Posted on the Harvard Health Blog by Reena Pande, M.D., Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School on APRIL 12, 2013, 2:05 PM. To view the original article, click here.

This article is being reposted as part of an awareness and education campaign during Stroke Awareness Month.

Salt is a cheap, easy way to turn on taste buds. That’s one reason why it’s in so many of the foods we eat. It’s so commonly used that most Americans consume more than double the recommended daily limit for it.

Post By MICHELLE CASTILLO from CBS NEWS. Originally published May 6, 2013, 11:45 AM. To view the original article, click here.

Fire retardant chemicals that are supposed to protect children may actually cause intelligence and behavioral problems in young kids.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are chemicals that have been used to lower the risk of fires in items like baby strollers, carpets and electronics. Because of known health risks, the chemicals have mostly not been used in items on sale in the U.S. since 2004. However, since they are not very biodegradable, PBDEs may still exist in older products that people may have or continue to exist in the tissue of people who were exposed to the chemicals.

It is hard to explain to those who don’t know what it is like to be in pain or feel sick on the inside and look perfectly fine on the outside. Wearing a medical ID can help spread awareness of invisible illnesses like Crohn’s Disease, PTSD, Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Diabetes, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS, ME, M.D., Arthritis, Cancer, Heart Disease, Epilepsy, Severe Allergies, Dementia, Alzheimer’s and more!

• Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) has a chronic condition
  Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century Challenge, a study of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & Partnership for Solutions: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (September 2004 Update). “Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Ongoing Care”.

Blink a couple times and you may have missed it, but American Medical ID was on the TV show Elementary during the May 2nd episode “A Landmark Story”.

A woman was wearing her purple Silicone Flex medical ID bracelet as she was jogging in New York’s Central Park. The woman wore a medical ID because of her severe allergy to bee stings, which played a pivotal role in catching one of arch nemesis Moriarty’s hired assassins! Not too bad for a day’s work!

Here’s a Link to the Episode:

http://www.cbs.com/shows/elementary/video/3A391712-8BAB-D346-596F-5EFB723CF723/elementary-a-landmark-story/

Don’t forget, May is Allergy Awareness Month!

In honor of May’s Food Allergy Awareness initiatives, Allergic Living has created a poster with the critical and life-saving steps to take during a food allergy emergency.

Click the image below to download the poster! Don’t forget to share with friends, schools, workplaces and family members. Education is the best way to spread awareness.

In an emergency, wearing a medical ID bracelet or necklace can mean the difference in getting the appropriate care needed. If you have a severe allergy, be smart, wear a medical ID.

Many Americans celebrate Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday of May. It is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces. Armed Forces Day is also part of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May.

American Medical ID is celebrating Armed Forces Week by working with the  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide all veterans in need with a free medical ID bracelet or pendant.

I’m writing this medical ID story in honor of my daughter, Madi Peretin, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on October 16, 2009, at the age of 11.

The most helpless feeling in the world is sitting next your child in the intensive care unit and knowing there is nothing you can do, except pray. When our daughter, Madi, suffered from severe DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) and was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 11, she spent 5 days in ICU at Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital and later was transferred to LaRabida Children’s Diabetes Center. All we could do was learn about this life-changing condition and adapt to our new way of life.

Stop Diabetes® Medical ID Bracelet to Raise Money for Diabetes Research 

American Medical ID, the leading producer of medical alert jewelry in the United States, has announced a collaboration with the American Diabetes Association for the Stop Diabetes® awareness campaign. American Medical ID will be the vendor for the official Stop Diabetes® Medical ID bracelet with a portion of the proceeds from every sale benefiting diabetes research and programs to help those affected by diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that many people with diabetes should have a medical ID with them at all times.

American Medical ID partners with One Call Alert to provide high quality medical alert monitoring and additional peace of mind to thousands across the nation.

American Medical ID has long provided its customers with peace of mind by creating personalized medical ID bracelets and pendants. A medical ID communicates a condition, medication, allergy, or contact information during an emergency situation. This gives medical ID wearers confidence that, in an emergency, they will get the proper treatment needed for their unique health requirement.

Are you hearing more about diabetes in the news and online this month? This is American Diabetes Month® when the American Diabetes Association joins with concerned groups around the nation to raise awareness of this ever-growing disease.

Sharing a similar mission, Dr. Anuj Bhargava, MD, MBA, CDE, FACP, FACE is working to improve the health and lives of patients with diabetes through research and technology. Dr. Bhargava is President and founder of the Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center (IDERC) and is also founder of My Diabetes Home, a company dedicated to simplifying diabetes worldwide online.