Community Health Charities want to help you take a measure of good health. In partnership with our member charities, Community Health Charities continues to offer National Health Day email updates to businesses throughout the state to promote and enhance the health and wellness of employees and their families. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in learning more about any of the monthly National Health Day topics or the health initiatives of Community Health Charities. We may offer a Lunch & Learn relevant to a topic that may be of interest to the employees in your workplace. Printer Friendly To support any of the 34 health charities we represent, be sure to ask about our charitable giving campaigns for the workplace. World Lupus Day - May 10 Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease causing the body's immune system to attack its own tissue and organs. If you are a woman and have been experiencing symptoms without explanation such as achy, painful and/or swollen joints, an unexplained fever of over 100 degrees, a persistent, extreme fatigue/exhaustion, chest pain with deep breathing, and prominent redness or color change on your face in the shape of a butterfly across the bridge of your nose and cheeks, you should consult with a medical professional about obtaining additional tests for lupus. A Lunch & Learn topic related to lupus is available. Please refer to topic 10 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: Lupus Foundation Website www.lupus.org Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month It is expected that in 2007, melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) will be diagnosed in over 59,000 individuals in the United States. Over 8,000 individuals will die from this disease. A major risk factor for this type of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, tanning lamps and booths. To help protect yourself from the sun, limit or avoid being in the sun between 10am-4pm, cover your head and face with a hat, and use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, remembering to apply it every two or three hours when outdoors. Source: information taken from the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org. Stroke Awareness Month There are about 5.7 million stroke survivors in the United States today; many of them with permanent stroke-related disabilities. Stroke is the third leading cause of death. Know the warning signs of stroke, every minute counts. Things to look out for would be sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking (slurring of speech), or understanding; a lopsided smile; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination; sudden, severe headache with no known cause. If any of these are observed or experienced, call 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. Be sure to check the time these symptoms began. Emergency personnel will want to know this information as clot-busting drugs can be given within three hours of the onset of symptoms, reducing long-term disability. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 31 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: American Stroke Association www.strokeassociation.org. Clean Air Month Over the past twenty years, air quality levels for pollutants have improved in the United States. However, nearly 47 percent of Americans live in areas where there are still unhealthy levels of ozone. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is the standard system that state and local air pollution control programs use to notify the public about levels of air pollution. The AQI tracks levels of two pollutants-ozone (smog) and particle pollution (tiny particles from ash, vehicle exhaust, soil dust, pollen, and other pollution). AQI levels are reported year-round, as particle pollution can be a health threat any month. Ozone is a particular problem from May through October, depending on your region's weather. Particle pollution is often highest in the west during winter and in the east during summer. For more information on Clean Air Month or air quality, contact the American Lung Association, at www.alact.org. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 14 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: American Lung Association, State of the Air Report 2006. Asthma Awareness Month Asthma can be managed. It is a lung disease where small air passages of the lung are temporarily blocked. It can be life threatening. Those who have asthma live with it every day. Asthma needs to be taken seriously. Take all prescribed medications as directed and if your symptoms do not subside, contact your healthcare practitioner. Some symptoms of asthma are: heavy coughing, especially while exercising, shortness of breath, wheezing when you breathe, or tightness in the chest. Asthma triggers can be viruses, allergies, gases, particles in the air, cold air, dust, feathers, mold, and cigarette smoke. Know your triggers and find ways to avoid them if possible. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 36 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: American Lung Association www.lungusa.org. National Arthritis Month Approximately 46 million Americans are currently living with arthritis, the nation's leading cause of disability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the 2003 annual cost of arthritis to the United States economy was $128 billion. The CDC attributes the dramatic increase to an aging population, predominantly baby boomers, and increased prevalence of arthritis. Arthritis affects about 66 million adults (nearly 1 in 3) in the United States. It is one of the most prevalent chronic health problems and the nation's leading cause of disability among Americans over age 15. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 16 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: Arthritis Foundation www.arthritis.org. Lyme Awareness Month Lyme disease is transmitted by a tick infected with the Lyme disease bacteria. Ticks can bite year round; peak season is April to September in the Northeast and November to April on the West Coast. Typical early symptoms can include a rash at the site of being bitten. This rash, not necessarily a "bulls-eye" rash, may appear within a week to a month after a tick bite. Some people do not get a rash. Other symptoms may include fatigue, headache, neck stiffness, jaw discomfort, muscle or joint pain, a slight fever, swollen glands, reddening of the eyes, or facial droop. If you have any of these symptoms and feel you might have been exposed to a tick, consult your healthcare practitioner immediately. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 15 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: Lyme Disease: Related Disorders pamphlet www.lymediseaseinformation.com ALS Awareness Month Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) often called "Lou Gehrig's disease" is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Every day, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS; more than 5,600 people per year. As many as 30,000 Americans may currently be affected by ALS. Annually, ALS is responsible for two deaths per one hundred thousand individuals. The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time of diagnosis. As a result of recent advances in research and improved medical care, many with ALS are living longer and leading more productive lives. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 40 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: ALS Association - In the News/Quick Facts www.alsa.org. Mental Health Awareness Month An estimated 54 million Americans suffer from some form of a mental disorder in a given year. Mental illnesses are not related to a person's character or intelligence. They are biologically based and cannot be overcome through "will power." Mental illnesses include disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic, and severe anxiety disorders. National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day is May 2. Anxiety disorders are one of America's most common mental illnesses. About four million Americans experience a generalized anxiety disorder during a year's time. It affects women more often than men and can affect someone at any age, from childhood to adulthood. For more information, go to www.mentalhealthamerica.org. Lunch & Learn topics related to mental health are available. Please refer to topic #'s 1, 23 & 41 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: Mental Health America National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. More than 10 million Americans are unknowing and symptom-less carriers of the defective CF gene. CF occurs in approximately one of every 3,500 live births. About 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year. The sweat test is the standard diagnostic test for CF. A sweat test should be performed at a CF Foundation-accredited care center where strict guidelines are followed to ensure accurate results. This simple and painless procedure measures the amount of salt in the sweat; a high salt level indicates CF. Source: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation www.cff.org. Hepatitis Awareness Month Hepatitis is an infection of one's liver and can affect anyone of any gender, race, age, or sexual orientation. Hepatitis A is spread by close contact with infected persons or through contaminated food. It is estimated that a third of the population in the United States becomes infected with hepatitis A during their lifetime. Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease that most people recover from. However, chronic infections can lead to severe liver damage, scarring of the liver, liver cancer, and death. Approximately 1.25 million Americans carry this virus without symptoms or the knowledge that they are infected; it is advisable that all pregnant women be tested for hepatitis B and all newborn babies should receive the hepatitis B vaccine soon after birth. Hepatitis C is the most common, chronic, and blood borne infection in the United States. Both Hepatitis B and C are spread by blood or sexual contact and there is no available vaccine for Hepatitis C. A Lunch & Learn on this topic is available. Please refer to topic # 3 in your Lunch & Learn booklet. Source: The Liver Foundation www.liverfoundation.org If you would not like to receive these updates each month, please send an email to the list administrator by clicking here ALS Association, CT Chapter ALS Association, RI Chapter Alzheimer's Association, CT Chapter Alzheimer’s Association, RI Chapter American Cancer Society American Cancer Society, RI Chapter American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association, RI Chapter American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, Northeast Affiliate - RI American Heart Association, Heritage Affiliate American Liver Foundation, CT Chapter American Lung Association of CT American Lung Association of RI American Parkinson Disease Association, CT Chapter Arthritis Foundation of Northern and Southern New England Brain Injury Association of CT Brain Injury Association of RI Cancer Research Institute Children's Tumor Foundation Children’s Tumor Foundation, RI Chapter Connecticut CFIDS & FM Association Connecticut Hospice Institute Crohn’s And Colitis Foundation Of America Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CT Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, MA/RI Chapter Easter Seals Connecticut Easter Seals Rhode Island Easter Seals Greater Hartford Rehabilitation Center Epilepsy Foundation of CT Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, RI Branch Lea's Foundation for Leukemia Research Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, RI Chapter Lupus Foundation of America, CT Chapter Lyme Disease Foundation March of Dimes, CT Chapter March of Dimes, RI Chapter Mental Health Association of CT Muscular Dystrophy Association Muscular Dystrophy Association, RI Affiliate National Kidney Foundation of CT National Multiple Sclerosis Society, CT Chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society, RI Chapter Prevent Blindness TriState-Connecticut Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, CT Chapter Special Olympics Connecticut United Cerebral Palsy Association of Southern CT