There is ongoing turmoil in my house related to driving: my teenager riding with other newly licensed teens, my teen driving with her friends in the car (she will get her license any day now), and the possibility of her driving home after dark from her boyfriend’s house 25 miles away.

We are currently just saying no to these freedoms, much to her unhappiness. Teens think they are invincible, and parents always fear the worst. Sometimes we parents have good reason to err on the side of caution when making decisions about our teenagers’ driving privileges.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. Teens are more likely to be seriously injured in a crash if another teen is driving.

When my daughter tries to soften my stance about riding with her newly licensed boyfriend, she argues that he grew up on a farm and has been driving tractors since he was 12. I always counter with the same reasoning: driving a tractor in a field hardly compares to driving a car on the highway in the dark.

Then I quote her these statistics, courtesy of the U.S. CDC:

Among teen drivers, those at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes are:

• Males: In 2010, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was almost two times that of their female counterparts.
• Teens driving with teen passengers: The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with the number of teen passengers.
• Newly licensed teens: Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure.

Even though our children were brought up in a world where “the car won’t turn on unless your seat belt (car seat) is buckled,” only 54 percent of teens surveyed in 2011 reported that they always used a seat belt when riding with other teens.

Distracted driving often makes the headlines, especially lately as the fines are being increased. Texting is not the only distraction. Take a look at this checklist that we can all use before we start the engine to minimize distractions. It is provided by the Decide to Drive Campaign, sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and AAA.

• Put on sunglasses, Bluetooth ear pieces and any other needed accessories.
• Adjust seats, headrests, controls and mirrors.
• Put on a seat belt.
• Move all reading materials out of arm’s reach.
• Pre-load CDs or mp3 playlists.
• Make sure radio volume doesn’t drown out emergency sirens.
• If needed, enter the destination into a navigation system.

The checklist also highlights several tips young people should keep in mind while they are driving, including:

• Pull over and stop the car any time distraction occurs, such as reaching for items, having an intense discussion, reading, smoking or disciplining a child.
• Do not eat or drink while driving.
• Stay focused on the road.
• Do not try to multitask and apply makeup, brush hair, polish nails or change clothes while driving.

I couldn’t find statistics to back this up, but I bet this is one of the most significant factors in keeping our kids safe on the road: be a good role model. If you don’t want your kid doing it, don’t do it yourself.

There is a good driving contract for young drivers and their parents available at aap.org (type “teen driving agreement” in the search box). If nothing else, it will give you a good start at a conversation with your teen about expectations as he or she begins to gain the privilege of driving the family minivan.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at 335-4327 or pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org.

The post When teens get ready to take the wheel, minimize the risks appeared first on Livingston County News.

Is it summer yet? Seems like we had all of three weeks of spring, so I guess that hot spell last week might mean summer is full-on.

For many of us, summer is a time when we naturally gravitate towards lighter foods, especially on hot days when hunger can take a back seat to trying to keep cool.

Here are some suggestions for some light summer snacks that are kid-friendly and make adults happy, too.

Popsicles are a favorite on hot days. They tend to be fat-free, but also very high in sugar. Look for brands that are made with a majority of real juice. Check ingredient labels because sometimes the front labels are misleading. They can say “real fruit juice” on the front and only have 10 percent real fruit juice in them, the rest made up of high fructose corn syrup, which is basically sugar with a fancy name.

Better yet, make your own popsicles. Molds are available, and you might even find them at yard sales. Fruit juice, maybe with fruit chunks mixed in, make delicious frozen treats that hit the spot on a hot day. You can add a shot of fat-free yogurt for a little protein boost.

For the adults, try a little wine mixed with the fruit and juice for a sangria-pop. Use red wine, and you’re giving your heart a little boost of antioxidants.

When you’re thirsty and it’s got to be fizzy, try this alternative to soda: fill a glass with ice, then one fourth fruit juice to three-fourths seltzer or club soda. Kids love this to drink as well as adults. Put a slice of fruit on the rim or skewer a few grapes and blueberries to plop in the glass and you’ll never miss the caffeine and sugar in the soda.

Another idea for grapes and blueberries — or any berry or small chunks of fruit — is to freeze them in a single layer, put them into freezer bags, and pull them out for a cold refresher on a hot afternoon. Just pop them into your mouth for bite-sized treats without all the fat and sugar. You can also thread the chunks onto skewers before you freeze them for a no-mess treat any time. I know a 4-year-old whose absolute favorite treat, hands down, is frozen peas, popped one at a time into his mouth. Amazing.

For some, the start of summer is the start of ice cream season. But intake of a food item as laden with saturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar as ice cream on a regular basis is probably not the greatest choice for most people, adult or kid. Some alternatives are frozen yogurt, fat free or “lite” ice cream, no sugar added brands, or gelato (Italian ice cream, made with milk instead of cream). The real thing doesn’t have to be forbidden, but you might want to make it a special treat a few times a month rather than a few times a week.

One more thing … if you are hot and thirsty, drink 8 to 12 ounces of cool water before you reach for any other beverage. Most of the time, water is our bodies’ preference for rehydration. Almost anything else we reach for to drink is just for the benefit of our taste buds.

Enjoy these first days of summer. They are so sweet, and we all know how fast they will go whizzing by.

For your mental health, treat yourself to a day and take your kids or dogs or just yourself to go splash somewhere, read a book by a waterfall, or just sit and enjoy the sounds of summer around you. We miss so much when we forget to stop already and savor this time of year.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have any questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

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Many of us are good at ignoring what we perceive to be minor physical symptoms, thinking they will go away if we ignore them long enough.

In some cases, this strategy actually works; we have a slight headache, we ignore it, it goes away. We slam a toe into a rock, it hurts ( a lot), we ignore it, it goes away.

This column focuses on a set of symptoms that should never be ignored, because they are often signs of something worse on the horizon.

A transient ischemic attack, also known as a “mini-stroke” or TIA can be the first indication that a major stroke is pending. Transient refers to the tendency for symptoms to come and stay a bit, then go away, maybe to return, maybe not. Ischemic means a loss of blood flow to a part of the body, in this instance, the brain.

It used to be that TIAs were written off as a non-issue, no big deal once they had passed.

Thankfully, we now know that they can be a warning that a full-blown stroke may be next and treating the TIA as an emergency can help prevent the real thing.

A TIA occurs in the same way a stroke does. A little blood clot or piece of cholesterol-clogged plaque blocks off an artery that feeds the brain. In the case of a TIA, that clog is small enough that the body can get rid of it, usually within an hour to a day. In a full-blown stroke, the blockage is larger and causes more long-lasting problems.

A few years ago, researchers at Oxford University in England looked at 18 previous studies of more than 10,000 people who had experienced a TIA. One in 20 of those people went on to have a full-blown stroke within a week of the TIA; one in 10 within 3 months. Then the researchers looked at the treatment those people received. Among those who were treated quickly in specialized stroke centers, less than 1 percent had a stroke in the week following the TIA. Among those who did not get immediate treatment, 11 percent had a stroke the following week.

This study highlights the dangers of perceiving a TIA as a mere nuisance. Treating it as an emergency, just as one would treat chest pain, may stop a TIA in its tracks, prevent damage to the brain tissue, and help ward off the possibility of a full-blown stroke and its related long-term disability or even death.

When someone experiencing a TIA arrives at an emergency facility, medications can be given that help to break apart the tiny clot. If the symptoms have passed, treatment will still be administered to help prevent more damage being done in the future. The sooner treatment begins, the better the outcome. Identifying the cause of the TIA is important for planning the strongest defense against another one, or a stroke.

The symptoms of a TIA are the same as for a stroke:

• Sudden numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of movement in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
• Sudden vision changes.
• Sudden trouble speaking.
• Sudden confusion or trouble understanding simple statements.
• Sudden problems with walking or balance.
• A sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.

If you or someone you are with experiences these symptoms, immediate medical attention is imperative. If the symptoms come and then go away, do not breathe a sigh of relief and assume that everything is OK. It is not OK.

A TIA is a warning, and we all need to know how to respond to that warning, or we may be dealing with something much worse in the near future.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or at 335-4327.

The post ‘Mini-stroke’ is no mere nuisance appeared first on Livingston County News.

Have you freed your toes yet? You know, the day when the weather is finally warm enough that you first put on footwear other than boots, sneakers or closed-toed shoes.

What is your summer footwear-of-choice and how well do your feet respond to that?

Before we get any farther into the sandal season, here is some information you might find interesting.

Are you a flip flop fan? They seem to have become a summertime staple in the generations younger than me. I remember flips flops (we called them thongs. Hmmm…) being worn on the beach and to the pool. Now, they are worn year round by some hardy souls and certainly from April to October by a large percentage of the under-40 crowd. They are inexpensive, come in lots of colors and many people find them comfortable. What’s not to love?

Ask your feet.

“While fashionable and fun, flip-flops can actually lead to weakened and fallen foot arches — and that’s just the beginning,” says Dr. Dawn Sears, a New York City doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery. “The danger with flip-flops is that they cause both short-term and long-term harm to your feet.”

In a press release from March, Dr. Sears revealed that other serious injuries from flip-flops may include plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon injury and stress fractures of the long bones in the foot. Long term wear of flip-flops may actually cause hammertoes and bunions from toes buckling and pulling.

“Because you’re working to keep the shoe on, your foot instinctively goes forward, causing a grip-like pull on the toes,” Sears said. “Wear them long enough over a period of time, and this may cause long term pain and visibly unattractive feet.”

Other complaints from frequent flip flop wear include low back, hip, ankle and leg pain.

Because the design is so open to dirt and anything else on the ground, many flip-flops actually test positive for the staphylococcus bacteria. Blisters, cuts and scrapes on the feet are an open invitation for bacteria of any kind to take up residence in the skin and possibly cause an infection.

Most flip flop wearers are not going to give them up.

Here are some suggestions for keeping your feet healthy despite continued wear, compiled by Joe Miller, a writer for the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer:

• Avoid wearing flip flops 24/7. There is just not enough support for the foot to keep from causing discomfort and possibly long-term damage. Stick to short trips where you won’t be walking all that much, like to the beach and the pool.
• Avoid wearing flip flops in challenging conditions. All that foot exposure can result in broken toes and toe nails. Never, ever wear them when operating any type of lawn equipment.
• Don’t forget sunscreen. Melanoma — cancer that develops in the skin cells responsible for pigmentation — of the foot is more likely to go unnoticed than elsewhere on the body, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. If you wear flip-flops or sandals outdoors, put on sunscreen.
• Consider your age. If you, like me, remember calling them thongs, you are probably too old to safely wear them.
• Consider your weight. Larger people are at greater risk of ankle damage or stress fractures because of the lack of support.

If you are wondering what a good alternative is, there are some available, but you won’t get them for $2.99 at your local superstore.

For a professional recommendation, go to the American Podiatric Medical Association’s website, apma.org and type “flip flops” into the search bar.

Give your toes some air and some fun in the sun (with sunscreen) but keep them healthy, too. There is no fun in dealing with foot issues when you could be dancing in the rain or walking on the beach.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

The post The downside of flip flops appeared first on Livingston County News.

We all know how frustrating it is when we think we are doing just the right thing for ourselves healthwise, only to find some new research that throws everything we thought we knew out the window. Well, all I can say is, that’s medicine. Sorry. If you have the tolerance for one more shift in thinking, read on.

Exercise: we know we need to do it. Some of us would probably assume that more health benefit would be derived from exercising if it is more vigorous, say, running vs. walking for the same distance. Apparently, we would be wrong. The American Heart Association has just published an article that compares data gleaned from the National Runners’ Health Study and the National Walkers’ Health Study. When the study authors looked at high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease, the results revealed that walkers who covered the same distance as runners had similar reductions in risk for those conditions.

Study author Paul D. Thompson, MD, medical director of cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut states, “…you would think there would be more benefit from running. In this case, though, the faster you are, the faster the results, but slow and steady gets you to the same point.”

If you are of the camp that believes that the harder you push yourself, the better your health will be, you can ease up a bit. As long as you are covering the same distance, going faster doesn’t seem to give any advantage. In fact, the statistics for reducing coronary heart disease risk showed a 9.3 percent drop for walkers and a 4.5 percent drop for runners. The other conditions had more similar values for running and walking.

What if you would rather not run or walk, or join a gym or do any type of activity that looks like intentional exercise? Well, you can still ease your health in the right direction by getting active around your house and yard and garden now that the weather has improved.

A friend of mine added a few horses to her menagerie last year. This was her first winter caring for them, and she related to me that she was surprised at how fit she stayed over the winter months, mucking out stalls, hauling water and hay and moving buckets of “fertilizer” over to her garden.

Don’t have horses? You could:

n Use a push mower for more of your yard than just trimming where the riding mower can’t reach. Use a rake instead of a blower.

n Dig part of the garden by hand instead of using a rototiller on the whole thing.

n Walk your dog instead of just tying him up outside to do his business.

n Install a rain barrel and carry the water by hand to the garden instead of using the hose every time.

n Wash your cars by hand.

We have convenienced ourselves out of many of the opportunities to get some physical activity into our days that our parents’ generation had. Try to add some of that back in. If you prefer to stay inside, try these suggestions:

n Use a broom instead of a vacuum.

n Hang your laundry outside.

n Find reasons to go up and down your stairs a few extra times a day.

n Put on some music and dance the vacuum around the living room at a faster pace than you normally would.

n At work, seek out your colleague in person rather than calling or sending an email when it’s practical.

n Take the long way to the copy machine, preferably including a set of stairs.

You can probably think of many more ways to insert some activity into your day. Remember that small increments are just as good as longer bouts of activity.

I would like to share one more random thought for the week. I just saw this on a poster:

“Sweat is fat crying.”

Ponder that this week!

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

The post Distance versus speed? Which exercise is better appeared first on Livingston County News.

Pucker up!

Women all over the world perform this action multiple times a day in order to apply color to their lips. Nothing wrong with that, right? Well, maybe there is. A new study has brought to light information regarding the safety of some of the ingredients in lipstick and lip glosses that warrants the attention of anyone who wears lip products.

Katherine Hammond, a researcher and professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California-Berkeley, and her fellow scientists tested 32 different lipsticks and lip glosses for toxic metals including lead, cadmium, manganese, chromium, aluminum and several more. Not only did they test for the presence of the metals, but they determined the amount that an average user of these products would ingest, and compared those amounts to the safety standards for drinking water set by the government.

The researchers found that 24 of the 32 lip products contained lead, but usually at an amount less than what they determined to be acceptable daily intakes. On the other hand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that there is no safe level of lead intake and the acceptable level in drinking water is zero.

Other metals were present in higher amounts, namely aluminum, cadmium, chromium and manganese. The ingestion of one type of chromium has been linked to the formation of stomach tumors according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s the interesting thing: most of the ingredients in cosmetics are not regulated by the FDA. Manufacturers do not have to prove that their products are safe the same way that drug companies do. The European Union Cosmetics Directive (the European agency that regulates ingredients in cosmetics, established in 1976) lists cadmium, chromium and lead as unacceptable ingredients in cosmetics.

So what’s a woman to do if she wears lipstick and wants to avoid these ingredients? Don’t rely on the labels on your product to help you very much. Words like “hypoallergenic” and “natural” are virtually meaningless when slapped on a cosmetics label. These terms are not regulated by any agency and can be used to mean anything, or nothing, just used as a marketing tool. Even the “organic” label can be used if only 10 percent of the ingredients are organically derived.

The not-for-profit Environmental Working Group has compiled a list of hundreds of cosmetics and skin care products called Skin Deep. This listing ranks these products according to the safety of the ingredients they contain. Products can earn a ranking of 0 (good) to 10 (terrible). They also give a short list of ingredients to try to avoid completely.

In addition to the cosmetic listings, they also rate sunscreens, perfumes and hair, nail and oral care products. All this is available on their website, ewg.org.

If beauty really is only skin deep, then you may want to spend a little extra effort finding the safest products that meet your needs to keep that skin, and those lips as beautiful as possible.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

The post Researchers help you avoid lipstick dangers appeared first on Livingston County News.

It’s (almost) summertime, and the livin’ is easy …

That may be partly because meals are more relaxed, and many people cook out on the grill a few times a week. There are some food safety issues to be aware of as you plan your grillin’ this season.

One concern is foodborne illness. Bacteria can multiply quickly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees, so we need to pay attention as we cook and serve summertime fare to our family and friends.

We’ve heard it a thousand times. “Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.” Do you know what that really means? Hot food can usually safely be consumed up to 2 hours after it’s been cooked, but then must be refrigerated promptly. If it will be out longer than that, it needs to be held in some way that assures the temperature will remain above 140 degrees. Cold food should be kept on ice if it will be sitting for any length of time.

Most people know not to let any cooked food come in contact with uncooked food, especially meat, whether it’s directly or indirectly through plates, cutting boards or utensils. That means using a clean plate when removing food from the grill, not the one that brought the food out in its raw state. It’s also important to not reuse marinade that was flavoring raw meat. Reserve a separate portion if you want to use it for sauce on the cooked product. Also, marinating should take place in the refrigerator, not out on the counter or next to the grill.

Another concern as we use the grill more is the possible link between eating meats and poultry cooked at high temperatures or over flames and contracting colon, pancreatic or breast cancer. Researchers at the state Department of Health have identified certain cancer-causing substances in meat that has been cooked over flames or high heat. These carcinogens, called HAs, aren’t troublesome until they meet up with digestive enzymes in our bodies. That is when they can potentially cause damage to genes that can lead to cancer.

According to a 2009 study performed at the University of Minnesota, those who consumed charred or very well done meat on a regular basis were 60 percent more likely to get pancreatic cancer over the 9-year study period. In order to avoid this risk, follow these tips from the American Institute for Cancer Research.

• Marinate meat for 30 minutes before you grill. Marinating seems to cut down on the amount of HAs. You can also use a spice rub. The herb rosemary was used in a study that showed that it dramatically reduced the HAs in the finished meat.
• Choose leaner cuts of meat to grill. Much of the flaring up of flames on the grill is due to fat dripping onto the coals or heating elements.
• Cover the grill with punctured aluminum foil and turn the meat with tongs or a spatula so as not to pierce it and cause dripping that makes flames flare up.
• Grill for less time by partially pre-cooking the meat, poultry or fish in the oven or microwave. Then briefly grill it for flavor.
• Avoid charring by flipping meat frequently or cooking at a lower temperature. If it does char, cut away the blackened parts before eating.
• Grill veggie burgers, tofu, vegetables and fruits, which don’t produce carcinogens when grilled.

With careful attention to the temperature of foods as they’re cooked and served, and watching out for burning on the grill, you can keep yourself and those you cook for happy, healthy, and ready for one more dip in the pool, a bike ride, a game of volleyball in the backyard or nine more holes.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

The post Remember these tips and you’ll be good to grill appeared first on Livingston County News.

Last week this column presented the issue of addiction to and the abuse of prescription painkillers.

This nationwide problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the fastest growing drug epidemic of our times. Deaths related to the abuse of prescription painkillers are higher than those attributed to heroin and cocaine combined.

There are two very different scenarios that can appear when it comes to abuse of painkillers. The more “expected” route happens when someone begins taking the drugs for pain relief and over time, becomes addicted. That addiction can lead to abuse as the physical and psychological need for the drug increases.

Then we have the “street drug” situation, where a person purchases these drugs illegally, steals them from someone they know to be taking them or has convinced health care providers that they need the drug for pain relief when in reality they don’t. These drugs are then taken purely for recreational use, to achieve the euphoria that results when taken in high doses.

So how would one know if they or someone they know were addicted to these prescription painkillers?

Some signs to watch out for are feeling or acting sluggish or sleepy a lot of the time, slurred speech, feeling high, shallow or slow breathing, small pupils, nausea or vomiting, itching or flushed skin, constipation and confusion or poor judgment. Or none. Some people are very adept at hiding the fact that they are addicted to or abuse these drugs.

Once it is determined whether a person is abusing this type of drug, the problem must be addressed. If the addicted person is willing, the place to start would be an appointment with the person who initially prescribed the drug or their primary care provider for a frank and open conversation about the situation. Alternatively, if the drugs are being used recreationally, a health care provider or an agency such as the Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse of Livingston County would be good places to start.

Depending on the severity of the addiction, getting off the drugs (withdrawal) either needs to be done under the care of an experienced physician or in a hospital or drug rehab setting. This can be extremely challenging for the addict, both psychologically and physically. It can be difficult for family and friends as well. Some physical effects of withdrawal are anxiety, irritability, muscle aches, cramping, vomiting, tremors, diarrhea, confusion and many more. The severity of the symptoms is typically related to the duration and the quantity of drugs that were being used.

There are medications that can be used to help ease the physical symptoms of withdrawal from these drugs. They will take care of physical addiction, but the psychological addiction can persist and must be addressed through behavior changes, counseling or 12-step or similar programs. Unfortunately, relapse is a real possibility for those who have been addicted to painkillers, which is why family support and the support of a group is so crucial to a successful recovery.

It can’t be stated too often that after marijuana, these prescription painkillers are now the drugs of choice for teenagers. They are easy to get (parents’, friends’ parents’ medicine cabinets) and teens perceive them to be safer than street drugs. If teens end up buying these drugs on the street, it can get expensive and the teen may sell possessions to feed their addiction.

If you have prescription painkillers that you are currently using and teenagers in your home, it would be prudent for you to keep the pills out of sight, preferably locked up. In fact, they would be better locked up no matter who lives in your home.

If you have expired or unused pills, consider getting rid of them completely. Today (April 27), there is a drug take-back day where you can dispose of any drugs that you no longer need, prescription or over-the-counter as well as needles and syringes.

Locations include:

• Geneseo Fire Department, 133 Center St., Geneseo.
• Dansville Fire Department, 11 Franklin St., Dansville.
• East Avon Fire Department, 1615 West Henrietta Rd., Avon.

Please understand that these two articles only scratch the surface of this urgent and dangerous issue. More information is available at www.drugabuse.gov, from your healthcare provider and the CASA of Livingston County (991-5012 or 335-5052).

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for a future column, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

The post Know the signs of addiction appeared first on Livingston County News.

One can hardly turn on the TV, click open a website or read a newspaper without being bombarded with images of the latest celebrity to enter rehab for treatment of a life-threatening addiction.

Alcohol and illegal drug use used to be the most common drugs of choice for these cases in the spotlight, but lately they are becoming more and more likely to be hooked on legal prescription painkillers.

These rich and famous addicts are just the ones getting the attention. More than seven million Americans are grappling with a destructive relationship to these substances that alters their lives and the lives of those around them in often devastating ways. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription drug overdose (15,000 people in 2009) has now surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the number one cause of accidental deaths.

If someone has a condition that produces a fair amount of pain, it is a logical step to go to a health care provider to obtain a prescription for a drug that will help relieve that pain. The drugs that are used for this are called opioids, opiates or narcotics. They are either derived from the poppy plant (morphine, codeine) or made synthetically. The most commonly prescribed synthetic painkillers are oxycodone (Percocet, Percodan, Oxycontin) and hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lorcet, Lortab).

When these drugs are used for pain relief under the guidance of a health care provider, they are likely to be used correctly for a reasonable amount of time and do their job well until the underlying condition is resolved. But with these drugs, things don’t always go according to plan.

Sometimes a patient can become tolerant to or dependent on a drug. This means that it takes higher and higher doses to achieve the same amount of pain relief as initially experienced. This tolerance does not mean the person is addicted, it just means that the body gets used to the drug’s effects, and so it requires more as time goes on. Dr. Scott Fishman, professor of anesthesiology and chief of the division of pain medicine at the University of California Davis School of Medicine is quoted on webMD as saying, “(Tolerance and dependence) occur in drugs that aren’t addictive at all, and they occur in drugs that are addictive. So it’s independent of addiction.”

True addiction to a drug is defined by Dr. Fishman as a chronic disease that causes the compulsive use of a drug that produces harm or dysfunction, and its continued use despite that dysfunction. A truly addicted person spends much of their time trying to obtain more of the drug to a point where it interferes with their ability to continue in their normal patterns of life.

The majority of people who begin using prescribed painkillers are able to use them for a restricted period of time without becoming addicted to them. But for those who do go beyond the point of normal use, warning signs of addiction can include raising the dose without talking to the health care provider who prescribed the medication, or going to multiple providers to obtain more prescriptions than the first is willing to give. The more addicted a person becomes, the more risky their behavior when it comes to obtaining the drugs. Some will begin to steal pills from friends or family members that have the same prescription, or steal other items to sell in order to buy these drugs on the street, where they are, unfortunately, readily available.

This class of drug, in addition to their pain-relieving qualities, can also relieve anxiety, and when taken in high doses orally or injected, can produce a high that rivals that of heroin or other illegal street drugs. This is one more reason that that the misuse of these drugs has become the fastest growing segment of all drug abuse and addiction in this country.

Next week, this column will continue to look at this issue and provide tips on what to do if you suspect that you or a loved one is teetering on the brink of or already involved in an addiction to prescription painkiller drugs.

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for articles, email pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or call 335-4327.

The post Prescription addictions are destructive to lives appeared first on Livingston County News.

I spent a few days in Connecticut last week, just a few miles from the town of East Lyme. This is the area where Lyme disease was first recognized, so I am on a bit of a bug alert when I visit there. As hiking season arrives with the better weather, a reminder about how to protect ourselves from the ticks that transmit Lyme disease is in order, I think.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 96 percent of Lyme disease cases reported in 2011 were concentrated in 13 states in the east and upper Midwest, including New York. For that same year there were more than 3,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in New York.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream through a tick bite. The tiny deer tick is the culprit, and it is about the size of a sesame seed. After the bite, in about 70 to 80 percent of cases, a rash may erupt at the site anywhere from three to 30 days later. It can, but doesn’t always start as a red spot, then grows larger — up to 12 inches — as the center fades to give the appearance of a bull’s-eye. The rash usually does not itch or cause any other discomfort.

Other symptoms of Lyme disease can include fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches and joint pain. If the infection goes untreated, it can spread to the joints, the heart and the nervous system, sometimes leading to serious complications.

For such an unpleasant disease, it is actually easy to treat. A full course of oral antibiotics is prescribed and must be taken consistently. If the disease has affected the heart or the nervous system, intravenous antibiotics are usually necessary.

The CDC estimates that 10 percent to 20 percent of patients with Lyme disease have symptoms that last months to years after treatment with antibiotics. These symptoms can include muscle and joint pains, defects in brain function, sleep disturbance or fatigue. The cause of these symptoms is not known, but there is no evidence that these symptoms are due to ongoing infection with the bacteria that causes the disease. This condition is referred to as Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. It may be caused by an over-active immune response that continues even after the infection has been cleared. Studies have shown that continuing antibiotic therapy is not helpful and can be harmful in some cases.

Prevention of Lyme disease is key. It’s not difficult to reduce the risk of contracting Lyme disease, but it takes thought and commitment. Obviously, the goal is to prevent tick bites. Wear light-colored clothing including long pants when going out for a hike or to do anything in the woods. This makes it easier to see and remove ticks on the clothing. Tuck pant legs into the socks for more protection. Avoid areas that are overgrown with grass and brush as this is the type of habitat favored by ticks.

The CDC recommends using insect repellent containing at least 20 percent DEET (check the label). Permethrin can be applied to clothing. For yards that are wooded or have woodsy or brushy areas at the borders, there are insecticides that can be sprayed in the spring to decrease the number of ticks in the area. The CDC states that tick populations can be reduced simply by removing brush and leaf litter from yards, and creating a buffer zone of wood chips or gravel between woods and lawn areas.

Every day that is spent outside should end with a full-body tick check. Check children carefully as well. If a tick is found, use tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin as possible, then pull gently upward until the tick comes out. If any part of the tick remains in the skin, it can be removed as a splinter would be. Then apply an antiseptic to the site and the tweezers and wash hands thoroughly.

If you are bitten, watch the bite area and the rest of the skin for the next 30 days to see if a rash appears. If it does, see your health care provider right away.

Pets can be infected and get sick from tick bites as well. Your pet might experience pain or joint swelling, lethargy or loss of appetite if infected. Check with your vet to identify ways to protect your pet. Regular tick checks for them are just as important as for you and your family.

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For more in-depth information about Lyme disease, check the CDC’s website: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/

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Pam Maxson is a health educator at Noyes Hospital in Dansville. If you have questions or suggestions for future articles, she can be reached at pmaxson@noyes-hospital.org or 335-4327.

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