Veterans who served in combat after Nov. 11, 1998 are eligible for extended health care for 5 years post discharge. Learn more about the benefits offered and find out how to apply.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States. Smoking is believed to cause 80-90 percent of lung cancer cases, but there are several additional risk factors.

You can reduce your risk of developing lung cancer by following this guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, quit.
• Avoid secondhand smoke.
• Have your home tested for radon and take corrective actions if high levels are discovered.
• Be aware of your exposure to radiation from medical imaging, especially images of the chest.
• Follow health and safety guidelines when working with toxic materials such as asbestos.
• Avoid diesel exhaust and other harmful air pollutants.

Different people experience different symptoms of lung cancer. Some symptoms may include shortness of breath; coughing that doesn’t go away; wheezing; coughing up blood; chest pain; and repeated respiratory infections.

If you have symptoms that concern you, see your doctor.

Medical screening tests are an important part of preventative care. Learn why.

Just as medication errors can happen with humans, they can also happen when medicines are prescribed for your pet. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine started taking a closer look at errors and ways to increase the safe use of medicines for pets.

Pet prescriptions are usually filled at human pharmacies, but veterinarians sometimes use different language than doctors, and something as simple as an abbreviation could cause your pet to receive a different medication than what was intended. The FDA suggests you ask important questions before leaving your veterinarian’s office, such as:

• What is the name of the drug? What is it supposed to do?
• How much of the medication should I give each time?
• How many times a day should I give it?
• How should I store it?

Learn more about how to prevent pet medicine errors.

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Symptoms can include blood in the stool, narrower stools, a change in bowel habits and general stomach discomfort. However, you may not have symptoms at first, so screening is important. Everyone who is 50 or older should be screened for colorectal cancer.

Learn more about colorectal cancer.