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Why Getting More People With Disabilities Developing Technology Is Good for Everyone
Read More: Why Getting More People With Disabilities Developing Technology Is Good for EveryoneBy Kristen Shinohara, Rochester Institute of Technology and Garreth Tigwell, Rochester Institute of Technology Unless you’re blind or know someone who is, you might not know that blind people use the same smartphones as sighted people. In fact, many blind people use touch-screen smartphones every day. The secret is that smartphones have a screen reader,…
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Access, Access to health care, Chronic conditions, Depression, exercise, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, Healthy Eating, mental health, Nutrition, Obesity, Policy, Preventive health, Weight Loss, Weight management
Weight Stigma Is a Burden Around the World – and Has Negative Consequences Everywhere
Read More: Weight Stigma Is a Burden Around the World – and Has Negative Consequences EverywhereBy Rebecca Puhl, University of Connecticut Lazy. Unmotivated. No self-discipline. No willpower. These are just a few of the widespread stereotypes ingrained in American society about people who have a higher body weight or larger body size. Known as weight stigma, these attitudes result in many Americans being blamed, teased, bullied, mistreated and discriminated against.…
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Genomics, mutations, and treatment options for Head & Neck Cancer
Read More: Genomics, mutations, and treatment options for Head & Neck CancerEspañol Reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Grandis
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Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Headache & migraine, Health disparities, Medication safety, Migraine, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
Breaking Barriers to Pain Treatment
Read More: Breaking Barriers to Pain TreatmentTen years ago, Jaime Sanders launched The Migraine Diva, a blog to chronicle her experiences as a young Black woman living with chronic migraine headaches. Her vulnerability and transparency about her life — including battles with chronic pain, depression and anxiety, along with managing a household that includes her husband and children — garnered a…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Medication safety, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Preventive health
Learn More About Chronic Pain
Read More: Learn More About Chronic PainReference: Chronic Pain Graphic
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Anxiety, Chronic conditions, Depression, mental health, Self-Care, Stress, Veteran’s health & wellness
Service Dogs Can Help Veterans With PTSD – Growing Evidence Shows They May Reduce Anxiety in Practical Ways
Read More: Service Dogs Can Help Veterans With PTSD – Growing Evidence Shows They May Reduce Anxiety in Practical WaysBy Leanne Nieforth, Purdue University and Marguerite E. O’Haire, Purdue University As many as 1 in 5 of the roughly 2.7 million Americans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD, a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening traumatic event, is a complex…
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Chronic conditions, Endometriosis, Fatigue, Menstrual period, Pelvic health, Pelvic pain, Period, Pregnancy, Prevention, Sex
What is Endometriosis?
Read More: What is Endometriosis?This resource was created with the support of AbbVie.
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Access, Affordability, Anxiety, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Depression, Endometriosis, Health disparities, Medication safety, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
For Millions of Americans Enduring Chronic Pain, Support Is Overdue
Read More: For Millions of Americans Enduring Chronic Pain, Support Is OverdueCindy Steinberg was seriously injured in an accident 20 years ago, but she still lives with pain every day. “I didn’t know there was such a thing as living in pain all the time,” she said. When Steinberg had to stop working because of her pain, she started an informal pain support group at a…
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Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Endometriosis, Health disparities, Medication safety, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
Fast Facts: 10 Things to Know About Women and Chronic Pain
Read More: Fast Facts: 10 Things to Know About Women and Chronic PainAn estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain — pain every day or on most days over the last six months. Of these, nearly 20 million have “high-impact” chronic pain that interferes with daily life or work. Women are more likely to experience chronic pain and more acute pain than men. Often, women’s pain…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Chronic conditions, Financial health, Health disparities, Health insurance
Living With a Disability Is Very Expensive – Even With Government Assistance
Read More: Living With a Disability Is Very Expensive – Even With Government AssistanceBy Zachary Morris, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Nanette Goodman, Syracuse University, and Stephen McGarity, University of Tennessee Edward Mitchell is 34 years old and lives in Jackson, Tennessee, with a spinal cord injury caused by a hit-and-run accident that happened when he was 17. He has plenty of expenses that…
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Chronic Pain Is a Disease — and It Should Be Treated Like One
Read More: Chronic Pain Is a Disease — and It Should Be Treated Like OneMore than 20 years ago, a heavy filing cabinet fell on Cindy Steinberg at her office and caused nerve and ligament damage to her back. The pain never went away. In the years after, she became an advocate for people who experience chronic pain and is currently the national director of policy & advocacy for…
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Alzheimer’s Disease Is Devastating. It May Help To Remember That You’re Not Alone.
Read More: Alzheimer’s Disease Is Devastating. It May Help To Remember That You’re Not Alone.Just the other day, I received a late-night call from a girlfriend who’s caring for her mother who has Alzheimer’s disease. She shared the heart-wrenching news that her mom no longer recognizes her. It’s no secret that an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is life-altering: Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes…
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Chronic conditions, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Diabetes, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories, Vaccinations, Vaccines
I Live With a Chronic Illness. Vaccines Help Me Stay Alive.
Read More: I Live With a Chronic Illness. Vaccines Help Me Stay Alive.I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 7, and I’ve lived with diabetes for more than 40 years. I want to stay as healthy as possible because diabetes is a progressive disease that can cause your health to deteriorate as years go by. I haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine yet, but when…
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Access, Arthritis, Bone joint health, Cardiovascular disease, Chronic conditions, Diabetes, Health disparities, Heart disease, Heart health, Obesity, Osteoarthritis, Policy, Rheumatoid arthritis
Clinical Trials Need a Broader Approach to Improve Osteoarthritis Outcomes
Read More: Clinical Trials Need a Broader Approach to Improve Osteoarthritis OutcomesAs the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis affects more than 32 million adults. The disease is characterized by a gradual breakdown of the cushions between bones, which can lead to joint pain and stiffness in the hands, knees, hips, lower back and neck. Some osteoarthritis improves with physical therapy, but if it doesn’t, the…
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How I Learned to Love My Bald Self
Read More: How I Learned to Love My Bald SelfAs told to Liz Sauchelli As the elevator descended, my nerves got worse with every floor we passed. But I knew I was ready. Four years after I was diagnosed with alopecia, I was about to appear in public for the first time without a hat, head covering or wig. I was at the National…
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Melissa Blake Is Disabled and Proud of It
Read More: Melissa Blake Is Disabled and Proud of ItIt never fails: Every time I mention how I’m proud to be disabled, people react with a mix of awe and utter shock. “How can you ever be proud to be disabled? No one would ever actually want to be disabled, would they?” I keep encountering these words and reactions — over and over and…
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Finding Hope in the Face of Incurable Breast Cancer
Read More: Finding Hope in the Face of Incurable Breast CancerLast year, an estimated 268,600 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Thanks to better screening, most are diagnosed early in their disease. However, about 6% are diagnosed with metastatic disease, when the cancer has already spread to other sites. In addition, many women learn that the cancer they thought they’d beaten has returned. In…
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Tichina’s Most Important Role
Read More: Tichina’s Most Important RoleWhile Tichina Arnold is known for numerous hit shows like “Martin,” “Happily Divorced,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and starring on her latest series, CBS’ “The Neighborhood,” her most important role has been taking care of her younger sister, Zenay. The younger Arnold was diagnosed with lupus and six other autoimmune diseases at the age of 32.…
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We Scanned the DNA of 8,000 People to See How Facial Features Are Controlled by Genes
Read More: We Scanned the DNA of 8,000 People to See How Facial Features Are Controlled by GenesBy Seth M. Weinberg, University of Pittsburgh and John R. Shaffer, University of Pittsburgh Takeaways A new study reveals more than 130 regions in human DNA play a role in sculpting facial features. The nose is the facial feature most influenced by your genes. Understanding the link between specific genes and facial features could be…
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How I Learned to Love Celebrating My Disability
Read More: How I Learned to Love Celebrating My DisabilityDecember 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I have never known a life without disability. I was born with cerebral palsy, which, in my case, impacts the right side of my body. This means delayed motor skills, reaction times, limited range of motion and walking with a visible limp. Cerebral palsy is and…
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Global Disabilities Map Visualizes the Strength and Power of Millions of Athletes Around the World
Read More: Global Disabilities Map Visualizes the Strength and Power of Millions of Athletes Around the WorldBy Sarah Hillyer, University of Tennessee and Carolyn Spellings, University of Tennessee When the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, it became illegal to restrict access – to employment, education or federally funded institutions – based on disability. The ADA made it easier for wheelchair users, senior citizens or a disabled…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Health care, Keep the care, Policy, Telehealth
Managing Chronic Pain in Rural America
Read More: Managing Chronic Pain in Rural AmericaGinger Nord likes to look people in the eye when she walks down the street in her rural Indiana town; it makes her feel in control. But with two diseases that affect her nerves, muscles and joints, she has to keep her eyes on the ground to avoid tripping on even small sidewalk cracks. Nord…
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How Helping Other People Allows Me to Manage My MS Symptoms
Read More: How Helping Other People Allows Me to Manage My MS SymptomsThree weeks after I had a ski accident in Aspen in 1993, the fingertips of my right hand fell asleep. Three days later, it was my entire hand. And then after a few more days, the fingertips of my left hand went numb. I suspected I had nerve damage from my accident, but then I…
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On Screen and on Stage, Disability Continues to Be Depicted in Outdated, Cliched Ways
Read More: On Screen and on Stage, Disability Continues to Be Depicted in Outdated, Cliched WaysBy Magda Romanska, Emerson College The #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements have forced Hollywood and other artists and filmmakers to rethink their subject matter and casting practices. However, despite an increased sensitivity to gender and race representation in popular culture, disabled Americans are still awaiting their national (and international) movement. “Disability drag” – casting…
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Living with Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions
Read More: Living with Chronic Overlapping Pain ConditionsIn 1999, Lisa Schmidt went to see her doctor about headaches. But instead of diagnosing the migraine headaches Schmidt believed she was experiencing, the doctor thought she had a temporomandibular disorder (TMD, also commonly referred to as TMJ). He referred her to an orthodontist who could make a dental splint for her jaw. The splint…
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Fast Facts About Multiple Sclerosis
Read More: Fast Facts About Multiple SclerosisNearly 1 million people in the United States are living with multiple sclerosis, yet this complex condition isn’t widely understood. What Is Multiple Sclerosis? Most nerve fibers in the body are covered with a protective layer called the myelin sheath. This covering insulates nerve fibers, allowing signals to move quickly and accurately along them. In…
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Important Questions to Ask About Multiple Sclerosis
Read More: Important Questions to Ask About Multiple SclerosisOf the nearly 1 million people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States, 74% are women. Yet, there is still a lack of understanding among women about how MS affects the body. To learn more, we spoke with Aliza Ben-Zacharia, PhD, an MS consultant, researcher and assistant professor at Hunter College in New…
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Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Headache & migraine, Health care, Health disparities, Migraine, Pain, Pain management, Policy
Suffering From Chronic Pain as a Black Woman
Read More: Suffering From Chronic Pain as a Black WomanEvery time Jaime Sanders visits an urgent care clinic, she makes sure she brings the three-ring binder that details her comprehensive medical care plan, including lists of medications, allergies and records of past doctors’ visits. Sanders knows she’s never guaranteed to find doctors who will take her migraine pain seriously and carries the binder as…
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There’s a Better Way to Treat Chronic Pain
Read More: There’s a Better Way to Treat Chronic PainA couple of weeks ago, I caught a tiny glimpse of what it’s like to live with chronic pain. For two days, I suffered the agony of an abscessed tooth before finally going to the emergency room and getting a prescription for antibiotics. I already had strong painkillers at home and the doctor told me…
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Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth the Money?
Read More: Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth the Money?Before David Levington’s wife died at the age of 88, he hired full-time home health aides to help with her personal care. According to the 2019 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, the median cost for home health aides is $23 per hour, or more than $4,000 per month on average — an amount that is…
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Menopause and Chronic Health Risks
Read More: Menopause and Chronic Health RisksAt my most recent physical, I brought a long list of ailments to discuss. First up: waking every day with achy joints and muscles — despite going for long walks at least five days a week and lifting weights regularly. That was followed by loss of energy and weight gain. In short, since entering menopause…
