The American Red Cross in Nassau County, Department of Health and Safety Services, advises shovelers to take care when digging out:
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Avoid shoveling snow if you don't exercise regularly, especially if you are over 55, or if you have a history of heart problems or obesity.
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Take it easy. Lift small amounts and take frequent breaks. Use proper posture to prevent strain, keeping the back straight and lifting gently from the hips and knees.
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Dress for the cold weather.
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Drink hot cider, soup or broth to replenish much-needed nutrients and energy. Avoid coffee and tea. Though popular, the caffeine they contain actually cools the body making it more susceptible to cold.
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Keep the tailpipe of your car free of snow to avoid carbon monoxide buildup.
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Clear snow from fire hydrants, standpipes and address markers.
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Important tools to have in your car include a first-aid kit, a small shovel, sand, windshield-washer fluid, blanket, spare jacket, gloves and booster cables.
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Try to remove snow as soon as possible before it becomes packed or turns to ice.
Hospitals need volunteers
Volunteers are needed at Winthrop-University Hospital of Mineola to staff the gift shop, as well as to provide support in other areas of the hospital, Vols are needed at Franklin Hospital Medical Center Thrift Shop in Valley Stream as well.For further information about volunteering at Winthrop, contact Carmela Anglim at (516) 663-2391. To volunteer at Franklin's thrift shop, at 138 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, contact Freda Rohsiepe, thrift shop manager, at (516) 825-5216, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pre-birth education classes
Franklin Hospital Medical Center in Valley Stream offers two special childbirth-preparation classes on an on-going basis.The Childbirth Education Class is helpful to every expectant mother and their significant other to prepare for delivery and care of their newborn. In addition, a personal tour of the hospital's modern maternity department is included. The class is offered during four evening sessions or two Saturday morning sessions. The fee is $100The baby-care class, entitled, "What Do We Do Now?" is perfect for expectant parents, caregivers and grandparents that need to know about the immediate care needs of newborn infants. The one-hour baby care class is offered on Saturdays from 1-2 p.m. The fee is $10 and includes refreshments.Call Franklin at 900 Franklin Avenue at (516) 256-6001 for information about the classes, dates and registration.
Laryngectomy support
A support group for people who will or have undergone surgery for the removal of the larynx meets Thursdays at 10 a.m. at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's Hearing and Speech Center, in the lower level conference room. The center is located on the main campus of LIJ Medical Center, 270-05 76 Avenue, New Hyde Park. New members, both pre- and post-surgery are welcome. For more information call Dr. Glazer at (516) or (718) 470-8631.
Free cardiac screening available
St. Francis Hospital, "The Heart Center," in Roslyn, will conduct free cardiac screenings from its mobile outreach clinic at Project Challenge in Long Beach. To be eligible you must be at least 18 years old, without medical insurance or Medicare, or have Medicaid only, and are not regularly seen by a physician.The screening consists of a health evaluation, blood pressure and EKG testing by a medical team, which includes a St. Francis Hospital cardiologist and nurse. A Spanish-speaking interpreter is available. Screenings are scheduled for March 12 and 26 and April 9 and 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, to make an appointment, or get directions call (516) 562-6025. Appointments are necessary.
The benefits of chiropractic
There are many benefits to visiting a chiropractor; just ask any chiropractor. Dr. Jeffrey Garofalo, of JSG Chiropractic and Wellness in Lynbrook, said a chiropractic adjustment could make all the difference in your well-being. "Your body has its very own mind that you don't even know about. Every time you digest you use it, every time you swallow you use it, every time you round up killer cells in your body to fight infection you are using it."Garofalo said the best way to understand the relationship between the mind and the body is to think of the brain as the mastermind and the spinal cord as the information super-highway. Millions of impulses go from the brain to the spinal cord, out to all tissues, organs and glands, and information is then brought back to the brain to let it know how things are running. "Imagine the chaos that would occur if that impulse were to be interfered with?" Garofalo said. The messages wouldn't get to and from those vital tissues of the body. According to Garofalo, "dis-ease" might occur and affect energy and digestion problems or the immune system might weaken."Your innate intelligence is interfered with when a misalignment occurs in the spine," Garofalo said. "When this occurs it irritates or compresses a nerve there-by causing a block in or a distortion in the impulse." The term used by chiropractors to describe your misalignment is called the Vertebral Subluxation Complex or more commonly known as the "silent killer." As many as 80% of the population have undiagnosed subluxations interfering with their bodies' innate ability to function properly on every level, Garofalo said. Chiropractic adjustment is one way to "cure" the problem, Garofalo said. "That's right, we are life savers," Garofalo said. "Chiropractic is more than just aches and pains in your back, it is about using a drug-less therapy to promote your body to heal itself."
