CDC urges everyone: Get ready to stay cool before temperatures soar

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging people to prepare for extreme heat this summer by staying cool, hydrated, and informed. “No one should die from a heat wave, but every year on average, extreme heat causes 658 deaths in the United States—more than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and lightning combined,” said Robin Ikeda, MD, MPH, acting director of the National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “Taking common sense steps in extreme temperatures can prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths.”
Extreme heat can lead to very high body temperatures, brain and organ damage, and even death. People suffer heat-related illness when their bodies are unable to compensate and cool themselves properly. Extreme heat affects everyone, but the elderly, children, the poor or homeless, persons who work or exercise outdoors, and those with chronic medical conditions are most at risk.
A study released today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that 7,233 heat-related deaths occurred in the United States from 1999 to 2009. An analysis of 2012 data indicates that deaths are on the rise. In a 2-week period in 2012, excessive heat exposure resulted in 32 deaths in four states, four times the typical average for those states for the same 2-week period from 1999-2009. More than two thirds of the deaths (69 percent) occurred at home, and 91 percent of those homes lacked air conditioning. Most of those who died were unmarried or living alone, and 72 percent were male.
According to CDC’s Environmental Tracking Network from 1999 to 2009 three states, Arizona, California, and Texas accounted for approximately 40 percent of all heat-related deaths in the United States. Across the nation, heat-related deaths occur more frequently among males and among adults aged 65 and older.
CDC recommends that local governments engage in advanced planning and preparation to minimize deaths from extreme heat events and to heighten public awareness about the dangers of excessive heat exposure. Advance planning should include increasing access to air conditioning, cooling stations or other public locations that can be used by residents for temporary relief from heat, particularly when temperatures are elevated for several consecutive days.
“Heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable. Taking steps to stay cool, hydrated and informed in extreme temperatures can prevent serious health effects like heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” said Ethel Taylor, DVM, MPH, the study’s lead author.
CDC is offering new resources, including a new website to prepare for extreme heat, new data on heat-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and a Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events guidebook. The new resources not only provide prevention information; but also, data to illustrate the devastating impact extreme heat exposure can exert on a person’s daily life.

New Resources on Extreme Heat

• Extreme Heat and Your Health Website: This new page collects CDC resources on extreme heat in one place and provides information on how to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths for a variety of audiences. The site can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/extremeheat/
• Environmental Public Health Tracking Data: CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network introduces new data on heat-stress hospitalizations and emergency room visits from 2000-2011. This adds to the records already available on extreme temperatures, heat-related deaths, and social and environmental conditions that make people vulnerable to extreme heat. Decision makers can use these data to plan how and where to focus efforts to protect the public from extreme heat. The Tracking Network can be accessed at www.cdc.gov/ephtracking.
• Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events Guidebook: This recently released guidebook for state and local health departments describes how to prepare for and respond to extreme heat events and explains how the frequency, duration, and severity of these events are increasing as a result of climate change. An audio file for the recent CDC extreme heat event webinar is also available for tips and guidance. The guidebook is available at http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/ClimateChangeandExtremeHeatEvents.pdf The webinar archive can be accessed at: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/meetingArchive?eventId=qozysq4qk56y
• Workplace Solutions Bulletin: This recently released NIOSH bulletin provides updated statistics, case studies and recommendations for workers and employers to follow in order to reduce the risk of heat-related illness when working outdoors. The report provides specific guidance, examples and it adds to the available resources that illustrate how extreme heat exposures can lead to occupational illnesses and injuries and possible death. The NIOSH resources are available at:
  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2013-143/
  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/

For more information on extreme heat and heat safety, call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or visit www.cdc.gov/extremeheat.

Men's Health Month: Take action daily to live a healthier and productive life.

Men can make their health a priority. Take action daily to live a healthier and productive life.

 

Take a bike ride. Toss a ball. Eat less salt. Try more veggies. There are many easy things you can do every day to improve your health and stay healthy.

Get Good Sleep

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Also, insufficient sleep is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related accidents, causing substantial injury and disability each year. Sleep guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation have noted that sleep needs change as we age. In general, adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep.

• Sleep and Sleep Disorders

Toss out the Tobacco

It’s never too late to quit. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits. It improves your health and lowers your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
Also avoid being around secondhand smoke. Inhaling other people's smoke causes health problems similar to those that smokers have. Babies and kids are still growing, so the poisons in secondhand smoke hurt them more than adults.

• Smokefree.gov
• Protecting Our Children from Secondhand Smoke

Move More

Adults need at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) every week, and muscle strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) on two or more days a week. You don't have to do it all at once. Spread your activity out during the week, and break it into smaller chunks of time during the day.

• Physical Activity for Everyone
• Physical Activity and Disability

Eat Healthy

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. They are sources of many vitamins, minerals, and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol. Choose healthy snacks.

• Nutrition for Everyone
• Eat Less Salt

Tame Stress

Sometimes stress can be good. However, it can be harmful when it is severe enough to make you feel overwhelmed and out of control. Take care of yourself. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Find support. Connect socially. Stay active.

• Managing Stress
• Meditation

Stay on Top of Your Game

See your doctor or nurse for regular checkups. Certain diseases and conditions may not have symptoms, so checkups help diagnose issues early or before they can become a problem.

• Get the Preventive Medical Tests You Need

• Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age (AHRQ)

Pay attention to signs and symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, excessive thirst, and problems with urination. If you have these or symptoms of any kind, be sure to see your doctor right away. Don’t wait!

• Cancer and Men
• HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease Signs and Symptoms

Keep track of your numbers for blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), or any others you may have. If your numbers are high or low, your doctor or nurse can explain what they mean and suggest how you can get them to a healthier range. Be sure to ask him or her what tests you need and how often you need them.

• High Blood Pressure
• Checking Your Blood Glucose
• Cholesterol
• BMI

Get vaccinated. Everyone needs immunizations to stay healthy, no matter how old you are. Even if you had vaccines as a child, immunity can fade with time. Vaccine recommendations are based on a variety of factors, including age, overall health, and your medical history.
Vaccines can protect you and your loved ones from serious diseases like: influenza (flu); shingles; pneumococcal disease; human papillomavirus (HPV) infection; and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whopping cough)—all three of which the Tdap shot protects against.
Other vaccinations you may need include those that protect against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox (varicella), measles, mumps, and rubella. Ask your doctor or nurse which vaccines you need to stay healthy.

• Vaccine Information for Adults

Content from CDC

It’s The Season To Be Healthy Especially For Men

There are celebrations for anything and everything these days like ‘National Dance Like A Chicken Day’ and ‘Lost Sock Memorial Day’. All we need is an excuse to celebrate! So how about channeling our efforts on celebrating something that is meaningful and otherwise largely ignored?
June is the season for Men; it is Men’s Health Month. If you are racking your brains on how to celebrate this, we can offer a few suggestions. Men may not particularly care about cards and flowers, but let’s quietly or publicly acknowledge the important role they play in our lives. A little appreciation goes a long way. We can start by thanking them for all their hard work and sacrifice in providing for their families. Since Father’s Day falls right in the middle of this awareness period, we could give him the best gift of all: the gift of health. We should encourage him to visit a healthcare professional, to eat healthy and to exercise often. And let’s not forget to practice what we preach and set an example for him. That’s one of the only ways to get through to him.
Anchored by a Congressional health education program, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities. Community outreach leaders, churches and healthcare providers will be working to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases among men and boys all throughout the country and around the globe. Men’s Health Month is sponsored by Abbvie, Pfizer, and Men’s Health Network.
With a five-year life-expectancy gap between men and women, it is hardly a secret that men need to pay more attention to their bodies, especially since several things work against them. They tend to smoke and drink more than women. They don’t seek medical help as often as women. In fact, according to Center of Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) women are 100% more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men. But it’s not all their fault, men are taught from an early age to work and play through pain, and that “big boys don’t cry”. This ‘tough and macho’ attitude lingers with them through adulthood causing them to ignore health concerns by ‘pushing through it’. Moreover, too many men define themselves by their work, which can add to stress and consequently deteriorate their health.
There are also health conditions that are specific only to men, such as prostate cancer and low testosterone. Many of the major health risks that men face - like colon cancer or heart disease - can be prevented and treated with early diagnosis. Screening tests can detect diseases early, when they are easier to treat. It’s important to have regular checkups and screenings, and June is a great opportunity to get checked.
Problems generally get worse when ignored, and men are pretty good at ignoring their health. At a recent Dialogue on Men’s Health meeting comprised of national health leaders, the barriers men face in dealing with their health was a point of discussion, and experts in the field agreed that men can be their own worst enemies by not paying attention to health messages. They also shared that men are more likely to go for check-ups when urged to do so by someone they love.
Whether you are a spouse, daughter, son, mother, sister, or a friend, it’s time to step up and make a difference in helping the men you care about live healthy and productive lives. So encourage them to see a healthcare provider in June, or better yet, set the appointment for them yourself. This is a call to action and it shouldn’t be ignored! Let’s do it for the guys!

by Kimaya Dixit

June 1, 2013