All Paths Naturopathy

Category: CDC

  • 5 Reasons to include a wellness exam for your child before school starts


    Now that we have arrived the middle of August, and summer is drawing to a close.  Families are planning the seasons last trips to the coast at Brookings in Southern Oregon or Crescent City in Northern California or maybe it is camping along the to the Rogue River.  This is also the beginning of annual preparations for the return to school for many families.  Between purchasing new clothes, shoes, technology, or other staples such as pencils and erasers, scheduling your child for a wellness exam may be neglected.

    Many individuals ask what is the benefit of scheduling an appointment with your child’s  primary care provider if they are not ill.  This is a good time to develop a rapport with your child’s provider, as wellness exams may be given a longer visit length than problem focused visits.

    1) This is a good time to ask questions of your child’s pediatric provider about educational or developmental assessment, if you, your child or their teachers have had concerns.  This is also a good time to initiate new therapies to help ease the transition from summer break to school.  Wellness visits are also time to ask questions or obtain information, below are  5 things you can ask your provider at your child’s next wellness exam include.

    arms,athletes,balls,games,hands,leisure,men,persons,photographs,recreation,soccer,soccer balls,soccer players,sports,sports equipment,teams,uniforms2) Through the course of a wellness exam your child’s fitness for sports participation and relevant forms filled out.  It is important for your child to be healthy to participate in sports.  Additionally, this is time where preventative therapies for injury prevention can be shared to ensure that your child has a healthy and injury free sports season.

    3) Take time to update your child’s family medical history if parents, grandparents or sibling have received new medical diagnoses’ in the past year.  This ensures that your child has the appropriate and relevant screening tests or interventions if there is a predisposition for heritable conditions in your family.

    4)  Vaccinations for school age children. The CDC recommends a booster for measles, mumps rubella.  There is also a 3 dose vaccine gardasil, Hepatitis B for children who did not receive the vaccination series during the first year of life, and a booster for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis vaccine.  For resources on the current rates of vaccine preventable diseases in the state of Oregon click on the link.

    5)   Talking about sex and drugs may be difficult to initiate at home.  Your child’s physician can be used as a resource for accurate information about risks associated with these behaviors as well as ways to address concerns if they are present.

    In Health,
    Dr Amanda Hochman
    Photo

  • Hepatitis A, another food borne illness outbreak

    Since the end of April, 30 cases of Hepatitis A have been reported in 5 states ( Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Arizona) according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Individuals became ill after consuming ‘Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend,’ a frozen berry and pomegranate seed mix purchased at Costco. The CDC recommends discarding all uneaten product should be discarded even if it has been partially consumed.  For individuals who have consumed the product in the past 14 days, contact your primary care provider or your counties health department to discuss prevention options including receiving the Hepatitis A vaccination or immunoglobulin.  For individuals who have already been vaccinated against Hepatitis A, no further actions are advised at this time.  If an individual develop symptoms after consuming the Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend include yellowing of the eyes or skin, darkening of the urine, abdominal pain and pale stools, the CDC is encouraging individuals to contact their primary care provider promptly.  

    Currently there have been no reported outbreaks of Hepatitis A in Southern Oregon.  To help prevent the spread of food borne illness here are 3 simple techniques:

    1. Wash your hands with soap and water after using the restroom or changing a diaper.  
    2.  Wash your hands before preparing, serving or consuming food.
    3.  Regularly disinfect utensils, cutting boards and counters after use.