Health officials in Nassau County announced Thursday that more people who attended services at a Long Island, N.Y. church could have been exposed to hepatitis a.

Worshipers who received Holy Communion at Our Lady of Lourdes Church at the 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Mass on Dec. 26 were urged to seek treatment, authorities said in a statement.

The warning came three days after parishioners who received communion on Dec. 25 at the same church were advised to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Just sitting in the church during Mass would not put churchgoers at risk, officials said.

The symptoms usually appear within 28 days of exposure, with a range of 15 to 50 days, Nassau health officials said.

Once symptoms appear, no medication can be used to treat a patient and bed rest is usually all that is advised.

The health department, citing privacy concerns, have declined to identify the original person who was infected with hepatitis a.

Meanwhile, the scare has caused church officials across the region to examine health and hygiene issues, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Basics like using hand sanitizer and refraining from shaking your neighbors’ hand or sipping from the communion cup if you are sick are being reinforced.

At St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church in Clark, N.J., parishioners no longer handle the communion wafers that they once transferred from one bowl to another at the start of mass.

Instead, parishioners use a very untraditional looking contraption known as a communion host dispenser. They pull a trigger and wafers are deposited into a bowl for consecration.

“There was a big concern about germs on the hands getting on stuff so we use the dispenser instead,” said the Rev. Dennis Cohan.

“I’m satisfied with this,” he said. “Rather than having people have consternation, it gives people peace.”

Hepatitis a is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is usually a “self-limiting disease,” which does not become a chronic infection or chronic liver disease, according to the CDC’s website.

Dear Annie: I have been married for 16 years. I was recently diagnosed with trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection. My doctor saidif I have been faithful to my husband, then he must have cheated on me. when I confronted my husband, he denied it. I had symptoms, but some women can have trichomoniasis for decades and not know it.

My husband’s business has been struggling financially, and this has taken a toll on us. It is not out of the realm of possibility he might have cheated on me. but he continues to deny it, even after I told him although I believe he did cheat, I still am committed to our marriage.

Annie, do most doctors believe their patients with this STD have cheating spouses? is it possible I carried this infection for 21 years, since my previous marriage, and am only now showing symptoms? Can you help me make sense of this? — Hurting in Florida

DEAR CONFUSED: Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted parasitic infection, and symptoms typically show up four to 28 days after exposure, usually in women. Men often have no symptoms, so urge your husband to be tested. It is highly unlikely one could acquire the infection through any means other than sex. The trich protozoa can live outside the body only for a very brief time. However, during that brief time, it is possible (though exceedingly rare) to contract trichomoniasis if the genital area comes into direct contact with infected damp or moist objects such as towels, clothing, bedding or bathing suits. you can get more details through the CDC (cdc.gov/std) at 1-888-232-6348 or ASHA (ashastd.org).

Dear Annie: The letter from “Confused” really hit home. She said her husband never gives her a compliment and pouts when he doesn’t get his way, and their sex life doesn’t exist because he can’t bear to be touched.

When couples date, they often show only their best side. unfortunately, that lavish attention is washed away with everyday life once they marry. And some men like only the hunt. Once the catch is caught, they lose interest.

I think “Confused’s” husband married her because he loved what they had while they were dating. He simply doesn’t know how to live as a married man and how to be loving and attentive to his wife. — in the same Boat, Bailing Water

Dear Boat: We agree — except for the fact that her husband hates to be touched. that puts him in an entirely different category.

To write to Annie’s Mailbox, send to c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

im a 20 yr old female w/ no kids..whom hasnt had a normal menstrual cycle in a year. i was having pregnancy symptoms and doctors were confused because i showed negative for pregnancy, a month later 5:30 am had pains so bad i was curled up in a ball crying as i bled. the er said its just extra period blood. i thought something was wrong. went to obgyn and she said im at high risk for cervical cancer..havent got my results because my insurance was cancelled by my parents when they found out…i been weak and not myself. exhausted and bored. today used the restroom and i saw blood from my rectum! has anyone ever experienced this? idk if i should be worried! thanks!

?
A woman's menstrual cycle is a period of time averaging 28 days, associated with the physiological preparation for pregnancy. an abnormal cycle can include heavy or light bleeding, infrequent periods or too frequent periods, missed periods, painful cramping, spotting and bleeding that lasts longer than a week or only a day or two. Usually irregular periods are nothing to worry about, but on occasion it can indicate a health complication. Few women's cycles are perfectly regular, but severe or prolonged inconsistencies may be caused by stress, hormonal imbalance, diet, exercise, illness, menarche or perimenopause.
.Stress
Don't underestimate the connection between mind and body. what affects our minds or emotions affects us on a cellular level, thereby altering our very physiology, our bodily processes. Feelings such as stress, anger, sadness, unresolved emotional issues and isolation can all negatively affect your cycle. Worry about possible pregnancy, ironically, can also lead to a delayed or missed period. and even good stress, such as excitement and anticipation of an upcoming trip, can cause irregularity.
Hormonal Imbalance
When the body is under chronic stress, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol (the "stress hormone") but when they can no longer keep up the high rate of production, the body converts progesterone to cortisol. this progesterone deficiency causes a hormonal imbalance, which can lead to an abnormal menstrual cycle, including anovulation, when the ovary does not produce an egg though bleeding may or may not occur.
Diet and Exercise
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia or simply not getting the nutrients your body requires can affect your menstrual cycle, often with the cessation of a monthly period. and although sufficient exercise benefits your health and leads to regular and less painful periods, too much exercise can cause amenorrhea, the suppression of monthly bleeding.
Illness
Specific endocrine problems, such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or endometriosis, can cause irregularities. other conditions such as hyperthyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes or even a sudden high fever or other general illness such as flu can also impact the menstrual cycle.

?What are the causes of rectal bleeding?

Many diseases and conditions can cause rectal bleeding. Common causes include:

•anal fissures,

•hemorrhoids,

•cancers and polyps of the rectum and colon,

•diverticulosis,

•abnormal blood vessels (angiodysplasia),

•ulcerative colitis,

•ulcerative proctitis,

•Crohn's colitis,

•infectious colitis,

•ischemic colitis, and

•Meckel's diverticula