Ask Dr. Vieder
•
LAKES URGENT CARE
When your health concerns can't wait.
The air in my house gets pretty dry in the winter. Is this a health concern?
There may be a lot of humidity in the outside air right now, but since we keep our windows closed and our forced-air furnaces running
non-stop, the air inside gets quite dry. If too dry, the health ramifications include dry bloody noses, dry sore throats and increased
breathing difficulty for those who use home oxygen therapy or have underlying chronic lung problems like emphysema or asthma.
To check the humidity in your home, purchase a hygrometer (they range in price from $10 to about $30) and set it on a counter.
Keeping humidity levels at around 40% is beneficial to your health and also any wood (furniture, flooring, art) in your home. To
increase the humidity level, purchase a portable unit or your HVAC contractor can attach a humidifier to your furnace that will
automatically add moisture to the air. In either case, you must keep the unit clean. Dirty filters and ultrasonic plates (on desktop style
units) can spread mold spores and bacteria into the air, creating the potential for fungal or bacterial lung and sinus infections.
During the Olympics, NBC commentator Bob Costas had a problem with his eyes. What is pink eye?
The medical term for Pink Eye is Conjunctivitis. There are many causes of conjunctivitis (viral, bacterial, chemical and allergic) but by far the
most common in adults is viral, usually caused by adenovirus (which causes the common cold). Always consider a case of pink eye (either
bacterial or viral) to be highly contagious via direct contact only. Typical transmission occurs when those who are infected touch their eye,
then handle common items or shake hands. Frequent hand washing is the key to avoiding transmission.
Treatment is dependent upon the type of conjunctivitis as diagnosed by your primary care physician or certified urgent care
physician. Treatment may include frequent cool compresses to the eye, gentle eye washing to aid in removal of the initiating
irritant or antibiotic eye drops prescribed by a physician. The typical course of infection with treatment is 4 — 7 days and
rarely ever causes any long term problems with vision. Avoid wearing contact lenses if infected, and make sure to dispose
of the last pair of lenses worn just prior to onset of an infection.
For more info, visit the Ask Dr. Vieder page at
LakesUrgentCare.com
Dr. Sanford Vieder, DO, FACOEP, Medical Director at Lakes Urgent Care, West Bloomfield
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Dementia Communication Skills for Everyone
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Dinner and Presentation
6:00pm
Communicating with a loved one affected by dementia or memory
loss can be difficult and frustrating. Please join us to learn some
simple, effective techniques that will help you communicate.
Please RSVP to Shawn Brooklier
sbrooklier@stannesmead.org
Or 248-557-1221
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February 27 • 2014
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