Month: March 2022

2022-03-29T09:55:01

(BPT) – When you think about your health, eating well, exercising regularly and getting adequate sleep likely come to mind. What you may not realize is the dramatic influence your spaces have on your overall well-being, mentally and physically. This means for good health, you need to take a closer look at your home.

With most people spending more time at home than ever before, this becomes that much more important. This realization has inspired homeowners to make thoughtful updates that not only enhance their home, but also support the wellness of the body and mind of everyone who lives there.

“Our health and happiness are the most precious things that we can take care of. You couple that with your biggest investment outside of yourself, which is your home, and those two are intrinsically linked,” said Erin Lilly, manager, Design Studio, Kohler.

Three big ideas are driving wellness home design:

1. Spaces have a profound impact on health. The lighting, air quality, materials, layout and countless other factors influence people on physical, mental and emotional levels. These considerations should drive a project from concept to completion.

2. Expectations for home and work have changed dramatically, thanks to the increase in remote work and hybrid schedules. Homes need to become workplaces, and now, workplaces need to become more like home.

3. Designing for well-being isn’t just about the now. It’s increasingly about understanding long-term needs. With more homeowners looking to age in place, homes need to stay beautiful and usable for evolving needs.

If these points resonate with you, consider how wellness design can be incorporated into your home. Wondering where to start? The kitchen and the bathroom are two primary spaces that provide ample opportunity for making improvements that not only provide an updated aesthetic, but also support overall well-being through functionality and health-focused enhancements.

For example, a simple shower can be transformed into a multisensory space that helps you rejuvenate or relax, depending on your needs. The DTV+ digital showering system brings water, sound, steam and light together for a sensory experience you’ll look forward to each day. Every element of your shower is customizable and controlled by a touch-screen interface, making it easy to set your experience for your exact needs.

Another important wellness aspect of the bathroom may not be quite as glamorous as the shower, but it is equally important when it comes to your health: the toilet. You can easily enhance your existing toilet with a new bidet seat that helps keep you clean when it really counts.

For example, every aspect of the Purewash bidet seat was designed with hygiene in mind, including the anti-bacterial seat, anti-bacterial wand and self-cleaning nozzles, so you can feel confident in your clean every time you use the bathroom. Plus, the quiet-close seat is a nice feature, especially for evening bathroom visits.

The kitchen is another space where wellness improvements can benefit the whole family. From stylish, ergonomic chairs to strategic lighting that features task and ambient lights, there are many improvements that can enhance your health.

One basic update that can benefit you for years to come is replacing your existing faucet with one that blends function, fashion and health. For instance, the Tone faucet has clean lines and a soft teardrop base, offering a fresh take on mid-century modern style. The touchless on/off feature limits the spread of germs, and the three-function pull-down sprayhead gives you options for any cleaning needs.

Wellness in home design is poised for growth as people prioritize their health. Visit Kohler.com/Living to explore products and perspectives that explore the meaning of well-being, look at how the built environment impacts health and offer ideas for creating spaces that support greater wellness.

2022-03-29T11:01:00

(BPT) – Computer crashes. Cyber attacks. Viruses. Theft. Power outages. There are so many ways you can lose the precious data stored on your computer. But the greatest threat of all? You.

“Human error is one of the main causes of data loss,” says Brian Pridgeon, Director of Product Marketing, Western Digital. “It could be as simple as spilling coffee on your laptop or accidentally deleting a critical file. Seemingly small incidents can lead to a massive loss of important files, for businesses, content creators and general consumers alike.”

It’s natural to make mistakes. But when it comes to human error, there are a few ways to protect yourself against the loss of important data.

1. Make data backup a habit

Backing up your precious and vital files is crucial. As a rule of thumb, put protections in place for anything that would be difficult or impossible to reproduce or replace, or anything where a loss would evoke negative, frustrating or stressful emotions. For individuals, this might include address books, pictures, videos, music files, emails, documents and financial records. For businesses, data backups become a bit more technical, and include backing up customer databases, configuration files, operating systems, accounting records, operational details and inventory supply levels. Keeping your files backed up and safe offers peace of mind in the event of a system breakdown.

One way to help ensure the protection of your files is a storage drive or device, such as the My Passport^TM drive or My Book^TM desktop storage from Western Digital’s WD^® brand. The My Passport HDD from WD is a trusted drive that provides portable storage that fits in the palm of your hand. It can help you store photos, videos, music as well as documents. The My Book device from WD allows you to store even more data and is equipped with backup software for Windows^® and is compatible with Time Machine on macOS. It also features built-in hardware encryption with password protection to help keep your files private and safe.

2. Practice good cyber hygiene

It’s all too easy to ignore those pesky pop-ups telling you it’s time for an update, but failing to do so can be another human error that causes data loss. Regular software updates allow your system to access the latest security features — so you’re protected from viruses and malware.

Another good cyber hygiene habit is regularly changing your passwords. This can help you stay safe online as well as protect the private or important information stored in your various accounts. If needed, mark your calendar or set a reminder on your phone to make sure you remember to practice these safety habits.

3. Careful data organization

How you handle your files can help avoid simple errors such as accidental deletion. For example, if your desktop is a mess of files and you’re trying to clear space, you have a greater chance of deleting something without realizing its importance. Take some time to set up an organization system for your files, photos and videos — and stick to it.

Some quick tips for file organization include:

*Follow a naming convention

*Always use dates when naming files

*Be as specific as possible when labeling files and folders

*Regularly clean up folders that become cluttered

*Back up your important files regularly

Mistakes are bound to happen, but many of the headaches and devastation that stem from data loss due to human error are preventable. By following these tips, you can take steps to protect your data from one of the main causes of issues.

2022-03-29T08:01:00

(BPT) – Buying a car is a daunting task at any stage of life — and when you’re a parent, the stakes are even higher. There are so many options for new car buyers, but a family car requires more space, added flexibility and an emphasis on safety.

To help you make the smartest choice for your family, here are five tips to consider when shopping for your next new vehicle.

1. Prioritize safety

When it comes to the family car, nothing is more important than safety. When car shopping, pay attention to crash safety ratings and look for features that will help you avoid an accident, including lane departure warnings, blind spot warnings and adaptive cruise control.

2. Do your research

Before you start shopping, turn to trusted car experts to learn more about what’s available. Kelley Blue Book recently announced the 2022 Best Family Cars List that features the top family vehicle recommendations with a focus on safety, value and technology. From SUVs to full-size minivans, it’s the most comprehensive list for new car shoppers and even factors in safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to help simplify your search.

3. Consider your family size

The car you choose will likely be around for several years, so it’s smart to buy something that will fit the family you expect to have down the road. SUVs are one of the most popular types of family vehicles as they come in an increasing range of shapes and sizes with up to eight seats.

4. Decide what’s important to you

Think about how your family will use the vehicle. Maybe you need extra cargo space for long road trips, or you’re looking for state-of-the-art technology. Considering these types of lifestyle factors will help determine which vehicle is the best for you.

5. Take a test drive with everyone in tow

Once your search is narrowed and you’re ready to test drive, do a fit test. Set the seat positions the way you like them and check the cargo area. If possible, bring your kids and practice setting up car seats or boosters. To make your life even easier, many dealers will even bring a car straight to your home for a test drive through kbb.com! Picture how you will use the car daily and decide if there is enough room for people, pets and everyone’s belongings.

Follow these tips to make the most of your family car search. For more car-buying tips and trusted vehicle research from Kelley Blue Book, visit kbb.com.

2022-03-28T23:01:00

(BPT) – During a time when health and wellness are top of mind, many are looking for creative ways to boost their own well-being — and at the same time seeking opportunities to do something truly meaningful for others. Whether you or someone you care about is living with lupus or not, you can make a positive contribution to the search for a cure, while also enjoying the benefits of a healthful walk and the empowering feeling that you are part of a larger community working toward a common purpose.

What is lupus?

According to the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), lupus is a serious and chronic autoimmune disease, in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake. Lupus is a complex disease which can be debilitating. It affects each individual differently, with varying symptoms that can make it difficult to diagnose. Some of the most common symptoms of lupus include extreme fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes and fevers. It disproportionately affects women, especially women of color, and is typically diagnosed in the prime of their lives. There is no cure and few treatment options, none of which work for everyone.

How you can help

This year marks the 20th anniversary of “Walk with Us to Cure Lupus,” the Lupus Research Alliance’s signature national fundraising program, from which 100% of donations goes to lupus research programs because the Lupus Research Alliance’s Board of Directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs. Participating in the Walk, whether alone or as part of a group, is a fun way to support a worthwhile cause: helping to fund important research to develop personalized treatments and ultimately, a cure for lupus.

What began with the very first Walk in Washington, D.C. in 2002 has grown over the past 20 years to unite tens of thousands of people across the country, who together have raised more than $42 million for lupus research. Each Walk is motivated by one goal: to let people living with lupus know there is an entire community behind them, with everyone in it working toward finding a cure.

People living with lupus find the Walks especially meaningful:

• Debbie Schwartz leads a Walk team of over 40 people, raising more than $20,000 toward lupus research. “I support Walk with Us to Cure Lupus because I have lupus, and I don’t want the next generation to suffer like I have,” said Schwartz.
• Walk team leader Enrico Costabile engages his coworkers in volunteering, fundraising and awareness events for lupus, and is an active social media advocate showing the real impact of lupus on his life. “I support Walk with Us to Cure Lupus because I want to take control back from a disease that has taken so much power away from me,” said Costabile.

Walk in person or virtually

Even through the past two years of change and uncertainty, LRA’s Walk community has shown its strong, ongoing commitment to one goal: supporting lupus research that will unravel the complexity of this debilitating disease so a treatment and cure can be targeted to each person.

You can join one of LRA’s in-person Walk events, or participate in this year’s virtual Walk. Either way, you’ll unite with Walkers in one common goal: to help others in their treatment journey and ultimately find a cure.

“Walk with Us to Cure Lupus has become one of our most meaningful programs,” said Andrea O’Neill, executive director of the Lupus Research Alliance. “People walk for themselves, for their loved ones living with lupus, as well as for the community as a whole. It’s so inspiring to see thousands of people nationwide get involved to help raise funds to find a cure.”

Ready to make a difference? Together with the lupus community, you and “ManyOne Can.” Visit Support.LupusResearch.org to learn more and to register for a Walk near you, or to sign up for the virtual Walk, and get involved today. LRA continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and will modify the Walk schedule if needed.

2022-03-28T10:47:00

(BPT) – When blossoms appear on trees, daffodils poke up through the ground, and birds start to chirp, it’s time to start your spring cleaning. Though this annual tradition comes from a time when people had to clear the sooty build-up that collected in their homes over the winter, most modern-day dwellers simply consider the change of season a good time to give their homes a deep clean and a decorative refresh.

Since the need for spring cleaning has changed, perhaps the focus of it should as well.

In 2022, here are five things you should edit in your life on an annual basis:

1. Unused Gift Cards. Blackhawk Network reported that 30% of consumers purchased more gift cards during the 2021 holiday season than in years prior, so chances are you have a few gift cards to spend. Shelley Hunter, spokesperson for Giftcards.com, says, “The longer you hold onto gift cards, the higher the likelihood you’ll lose the cards or forget to use them. Plan to redeem gift cards immediately or within a couple of months.” With spring in mind, she suggests using gift cards to purchase items you’ll likely buy this time of year anyway such as a new pair of sandals, fresh towels for the guest bathroom or a potted plant for the patio.
2. Social Media Accounts. According to Datareportal.com, the typical social media user engages with 7.5 different social media platforms each month and spends about 2.5 hours a day using social media. To decrease the amount of time spent scrolling (when you could be outside enjoying the warmer weather!), reduce your social media connections. Unfriend, unfollow or unsubscribe from content that no longer serves you. Better yet, take a complete break from the most distracting platforms.
3. Online Passwords. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from identify theft is to use strong and different passwords for each of your online accounts. If you aren’t doing so regularly, at least audit your passwords annually or consider setting up a password manager. As you review each account, activate dual authentication where possible or follow the site’s other recommended settings to safeguard your credentials.
4. Home Inventory. Homeowners insurance covers loss or damage to the contents of your home when a disaster such as a fire or flood occurs. To get compensated, however, you must provide a detailed list of your belongings — a task that is hard to do if you don’t remember exactly what you had. Once a year, take pictures or video of every room, drawer, and closet in your house (including the garage). Store the images offsite or in the cloud to ensure they are available in the unlikely event you need them.
5. Digital Pictures. Taking photos has never been easier, so it is not unusual to have thousands of digital pictures on a device. To free up space and make it easier to locate favorite photos, cull through your images once a year. Rename and organize the pictures you want to keep. Discard the ones you don’t. You might even print a few new pictures to hang on your walls as part of your spring refresh.

Unlike the spring cleaning of yesteryear, you don’t have to wait to perform these tasks at a particular time of year. As Hunter suggested, you should plan to use gift cards immediately and it’s always a smart move to ensure your passwords are protected. However, if these items aren’t already part of your routine, at least be sure to put them on your spring cleaning checklist.

2022-03-25T07:01:00

(BPT) – Three years ago, Alex Lamb, an active retiree just shy of 80 years old, was happily preparing for a big move to be closer to his son. Then he received a prostate cancer diagnosis.

“It was a total shock to me. I found out by going in for a regular check-up,” said Alex, who didn’t experience any symptoms. “I was lucky because otherwise, I may not have found out until my cancer progressed. The news was hard to hear at first, but I didn’t let it get me down. I believed there would be a way forward.”

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men, behind skin cancer.¹ Compared with many other cancers, prostate cancer grows slowly and is most often found in early stages. Some cases may not require treatment while others are highly treatable through options such as surgery and/or radiation therapy.^2,3 In Alex’s case, his physician felt that his best option was radiation, an approach that more than 60,000 American men opt to treat prostate cancer with every year.⁴

While the various treatment options have proven to be effective, they can come at a cost to some patients’ quality of life in the form of potentially severe side effects, depending on the dose and the amount of healthy tissue that is exposed to the radiation.⁵ Due to the prostate’s close proximity to the rectum, radiation therapy can unintentionally cause what’s called rectal toxicity, where patients experience damage to the healthy tissue surrounding the prostate, which can create issues with urinary, sexual and bowel functions.^5,6,7

For the growing number of patients who opt for this form of treatment, there is an option that may help reduce the potential damage. SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel is an absorbable gel that creates a temporary space between the prostate and the rectum, and is designed to help reduce the radiation dose to the rectum during radiation therapy. It is inserted via a minimally invasive procedure and is naturally absorbed by the body in about six months.⁶

SpaceOAR Hydrogel has been shown to reduce grade 1 rectal toxicity by up to 75% in patients at 3 years of follow-up.⁸ Further, patients who didn’t receive SpaceOAR Hydrogel were also eight times as likely to report a drop in quality of life as a result of their radiation therapy.^8,9

“After receiving my cancer diagnosis, I knew I didn’t want to be treated with medication,” said Alex. “I opted for radiation therapy, but after hearing about the potential side effects, I was excited to learn about SpaceOAR Hydrogel from my physician. The procedure to insert the spacer was fairly straightforward. I received it in the morning with general anesthesia and was ready to go home by lunchtime. Within two days, I was back to exercising.”*

Three years later, Alex has completed his radiation treatments and is considered in remission from prostate cancer. He is now living near his son and daughter-in-law, and says he feels as healthy as ever. He credits his care team with helping him recover from prostate cancer and is grateful that his post-treatment symptoms have been minimal.

“It’s so important to get regularly screened for prostate cancer and for those who are diagnosed to know that they have a path forward,” said Alex. “If I hadn’t gone in for a screening, and if my doctor hadn’t recommended SpaceOAR Hydrogel, I might be in a very different position today. I would recommend you talk to your doctor, explore your options and find the treatment plan that works best for you.”

To learn more about the importance of early detection for prostate cancer and to talk to a local doctor about treatment options, including radiation therapy with the use of SpaceOAR Hydrogel, visit https://www.spaceoar.com/ or Find a Doctor in your area.

As with any medical treatment, results from case studies like Alex’s are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Potential complications associated with SpaceOAR Hydrogel include, but are not limited to, pain or discomfort associated with injection, needle penetration of the bladder, prostate, rectal wall, rectum or urethra, inflammatory reactions, infection, urinary retention, rectal mucosal damage, ulcers, necrosis, bleeding and rectal urgency.¹⁰ Safety information as well as a complete list of potential side effects associated with SpaceOAR Hydrogel can be found online at https://www.spaceoar.com/risks/.

Sources:

1. American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed November 2021.
2. Mayo Clinic. Prostate Cancer. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353087. Accessed November 2021.
3. Cancer.gov. Treatment Choices for Men With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/prostate-cancer-treatment-choices.pdf. Accessed March 2022.
4. Prostate Cancer Foundation. Treatment for Prostate Cancer: External-Beam Radiation Therapy. Available at: https://www.pcf.org/c/treatment-for-prostate-cancer-external-beam-radiation-therapy/. Accessed November 2021.
5. Mayo Clinic. External Beam Radiation for Prostate Cancer. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/external-beam-radiation-for-prostate-cancer/about/pac-20384743. Accessed November 2021.
6. SpaceOAR.com. How Does SpaceOAR Hydrogel Work? Available at: https://www.spaceoar.com/about-spaceoar-hydrogel/how-spaceoar-hydrogel-works/. Accessed March 2022.
7. Odrazka, K., Dolezel, M., Vanasek, J. et al. Time course of late rectal toxicity after radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 13, 138–143 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2009.56
8. Hamstra DA, Mariados N, Sylvester J, et al. Continued benefit to rectal separation for prostate radiation therapy: Final results of a phase III trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2017 Apr 1;97(5):976-85.
9. Hamstra D, Shah D, Kurtzman S, et al. Evaluation of sexual function on a randomized trial of a prostate rectal spacer. J Clin Oncol. 2017 February 20;35(Suppl 6):69.
10. SpaceOAR.com. SpaceOAR Hydrogel Risks. Available at https://www.spaceoar.com/risks/. Accessed March 2022.

*Patient experience varies. Speak with your doctor as individual recovery varies. Experience may not be representative of all cases.

Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.

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