Health & Medicine

For those of you suffering from runny, itchy noses and watery eyes in the Willamette Valley, relief is coming...though probably not soon enough. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, allergy season is underway in one of the worst spots in the world.

The Oregon Health Authority says the rate of non-medical vaccine exemptions for kindergarteners has increased sharply this year.

As the Trump administration continues efforts to rein in immigration, the state of Oregon is trying harder to recruit a certain kind of immigrant to help with a wide-spread shortage.  State and local health officials are hoping to add to Oregon's relatively large number of foreign-born doctors.

As of Tuesday, May 22, 2018, there are 91 confirmed cases of whooping cough across five school districts in Lane County. In an effort to quell the outbreak, Public Health departments have ordered un-immunized and sick students to be excluded from school.

Lane county is designated a “high burden” area for overdose, hospitalization and risky prescribing of opioids. Each quarter, there are an average of nine overdose deaths, countywide. Leading experts on opiates and opiate misuse will offer Ted Talk style presentations at the Eugene Public Library tomorrow (Thursday) night.

The number of whooping cough cases continues to rise in Lane County. Now 59 people have been sickened with the highly contagious disease.  Public health officials are ramping up outreach efforts to get more people-- particularly adults-- vaccinated.

Public health officials are concerned about an outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough, at Sheldon High School in Eugene.

Lane County’s efforts-- to improve the overall health of its residents-- are paying off.  And community organizations plan to invest more in this initiative that came out of Obamacare.

PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center is poised to break ground on a new guest house. It will offer lodging to those with loved ones in hospital.

An annual report shows Lane County has one of the higher rates of sexually-transmitted infections (STI)  in Oregon, and the nation. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

Residents in Benton County are the healthiest in the state. That’s according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations’ County Health Rankings report.

Oregon state health officials are urging people to stop using the herbal supplement, kratom. Several test samples have been found to contain the salmonella bacteria. Two people fell ill in Oregon and now those cases are linked to a national outbreak.

In Lane County, opioid overdose kills more people than car accidents. It’s a crisis public health officials have seen coming. Now, a countywide effort to reduce narcotic prescribing is having dramatic results—cutting opioid use by 40%. It comes down to tapering dosage and offering patients alternative treatments for chronic pain.

Beginning this week, free walk-in counseling and referral services are being offered at the Eugene Public Library, downtown. It’s part of a one-year project between the library and the White Bird Clinic.  KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

Already this year, there’s been five youth suicides in Lane County. That’s prompted officials to activate what’s known as “incident command structure”. KLCC’s Brian Bull explains.

Following an outbreak of the deadly Meningococcal B disease, Oregon State University instituted a vaccination requirement policy. Students who do not comply will not be allowed to enroll in classes next term. And that’s not all.

After a sixth student in Corvallis contracted Meningococcal disease, Oregon State University established a vaccination requirement for all students under 26. As KLCC’s Tiffany Eckert reports, the deadline is this Thursday.

So…how are those New Year’s resolutions coming along so far? Two of the most common ones people list are eating healthier, and saving money. But as you may have found out at the checkout lane, these goals can often conflict, given the varying cost of fruit, vegetables, and meat.

If you’re wondering how Oregon’s restaurants rate for cleanliness, or if the hotel you’re considering staying at is pest-free, there’s a new online tool to help with that. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

There is another confirmed case of meningococcal disease in Corvallis. This time it’s a middle school student. Health officials say the bacterial infection is rare to occur in young kids. KLCC’s Tiffany Eckert reports.

Health officials know that the influenza virus spreads from Southern to Northern Hemisphere. That puts Oregon pretty late in the game and means the flu season here doesn’t end until May. KLCC’s Tiffany Eckert sits down with Lane County Public Health nurse Cindy Morgan, to talk cold and flu symptoms, possible immunity and flu shot effectiveness.

The founders of a non-profit horse rescue organization near Eugene recently sent a plea to the public for help. They say they will be forced to close their stable doors without donor support for abandoned, abused and neglected horses.

With overnight temperatures forecast in the 20s tonight, the Egan Warming Centers will open  to offer a warm place for people who are homeless in Eugene and Springfield.