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Health Services

Weekend Doctor: Risks of tobacco use

By Hannah Evans, PA-C, Physician Assistant
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of Northwest Ohio

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. There are more than 16 million Americans living with a disease caused by smoking. Cigarettes contain several ingredients and, when burned, create smoke that contains thousands of chemicals, some of which are known cancer-causing agents. Those who smoke are at risk of developing disease and dying from smoking-related illnesses. 

Potential Risks of Tobacco Use
Smoking can cause harm to nearly every organ of the body. Regardless of one’s age, gender, race, or ethnicity, tobacco use can increase the risk of premature death. Cardiovascular (heart) disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the three major causes of smoking-related death. There are 12 different cancers linked to tobacco use, including but not limited to lung cancer, colon and rectum cancer, and mouth and throat cancer.

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Healthwise: Bright Eyes

By Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

Art Garfunkel recorded the song Bright Eyes for the movie Watership Down released in 1978. Art Garfunkel started his solo career after a break from Paul Simon in 1970. The famous duo of Simon & Garfunkel met in elementary school in New York before starting their musical careers. Simon & Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Garfunkel had a very accomplished solo career and was named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 greatest singers of all time. 

Age may play a role in diminishing our bright eyes. Are there therapies available to reduce this aging?

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Weekend Doctor: Holiday stressors

By James H. Legge III, MSN, APRN-CNP, PMHNP, Certified Nurse Practitioner 
Psychiatric Center of Northwest Ohio 

The holiday months (mid-November to post-January) can be extremely difficult for loved ones suffering from mental illness. It’s postulated that family members and friends can reach intolerable levels of anxiety and depression during this time due to accentuated family dynamics, financial strain and other stressors.  

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Our House: Blood Pressure

By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

Our House was recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and released on their Déjà Vu album in 1970.  Nash wrote the song after eating breakfast with Joni Mitchell and returning to her Los Angeles home. He went to Joni’s piano and the song just flowed in a short period of time.  The song has been used in various commercials, TV shows, and movies such as Kenmore appliances, My Girl 2, and How I Met Your Mother.

Our house is a very good place to measure blood pressure (BP) to reduce the risk of heart disease!

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ONU HealthWise mobile clinic renews partnership with Mercy Health-St. Rita’s

Clinic provides health screenings, occasionally addresses emergencies

A five-year partnership extension has been made between Ohio Northern University’s HealthWise Mobile Health Clinic and Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center. The value of that collaboration was illustrated by a recent health emergency at a Lima, Ohio event, where the mobile clinic was staffed by ONU pharmacy students and faculty, as well as by physicians in St. Rita’s Internal Medicine residency program.

According to Raabe College of Pharmacy, the mobile health clinic was at a block party in Lima to offer free health screenings when a fourth-year pharmacy student detected high blood pressure in a woman who was 38 weeks pregnant. The team feared the cause was pre-eclampsia, a potentially fatal prenatal complication. (Continues.)

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Weekend Doctor: Here comes the holiday season

By Julie Russell, RDN, LD, CDCES
Outpatient Dietitian/Diabetes Educator, Endocrinology & Diabetes Specialists of Northwest Ohio

It’s that time of year again and the holidays are quickly approaching. The holidays are a busy time, and it can be easy to get off track with your eating habits. Even though you get busy, don’t forget to take time to eat throughout the day. When you skip a meal, it can lead to overeating at the next meal. Try to plan out your meals for the day or, even better, the week. When you plan a meal, think of the food groups to ensure you get a balanced meal.

When attending holiday parties, be selective of your food choices. Take smaller portions by using a smaller plate. Remember, you can have leftovers at another meal, so don’t feel the need to overfill your plate. Pick your most favorite carbohydrate foods, try to keep portions to a quarter part of your plate, and fill in with non-starchy vegetables. If you are concerned that there are not going to be any healthy dishes, then bring one to share.

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