In order to properly manage our physical and mental health, it is critical that we are able to communicate effectively about related issues. For example, it’s important that you and your doctor understand that you are talking about the same condition when one of you uses the term “anxiety” and the other says “stressed out.” That is the idea behind Health Literacy Month. Founded in 1999 by Helen Osborne, who is an occupational therapist, educator and author. This annual, worldwide event raises awareness about the importance of being knowledgeable in the language of health and wellness.
Health Literacy Month is often recognized with educational programs for students, wellness programs for patients, workshops for professionals and other events put on by government agencies, colleges, community service groups, health literacy coalitions and healthcare organizations. “Be a Health Literacy Hero” is the theme for Health Literacy Month. It’s meant to recognize and celebrate the efforts of people who are furthering the cause of health communication. This involves both identifying problems in this area and taking steps to resolve them. If you know a Health Literacy Hero, we encourage you to thank them for their efforts.
Five Key Health Terms
There are, of course, hundreds of physical and mental health terms that everyone should be aware of. But, in honor of Health Literacy Month, here are five examples:
1) Resting heart rate - This is how many times per minute your heart beats when you are at rest. The healthier your heart is, the more efficiently it moves blood through your body and the fewer times per minute it has to beat. A healthy resting heart rate for adults is 68 - 80 beats per minute.
2) Anxiety disorder - Anxiety is the feeling of excessive nervousness or worry, often described as feeling “stressed out.” While anxiety is a normal part of life, repeated bouts of intense worry may be an indicator of an anxiety disorder.
3) Blood pressure - This is the force with which your heart moves blood through your body. When your blood pressure is too high, it can cause damage to your blood vessels and other problems. If your blood pressure is too low, you may lose consciousness. A healthy blood pressure for adults is 120/80 mmHg, the two numbers representing the pressure as your heart beats and relaxes respectively.
4) Major depressive disorder - Also known as depression, this condition is marked by ongoing feelings of severe sadness and despondency. It can lead to many emotional and physical problems.
5) Psychotherapy - Also referred to as “talk therapy,” psychotherapy involves a trained mental health professional helping a patient resolve mental and emotional issues through communication, as opposed to using medication.
Knowledge is Power
Whether you are anxious and stressed out, depressed, in need of marriage counseling or suffering from insomnia, the more you know about your condition and the more clearly you are able to express yourself to your caregiver, the more efficient and effective your treatment will be. If you are in need of our services, contact us online at communityreachcenter.org or by phone at 303-853-3500 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We have centers in the northside Denver metro area of Adams County including the cities of Thornton, Westminster, Northglenn, Commerce City and Brighton.