September is National Honey Month

Honey is a natural sweet food product produced by two kinds of bees: honeybees and stingless bees. The bees collect flower nectar and break it down into sugars. They store this in a wax structure called a comb as their food for the winter.

Honey is a prized food source in many cultures. Honey has been used therapeutically for thousands of years. Medical evidence shows that it is beneficial in several ways.

Honey has antimicrobial properties. Research studies show that honey not only improves wound, burn, and skin and gastric ulcer healing, but also can sterilize infected wounds. Honey is useful in treating both diarrhea and acid reflux. Do not eat too much honey, though. Excessive sugar consumption makes diarrhea worse.

A honey cough syrup can decrease the severity and frequency of children’s coughing at night. However, honey should never be given to very young children due to the risk of botulism.

Here are some other unusual facts about honey:

https://www.agfoundation.org/news/september-is-national-honey-month

Enjoy the sweetness of honey in various forms this September.

September 23 is the International Day of Sign Languages

There are more than 300 different sign languages around the world. According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are over 70 million deaf people worldwide. Over 80% of deaf people live in developing countries.

Each sign language is a real language with its own vocabulary and syntax. It is not like the spoken language in the country where it is used. There is also International Sign with a limited vocabulary and less complex grammar that is used informally when deaf people travel away from their home country.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has recognized sign languages as equal in status to spoken languages. It has made its information available in several sign languages, including International Sign.

The United Nations has proclaimed September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages. How can you celebrate? Shine a blue light. Read some of the resources in the links on this page. And learn a few basic phrases in your country’s sign language.

September 18-24 is National Rehabilitation Awareness Week

The World Health Organization defines rehabilitation as “a set of interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment”.

Rehabilitation is a specialty field within medicine. Medical doctors who specialize in this field are known as PM&R (physical medicine and rehabilitation) doctors or physiatrists. They are part of an interdisciplinary team of therapists, case managers, social workers, psychologists, and nurses. These specialists work with patients of all ages who have impairments or disabilities affecting the musculoskeletal (bone, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons) or nervous (brain, nerves, and spinal cord) systems.

There are two main goals of rehabilitation medicine:

1. Maximize function, independence, and quality of life
2. Prevent further decline of functioning

This medical specialty does not work to cure the patient.

Rehabilitation is very patient-centered and individualized. Patient needs that can be covered by rehabilitation medicine include:

• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) for self-care
• Cognition, including concentration, memory, organization, and problem-solving
• Communication: speech, writing, and alternatives
• Education and training of patient and his or her family
• Family support (e.g., about discharge planning, financial issues, and lifestyle changes)
• Mobility
• Pain management
• Psychological counseling for behavioral and emotional issues
• Respiratory, including breathing treatments or ventilator care
• Social skills
• Vocational training

Rehabilitation is part of the universal health coverage that is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal #3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” There are numerous benefits to including rehabilitation in the health care provided.

• Rehabilitation can reduce the impact on the daily lives of persons who have diseases or injuries.
• Rehabilitation not only aids in recovery, it can also help manage, prevent, or reduce the complications from various conditions and interventions.
• Rehabilitation can slow the progression of some conditions, such as cancer and diabetes, thus improving healthy aging.
• Rehabilitation can help avoid hospitalization. reduce the length of hospital stays, and prevent hospital readmissions.
• Rehabilitation helps patients recover at home and return more quickly to their pre-existing lifestyles.

Some misconceptions about rehabilitation still exist.

• Rehabilitation is not just for people with disabilities or physical impairments. It is an essential health service for people with any health condition or injury, whether temporary or chronic, that limits their functioning.
• Rehabilitation should not be a luxury or boutique service, but should actually be available to anyone including those who can’t afford to pay for it.
• Rehabilitation is not used only when other treatments fail to prevent or cure a health condition. It should also be part of the first-line treatment options that are considered for each patient.

Worldwide, about 2.4 billion people could benefit from medical rehabilitation, but in some low- and middle-income countries more than half these people receive rehabilitation services that would help them become more independent. This can be caused by emergencies such as disease outbreaks, military conflicts, or natural disasters. These emergencies not only cause the need for rehabilitation, but also disrupt existing services.

Celebrate National Rehabilitation Awareness Week by becoming more aware of the benefits of this medical service. For more information, please click these links about physical medicine and rehabilitation from the following organizations:

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation https://www.aapmr.org/about-physiatry/about-physical-medicine-rehabilitation

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/rehabilitation-medicine

Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/physical-medicine-rehabilitation-mayo-clinic/sections/overview/ovc-20467039

Johns Hopkins https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/overview-of-physical-medicine-and-rehabilitation

September is National Service Dog Month

Service dogs are specially trained to help a human manage disability and lead a fuller life. They are not just companions or pets, they are working animals who have specific skills that assist their owner.

Service dogs can be trained to safely guide a blind person around everyday obstacles, retrieve objects dropped by a person in a wheelchair, or press buttons to open a door. They may be able to provide their owner with seizure or diabetic alerts. They can calm autistic children or veterans who have PTSD.

If you see a person with a service dog, don’t try to pet it or get it to play. It needs to pay total attention to the person for whom it works. If you are not sure if a person’s dog is a service dog, you are allowed to ask two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Service dogs do not have to wear an identifying vest and the owner does not have to provide proof of its training. Emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs because they are not trained for specific tasks.

Dogs are devoted, loyal, and loving. They can truly be a person’s best friend as well as an important assistant if the person has a disability.

September is Sepsis Awareness Month

What is sepsis?

Sepsis is a life-threatening toxic response of your body to an infection. Most cases of sepsis originate in a bacterial infection. Many people who develop sepsis have an underlying medical condition, such as a weakened immune system or chronic illness. Sepsis is the leading cause of deaths in hospitals in the US.

What are the symptoms of sepsis?

Signs and symptoms that a person has sepsis include one or more of the following:

• Clammy or sweaty skin

• Confusion or disorientation

• Extreme pain or discomfort

• Fast or weak pulse

• Fever, shivering, or feeling excessively chilled

• Shortness of breath

However, each of these can indicate another cause. 

How dangerous is sepsis?

Sepsis is a medical emergency. According to the CDC, about 1.7 million adult Americans develop sepsis annually. Of these, about 350,000 either die in the hospital or are discharged to hospice. However, as many as 80% of sepsis deaths could have been prevented if detected and treated early. For every hour of delay of treatment, the risk of dying of sepsis increases by 8%.

What can you do to reduce your risk of getting sepsis?

• Practice good hygiene. 

• Wash your hands frequently. 

• Clean skin injuries and keep them covered until they are healed.

• Prevent infections by caring for chronic conditions and getting recommended vaccinations.

• Know the potential signs of sepsis. 

• If an infection seems to be getting worse, seek medical attention immediately.

For additional information, please see:

Sepsis- Symptoms, causes and risk factors: 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sepsis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351214

Sepsis Awareness Month 

https://www.sepsis.org/get-involved/sepsis-awareness-month/.

 

Displays and Exhibits for Healthinfo Island for September 2024

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this post. In Second Life, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Information on climate change is here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

QUICK QUIZ
Can you:

• give 3 ways to reduce the risk of having an aneurysm?
• explain how climate change impacts noncommunicable diseases?
• describe 2 unusual types of synesthesia?
• determine whether ophthalmologists, opticians, and optometrists are all eye doctors?

Find the answers to these questions and more in this month's set of posters.

Synesthesia

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

CIDP
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

Climate Change and Noncommunicable Diseases

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Why Bone Health Is Important
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Plant Foods We Should Cook Before Eating
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Reduce Your Risk of an Aneurysm

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Our Wonderful Feet
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Who's Who in Eye Care

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

Thank you to Mook for help with the posters this month