Community Health Projects

Your environment, which is the circumstances, objects, or conditions that surround you, has a major influence on your health. Your environment can include your family, your neighborhood, your school, your job, your life experiences, and your community.

Living in a healthy community can benefit your overall level of health because you are influenced by your environment. People who live in healthy communities tend to live healthier lives. These people are less likely to experience obesity, asthma, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

 

Your Healthy Community

How can you determine your community's level of health, and how can you help improve its health? In this interactivity, click each of the tabs to learn about what makes a healthy community and what you can do to make your community healthier. Click the player button to begin.

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Environmental Health Issues

The health of a community is strongly related to the surrounding natural environment. When the environment is polluted or destroyed, there can be long-term consequences for human health. You should be aware of the health levels of the air, land, and water around you and do what you can to protect them. You depend on these valuable resources every day for survival.

Air Quality and Health

Most causes of outdoor air pollution come from human-made sources, such as fuel-burning transportation (cars, trucks, planes), animal agriculture, power plants, and industry. Natural sources of air pollution include volcanic eruptions and forest fires. The three major gases that pollute the air and contribute to climate change are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Air pollution does not exist exclusively outdoors; indoor air pollution poses serious risk to your health as well. In this interactivity, you will learn some tips to minimize health risks related to indoor air pollution. Click the player button to begin.

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Land Quality and Health

There are numerous threats to human health related to the use of land. Fortunately, communities can take steps to minimize their negative impact on land resources and their risk to human health. In this interactivity, take a moment to learn about hazardous waste and urban development. Click the player button to begin.

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Water Quality and Health

Even though two-thirds of the planet is covered with water, less than one percent of that water is accessible fresh water. Therefore, water is an essential resource that must be protected to ensure human health. Unfortunately, accessible drinking water is not equally distributed throughout the world. When droughts and disappearing water sources make availability of water even more scarce, serious political conflict can result from the dispute over water resources. In this interactivity, take a moment to learn more about major water pollutants. Click the player button to begin.

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Managing Asthma and Allergies

Asthma and allergies are two health problems that are closely related to one's environment. Even though these two health issues are commonly found in the United States, they are not to be taken lightly. Both asthma and allergic reactions can have serious implications, even leading to possible death. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these health conditions.

Asthma

Asthma is a medical condition in which the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles become inflamed and constricted, causing difficulty breathing. Acute asthma attacks can be treated with an inhaler that dispenses medication to dilate the airways. Other than using medication to relieve inflammation, people who suffer from asthma can manage this condition by avoiding substances that trigger attacks, such as pollen, mold spores, dust, tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust mites, and air pollution. Managing stress and practicing relaxation techniques are other important strategies for managing asthma.

Allergies

An allergy is an immune response to a foreign substance. Often the foreign substance is not inherently harmful, but for some reason the body has a negative reaction to the substance. Allergic reactions manifest in a variety of ways, including breakouts of itchy rashes or hives, sneezing, or constriction of airways. Serious allergic reactions can even result in death. Common allergens, or triggers of allergic reactions, that are found in the environment include pollen, mold spores, poison ivy, mosquito bites, bee stings, and certain medicines. Common food allergens include peanuts, shellfish, milk, fish, soy, eggs, and tree nuts. Mild allergic reactions can be treated with antihistamines, which block chemicals that cause the immune response. Serious allergic reactions can be treated with a shot of epinephrine to slow down the allergic reaction.

 

 

Community Mental Health Resources

Seeking help for mental health problems is a sign of inner strength. People who need help overcoming their mental health problems may feel reluctant, vulnerable, or ashamed. Thus, asking for help may seem difficult, but it is the first step to solving mental health problems.

You can always start by reaching out to trusted adults, such as family members or school teachers. If you need further support by trained professionals who specialize in treating mental health problems, you might want to explore the list below of possible mental health resources in your community.

• School counselors
• School nurses
• Crisis hotlines
• Licensed psychiatrists
• Clinical psychologists
• Social workers

Just like treatments for medical conditions, your first therapy option may not be effective in solving a mental health problem, or it may need to be combined with other therapies. Do not give up searching for the right treatment that works for you. The sooner you can improve your mental health, the more you can enjoy your life and make positive contributions to the world around you.

 

Community Health Projects Review

Now that you have explored various facets of community health, it is time to review your knowledge and practice what you have learned. In this non-graded activity, read the questions and check the boxes next to the correct answers. Click the player button to get started.