Our Mission...

The mission of the
Howell Public Schools Wellness Committee
is to provide students, staff, and the community
with opportunities and resources
which enable a healthier lifestyle .

Below are miscellaneous wellness articles and information that change regularly.
Please use the navigation to the left to visit feature pages on this site.

Click here for the May 2009 news, with lots of healthy living options.

Allergy Alert

What's Triggering You?
This is your 2 nd issue in a 5-part e-mail series on allergies. This message was independently written by RealAge and contains third-party advertisements. Content in the e-mail or on Web pages linked from the e-mail is not endorsed by the third-party advertiser except those links clearly labeled so. Read more about the high editorial standards of RealAge.
What's Triggering Your Allergies?
Understanding what causes your allergies is an important step toward getting a better handle on them. If you have allergies, it's because your immune system is hypersensitive to specific substances -- your triggers. Your body mistakenly tries to fight off these perceived offenders, which leads to sniffling, sneezing, and itchy eyes and nose.

Reducing your exposure to your triggers can go a long way in helping to reduce your symptoms. One of the most common nasal allergy triggers is pollen, specifically ragweed pollen. But molds, fungus, dust, or pet dander can cause problems, too. Learn more about common triggers here .

Figure Your Triggers
Work with your healthcare provider to develop an effective treatment plan, and then follow these two antitrigger steps as well:

1. Play Detective
Knowing your own triggers is the first step in reducing your exposure and -- by extension -- your symptoms. You may have one or several different allergy triggers. You may know them from experience, or perhaps you've had allergy testing done. Find out about four different kinds of tests that can help identify your triggers . Allergy testing may not reveal everything you are allergic to, so keep a symptoms journal as well in order to track patterns that will help identify your triggers. Note what time of year your attacks typically occur, what time of day your allergies are at their worst, what your symptoms are, and what activities or exposures precede your attacks. Eventually, you should see some possible culprits. Use this printable health journal to track your allergy symptoms .

2. Give 'Em the Slip
Once you identify your triggers, you'll want to think up ways to avoid them as much as possible to help prevent flare-ups.

• If you have seasonal allergies , your healthcare provider will probably recommend that you reduce outdoor activities on days when pollen counts are high. Here's how you can determine the pollen count patterns in your area .
  
  
• If you have perennial allergies , your healthcare provider will explain how to reduce your exposure to year-round allergens that are triggering your attacks. Depending on what you are allergic to, this may involve vacuuming your house with a special vacuum, changing your bedding frequently, cleaning your house more frequently, or controlling the climate in your home with humidifiers or dehumidifiers. Find out if air cleaners are any good at helping reduce allergy symptoms .

•  THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE and BODYWORK
Introducing Tricia Bailey , NCTMB Specializing in “Freedom from Pain”
Now located at the Howell Area Aquatic Center
Call Tricia at 734-231-0636 or online @ http://tab-massage-and-fitness.genbook.com

HEALTH eNEWS

This issue of a newsletter, Health eNews, has some interesting news on diabetes and how it is affecting even more people than before! Diabetes is not only affecting older people, it is affecting children too. Here is the link to view the newsletter.

Health eNews Newsletter (click link)

Visit the American Cancer Societies Healthy Living Newsletter

If you are alone and having a HEART ATTACK...

Many people are becoming trained in CPR and know perfectly what to do if someone has a heart attack in front of them. What if you have a heart attack and you are alone? A slide show has been published telling you what to do...

BE ADVISED: This presentation and its contents is not meant to replace medical advice or care during life threatening emergencies and Howell Public Schools assumes no liability whatsoever for and injuries or damages caused by the use of the methods explained in this presentation. The presentation is offered only for informational purposes. If you are having a heart attack, it is recommended that you seek emergency medical care immediately. By viewing the presentation, you agree to the above statements and release Howell Public Schools from all related liabilities.

Heart Attack Presentation (click link)

HPS Wellness Policy

The Wellness Policy was created as a district-wide standard to outline the steps that Howell Public Schools would take to reinforce wellness and healthy living in the schools. You can view the document in PDF format by clicking the link below.

Wellness Policy (click link)

Looking for more information?

Here are some off-site links to various health, wellness, and fitness websites.

• Livingston County Health Department- http://co.livingston.mi.us/health/
• SNAP Fitness 24/7 (Howell, MI)- http://www.snapfitness.com/howell/
• American Cancer Society- www.cancer.org
• American Heat Association- www.americanheart.org
• MyPyramid- www.mypyramid.gov
• KidsHealth- www.kidshealth.org
• WebMD- www.webmd.com
• More to come...