March
Health Calendar

By Carrie Barnes and Carlos J. Queirós

Full Calendar Bilingual Health Resources (agosto/ septiembre 2005)

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
In March—National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month—protect yourself and your loved ones against this highly preventable disease. Colon, or colorectal, cancer kills an estimated 2,300 Hispanics yearly.

Talk to your doctor: Starting at age 50, men and women generally should undergo routine screening. Between screenings, check with your physician if you experience abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, or blood in the stool—some common symptoms—for more than two weeks. And refrain from smoking or excessive use of alcohol. Studies suggest both may be linked to colon cancer.

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National Kidney Awareness Month 
Check up on your kidneys.
This month, resolve to take care of your kidneys. They may be small, but they filter about 200 quarts of blood a day, getting rid of waste and excess water so that you stay healthy. You’ll probably never hear them complain. In fact, according to the National Kidney Foundation, nearly half of the 20 million Americans who have chronic kidney disease (1 out of 8 being Hispanic) don’t even know it. That’s because early kidney disease has no symptoms. Most people don’t realize anything is wrong until their kidneys are about to fail, and by then the damage is usually irreversible. The only way to find out if you have kidney disease is to get evaluated through simple tests. So talk to your doctor about kidney disease and, at your next appointment, ask to be tested. 

Additional Resources:
	To learn more about how your kidneys work, visit the Kidney and Urological Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC).
	The American Kidney Fund offers financial assistance and education, including programs for kids, to people with, or at risk for, kidney disease, plus a list of links and resources.
	To learn more about what to do if you or someone you know has kidney disease, visit the National Kidney Foundation.
	For additional information, referrals and financial assistance e-mail the American Kidney Fund at HelpLine@kidneyfund.org or call them at 1-800-638-8299 (English).

Brain Awareness Week
Learn something new about your brain.
Your brain is one of the most complex structures we know of. To celebrate Brain Awareness Week (March 12-18), make a commitment to keeping your brain in shape by learning something new— take a class, memorize a poem, start doing the crossword puzzle.

Related Articles:
	Mindful Exercise (octubre/noviembre 2006)
	Jump-Start Your Memory Performance (AARP.org)

Additional Resources:
	Online Spanish Crossword Puzzles, Scrabble, Chess and more on our Games Channel.
	Daily English Crossword puzzles and word games at AARP The Magazine online.
	To debunk other myths and learn more about how to take care of your amazing brain, visit the Alzheimer’s Association or call 1-800-272-3900 (English/Spanish).
	The DANA Foundation offers information on the latest brain research and new discoveries.
	The Department of Health and Human Services’ National Mental Health Information Center explains mental health disorders from depression to social phobia or call 1-800-789-2647 (English/Spanish).

 

Updated: October 2006