March is a busy month for national health observances. Two key organs that are often overlooked, your kidney and your colon, are highlighted this month. It is also National Nutrition Month, which is among the most universally applicable health months all year.
There’s also a “brain” theme this month as March also highlights brain injury awareness and MS Education, a disease that can damage nerve tissues connecting to the brain.
Learn about March’s national health observances so you can get important reminders, and interesting facts, and make small changes for your health this month!
National Kidney Month
Data from 2023 estimated that 14% of the American adult population is living with a chronic kidney disease. You only need one functioning kidney to live, but protecting both of your kidneys, if possible, is your best plan of action.
Your kidneys play a role in numerous bodily functions. They regulate your fluid levels, activate vitamin D, filter waste from in your blood, control red blood cell production, influence blood pressure, and more.
National Nutrition Month
Healthy eating is part of the foundation of a healthy life. Knowing how to plan, cook, and eat healthy foods is a great life skill.
Eating healthy starts with selecting the right foods at the grocery store. Find out how you can eat healthy on a budget this month with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Colorectal Cancer Month
Only about 70% of adults from age 50 to 75 are current on their colonoscopies. Assuming you have not been told you are in a high-risk group for colon cancer, you should plan to have a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 50.
The traditional in-clinic colonoscopy is always an option, but in-home testing kits have continued to improve in recent years. If you are not up-to-date on your colonoscopy, schedule an in-clinic visit, or inquire further if an in-home test could be right for you.
Brain Injury Awareness Month
The Arizona Department of Economic Security estimates that a brain injury occurs every 9 seconds in the United States. These brain injuries range in severity, and the lasting effects can vary significantly depending on the injury.
Naturally, it makes sense that concussions fall under the brain injury umbrella to be highlighted this month. Concussion care is something the staff at Integracare are specially licensed in, and very passionate about.
MS Education and Awareness Month
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting the body’s nervous system. MS can cause damage to the insulation surrounding the nerve fibers which can damage the brain and spinal cord, as well as causing numerous dangerous symptoms.
Someone living with MS may not be able to walk, experience sudden vision loss, have memory issues, muscle spasms, fatigue, or other health complications.