By Teresa Carr
Adams County Senior Council
Information from the Adams County Health Department Ohio – National Colorectal (Colon) Cancer Awareness Month
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common – but also one of the most preventable – cancers. Routine screening can find precancerous polyps early, long before symptoms appear and greatly reduce the risk of serious illness. Medical experts emphasize that many people feel completely healthy before screening, which is why getting tested on time is so important. Current guidelines recommend starting regular colorectal cancer screening at age 45 for most adults.
Ways to Reduce Risk:
· Get regular screenings starting at age 45 (or earlier if you have risk factors or family history).
· Maintain a healthy weight and stay physically active.
· Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber.
· Limit red and processed meats, which are linked to higher colorectal cancer risk.
· Avoid tobacco products and limit alcohol use.
· Know your family history and talk to your provider if you have higher risk factors.
Medicare Can Help Older Smokers Kick the Habit – If you’re ready to quit smoking, Medicare can indeed help! Medicare Part B covers up to eight face-to-face counseling sessions per year to help you kick the habit, and if you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, certain smoking-cessation medications are covered as well. Here’s a guide to help you get started.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness, responsible for an estimated one-fifth of deaths in the United States each year. But research shows that quitting, even after age 65, greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis and many other diseases. It also helps you breathe easier, smell, and taste better, and can save you money. An $8 pack-a-day smoker, for example, saves about $240 after one month without cigarettes, and nearly $2,880 after one year.
How to Quit – The first step you need to take is to set a “quit date,” but give yourself a few weeks to get ready. During that time, you may want to start by reducing the number or the strength of cigarettes you smoke to begin weaning yourself. Also check out over-the-counter nicotine replacement products – patches, gum and lozenges – to help curb your cravings (these are not covered by Medicare). And just prior to your quit day get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, and place of work, and try to clean up and even spray air freshener. The smell of smoke can be a powerful trigger.
Get some counseling. Don’t go it alone. Start by contacting your doctor about smoking cessation counseling covered by Medicare and find out about the prescription antismoking drugs (bupropion and varenicline) that can help reduce your nicotine craving. You can also get free one-on-one telephone counseling and referrals to local smoking cessation programs through your state quit line at 800-QUIT-NOW or call the National Cancer Institute free smoking quit line at 877-44U-QUIT.
The intense urge to smoke lasts about three to five minutes, so do what you can to wait it out. It’s also wise to avoid drinking alcohol and steer clear of other smokers while you’re trying to quit. Both can trigger powerful urges to smoke.
For more tips on managing your cravings, withdrawal symptoms and what to do if you relapse, visit 60plus.SmokeFree.gov. There are also a variety of helpful quit smoking apps you can download like EasyQuit, QuitNow and Quit Genius.
JUust A Thought: “There are few things that are more beautifully infectious than true kindness. It spreads like a magnificent wildfire. ~Keith Wynn, 2017
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