News

How to Treat a Nosebleed

Most everyone experiences an occasional nosebleed. It can be scary, but usually it’s a minor annoyance. Common nosebleed causes can include change of seasons, dryness, scratching certain medications and injuries. People on blood thinners may have worse nosebleeds than others. Most nosebleeds stop on their own or stop after a few self-care steps:

• Sit upright and lean forward — By remaining upright, you reduce the pressure in the veins of your nose. This discourages further bleeding. Leaning forward will help you avoid swallowing blood, which can irritate your stomach. 
• Pinch your nose — Use your thumb and index finger to pinch both nostrils shut, even if only one side is bleeding. Breathe through your mouth. Continue to pinch for 5 to 10 minutes. The pinching puts pressure on the bleeding point and often stops the flow of blood. 
• Do it again, if necessary — If the bleeding doesn’t stop, repeat these steps.
• Leave it alone — After the bleeding stops, don’t pick or blow your nose. Also try not to bend down for several hours. Keep your head higher than the level of your heart.
• Know when to seek emergency care — Some nosebleeds require professional care. Seek medical attention if the bleeding is severe, lasts longer than 30 minutes or interferes with your breathing. Also have a nosebleed checked out right away if it follows an injury, such as a fall or car accident.

Talk to your healthcare team if you’re having nosebleeds more than once a week, even if you can stop them fairly easily. Determining the cause and avoiding risk factors or adjusting medications may make nosebleeds less likely.

Cold Sore Care

A cold sore is a fluid-filled blister — or a group of blisters — that typically develops around the lips. It’s caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is typically passed from skin-to-skin contact. To manage cold sores:

Stop the spread — Avoid touching the sore, as that can make it worse and lead to spread. Refrain from kissing or other direct contact. Wash your hands regularly. Don’t share food, beverages, towels, lip balms or razors with others. Throw away toothbrushes you used while you had the cold sore.

Treat it early — The nonprescription antiviral cream docosanol (Abreva) may reduce symptoms and shorten recovery time. Docosanol is most effective if used when you first notice tingling or other early signs that indicate a cold sore is forming.

Control the pain — A pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may
help. Nonprescription cold sore gels or ointments containing benzocaine, lidocaine or benzyl alcohol also can relieve
symptoms. Applying a cool compress or sucking on ice chips may help minimize burning or itching. Dabbing petroleum jelly on the sore and surrounding skin helps reduce dryness and cracking.

Get a prescription — See your primary care physician or a dermatologist if a cold sore lasts for two weeks or keeps recurring. You may be eligible for treatment with an antiviral cream or pill. Antiviral drugs may take hours or even days off your recovery time.

Know the causes — Triggers that may “wake up” the herpes virus to cause cold sores include stress, becoming ill with a cold or the flu, exposure to sunlight or strong winds, changes in the immune system, or hormonal changes.

From Mayo Health
Submitted by Nancy Rasmussen, Parish Nurse

September Special Offerings

Lutheran Social Service of Illinois (LSSI) has served in our state since 1867. It is one of the largest nonprofit, statewide social service providers and welcomes and serves people from diverse backgrounds. Critical social and human services include foster care, mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment, affordable senior housing, home care services for older adults, and residential programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our congregation, in partnership with our Tri-Church congregations, works with this organization to celebrate the birthdays of men in one of the LSSI group homes. Funding for some organizations, like LSSI, has been cut, making our support even more important. Please join the Congregation Council in supporting this Lutheran organization with a generous donation to the St. John’s Special Offering initiative in September.

Who Should Get The Shingles Vaccine?

The shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is recommended for adults ages 50 or older, even if you: 

• Have had shingles before
• Received an older shingles vaccine called Zostavax (it’s less effective and is no longer given in the United States)
• Don’t recall having had chickenpox

It’s unclear how long you should wait to get the shingles vaccine if you’ve just had shingles. At a minimum. Wait until after all signs of shingles have resolved. Some experts recommend waiting a year.

Don’t get the vaccine if you currently have shingles, are allergic to any components of the vaccine, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of Gullian-Barre syndrome. For people with certain health conditions — such as those who have specific autoimmune conditions or types of cancer, or are receiving certain types of immunosuppressive treatments — the decision about whether to get the Shingrix vaccine should be made with their health care provider.

~Harvard Health

Seeking Student Musicians

This summer, the UNITE churches are again hosting student musicians from the Sterling/Rock Falls area. This includes any student completing 7th grade – a just graduated college student. We ask that students share a piece with us at St. John’s and then arrange to play that piece at other UNITE congregations, where you will be paid $25/service as a guest musician. This is a chance to keep your music skills tip top over the summer, share an IMEA or audition piece you may be working on, or another special piece. Please contact Dawn Zeigler 815.275.3775 or dawn@stjohnsonthird.org for all of the details! We can’t wait to hear you!

God’s Work Our Hands – Cledy’s House of Hope

Cledy’s House of Hope was introduced in the May newsletter as a Tri Church God’s Work Our Hands project.  Cledy’s is a sober living home for women with a current wait list of 10 women located in the former Arrowwood facility in Rock Falls and next to the former Rock Falls Rehab Nursing Home.  On Sunday, June 8th, Ashley Odell, a Cledy’s staff member, will give a brief temple talk on her recovery story.

How can you help? To help “furnish” this 42-bed facility, Cledy’s House of Hope has a needs list of new items as follows: bath towels and wash cloths, twin size sheet sets and comforters, pillows and pillowcases; cups, plates and bowls – sets of 4; cooking sheets and cooking utensils; and brooms and dustpans.  These items will be collected through the month of June and can be brought to the church.  Cash donations (check to Sauk Valley Voices of Recovery) or Thrivent cards are also welcome. Also, volunteer help can utilized to visit local thrift stores in search of gently used additional needs list items not mentioned above – contact Deb Keaschall at 815-718-5237 if interested.

In addition, there are still a variety of projects such as sanding and painting cabinets, tables and dressers.  They are also looking for someone to help with weekly mowing of the grounds (mower is provided).  While there is no designated date to help with these projects, please contact Deb Keaschall to help coordinate your availability with Cledy’s staff.

Thank you in advance for “your hands” to support God’s work in our local community.

~Deb Keaschall, Tri Church Convener

ELCA World Hunger Committee Speaker

Hunger has been a persistent challenge in our world. As Christians, we are called upon to follow the example and teachings of Jesus to help people in need. Beginning in 1974 the Lutheran Church in America has given special attention to reducing hunger for fifty years. While the money donated by a single congregation such as St. John’s may be small, when combined with the gifts received at congregations across the country, between $20 and 24 million is raised each year, resulting in many great projects. The ELCA is using this 50th anniversary year to increase explanations to congregations how the contributions have been used and to seek increased giving to its Hunger Appeal.

Dr. Norm Moline, Professor Emeritus of Geography at Augustana College and member of our synod’s world hunger committee, will be at our church on April 6 for an adult education program. He will review how our dollars are used for some “good news” projects. He will stress that if we move beyond the big numbers of starving people and focus on individuals who can be helped, we can realize how life-giving our gifts can be. AND he will thank this congregation for its regular participation in this hunger appeal.

How To Report Spam Text Messages

Unwanted messages are becoming increasingly common methods for scams and fraud. Often these messages may look like they are from someone you know but are really a scam looking for personal information. If you get an unwanted text message, there are three ways to report it:

• Copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages in the future.
• Report it on the messaging app you use. Look for the option to report junk or spam. For how to report spam or junk in the iPhone Messages app: support.apple.com/en-us/111104. For how to report spam on an Android phone: support.google.com/messages/answer/9061432?hl=en.
• Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov