October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Many people think of domestic violence as physical brutality but it is much more than that. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines domestic violence as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse.”
Keep Your Cool!
Summer is upon us! Pride celebrations, picnics, days at the beach – all under the beating sun. Heat related illnesses – heat exhaustion and heat stroke– are serious medical situations. Know the symptoms: Heat exhaustion could include some or all of the following: fatigue, nausea, headache, excessive thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, confusion or anxiety, drenching sweats, often accompanied by cold, clammy skin, slowed or weakened heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, or agitation.
Enjoying the Outdoors Cautiously
Barbecues, long hikes in the mountains, a gentle stroll through the park, sharing a beer with friends in the backyard, a 5k race, biking along the country roads. Summer is a wonderful time to get outdoors and enjoy all that nature has to offer. The bugs agree! And some bugs, particularly ticks, bring disease with them. Don’t let the ticks chase you back indoors. Here are some ways to protect yourself:
High Five, the Clap, the Clam, and the Pox
Bad blood, morning drip, gooey stuff, the dose – no matter the name STI’s are serious business. HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are several diseases that fall within the category of sexually-transmitted infections. Anyone who is sexually active is at risk. Preliminary data indicates that cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea are up in both Frederick and Washington counties.
Consider Your Colon
Which cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States? It’s also the third leading cause in women! It’s also something that many people are not comfortable talking about. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the answer. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month so if you have been seeing more blue ribbons around and were wondering what it’s all about, now you know!
Year End Health Maintenance
Here we are in the thick of the holiday season- lethargic from the Thanksgiving Day feast and looking forward to the upcoming month of gatherings, celebrations and feasts. Though we are surrounded by images of joy and happiness, the reality for many is that the holiday season is a harsh reminder of challenges we face within our relationships and families. Here are some pointers to help make it through the highs and lows of the season:
Spotlight on Sodium
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 89% of Americans consume more than the recommended amount of sodium in their daily diet! Wow! How can this be? Why is this a problem?
Mental Health Awareness
Stress is everywhere these days. Just listening to the news is enough to trigger anxiety and a stress reaction. Now more than ever it is important to take care of ourselves physically and mentally. We all experience anxiety and stress as a normal part of our daily lives. For example, a job interview triggers feelings of anxiety in most people. This type of anxiety generally serves us well making sure we are on top of our game and providing that little bit of extra attention to detail we need to show off our best. These feelings are brief and go […]
The Heroin Epidemic
What can you do about it? I was asked to write about the heroin epidemic for this issue. Where to go with that in only 500 words? I could cite statistics that show how devastating the epidemic has been statewide: seven deaths in Worcester County the first nine months of 2015, ,one death in Garrett County in that same time period, and 189 deaths in Baltimore City. Some neighborhoods have been decimated. In fact, the only county in Maryland that was spared a heroin overdose death in that time period was Caroline County.
Buying Health
Nothing is more important than your health. You’ll spend hours shopping for the right outfit. Shouldn’t you be as careful when you’re shopping for your health? Few things are quite as frustrating as going to a doctor and leaving feeling like you are no better off than when you went in. Certainly some situations are complex and can’t be addressed in a single visit but there are things you can do to up the odds of a satisfying visit.