Glaucoma often not detected until severe Today and tomorrow, people can get free glaucoma screenings. (See Health Notes below.) According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, as many as 4 million Americans have glaucoma, but only half know it. High-risk groups, according to the National Eye Institute, include African-Americans over 40; everyone over 60, especially Mexican-Americans; and people with a family history of glaucoma.

Q:I was in the military in 1976 when we were required to get a swine-flu vaccine. But now I hear that there is a new swine-flu vaccine. If I was vaccinated back then, am I protected from the current swine flu? Answer: The strain of swine flu that was circulating in 1976 is different from the swine-flu virus circulatingnow, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Controland Prevention.

Q:Why aren’t people 65 and over on the priority list for swine-flu vaccine? TAMMIE
SMITH
It seems to me an aspect of the rationing that’s talked about in health-care reform. Answer: The H1N1 swine flu is unusual in that it seems to be making younger people sick more often, unlike regular seasonal flu, which strikes the very young and older people more often.

Unmarried childbearing and health-care costs Q:You recently wrote about health-care inequities. Why didn’t you include, for instance, that the reason people in the Richmond area don’t have money to pay for health care is the (high) illegitimacy rate. The fathers aren’t around. They could be buying health insurance for the babies they father.

Child-care providers given flu strategies Q:With the heightened flu threat this season, how can I be sure my child’s day-care provider is doing what’s recommended to reduce the spread of illness? Answer: Advice about washing hands frequently or to sneeze into a sleeve might work for older children. But to expect younger children who have what officials call “emerging self-care skills” to keep their hands clean, out of their mouths and away from their eyes may be a stretch.

Local health centers offer dental care, too Q:I live in Cumberland County. I fell and broke two teeth. The pain has been keeping me up at night. I don’t have a lot of resources, and I can’t drive to Richmond. Answer: A broken tooth is a dental emergency. The American Dental Asso ciation recommends that in thecase of a broken tooth you rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area, use cold compresses on the area to keep any swelling down, and call a dentist immediately.

Health-care providers have preregistered more than 1,000 sites with the Virginia Health Department that could serve as locations for providing swine-flu shots. “I was expecting to get a large number. I didn’t expect it to hit this quickly,“ said James Farrell, director of the Health Department’s immunization division. Preregistration began Aug. 11 and continues. Health-care providers are able to fill out a form online indicating interest in providing an H1N1 vaccination site.

Yes, tanning-bed use is really dangerous Q:Does tanning bed use really raise the risk of skin cancer enough to have it classified as a carcinogen? Answer: The short answer: yes. This week the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, added ultraviolet radiation-emitting tanning devices to a list of known cancer-causing agents.

Medications may up risk of falls for older adults Q:My 76-year-old mother has had a couple of falls recently. I am concerned that it’s because of all the medications she is taking. How do I find out if any of the drugs are to blame? Answer: About a third of adults age 65 and older suffer a fall every year, according to federal health data.

Q: I was about to make a hotel reservation when I went online to read travel reviews. One person who had stayed at the hotel referred to the place as a “bedbug castle.“ Is there any way to know ahead of time if bedbugs are a problem at a facility? Answer: Bedbugs are becoming such a problem that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in April held a bedbug summit in Washington.

Virginia will get $8.8 million in federal money to ramp up the public health and hospital systems to respond to pandemic flu. The dollars include $6.5 million for public-health preparedness and $2.26 million for hospital preparedness. The money is part of $350 million the U.S. Office of Health and Human Services is making available to states to deal with the H1N1 swine-flu virus that is causing a flu outbreak.

Virginia Commonwealth University’s new Parkinson’s initiative will be led by a veteran researcher who believes no single thing triggers the disease that causes debilitating, gradually worsening tremors. While much of Dr. James P. Bennett Jr.‘s research focuses on the role of the energy-producing components of cells called mitochondria, those working with him are pursuing a range of theories and possible treatments—even a type of low-level light therapy studied so far in cells in laboratory dishes.

One of every 84 people in Petersburg has HIV or AIDS. In Richmond, that number is one of every 91 people, and in Norfolk, it’s one of every 102 people. (The statewide rate is one in every 370 people.) These three urban areas are among the nation’s HIV and AIDS “hot spots,“ according to a group that yesterday launched a Web site that let users geographically map areas where the HIV and AIDS burden is high.

Balance billing can leave you with medical charges Q:I went to a local hospital emergency room where I was treated for pneumonia and admitted for one night. In all, the bill was more than $6,000. The ER doctor’s bill was $650. My insurance paid $468, and the doctor sent a bill for the remaining $182. When I called to complain, Iwas told the doctor didn’t accept my insurance. My insurance company first told me they paid him in full so I didn’t have to pay. They later backtracked and said because it was an emergency situation, they paid him as an in-network doctor even though he is not, but the doctor is able to charge me the difference.

Private medical offices not obligated to see you Q:My son’s appointment with a dermatologist’s office was canceled because his Medicaid insurance changed and the office did not accept the new insurance. I made the appointment for my son last November, and was told the April appointment was canceled the day before. Not wanting to wait any longer, I asked if I could self-pay, paying a portion of the $100-$150 estimated cost and be billed for the rest. I was told “No.“ I thought it was against the law to refuse to see a patient because of inability to pay or not having the proper insurance.