Symptoms of Measles include:

• Fever of 38.3° C or higher

• Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes

• A red blotchy rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down the body and then to the arms and legs.

Who is most at risk?

• You are at risk of being in contact with measles if you travel outside of Canada or to areas within Canada where measles is spreading.

• Measles tends to be more severe in babies and adults.

• If you have measles, you can spread the disease before you show any symptoms.

Measles can spread starting 4 days before the rash appears until 4 days after the rash appears.

If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call Health Link at 811 before visiting any healthcare facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.

If you were born before 1970, there is a good chance you are immune to measles, as you were likely exposed to measles when it circulated widely before 1970.

Measles vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and complications. People born in or since 1970 who have received fewer than two doses of measles-containing vaccine are susceptible to infection. Those who have received fewer than two doses of measles-containing vaccine AND are pregnant, under one year of age, are adults and/or have a weakened immune system are at most risk of complications from measles.

In Alberta, the measles vaccine is offered, free of charge, through Alberta’s publicly funded immunization program. Children in Alberta typically receive their first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months of age, and their second dose at 18 months of age.

However, anyone who is not up to date for their recommended vaccines can receive them by booking an appointment with your local public health office.

Keep a consistent routine, you should be going to bed and waking up at approx. the same time.

Give yourself about 30 minutes to wind down from your day, do things that encourage relaxation like light stretching or reading.

Keep your lights low during your bedtime routine, the light we take in has a huge effect on our sleep and wake cycles.

Try not to look at your electronics right before bed, or just as you wake up.

If you are having trouble falling asleep, don’t stay in bed, after 20 minutes get up and do something else that is relaxing.

Make sure you get access to sunlight at some point in the day. If that’s hard to do, there are lamps specifically designed to trick your eyes into thinking they’ve received sunlight.

Regular exercise is proven to help you fall asleep at night.

While alcohol might make it easier to fall asleep it can disrupt our sleep later in the night. It’s best to reduce alcohol intake, and to avoid alcohol just before bed.

Caffeine is a stimulant, meaning it can keep us awake even when we want to start winding down, especially if taken in the later afternoon or evening.

Heavy meals late at night can mean you’re still digesting by bedtime. Keep any meals before bedtime as light as possible.

Working from your bed is a big no-no. The goal is to link being in bed with sleeping, so try to avoid doing other things in bed.

Make sure you have a pillow that suits your sleeping style, to ensure a pain-free sleeping experience.

Set the temperature to one that feels comfortable to you, but try to keep it on the cooler side, as we tend to sleep better in a cooler room.

Make sure that incoming light, like from streetlights, is blocked out by using heavy curtains or an eye mask.

Earplugs can be useful in preventing noise from waking you or you could try using a white-noise machine or a fan.

Can’t sleep because of racing thoughts? Try keeping a journal next to your bed to write down any worries that are preventing you from sleeping.

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Kidneys regulate water – For your body to work properly, it must contain just the right amount of water. One of the important jobs of the kidneys is to remove excess water from the body or to retain water when the body needs more.

Kidneys remove waste products and help to balance the body’s minerals – Many of the substances in the blood and other body fluids must be kept at the correct level for the body to function properly. The body needs minerals from food for good health, but they must be kept at certain levels. When the kidneys are working properly, extra minerals, such as sodium and potassium, leave your body in the urine. The kidneys also help to adjust the levels of other minerals, such as calcium and phosphate.

Your kidneys help remove waste products, such as urea and creatinine, from your body. Urea and other wastes are made when the body breaks down protein, such as meat. Creatinine is a waste product of the muscles. As kidney function decreases, the levels of urea and creatinine in the blood increase. It is measured by a simple blood test.

Kidneys produce hormones – Normal kidneys also make important chemicals in your body called hormones. These hormones circulate in the bloodstream like “messengers” and regulate blood pressure, red blood cell production and the calcium balance in your body.

Learn to manage your other medical conditions – One of the most important ways to preserve your kidney function is to gain control over other medical conditions you may have.

Blood pressure control is one of the most effective ways of slowing the progression of kidney disease. High blood pressure can cause the filters in your kidneys to become scarred.

It is important to control your blood sugar if you have diabetes. High blood sugar clogs all blood vessels including the filters of the kidney.

Maintaining a healthy weight is a big challenge for many people.

Eating a well-balanced diet and staying physically active can help.

If you smoke, try to quit. Smoking increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, lung disease, kidney disease and cancer.

Self-injury, is the act of harming your own body on purpose, such as by cutting or burning yourself. It’s usually not meant as a suicide attempt. This type of self-injury is a harmful way to cope with emotional pain, sadness, anger and stress.

While self-injury may bring a brief sense of calm and a release of physical and emotional tension, it’s usually followed by guilt and shame and the return of painful emotions. Life-threatening injuries are usually not intended, but it’s possible that more serious and even fatal self-harm could happen.

Getting the proper treatment can help you learn healthier ways to cope. Any form of self-injury is a sign of bigger stressors that need attention.

Talk to someone you trust; they can help you take the first steps to successful treatment.

If you’ve injured yourself severely or believe your injury may be life-threatening call 911.

All of the phone numbers below offer telephone support any time day or night.

• Alberta Health Services Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642

• Health Link at 811.

• Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

• Indigenous Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310

• National Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366

Helpline run by and for trans people.

• 211 Alberta: Call 211 to find programs and services in your community.

Lunch and Learns are open to all seniors as well as caregivers in the community, free lunch will be provided.

For more information please call 403-823-5611

Viruses are spread through direct contact (within one to two metres, airborne transmission) or indirect contact (surfaces). Signs and symptoms of the seasonal flu vary from one person to another but usually include a combination of:

• Fever

• Headache

• Fatigue and feeling weak

• Sore throat

• Cough

• Muscle aches and pains

• Runny, stuffy nose

• Chest discomfort, coughing

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can also occur. Most cases of the flu tend to be mild. However, if you do not start to feel better after a few days or if your symptoms get worse, please consult your health care provider.

Prevention

• Wash your hands often, using plenty of soap and warm water. Germs can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours.

• Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer often throughout the day.

• Disinfect common surfaces in your home and work.

• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze into a tissue or the inside of your sleeve or elbow.

• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.

• If you become sick, stay at home. This will prevent the spread of germs to other employees in your workplace as well as people you may come into contact with through your daily routine.

• Talk to your health care provider about the annual flu shot.

If someone in your family gets sick:

• Designate one person as the caregiver.

• Avoid sharing personal items.

• Disinfect surfaces in the home that are frequently touched.

• Wear disposable gloves when in contact with or cleaning up bodily fluids.