“Glaucoma is the silent thief of sight. Glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages. In fact, half the people with glaucoma do not know they have it! Having regular eye exams can help your ophthalmologist find this disease before you lose vision. Your ophthalmologist can tell you how often you should be examined.”
American Academy of Ophthalmology (https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma)
“There are different types of glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve.
The symptoms can start so slowly that you may not notice them. The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
There’s no cure for glaucoma unfortunately, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.”
National Eye Institute (https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma#:~:text=Glaucoma%20is%20a%20group%20of,a%20comprehensive%20dilated%20eye%20exam.)
“January marks the 53rd anniversary of National Blood Donor Month – a time to recognize the importance of giving blood and platelets while celebrating the lifesaving impact of those who roll up a sleeve to help patients in need. It is also a time to encourage new and lapsed donors to resolve to give blood during one of the most difficult times to maintain a sufficient blood supply – the winter months.
This year’s National Blood Donor Month comes as the nation’s blood supply has dipped to concerning levels and could force hospitals to delay essential blood and platelet transfusions. Blood donors of all blood types – particularly type O blood, the blood group hospitals need most – are needed now to give blood or platelets to help meet daily hospital demands. Donors are urged to schedule an appointment now
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission.”
American Red Cross (https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/help-save-lives-during-national-blood-donor-month.html)
“Cervical cancer is highly preventable and highly curable if caught early. Nearly all cervical cancers could be prevented by HPV vaccination, routine cervical cancer screening (So it is important for people with a cervix to have regular screening tests starting in their 20s.), and appropriate follow-up treatment when needed. Condoms, which prevent some sexually transmitted diseases, can decrease the risk of HPV transmission. Condoms can assist in prevention. HOWEVER, they do not completely prevent it. Therefore, exposure to HPV is still possible in areas that are not covered by the condom. You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.”
National Cancer Institute
(https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/causes-risk-prevention)
“Doctors assign the stage of the cancer by evaluating the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Staging is based on the results of a physical exam, imaging scans, and biopsies.
After someone is diagnosed with cervical cancer, doctors will try to figure out if it has spread, and if so, how far. This process is called staging. The stage of a cancer describes the extent of the cancer in the body. It helps determine how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it. The stage is one of the most important factors in deciding how to treat the cancer and determining how successful treatment might be. Cervical cancer stage ranges from stages I (1) through IV (4). The lower the better.
To determine the cancer’s stage after a cervical cancer diagnosis, doctors try to answer these questions:
American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/cervical-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staged.html)
Hope you had a Safe but Happy New Year’s Eve Weekend and enjoy New Years Day today!!
“New Year’s Eve is an occasion to celebrate but be SAFE, and the last thing you want is a health and safety issues.
The holidays are always a busy time of the year in the Emergency Department,” says Northwestern Medicine Emergency Medicine Physician Steve R. Edelstein, MD, FACEP. “Conditions outside are precarious, and people are inclined to do things they normally wouldn’t do.”
No matter what plans you have in store, keep these tips in mind to help stay safe on New Year’s Eve.
Plan Accordingly If you’re going to a party or heading to a public event, make plans to arrive and leave with a group. A lot can happen on New Year’s Eve, and you want to ensure you, your friends and family are safe. Be sure to share your plans for the night and communicate your whereabouts if plans change.
To this end, pack a charger for your phone — a portable one may be especially helpful if you can’t find an outlet. Be aware of your surroundings; if you get separated from your group, you will want to know where you are, where you’re going and where you’re spending the night.
A filling dinner is another way to prepare for a long New Year’s Eve night. A wholesome dinner can not only help to absorb some of the alcohol you might indulge in, but it will also help you avoid nibbling on bar snacks.”
North Western Medicine (https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nye-safety-tips)
New Year’s season is one of the most fun and joyous holidays of the year. However, did you know that it is also one of the most dangerous holidays of the year?
It is estimated that during Christmas and New Year’s season, almost 95 million Americans will be on the road traveling to visit family and friends. People are much more likely to drink and drive around Jan. 1 than during any other major holiday of the year. Almost half of all car accidents on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are due to drinking and driving.
When planning New Year’s Eve, the majority of people aim to celebrate as best they can and create one of the most memorable nights of the year. This often involves lots of alcohol. While it is hoped that most make responsible plans, many often do not. By not ensuring the safety of yourself and others around you during this night, you put yourself at a higher risk of the biggest dangers surrounding this holiday. Make sure you take the proper precautions to ensure your own safety as well as the safety of those around you. Here’s what you should know to avoid some of the biggest dangers and to stay safe and healthy during the New Year’s season:
Don’t drink and drive. Jan. 1 is the No. 1 day of the year with the highest percent of deaths related to alcohol, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data. Between 2007 and 2011, alcohol accounted for 42 percent of all traffic deaths during the holiday. The more alcohol we consume, the slower the activity of the brain, heart and lungs. Before you celebrate, plan ahead. Aim to have a designated driver, or at least to take a cab or an Uber. Beware of other drunk drivers as they are probably more of a worry than yourself. And as always, wear your seatbelt!
If you will be drinking, pace yourself. What many people don’t realize when drinking is that our bodies absorb alcohol faster than we metabolize it. Therefore, the faster we drink, the more time the toxins from the alcohol spend in our bodies. As a result, we have harsher hangovers. Aim to drink no more than one drink per hour. Our livers metabolize about one alcoholic drink per hour. Know the difference in the amounts of the types of alcoholic drinks you are consuming, and that one beer does not equal six shots (12 oz. beer = 4-5 oz. of wine = 1.5 oz. of hard liquor). When drinking, sip slowly. Melted ice will dilute drink, so order drinks on-the-rocks. Add more club soda or tonic water to your drinks than alcohol.
Know what to mix, and what not to mix. Make sure to stick with the same drink all night. While it is a myth that mixing drinks causes greater intoxication, is remains true that it can often makes people sick and experience worse hangovers. To avoid this, choose light liquors such as vodka. Dark liquors have a higher concentration of toxins which make hangovers more severe. Instead of mixing with soda, use non-carbonated fruit juice or water instead. Carbonated mixers speed up the rate of absorption in the blood. Avoid diet mixers such as Diet Coke. With less sugar and calories, the alcohol goes directly into your bloodstream.
Alternate alcoholic drinks with water. Alcohol is a diuretic. This means that the more you drink, the more you have to urinate. More frequent urination leads to dehydration. Dehydration causes hangover symptoms such as headaches and dizziness. Aim to drink at least one large glass of water before and in between drinking alcoholic beverages. You should drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume. This will also keep you from getting too drunk.
Eat before you drink, and snack while you drink. Never drink on an empty stomach. Make sure to eat a full meal before drinking, and continue snacking while drinking. Eating while drinking will slow down the absorption of alcohol in the digestive track. This gives the alcohol more time to metabolize in the body. Aim to eat foods high in protein such as cheese, meat, and nuts. Fatty carbs work well too, however these are not as healthy.
Myth: Coffee sobers you up. Many people believe that coffee sobers you up in that the caffeine will speed up alcohol’s metabolism. As a result, many think it is helpful to drink a quick cup of coffee before hitting the road. However, this is a MYTH. Coffee may help you wake up a bit, but will not sober you up. The only cure for being drunk is time. If you need to get home and don’t have time to wait, get a ride from a sober driver or call a cab. You don’t want to risk getting into an accident and hurting yourself, or someone else.