Community Health Charities is helping you get a Healthy Start to the New Year! In partnership with our member charities, Community Health Charities continues to offer National Health Day email updates to businesses throughout the state to promote and enhance the health and wellness of employees and their families. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in learning more about any of the monthly National Health Day topics or the health initiatives of Community Health Charities. We may offer a Lunch & Learn relevant to a topic that may be of interest to the employees in your workplace. To support any of the 34 health charities we represent, be sure to ask about our charitable giving campaigns for the workplace to support your health charity(ies) of choice. Winter Tips to Keep You Healthy Avoid shoveling snow if you are in poor physical condition or if health factors make it risky. Never smoke while shoveling. If you become short of breath while shoveling, stop and rest. If you feel pain or tightness in your chest, stop immediately and call 911. Avoid direct contact with those who have colds. Wash your hands frequently. Stay home if you are sick. Encourage your elderly relatives to keep their thermostats above 65 degrees to avoid hypothermia. People with medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney problems, and arthritis are at higher risk for hypothermia. Dress in layers when going outside. Wear mittens instead of gloves. Do not ignore shivering. This is a first sign that the body is losing heat. Persistent shivering is a signal to return indoors. Take advantage of the weather and give yourself some "down time". Enjoy indoor activities that you may have been putting off. Avoid getting gasoline or alcohol on your skin while de-icing and fueling your car or using a snow blower. An increase in heat loss from the body can occur when these liquids come in contact with the skin. Keep stairs and walkways free of ice to prevent falls and fractures. Stock your shelves with canned goods and other non-perishables that would provide you a source of food if you lost power. To prevent dry skin, take shorter showers and baths and avoid hot water. Moisturize your skin immediately after bathing to prevent your skin from drying. National Cervical Cancer Month Did you know that the most common cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV)? Not every women diagnosed with the HPV infection will develop cervical cancer. An estimated 9,710 cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2006. Besides the HPV virus, other risk factors may include having many sexual partners, having intercourse for the first time at an early age, and the use of oral contraceptives. In June 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed a new vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by HPV. For more information on cervical cancer, HPV, or the vaccine, contact www.fda.gov or www.cancer.org. Source: American Cancer Society, 2006 Cancer Facts & Figures, and the Food and Drug Administration website www.fda.gov Radon Awareness Month Radon, an invisible and odorless gas that can enter homes through cracks in the basement floor or from well water, is estimated to cause 21,000 deaths annually from lung cancer in the United States. Prolonged exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The only way you know if you are exposed to radon is to test your home. The American Lung Association of Connecticut offers a radon test kit and information packet for $12.00. This includes postage, handling, and telephone counseling. To order a kit or for additional information, please call 860-289-5401. More information on radon can be obtained at www.lungusa.org. Source: American Lung Association of Connecticut and American Lung Association. Birth Defects Prevention Month Birth defects are the leading cause of death in the first year of life. About 120,000 babies (1 in 33) are born with birth defects each year in the United States. Birth defects accounted for an estimated one in five infant deaths in Connecticut last year. Every three and a half minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. Genetics and the environment can cause a birth defect. For more information on birth defects, go to www.modimes.org. A Lunch and Learn related to birth defects and pregnancy is available. Please refer to topic 7 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: March of Dimes.