ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 1996 TAG: 9611050104
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Health Notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on November 7, 1996.
The Roanoke City Health Department does not give flu shots on
Thursdays, as a recent Health Notes column stated. People should call
ahead to any health department where they plan to get the shot to
determine times and availability.
By drinking three 8-ounce glasses of milk a day, a woman can get her Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium, which is 800 milligrams. About a third of us get less than that, though, for a variety of reasons.
I dislike milk; others are even allergic to milk.
But calcium, it has been proved, is crucial to the female body's ability to maintain strong bones, especially after menopause. Osteoporosis, a disease that depletes bone mass and causes bone weakness and brittleness, is a major problem for older women and likely to affect half of them. Most at risk are slim, small-boned and fair-complexioned women with a history of the problem in their families.
All females need to be aware that getting enough calcium all their lives will help protect them when they're older, too.
The Women's Health Initiative, which is a long-term study of American women, is taking the calcium problem a step further. It is conducting studies to determine if adding calcium and vitamin D to the diet can help prevent osteoporosis and colorectal cancer, both of which disable and kill older women.
The health initiative needs to recruit 45,000 postmenopausal women who will receive either a combined calcium and vitamin D pill or a placebo. It is hoped that the study will provide answers on ways to prevent bone loss and hip fractures.
Forty clinical centers have been funded for the Women's Health Initiative by the National Institutes of Health.
Any woman who is interested in participating in the study can get information by calling (800)549-6636.
SAD, holiday talks
* Maureen Guelzow, a licensed psychiatric counselor, will try to help people cope with holiday stress during a lecture Nov. 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Lewis-Gale Foundation.
* ``Good News about SAD Facts: Understanding Seasonal Depression" will be discussed at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 in the Jefferson Center Training Theater on Luck Avenue in Roanoke. Guest speaker will be Marie Moon Painter, lead psychiatric assessment specialist at Carilion St.Albans Center in Radford. The workshop fee is $5, payable at the door. For more information, call (540)344-0931.
Grief workshop
Dr. Alan Wolfelt studies death. The proper name for his specialty is thanatology, but he won't talk about death in such formal language when he comes to the Roanoke Valley Nov. 15. Wolfelt, who has been a frequent guest on television talk shows, will explain how expressing the emotions that we call "grief" actually helps us heal after the loss of a loved one.
Wolfelt is founder and director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colo., and Toronto, Canada. He also has written several books, including "Understanding Grief: Helping Yourself Heal" and "Death and Grief: A guide for Clergy."
His workshop, which is for both the general public and health care professionals, will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Roanoke Airport Marriott. His visit is sponsored by Oakey's Funeral Service. Registration, which costs $15, is being handled by Grace Poff at (540)982-2100.
Something in your eye?
Eye problems for most of us are usually just dry eyes, caused by not blinking often enough. But every now and then a gnat or a particle of dirt will get in an eye, and you need to get it out.
Here are some tips from Richmond Eye & Ear Hospital:
* If a particle gets in the eye, never rub the eye. Lift the upper eyelid over the lower lid and blink a few times to move the particle out. If you can't get the particle out, then you need a doctor.
* If you get hit in the eye, which happens often in sports, apply an ice-cold compress immediately for about 15 minutes to reduce swelling and pain. A black eye or blurred vision could signal eye damage and require a doctor.
* If the eye is torn open or ruptures because of an injury, do not apply pressure. Don't touch the eye in any way. If you can find a foam cup or something similar, tape or bandage it over the injured eye and seek help. If you shorten the cup by tearing some of its edge off, it will work better.
* If you get a cut to the eye or eyelid, bandage it lightly and get medical help. Don't rub the eye or wash it, and don't try to remove anything from it.
Time to get stuck
A free immunization clinic for children who have not been vaccinated or who need to complete a series of vaccinations will be held Nov. 11 from 5-7 p.m. at the Lewis-Gale Medical Foundation, next door to the Lewis-Gale Hospital emergency room entrance. The child's shot record needs to be presented.
The clinic is sponsored by the Community-Based Immunization Project. For more information, call Jane King at 772-3587.
Flu prevention
Flu shots are still being given by area health departments and private medical clinics. New River Health District will schedule immunization clinics through November; residents should call a health office nearest them for times.
The Roanoke City Health Department will offer the shots on Tuesdays and Thursdays through November at a charge of $10. Lee-Hi Family Practice on Apperson Drive offers flu shots from 9 a.m.-noon at a cost of $14. If you haven't had one and want one - they're important for the elderly and people around young children and people who have weakened immune systems - call your doctor or check out one of the clinics.
You can contact Sandra Brown Kelly at (800)346-1234 ext. 393, or 981-3393 or at biznews@roanoke.infi.net..
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