⚕️ Go Red- National Heart Disease Month

💖HEART DISEASE: It Can Happen At Any Age

Heart disease doesn’t happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages. February is Heart Month, the perfect time to learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart.

Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35-64) are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life. Half of all Americans have at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking).

💖You Could Be at Risk

Many of the conditions and behaviors that put people at risk for heart disease are appearing at younger ages:

• High blood pressure. Millions of Americans of all ages have high blood pressure, including millions of people in their 40s and 50s. About half of people with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. Having uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the biggest risks for heart disease and other harmful conditions, such as stroke.
• High blood cholesterol. High cholesterol can increase the risk for heart disease. Having diabetes and obesity, smoking, eating unhealthy foods, and not getting enough physical activity can all contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.
• Smoking. More than 37 million U.S. adults are current smokers, and thousands of young people start smoking each day. Smoking damages the blood vessels and can cause heart disease.

Other conditions and behaviors that affect your risk for heart disease include:

• Obesity. Carrying extra weight puts stress on the heart. More than 1 in 3 Americans—and nearly 1 in 6 children ages 2 to 19—has obesity.
• Diabetes. Diabetes causes sugar to build up in the blood. This can damage blood vessels and nerves that help control the heart muscle. Nearly 1 in 10 people in the United States has diabetes.
• Physical inactivity. Staying physically active helps keep the heart and blood vessels healthy. Only 1 in 5 adults meets the physical activity guidelines of getting 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity.
• Unhealthy eating patterns. Most Americans, including children, eat too much sodium (salt), which increases blood pressure. Replacing foods high in sodium with fresh fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure. But only 1 in 10 adults is getting enough fruits and vegetables each day. Diet high in trans-fat, saturated fat, and added sugar increases the risk factor for heart disease.

💖4 Ways to Take Control of Your Heart Health

You’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your heart. Learn how to be heart healthy at any age.

Don’t smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.

Manage conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This includes taking any medicines you have been prescribed. Learn more about preventing and managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Make heart-healthy eating changes.  Eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Try to fill at least half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options. Learn more about how to reduce sodium.

Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. You can even break up the 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks. Learn more about how to get enough physical activity.

💖The American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative, Go Red for Women, is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.

It’s no longer just about wearing red; it’s no longer just about sharing heart health facts. It’s about all women making a commitment to stand together with Go Red and taking charge of their own heart health as well as the health of those they can’t bear to live without. Making a commitment to your health isn’t something you have to do alone either, so grab a friend or a family member and make a Go Red Healthy Behavior Commitment today.

💖Nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat.

Commit to Better Health

As women, we tend to put others ahead of ourselves. But if we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of everyone else around us. If you don’t make your health a priority, who will? Making a commitment to your health isn’t something you have to do alone, invite your tribe to achieve better health goals with you and make a Go Red Healthy Behavior Commitment today.

💖Choose up to two Go Red Healthy Behavior Commitments below and share, because when all of us come together, we can build a culture of health for all.

Blogger: Egypt Assanti

ESD Baroness

{aka} Big Sister Southern Heat 💖

🏈 National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

🚴Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.  Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.  A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

🥊Approximately half of severely head-injured patients will need surgery to remove or repair hematomas (ruptured blood vessels) or contusions (bruised brain tissue). Disabilities resulting from a TBI depend upon the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, and the age and general health of the individual. Some common disabilities include problems with cognition (thinking, memory, and reasoning), sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), communication (expression and understanding), and behavior or mental health (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness). More serious head injuries may result in stupor, an unresponsive state, but one in which an individual can be aroused briefly by a strong stimulus, such as sharp pain; coma, a state in which an individual is totally unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, and unarousable; vegetative state, in which an individual is unconscious and unaware of his or her surroundings, but continues to have a sleep-wake cycle and periods of alertness; and a persistent vegetative state (PVS), in which an individual stays in a vegetative state for more than a month.

🤺Anyone with signs of moderate or severe TBI should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Because little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma, medical personnel try to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on preventing further injury. Primary concerns include insuring proper oxygen supply to the brain and the rest of the body, maintaining adequate blood flow, and controlling blood pressure. Imaging tests help in determining the diagnosis and prognosis of a TBI patient. A blood test to evaluate mild traumatic brain injury in adults was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2018. People with mild to moderate injuries may receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. For moderate to severe cases, the imaging test is a computed tomography (CT) scan. Moderately to severely injured patients receive rehabilitation that involves individually tailored treatment programs in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.

⚽TBI SYMPTOMS

Symptoms vary greatly depending on the severity of the head injury, but may include any of the following:

• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Headache
• Confusion
• Paralysis
• Coma
• Loss of consciousness
• Dilated pupils
• Vision changes (blurred vision or seeing double, not able to tolerate bright light, loss of eye movement, blindness)
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (which may be clear or blood-tinged) coming out of the ears or nose
• Dizziness and balance problems
• Breathing problems
• Slow pulse
• Slow breathing rate, with an increase in blood pressure
• Ringing in the ears or changes in hearing
• Cognitive difficulties
• Inappropriate emotional responses
• Speech difficulties (slurred speech, inability to understand and/or articulate words)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Body numbness or tingling
• Droopy eyelid or facial weakness
• Loss of bowel control or bladder control

If a TBI is suspected, call 911 immediately or take the person to an emergency room.

🏒MEDICAL TREATMENT

At the present time, there is no medication or "miracle treatment" that can be given to prevent nerve damage or promote nerve healing after TBI. The primary goal in the ICU is to prevent any secondary injury to the brain. The "primary insult" refers to the initial trauma to the brain, whereas the "secondary insult" is any subsequent development that may contribute to neurological injury. For example, an injured brain is especially sensitive and vulnerable to decreases in blood pressure that might otherwise be well tolerated. One way of avoiding secondary insults is to try to maintain normal or slightly elevated blood pressure levels. Likewise, increases in ICP, decreases in blood oxygenation, increases in body temperature, increases in blood glucose and many other disturbances can potentially worsen neurological damage. The prevention of secondary insults is a major part of the ICU management of head-injured patients.

Various monitoring devices may assist health care personnel in caring for the patient. Placement of an ICP monitor into the brain itself can help detect excessive swelling of the brain. One commonly used type of ICP monitor is a ventriculostomy, which is a narrow, flexible, hollow catheter that is passed into the ventricles, or fluid spaces in the center of the brain, to monitor ICP and to drain CSF if ICP increases. Another commonly used type of intracranial pressure monitoring device involves placement of a small fiberoptic catheter directly into the brain tissue. Additional catheters may be added that measure brain temperature and brain tissue oxygenation. Placement of an oxygen sensor into the jugular vein can detect how much oxygen in the blood is arising from the brain and can indicate how much oxygen the brain is using. This may be related to the degree of brain damage. Many other monitoring techniques are currently under investigation to see if they can help to improve outcome after head injury or provide other critical information about caring for TBI patients.

🚴HEAD INJURY PREVENTION TIPS

Buy and use helmets or protective head gear approved by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for specific sports 100 percent of the time. The ASTM has vigorous standards for testing helmets for many sports; helmets approved by the ASTM bear a sticker stating this. Helmets and head gear come in many sizes and styles for many sports and must properly fit to provide maximum protection against head injuries. In addition to other safety apparel or gear, helmets or head gear should be worn at all times for:

• Baseball and Softball (when batting)
• Cycling
• Football
• Hockey
• Horseback Riding
• Powered Recreational Vehicles
• Skateboards/Scooters
• Skiing
• Wrestling

Head gear is recommended by many sports safety experts for:

• Bull riding
• Martial Arts
• Pole Vaulting
• Soccer
• Vintage Motor Sports

🏈GENERAL PREVENTION TIPS

• Supervise younger children at all times, and do not let them use sporting equipment or play sports unsuitable for their age. Do not let them use playgrounds with hard surface grounds.
• Follow all rules and warning signs at water parks, swimming pools, and public beaches.
• Do not dive in water less than 12 feet deep or in above-ground pools. Check the depth and check for debris in the water before diving.
• Wear appropriate clothing for the sport.
• Do not wear any clothing that can interfere with your vision.
• Do not participate in sports when you are ill or very tired.
• Obey all traffic signals and be aware of drivers when cycling or skateboarding.
• Avoid uneven or unpaved surfaces when cycling, skateboarding, or in-line skating.
• Perform regular safety checks of sports fields, playgrounds and equipment.
• Discard and replace sporting equipment or protective gear that is damaged.
• Never slide head-first when stealing a base.

• Wear a seatbelt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
• Never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or ride as a passenger with anybody else who is under the influence.
• Keep firearms unloaded in a locked cabinet or safe, and store ammunition in a separate, secure location.
• Remove hazards in the home that may contribute to falls. Secure rugs and loose electrical cords, put away toys, use safety gates, and install window guards. Install grab bars and handrails if you are frail or elderly.

BLOGGER: Egypt Assanti

ESD Baroness

{aka} Big Sister Southern Heat 🏉

🎗️ National Drugs and Alcohol Facts Week, Jan, 22-27

Our nation’s teens are particularly vulnerable to falling prey to drug and alcohol addiction. At the center of this vulnerability is the fact that most teens don’t know the truth about drugs and alcohol. They tend to operate around myths that their peers pass around. How can we combat this problem and better educate our youth in the process? The answer to this question led to the founding of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Drug treatment centers around the country agreed it was a great idea.

🎗️What is National Drugs and Alcohol Facts Week?

In 2010, a group of scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) set forth to figure out how they could use science to educate teens about drugs and alcohol. Their task was to come up with creative ways to dispel myths kids often find on TV, through music, in movies, or from social media. Initially, the NIDA group decided that “Facts Week” would focus on drug use and addiction. In 2016, NIDA partnered with The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and alcohol became part of the agenda.

🎗️NATIONAL DRUGS AND ALCOHOL FACTS WEEK 2019

In this cycle, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week will be held from Tuesday, January 22 through Sunday, January 27, 2019. Traditionally, the month of January has been home to this focus on teenage drug and alcohol abuse. After the success of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2018, people are looking forward to next year’s events.

Throughout the country, NIDA will be working with high schools and community government agencies to create special events. The events, as one would expect, will focus on myth-busting for teens. 

One popular myth is that "vaping is harmless," despite the fact that these products produce an aerosol that contains nicotine -- the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products, and that nicotine salt, found in many e-cigarette products, is extremely potent and addictive.

According to the 2018 Monitoring the Future Study, teen use of e-cigarettes among eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders surged at record proportions.

Have you ever looked at your child and wondered, “Why do they do that?” This has become a regular thought in my household lately. From mood swings to impulsiveness, “normal pre-teen/teen behavior” can appear to be anything but normal to parents and other bystanders. However, research reveals that patterns of brain development during these formative years play a significant role in shaping the child’s personality and actions.

🎗️Misconceptions and wrong information often fuel drug abuse, leading to addiction. Despite being an emotional issue, drug addiction is mostly surrounded by conflicting views. Moreover, portrayal of the stereotypical drug addict in movies and television has given rise to a plethora of misconceptions which divert the reality, creating problems for both the addict and the society.

Due to the prevailing misrepresentations about addiction, many addicts have to let go of their hopes of sobriety. Some of the most common myths that go around about drugs and alcohol are:

🎗️Myth 1: A typical drug user is a vile creature

The stereotypical image of a drug user that one visualizes is of a shabby-looking criminal living in the poverty-stricken bad side of town. A person dependent on drugs has the habit of mouthing obscenities and does not spend time on personal hygiene. However, studies have shown that drug addiction is a mental illness that can change the brain chemistry as well as the memory processes.

🎗️Myth 2: There is no way out of drugs

The old saying that “a leopard does not change its spots” is certainly not applicable in this case. Many success stories have, time and again, proven that even those who are neck deep into drugs can also return to sobriety, provided they get proper treatment and care.

🎗️Myth 3: Relapse is part of recovery

Though true in certain cases, a number of individuals have successfully come out of their addiction problem after undergoing proper recovery process at a drug rehab facility. Due to the prevailing fear of relapse, people often give up the fight against compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use.

🎗️Myth 4: Only hardcore drug abusers need treatment

Many drug abusers usually hit the rock bottom before going to the rehab, but this is not a rule. Recovery happens at all stages of addiction. Those who hit the rock bottom have to lose everything and even face the risk of death before they make it to the rehab.

🎗️Myth 5: Addiction is a sign of moral weakness

Drug addiction is a chronic mental illness that can change the way a person’s brain functions. Many a time, genetic predisposition also plays a major role in addiction, apart from other common factors, such as environmental, developmental, and other psychological factors. Thus, it is inappropriate to describe addiction as a reflection of one’s moral character.

🎗️Myth 6: Anything prescribed by a doctor is safe

Many prescription drugs are highly addictive and powerful, with chemical structures identical to heroin. In fact, if prescription drugs are abused, they may become the gateway to heroin and other street drugs.

🎗️Myth 7: Only hard drugs are lethal, the others are not that bad

While heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine are infamous for their life-threatening consequences, there are numerous other substances or intoxicants that can cause addiction and dependence leading to several impaired body functions and other mental health-related disorders. Alcohol is a classic example of a socially accepted and popular substance which can be lethal if abused.

🎗️There is hope

Drug addiction is a serious problem in the U.S. However, there are multiple treatment options to deal with this chronic disease.

Blogger: Egypt Assanti

ESD Baroness

{aka} Big Sister Southern Heat🎗️

🛑National Stalking Awareness Month

⚠️ The month of January is marked as National Stalking Awareness Month, which is also known as Criminal Harassment. In Canada more then 1 in 10 women and 1 in 18 men report being stalked each year.

Stalking doesn't only include someone following you from place to place. It comes in many different ways such as; unwanted gifts, repeated unwanted phone calls or text messages and also includes someone who is constantly inquiring about you to friends, family members or co-workers.

Maintain detailed notes about the stalking conduct. Dates, times, places, actions and threats are easier to explain and remember when written down.
Keep all recorded telephone messages, e-mails, gifts, letters or notes that have been sent by the individual. Keep a list of emergency numbers posted in
several locations . Emergency numbers should include:

• police
• immediate family
• friends
• co-workers
• victims advocacy groups

Pay attention to incidents that may seem coincidental. Are you suddenly running into this person more often? If you are not sure if you are being stalked contact the police.

Do not agree to have contact with a person who you think may be stalking you. Do not try to deal with a stalker by yourself. Each stalking situation is different. Rather than intervening with the person yourself, contact the police. Consider that sometimes, when a stalker is confronted or meets with resistance, he/she may react with violence or the conduct may escalate.

Stalking Awareness

⚠️Stalking is one of the most frightening crimes that can be inflicted on someone. Only those who have actually been subjected to the torture of a stalker can speak about the terror that is created by someone following their every move and abusing their privacy.

   damaging effects that stalking can have on someone’s life, it is still a severely misunderstood crime. Whether driven by obsession, resentment, or a combination of factors, the results are always the same—hurt and pain for everyone involved.

Stalkers have many motivations, including hatred, obsession, and a desire for intimacy. According to most experts, there are five types of stalkers, all with differing behaviors and motivations.

The first type is the rejected stalker, who begins to harass a victim after the unsatisfactory end of a romantic or perceived romantic relationship. A rejected stalker engages in stalking to continue to have influence over his or her victim.

The second type seeks intimacy even though the victim is unaware of the stalker’s feelings. The stalker believes that his or her actions will ultimately provide that intimacy with the victim.

The third type is the incompetent stalker, who is often socially awkward and tries not to approach the victim directly. Like the intimacy seeker, this person prefers stalking over actually attempting a normal relationship.

The fourth type is the resentful stalker, who feels that he or she has been humiliated by the victim after ending a relationship with that person. Resentful stalkers are more dangerous than the previous three types.

⚠️Stalkers do more than psychologically abuse their victims. Studies have shown that some stalkers tend to be extremely violent in many situations. In comparison to most other criminals, including members of gangs and other organized crime groups, stalkers are far more likely to commit acts of violence toward their victims. However, the odds of extreme violence by stalkers are still much lower than many believe.

In most studies on violence, about 30 percent of criminals commit violent acts. For stalkers, it’s over 50 percent. The number is highest for sexually intimate stalkers like ex-husbands or ex-partners. Approximately 59 percent of these acts are committed by rejected stalkers who are angry about being spurned by former lovers. Predatory stalkers who want to control their victims engage in violence toward their victims about 50 percent of the time.

These types of stalkers are not above physically and sexually assaulting former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends. They commonly frighten or harm their victims with actions such as banging on a car hood, choking, kicking, or lunging with weapons.

⚠️While predatory stalkers deliberately commit horrible acts against their victims, many stalkers do not perceive themselves as harming their objects of affection. These stalkers are obsessive and feel that they are simply being “romantic” by constantly imposing themselves into their victims’ lives. Some even claim that they are protecting their victims. For example, an ex-husband who stalks his former wife may say that he is simply trying to see if his children are safe.

One stalker even wrote an extensive post on his blog about his motivations and actions. The post goes into detail about why he chose his victim and why he was obsessed with her. Then he tries to get sympathy by portraying himself as a victim of love.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

 Stalking is unpredictable and dangerous. There are no guarantees that what works for one person will work for another, yet there are steps you can take to increase your safety.

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• Trust your instincts. Don’t downplay the danger. If you feel you are unsafe, you probably are.
• Take threats seriously. Danger generally is higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder, or when a victim tries to leave or end the relationship.
• Contact a crisis hotline, victim services agency, or a domestic violence or rape crisis program, such as DOVE. We can help you devise a safety plan, give you information about local laws, weigh options such as seeking a protection order, and refer you to other services.
• Develop a safety plan, including things like changing your routine, arranging a place to stay, and having a friend or relative go places with you. Decide in advance what to do if the stalker shows up at your home, work, school, or somewhere else. Tell people how they can help you. Click here to learn more about safety plans for stalking.
• Don’t communicate with the stalker or respond to attempts to contact you.
• Keep evidence of the stalking. When the stalker follows you or contacts you, write down the time, date, and place. Keep emails, text messages, phone messages, letters, or notes. Photograph anything of yours the stalker damages and any injuries the stalker causes. Ask witnesses to write down what they saw. Click here to download a stalking incident and behavior log.
• Contact the police. There are stalking laws in all 50 states. The stalker may also have broken other laws by doing things like assaulting you or stealing or destroying your property.
• Consider getting a court order that tells the stalker to stay away from you.  These may be referred to as a PPO (Personal Protection Order), a restraining order, or a no contact order.
• Tell family, friends, roommates, and co-workers about the stalking and seek their support.
• Tell security officers or staff at your job or school. Ask them to help watch out for your safety.

Blogger: Egypt Assanti

Eta Sigma Delta SL Sorority

{aka} Big Sister Southern Heat