Ticks are in full-force this season and cases of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease are on the rise. Use the information below to make sure you and your family are being tick smart.

Identification

Deer Tick: Deer ticks are known to cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan.

Dog Tick: Dog ticks are not known to transmit Lyme disease.

Learn more about identifying ticks here: http://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/tickid/

Prevention

• Wear light-colored, long-sleeved clothing.
• Use insect repellent on skin or clothing.
• Do regular tick checks when returning inside.
• Protect furry friends with repellents and ask your vet about a Lyme disease vaccine.

Did you find an attached tick?

How big is the tick, pencil eraser or pencil tip?
Was the tick embedded into your skin?
Do you know how long the tick was embedded?
Do you have a rash?

Removal

• Using tweezers, grasp the tick close to the skin and gently pull until the tick lets go.
• Using a tick spoon, place the wide part of the notch on the skin near the tick. Apply downward pressure on the skin and slide the remover forward to frame the tick until it becomes detached. –Maine CDC
• Do not be concerned if the entire insect does not come out; it will work its way out. Do not dig for it.
• Some redness at the extraction site is normal.
• Clean the area around the bite and watch for any signs and symptoms for 30 days.

Symptoms

Symptoms include, but aren’t limited to:

• fever
• headache
• weakness
• fatigue
• body aches
• joint pain
• rash
• vomiting
• confusion
• loss of coordination
• speech difficulties
• changes in behavior
• seizures

If you remove an engorged deer tick, store it in a small container for potential testing and consult your primary care provider immediately.

As part of our commitment to whole person, patient-centered care, DFD is committed to your mental health and provides behavioral health specialists as part of your health care team.

Did you know?

• 43.8 million adults experience mental illness in a given year
• One-half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14
• 60% of adults with a mental illness didn’t receive mental health services during the previous year
• One in 25 Americans lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It accounts for the loss of more than 41,000 American lives each year, more than double the number of lives lost to homicide.

Spot Mental Health Warning Signs:

• Excessive worrying or fear
• Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and having low energy
• Feeling excessively sad or hopeless
• Confused thinking or difficulty concentrating and learning.

How to Get Help:

• Talk with your doctor
• Connect with other individuals and families
• Seek a counselor

DFD Celebrates Go Red for Women on February 2, 2018.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women and 90% of women have one or more risk factors for heart disease or stroke.

The good news? 80% of heart disease deaths can be prevented with education and action.

How to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke:

• Get active! Just 30 minutes of physical activity each day can lower your risk.
• Know and Control your numbers. We’re talking about Blood Pressure(BP), Cholesterol and Body Mass Index (BMI).
• Quit Smoking. Quitting is the best thing you can do for your health. Ask us about our smoking cessation program to help kick the habit for good.

DFD is here to help make 2018 your healthiest year yet.

DFD’s Healthy Lifestyle Guide:

1. Think Positive! You’ve got this. Research shows a positive attitude can help boost overall health.
2. Eat your colors. Try and get 5 servings of colorful veggies a day. Think: broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and leafy greens.
3. Exercise more. Start with just a few days a week and build up to a daily exercise routine. Not sure what to do? Grab a friend and sign up for a fun fitness class like dancing or water aerobics.
4. Get some shuteye! Poor sleep can lead to a long list of health issues. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga.
5. Visit your doctor. Stay up-to-date with annual visits to your primary care physician to stay on top of your health.
   Schedule an appointment with DFD by calling 207-524-3501

DFD is hosting a diabetes prevention program, also known as PreventT2, beginning Wednesday, November 15, at 5 pm at DFD Medical Center in Leeds.

This free program is open to people with prediabetes to help them make healthy, long-term changes to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

PreventT2 provides participants with:

• A CDC approved curriculum
• Skills to lose weight, be more physically active, and manage stress
• A trained lifestyle coach to encourage you
• Support from other participants with the same goals as you
• Our program meets weekly for 8 weeks, biweekly over the next 16 weeks, then monthly to complete the one-year program

Without weight loss or moderate physical activity, many people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years.

Make a change that just might save your life. For more information visit https://www.cmmc.org/diabetes-prevention or call 207-330-7769

DFD is excited to support our communities and encourage others to walk, run or bike in support of The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing in this year’s Dempsey Challenge.

When and Where does this happen?

The 2017 Dempsey Challenge takes place in Lewsiton-Auburn, Maine, Octbober 7-8.

What does it benefit?

Proceeds from the challenge go to the Dempsey Center. The Dempsey Center offers a vibrant and compassionate environment where an interdisciplinary team of oncology professionals improves the healing experience for those impacted by cancer. Through customized programs The Dempsey Center provides support services that complement treatments, support caregivers, patients and their families equally Source: Demspeycenter.org

How to get involved:

Anyone can get involved and there is an event for everyone.

• Bike – 10, 25, 70, or 100 miles
• Two-day 140+ mile bike ride presented by L.L. Bean
• Run or walk 5K (3.1 miles) and  10K (6.2 miles)
• Festival in the Park – Saturday 8 am – 1 pm, Sunday 9 am – 5 pm
  • Music Festival at Festival in the Park
• Kid’s Fun Run and Family Ride
• Survivor Walk

You can show your love for team DFD by donating your loose change at one of our coin jars at the front desk at each DFD Health Center location or to one of our team members using this link: http://support.dempseychallenge.org/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=5757&pg=team&fr_id=1130

To learn more about The Dempsey Challenge please visit:

http://support.dempseychallenge.org/site/TR?fr_id=1130&pg=entry#_ga=1.246568388.1791305416.1467755137

DFD Russell Medical Center is partnering with The Pixel Fund to promote dogs in need of homes in Maine.

The Pixel Fund is a nonprofit established to raise needed funds to support animal rescue and advocacy groups with “paws on the ground”. The Pixel Fund works to save the lives of animals by working to reduce shelter admissions through addressing the issues that cause people to give up their pets, support low and no-cost spay and neuter clinics and encourage shelter reform. The Pixel Fund’s mission is to save lives that would otherwise be lost to the shelter system.

DFD will be featuring an adoptable pet every other week.

This week we want you to meet Makayla.

She’s a sweet 2-year-old hound mix who loves her people. She enjoys leashed walks and playing outside with other pups. If you’re ready for a sweet and cuddly best friend, Makayla is the one for you.

Not only will you be saving a dog’s life through adoption, you can also see significant health improvements in your own life!

1. Pets keep you active. A study by the University of Victoria showed dog owners were more likely to participate in mild to moderate physical activity. They walked an average of 300 minutes per week, compared with non-dog owners, who walked an average of 168 minutes per week.
2. Pets can reduce stress. There is a reason therapy dogs are so effective. Spending just a few minutes with a pet can lower anxiety and blood pressure, and increase levels of serotonin and dopamine.
3. Pets add meaning and purpose. Pets help prevent loneliness and isolation which is key in preventing cognitive decline and disease. Owning a pet provides responsibility to get up every day and take care of your furry friend.

To learn more about The Pixel Fund click here: http://www.thepixelfund.org/