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Health department prepares for a hot, hazardous summer

The Lake County Health Department is gearing up for another summer and the health issues that come with it. According to Health Department Spokesperson Kevin Lenhart, many of the health issues associated with the summer season are prevalent all year long in Florida but reach their peak potential when the days are hot and muggy. One of the top issues is the West Nile threat posed by mosquitos.

Helping hearing-impaired

As the only center of its kind in the area, the Deaf and Hearing Services of Lake and Sumter Counties has its work cut out for it with more than 42,000 people in the two counties who are deaf or significantly hard of hearing. The center offers an array of services and equipment to help those whose hearing is not quite up to par.

Home health care

As Florida's population continues to age, the need for home health care in Central Florida. Home health-care agencies try to keep the client comfortable at home so they can avoid going to either a nursing home or an assisted living facility as long as possible.

Growing community

South Lake Hospital has seen many a facelift and antic ipates even more changes to accommodate the future needs of a growing community. "All of our previously planned expansions have moved forward more rapidly based on the growth," said John Moore, administrator of business and campus develop ment."And we will continue to adjust our plans as needed to respond accordingly."

Helpling obese children

The prevalence of childhood over weight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in the U.S. and other developed and developing countries, doubling in the past 20 years. According to representatives with Thomas E. Langley Medical Center, , 15.3 percent of 6to 11-year-olds and 15.5 percent of 12to 19-year-olds are at or above the 95th percentile for Body Mass Index on standard growth charts based on reference data from the 1970s, with even higher rates among subpopulations of minority and economically disadvantaged children. Recent data from the CDC also indi cate that children younger than five years, across all ethnic groups have had significant increases in the preva lence of overweight and obesity.

Disposing of sharps safely

Improper or incorrect disposal of sharps (such as syringes with needles used for insulin and other medications, and lancets used to test blood), can place other residents and waste man- agement workers at substantial health risk.

Screening for colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths among American men and women.But it doesn't have to be. Recently, Medicare and private insurance carriers made colonoscopy - the gold standard of colorectal cancer screening - the screening method of choice, and agreed to pay for screening colonoscopies for their patients over 50 who don't have symptoms. This decision gives physicians a tremendous opportunity to save thousands of lives.

Dealing with heart disease

If you're just recovering from a heart attack, walking on a treadmill may be the last thing you're interested in.You may feel tired and depressed and simply worried about survival - not about getting in a workout. But exercising under the watchful eyes of your health care team through a cardiac rehab program may be the key to survival and a better quality of life. If you're adjusting to life after a heart attack or you're living with certain other heart diseases,cardiac rehabilitation may help you feel better than you thought was possible.