Seems like people may have been passing along more than gifts and good tidings over the holiday season. Ohio health officials say that hospitalizations because of influenza have increased by 116%, and medical officials are also seeing the spread of norovirus across the United States. Norovirus causes predominantly nausea, vomiting, and some diarrhea; it is also highly contagious. Flu can be more serious with body aches, fever, cough, and other respiratory problems.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says that bird flu may have been found in waterfowl in Auglaize and Mercer counties. They collected many dead wild birds to be tested for highly pathogenic avian flu, and they say that the virus is presumed to be found in eleven counties, including Auglaize and Mercer Counties. Canada geese, trumpeter swans, and mallards have been tested in the last few weeks.

This is the first confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu at a commercial facility in Ohio in 2024.

Many of us know it can be easy to overindulge at holiday parties, especially when you’re catching up with family and friends, eating all kinds of delicious food, and the alcohol may be flowing freely too. However, as Deborah Plate, DO, family medicine physician with Cleveland Clinic explains, it’s best to keep moderation in mind.

While being allergic to pine trees is relatively uncommon, doctors say it’s possible for them to carry allergens like dust and mold.

Suicide remains a public health concern, as an estimated 703,000 people die by it each year worldwide. Researchers found that brief cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce suicide attempts by as much as 60%, and those sessions were in person. 

Today is the “Great American Smokeout.” The initiative is held every year to encourage people to quit smoking. But it’s not just smoking that’s a concern; so is vaping. A recent study shows those who vape are 19% more likely to develop heart failure than those who have never done it before. “The study was looking at, with this new trend of vaping, does it actually affect the heart in such a way that it causes the heart to fail? Heart failure is an extremely dangerous condition and very prominent. So anytime that we can look for causes that are reversible, we want to look for them,” stated Dr. Nina Thakkar Rivera, Cleveland Clinic.

November 20, 2024, Press Release from Mercer Health: Mercer Health will be offering Preventative Healthcare 101, a free community education series developed to empower the community to live a healthier life. The first session will be held on Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00pm at Mercer County Community Hospital, 800 W. Main St., Coldwater, and will feature Dr. Wilfred Ellis and Michelle Ashman, CNP, with Mercer Health’s Disease Management Center. They will provide tips on how to prevent infectious diseases and lower extremity complications from conditions such as diabetes and chronic wounds.

November 20, 2024, Press Release from the Alzheimer’s Association: TOLEDO, OH, Nov. 20, 2024—The Alzheimer’s Association has scheduled a free, virtual program, “Strategies for Surviving the Holidays” on Tues., Dec. 3 at 12:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration is recommended. To register, call the Alzheimer's Association's 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900. Free educational programs and support groups are offered monthly throughout Northwest Ohio. Visit www.alz.org/crf and search by zip code to find scheduled local programs.

It’s cold and flu season, and most of us will encounter a virus at some point. So, how does our immune system work to keep us healthy? According to Michaela Gack, PhD, Scientific Director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Research and Innovation Center, once we fight off a virus, our immune system does its best to protect us from a second infection. “Whenever we have a second infection, these antibodies can be produced and thereby protect us but there are some limitations,” said Dr. Gack. “It only works if it’s the same virus or very similar virus.”