Critical illnesses are often defined as life-threatening conditions that can affect a person. These include serious conditions such as cancer, organ transplants, heart attacks, renal failure, and strokes. It has been estimated that three out of four adults over the age of 40 will be diagnosed with a critical illness in their lifetime.

Fortunately, critical illnesses can be managed by a health care team and by the people affected by them. Before these illnesses can be managed, they first have to be identified and prepared for, and that’s where National Critical Illness Awareness Month comes in.

During this month, which is observed in October, people are encouraged to learn more about critical illnesses, what they can do to prevent them, and what they can do to mitigate their effects on their lives if they have one.

The History Of National Critical Illness Awareness Month

Even though we conducted a comprehensive Internet search for the origins of this month, we were unable to uncover it. We simply can’t locate who created it or when it was created. We’ll continue looking, but at the moment, it seems that the origins of National Critical Illness Awareness Month will remain a mystery into the foreseeable future.

Some Important Facts About Critical Illnesses

Since we’re on the unpleasant subject of critical illnesses and their impact on a person’s life, we thought that we’d add some additional information that will help people observe National Critical Illness Awareness Month. Let’s take a quick look at the following facts.

• Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability.
• Approximately 10% of all cancers are hereditary.
• The leading causes of kidney failure in adults are hypertension and diabetes.
• It has been estimated that 8 out of 10 cases of serious diabetes, heart disease, and stroke could be prevented.
• Approximately 85% of heart attack victims survive.
• Someone is added to the organ donation waiting list every 10 minutes.
• Risk factors for stroke include family history, age, ethnicity, gender, and some medical conditions.
• It has been estimated that one out of ten American adults may have chronic kidney disease.

Observing National Critical Illness Awareness Month

Everyone is encouraged to take their own health into their hands during this month. For people who have not fallen ill with a critical illness, this is the month to consider Critical Illness Insurance.

For people who are currently dealing with a critical illness, this is the month to connect with their health care team to come up with a mitigation plan. And we encourage everyone to spread the word about this month using the hashtag #CriticalIllnessAwarenessMonth.