Health and Wellness: March 2013

Each month I try to recognize opportunities to communicate and educate re: health and

wellness. My main goal is to provide you with the knowledge you need to prevent disease. April is National Cancer Control Month. For the next 30 days (and every day thereafter) we have the opportunity to remember the lives of those who have lost their battle with cancer, to show support for those who continue to fight the disease and to commit as individuals and communities to cancer prevention and control.

Based on recent American Cancer Society data, an estimated half-million Americans will lose their lives to cancer and there will be an estimated 1.6 million new cancer cases in the Unites States in 2013. Worldwide the statistics are even more staggering (http://www.cancer.org/research/infographics/rising-global-cancer-epidemic).

Our greatest opportunity continues to be prevention and screening. While this blog may have a focus on fitness, health and wellness is at the core of our mission. There are many simple interventions we can make as individuals to reduce our risk of cancer:

Eat a healthy diet
Exercise regularly
Maintain a healthy weight
Limit direct sun exposure
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
Don’t smoke and/or stop smoking
Get immunized
Leverage your annual health screening opportunities and/or take advantage of community screening programs

If you’re like my family (ok, like me too!) you don’t go to the doctor unless you’re ill. As I have become more mature (translation: mature = older) I have begun to make sure I complete all of my annual screening exams. The American Cancer Society has recognized that there are both financial and behavioral reasons why Americans may not obtain regular screening exams. They have developed a simple acronym, CAUTION, to allow us to recognize seven early signs of cancer that merit prompt attention:

Change in bowel or bladder habits

A sore that does not heal

Unusual bleeding or discharge

Thickening of or a lump in the breast, testicles, neck or elsewhere on the body

Indigestion or difficulty swallowing that is persistent and/or progressive

Overt changes in the size, color, shape and/or thickness of a wart, mole or sore

Nagging cough or hoarseness

If you have any of these warning signs or recognize them in your friends or family, prompt medical evaluation is recommended.

Prevention is key. We don’t emphasize it enough and I will try to reinforce this concept more. You are in control of your health.

Live well, live long and be happy.

References

Presidential Proclamation: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/29/presidential-proclamation-national-cancer-control-month-2013