Category: 52 Weeks to Health

Tobacco: A Winnable Battle Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States and around the world.   Tobacco killed one hundred million people worldwide in the 20th century — and if current trends continue, it will kill one billion people in the 21st century.  Every year, tobacco kills more than 480,000 Americans and six million people worldwide. A Winnable Battle  We know how to win the fight against tobacco. Science and experience have identified proven, cost-effective strategies that prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke. These strategies include: Higher […]

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month and May 19th is Designated Hepatitis Testing Day Are you at risk? Take the Hepatitis Risk Assessment. Hepatitis or inflammation of the liver can be caused by viruses, medication, toxins, excessive alcohol intake but most commonly by viruses named Hepatitis A, B or C. Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. People who get hepatitis A may feel sick for a few weeks to several months but usually recover completely and do not have lasting liver damage. The hepatitis A virus is found in the stool and blood […]

Hand Hygiene When Should You Wash Your Hands? Before, during, and after preparing food Before eating food Before and after caring for someone who is sick Before and after treating a cut or wound After using the toilet After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste After handling pet food or pet treats After touching garbage How to Wash Your Hands? Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather […]

Oral Cancer The Oral Cancer Foundation states 145 Americans will be newly diagnosed per day with oral cancer.  Close to 54,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year. It will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour. Most oral and oropharyngeal cancers are attributed to tobacco use, alcohol use, or HPV-16 virus exposure. When found at early stages of development, oral cancers can have an 80 to 90 % survival rate. Unfortunately, at this time, the majority are found as late-stage cancers.  The death rate attributed to late-stage cancer is about 43% at five years […]

World Immunization Week – celebrated every year in the last week of April – aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Immunization saves millions of lives every year and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful health interventions. Yet, there are still nearly 20 million children in the world today who are not getting the vaccines they need, and many miss out on vital vaccines during adolescence, adulthood and into old age. Using the theme ‘Long Life for All’, World Immunization Week 2022 will urge greater engagement around immunization […]

STIs/STDs A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an infection caused by bacteria or a virus. It is also known as a sexually transmitted infection. STDs are spread by oral, genital, or anal sex. Some examples of STDs are chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea. HIV and viral hepatitis are the most common sexually transmitted infections. If you are sexually active, getting tested for STDs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STD testing with your doctor and ask whether you should […]

Public Health is Where You Are Where we live impacts our communities’ health. And we can make our communities healthier, stronger and safer! We’re excited to announce the 2022 National Public Health Week theme is “Public Health is Where You Are.” Your local health department’s mission, generally speaking, is to promote the public’s health. Public health professionals try to prevent problems from happening or recurring through implementing educational programs, recommending policies, promoting healthy lifestyles, assuring a safe environment and through the detection and control of infectious diseases. In contrast, clinical professionals like doctors and nurses, focus primarily on treating individuals […]

Alcohol And Your Health Drinking too much can harm your health. Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 95,000 deaths and 2.8 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 29 years. Of all alcohol-attributable deaths, more than 70% involved men and more than 80% involved adults aged 35 or older. Death rates due to excessive alcohol use varied across states, ranging from 21 per 100,000 population in New York and New Jersey to 53 per 100,000 population in New Mexico. The economic costs of […]

NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH: Celebrate a World of Flavors During National Nutrition Month®, celebrated each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to “Celebrate a World of Flavors” by making small, healthy shifts in food choices when cooking at home. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend making small changes to eating patterns to include healthier ingredients while cooking at home. Choosing a variety of healthful foods across and within all food groups helps reduce the risk of preventable, lifestyle-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. “Evidence shows that making dietary and lifestyle changes can […]

DIABETES ALERT DAY: America, Take the Test! One in three American adults is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, so on March 22 the Lake Cumberland District Health Department encourages you to take a quick (and anonymous) one-minute test to find out if you’re one of them. By understanding your risk, you can take the necessary steps to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Why is American Diabetes Association Alert Day so important? An estimated 96 million American adults have prediabetes, which means they have blood glucose (sugar) that’s higher than normal. People with prediabetes are at risk […]