What’s on your schedule today? Working at your desk? Maybe watching some TV?

Do you plan to get some exercise in? What about meals? Treats are good now and then but are you trying to eat healthy, starting with breakfast, the food foundation of the day?

Today is Women’s Health & Fitness Day—a day to jump for joy. Or just jump. Or if you have knee issues like me, walking is good. Or swimming. There are so many options. How do you get your steps in?

The goal of this national event is to encourage women to take control of their health, according to the Health Information Resource Center, the organizer of the event. It’s also designed to showcase women’s health resources available.

In Morgantown, of course, we have a bounty of health care options—two hospitals, many specialists and primary care physicians and physician assistants, some of whom are available into the evening on a walk-in basis.

And of course, there is Monongalia County Health Department. Our Clinical Services program offer immunizations, breast exams and pap smears, pregnancy testing, low-cost and free birth control, free STD testing and treatment and colposcopy.

It might be time to take stock. When was your last Pap smear? Mammogram? MCHD Clinical Services can refer patients for those. What about a blood panel? Prevention is key to catching any issues early and can make treatment a lot quicker and easier.

We also offer a few clinics, and two of them can help people with ongoing health issues. People with diabetes can visit the Friday Diabetes Clinic to learn tips on how to deal with their condition better. There even is a meeting on the first Tuesday of every month that participants can attend for free.

Then there is the Hepatitis Clinic, which is also held on Fridays. Hepatitis rates are on the rise: There is an outbreak of Hepatitis A in southern West Virginia, and the state has the highest rates of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in the country. Everyone born between 1945 and 1965 should be tested for Hepatitis C. There are guidelines to determine which other risk factors individuals might have that would necessitate a test.

If you would like to make an appointment for either clinic, or for any other MCHD Clinical Services treatments, call 304-598-5119.

Then there is exercise. Do you get at least 10,000 steps a day? A fitness tracker will not only count your steps for you, but it also can be very motivating. A few short walks a day can really improve your step count.

What about other forms of exercise? There are a plethora of gyms and classes in Morgantown. There is yoga, Pilates, cycling classes and the regimen known as CrossFit. There is a river where you can kayak—and West Virginia University’s Student Rec Center offers affordable rentals. And while Morgantown might not be the most walkable city, the rail-trail system greatly helps on that front and provides a handy bicycling path too.

If you want to work out at home, that’s totally understandable. Earlier this year, I set up a workout space in my basement. A stationary bicycle, a TV, a Blu-ray play and streaming devices can really let you mix it up. And if you want to skip the Blu-ray player, YouTube offers a ton of exercise videos that are tailored to your needs. Yoga for bad knees? Low-impact cardio? High-intensity workout? You can find just about everything and get a great workout without leaving the comfort of your home.

Eating right also contributes to your health goals. If this area needs improvement, don’t get overwhelmed trying to make too many changes at once. Maybe try to go a week without soda and see how that goes. Add more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Practice portion control. If you don’t finish your entire meal and then you get hungry later, eat a healthy snack.

Are you a pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding mother? MCHD’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program targets women and their children up to the age of 5 who qualify. Clients get nutritional counseling as well as help at the supermarket to buy specific healthy food items. Want to learn more? Call 304-598-5181.

Making a few changes here and there can add up. In fact, if you’ve tried some methods of improving your health and want to share, we’d love to hear it.

Did you know that left untreated, chlamydia can cause permanent damage to a women’s reproductive system?

And that human papillomavirus (HPV) can lead to a variety of cancers in both women and men?

And if you’ve been reading the headlines lately, you’ve probably seen that both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are on the rise.

September is Sexual Health Awareness Month. It’s not a topic that people love to discuss. But considering that 1 in 2 sexually active people will get a sexually transmitted disease before the age of 25, it’s one we should have.

Comedian Whitney Cummings, working with the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA), had the right idea by handing out free smoothies to young adults who listened to her spiel on sexual health in a video.

“I feel like everyone is concerned about their health from a food and exercise perspective, but they’re not taking care of their sexual health,” she told one young woman.

The statistics are not pretty. According to ASHA, only 12 percent of sexually active young people get tested for STDs in a year. In that same time frame, 3.7 million new cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia are diagnosed.

And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, having an STD such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis can increase your chances of getting HIV, which, when left untreated, can lead to AIDS. This is because the same behaviors and circumstances that may put you at risk for getting an STD can also put you at greater risk for getting HIV. In addition, having a sore or break in the skin from an STD may allow HIV to more easily enter your body.

However, many people avoid get tested. Why? Cummings and her crew offered some reasons: People are embarrassed, or they think they are invincible or that it’s not a big deal. Or they think there is a stigma attached. The same people might go to the gym, eat healthy and get regular dental checkups. But STD testing isn’t on their radar.

But there is good news. When caught early, chlamydia and gonorrhea are easily treatable with antibiotics. Hepatitis B and HPV can be prevented with vaccines. Children on the current CDC-recommended vaccination schedule already receive the Hepatitis B vaccine as babies. The HPV vaccine is recommended for both girls and boys at around the age of 12.

While we don’t have free smoothies at Monongalia County Health Department, our Clinical Services program does offer free STD testing and treatment. We also have vaccines, including for Hepatitis B and HPV. Our public health nurses provide confidential and judgment-free treatment to all their patients.

Because STDs don’t always exhibit symptoms, Cummings noted that it’s good to get in the habit of getting tested regularly. Women can do this annually when they visit their OB/GYN. One woman noted that she thought it was a good idea to get tested before you start dating a new person. “Like a reset or sorbet between courses,” Cummings replied. Men should get tested too, with the frequency based on their sexual habits.

And to the woman who said she already does get tested, Cummings noted that it sounded sexy, like “she respects herself.”

Of course, prevention also goes a long way. The CDC recommends reducing risky behaviors and, if necessary, the number of sexual partners. Limit or eliminate the use of alcohol and drugs before having sex, because they impair judgement. Use condoms consistently and correctly.

And remember, “Yes means test.”

Are you tired of the rain yet? There might be more coming. After a hot and dry August, the rainy season has arrived just in time for September’s National Preparedness Month.

Hurricane Florence was headed toward North Carolina, and storms were predicted to head on up to West Virginia. The storm’s trajectory just changed, however, and it looks like West Virginia might be spared another drenching in the immediate future. But the path already changed once; it could change again.

Either way, it’s always good to be prepared. And because it’s National Preparedness Month, of course we’re going to offer advice on how to deal with flooding.

Ready.gov, the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s website devoted to the topic, has a very thorough section on flooding.

Here at Monongalia County Health Department’s Threat Preparedness program, one of the first things we like to emphasize is the danger of driving through water on the road. You might be surprised at how little water is required to sweep a vehicle into a rushing, overflowing creek or stream. According to Ready.gov, just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.

As we like to say, “Turn around, don’t drown.” For an illustration, check out a video by the National Weather Service.

Through realistic animation, you can see firsthand what it might be like to suddenly lose control of your car as it heads down a stream, crashing into branches until a large tree halts its course and causes it to start sinking. You should also stay off bridges that span fast-moving water.

It’s a worst-case scenario, but why take a chance? As MCHD Threat Prep Directed Jamie Moore noted, this type of event accounts for the highest percentage of flood deaths in West Virginia.

And if you do get caught in your car in rushing water, stay in your vehicle for as long as you can. If water is rising inside the car, seek refuge on the roof of the vehicle.
Ready.gov suggests other ways to prepare yourself for flooding. First, know the types of flood risk that typically happen in your community. You can look up flood maps on FEMA’s website.

Sign up for a warning system, including the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio. And learn and practice evacuation routes. This is especially vital if you live in an area prone to flooding. You might have to make a judgment call on whether to evacuate; other times, it might be a mandated order.

It’s also good to know when to shelter in place. In those instances, you’ll want to have a variety of items in your household, including flashlights, batteries, charging devices and plenty of food and water for your household for a few days. Also keep everyone’s medications in mind, as well as food and water for pets.

FEMA also suggests getting flood insurance. If you live in an area that floods, you know how important that financial aid is. And if you don’t, it’s an inexpensive way to have peace of mind in case something does happen.

When you do get flood insurance, or if you have other important documents, keep them in a waterproof container. Also create password-protected digital copies.

Finally, look around your home. Could you move valuables to higher levels? Would a sump pump with a battery be useful in your basement? How about drains and gutters. Are they cleaned out?

If your home does flood, there are also tips to follow to deal with cleanup. If you have evacuated, only return home when it’s safe. Snakes and other animals may be in your house, so wear heavy boots and gloves. Beware of the risk of electrocution. Don’t touch electrical equipment if it’s wet or if you are standing in water. If it’s safe to do so, turn off the power to avoid electric shock. And use a generator only outside and away from windows.

Another preventative measure is to make sure you are up-to-date on your tetanus shot, which you should get once every 10 years. You can get a Tdap vaccine, which also protects against diphtheria and pertussis, or whooping cough, from your health provider or through MCHD Clinical Services. Call 304-598-5119 to make an appointment.

Hopefully, this will be TMI—or too much information—for this weekend’s weather. But it’s always good to review your situation and make sure you are prepared in case something does happen.

A year ago, the city of Houston was still covered in water, the remnants of the devastating Aug. 25 Hurricane Harvey.

Today we are halfway through hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 1. So far, this year is shaping up to be much milder than 2017, other than Hawaii’s brush with Lane last week.

That does not mean we should let our guard down, however. And the flooding that happened in Mannington in Marion County less than a month before Harvey illustrates that these types of disasters do hit close to home.

When one does, will you be ready?

That’s the hope of Monongalia County Health Department’s Threat Preparedness program. We’re promoting National Preparedness Month, which offers a wellspring of useful information via the website Ready.gov.

And it doesn’t even have to be a disaster. You’ve probably lost power in your home. What did you do? Did you have enough flashlights so you could make your way around the house? And even though you knew the power would come back on eventually, did you wonder if it would be out long enough to disrupt your plans? Would your food last in the refrigerator? How would you get ready for work without power?

Those situations make you realize you want to be better prepared in the future.

Ready.gov has divided September into four main points of emphasis. The first one—make and practice your plan—hits close to home. Let’s examine steps you can take now to make life easier if something happens.

First, consider how you might learn about a disaster or some other incident.

In this day and age of cell phones and a 24-hour news cycle, this is easier than ever. Also in play is IPAWS, or the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System that was developed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. IPAWS can deliver a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) via a 90-chararacter text to mobile devices in case of emergency. The WEA will tell you the type of alert and what you should do in response.

If you use social media, you probably know that Facebook and Twitter are great ways to find out what is going on in your community. You can follow key pages, including the Dominion Post, the city of Morgantown, and, of course, Monongalia County Health Department. We post updates almost daily on health news in the area.

You can also follow the social media of your local neighborhood associations. This is a great way to meet neighbors, which could be even more vital down the road during an incident. There are also apps such as Nextdoor. You can download it to your smartphone and get alerts about lost cats, power outages or worse.

Next, make a plan for your family. Do you have a shelter plan? What items would you need if you couldn’t leave home for a few days? This is where having an emergency kit comes in handy. It should include food and water for everyone in your household—including pets—to last three days. Count on a gallon of water per person per day.

Other items should include a first aid kit, battery-powered radio and flashlights as well as plenty of batteries for both, moist towelettes and garbage bags for personal sanitation, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a manual can opener for food, a local map and a cell phone plus charger and a back-up battery plan.

There is a lot more information on preparedness at Ready.gov. It’s not fun to think about disasters, whether due to weather, power outages or a violent incident. But there is peace of mind knowing that you are prepared for the worst while hoping for the best.