NORTH SHORE HEALTH DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER

H I G H L I G H T S

Indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) radon-induced lung cancer kills 21,000 Americans every year! Smoking combined with radon exposure poses additional lifetime risks of getting lung cancer.

If you want to start the year off healthy, do it from the ground up and test your home for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring, cancer-causing radioactive gas that is present in the ground and can enter homes through their foundations. It forms naturally from the decay of radioactive elements which are found at different levels in soil and rock around the base and under the home. Radon levels vary from home to home, the only way to know if you have high levels is to test. Radon levels are usually highest in the basement and levels peak in the winter months when windows and doors are closed that would otherwise help to vent the gas. To assess the magnitude of the problem in your home, it is, therefore, best to test in the winter months.

Radon is present everywhere and no area of the country is free from risk. Radon levels are easily measured with a short-term test kit that you can get from the North Shore Health Department. A short-term test kit is placed in the lowest livable area of your home after all the windows and doors have been closed. The test remains in place for 2-3 days and measures the level of radon in your home. The EPA recommends that you re-test your home if levels are ≥ 4pCi/L. If the results are high after your second test your home may require mitigation.

Please contact the Health Department at 414-371-2980 if you need more information on radon testing or mitigation. The North Shore Health Department has radon test kits available for purchase. Other helpful websites include http://www.epa.gov/radon/ and https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/radon/radon-measurements.htm

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HEALTH TRENDS

*This graph was created from a small data set. It represents data gathered from the radon tests that were purchased from the North Shore Health Department. The only way to know if you have a high radon level is to test your home.

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

January is Radon Action Month. Learn more

January is National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Month. Learn more

There has been an increase in Mumps cases in 2016. Learn more

January 23-29 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Learn more

C L I N I C S

Upcoming Immunization Clinics (appointment required) - Please call the North Shore Health Department for an appointment at 414-371-2980.

Tuesday, January 31st- 3:30pm to 4:30pm-North Shore Library
Thursday, February 9^th - 3:00pm to 4:30pm- Shorewood
Tuesday, February 14^th -10:00am to 11:00am-Brown Deer
Wednesday, February 15^th - 3:30pm to 4:30pm-Brown Deer
Tuesday, February 21^st - 7:30am to 9:00am-Shorewood
Tuesday, February 28^th - 3:30pm to 4:30pm- North Shore Library

Upcoming Adult Health Clinics (appointment required) – Blood analysis for cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides, blood pressure, weight check and a nurse consultation.
Please call the North Shore Health Department for an appointment at 414-371-2980.

Wednesday, February 15th, 2017- 8:00am to 10:00am- Brown Deer
Tuesday, February 28th, 2017- 8:00am to 10:00am- Shorewood

Upcoming Blood Pressure Screenings (walk-ins welcome – no appointment necessary)

Wednesday, February 1st, 2017- 12:45pm to 1:15pm- Lois and Tom Dolan Community Center (4355 W. Bradley Road, Brown Deer, WI)
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017- 3:30pm to 4:30pm- Shorewood

**The blood pressure clinic at the North Shore Library has been discontinued.

Can't get out for your flu shot?
Flu vaccinations available for home bound residents of the North Shore- Bayside, Brown Deer, Fox Point, Glendale, River Hills, Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. Call the health department and schedule your appointment today! View the flyer here.

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

Sleep in Adolescence with Dr. Louella Amos from the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Monday, February 6th 7:00pm-8:15pm at University School of Milwaukee

Dr. Louella Amos will give an overview of the science of sleep, why sleep is important, challenges of sleep in adolescence and how to improve sleep. Click here for tickets and information.

Resilience- The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope

Wednesday, February 15th 7:00pm-8:30pm at Shorewood High School

RESILIENCE is a one-hour documentary that delves into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the birth of a new movement to treat and prevent Toxic Stress. Click here for tickets and information.

Help us Take 1 Billion Steps

Help us take 1 Billion Steps by the end of National Public Health Week! Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your health — and it’s more fun if we do it together. That’s why the North Shore Health Department is participating in APHA’s 1 Billion Steps Challenge. We’ve created a team called "North Shore Health Department." When you join you’ll be able to track how many steps you take, see total steps for our team and the collective progress of all teams toward the goal of 1 Billion steps. You can sync your step counting device or enter steps manually if you don’t have a device. So register today, and let’s get walking! We’ll have a lot of fun, improve our heath, and walk more than any other team! Join today! Get the link on our website at nshealthdept.org.

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Copyright © 2016 North Shore Health Department, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
4800 W Green Brook Drive
Brown Deer, WI 53223

2010 E Shorewood Blvd
Shorewood, WI 53211

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