VACCINATION 0-18 YEARS
We provide immunizations for children 2 months+.
Grade 6 and 9 vaccines are given at school, all other vaccines are offered at the clinic. Call to book (don’t book online).
Influenza: yearly during flu season, 6 months and older
VACCINATION- ADULTS
Tetanus: every 10 years
Pneumonia: 65 years or older
Shingles: 50 years or older (private pay, prescription needed)
CANCER SCREENING
Breast
Free screening mammograms women ages 40 and older
Cervix
Anyone with a cervix, age 25-69 screened every 3 years
Colon
50-74, get screened regularly, FIT test every two years or Colonoscopy (depends on history)
Lung
55 to 74 years of age
Currently smoking or Ex smoker with a smoking history of 20 or more years
Skin
Check moles and other changes on skin
Prostate
Digital Rectal Exam
To lower cancer risk – avoid:
- Processed Meats
- Charred meat
- Processed Foods
- Sugar-sweetened beverages
- Alcohol
- Nicotine
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Stress
- Environmental pollution
- Overexposure to sun
Source: Canadian Cancer Society
CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol is a fat found in the blood.
Two main types of blood cholesterol: high density or HDL cholesterol and low density or LDL cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol is referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol
High LDL can form plaque or fatty deposits on your artery walls and block blood flow to the heart and brain.
To reduce risks – lower Bad cholesterol
Avoid Foods containing saturated fat e.g.
- processed foods
- fatty meats
- full-fat milk products, butter, lard
Avoid Foods containing trans fat e.g.
- partially hydrogenated margarines
- deep-fried foods
- packaged crackers
- cookies
- commercially baked products
Canadian guidelines recommend having your cholesterol tested if you:
- Are a male over 40 years of age
- Are female over 50 years of age and/or post-menopausal
- Have heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure
- Have a waist circumference greater than 94 cm/37” for men and 80 cm/31.5 inches” for women
- Smoke or have smoked within the last year
- Have erectile dysfunction
- Have a family history of heart disease or stroke
Source: Heart & Stroke Canada
TYPE 2 DIABETES
Risk factors:
- over the age of 40
- parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
- ethnic background is also a factor: being of African, Arab, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, or South Asian descent can increase your risk
To lower your risk
- maintain optimum blood pressure
- lower cholesterol level
- reduce weight if overweight
- treat obstructive sleep apnea
Source: Diabetes Canada
MENTAL HEALTH
Talk to your doctor
Ask about a referral to a social worker or mental health clinician
Helplines
- Suicide Prevention Call 1-888-261-7228, Text 778-839-1831. Thursday – Sunday 6pm – midnight.
- Text 686868 when you’re feeling down, depressed or suicidal, a crisis worker will text you back immediately and will continue to text with you until you feel okay.
Anxious?
Each anxiety disorder has a list of commonly occurring symptoms clustered into 4 areas: Physical responses, Thoughts, Emotions, Behaviors
For strategies and tools, Go to Anxiety Canada
Moody and Irritable?
For resources Go to
Canadian Mental Health Association
Increase
- sleep, self care, exercise
- connection with others/talk to someone
- Reduce
- alcohol
- stress
Depressed?
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)-Symptoms of depression include:
- changes in appetite and weight
- sleep problems
- loss of interest in work, hobbies, people or sex
- withdrawal from family members and friends
- feeling useless, hopeless, excessively guilty, pessimistic or having low self-esteem
- agitation or feeling slowed down
- irritability
- fatigue
- trouble concentrating, remembering or making decisions
- crying easily, or feeling like crying but being not able to
- thoughts of suicide (which should always be taken seriously)
- a loss of touch with reality, hearing voices (hallucinations) or having strange ideas (delusions).
Avoid
- Alcohol
- Street Drugs
- Taking prescribed medication differently than advised (only take meds as written on bottle/box)
- Taking medication not prescribed to you
Source: CAMH