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By Andrius Giedraitis, MD
Blanchard Valley Pain Management

We are all well-accustomed to the trials of Ohio winters–cold mornings, snowy roads and early sunsets. Another common aspect of these winters is the propensity to develop exacerbations of chronic pain ailments. Knees and hips become achier, walking becomes more difficult and sleep becomes less restful. Many of these issues are a reflection of the colder temperatures and changes in barometric pressure, which can affect your neck, low back, shoulders, hips and knees. 

Sometimes resting at home and applying a heating pad to the painful area can bring enough relief; at other times, over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol or ibuprofen, are needed to help alleviate these symptoms. Physical therapy, stretching and home exercises can also often improve one’s overall well-being and functionality. 

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By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of ONU Healthwise Pharmacy

The idiom "under the radar" means the ability to go without attracting attention or to go undetected. In education circles, they may refer to a student who is under the radar as someone who follows instructions, completes their work on time, but may not fully comprehend the subject. They may not be recognized as falling behind in their understanding of the material. The education literature offers tips on how to identify these students and to improve their understanding.

One website offers tips to students who want to stay under the radar meaning they do not want to get called on in class. The advice from the website is to look pensive, engaged, and scribbling notes when the teacher looks at you. The theory is the teacher is less likely to call on someone thinking so hard and actively engaged. I find this ironic, since this is the type of student I am often looking to call upon—one engaged in class!

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By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

The power of having a voice is important so one can be active and have a participatory role in making or influencing a decision.  At times we can think of this as it relates to politics and our role in making our voice heard.  The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum offers a course for 3rd to 6th graders titled Making Your Voice Heard.  The course teaches about civic engagement and making a difference by writing letters.  The goal is to use the written word to effect change in communities and government.  

Besides the written word, we can use verbal communication to inspire, create, and innovate.  We can use our voice to create movies, television shows, art, theater, music, and poetry.  When I hear the voice in conversation, I often think of the television show The Voice. An interesting concept of judges blindly listening to someone’s voice without any other visual clues.  

The music competition first aired on April 26, 2011.  The show completed season 22 on December 13, 2022.  For those who watch, country music’s Blake Shelton is the only original coach on The Voice and he plans to finish out season 23 and walk away from coaching.  

How does one’s voice correlate to one’s health?

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By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
 

In 2022, the number one New Year’s resolution was to lose weight. Other surveys found 23% wanted to live healthier, while 21% wanted personal improvement. I would not be surprised if 2023 is similar. 

How likely is one to keep their resolution?

The statistics are surprisingly good. Survey data reported 75% maintain their resolution for one week with the number dropping to 64% at one month. At six months, 46% maintain their resolution. This is encouraging. Some psychologists suggest the best way to succeed is to be realistic, plan ahead, reward yourself, track your progress and do not beat yourself up. 

As I read the advice, it reminded me of the 1991 comedy, What About Bob?. The movie starred Bill Murray as Bob Wiley who was a troubled patient of Dr. Leo Marvin played by Richard Dreyfus. Dr. Marvin was a psychotherapist who had finished a book called Baby Steps. Murray’s character followed Dr. Marvin on vacation and befriended his family. Dr. Marvin was invited to discuss his book on morning television and the directors invited Bob to participate. Bob stole the show with his discussion of the baby step technique, while Dr. Marvin lost control of the interview. 

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By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

Heartbreaker is a common name shared by several songs released over the years. Two of the most famous are those performed by Pat Benatar in 1979 and Dionne Warwick in 1982. Pat Benatar has sold over 35 million albums and has won 4 Grammy Awards. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November of 2022. Dionne Warwick’s song Heartbreaker was on her 1982 album by the same name. Her song was written by the Bee Gees, who later released their own version in 1994. Dionne won six Grammys and is the second-most charted female during the rock era. Interestingly, she served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. 

So, why the talk about heartbreak during the most wonderful time of the year?

Early in my pharmacy career, I was working Christmas Day in the hospital emergency room. We had a patient come in with a heart condition and the physician’s diagnosis was holiday heart. At first, I thought the physician was making a joke because we were both working a holiday, but then I realized he was serious. 

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By Nathaniel Ratnasamy, MD
Infectious Disease & Travel Medicine

Winter season can be a season of joy with the gathering of families and friends for the holidays, but it can also become the season of spreading respiratory infections. While most of the time, respiratory infections are mild nuisances for healthy people, influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) can lead to consequences that are more serious for those with chronic illnesses. COVID-19 has been linked to about 200-400 deaths a day in the past several months. Blanchard Valley Hospital has seen hospitalizations go from single digits to the teens in the past few weeks. Hospitalization for influenza has also increased. Influenza in a typical year is associated with 25,000 to 50,000 deaths.

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