Diabetes Awareness Month
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Every year the American Diabetes Association focuses on a campaign to educate Americans about diabetes. This year in 2022, the ADA’s campaign is “Diabetes Hits Different”.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease of the colon or rectum. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States but is preventable with screening and treatable with early detection. This cancer is prevalent in those ages 45 and older, but has been prevalent in younger people.
Conditions that increase risk:
- Family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome)
- Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis
Although colorectal cancer can develop without symptoms, when symptoms do occur they include:
- Persistent unusual bowel movements such as constipation or diarrhea
- Stomach pains including aches, cramps that are persistent
- Unwanted weight loss
There are several options that one may choose for colorectal cancer screening.
Stool-based test:
- Highly sensitive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year
- Highly sensitive guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) every year
- Multitarget stool DNA test (MT-sDNA) every 3 years.
Visual Exams:
- Colonoscopy- done every 10 years
- CT colonography- done every 5 years
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) -done every 5 years.
Please talk to your healthcare provider to determine when and what option is most effective for you.
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Breast Cancer Awareness
This month we are spreading awareness on breast cancer. Breast cancer can start in different parts of the breast, but it is important to remember that most breast lumps are benign and not cancerous.
Chronic Pain
During the month of September, we want to bring awareness to chronic pain. Nearly 20 million Americans experience chronic pain. Chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month
In August we are observing National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). After the past two years, we are all too familiar with vaccinations. We would like to highlight the importance of getting the recommended vaccines including the COVID-19 booster.
July
Healthy People 2030 is focusing on preventing and treating infectious diseases. Therefore, it is imperative that children and at-risk adults get recommended vaccinations to prevent infections such as measles, flu, and hepatitis A and B.
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
Alzehimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. More than 55 million people in the world live with Alzheimer’s or dementia.