Health Department

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Cooler Temperatures Increase the Risk for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

As outdoor winter temperatures drop and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases, residents are urged to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning due to improper use of heating or cooking devices. Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a dangerous gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. Carbon monoxide can be deadly. By knowing more about CO, you can protect yourself and your family from CO poisoning.

Sources of carbon monoxide:

CO can come from anything that burns fuels, especially if it is not used or vented in the right way.

• Furnaces
• Gas-powered home appliances
• Wood stoves
• Gas-powered tools
• Kerosene heaters
• Gas and charcoal grills
• Generators
• Cars and trucks

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

Health effects occur when carbon monoxide enters the body through the lungs and attaches to the red blood cells that usually carry oxygen throughout the body. Early symptoms can appear at low levels of CO exposure, and often mimic the flu or food poisoning. Symptoms include fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The effects of exposure to higher levels of CO are more serious, and include brain damage and loss of consciousness. At high enough concentrations, it can kill you in a matter of minutes.

Reduce your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide alarms need fresh batteries at least once every year, unless they are powered by sealed, 10-year batteries. Carbon monoxide alarms should be tested once a month to make sure they are working properly. Replace carbon monoxide detectors according to manufacturer recommendations. Never ignore a carbon monoxide alarm.
• Leave cars, and other vehicles running only if they are outside of your garage.
• Use kerosene heaters only when room doors are open and windows are open at least one inch.
• Run generators outside and away from windows, doors, and vents.
• Do not use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove or other gasoline or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage or outside near a window.
• Do not use indoor gas cooking stoves for heat.

If you are experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911 or contact the NJ Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, go to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics or call the West Windsor Health Department at (609) 936-8400.

It has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of death for individuals who have received a qualifying diagnosis or cardiac procedure.

• Participation in cardiac rehabilitation after a cardiac-related event or procedure improves quality of life, reduces the risk of hospital readmission, and lowers the risk of death.
• Increasing cardiac rehabilitation rates from 20% to 70% would save 25,000 lives and prevent 180,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year.

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An estimated 37 million US adults (15%) have chronic kidney disease, but most don’t know they have it.

• Managing blood sugar levels and blood pressure helps protect kidneys; about 1 in 3 adults with diabetes and 1 in 5 with high blood pressure may have chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Kidney-Friendly Tips

• Keep your blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg (or the target your doctor establishes for you).
• If you have diabetes, stay in your target blood sugar range as much as possible.
• Get active—physical activity helps control blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
• Lose weight if you’re overweight.
• Get tested for CKD regularly if you’re at risk.
• If you have CKD, meet with a dietician to create a kidney-healthy eating plan. The plan may need to change as you get older or if your health status changes.
• Take medications as instructed, and ask your doctor about blood pressure medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers, which may protect your kidneys in addition to lowering blood pressure.
• If you smoke, quit. Smoking can worsen kidney disease and interfere with medication that lowers blood pressure.
• Include a kidney doctor (nephrologist) on your health care team.

Take Care of Your Kidneys and They Will Take Care of You

The Hightstown Police Department in partnership with the NJ Attorney General’s Office, NJ Department of Consumer Affairs, NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the Drug Enforcement Agency participates in Project Medicine Drop.

Project Medicine Drop is a program designed to allow Borough residents to properly and safely dispose of their unwanted or expired household medications.

Residents can bring their unwanted or expired household medications removed from the original packaging and placed in a zip lock or similar type plastic bag to the Hightstown Police Department, 415A Mercer Street, Hightstown, 24 hours a day. Residents will then place their medication into the Project Medicine Drop box which is located outside Police Headquarters at the police station anonymously and free of charge.  The medications will then safely and properly be destroyed.
Types of Medication That Can Be Disposed

For safety reasons, the Project Medicine Drop boxes can only accept solid medications such as pills, patches, inhalers, and similar objects.

The boxes cannot accept liquids, medical waste, or syringes. Consumers wishing to dispose of these objects should speak with their doctors or pharmacists to find the safest and best ways to dispose of them.

It should also be noted that consumers may only dispose of legal prescription or over-the-counter medications. Anyone wishing to dispose of any illicit drug, should follow the normal procedure of reporting it to the police.

For more information regarding Project Medicine Drop please visit these links:

•  New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs

Other Mercer County Locations

East Windsor Police Department • 80 1 Mile Road • East Windsor, New Jersey 08520 • (609) 448-5678

Hamilton Township Police Department • 1270 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road • Hamilton, New Jersey 08619 • (609) 581-4045

Hopewell Township Police Department • 201 Washington Crossing Pennington Road • Titusville, New Jersey 08560 • (609) 737-3100

Lawrence Township Police Department • 2211 Lawrenceville Road • Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 • (609) 896-0225

Princeton Police Department • 1 Valley Road • Princeton, NJ 08540 • (609) 927-2100

Robbinsville Township Police Department • 1117 U.S. 130 • Robbinsville, NJ 08691 • (609) 259-3900

The College of New Jersey Police Department • 2000 Pennington Road • Ewing Township, NJ 08618 • (609) 771-2345

West Windsor Police Department • 20 Municipal Drive • West Windsor, NJ 08550 • (609)799-1222

• Stroke kills about 140,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths.¹

• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 4 minutes, someone dies of stroke

Patients who arrive at the emergency room within 3 hours of their first symptoms often have less disability 3 months after a stroke than those who received delayed care.

The five most common signs and symptoms of stroke are:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg.
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden dizziness, trouble walking, or loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

ACT FAST

CDC Stroke Information

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancer types, with more than 5.4 million cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. – and that number is on the rise. Although skin cancer caused by sun exposure is rarely fatal and often easily treated, there are simple steps you can take to prevent ever having to face it in the first place.

Take the Sun Safety Quiz

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