News from Boyett Health Services

JULY NEWSLETTER 2012

Month/Year

Hello all! We hope your summer is going well. Independence Day is almost here and we wish you an early Happy 4th!

Independence Day. What is it about? Too often we celebrate this federal holiday without actually taking a moment to reflect upon why we actually celebrate. We invite friends and family over for parties and cook outs; we adorn our yards and homes in festive Americana decor, but we rarely give a moment's thought to ponder what took place to bring about the birth of our nation. This year, let it be for us as it was for Thomas Jefferson in his last days as he described the celebration of the Declaration of Independence, "For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them." We still live in a free country! Let us not take this gift for granted! Enjoy your July 4th festivities with a grateful heart, and with eyes wide open to the awesome gift and responsibility we share as Americans. By all means, celebrate! Our forefathers did. But let us think about the rights and freedoms we are blessed with as citizens of the United States of America as we do it. There are many others upon this earth who would gladly live in your shoes! God bless you this July!!

american flag

Varicella Zoster Vaccine

Varicella zoster virus also referred to as VZV is known by many names such as chicken pox virus, varicella virus, zoster virus and human herpes virus type 3 or HHV-3. Varicella is chicken pox and zoster is shingles. These are two different types of illnesses that manifest themselves through lesions, fever, and overall not feeling well. After having the chicken pox, typically as a child, the virus lies dormant in the body before reoccurring into a viral infection. Only about twenty five percent of adults will be affected by the reactivation known as shingles.

Both chicken pox and shingles are caused by the varicella zoster igg which is a type of a herpes virus. Chicken pox is spread by human contact through the rash, sneezing, coughing or breathing. The contagious period is from two days before the rash appears and until the last lesion has crusted over. After the chicken pox symptoms disappear, the virus hibernates in the body's nerve cells along your spine. When you are an adult the virus may decide to "wake up" due to stress, aging or a weaken immune system and reappears as pain and a rash. The rash will usually last up to thirty days.

Headaches, Snoring and TMD

Do you snore ALOT, and suffer from chronic headaches,too? Most people dismiss snoring as a normal part of sleep behavior, but it can be an indicator that you are dealing with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Headaches can also be related here, as well. When you have a headache, your first reaction may be to run to the medicine cabinet for pain relief or to visit the doctor. However, if the problem persists it might be something you should mention to your dentist as the cause may actually lie in your mouth.

Dental treatments for headaches and Obstructive Sleep Apnea are highly effective and are beginning to gain credibility within medical circles. So much credibility, in fact, that one of the nation's largest headache groups, the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, recognized dentistry's role in treating headache and facial pain. Sleep specialists are turning to dentists, too, as they find that more and more patients are struggling with CPAP machines as a form of treatment.

Tension Headaches Linked to Jaw

Many patients who complain of chronic headaches, jaw and facial pain, as well as pain in the ears, never realize that their pain may be caused by a misalignment in their jaw.

It is believed that 45 million Americans have disabling, chronic headaches, and the economic costs due to job absenteeism, lost production, and medical expenses are estimated to be as high as $50 billion annually.