Be Aware: November Part One

Be Aware: November: Part One

When people think of November, they often think of Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Carols (PLEASE PPL Halloween just ended stop singing Jingle Bells in the middle of the Market?). There's actually many things to be aware of in November. Here's a few events this month, and that's still not all. A quick search of November observances shows so much more is going on around the world.

National Diabetes Month: Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half if they make healthy changes. {Editor}: my mother, paternal uncle and an aunt (by marriage) has, and paternal grandmother passed of Type 2 diabetes. While some were due to other health issues, others by making and continuing to make poor choices. My mom, I'm happy to say, has her diabetes controlled throughly diet and proper medication. However my uncle feels he's untouchable, even after losing toes. It's not "just a little sugar issue."

A few facts about diabetes:

• can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems if it’s not controlled.
• One in 11 Americans have diabetes — that’s more than 29 million people.
• another 86 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

What you can do:

• Lower your risk by more than half:
  • Make healthy changes: eat healthy, increase physical activity, and lose weight.
• Raise awareness about diabetes risk factors and encourage people to make healthy changes.
  • Encourage people to make small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Talk on social media about National Diabetes Month
  • Host a community event where families can be active while learning about local health resources.
  • Join the American Diabetes Association's Fitbit Challenge

COPD Awareness: November is National COPD Awareness Month. Sponsored by the US COPD Coalition, the observance is a time for organizations and communities across the country to increase the overall awareness of COPD. COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. {Editor}: I lost my maternal grandfather to COPD and emphysema in 2008. He was basically my father figure, and my best friend. He lived years being told he simply had "asthmatic bronchitis" or "chronic bronchitis", and only given an inhaler to treat when he felt short of breath. It wasn't until his last year he was told it was COPD, and that with better treatment, he would have had longer than 63 years with us. Know the signs. Get the treatment.

A Few Facts about COPD:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States.
• The disease kills more than 120,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 death every 4 minutes—and causes serious, long-term disability.
• More than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don’t even know it.

What You Can Do:

• Be aware of the risk factors:
  • over age 40 and currently smoke or used to smoke (though COPD can affect anyone)
  • have worked or lived around chemicals or fumes
  • have certain genetic conditions
• Recognize the symptoms: shortness of breath, chronic cough, or have trouble performing simple daily tasks like climbing stairs, grocery shopping, or laundry
• Ask your doctor for a breathing test

Lung Cancer Awareness: Lung Cancer is a cancer that begins in the lungs and most often occurs in people who smoke. {Editor}: I lost my paternal grandfather to Lung Cancer in 2009, he was a long time smoker, WW2 & Korean War Vet, and one of the strongest men I knew. One day he was fine, a few days later he was having some breathing issues and memory issues. He went into the hospital where he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and it had spread to his brain and throat. One month after diagnosis, he passed. Never assume your shortness of breath is "just hayfever" or "damn Midwest Humidity".

A Few Facts about Lung Cancer:

• Each year, about 200,000 people in the United States are told they have lung cancer and more than 150,000 people die from this disease.
• Two major types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.
• Causes of lung cancer include smoking, secondhand smoke, exposure to certain toxins, and family history.
• Symptoms include cough (often with blood), chest pain, wheezing, and weight loss. These symptoms often don't appear until the cancer is advanced.
• Treatments may include surgery alone, but also might include chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these.
• The second leading cause of lung cancer is radon, a naturally occurring gas that comes from rocks and dirt and can get trapped in houses and buildings.
• After increasing for decades, lung cancer rates are decreasing nationally, as fewer people smoke cigarettes.
• Lung Cancer has overtaken Breast Cancer as the #1 killer of Women.

What You Can Do:

• Lower your risk by not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke.
• Ask your doctor if lung cancer screening is right for you.
• Hold a Community event for Lung cancer awareness and donate the proceeds to a research foundation.

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that forms in the pancreas, the thin, pear-shaped gland behind the stomach. The pancreas plays an important role in the digestive system by producing fluids to help break down food and hormones to control blood sugar levels.{Editor}: my husband lost his father in 2006, and recently his Uncle (paternal) just last week, to Pancreatic cancer, both were found too late. As always early detection saves, or at least prolongs, lives.

A Few Facts about Pancreatic Cancer:

• Pancreatic cancer is among the ten most common cancers for both men and women.
• It is the cause of 7% of all cancer deaths.
• It ranks fourth as a cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States each year.
• Incidence rates of pancreatic cancer have been rising by almost 1.2% each year over the last 10 years.
• Early stage pancreatic cancer usually has no symptoms and spreads quickly throughout the body, making it difficult to detect and harder to treat when it is found in its later stages.
• The causes of pancreatic cancer are not well understood. According to the American Cancer Society heavy exposure at work to certain pesticides, dyes, and chemicals may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
• Tobacco use is the most consistent risk factor for pancreatic cancer. About 20% of all pancreatic cancer cases are attributable to cigarette smoking. Smokers are about two times more likely to develop Pancreatic cancer than non-smokers.
• Men have a higher risk for developing pancreatic cancer than women. This disease is about 30% more common in men than in women.
• In comparison to other races and ethnicities, African Americans are at a slighter higher risk for developing pancreatic cancer throughout their lives.
• Nearly 70% of all pancreatic cancer patients are at least 65 years old. Across all races, ethnicities, and genders, the incidence of this disease increases significantly after age 50.
• People with the following risk factors may be more likely to develop pancreatic cancer:
  • Smoking cigarettes or using tobacco products
  • Being obese
  • Having diabetes
  • Having chronic pancreatitis,
    having certain hereditary conditions
  • Having a family history of pancreatic cancer.

What You Can Do:

• You may be able to reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by avoiding or changing behaviors that are known risk factors for the disease. These healthy behaviors may help prevent pancreatic cancer:
  • Don't smoke or use any tobacco products.
  • Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Help raise money to find research for the causes and treatments of this disease.