Health

January is Radon Awareness Month in Iowa. Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that causes no immediate health symptoms, but long-term exposures can cause lung cancer. It comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil. Simple test kits can reveal the amount of radon in any building.

All of Iowa is considered to have unsafe levels of radon, however, Allamakee County is prone to have even higher numbers due to the fractured bedrock and karst topography under our feet. Fractures in the bedrock create small cracks and fissures that allow radon to move easier through the stone and soils and make entry into homes.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 18 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held in the VMH Large Conference Room on the hospital’s lower level.

This month, Brandy Strub, Veterans Memorial Hospital registered dietitian, will join facilitator Angie Mettille in presenting the topic of food and discussing the foods that are advertised as healthy, but in fact are not. They will explain the types of foods that should be avoided and what some better alternatives would be.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. In case of inclement weather, the group will cancel if Allamakee Community Schools are closed or starting late. Attendees are encouraged to stay home if they feel sidewalks or roads are too slippery to go out and stay safe.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, January 16 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. This meeting was rescheduled to this date, which is one week later than normal, due to inclement weather last week.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support meets the second Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
 

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Medical Clinic in Waukon is now offering extended hours every Monday through Thursday evening until 7 p.m. to offer better access for parents and students following the work and/or school day.

Patients are now welcome to walk-in to the clinic between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. any Monday through Thursday evening, without an appointment.  This walk-in clinic is available for acute, non-emergent needs such as the following: broken bones (other than hips or femurs), cough/cold, diarrhea, ear aches, fever, flu, minor burns, minor cuts, muscle strain, pink eye, rash/hives, removal of foreign body, sinus infection, skin infection, sore throat, urinary tract infection and vomiting.

The “C.H.A.D.” labels, pictured with this article, are available for labeling of infant and child car seats. These complimentary labels can be found at the front desk of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH), the Waukon Clinic and the Postville Clinic, for anyone to take to label their car seats.

This safety seat identification program was developed as a result of a traffic crash involving a 13-month-old-boy named Chad. The babysitter who was driving in this accident was killed. Chad was injured, but no one at the scene could identify him.

So, to ensure rapid identification of a child in the case of an emergency such as described above, the Travelers Protective Association is encouraging all infant and child car seats to be identified with one of these labels.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 18 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.
 

Exercising is important to do all year round. One should not feel that they need to stay indoors to exercise during cold weather. A good workout outdoors in the winter can be very exhilarating.

Just follow the steps below for keeping it a safe outdoor winter workout:
• Warm up longer than usual before heading outdoors in cold weather.
• Keep skin dry. This in turn will keep the exerciser warmer.
• Dress accordingly using many layers. Be sure that the outer layer will break the wind. Add a fluffy layer, like fleece or wool, to trap heat in. And long underwear is good to keep the skin dry.
• Always wear a hat to prevent heat loss through the top of the head.
• Wear mittens instead of gloves to allow air to circulate better between the fingers, keeping the hands warmer.

Beginning next week, the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Medical Clinic in Waukon will begin to offer extended hours every Monday through Thursday evening until 7 p.m. to offer better access for parents and students following the work and/or school day.

Patients are welcome to walk-in to the clinic between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. any Monday through Thursday evening, without an appointment, for acute, non-emergent needs such as the following: broken bones (other than hips or femurs), cough/cold, diarrhea, ear aches, fever, flu, minor burns, minor cuts, muscle strain, pink eye, rash/hives, removal of foreign body, sinus infection, skin infection, sore throat, urinary tract infection and vomiting.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, January 4, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 18 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.