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Occupational Exposure to HIV
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. How can HIV be transmitted? Blood, semen, vaginal secretions, vomitus, breast milk or pus from a person who is infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) may contain HIV and may cause infection….
Occupational Exposure to Lead
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. How might I be exposed to lead? Lead can get into your body in two ways: inhalation (breathing it in) and ingestion (eating it). You might breathe in lead dust or lead…
Occupational Respiratory Disease
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Who is at risk for work-related lung disease? You may be at risk for work-related lung disease if the air you breathe at work contains an excessive amount of dust, fumes, smoke,…
Online Pharmacies
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Is it safe to buy medicines online? It can be safe to buy your medicines online, but you need to be very careful. Many people use the Internet to compare prices and…
Opioid Addiction
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What are opioids? Opioids (say: “oh-pee-oyds”) are a type of medicine often used to help relieve pain. They work by lowering the number of pain signals your body sends to your…
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Get emergency care if you or a loved one has serious thoughts of suicide or harming others. OVERVIEW What is oppositional defiant disorder? Oppositional defiant (say: ah-puh-zish-uh-null dee-fie-ant) disorder, or ODD, is…
Organic Foods – What You Need to Know
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. What does “organic” mean? The term “organic” is officially defined and controlled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). This means that in order to carry the organic label on the packaging,…
Osteoarthritis
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is arthritis? Arthritis is inflammation (swelling) of the joints. It causes pain and usually also limits movement of the joints that are affected. There are many kinds of arthritis. What…
Osteoarthritis – Treating Osteoarthritis Of The Knee
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. How is osteoarthritis of the knee treated? Your healthcare provider will recommend therapies to help relieve your pain. Your healthcare provider may tell you to: Rest your knee or avoid activities that…
Osteoarthritis – Treating Osteoarthritis Of The Shoulder
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. What are the symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis? Symptoms may include: Pain while moving the shoulder or after physical activity, or pain that worsens with changes in the weather Tenderness when pressure is…
Osteopenia
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. What is osteopenia? As you age, the inside of your bones become porous from a loss of calcium. This is called losing bone mass. Total bone mass tends to peak around age…
Osteoporosis
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis (say: “ost-tee-oh-pore-oh-siss”) is a disease of the bones. It happens when you lose too much bone, when your body doesn’t make enough bone, or both. This is…
Osteosarcoma
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is osteosarcoma? Osteosarcoma is a kind of bone cancer that most often affects children and teenagers. It usually begins in a leg bone (either the femur or the tibia) near…
OTC Cough and Cold Medicines and My Child
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are medicines you can buy for your child without a prescription from your health care provider. OTC cough and cold medicines can help relieve common cold symptoms such as…
OTC Medicines and Pregnancy
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. What should women who are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding know about OTC medicines? Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are medicines that you can buy without a prescription from your…