health and wellness
Don’t Mess with Your ‘Melon’: Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America Urge ‘If You Hit Your Head, Get it Checked’ in New Public Service Announcement
The Concussion Awareness Now campaign raises awareness both about the common, everyday ways concussions most often happen and the importance of getting concussions evaluated
Last Updated on March 24, 2023 by Daily News Staff
- The Concussion Awareness Now campaign raises awareness both about the common, everyday ways concussions most often happen and the importance of getting concussions evaluated
- Concussion Awareness Now is a coalition of nearly 20 advocacy groups, founded by Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America, with Rebel Wilson as the group’s inaugural spokesperson
- The campaign addresses the fact that more than half of people who suspect they have a concussion never get it checked and features a family of characters called the Melons
ABBOTT PARK, Ill., and FAIRFAX, Va. /PRNewswire/ — Concussion Awareness Now, a coalition of nearly 20 advocacy groups founded by Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and the Brain Injury Association of America, unveiled today a new public service campaign to draw attention to concussions and the importance of seeking care.
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9143051-abbott-dont-mess-with-your-melon-the-concussion-awareness-now-campaign/
The majority of concussions happen during everyday activities – and more than half of people who suspect they have a concussion never get it checked, according to a recent coalition survey.
The new public service announcement campaign raises awareness both about the common ways concussions happen and the importance of getting them evaluated. Playing off the fact that people sometimes refer to their brain as their “melon,” the campaign features a family of animated characters called the Melons, designed to connect with a wide audience by showcasing real-life situations where head injuries occur. Further, the spots encourage people to get their heads checked for a possible concussion, even if they are hesitant or feel pressure not to. The characters span three generations: grandparents, parents and children.
“Too often people think it’s OK to walk off a possible concussion,” said Dr. Beth McQuiston, neurologist and medical director in Abbott’s diagnostics business. “But like a bruised melon, which can suffer unseen damage beneath the surface, a concussion is a serious injury that isn’t always obvious to the naked eye. By driving awareness, we hope more people will seek care for possible concussions when they hit their head, because you can’t treat what you don’t know.”
Each public service announcement features a Melon character hitting his or her head in a different way: slipping on a toy, texting and walking, tripping over the family pet during a virtual reality game, and playing pickleball. Each spot ends with the tagline, “Don’t mess with your melon – if you hit it, get it checked.” The campaign is launching across digital and social channels.
A survey of 3,000 people conducted by the coalition in November of 2022 highlighted many of the misconceptions about concussions. For example, even though only 3% of concussions that present to the emergency room are the result of sports injuries, 84% of respondents believed athletes are the most at risk for concussion. The leading cause of concussions is slips and falls.
“Most concussions happen to people participating in regular, everyday activities,” said Rick Willis, president and chief executive officer of the Brain Injury Association of America. “In the brain injury community, we take concussions – and their after-effects – very seriously. But not everyone has the same understanding of what situations are most likely to cause concussions or what to do when they experience a hit or bump to the head or a full-body jolt. The Melons offer a unique way to spread awareness about concussions: if you think you or a loved one has sustained a concussion, it’s imperative to get it checked.”
Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America launched the Concussion Awareness Now coalition in December. The coalition of advocacy groups has teamed up with acclaimed actress, comedian, writer and producer Rebel Wilson to raise awareness about the seriousness of concussions. Wilson has shared her personal concussion story as part of the coalition’s campaign and will appear with the Melons in online content. Wilson suffered a concussion when she slipped on wet grass while walking to the set of a movie.
Concussion Awareness Now is made up of advocacy groups that represent people who have sustained brain injuries – from veterans, older adults and victims of domestic violence – their caregivers, as well as healthcare professionals such as emergency care physicians, physicians assistants, urgent care workers and athletic trainers. The coalition website, CheckYourMelon.com, features information about concussion, tips for seeking treatment, frequently asked questions, a patient question guide and other resources.
About the Brain Injury Association of America
The Brain Injury Association of America is the country’s oldest and largest nationwide brain injury advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance awareness, research, treatment, and education and to improve the quality of life for all people affected by brain injury. We are dedicated to increasing access to quality health care and raising awareness and understanding of brain injury.
Learn more at www.biausa.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrainInjuryAssociationofAmerica, on Instagram at @bia_usa, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/brain-injury-association-of-america.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.
SOURCE Abbott
Health
How Young Adults Can Build a Healthier Future
Bridging national service and public health, the initiative supports a diverse group of early career professionals working to address today’s public health challenges in a range of roles
(Family Features) Shaping the future of public health into an equitable one means ensuring all people and communities have access to the health care and resources they need to live well. The nation requires a strong, diverse public health workforce to accomplish that goal.
That’s why AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched Public Health AmeriCorps – to support the recruitment, training and development of early career public health workers who can serve their local communities.
Bridging national service and public health, the initiative supports a diverse group of early career professionals working to address today’s public health challenges in a range of roles, including:
- Health education and training
- Community outreach and engagement
- System navigation, referrals and linkage to care
- Research, data collection, analysis and assessment
What Members are Saying
Everyone was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – including Dionne Johnson, who lost a loved one to the virus.
“I had a family member die from COVID-19, and it really touched me,” Johnson said. “That gave me the passion and lit the fire under me to actually pursue a career in public health.”
Now, Johnson is realizing her dreams of transforming public health in her community. In her work, she wants to teach people in Black and brown communities how they can learn to be healthy and advocate for themselves.
Another member, Jaiden Singh, is the son of immigrants. Singh launched a promising career in public health so he can give back to the community where he grew up.
“Being a part of the organization not only has really supplemented my education that I’m working toward in public health and policy, it has also given me the opportunity to do work that I am really passionate about in a community that I have known all my life and really do love,” Singh said. “I would highly recommend being a part of this really valuable and inspiring community.”
Action That Creates Impact
The diverse work of Public Health AmeriCorps benefits not only program members but also the communities they serve. As examples of the program at work, members have:
- Provided overdose rescue education, raised awareness about opioid use disorder and harm reduction strategies and distributed overdose rescue kits containing naloxone (an overdose-reversing nasal spray).
- Held back-to-school COVID-19 testing events, distributed early childhood health education and built community gardens in underserved communities.
- Participated in a community mental health crisis intervention system to assess, stabilize and link people in crisis to follow-up care and services.
- Supported elementary schools as part of a dental hygiene program that sends out staff and volunteers to provide free teeth cleanings to students.
Learn More and Apply
If you want to start your career and make a difference in public health, consider member benefits such as:
- Education awards to apply to higher education or student loan forgiveness
- Student loan deferment and forbearance
- Living allowance
- Hands-on experience
- Training from experts
Visit AmeriCorps.gov/PublicHealth for a list of opportunities to serve and contact your desired opportunity by phone or email to learn more and apply. You can also subscribe to the newsletter to learn more about the initiative.
SOURCE:
AmeriCorps
Lifestyle
Saving a Life This Summer: Ways to Step Up Safety Practices
Regardless of where you are, summer is a reminder that emergencies like cardiac arrest can happen anywhere. Take the safety of those around you into your own hands this summer with this checklist.
(Feature Impact) The busy summer season can take you almost anywhere – baseball fields, backyard cookouts, long workdays or road trips across the country. Regardless of where you are, summer is a reminder that emergencies like cardiac arrest can happen anywhere.
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and 90% of people will not survive, according to the American Heart Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to changing the future for a world of healthier lives for all. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anytime, anywhere. People often hesitate to step in. In fact, nearly 2 out of 3 adults believe CPR can only be performed by medical professionals. This mistaken belief can cost lives and contributes to the low survival rate.
Ordinary people have extraordinary power. You don’t need to wear scrubs or have a medical background to save a life – you just need the courage to act.
Take the safety of those around you into your own hands this summer with this checklist.
Plan Ahead
Summer is often a time for welcome disruptions, including vacations, camps, sports and parties. Before traveling or attending events, check if your destination has a cardiac emergency response plan, which establishes specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting, from schools and community organizations to workplaces and sports facilities.
Learn CPR
Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere: at home, at work, in schools, at a soccer game or on vacation. When it happens, the first chance for survival often rests with the people nearby.
Anyone can be the difference before professional help arrives. The power to save a life is in your hands. CPR is a human responsibility, not just a medical skill. When friends, family or even strangers step in during cardiac emergencies, survival rates can double or even triple.
Hands-Only CPR for adults consists of two easy steps:
- Call 9-1-1 or shout for someone else to call.
- Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that’s 100-120 beats per minute, such as “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees.
Share Resources with Your Family and Community
Once you’ve learned simple, two-step Hands-Only CPR, share resources with your community to help expand the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers. Raising awareness with family, neighbors and colleagues can help people feel confident in the face of an emergency.
Families can watch short instructional videos that demonstrate the life-saving steps for adults as well as techniques for infants and children.
Travelers can also get trained in about 5 minutes with a Hands-Only CPR Kiosk, located in many airports and public spaces across the country.
To find more information about learning CPR, visit Heart.org/Nation.
Summer Safety Tips
In addition to learning CPR and sharing valuable resources with your family and community, consider these ways to keep yourself and loved ones safe throughout the summer months.
- Stay Hydrated: High temperatures can quickly lead to dehydration and heat-related illness. Drink water regularly throughout the day, especially during outdoor activities, and pack extra water when away from home.
- Protect Your Skin: Hats, sunglasses and lightweight clothing can protect skin from sun exposure, but it’s important to use broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply every 2 hours.
- Swim with a Buddy: Hopping in a pool, lake or ocean is a hallmark of summer but can be dangerous without precautions. Never swim alone and ensure children are always supervised by an adult near water.
- Identify the Locations of Safety Equipment: When attending camps, heading to a sporting event or enjoying the pool or beach, identify where lifeguards, AEDs and emergency exits are located. Knowing where to find help can save valuable time when every second counts.
- Practice Grill Safety: Some of your most memorable summer moments may happen during a backyard barbecue or cookout, and it’s important to keep those gatherings safe. Use grills away from homes, decks and dry grass. Never leave them unattended while cooking, and be sure kids and pets stay at a safe distance from hot surfaces.
Saving a Life Within 1 Year of Learning CPR
On a chilly Tuesday, dawn was breaking as Matthew Lynch reached his highway exit, but traffic was backed up at a particular intersection. He waited through three cycles before finally getting close enough to see the holdup: a stalled SUV.
While most cars buzzed by, Lynch moved slowly and peered into the vehicle. He saw people inside and parked his sedan, flipped on the hazard lights and ran to the stalled SUV. As he knocked on the driver’s window, there was no response. The doors were locked. Two people – a male driver and female passenger – were unresponsive.
Lynch ran back to his own car and called 9-1-1 before managing to open the driver’s side door. He discovered the driver was not breathing normally, signaling to Lynch he’d need to start CPR – which he’d learned 10 months earlier during a training session he’d helped organize for a work-sponsored men’s group.
Knowing he had to do something, Lynch started pushing hard and fast in the center of the man’s chest. Within a minute, the man gasped for breath.
Just as Lynch leaned over to see if he could help the female passenger, first responders arrived and Lynch backed away, knowing there was nothing more he could do.
“It was just a lot to take in,” said Lynch, a member of the American Heart Association’s 2026 Nation of Lifesavers Class, a small group of volunteers, dedicated to raising awareness of CPR by sharing their own personal stories of survival or rescue. “Mostly I felt an incredible sense of gratitude that I could help someone.”
A strong admirer of the Good Samaritan parable, Lynch is always on the lookout for the opportunity to help others. He learned a lot about himself in that moment and about the importance of learning CPR, along with the confidence that comes from knowing you could be a lifesaver.
“I quickly realized the certification was way less important than the actual CPR training,” he said. “Your ability to help in any capacity is better than doing nothing. If I hadn’t done that training, I probably would not have helped.”
SOURCE:
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News
How healthy is Sodastream?
The SodaStream Sparkling Water Maker is a device that forces carbon dioxide (CO2) gas (stored under pressure in a cylinder) into water, making it sparkling (fizzy)
Sodastream machines have been gaining popularity in recent years as an alternative to store-bought soft drinks. Not only are they more environmentally friendly, but they also offer several health benefits compared to traditional sodas.
Reduced Sugar Intake
One of the most significant health benefits of using a Sodastream machine is reducing sugar intake. Traditional sodas are loaded with sugar, and excessive sugar intake can lead to weight gain, obesity, and other health problems such as Type 2 diabetes. With a Sodastream machine, you can control the amount of sugar you add to your drink, allowing you to enjoy a refreshing beverage without the harmful effects of excessive sugar consumption.
No Artificial Sweeteners
Many store-bought soft drinks contain artificial sweeteners, which can have negative health effects such as headaches and digestive problems. Sodastream machines, on the other hand, allow you to use natural sweeteners such as fruit extracts, honey or agave nectar, giving you a healthier and more natural alternative.
No Preservatives
Another advantage of using a Sodastream machine is that you can avoid preservatives commonly found in store-bought soft drinks. Preservatives such as sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate have been linked to health problems such as cancer and allergies. By making your own drinks, you can avoid these harmful additives and enjoy a healthier, preservative-free beverage.
Eco-Friendly
In addition to the health benefits, using a Sodastream machine is also environmentally friendly. Traditional soft drinks are packaged in plastic bottles or cans, which contribute to environmental pollution. With a Sodastream machine, you can reuse the same bottle multiple times, reducing waste and helping to reduce your carbon footprint.
Variety
Finally, Sodastream machines offer a wide variety of flavors and options, allowing you to customize your drink to your liking. You can mix and match different flavors or create your own unique blends, giving you a healthier and more enjoyable alternative to traditional sodas.
In conclusion, Sodastream machines offer several health benefits compared to traditional store-bought soft drinks. By reducing sugar intake, avoiding artificial sweeteners and preservatives, and being eco-friendly, they offer a healthier and more sustainable alternative to traditional soft drinks. Moreover, with a wide variety of flavors and options, you can customize your drink to your liking, making it a fun and enjoyable way to stay healthy.
