May is National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month and what better time to raise awareness than before we get into the summer months. I will be posting over the next few days about skin cancer and talking about each form. First I want to provide a general overview.
While melanoma is a very deadly form of skin cancer, it is amazing how little most people know about it and how to prevent it. Skin cancer is actually the most common form of cancer. It is so common that over 1 million cases are diagnosed every year.
The concern for skin cancer has been growing because each year the number of new cases continues to rise. It is estimated that half of all people who live to be at least 65 will get some form of skin cancer at least once.
Types of Skin Cancer
There are three types of skin cancer. They are:
- Basal Cell Carcinoma - This type is common in people who are fair-skinned. This form of skin cancer typically appears on the head, neck or hands. It grows slowly and rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma - This form of skin cancer is also common in people who are fair-skinned. It usually appears as a bump or a red, scaly patch on the face, ear, lips, or mouth. It can develop into large masses and spread to other parts of the body.
- Malignant Melanoma- This is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Melanoma is the leading cause of all cancer deaths. It can spread to other parts of the body and the organs. People with fair skin who tend to sunburn or freckle easily, especially those with red or blonde hair are at greater risk of developing skin cancer. Also, those who had blistering sunburns as children are at a higher risk of developing melanoma. Melanoma may also be hereditary.
Stay tuned all next week for more posts on skin cancer. The links will be added to this post as I publish them.
Skin Cancer Foundation’s Road to Healthy Skin Tour
Tanning Bed Use Linked to Skin Cancer
Facts About Skin Cancer that Will Shock You
Personal Skin Cancer Blogs & Websites
Types of Melanoma
Early Detection of Melanoma
Skin Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention
May is another busy month for health awareness campaigns. I will be featuring some of these on Chronic Health Blog this month.
Campaigns for the entire month:
- National Stroke Awareness Month
- Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month
- National Arthritis Month
- Better Sleep Month
- National Mental Health Month
- Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
- National High Blood Pressure Education Month
- Better Hearing and Speech Month
- Correct Posture Month
- National Neurofibromatosis Month
- Hepatitis Awareness Month
- Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Health awareness weeks:
- Brain Tumor Action Week - May 4 - 1
Health awareness days:
- Melanoma Monday - May 5
- World Asthma Day - May 6
- World Red Cross Day - May 8
- World Lupus Day - May 10
- CFS Awareness Day - May 12
- Fibromyalgia Awareness Day - May 12
- World No Tobacco Day - May 31
The CDC reports that approximately one in four children have been under or improperly vaccinated. Using a modified method for calculating vaccine coverage, CDC researchers concluded that more than one in four babies and toddlers are out of compliance with government vaccination guidelines.
CDC researchers discovered that instead of 81% of infants and toddlers between the ages of 19 - 36 months being properly vaccinated, only 72% have had proper vaccinations.
The CDC says that one problem is that infants and toddlers get their shots at too young of an age or too close together. The vaccines are not as effective when this happens and they are not considered valid doses. They need to have the vaccinations again.
When ACIP guidelines were considered, 19% of the children included in the survey were missing one or more doses of the recommended series of vaccinations and 6% had received at least one early, invalid vaccination.
Fourteen percent of the children missed the fourth dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vacine (DTaP); 9% had not been vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), and 8% had not had a third dose of the polio vaccine.
About 14% of children had their third dose of the hepatitis B vaccination too early, and some toddlers received their first dose of measles vaccine while still protected by their mother’s antibodies.
Guidelines that are established by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommend which vaccines should be given when, the proper dosages, and at what age, the minimum doses at which they are considered valid.
Source
A new study disputes the myth that active overweight women can still be healthy and not face the risk of heart disease. A recent study determined that being active can reduce heart risks for overweight women but that doesn’t make them healthy. The weight of the woman still matters according to a female heart specialist.
Participants were women aged 54 on average who filled out a questionnaire at the study’s start detailing their height, weight and amount of weekly physical activity in the past year, including walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming. They were then tracked for about 11 years. Overall 948 women developed heart disease.
Women were considered active if they followed government-recommended guidelines and got at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week, including brisk walking or jogging. Women who got less exercise than that were considered inactive.
Weight was evaluated by BMI (body mass index). A BMI of 25 - 29 is considered overweight; a BMI of 30 and higher is considered obese. When compared with active healthy-weight women, the risk of the active overweight women developing heart disease was 54% higher. For active obese women the risk of developing heart disease was 87% higher.
For overweight women who are inactive, the risk increased to 88% of developing heart disease. For inactive obese women, the risk increased to 2 1/2 times more than that for the obese active women.
That is a huge difference between the active and inactive overweight women, so exercise definitely makes a big difference.
Source
Sandy Robinson also is the blogger for her own website, Fighting Fatigue and the Fighting Fatigue Forum. On the WebbleYou Network, Sandy is co-blogger for the American Idolist blog.
THE 8 MOST TOXIC PLACES IN YOUR HOME – HEALTH uncovers the eight most toxic places in your home, and ways to detox them to keep you and your family safe. For the full list visit this link.
Surprising spots include:
• Your Lush Lawn – Many commonly used pesticides and herbicides are chemical cousins of deadly toxins and have the potential to increase risk of cancer, or neurological conditions.
• Your Child’s Toy Box – The main threat here is lead-coated toys. In the past two years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued 21 recalls of lead-tainted toys.
• Your Closet – Moth balls are extremely dangerous chemicals—the vapors are carcinogenic and irritating to the nervous system. Your clothes swathed in dry-cleaning bags also harbor harmful chemicals.
• Your Bed – Most conventional mattresses contain brominated flame retardants, also known as PBDEs. Medical experts are currently investigating PBDEs and their possible links to cancer, immune and thyroid suppression, and IQ reduction in children. Mattresses may also contain formaldehyde, a probable carcinogen, and benzene, a known carcinogen.
• Your Cat’s Litter Box – If you’re familiar with the cough-inducing cloud of dust produced when you change a litter box, you may want to switch litter. It likely contains low levels of a toxic carcinogen, crystalline silica.
INSPIRING CELEBRITY LIFE MAKEOVERS – From losing 40 pounds to gaining a surprise baby, actresses Valerie Bertinelli, Edie Falco, Tichina Arnold, and Jane Seymour all faced major challenges and they tell HEALTH how they emerged with richer lives.
HOW TO LIVE HEALTHY FOR LESS – In a recent Health.com poll, 68% of readers said they have given up a healthy-living practice because of cost. HEALTH magazine shows you how to get the most bang for your buck—from your gym membership to organic produce—as well as what you should be spending your money on, and what you shouldn’t.
7 VACCINES YOU NEED NOW – 98% of American adults could benefit from getting vaccinated now. HEALTH asked the experts what those vaccines are and why we should be getting them.
MAKE YOUR SUMMER ROAD TRIP SAFE, HEALTHY AND HAPPY – This summer many of us will hit the road with our families for vacations, so HEALTH has tips that will keep you all safe, healthy and happy including:
•Wear the right shoes: Forget those flip-flops and clogs that keep falling off. Your shoes should stay on your feet and offer good traction on the pedals.
•Work the kinks out: Exercise in the morning before you go, even if it’s just 20 minutes, you’ll feel much better sitting in the car all day.
•Contain the chaos: To keep your phone, bag, and stuff from flying across the seat or car, stow it all in one place like the SwingAway Driver Organizer XL, which attaches to the front passenger seat.
FEEL GREAT WEIGHT PLAN – With the help of a dream team of experts, HEALTH announces its signature pound-shedding plan to help you find and achieve your own personal Feel Great Weight. The team of pros will guide you from every angle, and for the rest of the year, will offer new tips and encouragement each month as you follow the plan in HEALTH and on www.Health.com.
IS YOUR SALAD MAKING YOU FAT? – Who knew your favorite healthy lunch could be packing almost as many calories as two Big Macs. HEALTH offers some easy swaps and tips to make your greens healthier and lighter.
HEALTH.com – Relaunching May 19, a completely new Health.com will deliver vital health and medical information with a human touch.
Reprinted with permission by Health Magazine Media Contact, Laura Malick.
It’s not just women who need bone tests. Latest research reveals that older men need to have a bone test to see if they have osteoporosis.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a bone-mineral density X-ray test for all men 70 and older, just like women 65 and older have long been urged to get. Both men and women who are at higher risk for other health problems may need to have the tests at an earlier age.
A quarter of hip fractures occur in men. Because men live longer than women, the number of men who break their hip is rising.
In addition to a routine bone check for older men, the guidelines recommend:
- Treat postmenopausal women and men 50 and older who have thinning bones, but not osteoporosis yet, if they have at least a 20 percent risk of any major fracture in the next decade, or at least a 3 percent risk of a hip fracture.
- Check for osteoporosis risk factors in postmenopausal women and men 50 and over, to see who needs a bone test before their senior years.
- A bone test for anyone who has any type of fracture after age 50, or who has conditions associated with bone loss, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
- For adults over 50, 1,200 milligrams a day of calcium and 800 to 1,000 international units a day of Vitamin D, more D than the government recommends.
- Do regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise.
A new study shows that it may be just as common for people to develop a mental illness as it is for them to get lung cancer, heart problems or have a stroke. The study was published about a week ago in an online edition of Molecular Psychiatry. The study tracks new cases of substance abuse, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders among more than 34,000 U.S. adults.
After researchers interviewed the study participants, they counted the number of people who had a specific mental disorder for the first time in their lives between 2004 - 2005. The figures listed below do not count those who have pre-existing conditions.
The results of the study found that:
- 1.7% developed alcohol dependency
- 1.51% developed major depression
- 1.12% developed generalized anxiety disorder
- 1.02% developed alcohol abuse
- 0.62% developed any panic disorder
- 0.53% developed bipolar I disorder
- 0.44% developed a phobia
- 0.32% developed drug dependency
- 0.32% developed social phobia
- 0.28% developed drug abuse
- 0.21% developed bipolar II disorder
The study found that men were more likely to suffer from alcoholism and substance abuse disorders while women were more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. For bipolar disorder, there were no gender trends seen. It was also noted that all of the disorders were more common in the younger study participants.
Sandy Robinson also is the blogger for her own website, Fighting Fatigue and the Fighting Fatigue Forum. On the WebbleYou Network, Sandy is co-blogger for the American Idolist blog.
I found an article today in the New York Times that I thought was very interesting and well-suited for Chronic Health Blog. The author of the article was researching how small business owners deal with health insurance and ended up running across Rosalind Joffe. Joffe is an executive coach who specializes in helping people who have chronic illnesses. Mrs. Joffe suffers herself from multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, both of which have stabilized with treatment.
Before Ms. Joffe became ill, she had two careers as a multimedia producer and then as a professor of communications at Boston University. Once she became ill, she needed something that she could do from home and that she could modify her schedule depending on how she felt.
Because Joffe’s husband had good health insurance, it made it easier to make the change from working out of the home to becoming self-employed. Joffe reports that only 32% of Americans with disabilities ages 18 - 64 are currently working, but that over two thirds of the disabled would rather be out in the workforce.
Joffe says she encourages people with chronic illnesses to figure out how they can work rather than go on disability. Research, she says, shows that remaining employed can actually lead to better health, not to mention improving self-esteem and maintaining social contacts.
I agree with that statement. I have known many people who had to give up their careers due to their health issues and they said that while they thought they would feel better once they were on disability, they felt that their emotional health declined and their physical health did also.
To visit Joffe’s site, click here.
Source
| April 25th, 2008 | Tags:
Chronic Illness Author:
Sandy Robinson |
1 Comment
My husband thinks I am morbid at times, but I am really into health-related issues. I love to watch the Discovery Health channel - even some of the trauma E.R. shows that show the real blood and guts of it all. But all of that is part of life. I don’t watch this stuff 24 hours a day, but I do like to sit down and watch it once in a while. One particular show on Discovery Health that I try not to miss is Mystery Diagnosis.
To me watching Mystery Diagnosis is kind of like watching a mystery movie or reading a mystery novel and trying to put all of the clues, or in this case symptoms together and seeing if I know enough to figure out what the illness might possibly be. Most of the time I have no clue but it’s fun to try and figure it out and guess. It intrigues me what the human body is capable of doing and I have often wondered if I did not miss my calling as a nurse or a doctor.
You can watch videos of Mystery Diagnosis on Discovery Health to get an idea what the show is about if you have never seen it before. Click here to watch videos of Mystery Diagnosis. To see what time and dates Mystery Diagnosis is on, click here.
