Facts About Skin Cancer

You Need to Know

Fast Facts About Skin Cancer
•Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes. Yet it can take as long as 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of sun exposure. Plan ahead so that when you’re having fun outdoors, you won’t forget to protect yourself from the sun.
•Even if it’s cool and cloudy, you still need protection. UV rays, not the temperature, do the damage.
•Tanned skin is damaged skin. Any change in the color of your skin after time outside indicates damage from UV rays.
•Anyone can get skin cancer, but some things put you at higher risk.
•Indoor tanning exposes users to UVA and UVB rays, which damage skin and can lead to cancer.
•A change somewhere on your skin is the most common sign of skin cancer. This could be a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a change in a mole.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and includes different types. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays causes most cases of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. To lower your skin cancer risk, protect your skin from the sun and avoid indoor tanning.

National Center For Health Statistics

Leading Causes of Death in the US Shows a drop in Cancer Rate

The new data comes from the National Center for Health Statistics, which concludes that death rates rose across the board. (Though one bit of good news, cancer rates dropped.)

Last year Case and another researcher sounded the alarm about a surprising increase in mortality rates for white middle-aged Americans – thanks to a phenomenon poignantly referred to as the “diseases of despair” – overdoses, alcoholism and suicide. The new numbers point to the possibility that a wider group of Americans are becoming prone to major diseases.

Here are the top causes for 2015 according to the report, ranked high to low; numbers represent deaths per 100,000 of the standard population:

1. Heart disease: 168.5
2. Cancer: 158.5
3. Unintentional injuries: 43.2
4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 41.6
5. Stroke: 37.6
6. Alzheimer’s disease: 29.4
7. Diabetes: 21.3
8. Influenza and pneumonia: 15.2
9. Kidney disease: 13.4
10. Suicide: 13.3

Common Types Of Endoscopies

American Cancer Society

What Are the Types of Endoscopy?

Endoscopies fall into categories, based on the area of the body that they investigate. The American Cancer Society (ACS) lists the following types of endoscopies:

Arthroscopy is used to examine your joints. The scope is inserted through a small incision near the joint being examined.

Bronchoscopy is used to examine your lungs. The scope is inserted into your nose or mouth.

Colonoscopy is used to examine your colon. The scope is inserted through your anus.

Cystoscopy is used to examine your bladder. The scope is inserted through your urethra, which is the hole through which you urinate.

Enteroscopy is used to examine your small intestine. The scope is inserted through your mouth or anus.

Hysteroscopy is used for the examining the inside of your uterus. The scope is inserted through your vagina.

Laparoscopy is used to examine your abdominal or pelvic area. The scope is inserted through a small incision near the area that’s being examined.

Laryngoscopy is used to examine your voice box, or larynx. The scope is inserted through your mouth or nostril.

Mediastinoscopy is used to examine the area between the lungs called the “mediastinum.” The scope is inserted through an incision above your breastbone.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is used to examine your esophagus and upper intestinal tract. The scope is inserted through your mouth.

Ureteroscopy is used to examine your ureter. The scope is inserted through your urethra.

18 Practical Yes Questions You Need Answered

When Selecting A Nursing Home For a Loved One

1. Is the facility Medicare, Medicaid certified?

• Yes

2. Are the care planning meetings held at times that are easy

for residents and their family members to attend?

• Yes

3. Do the hallways have handrails?

• Yes

4. Do rooms and bathrooms have grab bars and call buttons?

• Yes

5. Does the facility have a fresh smell?

• Yes

6. Are residents clean and well groomed?

• Yes

7. Do staff members interact well with residents?

• Yes

8. Does the staff respond quickly to calls for help?

. Yes

9. Is there fresh water available in the rooms?

. Yes

10. Are the residents offered choices of food at mealtimes?

• Yes

11. Are the residents who need assistance eating or drinking

receiving it?

• Yes

12. Are there nutritious snacks available throughout the day

and evening?

• Yes

13. Is the facility an easy place for family and friends to visit?

• Yes

14. Does the nursing home have outdoor areas for residents and help for

residents who want to spend time outside?

• Yes

15. Are the residents allowed to make choices about daily routine

. Yes

16. Are the residents allowed to have personal articles and furniture in

their rooms?

• Yes

17. Is the staff friendly, considerate and helpful?

• Yes

18. Does the facility have a friendly, home-like environment?
• Yes

Nurse Practitioner

Becoming Integral in US Health Care

Nurse Practitioners are APRNs who have additional responsibilities for administering patient care than RNs. NPs can prescribe medication, examine patients, diagnose illnesses, and provide treatment, much like physicians do. In fact, nurse practitioners have what’s referred to as “full practice authority” in 20 states, meaning that they do not have to work under the supervision of a doctor. In the remaining states, however, while NPs still have more authority than RNs, they must have a medical doctor sign on certain patient care decisions.

Nevertheless, nurse practitioners are increasingly becoming integral to medical teams as more and more hospitals and healthcare facilities are utilizing their expertise. Their experience as working nurses gives them a unique approach to patient care, while their advanced studies qualify them to take on additional duties that are usually left to physicians. In fact, as reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), it’s estimated that NPs can provide 80-90 percent of the care that primary care physicians offer.

Nursing is a fairly stable industry already, but becoming an NP can give you even more job security. KFF reports that the need for primary care is expected to rise over the next five years because of the aging population and other factors, and NPs are poised to meet this increasing demand, especially in underserved areas. Without nurse practitioners, there could end up being a shortage of highly skilled medical professionals since there simply won’t be enough doctors to go around.

In fact, during the decade of 2014-2024, the BLS projects that nurse practitioner jobs will increase by 35 percent, which is much faster than most occupations. On top of that excellent job forecast, NPs also out-earn RNs by over $30,000 (median salary for registered nurses was $66,640 in May 2014, says the BLS). And, compared to an LPN’s annual wages of $42,490, becoming an NP will more than double your earnings.

What’s more is that even after you become an NP, additional specializations can drive salary up higher still, and invite even more career opportunities.