Awareness, Cancer
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

For more than 30 years, October has been National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the U.S. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, second only to skin cancer. With more than 240,000 women diagnosed each year, awareness can save lives through early detection and lowering risk. The main risk factors of breast cancer include being a woman and being older, which means almost any woman can be diagnosed with no family history or other known risk factors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends healthy living habits such as maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, […]

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Awareness
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Improving Health Education & Literacy

Since 1999, October is Health Literacy Month. This week is also National Health Education Week. Health literacy is defined as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Being able to comprehend health information allows people to navigate the healthcare system, keep track of their medical history, competently engage in self-care, and understand probability of health risks. Health literacy is the main form of defense against misinformation prevalent in our society. Knowledge of the facts is key to combat the influence of those […]

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Awareness, Mental Health
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Mental Illness Awareness Week

For over 25 years, the first full week of October has been Mental Illness Awareness Week. One in five, or 20% of the population, live with some kind of mental health condition, with one in 25 living with a serious mental illness that substantially limits one’s life activities. Those living with mental illness fight stigma while trying to survive under internal duress. Awareness is important so that resources are made available to those who need them and the stigma and misconceptions surrounding mental illnesses can be reduced. Everyone has stress and difficult emotions on occasion, and this is completely normal. […]

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Health
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How Do I Boost My Immune System?

by Richard Sagall, M.D.   With colder weather fast approaching everyone is concerned over coming down with colds, the flu, or other winter-time illnesses. It makes sense to take steps to stay healthy. The idea of “boosting your immune system” sounds inviting. But what does this really mean, and can it be done?   What is the Immune System? The immune system consists of the parts of the body that fight infections. There are three body parts generally considered part of the immune system. ·   The lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes that filter the lymph fluid and lymph vessels […]

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Awareness, Heart Health
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World Heart Day

September 29 is World Heart Day. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women, affecting Americans of all backgrounds. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds and someone dies from heart-disease related causes every minute. Leading up to World Heart Day, everyone is encouraged to examine their heart health and take charge with heart-healthy behavior. There are a number of risk factors for heart disease. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are major risk factors for one’s heart health. Almost half of Americans (47%) are affected by at least […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.