We don’t want to rain on your parade during the holidays, but here is a very insightful look at heart disease, some of the causes and preventive measures we should take. We usually make a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, so hopefully, this great article sent to us by Shannon Lochwood will help us realize how very important it is to be heart-healthy and keep that resolution!
April is designated as Women’s Eye Safety and Eye Health Month, and we’ve found out some things that will really open your eyes! Worldwide, an estimated 37 million people are blind and one hundred twenty-four million people have low vision. Two-thirds of both blind and visually impaired people are women! In the United States, there are estimated to be over one million legally blind people, and over 700,000 of them are women. Women bear a larger burden than men in the U.S. and other industrialized countries, because, on average they outlive men. However, adding to the disproportion, is the possibility of biological (perhaps hormonal or immunological) predisposition to some eye diseases known to be more prevalent in women. Women who live in developing countries have less access to medical care, and therefore may contact more infectious diseases that are prevalent in females.
A major epidemiological survey in 2001 revealed that, worldwide, common eye diseases, such as autoimmune disease, dry eye syndrome, and certain forms of cataract are more prevalent in women than men. Age-related afflictions such as macular degeneration and cataract also affect women more often than men. Vision loss can be due to chronic disease, infection, uncorrected refractive error, trauma or congenital defect. The good news for women and men is that three-quarters of blindness and vision loss is either preventable or treatable. By having regular eye exams and living a healthy lifestyle, you can optimize your eye health. The risk factors for premature death due to heart disease or cancer are the same as those for blindness and vision impairment. These factors include smoking, excess weight, improper diet, lack of exercise and exposures to UV rays. Knowing your family health history in relation to eye health is as important as any other facet of family history.
There are certain eye problems that must be dealt with such as dry eye, eye redness, excessive watering of eyes, and pain in the eye, (throbbing, aching, or stabbing sensation.) Seeing your ophthalmologist can solve many of these problems. Other options to healthy eyes are as listed:
1. Wear sunglasses or a hat with a brim when outside in sunlight;
2. Adopt a healthy lifestyle;
3. Know the warning signs of eye disease;
4. Drink alcohol in moderation;
5. Stop smoking or never start;
6. Maintain a healthy body weight by eating a balanced diet;
7. Exercise regularly;
8. Schedule regular eye exams for yourself and the entire family.
Women should wear eye protection when working with tools, metals or chemicals at home or work, the same as men. Everyone should avoid being around pellet guns, bb guns, bows and arrows, toys with missiles and fireworks – these can cause serious eye injury.
So, ladies, take care of those beautiful eyes, and the eyes of everyone you love. Make the most to improve eye health by both protecting your eyes from injury and keeping your body healthy.
Because I am a non-smoker, this is not meant to preach to those who are. I never was interested in even trying it, and was advised by an older friend when I was a young, newly married woman, to not start it, because it is expensive, and a hard habit to break. My dad smoked and so did my husband. I worked for years in an office that was full of smoke, because during those times the majority of people did smoke. Stars in movies smoked, maybe because they thought it made them look more sophisticated. It was just something I didn’t enjoy being exposed to. Experts advise that tobacco is addictive; anyone who has stopped smoking will tell you that is true; it is a very hard thing to overcome, as with any addiction.
Recently, the American Lung Association released a comprehensive State of Tobacco Control 2010 report that offers information regarding policies and programs that have been proven effective in confronting the country’s tobacco epidemic. It graded the federal government, District of Columbia, and all states on their tobacco control laws and regulations that were in effect as of January 1, 2011.
It is interesting to see how each state has worked to help smokers quit smoking. There were only five states – Arkansas, Maine, Montana, Oklahoma and Vermont that got all passing grades. Oklahoma barely passed with straight D’s. Most states flunked outright. The federal government’s top grade of B was for the Food and Drug Administrations’ putting into effect landmark legislation on curbing tobacco marketing and sales to kids, to end misleading cigarette labels and require larger health warnings on smokeless tobacco products. Many states enacted cigarette taxes for new revenues to balance budgets in hard times, but they did not invest in programs to help smokers quit and keep kids from starting. Texas got F’s for the amount it spends on anti-smoking campaigns, F for smoke free air, and F for not including cessation programs in Medicaid. You can check how your state was graded by going to State of Tobacco Control 2010, American Lung Association.
Each year, 443,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses and secondhand smoke exposure. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in America. It also costs the economy more than $193 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
If you smoke, make your own list of Pros and Cons. I think you will find it much harder to list more good against the bad that comes from smoking. In reading the lists of many, the Pros include: bonding with other smokers and momentary gratification. Cons mentioned were: after-smell it leaves on clothes, furniture, car, house; breathing problems, cough; heartburn, shortness of breath, wasted time outside in bad weather, and expense.
People who smoke think that they are being unfairly punished by having to smoke only in areas designated for them; persons who don’t smoke have felt for years that they were exposed to unwanted smoke, so there are probably hard feelings either way about the subject. It is something to consider, though, especially for those who have small children, who shouldn’t have to breathe smoke in the home or car.
The bottom line is: what we do with our health is our responsibility. If a state gets a failing grade for not helping persons cease doing things that are harmful to their health, it’s is not their fault. It’s our own. We risk hurting ourselves in many ways, so place the blame where it belongs – on each individual who chooses to ignore the warning signs. The way for each one of us to get an A is to choose ways of living that will keep us both safe and healthy.
Smokers will think “Bah, humbug” when they hear about the Great American Smokeout planned for Thursday, November 19. This is a day sponsored by the American Cancer Society back in 1977, and since that time, has encouraged tobacco smokers and chewers to quit for the day, and hopefully, forever. The Smokeout draws attention to deaths and health damage caused by smoking. It has also contributed to bans on smoking in workplaces and restaurants, increased taxes on cigarettes, limitations on cigarette promotions in the media, attempts to discourage teen smoking, and other countless actions to reduce tobacco use.
There are approximately 46 million Americans that continue to smoke. According to the CDC, 440,000 deaths and $193 billion in health care costs and lost production occur annually.
Here are some facts from the U.S. Surgeon General and American Cancer Society that point out the benefits of quitting:
It is a very hard habit to break, but consider the health benefits as listed above, not to mention creating a safer environment for those non-smokers who have to breathe secondhand smoke!
Workplaces that make the choice to become smoke-free would see increased productivity, fewer sick days and lower insurance claims by employees. Employers could reward their workers that stop smoking by paying a membership fee to a health club, treat non-smokers to an occasional free breakfast or lunch, or come up with other ideas.
People have the right to choose what to do with their body; however, when facts prove that smoking damages almost every organ in the human body and is linked to at least fifteen different cancers, that should be reason enough for tobacco users to stop and think about it. Besides that, look at all the money that could be saved! So, Thursday, come on, we dare you! You can do it for at least one day…then another….and another!
It is an individual’s choice whether to smoke or not. However, exposing non-smokers and children to environmental tobacco smoke, (ETS), is a different concern. ETS are particles emitted from a burning cigarette, pipe, or cigar and smoke exhaled by a smoker. Did you know that secondhand smoke has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency? This rating is used only for substances proven to cause cancer in humans.
Non-smokers: The following statistics (in the U.S. alone), from the American Cancer Society, are caused by second-hand smoke:
If your workplace doesn’t have a policy that protects non-smokers from exposure to ETS, try to get it to start one. Either ban smoking indoors or designate a separately ventilated room that nonsmokers do not have to enter while performing their job responsibilities.
If you are a smoker, think about the effect this has on your body, as well as your family or friends. Small children are unable to breathe fresh air while they are around smoke. They are trapped while riding in a closed car with someone smoking. Advice from many smokers is “if you haven’t started smoking – don’t! It’s expensive and a hard habit to break.” Think about it. Everyone has the right to choose to smoke or not, just as in any other habit, but most of the time when they start smoking, they aren’t thinking about how it will play out in their health or the health of others later on.