Note: Links (underlined and in blue) have been provided to many subjects for further information. All information is for reference only and does not take the place of your physician's advice. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your exercise program, lifestyle or medication.

Come one, come all to the Health Fair. It was a combined effort between the Better Breathers and Happy Hearts Support Groups. It was an opportunity for everyone in both groups to get together. It was also a wonderful way for all of us to learn more about how to improve our health and keep healthy.

We all started off by signing in, like we do at all our group meetings. We got a bag with a little gift and our Health Fair paper so we could keep track of the things we would learn.

First we checked out our hearts by checking our blood pressure. It's important to check your blood pressure regularly. High blood pressure can make your heart causing a strain on your heart and arteries.

Next, we got our fingers stabbed. OUCH! Well, it wasn't that bad, but it was another important step to learn about our health by checking our blood sugar. If you have high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) for long periods of time, it can be a problem. It could lead to eye disease, kidney disease, heart attacks and strokes.

Eating fatty foods and decreased activity can raise your blood sugar. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, eating healthy foods and exercising can help reduce high blood sugar. Not only is this a good way to keep a check on your blood sugar if you have diabetes, but it is a great way to keep your heart healthy as well. Proper nutrition is very important for everyone.

If you have a medial problem you need help with, rehabilitation services might be just what you need. Health Services brings you the health information that's important for you and your family.

Kick off those shoes and let's check our body fat. We had the chance to check our body fat, but many of us were kind of self-conscious of this one. Your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

On the web, you can Calculate Your Body Fat, The U.S. Navy Circumference Method. This is great to give you an idea on where you stand (and only YOU know the answer). Then you can learn more at the Body Fat Lab. There is also some good information on body fat and obesity.

We had the opportunity to learn more about mental health from Joyce Edelen, Ed. D. from the Mental Health Association of Kentucky. (Check out our February 2001 meeting for information on depression.)

Wayne Knewasser was also there to tell us about the latest oxygen dispensers from Premier Home Care, Inc.

Now breathe deep and b-l-o-w... my, that was hard to do, but it's a test used to measure the amount of air in your lungs. It's called Spirometry testing and it is a screening for abnormalities or lung disease. Taking a test like this lets you see your own lung capacity on paper, compared to others the same age, sex and height. This helps you realize what is really happening in your lungs. Normal values are within 80% to 100%. A decrease in this score is usually the first sign of airway disease or asthma.

One final test and this one's easy. Clip a little device to your finger and watch. It is Pulse Oximetry in action, checking your arterial oxygen saturation of blood non-invasively. WHAT? Simply put, it checks the oxygen saturation in your blood with infrared light that goes through your finger. It's fast, painless and also checks your pulse. Normal oxygen saturation should be 90% to 100%.

Oh, my, that was a lot of work. Let's sit back, hope for Patsy to call our name for a door prize, have some goodies to eat and drink and do some socializing. We had a great night of becoming more informed about ourselves, got some great information and had some fun learning together.

Special thanks to: Premier Oxygen Company Respiratory Care Services Mental Health Department Lifestyle Fitness Center Dietary Department Occupational Therapy Better Breathers Support Group Healthy Hearts Support Group