Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Healthy Living for Military

I talk a lot about the military since I'm married to one of the best soldiers around (I deserve some kudos here), but I've never really touched on the many health risks that are associated with our soldiers. Many of these men and women have to deal with side effects that plague them throughout their entire lives. I think it's important to be aware of these risks as well as the many ways to manage these side effects. 

Guest writer, Emily Walsh, has written an article on healthy living after military service. Emily is a Community Outreach Blogger for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance and often writes on topics that relate to veteran and military health. In this article, she writes about some of the routine steps military vets can take to maintain their health. You can read more about Emily at http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/emily/.

Emily Walsh
Community Outreach Blogger for Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

Healthy Living After Military Service

Many people who have served our country in the armed forces face a very different life after their service. For too many, when the regimented life of the military has passed they find their health suffering. Whether it is not getting adequate exercise, eating properly, or getting regular checkups, the discipline once imposed by the outside must now be imposed internally. In other words, it now falls upon you to take your health in your own hands.

Regular checkups
For some reason, a good number of men will avoid the doctor at all costs. Unfortunately, this can be a recipe for disaster, particularly for older veterans. Think of your periodic doctor's visits as insurance. Paying a little now can prevent more costly incidents down the road.

When you get regular checkups, your doctor has a chance to discover any potential problems while they are still small and more easily treated. Some people actually prefer not to know of any problems. Would you rather learn you have cancer when it is a small easily removed mole, or learn it when the cancer has invaded every organ in your body?

There is no good reason to simply let things go. If you have not gotten a checkup in some time, go ahead and schedule an appointment right now. You will sleep better at night and possible save money or your life.

Exercise
Military life can be extremely physically demanding. Once your service has ended, it is important to remain physically active to maintain a healthy weight and avoid diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for each of these diseases. This is something within your control, so make sure you exercise regularly.

The form of exercise is not as important as merely getting some exercise. Get your heart pumping and your lungs breathing quickly. This is basically aerobics. Some exercises that qualify for aerobic work are running, jogging, swimming, and boxing a punching bag. This will keep your weight manageable and cut your risks for a number of preventable diseases.

Mesothelioma
This is a significant disease of the lungs caused by exposure to toxic asbestos. The fibers are inhaled into the lungs and may cause the disease years later. This fibrous material was once used extensively in military applications. The disease itself is incurable, but the symptoms can be managed with treatment.

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