aspirus.org
5
Q
I’ve heard all baby boomers
should be tested for hepatitis C.
Is that true?
A
That’s what experts recommend.
There are several good reasons.
First, hepatitis C is a serious matter.
Cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer
are both linked to hepatitis C. It’s also
the leading cause of liver failure and
liver transplant. The longer people live
with the virus, the more likely they are
to develop serious, life-threatening liver
disease.
What’s more, hepatitis C often does
its damage slowly and quietly. It can
take years—even decades—before
symptoms show up. Experts say as
many as 75% of people with the virus
don’t know they have it.
And baby boomers—people born
between 1945 and 1965—are five
times more likely to be infected than
people in other age groups.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through
infected blood or other bodily fluids.
Risk factors for the virus include:
w
Sharing equipment used to inject
drugs.
w
Having had a blood transfusion before
1992.
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Having multiple sex partners.
w
Getting a tattoo with an unsterilized
needle.
Ask your primary care provider if a
hepatitis C screening test is right for
you.
Q
My health care provider wants
me to exercise more. Is walking
exercise? Or do I need to do
something more strenuous?
A
Walking is no wimpy workout. In fact,
the health benefits of walking can equal
those of more demanding exercise.
Over time, brisk walking can lower
your risk for high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and diabetes—just as much
as vigorous running can.
Walking as little as 30 minutes a day,
five days a week can help ward off heart
problems and stroke.
And whether you get your daily dose
of walking in three 10-minute treks or
one half-hour burst, you’ll burn calories,
improve your mood and add to your
energy.
In addition, walking also provides a
great workout for many of the muscles
in your hips, legs and feet. Once in
shape, these muscles do a better
job of pumping blood back to your
heart, improving your circulation and
endurance.
Plus, the weight-bearing nature of
walking helps keep bones strong, which
can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
However, because walking is less
intense than other types of exercises,
it’s gentler on your joints. So you get
many of the gains of more vigorous
exercise without the pains.
Q
What are the symptoms
of head lice?
A
Kids who have head lice typically
scratch a lot—especially near the back
of the neck. Sometimes they also say
it feels like something’s moving in their
hair.
Other common scalp issues—
dandruff, for one—can cause itching.
So if you suspect head lice, take a close
look.
Start by parting your child’s hair in
several places.
Lice are tiny insects—about the size
of a sesame seed—and scoot away
quickly. It’s often easier to see their nits
(eggs) instead, especially if you have a
magnifying glass and bright light.
Look for small white specks attached
to the base of the hair shafts. Unlike
dandruff flakes, nits will not come off
easily if you rub the hair strand between
your fingers.
If your child does have head lice, it’s
not a sign of poor hygiene. Lice spread
mainly by direct head-to-head contact,
such as when little ones play close to
each other. Any child—or adult—can get
head lice.
Fortunately, head lice don’t spread
diseases, so they’re not a health
hazard.
If your child has head lice, you’ll
want to treat them. There are effective
medicines, including anti-lice shampoos
and lotions you can buy without a
prescription.
Nick Franssen,
MSN, FNP
Family Medicine
Phillips:
715-339-4035
Prentice:
715-428-2521
Rib Lake:
715-427-5701
Michelle Brost,
MSN, FNP-C
Family Medicine
Rib Lake
715-427-5701
Cathy Reuter,
MD, FAAP
Pediatrics
Medford
715-748-2121
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