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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
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