Preventive Care

Information is power to think and to guide one’s choices. The resources included in the pages of links are to help Tillamook County communities, individuals, and families access resources on how to live healthy. These links can also be of use to students doing research and making choices for prevention.

Public health is everyone’s business. From preconception to death, public health priorities are important for preventing the spread of disease, maximizing the possibilities for populations and individuals to live long, quality lives. The resources listed were carefully reviewed before posting. While reputable public health sources are listed and best practices in prevention advocated, some differences of opinion exist.

Consumers need to study and make choices for themselves about best practices for their own lives. Tillamook County communities aim to create environments where healthy choices are the natural choices a child learns growing up and adults make as they age. The Tillamook County Community Health Centers is a resource to help create environments for healthy community norms.

Health Organizations Working Together

Key partners in public health work are included here from a local to a global level.

“Healthful” Living and “Wellness”

The primary goal of this site is to help you live healthfully and well. Prevention is usually much better than cure. Healthy communities and individuals make choices that over the long run lead to happy, longer, and fulfilling experiences individually and collectively. The basics are simple. The websites below the headings are links to valuable, useful information for this focus on health.

Chronic Diseases Prevention

Tobacco use is a chronic disease that begins in youth. Ninety percent of smokers start before finishing high school. Nicotine is as powerful and addictive as another opiate, heroin. After a period of experimentation and usage, the “pediatric” disease phase begins and continues, often for life. But millions have and will quit.

These sites are useful for those thinking about quitting:

For those interested in the global tobacco epidemic and its effect on the US and Oregon, many sites are available at these links:

International news on tobacco prevention, use, and control work is available at Tobacco.org

Tillamook County Tobacco Facts 2009

For those interested in becoming a partner in tobacco/chronic disease prevention, education, and advocacy in Tillamook County, email Tillamook County Health department: Jim Becraft

Addictive Prevention and Management

Basic information about the process of addiction is available here:

Alcohol

Information on alcohol and addictive drugs is located here:

Information for families, individuals, and youth dealing with alcohol as a problem may benefit from these websites.

Questions about the law and underage alcohol use in Oregon may be located here:

Methamphetamines

Information on methamphetamine addiction and assistance to deal with addiction may be located here:

Heroin

Help and information on heroin abuse is located at this site.

Prescription Drug Addiction

Nutritious Food in Moderation

Adequate Physical Exercise

First there is walking and fidgeting and moving at the bus stop or in the grocery line, to just keeping moving and stretching. It all makes a difference in fitness. The human being was made to move and rest intermittently – at least every five minutes.

Mental and Social Health

Disaster Prevention/Preparation

Information for you to use in preparing your home for flooding, fire, earthquake, and natural disasters.

Safety in the Home, Workplace, and in Recreation

Safety first. Everybody. Everywhere. All the time. All of us.

A full range of safety considerations for the home are included here.

For the workplace:

Adequate Rest/Sleep

Dealing with insomnia, how to sleep well is a challenge of many. Some sleep too much. The National Sleep Foundation provides facts and counteracts myths about sleep.

Environmental and Food Supply Protection

The Centers for Disease Control’s environmental health portal is a basic gateway for information on environmental health and food supply protection.

Immunizations/Communicable Disease

The U.S.P.H.S. centers for Disease Control is the definitive source of information, schedules, and standards of immunizations.

State of Oregon immunization requirements, recommendations, and schedules are available at the Division of Public Health. Information about shots for international travel is also available.

Disease Management/Prevention

Preventing Diseases, Disability, and Death

The Tillamook County Community Health Centers also zeroes in on disease management. Below are resources to both help manage or prevent the chronic diseases that disable and kill millions of Americans, including large numbers of Tillamook County residents.

Many casual factors are involved with these chronic diseases. Some are preventable. Some are not. Often chronic diseases can be prevented and/or managed more effectively if specific lifestyle choices are made.

The best choice one can make to prevent chronic disease is to quit or to never begin using tobacco products. Tobacco is related to the key chronic diseases killing Americans. While it is not the only casual factor involved, it plays a huge role in negative health outcomes.

Chronic Diseases to Prevent or Manage