Archive for category Medicine
Laser Eye Surgery Guide
Posted by Jane Carpenter in Medicine on March 12, 2009
Supporting surgical vision correction is not as easy as ophthalmologists tell us. In the first place, we believe our eyes as extremely sensitive. And this is the truth. There are so many accidents that can cause, that everybody ought to carefully consider what hospital they choose to correct their sight faults.
PRK signifies photorefractive keratectomy. The procedure implies the the cutting of a small fraction from the cornea, resulting in reshaping it. In this manner myopia and hyperopia are corrected, making it possible to give up the prescription glasses for so many patients.
Lasik is also driven by excimer laser action like PRK, but the fraction removed from the cornea is not superficial, but a deeper portion. Then the superficial layer is set in its original position, permitting the eye to start the healing process.
Lasik and PRK are performed with excimer lasers. All lasers for eye surgery or for any variant of medical intervention have to be FDA approved. This is how patients safety is secured. This is a measure the state indicate they are preoccupied to have a healthy population.
Myopia and hyperopia can be corrected through either Lasik or PRK surgery. The doctors will examine each person individually, then indicating one operation or another. Every now and then, they could indicate that the patient should not be performed neither operation onto.
Mistakes in laser eye surgery can be very costly, as they may affect the patients vision for ever. Choosing doctors only after thorough investigations will reduce the exposure to such medical risks.
Eye surgery professionals say that the eyes heal quicker after Lasik than after PRK. These doctors probably have their conclusions, but there’s hardly any medical proof to endorse this claim. Each of us is unique, therefore healing is a personal process. It can go well, but sometimes it could take very long. We’ll see as we live.
What Bipolar Mania Is
Posted by Ken P Doyle in Medicine on March 7, 2009
Your friends introduced you to a new member in your theater actors guild. She easily caught everybodys attention with her energy and extraordinary cheeriness. That nights practice has ended and everybody was raring to get home. However, your new found friend surprisingly invited you to go the disco. You declined but gave her your home number instead. You awoke to a call and heard her sobbing on the phone. She was ranting about how miserable her life is and how she just wants to end her life right there and then! Nobody would want to be in this shocking situation but what you just read is a reality of a brain disorder called bipolar mania or manic-depressive illness.
Bipolar Mania and What Its About
This bipolar mania is a biological disorder characterized by manic and depressive episodes. A person suffering from bipolar disorder displays symptoms of extreme exhilaration at one instant then severe depression the next, as described above. Particularly, the manic signs and symptoms involve amplified energy, disturbing behavior, poor judgment, nervousness, and a reduced need for sleep. On the other hand, the depressive state is known by feelings of hopelessness, intense grief, and a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities among others. The fact that is most frightening about bipolar mania is that an individual may resort to suicide if untreated.
Statistics have shown that bipolar mania is affecting a significant number of individuals in the United States alone. Its a staggering 5.7 million of the total population. Should you or anyone of the people you know have bipolar, you need to get ready with all the vital information especially on how you can be of best help to them.
Treatment
Though bipolar mania is a long term challenge, the condition can be treated through a combination of approaches. The first is through the medical method. Mood stabilizers are the medications available for this condition. The more common one is Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) while others are prescribed with anticonvulsant medicines such as valproate (Depakote) or carbamazepine (Tegretol). On top of this, individuals with bipolar mania also see mental health professionals for cognitive or behavioral psychotherapy. Psychosocial approaches to bipolar mania are deemed important to recovery as it involves psychoeducation, family therapy and interpersonal therapy.
The Bipolar Support Groups
Then again, if the medical and psychological approach is not used in conjunction with the other methods then it will not be successful. It is an invaluable resource for an individual with bipolar mania to join bipolar support groups. Various discussions about the disorder are made in depth in these bipolar support groups, making them very educational. Sharing of true-to-life experiences is also done apart from the information and this makes the group relate well to each other.
Bipolar support groups offer a hospitable environment to bipolar sufferers so that they wont have to feel alone and alienated from the rest of the world. They also offer the opportunity to openly speak about their pains and hardships and at the same time gaining acceptance from others. The bipolar support group can brainstorm about local resources and acquiring government aid together.
Bipolar Mania Prognosis
Its important that a person with bipolar mania can or can not cope with the disorder. The real question though is whether they get into a bipolar support group which will see them through the process. This is the real determinant which has treatment value. Individuals with bipolar mania are on their way to a fully-functioning life with the right kind of help from the right kind of people.
How To Prevent Hand Wart
Posted by Anthony Galz in Medicine on March 6, 2009
Hand warts can be very discomfiting, itchy and irritating. Don’t wait till you catch it. Read on and know more about how you can avoid getting your hands into a mess like this (pun intended).
Being in direct skin to skin contact with a person with hand wart can give you hand warts. You can also catch hand wart from using towels or clothing and other personal items recently used by another person infected with hand wart. Beware of communal areas and public places like the gym and the gym shower room, the areas around the public pool, among others. A warm and moist environment is the ideal environment for hand wart to spread, be careful when you do visit these places.
Avoid spreading hand warts by following these tips:
- Don’t trust public areas to perform your grooming habits in. You may get infected, or carry the hand wart infection with you out of that area.
- Do not allow borrowing of personal items. Do not share socks, shoes, razors, nail cutters and files, hand towels, or towels and other articles of clothing with other people in the risk of catching a hand wart infection from any of these items. Most hand wart symptoms are externally visible, but other symptoms are notoriously small and inconspicuous as to be nearly invisible. It’s better safe than sorry.
- Be wary of where you put your hands down in communal places like the gym, in public showers, at areas around pools, and in restrooms and toilets, locker rooms and waiting areas. Wear shoes or sandals in these places to avoid catching hand wart. Avoid warm, moist areas in these places; those are ideal for the hand wart infection to multiply and spread.
- Do not touch any wart on anyone else’s hands. Touching it even so slightly can infect you. Do not be tempted by your curiosity to ask to touch your friend’s hand wart. That’s a disgusting and embarrassing thing to ask of someone who may be humiliated by his or her wart infection. Don’t make the situation even worse by asking to see his or her hand wart and then touching it.
- Remember to keep your hands clean and dry at all times. Hand wart can spread more easily when your hands are wet and come in contact with an infected person, or an area where hand wart may be. Dry your hands well so you can reduce the chances of catching hand wart (remember to use your own towel). If you have sweaty hands, carry a handkerchief — and if possible, talcum powder.
- As much as possible, try to take care of your hands and avoid injuring especially the palms. Hand wart grows and spreads more easily when you have a wound, or even small scratches that break the skin.
The hand wart is caused by a viral infection called the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). It is a skin infection so common nearly forty percent of all people have caught it at one point or another. There are many subtypes of the HPV virus and all of these are highly contagious. Your hand wart, in particular, is caused by one or two of these viral strains.
To protect yourself from hand wart infection, the best way is still to maintain a healthy body and a good hygiene habit. This will, in turn, develop your immune system. It is your can that resist the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), so take care of your health, and don’t stick your hands just about anywhere.
Orthopedics Arthritis Knee Braces
One of the most common parts afflicted with arthritis are the knee joints, and wearing knee braces is an ancient means of managing the often excruciating pain caused by arthritis. These braces can manage the pressure from the leg and knee, in due course aligning the leg in the correct position to relieve arthritis pain.
Arthritis knee braces can be classified into 2 broad types – custom made and off the shelf. “Off-the-shelf” involves choosing the appropriate knee braces from a ready-to-wear assortment, whereas “custom made” refers to requesting a brace design based on precise condition and targeting your unique knee requirements. Evidently, custom-made knee braces are more costly than the off the shelf ones. On the other hand, a custom-made brace is substantially better, as it is custom-designed to fit your specific needs. Along with knee braces, your choice of footwear is also crucial to manage your body pressure on your knees. The kind of shoes you wear can either increase or reduce your pain.
In addition to these 2 broad categories, knee braces can also be grouped into 4 distinct types.
An off loader knee brace, otherwise known as an unloader, is commonly worn to improve knee alignment. Off-loader knee braces provide knee support by decreasing the valgus or varus stress from the knees, or the abnormal mechanical alignment on one side of the knee.
Prophylactic braces, meanwhile, are worn typically by individuals who suffer from knee injuries, particularly sports injuries.
Alternatively, rehabilitative arthritis knee braces are recommended to improve lateral and/or medial movements. Rehabilitative arthritis knee braces also help to enhance the flexion & extension of the knee joint after knee injuries or a surgical procedure.
OA knee braces, as their name implies, are worn especially by OA (Osteoarthritis) patients. OA knee braces manage pain by enabling proper knee alignment.
Generally speaking, arthritis knee braces are a low-cost and reliable way of managing joint pain of the knees. They have been established to work in most cases. Nevertheless, there is still some concern about their efficiency.
Some doctors argue that braces are only a short-term solution to a potentially permanent condition, and frequently postpone the necessity for knee surgery. The temporary support of these braces tend to impair the muscles of the legs and knees, and can progressively cause permanent weakness and further allow the patient’s condition to deteriorate.
Nonetheless, various patients attest that regular use of arthritis knee braces effectively work in correcting knee alignment, manage body weight on the knees, and reducing pain significantly.
Of course, the end results of knee brace use are dependent on the uniqueness of each case and must not be sweepingly generalized. The patient’s overall health, body constitution, plus the severity of arthritis, and other factors, may influence the results of knee brace use.
In deciding on the appropriate arthritis knee braces for your own use, always consider your own unique requirements. The particular type of knee brace for you is dependent on the gravity of your pain or the state of your condition. The more severe the pain, the larger the knee braces you need. Off the shelf knee braces are equally as reliable as custom-made braces, unless you have a distinctive pain or area to address or a rather irregular knee shape.
As always, it is prudent to discuss this with your physician first to identify the right knee brace for your condition. Always consult a physician before using any method of treatment, whether medicinal drugs or natural remedies or knee braces.
A Review of Joint Advance Formula
Joint Advance offers quick and long-term relief from arthritis pain. Additionally, it helps to develop and enhance the building blocks of the cartilages in the body. To achieve healthier and stronger joints, as well as completely relieve your joint pains and aches, then the Joint Advance supplement is absolutely the ideal choice.
Osteoarthritis (OA) and Joint Advance
Presently, about twenty one million Americans are suffering from Osteoarthritis or OA. With the prevalence of osteoarthritis, it’s generally easy to deduce that the Joint Advance supplement can be extremely beneficial.
Most individuals regularly use standard anti-pain medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen, and aspirin to control pain. But bear in mind such anti-pain medications do not provide a cure for OA and can even further aggravate the condition by causing gastrointestinal complications and other negative side effects.
However, the Joint Advance supplement has been proven to promote the development of cartilages, and offer more powerful dosages of day-to-day nutrients. The Joint Advance product’s natural herbal ingredients will most definitely improve mobility and provide comfort to patients.
Joint Advance and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis appears when your body fails to cushion the joints in your hips, hands, knees, or back due to old age. When the protective tissue joint becomes weak, the tissue of the bone painfully rubs against the bone, hence causing joint stiffness, swelling, and tenderness.
Essentially, the Joint Advance product enhances the development process of your joints, such that when you grow old, the bones and cartilage are able to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. In combination, such ingredients as methyl sulfonylurea methane (MSM), glucosamine complex and chondroitin complex make a potent formula that will help you fight OA as you get older.
Sulphate and glucosamine HCL, especially, improves cartilage production, which essentially functions as a shock absorber of sorts for the joints. At some point in the aging process, the cartilage weakens, thus bringing about osteoporosis.
Glucosamine Complex
Each Joint Advance tablet consists of 1,500mg of Glucosamine complex. Glucosamine, a natural compound in the human body, is a chief component for the protection of our joints. Usually taken alongside Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine is widely recommended as safe for personal use.
Chondroitin Sulfate
Each Joint Advance tablet also includes 1200 milligrams of Chondroitin sulfate, which is another naturally occurring compound in your body. Chondroitin sulfate blocks various enzymes from causing damage to joint cartilage building blocks.
No Side Effects
Generally speaking, Joint Advance doesn’t cause any serious side effects. All things considered, it would still be wise to ponderthese points:
Because glucosamine is an active ingredient, patients with shellfish allergies are recommended to consult a physician before using the Joint Advance product, specifically because Joint Advance contains shrimp shell.
Though most people proclaim that Glucosamine doesn’t cause adverse side effects, you should still report any discomforts that you may encounter. For example, if you experience diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, constipation, upset stomach, heartburn, headache, or any side effects, you are advised to call your doctor immediately.
Urgent care should be pursued at the initial indications of any adverse side effects, especially common allergic reactions including rashes, hives, itching, chest tightening, or swelling of the face, tongue, mouth, or lips.
To reiterate, most Joint Advance users have reported no adverse side effects. However, you must stay careful always.
To summarize, Joint Advance is proven to advance the formation of healthy joints, which basically are the staple of a strong bone structure for an active and healthy lifestyle.
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Supplements
At present, Osteoarthritis (abbreviated as OA) is a common problem that affect people in the whole world. Osteoarthritis (OA) is particularly prevalent among elderly people, and also among people who have stressed joints or knee, back, neck, and different related injuries.
One more type of arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis (abbreviated as RA), is rather rare, affecting only roughly one percent of people worldwide. Nonetheless, we have all encountered rheumatoid arthritis in 1 form or another.
Fortunately, various nutritional supplements can now help arthritis sufferers control the painful and debilitating symptoms of RA and OA. The following are some of the nutritional supplements that have been proven reliable in the treatment of arthritis:
Omega-3 fatty acids: These generally function as anti-inflammatories that can block the progression of rheumatic arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are also able to treat osteoarthritis symptoms, and at times lessen dependency on NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
EPA/DHA: Clinical studies have revealed that 1400mg of EPA each day along with 1,000mg of DHA each day are effective in treating both rheumatic arthritis and osteoarthritis. The Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA is an especially potent supplement, since it includes such components as Olive Extracts and Sesame Lignans.
Curcumin: This is an anti-inflammatory based on Tumeric that suppresses certain destructive enzymes, thus treating the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. On the other hand, most forms of Curcumin lack a black pepper component called Piperine. As a consequence, those who use Curcumin rarely receive the appropriate amount they need for an effective treatment.
SAMe (S-Adenosylmethionine): SAMe is the active form of an amino acid called methionine. As it functions as an activated form, it is naturally transformed to cysteine within the body. In consequence, it has anti-oxidants that help fight osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as block harmful enzymes in the cartilage.
Chondroitin: Chondroitin sulphate, which makes up the articular cartilage, plays an important role in cartilage formation and development. The Chondroitin supplement has been established to be effective in pain relief and mobility resumption, thus treating OA. Moreover, it also fights against further damage to the joint due to osteoarthritis.
Glucosamine: Glucosamine is a natural product that is necessary in joint cartilage formation. In osteoarthritis cases, the synthesis of glucosamine is faulty, hence hampering the growth of cartilage. For this reason, using a Glucosamine supplement will enhance joint cartilage growth. In addition, Glucosamine effectively treats RA as it serves against inflammation and protects the joints.
MSM (methyl sulfonylurea methane): The MSM molecule is present in specific tissues of your body. It contains the same sulphur used by our body’s structural molecules. Therefore, MSM works reliably in osteoarthritis treatment.
Green Tea Compounds: Green tea has been proven to be reliable in inhibiting specific cytokines, thus fighting OA and RA progression. Green tea also works to treat inflammation.
Vitamin C: Packed with valuable anti-oxidants, Vitamin C fights oxidative stress and rids the body of harmful radicals. In effect, it relieves the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Since we do not produce Vitamin C naturally, it is crucial that you get it from other sources.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is also a potent anti-oxidant that isn’t only crucial in OA and RA treatment, but also in improving your health as a whole.