EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES Do You or Someone You Love Need to Schedule a Mammogram?
ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS ARE FREE. Early detection is the biggest factor in breast cancer survival. There’s some debate among researchers and insurance companies over the “right” age to begin screening, but most sources agree that women should begin to get regular mammograms in their 40s (and earlier if they have a family history of the disease). The Affordable Care Act (ADA) requires all health insurance plans to cover the cost of annual mammograms for women age 40 and older , and there are many organizations devoted to providing free mammograms to uninsured individuals. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Visit Donate.nationalbreastcancer.org/ to learn how to help. The NBCF funds cancer research, works to provide free mammograms to low-income women, and serves as a resource for patients and their families. Many cities also have local organizations in need of donations and volunteers.
WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER? Breast cancer is caused by damage to cells’ DNA. It’s most common in women over the age of 40, though approximately 2,500 men in the U.S. are diagnosed each year as well. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Most risk factors, such as age, gender, and family history, cannot be changed. However, research shows that exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, and minimizing alcohol consumption may reduce your chance of being diagnosed with the disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may also place you at higher risk. Contrary to popular myths, breast cancer is not caused by milk, microwave ovens, cellphones, caffeine, plastic cutlery, or deodorants.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Organized, in the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s words, to “honor those at every step of the breast cancer journey,” the annual observance has also served to educate the public and raise funds for research. Learn more about this deadly but survivable disease, and find out how you can help. BREAST CANCER IS EXTREMELY COMMON. According to the NBCF, 1 in 8 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. It is the second leading cause of death in women (behind heart disease). A breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence, however. Thanks to research and ongoing education, there are over 3.3 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today.
LONG AGO IN ANCIENT TIMES The First Vision-Correcting Eyewear
Many people who wear glasses are legally blind without them — they simply cannot function until they’ve slipped them on first thing in the morning. It makes you think — what happened before there were glasses? Surely, some people’s eyesight was just as lousy as mine? Well, you’re right. Human beings suffered from poor eyesight for centuries before vision-correcting lenses were invented in the late 13th century. If you had poor eyesight before then, you either sucked it up or used what materials were around to craft some sort of vision-correction device. CORRECTING VISION THROUGH A MAGNIFYING GLASS The Romans created one of the first assistive devices to help people with poor vision continue writing and reading. A curved glass disc was placed on top of the reading material and passed over the text, increasing its size and allowing the reader to see what was on the page. Using this small magnifying glass helped many Romans and scholars continue their work. THE FIRST EYEGLASSES Italy was the first country to develop corrective eyewear. The first glasses were used mostly by monks, who had to hold the lenses
to their faces or otherwise balance them on their noses. The glass was blown and then set into leather, wooden, or animal-horn frames. These crude designs were improved during the Renaissance era as they became more and more popular, spreading throughout all of Europe. In the 1700s, the spectacles became hands-free; the most notable type of which were called “Martin’s Margins,” created by Benjamin Martin. These spectacles led the way to better lens and frame development and are sold today as collector’s items. THE FIRST SUNGLASSES To block the sun’s rays from their eyes, prehistoric Inuits used flattened walrus tusks and held them in front of their faces. In 12th-century China, people used flat panes of smoky quartz crystals to block glare, and Chinese courts used them to hide their expressions when interrogating witnesses. Later, during the 19th and 20th centuries, people with syphilis were given yellow or brown tinted glasses to help them cope with their sensitivity to light. Sunglasses didn’t become super popular until the 1900s, when Hollywood movie stars made them famous.
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