From the Health Director:
Let me start with ……Happy New Year!
Current state of Health: As I work with various people and agencies to try to help raise awareness, to make changes in policy and to create more opportunities for people to access better nutritional information and physical activities, I am intrigued by the many things I learn, but here are two staggering facts:
For the first time in history:
1. The current generation of young people are the first generation whose life expectancy is less than their parents.
2. Americans are getting more of their calories from soft drinks than from milk.
I find that very disconcerting, and something that we need to work on. But the good news is: The current trend of deteriorated health due to poor eating habits and lack of physical activity which contributes to heart disease and diabetes is preventable.
The beginning of a New Year is an ideal time to reflect with friends and family. It is also an important time to review not only your goals but also your health. The National Health Information Center www.healthfinder.gov lists February as Heart Health Month. This provides an excellent reminder and opportunity for us to take a look at the health of our heart and cardiovascular system.
Risk factors are the circumstances that make a person more likely to develop a disease.~ Having these conditions may also increase the chances that an existing disease will get worse. Some risk factors for heart disease, such as age (45 or older for men, 55 or older for women) and family history of early heart disease, can't be changed.~ But there are many risk factors for heart disease that you can do something about, such as:
· Controlling high blood pressure
· Lowering high blood cholesterol~
· Diabetes Control~
· Stop Smoking~
· Lose weight if you are overweight~
· Being more physically active
As you take the time to examine your heart health and address the risk factors that you can control, keep in mind that that if you haven't had a recent physical exam and you are at risk for heart disease you should call your physician for an appointment.
Keep in mind, too, that your visit to the physician and an improvement in your nutrition and physical activity level will also help to curtail the development of diabetes.
There are some things that I’d like to remind you about:
Ticks and Tick borne illness: I know its January, but the winter has been unpredictable, and, at times, downright balmy. And folks have been bringing in ticks to our office to be sent for testing. Ticks don’t check the calendar; they’ll take any opportunity to get a meal. Please don’t be their victim. Active ticks in January (and February and March) will be adults and easier to find than the nymphs, however, you probably aren’t thinking about them and checking for them. Please check for ticks after you’ve spent some time outdoors on these warm days. And check even if you haven’t, because your pet has been out there too.
The Flu: This might sound like old news but the Flu season is still here. It does not appear to be as bad a flu season as some of the past, but it is still here and on the rise, and for folks who have suffered from the flu, they’ll tell you how serious it is, so please do take precautions. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses which can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.
Flu spreads mainly from coughing or sneezing of infected people, or touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
In addition to vaccination, good health habits are an excellent way to help protect against the flu, as well as the transmission of other illnesses.
1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick
2. Stay home when you are sick
3. Cover your mouth and nose
4. Clean your hands - Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
6. Stay healthy/get healthy: Do everything you can to improve your health. The healthier you are the more resistant your body is to disease. Adopting healthy behaviors such as getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, eating nutritious food and avoiding tobacco can prevent or reduce the damage done by many diseases, including influenza. This is important for every aspect of your life.
BE PREPARED: This is a reminder that you will hear repeatedly from me
This is a message that I cannot stress enough. And our other emergency responders and planners (Fire, police, ambulance) will agree.
Prepare yourself and your family to cope with emergencies: Getting through a pandemic – or any other major emergency – means knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. It means knowing – in advance – how you will stay in touch with each other. And it means having essential emergency supplies on hand, in case you need to spend an extended period of time at home. Its important to have at least a three-day supply of water and food (non-perishable), toiletries, battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, and other necessary items. There are three very good websites that can aid you in preparing your own plans, you can visit www.ready.gov or www.ct.gov/demhs or www.redcross.org.
Please note: With regard to the websites we reference, if you are not able to access the web, please contact our office at (203) 270-4291 and we’ll get the information to you.
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