Make Informed Healthcare Choices
Make sure your health care choices don't lead to serious side effects. Here are some things to be aware of and discuss with your health care providers.
Lower Your Exposure to Radiation
Although X-rays and CT scans can give critical information for diagnosing medical problems, there is no such thing as a safe dose of radiation. Discuss with your medical care team whether or not the tests are necessary and whether there may be alternative tests that don’t use radiation, such as an MRI or ultrasound. Check out Image Gently for a wallet card to track medical imaging procedures that use medical radiation.
CLEAR SCIENCE
These tips focus on health care choices you can make, but there are other environmental exposures to be aware of behind the scenes.
Chemicals and radiation in health care >Avoid Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is associated with a significantly increased risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. You can mitigate some of the side effects of menopause with regular exercise, cutting out caffeine and alcohol, and eating a balanced diet. If you do decide to use HRT, try estrogen-only formulations and use it for as brief a time as possible.
Don't Flush Those Pills!
It’s an unfortunate fact that pharmaceutical residue ends up in our waterways and municipal water supplies. While it’s a complex problem that requires a multi-pronged solution, one simple thing you can do to help is take expired medications back to the pharmacy for proper disposal. If your pharmacy doesn’t have a take-back program, request that they create one.
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