January represents National Blood Donor Month, a health holiday dedicated to drawing awareness to the critical public health initiative of blood donation. This January, the need for blood donation is especially great, as our country’s blood donation network is reeling from a disruption in its supply.  Blood donations have declined—in fact, the American Red Cross, which supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood, says that it is experiencing the worst blood shortage in more than a decade.  Read on to learn why it’s important to donate blood and how you can pitch in during National Blood...

At the height of COVID-19, doctor’s offices postponed many routine procedures to give preference to COVID patients. However, now is the time to resume prevention and wellness check-ups. Getting back on track with regular preventative care can help you detect health problems early and save on healthcare costs.  What Is Preventative Care?  Preventative health refers to promoting wellness and preventing disability, disease, and premature death. Prevention care includes annual physical exams and screenings for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. According to the U.S....

It is the beginning of 2022—time to put your new year’s resolution to quit smoking into action.  It’s going to take a lot of discipline and patience when you consider some of the eye-opening facts and stats about smoking and withdrawal, but hopefully, if you implement the guidance below, you’ll be one of the success stories.  There are 1 billion smokers worldwide. As reported by CNN Health, of more than 2,000 people surveyed about their resolutions at the end of 2016 by research consultancy Populus, 175 (8 percent) had chosen to quit smoking, but only 41 percent of those 175 kept it going...

On December 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s Paxlovid, making it the first oral treatment for mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in at-risk patients.  This authorization is a potential gamechanger for treating COVID-19 and its variants. As stated in the FDA press release, “This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19,”...

Both the seasonal flu and COVID-19 are contagious respiratory illnesses that develop as a result of two different viral infections: the influenza virus and the coronavirus. Both are spread through respiratory droplets (from sneezing, coughing, talking closely, or touching shared surfaces) and present with similar symptoms.  But upon closer comparison, the flu and COVID-19 affect people differently, which is further reflected in complications and their treatment. According to the CDC, COVID-19 is more contagious and more likely to cause serious illness, hospitalizations, and death.  Keep in...