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Balanced Living
Breast Cancer: Three Keys to Early Detection!October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Self-ExamsWomen who do monthly self-exams are likely to discover cancer early. Your doctor can teach you how to do this self-exam. You should do a self-exam once a month. It’s best to do it a week after the start of your period. This is the time when your breasts are least likely to be swollen and sore. If you have already gone through menopause, pick the same date each month to do the exam. For example, do the exam on the first day of each month. If you do monthly self-exams routinely, you’ll get used to how your breasts feel. If you do find a lump, you may be able to tell your doctor how long it has been there and whether it has changed in size. Exams by Your DoctorYour doctor should check your breasts, too. Women between the ages of 20 and 40 should have a manual exam by a doctor once every three years. After age 40, your doctor should check your breasts once a year. The doctor will feel each breast to find any problems, such as lumps or thick tissue. He or she will also examine your breasts visually to note any changes that could indicate a problem. MammogramsIf you haven’t done so already, talk with your doctor about how often you should get a mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can detect lumps before they are large enough to feel. Women over age 50 who have mammograms improve their chances of surviving breast cancer by 30 percent. A mammogram is a simple screening. In order to get a clear picture, a health care provider gently compresses your breast against an X-ray plate. The mammogram lasts only a few minutes. Most women say that they feel brief discomfort but no pain. If the mammogram shows a lump, you will need more tests to determine whether the lump is cancer. Don’t assume the worst. About 80 percent of breast lumps are not cancerous. Remember, early detection is the key to beating breast cancer. To give yourself the best chance of detecting cancer early, use these three tools. Having these screening tests routinely will help you stay healthy. For more information: Surviving the SnifflesOctober is Cold and Flu Month (and Healthy Lung Month!)Going out in cold weather without a coat will not cause a cold. Wearing wet clothing will not cause a cold. A cold virus causes a cold. And one of the best ways to prevent a cold is to reduce the chances that someone will pass the virus on to you. Colds are caused by viruses passed by person—to-person contact, not by getting a chill or wearing wet socks. Someone with a cold rubs his or her nose then touches your hand. As soon as you touch your nose or wipe your eyes, you’re infected. Protect yourselfBecause cold viruses enter the body through the nose, mouth and eyes, you can protect yourself most effectively by keeping your hands away from those areas. These preventive measures also help:
Healthy Habits for Cold and Flu Season: Avoid close contact. Soothe the symptomsNot everyone infected with a cold virus gets sick. You may help your immune system fight a virus by getting enough rest and exercise and by keeping stress at a manageable level. If you do develop a cold, here are some self-care treatments for your symptoms:
When to call a doctorMost colds get better in five to seven days without medical attention. Call a doctor if:
For more information: Have a Hazard-Free HalloweenOctober is Halloween Safety MonthWhen we think of Halloween, we picture children laughing in colorful costumes, jack-o’-lanterns glowing in house windows, and buckets brimming with candy and treats. Experts warn, however, that this fun-filled night can pose safety hazards. With a few precautions, the evening can be made safe and enjoyable for everyone. CostumesSafety begins at home, with the child’s costume. Every part of the costume—masks, beards, wigs and clothing—should be made of flame-resistant material. In the event that a child bumps up against a burning candle, such materials will quickly extinguish themselves. When purchasing a store-bought costume, look for a label that says “Flame Resistant.” Choose costumes without big, loose sleeves, skirts or pants legs to lessen the chance of coming into contact with an open flame. Around the homeTo make your home safe and inviting for trick-or-treaters, leave your front lights on so they may have a well-lit path to your door. (A well-lit home also reduces your chances of being “tricked” by holiday vandals!) Remove items such as planters, hoses and lawn decorations, so your visitors don’t trip on them. Keep pets inside, out of harm’s way. If you have a candle-lit jack-o’-lantern outside, place it far away from the door, so tiny goblins won’t accidentally brush against them. Keep your indoor jack-o’-lanterns away from curtains and any decorations that could catch fire. The CPSC recommends against using candle-lit Halloween luminaries along your walkway; instead, place flashlights inside the bags. On the streetsYoung children should not trick-or-treat without an adult or a responsible, older child. Instruct them to stay on the sidewalk and out of the roadway. Remind them to walk, not run, and to go to houses only where they know the people inside. They should avoid unfamiliar houses and lawns, where ornaments, furniture and even tree stumps can cause them to trip. At no time should they enter a house, unless they are with a grown-up. While driving on Halloween, remember that the night will be filled with excited children who may forget their parents’ warnings about street safety. Drive extra carefully, keeping an eye out for youngsters walking between driveways and cars, or crossing in the middle of the block rather than at the corners. Adult Halloween partiers should have a designated driver, of course. If you are not walking with your children, make sure you know who is with them—and set a time for them to be home. Give them change for a pay phone, or let them carry a mobile phone in case of emergency. Instruct your kids not to eat any of their goodies until a grown-up has had a chance to carefully examine them. Your local hospital may offer free candy X-rays; call ahead to inquire. Make sure the kids eat a healthy meal before trick-or-treating, so they’ll be less likely to over-indulge on candy. By following these tips, you’ll make Halloween safer, happier, and a little less scary for all the neighborhood boys and ghouls. Tips for costume safety
Safety tips for pumpkins
For more information: Plan to Take Advantage of Casualty LossesVictims of disasters such as the 2004 Florida hurricanes, or personal disasters such as a home fire, often can recover some of their out-of-pocket losses by claiming a casualty loss deduction on their federal tax return. And for some eligible victims, an often over-looked tax break can boost the size of the deduction. First, some basics about casualty- loss claims. These claims must be for a sudden, unexpected, or unusual event that results in damage or destruction of your personal property and structures. This includes natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and forest fires, and man-made disasters including theft, fires, and vandalism. Also, you can’t make a casualty-loss claim unless you itemize deductions on your tax return. Still, a casualty-loss claim can be especially valuable if you find yourself underinsured or uninsured, or the insurance has a high deductible, such as earthquake coverage. To arrive at a specific claim amount, you’ll need to determine the value of your loss. For personal property such as a car or household furniture, it’s what you paid for it. For that, you’ll need good records so you can document your claim should the IRS challenge it. Good records also help ensure that you don’t overlook anything. That’s why conducting a comprehensive inventory of your personal property before a disaster strikes is so important (such as videotaping contents in each room). Arriving at a deductible value for your home or other structures is more complicated. You’ll need a home appraiser and a tax expert to help you. Next, subtract from the total value of the losses any insurance proceeds you receive—or were eligible to receive even if you chose not to file an insurance claim (some people don’t file because they fear the insurance company will hike their premiums or even cancel future coverage). Also, any cash or property you receive from your employer or a relief agency to help you restore your property must be subtracted from the total value loss. Once these adjustments are made, subtract $100 from your out-of-pocket loss amount. Then reduce that amount by ten percent of your adjusted gross income. What is left is what you can claim as a casualty loss. All this is calculated on Form 4684 and the itemized deduction is taken on Schedule A. More details about making the claim are in IRS publication 547. Here’s an example. Say you suffered $20,100 in out-of-pocket expenses and your adjusted gross income is $50,000. Subtract $100 from $20,100, then subtract another $5,000 (ten percent of your AGI). Your allowable itemized claim is $15,000. Keep in mind that this claim is not a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. It is a deduction, so the actual dollar savings in taxes will depend on your tax bracket. If you are in the 15 percent tax bracket, you’d save $2,250 in taxes in the above example. Now for the special tax break. Taxpayers located in a region the president has declared a disaster area—such as the parts of the south President Bush so designated following the 2004 hurricanes—get a choice of which two tax years to claim their loss. They can choose either the tax year in which the loss occurred or the previous tax year. Why consider claiming it for the previous year? For one thing, you would use that year’s AGI, which may have been lower than the current year’s AGI. That means the ten percent reduction will be smaller and your allowable casualty claim larger, resulting in a larger tax refund. Also, though you’ll likely have to file an amended return to claim the casualty loss, you’ll probably get that refund faster than waiting to file for the current tax year. Again, it’s best to review the claim with your tax advisor to see which year makes better tax sense. If the current tax year is more tax beneficial, consider adjusting your withholding amount or your estimated -tax payments in order to push up the tax savings sooner than waiting to actually file the return. Ultimately, of course, while filing a casualty loss claim can put money in your pocket, the best money- saving strategy is to have adequate property and casualty insurance, including specialty insurance such as flood or earthquake, in place before a disaster strikes. For more information: Mental Illness: Get the FactsMental Illness Awareness Week is October 2nd through 8thMental illnesses include such disorders as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive—compulsive disorder, panic and other severe anxiety disorders, autism and pervasive developmental disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, borderline personality disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illnesses that affect the brain. These disorders can profoundly disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, moods, ability to relate to others and capacity for coping with the demands of life. National Depression Screening Day is October 6th
For more information: Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people with serious mental illness need medication to help control symptoms, but also rely on supportive counseling, self—help groups, assistance with housing, vocational rehabilitation, income assistance and other community services in order to achieve their highest level of recovery. Here are some important facts about mental illness and recovery:
For more information: Download pdf version of this month’s Balanced Living (283kb)
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Do you take steps to detect breast cancer early? As with many types of cancer, the sooner you find breast cancer, the better chance you have of surviving it. To help protect yourself against breast cancer, do these three things: Do monthly breast self-exams, get regular breast exams from your doctor, and start having regular mammograms when your doctor recommends them as part of your routine care.
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