Category: 52 Weeks to Health

Managing Diabetes – It’s Not Easy, But It’s Worth It If you have diabetes, you know the day-to-day steps needed to manage diabetes can be hard. Managing diabetes can be easier if you set goals and make a plan. This is important because research has shown that managing diabetes as early as possible can help prevent diabetes-related health problems such as kidney disease, vision loss, heart disease and stroke. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and the Lake Cumberland District Health Department want you to know that many people struggle with diabetes and you are not alone. Managing diabetes is […]

Smoking…The Deadly Truth Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined.  Astonishingly, 119,000 of Kentucky kids under the age of 18 will ultimately die a prematurely death from smoking this year, according to Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.   3,200 kids in Kentucky start smoking each year. Tobacco smoke is a deadly mix of more than 7,000 chemicals, almost 70 of which cause cancer. The evidence is clear, smoking can be deadly.  Don’t start and be a statistic. If you smoke and want to stop call your local health department or visit our website […]

How to Properly Thaw Food Uh, oh! You’re home and forgot to thaw something for dinner. You grab a package of meat or chicken and use hot water to thaw it fast. But is this safe? What if you remembered to take food out of the freezer, but forgot and left the package on the counter all day while you were at work? Neither of these situations is considered safe, and these methods of thawing may lead to foodborne illness. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or egg products, as any perishable foods, must be kept at a safe temperature during […]

Breast Cancer Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. These cells usually form a tumor that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump. . It occurs almost entirely in women, but men can also have breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. (Only lung cancer kills more women each year.) Death rates from breast cancer dropped 40% from 1989 to 2016 and since then have remained steady in women younger than 50, but have continued to decrease in older women. Knowing how your […]

Your Future is Key to Stay Drug Free Red Ribbon Week is celebrated October 23 – 31, 2019 and the theme is “Send a Message. Stay DRUG FREE”.  Red Ribbon Week is the oldest, largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year.  During this week communities, agencies and organizations are asked to wear red ribbons to take a stand again drugs. On a separate note, it is important to point out that Kentucky is one of the unhealthiest states in our nation; but, a few healthy lifestyle choices could change this. First, eating normally […]

BULLYING: Talking to Children Source: National Bullying Prevention Center (Pacer: Bullying.) Bullying affects everyone who’s involved. Children who are involved experience mental health issues, physical symptoms, and poor school performance. You can help your child recognize the signs of bullying. Children often don’t understand when someone is being bullied. They may feel someone is joking or may not understand social norms. Children should be informed of the differences between friendly behaviors and bullying behaviors. When talking to children about bullying parents should listen, react in ways to encourage trust from the child, be supportive, be patient, provide information that the […]

Understanding Mental Illness The purpose of the following information is to provide a general understanding of what mental illnesses are, and to address some facts associated with these disorders.  What is mental illness? Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder […]

National Preparedness Month Throughout September, the Lake Cumberland District Health Department and numerous partner agencies will support emergency preparedness efforts and encourage citizens to take action to become better prepared for disasters and emergency situations. Prepare Globally. Diseases know no borders, which is why we need to work together to stop epidemics quickly and close to the source. Partners around the world are combining efforts to prevent, detect, and quickly respond to public health emergencies of international concern. Prepare Locally. In the U.S., state and local health departments play a critical role in keeping people safe from public health threats. […]

How Can You Prevent Rabies in Animals? There are several things you can do to protect your pet from rabies. First, visit your veterinarian with your pet on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for all cats, ferrets, and dogs. Second, maintain control of your pets by keeping cats and ferrets indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision. Third, spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly. Finally, call animal control to remove all stray animals from your neighborhood since these animals may […]