October is National Health Literacy Month!

Health literacy means being able to understand and make use of information about your health.

You can't be too healthy if you don't know what's going on in your body!

What is health?

There are many ways for people to improve their health literacy, including

• Reading books or magazines about health
• Talking with a medical professional
• Taking an online course or class related to your health

October is National Health Literacy Month! It's the perfect time to talk about the importance of health literacy, which we can all agree is important.

Health Literacy Definition 

Health literacy meaning is the ability of individuals to process information about health and health-related topics to make informed decisions about their health.

Studies have shown that people with lower levels of health literacy are less likely to receive care for chronic conditions or get the right treatment when they do need it.

 

They also tend to be more likely to delay getting medical help for themselves, or their children and families.

But what does this mean? What is low health literacy? Well, if you're not reading up on your health and making sure you're getting all the information you need before taking action, then you could be putting yourself at risk and others around you.

So if you haven't made October an official month yet, do it now! 

Make sure your friends and family know just how much they mean to you by being extra-vigilant in October and when they need medical care and advice, take steps to ensure that they get the best possible care from professionals who understand how important this month is for keeping us all healthy!

How Health Literacy Can Help?

Are you sick of feeling like you're on the wrong track with your health?

Maybe it's time to take a step back and re-evaluate your current approach.

October is National Health Literacy Month, and we want to help you get started.

Health literacy is the ability to understand and use information about your own health in order to take control of your health.

There are three main components to health literacy:

1. Understanding what causes disease
2. Knowing what symptoms to look for and when to seek medical attention
3. Using the right resources to find health information

Health Literacy Examples

I'm a big proponent of the idea that you should try to make sure your kids eat their vegetables, but I also know that my daughter has some trouble with this.

So when we were at the store last week and she asked for more veggies and I mean like even more veggies I was like, "You know what? Let's get some frozen veggies."

And she was so surprised by this! She had no idea they were even available frozen! That's health literacy in action!

There are several types of health literacies as mental health literacy, nutrition literacy, ehealth literacy, etc.

Why is Health Literacy Important?

• Have you thought about the health of your loved ones?
• What will you do if you have a medical emergency?
• Are you able to take care of yourself when you're sick?
• If not, what can we do to improve your health literacy?

This year, we've been exploring health literacy as a way to help people understand how to take care of their bodies and stay healthy.

Learn about Health

Here are some examples of things you can do to help yourself get more health literacy:

• Learn about your body's needs by taking notes on your symptoms and how they change over time.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist questions about what you're taking.
• If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor about it! They'll be able to help you understand what's going on and how to manage it.

Health Literacy Questionnaire

There are health literacy questionnaires to guide you about your knowledge.

1. The American Cancer Society offers an online quiz to help people understand their risk of developing cancer, as well as what they can do to reduce that risk.
2. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has a quiz about cholesterol levels, which is useful for people who want to follow a healthy lifestyle but need a little more guidance.
3. The Mayo Clinic's Wellness Booklet can help you learn about how to improve your health by using a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Health Literacy Month Activities

1. Try this health literacy activity at home.
2. Get a sheet of paper and a pen.
3. On the paper, write down the names of 5 medicines that you commonly read about in magazines or on the internet.
4. Now, on your list, write down all the things you know about each medicine (for example, "vitamins are good for you" or "antibiotics kill germs").
5. Share your lists with your family members!

We're all about helping people take charge of their health, but sometimes that means you need to take control of the information you get from your doctors and other medical professionals.

So if you've ever been given a prescription for something, but felt like it was written in some foreign language, then this is for you.

Health literacy 2022 is essential from how to read a drug label, to the prevention of a heart attack. So that the next time you go to fill your prescription, you'll know what to expect.