Military Officer - June 2008 - (Page 52)

askthedoctor What’s the Buzz? Can you guess what common experience is a leading cause of death worldwide? (Hint: It’s not a cause of cancer or heart disease.) By Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, D.O. T The Itch Isn’t the Worst Part I Although mosquitoes in the U.S. rarely carry malaria, other illnesses spread by mosquitoes are becoming more prevalent. Take action to reduce mosquito numbers and protect yourself. he answer is a mosquito bite. In many parts of the world, mosquitoes carry malaria parasites. Malaria causes about 1 million deaths worldwide each year. In tropical areas, mosquitoes also can transmit at least 35 other diseases, including yellow fever, Rift Valley fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis. These diseases are not common threats in the U.S., but other infections spread by mosquito bites are becoming more common in people and animals here, such as West Nile virus and many types of encephalitis, including Eastern and Western equine encephalitides. Prevention is the most effective approach to combat mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases. Try to limit the mosquito population. Check your yard and garden for small pools of water that might become breeding grounds, and remove them. Turn wheelbarrows upside down. Change the water in birdbaths regularly. If you have a decorative pond or water element in your yard that has standing water, add speciﬁc chemicals to prevent mosquito larvae growth. Many people spray airborne insecticides to reduce the mosquito presence outdoors. But these insecticides also kill butterﬂies, walking sticks, ladybugs, and other helpful insects and can do more harm than good. Consider using yellow lights and electric “insect zappers” that attract and kill insects. These can cut down on mosquitos outdoors but are less likely to have lasting effects on helpful insects. Next, make it harder for mosquitoes to get to you. Consider limiting outdoor entertainment to daylight hours — perhaps moving indoors for dessert and coffee when the sun sets and mosquitoes come out. Install screens on windows and doors. If you have a roofed patio area, consider making it a screened porch. A less expensive alternative is to install an outdoor ceiling fan. The resulting breeze will shoo away mosquitoes, ﬂies, and other ﬂying insects. If you must go outside when mosquitoes are prevalent, wear protective clothing, such as long pants with socks and shoes and long-sleeve shirts. Some hats have back ﬂaps to protect your neck, while others have mosquito netting on the front. (This protective clothing also can reduce your exposure to ticks and irritating plants such as poison ivy.) If you camp in mosquitoinfested areas, sleep under a mosquito net. Insect repellents also can be effective mosquito deterrents. Most experts recommend products containing N,N-diethylmeta-toluamide (DEET). Read directions carefully, and be especially cautious about using repellents on children and on adults who are seriously ill. When traveling to tropical countries, ask your doctor about precautions such as yellow fever vaccine or pills to prevent malaria. MO — Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, USPHS-Ret., D.O., M.A., is vice president, Health Sciences, Battelle Memorial Institute, Arlington, Va. Find more health and wellness resources at www .moaa.org/wellness. For submission information, see page 20. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT 52 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2008 http://www.moaa.org/wellness http://www.moaa.org/wellness

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - June 2008

Military Officer - June 2008 Contents MOAA Online From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire MOAA Member Services Washington Scene Chapters in Action Financial Forum Ask the Doctor MOAA Scholarship Donors Cover Story: Mission to Modernize World War Web Playing to Win Fitness in Numbers Fighting Infection Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - June 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.