Meriden Health Department News
Save the Date! Community Wednesday Block Party and National Day of Play
This event is back for a second year! Over 1,000 residents enjoyed a day of sunshine, play, and community last year – will you be part of the crowd in 2011?
When: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 (rain date is Thursday, July 21), 10:00am-4:00pm
Where: Meriden HUB
What: A day of fun for everyone! Activities, games, food, health fair, info booths, petting zoo, hay rides, dunk tank, live broadcast by HOT 93.7. Sponsored by the Meriden Housing Authority, Meriden/Wallingford NAACP, and the City of Meriden.
Want to get involved in the health fair portion of this event? Contact Angela Simpson at 203-630-4237 or asimpson@ci.meriden.ct.us. Want to be a food vendor? Contact Teri Ramos at 203-235-0157 or teri.ramos@meriden-ha.com.
Riding a Bike? Wear Your Helmet!
Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and fresh air and share time as a family. The Meriden Health Department wants everyone to be safe - we are selling Bell brand bicycle helmets for $7.50 each. Both adult and child sizes are available, and there are many different styles and colors to choose from. The helmets are available for purchase Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please call the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. Be safe - always wear a helmet when riding a bike, no matter where you are or how short the ride!
Meriden Public Schools: Kindergarten Registration
Meriden Parents! Do you have a child who will be 5 years old or older on or before January 1, 2012? If so, consider early kindergarten registration!
The Meriden Public Schools, the Meriden School Readiness Council and the Meriden Early Childhood Council will be hosting a special Kindergarten registration event on Tuesday, May 24, from 3:30-6:30pm. The event will be held at the Meriden Health Department clinic office, 165 Miller Street.
Registration packets will be available at the Meriden Public Library, the Health Department Clinic and WIC offices and your child’s home school prior to May 24. It is strongly encouraged to pick up a packet and have it completed prior to your May 24 appointment.
Call the Health Department Clinic office at (203) 630-4234 to make your appointment, and don’t forget to bring your child’s birth certificate, proof of residence (such as a rental/mortgage agreement, utility bill) and immunization record. If you are unsure about which school your child will attend in the fall, please call the Board of Education at 203-630-4185.
The Meriden Health Department Asks Businesses and Organizations: Got Policy?
Does your workplace have an employee wellness program? If you answered yes, congratulations! Offering programs such as fitness classes and nutrition programs provide employees chances to learn new life skills and be active throughout their workday. Now we ask – does your workplace environment support those wellness programs? For example, do you encourage healthy eating or have “Biggest Loser” contests but have cafeterias, vending machines or meetings/conferences full of, well, not so healthy items? If this is the case, we ask that you consider adopting a workplace wellness policy or making simple environmental changes to support your programs – and your employee’s healthy decisions.
The words “policy” and “change” tend to scare people, but we promise, these can benefit everyone! Whether it be offering healthy food options at meetings and events, incorporating a stretch break into meetings lasting over 90 minutes, swapping out vending machine items, or encouraging employees to take the stairs instead of the elevator, you can impact the health and well-being of your employees where they spend most of their day – at work! And, research continues to show a return on investment to employers when they invest money in the health of their employees through comprehensive health promotion programs. Who doesn’t love that?
For more information, please visit our website, www.meridenhealth.com, and view our "Guide to Healthy Meetings and Events". Here you will find sample menus, activity break ideas, and examples of policies for healthy meetings, active breaks, and healthy vending options. We can help you develop a policy; if you already have one please let us know! If you have any questions, or would like more information emailed to you, please contact the Community Health Education office at 203-630-4238 or email Lea at lcrown@ci.meriden.ct.us.
Meriden WIC Office - National Nutrition Month Celebration!
During the month of March the Meriden WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) Program celebrated National Nutrition Month. Here, “Chef” Rodney sampled a tasty vegetable, chicken, and brown rice casserole with clients. Also sampled this month was an oatmeal, banana and berry bake by “Chef” Jill. Sample recipes and nutrition information were handed out as well. WIC encourages all clients to eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables year round. For more information on the WIC program please call 203-630-4245.
The Truths About Heart Disease
Valentine’s Day isn’t the only reason to wear red this month. February is the American Heart Association’s American Heart Month to raise awareness about heart disease. This year, take a few minutes to reflect on your health and learn more about the disease and its risk factors.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about heart disease. As is the case with many diseases, knowledge is power. Knowing your risk factors and making healthy changes can go a long way in impacting your health now and down the road,” said Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola, chief medical officer and family practice physician with Community Health Center, Inc., which runs the Community Health Center of Meriden.
As a member of the Minority Women’s Health Panel of Experts of the Office on Women’s Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Olayiwola is part of the promotion of the Heart Truth campaign—a national heart disease awareness campaign for women—including perspective and feedback on its promotional materials, resources and education.
Dr. Olayiwola dispels the top three myths associated with heart disease:
Myth #1: Heart disease is a “man’s disease.”
Truth: According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attacks, is the single leading cause of death for American women. Many women believe that cancer is more of a threat to their lives, but this is not the case. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
Myth #2: Heart disease risk factors negate each other.
Truth: “A lot of people think, ‘Well, I’m thin and I exercise regularly, so it’s not a big deal that I smoke,’” said Dr. Olayiwola. “They couldn’t be more wrong. Risk factors have a cumulative effect. Each increases your risk.”
Heart disease risk factors include:
Smoking
Unhealthy weight. Your Body Mass Index (or BMI)—a measurement of your weight in relation to your height—is a good indicator of whether you’re at a healthy weight. A healthy BMI falls within the 18.5 to 25 range. Use the calculator at heart.org to find out your BMI.
High blood pressure and cholesterol. “It’s extremely important to know your numbers,” said Dr. Olayiwola. During your doctor visits, you will be checked for blood pressure and cholesterol. A healthy blood pressure is at least lower than 140/90, and your total cholesterol count should be under 200.
Inactivity. The American Heart Association recommends exercising 30 minutes each day, five days a week. If finding 30 free minutes per day is difficult, try breaking it up into three 10-minute segments of exercise. No gym membership? That’s okay! Walking, climbing stairs, even playing outside with your kids counts as exercise.
Drinking alcohol. Alcohol is okay—in moderation. This means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. A drink is one 12-ounce beer, four ounces of wine, one and a half ounces of 80-proof spirits or one ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Family history. Knowing your family’s history of heart disease is important for two reasons: if you know you’re at risk, you may be more inclined to make healthy changes, and if your doctor knows about your family’s history, he or she will begin testing you early for diabetes and cholesterol counts.
Myth #3: You don’t need to worry about risk factors until later in life.
Truth: Good habits must start early. “By the time someone reaches their 20s or 30s, the risk factors have begun taking effect on their health,” said Dr. Olayiwola. “But the good news is that certain risk factors can be changed. You can’t fight genetics or your age, but you can change your lifestyle.”
To keep track of your risk factors and overall heart health, check out Heart360® at heart360.org. This online system that tracks your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, activity and more, as well as providing information on ways to improve your health.
To contact the Community Health Center of Meriden, call 203-237-2229.
Heart Safe Community
The Wallingford Health Dept. is in the process of reapplying for the Connecticut DPH Heart Safe Community Designation. This effort is based on the progress this community has made establishing and promoting the potential for saving lives of sudden cardiac arrest. The increased opportunities for CPR training, and public access to automated external defibrillators (Aids) have tripled the lives saved since our original designation as a Heart Safe Community in 2008.
The Wallingford Health Dept. is anxious to recertify in 2011, but we need your help. If your company has offered CPR/AED training, and or have installed an AED, please contact the Wallingford Health Dept. at (203) 294-2065 or by e-mail at wlfdhealth@sbcglobal.net. If you are already a partner PLEASE let us know that we have your continued support, and if you have increased your CPR/AED training. If you are new to the partnership, we need you on board!! We will forward you a brief questionnaire so that you and you’re company are fully recognized as being a partner in this truly life saving effort. Please join us as we strive to make Wallingford a safer place to live.
Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health
Chris More, RN - Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department
Let’s talk about . . . . . . going beyond the “Bottle” for pain relief. (I mean the pill bottle of course)! There are many ways to attack all kinds of pain with many different drugs, from the little aspirin to the powerful narcotic. But let’s zero in on one specific “pain” (no not your mother-in-law) one disease that 95% of the population (young and old) experience is arthritis specifically osteoarthritis.
The past few years have not been easy for people with chronic osteoarthritis pain, because certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that seem to work so well on arthritis pain had serious risks associated with them and were taken off the market. (Other NSAIDS, prescription, and over the counter) are still available, but again carry some risks of heart disease and GI bleeding. The “big guns”, like morphine are often reluctantly given by doctors due to the risk of dependence and other serious side effects.
Millions of people suffer with chronic pain and more than half of them have an arthritic condition. Isn’t there some way to deal with this particular pain besides drugs? The answer is “yes”, but what could possibly help? Let’s see (a hammock, and a tropical drink, on the beach in Jamaica!) That could work, but how about a reality check, starting with Topical medication. There are gels, creams and patches. Some pain physicians are choosing to use these in conjunction with less “pill taking”, so the side effects are less. Topical medication side effects are localized (meaning you may have an allergy to the drugs in the creams, get a slight rash or an irritation, but they usually don’t “mess” with your head or stomach). Topical medications in general are less risky. Another choice for relieving osteoarthritis pain especially knee pain are flat, flexible shoes or sneakers (so get out those $1.99 flip flops). A study done with these types of shoes showed that the flexibility and flatness of these shoes put less stress on knee and hip joints, but as with all new thoughts and ideas come the risks, and the risks of flip flops stand out like a sore thumb. Number one risk, FALLS, also inflammation of the bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis.) If you choose to buy these shoes, please go with sneakers first or a flat, flexible closed shoe with arch support. (I am way too clumsy for flip-flops).
My personal choice (prior to knee replacement) was the steroid injection. This treatment reduces the inflammation in the joint and very quickly relieves the pain. This injection (ouch!) can make you feel better for days or months. Again, the risks stand out, you can only do this 2-3 times a year and it does weaken ligaments and tendons, also there is a slight chance of infection as with any injection. Make sure you discuss this option in detail with an Orthopedic Surgeon.
Let me mention several other ways to try and reduce osteoarthritis pain, which does not involve medication. Exercise/Physical Therapy both can improve strength, posture function and range of motion. ALWAYS check with your physician first as to what is best for you and your particular degree of arthritis. Don’t ever over-do (you can’t relieve pain if you are causing yourself pain). Heat/Cold (heating pad, warm compresses, heat patches, warm baths OR cold packs, ice packs, “frozen vegetables”). Check with your physician or therapist as to which is better for you. Heat can sometimes cause more swelling to an acute injury, and overdoing either heat or cold can cause severe burns. NEVER apply heat or cold directly to your bare skin.
Meditation (guess what – no risks) can work for any kind of pain and regular practice reduces the brains’ response to pain. Assume the crossed leg Yoga position and chill out. (I would have to pass on the crossed legs, but chilling out sounds great) You don’t really have to get into a Yoga stance to meditate!!
I have touched on several ways to help you cope with chronic pain focusing on osteoarthritis. Talk with your caregiver about your daily battle with pain. Keep a log; let him/her know when you feel the worse, morning, night time? Are your activities limited, how much? (If you can’t shop that’s bad?) Over the counter or prescription medication you are taking for relief, have a pain number. 1= (little) 10= (emergency). Remember your caregiver is not a mind reader he/she cannot help you if you are vague or disorganized with your complaints. Last but not least, please don’t listen to the horror stories and remedies of friends and most importantly DON’T take Uncle Al’s medication. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s pain level is unique to them.
Well that’s all for this month, I do hope you have found some new ways to relieve pain. Stay flexible and keep moving! Until next month . . . . .
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