During the month of November, health officials are working to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. As part of that effort, IU Health’s Mobile Health Clinic will be visiting businesses around Starke and LaPorte counties to give residents some tips on how to quit smoking.
Brittany Ward from the Cardiopulmonary Department at IU Health Starke Hospital says not smoking is the most important thing you can do to keep your lungs healthy, “People who smoke are much more susceptible to lung infections because what happens is those tars from the cigarettes coat their airways, and the little fine hairs called cilia in the lungs are impaired and they cannot do their little brushing motion back and forth to help keep the lungs clear. So when the person gets a buildup of secretions in their lungs or mucus, they can get an infection very easily from that.”
The Mobile Health Clinic will be visiting the following locations during the month of November:
Nov. 9 – Kroger – 55 Pine Lake Ave., La Porte, 3-4:30 p.m.
Nov. 10 – Good Will – 1509 E. Lincolnway, La Porte, 10-11:30 a.m.
Nov. 10 – Al’s Supermarket – 702 E. Lincolnway, La Porte, 2:30-4 p.m.
Nov. 12 – The Crossing – 1203 Washington St., La Porte, 9:30-11 a.m.
Nov. 12 – Al’s Supermarket – 3535 Franklin St., Michigan City, 2:30-4 p.m.
Nov. 17 – Al’s Supermarket – 1340 W. State Road 2, La Porte, 1-2:30 p.m.
Nov. 18 – IU Health La Porte Hospital – 1007 Lincolnway, La Porte, 1-2:30 p.m.
Nov. 20 – Bailey’s Discount Center – 5900 S. Range Road, North Judson, 2:30-4 p.m.
Nov. 24 – Good Will – 3822 Franklin St., Michigan City, 10-11:30 a.m.
