May is Asthma Awareness Month

May is asthma awareness month.  That may be perfect timing, especially for those who welcome spring with a box of Kleenex in one hand and an inhaler in the other.  With pollen counts through the roof and mold spore blowing in the wind, May in Missouri can be challenging for those with asthma.

Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and night time or early morning cough.  The symptoms occur when the air passages in the lungs hyper-react to a stimulus, become inflamed, swell, produce thick mucous, then are obstructed.  These symptoms can happen very quickly and can be very frightening.  If you are tempted to discount the validity of asthma or think it’s an “emotional” illness, try this test.  Jog in place until you are winded, then pinch your nose shut and breathe through a regular size drinking straw.  That will give you a small simulation of an acute asthma attack.

Asthma is a treatable condition with properly used medication and awareness and avoidance of triggers, the stimulus that starts the hyper-reactive response of the airways.  For some, allergens are triggers.  It may be springtime tree and grass pollen or ragweed in the fall.  Mold spore is always in the air unless the ground is covered with snow.  Avoiding these triggers can be as simple as closing the windows in your home and running the furnace or air conditioner, depending on the season.  Allergy shots can also be a long term help.

Major indoor triggers include dust mites that live in our carpets, mattresses and upholstered furniture, cockroaches and their droppings and second-hand tobacco smoke.  Dust mites can be contained by putting mattresses and pillows in zippered plastic covers.  Roaches need food and water, so sweep up crumbs frequently.  Traps will also help. Because asthma is the most common long term disease in children, it is vital that homes and vehicles be smoke-free.  I once heard an asthma specialist state that smoking around a child with asthma is child abuse.

Outdoor air pollution from industry and car exhausts can be triggers.  Air quality forecasts for big cities mention asthma suffers all summer.

Coaches and school nurses are aware of exercise-induced asthma.  One jog around the gym will bring on a round of hacking coughs.  Breathing in cold air with outdoor activity can be a trigger too.  Wear a face shield if you’re going to take part in cold weather sports, or work (or play) outdoors.

Animal dander can be a problem for some.  If you can’t part with your pet, keep them out of the bedroom.   Bathing the pet weekly will also help.  Strong smelling odors, even perfume, can set off twitchy airways, as can weather changes.

Because asthma is treatable and acute attacks are reversible, some think it is a disease you outgrow.  The Center for Disease Control reminds us,  “If you have asthma, you have it all the time, but you will have asthma attacks only if something bothers your lungs.“  Diagnosis can be difficult, especially in kids under 5.  But your asthma doctor will check your lung function, check for allergies, ask lots of questions about your activities and when you cough and when you  don’t , when you’re short of breath or wheezy and will take a family history.

Then together, your doctor and you will develop an asthma action plan that allows you to control your asthma.  This plan outlines your daily treatment and the steps to follow when you experience worsening of your symptoms.  These plans allow people with asthma a way to follow steps that can avoid emergency room trips.  Avoiding ER trips by controlling asthma symptoms is not only a successful treatment plan, but allows people to live their lives without symptoms.  They sleep better, don’t miss work or school and can participate in physical activities.

Acute asthma attacks are frightening for the whole family.  But asthma is a treatable condition you can control.  New medications work to prevent acute problems, not just slow down an acute episode in progress.  See your doctor, use your medication correctly and stop asthma from controlling your life.

For more information about asthma, visit www.cdc.gov .   All services of the health center are provided on a non-discriminatory basis.

Breastfeeding Mom of the Month - Holly McCracken

My name is Holly McCracken, I am the mother of 3 handsome boys and I am currently breastfeeding our newest addition, Soren.

He is by far my easiest baby to nurse, I had a very difficult time with my oldest due to him never latching, so I pumped for him but unfortunately when I started working again I switched to formula. Luckily our 2nd and 3rd love the boob:)

Our bodies provide our babies with what they need, and that's a great feeling to be able to give him that. I can't imagine doing anything other than breastfeeding Soren even though it's not always easy.

Finding bras that fit, finding clothes that allow easier breast feeding, dealing with leaky boobs... It's all worth it because it's how we give our babies what is best. I'm very thankful for all of the support that I have been given in my different breastfeeding journeys. My mom for one has been amazing to me. But I have been given great advice from many!

Remember the Children

It's hard to imagine someone intentionally hurting a child, yet nearly a million children are abused every year just in the United States alone. And these are only the reported incidents of child abuse — many more cases are unreported and undetected, often because children are afraid to tell somebody who can help.

Most of the time, kids know their abusers and the abuse occurs in the home. This makes it difficult for kids to speak up. They may feel trapped by the affection they feel for their abusers or fearful of the power the abusers have over them — so they stay silent. That's why it's especially important to be able to recognize the signs of child abuse.

What Is Child Abuse?

Child abuse happens when a parent or other adult causes serious physical or emotional harm to a child.

In the United States, the laws defining what constitutes child abuse vary from state to state, but generally speaking, child abuse can take these forms:

• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• neglect and abandonment
• emotional or psychological abuse

The most serious cases of child abuse can end in death. Those who survive may suffer emotional scars that can linger long after the physical bruises have healed. Kids who are abused are more likely to have problems building and maintaining relationships throughout their lives. They're also more likely to have low self-esteem, depression, thoughts of suicide, and other mental health issues.

Physical Abuse

When people think of child abuse, their first thought probably is of physical abuse — such as striking, kicking, or shaking a child.

Abusive head trauma, or shaken baby syndrome, is a specific form of physical abuse. It's the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the U.S. Most incidents last just a few seconds, but that's enough time to cause brain damage or even kill a baby.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse happens when a child is raped or forced to commit a sexual act. But it's also any sort of sexual contact with a child or any behavior that is meant to sexually arouse the abuser.

Neglect

Neglect is any action — or inaction — on the part of a caregiver that causes a child physical or emotional harm. For example, withholding food, warmth in cold weather, or proper housing is considered neglectful. Basically, anything that interferes with a child's growth and development constitutes neglect.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse or psychological abuse is a pattern of behavior that has negative effects on a child's emotional development and sense of self-worth. Ignoring a child or withholding love, support, or guidance is considered emotional abuse. So is threatening, terrorizing, belittling, or constantly criticizing a child.

Signs of Abuse

It's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the ordinary scrapes and scratches of childhood and a physical sign of child abuse. Multiple bruises or those that keep coming back, black eyes, and broken bones are certainly red flags, but other signs — like a child's emotional health — are also telling.

If You Suspect Abuse

Abuse is not a private family matter, although it most often occurs within families and often is kept as a family secret. Once you suspect child abuse, you need to act to protect the child from further possible harm. It doesn't matter if you're wrong: it's better to be wrong than sorry.

While not all suspicions and accusations of child abuse turn out to be true, all deserve serious attention and immediate action. Child abuse can rob kids of the joy of growing up and affect them negatively for years to come.

But abuse doesn't have to ruin a child's life, as long as it's stopped and dealt with. The earlier abuse can be identified and stopped, the less destructive it will be. Healing from the abuse and dealing with its aftermath can also start that much earlier.

So take any accusations of abuse seriously until you know for sure whether or not they're true. All children deserve to be heard, protected, and helped, no matter what.

If you made it to the end of this article-thank you.  It’s so easy to gloss over information about child abuse.  It’s often hard to hear, and hard to think about when you feel powerless to help.  But rest assured, there are children in your child’s school, in your neighborhood, in your community and possibly even in your family being permanently altered by the abusive behaviors of an adult.  Sadly, statistics tell us this person is no stranger to the child, but someone brought into their circle as a trusted member of their family circle.

Source: Kids Health

Health Center to Host Outdoor Open House March 31st

Livingston County Health Center would like to invite the public to attend an Outdoor Open House on Tuesday, March 31^st from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in their parking lot, located at 800 Adam Drive. 

The event marks the kickoff of Public Health Month in April.  Free hot dogs, drinks, cookies and popcorn will be served to those who attend.  In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors.

Health Center Announces Spring Walking Challenge

Registration is underway for a Spring Walking Challenge to be held April 5^h through May 31st . The challenge is a continuation of Livingston County Health Center’s “Walk Chillicothe” Project.

Those interested can sign up now through Friday, April 3rd to participate in the challenge.  Late registrations will be accepted, but the Health Center would like to get as many on the books by starting day as possible. The requirements are simple: pledge to walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks.  Record walking on an exercise log and turn it in after the 8 weeks to be eligible for the prize drawing.  Even if you fall short of your goal, every entry submitted will be put in the drawing.

The walking challenge is an attempt to get people motivated to start a walking habit that will be established after the eight week period.   Incentives will be offered along the way to encourage participants to continue walking for their health.

Local worksites are also being targeted in the challenge to encourage employers to promote a healthy lifestyle to their workers.

If you would like to sign up for the challenge, call 646-5506.

Food Expiration Dates-What Do They Mean?

Nutritious food is an important part of the health and wellness of an individual. The date on packages of food is a guideline to help consumers use food at its peak quality and before spoilage begins to occur. Also, proper storage conditions and times are essential in achieving healthy food that is safe to consume.

Types of Food Product Dating

“Open Dating” on a food product refers to an actual calendar date instead of a coded date. This type of date is found mainly on perishable foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. It helps the store to know when to pull these foods off the shelf. It can also benefit consumers to help determine when a product is at its best quality. It is not a safety date.

With the exception of infant formula and some baby food, product dating is not required by federal regulations. There is also no uniform system used for food dating by manufacturers in the United States. Although dating of some foods is required by more than 20 states, some states do not require any date codes.

“Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers used by the manufacturer identify and locate product if there is a recall.

These types of datings are typically found on shelf-stable foods, such as canned and boxed foods.

Dating Terms

• “Sell-By-Date”: tells the store how long to display the product for sale. The consumer should buy the product before the date expires.

• “Best-If-Used-By (or Before) Date”: recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

• “Use-By-Date”: the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer.

Except for “use-by-dates”, product dates don’t always refer to home storage or use after purchase. Even if the dates expire during home storage, perishable foods should be safe, wholesome and of good quality if handled properly and kept in the refrigerator or freezer.

Dating of Infant Formula and Baby Foods

Formula and baby food dating is for quality as well as nutrient retention. The “use-by-date” is selected by the manufacturer on the basis of product analysis throughout its shelf life. It is also based on the conditions of handling, storage, preparation and use printed on the label. Do not buy or use infant formula or baby food after its “use-by-date”.

Can Codes

Canned food must have a packing code to enable tracking of the product in interstate commerce. These codes, which appear as a series of letters and/or numbers, might refer to the date or time of manufacture. They aren’t meant for the consumer to interpret as “use-by” dates.  Cans may also display “open” or calendar dates. Usually these are “best-used-by” dates for peak quality.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration says canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to freezing temperatures or temperatures above 90 F.  However, discard cans that are dented, rusted, bulging, leaking or swollen.

In general, high acid canned foods, such as tomatoes, grapefruit and pineapple can be stored on the shelf 12-18 months. Low-acid canned foods such as meat, poultry, fish and most vegetables will keep for 2-5 years, if the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, clean, dry place. Normally food from these cans is safe to eat unless there is bulging or leaking.

Dates on Egg Cartons

If the egg carton has an expiration date printed on it, such as “EXP April 1”, be sure that the date has not passed when the eggs are purchased. That is the last day the store may sell the eggs as fresh. On eggs which have federal grademark, such as Grade AA, the date cannot be more than 30 days from the date the eggs were packed in the carton. Eggs can be stored at home, refrigerated, for 3 to 5 weeks if purchase before the expiration date.

Storage Times

Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a product, follow these tips to make sure that food is still top quality.

• Purchase the food before the expiration date.

• For perishable food, take it home immediately after purchase and refrigerate it properly.

• Once the product is frozen, it doesn’t matter if the date expires because foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely.

• Follow handling recommendations on the product.

Source: USDA, Arizona Cooperative Extension

Health Center to Host Mandated Reporter Training

Livingston County Health Center would like to announce a Mandated Reporter Training being held at their offices on Tuesday, March 24^th at 10 a.m.

Cherisse Thibaut, Prevention and Community Outreach Manager for Missouri Kids First, will update mandated reporters on changes in the law and empower them with the skills to protect children and appropriately respond to child abuse and neglect.  

Missouri’s mandated reporter requirements changed when House Bill 505 passed during the Spring 2013 legislative session.   One of the main changes in the law is that reporting requirements are now individual and not institutional. Mandated Reporters can no longer “cause a report to be made,” by reporting suspect child abuse to a ”designated agent.”   Example: A teacher suspects a student is experiencing abuse. Teacher is mandated to call the Missouri Children’s Division Hotline and make a direct and immediate report. Teacher cannot convey concerns to school counselor or principal for them to make a report on their behalf.

By law, mandated reporters are physicians, nurses, social workers, day care staff, teachers, ministers and law enforcement officials.  Mandated reporters also include any other person with responsibility for the care of children, such as those who volunteer with programs that work directly with children, such as Y-Pals, church youth groups, afterschool programs, etc.

The approximately 2-hour training will cover: mandated reporters’ legal responsibilities; how to respond to suspicions, disclosure or discovery of abuse; how to effectively report and how to follow-up with the case multidisciplinary team. 

There is no charge for this training.  Those interested should call 646-5506 to register, as space is limited.