January 2016

Cervical Health Awareness Month .

It’s hard to imagine that in the not too distant past, cervical cancer was a leading cause of death among women in this country. But when the Pap smear — a simple and painless test to detect changes in the cells of the cervix — was implemented as a screening tool, the incidence and death rates of the disease dropped precipitously. In 2015, according to the National Cancer Institute, cervical cancer resulted in an estimated 12,900 new cases and 4,100 deaths.

The Pap smear has been called the most successful cancer screening technique in the history of medicine. That’s understandable. The test can detect cancer in the early stages when treatment is more successful. It can also identify pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, allowing timely treatment to prevent the cancer altogether.

2. Quick Facts on Cervical Cancer.

3. January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease. This is very important to me since I am suffering from this.

Currently, more than 3 million people in the United States have glaucoma. The National Eye Institute projects this number will reach 4.2 million by 2030, a 58 percent increase.

Glaucoma is called “the sneak thief of sight” since there are no symptoms and once vision is lost, it’s permanent. As much as 40% of vision can be lost without a person noticing.

4. This day in history. The Challenger.

The space shuttle Challenger exploded 30 years ago Thursday, killing its seven crew members, including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, the woman touted as “the first private citizen” in space.

Fun Facts

January Fun FactsThe 1st month of the year is an outstanding one In the Georgian calendar, the calendar that most of the world uses, January is the very first month of the year. The name January came from a Roman god Janus. According to the Roman legend, in 700 B.C., the ruler Numa Pompilius added January to the end of the 10-month Roman calendar. When it was added, Pompilius gave 30 days to January. However, Romans later made January the first month of the year. Moreover, in 46 B.C. Julius Caesar added a one more day to January and that’s why there are 31 in January today. January was known as the wolf month to the Anglo-Saxons because in winter, wolves came into the villages to search for food. It is the coldest month in the northern half of the world, nature is quiet and the birds travel less. Also, the bears and woodchucks go into hibernation. However, in southern half of the world, January is the warmest month. During this time, unlike the northern half of the world, animals are active and plants are growing. Below are some fun facts about January:

1. The flower symbol of January is snowdrop & carnation.

2. January’s gem is garnet which represents constancy.

3. The zodiac signs for January is Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 – February 18).

4. The Common Sense by Thomas Paine was published on January 10, 1776.

5. On January 10, 1920 the League of Nations was established.

6. National Blood Donor Month

7. National Braille Literacy Month

8. National Hobby Month

9. National Soup Month

10. National Staying Healthy Month

11. On January 8, 1798, Amendment 11 to Constitution was proclaimed which modified the Supreme Court’s power.

12. On January 4, 1896, Utah became the 45th state.