Residential Heating Requirements: From October 1 through May 31, landlords in Suffolk County are required to keep the temperature in your apartment at 68°F, day and night whenever the outside temperature drops below 55. To report noncompliance, call 631-852-5900 or email PHP@SuffolkCountyNY.gov
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a perfect time to review the steps you need to take to detect cancer in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. The Suffolk County Cancer Awareness and Health Promotion Coalition have compiled information about what you and your family members can do to reduce the burden of breast cancer. Take a few minutes check out the Cancer Prevention and Health Promotion Coalition webpage for more information. https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Cancer-Prevention-and-Health-Promotion-Coalition
Halloween Safety Tips: Halloween is a time for ghosts, witches, goblins and other scary creatures of the night, but safety must be the number one concern for parents on Halloween. For safety tips on decorations, costumes, treats, and pedestrian awareness, click here
Respiratory Illnesses: Flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cause most hospitalizations due to respiratory illness during fall and winter. It’s time to get your recommended vaccines. Staying up to date with vaccines against flu and COVID-19 (and RSV immunization, if recommended for you) protects you from severe disease, hospitalization, and death. Find answers to commonly asked questions about flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines here: https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/getting-your-immunizations-for-the-2024-2025-fall-and-winter-virus-season.html
November is Diabetes Awareness Month: Diabetes is the most rapidly growing chronic disease of our time, affecting one out of every 12 adults in New York. Two out of every five Americans are expected to develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetime. If it’s not controlled, diabetes can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems. To find out if you are at risk for diabetes and to see what you can do to reduce your risk of getting diabetes, visit, https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Preventive-Medicine/Health-Education/Diabetes
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States and throughout the world, among both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined. Annual lung cancer screening with a low dose CT scan (LDCT) in people who have a high risk can prevent a large number of lung cancer related deaths. Learn more here https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Cancer-Prevention-and-Health-Promotion-Coalition/Lung-Cancer-Prevention-and-Screening
The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout will take place on November 21 this year. Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S., yet nearly one in five adults continue to use tobacco. Breaking an addiction to nicotine can be extremely difficult, but there is good news. Studies have shown that smokers who try to quit smoking using a combination of behavioral support and medicine are three times more likely to be successful than those who try to stop smoking without support. Suffolk County offers free tobacco cessation classes. To find a class convenient for you, visit https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Preventive-Medicine/Health-Education/Smoking-Cessation
Physical Activity is fun and has important health benefits for all ages.
- Those who are regularly active have a higher chance of living longer than those who are not very active.
- Physical activity can improve brain health and mental wellbeing.
- Students who are physically active tend to have improved grades, higher school attendance, sharper memory, and better concentration.
- Regular physical activity can also help you sleep better and improve your immune system, so you get sick less.
- Exercise can reduce the fall rate by 23% in older adults and significantly reduce the risk of fall injuries.
Let’s get active, Healthy Suffolk! Check out our resources for children, adults, seniors, people who are pregnant, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, residents who are super busy, and outdoor opportunities in Suffolk County. https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Cancer-Prevention-and-Health-Promotion-Coalition/Staying-Active/Outdoor-Activities
Ticks are active all year long. Ticks can transmit disease, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Powassan virus. In recent years, researchers have also found that ticks may cause an allergy to meat, known as alpha-gal allergy. Take precautions to avoid being bitten by a tick.
- Wear light-colored clothing
- Wear long pants and sleeves
- Tuck your pants into your socks
- Tuck your shirt into your pants
- Consider using repellents as directed
- Walk along the center of trails
- Conduct frequent clothing checks
- Once home, dry clothing on the highest temperature setting for 10 minutes to kill any ticks
- Carefully inspect your body for ticks
- Keep pets from tick infested areas and check them before entering the house.
Find out more about ticks and tick-borne diseases, visit https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Public-Health/Preventive-Services/Arthropod-borne-Diseases/Ticks