December 2011 - Filipino-American Community of South Puget Sound

16 Religion-Health
It’s Christmas time again!
Holiday season! But, I have
the nagging trouble of trying
to guess what gift to give to Esmie.
What does she want? What
does she need? I cannot read
her mind. I’m not picking up
the right hints that she drops.
Do you sometime have my
problem of not knowing what
gift to give your spouse?
We may have this problem,
but it is terrific that God
doesn’t. He knows exactly what
we need, why we need it, and
when we need it. He gave the
greatest gift ever. Actually, that
is what Christmas is all about:
“The Gift.”
It is priceless in value. It is
The Gift of Jesus Christ, whom
God the Father sent into the
world to set an example, explain
God – but most important
to take away the penalty of
sin and grant eternal life to all
who personally receive Him as
Savior!
The Apostle Paul taught,
“For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift
of God; not as a result of works,
that no one should boast”
(Ephesians 2:8, 9).
When you stop to think
about it, God’s gift is fantastic
Seasonal influenza, commonly
called “the flu” is
caused by influenza viruses,
which infect the respiratory
tract (i.e., the nose, throat
lungs). Unlike many other viral
respiratory infections, such
as the common cold, the flu
can cause severe illness and
life-threatening complications
in many people. In the United
States, on average 5% to 20%
of the population gets the flu
and more than 200,000 people
are hospitalized from seasonal
flu-related complications. Flu
seasons are unpredictable and
can be severe. Over a period
of 30 years, between 1976 and
2006, estimates of flu-associated
deaths in the United States
range from a low of about
3,000 to a high of about 49,000
people. Some people, such as
the older age group, young
children, pregnant women,
and people with certain health
conditions are at high risk for
serious flu complications. The
best way to prevent seasonal flu
is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination.
Flu vaccines protect against
three different flu viruses: an
H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus
and an H1N1 virus. Everyone
6 months and older should
get vaccinated against the flu
every year. Get vaccinated
now since flu vaccine supplies
are plentiful now. Immunity
sets in about two weeks after
vaccination.
In the United States, flu season
occurs in the fall and winter.
The peak of the flu season
has occurred anywhere from
late November through March.
The overall health impact (e.g.,
infections, hospitalization and
BiBle teaching aBout the gift
religion
Willis C. newman
Ph. D., D. Min
www.Bible-teaching-about.com
and wonderful – just the right gift
we need, beautiful to behold, and
precious to possess. In fact, to me
it pushes completely aside all the
commercial clutter, clanging cash
registers, and chaos connected
with Christmas season – like a giant
bulldozer pushes aside a big
pile of dirt.
In response to The Gift, we can
exert at least two courses of action.
First, we can receive the gift.
Surely, we would not want to reject
it; that would be very foolish,
and against our best interests. At
a human level, it is an insult to rebuff
a gift extended to us; indeed,
it is the same with God.
Second, since God gave such a
costly gift to us, we can follow His
seasonal
influenza
Internal Medicine
James L. roscetti, MD
deaths) of a flu season varies from
year to year. The Community
Disease Center (CDC) monitors
circulating flu viruses and their
related disease activity and provides
influenza reports each week
from October through May.
If you got the flu or the flu
vaccine last year you would not
necessarily be protected this year.
Several studies conducted over
different flu seasons and involving
different influenza viruses and
types of flu vaccine have shown
that a person’s protective antibody
against influenza viruses declines
over the course of a year after
vaccination and infection, particularly
in the elderly. So, a flu
shot given during one season, or
an infection acquired in one season,,
may not provide adequate
protection through later seasons.
The decline in protective antibody
against the flu that occurs after
vaccination or after flu infection
may be influenced by several factors,
including a person’s age, the
antigen used in the vaccine, and
the person’s health situation (for
example, chronic health conditions
that weaken the immune
system may have an impact.).
example, and give generously to
others out of a sense of gratitude.
Christmas is a reminder
to us to give generously of our
time, our treasure, our talents,
and ourselves to serve others in
need. It isn’t just giving baubles
and bling blings to our loved
ones to score points, but to help
others in their time of need,
and seek to better the lives our
families and communities.
Well, the important thing
is to put the important thing
first in our lives this Christmas
season, which is The Gift. Have
fun. Enjoy the family. Stuff
yourself with food. Sleep in.
However, remember to honor
and focus on the real meaning
of Christmas.
After all this, I still don’t
know what to get Esmie for her
Christmas gift.
Dr. Newman teaches at
Faith Evangelical College &
Seminary, Tacoma. He and Esmie
have their website, www.
Bible-teaching-about.com that
includes an online Bible academy,
free Bible studies, answers
to questions, ebooks and
paperbacks. Scripture from the
New American Standard Bible,
© the Lockman Foundation,
1960-73, used by permission.
�
This decline in protective antibody
has the potential to leave
some people more vulnerable
to infection, illness and probably
serious complications from
the same influenza viruses a
year after being vaccinated or
infected. So, for optimal protection
against influenza, annual
vaccination is recommended
regardless of past vaccination
status or flu infection.
Finally, many patents ask:
is the “stomach flu” really the
flu? Many people use the term
“stomach flu” to describe illnesses
with nausea, vomiting,
or diarrhea. These symptoms
can be caused by many different
viruses, bacteria, or even parasites.
While vomiting, diarrhea,
and being nauseous, or “sick to
your stomach” can sometimes
be related to the flu—more
commonly in children than
adults—these problems are
rarely the main symptoms of
influenza. The flu is a respiratory
disease and not a stomach
or intestinal disease.
James L. Roscetti, M.D. is
a semi-retired family physician
who was in full time practice
in Federal Way, WA from
1978-2008. In addition, he is
a retired U.S. Army Medical
Corps Colonel, who was on active
duty from 1969-1977, and
in the U.S. Army Reserve and
Washington Army National
Guard from 1978-2002.
He continues to practice at
several urgent care clinics in
the Tacoma/Puyallup area.
He has been active with the
Filipino American Physicians
of Washington, having participated
in several medical-surgical
missions to the Philippines.
�
December 2011
http://pinoyreporter.com
seasonal affective disorder
Have you ever experience
recurrent feeling of depression
in the fall/winter or
when you have several cloudy
days in a row? If your answer is
“yes”, you may be suffering from
SAD. This is a variant of major
depression and is found to be
more common in the northern
climate or in the southern
hemisphere in the south. SAD
is believed to be due to a lack
of light through the eyes causing
depression. Scientists have
found that exposure to sunlight
through the eyes, helps many
people with depression to feel
better. Being outdoors in the
light affects the activity of the
neurotransmitters. To make
a diagnosis of SAD, a history
of at least 2 years of fall/winter
depression is necessary and of
course, symptoms of major depression.
Symptoms of major depression
include:
9 lack of energy
9 having difficulty getting
out of bed in the morning
9 difficulty concentrating,
focusing and being creative
9 decrease interests/motivation
or anhedonia
9 being irritable and impatient
with self and others
9 difficulty doing rou-
(sad)
Mental health
roSa F. ePISToLa, MD
tine activities and tasks
9 disturbances with appetite
and sometimes cravings
for sweets or junk foods.
Light therapy in high intensity
light (10,000 lux) is used
to approximate the visual experiences
of a sunny day in the
morning. Regular exposure to
sunlight through walks in the
late afternoon has been proven
to be of some value in the treatment
of patients with this disorder.
Some patients immediately
notice relief of symptoms
when they begin increasing
the amount of light they get
through the eyes. Generally it
takes 3-4 days before improvement
is observed and in some
cases it might take as long as 2
Turn To Page 19. . .
holidays and oral health
As the holidays approach, we
all want to look our best
especially as we welcome family
and friends. With Christmas
just around the corner, a healthy,
beautiful smile is a great gift to
give ourselves. Along with teeth
cleaning and check-up, people
are also interested in whitening
or bleaching. While others want
temporary relief of mouth pain
just until after the holidays, others
only want fresher breath.
In light of the recent economic
downturn, more and more
people are resorting to readily
available and inexpensive medicaments.
As a result, there has
been a reported rise in untoward
side effects stemming from misuse
of these products. Because
there seems to be an assumed
belief in the general population
that over-the-counter health
care products can be used safely
without fear of toxicity, patients
are self-administering products
containing hydrogen peroxide
as a mouthwash for halitosis or
gum inflammation, treatment
of dental infections and relief
of mouth pain, as well as for
teeth whitening. Also, the use of
topical toothache formulations,
“tartar control” toothpastes and
excessive alcohol-based mouthwashes
can lead to gum ulcerations,
chemical burns and soft
tissue injuries extending from
the mouth to the esophagus,
pharynx, and stomach, often accompanied
by pain. I ngesting
these products may cause vomiting
and diarrhea.
Chemical burns may be
Dental Health
Marissa N. Bender, DMD
marissadmd@yahoo.com
managed with the application of
topical anesthetic agents. A soft,
bland diet should be maintained
and the condition re-examined
until healing is complete. For
severe burns, analgesics may be
indicated. Rarely, antibiotics
may be needed for secondary
infections, bone exposure or
deep tissue ulceration. Affected
patients should see the dentist as
soon as possible.
So, as we celebrate the holidays,
let us remember to be
aware of possible side effects of
products we may take for granted.
Follow directions for use.
When in doubt, ask the dentist.
Have a safe and healthy holiday
season!!!
Marissa N. Bender, DMD,
MBA maintains a private dental
practice in general dentistry
in Lynnwood, WA. Dr. Bender
received her Dental degree in
2001 from the University of
Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia
and her MBA degree in Health
Care Administration from City
University of Seattle in 1996.
She can be reached at 425-778-
5665. �