One way to support the loved ones in your life is to take care of yourself. Men are less likely to go to the doctor than women, but are often more likely to be hospitalized with chronic illness and complications – so for the sake of your family, get your annual check-up and follow the tips below to life a healthy and happy life:

• Eat healthy
• Be physically active.
• Quit smoking. Avoid drugs and alcohol.
• Wear a condom to prevent STIs and unplanned pregnancies.
• Minimize stress .
• Avoid being around chemicals, toxins and pollutants.

1. Make sure to get your annual visits. Pap smears, mammograms, STD testing — they are all important and can identify serious health issues.

2. Find out your Body Mass Index – calculated by your height and weight – using a BMI calculator and learn how to aim for healthy weight.

3. Make health a family priority. Teach your children basic safety measures (like wearing a helmet and washing your hands) and make sure they get their annual  well-child visits.  Make sure your partner is Prepare for emergencies (like hurricanes).

4. Take folic acid. Doctors recommend 400 micrograms per day. To get this important vitamin that can help prevent defects of the brain and spine, take a multivitamin (check the labels) and eat foods like leafy vegetables and whole grains.

5. Practice safe sex to avoid STDs and unplanned pregnancies. Learn more about the different contraceptive methods and which best suits your lifestyle.

6. Develop a Reproductive Life Plan. Are you thinking about having a baby? If the answer is yes, then now’s the time to start planning and preparing. When you and your partner do to get ready even before you get pregnant will help your baby get the best start possible.

7. Get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Many women get less than seven hours per night; often life and hormonal changes can affect sleep.  A good night’s sleep will help your body rest and allow you to better prepare for the day.

8.  Good health encompasses more than just physical health –  mental health is just as important. The CDC recommends these tips for staying mentally healthy: 1. Get support from family and friends. 2. Find time to take care of yourself and relax. 3. Have a healthy lifestyle, with regular exercise. For women who just had a baby, learn the signs of postpartum depression and find resources to help.

9. Quit smoking. A smoke-free life will improve your health and can also impact your family: Smoking during pregnancy is linked to low birth weight and other poor birth outcomes, while babies who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are at an increased risk for a sleep-related death and developing diseases like asthma. Visit the Quit Smoking Now — First Coast website for more information or to sign up for classes. Any person living in Florida who smokes can also call the QuitLine: 1.877.U.CAN.NOW

10. Always remember how important it is to take care of yourself, for both you and your family. Pledge to make your health a top priority for a longer, healthier and happier life!

It’s your time for a check-up.

National Women’s Check-Up Day is held every year during Women’s Health Week to alert women to the importance of scheduled check-ups to promote good health and for early detection of diseases and conditions.

Check-ups are important times to discuss any health issues or concerns with your doctor and to receive appropriate screenings. To find out what screenings you may need and at what age you might need them, use this www.womenshealth.gov interactive screening tool.

Pap smears

Pap  smears help doctors detect any changes in your cervix that could lead to serious health issues, like infections or cervical cancer.

Your doctor will let you know how often you need a pap smear. Most women who have had previous healthy results only need one every 2-3 years.  

Cervical cancer often has no symptoms early on, so a pap smear is an important tool in identifying both the cancer and precancers.

Mammograms

Mammograms — x-rays of the breasts — are recommended for women 40 and older or who have a personal or family history of breast cancer or breast problems. This screening helps detect breast cancer or can alert your doctor to any change in your breast tissue.

Mammograms and breast self exams are the best ways of detecting breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most commong cancers in women and one of the elading causes of cancer death in women. 

STI Testing

Sexually transmitted infections — passed through sexual intercourse — are more frequent and problemsome for women. In untreated, they can cause serious health problems. If you are sexually active, ask your doctor to get tested.

There are many different STIs and different tests for each one. Your doctor can advise which tests are best based on your (and your partner’s) sexual history.

If untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and, in some cases, infertility. The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active females 25 and under and for women older than 25 with risk factors (new sex partner or multiple partners).

Pregnant women should be screened at their first prenatal visit for chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis. STIs in pregnant women can be harmful. They can be passed on to the infant, cause pre-term birth, still birth and other negative outcomes.

Get your check-up: Take the pledge!

When it comes to health, the messenger is as important as the message.

Research, studies and experience tell us what health information we need to focus on. But bedside manner and connection to patients can make or break a client’s committment to getting — and staying — healthy. For health care and social service providers, it’s important to focus as much on giving the message as what the message is about.

The Maryland Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide recommends tips like: Be an active listener. Build a rapport with the patient. Communicate in plain English. And make sure your message is clear and understood.

Generational Differences

A somewhat new phenomenon that is affecting relationships is generational differences. There are five living generations (G.I., Silent, Baby Boomer, Generation X and Millenial).Talking to a Millenial requires a different approach than talking to a Boomer.

A study in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing recognizes the generational issue and developed recommendations for nurses:

• Seek to understand each generational cohort and accommodate generational differences in attitudes, values, and behaviors.
• Develop generationally sensitive styles to effectively coach and motivate all members of the health care team.
• Develop the ability to flex a communication style to accommodate generational differences.
• Promote the resolution of generational conflict so as to build effective work teams.
• Capitalize on generational differences, using these differences to enhance the work of the entire team.

It’s your time. The 2012 theme for National Women’s Health Week is one of empowerment: It’s time for women to make their health a top priority! Here at the Healthy Start Coalition, we know how important women’s health is to this generation and future ones. We have a week of events and posts planned around daily women’s health themes:

Monday: National Women’s Check-Up Day. We’re hosting a health fair at the Magnolia Project

Tuesday: Healthy Living. Check out News4Jax Channel 4

Wednesday: Get active!

Thursday: Nutrition.

Friday: Mental Health. We will also feature a quiz on general women’s health topics. Submit a response for a chance to win a gift card!

We all also have a events planned for each day:

• Women's Health Week Quiz
• Barbers for Babies at The Cut Above and Duval Cutz
• Women's Health Seminar at St. Vincent's Southside
• Walk for Wellness Wednesday at the Magnolia Project
• A Day Just for Me at the Azalea Project