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Weekend Doctor: Don't risk eclipse eye damage

By Stephen Orr, MD, Ophthalmology
Medical Staff Member - Blanchard Valley Health System 

The residents in this area will have a front-row seat for the total eclipse of the sun on Monday, April 8, 2024. For many, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With proper preparation and precautions, it is possible to safely observe the eclipse without damaging your eyes. 

“Eclipse blindness” is caused by the exposure of the retina (the back part of the eye) to high-intensity visible light. The rods and cones (the cells responsible for vision) can be permanently damaged by prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during an event like an eclipse, even when there does not appear to be much light from the sun. This damage can cause permanent, irreversible visual loss by two different mechanisms. First, the light itself causes chemical reactions within the cells that cause them to stop functioning. Second, the actual heat from the sun burns and destroys certain layers of the retina. The end result is visual loss that can be permanent, and for which there is no current treatment.  

If I Could Turn Back Time: Daylight Savings Time and health

By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

If I Could Turn Back Time was a 1989 song released by Cher. The video for the song was filmed on the USS Missouri naval battleship. As a performer, she has accomplished what no other female singer has done before. Cher has had a #1 hit in seven consecutive decades, with her first in 1965 with Sonny Bono.

Daylight Savings Time (DST) was first implemented in the United States with the Standard Time Act of 1918 to increase daylight to conserve energy during World War I.  This was instituted again with World War II.  After the war, local jurisdictions were able to choose whether to use DST or not until 1966.  In that year, The Uniform Time Act was passed for DST.  

There has been significant debate about DST at both the federal and state levels. Despite the debate, no real action has changed the current standard.  Does the impact on health change the debate?

Weekend Doctor: Considering a vasectomy?

By Joshua Ebel, MD
Urology, Blanchard Valley Urology Associates

March has arrived. For many men, this is a time to take it easy and enjoy watching your favorite (or not-so-favorite) college basketball team compete in March Madness.

For others, it’s your last break before a busy spring of outdoor work around the yard or in the fields. For these reasons, March has often also been considered the perfect time to think about a vasectomy. ESPN has even covered the trend of men scheduling vasectomies in March, and local trends reflect this as well. Some clinics even report a 50% increase in vasectomies through March. 

Pinch of salt: Health effects

By Megan Gushrowski, Pharmacist and Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

If someone uses the idiom to “take it with a pinch of salt,” they are asking you to consider or evaluate a statement because one may be skeptical about the truthfulness. Others may think of a pinch of salt when it is used in cooking. However, a pinch of salt (sodium chloride) does have an impact on one’s health.  

A diet high in sodium is a known contributing factor to high blood pressure and a recent study shows it may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. A study published by the Mayo Clinic in November 2023 asked people whether they always, usually, sometimes, or never/rarely added salt to their food and then followed these people to see if they developed type 2 diabetes. 

Changes: Niacin heart effects

By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

In 1971, David Bowie released his Grammy Hall of Fame song Changes. This song is considered one of his top 5 songs. In the lyrics, Bowie writes “time may change me.”  How have our thoughts changed on niacin over time?

Weekend Doctor: Seasonal depression

By Grace Eberly, DO
Pediatrician, Caughman Health Center, Pediatric Associates of Northwest Ohio

It is a well-studied but often-forgotten phenomenon that each year during the winter months, up to 10 million Americans will experience symptoms of depression. As its name implies, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disturbance thought to be caused by the effect of shorter days and decreasing amounts of sunlight on the brain. 

For most people who experience these “winter blues,” spring brings with it renewed life and increased optimism. However, some will have persistent symptoms that carry on long after the flowers have begun to bloom. Now is as good a time as any to check in on your loved ones and offer them support.

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