Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, Have You Seen The New Eva Marie P.S.A. on Smoking?
You may know by now. I work in the pharmaceutical industry. Since 1997, I’ve developed a passion for educating medical professionals on how the medications I sell can help their patients. Considering I started this blog five years ago, I relish this platform to continue to share pertinent information for women.
For the last thirteen years, I have been promoting a respiratory inhaler for COPD, a breathing disorder. So much attention is given to breast cancer awareness, and rightly so. However, cancer is not always pink. Lung Cancer is the #1 cancer killer of women.
Facts: November is COPD Awareness. And Thursday, November 15, is the Great American Smokeout, an annual day on the health calendar to help encourage smokers to quit. Smoking is responsible for 80-90% of lung cancers.
Let’s return to the question about Eva Marie, the ex-smoker in the public service announcement. She smoked 12,000 packs of cigarettes over 15 years, and she quit.
If you are an ex-smoker like Eva Marie, you need to know there is a new lung cancer screening that could save your life. This test is the key to early detection. Save By The Scan, a low-dose C.T. scan, is the new diagnostic test to detect lung cancer early.
First, to see if you qualify for the Save the Scan procedure, there is a quiz to see if you are eligible to meet the high-risk guidelines for the low-dose C.T. screening:
🚬 Are you on Medicare?
🚬 Between the ages of 55 and 80?
🚬 Have you smoked in the last 15 years?
🚬 Calculate how many pack years you have burned. (examples: one pack daily for 30 years, two packs for 15 years, etc.)
About the low-dose C.T. scan
As per the American Lung Association website, a low-dose C.T. scan is a special kind of X-ray that takes multiple pictures as you lie on a table that slides in and out of the machine. A computer then combines these images into a detailed view of your lungs. It’s quick and painless.
Survival rates are 5X higher when lung cancer is detected early, according to the American Cancer Society. A study on early detection of Lung Cancer found that only low-dose C.T. scans can reduce mortality for those at high risk.
Insurance Coverage:
The initial scan will be covered without a co-pay if you meet the high-risk criteria, are 55-80, and have private insurance. Or are you 55- 77 old and have Medicare?
Are you still smoking? Let me encourage you with What Happens When A Smoker Quits:
The Mayo Clinic gives a grand narrative on lung cancer. People who smoke have the most significant risk of lung cancer, though lung cancer can also occur in people who have never smoked. The risk of lung cancer increases with the length of time and the number of cigarettes you’ve burned. If you quit smoking, even after smoking for many years, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer.
Symptoms
Lung cancer typically doesn’t cause signs and symptoms in its earliest stages. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer usually occur when the disease is advanced.
Signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include:
Prevention
🚬 Don’t smoke
🚬 Stop smoking
🚬 Avoid secondhand smoke
🏡 Test your home for radon
🌪Avoid carcinogens at work
🍏🍎🍍Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables
⛹🏾🏋🏾💃🏾Exercise most days of the week
Resources to Stop Smoking:
◊ Join Freedom From Smoking
◊ American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout
◊ Chantix – a prescription medication used to treat nicotine addiction
◊ Nicorette gum – Over-the-Counter N.R.T. (Nicotine Replacement Therapy)
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have persistent signs or symptoms that worry you. Remember, I’m not the expert, just the deliverer of health awareness and information.
Thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week!
