Traditionally, women are responsible for overseeing the health and well-being of their families. This is an important job, so how can these moms make sure their families are healthy if they aren’t prioritizing their own health as well?

May 12-18^th has been officially named National Women’s Health Week by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. According to the womenshealth.gov website, this week has been established to promote the importance of women’s health while empowering and encouraging woman everywhere to make their own health a priority.

The organization has also listed the “Five Steps to Improving Women’s Physical and Mental Health”:

1. Make it a point to get regular checkups and preventive screenings from your healthcare professional.
2. Get active.
3. Eat Healthy.
4. Pay attention to mental health; get plenty of sleep and manage stress properly.
5. Avoid unhealthy and unsafe behaviors.

The one step that seems to be a constant theme when discussing women’s health is that receiving regular checkups and screenings from a doctor is very important. This can help with the detection of serious conditions such as heart disease (the leading cause of death in women,) diabetes, cancer, mental illnesses, and STD’s, just to name a few.

Overall, besides preventing serious health problems, this week is promoting simple, every day, healthy habits such as exercising, maintaining a balanced diet and healthy emotional state, as well as wearing your seatbelt, applying sunscreen, and generally taking care of your body. All of this will lead to healthy aging and longevity.

Learn how to help your patients take stock of their health head to toe. Promote and encourage your female patients to take the pledge today, Monday May 13, 2013, by promising to schedule a visit for a regular checkup during the month of May.

For an interactive, first- hand experience at learning about overall health and prevention, attend A4M’s BHRT Symposium June 5-8 in San Diego or September 18-21 in Boston.

For more information, visit http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-bhrt-san-diego-2013.html or http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-boston-2013-sep.html

May is skin cancer detection and prevention month, as made official by the American Cancer Society. Earlier in the week, we discussed Melanoma Monday and why it’s so important. Although Melanoma is the most serious and the most lethal, it is not the only type of skin cancer there is. Skin cancer all together, makes up over 50% of all cancer diagnosis and is the most common form of cancer in the US.

The other types of skin cancer include Basal Cell Skin Cancer and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer. Basal Skin Cancer can be found in places that have been directly exposed to the sun; the face is most common. Squamous skin cancer is the most common skin cancer for people with dark skin and is found on legs or feet and other areas not usually in the sun. While Melanoma in men is found in the head, neck, shoulders, and hips; and on the lower legs, shoulders, and hips in women. In people with darker skin, Melanoma is found under fingernails, under toenails, palms of hands, and the soles of feet. Basal Skin Cancer is most common in people with fair skin and is overall the most common type of skin cancer in the US.

In relation to prevention, Huffington Post released an article about the new restrictions on tanning beds. As of recently, the FDA recommends that indoor tanning machines are not used by minors under the age of 18. “Sunbeds” have been re-classified to moderate-risk. As mentioned in a previous post, the UK is one step ahead of the US, prohibiting the use of tanning beds by minors and issuing fines to any tanning salon that violates this law.

A lot of people have that “invincible” mindset and think that it will never happen to them. However, statistics from the Mercy Memorial Hospital System show that every hour, one person dies from skin cancer and 90% of these cases are caused by overexposure to the sun. As far as detection and prevention, paying attention to visible growths or new moles and visiting a doctor regularly can help detect early stages of skin cancer. Proper sun protection and proper knowledge of skin cancer can also help you avoid the disease.

In addition, Medical Conferences International Inc., offers physicians Skin Cancer Medicine and Advanced Skin Cancer Certification courses. The next opportunities to participate are:

June 28-29 at Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare, Chicago, IL

US Skin Cancer- PCSCM- Skin Cancer Medicine Certification
August 16-17 at LA Live, Los Angeles, CA

US Skin Cancer- PCSCM Skin Cancer Medicine

US Skin Cancer- PCSCS- Skin Cancer Surgery Certification

For more information, visit http://skincancercourses.com/us/index.htm.

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) are excited to announce they  are now on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, and YouTube.  The addition of these social platforms, together with an existing YouTube channel, will enhance an online presence, and create the opportunity for  customers, partners and employees to build a unique community of powerful industry professionals.

The social media sites have been created to provide healthcare practitioners  with current information and resources. Not only will there be news and updates, but technical articles, advanced webinars hosted by scientific faculty, industry specific case studies and practical tips on anti-aging, functional and regenerative medicine management.

“Our continued goal is to make relevant information about current healthcare initiatives as well as our products and services, easily and quickly available to our clients daily.  The addition of social media gives us the opportunity to engage with new visitors and our current clients on a more personal level.  The benefits of our new social media platforms provide us with more ways to stay connected,” Amy Paoletti, Director of Marketing for A4M, said.

To stay up to date with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and follow us on these sites:

https://www.facebook.com/a4mconferences

https://twitter.com/A4MEvents

http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-american-academy-of-anti-aging-medicine-a4m-?trk=hb_tab_compy_id_2985194

http://a4mblog.wordpress.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/A4MEvents