Disease Prevention Articles

Osteoporosis Warning Signs

Osteoporosis is one of the most common ailments of adults over the age of 50.

And it is definitely a problem that people do not want to live with.  Weak bones lead to fractures and many other scary problems that could leave you disabled.

Before turning into full-blown osteoporosis, osteopenia : the process of thinning bones - precedes the ailment.  There are some warning signs to look for to determine if your bones are in fact thinning.

Here are some warning signs for osteoporosis:

• Warning Sign #1 - You've had more than one fracture in the past two years or a fracture that seemed pretty severe considering the circumstances.
• Warning Sign #2 : You are naturally a small or thin person.
• Warning Sign #3 : You have an autoimmune condition that causes you to take prednisone or another corticosteroid.
• Warning Sign #4 : You are a smoker and have been throughout your adult life.
• Warning Sign #5 : You drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day.
• Warning Sign #6 : You do not drink milk or you have a lactose intolerance that prevents you from drinking milk.
• Warning Sign #7 : You have an eating disorder.
• Warning Sign #8 : You are an Asian or Caucasian female over the age of 50.
• Warning Sign #9 : You have a family member who had osteoporosis before the age of 50 or before menopause.

Your Skin Cancer Risk

Here are some surprising clues that could mean that you are more apt to being diagnosed with skin cancer than others,

Clue #1:  You wear flip-flops often.  If you wear flip-flops most of the spring and summer, your feet are prone to more sun exposure and sun damage than those who wear socks and shoes.

Clue #2:  You wear baseball hats.  While baseball hats protect your head from sun damage, your ears are constantly exposed and are often overlooked when your skin is checked for signs of skin cancer.

Clue #3:  You are a male.  Whether it's habits, hormones or genes, or even a combination of these three, men have three times as many squamous cancer cells and twice as many basal cancer cells as women.  Also, white men over the age of 50 have the highest incidence of melanoma.

Clue #4:  You have dark skin.  While skin with more pigment has a natural shield against UV rays, many African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian Indians get a false sense of security and

typically do not pay much attention to protecting their skin from these harmful rays.  Skin cancer is also detected much later in dark skinned people, therefore making it harder to treat.

Clue #5:  You live in the South or in the Mountains.  Rates of skin cancer are obviously higher in places that receive more sunlight, like in the South or in the Mountains.  Altitude is also a factor as UV radiation increases about 4 to 5 percent for every 1,000 feet above sea level.

Clue #6: You are a runner, cyclist or swimmer.  The more miles men and women run the greater their chance of acquiring skin cancer.  The same goes for swimmers and cyclists who spend countless hours out in the climate.

Clue #7:  You have a lot of moles.  The average Caucasian has 30 moles : relatively round spots that are brown, red or pink.  But the moles that are asymmetrical, with raggedy borders, discoloration or changing size, are the ones that are more likely to develop into melanoma.  People over the age of 20 with more than 100 moles or people under the age of 20 with more than 50 moles are also at risk.

Diabetes 101: Mediterranean Diet

When a person is diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes most doctors start by getting their patients set up with a diet plan. Many people turn to a classic, low-fat regimen, while others have opted for a higher-fat, Mediterranean-style diet filled with lots of olive oil, as well as vegetables, whole grains and fish and poultry.

Researchers studied groups of people who were following both diets and they found that after four years both groups had lost similar amounts of weight.

But, only 44% of the Mediterranean dieters needed to take diabetes medication, as compared to 70% of the low-fat dieters.

One of the major benefits of the Mediterranean diet is that it is full of healthy foods and primarily because it doesn't recommend fat-reduced foods that are chock full of refined carbohydrates.

Signs, Symptoms and Risks of Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and because it is one of the most common cancers in the United States we offer these facts, symptoms, signs, possible causes and your risks of having breast cancer.

BREAST CANCER FACTS:

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.

• Each year it is estimated that more than 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.

CAUSES:

While there is no clear answer to what causes breast cancer, researchers have identified things that can increase your risk of breast cancer.

BREAST CANCER SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

• A lump in the breast or thickening that feels different than regular tissue.
• Discharge from the nipple.
• Change in size or shape of your breast.
• Changes to the skin of the breast, including dimpling.
• Redness of the skin of the breast.

RISKS:

• Being female.
• Increasing age.
• A personal history of breast cancer.
• A family history of breast cancer.
• Inherited genes that cause breast cancer.
• Radiation exposure.
• Obesity.
• Beginning your period at a young age.
• Beginning menopause at an older age.
• Drinking alcohol.

Having children later in life or not at all.