Winter typically means a lot of health attention on illnesses like influenza or pneumonia. However, the Flint Hills Community Health Center is using winter to get the word out about lead poisoning.
On a recent Talk of Emporia, nurse Cami McClellan said lead is an underrated health issue with significant consequences, especially for youngsters.
Symptoms in adults can include high blood pressure, memory loss and joint pain. Because adult and youth symptoms can also be linked to other health issues, residents are encouraged to ask their health providers for testing if other potential health concerns have been ruled out.
McClellan says most people are aware of lead-based paints, but those paints were banned in 1978. If your house was built before the late 1970s, she says your best course of option is a fresh coat of new paint or varnish. She also says you should hold off on scraping due to the resulting dust.
Lead levels are tested among children at 12 and 24 months. As kids get older, parents fill out a questionnaire, with questions about the age of a house or working in environments where lead is more prevalent like furniture restoration, automotive repairs, fishing or hunting possibly prompting additional testing. Kids who put their hands in their mouths regularly, eat dirt or suffer from iron deficiency are also at higher risk.
For more information, call the Health Center at 342-4864, go online to www.flinthillshealth.org or go to Facebook@FlintHillsHealth.
Click here for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s information page.
