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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2004)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, September 16, 2004 Balanced life topic of presentation Life is filled with commit- ments, responsibilities and tasks. How do we balance all of these life elements? On September 25, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, Doug Booster, president of ProHealthNet, Inc., will provide ideas for healthy choices in your life, in- cluding tips for smart exercise, stress management, nutrition and more. He’ll help you identi- fy unhealthy lifestyle habits. The event will include light, healthy snacks and beverages. Come at 8:30 a.m. for optional health screenings. Body com- position and blood pressure screenings will be free. Choles- terol testing will be $5. The presentation is free and registration is not required. It will be held at the Tuality Health Education Center at 334 SE 8 Avenue, Hillsboro. Call 503- 681-1700 or visit the web site at <www.tuality.org> for more information. Health Notes By Audeen Wagner Women’s Health There’s a lot of informa- tion available at Provi- dence about how to main- tain a healthy lifestyle. Providence is very com- mitted to prevention of ill- ness, and to providing timely information on health issues, especially in the area of women’s health. Judith Hargis, P.A. is anxious to make these resources avail- able – all we have to do is ask! Providence offers women’s healthcare to their Vernonia patients on a daily basis. Judy Hargis is available three days a week, and has many years’ experience in women’s health and office gynecology. And with Dr. Gilmore’s three-day-a- week schedule also, Vernonia is well-covered! It’s nice for women to know that they don’t have to travel out of town for their health care. Pap Smear. Since it was first developed about fifty years ago, the Pap test has proven to be an important procedure, greatly reducing the num- ber of deaths caused by cervical cancer. Did you know that, thanks to modern technology, cervical cancer is largely preventable? A Pap smear can isolate pre-cancerous cells, which can be treat- ed, thus preventing cervical cancer. “Cure rates are huge when cancer is detected early,” said Judith Hargis, “and cervical cancer can be de- tected before it develops into a full-blown health issue.” That should inspire women of all ages to make an appointment for an annual physical exam and Pap test. The latest guidelines from the National Women’s Health Information Center recommend Pap smears for all women over 21 years of age (or who are or have been sexually active). Women over age 30 who have had normal Pap tests three years in a row may not need one every year – possibly only every two or three years. This decision is dependent on other fac- tors, too, so your healthcare provider will be able to recommend the best schedule for you. If you’ve had normal Paps in the past, it may be that you won’t need to have them after age 65. Again, check with your doctor. Monthly self-breast exam. Providence has pro- duced a small reminder card to hang in your shower! It’s called “Do-it-yourself” and the card hanging in the shower is just a gentle reminder to perform this exam at least once a month. We’ll have more information about breast cancer next month – stay tuned! Open House Saturday September 18 th 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Mention this ad at the open house and get $5.00 off appointments Appointments available Mon. Wed. Fri. 8 a.m. - 8 p.m and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 503-709-4677 845 Madison avenue, Vernonia,OR Lic # 10732 ASHN provider Women's Health Tests and Screenings. The clinic has a handy slide-chart that highlights important tests and procedures to help us be healthy and stay that way. This chart lists blood glucose, blood pressure and cardiac tests (including cho- lesterol) for heart health, colorectal, and more, along with pertinent information such as purpose of test, age, and how often testing should be done. Stop by the clinic if you’re interested in checking this out. Women of all ages should use this information along with an annual exam. Pre- vention of illness is what it’s all about. Calcium. This mineral is an extremely impor- tant element in woman’s health. It helps keep bones healthy, helps prevent high blood pres- sure and colon cancer, helps maintain a healthy weight, and it may even slow the ups and downs of premenstrual syndrome. We should make cer- tain that our diet includes foods that are rich in calcium – milk, cheese, salmon, beans, ice cream and yogurt, to name a few. Maintaining calcium levels is a “lifelong thing,” and we never outgrow our need for it. This is especially impor- tant in prevention of osteoporosis in later life – another major concern in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Osteoporosis. “Bones go through a constant state of loss and regrowth. As a person ages, more loss than growth can occur, leading to the condition called osteoporosis. The bones then become thin and fragile and can break easily.” So states the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in yet another excellent in- formative brochure available at Providence Clin- ic. –Risk factors. Women are more at risk than men because their bones are smaller and lighter, and menopause accelerates bone loss, due to loss of estrogen. Factors include a family history of fractures, diet low in calcium, lack of exercise, use of alcohol, tobacco and/or caffeine, and oth- ers. –Prevention. Exercise increases bone mass before menopause and slows bone loss after menopause. Just as muscles become stronger with exercise, so do bones. So, older women who are active have higher bone density than women who do not exercise. To prevent bone loss, the exercise should be weight-bearing, such as low-impact aerobics, brisk walking and tennis (Even walking a few blocks every day will slow bone loss). –Detection. A physical exam once a year is a step in the right direction. Special tests can be recommended to measure bone density. All women aged 65 and older should be tested for bone mineral density. In summary: To prevent bone loss, exercise every day (even if only walking a few blocks), get enough calcium, and talk with your doctor about methods to prevent, diagnose and treat osteo- porosis. A Pediatric Message. On an unrelated subject, mothers are concerned about the use of insect repellant for infants and children. Judy recom- mends use of a repellant that is 10% DEET. Ap- ply to exposed areas but not around eyes, mouth, or under clothes. And, of course, use with care – you don’t want to get it on the baby’s hands or anything likely to go into the mouth. And, most important: Put Sunscreen on first. This advice is for babies as young as two months. We’ve noticed that this has been a great year for insects, especially wasps, so this infor- mation comes at a good time for parents. Mammogram Schedule: Next visit of the Mam- movan is September 29th. Next one after that date is October 20. Call 503-429-9191 to sched- ule.