“ADHD Awareness Month is celebrated every October,  the facts to know on ADHD

• Males are almost three times more likelyTrusted Source to be diagnosed with ADHD than females.
• During their lifetimes, 13 percent of menTrusted Source will be diagnosed with ADHD. Just 4.2 percent of women will be diagnosed.
• The average ageTrusted Source of ADHD diagnosis is 7 years old.
• Symptoms of ADHD typically first appear between the ages of 3 and 6Trusted Source.
• ADHD isn’t just a childhood disorder. About 4 percent of American adults over the age of 18 deal with ADHD on a daily basis.”

Healthline (www.healthline.com)

“October is a month set aside for lung awareness. It’s National Healthy Lung Month, and Lung Health Day is October 28. National Respiratory Care Week is October 25-30.

It may seem arbitrary to set aside a particular month for health awareness, but it’s useful to remind ourselves of the things in our environment that can harm us and to act with compassion toward those who have already been harmed.

Lung disease affects a staggering number of Americans. About 10 million adults are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis each year, and about 4.7 million others have ever been diagnosed with emphysema.

Chronic bronchitis and emphysema constitute the diseases that make up Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). About 25 million people live with asthma as well.

Occupational lung diseases, which include asbestosis and mesothelioma, also affect many Americans. Occupational illnesses are estimated to cost $150 billion annually.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), typically caused by long-term exposure to lung irritants that damage the lungs and airways, is attributed to occupational exposure 19.2% of the time.”

Lung Institute (Healthy Lung Month – Lung Institute)

October is a month set aside for lung awareness. It’s National Healthy Lung Month, and Lung Health Day is October 28. National Respiratory Care Week is October 25-30. It may seem arbitrary to set aside a particular month for health awareness, but it’s useful to remind ourselves of the things in our environment that can harm us and to act with compassion toward those who have already been harmed.

Lung disease affects a staggering number of Americans. About 10 million adults are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis each year, and about 4.7 million others have ever been diagnosed with emphysema. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema constitute the diseases that make up Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). About 25 million people live with asthma as well.

Occupational lung diseases, which include asbestosis and mesothelioma, also affect many Americans. Occupational illnesses are estimated to cost $150 billion annually. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), typically caused by long-term exposure to lung irritants that damage the lungs and airways, is attributed to occupational exposure 19.2% of the time.

In support of Healthy Lung Month, let’s raise awareness about the rapid escalation of lung disease in the United States.

The notion that harmful air pollutants exist only outdoors is false. Some pollutants occurring in the home can be more harmful than those commonly encountered outdoors. Modern homes harbor many sources of respiratory irritation, but it’s not terribly difficult to lung-proof your home. Some common lung irritants found indoors are lead, formaldehyde, radon, cleaning agent vapors, and fire-retardants. Natural pollutants also make their way into the home, including pet dander, dust mites, and mold. Here are a few simple ways the people, especially those with lung disease, can avoid these lung damaging agents.

• Clean the Air:Buy a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce lead, chemical build-up, and allergens such as pet dander in the home. Follow this step by mopping with a microfiber mop to soak up any leftover particles.
• Avoid exposure to indoor pollutants that can damage your lungs.
• Minimize exposure to outdoor air pollution.
• Green Your Space:Fill your place with plants! Indoor plants help purify the air, removing toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene. Spider plants and aloe vera plants are good choices for the home.
• Go Natural: Fragrances in cleaning products, laundry detergents, and air fresheners can all damage the lungs opt for fragrance-free whenever possible.
• Test for Radon: Make sure your home has a radon detector. This colorless, odorless gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.
• Don’t Vape or Smoke

Your entire body depends on your lungs to keep breathing and distributing oxygen-rich blood throughout your body and to get rid of the body’s gaseous waste, carbon dioxide. Our bodies do have a natural defense system designed to protect the lungs, keeping dirt, germs and other irritants at bay. But there are some important things you can do on a regular basis to keep your lungs healthy and reduce the risk of disease.

Sometimes we take our health for granted. Lungs keep us alive and well and for the most part, we don’t need to think about them.  Remember without lungs we couldn’t survive.  Love your lungs this October and work to make any necessary changes to keep yours healthy!

“”Menopause occurs when menstrual periods stop permanently, usually between ages 45 and 55, marking the end of ovarian function and a sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone production.

This hormonal shift can cause hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, and mood changes. Sleep disturbances are common, often due to night sweats or frequent urination, which can lead to fatigue and affect daily functioning.”

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/menopause-womens-health-and-work.html)”

What is Menopause exactly?

Menopause is when the ovaries naturally stop producing 2 hormones called estrogen and progesterone. Your ovaries are similar to what a car does in that over years it wears down, well so does the mechanism that regulates your hormones which is the ovaries. You go 12 consecutive months without having a period with no reasons to be explained for its occurrence, both biological or physical with it never returning. If both ovaries are removed surgically the menopause kicks in immediately. Menopause has signs and symptoms (s/s) that kick in which have varying intensities (it depends on the individual). You may experience mild to severe s/s.

Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States. Menopause is a natural biological process.

The signs and symptoms of Menopause :

1- Hot Flashes 2-Irregular Periods 3- Breast Pains 4- Night Sweats 5- Mood Swings 6- Loss of Labido 7- Vaginal Dryness 8-Brittle Nails 9-Bloating 10-Irritability 11-Depression 12- Weight Gain 13-Sleep Problems 14- Osteoporosis-one of the worst symptoms of menopause. 15-Loss of breast fullness in some. 16- Thinning of the hair and dry skin.

Did you know over 60% of adult Americans are considered obese or overweight?
Weight gain happens when a person increases their body mass, whether it is a result of fat deposits, additional muscle tissue, or excess fluid. However, weight gain associated with menopause typically involves increased amounts of fat around the abdomen. One of the most accurate ways to see if you are obese is to measure your body mass index which is free online, check out the internet. I do every so often.
Go to Free BMI Calculator – AICR.org‎
www.aicr.org/bmi calculator‎.

On average, a women gains about 12 to 15 pounds between the ages of 45 and 55, this is usually when menopause typically occurs. This extra weight generally does not evenly distribute itself throughout a woman’s body. The weight tends to accumulate around the abdomen instead and women often notice the shape of their bodies slowly losing their hour-glass figure.

What can resolve this issue?

We can’t stop menopause but their are things we can do in dealing with it.

As years progress the metabolism slows down; setting the physiological stage for weight gain. As a woman’s hormones fluctuate prior to menopause and preparing for a permanently reduced hormonal level, it is likely to experience weight gain.

So things that can be done:

Eat well and nutritious foods.

Exercise but balance with rest.

Keep up with regular visits with your doctor for preventive health care and any medical concerns. Continue getting these appointments during and after menopause.

Preventive health care as you age may include recommended health screening tests, such as colonoscopy, mammography and triglyceride screening. Your doctor might recommend other tests and exams, too, including thyroid testing if suggested by your history, and breast and pelvic exams.

“October is Dental Hygiene Month, and it’s a perfect time of year to focus on oral health. Halloween candy is on the shelves and people will be eating all kinds of sugary treats during the holidays. But this is the time of year that dental professionals can raise awareness and remind people of the oral care habits that will keep their teeth strong and healthy.

There are four focuses of dental hygiene month that affect oral health the most: brushing, flossing, rinsing, and chewing.”

SmileMakers (How to Stay Dental Hygiene Friendly During Halloween)

Have a Healthy Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, which for most children means bags of free candy and a chance to build a stockpile of sweets for the winter. No surprise, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and safety challenges. “It’s OK to eat that candy on Halloween but it’s important to have a eating plan of the goodies to help protect the teeth from constant exposure to sugars to the teeth and even the waist line to prevent cavities and obesity. This makes complete common sense to mom and dad with older sisters or brothers and even role models to the little peeps who may need direction by you helping them eat the goodies in a moderate way with no pigging out on the candies.

Here’s a few ideas on how you can help your family stay mouth healthy on Halloween and even through out the year for lovers of sweet goodies; especially young ones who may need direction.

So how do we go about this? Well here are some ideas that you may find useful:

1.) Know when the time is right to eat the goodies.

Eat Halloween candy (and other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals. This helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and rinse away food particles.

2.) Choose the candy carefully you give out Halloween or have at Halloween parties for kids with the candies you allow your kids to keep throughout the year.

Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time. Aside from how often you snack, the length of time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to an increased risk for tooth decay.

3.) Avoid candies that can put your teeth in sticky situations.

Sticky candies cling to your teeth. The stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay.

4.) Have a plan that you put together.

It’s tempting to keep that candy around, but your teeth will thank you if you limit your candy laying out around the house after the Halloween day or parties. So what you do is have the family pick their favorites and even consider donating the rest, like to family and friends in a moderate amount to school teachers to even your doctors at a visit for the staff to even homeless. ”   If you even can take the time look for organizations that help you donate candy to troops overseas, like Operation Gratitude to boy/girl scout organizations, etc… Do a little researching.

5.) Drink more water when eating candy.

If you choose bottled water, look for kinds that are fluoridated. Drinking fluoridated water can help prevent tooth decay. The kids won’t even know the difference.

6.) Maintain a healthy diet.

Your body is like a complex machine. Just like cars we the human body needs its fuel. For us the fuel is food. The foods you choose as fuel are so important with how often you “fill up” with them which in the end affecting your general health; this includes your teeth and gums including obesity.At these Halloween parties or on Halloween day or in even everyday life avoid excess in sodas, sport drinks and flavored waters. When teeth come in frequent contact with beverages that contain sugar, the risk of tooth decay is increased.

7.) Give out on Halloween/the Halloween parties chewing gum that are with the ADA Seal.

Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals helps reduce tooth decay, because increased saliva flow helps wash out food and neutralize the acid produced by bacteria. You might even want to think about giving sugarless gum out as a treat instead of candy.

8.) Other general ideas with the candy suggestions is have the children do the following:

– Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Remember, replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.

– Cleanse between the teeth. Floss your teeth once a day. Decay-causing bacteria get between teeth where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. Flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.

-Visit an ADA Dentist

Regular visits to your ADA-member dentist can help prevent problems from occurring and catch those that do occur early, when they are easy to “treat.” This can also can help prevent them going into bigger problems and more expensive treatments to the mouth.

“High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis. Talk to your health care team about how often you should check your levels. You can check your blood pressure at home, at a doctor’s office, or at a pharmacy.

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor might prescribe medicine, suggest some changes in your lifestyle, or recommend that you choose foods with lower sodium (salt).

Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which can raise your blood pressure. Men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women should have no more than one per day.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (Preventing Stroke | Stroke | CDC)

There are 2 types of strokes:

1-Hemmoragic-a blood vessel that bursts in the brain causing lack of oxygen to be supplied to the area of the brain (a lobe) where the vessel ruptured.  Lack of oxygen to any area of the body tissue=starvation to the tissue; where in this case is the brain=a stroke.

2-Ischemic=Blockages-These blockages caused by the following: blood clots, athero-sclerosis, a common disorder, it happens due to fat, cholesterol, with even tar from smoking, or other substances that build up in the walls of the arteries forming hard structures called plaque and in time creating a blockage in the vessel interfering with blood supply providing oxygen to tissue and if blocked in the brain=high probability of a stroke occurring if not taken care of.   “Recommended related to Heart Disease” by Web MD which states that atherosclerosis is the key cause of heart attacks & strokes including it’s the number one killer in the United States.  Risk Factors for atherosclerosis include high blood pressure (b/p)=arteriosclerosis, blood level of high bad cholesterol (LDL), blood level of low good cholesterol (HDL), smoking, diabetes, and history of heart attacks in your nuclear family.  Definitely a healthy diet, having exercise in your life, and your weight within the therapeutic body mass index level will help prevent, if not treat, atherosclerosis.

The Risk Factors of this disease that include:

1.) High Blood Pressure (b/p)-This is also known as the diagnosis hypertension.  In understanding how hypertension works let’s use a metaphor:  Think of a blood vessel as a long thin balloon and if we stand on it the pressure will increase inside the balloon causing the diameter of the balloon to swell up.  If you continue to step on the balloon adding additional pressure this causes it to finally reach it’s total amount of pressure or when you exceed the total level of pressure this results in popping the balloon.  Similar concept with high b/p, that’s if the pressure keeps rising in our blood vessels due to blockage or vasoconstriction (which is making the vessels diameter more narrow=increased pressure in the vessels) sooner or later a vessel bursts somewhere in the body due to the b/p passing it’s total level in the amount of pressure that it can handle in the circulatory system which can result into a burst of an artery, like in the brain causing a stroke or in a vessel near the heart causing a myocardial infarction (but this is another topic some other day).  Think of food,  a human being not eating leads into starvation, well for blood cells lack of oxygen=starvation to the cells.  This causes in both situations or cases a lack of nutrition (the tissue is lacking oxygen).  With a stroke, not enough oxygen is getting to the brain resulting from either a hemorrhage (loosing too much blood=loosing to many cells=oxygen (food for tissue) or a blockage preventing 02 getting to the area.  Though many people have increased b/p due to only 2 things diet leading them to obesity, and lack of exercise due to a sedentary lifestyle, which could be changed and resolve the problem in most cases.  Increased b/p can also be due noncompliance- like continuing to smoke, or not following the healthy regimen the M.D. ordered for you as a patient.  The overall healthy regimen for a person with hypertension would be a low sodium diet (preventing further vasoconstriction), even low in cholesterol/fat/1800-2000 calories a day (preventing obesity or further weight gain), balancing rest with exercise and the b/p medications taken as prescribed, by their M.D.    So for many Americans hypertension can be controlled just by diet with balancing exercise with rest.  For others it might take a little more like doing which is what I just mentioned with following your medication regimen as ordered and going to your doctor having your b/p monitored, as your M.D. prescribes.

2.) Smoking-For starters, this unhealthy habit puts you at risk for high blood pressure since it causes vasoconstriction (narrowing) of the vessels in our body due to the nicotine.  The answer to this risk factor is simply quit this unhealthy habit. I have a dear friend doing great in quitting this habit now. Smoking adds to the plaque building up in the vessels.  Centers for Disease state that in 2010 the leading cause of death was heart disease followed by cancer than to chronic respiratory disease and lastly stroke.  Over time a healthy diet balanced with exercise daily or every 2 days for 30minutes would help decrease the cardiac disease and stroke.  The American Lung Association states that smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.

• Among adults who have ever smoked, 70% started smoking regularly at age 18 or younger, and 86% at age 21 or younger.
• Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, and is a main cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema). It is also a cause of coronary heart disease (CAD), stroke and a host of other cancers and diseases.

3.) Cholesterol is also found in some foods, such as seafood, eggs, meats and dairy products.LDL can cause plaque build-up. Plaque is a thick, hard substance that can clog arteries. Recent studies show that high levels of LDL and triglycerides (blood fats) raise the risk of ischemic stroke. Plaque can also increase risk of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) where stroke symptoms go away within 24 hours.

• The second main type of cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often called the “good” cholesterol. High levels of HDL may reduce stroke risk.
• Because cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood on its own, it must be carried to and from cells by particles called lipoproteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoproteins (LDL)=the bad cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins=the good cholesterol (HDL).
• The National Stroke Association states the following about cholesterol: Cholesterol is a soft, waxy fat (lipid) that is made by the body. It is found in the bloodstream and in all of your body’s cells. The body needs cholesterol to form cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D.
• So let’s take a car for instance, if the transmission is bad and not repaired by a mechanic the engine will be affected and soon fail completely.  Now let’s take the lungs, if they are bad and you don’t go to a doctor to help treat the problem the heart will be affected at some point to failure in function. This is the same with a heart (the engine of the body), that when it is bad with no repair or Rx it will soon affect the lungs (the transmission of the body). When one of these organs works at its fullest potential without the other organ properly functioning, in time, it will affect the other organ.  If a smoker doesn’t quit it causes COPD=Emphysema (this does take over years) and it will affect the heart in time to not function as effectively with someone who has healthy lungs.  Worse, if you don’t quit smoking you increase the risk of getting CAD (coronary artery disease) and add to the problem atherosclerosis, if you already have the diagnosis which is caused by fatty materials (lipids), fibrous tissue with tar (from the smoking) causing blockages in the vessels or even better cause arteriosclerosis (narrowing of the vessels). You also have a risk at lung cancer.

4.) Diet & Sedentary lifestyle as factors especially!!

Stroke verses TIA=Nonreversible verses Reversible:

• Stroke is scarring to the brain where TIA doesn’t.  Like Heart Attack verses Angina, Heart Attack is scarring to the heart verses no scarring to the heart with Angina. Both Angina and TIA are just lack of oxygen to the heart and the brain, causing the symptoms due to lack of oxygen=ischemia.  Both heart attack and stroke are both a lot worse than just ischemia.  They both get to the point where there in no oxygen causing actual permanent damage to the organ since the problem never reversed=scarring to the heart and brain.High cholesterol levels or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke. High cholesterol may also increase the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis, which are both risk factors for stroke.                                                               
• I have a dear friend who I’ve known almost 35 years that survived coronary artery bypass surgery over 55 y/o, with 5 blockages (2 arteries 100% blocked and 3 arteries at least 80% blocked=5 vessels blocked).  That was a set up for a silent heart attack if he didn’t have the surgery but he was lucky in getting symptoms of chest pain and fatigue/lethargy due to these blockages.  This made him go the doctor.  He stopped smoking the day before the surgery.   His life had taken a 360 turn and stopped in his daily routine and life schedule.  It had begun all over again at almost 60.   Without controlling your blood pressure therapeutically or without ending your smoking or without eating healthy with living healthy habits the heart at first will be able to compensate with living unhealthy habits but over time the heart may find it so hard to function or work that the heart starts to fail in doing its job effectively (it decompensates causing to go into failure if no changes are made).  Again let’s take a car, you do maintenance to the vehicle for it will operate and last longer, well the exact principle with the human body.  Pretty simple isn’t it.
• Good Diet, Good Exercise balanced with rest, and no smoking with B/P well controlled.

If you don’t eat a healthy diet, keep your weight in a therapeutic range, properly exercise than expect to be at high odds you will be leaning more towards shortening your life span.  You can control your diet, weight and your exercise the right way with a little direction.  There is many places for just that direction in helping you maintain a good diet including weight and giving you guidance whether it be at a clinic, work out facility or a weight loss food place via the community or internet with or by yourself but recommended to use simply a book.

It is recommended to go to your M.D. first before making any changes for the doctor will know all your medical history and can give you the right direction in what’s the best route for you in reaching your goals.