Adams Addresses Air Quality Fears

While conditions are anticipated to temporarily improve later tonight through tomorrow morning, they are expected to deteriorate further tomorrow afternoon and evening.

FINDING OUT ABOUT HORMONES: A NEW OPTION FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH

By Forum Staff

Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday released the following statement on air quality deteriorating across the five boroughs due to smoke coming from wildfires in Canada, hitting 218 at 10 p.m. on the Air Quality Index (“Very Unhealthy” on the Levels of Health Concern) on Tuesday night according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in parts of the city:

“Smoke from wildfires in Canada began to impact New York City’s air quality today, and conditions this evening have worsened with additional smoke and haze moving into the region. Our team is coordinating with the Health Department, Environmental Protection, Emergency Management, the NYPD, the FDNY, the Department of Education, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and numerous additional agencies across the city to gather the right information for New Yorkers as quickly as possible.

“At this point, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for all five boroughs.

“Currently, we are taking precautions out of an abundance of caution to protect New Yorkers’ health until we are able to get a better sense of future air quality reports. We recommend all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible. Those with preexisting respiratory problems, like heart or breathing problems, as well as children and older adults may be especially sensitive and should stay indoors at this time. While all students should still go to school tomorrow, New York City public schools will not offer any outdoor activities on Wednesday. These recommendations may change based on updated air quality conditions that come in, but, in the meantime, we recommend all New Yorkers to take the precautions they see fit to protect their health.”

The City recommends the following steps to limit health risks as a result of the reduced air quality: e days of people assigning total trust in their doctors and staying out of their health care decisions are long over. Many factors have contributed to the new-age awareness in personal health care, most notably, rising healthcare cost.

• All New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity and stay inside when possible. People with heart or breathing problems and children and older adults may be especially sensitive and should avoid outdoor activities during this time.

• If you are an older adult or have heart or breathing problems and need to be outside, wear a high-quality mask (e.g. N95 or KN95).

A toll-free air quality hotline has been established so New York residents can stay informed on the air quality situation: (800) 535-1345.

One rising area in personal awareness comes from women’s eagerness to investigate the e ects of their ever changing hormones on overall health.

Hormones provide many clues about women’s health, but diagnostic testing can run into thousands of dollars which prohibits many, both insured and uninsured, from taking advantage of the valuable knowledge to be found in the information provided by the bodies hormones.

Several start up companies launched home testing kits in 2018 with options for testing a ects on stress, thyroid and fertility intel among other conditions.

Experts are predicting that hormonal home testing will grow three to four-fold over the next few years.While we support everyone arming themselves with as much information and safe practice diagnostic tools to participate actively in their own healthcare, we want to make you aware of some of the possible pitfalls.

Home hormone testing de nitely has a nancial advantage. Most of the kits start under $100 and top out at $400, but one the associated drawbacks is not really knowing what to test for to get the answers you’re seek- ing could easily be a waste of money on tests that don’t apply.

Additionally, you should always do this testing in conjunction with your doctor’s advice, but be aware that some docs may not have the expertise to interpret results of the hormone panels. It’s critical to work with a physician who can help you make sense of your test results and any follow-up measures needed to be taken in reaction to the results.

Many of the kits also include diet and lifestyle recommendations along with supplement suggestions. ese kits may very well end up leading to important ndings and diagnoses that women might not otherwise seek out. Some of these discoveries could be life threatening and in turn life saving. e kits can be a great option for women, not just those with curiosity, but for those who might not otherwise get essential lab testing.

We always advocate your interest and active pursuit to ensure your best healthcare options but we caution you to approach every aspect of the process with careful planning, research, and always with supervised, expert medical care.

So if you’re interested in pursuing this new opportunity for women’s health, we ask that you make wise choices and feel free to consult with us in search of the right option for you.

Until next week...