Using Medicine During Pregnancy
It’s not easy to know what medication is safe or unsafe to take during pregnancy. This Billings Gazette column, written by Dr. Mike Geurin with the Montana Family Medicine Residency, offers some basics.
Protection against Preventable Diseases
Vaccines are not just for children, especially if you plan to travel outside the United States this summer.
Take Precautions to Avoid Hantavirus
If you’re cleaning out a cabin, shed or outbuilding this spring, pay attention to how you clear out any mess to avoid hantavirus. This column offers some guidelines from Marilyn Tapia, Director of Health Protection at RiverStone Health.
Preventing Measles from Spreading
Before 1963, when the measles vaccination program started, an estimated 3 to 4 million people got measles each year in the United States. Before the vaccine, of the cases reported to the CDC every year, about 48,000 were hospitalized, 1,000 developed encephalitis (brain swelling) and 400 to 500 died.
HIV Treatment as Prevention
Early testing and treatment can help people reach very low or undetectable levels of HIV, which can help them lead healthy lives and prevent the spread of HIV.
Improving Quality of Life
Improving life, health and safety is what public health does. For National Public Health Week, Shawn Hinz, the Vice President of Public Health Services, describes how public health touches everyone’s daily life.
Understand the Causes of Stress
If we pay attention to our body, we may notice some signals that we have too much on our plate and it is time to slow down and take care of ourselves.
Finding Changes on Food Labels
Look for bigger and bolder type on new food labels showing calories and serving size. It’s one of the most noticeable changes on the new labels, which will be required by 2020. Some manufacturers have already begun making the switch, which should make it easier for shoppers to make healthy choices.
Immunization Provides Protection
Measles is more than just a rash. About one in four people in the United States who get measles will be hospitalized. One or two of 1,000 people with measles will die, even with the best care. While there are no measles cases in Montana, The MMR vaccine offers the best protection against an outbreak.
Maintaining a Healthy Blood Pressure
Keeping a watchful eye on your blood pressure pays off in health benefits, as this column by Dr. Samuel Ward points out.
