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Weekend Doctor: Annual OBGYN exams

Posted by Staff on Sunday, September 10, 2023

By George Abate, DO
Obstetrics & Gynecology, Blanchard Valley Obstetrics & Gynecology

A woman’s annual exam with her OBGYN remains vitally important.

As Pap smear guidelines have changed, women assume they don’t need to see their OB/GYN every year. But, your preventive visit is about much more than periodically screening for cervical cancer with a Pap smear.

Below are just a few of the benefits of seeing your OBGYN each year:

Counseling you about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and minimizing health risks. Experts agree there is substantial individual and system-wide cost-savings in prevention. Nutrition and fitness remain the foundation of weight management, prevention of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Screening for sexually transmitted disease (STD) which can lead to sterility or life-long pelvic pain.

Discussing your bone health; building and maintaining bone through one’s life can substantially reduce risk. Osteoporosis remains a leading cause of disability in seniors.

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Cheeseburger in Paradise: Impact on Health

Posted by Staff on Thursday, September 7, 2023

Editor’s note: Jimmy Buffett passed away on September 1, after the writing of this article.

By Katie Prater, Student Pharmacist and Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1978, Jimmy Buffett released the song Cheeseburger in Paradise, which he wrote and performed.  The song was part of his album titled Son of a Son of a Sailor and only hit number 32 on the Billboard charts.  The irony of only hitting 32 is the song is now considered one of his signature songs and is even the first track on his greatest hits album Songs You Know by Heart. 

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Weekend Doctor: Misconceptions about palliative care

Posted by Staff on Friday, September 1, 2023

By Kimberly Ackley, APRN-CNP
Certified Nurse Practitioner, Bridge Home Health & Hospice-Palliative Care

Palliative Medicine is a commonly misunderstood and underutilized service that greatly benefits someone who is dealing with a chronic illness. You may have heard of palliative care or hospice but be unsure of the differences or which service would better meet your needs. 

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Sunshine on my shoulders: Impact on medications

Posted by Staff on Thursday, August 31, 2023

By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1971, songwriter and recording artist John Denver released an album titled Poems, Prayers & Promises.  On this album, he had a release called Sunshine on My Shoulders. The length of this song on the album precluded its play on the radio so the single was remixed with one less verse and released in 1974.  The song hit number one on the U.S. and Canadian charts.   

John Denver was known for his acoustic folk music and was one of the best-selling artists in this genre.  He recorded over 300 songs in his lifetime with approximately 200 being written by the artist himself.  Denver’s songs transcended multiple genres and he could be heard on different types of radio stations. Many of his hits are still played today such as Take Me Home, Country Road and Rocky Mountain High. Country Roads was adopted in 2007 as the official state song of West Virginia, while Colorado legislated Rocky Mountain High as one of their official songs in 2007.  

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Weekend Doctor: Concussion

Posted by Staff on Sunday, August 27, 2023

By Amanda Schroeder, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist, Julie A. Cole Rehab and Sports Medicine Clinic

"When can I play again?" This is a common question first asked by athletes after sustaining a head injury. Removal from the game and rest is recommended as the first line of defense, but how long do they actually need to rest? Recent research suggests that after an initial period of rest lasting 24 to 48 hours, progressive re-engagement in activity (instead of strict rest) can improve an athlete’s recovery. This minimizes the deconditioning that an athlete can experience while recovering and helps get them back in the game quicker. Not only does this concept apply to our sports athletes, but also our “everyday athletes” in the work field, classroom, etc.

Treating a concussion takes a team approach. It can involve a physician, physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT) and speech language pathologist (SLP), as well as other healthcare professionals. Under PT, OT and SLP, a comprehensive examination is performed to determine prescription-based daily and sport activity in response to the level of irritability of one’s symptoms. 

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Every Season: COVID-19, Flu, RSV

Posted by Staff on Thursday, August 24, 2023

By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1959, Pete Seeger wrote the lyrics to Turn! Turn! Turn! referred to as To Everything There is a Season. The song is based on the first eight verses of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. The song was first released by the Limeliters, but became a hit when the Byrds released it. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 4, 1965. 

Don Henley inducted the Byrds into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. The band performed another one of their hits, Mr. Tambourine Man for the ceremony. One of the more famous original members was David Crosby who played guitar and provided vocals. He later was a member of Crosby, Stills & Nash. The music world lost this icon in January, 2023.  

Speaking of seasons and turning–we are heading into flu and RSV season. COVID-19 does not seem to have a distinct season especially with the recent uptick in hospitalized cases. It is difficult to get accurate numbers since routine testing and reporting is not being recorded for cases, so hospital visits are our best indicator of COVID-19 spread. 

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