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Wellness Voice
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January/February 2007 Issue

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HOLD ONTO YOUR HEART
by Judy Stevens, Community Health Nurse/Wellness Educator

Hold onto Your Heart image

Question:

You're in college, why should you care about heart disease?

Answer:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death is in the United States. It outnumbers deaths from cancer and accidents combined!

We don't hear much about it. Statistics show that heart disease is the number one killer of women, and African Americans are at a greater risk for heart disease. Sure, heredity (including race) plays a part in heart disease but the health of your heart is very much in your control. You can make changes to control all these risk factors.

High blood pressure

Everybody has — and needs — blood pressure. Without it, blood can’t circulate through the body. And without circulating blood, vital organs can't get the oxygen and food that they need to work. It's important to know about blood pressure and how to keep it within a healthy level.

Normal blood pressure falls within a range; it's not one set of numbers. Your heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute under normal conditions. Your blood pressure rises with each heartbeat and falls when your heart relaxes between beats. Your blood pressure can change from minute to minute, with changes in posture, exercise or sleeping, but it should normally be less than 120/80 mm Hg for an adult. If you have high blood pressure, your heart is working too hard.

Consider the foods you eat

Most people know that fatty, cholesterol-laden foods can clog your arteries. Now scientists are realizing that white bread, baked potatoes and foods with a high glycemic index- (foods that are digested and converted to glucose most quickly) – can harm them, too.
Foods rich in antioxidants may also have a healing effect and can help protect your arteries. Foods with Omega3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, flax seed and cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring) and foods like tomatoes, blueberries, eggplant and fiber – rich grains can help protect your heart. For optimal heart health, choose whole grain foods and eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Smoking

Smoking lowers the good (HDL) cholesterol levels and increases the tendency for blood to clot. Each cigarette damages the lining of the arteries making them magnets for fatty plaque. Quitting the habit immediately reduces inflammation and eventually reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease back to levels for nonsmokers. If you’re thinking about quitting, UNH Health Services has Quit Kits, an Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug counselor who can help, and a physician who does hypnosis and medical acupuncture.

Exercise

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Even moderate-intensity activities, if done daily, help reduce your risk. Examples are walking, jogging, dancing, skiing and skating. Need a little help getting started? Visit UNH’s Hamel Recreation Center or go online to http://campusrec.unh.edu/facilities/hamel.html.

Stress

If you're feeling anxious or depressed, you may be at greater risk of heart disease. Meditation and other stress management strategies not only put the brakes on this but in combination with a heart healthy diet, may reverse it. Regular robust laughter and having pets can also improve blood flow. If you think you are anxious or depressed you can make an appointment at the UNH Counseling Center. If you would like help with stress management you may want to speak with Wellness Educators/Counselors at the Office of Health Education and Promotion, UNH Health Services. Also, stop by to pick up a meditation cd, free to all UNH students (non-students, $10).

Don't forget to Floss

Here's one that may surprise ya! Research now links gum disease and tooth loss with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The best defense is dental hygiene, so brush after meals with a soft bristle brush and floss daily!!

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OWN YOUR HEALTH. GET IT CHECKED OUT. What Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Students Should Know About Their Health

Healthy communities require healthy individuals. Health Services is committed to insuring that all students, including GLBT students, learn how to be and stay healthy while at UNH and into the future. Health Services strives to provide a safe environment where GLBT students feel comfortable discussing issues that are important to them.

 

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR GLBT STUDENTS

Mental Health

GLBT students tend to experience higher levels of depression and anxiety. This has been associated with the isolation experienced by those who remain in the closet, struggle to come out of the closet or who have inadequate social support from family and friends. Young adults in the GLBT community also tend to be at higher risk for suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts. If you are feeling depressed, anxious or having suicidal thoughts, there is help at the UNH Counseling Center and Health Services.

Sexual Health

Safer sex reduces the risk and prevents the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Regular screening for sexually transmitted infections is an important part of good sexual health. This includes STIs for which effective treatment is available (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, pubic lice, and others), and those for which there are treatments but no cure is available (HIV, Hepatitis A, B, or C virus, Human Papilloma Virus, etc.). Health Services provides STI screening and HIV testing for all UNH Students and provides free condoms and dental dams.

Alcohol and Other Drugs Use

Consider this:

  • 1 in 3 GLBT students will struggle with alcohol dependence, compared to 1 in 5 heterosexual students.
  • Illicit drugs may be used more often among GLBT students. These include a number of substances ranging from amyl nitrate ("poppers"), to marijuana, ecstasy, and methamphetamines.

The added stressors in the lives of GLBT people from homophobic discrimination to varying degrees of social support can contribute to higher alcohol and other drug use. Health Services has an Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Educator/Counselor who is available to speak with students about their substance use.

Tobacco Use

According to the LGBT Tobacco Control Network:

  • Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people have been targeted by the tobacco industry.
  • Interventions to counter tobacco use are not always culturally tailored for the LGBT communities.
  • The LGBT communities smoke at rates of 40% - almost 100% higher than the general population.
  • Most people try 7 – 8 times before they succeed at quitting.

Tobacco-related health problems include lung disease and lung cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a whole host of other serious problems. In addition, smoking increases the risk of blood clots for women taking estrogen––blood clots can stop the blood flow within your legs, lungs, brain (stroke) or heart (heart attack). Health Services provides hypnosis, medical acupuncture and education/support for students trying to quit their use of tobacco products. Also, stop by to pick up a free Quit Kit.

Heart Health

Everyone should get an annual clinical exam where blood pressure is checked, cholesterol is measured, diabetes is diagnosed, and exercise is discussed. Preventing heart disease, which is a leading cause of death for both women and men, should be included in every visit to your health care provider. See a Health Services medical provider to check up on your heart health.

Fitness, Nutrition and Eating Concerns

Getting your body moving and eating right are essential to feeling good about yourself, combating stress and being healthy. Even small amounts of moderate exercise like walking, dancing and yoga can help improve your physical fitness.

What should you eat? Our nutrition counselor stresses that no food is bad. You can eat what you want as long as you watch your portion sizes. She also recommends trying to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drinking lots of water and not depriving yourself of foods you enjoy.

Body image issues and eating disorders are prevalent in the LGBT community. Eating disorders have numerous physical, psychological and social ramifications, from significant weight preoccupation, inappropriate eating behavior, and body image distortion. Many people with eating disorders experience depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and childhood sexual abuse.

Consider this:

  • Gay men are more likely to suffer from bulimia and anorexia than heterosexual men because of the pressure to be attractive, fit and thin.
  • Lesbians are more likely to be overweight than heterosexual women.

For more information about your nutrition or eating concerns, visit the Health Services Nutrition Counselor.

Violence

Intimate Partner Violence:

  • Gay and bisexual men experience abuse in intimate partner relationships at a rate of 2 in 5, a rate comparable to that of domestic violence experienced by heterosexual women.
  • 47% of lesbians had experienced repeated acts of violence and 41% had been abused in at least one relationship with another woman.
  • Transgender and intersex individuals in one city found that 50% had been raped or assaulted by a romantic partner, though only 62% of these individuals (31% of the total) identified themselves as survivors of domestic violence when asked.

If you are concerned about yourself or someone you care about, who may be in an abusive relationship, or you want to learn more, SHARPP can provide assistance by calling (603) 862-3494.

Hate Crimes:

According to Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD), since 1998, dozens of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have become victims of hate-motivated murders, and hundreds more have been the targets of violent anti-LGBT assaults. Many of these crimes have been perpetrated against people of color - and often these incidents get little news coverage, if they are reported on at all. To learn more about GLADD or what you can do to help stop hate crimes, visit GLADD at http://www.glaad.org/about/index.php

 

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR LESBIAN AND BISEXUAL WOMEN:

Breast Health

According to The National Lesbian Health Organization: Mautner Project, lesbian women are at greater risk for developing breast cancer because they have higher rates of smoking and obesity and have children later in life, which are factors for breast cancer. Combine this with the fact that many women do not do breast self-exams, or have a clinical breast exam, and the cancer may not be diagnosed early, when it is most curable. For more information about self-exams or breast health, visit Health Services. For more information about Mautner, visit http://www.mautnerproject.og

Annual Gynecological Exams (Pap Smear)

Lesbians are less likely to have routine pap smears than heterosexual women. Pap smears are the number one way to detect pre-cancerous cells on the cervix, caused by HPV infection. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. An annual exam is also a great time to get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and have a breast exam. Health Services recommends that women get an annual exam every year after the age of 18, we also recommend that all women get the HPV Vaccine. Health Services Women’s Health Department offers annual exams, STI testing, and the HPV Vaccine to all female students. Call to make your appointment today (603) 862-1806.

 

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN:

Prostate and Testicular Health

Testicular and prostate health are important for all men, including gay and bisexual men. Monthly testicular exam is recommended for all men, especially Caucasian men. Yearly prostate exams are recommended for all men by age 50, and African American men and men with a close relative who had prostate cancer by age 45. For more information about self-exams or testicular health, visit Health Services.

Anal Health and HPV

Of all the sexually transmitted infections gay men are at risk for, human papilloma virus (HPV)—which causes anal and genital warts—is often thought to be little more than an unsightly inconvenience. However, these infections may play a role in the increased rates of anal cancers in gay and bisexual men. Treatments for HPV do exist, but recurrences of the warts are very common, and the rate at which the infection can be spread between partners is very high. Anal pap smears are recommended. Speak with a Health Services medical provider about HPV and anal health.

Hepatitis Prevention

Men who have sex with men are at an increased risk of sexually transmitted infection with the viruses that cause the serious condition of the liver known as hepatitis. These infections can be potentially fatal, and can lead to very serious long-term issues such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Immunizations for Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis B Virus is recommended for all men who have sex with men. Safe sex is effective at reducing the risk of viral hepatitis, and is currently the only means of prevention for the very serious Hepatitis C Virus. Health Services provides Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B immunizations and free condoms.

 

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS:

The staff at Health Services understands the unique health concerns that transgender students face and when appropriate, are prepared to refer transgender students to other providers in the community who may be of assistance.

The Office of Health Education and Promotion in Health Services provides support, education and counseling to the GLBTQ community at UNH. Peter Welch, Wellness Educator/Counselor, also has an interest in the transgender community at UNH, and enjoys speaking to transgender students about the issues they face. For an appointment with Peter Welch, call (603) 862-3823.

Health Services encourages transgender students to engage in safer sex to help reduce the risk and prevents the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Health Services provides STI screening and HIV testing for all UNH Students and provides free condoms and dental dams.

 

 

Resources at UNH for GLBT Students

Online Resources

 

Source: http://www.lgbthealth.net/awarenessweek06/resources.html#lesbian

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