Final Health Fair of 2017 set for November 29

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Wallace State Community College’s Department of Nursing Education will offer its final CELEBRATE Health Fair of the fall semester on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 8 a.m. to noon, in the Wellness Center.
The public is welcome to attend the free event, which includes the opportunity to check blood pressure, bone density and more.
Wallace State Nursing students and staff will be available to outline possible drug interactions, as well as advise on healthy eating habits, exercises, stress relief, safe driving, signs of heart attack or stroke and more.
Students Heather Hann and Eric Faulkner, educated visitors about strokes and heart attacks at the Staying Alive table during the most recent health fair in October.
Hann, of Hartselle, said the difference between a stroke and a heart attack is that a stroke causes damage to the brain due to lack of oxygen. She tells them about the difference between regular strokes and TIA’s, or mini-strokes, which resemble a stroke, but the blood supply isn’t completely clogged.
“I’m teaching about the signs and symptoms of stroke and,” Hann said. Knowing those signs and getting help at the earliest possible time are crucial to preventing more damage, she said.  Hann also gave participants tips on how to prevent strokes.
Faulkner, of Oneonta, gave participants the warning signs of a heart attack. “The most common heart attack symptom is chest pain and discomfort,” Faulkner said. Patients can also suffer pain in their arms, back, neck, jaw and stomach.
One of the main things they tried to get across is if someone suspects they are having a heart attack or stroke is to go ahead and call 911. “Don’t hesitate,” Faulkner said.
Hann and Faulkner both said that working at the Staying Alive table will help them as they go forward in their education.
Jody Sharp of Hayden attended the health fair in September with her friend, Virginia Hollis of Hanceville.
“It’s a great program,” Sharp said. “We got a lot of information on different health issues. We appreciate them doing this.”
“The last two that we went to, the dietician and the medication, I enjoyed them,” Hollis said. “It gave me a lot of information.”
Both women encouraged others to attend the health fair. “It’s great,” Hollis said.
The Wellness Center is located next to Tom Drake Coliseum on the west side of the college campus. The health fair is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Amy Burtram at 256.352.8062 or amy.burtram@wallacestate.edu.
For more information about Wallace State visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8000.