In an effort to keep the population more informed, the Health & Wellmobile of Kansas City has been tackling important health issues every month. By bringing awareness to these under-discussed illnesses and issues, H&W hopes to promote health and wellness throughout Kansas City and beyond!
If you didn’t already know, February is more than just the month of love… it’s also American Heart Month and National Low Vision Awareness Month! These two campaigns may not be as publicized as other February celebrations, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less important. Let’s take a look at how these issues and their respective diseases are affecting Americans every day:
American Heart Month began in 1964 when President Johnson declared February a month for dedicated heart health awareness. The Obama Administration has also made great efforts to reinforce the campaign and bring national attention to the number one killer of people in America. The American Heart Association spends more than $100 million annually on medical studies, awareness, and research, but the disease still rages on. Even with the plethora of resources going towards the fight against heart health, deaths and diagnoses of cardiovascular disease has only increased in recent years, largely due to unhealthy lifestyle choices. Check out Health & Wellmobile’s informative guide on preventing cardiovascular disease and recognizing the warning signs of heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest.
National AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month: AMD, also known as Age-related Macular Degeneration, and low vision affect nearly 15 million adults over the age of 50. They are the leading causes of vision loss and can be extremely debilitating. AMD develops slowly and silently. In fact, by the time you realize what is happening, it’s oftentimes too late to reverse the damage. The disease, for which a cause is currently unknown, destroys the central vision and makes daily life extremely difficult. Health & Wellmobile has put together a great list of AMD symptoms and risk factors, and provides resources for scheduling health diagnostic screenings and low vision examinations.
Health and wellness in Kansas City should be a top priority. Let’s work together to prevent these horrible diseases and live happier, healthier lives.
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