Jefferson County Health Department Hosts Spa Day for Breastfeeding Moms

The Jefferson County Health Department is hosting a Spa Day for breastfeeding mothers on Wednesday, August 10th.  The event is in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Month and gives us a chance to "pamper"  breastfeeding Moms.  Door prizes and light refreshments will be provided.
For more information, please call 618-244-7134 ext 229.

Illinois Department of Public Health Safety Tips for Heat

SPRINGFIELD - With high temperatures expected over the next couple of days, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. is urging Illinoisans to take preventive actions to avoid heat-related illness like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“High heat and humidity can lead to serious health problems. It’s important for people to recognize the signs of heat-related illness and take action to prevent becoming sick,” said Director Shah. “To help your body cope with high temperatures, take steps to stay cool, increase your fluid intake, decrease your activities and wear appropriate clothing.”
Stay Cool

•  Stay in air-conditioned buildings. Cooling centers can be found by logging onto http://www.illinois.gov/KeepCool/SitePages/CoolingCenters.aspx.
•  Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device.
•  Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when it is the hottest part of the day, and avoid direct sunlight.
•  Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
•  Take cool showers or baths to lower your body temperature.
•  Check on at-risk friends, family, and neighbors at least twice a day. These may include seniors and people with chronic health conditions.

Stay Hydrated

•  Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to hydrate.
•  Drink two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside.
•  Avoid alcohol or beverages with high amounts of sugar.

Stay Informed

•  Check the local news for extreme heat warnings.
•  Visit www.dph.illinois.gov for heat related information.

Normally, the body cools itself by sweating. However, if temperatures and humidity are extremely high, sweating is not effective in maintaining the body’s normal temperature. If the body does not cool properly or does not cool enough, a person may suffer a heat-related illness, which can become serious or even deadly if unattended. Warning signs and symptoms vary but may include:
Heat Exhaustion
Symptoms

•  Heavy sweating
•  Weakness
•  Skin cold, pale, and clammy
•  Weak pulse
•  Fainting and vomiting

What You Should Do

•  Move to a cooler location
•  Lie down and loosen your clothing
•  Apply cool, wet cloths to as much of your body as possible
•  Sip water
•  If you have vomited and it continues, seek medical attention immediately

Heat Stroke
Symptoms

•  High body temperature (above 103?F)
•  Hot, red, dry or moist skin
•  Rapid and strong pulse
•  Possible unconsciousness

What You Should Do

•  Call 911 immediately – this is a medical emergency
•  Move the person to a cooler location
•  Reduce the person’s body temperature with cool cloths or a bath
•  Do NOT give fluids

People most vulnerable for heat-related illness include the elderly, those who work or exercise outdoors, infants and children, the homeless or poor, and people with a chronic medical condition.
The Illinois Department on Aging encourages relatives and friends to make daily visits or calls to senior citizens living alone. When temperatures and humidity are extremely high, seniors and people with chronic health conditions should be monitored for dehydration and other effects of extreme heat. Additionally, seniors should eat lighter meals, take longer and more frequent rests, and drink plenty of fluids.
Never leave anyone, including pets, alone in a closed, parked vehicle. The air temperature inside a car rises rapidly during hot weather and can lead to brain damage or death.
Log onto www.ready.illinois.gov for more heat safety information and updates on statewide weather watches, warnings, and advisories.

Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 19-25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            CONTACTS:

June 17, 2016                                                                          Patti Thompson    217-557-4756

                                                                                                                                                                       

IEMA Cautions “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors”

Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 19-25

SPRINGFIELD – “When thunder roars, go indoors” is more than a catchy phrase about lightning safety. It’s a reminder that you’re at risk of being struck by lightning if you’re outdoors and can hear thunder. That’s the message the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the National Weather Service (NWS) and local emergency management agencies will promote during Lightning Safety Awareness Week June 19-25.

“We all enjoy being outdoors on beautiful summer days,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “But don’t push your luck when thunderstorms are in the area. There’s absolutely no picnic, golf game or other outdoor activity that’s worth risking your life.”

Joseph added it’s important to remain inside a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle for 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder.

According to the NWS, there were no lightning-related fatalities in Illinois in 2015. Nationwide, 27 people were killed by lightning. The fatalities occurred while people were fishing, working, walking, camping, riding motorcycles, under or near trees, or participating in other outdoor activities.

“To date, all of the lightning fatalities in the U.S. have occurred outdoors,” said Heather Stanley, meteorologist with the NWS office in Lincoln. “Checking the weather forecast should be a step in planning any outdoor activity. But most importantly, don’t hesitate to act if you hear thunder. No place is safe outside in a thunderstorm.”

While fewer than 10 percent of people who are struck by lightning are killed, many lightning strike survivors suffer various degrees of disability. Only a few lightning strike victims actually suffer burns, and these are usually minor. However, many lightning strike survivors are left with debilitating life-long effects, including memory loss, personality changes, fatigue, irreparable nerve damage, chronic pain and/or headaches, difficulty sleeping and dizziness.

-more-

People shouldn’t hesitate to help someone who has been struck by lightning since victims do not carry an electrical charge. The surge of electricity through a lightning victim’s body causes cardiac arrest in most fatalities, so immediate medical attention is critical. If the victim doesn’t have a pulse and isn’t breathing, CPR should be administered immediately. 

For additional tips on lightning safety visit the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

Consumer Advice For Recalled Flour Linked To Multistate E. coli Outbreak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            CONTACT:

June 2, 2016                                                                            Melaney Arnold – 217-558-0500

                                                                                                melaney.arnold@illinois.gov

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing  Escherichia coli O121 (STEC O121) infections.  Thirty-eight people in 20 states, including four in Illinois, have been infected with the E. coli strain.  The four individuals live in Chicago, suburban-Cook, Brown, and McHenry counties.  There have been no deaths. 

The bacteria is a strain of E. coli that can cause serious illness.  Collaborative investigative efforts indicate that flour produced at the General Mills facility in Kansas City, Missouri, and sold nationwide is a likely source of this outbreak.  On May 31, 2016, General Mills recalled several different sizes and varieties of Gold Medal Flour, Gold Medal Wondra Flour, and Signature Kitchens Flour due to possible E. coli contamination. 

What should people do?

·        First, it’s important to check your pantry for the recalled flours.  If you move your flour from the original packaging into a different container and don’t remember what brand it was, throw out the flour and wash the container before reusing.

·        Second, don’t eat or play with raw dough or batters or allow children to do so.  Even tasting a small amount could make you sick.  Flour and raw eggs in uncooked doughs and batters can be contaminated with germs.  Even doughs and batters made without eggs can be contaminated.  Bake and cook all doughs and batters according to recipes or packaging before eating.

Products like cookie dough or cake batter ice cream are made from ingredients which have been treated to make them safe to eat without further cooking.

Most people infected with E. coli get bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps 3-4 days after being exposed and recover within a week.  For some groups, like young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, E. coli infection can cause a type of kidney failure, called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

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