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Radon 
January celebrates National Radon Awareness Month.
Radon is a colorless, ordorless radio-active gas that comes from the natural breakdown of radium. Radon gas from the soil can enter a home or building through dirt floors, hollow-block walls, cracks in the foundation floor and walls, and openings around floor drains, pipes and sump pumps. It is typically more highly concentrated in basements, ground floors and the first floor of homes.
It is the second leading cause of lung cancer with approximately 20,000 deaths per year. Roughly 50% of Iowa homes are expected to have radon and it is 100% avoidable.
So, what can you do?
The only way to know if radon is present in your home is to test for it. Easy to use, radon test kits are available for $5 at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health.
For more information visit our website or contact Healthy Homes Coordinator, Erik Gustafson at 641-421-9339. |
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Department Quick Links...
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Travel Preparedness
As winter weather and hazardous road conditions are upon us, it's important to be prepared for weather related emergencies. 1. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order. Tires should be in good condition for maximum traction. 2. Keep your windshield washer full and have good wiper blades so that you can keep the windshield clean and clear. 3. Keep plenty of fuel in the tank. You never know when you may be delayed or stranded.
4. Pack a winter survival kit to keep in your vehicle:
-Booster cables
-Blankets
-Candles and matches
-Snow shovel
-Ice scrapper
-Extra clothing
-High-calorie, nonperishable food
-Sand or strips of carpet for traction
-Flashlight and extra batteries
-First-aid kit
-Bottled water.
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Pertussis
Pertussis, also called "whooping cough," is a disease caused by bacteria that is easily spread from person to person.
Pertussis is usually mild in older children and adults and is most common in infants less than 1 year of age, but anyone can get it.
It is especially important for parents, older children and other adults who are around infants to get vaccinated.
Pertussis can usually be prevented by 5 doses of combined diphtheria, tetanus and Pertussis vaccine beginning at 2 months of age. Most children who receive 5 doses of vaccine are protected, but the protection wears off after a number of years.
Watch this PKids Online video, as one family speaks out about their struggle with Pertussis.
For more information visit our website. |
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Greetings!
Happy New Year! At the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health we encourage you to make healthy choices throughout the year. Here are some simple ideas to get you started:
1. January is National Radon Awareness Month, have you tested your home? 2. Cerro Gordo County women may be eligible for free breast and cervical screenings, have you scheduled your annual screening? 3. We are in the midst of flu season, have you received your flu vaccine, TDAP vaccine to protect yourself and your loved ones from Pertussis or simply checked to make sure your immunizations are up to date? 4. Have you considered taking the smoke-free home and car pledge to protect your loved ones from second-hand smoke? Or, better yet, have you considered quitting? If so, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. 5. Are you overwhelmed with care-taking for a loved one? Call us, our home health care services can help! 6. Are you considering losing weight? Look into the Live Healthy Iowa 100 Day Wellness Challenge.
All of us at Public Health wish you a happy and healthy New Year! Sincerely, Alanna Davison Public Information Officer Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health |
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Job Opening
The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health is looking for a part-time Home Health Care Aide. Visit our website to learn more. |
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Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
Attention Women: as we start to think about our New Year's resolution, lets start with a simple health goal: Scheduling our annual breast and cervical screenings!
Did you know...that only half of women over 40 years are getting their annual mammograms? Those numbers are even lower among women without health insurance. Screening saves lives, but only if women get screened!
Did you know...that many Cerro Gordo County women qualify for
FREE pelvic exams, pap smears, mammograms or breast screenings?
These services are available to: -Cerro Gordo County women age 40-64 -Any woman of any age who has signs of breast cancer -Non-insured, under-insured women or those unable to pay insurance deductible or co-pays For more information visit the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health website or call us 641-421-9315 (toll-free at 1-800-264-2581). There is no reason why we shouldn't start the New Year off right, by thinking of our health and scheduling our annual screenings! Early detection saves lives'! The Iowa Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program is coordinated through the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health and is supported by a grant from the Des Moines Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. |
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Wellness Corner
Live Healthy Iowa 100 Day Wellness Challenge
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), 67.2 percent of Iowa adults and 11 percent of Iowa children are overweight or obese. Iowa currently ranks 22nd in the nation for adult obesity, with a rate of 27.6 percent. While many Iowans wish to lose weight to look better, there are significant medical reasons to take weight loss seriously. Obesity has been shown to contribute to many potentially serious health problems, including:
·Metabolic syndrome
·Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
·Osteoarthritis
·Skin problems, such as impaired wound healing
·Sleep apnea
·Stroke
·Type 2 diabetes
·Blood (fat) lipid abnormalities
·Cancer, including cancer of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, breast, colon, rectum and prostate
·Depression
·Gallbladder disease
·Gynecological problems, such as infertility and irregular periods
·Heart disease
The desire to get fit and lose weight is commonly among the list of top ten New Year's resolutions. The Live Healthy Iowa 100 Day Wellness Challenge is a fun, easy and affordable way to help Iowans make healthier food and activity choices. This team-based physical activity, nutrition and weight loss program is designed to promote positive changes leading to a healthier lifestyle. The Live Healthy Iowa 100 Day Wellness Challenge begins January 20, 2011. Make plans now to form a Live Healthy Iowa team to help kick-start your healthy lifestyle efforts in 2011.
For more information about the program, visit www.livehealthyiowa.org.
Visit our Online Wellness Center and learn more about nutrition, exercise and overall wellness. We have lots of helpful tips! |
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Thank you for choosing Public Health!
Our Mission Statement:
Dedicated to enhancing the health status of our communities through public health initiatives.
Our Vision Statement:
Building an integrated community health system supported by public and private partnerships to meet new and ongoing health challenges.
Our Value Statement:
We believe disease prevention, human dignity, respect for individual choices and access to quality health services are basic rights of all.
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