The summer rays are heating up in July! That’s why UV Safety Month is a great reminder of the importance of protecting yourself from UV rays year-round.
July also highlights Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month and Cord Blood Awareness Month.
Learn about July’s national health observances so you can get important reminders, and interesting facts, and make small changes for your health this month!
Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
Arthritis is not only a concern for older adults, it’s also something that impacts nearly 300,000 American children.
This month is a great time to highlight arthritis for individuals of all ages. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is caused by the breakdown of tissues in the joint.
UV Safety Month
Just like Skin Cancer Awareness Month back in May, UV Safety Month reminds you of the dangers of exposing your skin to the sun without proper sunscreen. Wearing sunscreen of at least SPF 30 can reduce your risk of skin damage.
The sun’s UV rays can also be dangerous for your eyes. Wearing sunglasses can help block out UV rays to keep your eyes safe in the summer sun.
Cord Blood Awareness Month
This one is important for expecting parents. July’s National Cord Blood Awareness Month raises awareness for saving the blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta when a baby is born.
Parents can choose to donate this blood to a public bank or store it for their family. Unfortunately, due to a lack of public awareness of cord blood, about 90% of cord blood is discarded as medical waste.
Saving cord blood can be beneficial because the cellular tissue found in the human umbilical cord can be beneficial in caring for numerous diseases. In order to make cord blood available to patients, it is necessary for expecting parents to opt for their cord blood to be donated.