American Oral Cancer Foundation

It’s so hard to save for health care costs these days. With so many people out of work, and with the cost of everyday life skyrocketing, it is challenging to find room in the budget for doctors appointments, prescription drugs, and a cushion for unexpected emergency room visits. Having emergency cash on hand is no small feat, so it’s a good idea to take advantage of employer sponsored flexible spending accounts. If you aren’t familiar with these types of accounts, then this entry can serve as your basic education.

The flexible spending account is money that you can set aside at the beginning of the calendar year for a host of medical, dental, child care, and eye care expenses. Here’s how it works:

Your company will ask you to fill out a form requesting that money be set aside. You can pick whatever total makes sense for you. You want to give them your best guess because at the end of the year the money you don’t use is not returned to you. Factor in your fixed costs and add a little cushion room.

Then you tell your employer how they should take it out of your check. You can choose to have this done right away, or you can pay your employer in increments. Don’t worry if you choose the latter because the full benefit of your flexible spending account starts immediately even if you haven’t paid it all back.

What makes this feature nice is the money you set aside is tax free. This means the total amount of taxed income drops, which can even bring about other benefits. These plans make it so that you don’t have to worry about shoving money in your mattress for a rainy day; your employer will do it for you.

Imagine yourself working in a small town. Your office also doubles as the break room, which means that everyone spends their smoking breaks just a few feet from you. It’s the norm in a little country town, so no one thinks anything of it and simply gossips about the day and local town happenings.

That is, until you discover you have lung cancer – lung cancer, and you haven’t smoked a day in your entire life. The only exposure you’ve had to anything that could cause such a tragic diagnosis is the 15 years you worked for the public office in that small town, inhaling second hand smoke.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), second hand smoke is “is the combination of sidestream smoke (the smoke given off by the burning end of a tobacco product) and mainstream smoke (the smoke exhaled by the smoker).” Other names for second hand smoke include involuntary smoking and passive smoking – how appropriate.

NCI states that there are more than 4,000 chemicals in second hand smoke, of which 250 are certainly harmful, with 50 of them linked directly to cancer. While the chemicals found in smoke vary depending on the type of tobacco, the way the manufacturer puts the product together and how users smoke the product, there is no doubt that it is harmful to those unwillingly exposed to it.

Included in those 50 lethal chemicals found in second hand smoke are arsenic, beryllium, chromium and nickel – all types of metal. Benzene, a chemical in gasoline, is also found in second hand smoke, as well as ethylene oxide, a chemical used in the sterilization of medical devices; polonium-210, which is radioactive; and vinyl chloride used in plastics manufacturing. What a scary thought – that these things infiltrate your system through second hand smoke.

The National Cancer Institute states that approximately 3,000 deaths occur each year from cancer as a result of exposure only to second hand smoke. Daily exposure to a smoker results in a 20 to 30 percent increased risk for lung cancer. Those numbers simply cannot be ignored.

Over the last several years there has been a heightened awareness of skin cancer and its causes. However, many people still don’t take the matter seriously enough to protect themselves from the risk factors  – after all, you’ve got to have a good tan for the summer, right.

Back in the Elizabethan era the social norm was that the most beautiful women had the palest skin, so women would actually use white makeup to lighten the tone of their face. Too bad society no longer finds that beautiful, or we would all be making every effort possible to keep the sun-kissed look at bay.

A tan is the darkening of our skin in response to exposure to the sun’s UV rays. The fact remains that excessive sun exposures is one of the leading causes of skin cancer and, while the status quo is it be bronzed and beautiful, it isn’t much worth the effects obtaining a tan can have on your body over the length of your life.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are several risk factors for skin cancer, many of which have to do with exposure to the UV radiation emitted from the sun:

•    Less pigmentation (melanin) to the skin, i.e. fair skinned
•     Sunburns, especially a history of them as a child or teenager
•    Lengthy exposure to the sun (such as construction workers), especially without adequately applied sunscreen
•    The use of tanning beds
•    Living at high elevations puts you closer to the sun and exposes you to more radiation
•    Living in an environment that is sunny throughout most of the year
•    Abnormal moles, called dysplastic nevi, are more apt to become cancerous from sun exposure
•    A family or personal history of skin cancer
•    A weak immune system
•    As you get older, the risk of skin cancer increases

Take precautions to avoid the risk factors for skin cancer as best you can and pay close attention to any changes on your skin and notify your doctor immediately if you see something strange. Early detection is key to effective treatment.

Perhaps you know someone in your life who is suffering from a crippling addiction to drugs and alcohol. You have begged, pleaded and even prayed that he would see the light and come to the path of sobriety, and for one reason or another your prayers were answered. The person you love admitted he had a problem and is about to enter a drug rehab program. You might be overjoyed but there is also a part of you that is scared to death for him. There is no telling how bad things are going to get from here on out and as you may well know there are more than enough horror stories out there of people who went through torture in rehab. So you might be wondering what’s in store for your loved one as they begin this painful process.

When people check-in to a rehab facility, they go through a physical examination as well as being required to empty out the contents of their personal belongings. This is for two reasons: the physical examination is to make sure the doctors know what the patient’s vital signs look like as well as knowing exactly what their blood work looks like, so they can be aware if there is any drugs currently in the system as well as any other ailments that might impede a patient’s progress.

The reason why patients must have their belongings searched is because many addicts will try and sneak drugs into the facility, which can compromise everyone’s sobriety. However, once the examinations have been done, the patients are allowed to unpack and get situated. They will not go to group on the first day and they will not go into one-on-one counseling. The road ahead for the addict is hard but the first day is made to be as easy as possible.

So, you went out to lunch with the girls and you noticed something different. Your friend looks lovely. Not that she never did, of course, but she is glowing. No, she isn’t pregnant. She looks young and well rested. When you ask her what is new she gives a great big beaming smile. You continue to ask wondering why she is just grinning at you like a woman with a secret and finally, after some pressing, she tell you that she got her teeth whitened. Aha!

Cosmetic dentistry is growing in the industry of beauty. Naturally, people equate white teeth to health, youth, and vitality. Why wouldn’t they? Children don’t have yellow teeth. Aging and natural elements actually cause our teeth to yellow. Of course, outside elements do as well. When you have white teeth, you have more confidence and you have a strong glow about you.

Since we equate white teeth with a healthy glow, it is easy to neglect the most important parts of our mouth. The inside of our cheeks, the gumline, the back of the mouth and the roof of the mouth all play an important role in sustaining quality oral health. If you are interested in having a whiter set of chompers in order to improve your smile, you may be looking at this all wrong. First , look into the general health of your mouth. See your dentist regularly for maintenance and cleaning. Once you do this, you will notice that your overal health when it comes to the feeling of your cleansed mouth will improve your confidence immensely with your smile. So what if you have a little crooked of a smile? Your health care practioners and oral hygenists will all appreciate the way you care for your smile. If the foundation is there and you already know you have a healthy mouth, you may think twice about the cosmetic dentistry move. If you feel it will only enhance your already glowing smile, go for it. In the end, the health of your smile is more important than anything else.