Could You Have Diabetes and Not Know It?

Approximately 12,000 seniors, living in Columbus, don't know that they have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Getting checked for diabetes is very important, for both detection and prevention.
 
So, the next time you see your physician, ask about Medicare's free diabetes test. Click here for a brochure.

Healthy Lifestyle

Better lifestyle habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. Click here to learn what you can do to help prevent heart disease and stroke. This information is provided by the American Heart Association.
 

Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen and nutrients to the brain either bursts (hemorrhagic stroke) or is clogged by a blood clot or some other mass (ischemic stroke). For more information please visit the American Heart Association: Stroke web page.

How many times have you seen destroyed homes on the news after a tornado or a hurricane has made landfall and said, "That won't happen to my home."? Well, the picture to the left is of a Columbus home after a tornado in 2007. Some things are out of our control, but we can take simple steps to be more prepared for natural disaster emergencies.

For a disaster recovery checklist and plan, please visit
www.Ready.gov

When was the last time you changed the batteries in your smoke detector? According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, homeowners should change their smoke detector batteries every time they reset their household clocks to standard time (the last Sunday of October).

For more information please visit
Change Your Batteries

How many times each day do you travel with your child in the car, van, or truck? Even though you may be a good driver, each trip you take carries the possibility of a car crash. Car crashes account for the largest number of accidental injuries and deaths in our children.

For more information please visit
Columbus Health SafeKids Car Seat Safety

It only takes a matter of seconds for a child to drown. Even those who survive can be left with permanent brain damage. Many children drown in their own homes in bathtubs, toilets and buckets of only a few inches of water. Ditches, post holes, wells, fish ponds and fountains are other forms of hazards commonly found near many homes. Never leave your child alone near water.

For more information please visit
Columbus Health SafeKids Water Safety Program

Burns are the third leading cause of accidental death among children. Every year an estimated 83,000 children ages 14 and younger are treated in hospital emergency rooms for burn-related injuries. Of these, 59,000 are thermal burns and 24,000 are scald burns. Every year about 800 children are killed in home fires in the United States.

For more information please visit
Columbus Health SafeKids Fire Safety Program

"Home Safe Home": a sweet home is a safe home for children. Every year thousands of children are injured in the very place that should be their safe haven. Safe Kids Columbus works diligently to educate parents, caregivers, and children about the dangers found in the home in the hopes to reduce the number of injuries from poisons, falls, burns, and puncture wounds.

For more information please visit
Columbus Health SafeKids Home Safety Program

Bicycling and skating are a seemingly inevitable part of childhood. Unfortunately, the injuries that come with these activities also seem to be just as inevitable if not probable. It is imperative that every member and leader in the community does all that can be done to reduce the severity of these injuries. Safe Kids Columbus is committed to reducing the number of injures that children receive by educating them to become better cyclists with regard to helmet usage and the rules of the road.

For more information please visit
Columbus Health SafeKids Bike Safety Program

According to recent estimates, nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it. In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer." The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

Flu pandemics have occurred throughout history. Most experts agree that the question is not if another flu pandemic will occur but when.

For more information please visit
PandemicToolKit.com

Beware of holiday lighting. Take care when burning candles. Be sure they are kept away from decorations or other combustible materials. Don't leave children unattended in a room with lit candles, and always keep candles, as well as matches and lighters, out of the reach of children. Never display lighted candles in windows or near exits. Lit candles should not be used as tree decorations. 

For more information please visit
The American Red Cross' Winter Tips

Burns are the third leading cause of accidental death among children. Every year an estimated 83,000 children ages 14 and younger are treated in hospital emergency rooms for burn-related injuries. Of these, 59,000 are thermal burns and 24,000 are scald burns. Every year about 800 children are killed in home fires in the United States.

For more information please Visit
http://www.state.il.us/osfm/Arson/JuvenileFiresetters.pdf