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

March is Kidney Awareness Month

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

Self-Injury Awareness Day

Self-Injury Awareness Day, is a global awareness event on March 1. It draws attention to self-harm in the hope of helping people who practice it. Learning about this issue helps to reduce the stigma associated with self-harm. In reducing stigma, we make it easier for people to ask for help.
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.
Health, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Rare Disease Day February 28, 2025 – More than you can Imagine

There are 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease.
Over 6,000 different rare diseases have been identified.
Rare Disease Day is the globally coordinated movement on rare diseases, working towards equity in social opportunity, healthcare, and access to diagnosis and therapies for people living with a rare disease.
Since its creation in 2008, Rare Disease Day has played a critical part in building an international rare disease community that is multi-disease, global, and diverse– but united in purpose.
Rare Disease Day is observed every year on 28 February (or 29 in leap years)—the rarest day of the year.
Rare Disease Day was set up and is coordinated by EURORDIS and 65+ national alliance patient organization partners. Rare Disease Day provides an energy and focal point that enables rare diseases advocacy work to progress on the local, national and international levels.
Though Rare Disease Day is patient-led, everyone, including individuals, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, clinicians, policy makers, industry representatives and the general public, can participate in raising awareness and taking action today for this vulnerable population who require immediate and urgent attention.
By Sharing your colors via social media, events, illuminating buildings, monuments and homes, by sharing experiences online and with friends, by calling on policy makers and shining the light on people living with a rare disease, collectively we aim to change and improve lives of the 300 million people worldwide.
This website helps patient organizations, patient advocates, and other interested in campaigning for equity for rare diseases to identify resources and promote campaign events.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Influenza

Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection. Those that are generally healthy will experience symptoms to varying degrees and recover fully in a week to ten days. For young children, the elderly or those with a chronic illness, the flu can be life-threatening. Preventing infection in the first place is key.
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.
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