Give Student Health Your Old Drugs!

legislatorford.gov

The Student Health Services Pharmacy will be holding our 2nd annual DEA-approved drug Take-Back Day this Wednesday, May 30th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

All students, staff, and faculty are invited to bring unused or expired medicines to be disposed of in a safe, legal, and environmentally-friendly way.  This service is entirely free of charge and is completely anonymous.  No questions asked!  We will take any expired, damaged or and unused medications (even if they are a controlled substance like narcotic pain medication or ADD medication), as well as sharps containers (containers that store used needles). 

Please note: Do not remove medication labels before drop-off.  Syringes, needles, and thermometers will not be accepted.

Our goal is to address a vital public safety and public health issue by removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs from your backpacks and medicine cabinets. 

  • Since 2007, more Ohians have died from unintentional drug overdosing than motor vehicle accidents.
  • More than 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 
  • Each day, approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs for the first time to get high, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. 
  • Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. 

These expired medicines can be as bad for our environment as they are for our health.  Measurable quantities of some common medications are showing up in lakes, reservoirs, and municipal water supplies, thought to be due in large part to improper flushing of medications down sinks and toilets.

So make the right choice and join us for our 2nd Annual Medication Disposal Day!  It’s a great way to keep yourself healthy and our campus safe! 

This event is jointly sponsored by Student Health Services (Office of Student Life), Department of Public Safety, and Generation Rx. 

Phil Anderson, RPh
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

But what if I WANT to get pregnant?

truehealthmedicine.com

We spend a lot of time helping students figure out how to avoid getting pregnant, but there are a fair number of Lady Buckeyes out there who are ready to start planning a family, and they need good information too!  So in the spirit of fair play, here is a checklist of things you should do if you’re planning to get pregnant.

  • Be sure your vaccinations are up to date, especially MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella), Varicella (chickenpox) and Hepatitis B. Your unborn child can be harmed if you contract these infections while you are pregnant. These vaccines are part of the standard childhood immunization schedule, but you can make an appointment with Student Health Preventive Medicine to check your immunity if you aren’t sure whether you received them.
  • If you haven’t received a tetanus shot within the last 10 years, you should receive the Tdap (Tetanus-Diptheria-Pertussis) vaccine.
  • If you have any chronic health conditions, be sure to see your primary health care provider so she can review your medications and make sure your conditions are under optimal control.
  • Schedule a GYN exam. This will give your health care provider a chance to assess your overall health status, screen you for sexually transmitted infections, review your health and family history, and give you proper guidance for pregnancy planning.
  • Stop your birth control at least 3 months before you are planning to get pregnant. If you’ve been taking birth control pills, a pill-free break will allow you to go through several normal cycles before you conceive, which will make it easier to determine when ovulation occurred and to accurately estimate your due date. Your fertility may return to normal as early as two weeks after you stop taking the pill. If you are using Depo Provera, it may take several months for fertility to return.
  • Basal Body Temperature charting is a very useful tool for couples trying to conceive because of its ability to confirm ovulation. You need to use a basal thermometer, which is different than a regular thermometer. You can get them at most pharmacies.
  • Quit smoking, alcohol and recreation drugs.
  • Try to reach a healthy weight. Being overweight or underweight can make things more difficult before and during pregnancy. Ideally, your Body Mass Index (BMI) should be between 19 and 25. Check out this BMI calculator to figure out your BMI.
  • Try to eat a healthy and balanced diet. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you may need to add a Vitamin B12 supplement to your diet. Be sure to discuss this with your healthcare provider.
  • Start an exercise program now, even if it is just walking every day. You should aim for a goal of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.
  • Start taking a prenatal vitamin that contains 400 mcg of Folic Acid at least 3 months before you are planning to get pregnant. Folic acid deficiency can cause birth defects. These vitamins are available over-the-counter so you don’t need a prescription for them.
  • Avoid consuming a lot of fish, especially swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark. These fish contain methyl mercury, which can harm the nervous system of your unborn child. You can eat up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish and shellfish, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, Pollock and catfish. The FDA has a great website that tells you what foods to avoid during pregnancy.
  • Avoid raw and undercooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and dirty cat-litter boxes. All of these things can be infected with Toxoplasmosis gondii, which is harmful to your unborn baby. If you don’t have a cat, don’t get one. If you do, have someone else change the litter box, or at the very least wear disposable gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately afterwards. Be sure to wear gloves when gardening.
  • If you or your partner work in an environment where you are exposed to X-rays, lead, mercury or chemicals, you should take extra precautions at work or explore options for moving to a different area. You can check out Ohio State’s Environment Health & Safety office if you have any questions about safety or hazards in your work place.

Li-Chun Liu, MSN
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

Can you learn about safe sex from porn movies?

Men's Services

photo: tbdhu.com

GYT - Make your appointment!

Use protection

CNN Health recently ran an interesting story about efforts in Los Angeles to pass a law requiring the use of condoms in all adult films produced in the city.  Safer sex advocates hope that seeing condoms used in these films may help to make them more acceptable to the public.  

But will it?  Is a message that encourages a positive health behavior more likely to be received if its delivered within a fictionalized story (and believe me guys, porn moves are fiction with a capial “F”) as opposed to a news report or public service announcement?

It’s a good question, and one that a professor right here at Ohio State tried to answer last year in a research study published in the journal Human Communication Research.  Emily Moyer-Gusé and her colleague at UC Santa Barbara (go Banana Slugs!), Robin Nabi, compared how college-aged participants responded to televised messages regarding unprotected sex and the risk for unintended pregnancy. 

Their findings?

  • Presenting this information in a news format, with interviews with young people coping with an unexpected pregnancy, had LITTLE EFFECT on the participants’ likelihood to use birth control.
  • Presenting the same information in a dramatic setting (in this case, an episode of the TV show “The OC”) led the female subjects to commit to taking action to prevent pregnancies in the future.
  • The male subjects, on the other hand, were actually LESS LIKELY to take action after watching the drama.

The researchers surmised that the women were more emotionally in touch with the characters in the TV drama so the show’s message had more impact, while the men may have been turned off by the storyline and therefore less receptive to the health message.

But can porn movies teach anybody anything about the realities of sex?  I doubt it.  Guys have never exactly paid too much attention to their storylines, so I’m guessing that adding condoms to the prop department won’t do that much to promote the cause of safe sex.  Hopefully I’m wrong.

But in the meantime, always wear a condom regardless of what you see onscreen.  Your risk of getting an STD is even higher than the risk of pregnancy without one, and you could probably do without either situation in your life right now. 

If you are having unprotected sex, be sure to call Student Health to come in and Get Yourself Tested.

Roger Miller, MD (OSU Student Health Services)

Check your melons!

CDC Case Count (click to enlarge)

Last week, CDC and FDA issued updated alerts about the multi-state Listeria outbreak associated with cantaloupe.  The alerts are based on 72 cases that have been identified since the beginning of August, resulting in 13 deaths. 

Listeria is a bacteria that causes fever and diarrhea, and usually resolves on its own.  However, for the elderly and people with suppressed immunity, this infection can be much more severe and and sometimes fatal.  It can also cause miscarriage or fetal damage, so it is especially dangerous for pregnant women. 

Most notable is that this organism can grow at refrigerator temperatures, and is killed by cooking.  For raw fruit like cantaloupe, thorough rinsing before eating is recommended.  The CDC has identified certain brands of cantaloupe, grown in southern Colorado, that should not be eaten.

CDC update, 9-21-11:  http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/listeriosis/outbreak.html

CDC Listeria page: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/index.html

FDA press release, 9-14-11: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm271899.htm

Keep an eye out for updates on this situation.

Roger Miller, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

How do I help my friend get out of an abusive relationship?

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Q: My friend has stopped going out because she says her boyfriend won’t let her; he thinks she’ll cheat on him if she hangs out without him.  I barely see her anymore and I’m worried that he’s crossed the line in their relationship. What can I do? 

A: It can be difficult to assess whether abuse is occurring in a relationship, including your own!  Abusive behavior is often hard to recognize and many people may actually believe that it is part of a normal relationship. The first step in knowing if your friend is in trouble is to learn what abuse looks like.

Physical and sexual abuse can be described as any unwanted physical contact.  It might be hard to identify in a friend because victims often hide the physical evidence (bruises, scrapes or cuts) and feel that they are to blame in some way.

Emotional abuse is harder to define.  It can range from verbal insults and threats, to online bullying by text, email or social network stalking.

Abuse is always about power and control, and research has shown that it is much more likely to escalate rather than resolve.  Facts about dating violence:

  • 1 in 4 women will experience abuse at some point in their lifetime.
  • 80% of women stay in abusive relationships.
  • On average, it takes women 7 attempts to leave an abusive relationship. This is explained by a concept called the cycle of abuse.
  • Women ages 16-24 have the highest risk for becoming victims of dating abuse.
  • 32% of college students report being abused by a past partner and 20% report being abused by a current partner.
  • 60% of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in casual or steady dating relationships.

Dating abuse is much too complex to contain in a single blog post.  Please see the links below for more information, including links to local resources.  If you are concerned about your partner finding out that you’re looking for help, please use a public computer to access the links below!

The Safe Space    The Red Flag Campaign    Break The Cycle

LOCAL RESOURCES:

It’s Abuse   

The Ohio State Student Wellness Center   

Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

Emily Vargas, GAA
Student Wellness Center
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

As easy as riding a bike?

bicycleparts-22.com

Your old childhood friend the bicycle is suddenly hip again!  It’s a healthier, greener, cheaper and more fun way to get around than that gas-guzzling car.  But things have changed since your grade school Huffy-banana seat-riding days, so we thought it was time to test your bike safety knowledge with a little True or False quiz. 

  1. You are more likely to get hit by a car when riding on the sidewalk than in the street.
  2. When riding in the street you should always hug the shoulder as close as possible to allow cars to pass you. 
  3. When riding in a bike lane, you don’t have to follow the rules of traffic. So if the light turns red and there’s no cross traffic, you can blow on through!
  4. Riding a bike home is a safe way to avoid a DUI if you’re too drunk to drive.

 

  1. TRUE Cyclists who ride on the sidewalk are 2-9 times more likely to get hit by a car! This is because cars aren’t expecting bicycles to be riding on the sidewalks and may not look for them at crosswalks. You run the risk of getting hit at every intersection!!
  2. FALSE This is a tricky one because it depends on the road you’re riding on. If there is a wide shoulder with plenty of room for cars to pass, then by all means ride on the side. But if there is a small shoulder or narrow lanes that would cause a passing car to have to “squeeze” by you, then don’t feel bad about taking up the whole lane. This prevents you and the driver from getting into a risky situation.
  3. FALSE Even when riding in the bike lane, you are still considered to be a “vehicle” on the road and are subject to the same rules as cars (and can get the same tickets). That means no running red lights, blowing stops signs, or making illegal turns.
  4. FALSE If you aren’t able to drive, you aren’t able to ride. Both modes of transportation require that you have the coordination, awareness and alertness to follow the rules of the road. And you can get a ticket for DUI while riding a bike, so just call a cab!

As spring approaches, it’s important to take your bike into a local shop to make sure it’s safe for you to ride.  But it’s equally important to make sure that you are safe to ride it!  Always wear your helmet and check out the links below.  Happy riding!

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/

http://bicyclesafe.com/

http://cycle-safety.com/

http://dps.osu.edu/police/bike_safety/

Keep Online Dating Fun and Safe!

doctorjenn.com

With Valentine’s Day soon upon us, many of the 1,500 (!) online dating sites are offering free or discounted memberships.  If you meet that special someone online, moving your relationship from cyber space to real life can be difficult, and sometimes dangerous.  Here are a few things you can do to protect your hard drive and your heart!

Computer Safety

If you are like me and completely computer illiterate, these issues may not have crossed your mind, but they are vital to protecting you and your online identity.

  • Use a secure computer connection so that people can’t hack into your account.  Avoid public WiFi hotspots and make sure your WiFi at home is password protected.
  • Create a separate email account with a secure password that you only use for these sites.  It should not include any identifying information like your name, phone number or address.

Get offline and face-to-face as soon as possible!  

You wanted to meet people, so meet them!  While putting off the initial get together may seem like the safer thing to do, getting face-to-face ASAP allows you to see if they are who they say they are.  The longer you put it off, the more opportunity they have to create a false front and/or find out things about you that could be used in harmful ways.

Make it early, make it public, and always have an escape route!

When you do decide to meet in person you absolutely, positively, without fail, no ifs ands or buts MUST do the following:

  • Always get yourself to the meeting place (i.e. don’t let them pick you up).  This ensures that you have a way to get out if needed and just as importantly, keeps the person from knowing where you live if you decide not to keep in contact.
  • Make sure someone you trust knows where you are going and when you expect to be back.  In fact, have them call you at a set time no matter what – this will give you an easy out if things aren’t going well, and it will let the person know that you’ve got people waiting for you.

Do your OWN background check!

Some dating sites say that they do “background checks” on users, and other companies will offer to run background checks for a fee.  But unless the FBI has started an online dating site that I haven’t heard about, don’t waste your time or money.  Databases can be incomplete, access can be restricted, and information can be hidden.  Nothing replaces your instincts.  If someone appears too good to be true, then that’s what they are until proven otherwise.

Please, please, please check out some of these safety tips on the sites below to learn more ways to protect yourself and get the most out of your dating experience!

Online Dating Safety Tips      New York Times     Livestrong

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

Winter Safety Alert! Being a couch potato really could kill you!

disasterstuff.com

It’s winter.  It’s cold.  We’re all staying inside.  You wouldn’t think that spending an afternoon on the couch could be a life-threatening activity, but if you don’t have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector, it could be just that.  There have already been several deaths by CO poisoning in Ohio this year, so we thought it was a good time to review what CO is and why it’s so important to have a CO detector in your home!

What is CO and how do poisonings happen?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas produced by devices using gas, oil, kerosene, or wood.  Room space heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, fireplaces, water heaters, and automobiles all produce CO.  Older appliances (such as old furnaces or water heaters) can produce dangerously high levels if they haven’t been checked and serviced in a while.  Winter is an especially risky time for CO poisoning because homes are usually closed up tight to keep out the cold.  And because CO is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating, dangerously high levels can accumulate in homes without any warning signs. 

What are the signs and symptoms of CO poisoning? How will I know if I have it?

The initial symptoms of CO poisoning can be similar to the flu: dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, confusion, shortness of breath and feeling faint.  However, death can occur without any of these warning symptoms being experienced

If you’re experiencing symptoms that you think could be related to CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately and go to the emergency room.  A blood test called an arterial blood gas (ABG) can confirm CO poisoning if it’s done soon after an exposure.  (We can’t do ABG’s in the Student Health Center – you have to go to the ER). 

The ONLY sure way to make sure that your house is safe is to have a working CO detector so please make sure you have one in your house.  And if you already have one, be sure to test it – replacing those batteries could be the best ten dollars you ever spent!

To learn more about carbon monoxide and how to prevent poisoning, check out these links. 

United States Environmental Protection Agency

United States Consumer Product Safety Commission

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

Are birth control pills safe?

shine.yahoo.com

Q: I’ve seen some scary things about birth control pills in the news lately.  Are they safe to take?

A: Birth control pills are a very popular method of contraception – the CDC reports that since 1945, 80% of women in the United States have used them at some point in their lives.  They are generally a very low risk medication – especially for young, healthy women – but low risk does not equal no risk.  Here’s what you need to know: 

Blood Clots

Many birth control pills contain estrogen, a hormone that makes your blood more likely to clot up.  A blood clot is a good thing when it stops a cut from bleeding, but it’s a very bad thing when it happens in the deep veins of your leg (DVT) or your lung (Pulmonary Embolus).  Fortunately, pills today contain a lot less estrogen than they used to, but taking any form of birth control (pill, ring, patch) containing estrogen can still mean a 3-6 times increased risk of blood clots, especially in women who are obese.

Heart Attack

Heart attacks and strokes are so rare in young, healthy women that there is not a significant risk of these conditions with the use of low-dose estrogen pills.  Certain conditions can increase that risk – high blood pressure, diabetes, certain types of migraines and smoking – so be sure to tell your health care provider if any of them apply to you. 

High Blood Pressure

About 1% of women develop hypertension when they start taking birth control pills.  High blood pressure is associated with an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease so it’s important to get regular checkups while you’re on the pill. 

Liver Disease

Although rare, birth control pills can cause benign tumors of the liver. This usually happens after 4-8 years of use.  High-dose estrogen pills have also been associated with an increased risk of gall bladder inflammation.

So how can you tell if you’re experiencing any of these side effects?  Just remember ACHES.

  • Abdominal pain that is severe. 
  • Chest pain that is severe or associated with shortness of breath or cough
  • Headache that is severe or associated with dizziness, weakness, or numbness
  • Eye problems, like sudden vision loss or blurry vision
  • Severe leg pain in the calf or thigh

We’re not trying to scare you away from birth control pills – like we said; millions of women use them and do just fine.  But now that you’re moving out into the world on your own, it’s important for you to be proactive and take charge of your health. Know your own medical history.  Know your family’s medical history.  And don’t be afraid to ask questions of your health care providers. 

If you have any questions about birth control options, the clinicians in our Women’s Services department are happy to help you figure out which options is right for you.

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

The Ulcer Rap

You could spend the next 3 minutes reading about the risk of developing stomach ulcers from taking too much non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID’s), or you could just watch this “music video” made by an actual doctor rapping about ulcers courtesy of The ZBlogg.

 

We use NSAID’s all the time for aches, pains and fevers.  Odds are you’ve taken one within the last year, either alone or as an ingredient in one of those multi-symptom cold and sinus medicines.  The most common NSAID’s are ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin) and Naproxen (Aleve). 

These medicines really work well, but like all medications they have side effects, and one of the most serious – as ZDoggMD so eloquently points out – is ulcers in the stomach lining that can cause you to bleed internally. 

So if you need to use these medications, use as little as possible.  And if you develop fatigue, abdominal pain, black or tar-like stool, or bright red blood in your stool while taking them, make sure you get checked out right away.  In fact, if you need to take them that much, you should probably get checked out anyway.

And don’t worry – we don’t rap at the Student Health Center.

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University