Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide Safety Is Extremely Important During Winter With winter here, most people are closing their windows and turning up the heat. These actions increase the risk of poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO), a silent but deadly gas responsible for hundreds of deaths each year. Because people cannot smell, taste, or see it, they do not realize when they are breathing in carbon monoxide. Although carbon monoxide poisoning poses threats for everyone, infants, children, senior citizens, and those with respiratory problems have increased risks.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can adversely affect health in many ways and high levels of the deadly gas can cause death. Breathing high levels of carbon monoxide can cause breathing and vision impairments, reduced brain function, loss of consciousness, and death. Since symptoms of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning can be mistaken for the flu, people often overlook them. Some symptoms of breathing low levels of carbon monoxide include headaches, dizziness, confusion, and drowsiness. If you believe you are suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, seek medical attention immediately. Since carbon monoxide is so deadly, it is important to remember not to take chances.

Here are some helpful tips that can lower your risks and could save your life.
• Have a qualified technician clean and inspect all combustion equipment each year. This includes gas furnaces, gas or kerosene space heaters, wood-burning or gas fireplaces, and gas water heaters.
• If you encounter a problem with your furnace and can’t stay warm, do not use kitchen ovens or gas ranges for additional heat. This is very dangerous.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors in your home and anywhere else you use gas heating appliances. Test periodically to make sure they are working properly.
• Install and use exhaust fans vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
• Open flues when using fireplaces.
• Never warm a car or run any motor appliance inside your garage. Even with the garage door open, carbon monoxide can build up rapidly and cause poisoning within minutes.
• Never use a charcoal or propane grill inside your home or garage.
• Avoid the use of gas or kerosene space heaters inside your home. If you can’t avoid using them, follow operating instructions very carefully and always make sure there is an open window for ventilation.
• If you use a gasoline or other fuel-fired generator during a power outage, keep the generator outdoors during use. If the generator is indoors, your house could quickly fill up with deadly carbon monoxide gas as the fuel burns.
• If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, exit your house or apartment quickly and call 911 or your local emergency number. Don’t re-enter your home until the problem is fixed. See a doctor immediately, even if you don’t feel any symptoms, because carbon monoxide can remain in the blood. For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning or other home maintenance topics, contact the extension office.

Source: Linda Adler, M.A. Extension Specialist for Home Furnishings January 2009

Wear Red!

Heart disease is the No.1 killer of women in the United States. Each year, about 267,000 women die from heart attacks or other heart-related diseases. This year you can show your support for women’s heart disease prevention by participating in National Wear Red Day Feb. 6.
Heart disease and heart attacks in women are commonly overlooked. Many women report early warning signs of an impending heart attack as early as a month before the attack occurs. Understanding the early warning signs of a heart attack will help decrease your chance of death. Some symptoms of heart attacks are:

· Unexplained severe fatigue or trouble sleeping, especially for an extended period of time
· Persistent indigestion like pain in the chest
· Pain that is worse with activity but decreases with rest
· Pain along with sweating, nausea, vomiting or shortness of breath
· Pain or dull ache under arms, jaw area, neck or back.

If you suffer from any of these symptoms, go to the nearest hospital emergency room immediately. If you are alone, call 911.

Everyone can help support heart disease prevention in women by wearing red. It is a simple, powerful way to help raise awareness about heart disease and stroke in women. By wearing red or making a donation to the American Heart Association, you’ll help support ongoing research and education about women and heart disease.Remember to show your support for the fight against heart disease in women Feb.6 by wearing red.

Winter Storm Hits Green County

By now many of you are (hopefully) getting your electricity, water, cell service, or all back. I wanted to share this resource with you as it is very important, exspecially when it comes to food safety. This publication is from the University of Maine and is a wonderful resource! If you have any questions at all about what foods you can save vs. discard please contact me at the office! I am available anytime during the week, if you don't catch me at the office feel free to shoot me an email! Thanks and be safe!

Coupon Class Coming Up! Reserve your seat NOW!

DO YOU WANT TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON YOUR GROCERIES? READ ON...

Ever wonder how some can take little pieces of paper and save hundreds of dollars every month? Want to learn the secrets of the Coupon Queens? Heather Tenney, known as LittleMissKnowitAll (www.littlemissknowitall.net )on the internet and on T.V., will be here to show us just how they do it. She has been featured on WAVE3 news in Louisville & the Cincinnati Enquirer talking about how coupons can save you hundreds of dollars every month--now come to her workshop where she shares all of her secrets! Learn the difference between just using coupons to save a few dollars and the planning and tricks that will make those same coupons get you food and groceries for free! Learn how to get toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, razors, pasta, hot dogs, batteries, cereal, bread and even milk for free! Yes, you really can get those things, and many more, for free!

The workshop is Saturday, February 21, 2009 from 9:00-3:00 Central Time. Location is at the Green County Extension Office. The registration fee is $10 a person; this includes lunch and a booklet on the material covered. There will be a one hour lunch break in the middle. You must pay the registration fee in advance in order to reserve your spot! Space is limited! Contact Audrey Myers, Green County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, at (270) 932-5311 for more information.

Do You Want to Save Hundreds of Dollars On Your Groceries? Read On....

Ever wonder how some can take little pieces of paper and save hundreds of dollars every month? Want to learn the secrets of the Coupon Queens? Heather Tenney, known as LittleMissKnowitAll on the internet and on T.V., will be here to show us just how they do it. She has been featured on WAVE3 news in Louisville & the Cincinnati Enquirer talking about how coupons can save you hundreds of dollars every month--now come to her workshop where she shares all of her secrets!

Learn the difference between just using coupons to save a few dollars and the planning and tricks that will make those same coupons get you food and groceries for free! Learn how to get toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, razors, pasta, hot dogs, batteries, cereal, bread and even milk for free! Yes, you really can get those things, and many more, for free!

The workshop is Saturday, February 21 from 9:00-3:00 Central Time. Location will be provided at a later date. The registration fee is $10 a person; this includes lunch and a booklet on the material covered. There will be a one hour lunch break in the middle. You must pay the registration fee in advance in order to reserve your spot! Contact Audrey Myers, Green County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, at (270)932-5311 for more information or to register!

Plan for Holiday Expenses

As the holiday season approaches, make a written spending plan for your extra holiday expenses. Calculate how much “extra” money is available for gift buying, decorations, extra entertaining, etc. Once you know how much money is available for extra holiday expenses, decide how much you want to spend on each category of your holiday spending plan.Making plans early will save you financial stress later when the after-the-holiday credit card bills arrive. Remember to only spend what you can afford. Over spending on the holidays can leave you paying twice as much for these items. Overspending will also keep your future income tied up with holiday debt. Try to make your holidays as financially stress free as possible with before-the-event planning.

Source: Suzanne Badenhop, Extension Specialist for Family Resource Management, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture

Trying to get back in the swing of things!

I've been back from maternity leave for a week now and I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I'm going to try to do better about blogging more often! Let me know what things you would like to see on this blog! I also need suggestions on new and exciting things to do. Feel free to comment!