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This Months Health Topics: May

Food Allergy Awareness Month

This month we take some time to raise awareness to food allergies, and the importance of proper food labeling, and promoting self management of food allergies.  

Common food allergy Symptoms:

  • Hives
  • Itching
  • Rash
  • Swelling (especially of the lips, tongue, and/or throat)
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal Cramps
  • Itchy/Watery Eyes
  • Dizziness
  • Lightheadedness

Severe Symptoms (anaphylaxis):  

  • Difficulty breathing or swallowing
  • Swelling of the tongue or throat
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Rapid Heartbeat
  • Low Blood Pressure 

Tips for avoiding a food related allergy reaction: 

  • When preparing food for people outside of your household avoid cross contamination by using a clean measuring cup, utensil, and bowls each time you add an ingredient or make a recipe.
  • Avoid certain “Life Hacks” such as keeping a slice of bread in your brown sugar container to keep brown sugar soft. This “Hack” contaminates the brown sugar for those who are gluten free due to Celiac Disease. 
  • Be conscious of subtle changes you can make in a recipe to make it more allergy friendly, such as using oil in place of butter for dairy allergies or purchasing chocolate that is made in a nut free facility for nut allergies.
  • When bringing food to an event or party that you have prepared, write down all the ingredients on an index card for those with food allergies to refer to. 
  • Be prepared to answer questions! Someone with a food allergy may be skeptical of food prepared by other people, and that is okay! Feel free to take pictures of what brand ingredients you used to refer back to for questions, at the end of the day only the person with a food allergy knows their allergy best and will know what they can and cannot have, it is a learning experience!

Maternal Mental Health Month

1 in 5 childbearing individuals experience symptoms of depression after giving birth.  

This month we take a moment to focus on the mental health of pregnant and postpartum people and offering them access to the information, care, and support that they need.  

Resources:

Nurse Appreciation Week

From hospitals to rehab centers to schools to our very own Public Health Nurse at the Health Department, nurses everywhere deserve a moment of appreciation for all the hard work that they do every single day!

We would like to thank you all and let you know that we appreciate all the hard work that you do to keep us and the community around us healthy, and that your work does not go unnoticed.