May is Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans Month

In 1963, The Administration for Community Living (ACL), through the Department of Health and Human Services, named May Older Americans Month, so we can both honor and learn about better ways to care for our seniors. That year, only 17 million Americans were still living over the age of 65. According to the Census Bureau report in 2010, there were 40.3 million living well into their golden years.

Many seniors dealt with poverty in decades past, when many of the programs that aide them today didn’t exist yet. We know a lot more now about health and medical sciences, as well. Even though living conditions have gotten better over the years, it’s still important to keep learning about new ways for Americans to live long and happy lives.

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April is Sarcoidosis Awareness Month: Facts About Sarcoidosis

April is Sarcoidosis Awareness Month 2015

Sarcoidosis is an autoimmune disease that affects a small portion of the population, and not much is known about why it occurs. It’s characterized by small clusters that can form in the body as an overactive response from the immune system. The body’s immune system attacks healthy cells in the body, and the reason for this response is still unknown. However, there are a few things you should know about this disease.

Sarcoidosis can afflict different parts of the body, including the eyes, lungs, brain and kidneys.

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research has named April Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, to put some focus on this mysterious disease. Like COPD, the symptoms for sarcoidosis can be very subtle and can either be completely overlooked and go undiagnosed, or mistaken for other conditions. What should you watch out for, and when should you go see a doctor?

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February is American Heart Health Month

February is American Heart Health Month

February isn’t just all about red plastic heart decorations for Valentines Day. It’s also a great month to raise awareness about heart health and prevent heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the number one leading cause of death in Americans. That’s more deaths than those caused by cancer, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

February means cold weather for many in the US, and that means many people stay indoors, get less physical activity, and we tend to want to eat more of the things that aren’t exactly healthy for us. Chocolate and wine are good for you in moderation (we’ll tell you more about that!), but many of the “comfort foods” we tend to gravitate toward can be very unhealthy, and bad for our hearts.

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National Blood Donor Month – FAQs About Donating Blood

National Blood Donor Month

Blood donations from strangers have saved the lives of many people every year. You might hear about certain times of year being the most important times to give blood, most specifically in the summer, and the middle of winter. During the winter, less people are likely to give blood because of the cold weather.

During the summer, people are more likely to get injured playing sports or doing things outside, so they are more likely to need an emergency blood transfusion. Even though January is National Blood Donor Month, blood donations are highly necessary all year long.

If you are considering giving blood for any reason, you should check with your doctor first if you have any health issues. You might also have some questions, so feel free to ask professional at the American Red Cross, or your doctor. Here are some of the more frequently asked questions and their answers.

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November is National Diabetes Month

November is Diabetes Month by American Diabetes Association

Type 2 Diabetes has a stigma attached to it. A common myth about diabetes, is that its mainly brought on by eating too much sugar and unhealthy foods, and by being overweight. Type 2 Diabetes, of course, is the type that develops over time because of many health factors, but being overweight doesn’t actually have much to do with it. You can be thin and look otherwise “physically fit” and still get diabetes.

Myths like this are one of the reasons why November is National Diabetes Month, to raise awareness, educate people about the disease, and help diabetes patients properly manage it. It’s important to stay educated about diseases like this, because they can happen to almost anyone who isn’t closely caring for their health in certain ways.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – What You Should Know

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and you’ll likely see many things in stores have either turned pink, or now have pink labels to raise money and awareness for this dangerous disease. It’s unfortunate that some stores and companies will try to capitalize on this disease, and say that most of the proceeds go to organizations like the Susan G. Komen foundation, when all of the proceeds go back into the company. To make sure your money is going to breast cancer research, you can always donate to the National Breast Cancer Foundation via their website at NationalBreastCancer.org.

Breast cancer is one of the more prevalent types of cancer among women, the only other type of cancer that is more prevalent is lung cancer. According to BreastCancer.org, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in her life – that’s a little over 12%. Invasive breast cancer is the most dangerous, because it can quickly spread from the breast to the healthy tissue in the surrounding areas through the blood and lymphatic system. The stages of breast cancer of I through IV are invasive.

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Immunization Awareness Month and the Importance of Immunizations

Immunization Awareness Month and the Importance of Immunizations

We’ve been taught since we were young about how crucial it is to stay up to date on all of the significant immunizations. If it weren’t for the availability of immunizations throughout our lifetimes, diseases and sicknesses such as Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Polio would still be a threat to the population. Many of us might not be here today, if these immunizations weren’t invented, or as readily available as they are.

The government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have dubbed every August as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). You can also visit the CDC’s official website for informational toolkits to help raise awareness about the importance of immunizations. They focus on the immunizations that are important for babies and toddlers to receive, those for school-age children, young adults, and older adults.

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May is National Fitness and Sports Month AND National Bike Month

May is National Fitness and Sports Month AND National Bike Month

The beautiful month of May is here again. Spring is in full swing, and hopefully you’re getting plenty of May flowers out of the relentless April showers. Now that the weather is warming up, more of us are venturing back outside to exercise outdoors, and oil up our bikes! Naturally, May is named National Fitness and Sports Month, as well as National Bike Month by the President’s Council on Fitness Sports and Nutrition.

It’s all about raising awareness about fitness for everyone, young and old, and for those with any disability or chronic illness. It’s something important that everyone needs to focus on to lead a healthy life. If you need to use prescribed oxygen therapy, you don’t need to stay inside while everyone else is out walking in the woods or riding their bikes around the neighborhood. Depending on your condition and the dosage you need, you should be able to go biking with your friends, starting this month!

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National Mentoring Month – Being an Oxygen Therapy Mentor

Being an Oxygen Therapy Mentor

If you’ve been using oxygen therapy for a while, you’ve most likely gotten used to it and know the basic ins and outs of it. While it’s not complicated and there isn’t much you really have to know, using your new oxygen concentrator and needing to use oxygen therapy in general can take some getting used to. When you first started using oxygen therapy, you may have felt strange and maybe a little upset with the fact that you now are relying on a machine to do something for you that your lungs can no longer do sufficiently. This can be the hardest thing to get used to.

Having someone to talk to in the beginning, beside a doctor who likely only covers the medical aspect of your diagnosis and prescription, can help you feel more comfortable with your new routine. Being able to relate to someone who also uses oxygen therapy can be nice, as well as having someone to answer general questions. Keep in mind that you should always double check medical things with your doctor before taking any major actions. Your oxygen therapy mentor is only there to relate to and to give moral support.

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October is Healthy Lung Month

October is Healthy Lung Month

It’s incredibly important to take care of your lungs, whether you have healthy lungs, or a disease such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, you need to keep your lungs working as well as possible. Your whole body depends on your lungs to keep breathing and distributing oxygen-rich blood throughout your body and to get rid of the body’s gaseous waste, carbon dioxide. Your whole body depends on your lungs working correctly, but your brain and heart are two of the major organs that require more oxygen than any other part.

Now that summer is over; many people are going into the colder months of the year, which is when they are more likely to experience trouble breathing. The seasons affect everyone differently, and for many people, October is the beginning of the tougher time of the year. This is an appropriate time to think about taking extra care of your health, and your lungs in particular. Besides following your doctor’s orders on medication and follow-ups, there are many things you can do to help keep your lungs as healthy as possible.

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