Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Struggling with trying to quit using tobacco?

Health Note from Mayo Clinic: A number of different strategies for Tobacco Cessation can be successful. It’s just a matter of finding the one that’s right for you.

What kind of strategies have you tried to help break your smoking habit? Some people want to stay away from nicotine-based treatments like nicotine gum or the transdermal patch, because they want to stay completely away from nicotine. One natural way to quit smoking is "cold turkey." For some, using willpower alone to quit smoking may seem unmanageable, but according to a large study by the American Public Health Association, this method was used by 85% of all successful long-term quitters. Plus, it’s the cheapest option. Pick a realistic target quit date and decide what you are going to do with the cash you will be saving. Having something in mind that you want to spend the money on can give you an extra push of motivation.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is another natural way to quit smoking, where the individual works with a therapist who helps redirect the smoker’s mind away from nicotine. This type of therapy has helped smokers identity what causes their cravings and reinforces healthy behaviors to replace the nicotine.
Lastly, self-help books can also assist in breaking smoking habits. Allen Carr says in his book, Easy Way to Stop Smoking, “Once smokers lose their fear, it really is easy. The idea that smoking provides any genuine pleasure or crutch is a delusion. The stress that nicotine supposedly relieves is actually created by the nicotine itself - We remove this delusion.” So when you’re ready to quit, know that the many possibilities to help you make that change will be available, and hopefully that behavior change will be a permanent one.

From:
Amy Every
Senior Communication Consultant, Marketing Communications
Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare
mayoclinichealthsystem.org

Monday, March 10, 2014

Stop stressing, start living

Mayo Clinic Health System Health Note: Daily life presents us with all kinds of stresses. How can you be sure you’re handling those stresses in a safe and effective way?

Stop stressing, start living. We all know that chronic stress can be unhealthy for us, especially when we “handle it” in unhealthy ways. Learning to deal with stress appropriately is more important than trying to remove it completely.

So how can you better manage your stress? There are many ways, but one important one is to make sure you are getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your judgment, making you more likely to break at petty irritations. It is also important that you prepare for your responsibilities by setting small realistic goals for both big and small tasks. Stress tends to pile on when we run out of time or unplanned events come up, but by preparing ahead of time and managing your time with those unplanned events in mind, you deviate away from stress. Also, when possible cut back on your obligations or delegate work to others. Give yourself permission to say “no” once in a while! With fewer commitments you will have more time for yourself and less things to stress over.

To learn more, visit: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/SR00032/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Pertussis or “Whooping Cough” update:

From: Michelle L Breuer RN, BSN; Crawford County Public Health

 As some of you may know, Pertussis or “Whooping Cough” continues to be in our community and our surrounding communities as well. Due to this illness continuing to circulate we felt it was important to provide further educational materials to all of our Crawford County Schools to disseminate to teachers, staff, parents, etc. Click any of these three links for more information: 

Cold, Flu, or Pertussis?

Parent Information on Whooping Cough

Protect Babies from Whooping Cough

As a reminder Tdap and DTap vaccine is available through Crawford County Public Health or other county public health offices at no charge at this time, regardless of insurance status. The vaccine is also available through individual medical providers. If someone is unsure if they are up-to-date with their vaccines they can contact us and we would be happy to check the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) for them.