Share Your Recipes With the North Shore Health Department

The health department will collect recipes from North Shore residents with the goal of compiling a cookbook in June.

The North Shore Health Department is seeking recipes from North Shore residents to create a cookbook. The health department's effort is funded by a prevention grant that encourages people to eat healthier, increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and purchase foods grown and produced locally. The project is also aimed at creating new partnerships with the three North Shore farmers markets in Fox Point, Brown Deer and Whitefish Bay. All recipes must include one or more ingredients available at the local farmers' markets. Any North Shore resident, business, restaurant, or farmers' market vendor may submit a recipe until April 15. Guidelines and submission forms are available on the North Shore Health Department's new website at www.…

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Flu Cases in North Shore Not an Epidemic, Yet

North Shore Health Department says this flu season, so far, is a "typical year."

As tweets about #theflu continue to fly across the Twittersphere and more posts about drippy noses and high fevers fill up Facebook, North Shore familes aren't exempt from the burdensome bug.  "Went to bed Dec. 30 not feeling right, didn't get back up until the following Thursday," Katie Millar Bucholtz of Fox Point said on Facebook. "I missed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, front row courtside to the Globetrotters and a week of work. I was so sick I don't even remember being sick. Didn't get the flu shot. It was horrible and I'm glad it's over, although I still have a cough." Flu cases in the Milwaukee area have increased to an "intense" level, significantly exceeding moderate levels in 2011-12, according to Google Flu Trends. Wisconsin is …

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Where to Get a Flu Shot in Fox Point, Bayside

The CDC says the number of flu cases in Wisconsin for the first week of November are low so far, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider getting a shot. High flu time is coming in January.

Influenza-like illnesses are low in Wisconsin for the first week in November, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but that doesn't mean you won't get sick.  Naomi Dassow is a Registered Nurse with the North Shore Health Department and said you can still get vaccinated for high flu time, which is expected to peak in January.  "The peak of the influenza season is often in January or February, or even later," Dassow said. "All ages should be vaccinated, because all are susceptible to become ill with the flu." Those most at risk are very young children and the elderly, Dassow said, because they can develop pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, or even chronic medical conditions. Women who are pregnant should …

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Keep an Eye Out for Pink Eye, Prevent it With these Tips

The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers information to parents about the prevention of pink eye.

Editor's note: The following information was provided by a press release from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. As summer fades away to Fall and children are back in school, concerns about sunscreen and day camp are quickly replaced by homework and hygiene – and for many parents, pink eye is one of the top concerns. Children are often susceptible to catching pink eye (or conjunctivitis) —in fact, more than 3 million school days are missed each year in U.S public schools due to the spread of pink eye. To stop the spread of pink eye, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and its EyeSmart program are arming parents and teachers with important information about pink eye.   Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the thin, filmy membrane …

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West Nile Virus Confirmed in the North Shore

With seven confirmed cases of West Nile in Milwaukee County, health officials are urging residents to protect themselves from the disease and from mosquitoes.

The West Nile Virus is flying around the North Shore, and area residents should take extra precaution to be sure the virus doesn't spread to people. "The North Shore Health Department has found West Nile Virus in our communities, as we sent in one dead crow for West Nile Virus testing, which came back positive," Jamie Berg, health officer for the North Shore Health Department said Wednesday. West Nile Virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes get the virus by feeding on infected birds. In Milwaukee County, seven people have contracted the West Nile Virus, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services advised on Wednesday. The virus has also been confirmed through testing a crow in the North Shore …

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Tips to Staying Safe in the Summer Heat

The North Shore Health Department offers a couple tips to prevent heat exhausion and heat stroke in warm weather.

Now that it is finally time to spend some time outside, the North Shore Health Department would like to remind everyone to put your health first when enjoying the great weather. Remember to check on your vulnerable neighbors who may not be able to get to a cool place quickly. 1) Wear a wide brimmed hat when outside to keep your head and face cool. This will also provide protection from damaging sun exposure. 2) Wear a long sleeved shirt outside. It should be light colored and loose fitting except when working around machinery. This will also protect you from insect bites. 3) Keep water with you. Take drinks frequently to stay hydrated. 4) Take frequent breaks in the shade or in a cool environment during the hottest times of the day. 5) …

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HIV Rises in Seniors Nationally, While Local Trend is Unclear

Study suggests by 2017, 50 percent of those living with HIV will be 50 and older.

As people with HIV are living longer and seniors are becoming infected more often, the number of people over 50 with HIV is rising nationally. In 2001, 17 percent of people living with HIV were ages 50 and older, according to the Center for Disease Control. In 2005, the number had risen to 24 percent. According to an AARP article, Yale Medical School experts estimated that by 2017, people 50 and older will comprise half of those living with HIV. Locally, the trend is harder to decipher. Jamie Berg, director of the newly merged North Shore Health Department, said local HIV cases are reported to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which does not provide localized information to municipalities in order to protect the identities of …

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Lyle Ruble

5:47 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

@NorthShoreNancy...That's one of points of the article. However, I think it's a serious enough risk that Senator Mary Lazich probably needs to address it and educate us seniors about abstinence only living.   more ›

Heard in the Hall

Raise Your Hand to Stop Diabetes This November

It's estimated as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050.

November is American Diabetes Month, and the American Diabetes Association is encouraging people to take action and raise their hand to Stop Diabetes.  Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States. An additional 79 million Americans are at high risk for developing type two diabetes.  Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disease. If it isn’t managed, it can damage many parts of the body, leading to heart attacks, strokes, amputation, blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage. But there is good news: diabetes complications can be prevented or delayed by properly managing blood glucose (blood …

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Smoky Haze From Minnesota Fire Increasing Hourly, DNR says

As smoke from a Minnesota wildfire flows across Wisconsin, state agencies are fielding calls from concerned residents about the smell.

Sussex Fire Chief Colin Curtis woke up this morning to the smell of smoke. He then started driving around the Sussex area to see if anyone might be conducting some sort of “burn pile,” on a day he said was much too windy for something like that. That's when he received the information about smoke from a Minnesota wildfire migrating over Wisconsin and into Illinois and even Michigan. The U.S. Forest Service is requesting additional assistance in controlling and extinguishing the 60,000-acre Pagami Creek fire.  Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies all across metro Milwaukee are fielding phone calls from concerned residents regarding the smoky haze, and Department of Natural Resources Air Monitoring Section Chief Bart …

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Merged North Shore Health Department Nearly Done Deal

An intergovernmental agreement awaits the approval of six other North Shore communities after Shorewood approved it Monday.

Shorewood village officials approved an intergovernmental agreement Monday to consolidate health services with six other North Shore communities. The agreement approved by the Village Board will now be circulated to the other participating municipalities including the city of Glendale and villages of Bayside, Brown Deer, Fox Point, River Hills and Whitefish Bay for approval no later than July 8, Trustee Patrick Linnane said. "There has been some great discussion between communities," Linnane added. The merged health department would be implemented January 1 next year. The agreement calls for a joint Health Board with representation from each community including a Village Board member or Common Council member from each municipality. A …

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