The month of April marks Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain. The condition leads to tremors, difficulty walking and impaired coordination. The condition most commonly develops in people after age 50 and it is one of the most common disorders that affect the nervous system in the elderly. While Parkinson’s disease can run in some families, it is not always an inherited condition.
The month of April marks National Asbestos Awareness Month. Asbestos is a group of naturally-occurring minerals that used to be used in the creation of certain building materials and brakes for vehicles. Some of the minerals that are included in the category of asbestos include chrysotile, amosite, tremolite asbestos, crocidolite, anthophyllite asbestos and actinolite asbestos. The minerals allowed the materials created to be resistant to heat and corrosion. However, exposure to these minerals can lead to a condition known as mesothelioma.
The month of April marks Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects as many as one in every five Americans. It is one of the most common conditions diagnosed by doctors in the United States, occurring more frequently in women than in men. Most cases (more than 50 percent) of IBS are diagnosed before the age of 35.
It is no secret that there are millions of uninsured citizens living in the United States. The cost of health insurance is unaffordable to most unemployed and self-employed individuals. In fact, the only people likely to have health insurance are those who have very low incomes (in which case the Medicaid steps in) or those who receive health care in the form of employment benefits or the wealthy, who can pay for their own health insurance.
There is much talk about President Obama’s new budget proposal. Tax hikes, Medicare cuts and other topics have become hot-button issues since the President released his new proposal. The question on many citizens’ minds is, what exactly does Obama’s plan do for Social Security Disability and how does Social Security play into the new budget proposal?
