With the weather getting warmer, many of us are thinking of hiking and doing other outdoor activities. If you are planning a trip through one of our national parks, why not take advantage of the “Free Days?”

They are:

• January 19
  Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• February 14-16
  Presidents Day weekend

• April 18-19
  opening weekend of National Park Week
• August 25
  National Park Service Birthday
• September 26
  National Public Lands Day
• November 11
  Veterans Day

Only 127 of our country’s 407 national parks usually charge an entrance fee. So start planning your visit!

If you’re planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, you might consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other Federal lands-more than 2,000 in all.

The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active duty military members and their dependents. Information on these and other pass options is available online.

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees to the parks. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Source: U.S. National Park Service

The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that antibiotics resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide.

According to the FDA, when a person is infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, not only is treatment of that patient more difficult, but the antibiotic-resistant bacterium may spread to other people.

For many years we have relied on antibiotics to keep us healthy, sometimes to the point of insisting that we have an antibiotic even when our doctor tell us it is not warranted.

The FDA describes antibiotics as drugs used for treating infections caused by bacteria. Misuse and overuse of these drugs, however, have contributed to a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance.

This resistance develops when potentially harmful bacteria change in a way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of antibiotics.

When antibiotics don’t work, the result can be:

• longer illnesses
• more complicated illnesses
• more doctor visits
• the use of stronger and more expensive drugs
• more deaths caused by bacterial infections

Examples of the types of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics include the species that cause skin infections, meningitis, sexually transmitted diseases and respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia.

In cooperation with other government agencies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched several initiatives to address antibiotic resistance.

The agency has issued drug labeling regulations, emphasizing the prudent use of antibiotics. The regulations encourage health care professionals to prescribe antibiotics only when clinically necessary, and to counsel patients about the proper use of such drugs and the importance of taking them as directed. FDA has also encouraged the development of new drugs, vaccines, and improved tests for infectious diseases.

Antibiotics Fight Bacteria, Not Viruses

Antibiotics are meant to be used against bacterial infections. For example, they are used to treat strep throat, which is caused by streptococcal bacteria, and skin infections caused by staphylococcal bacteria.

Although antibiotics kill bacteria, they are not effective against viruses. Therefore, they will not be effective against viral infections such as colds, most coughs, many types of sore throat, and influenza (flu).

Using antibiotics against viral infections

• will not cure the infection
• will not keep other individuals from catching the virus
• will not help a person feel better
• may cause unnecessary, harmful side effects
• may contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

So how do you know if you have a bad cold or a bacterial infection?

Joseph Toerner, M.D., MPH, a medical officer in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, says that the symptoms of a cold or flu generally lessen over the course of a week. But if you have a fever and other symptoms that persist and worsen with the passage of days, you may have a bacterial infection and should consult your health care provider.

Follow Directions for Proper Use

When you are prescribed an antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection, it’s important to take the medication exactly as directed. Here are more tips to promote proper use of antibiotics.

• Complete the full course of the drug. It’s important to take all of the medication, even if you are feeling better. If treatment stops too soon, the drug may not kill all the bacteria. You may become sick again, and the remaining bacteria may become resistant to the antibiotic that you’ve taken.
• Do not skip doses. Antibiotics are most effective when they are taken regularly.
• Do not save antibiotics. You might think that you can save an antibiotic for the next time you get sick, but an antibiotic is meant for your particular infection at the time. Never take leftover medicine. Taking the wrong medicine can delay getting the appropriate treatment and may allow your condition to worsen.
• Do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. These may not be appropriate for your illness, may delay correct treatment, and may allow your condition to worsen.
• Talk with your health care professional. Ask questions, especially if you are uncertain about when an antibiotic is appropriate or how to take it.

It’s important that you let your health care professional know of any troublesome side effects. Consumers and health care professionals can also report adverse events to FDA’s MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at MedWatch.

More and more people are going abroad for medical care.

Before you or a loved one, make this choice, please read what the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has to say on the subject.

“Medical tourism” refers to traveling to another country for medical care. It’s estimated that up to 750,000 US residents travel abroad for care each year. Many people who travel for care do so because treatment is much cheaper in another country. In addition, a large number of medical tourists are immigrants to the United States returning to their home country for care. The most common procedures that people undergo on medical tourism trips include cosmetic surgery, dentistry, and heart surgery.

Risks of Medical Tourism

The specific risks of medical tourism depend on the area being visited and the procedures performed, but some general issues have been identified:

• Communication may be a problem. Receiving care at a facility where you do not speak the language fluently increases the chance that misunderstandings will arise about the care.
• Doctors may reuse needles between patients or have other unsafe injection practices, which can transmit diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.
• Medication may be counterfeit or of poor quality in some countries.
• Antibiotic resistance is a global problem, and resistant bacteria may be more common in other countries than in the United States.
• The blood supply in some countries comes primarily from paid donors and may not be screened, which puts patients at risk of HIV and other infections spread through blood.
• Flying after surgery increases the risk for blood clots.

What You Can Do

• If you are planning to travel to another country for medical care, see a travel medicine practitioner at least 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss general information for healthy travel and specific risks related to the procedure and travel before and after the procedure.

• Check for the qualifications of the health care providers who will be doing the procedure and the credentials of the facility where the procedure will be done.
• Make sure that you have a written agreement with the health care facility or the group arranging the trip, defining what treatments, supplies, and care are covered by the costs of the trip.
• Determine what legal actions you can take if anything goes wrong with the procedure.
• If you go to a country where you do not speak the language, determine ahead of time how you will communicate with your doctor and other people who are caring for you.
• Obtain copies of your medical records, which should describe any allergies you may have.
• Prepare copies of all your prescriptions and a list of all the medicines you take, including their brand names, their generic names, manufacturers, and dosages.
• Arrange for follow-up care with your local health care provider before you leave.
• Before planning “vacation” activities, such as sunbathing, drinking alcohol, swimming, or taking long tours, find out if those activities are permitted after surgery.
• Get copies of all your medical records before you return home.

Guidance from Professional Organizations

• Organization for Safety, Asepsis, & Prevention’s Travelers Guide to Safe Dental Care
• The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Guidelines for Travelers
• CDC Yellow Book 2014 information on Medical Tourism

It seems that the nightly news carries coverage of at least one home fire a week during the winter months.

It may be a good time to share this fire safety message from the US Fire Safety Administration with your family members.

Bedroom Fires

Each year, fire claims the lives of 3,400 Americans and injures approximately 17,500. Bedrooms are a common area of fire origin. Nearly 600 lives are lost to fires that start in bedrooms.

Many of these fires are caused by misuse or poor maintenance of electrical devices, such as overloading extension cords or using portable space heaters too close to combustibles. Many other bedroom fires are caused by children who play with matches and lighters, careless smoking among adults, and arson.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the Sleep Products Safety Council (SPSC) would like you to know that there are simple steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from bedroom fires.

Kids and Fire: A Bad Match

Children are one of the highest risk groups for deaths in residential fires. At home, children usually play with fire – lighters, matches and other ignitables – in bedrooms, in closets, and under beds. These are “secret” places where there are a lot of things that catch fire easily.

• Children of all ages set over 35,000 fires annually.
• Every year over 400 children nine years and younger die in home fires.
• Keep matches and lighters locked up and away from children. Check under beds and in closets for burnt matches, evidence your child may be playing with matches.
• Teach your child that fire is a tool, not a toy.

Appliances Need Special Attention

Bedrooms are the most common room in the home where electrical fires start. Electrical fires are a special concern during winter months which call for more indoor activities and increases in lighting, heating, and appliance use.

• Do not trap electric cords against walls where heat can build up.
• Take extra care when using portable heaters. Keep bedding, clothes, curtains and other combustible items at least three feet away from space heaters.
• Only use lab-approved electric blankets and warmers. Check to make sure the cords are not frayed.

Tuck Yourself In For A Safe Sleep

• Never smoke in bed.
• Replace mattresses made before the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard. Mattresses made since then are required by law to be safer.

Finally, having working smoke alarms dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. Place at least one smoke alarm on each level of your home and in halls outside bedrooms. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.