What do you want this holiday season? Peace and goodwill? Time with family and friends? To give and receive gifts? Good health?

The last one can be a bit unpredictable, with cold and damp weather, the start of flu season and the stress of trying to achieve the perfect holiday.

But there are steps you can take to ward off illness and to feel your best.

Both National Influenza Vaccination Week and National Handwashing Awareness Week ended Saturday, but the message remains the same: Your best bet to avoid flu is to get vaccinated. Good handwashing with warm water and soap, and other tips such as avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth, are also key. If you still haven’t gotten a flu vaccination, you can make an appointment to get one at Monongalia County Health Department by calling 304-598-5119.

And, of course, there are other ways to keep yourself in check so you can avoid getting sick. These tips are good year-round, and we especially want to make sure to observe them now.

First up is get enough sleep. Of course, this isn’t always easy for everyone. To help get enough z’s, be consistent in your bed time, including on weekends. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing and at a comfortable temperature. Also, avoid watching TV or reading on your tablet, laptop or smartphone in bed. Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.

Another tip for good sleep is also good advice in general. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night. This is also good for dealing with the darker winter days and the extra food we tend to eat during the holiday season.

Speaking of food… of course holidays are a time that many of us indulge. Try not to overdo. Attending a holiday party? Don’t arrive starving. Have a healthy snack before heading out. Do you work in an office where cookies and other treats pop up, especially this time of year? Don’t feel the need to sample each kind. It might taste good but you might not feel so great later.

New Year’s is right around the corner and maybe you are thinking of resolving to lose weight then, but you can still try to avoid packing on pounds in the weeks leading up to 2019.

Alcohol is another area where it’s good to exercise moderation. Of course, too much alcohol over a period of time can damage your health. It also adds a lot of unnecessary calories to your diet. And if you are attending a holiday party or event, don’t drink and drive. If you do plan to have a cocktail or two, make sure you have a designated driver. Or call a taxi or Uber to get home safely.

Taking care of mental health is also important, whether it’s stress from running around trying to get everything done to have a “perfect” holiday, or loneliness from feeling left out of festivities or missing loved ones who are no longer with us.

Avoid setting unrealistic expectations. Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect holiday. Overspending increases anxiety. Planning is also useful: Consider setting aside funds each month to buy presents.

And if you are lonely or struggling, seek help. Sometimes social activity—joining a group or volunteering—might be the answer. Other problems might require counseling. If things get really bad, there is a hotline that provides guidance: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Of course, holidays are a time to think about friends and family. But taking care of yourself first is another way to help ensure that it’s a wonderful time of the year.

Is it a coincidence? Or does it just make sense? This week, Dec. 2-8, is both National Influenza Vaccination Week and National Handwashing Awareness Week.

After all, these are the two best ways to avoid getting the flu.

Even though the holiday season has begun, it’s still not too late to get your flu vaccine yet. If it’s still on your to-do list, you can make an appointment to get one by calling Monongalia County Health Department's Clinical Services at 304-598-5119. It takes about two weeks for full protection to set in, so if you have plans to gather with family later this month, now is the time to act.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that during the 2016-17 flu season, the vaccine prevented an estimated 5.3 million flu illnesses, 2.6 million medical visits and 85,000 flu hospitalizations.

Of course, most people who get the flu will recover in a week or so with fluids and rest. Others, however, will develop serious complications, and some will land in the hospital. During the most recent 2017-18 flu season, the CDC estimates that flu caused 49 million flu illnesses; 960,000 flu hospitalizations and 79,000 deaths.

The flu vaccine is recommended for just about anyone from the age of 6 months and up. Flu can be particularly hard on children, the elderly and those who have conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease and lung disease. Pregnant women are advised to get a flu vaccine not only for themselves, but also to help protect their babies during their first six months.

Even if the flu vaccine isn’t a great match for this season’s virus—the vaccine inoculates against three or four of the strains predicted to be most active—it still provides protection. And if you do get the flu, it can lessen the symptoms and the length of time you are sick.

That leads to the second way to avoid flu—hand washing. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: 20 seconds of thoroughly scrubbing your hands with warm water and soap go a long way toward preventing illness. Wash your hands several times a day, including before and after preparing food or caring for a sick person, after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

The importance of hand-washing became important to me when I first worked in an office that required punching in a code to gain entry. Once after I watched a co-worker sniffling with a bad cold ahead of me, I made sure to wash my hands often.

And speaking of coughing and sneezing, avoid doing it into your hand. That’s what your elbow is for. Or  use a tissue.

Hand washing is important not only in the fight against cold and flu viruses, but also Hepatitis A. A Hepatitis A outbreak in southern West Virginia is just starting to wane; efforts have been made to keep avoid a similar situation in North Central West Virginia.

Many people have long to-do lists during the holidays, but adding a flu vaccine and frequent hand-washing will go a long way toward making the season merry and bright.

Before John was first diagnosed with diabetes 10 years ago, he remembers feeling very thirsty. “I couldn’t get enough water to drink,” said John, a Morgantown resident who asked that his real name not be used.

He went to see a doctor, who told him that he had type 2 diabetes. “I said, ‘No, I don’t.’” The diagnosis surprised him even though, looking back at his life, as far back as childhood, he would have episodes where he felt sick, sweaty and shaky.

At the time of the diagnosis, John felt he was in good shape. “I was real active until my late 40s, and I wasn’t overweight. I exercised a lot.”

John began coping with diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas either doesn’t make any insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin for the body to be able to break down the sugar in foods for your body’s cells to get energy.

In addition to thirst, diabetes symptoms can include urinating often, feeling hungry even though you are eating, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, cuts and bruises that are slow to heal and tingling pain or numbness in the hands and/or feet.

Getting a diagnosis can help patients manage their symptoms and control their diabetes. In conjunction with the WVU School of Nursing, Monongalia County Health Department’s Clinical Services offers a Diabetes Clinic. Kendra Barker, a nurse practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a board certification in Advanced Diabetes Management (ADM), heads up the clinic, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays by appointment.

John learned about the Diabetes Clinic just as it was getting started two years ago when he came to MCHD to get his flu shot. While vaccinations are important for everyone, they are especially necessary for people who have conditions that can affect their immune systems.

Although John still sees his primary caregiver, who put him on medication—Trulicity—that has really helped him, he finds his visits with Barker to be productive. When the Trulicity was going to cost $900 a month, he began going without it. Barker put him on a drug, Metformin, that he could afford in a formulation—extended release—that he could tolerate. John’s insurance situation later changed and he was able to go on Trulicity.

Barker also helps John in other ways, such as encouraging him to exercise and lose weight.
“My knees are so bad that I couldn’t do much, so Kendra wrote a prescription that got me into rehab in a swimming pool,” John said. “That worked out.” His mobility has improved with the treatments and helped him to become more active.

In addition to meeting with Barker at the Diabetes Clinic, patients also can attend a Diabetes Support Group Barker holds that takes place on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at MCHD. Sometimes specialists will discuss topics such as kidney or liver disease or other ways in which diabetes can affect the body.  

“And we always have diabetes-friendly foods,” Barker said, such as a recent offering of Zucchini Pizza Boats. “It’s important for people to try new foods. When people get diabetes, they feel there is nothing that they can eat, because if they eat carbs, it can make their sugar go up. We help them discover healthy choices.”

Could you have diabetes? More than 1 in 10 adults in West Virginia do, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources. That’s 15 percent, making West Virginia the state with the second-highest rate of the chronic disease. Also, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 7 Americans don’t know they have diabetes.

You can take an online quiz at diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/ to gauge the likelihood that you have diabetes. You also can make an appointment at the MCHD Diabetes Clinic at 304-598-5119, for testing and, if necessary, help in managing diabetes.

It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year: the holiday season! A time for family, friends, fun and, of course, food! Whether you’re preparing or just feasting, read these simple food safety tips to avoid spending the holiday season sick from food illness.

Before you start preparing, always remember to wash your hands! It is important to wash your hands before eating or drinking in addition to before and after food preparation. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after touching raw meats, eggs and any unwashed fruits or vegetables. Of course, hand washing also must be done after going to the bathroom, petting your dog or cat and any other situation that would require you to sanitize your hands again.

If you are making a turkey for your holiday feast, make sure to thaw it properly. Do not thaw a turkey, or any food item, on the counter. Room temperature thawing provides the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply rapidly. A great way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator, for 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. For more rapid thawing, you can thaw a turkey in a sink of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.

When you cook your turkey, or any other meat, poultry or seafood, use a thermometer to make sure it’s done to the correct temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This link features a chart of various temperatures, along with other handy food safety information, including how to avoid cross-contamination, not only by keeping your hands clean but also making sure dishes, utensils and countertops are also sanitized.

Cooking your turkey to the correct temperature is always important, but a multi-state outbreak of salmonella in turkey makes it even more vital now.

In between cooking dishes, properly store the food by either keeping warm foods hot or cold foods in the refrigerator. This period in between cooking is known as the “danger zone” where bacteria can grow rapidly.

And what’s a holiday meal without dessert? Do you have fond memories of making baked goods with family over the holidays? Baking can be a great holiday tradition, but it is important to remember to not eat the dough or batter being used. Dough and batter with flour or eggs can contain harmful germs including E. coli or salmonella. Especially do not let small children eat or play with any dough or batter.

Many baked goods or other holiday favorites contain raw eggs. Make sure to use pasteurized eggs for these dishes considering Salmonella can live inside and outside of eggs. Also keep foods such as eggs separated to avoid cross-contamination which could cause germs in your refrigerator.

Women who are expecting have a higher risk of getting food poisoning. Avoid drinking beverages or eating foods containing raw or unpasteurized milk such as eggnog or cheese dips as they could contain the harmful germs like Listeria. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis, a rare but deadly infection caused by Listeria, than any other person.

When all is said and done—and eaten—careful clean-up is important too. Make sure to store leftovers in the refrigerator no more than two hours after your meal to prevent bacteria from growing on food.

Follow these food safety steps to help prepare a safe, enjoyable holiday meal. Happy holidays!

Do you smoke? If you do, have you considered quitting?

It might seem overwhelming, but if you take it a day at a time, it becomes more manageable.

That’s the idea of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, which takes place this Thursday, Nov. 15.

Smokers are encouraged to avoid cigarettes, tobacco and vaping—which health officials have found to be a not-so-safe alternative to smoking—for a day.

After that, perhaps they would be encouraged to try another day, and then another.

When it comes to West Virginia smokers, there is some good news and some bad news.

The good news: The number of adults who smoke in West Virginia has declined from 28.6 percent in 2011 to 24.8 percent in 2016.

What’s more, health officials attribute this decrease at least in part to teens exposed to anti-smoking programs like RAZE in high school and then aging into adults who didn’t pick up a cigarette habit.

The bad news? West Virginia still has the highest smoking rate in the United States. Kentucky, the commonwealth with whom we often trade this distinction back and forth, is slightly below us at 24.5 percent.

The national average in 2016 was 15.5 percent; 17.5 percent were males and 13.5 percent were females.

Utah comes in with the lowest smoking rate at 8.8 percent, followed by California at 11 percent, the only two states that are under 12 percent.

Most smokers know that it’s not healthy for them, but the extremely addictive quality of tobacco makes it difficult to quit. Here are some fast facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov):

•    Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body.

•    More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking.

•    Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

•    Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.

And are you a smoker who also has children? Because, as the CDC also notes, secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms and slowed lung growth.

Hopefully, these facts will motivate some smokers to try to quit. There are resources that can help. The West Virginia Tobacco Quitline has enrolled more than 73,000 people for Quitline services since it was started in 2000.

West Virginia's Quitline is free to all state residents over the age of 18. The Quitline offers four proactive coaching calls and unlimited reactive calls. Participants are eligible for eight weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy—patches, gum or lozenges.

And the Great American Smokeout website also offers some tips, both for smokers as well as their families and friends. These include the suggestion to make your home smoke-free and removing all ashtrays and lighters to help a smoker who is trying to quit. More advice can be found here. 

Is this the year you quit smoking? If you start on Nov. 15, then by the time the new year rolls around, you might have to think of another resolution to make. And you will begin 2019 feeling better both physically and emotionally.

So on Thursday, give it a try. Just for a day. And then maybe for another …