May Brings Awareness for...

May Flowers Awareness

May flowers bring awareness to a host of worthy causes.

May flowers bring awareness for Mental Health, Skin Cancer, Mothers and more this month. It is awareness month for a host of worthwhile causes as Stroke, High Blood Pressure and Arthritis. It is also the month for celebrating mothers, Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby and Memorial Weekend. With the onset of summer, motorcycle safety awareness and national bike month.

Here we highlight a few of the month’s awareness initatives.

May is Mental Health Month[/caption]Mental Health Month — Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. According to the National Mental Health Organization (NAMI), one in five Americans will be affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime and every American is affected or impacted through their friends and family. May is designated to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for equal care. Throughout the month, NAMI and participants across the country are raising awareness for the importance of mental health.

May Flowers Awareness

Most strokes are preventable. High blood pressure is the most important controllable risk factor.

Stroke Awareness Month — Most strokes are preventable. And, a large percentage of the ones that happen are treatable with the right care, right away. It’s a matter of knowing what to do, taking action and spreading the word. 80 percent of strokes are preventable. High blood pressure is the most important controllable risk factor. The Stroke Association offers a great resource for understanding the risks.

High blood pressure is the most important controllable risk factor for stroke.

National High Blood Pressure Education Month — High blood pressure is the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), one in three American adults has high blood pressure. Fast statistics:
About three in four people who have a first stroke, have blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg.
High blood pressure is usually preventable with simple steps, yet it kills more people worldwide than any other condition.

Two important dates to remember:

May 15th is National Cycling Day. Hop on a bicycle Today; take a selfie and send to Celebrate the power to beat heart disease and stroke — the No. 1 and 5 killers in the United States.

May 17th. #CheckIt. As part of this campaign, the AHA wants people to check their blood pressure by May 17, World Hypertension Day. Log your action and learn about high blood pressure

National Arthritis Awareness Month — May is recognized each year as National Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis is a disease that impacts more than 50 million Americans, making it the number one cause of disability in the country. One in every five adults; 300,000 children and countless families are affected by arthritis.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month – With the onset of summer, there is no better time to check your skin than now. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer and highly treatable when detected early. Since its inception in 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as one important part of a complete sun protection regimen. However, sunscreen alone is not enough, For a full list of skin cancer prevention tips from the foundation visit their website prevention tips page.

Lastly, we salute all mothers this month on May 14th. So, to all the mothers in the world, Happy Mother’s Day! — Abbe is Socially Sparked! @sosparkednews @asparks01 #SociallySparked