February Is Heart Disease Awareness Month

February is Heart Disease Awareness Month. Being the #1 cause of death in the U.S., killing someone every 34 seconds (1), it is crucial for each of us to educate ourselves on this very serious disease. What better time to do this than during Heart Disease Awareness Month?

I, for one, was diagnosed with heart disease when I was in my 20's and I feel fortunate. One might ask how in the world I could feel fortunate that I have heart disease. Well, it's not having heart disease that I feel fortunate about. It's the fact that I found out I have it. Thousands of people die unexpectedly every year because they don't know the 'signs' of an impending heart attack. In other words, they haven't become educated on the matter. Being diagnosed motivates a person to learn everything he/she can possibly learn about it, and that's exactly what I did. Not only was I able to begin appropriate treatment but I'm aware of danger signs to look for and what to do should they arise. To be on Heart/BP medication in your 30's definitely isn't any fun but it beats the possible alternative.

The important thing to remember here is that Awareness and Education could save your or a Loved One's life and you don't have to be diagnosed with heart disease to obtain that knowledge. Make this February the time to educate yourself on heart disease. A great place to start is the American Heart Association website.

Of course, another key to 'getting the word out' about Heart Disease is raising and promoting Awareness. Awareness Gift Boutique has created some awesome designs that we will be releasing just in time for Heart Disease Awareness Month. We'll be posting some of our new Heart Disease Awareness t-shirts, gifts, and apparel in the next day, or two, so be sure to check back for a Sneak Peak :-)

REFERENCES: (1) Wikipedia

Glaucoma Awareness T-Shirts, Gifts, And Apparel

Awareness Gift Boutique announces the Introduction of a New Awareness Line. In light of Glaucoma Awareness Month, which is January, we have released a variety of Glaucoma Awareness designs available in the Green Ribbon section of our Shop on t-shirts, tees, gifts, apparel, and merchandise. Here are a few of them:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE THAT GLAUCOMA DESIGN ON T-SHIRTS, TEES, GIFTS, APPAREL, AND MERCHANDISE

YOU CAN SEE OUR COMPLETE GLAUCOMA AWARENESS LINE OF T-SHIRTS, GIFTS, AND APPAREL BY CLICKING HERE

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JANUARY: CERVICAL HEALTH, THYROID HEALTH, GLAUCOMA

January is the official Month of Observance for Cervical Health Awareness, Thyroid Health Awareness, and Glaucoma Awareness, all very important Causes that don’t get enough attention in my opinion. That is, until a person or his/her family member is faced with one of them. Why don’t we take a moment this month and learn a little bit about each of these medical issues BEFORE there’s a need to? Our newfound knowledge will not only equip us with the ability to identify the early signs & symptoms of these illnesses but will enable us to be able to understand & empathize with those who are battling one of them. Although September is the official Month for Gynecological Cancers, which includes Cervical Cancer, and for Thyroid Cancer, Awareness Gift Boutique is releasing a few new designs for these Causes in light of Cervical Health and Thyroid Health Month. And, for the first time, we are introducing a Glaucoma Awareness line. Here’s a sneak peek of some of our newest releases:

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR FULL GLAUCOMA AWARENESS LINE. MORE ON THE WAY!

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR FULL CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS LINE.

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AIDS AWARENESS MONTH

December is AIDS Awareness Month, a perfect opportunity to educate ourselves on AIDS & HIV. Unfortunately, the negative stigma tied to AIDS keeps us from being as 'interested' in learning about it as some of the other 'more popular' life-threatening illnesses and diseases. Couple that with the overall feeling of most of us that 'it will never happen to us' and you have a serious disease that is neglected and even shunned by the vast majority. I myself have been guilty of keeping AIDS 'at a distance' because 'I'll never get it' and/or 'it doesn't affect me'. However, I've learned through my Awareness Shop that real people are affected by AIDS & HIV every day, undoubtedly, in devastating ways at times. It's sad to see name after name of people from all over the World purchasing t-shirts with sayings like 'In the Fight against AIDS because I love my Brother'. Obviously, as the Shop Owner and Designer I'm happy for the sales but, as with pretty much all of my sales, it's bittersweet. I absolutely could not own this Shop and not give back to Research and Awareness efforts which I do regularly. But I'm vearing off topic.....

It is up to each of us to educate ourselves and to become Aware of AIDS, its causes, its treatments (or lack thereof), HIV prevention, and most importantly to share what we learn with others so that hopefully this negative stereotype that we've pinned to those who are infected can be a thing of the past. Until the majority is behind the AIDS Awareness Movement , progress will be stifled. We must all, as a single Voice, demand a Cure whether we are directly affected or not. It's just the right thing to do.

Next year, we plan to expand our AIDS/HIV section significantly but for now, in honor of AIDS Awareness Month, we have released several AIDS Awareness Month designs all of which are available on a variety of t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, mugs, stickers, buttons, and lots more apparel & gifts. Here are a couple of them:

CLICK IMAGE TO SEE THE DESIGN ON LOTS OF AIDS AWARENESS T-SHIRTS, APPAREL, & GIFTS.

Til next time :-)

IF YOU LINKED TO THIS BLOG ARTICLE FROM OUR SHOP AND NEED TO GO BACK CLICK HERE:

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A Great Time To Quit Smoking

As I mentioned in my previous post, many important Causes are observed during the month of November. Lung Cancer is one of them. What better time to quit smoking :-) My husband, who is a physician, brought home a flyer recently from the hospital where he is employed. In light of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, they have been handing them out to patients. The name of it is "When A Smoker Quits". He thought it might be something beneficial to share with a few of our 'smoker' relatives and friends. Since, I consider everyone who reads my Blog friends I didn't want to exclude you :-) Anyway, the flyer describes what improvements are happening in your body from the first 20 minutes after that last cigarette. I, for one, was quite surprised. Read for yourself:

WHEN SMOKERS QUIT

Within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette, the body begins a series of changes that continues for years.

20 MINUTES

• Blood pressure drops to normal
• Pulse rate drops to normal
• Body temperature of hands & feet increases to normal

8 HOURS

• Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

24 HOURS

• Chance of heart attack begins decreasing

48 HOURS

• Nerve endings start regrowing
• Ability to taste & smell is enhanced

2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS

• Circulation improves
• Walking becomes easier
• Lung function increases up to 30%

1 TO 9 MONTHS

• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease
• Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, reduce infection
• Body's overall energy level steadily increases

1 YEAR

• Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

5 YEARS

• Lung Cancer death rate for average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half
• Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus in half that of a smoker's

10 YEARS

• Lung Cancer death rate similar to that of nonsmokers
• Precancerous cells are replaced by normal ones
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, & pancreas decreases

15 YEARS

• Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker

END

These facts came from the American Lung Association and I, in no way, can personally guarantee that someone who quits smoking will experience these exact results. I am simply passing on valuable information from an extremely reliable source (it's a shame but I gotta put all of this in here for liability and legal reasons).

Please "put it out" for good. Do it for those who love you. Do it for yourself.

Sandy

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New Alzheimer's Awareness Month Designs

Awareness Gift Boutique has just released 4 new Collections of Alzheimer's Disease Awareness designs. Every 71 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer's. Presently, 5.2 million Americans have been diagnosed with this terrible disease. It's easy to not think about it or to be too concerned about 'losing our memories' when we're young but we WILL grow older and Alzheimers WILL be something that we should, at the very least, know something about. I encourage everyone to learn about this disease and to know its symptoms so that if there ever is a time that it makes its way into your or a Loved One's life, you will be educated on how to recognize it and care for it. What better time to become Educated than now, November, Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.

HERE IS A SAMPLING OF OUR NEW ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS MONTH DESIGNS.

CLICK ON THE T-SHIRT TO SEE THAT DESIGN ON LOTS OF GREAT APPAREL & GIFTS.

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November Awareness

The month of November is the official National Awareness Month for several very important Causes including Lung Cancer & Pulmonary Hypertension, Alzheimer's Disease, Diabetes, and Pancreatic Cancer. I would like to encourage everyone to learn something new about each of these Diseases during this Month of Observance. As is the case with pretty much every illness, Early Detection is the key to Survival. And for Early Detection to happen you must know a little bit about the illness in order to recognize it or its symptoms. So, take a moment this month and read up on Lung Cancer, Pulmonary Hypertension, Alzheimer's Disease, Diabetes, and Pancreatic Cancer. Awareness is crucial. Just a little bit of time could literally save your or a Loved One's Life.

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