Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, July 7, 2005
———
Health Notes
By Audeen Wagner
The first day of summer arrived a couple of weeks ago, school is out, the
sun is shining - well, sometimes. Summer is here, and it brings with it some
pitfalls for health and safety. Vernonia Family Medicine is offering some sug
gestions to help us all enjoy the summer season. Here are just a few tips:
Travel safety : The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a guide for fam
ilies regarding car safety for children. It can be accessed online at
<www.aap.org>. Most parents know and follow the rules about car seats for
their kids, starting with the trip home from the hospital. The Academy stress
es that the safest place for all children to ride is in the back seat.
The important thing is to buckle up (yourself and the child!), and to make sure that the seats are
properly installed (the majority are NOT installed correctly, according to the authorities).
There is a safety hot line to call if there are questions about child passenger safety: 888-DASH-
2-DOT (888-327-4236). Certified technicians are available to talk about any aspect of child safety
while traveling. Call from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
Creepy Crawlers. Summer is the time for all kinds of insects, such as mosquitoes, ticks, spiders,
bees, wasps, and many more! If you are traveling into drier, warmer climates, ticks are a concern;
the threat is much less in our part of the world, but they are still prevalent, so it’s wise to know how
to recognize them and handle the critters, just in case. Ticks are the leading carriers of disease to
humans in the US.
What to do if you find one helping itself to a “blood meal” on your body? There are different ways
to remove them, and everyone has their favorite. The big concern in removing a tick is to prevent
possible transmission of disease. The recommended method for removing a tick is to use a small
pair of tweezers, and carefully flip the tick over onto its back. Grasp the tick firmly with the tweezers
as close to the skin as possible. Apply gentle pulling until the tick comes free. Once removed, don’t
crush the tick because you might transmit disease. Rinse it down a sink or flush it down the toilet.
Then thoroughly cleanse the bite area with soap and water and observe the area for several days
for development of a reaction to the bite, such as a rash or signs of infection. Apply antibiotic cream
to the area. Clean and disinfect any instruments that were used, and wash your hands thoroughly.
And be sure to see your doctor if there is any sign of infection or rash.
A note about spiders: Most spider bites cause only slight reactions in children or adults and can
be safely treated at home. However, there can be severe reactions to spider bites that need imme
diate professional attention - some can even be life-threatening if left untreated. Signs of a severe
allergic reaction are: swelling of the face or mouth; difficulty swallowing or speaking; chest tightness,
wheezing or difficulty breathing; dizziness or fainting; and abdominal pain with nausea or vomiting.
Generally, treating any insect bites or stings is pretty basic: watch for signs of infection, and Think
Prevention. Insect repellents are useful, you should use one containing 10% to 30% DEET. Apply
only to exposed skin, do not use under clothing. Never use repellents over cuts or irritated skin. Do
not apply to eyes and mouth, and do not let your child handle any product. When using on children,
apply to your own hands and then put it on the child. Again, there
is a number to call with questions: The National Pesticide Infor
mation Center number is 1-800-858-7378, call between 6:30 am
Caden Allen
and 4:30 p.m.(Pacific Time), 7 days a week. The NPIC website is
McLaughlin
<http://npic.orst.edu>.
More next time: Skateboard safety, Fun in the sun, Bees and
Skin cancer. Stay tuned!
The Mammovan. Next mammovan date is Wednesday, July
20. Make your appointment at the clinic, 503-429-9191.
—-- •----------—---T... .... ' ' ..... * ........... f ............... ........... "-----
A l oot Bath that detoxes
the whole body as a therapeutic aid
for increased vitality and well being.
You'll never feel the same
about Foot Baths!
For an appointment, call
Sue Minger at 503-429-7565
or Marie Krahn at 503-429-5180
Caden Allen McLaughlin
was bom April 28, 2005, to Jes
sica and Deric McLaughlin of
Vernonia. He weighed 8
pounds, 12 ounces and was
19-1/2 inches long.
Online hotline set up for HIV/AIDS
Cascade
AIDS
Project
(CAP) and the Oregon Depart
ment of Human Services
(DHS) announced on June 27
the launch of the state’s first
comprehensive HIV/AIDS on
line hotline. Since 1987, CAP
has operated the state’s
HIV/AIDS telephone hotline,
funded in part by DHS, and has
been the primary HIV/AIDS re
source available to the public.
The new hotline adds an inter
net component that further ex
pands the reach of the hotline.
The online hotline database
link can be found on the front
page of Cascade AIDS Pro
ject’s website <www.cascad
eaids.org>.
According to CAP Executive
Director,
Thomas
Bruner,
“since it started, the telephone
hotline has served over
150,000 people. Going on-line
allows us to help so many more
people all around Oregon with
the information they need for
support, referral and re
sources. If someone has an
HIV/AIDS-related question in
Roseburg, Medford, LaGrande
or Coos Bay, yet are afraid to
pick up the phone, they now
have the means to confidential
ly obtain an immediate and po
tentially life-saving response
any time of the day or night,
365 days a year.”
Dr. Mel Kohn, State Epi
demiologist for DHS, agrees.
“HIV/AIDS affects people all
over Oregon - rural and urban,
rich and poor, Black and White,
male and female. We are
pleased to be providing funding
to Cascade AIDS Project for
this important work.”
The on-line database is a
user friendly system that allows
searching
by county or
statewide for HIV educational
information and all types of HIV
related service resources. The
listings range from financial,
housing and medical to support
groups, advocacy links and so
cial organizations.
The launch comes on the
heels of the Center for Disease
Control & Prevention’s (CDC)
announcement last week that
over 1 million people in the
United States are now HIV
positive - the highest number
ever recorded in the country -
and that 25 percent of those
people do not know they have
HIV since they have never
been tested for HIV. In Oregon
currently, approximately 5500
people are estimated to be liv
ing with the HIV virus. Since
1980, 3032 Oregonians have
died from AIDS.
Cascade
AIDS
Project
(CAP) is the leading provider of
HIV/AIDS prevention support
and advocacy in Oregon and
southwest Washington. Over
6,000 families in CAP’S service
area have a loved one living
with HIV. Last year, CAP edu
cated 22,971 individuals about
HIV prevention, 40 percent’ of
whom were children and youth.
CAP supported and housed
2,201 men, women and youths
with HIV/AIDS and their family
members, including 297 chil
dren. To make this possible,
570 youth and adults volun
teered over 15,000 hours of
service.
---------------------------- -----------
Waicoma Additions
He joined his brother, Cas
sidy, at the family home.
Grandparents are Don and
Jennifer Soderback, and Gor
don and Marsha McLaughlin,
all of Vernonia.
Great-grandparents are Lila
and Larry Bair of Yamhill and
Margaret Fenimore of Forest
Grove.
Ethan Matthew
Rielee Davis
Ethan Matthew Rielee Davis
was bom June 7, 2005, the first
child of Heather and Matthew
Davis of Vernonia. He weighed
8 pounds, 10 ounces and was
21-1/2 inches long.
Grandparents are Gary and
Patty Davis of Vernonia and
Dave and Sue Rodweller of
Carrollton, Ohio.