Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease, which is characterized by increasing shortness of breath. COPD affects an estimated 32 million Americans, which makes it the third leading cause of death in this country.
For many women with breast cancer, the road to recovery is never over. It’s estimated that 155,000 people in the United States are living with metastatic breast cancer, which means that their breast cancer has spread from their chest to another area in their body. Unfortunately, unlike some other types of breast cancer, the survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is typically around three years. In a culture that’s intensely focused on survival and treatment, it’s important to understand what happens to our bodies in the more advanced stages of breast cancer. That way, even if we aren’t the ones who have been diagnosed, we can more effectively support those that have.
When a cancer moves from its place of origin to a new location in the body, it’s known as metastatic cancer. For a patient or family whose loved one has just received this diagnosis, it can be devastating and hard to understand. At the most basic level, cancer develops when cells grow in an uncontrolled, abnormal way. They don’t function like normal cells. Rather, they interfere with the normal functioning of the body. Cancer develops as a result of a mutation in a person’s DNA. Often, the mutation is a result of the normal process of aging, but it can also be due to unhealthy habits like smoking or exposure to harmful fumes or gases. A cancer typically metastasizes, or grows into a different location, in the later stages of the disease.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. As these white blood cells multiply, they leave little room for healthy cells. They can also damage the bone marrow, develop into growths or destroy the bones. Multiple myeloma is not a common cancer – the lifetime risk is about 1 in 143, according to Cancer.Net. There is no cure for multiple myeloma. Early detection can help you seek treatment to manage the disease and avoid any harmful side effects of the condition, such as kidney failure, bone fractures, numbness, weakness, paralysis, and infections.
Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. One in every 16 people will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime, and a new diagnosis happens every two minutes. Anyone can develop lung cancer, but people who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke and other harmful substances are at a greater risk.
Most hair loss is just one more indignity of the aging process. By age 50, around 85 percent of men and 40 percent of women have thinning hair. The rate at which your hair thins depends largely on heredity. Other common causes of hair loss include stress, hormonal changes, certain medical conditions, and some medications. But did you know that a poor diet can accelerate hair loss? Here are five eating habits that contribute to the problem.