d itio n . L a ck of e x e rc is e is also a factor. To q u o te The O re g o n ia n recently, “ P ictu re a n o rm a l-w e ig h t child c a rry in g a 4 5 -p o u n d bag of dog food. N o w im a g in e th a t child trying to run, play, e ve n ju st c lim b s ta irs .” S o m e e xp e rts a ttrib u te the in cre a se in th e n u m b e rs of o v e rw e ig h t ch ild re n to th e “th re e N s" - N in te n d o , N e tsca p e and N icke lo d e o n ! S o m e s u g g e s tio n s fo r fam ilies: - Be a role m odel. If ch ild re n see th e ir p a re n ts e a tin g right, th e y w ill likely fo llo w th e ir lead. - Be m o re a ctive : N a tio n a l re c o m m e n d a tio n fo r c h ild re n is 30 m inutes o f e xe rc is e p e r day. (T h a t's a b o u t how long it ta ke s to w a lk a ro u n d V e rn o n ia Lake.) - Teach y o u r fa m ily h e a lth y e a tin g ha b its. R e ad m o re on the su b je ct and c h e c k it out on th e in te rn e t - th e re are so m e good p ro g ra m s and s u g g e s tio n s o u t th e re . T ry re lia b le w e b site s such as w w w .n id d k .n ih .g o v o r w w w .ific .o rg . - D o n ’t skip b re a k fa s t. K ids w h o e a t b re a k fa s t are not o n ly less like ly to b e o v e rw e ig h t, th e y score h ig h e r on te sts and have b e t te r a tte n d a n ce . - S et a sid e tim e to co o k and eat at hom e. E ven w ith to d a y ’s b usy sch e d u le s, it ca n be done. W e all nee d to sit d ow n to a w ell- ba la n ce d , lo w -fat, n u tritio u s m eal. - D o n ’t put y o u r c h ild on a diet. G ro w in g c h ild re n should ne ve r be p la ce d on a re s tric tiv e diet, u n le ss o v e rs e e n by a doctor. T h e re a re m a n y o th e r h e lp fu l g u id e lin e s fo r im p ro vin g c h il d re n ’s h e a lth th ro u g h th e fo o d s th e y e a t - c h e ck out th o s e w e b sites, and a s k y o u r c a re g iv e r fo r o th e r ideas. Mammogram schedule: N e xt m a m m o va n visit is N o v e m b e r 20, 2002. C all 5 0 3 -4 2 9 - 9191 fo r a n a p p o in tm e n t Fairgrounds bazaar space available sored b y th e F rie n d s of the C o In d ivid u a ls o r g roup s in te r e ste d in renting sp a ce o r a lum bia C o u n ty F air w ill be held ta b le m a y call E ve lyn H udson Nov. 2 2 -2 3 in the P a vilio n at the fa irg ro u n d s. B a z a a r hours w ill at th e fa irg ro u n d s , 5 0 3 -3 9 7 - 4231 fo r a v e n d o r a p p lica tio n . be 10 a.m . to 4 :0 0 p.m . Friday Table o r space rent is $15 .00 . A C h ris tm a s B a z a a r s p o n By Kent Burtner za, 80 to 90 p e rc e n t o c c u r a m o n g in d iv id u a ls 6 5 ye a rs of T h e flu has been a ro u n d us fo r a long tim e. W hile w e s o m e tim e s call a n y “b u g ” th a t m akes us feel p o o rly “th e flu ,” th e a n c ie n t G re e k p h y s ic ia n , H ip age and older. C o n se q u e n tly, o ld e r p e rso n s have th e m o st to gain fro m v a c c in a tio n , e a rly d e te ctio n , and a g g re s s iv e tre a t p o crates, d e scrib e d th e s y m p to m s in 4 1 2 BC: g e n e ra lly a sudd en o n se t of fever, ofte n w ith h ea dache , coug h, a p p e tite loss, m uscle ache s and tire d ness. In fluenza m ay also be a c c o m p a n ie d by sto m a ch ache and diarrhea. Flu s p re a d s q u ickly from o n e person to another. T h e in c u b a tio n p e rio d is one to tw o d a ys and a p e rso n is in fectio us fo r ab o u t six days, in clud ing the d a y before on se t of sym pto m s. T h e nam e “flu ” co m e s from th e Ita lia n in flu e n z a , w h ic h m e a n s “in flu e n c e ,” beca use an e p id e m ic of flu in th e ea rly 1500s ca u se d so m uch s ic k n ess th a t it w a s b e lie ve d to c o m e fro m th e “ in fluence of the sta rs .” N o w w e know th a t flu is ca u se d b y a viru s that g ets into the u p p e r re sp ira to ry tract. B y itself, flu is rare ly fatal. But w h e n yo u r b od y is fig h tin g off th e flu virus, o th e r in fectio ns o r c o m p lica tio n s, w h ich m ay be life th re a te n in g , c a n set in. T h e m ost co m m o n o f th e se is p n e u m onia, one of the five m ost c o m m o n ca u se s of d e a th in e ld e rly p erson s. B e sid e th e elderly, flu can be e s p e c ia lly se rio u s fo r peo ple w ith hea lth p ro b le m s such as d ia b e te s , k id n e y d is e a s e o r co n g e s tiv e hea rt dise a se . M ore th a n 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 A m e rica n s are h o sp ita lize d w ith flu each ye a r a nd a b o u t 2 0 ,0 0 0 die of c o m p li c a tio n s th a t arise fro m flu. Flu costs m ore than one b il lion d o lla rs in M e d ica re e x p e n d itu re s, and m ore than nine b il lion d o lla rs in d ire ct hea lth -ca re co sts a n n u a lly in the U nited S tates. O f d e a th s fro m in flu e n m ent. P re ve n tin g flu w a s u n th in k a ble until th e 1960s, w h e n v e t e rin a ria n s w o rk in g at K im b e r F arm s in F re m o n t, C a lif, d e v e l oped a stra in of p a th o g e n -fre e ch icke n s and egg s. It b e ca m e p o ssib le to s a fe ly c u ltu re a v a c cin e in egg y o lk and, by o b ta in ing a sa m p le of th e flu virus, use it to m ake a flu va ccin e . P re ve n tin g flu is still hard b e ca u se the viru s c h a n g e s all the tim e and in u n p re d ic ta b le w ays. T h e virus th a t e vo lve s in any given y e a r is s lig h tly d iffe re n t fro m th e viru s th a t sp re a d the p re vio u s year. E ach y e a r an in te rn a tio n a l co n so rtiu m of h e a lth s p e cia lists m o n ito rs th e e a rlie s t o u tb re a ks of flu to d e te rm in e w h ich strain of virus is d e ve lo p in g . From there, p h a rm a c e u tic a l c o m p a nies begin th e p ro ce ss of m a n ufacturing, te s tin g a nd g e tting a p p ro va l fo r th e c u rre n t y e a r’s va ccine. T h a t’s w h y flu shots are go o d fo r o n ly one year. S o m e tim e s th e re are c o m plica tio n s in th e p ro ce ss. Last y e a r th e va ccin e w a s ve ry c o m p lica te d to m a n u fa c tu re : tw o c o m p a n ie s fo u n d th a t th e ir s a m p le s w e re c o n ta m in a te d and had to sta rt th e pro ce ss over, w h ich re su lte d in a s e ri ous sh o rta g e of va ccin e . This year, th e re have bee n no se ri ous p ro b le m s and th e re is an a m ple su p p ly of flu va ccin e . E ve ryon e o v e r the age of fifty is stro n g ly e n co u ra g e d to g e t a flu Friday, th e 22nd. b illio n in lo st p ro d u c tio n d u rin g e p id e m ics. A s k y o u r d o c to r a b o u t a flu shot. To fin d o u t w h e re you can get a flu sh ot, ca ll th e W a s h in g to n C o u n ty D e p a rtm e n t of H e alth and H u m a n S e rvice s at 5 0 3 -8 4 6 -8 8 8 1 , th e C D C ’s flu h o tlin e at 1 -8 0 0 -2 3 2 -2 5 2 2 (1- 8 0 0 -2 3 2 -0 2 3 3 in S p a n ish ), o r on the w e b at h ttp ://w w w .g e ta flu s h o t.c o m . P re v e n tio n is th e b e st m e d i cin e! T h e b o tto m line: P rotect yo u rs e lf - g e t a flu sh o t each year. It co u ld sa v e y o u r life. Kent Burtner is Public Informa tion Officer for the Washington County Department of Aging and Veterans’ Services. He may be reached by phone at 503-615- 4647 or by e-mail at william.k.burt- ner@state.or.us. Enjoy a quiet weekend with us. The Health Habit 503-429-0501 G o u rm e t C andy Shop Complete Co-Ed Gym Facility Personal Training Available B rid g e S t r e e t M a ll 9 0 2 B rid g e S t., V e rn o n ia 5 0 3 -4 2 9 -8 6 0 3 saver. A c c o rd in g to th e N a tio n al In stitu te on A g in g , flu v a c cin e s ca n re d u ce h o s p ita liz a tio n s by a b o u t 70 p e rce n t, and d e a th s a m o n g o ld e r p e o p le w h o are not in n u rsin g hom es, by a b o u t 85 p e rce n t. A fe w p e o ple w h o g e t flu sh o ts w ill still g e t flu, b u t th e ir c a s e s w ill be m ilder. M e d ica re c o v e rs th e co st of flu sh o ts. P riva te h e a lth in s u r a n ce p lans a lso m a y pay fo r th e shot. E ve n if yo u d o n ’t have th is c o ve ra g e , th e sh o ts are fa r less e x p e n s iv e th a n th e c o st in cu rre d if yo u get flu. O v e r 90 m illio n A m e ric a n s c o n tra c t flu e v e ry y e a r at a c o s t of a b o u t 70 m illio n lo st w o rk d a y s a nd $12 FULL SIZE, IN ROOM Oh Fudge! Swedish Berries • Dutch Mints Rock Pebbles • Orange Slices Assorted Jelly Beans Brittles - 7 Types Old-Fashioned Candy Sticks Oregon Saltwater Taffy Trailblazer Preserves Local Honey & More!!! te n d s to the spring. Flu sh o ts are a p o w e rfu l life- VERNONIA INN a n d 9 :00 a.m . to 3 :0 0 p.m . S a t urday. S e t up w ill be 7-10 a.m . shot. T h e b e st tim e is fro m m id- S e p te m b e r th ro u g h N o v e m b e r but, eve n if yo u get it later, it w ill p ro te ct you, as “flu s e a so n " e x * Weight Loss/Gain • Wolff Tanning Body Building • Nutritional Counseling General Conditioning - Toning & Shaping Olympic Weights • Full Line Apparatus OPEN: 5a-9p M-F • 5a-5p Sat • Closed Sunday 16720 Noakes Rd., Vernonia, OR 97064 $55°° HOT TUBS $80°° REQ. ROOM $45°° Queen Beds • Private Bath • Separate Entrance Cable TV • Phones • Handicapped Access CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST ¡FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 1-800-354-9494 I 503-429-4006 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE 900 MADISON AVE., VERNONIA, OR 97064 J u st one b lo ck off s c e n ic N e h a le m R ive r Hwy. (O re g o n 47)
