Hearing Loss and Veterans

05th Nov 2014 Hearing, Medical News

One of the most common injuries to war veterans is hearing damage. 60% of soldiers returning from warzones experience some version of hearing damage – either hearing loss, tinnitus, or both. This accounts for around 414,000 US veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan to date. Most people are concerned with loss of limbs, post-traumatic stress disorder, and brain injuries while less attention is brought to hearing loss. Despite its prevalence, hearing damage is often overlooked since it is generally does not cause loss of life.

The two main reasons for hearing damage from war are short-term exposure from high-intensity noise and long-term exposure to loud ambient noise. This can involve everything from loud trucks and helicopters to machine guns, artillery fire, and blasts from explosives. The prevalence and intensity of damaging wartime noises has increased over time, particularly with the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which has resulted in more hearing damage for soldiers than in the past. Hearing protection is provided by the military, but many soldiers will forgo using it in order to listen carefully for signs of danger. In addition – if soldiers find themselves in a combat situation suddenly, there is no time or good way for them to grab hearing protection.

One of the problems with diagnosing hearing loss is that many veterans don’t seek medical attention when they first start to notice problems. Military culture can be partially to blame since hearing loss is so prevalent. Hearing loss has often been seen as a necessary evil or even an honorable sign that a soldier has seen action. However, this delay in treatment is not unique to veterans. Many individuals try to live with their hearing loss, despite the fact that damage to hearing cannot be reversed. On average it takes 7 years for someone to talk to a doctor after they first start noticing changes in their hearing.

Hearing loss is costly for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with around $2 billion in benefits dispersed annually. The VA purchases one in every five hearing aids sold in the United States and 25-30% of all VA disability claims involve hearing. There is a push to get more funding for research in hopes that they can achieve the same innovations that the prosthetic limb field has seen. All veterans are encouraged to have their hearing evaluated upon discharge and medical attention should be sought as soon as hearing loss is noticed.

Saint Louis Encephalitis

31st Oct 2014 Diseases, Medical News, Viruses

Over the summer there have been mentions of Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) in regards to Pinellas County. This virus is a flavivirus – a group that includes West Nile – and has the potential to cause severe illness or death in older adults. The name of this disease comes from a particularly extensive outbreak that occurred in St. Louis, Missouri and the surrounding St. Louis County in 1933. Due to the high number of cases NIH was able to investigate and isolate this previously unknown virus. It is thought to have originated in northern Mexico and have been carried north by birds. Pinellas County Mosquito Control uses sentinel chickens to monitor for Saint Louis encephalitis and other arboviruses, since birds are usually the source of infection for mosquitos. Blood is drawn from the chickens weekly and tested for antibodies to the viruses of concern. Fortunately for the chickens they do not develop any symptoms, although once they test positive they have to be removed from the program since they will always carry the antibodies. Sentinel chickens from Pinellas County have tested positive for Saint Louis encephalitis in late July as well as August and into September. Regions with confirmed SLEV include Cross Bayou, Walsingham Park, Sawgrass Lake Park, and Lake Maggiore. While it is more common during hot and humid months, Saint Louis encephalitis can occur year round. Most individuals that are infected have no symptoms, but in rare cases it can manifest with such signs as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Severe infections can result in high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, confusion, tremors, coma, and sometimes convulsion, spastic paralysis, and death. Older adults are at a greater risk for fatal disease. Since there is no cure for Saint Louis encephalitis the only treatment available is supportive care. If you or anyone you know shows symptoms of this disease be sure to talk to your health care provider for proper diagnosis. Since this virus is spread by mosquitos you should take the appropriate precautions. Wear insect repellent and protective clothing and be sure to avoid areas with high mosquito populations. Drain standing water, change pets’ water dishes and birdbaths regularly, and maintain your pool’s water balance to prevent mosquitos from breeding. If you use rain barrels be sure to cover them with fine mesh. Ornamental ponds can be stocked with fish that eat the mosquito larvae and any ornamental bromeliads should be flushed with fresh water regularly and treated with a larvicide. Mosquito Control field technicians can respond to concerns by use of the Mosquito Control Request form found on the Pinellas County website. http://www.pinellascounty.org/forms/mosquito_form.htm

Beware of Poisonous Caterpillar in Florida

25th Sep 2014 Diseases, Medical News

Recently there have been countless news stories about a spectacular caterpillar – the puss caterpillar. Children from Florida to Virginia have been stung and the excruciating pain has been landing them in the hospital. Some of these children had actively sought out to pet the caterpillar due to its “cute” fuzzy appearance. In fact, the caterpillar gets its name due to the fact that it resembles a “fluffy house cat” or even a “tiny Persian cat.” Other children came into contact when the insect fell from a tree and landed on them.

These caterpillars are generally an inch long at the largest and are covered in a thick coat of fur that can range from greyish-white to orangey-brown to charcoal. In addition to the fur their body tapers at the end, which can give it the appearance of having a tail. The fluffy hairs that cover the puss caterpillar hide a series of tiny, venomous spines that can stick in your skin.

The feeling is said to be similar to a bee sting, except worse, and immediately starts increasing to the point where it can even “make your bones hurt.” The degree of pain depends on where you’re stung, but it has been reported to take as many as 12 hours to begin to subside. On top of the intense pain, contact with the caterpillar’s bristles can cause fever, vomiting, convulsions, rashes, swelling, abdominal distress, blisters, and even chest pain, numbness, and difficulty breathing. However, each individual reacts to a different extent – some require medical treatment and other report only a mild itching or burning.

It may seem like more and more people are being stung recently, which is partly true. Like many other insect species, the puss caterpillar populations go through a “boom-and-bust” cycle. This means that the population can increase or decrease quite dramatically as environmental conditions change. Right now these conditions appear to be ideal for the caterpillars so the population has been on the rise.

The Poison Center of Tampa recommends that you use cellophane tape over the affected area and remove repeatedly to strip the spines from your skin. In addition, you can apply ice packs to reduce the stinging sensation and follow it up with applying a paste made of baking soda and water. Oral antihistamines, calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream, and juice from the stems of comfrey plants can also be used to treat symptoms. It is recommended to watch for the caterpillars around trees like oak, elm, and citrus. They even tend to be found around common garden plants like rose bushes or ivy. Additionally, teach children what they look like and why they need to avoid touching them since the puss caterpillar’s fluff-ball appearance can be quite appealing.