Advocacy and health are closely related, and that is especially true during this period of active legislation about COVID-19. Here are some opportunities around Philadelphia and PA to contact your representatives, connect with other workers, and advocate for those in the food and health industries Attend a Town Hall to support Philadelphia Workers: https://bit.ly/3aiVHZt #SHUTDOWNBERKS: @shutdownberkscoalition Food…
COVID-19: an infectious disease in the coronavirus family. It is called “new” or “novel” because it is recently discovered.COVID-19
So you think you have covid-19. Don’t panic! For many people, this will simply mean feeling ill for a little while. Fever and cough can be treated with medicine (NSAIDs like ibuprofen are cautioned against, but acetaminophen seems to be effective and safe), but make sure to call your doctor as soon as you start…
Social Distancing Keeping a distance of 3 feet between yourself and other people, especially anyone coughing or sneezing. The World Health Organization advises social distancing as a prevention tactic for COVID-19 (coronavirus) in addition to frequent hand washing and coughing or sneezing into one’s elbow Come back Friday for more detailed information about social distancing
Acute Symptoms happening suddenly and severely, usually for a shorter amount of time.
Cirrhosis Later stages of liver scarring that can decrease liver functioning. Caused by diseases and conditions such as hepatitis or alcoholism.
People serving prison sentences have much higher rates of HIV, Hepatitis C, and tuberculosis than the general population. Unfortunately, competent HIV screening and care is inconsistently available. They also have higher rates of substance abuse and mental health concerns. Once released, health care can continue to be inconsistent or inaccessible with all the life activities…
Being healthy is expensive. There are the clearly established barriers in a lack of resources (access to nutritious food, treatment and medication costs, inconsistent insurance, etc) and lack of preventative services (dental, health, etc) which can result in more costly after-the-fact treatment. These expenses resulting in poor health and lack of treatment are crucial when…
Leading Health Indicator A health objective of the Healthy People 2020 plan that is considered high priority, and in need of focused solutions to address.
We have presented some statistics on several health disparities faced by Black Americans this month. The people working to reduce these disparities are working towards health equity. Health equity, according to the American Public Health Association, is the opportunity for all people to achieve their best health. In order to do this, some factors that…
Social Determinants of Health Factors of an individual’s social and environmental interactions that have an impact on health risks and outcomes.
The CDC keeps track of many different health data sets. One of these is called potentially preventable deaths. This is something of a confusing public health term. The number of these potentially preventable deaths can be thought of as a public health goal. If all people received appropriate and timely treatment or effective public health…
Metabolic syndrome Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors which, when present, greatly increase an individual’s risk of developing coronary heart disease or type-2 diabetes. They are: insulin resistance (or high blood glucose levels), hypertension, abnormal blood lipids, and obesity. As with pre-cancer, the presence of these risk factors DO NOT mean you will…
Perinatal The period of time immediately before and after birth. Can describe from 5 months before birth to 4 weeks after.
Health Disparity was our Word Wednesday this week. When a group of people is more impacted by illness than another, it is called a health disparity. This can look differently depending on the specific illness. The number of people affected, the quality of life impact, and the access to treatment are all factors to consider…
Health disparity A heavier burden of illness experienced by one group, when compared to another Most often, racial and ethnic group health disparities are reported. However, there are also health disparities between income groups, gender groups, sexuality groups, and other populations of people. To learn about health disparities here in Philadelphia, join us for our…
Taking breaks is an important part of being healthy! Briefly disengaging from your work, whether it is physically strenuous, mentally intense or simply continuous, is a way to keep your brain and body active and able to perform what you need it to. From 20 seconds to 5 minutes, breaks can help reboot your brain…
Cortisol The body’s primary stress hormone Cortisol levels in the blood affect the regulation of many parts of the body, like blood pressure, sleep cycles, and blood-sugar levels. Continuous stress, and therefore chronically higher levels of cortisol, can lead to headaches, weight gain, sleep disturbances, depression and anxiety, and heart disease.
Chronic pain is usually defined as pain that lasts longer than 3 months, or that lasts past the expected time for healing. Chronic pain occurs for many reasons. Sometimes the pain is because of an underlying condition that does not heal, like arthritis pain that is caused by inflammation repeatedly. This pain serves the function…
Thoracic Between the neck and the abdomen. The thoracic cavity is where the heart and lungs are in humans and other mammals
It’s Cervical Health Awareness Month! A 2019 CDC study showed that the HPV vaccine that has become widely available is reducing cervical pre-cancer. Women who had received the HPV vaccine had the most drastic decrease in pre-cancers, but unvaccinated women showed a decline as well. Without further study, the cause of decline in unvaccinated women…
Pre-Cancer Cells are present that have grown abnormally It is important to note that pre-cancer DOES NOT mean you will develop cancer. It means a higher risk of cancer developing at some point. It is a sign that closer monitoring is needed to catch any cancer development early, or even to prevent it from developing…
Nutrition and teeth go hand in hand. We often hear about the foods to avoid for healthy teeth: sugary and sticky foods. Avoiding these foods, and practicing oral hygiene help teeth stay functional and pain-free. It is also important to keep in mind that healthy teeth are necessary for proper nutrition. Many of the nutrient…
Co-morbidity: two or more chronic conditions occurring at the same time to a single person.
