Radon in Your Home - Show Me Health

Our coldest months of the year are upon us, and we’re all scrambling to stay warm.  Since our doors and windows remain closed against the cold, it’s the perfect time of year to get an accurate result from a radon test of your home.  Approximately 1 out of 15 homes in the United States has increased levels of radon.  Testing is the only way to know if your home has a problem. 

What is radon?

Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that causes lung cancer. Radon can build up to dangerous levels inside homes, schools and other buildings. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking.

Radon gas occurs naturally. It forms when uranium breaks down to radium, which in turn breaks down to form radon. As radon decays, it releases radioactive byproducts that are inhaled and can cause lung cancer. Radon-related lung cancers are responsible for an estimated 21,000 deaths annually in the United States.

How does it get in my home?

Radon is emitted from the ground and enters a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings. Because radon comes from rock and soil, it can be found anywhere. Exposure to limited concentrations, like those found outdoors, is impossible to avoid. However, when radon gets trapped indoors, it may build up to dangerous concentrations.

The most important source of radon gas indoors is the soil and rock surrounding the building. By sealing your home to keep radon from getting through cracks and openings, you can significantly reduce your home's radon levels.

Less frequently, radon may enter buildings from radon-contaminated drinking water used in bathroom showers and sprays, though this occurs only when the water comes from a private well. More recently, concerns have been raised about the radon released indoors from granite countertops or tiles. However, these sources are rarely a problem by themselves.

Radon is not known to cause asthma or any other type of respiratory distress. Radon can be tested and measured (in picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air) and there are estimated risks to health from the exposure depending on the concentration. DHSS in conjunction with EPA recommends that if the concentration of radon is 4 pCi/L or greater, then remediation should be done to lower risks. Smoking in conjunction with radon exposure greatly increases the risk of cancer.

What Can I Do?

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offers FREE Radon Testing kits by request.  We have paper copies of the request here at the health center, or you can go online and order a kit here: https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/radon/testkit.php  or visit www.health.mo.gov and search “Radon Testing Kit.”   The test kit comes with instructions, but if you need help, please feel free to contact me at 660-646-5506.

If you find you have a radon problem, and want to fix the problem; Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has a list of mitigation specialists qualified to install mitigation systems in your home. The cost can range from $500 to $2500 depending on the size and construction of the home. Lists of mitigation specialists can also be obtained from the National Radon Safety Board (NSRB) and National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) websites. They are www.nrsb.org and www.radongas.org respectively.

Sources: US Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association, Missouri Department of Health

Baby Boomers & Hepatitis C - Show Me Health

Hepatitis C is a serious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C has been called a silent epidemic because most people with Hepatitis C do not know they are infected.

While some people who get infected with Hepatitis C are able to clear, or get rid of, the virus, most people who get infected develop a chronic, or lifelong, infection. Over time, chronic Hepatitis C can lead to serious liver problems including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. But many people can benefit from available treatment options that can eliminate the virus from the body and prevent further liver damage.

Why should people born during 1945-1965 get tested for Hepatitis C?

In 2012, CDC started recommending Hepatitis C testing for everyone born from 1945 – 1965. While anyone can get Hepatitis C, up to 75% of adults infected with Hepatitis C were born from 1945 – 1965.

• Most people with Hepatitis C don’t know they are infected so getting tested is the only way to know.
• Baby boomers are five times more likely to have Hepatitis C than other adults.
• The longer people live with Hepatitis C undiagnosed and untreated, the more likely they are to develop serious, life-threatening liver disease.
• Liver disease, liver cancer, and deaths from Hepatitis C are on the rise.
• Getting tested can help people learn if they are infected and get them into lifesaving care and treatment.

Why do baby boomers have such high rates of Hepatitis C?

The reason that baby boomers have high rates of Hepatitis C is not completely understood. Most boomers are believed to have become infected in the 1970s and 1980s when rates of Hepatitis C were the highest.

How do you get Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with the Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through multiple ways.

Before widespread screening of the blood supply began in 1992, Hepatitis C was spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. People with clotting problems who took blood products prior to 1987 could have been exposed to Hepatitis C. Sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs was and is a very efficient way to transmit the virus. People have also become infected with the Hepatitis C virus from body piercing or tattoos that were done in prisons, homes, or in other unlicensed or informal facilities.

Although uncommon, outbreaks of Hepatitis C have occurred from poor infection control in health care settings. In rare cases, Hepatitis C may be sexually transmitted. Babies born to mothers with Hepatitis C can get infected during childbirth. Still, many people do not know how or when they were infected.

Hepatitis C is not spread by casual contact, kissing, hugging, sneezing, coughing, breastfeeding or sharing food, eating utensils or glasses.

Symptoms

Many people with chronic Hepatitis C do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. People with chronic Hepatitis C can live for decades without symptoms or feeling sick.

When symptoms do appear, they often are a sign of advanced liver disease. Symptoms of Hepatitis C can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, grey-colored stools, joint pain and/or jaundice.

Information on Testing

The only way to know if someone has Hepatitis C is to get tested. Doctors use a blood test, called a Hepatitis C Antibody Test, to find out if a person has ever been infected with Hepatitis C.

A Non-reactive or a negative Hepatitis C antibody test result means that a person does not have Hepatitis C. However, if a person has been recently exposed to the Hepatitis C virus, he or she will need to be tested again.

A Reactive or a positive Hepatitis C antibody test result means that Hepatitis C antibodies were found in the blood and a person has been infected with the Hepatitis C virus at some point in time.

A reactive antibody test does not necessarily mean a person still has Hepatitis C. Once people have been infected, they will always have antibodies in their blood. This is true if even if they have cleared the Hepatitis C virus. A reactive antibody test requires an additional, follow-up test to determine if a person is currently infected with Hepatitis C.

The Health Center offers Hepatitis C testing through our Adult Blood Draw Clinics for a fee of $20.  Our next clinic is Wednesday, January 25^th from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.   

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Progress as Promised - Show Me Health

With the close of another year approaching, I wanted to update our county residents about what the Livingston County Health Center has accomplished this year.

Thanks to the support of Livingston County voters, the Health received a nine-cent levy increase beginning in January 2016.  With that came the responsibility of wise choices for the use of these extra funds, and making progress in the areas targeted in our levy campaign.

Building Maintenance, Repair and Renovation

The Health Center building was constructed in 1991.  Very few updates or repairs have been made to the building in the 25 years since, save for roof replacement and repair. Levy funds have allowed us to repair and update the facilities in 2106.

On the exterior, we’ve been able to complete an ongoing 8-year effort to repair and replace bad spots in our parking lot.  Other outdoor projects have been landscaping and new carpet for the front entrance, as well as some repairs to lighting. 

On the inside, all interior walls were repaired and painted in stages throughout the year.  More lighting was also added to our classroom and vaccination areas to assist staff during immunization clinics.  We are currently replacing carpet on the East side of the building.

Mental Health Needs

Mental health is seriously underfunded state wide and nationally, and the lack of services and access to services is a testament to that fact. The need for more mental health services in our county has been evident for many years. 

To begin the fact-finding work of planning interventions in this area, the Health Center established Mental Health Needs groups for both Children and Adult mental health services in early 2016, with each group targeting a primary issue. 

Children’s Mental Health identified the need for Trauma Based Therapy.  In response to that need, the Health Center has partnered with the Crittendon Foundation and Livingston County R-2 schools to provide Trauma Smart Training and support services in the form of a licensed professional counselor for grades Pre-K-3 in the district.

Adult Mental Health leaders identified housing and acute care services for those in psychiatric distress.  The group has been able to educate about North Central Missouri Mental Health Center being a Crisis Center for our area, and what options for care may be available.  In the area of housing, there are ongoing efforts to determine the need for transitional housing for foster kids aging out of the system.

On the education and training front, LCHC has hosted both a Mental Health First Aid and Psychological First Aid course during 2016. 

Both groups benefited from closer networking and sharing of information, which strengthened local partnerships and services to kids.

Adult/Senior Health

Throughout 2016 we offered Shingles Vaccinations for 60 and older at a reduced cost to taxpayers, thanks in part to a Livingston County Senior Tax Fund grant.  The health center also kicked in a portion of the cost for the vaccine, making each vaccination $100 or less for county residents.  Depending on insurance benefits, some paid nothing at all. 

Tai Chi for Arthritis

In the fall of 2016, the health center began offering Tai Chi for arthritis through the Northwest Area Agency on Aging.  In 2017, Health Center staff will get trained to continue the offering in the future.

CPR

To increase the number of individuals trained in life-saving CPR, Hands Only CPR was offered through our office in February as well as Community CPR in October.

Aging in Place

An effort to create a community wide program relating to Aging in Place is in its early stages.  Aging in Place refers to the idea that by educating people over 55 on issues affecting all people as they age, we can help them to remain in their homes as long as possible.  Examples would be financial planning, home safety assessment, elder fraud, accessing volunteer help, health interventions and more. 

Adult Blood Draws

Adult Blood Draws continue to be a popular service.  Year after year, we hear many positive stories from our clients identifying a health issue early on so they can start treatment as soon as possible. This has proven to be a great asset to not only residents of Livingston County but those nearby.  Obtaining lab values through our clinics has enabled people to renew medications and keep track of lab values to better their health and wellness.

Immunizations

We will also continue to provide our three Immunizations clinics each month to immunize adults and children with life-saving vaccines.   As the only source for children’s immunizations in Livingston County, we take pride in providing thousands of dollars of vaccine to them every year. 

General Public Health

Besides these new efforts, the Health Center has continued to offer our regular public health services such as TB Testing, Disease Surveillance and Investigation, Environmental Health services, Tuesday walk-in clinic services and more.

During this time of year, our weekly surveillance phone calls to doctors, schools, nursing homes, etc.  help keep disease outbreaks contained.  These are especially vital during outbreaks of whooping cough (pertussis), mumps, influenza, and other diseases.  This information is then passed on to the State Department of Health and Emergency Room personnel to alert them to possible reportable diseases in our county. 

All these projects plus many more that our small staff provides all year round just ensures you, the tax payer, that your money has gone to make the Livingston County Health Center one of the best local public health departments in our region.

We look forward to continuing with our plans for strengthening the local public health system in 2017.  

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Sherry Weldon