August 2013 | THE FAMILY CLINIC, INC.

| (02)7312901 to 03

August Monthly Health Bulletin

NATIONAL LUNG MONTH
National Lung Month aims to focus the publics attention on the pulmonary system and illnesses of the lungs and urge everyone to contribute to a better and healthier environment so that the chemical exchange that takes place in the lungs and detoxifies the body is sustained.

HEALTH CELEBRATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST ==============

National Lung Month National Tuberculosis Awareness Month Lung Cancer Awareness Month Family Planning Month National Breastfeeding Awareness Month Sight-Seeing Month

NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS AWARENESS MONTH

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious respiratory condition caused by Mycobacterium tubercle bacilli. The person infected with tuberculosis may manifest the symptoms of cough, night sweats and afternoon lowgrade fever, body malaise and easy fatigueability. Here are some facts about tuberculosis: Each person with active TB can spread the disease to 10 other Filipinos each year. Eighty (80%) percent of Filipinos have latent TB (we already have the infection, but the TB is still in the inactive state). TB can affect other organs of the body like our kidneys, spine, or brain. A bloody urine or a severe back pain may indicate that the microorganism have spread to these organs already.

National Tuberculosis
TB ranks 6 in the leading cause of death where in 73 Filipinos are dying from the disease every day. The Philippines ranks #9 worldwide for TB prevalence. Treatment of TB may not change your chest X-ray results to normal. Studies show that once treatment for
th

TB is completed, the following results for a repeat chest X-ray may show: 30% reverts to normal 30% improve but will still show a scar 30% will remain the same. IMPLICATION: Many Filipinos cannot pass job tests for abroad because of past or present TB infection.

According to the Department of Health, there are 200,000 600,000 Filipinos who have Active Tuberculosis.
PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS PROTECT YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS Stay home. Don't go to work or school or sleep in a room with other people during the first few weeks of treatment for active tuberculosis. Ventilate the room. Tuberculosis germs spread more easily in small closed spaces where air doesn't move. Open the windows and use a fan to blow indoor air outside. Cover your mouth. Use a tissue to cover your mouth anytime you laugh, sneeze or cough. Put the dirty tissue in a bag, seal it and throw it away. Wear a mask. Wearing a surgical mask when you're around other people during the first three weeks of treatment may help lessen the risk of transmission.

Facts about Tuberculosis

According to the World Health organization (WHO) BCG vaccine against TB is not 100% effective. This vaccine is given to infants and young children. But when the child becomes an adult, it somehow diminishes its protective capacities. Not to mention the external environment and the immune status of the person once he/she encounters a person with an active TB. MDR-TB or XDR-TB? These are types of Tb infections that have developed resistant to anti-tuberculosis agents. The Multiple Drug Resistant-TB (MDRTB) does not respond to first line drugs like isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin. While the extensively drug resistant-TB (XDR-TB) is resistant to the special drugs developed for MDR-TB. This new super-bugs have arose because TB patients did not adhere to their 6-months drug regimen. WHO has reported that XDR-TB cases have been confirmed in 58 countries, including in the Philippines.

Finish your entire course of medication

This is the most important step you can take to protect yourself and others from tuberculosis. When you stop treatment early or skip doses, TB bacteria have a chance to develop mutations that allow them to survive the most potent TB drugs. The resulting drug-resistant strains are much more deadly and difficult to treat.

THE FAMILY CLINIC, INC.

1474 Maria Clara St., Sampaloc, Manila (02)7312901 to 03 caritasfamilyhospital@gmail.com

Sight-Saving Month
Causes of Blindness: In developed nations, the leading causes are ocular complications of diabetes, macular degeneration and traumatic injuries. In Third World nations, principla cuases include infections, cataracts, glaucoma, injury, inability to obtain any glasses, and Vit. A deficiency.
August 2-6: Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative Week August 6-12: National Hospital Week August 16-20: Asthma Week August 19: National TB Day 3rd Week: Brain Attack Awareness Week

LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Smoking is still the number one cause of lung cancer. Health authorities have predicted that in 10 to 15 years, there will be an epidemic of lung cancer among the Filipinos. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is responsible for 71 percent of lung cancer deaths in the world. In the Philippines, about half of all men are currently smoking. Filipino smokers on average puff 1,073 cigarette sticks annually, compared to those in the region who only consume less than a thousand sticks. The International Agency on Cancer Research classified second-hand smoke as a carcinogen. This means that those who do not consume tobacco but are exposed to smoking are equally at risk. Many women develop cancer because they live with smokers. Cigarette products contain 7,000 chemicals, with every cigarette stick having 70 carcinogens or cancer-causing ingredients.

SIGHT-SAVING MONTH
Proclamation No. 40 declaring the month of August every year as Sight-Saving Month. National Prevention of Blindness Program was created in order to address the problems of avoidable blindness in the Philippines through provision of quality eye care.

FAMILY PLANNING MONTH

A national mandated priority public health program (EO 119 and EO 102) to attain the country's national health development: a health intervention program and an important tool for the improvement of the health and welfare of mothers, children and other members of the family. It also provides information and services for the couples of reproductive age to plan their family according to their beliefs and circumstances through legally and medically acceptable family planning methods.

Responsible Parenthood and Parenting Respect for Life: Abortion is NOT a Family Planning method. Birth Spacing

NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH

Studies have shown that babies benefit most from breastfeeding. The Department of Health has started this campaign of practicing breastfeeding in the hospitals through the Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, by encouraging mothers to continue breastfeeding up to 2 years old and not to use milk formulas (EO 51). Below is an infographic on how babies benefit from mothers milk.

Informed Choice