Get to know your words: Brand-name drug
A drug sold by a drug company under a specific brand name with an exclusive formula patent for a period of time,
FIGHT
Breast Cancer
1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, is the 2nd leading cause of death for Native American women, and in some states is the leading cause of cancer-related death. General factors that increase risk are genetics, family history, breast density, and age. When the tumor is small and most treatable is…
Get to Know Your Words: Metastatic Breast Cancer
Also called Stage IV Breast Cancer, it is when the cancer has spread from the breast to other areas of the body, like bones, brain, lungs, or liver.
Flu Season
We’re heading into flu season, and October is a great time to get that vaccination. Though the flu is a relatively normal part of human life, it is important to remember that many people are hospitalized and die every year due to the influenza virus. The flu vaccine helps not only to reduce your chance…
Get to Know Your Words: Immunocompromised
A weakened immune system, making it more difficult to fight off infections and other diseases. May be caused by diseases or conditions, genetic disorders, or specific medical treatments.
IPV
IPV, or Intimate Partner Violence affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men. Even higher rates of IPV are true for certain populations of people. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Organization for Women report that LGBT people and women of color experience higher rates of intimate partner violence, yet…
Get to know your words: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Sometimes called domestic violence, IPV includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.
Mental Illness Awareness Month
The National Alliance on Mental Illness celebrates the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Month. About 1 in 4 adults experience mental illness in a year, and 1 in 17 adults lives with a serious mental illness. Some common symptoms to pay attention to for yourself or people you care about are: Excessive…
Get to know your words: SSRI
Stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitor: this is a category of common antidepressant medication that increases the amount of time serotonin is active in your brain.
Heart Attack Symptoms Vary
The Center for Disease Control cites heart disease as the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Men have a greater risk of heart attack, and tend to experience one at an earlier age. Regardless of gender, prevention through primary care, testing, and heart-healthy activities and diets are important. Knowing…
Get to know your words: Angina
Noun: chest pain that occurs when blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.
Watch Your Blood Pressure
The CDC puts the prevalence of hypertension, or high blood pressure, at 1 in 3 adults worldwide. That figure is true in the United States as well, according to the American Heart Association. Hypertension increases risk of strokes and heart attacks. The CDC warns that hypertension does not always have warning signs, so it is…
Recovery Month
September is National Recovery Month and we want to recognize the work people have done and continue to do to recover from substance use disorders. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19.7 million adults struggled with a substance use disorder in 2017. Substance use, treatment, and recovery are impacted by many…
Get to know your words: Systolic blood pressure
Noun: the top number of a blood pressure reading.
Helping Those In Pain
In recognition of World Suicide Prevention day, today we have some information on how to help those we care about. The National Institute for Mental Health suggests these five ways of helping someone experiencing emotional pain. Ask how they are feeling; if they are considering suicide or self-harm. Keep them safe as is appropriate for…
Get to know your words: Diastolic blood pressure
Noun: the bottom number of a blood pressure reading.
Get to know your words: Prostatectomy
An operation to remove part or all of the prostate. Radical (or total) prostatectomy is the removal of the entire prostate and some of the tissue around it.
Get to know your words: Influenza
Woo, #WordWednesday is here! Our word of the week is influenza, commonly known as the flu. influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, and catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics (flu season). The best way to avoid getting the flu this year? A flu shot! Every year the CDC…
Get to know your words: Periodontitis
It is #WordWednesday again! Our word of the week is Periodontitis. Periodontal disease or periodontitis is a disease that affects the structures around teeth – the gums. It is one of the two main types of gum disease (alongside gingivitis). Gums become infected with bacteria and if the infection spreads, it can cause irreparable damage to your…
Get to know your words: Tuberculosis
It’s #WordWednesday! Our word of the week is tuberculosis. Tuberculosis or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules (tubercles) in the tissues, especially the lungs. Are you interested in why we picked tuberculosis as our word this week? Come back on Friday for our #HealthFactFriday! An infectious bacterial disease characterized by the…
Get to Know Your Words: Microbiome
Mai- kruh- bai- owm The microorganisms in a particular environment (including the body or a part of the body). The gut microbiome plays a very important role in your health by helping control digestion and benefitting your immune system and many other aspects of health.
Get to know your words: PEP
Post-exposure prophylaxis PEP stands for post- exposure prophylaxis. It means taking antiretroviral medicines (ART) after being potentially exposed to HIV.
Get to know your words: Acetylcholine
uh- seh- tuhl- kow- leen A chemical in the brain (neurotransmitter) that appears to be involved in learning and memory- Acetylcholine is greatly diminished in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Get to know your words: Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Viruses are the mosr common cause of hepatitis, but the condition can also be caused by other factors. There are five main virus types that can cause hepatitis- type A, B, C, D, and E.