Phone:

(403) 823-3345

Address:

140 Riverside Dr E, Drumheller, AB, T0J 0Y4

Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Gas

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, silent, odorless toxic gas. In an enclosed space, such as a home or garage, CO exposure can lead to serious illness or death. What makes this gas so dangerous is that when you breathe it, it replaces the oxygen in your blood.
SIGNS OF CO EXPOSURE
• Headache and dizziness
• Fatigue and weakness
• Watering and burning eyes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of muscle control
If you have symptoms that you think could be caused by CO poisoning, leave the area right away, and call 911 or go to the emergency room.
WHERE DOES CO COME FROM?
Carbon monoxide is a gas produced by burning any type of fuel – gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal:
• Furnace
• Hot water heater
• Dryer
• Range
• Fireplace
• Kerosene Space Heaters
EXHAUST FROM
• Gas and diesel vehicles
• Gas-powered machines
• Wood-burning fireplaces
PREVENT CO IN YOUR HOME BY:
• Have your fuel-burning appliances checked by a qualified technician regularly according to manufacturers’ specifications
• Install CO detectors in your home near sleeping areas, regularly test the alarm.
• Follow the directions closely and know what to do if the alarm sounds.
• CO detectors are a backup safety measure. They do not replace the need to check appliances regularly and use them safely.
HOW IS CARBON MONIOXIDE POISONING TREATED?
The best treatment is oxygen therapy. Breathing pure oxygen can bring the oxygen level in the blood back to normal. There are two kinds of oxygen therapy:
• 100% oxygen therapy. For this treatment, you breathe oxygen through a mask. This is the most common treatment.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. For this treatment, you lie inside a chamber that delivers oxygen under high pressure. This quickly reduces carbon monoxide levels in the blood. With quick treatment, most people recover within a few days.
Long-term problems can show up later. Be sure to tell your doctor about any changes in vision, coordination, or behavior that occur in the weeks after treatment.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Holiday Meals

Food plays an important role during holidays and events.
Use these 5 strategies to help make healthier food choices during the holidays or other social events.
1. Choose and offer healthier foods
As much as possible, stick to healthy foods you would normally choose. This applies when you are: hosting an event, attending a gathering or preparing a dish to share.
Try to: choose whole grain foods, make water your drink of choice and have plenty of vegetables and fruits.
Preparing dishes with these foods can help ensure you are providing and making a healthier choice.
Special holiday versions of highly processed foods are often available, where possible, limit these. If you choose these foods, choose them in smaller amounts.
2. Be mindful
Usually during celebrations or events there is a lot going on. It is easy to get distracted while eating. Remember to:
o Take time to eat – Find space where you can sit down and focus on what you are eating
o Pay attention to your food choices – When there is lots of food available or served throughout an event, it can be hard to keep track. Where possible, choose healthy foods and drinks.
o Notice your feelings of hunger and fullness – There are many reasons you may feel the need to eat or drink during a party. Make your food choices based on your hunger level.
3. Enjoy your food
It’s important that you enjoy your food. This is especially true during holidays and events when the food that’s offered or served may serve a cultural or traditional purpose.
Instead of feeling like you are missing out when it comes to less healthy food choices, have a smaller portion and take the time to savor it.
4. Think about your drink
Drinks can add additional calories, sodium, sugars or saturated fat to your meal. This is true for non-alcoholic as well as alcoholic drinks.
Enjoy carbonated water with added flavor from fruit. Plain coffee and tea can also be an option.
5. Think beyond food to celebrate
Celebrate with an activity. Try:
o going for a hike
o playing your favorite game
o taking part in an outdoor activity like skating or biking
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Holiday Pet Safety Tips

The holidays are a very hectic time of year with all sorts of new ways for your pet to find potential trouble.

Here are a few tips to help keep your pets safe and happy throughout the holiday season:


1. Christmas Plants: Keep Christmas plants out of your pet’s reach. Many, including poinsettias, mistletoe berries, holly and amaryllis can cause your pet to become ill.

2. Decorations: Be aware of decorations that could be dangerous to your animal. Watch for hooks on tree ornaments, tinsel or ribbon that is easily swallowed, and glass decorations that are prone to breaking.

3. Lights: Use caution with electrical cords; unplug your lights when you’re not around to supervise your pet. Before plugging cords back in, check to make sure your pet has not chewed them.

4. Christmas Trees: Secure your tree to the wall or ceiling with hooks and sturdy fishing line to prevent your tree from being toppled by climbing cats and curious dogs.

5. Real Trees: Cover the water at the base of the tree. Pine sap mixed with water can cause diarrhea, mouth sores, vomiting and loss of appetite. Additionally, pine needles can get lodged in an animal’s throat, causing difficulty swallowing or choking.

6. Safe Place: Visitors can make pets feel anxious. Be sure your pets have a quiet place to escape the bustle of holiday guests.

7. Identification: Be sure your pets have proper identification. The increased number of guests visiting your home provides more opportunities for your pet to slip outside.

8. Table Scraps & People Food: There are a number of foods that we enjoy that can be fatal to pets. Stick to your pet’s normal food and treats and be sure to ask your guests not to feed your pets.

9. Presents: Be aware of what you’re putting under your tree. Keep gifts out of your pet’s reach unless you know it’s pet safe. A box of chocolates ingested by your curious animal can be life threatening.

10. Wrapping Paper & Ribbons: After presents are unwrapped, be sure to promptly dispose, recycle or store away paper and ribbons as they make for dangerous choking hazards for your animal.

https://www.albertaspca.org/…/caring…/pets-the-holidays/

Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Protecting Your Mental Health During The Holidays

While the holiday season may be a time of joy for many, for others it can actually make depression and anxiety worse
Holidays aren’t magical for everyone. That’s because the “most wonderful time of the year” can be fraught with challenges and situations that affect our mental health.
Here are five ways to protect your mental health over the holidays:
1. (Too) great expectations
• You are not obliged to celebrate the holidays.
• Say no or setting boundaries.
• Ask yourself what you love about the holidays.
2. Merriment to the max
• You don’t have to buy things to show others that you care.
• Budget.
• Remind yourself of pitfalls or triggers when it comes to over-indulging.
• Don’t lose sight of exercise and sleep.
3. Trying to be the “perfect host”
• Delegate to others: ask others to help.
• Take a break from hosting, ask someone else to host this year.
4. Too much togetherness
• Remember that only you can choose what makes you happy.
• If you don’t want to stay, you’re allowed to leave.
• If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.
5. Feeling left out in the cold
• Do something special for yourself: cook yourself your favorite foods or go to a movie.
• Volunteer. By helping others, you also boost your own mental health.
• Write letters and holiday cards with invitations to connect by phone.
If you are struggling, know that there is help and hope.
If, despite your best efforts, you feel overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety or sadness, or if your negative feelings are persistent or get in the way of your daily life, you should reach out for mental health support:
• Talk Suicide Canada call – 1-833-456-4566, text – 45645
• Suicide Crisis Helpline – 988
• Mental Health Helpline – Call 1-877-303-2642
• Addiction Helpline – Call 1-866-332-2322
• Crisis Text Line – Text CONNECT to 741741
• Family Violence – Find Supports – 310-1818 (call/text, online chat)
• Income Supports – 1-866-644-5135
• Indigenous Support Line – 1-844-944-4744
• Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Healthy Travel Abroad

The best way to stay healthy on your trip is to plan ahead. Talk with your doctor several months before you travel to another country.
Get needed vaccines
• Make sure you are up to date with your routine shots. They can protect you from diseases such as polio, diphtheria, and measles.
• Get other vaccines you need, here are some examples:
– Hepatitis A vaccine, traveling to developing countries.
– Yellow fever vaccine, traveling to South America and Africa.
– Typhoid fever vaccine, traveling to Central and South America, Africa and some areas of Asia.
Bring medicines with you
• If you take medicines, bring a supply that will last the length of your trip. Get a letter from your doctor that lists your medical conditions and the medicines you take. Also bring any medical supplies you may need such as blood sugar testing supplies or insulin needles.
• If you are going to an area where malaria is a risk, ask your doctor or health clinic for a prescription to help prevent infection.
• You may want to bring medicine for travelers diarrhea. Over-the-counter medicines include Pepto-Bismol & Imodium.
Make safer choices as you travel
• Purchase travel insurance before you travel.
• Practice safe sex. Using condoms can prevent sexually transmitted infections.
• In areas where mosquito-borne illnesses are found, use DEET insect repellent. Use mosquito netting to protect yourself while sleeping.
• Have drinks made with boiled water, such as tea and coffee. Canned or bottled carbonated drinks, such as soda, beer, wine, or water, are usually safe. Don’t use ice if you don’t know what kind of water was used to make it. Don’t use tap water to brush your teeth.
• Air pollution in some large cities can be a problem if you have asthma or other breathing problems.
• Be careful around dogs and other animals. Dogs in developing countries are often not tame and may bite.
• If you’re going to a place that’s much higher above sea level than you’re used to, ask your doctor how to avoid altitude sickness.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but are not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Although not everyone with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes, many people will.
Understanding prediabetes
Symptoms, treatment, and complications from prediabetes may vary from person to person. Managing your blood sugar can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. The key is a healthy lifestyle.
The most common signs and symptoms of diabetes are:
• unusual thirst
• frequent urination
• weight change (gain or loss)
• extreme fatigue or lack of energy
• blurred vision
• frequent or recurring infections
• cuts and bruises that are slow to heal
• tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• trouble getting or maintaining an erection
Prediabetes is a precursor for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which your body can’t make enough insulin, or your body is unable to properly use the insulin it makes. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of sugar in your blood.
If your body can’t use its insulin properly, glucose (sugar) builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. This excess sugar in your blood causes problems and can lead to serious health complications.
It’s important to take a prediabetes diagnosis seriously because some long-term complications associated with diabetes—such as heart disease—may begin during prediabetes.
Preventing type 2 diabetes
The good news is that more than half of people with prediabetes can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Taking steps now to improve your lifestyle can make a huge difference and lead to a healthier future.
If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by:
– Follow a health-promoting diet such as Canada’s Food Guide
– Exercise regularly, start with a 10-minute walk three times a week and start slowly increase to 150 minutes per week
– Discuss weight management with your healthcare provider
– Add more vegetables to your plate
– Cook meals at home more often
– Choose whole-grain foods
– Drink water instead of soda or juice
Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

1) Reduce your risk
Decreasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes involves making lifestyles changes. Eating healthy, moving more, and losing weight if you live with overweight or obesity are the most effective things you can do to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Even if you’ve already been told that you have prediabetes or that you have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you can still make changes that can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.
2) A healthy eating plan
Diet is the most important part of lifestyle change. Small changes can make a big difference and help you take those first few steps to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes
A good first step is to include more vegetables, more plant-based protein such as beans and lentils, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, oily fish, nuts and healthy oils such as olive oil. You can also reduce consumption of highly processed foods, refined grains such as white bread, sugary food and sugary drinks.
3) Movement and exercise
Movement and exercise can also help you prevent diabetes. Just a little extra activity each day can go a long way.
Start with limiting the amount of time spent sitting. Interrupt your sitting time by standing up and moving around briefly every 20 to 30 minutes.
Another goal could be to get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week (like walking, bicycling or jogging). Smaller amounts of activity can still have healthy benefits.
4) Weight management
If you have pre-diabetes, an eating and exercise plan that helps with weight management can help to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Research shows that if you live with obesity, losing just 5% of your initial body weight can prevent type 2 diabetes from developing. Speak to your healthcare provider about a plan that can work for you.
Start by changing one thing at a time and try to set realistic goals. Too many changes can be overwhelming, small changes can build lasting habits over time.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

November is Diabetes Awareness Month – Let’s Make Time to Learn More

Living with diabetes can feel like a full-time job, but many people don’t understand the challenges that come with managing this complex, often invisible condition. Let’s change that.
Diabetes is a condition in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Insulin’s role is to regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Blood sugar must be carefully regulated to ensure that the body functions properly. Too much blood sugar can cause damage to organs, blood vessels, and nerves. Your body also needs insulin to use sugar for energy.
Types of diabetes
There are three major types of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common diagnosis, followed by type 1 diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and is usually temporary. In addition, prediabetes is another important diagnosis that indicates an elevated risk of developing diabetes.
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes aren’t able to produce their own insulin (and can’t regulate their blood sugar) because their body is attacking the pancreas. Roughly 10 percent of people living with diabetes have type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes. It generally develops in childhood or adolescence but can also develop in adulthood. People with type 1 need to inject insulin or use an insulin pump to ensure their bodies have the right amount of insulin.
Type 2
People with type 2 diabetes can’t properly use the insulin made by their bodies, or their bodies aren’t able to produce enough insulin. Roughly 90 percent of people living with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It is most commonly developed in adulthood, although it can also occur in childhood, it can sometimes be managed with healthy eating and regular exercise alone, but may also require medications or insulin therapy.
If you think you or someone you know may have type 2 diabetes, please speak to a doctor or health-care provider.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

National Child Day

November 20 is National Child Day in Canada.
There are 8 million kids in Canada, and they all have something in common—their rights!
This year’s theme, #8MillionEmpowered, highlights our collective goal to empower all 8 million kids in Canada by defending their rights and ensuring they have the support to thrive. Children and youth are not merely future dreamers, but present-day innovators, leaders and changemakers. They are setting the stage for a brighter, more inclusive Canada with compassion, courage and conviction. Empowered young people can make a difference now, not just someday.
Did You Know?
There are 4 groups of rights for children:
1. Survival rights
2. Development rights
3. Protection rights
4. Participation rights
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