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A Change Is Gonna Come: Vaccines update

Posted by Staff on Thursday, June 13, 2024

By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1964, Sam Cooke wrote the powerful soul ballad A Change Is Gonna Come.  Rolling Stone magazine listed this song at number 3 of their top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  

Some significant changes are coming for vaccines including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu and COVID-19. 

On May 3, 2023, the FDA approved the GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) RSV vaccine with the brand name of Arexvy.  The vaccine was approved for those 60 years of age and up to prevent RSV lower lung infection.  The GSK vaccine is a recombinant subunit of prefusion RSV F glycoprotein antigen (RSVPreF3) with an adjuvant to enhance vaccine response.  

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Weekend Doctor: What is an OB hospitalist?

Posted by Staff on Saturday, June 8, 2024

By Dawn Hochstettler, MD
Obstetrics & Gynecology, OB Hospitalist Program at Blanchard Valley Hospital

A growing number of hospitals are employing obstetric (OB) hospitalists as part of their clinical staff. But what is an OB hospitalist? How do they change the scope of obstetric care offered at a hospital? And what does this new model of practice mean for you or your loved one?

Hospitalist care first started in the mid-1990s. The OB hospitalist is present in the labor and delivery unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This model was developed as a way to help provide more immediate and efficient care to patients who present to the hospital.

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Walking on Sunshine: Sunscreen Health

Posted by Staff on Thursday, June 6, 2024

By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

Katrina and the Waves released their hit Walking on Sunshine in 1985. It was meant to be an optimistic song, which took on a new meaning in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. 

If you are walking in the sunshine, are you protecting your skin? Two people die of skin cancer every hour in the United States. Five or more sunburns in your life doubles your risk of melanoma (skin cancer). Having your first sunburn as a child increases the risk of skin cancer by 80%. Sun exposure also accelerates skin aging and wrinkling. 

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Weekend Doctor: June is Pride month

Posted by Staff on Sunday, June 2, 2024

By Melinda Williams, M.Ed, LPCC, NCC
Clinical Counselor, Psychiatric Center of Northwest Ohio

Welcome to June, the beginning of summertime and Pride month. Pride celebrates the LGBTQIA2S+ community and the folks within that community. LGBTQIA2S+ is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual or agender, and two-spirit; the plus allows space for a wide spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities. Pride celebrates the LGBTQIA2S+ community in a positive, affirming way, promoting dignity, equality and visibility. 

The roots of the gay rights movement started in the 1900s, but Pride, as a movement, was ignited by and is in memory of the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The Stonewall Inn, a bar in the Greenwich area of New York City, was known to serve gay people, which at the time was illegal, drawing the police’s attention. In June 1969, the patrons, community and activists fought back.

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Faster Bro: Allergy Relief

Posted by Staff on Thursday, May 30, 2024

By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

A recent commercial uses the saying “it’s faster bro” to promote an over the counter product for seasonal allergy symptoms. There has been negative feedback about the commercial on social media because of the phrase. Did you know the term “bro” dates back to the 1830s-1840s as an abbreviation for brother? Only in the last decade did bro become a slang term for a male friend.  

When it comes to allergy symptom relief, is the advertised Astepro® Allergy nasal spray really faster bro?

The short answer is yes! It has a faster onset of action in relieving allergy symptoms. However, there is more to the story. 

There are five common categories to treat and/or prevent allergies including prescription and over the counter drugs. These categories include antihistamines, decongestants, corticosteroids, mast cell stabilizers and leukotriene inhibitors.  

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Where’s the beef?: Red meat and health

Posted by Staff on Thursday, May 23, 2024

By Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

In 1984, Wendy’s food chain released a commercial with Clara Peller asking “where’s the beef?” The commercial aired in the United States and Canada to highlight Wendy’s use of more beef and less bun compared to their competitors. “Where’s the Beef?” caught on and became a catchphrase for questioning the substance of an idea, product or event.

Clara Peller lived in Chicago after being born in Russia.  She was discovered at the age of 80 when doing a commercial in her hometown. This launched her career in commercials including the Massachusetts lottery and Wendy’s.  

In managing our health, recommendations have been to limit the amount of red meat (beef) in our weekly diets. Observational study designs have reported a two times higher risk of death in those who eat red meat over other choices.  

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