Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Developing Your Own Wellness Chart

While visiting my fifth grader grandson, I was able to observe him doing some homework. He was working on a Wellness Chart where he would list things in his life which were needed to provide wellness in four specific areas which were: Spirituality, Morality, Mental, and Physical. A wellness chart can help a person stay on course in keeping the body active and the mind alert.

Developing your own Wellness Chart may be a good thing to do in order to bring balance and direction into your life. Senior citizens, depending on their age and station in life, may feel that it is too late to develop such a chart. They may feel that it is unnecessary and something which would not help. However, everyone of any age can benefit from evaluating where they are headed and what things could be beneficial for them.

In the area of Spirituality, a belief in God or some higher power helps a person stay well. Trust and faith in one's own abilities can have beneficial results. Meditation and prayer to stay in tune with the spiritual side will help keep balance in life.

The area of morality is important for the wellbeing of every person. Honesty and integrity in all dealings with one's fellowmen brings peace. Upholding the values which a person holds dear will help a person to live a moral life. Temptations will come to all people, but it is important to be strong enough not to give in to the temptations to do wrong and commit immoral acts.

The mental state is most important in wellness. Stretching the mind and the thinking processes by regular study and reading will help a person to keep progressing mentally. Using games and puzzles helps to keep the mind active.

It is difficult for most people to enjoy life if they are not feeling well. The physical part of life is an area in which people can often have a lot of influence by simply adhering to certain methods of caring for one's body. Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help anyone maintain better physical health. Exercising regularly to keep the body working well is a difficult matter for many people, but it is very important in staying fit and trim which makes a difference in wellness. There are many commercial products which also may help a person stay well physically. The body is a miraculous thing, but it does wear out with age. There are products on the market which may help with the aging process. Trying some of them could be beneficial.

Monday, October 29, 2012

How Urgent Care Helps During Flu Season

If flu season is something you worry about, be sure to find a local urgent care to help you to prevent this illness from infecting your home. There are some types of flu that can be very dangerous to a person's health. In fact, influenza kills thousands of people each year. Those with a weakened immune system, the elderly, children and pregnant women are most susceptible to this illnesses more severe form. Yet, chances are good there is help available to you locally to put an end to the problem before it even starts.

Prevention in a Shot

Most of the time, the local urgent care facility will be able to give patients in the area a flu shot. If you are anxious about getting this condition or you are just hoping to avoid it altogether, but you do not want to wait weeks for your local doctor's office to have the shots available, head in to this facility instead. You do not need an appointment. Just walk in and within a few minutes you will be ready to leave protected from this illness.

Cold or Flu?

Once the season gets underway, there will be situations in which you are unsure if you or your child has a head cold or has the flu. Both can have similar symptoms. To find out what you may have, it is best to turn to a local provider to get your questions answered. You also want to use these facilities for help when the condition may be worsening. It can develop into a larger respiratory infection or bronchitis if you are not careful. To find out what you are suffering from, you should visit these centers.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

How To Properly Utilize a Medical Alert System While Alone During a Medical Emergency

There are ways to use just about any device improperly. Lack of knowledge is typically one of the most common reasons why devices are improperly used. For devices that are created with the intent to be used in a medical emergency, such as a medical alert system, the difference between proper and improper use can be life or death.

Do you know how to react in a medical emergency? With or without a medical alert system in your home? One of the hardest things to do in a medical emergency is to not panic, but unfortunately it is one of the most common things people do in these types of situations. Panic is just the simplest response to an emergency because it is instinctual and it is done without thinking. People also panic because they have no idea what else to do! This is very sad because panicking is the most dangerous reaction a person could have in an emergency situation. People who panic can cause a lot more harm than good during a medical emergency. One of the best ways to keep yourself from panicking during a medical emergency is to know how to handle one, especially for when you are all by yourself. Here are some great tips to help you know how to handle a medical emergency and get through it in the safest way possible.

Press Your Medical Alert Button
For the most part, since you have equipped your home with a medical alert system, you can easily call for help by hitting your medical alert button located on your medical alert bracelet, necklace or pendant. This will automatically dial a care center where a trained help advisor will be on the line in just seconds, ready to call your family members, friends, neighbors or send emergency assistance to help you with any medical emergency. The help advisor will also stay on the line with you until help arrives. However, if you are out of your home, or maybe you have unfortunately not invested in a medical alert system, you will need to call 911. In cases where you are alone, reaching the phone may be difficult to do if you are injured after a fall and you are unable to move. That is why a medical alert system is very valuable to have, especially during a medical emergency when you are all by yourself.

Some people don't call 911 first because they are trying to assess the situation, and not bother 911 if the emergency is not that dire. This can cause the person to lose valuable time that is necessary for helping them survive the situation. Do not wait to call 911 or press your medical alert button. Even if the emergency turns out to not be that serious, it could have been, and hesitation is another enemy of medical emergencies.

If Physically Injured, Try Not to Move
Many times when people fall, they try very hard to get themselves back up or move around to attempt to find a comfortable position. This is the absolute worst thing a person can do in the case of a medical emergency when a fall is involved. You may not realize, but you may have a neck or spinal cord injury. Moving can cause even more harm and possibly cause you to become paralyzed.

If you have a medical alert system in your home as you should, you will be able to call for help with such minimal movement because you will only need to move your hand to press the medical alert button on your medical alert bracelet, pendant or necklace. Not having to move much to call for help during a medical emergency in which you are alone is a very important aspect of trying to maintain mobility after the fall.

If you do not have a medical alert system and need to try to get to a phone, you run the risk of injuring yourself further. If you have nearby neighbors, try to shout for help and hope someone hears you. Otherwise, you can either wait until someone finally comes, or risk injuring yourself further by trying to move and get to a phone to call 911.

Keep Medication With You

Some people take many medications that can help them immediately in the event of a medical emergency. Obviously, sticking ten different pill bottles into your pockets will never be practical, but keeping a small pill case in your pocket with a few of each important pill in it is good practice just in case of a medical emergency. This way, you can have the medication you need in seconds.

When you are alone, you can not exactly ask anyone to get your medication for you, so if you collapse due to a issue that one of your medications can fix, the pill case in your pocket will be your best friend. However, if you have not prepared for this situation, a medical alert system can act as another person in your home and call medical personnel to help you promptly. Without a medical alert system, it will be difficult to tell how long you might be without your medication, or if you will even survive the situation.

Diesel Fumes and Risks of Lung Cancer

Whoever told you that with the recent focus on 'diesel cleaning', the harmful effects of diesel exhaust emissions have been done away with probably doesn't have a clue about the complete picture. Diesel engine emissions have cancer-causing potential, no matter how much sulfur is removed from diesel during the refining process. Also, the introduction of emission control devices in diesel engines doesn't completely do away with the carcinogens that are produced when a fossil-based fuel like diesel is burned. Diesel engine smoke contains a lot of air pollutants that are detrimental to the health of living organisms when they inhale it, as well as when they are merely exposed to it. A strong connection between diesel engine emissions and lung cancer has been established recently by studies all over the world. In fact, in June, 2012, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) declared diesel fumes to be directly responsible for the rising instances of lung cancer in recent times.

Diesel Fumes and Lung Cancer
The carcinogenic effects of diesel fumes are not restricted to the lungs alone. Various studies and medical cases have indicated a strong relationship between exposure to diesel emissions and bladder cancer. The recent declaration of W.H.O., acknowledging diesel exhaust gas as a carcinogen, is going to have a lot of impact upon the safety regulations for workers who are exposed to diesel smoke and fumes as a regular part of their profession. The following points enumerate various facts and concerns, regarding health effects of diesel engine emissions, that have been put forward by various experts on health and environment, including the W.H.O.
  • While advanced refining technology has made it possible to 'clean' diesel to a huge extent so that a very small amount of sulfur is left behind in the final form of the fuel, such cleaning does not always take place. A lot of countries are yet to put strict regulations and standards on the quality and grade of fuel that is used for activities and professions involving burning of significant volumes of diesel on a regular basis.
  • The particulate matter that make up the soot that is produced on burning diesel is the greatest culprit behind causing a lot of health problems in those who are exposed to it on a regular basis. Like all carcinogens, the particulate matter in soot causes damage to the DNA in the cells of the lungs and bladder. Cells, thus affected, develop abnormalities which are in turn replicated owing to mitosis. This is how abnormal tissues grow and spread, causing a cancerous lump to form in the affected organ.
  • While the effects of inhaling diesel fumes just once, for a prolonged period, can be felt in the form of headache, dizziness, nausea, irritation of the eyes and respiratory canal, coughing, etc., long-term and regular exposure to diesel smoke and soot is known to pose threats of lung and bladder cancer as well as chronic respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. Railroad workers, toll collectors, miners, truckers and workers in factories and establishments where diesel-powered equipment is used extensively are the ones who run the highest risk of developing lung cancer and other chronic respiratory ailments from inhalation of carcinogens and toxic exhaust particulates on a daily basis.
  • While the more affluent nations have strict fuel and emission laws that are firmly enforced, this is not always the case in the developing countries of the world. As a result, while 'clean fuel' and 'emission control' are actually practiced in developed nations, these areas often go neglected in developing countries. Often, the reason is an inability to afford or get access to the relevant technology that is needed to render fossil fuels and their emissions harmless to the environment and living organisms.
  • Diesel exhaust had already been labeled as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, likely carcinogen and potential occupational carcinogen by three different federal bodies before W.H.O. officially classified it as a known carcinogen early this year. That should make lawmakers in developing countries get more serious about tightening fuel emission regulations and enforcing the same more strictly than ever.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Internal Medicine and the Doctors Who Practice It

Internal medicine is a field in the medical profession in which the professionals diagnose and treat patients who might have adult diseases which they have studied and trained in. This field is rather broad which is why there are some sub-specialties for those who are educated and trained here. They are basically considered as primary care physicians but they cannot be labeled as pediatricians and general practitioners. A good part of their education and training, which is about seven years, is dedicated to learning about prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of diseases that affect adults.

Common Diseases

The common diseases that internists treat are quiet numerous. Their practice covers a broad aspect of the field and these diseases often fall under cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, pulmonology and many more. There are about 13 subspecialties that fall under this field and there are some that have more patients than others. Cardiologists initially study internal medicine for about seven years as the foundation of their subspecialty. There is an additional three to five years in order to focus on the education and training or the cardiologic field. Included in this field are the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease that concern the heart, the blood vessels and the circulation of the blood around the body. Heart diseases, difficulty in breathing and chest pains are usually brought to the attention of the cardiologist.

Endocrinologists have the same foundation as all other internists; about seven years of education and training in medical school. An additional two to three years is necessary to subspecialize in this field. Those who practice here focus on the function and circulation of the human body's hormones. The endocrine system covers a large area of the human body including but not limited to tissues and all other glands common and specific to both the male and female bodies. Internal medicine practitioners who specialize in endocrinology cover most parts of the human body since these parts function with the use of hormones. Gastroenterology covers the digestive system of the human body.

There are a few major parts of this system, including but not limited to the oral cavity, the stomach and the colon. The practitioners of this subspecialty cannot perform any form of surgery on the patient, especially those related to their field unless they have studied surgery separately. Infectious disease is another broad field in which internists can practice with the addition of a few years into their education and training. Their education and training focus on infections that are caused by fungi, bacteria and other sources. They mainly prescribe and are knowledgeable in antibiotics which may be specific to the kinds of infections that plague the human race.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Your Teen Could Benefit From a Trip to the Dermatologist

Visiting the dermatologist may not be something you have ever done. Yet, many parents need to consider the benefits of having their teenager in for such an appointment. In many situations, this type of appointment with a doctor can make a significant difference in your child's self-esteem, not to mention skin health. There are many key benefits to visiting this type of provider. Though not all teens need this help, your family doctor may even encourage you to turn to these professionals for the help you need.

Acne Is a Significant Problem

For many teens, acne is one of the biggest problems they have with their overall skin health. A dermatologist can help in several ways. First, the goal will be to determine what is behind this production. In some cases, it may be due to the overproduction of oil from the glands. This may be due to hormone imbalances. In other cases, it could be due to infections in and on the skin. Though your body's natural immune system may be able to handle these infections, that is not always the case. Sometimes, the cause is not known.

Finding the right treatment usually starts with educating the teen on how to care for the acne. Instead of looking at it like it is a pimple, it is best to turn to it as a problem infection. This may include the use of oral or topical treatments to improve the skin's ability to fight off these infections. The professional will offer specific steps for you to overcome the underlying problem or concern.

Why Do It?

Why should you focus on improving the way your teen's skin looks? First, realize that this type of treatment is not just about the way the skin looks but also about its health. These types of infections can wear down the immune system significantly. When that happens, it can lead to complications with other illnesses, too. Additionally, treatment for severe cases of this type of problem can also boost your child's self-esteem. That is a very important step to take. If you are unsure if your child needs specialized help, you can always schedule a consultation to find out. Then, you can determine if your child needs added treatment or not.