Donnee Spencer’s Medical Awareness Butterflies – Which one do you want a copy of?

Donnee's Medical  Awareness Butterflies

Donnee’s Medical Awareness Butterflies

Over the last few years Donnee Spencer has produced these amazing awareness butterflies.

As you can see so far she has covered psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, COPD, strokes, Crohns, cancer, autism, fibromyalgia, diabetes and cerebral palsy among others.

The purpose of this blog is three fold.  Firstly simply to showcase Donnee’s brilliant work.

Secondly we are hoping she will be able to send us individual  copies which we can share with our readers on separate posts.   Please use the comments box to let us know which ones you might like posted first.

Finally if you would like Donnee to consider other causes to produce these wonderful images for –  please let us know in the comments box and we will share with her.

Many thanks in advance and many thanks Donnee!

World Thrombosis Day 2016 – Find out about the signs, symptoms and causes of thrombosis

 

1 in 4 deaths worldwide from conditions caused by thrombosis

It is estimated that every 6 seconds a person dies from VTE globally

In England alone, 25,000 people die each year from venous thromboembolism (VTE) contracted in hospital

Thrombosis is often the underlying cause of heart attack, thromboembolic stroke and VTE, the top three cardiovascular killers

World Thrombosis Day aims to increase global awareness of the often overlooked and misunderstood condition of thrombosis

Many people know about the risks for breast cancer or heart disease, but most aren’t aware that 1 in 4 people worldwide die from conditions caused by thrombosis, more commonly known as blood clots.

Many, if not most, cases of thrombosis are preventable, and yet too many patients slip through the cracks. Approximately 60 percent of VTE cases happen to patients during or after being hospitalised or undergoing surgery. In the UK alone, up to 1 in every 1,000 are affected by venous thrombosis. This figure is higher than the combined total deaths of breast cancer, AIDS and traffic accidents, and costs the NHS an estimated £640 million annually.

Thrombosis is common, but general awareness about the condition is very low. In a 2014 global survey of nine countries conducted by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), only 68 percent of those surveyed were aware of blood clots, much lower than awareness of other potentially life-threatening health conditions such as hypertension.

Although thrombosis can affect anyone, those who are age 60 or older are at a higher risk, as are individuals undergoing surgery or cancer treatment, people who undergo long periods of immobility and women who are pregnant. That’s why it is so important for people to understand the risks factors, be able to recognise the signs & symptoms, and ask their doctors for a VTE risk assessment if they are hospitalised.

Because 1 in 4 people worldwide are dying from conditions caused by thrombosis, it will therefore be impossible to reach the World Health Assembly’s global target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable disease by 25% by 2025 unless we address thrombosis.

This year, more than 550 medical and health organisations from every continent will participate in World Thrombosis Day, embracing thousands of educational events and bringing together in partnership patients, healthcare professionals, policy makers, research and industry supporters to place a global spotlight on thrombosis as an urgent and growing public health problem.

Thrombosis is the formation of potentially deadly blood clots. Blood clots can form in the artery (arterial thrombosis) or vein (venous thrombosis).

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is when blood clots in a deep vein (most often the leg)

Pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs when a blood clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs

Collectively, DVT and PE are known venous thromboembolism – VTE.

World Thrombosis Day (WTD) focuses attention on the often overlooked and misunderstood condition of thrombosis. It embraces thousands of educational events across the world, and brings together in partnership patients, healthcare professionals, policy makers, research and industry supporters to place a global spotlight on thrombosis as an urgent and growing public health problem

World Thrombosis Day 2016

World Thrombosis Day 2016

What You Need to Know About Strokes

Did you know that a stroke occurs somewhere in the world every two seconds, with six fatal strokes happening every minute? This equates to 15 million people a year who suffer a stroke, approximately six million of which are fatal. Indeed, stroke is responsible for more deaths annually than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria all put together.

Stroke can often be brought about by inevitable factors like ageing and your family’s medical history, in addition to preventable factors such as a poor diet, excessive smoking or lack of exercise. The warning signs to look out for include weakness on one side of the body, slurring of speech and a difficulty in maintaining balance. When stroke occurs, it could easily be fatal, and even in cases where the victim survives, his/her life is turned upside down. Difficulties with swallowing, communicating, vision and movement are likely to ensue.

To learn more about stroke, its causes and consequences, plus how to care for a person who has survived a stroke, take a look at the infographic below from Home Care Plus (http://www.homecareplus.ie/palliative-care).


What You Need to Know About Stroke

What You Need to Know About Stroke