About Marathon Healthcare Group
Health Tips
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Some fast facts:
- Breast Cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, regardless of race or ethnicity.
- One in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.
- Seventy seven percent of women with breast cancer are over 50.
- Men also get breast cancer: approximately 1400 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in men each year.
- The first sign of breast cancer usually shows on a woman’s mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present.
- Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival.
- Ninety six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer free after five years.
- A person is never too young to develop breast cancer! Breast Self-Exam should begin by age twenty.
National Cholesterol Education Month
September is National Cholesterol Education Month, a good time to get your blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. National Cholesterol Education Month is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that help you reach personal cholesterol goals. High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. It is a serious condition that increases your risk for heart disease. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater the risk. You can have high cholesterol and not know it. Lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens your risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or dying of heart disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers helpful resources to use during National Cholesterol Education Month.Keep Your Skin Healthy This Summer
Preventing Skin Cancer is important for everyone! Did you know that; * Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually. * One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. * Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer; about one million of the cases diagnosed annually are BCCs. BCCs are rarely fatal, but can be highly disfiguring.National Nursing Home Week
Marathon Healthcare Group celebrated National Nursing Home Week in each facility. Many events were held to recognize the staff, residents, and their families; events that served to provide fun and comeraderie!
May Is National Stroke Awareness Month
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, a time to educate the nation and spread awareness about stroke prevention, symptom recognition and recovery. In recent years stroke deaths have declined by 10,000 Americans. This year, National Stroke Association hopes to continue to reduce stroke deaths by educating the public to recognize stroke symptoms, and to Act F.A.S.T. and "Save a Life."
For every minute that brain cells are deprived of oxygen during stroke, the likelihood of brain damage increases. Act F.A.S.T.
Treatment can be more effective if given early on. Act F.A.S.T.
TIA (transient ischemic attack) is a risk factor of stroke and a call to action to prevent a stroke. Act F.A.S.T.
F = FACE Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A = ARM Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T = TIME If you observe any of these signs, it's time to call 9-1-1.
For More Information, Visit The National Stroke Association
February Is American Heart Month
Coronary heart disease is America's No. 1 killer. Stroke is No. 3 and a leading cause of serious disability. That's why it's so important to reduce your risk factors, know the warning signs, and know how to respond quickly and properly if warning signs occur.
Heart Attack Warning Signs
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense - the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Preventing Seasonal Flu
What can I do to protect myself against the flu?By far, the single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each fall. To learn more, see Key Facts about Flu Vaccine.
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month
Some fast facts:
- Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.
- Of the 20.8 million people in the United States who have diabetes, one-third are undiagnosed
- Gestational Diabetes is diabetes that develops in a woman during pregnancy, usually in or around the third trimester. In most women who develop gestational diabetes, blood sugar returns to normal after her baby is born. One third to one half of these women will develop Type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
- Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, is a form of the disease in which the body does not produce any insulin. It is usually found in children and young adults.
- Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of the disease. It is usually found in adults, but in recent years more and more cases are being diagnosed in children. In this form, the body produces insulin; however the cells become insulin resistant, causing the blood sugar to rise. Eventually in this form of the disease, the pancreas becomes unable to produce enough insulin.
- The cause of diabetes is unknown; however, lifestyle and heredity seem to play a role in the development of the disease.