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Weather Alert

Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/
TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 108 expected.

* WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western
Kentucky, and southeast Missouri.

* WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/ Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose
fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning
or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and
heat stroke.

&&

Local health officials urge preventative care at ALL ages

  • Brooke Schlyer is the midday producer and co-anchor. She also reports for the 4 p.m. newscast. 

  • Updated
  • 0
Preventative care

MARION, ILLINOIS (WSIL) -- August is National Wellness month. Sometimes that means getting extra sleep, increasing exercise, or just trying to eat more fruits and veggies. Other times, its making that appointment to go the doctor.

News 3's Brooke Schlyer put herself in the patient chair to learn more about preventative care checkups, which should be done once a year.

Lindsey Sollers, Nurse Practitioner at Heartland Regional Medical Plaza, believes some people put off these appointments because they're simply unsure of the care that they need. 

"I think some people are reluctant because they don't know what they require at their age," she explains. "Or some people think they are too young or too old."

Patients in elementary school all the way up to high school should be seen by their primary care provider for a school exam or sports physical. Usually before going into the classroom for the fall semester.

For adults 35 and up, additional screenings are needed to monitor their health. 

"Preventative care is getting your annual thyroid testing, blood counts, liver, kidney enzymes," Sollers says. "Just labs." 

While seniors require some extra care and time with their primary care provider. 

"For our older population we have Medicare wellness visits, which are done once a year," she adds. "To make sure they're meeting all of their activities of daily living and basic needs essentially." 

Rachel Bailey is another Nurse Practitioner at Heartland Regional Medical Plaza. She says preventative care also depends on your gender.

Men 50 and older, need a blood test to screen their prostate levels.

"It will slowly trend up as they get older, but it shouldn't spike up," she states. "That's usually a sign that there's something going on." 

A quick prick could save their life, and Bailey has helped to do just that for fathers, husbands, and brothers in the community.

"Prostate cancer is very treatable," she says. "I've caught several cases just by doing this blood test." 

What about women?

Lea Schulte, a Population Health Nurse at the medical plaza, encourages her patients to get a mammogram.

"Our mammogram machinery can pick up cancer cells that are as small as a head of a pin," Schulte explains. 

Senior women may believe once they hit a certain age this screening is no longer needed, but that's a misconception.

"You start at 40," she says. "Then, get them yearly for just as long as you're able to physically stand to have the test done that's the recommendation."

Saving women in southern Illinois that could be you, a loved one, or a neighbor.

"Profound thankfulness is typically the response that we get," Schulte adds. " Because you're able to catch the problem quicker, treat it quicker, and much more successfully." 

To set up your preventative care appointment, call your primary care provider or the Heartland Regional Medical Plaza at (618) 998-7000. 

You can also for more information.Â