Monthly Archives: May 2019

Traveling? Worried About Bed Bugs? Here are 3 Fast Facts to Protect Your Family and Home

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This time of year is perfect traveling weather in our great state.  However, travel often brings the increased fear of bed bugs.  Causing property damage, skin irritation, and increased expenses, bed bugs are a nuisance worldwide. The good news is that these creepy crawlers are not considered carriers of disease and are, therefore, not a public health threat. Commonly treated by insecticide spraying, there are several steps you can take to help protect your family from bed bugs:

  1. Know how to identify bed bugs and understand where they’re found.
  2. Conduct regular inspections for signs of an infestation.
  3. If you believe you have an infestation, contact your landlord or professional pest control company to have your home or business properly treated.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) does not have regulatory authority to intervene or respond to bed bug-related issues at hotels, homes, apartments, thrift stores, etc.

Bed bugs at state-licensed healthcare facilities, however, should be reported via online complaint form. For more information about filing a complaint about bed bugs at a regulated healthcare facility, please click here.

Even though DHEC does not inspect, treat or conduct site visits in response to bed bug complaints in homes or hotels, we want to make sure that everyone has access to the information needed to help prevent a bed bug infestation in their home.

Like mosquito bites, bed bug bites typically result in a minor skin irritation. Some people might experience a more severe allergic reaction. If you believe that you are experiencing an adverse reaction to a bed bug bite, please seek medical attention from your healthcare provider.

For more information about bed bugs, click on the following: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Today is National Dam Safety Awareness Day

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Did you know there are more than 2,300 regulated dams in South Carolina? The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) oversees compliance for state-regulated dams through the Dams and Reservoirs Safety Program.

National Dam Safety Awareness Day encourages individual and community responsibility for dam safety, while promoting the benefits dams offer to communities.

Dam 1

“As a Dam Safety program inspector, I work with dam owners to ensure dams are safely maintained and identify issues that need to be addressed to prolong the life of the dam and protect downstream life and property.” –Chuck Owens, DHEC Dam Safety Inspector

Dam 3

Recently, the Dam Safety Program has incorporated the use of drones into their inspection process. Inspectors can utilize DHEC’s FAA certified drone pilots, who are able to fly the devices over those exterior features of the dam which are crucial to its safety and integrity but are not accessible by foot. Drones help keep our inspectors safe while improving their capability to survey dams of all sizes quickly and efficiently.

Dam 4Thank you to DHEC’s Dam Safety Program for your dedicated work on the tools, initiatives, and people that help make dam owners and the state’s dam safety program better prepared to handle significant rainfall and other events that have the potential to impact dams in the state.

Meet Jill Stewart, DHEC Director of Dam Safety and Storm Water Permits.

To learn more about DHEC’s Dams and Reservoirs Safety Program, visit https://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water-quality/dams-and-reservoirs/dams-and-reservoirs-safety-program-overview.

From Other Blogs: American Food Dollars, Stroke Risk Factors for Women, Prepare Your Health for Hurricane Season

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A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.

Where Do Americans’ Food Dollars Go?

In 2017, consumers in the United States spent $1.2 trillion on U.S.-produced food. Nearly all food starts out on a farm, but did you ever wonder how the value added from processing, packaging, transporting, and marketing agricultural food products factors into the costs? – From U.S. Department of Agriculture’s blog

 

Risk factors for stroke every woman should know

More women die from stroke than breast cancer every year. Shocked? It’s true. In fact, stroke is the third leading cause of death in women, while it is the fifth for men, and women are more likely to have another stroke within five years of their first stroke. So what is it that makes strokes affect women differently than men? Anil Yallapragada, MD, Palmetto Health-USC Neurology, explained. – From Flourish, Prisma Health’s blog

 

Prepare Your Health for Hurricane Season

In all, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), of which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a member, has a list of 21 names that they will use this year to identify hurricanes during the Atlantic hurricane season.  What’s in a name? A major hurricane by any name is hazardous to public health and safety, potentially life threatening, and important to prepare for.

– From Public Health Matters, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Blog

May is National Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month

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More than 60 million Americans have asthma and allergies!  About 1 in 12 children younger than 18 years old are affected.  Although there is no cure for asthma, the best way to manage asthma is to avoid triggers, take medicine to prevent symptoms, and prepare to treat attacks.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways in the lungs.  During an asthma attack, airways become inflamed, making it hard to breathe.  Asthma attacks can be mild, moderate, or very serious.

Symptoms include:

  • Coughing
  • Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
  • Wheezing
  • Tightness or pain in the chest

Asthma attacks are triggered by:

  • Allergens (like pollen, mold, dust mites, and animals)
  • Exercise
  • Occupational hazards
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Air pollution
  • Airway infections

SC Asthma stats

According to the found in children, as well as the leading cause of hospitalizations among children.  There was a 56% decrease in the asthma hospitalization rate among children five years of age and younger.  The asthma hospitalization rate was over four times higher among African-Americans and Other children (19.3 per 10,000) compared to White children (4.5 per 10,000).

For more information about asthma and allergies, visit https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/.

Get Moving for Senior Health & Fitness Day

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(GIF Credit:  https://giphy.com/gifs/tvland-dance-happy-l3q2YZF3y5pwt2aXe)

Staying active and maintaining good nutrition habits are key to healthy aging.  On Senior Health & Fitness Day, more than 120,000 older adults will participate in local events that encourage them to get moving!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the decline in strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance that occurs with aging contributes to diminished independence, diminished vitality, and increased likelihood of disabling injury.

Here are some fun ways to be active today:

  • Walk, walk, walk! Whether you visit a park or walk around a mall, get those steps in!
  • Water aerobics Check your local community pool for classes.
  • Yoga Stretch those muscles and relax your mind.
  • Zumba Gold Zumba Gold is a class designed for seniors.  Search for classes in your area.
  • Golf Play a round or two.  Ditch the cart and walk the course
  • Dance Dancing is a way to exercise without even realizing its impact.

The South Carolina Department on Aging has many resources to assist with fitness, nutrition, social and recreational activities and more.  The population of older adults is growing and living longer than ever.  Make today the day to start or maintain a fitness regime to sustain your years.