Santa Barbara Doctors

It's World Health Day! Go outside, and practice a healthy lifestyle today (and everyday) with these tips. 1. Exercise daily 2. Eat your vegetables... 3. Keep good company 4. Give yourself a break 5. Think positive and focus on gratitude 6. Get a good nights sleep Learn more about the world health organization here: http://www.who.int/en/

It's STI Awareness Month! STI stands for sexually transmitted infections. Most people think they would know if they had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) but the truth is many of STIs have no signs or symptoms in the majority of people infected. Or they have mild signs that can be easily overlooked. The only way to know if you have an STI is to get tested. If you’ve had unprotected sex, have a new partner (or more than one partner), or for any reason are worried you have been exposed to an STI, talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested be tested for these leading common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, herpes, HPV, syphilis and trichomoniasis.

It's World Kidney Day! Chronic Kidney Disease is a progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years. Each of your kidneys has about a million tiny filters, called nephrons. If nephrons are damaged, they stop working. For a while, healthy nephrons can take on the extra work. But if the damage continues, more and more nephrons shut down. After a certain point, the nephrons that are left cannot filter your blood well enough to keep you healthy. When kidney fu...nction falls below a certain point, it is called kidney failure. Kidney failure affects your whole body, and can make you feel very ill. Untreated kidney failure can be life-threatening. Visit the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for more information. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-infor/sthash.tl0ROPJ8.dpuf

It's National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month! Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. This year, more than 135,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,200 will die of the disease. With certain types of screening, this cancer can be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be easily and successfully ...treated. Visit the Prevent Cancer Foundation for more information. https://preventcancer.org/l/preventable-cancers/colorectal/

It is Low Vision Awareness Month! Protect your vision while you browse the internet with these tips! Sit about 25 inches, or arm's length, from the computer screen. Position the screen so your eye gaze is slightly downward. Many devices now have glass screens with considerable glare. Reduce glare by using a matte screen filter if needed.... Take regular breaks using the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds. Use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry. Consider using a humidifier. If a screen is much brighter than the surrounding light, your eyes have to work harder to see. Adjust your room lighting and try increasing the contrast on your screen to reduce eye strain. See more

It's Cervical Health Awareness Month! Nearly 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, but the disease is virtually always preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening (Pap and HPV tests). We have the tools we need to prevent this disease so let’s use them. Get involved. Make a difference! Visit the National Cervical Cancer Coalition online http://ow.ly/jgj730760D4 Here's a list of 10 things you need to know about HPV and cervic...al cancer. http://www.nccc-online.org/images/pdfs/10ThingsHPV_CCAM.pdf See more

Healthy game day food tip! Instead of milkshakes... try protein shakes! One scoop of a plant-based protein powder of your choice, 1/2 cup mixed berries, one banana or 1/2 cup fruit yogurt, 12 ounces skim milk, handful of ice cubesto make sure it's creamy and cool.