Health And Fitness

Based on early data, the 2014-2015 flu season could be severe. Protect yourself and your family against seasonal flu. Getting vaccinated and taking everyday precautions—like washing your hands, covering your cough, and staying away from sick people—are the best ways to keep yourself healthy this flu season. Flu symptoms include: -A 100F or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever) -A cough and/or sore throat -A runny or stuffy nose -Headaches and/or body aches -Chills -Fatigue -Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea (most common in children) Do I have the flu or a cold? The flu and the common cold have similar symptoms.

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Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy—and ready to enjoy the holidays. 1. Wash hands often to help prevent the spread of germs. It's flu season. Wash your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds. 2. Manage stress. Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and out of control.

By David Condry, Project Coordinator Benton County Above the Influence Coalition During the holidays, many people look forward to celebrating with their family and friends, and serving alcohol is often a part of that celebration.  To ensure that everyone remains safe and enjoys their holiday gatherings, it is always important to take the extra time for necessary planning.

You’re feeling pretty lousy. You’ve got sniffles, sneezing, and a sore throat. Is it a cold, flu, or allergies? It can be hard to tell them apart because they share so many symptoms. But understanding the differences will help you choose the best treatment. “If you know what you have, you won’t take medications that you don’t need, that aren’t effective, or that might even make your symptoms worse,” says NIH’s Dr.

We frequently hear about blood drives and the supply needs of our community but rarely do we learn about the impact of our giving community. In the past two years the blood drives held at Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics have yielded more than 250 pints of blood. Blood donated in our community stays in our community and that’s an incredible asset for a rural hospital.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says all three flu viruses covered by this year’s vaccine - A(H3N2), A(H1N1) and B - are currently circulating in Iowa. Nationally, an additional A(H3N2) strain is accounting for about half the illness seen across the country so far this year. The CDC today announced the current influenza vaccine does not offer as effective protection against this strain.

Winter holidays—do they fill you with joy or with worries about gift-giving and family gatherings? Do summer vacations leave you relaxed or fretful over travel and money? If you’re feeling stressed out over supposedly fun things, it might be time to reassess. Take a few moments to learn how stress affects your health and what you can do about it.

  December marks that perfect time of year when everything but the weather is winding down, a time of holidays, family, friends, food, and celebration. It’s a month that closes out the year, only to help usher in what promises to be an exciting new year ahead. It’s a month of joy, bonding, and laughter. Yet may it also be a month of reflection and a month of action, as December is, by Presidential proclamation, National Impaired Driving Prevention month.

Families across Iowa will gather for their annual Thanksgiving feast soon, and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) wants to help ensure the only post-meal regret they may have is that they ate too much – not that they ate something that made them sick. “IDPH often sees a rise in foodborne outbreaks following holidays that include big meals,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr.