Getting enough sleep can ensure that you always wake up on the right side of the bed.

It also helps to keep you immune system strong, which is important as the seasonal flu season winds down and as the states that border West Virginia have all reported cases of COVID-19, or coronavirus.

It's a timely message made more so by the fact that it's National Sleep Awareness Week, as designated by the National Sleep Foundation.

For many people, hitting the hay is something you can only do after everything else in the day is done. The truth is that sleep is a vital part of human activity. We spend about one-third of our lives asleep. Without enough of it you can suffer from mental and physical exhaustion, mood swings and a weaker immune system. People who consistently lack proper sleep have also been found to be at a higher risk of developing cancer. 

One of the most effective ways to improve your sleep is to make it into a schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same times every day. Your body will naturally react by regulating its circadian rhythm, which is the brain’s natural on and off cycle. As you adapt to this change you will be able to “feel” when it’s time for some shut eye. A consistent sleep schedule is a crucial step towards waking up feeling like you are ready to take on the day.

Limiting exposure to technology is another way to improve sleep but it’s often the most neglected step. The blue light that is emitted from cell phone and computer screens inhibits melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that controls your body’s sleep and wake cycle. Without a sufficient level of this, you can be left feeling restless or alert. 

Checking emails and social media involve a high level of cognitive energy. The more engaged your brain is with tasks the harder it will be to fall asleep. Try to cut off your screen time at least 30 minutes before going to bed. If possible, set your phone farther away in the bedroom rather than on your nightstand. Vibrations and other notification sounds can disturb you during deep sleep. Interrupting your body in this stage of rest can greatly affect the amount of quality sleep hours you get. 

So how many hours of sleep do you really need? Well there are a few factors that change the numbers. Age is one of them. Teenagers up to age 17 and younger children require the most sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that school age children (6-13) get about 9-11 hours, and teenagers (14-17) get around 8-10. Adults ages 18 and beyond should aim for a consistent 7-9 hours of shut-eye. 

Level of physical activity also influences sleep. Those who exercise multiple times per week should aim for about an hour more sleep than typical recommendations. Consistently hitting those numbers is also very important. Regularly obtaining quality sleep time aids in exercise recovery, improved metabolism and immune health.

When I was in high school I struggled with proper sleep. As a school athlete year-round, rest was something my body really needed but did not always get. I would go to bed whenever I was done playing on my phone or when I finally finished homework that could have been done hours before. Rarely did I get in the ballpark of 7-9 hours. It wouldn’t be until after I graduated and went on to college that I finally started focusing on sleep. Here are some of the practices that work best for me and how they have changed my daily experiences:

• As mentioned earlier, make sleep a routine. I go to bed at 11:00pm and wake up at 7:00am. I have done this for a few years now, and I wake up without an alarm clock because my rhythm is solidified.
• Keep your bedroom comfortable. I prefer the temperature to be around 68 degrees or cooler. Don’t cheap out on bedding. After all, one-third of your life will be spent in bed! Comfort definitely helps me fall and stay asleep.
• Drink a little bit of water before going to bed. Waking up at 3am with cotton mouth is not a pleasant experience.
• Cut off technology use about 30 minutes before bed. This allows my mind to settle down and it makes sleep come easy.
• Manage your time. I look for good stopping points on my work that I can pick up on the next day.

My bedtime practices have significantly changed my daily mood and how I feel overall. Sleep should not just be thought of as the last part of the day. It is part of your daily obligations. Try gradually incorporating these steps and other methods that the National Sleep Foundation recommends into your life. You may be surprised how much of a difference it makes.   

​Everyone is always told they should eat healthy, but how many people actually do it? For National Nutrition Month, we should all try to be more aware of what we eat and how it can impact our health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just one in 10 children and adults eats the recommended daily amount of vegetables. The number of people not getting enough fruit in their diet isn’t much better, with only one in seven adults and four in ten children eating enough. Each meal should include a grain, protein, fruit, dairy, vegetables and oil. 

Eating healthy will not be as beneficial if you eat too much, though. Practicing portion control is a key step in ensuring that you are getting the amount of each nutrient that you need.

Eating healthy can take some planning ahead. It all starts at the grocery store. Make a list of healthy foods before you go shopping, so you’re less likely impulsively throw those cookies or ice cream in the shopping cart. Try planning your meals for the week in advance, so you are less likely to eat unhealthy snacks and meals because you’re hungry. 

If you do end up eating out, just remember that many restaurant foods have a very large number of calories and are often unhealthy. Many restaurant meals can be made yourself at home, with a healthier recipe and smaller portions. It’s hard to make eating healthy a habit if you dread eating the foods. Learning how to cook new meals and experimenting with new flavors can make eating healthy seem more fun. 

In order to know if you are eating healthy or not, you must learn how to correctly read nutrition labels. You should begin by reading the serving size and total calories per serving. Next, you should read the percent daily values. These are normally based on a 2,000-calorie diet. You should eat foods low in added sugar, sodium and saturated fat. Aim for a high percentage of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

An often-overlooked part of nutrition is staying hydrated. The daily recommended amount varies by age, sex and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. While drinking water by itself is a great way to stay hydrated, there is also water from foods and drinks that counts toward your daily recommended amount. 

We should be eating healthy every month, not just during National Nutrition Month, but it is a great reminder of the importance of making good choices about what goes in our bodies. If you really need help figuring out how to get the right amount of nutrients, see a registered dietitian nutritionist. 

Are you a pregnant or breastfeeding mother or the parent or guardian of children up to the age of 5? If you meet certain income guidelines, you would be eligible to receive services from Monongalia County Health Department's Women, Infants and Childrens (WIC) program. These include nutritional counseling and help with purchasing grocery items such as fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, yogurt, cereal, bread and more.

MCHD WIC has offices not only in Monongalia County, but also Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor. For more information, call MCHD WIC at 304-598-5181.

We all know the drill when it comes to seasonal influenza. And yet, it still needs to be said.

Your best protection against influenza is getting a flu vaccine. After that, practices that will also help protect you from getting sick include good handwashing, plenty of sleep and covering coughs and sneezes. If you do get influenza, stay home and talk to your doctor about antiviral medication.

I say it still needs to be said because I don’t think I’m the only one who occasionally sees people leave public restrooms after abstaining from an encounter with soap, warm water and the friction that helps cleanse germs off. And they don’t seem to be humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice, which is also a recommended guideline for how long it takes to get a good scrub. 

I don’t think I’m alone when I tell this story about a former colleague. Let’s call him Flu Guy. Flu Guy would come to the office and proudly announce that he had boldly come into work in spite of the fact that he had the flu. To him, this was a point of pride that he had eschewed staying safely at home, where he could rest, recover and not infect everyone within 10 feet.

I hated Flu Guy.

I want to make it clear that this was a few jobs ago, so this wasn’t at Monongalia County Health Department. Because knowing these rules is our job.

As you probably know, seasonal flu is upon us and cases have been on the rise. It began spiking about a month ago. So far, this season is worse than last year's and this past week, cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) surpassed those in the 2017-18 flu season. Flu does not appear to have peaked. The line on the graph is still moving in an upward direction.

One thing that is different about this flu season is that there also is another illness floating around, although not in West Virginia and so far, not in any states surrounding us either. 
Novel coronavirus, now officially called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been diagnosed in 15 people in seven states. They are Washington state, California, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Texas. This does not include American passengers aboard a cruise ship that has not been allowed to return to the U.S. 

No, we don’t want to dismiss coronavirus. And yes, the number of cases worldwide spiked this week after a decision was made to take into account cases that doctors had diagnosed using clinical methods.

In the United States, however, cases are not going up quickly. Travel from China has been severely restricted. Those who are returning from China are being put into quarantine or are undergoing self-quarantine, which basically means they will stay home for two weeks to make sure they don’t develop symptoms. Symptoms include a fever, coughing and shortness of breath. 

If anyone who has not been to China develops those symptoms, it’s much more likely that the cause is another respiratory illness. After all, those are pretty basic symptoms.

Certainly, if someone has a real reason to be concerned*, action should be taken. As Monongalia County Health Department has been advising, in messaging developed with WVU Medicine and Mon Health Medical Centers, “action” does not mean going to an emergency department or physician office and sitting in a waiting room. 

Instead, there are two phone numbers to call: the WVU Medical Access and Referral System (MARS) line at 304-598-6000 and Mon Health Medical Center at 304-285-3798.

*In terms of who should be concerned, guidance has been divided into three categories, all of which require a person to have either just returned from China or to have interacted with someone who has just returned from China who has been confirmed to be ill. 

As MCHD stated in a press release last week (available online at monchd.org/press-releases.html), these guidelines include: (1) individuals with fever OR signs of lower respiratory illness AND who have had close contact with a person confirmed to have coronavirus within 14 days of symptom onset; (2) fever AND symptoms of lower respiratory illness AND a history of travel from Hubei province, China, within 14 days of symptom onset; and, (3) fever AND symptoms of lower respiratory illness requiring hospitalization AND a history of travel from mainland China within 14 days of symptom onset.

We’ve been fielding calls at the health department during the past week from concerned citizens from a variety of West Virginia counties who are worried about coronavirus. If a person has not just returned from China or interacted with someone diagnosed with the illness, they should not be worried about coronavirus.

But flu? That’s widespread in all 55 counties. 

So take precautions against seasonal influenza. And if you still haven’t gotten a flu vaccine, it’s not too late. You can call your health care provider or MCHD Clinical Services at 304-598-5119 to make an appointment.

Keep the holiday of love safe
 
Valentine’s Day can be a time that involves going the extra mile for somebody special or planning a caring act to make your partner happy.
 
So why should things be any different when it comes to sexual activity?
 
Responsible sex can be achieved in a variety of ways and taking the time to familiarize yourself with and practice these methods can result in a mutually enjoyable, worry-free holiday.
 
One of the most common ways of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is by using condoms. Be sure to use a new condom with every sex act, and to do so correctly. Laboratory studies have shown that proper applications of them create a protective barrier between partners, and that they also reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy.
 
If at any point you believe you were exposed to a STD, or would just like to be sure, getting tested is an option. All sexually active people should be tested for STDs at least once; others should be tested more frequently depending on factors that include a high number of partners.
 
Many STDs are asymptomatic, meaning there are no tell-tale signs of an infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have all significantly increased since 2014. More cases of STDs mean that more people are infected, and they may not even know it.
 
Practicing responsible sex is important because it reduces your chances of contracting all STDs, including human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. HIV weakens the human immune system and can lead to the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). If you have or have had an STD, you are at an increased risk of getting the virus. According to the CDC, around 154,000 people in America have HIV and don’t know it.
 
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common virus. There are about 14 million new infections every year. HPV is spread through intimate contact and can lead to many forms of cancer. More than 9 out of 10 cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. There are also more than 14,000 new cases of throat cancer in men caused by the virus every year.
 
The best thing you can do is make sure you have been vaccinated. The HPV vaccine comes in two doses if taken at the recommended age, and it is approved for girls and boys ages 11-12. Young adults can also receive the vaccination up to age 26. Those who are older and have not yet been vaccinated should talk with their health care provider first.  
 
Getting tested not only determines if you have an infection, but it also ensures that you receive the proper care while keeping others safe. Monongalia County Health Department’s Clinical Services offers free confidential testing and treatment to the public, regardless of income or health insurance coverage.
 
While the only way to completely avoid STDs is to abstain from having sex, here are the key takeaways to reduce your exposure if you do:
 

• Use a new condom for every sex act, and for the entire duration of it.
• Limit or reduce your number of sexual partners.
• Limit alcohol use because it lowers inhibitions and good judgment.
• Make sure you have received the full HPV vaccination.
• Make sure both you and your partner(s) get tested.

 
There may not be anything less romantic than finding out you have an STD, so be sure to keep responsible sex practices in mind as Valentine’s Day approaches once again.
 
For more information or to make an appointment, call MCHD Clinical Services at 304-598-5119.

​On the first Friday in February, MCHD Dentistry, the bustling and pleasant dental office at Monongalia County Health Department, turns the activity up a couple of notches.

Balloons anchored by toothbrushes decorate the hallways. A table offers brochures, information and a lion plushie with human-looking teeth that kids can use to practice brushing with a giant toothbrush. 

Give Kids a Smile not only provides children up to the age of 18 without insurance a free dental cleaning and checkup, but it also offers a friendly and fun introduction to an important way to stay healthy that often goes overlooked.

“Most kids go into those offices and see all the tools and hear the sounds that can be terrifying and traumatizing,” said M.J. Zink of Morgantown, whose two children, Corabelle and Luke, have attended Give Kids a Smile in the past. 

Instead, Zink noted, the event is “exposing them at a young age to a friendly atmosphere. It’s good for the kids to be exposed. It’s a great first impression. I wish I would have had something like this when I was a kid.”

This year’s Give Kids a Smile will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 7. Children will receive a tooth cleaning, a dental checkup and oral education. There also is the possibility that some restorative work — such as filling a cavity — will be performed.

“Our focus is on providing free preventative services to children without insurance,” said Dr. Dan Carrier, dentist and program manager of MCHD Dentistry who noted that a chair will be kept open at this year’s event for that very purpose. “I think what we’re looking at now is the impact we have with kids who are here. In the past, we haven’t had space to be able to fix teeth. We’re now trying to do that more.”

For a child a visit to MCHD Dentistry depends on the age. Babies and toddlers on their first trip to the dentist might sit in a parent’s lap while Dr. Carrier examines the teeth and applies a fluoride treatment. 
​
“I always say the first visit is more for the parent than the child,” Dr. Carrier said.

​It also helps get the child accustomed to the bright lights of a dental visit, from the safety of a parent’s lap. Older children will have a more routine cleaning and exam. 

The American Dental Association (ADA) launched Give Kids a Smile in 2003 and since then, 5.5 million children have received care from about 10,000 dentists across the country. MCHD Dentistry has been participating since 2011, when about 20 children participated during the inaugural event.

As illustrated by statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids can be prone to cavities that will go untreated if they do not visit a dentist. About 1 in 5 children ages 5 to 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth, while that number is 1 in 7 for adolescents ages 12 to 19 years. And, at 25 percent, children ages 5 to 19 years of age from low-income families are twice as likely to have cavities than children from higher-income households. That figure is 11 percent.

The CDC also notes, “Poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on children’s qualify of life, their performance at school and their success later in life.”

Conversely, fun and productive visits to the dentist early on can set up habits that will help give kids health teeth for a lifetime.

“It’s a phenomenal experience and outreach to the community,” Zink said. “When we go in there, everyone is so happy and polite. It’s exciting for my children to pick out what color toothbrush they want. 

“And the staff are fantastic. They are just so kind and welcoming.”
​
To make an appointment for Give Kids a Smile, call MCHD Dentistry at 304-598-5108.