With the chilly breeze and below freezing temperatures, I have already taken out my gloves this year. Winter is around the corner, but it feels like it has already arrived! The sun sets early, and snow is already starting to fall.
 
With the cold weather, it is important to take increased caution with your health. The first week of December has two relevant observances: National Handwashing Awareness Week, which starts today and runs through Dec. 7, and National Influenza Vaccination Week, which starts on Sunday and goes until Dec. 11.
 
After more than a year and a half of constantly being reminded to wash your hands due to COVID-19, it is important not to become complacent and to remember that washing your hands prevents you from contracting flu and other viruses too. Common colds and the flu travel swiftly through populations, and the best way to prevent getting a sickness is by washing your hands, along with other preventative measures such as wearing a mask and social distancing.
 
Washing your hands is not just a quick rinse of water. When washing your hands, you should do so for at least 20 seconds. It is vital to scrub beneath fingernails and between fingers. It is also crucial to consider soap quality in your home. Antibacterial soaps can help bacterial DNA evolve to become antibiotic resistance. Pick a favorite song and sing the chorus while you scrub!
 
If you don’t feel a need to wash your hands for yourself, keep in mind washing your hands keeps the people around you safe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, washing your hands can decrease your chances of getting a respiratory infection by 16%.
 
The highlight of National Influenza Vaccination Week is, of course, to emphasize the importance of the flu vaccine. We have spent most of our time recently on the fear of getting COVID, and it is easy to forget how other viruses also affect your life. Getting your COVID vaccine is pertinent, but so is getting your flu vaccine.
 
Some individuals believe that they don’t need the flu vaccine or that getting influenza isn’t a big deal. If you have had the flu before, you know the virus is no joke. Flu symptoms can last for a month and can have severe consequences, especially in the elderly, and can even result in hospitalization or death.
 
And even though MCHD Clinical Services emphasized getting flu vaccines in October, if you haven’t yet, now is a great time, especially if you plan to gather with friends and family for the holidays. Once you get the flu vaccine, it takes two weeks to become fully effective.
 
If you have questions about the flu vaccine or are hesitant, talk to your health-care provider. Here are some questions and answers from the CDC.
 
A flu vaccine is recommended for everyone over the age of 6 months and is especially important for the elderly, individuals with compromised immune systems or diseases such as diabetes, and pregnant women, to help both them and their child up to the age of 6 months when the inoculation is recommended.
 
We are just starting to see the light coming out of a pandemic. With the holiday season and the end of the year coming up, we don’t want to be 6 feet apart anymore. Do yourself a favor as winter approaches. Wash your hands and get your flu shot. And, if you haven’t gotten your COVID vaccine, or need a second dose or a booster, that will help you stay healthy too.
 
Keep your body safe and keep your loved ones safe.
 
To make an appointment for a flu vaccine, call MCHD Clinical Services at 304-598-5119. To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, click here.

As with many tasks in life, when it comes to HIV testing, the waiting is sometimes the hardest part. 

That’s one reason why Wednesday, Dec. 1, will be a convenient time to get an HIV test at Monongalia County Health Department at the Access for All Clinic. 

Participants will be offered the chance to get a rapid HIV test.  A quick finger stick and 30 minutes later, the individual will know the results.

“If someone is borderline or positive, that is followed up with a blood test,” said Chantry Michael, RN, of MCHD Clinical Services.

And if that individual would like to talk to someone about treatment or to get help anonymously contacting partners, a West Virginia Bureau for Public Health disease investigation specialist will be on hand to help.

In addition to HIV, individuals can also get screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea, via a urine sample, and syphilis and hepatitis B and hepatitis C, which requires a blood draw. Individuals can also choose to just have a regular HIV test as well.

“If someone is high-risk, we’ll do the hepatitis B test,” Michael said. “Most times, the full panel is everything but hepatitis B.”

This seemed like a good year to commemorate World AIDS Day with a large clinic. After all, MCHD Clinical Services has been reopened for more than a year now since the pandemic began, and while the world has been focusing on COVID, we need to remember to test and treat for other illnesses as well. 

Also, our public health nurses have been working hard to reduce the stigma surrounding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and also recently underwent Safe Zone training through the West Virginia University LGBTQ+ Center to learn ways to care for patients from that community more effectively and empathetically. 

“Anyone who calls and schedules an appointment, we always try to make them feel comfortable,” Michael said. “We’re here for them with no judgment. It doesn’t matter what brought you here. We want to do what’s best for our patients.”

Also, STI rates have been on the rise, even syphilis, once considered to be a disease of the past. Especially when caught early, syphilis can be easily cured with antibiotics, which is also the treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea. 

We’ll also have other incentives to draw participants, including Kroger and Walmart gift cards provided by the WVU Medicine Positive Health Clinic, which is also supplying the rapid result HIV tests. 

Also, in addition to appointments, which can be made by calling MCHD Clinical Services at 304-598-5119, walk-ins will also be welcome during the event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 1. 

The Access for All Clinic also helps to illustrate that, just like going to the dentist or your primary provider, STI screenings should be part of your regular health care routine.

Conceived by the World Health Organization (WHO), the first World AIDS Day was held on Dec. 1, 1988, in the midst of the pandemic that emerged earlier in the decade.

The idea was to highlight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which, if left untreated, usually led to AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and also death.

Treatments for the virus have vastly improved the outlook for individuals with HIV since then, said Mark Liptrap, MCHD’s social worker and counselor.

“The advancements in HIV research have been remarkable and treatments are very effective,” Liptrap added. “Individuals who test positive for HIV these days and begin treatment early can have a very normal and healthy life.”

And knowledge is power, Liptrap noted. 

​So call 304-598-5119 to make an appointment or the Access for All Clinic, or even just walk on in to be tested.

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. In fact, smoking leads to more than 480,000 deaths annually. West Virginia has the highest smoking and tobacco usage rate in the U.S. The national smoking rate is 15.9% of adults. The rate for West Virginia is 23.8% of adults. Are you contributing to this statistic? 

Smoking causes damage to almost every organ in your body. It leads to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancer and more. People who smoke have on average a 10-year shorter lifespan. Quitting smoking leads to a healthier, happier and longer life. You can find more statistics here and facts here.

As the end of the year approaches, smokers in West Virginia should be encouraged to consider quitting. Always held on the third Thursday in November, the Great American Smokeout falls on Nov. 18 this year. This annual intervention by the American Cancer Society urges smokers to try quitting for one day. 

The truth is that quitting is difficult. However, it is not impossible. The point of the Great American Smokeout is that if you can quit for one day, you can see how it is possible to quit for two days, three days, a week, a month, a year and a lifetime. 

If you don’t want to quit for just the day, take the time to plan. Making a comprehensive plan and sticking to is crucial in ensuring your success. Here are tips to help you plan:

• Write down why you are quitting on a piece of paper and keep it with you while you are going through the process. When you struggle, look at the piece of paper.
• Plan your quit day on an important day like a birthday or anniversary to make it special. If the day has significant meaning, it can motivate you to keep going.
• Gather support from your loved ones. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will keep you on track. Stay away from others who might tell you otherwise such as smokers who don’t want to quit. This will keep you determined.

Consider how to fight cravings. There are many techniques, such as the 4D’s — such as drinking water, deep breathing, doing an activity or delaying. Wait for five minutes… and then another five and keep on going.

Finding what works for you could be critical in fighting the urge to smoke.

At Monongalia County Health Department, we take smoking cessation seriously. A visit to MCHD Dentistry includes a thorough mouth exam and tobacco cessation education. Staffers at the MCHD Women, Children's, and Infants (WIC) program also emphasize not smoking to pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding participants.

There are many resources in West Virginia to assist you as well. A quick internet search will result in millions of options. One of the resources is the WV Tobacco Quitline. You can get counseling and quitting aids. You can also visit the Great American Smokeout website for resources as well. There are also resources for you if you want to support someone. 

You are not alone in your struggle. You’ll be joining thousands who also want to change their lifestyle on Nov. 18. New Year’s is around the corner as well. If you have the motivation to quit smoking, consider making it your New Year’s resolution. Remove yourself as a statistic in West Virginia. Take a step forward in your journey towards a smoke-free life. 

By Jhanvee Patel 

If you or someone you know has diabetes, you know how difficult it can be to live with the condition. For people who don’t know anyone with diabetes, it is hard to understand not only the physical effects but the mental ones. 

Diabetes is considered an epidemic in the state of West Virginia. 

In the United States, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death. According to the CDC, 34 million people in the U.S have diabetes. West Virginia has a greater percentage: 15.7%. We have the highest rate in the country. More than 1 in 10 adults is affected by diabetes in West Virginia. Find more information on West Virginia and diabetes here. 

In rural areas of the state, it is difficult to gain access to information and treatment of diabetes. November is American Diabetes Month. Every year, communities affected by diabetes come together to bring awareness to the condition that impacts so many. In West Virginia, the first step in addressing this issue is education.

Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that affects the breakdown of sugars in your body. In ds type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is unable to make insulin, which is needed to regulate blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is considered milder and is a result of the body being unable to respond to insulin and breakdown sugar. Prediabetes is a condition where an individual’s blood sugar is consistently high. It can lead to type 2, however, it is also reversible. 

After understanding what diabetes is, it is crucial to learn how to prevent and manage diabetes. 

There are many risk factors such as having a direct relation with the condition or being overweight. Find a comprehensive list here. Signs of diabetes include increased thirst, urination and hunger. If you are at risk, there are plenty of ways to prevent the onset. The main pointers are to ensure you are physically active and eating healthy. Here are more specific steps you can take to mitigate risks. It is important to see a doctor if you have concerns.

If you are living with someone who has diabetes, it is critical to know how diabetes causes social, psychological, physical and financial distress. While diabetes can be managed, over time complications can arise. Physically, diabetic patients are at increased risk for heart disease, kidney damage and other life-threatening damage. 

Psychologically, people with diabetes are at increased risk for depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Patients require having both their mental and physical needs met. Here are some resources for people struggling mentally with diabetes. 

Diabetes can also be costly, which prevents people from treating it. Patients must manage their diet and pay for medication. Here are some tips for saving money if you have diabetes. WVU Medicine has a Diabetes Education Center. Be sure to look for resources and reach out if you or a loved one is affected by diabetes.

Many people with diabetes go undiagnosed because they fear the lifestyle consequences or do not have resources. As a West Virginia resident, during the month of November, educate your community about diabetes. With proper access to information on diabetes, we can work together to decrease West Virginia’s diabetes percentage.