June- Men's Health Month

June is all about the fellas because it’s the official Men’s Health Month. The month also coincides with Men’s Health Week (June 15-21) and the #ShowUsYourBlue campaign on June 19 where men and women are encouraged to wear blue to show support for the health and well-being of men and boys. Healthy habits are important for men to adopt and take charge of their physical and mental health.

Here’s a list of things you can do to celebrate Men’s Health Month:

• Spread the word to friends and family! Send this article to the men in your life :)

• Take charge of your health

  • Quit smoking

  • Drink alcohol in moderation

  • Eat healthy and stay active

  • Stay up to date on immunizations

  • Get early screenings

  • Know your health history

• Pay attention to mental health

These are just a few ways for men to stay healthy and take charge of their health during Men’s Health Month! Do it for yourself – and your family.

Home Renovations With Lead Safety in Mind

With spring coming soon, you might be thinking about making some updates and renovations to your home. Throughout areas of Jefferson County, we do have older homes that may have lead paint issues, however, paint isn’t the only problem when it comes to renovating your home.

According the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the most common way to get lead in the body is from dust. Lead dust comes from deteriorating lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil that gets tracked into your home. Common renovation activities like sanding, demolition, and digging in the yard/landscaping can create lead dust which can be hazardous.

Older homes (usually built prior to 1978) are more likely to contain lead-based paint. It is recommended that you hire a certified professional to check for lead-based paint before beginning renovation projects on older homes. You can find a lead certified contractor and assessor on EPA’s website.

If you choose a do-it-yourself home improvement, take some precautions to minimize risk:

1. Seal off the area you are working in with plastic and tape to minimize dust traveling through the home

2. Work in one area at a time and keep all equipment in that space

3. Remove furniture from work area and don’t let kiddos or pregnant women in that room to avoid possible exposure

4. Use a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum to clean up dust on all surfaces

5. Thoroughly clean up the space and equipment after completing the project

5 Simple Tips to Heart Health (Copy)

February is American Heart Month and we’ve gathered some tips and tricks to help increase your heart health!

1. Make Heart Healthy Food Choices

   • Eat lots of color (fruits and veggies…yummy!)

   • Eat sources of good fats (avocados, fish, nuts)

   • Reduce your consumption of added sugars and salt

   • Cook at home instead of eating out or hitting the drive-thru

2. Get Active!

   • Take up a fitness class with a friend

   • Walk on your lunch break at work

   • Try standing instead of sitting at the office

3. Quit Smoking/Vaping/Tobacco

   • Set a quit day

   • Choose your method for quitting

   • Make a plan

   • Check out these resources to help you quit

4. Know Your Numbers

   It’s important to know your numbers not only for heart health, but your overall health as well. At JCHD we can help you determine your numbers and work with you to lower them if needed. Our dietitian and healthy lifestyle coach can meet with you to set goals and adopt healthier habits. Ideal numbers for most healthy adults are

   • Blood Pressure: 120/80 mm Hg

   • BMI: 25 kg/m2

   • Fasting Blood Sugar: 100 mg/dL

5. Relax!

   • Get 7-8 restful hours of sleep each night

   • Try meditating or listening to relaxing music

   • Reduce your stress the best you can

   • Practice gratitude

We are always here to support your health, so give us a call to set up a blood pressure check, an appointment with our dietitian, or to speak with our nurses. 636-797-3737

Sippy Cups and Your Child’s Teeth- Children's Dental Health Month

As soon as teeth appear in the mouth, decay can occur. One of the risk factors for early childhood caries (sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay or nursing mouth syndrome) is frequent and prolonged exposure of a baby’s teeth to liquids, such as fruit juice, milk or formula, which all contain sugar.

Tooth decay can occur when a baby is put to bed with a bottle. Infants should finish their nap time or bedtime bottle before going to bed. Because decay can destroy the teeth of an infant or young child, you should encourage your children to drink from a cup by their first birthdays.

Many training cups, also called sippy or tippy cups, are available in stores. Many are ―no spill cups, which are essentially baby bottles in disguise. No spill cups include a valve beneath the spout to stop spills. However, cups with valves do not allow your child to sip. Instead the child gets liquid by sucking on the cup, much like a baby bottle. This practice defeats the purpose of using a training cup, as it prevents the child from learning to sip.

Don’t let your child carry the training cup around. Toddlers are often unsteady on their feet. They take an unnecessary risk if they try to walk and drink at the same time. Falling while drinking from a cup has the potential to injure the mouth.

A training cup should be used temporarily. Once your child has learned how to sip, the training cup has achieved its purpose. It can and should be set aside when no longer needed.

Tips

For sipping success, carefully choose and use a training cup. As the first birthday approaches, encourage your child to drink from a cup. As this changeover from baby bottle to training cup takes place, be very careful:

• what kind of training cup you choose

• what goes into the cup

• how frequently your child sips from it

• that your child does not carry the cup around

Talk to your dentist for more information. If your child has not had a dental examination, schedule a ―well baby checkup‖ for his or her teeth. The American Dental Association says that it is beneficial for the first dental visit to occur before the child’s first birthday

Click here for 10 Things to Know About Your Tot’s Teeth

CDC Information on Coronavirus

Jefferson County Health Department works with MO Department of Health and Senior Services and CDC to stay informed and up to date on disease related information including the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Our department, along with providers, receives updates to information as it becomes available which provides guidance for care. There are no local concerns at this time.

We are following the CDC recommendations: if you have traveled to China in the last 2 weeks and are experiencing symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing), contact your healthcare provider.

Click here for more information about Coronavirus from the CDC.