Meriden and Wallingford Health Department News
Head Lice – Keep Those Bugs at Bay!
Submitted by the Meriden Health Department
Although they may sound gross, head lice are a very common problem, especially for kids ages 3 years to 12 years. And with the start of school upon us, head lice is a problem parents and teachers should start talking about!
What do head lice look like?
Much to parent’s annoyance, the head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hair and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are very small – no bigger than the size of a sesame seed – but can still be seen by the naked eye. Lice eggs (called nits) look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. After hatching, the left-over shell looks white or clear.
How do I stop my child from getting lice?
Lice are highly contagious – this means that children can get lice very easily from other people, especially if they are in group settings (schools, child-care centers, slumber parties, and even playgrounds). Lice are spread mainly though head-to-head contact, but sharing clothing, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats can also pass them along. Lice cannot fly or jump – they have special claws that allow them crawl and cling to hair. Pets cannot catch head lice and pass them on to people, or the other way around.
Tell your child to try to avoid head-to-head contact at school and while playing at home with other children. Children should not share combs, bushes, hats, scarves, towels, helmets, or other personal care items with anyone else, whether they may have lice or not. Tell your child not to lie on bedding, pillows, and carpets that have recently been used by someone with lice.
So, if my child gets lice how can I get rid of them?
Your child’s doctor can recommend a medicated shampoo, cream, or lotion to kill the lice. It’s important to follow the directions exactly as printed on the label. If your child is under the age of 2, you should not use medicated lice treatments – you will have to remove the nits and lice by hand.
DO - Wash all bed linens, clothing, and stuffed animals that were in contacts by anyone in your home who is infested in very hot water (130 degrees Farenheit) then put them in the hot cycle of the dryer for at least 20 minutes. Dry-clean any linens and clothes that cannot be washed. Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture. Soak combs, barrettes, and other hair-care items in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo for 1 hour. You can also wash them in hot water or just throw them away.
DON’T - Use a hair dryer on your child’s hair after applying any of the scalp treatments, wash your child’s hair for 1 to 2 days after using a medicated treatment, or use more than one head lice medication at a time.
It is always important to seek the advice of your child’s doctor if you think your child has lice. And remember, having head lice is not a sign on uncleanliness or poor hygiene. These pesky little bugs can be a problem for kids of all ages and races. Reassure your child that they haven’t done anything wrong and that having lice does not make them dirty. Anyone can get them!
Meriden Department of Health
September is Suicide Awareness Month
Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. It is the 3rd leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24, and the 2nd leading cause of death among people between the ages of 25 and 24. It is important to know the warning signs for suicide and how to reach out to get the person help.
Suicide warning signs include:
Threatening or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself.
Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, pills, or other means.
Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person.
Feeling hopeless, rage, uncontrolled anger, or feeling trapped - like there is no way out.
Increased alcohol or drug use.
Experiencing dramatic mood changes, feeling anxious, restless, or unable to sleep (or sleeping all the time).
Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life.
Ways to be helpful to someone who is threatening suicide include:
Becoming aware of the warning signs of suicide.
Get involved. Show interest and support by being direct and talking openly and freely about suicide. Be willing to listen and be non-judgmental.
Do not lecture on the value of life or debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or feelings are good or bad. Never dare someone to follow through with their suicidal plans.
Do not be sworn to secrecy. Take action! Get help from individuals or agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Call the local crisis hotline at Rushford, 1-800-567-0902, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at1-800-273-TALK for help.
Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal people desperately want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to their problems. Encourage the suicidal person to talk to someone like a community mental health agency, a school counselor, or a religious/spiritual leader – they are not alone.
Are You Prepared at Home?
Wallingford Health Dept, 294-2065
We have all heard the news concerning the “next pandemic.” The goal of the message is not to panic, but to inform. Regardless of the event, developing a family disaster plan is as important as developing emergency plans for local, state, and national agencies.
What You Should Do to Prepare
If you are a health care professional, you may be expected to assist your local health department in a Public Health Emergency. Find out in advance what your potential role may be. Be aware of the disasters that may affect where you live such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, pandemic influenza and other events.
Make a Family Disaster Plan
Take the time now to review your property, health, and life insurance coverage. Make sure all family members’ immunizations are current. If possible, try to refill your prescriptions at least a week or two before they run out. This may prevent problems if you cannot get to the pharmacy.
Assemble an emergency “Go-Pack.” Store your kit in a convenient place known to everyone in your family. It should be in an easy to carry container or bag. The supplies can be used whether your family stays at home or needs to evacuate.
Include essential items for everyone in your household, especially those with special needs. As a minimum, include a flashlight and batteries, battery operated radio, first aid kit, manual can opener, personal hygiene items, and 3-5 days of food and water (1 gallon water/family member/day). If you have pets, include pet food and their immunization records/collar and ID tag.
In addition to your emergency “go pack,” you should know the location of all your important documents (wills, insurance identification cards, immunization records, family phone numbers, etc.), and the location and phone number of emergency shelters or nearby relatives. If you have a pet, find out now what shelters will allow pets or speak with your veterinarian.
For more detailed information:
Preparedness Today: What You Need to Do. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Red Cross.
http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/CDC.asp
Connecticut Department of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
http://www.dph.state.ct.us/bt/ready/btpdns-ephome.htm
Pet Friendly Lodgings
www.petswelcome.com
Information is provided as an excerpt from the CT DPH and the Yale Center for Public Health
Preparedness.
Submitted by the Meriden Health Department
Although they may sound gross, head lice are a very common problem, especially for kids ages 3 years to 12 years. And with the start of school upon us, head lice is a problem parents and teachers should start talking about!
What do head lice look like?
Much to parent’s annoyance, the head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hair and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are very small – no bigger than the size of a sesame seed – but can still be seen by the naked eye. Lice eggs (called nits) look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. After hatching, the left-over shell looks white or clear.
How do I stop my child from getting lice?
Lice are highly contagious – this means that children can get lice very easily from other people, especially if they are in group settings (schools, child-care centers, slumber parties, and even playgrounds). Lice are spread mainly though head-to-head contact, but sharing clothing, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats can also pass them along. Lice cannot fly or jump – they have special claws that allow them crawl and cling to hair. Pets cannot catch head lice and pass them on to people, or the other way around.
Tell your child to try to avoid head-to-head contact at school and while playing at home with other children. Children should not share combs, bushes, hats, scarves, towels, helmets, or other personal care items with anyone else, whether they may have lice or not. Tell your child not to lie on bedding, pillows, and carpets that have recently been used by someone with lice.
So, if my child gets lice how can I get rid of them?
Your child’s doctor can recommend a medicated shampoo, cream, or lotion to kill the lice. It’s important to follow the directions exactly as printed on the label. If your child is under the age of 2, you should not use medicated lice treatments – you will have to remove the nits and lice by hand.
DO - Wash all bed linens, clothing, and stuffed animals that were in contacts by anyone in your home who is infested in very hot water (130 degrees Farenheit) then put them in the hot cycle of the dryer for at least 20 minutes. Dry-clean any linens and clothes that cannot be washed. Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture. Soak combs, barrettes, and other hair-care items in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo for 1 hour. You can also wash them in hot water or just throw them away.
DON’T - Use a hair dryer on your child’s hair after applying any of the scalp treatments, wash your child’s hair for 1 to 2 days after using a medicated treatment, or use more than one head lice medication at a time.
It is always important to seek the advice of your child’s doctor if you think your child has lice. And remember, having head lice is not a sign on uncleanliness or poor hygiene. These pesky little bugs can be a problem for kids of all ages and races. Reassure your child that they haven’t done anything wrong and that having lice does not make them dirty. Anyone can get them!
Meriden Department of Health
September is Suicide Awareness Month
Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. It is the 3rd leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24, and the 2nd leading cause of death among people between the ages of 25 and 24. It is important to know the warning signs for suicide and how to reach out to get the person help.
Suicide warning signs include:
Threatening or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself.
Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, pills, or other means.
Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person.
Feeling hopeless, rage, uncontrolled anger, or feeling trapped - like there is no way out.
Increased alcohol or drug use.
Experiencing dramatic mood changes, feeling anxious, restless, or unable to sleep (or sleeping all the time).
Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life.
Ways to be helpful to someone who is threatening suicide include:
Becoming aware of the warning signs of suicide.
Get involved. Show interest and support by being direct and talking openly and freely about suicide. Be willing to listen and be non-judgmental.
Do not lecture on the value of life or debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or feelings are good or bad. Never dare someone to follow through with their suicidal plans.
Do not be sworn to secrecy. Take action! Get help from individuals or agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Call the local crisis hotline at Rushford, 1-800-567-0902, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at1-800-273-TALK for help.
Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal people desperately want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to their problems. Encourage the suicidal person to talk to someone like a community mental health agency, a school counselor, or a religious/spiritual leader – they are not alone.
Are You Prepared at Home?
Wallingford Health Dept, 294-2065
We have all heard the news concerning the “next pandemic.” The goal of the message is not to panic, but to inform. Regardless of the event, developing a family disaster plan is as important as developing emergency plans for local, state, and national agencies.
What You Should Do to Prepare
If you are a health care professional, you may be expected to assist your local health department in a Public Health Emergency. Find out in advance what your potential role may be. Be aware of the disasters that may affect where you live such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, pandemic influenza and other events.
Make a Family Disaster Plan
Take the time now to review your property, health, and life insurance coverage. Make sure all family members’ immunizations are current. If possible, try to refill your prescriptions at least a week or two before they run out. This may prevent problems if you cannot get to the pharmacy.
Assemble an emergency “Go-Pack.” Store your kit in a convenient place known to everyone in your family. It should be in an easy to carry container or bag. The supplies can be used whether your family stays at home or needs to evacuate.
Include essential items for everyone in your household, especially those with special needs. As a minimum, include a flashlight and batteries, battery operated radio, first aid kit, manual can opener, personal hygiene items, and 3-5 days of food and water (1 gallon water/family member/day). If you have pets, include pet food and their immunization records/collar and ID tag.
In addition to your emergency “go pack,” you should know the location of all your important documents (wills, insurance identification cards, immunization records, family phone numbers, etc.), and the location and phone number of emergency shelters or nearby relatives. If you have a pet, find out now what shelters will allow pets or speak with your veterinarian.
For more detailed information:
Preparedness Today: What You Need to Do. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Red Cross.
http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/CDC.asp
Connecticut Department of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
http://www.dph.state.ct.us/bt/ready/btpdns-ephome.htm
Pet Friendly Lodgings
www.petswelcome.com
Information is provided as an excerpt from the CT DPH and the Yale Center for Public Health
Preparedness.
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