Medical Exams, vision tests, and dental appointments are essential to the Health and Well-Being of New Hampshire’s School-Age Children
With the back to school shopping season in full swing, it is also important to arm area children and teens with other tools they need to have a good school year- like medical exams. These are critical to good health and should take place before or shortly after the start of the new school year, and include a routine doctor’s exam to confirm that all immunizations are up-to-date, a dental check-up, and a vision exam.
Richard Lafleur, medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, notes that this is a good time of the year for parents to talk to their child’s medical provider about the specific examinations their child should receive. “As parents prepare their children and teenagers for the transition back to school, they need to make sure each child gets the recommended immunizations, along with an eye exam and dental cleaning,” he said.
Dr. Lafleur, who in addition to serving as Anthem’s medical director, maintains an active internal medicine practice in Derry. He recommends the following:
Vaccinations:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are many recommended vaccines for children and teens, including influenza, which should be given to all school-age children from six months to 18 years. Other immunizations include: Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Aug 27,2010
More than 100,000 citizens join scientific experts and public interest organizations in calling on FDA to tighten oversight and curtail misuse and overuse of antibiotics on industrial farms
A broad coalition of organizations hand-delivered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 180,000 letters responding to the agency’s request for comments on rules governing the use of antibiotics on industrial farms. By the tens of thousands, American citizens have sent the FDA a clear message: antibiotics are a vital foundation of public health in the United States; overuse and misuse has created a threatening crisis of antibiotic resistance; and it is time for the federal government to ensure strict veterinary oversight and force the food animal industry to curtail the routine use of antibiotics.
The letters were collected by a coalition of organizations committed to saving antibiotics as pillars of public health in the United States. The groups include: Center for Food Safety; Center for Science in the Public Interest; CREDO Action; FamilyFarmed.org; Farm Aid; Food & Water Watch; Food Democracy Now!; The Humane Society of the United States; Organic Consumers Association; and Union of Concerned Scientists.
The correspondence from citizens responded to requests by FDA for comments on two recent actions related to oversight and control of antibiotic use in food animal production. In March, the FDA announced its intention to alter its Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) guidelines, which govern the role and procedures veterinarians must follow with regard to prescribing antibiotic use in animal agriculture. In June, the agency issued draft guidance calling on the food animal industry to voluntarily curtail the non-judicious use of antibiotics on industrial farms, which threatens human health. Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Aug 26,2010
Product marketed for sexual enhancement is contaminated with potentially dangerous ingredient
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to take TimeOut Capsules because it contains an active drug ingredient that can dangerously lower blood pressure. The product is marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement.
TimeOut is labeled as “100% natural” and consumers may mistakenly assume the product is harmless and poses no health risk. TimeOut is distributed on Internet sites and online marketplaces as 2,500 mg capsules.
Consumers who have TimeOut Capsules should stop using them immediately. Sexual enhancement products that claim to work as well as prescription products are likely to expose consumers to unpredictable risks and the potential for injury or death.
The FDA analyzed TimeOut and determined that it contains hydroxythiohomosildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Like sildenafil, this chemical may interact with prescription drugs such as nitrates, including nitroglycerin, and cause dangerously low blood pressure. When blood pressure drops suddenly, the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply which can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.
To date, the FDA is not aware of any adverse events associated with the use of this product.
The FDA advises consumers who have experienced any negative side effects from sexual enhancement products to consult a health care professional and to safely discard the product. Consumers and health care professionals should report adverse events to the FDA’s MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm.
During the past several years, the FDA has found many products marketed as dietary supplements for sexual enhancement that can be harmful to consumers because they are adulterated with ingredients in FDA-approved drugs or variations of these ingredients.
Panasonic Unveils Three Types of Digital Hearing Instruments, Including a New “MP3 Player” Style for Improved Comfort and Usability
Panasonic announced that Panasonic Hearing instruments have been delivered to the U.S. market. The company is debuting three types of digital hearing instruments, including a new form factor that resembles the style of an MP3 player, a receiver-in-canal and behind-the-ear models. Panasonic is currently establishing a distribution network throughout the U.S.
“We are thrilled to bring three new Panasonic digital hearing instruments to the U.S. and make products available from a brand that is associated with quality sound. Panasonic digital hearing instruments deliver the same high-quality, reliability, and innovation that our customers have grown to appreciate from our audio products. We manufacture our own digital signal processors and have developed a unique algorithm to enable precise sound reproduction,” said Yoshi Yuasa, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “Panasonic is known as one of the leaders in acoustic science, and is committed to provide innovative hearing solutions through advanced technology.”
Panasonic digital hearing instruments are designed for the patient and provide the features, convenience and performance requested by hearing care professionals and their patients. They are attractive, comfortable to wear, easy to use and have a unique circuit design for high performance and long battery life.
Panasonic introduces the JZ Series, a newly-styled digital hearing instrument that resembles the style of an MP3 player. This palm-sized unit features an LCD screen and a stereo binaural headset (earphone with microphones), created for increased usability and designed to be comfortable for long hours of wear. Read the rest of this entry »