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The Health Consequences
of Airline Travel
Doctors
reject economy-class syndrome
SYDNEY, Feb 09 (Reuters) - Doctors from Australia and New Zealand dismissed the
concept of "economy class syndrome" on Friday, but called for a major
study to determine whether there was any link between air travel and blood
clots.
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Anxiety
Anthrax
Alternative Medicine
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About Your Medicines
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Your Medicines |
| 1/30/03 Summits
Seek to Reduce SIDS Risk In African American Community
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD) has joined forces with three national African
American Women's organizations in a year-long program to reduce the risk of
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) among African American infants. The
leadership and members of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the
Women in the NAACP, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., will work with the
NICHD to conduct SIDS risk reduction training and outreach activities in
communities around the country. "The research points in one
direction: unless there is a medical reason not to, infants should be placed
to sleep on their backs to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome…We need to work harder to ensure that culturally appropriate
messages reach families and infants." Said Yvonne T. Maddox, Ph.D.,
Deputy Director of the NICHD. |
Fibroids
http://www.blackwomenshealthproject.org/aafibroids.htm
http://www.drdonnica.com/fastfacts/00004135.htm
Health Problems of African American Women
(The National Women's Health Information Center) (http://www.4woman.gov/faq/african_american.htm)
What health problems affect a lot of African American women?
What
types of health care coverage exist? How do I find out about them?
See
also…
(For detailed information on each of the health problems listed below, refer
to the other NWHIC FAQs listed at the top of this FAQ):
Overweight and Obesity
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease,
sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis and some
cancers. Obesity is measured with a Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI shows the
relationship of weight to height. Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered
overweight, while women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All
adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at
risk for premature death and disability from being overweight or obese. These
health risks increase as the BMI rises. Your health care provider can help you
figure out your body mass or go to www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm.
Not only are health care providers concerned about how much fat a person has,
but also where the fat is located on the body. Women with a "pear"
shape tend to store fat in their hips and buttocks. Women with an
"apple" shape store fat around their waists. For most women, carrying
extra weight around their waists or middle (with a waist larger than 35 inches)
raises health risks (like heart disease, diabetes, or cancer) more than carrying
extra weight around their hips or thighs. Fifty percent of adult African
American women are obese. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can
lower your risk for many diseases. And physical activity is an important part of
weight loss treatment. Try to be active (30 minutes most days of the week is
best) and eat better to help prevent and treat obesity.
Diabetes (dye-uh-bee-tees)
You can get diabetes if your body does not use insulin right. Insulin is what is
in your body that changes the sugars in food into energy. Type 1 diabetes
happens when your body destroys its own cells that make insulin. Type 2 diabetes
occurs when the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin. Diabetes affects women of
all ages. Overall, African Americans are twice as likely to have diabetes than
Whites.
A growing number of children are getting type 2 diabetes. Children have a
greater chance of getting type 2 diabetes if they are overweight or if a family
member has it. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in African American
children under 20 years old.
People with diabetes have a higher chance of having problems with their skin,
mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. African Americans experience
higher rates of at least three of diabetes' most serious complications: eye
disease, amputation and kidney failure. Although type 1 diabetes cannot be
prevented, there are steps you can take to prevent and control type 2 diabetes:
| See your health care providers regularly. Don't forget about the dentist
and eye doctor!
| Don't smoke.
| Control your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, and
your weight.
| Exercise (30 minutes most days of the week is best).
| Check your feet everyday for blisters, red spots, swelling, or cuts.
| Stay aware of how you feel-if you notice a problem, call your health care
provider right away. |
| | | | |
High blood pressure
High blood pressure happens when blood cannot flow easily through your blood
vessels. This creates pressure in your vessels, which damages the vessels and
strains your heart. As a result, blood doesn't flow as well to your brain or
kidneys, and you can have a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. The number
of African Americans with high blood pressure is high: one out of three African
Americans have it. Certain factors increase your chances of having high blood
pressure: increasing age (middle aged or older), diabetes, obesity (or being
overweight), alcohol use, eating too much salt, a family history of high blood
pressure, and not exercising.
Kidney disease
Your kidneys clean your blood and keep waste out. With kidney disease, they
don't work as well as they should-they could even completely shut down. High
blood pressure and diabetes are two main causes of kidney disease. Controlling
your blood sugar and blood pressure will help prevent kidney disease. Diabetes
is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans. African Americans
tend to have kidney failure at an earlier age than Whites.
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV weakens your immune system, which makes it
hard for your body to fight off other health problems that it could normally
resist. As time goes on, your body becomes less capable of fighting off
diseases. HIV is the leading cause of death for African American women between
the ages of 25 and 44.
CDC recommends taking these steps to protect yourself:
|
If you are sexually active (having oral, anal, or vaginal
sex), use latex condoms to reduce your chances of getting HIV.
|
Drug users who cannot or will not stop injecting drugs
should use new, sterile syringes to prepare and inject drugs.
|
If you are getting a tattoo or having your body pierced, ask
what procedures they use to prevent the spread of HIV.
|
| |
Lupus (lew-pus)
Lupus is a health problem in which the body attacks its own tissues and organs.
It can cause many other health problems, such as trouble breathing, skin
problems, arthritis, kidney problems, and headaches. No one knows for sure what
causes lupus. Doctors think that lupus may be genetic. It is more common in
African American women and other minorities than in White women. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that between 1979 and 1998, 70%
more African American women (between 45 and 65 years old) died from Systemic
lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Breast cancer
Women get breast cancer when cells in the breast don't grow right, and a tumor
forms. Getting a mammogram (x-ray of the breast) can help find the cancer
earlier, which gives women more treatment options and improves chances for
survival. Except for African Americans 20-24 years old, African American women
are more likely than White women to get breast cancer before age 40. However,
they are less likely than White women to get breast cancer after age 40.
|
African American women are more likely than White women to
die from breast cancer. Researchers are trying to find out why this happens.
Some reasons may be that tumors are found at a later (more advanced) stage
so there are less treatment options, or patients don't follow-up after
getting abnormal test results. Other reasons might include being overweight
or not being able to get a mammography.
|
We do not know how to prevent breast cancer. There are
things women can do to reduce their risk, such as limiting how much alcohol
they drink. However, it's vital for women to take steps to find breast
cancer if they have it:
 |
Women aged 40 and older should have a screening
mammogram every 1-2 years. Talk to your health care provider.
|
Perform a breast self-examination (BSE) every month.
|
|
| The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
program provides free or low-cost breast cancer testing to women who don't
have health insurance. Non-profit organizations and local health clinics are
the main groups who provide the tests. To learn more about this program,
please contact the CDC at 1-888-842-6355 or look on the Internet at www.cdc.gov/cancer |
| |
Other Cancers
Cancers occur when certain body cells don't function right, divide
uncontrollably, and produce too much tissue, resulting in a tumor. Cancerous
tumors then invade healthy, normal functioning cells. New cases of certain
cancers occur more often in African American women, including colorectal cancer,
pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer. The death rate from colorectal cancer and
pancreatic cancer is higher among African American women than other racial
groups. Overall, African American women are more likely to die from cancer than
persons of any other racial and ethnic group. There is not enough information to
figure out why African Americans bear this cancer burden. Some reasons may be
poor access to health care, poverty, tumors found at a later (more advanced)
stage, different belief systems, fear of talking about cancer, and lack of trust
of the medical system.
Pregnancy-related death
Every year, 30% of pregnant American women have problems before, during, or
after delivery. These problems can lead to long-term health problems and
sometimes, can lead to death. The main causes of pregnancy-related death are
bleeding, sudden blockage in the lungs by a blood clot or amniotic fluid, and
high blood pressure. African American women die in childbirth more frequently
than other American women. They have a higher chance of having pregnancy-related
high blood pressure (preeclampsia) and seizures from high blood pressure (eclampsia).
Try to get your blood pressure checked regularly while you're pregnant.
Researchers are continuing to look at the causes of racial and ethnic
differences in pregnancy-related deaths.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the main cause of death for American women. It is a group of
diseases of the heart and the blood vessel system within the heart. Coronary
heart disease, the most common form of heart disease, affects the blood vessels
(or coronary arteries) of the heart. It causes angina and heart attacks. Angina
is a pain in the chest that happens when a part of the heart does not get enough
blood. It feels like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest under the
breastbone, but sometimes in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Angina
seldom causes permanent damage to the heart, like a heart attack. During a heart
attack, you can feel chest pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the center
of the chest that lasts longer than a few minutes, or comes and goes, spreading
pain to one or both arms, back, jaw, or stomach, or cold sweats and nausea. Some
women don't have these symptoms but may have other symptoms, such as an upset
stomach, burning feeling in the upper abdomen, and lightheadedness. A heart
attack can cause permanent damage to the heart and maybe even death. If you
experience any of these symptoms, call 911 or see your health care provider
right away.
African American women are more likely to die from heart disease than other
groups of women. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, not
exercising, and smoking all put women at risk for heart disease. In addition,
studies have shown that African Americans don't receive the same care for heart
disease as Whites because they don't receive the same procedures and treatments.
Stroke
There are two types of stroke. An ischemic (iss-kee-mik) stroke happens when a
blood vessel that goes to the brain is blocked, and blood can’t get to the
brain. A hemorrhagic (heh-muh-ra-jik) stroke happens when a blood vessel breaks
and blood goes into the brain. Sometimes a person can have a “mini stroke,”
or transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a stroke that happens when a blood
vessel to the brain is blocked for a short time and less blood reaches the
brain. A stroke could cause problems that may affect speech, language, movement,
vision, balance, hearing, breathing, and swallowing. A stroke could also cause
death. African Americans are twice as likely to die from a stroke or its
complications than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S. There are other
medical problems that put you more at risk for a stroke, including diabetes,
high blood pressure, heart disease, having already had a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA),
and carotid artery disease.
To avoid heart attack and stroke, the American Heart Association advises people
to take the following steps:
| Don't smoke.
| Control your blood pressure. Ask your health care provider what a healthy
number is for you and how often you need your blood pressure checked.
| Eat healthy.
| Lower your cholesterol to the right level, based on your personal risk.
| Get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
| Maintain a healthy weight. Ask your health care provider what a healthy
weight is for you.
| Have a normal fasting blood glucose level (below 110 mg/dL). Ask your
health care provider when you should be tested. |
| | | | | |
High Cholesterol (koh-les-ter-awl)
Over 25% of American women have blood cholesterol levels high enough to put them
at risk for heart disease. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in all parts of
the body. It comes from two sources: your body and the food you eat. Your liver
makes all the cholesterol your body needs. Eating too much cholesterol in animal
foods like meats, whole milk dairy products, and egg yolks can make your
cholesterol go up. Cholesterol blocks blood from flowing easily through your
body. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your risk for heart disease. High
cholesterol is a health problem for African American women. However, African
American women have lower cholesterol levels than White women. Control your
cholesterol by getting your cholesterol checked, exercising, eating foods low in
saturated fat and cholesterol, and keeping a healthy weight. Ask your health
care provider about how often you should get your cholesterol checked.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Over 25 diseases are spread by sexual activity. Some STDs seem to affect certain
groups more than others. Overall, African Americans have higher rates of STDs
than Whites for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and hepatitis B. While
no method is 100% protective against STDs, there are ways that help prevent
getting STDs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer this
advice:
| Do not have sex.
| If you have sex, use latex condoms.
| Being in a long-term relationship with one person who has been tested for
STDs and does not have any STDs lowers your risk. |
| |
Asthma
Asthma is a disease of the lung airways. With asthma, the airways are inflamed
(swollen) and react easily to certain "triggers," like viruses, smoke,
dust, mold, animal hair, roaches, or pollen. When the inflamed airways react,
they get narrow and make it hard to breathe.
Common asthma symptoms are:
| wheezing
| coughing
| shortness of breath
| chest tightness |
| | |
When these symptoms get worse, it's an asthma attack.
More than 17 million people in the U.S. have asthma, and women are more likely
than men to die from asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Asthma is a growing concern in this country, especially for
African Americans. African Americans go into the hospital more than Whites
because of asthma and are more likely to die from asthma. These factors could
increase the risk for getting asthma:
| air pollution
| poverty
| poor housing
| lack of education
| can't get to a doctor |
| | | |
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are tumors or growths, made up of muscle cells and other
tissues that grow within the wall of the uterus (or womb). Although fibroids are
sometimes called tumors, they are almost always benign (not cancerous). Fibroids
can grow as a single growth or in clusters (or groups). Their size can vary from
small, like an apple seed (or less than one inch), to even larger than a
grapefruit, or eight inches across or more. No one knows for sure what causes
fibroids. Researchers have some theories, but most likely, fibroids are the
result of many factors interacting with each other. These factors could be
hormonal (affected by estrogen levels), genetic (running in families),
environmental, or a combination of all three. Because no one knows for sure what
causes fibroids, we also don't know what causes them to grow or shrink. For the
most part, fibroids stop growing or shrink after menopause. But, this is not
true for all women with fibroids.
Most of the time, fibroids grow in women of childbearing age. While no one knows
for sure what will increase a woman's chances of getting fibroids, researchers
have found that African American women are 2 to 3 times more likely to get them
than women of other racial groups. African American women also tend to get
fibroids at a younger age than do other women with fibroids.
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia (sih-kul sell uh-nee-mee-uh) is a blood disorder, passed down
from parents to children. It involves problems the red blood cells. Normal red
blood cells are round and smooth and move through blood vessels easily. Sickle
cells are hard and have a curved edge. These cells cannot squeeze through small
blood vessels. They block the organs from getting blood. Your body destroys
sickle red cells quickly, but it can't make new red blood cells fast enough-- a
condition called anemia. Sickle cell anemia can cause serious health problems:
| pain and swelling the hands and feet
| fatigue
| shortness of breath
| pain in any organ or joint
| eye damage
| yellow color in skin and eyes
| slow to grow
| hard to fight infections
| stroke
| chest pain
| fever |
| | | | | | | | | |
Every year, about 1 in 500 African Americans are born with sickle cell
anemia. This means that they got the sickle gene from both parents. People who
have only one gene are carriers of the sickle cell, but won't get sickle cell
anemia themselves. They can pass the gene to their children. It is estimated
that one in 12 African Americans have one sickle cell gene.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition in which your bones become thin, brittle, weak, and
more likely to break. A combination of things, not all of which you can control,
can increase your chances of getting osteoporosis. These include:
| being female
| a small, thin body frame
| a family history of the disease
| postmenopausal or advanced age
| abnormal absence of menstrual periods
| eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia)
| a diet low in calcium and vitamin D
| inactive lifestyle
| cigarette smoking
| long-term use of glucocorticoids (medicines for many diseases like
arthritis, asthma, and lupus) |
| | | | | | | | |
While White and Asian women have the highest rates of osteoporosis, African
American women are at risk as well. As African American women get older, their
risk of developing osteoporosis more closely resembles the risk of White women.
Lupus and sickle cell anemia, which are more common in African American women,
increase the risk for osteoporosis.
Making sure to get enough calcium and exercise in the teen years and beyond can
help prevent osteoporosis later in life. Your health care provider can find out
if you have osteoporosis by giving you a bone mineral density test, which takes
pictures like x-rays of the skeleton. If you are getting osteoporosis, you can
prevent future bone fractures by having a calcium-rich diet, daily exercise, and
drug therapy. There are a variety of drugs available to help preserve or
increase bone mass. Talk with your health care provider about what is best for
you.
Tuberculosis (TB)
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacteria. While it can affect any part of
your body, it usually attacks your lungs. TB is spread through the air. If
someone with TB of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes, people nearby who
breathe in the bacteria may get TB. Some people who breathe in the bacteria may
not have symptoms and can't give it to other people. This is called latent TB
infection. If the body can't stop the bacteria from growing, people develop TB
disease. If this happens and the TB is in the lungs, it can cause several
symptoms:
| bad cough (with blood or phlegm)
| chest pain
| fatigue
| weight loss
| loss of appetite
| chills
| fever
| sweating at night |
| | | | | | |
Among all women with TB, 81% of TB cases affect minority women. African
American women have the highest number of TB cases, compared to all other women.
Infant Deaths
Understanding infant death is difficult and can bring anger, pain, sadness, and
confusion. Causes of infant deaths vary, but could include Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS), congenital anomalies, pre-term/low birthweight, problems from
pregnancy, accidents, or respiratory distress syndrome. African American women
have the highest number of infant deaths in the U.S. These health problems are
prevented in different ways. You can improve your chances of having a healthy
baby by taking these steps:
| Visit your health care provider as soon as you find out you're pregnant.
Continue to go during your pregnancy.
| Talk to your health care provider about taking a vitamin with folic acid
and iron.
| Talk to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain.
| Drink lots of fluids and eat foods high in protein and fiber such as whole
wheat breads, whole-grain cereals, fruits (apples, pears, strawberries),
nuts, seeds, and beans. Avoid high-fat and fried foods.
| Talk to your health care provider to make sure you've had all the vaccines
(shots) you need.
| Talk to your health care provider about what exercises will help you.
| Don't touch cat litter or undercooked meat.
| Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms.
| Tell your health care provider about medicines you take, both
prescriptions and over-the counter medicines.
| Don't use recreational drugs, smoke, or drink alcohol.
| Avoid insecticides and products that have lead, mercury, or solvents (such
as paint thinner). |
| | | | | | | | | |
Getting Health Care
Although this isn't a problem with the health of women, it can lead to health
problems because many women can't get the right health services, medicines, and
supplies when they need them. Some reasons include:
| They can't pay for it and don't have health insurance.
| They have no way to get to a doctor.
| They have physical limitations that make it hard to get to a doctor.
| They don't understand the language. |
| | |
There are a lot of reasons why there are differences in health among women.
Lack of health insurance is a major stumbling block to health care for African
American women. Compared with White women, African American women are twice as
likely to lack health insurance. Below are resources for women to help them get
health care services.
Finding health insurance often requires good research and finding answers to
lots of questions. There are a number of different kinds of health care
coverage:
Private Insurance
|
Employer sponsored -- fully or partly paid by an employer,
includes health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations,
and point of service plans. Contact your employer for information on plans
available to you.
|
Individual insurance -- private health insurance that a
person buys through an insurance company. You may want to talk to an
insurance broker, who can tell you more about the health care plans that are
available for individuals. Some states also provide insurance for very small
groups or people who are self-employed. You may also want to go to the
Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force Web site on health care quality
at http://www.consumer.gov/qualityhealth/
for information on selecting a health plan. If you do not have access to the
Internet, or don't know how to use a computer, call 1-800-994-WOMAN
(1-800-994-9662).
|
|
Public Insurance
|
Medicare -- federal government health insurance program for
people 65 and older, or who are disabled, or who have permanent kidney
failure. You can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213
or contact your local Social Security Office for more information.
|
Medicaid -- federal and state health insurance program run
by states for low-income or disabled people of all ages. Click on http://cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/tollfree.asp
for a list of Medicaid toll-free lines in each state. If you do not have
access to the Internet, or don't know how to use a computer, call
1-800-994-WOMAN (1-800-994-9662).
|
|
For more information on health insurance, contact these organizations:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Phone: (800) 358-9295
Internet Address: http://www.ahrq.gov
Bureau of Primary Health Care
Phone: (800) 400-2742
Internet Address: http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Phone: 877-267-2323
Internet Address: http://www.cms.hhs.gov
Health Insurance Association of America
Phone: 202-824-1600
Internet Address: http://www.aahp.org/template.cfm
For More Information...
You can find out more about health problems in African American women by
contacting the National Women's Health Information Center at 800-994-WOMAN
(9662), visiting the NWHIC Minority Women's section (http://www.4woman.gov/minority/index.htm),
and contacting the following organizations:
Office of Minority Health
Phone: (301) 443-5224 (301) 589-0951 (TDD line) (800) 444-6472 (Publications)
Internet address: http://www.omhrc.gov
Office of Minority and Women's Health
Phone: (301) 594-4490
Internet address: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/OMWH/home.HTM
All material contained in the FAQs is free of copyright restrictions and may
be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission from the Office on
Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of
source is appreciated.
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