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The O akville Beaver W ee ke nd , Saturday January 7, 2006 - 27 Planning a vacation? Get health advice This is the time of year when people frequently start thinking about planning a winter vacation. Thoughts often begin to focus on warm and sunny climates, sandy beaches and the freedom from winter coats, mittens and hats. Travelling can bring the excite^ ment of exploring a new culture and environment. However, you should be aware that conditions in other countries may be signifi cantly different from those in Canada. With travel to many foreign countries, including those to the sunny Caribbean waters, there can be a variety of health risks associ ated with food, water and even insects. All travellers are advised to investigate and obtain health counselling to ensure that they are well prepared from a health per spective for their particular jour ney. The field of travel health has grown dramatically as greater numbers of people travel to exotic and remote locations. Approximately 600 million peo ple cross international borders annually, however, only eight per cent seek pre-travel health advice. Travel health advice focuses on providing a person with informa tion about safe food and water consumption, and prevention methods for certain illnesses which can include immunizations and medications recommended or required for travel. The Halton Region Health Department offers a comprehen sive travel health consultation and immunization program to ensure that a person is informed of health risks associated with travel. The program also provides counselling and immunizations to reduce and prevent the likelihood of becom ing ill while away and to have a safe return home. A thorough health history is taken and focuses on the person's health, current medications, previous immuniza tions, itinerary and travel charac teristics for the upcoming trip. Based on the assessment, addi tional immunizations and medica tions may be recommended. It is recommended that anyone planning to travel internationally book an appointment at a travel health clinic so that the appoint ment falls at least eight weeks before travel. This is_to ensure that there is adequate time to receive vaccines and start any recom mended medications. Travel health is not covered through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) and therefore fees are asso- Dr. Simon Pong aoMW Si ciated with this service. Some general advice for trav ellers includes: · Ensure that your routine immunizations (diphtheria, per tussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella) are up to date. Immunizations to prevent hepatitis A and typhoid are often recommended for travellers where --sanitary conditions are poor. · If you are travelling to an area where malaria is present, be sure to take your antimalarial medica tion regularly and apply mosquito repellent containing 20-30 per cent DEET to exposed skin. · Use a condom to prevent sex ually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis B and AIDS. · When travelling to warmer locations, use sun block regularly and re-apply after swimming. Health Notes is prepared by · To help prevent travellers' diarrhea, drink purified water or staff of the Halton Region Health commercially bottled beverages. Department Remember, contaminated water makes contaminated ice and can still cause illness. · Do not eat uncooked fish or shellfish as it may have come from contaminated waters. · Avoid unpasteurized milk and milk products. · Avoid eating salads as they may have been washed with con taminated water. Only eat fruit that has been well washed and peeled. . · For more information about travel health,, visit Health Canada at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/ and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/travel/. Planning ahead, and recogniz ing that travel to other countries may affect your health, can make all the difference between an enjoyable time away and an unpleasant experience. For appointments and infor mation about travel health servic es, please contact the Halton Region Health Department at 905825-6000, toll free 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866), TTY 905827-9833, or visit our website at www.region.halton.on.ca/health. F a m ily & 187 Cross Avenue, U nit 6 Oakville 905.844.6221 Dr. Simon Pong and his friendly and professional staff take pride in th e art o f dentistry. From cosmetic dentistry find orthodontics to im plants o ur general dental practice is com m itted to your co m fo rt and care. are Crowns needed? Crowns are recomA mended when teeth r l are severely damag ed by tooth decay or fracture, In these cases a filling cannot repair the tooth to proper form and function. Teeth with substan tial loss of tooth structure .where there is more filling than tooth are prone to fracture. In some cases the fracture is so severe that the tooth has to be removed and replaced by an implant or a bridge. Crowns are also rec ommended when root canals have been performed. Crowns are m ade of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or cast metal. Most ; crowns placed today are tooth colored which are porcelain of porcelain fused to metal. The crown covers the prepared tooth providing a strong, durable and esthetic i restoration. The placement of a § crown requires two appoint ments. The first is the preparation and impression of tooth. The impression is sent to a dental laboratory where a crown is custom made to your tooth. The crown is § usually permanently the second S Continued from page 26 Funding significant boost their condition," notes John Oliver, President and CEO of Halton Healthcare. "This additional funding is a significant boost to the Halton Diabetes Program staff who have been chal lenged to meet the commu nity's needs with limited funding. "It's a tribute to their endless efforts, their dedica tion and the quality of their program," he concluded. "By understanding their disease, their medications and how their eating habits and physical activity impact their condition, people with diabetes become better decision makers on the road to achieving a healthier lifestyle." "The Halton Diabetes Program plays an important role in helping adults with diabetes learn to live with Canadi an Therapeutic Are You a Doctor With a Busy Life? W e 'll h e l p y o u m a k e y o u r p r a c tic e p e rfe c t. MCI will h elp you balance your p ra c tic e an d family life. If you live near Oakville and want to work close to home, The Doctor's Office has space available for you. C all M a rg a re t G illies a t 4 1 6 -4 4 0 -4 0 4 0 ext. 433 College + Intra Oral Level II . v [on C arE C A L L T H IS P R O F E S S IO N A L G A L L & A S S O C IA TE S O P T O M E T R IS T S · Evening & Saturday Appointm ents · W heelchair Access · N ew Patients W elcome . "Our goal is clear comfortable vision." call for entrance testing dates Inform ation H our T uesday January 10th at 7:00pm · Comprehensive Eye Exams · Laser Vision Care · C ontact Lenses & Glasses w w w .cdntc.ca C anadian Thera pe utic C ollege 760 Brant Street, Burlington ON L7R 4B7 247 North Service Road West, Suite #203 West of Dorval Drive ALL CLASSES info@ cdntc.ca Leaders in Health C are Education 905 .632.3200 1 .8 7 7 .2 7 8 .8 8 8 8 905 338-2020 Dr. Ronald Gall A T D O R V A L D R IV E