Post-Traumatic Stress: Defined

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Cause and effect is an unfortunate process — with tragic situations forever breeding tragic consequences. The dangers of war are understood by all, recognized as a collection of bullets, blood and bravery. The aftermath, however, is too often ignored: assumed to be nothing but relief, with soldiers freed from their duties and able to return home.

Such simplicity doesn’t exist, however. Instead many individuals find themselves suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (more commonly called PTSD). This prolonged feeling of anxiety dominates the military; and understanding it is essential for families who wish to relieve the symptoms of returning veterans.

PTSD, as its name implies, is an acute illness that steals an individual’s ability to cope with normal life. High levels of stress define it — with a patient experiencing insomnia, mood swings, exhaustion, nightmares and even paranoia. Extreme physical changes are common (with excessive weight loss being the most recognizable). Hyper-vigilance is also a symptom and often results in inappropriate responses, such as physical or verbal attacks.

The causes of PTSD are many but all are understood to stem from a traumatic event — the most common of these being war. Military personnel are the most deeply affected by this disease, and it often snatches away their chances of achieving normal lives.

It’s essential that family members monitor soldiers carefully: noting any potential symptoms and quickly asking for treatment. The only way to battle this disorder is to acknowledge it — and individuals must be willing to seek out any possible signs before they’re allowed to grow.

 

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A Lifetime Disease: Post-Traumatic Stress

July 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Regions of the brain affected by PTSD and stress.

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It’s a struggle of mind and body: with thoughts betraying every second and skin forever failing. You watch, helpless, as your friend shatters in front of you — a solider no longer able to care for himself, lacking even the desire to. He doesn’t sleep; he doesn’t smile. Instead he devotes himself to chasing shadows, certain that monsters lurk inside.

And that certainty doesn’t fade, even as the days pass. Instead it strengthens itself, sustaining every paranoid word he flings toward you. Your friend is no longer as he was and you fear he’ll never be that way again.

That fear is not unfounded — if only because the disease that’s claimed a solider is too often denied and the result is a lifetime of pain.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a cluster symptoms that affects millions of men and women each year — especially within the military. 19 percent of all soldiers are estimated to suffer from this disease. Of those individuals 30 percent will have it throughout their entire lives.

The reason for this is not the anxiety itself. Instead it’s the dismissal of it: with military members and their families too often unaware of how deep the symptoms go, unwilling to pursue the necessary help. Professional counseling is ignored; medication is refused; and the result is failure. PTSD is allowed to exist when it should instead be treated.

It’s necessary to regard all symptoms as serious. Otherwise PTSD will remain for years — and that’s a tragedy that should never occur.

 

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Using Technology in Medicine

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Health informatics is a relatively new field. It combines information technology, information sciences with the field of medicine in order to devise systems to validate, generate, secure and integrate medical and health-related data.

The idea and purpose behind health informatics is to deliver a more effective healthcare solution to patients. This is done by gathering various techniques, systems and resources together to maximize technology, medical knowledge and other available advances. This system is used in many healthcare fields such as pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and others.

Also known as medical informatics, this system uses hardware, software, networks and other such technology to gather information. Information that is gathered and processed includes medical and clinical directives, medical terminology, information technology and so on. The information derived from these processes can be applied to medical settings such as general and primary care practices, hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

This new technology uses these information systems to create a more efficient and effective operations systems within the medical fields — particularly in the areas of medical, administration and clinical information and data.

Informatics emphasizes, in particular, the need for implementing a uniform system of electronic records. By creating a uniform, easily accessed system, the results include a reduction of medical costs, as well as an improvement in overall patient care. In addition, because so much information can be easily shared billing, scheduling, research and information sharing are impacted in a positive way.

As this new field continues to grow and develop, more applications will be delivered that will provide for better, less expensive medical care to patients.

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Health Products Reviews

April 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Health, no one could undermine this word. Everyone wants to be health, because it is the truly source of joy. We cannot enjoy this life without being health, even when we got much money. It would be so meaningless. Unfortunately, being health is not an easy thing for most of people. To be health, it is required a serious effort.

Things are getting worse if one is suffering some diseases or illness. It would be harder to him just to get recover. Health product is one of the answers to this problem. The development of technology seems to allow people to get products that would be beneficial to health. But, problem arises since not every health product is appropriate to every person. People need such Recent reviews of various Health Products before could decided to consume one of the products.

The reviews would help people to choose which one is the most appropriate products to his/her need, because to consume health products is not that simple.

The reviews are also beneficial to give people reference about what he/she actually need to consume. For instance, a review about Healthy Anti Aging Products. There are many anti aging products outside, but not all of them are good, or at least, there is one which is the best. That is why people need such reviews of the products.

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Smoking and Impotence: Is There a Connection?

April 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most smokers are fully aware of the negative physical repercussions of smoking too much. Impotence is now added to the list of health concerns for smokers. The inclination to buy Viagra is common for men suffering from erectile dysfunction. Whether drugs can reduce or remedy the problem for smokers remains a point of research.

The Causes of Impotence

The more commonly known causes of impotence include heart disease, diabetes, stress and high blood pressure. Men who have had pelvic surgery or who have suffered from trauma may also experience erectile dysfunction. Men dealing with impotence may also experience self-esteem issues or guilt, leading to greater performance anxiety.

The Advice to Buy Viagra

The suggestion to buy Viagra is a common one and it can work effectively for some men. Whether it’s a remedy for smokers is a question to be explored. Some research shows that the more years a man smokes, the greater his chance of experiencing impotence. When impotence is caused by smoking, common drugs are not always effective.

Smoking and Erectile Dysfunction

Researchers have found links between smoking and impotence. The complications of smoking, in general, are many. Smokers are typically aware that they are susceptible to lung cancer and a wide range of other cancers, as well as diseases of the esophagus, mouth and throat. Smoking complicates cardiovascular diseases, which lead to physiological responses that result in impotence.

Solid advice for smokers who are concerned about impotence is to quit smoking. A more vital sex life and a healthier body, in general, are worth the struggle that often accompanies the decision to stop smoking.

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How to Avoid Salmonella

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Salmonella is a food borne illness caused by bacteria that can be found in raw or poorly prepared food. This disease causes diarrhea and a painful stomach flu called gastroenteritis. In some rare cases it can also cause typhoid fever. A person contracts these bacteria when they come in contact with contaminated water or food. When beef, eggs, milk and poultry are improperly prepared or in a raw state they can become contaminated with salmonella. Almost all foods can be contaminated by these bacteria, and when they are they smell and look like they should. So your food could conceivably be infected and you would not know it by a simple inspection. The best way to prevent the consumption of salmonella is to cook your food, since that will kill the bacteria.

Usually stomach acids that digest your food are the first defenses to prevent salmonella from taking hold in your body. These acids don’t always kill all the bacteria; however, and some survive and go after the walls of your small intestines. This attack triggers a reaction from your immune system.

Food that is contaminated generally contains more of the bacteria than that which is found in contaminated water. If you have eaten cheese, milk, antacids or taken antibiotics your stomach acids are made weaker and the salmonella bacteria has a greater chance of attaching to your intestine walls where they can quickly increase. There are also chronic medical problems which can render an individual more prone to the bacteria, such as cancer, HIV, lupus and diabetes to name just a few

Should a case of salmonella poisoning become severe or if an individual has a weak immune system the bacteria can commute from the intestines to the bloodstream causing serious illnesses to the heart, blood vessels, bones and joints.

The only sure way to keep the bacteria from invading your system is to thoroughly cook your food before eating it.

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Eating Heart Healthy Foods

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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In the battle against cardiovascular disease healthy diets seem to be the most effective weapon. This seems to be a well known fact yet heart disease persists as the number one cause of death in the U.S.

Those representing the American Heart Association state that the reason this continue to be an epidemic in our country is because we continue to choose high-calorie food that clog our arteries and cause us to pack on the weight. However, there are ways to change our habits and prevent these unhealthy cycles from continuing. Here are some heart-healthy things we can do that will improve our health and help us prevent the onset of heart disease.

  • Eating 3 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit each day provides us with vitamins and minerals we need as well as much of the fiber that is also necessary to good health. They are also practically free of fat and cholesterol.
  • Stop eating or at least greatly reduce our intake of high-fat foods. These contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, saturated and trans-fat.  These all increase the risk of heart disease. Instead we should use liquid vegetable oils instead of shortening and hard butter. This can be done by limiting how many cookies, pies, doughnuts and pastries we consume.
  • The risk of coronary artery disease is reduced by omega-3 fatty acids. These can be found in fish, like trout, herring and salmon, and should be eaten at least 2 times a week.
  • Liver and red meat contain important minerals, but they are contain high levels of cholesterol. You should have no more than 300 mg of cholesterol entering your system a day. Reduce the amount of these foods you eat and your intake of cholesterol will drop accordingly.
  • Salt is another mineral we need to reduce. Don’t add salt to those foods you prepare. Keep your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day.
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Advantages of Eating Whole Grains

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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When it comes to the advantages offered by whole grains there is very little that can compare to them. They contain high amounts of fiber as well as antioxidants. Because they contain a high level of fiber they are a healthy food source when dieting. Whole grains contain fewer calories for the amount eaten, which means that they give you a sense of feeling full at a lower level of calorie intake. This is extremely helpful if you are trying to lose weight.

Whole grains are obviously good for you, though the amount you should consume each day depends on your age, gender and level of activity. The Department of Agriculture has determined that adults should eat approximately 6 ounces of grain every day, of which half should be some sort of whole grain. To better understand how this equates to what you might actually eat, consider 1 slice of bread to be roughly one ounce of grain. A half a cup of pasta, cereal or cooked rice is also equivalent to an ounce of grain.

Whole grains are all low in fat yet contain vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of carbohydrates. Some popular available forms of whole grain include oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice.

According to the USDA whole grains bolster your health for the following reasons. Fiber in such whole grains as barley and oats help reduce a person’s level of cholesterol and in turn have the possibility of lowering a person’s risk of heart disease. It also seems to reduce the incidents of constipation. Bones and muscles are aided by the magnesium, an important mineral in whole grains. Selenium is another mineral in whole grains which bolsters the immune system and protects cell structures from oxidation. And, in general, a 3 ounce serving of whole grains have been found to help in maintaining a healthy level of weight.
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Avoiding Hypoglycemia

January 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hypoglycemia is often called “low blood sugar.” If you’ve ever experienced an event where you feel weak in the knees, a sense of disorientation and break out in a sweat on the heels of eating something sweet, particularly if you’ve had nothing else to eat that day, you more than likely have just experienced and episode of hypoglycemia. This reaction can affect those with diabetes or those who are non-diabetics both. It is often considered a possible sign that you are facing an adult onset of diabetes.

Hypoglycemia is usually the result of sucrose – table sugar. Your body chemistry is designed to break down complex carbohydrates such as rice, bread and potatoes. Refined sugars are formed into sucrose from sources like sugar cane. It is extracted and processed until it is formed into the sucrose molecule. This molecule is constructed of one glucose molecule connected to one fructose molecule. This final sucrose molecule is not as easily broken down by human biochemistry as complex carbohydrates are.

When your body starts to digest sucrose the fructose part of the sucrose molecule disrupts the glycolytic pathway interfering with the digestion of the glucose part of the molecule. Without fructose the glucose would be metabolized much quicker. This causes the body to conclude that there is more glucose in your system than is really present, causing it to excrete a surplus of insulin to break down the extra glucose. What happens is the fructose is quickly metabolized before the glucose, which is then quickly metabolized by the insulin, but leaves excess insulin in the system. The excess insulin drops the glucose level lower than it should be causing the feelings of disorientation, sweaty palms and weakness.

The best way to prevent this sort of reaction is to avoid refined sugar. It might be difficult, but the results include loss of weight, no sugar drops and increased overall energy.

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What is Cerebral Palsy?

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Cerebral palsy or CP is a disorder caused by brain injury that affects the muscles. Usually cerebral palsy develops during pregnancy, childbirth, or the first few years of life. Even though it is a disorder in the brain, it usually causes many physical and developmental disabilities as well. There are four different classifications of cerebral palsy and so far there has been no cure found for any of them.

The most common type is spastic cerebral palsy. This leads to stiff muscles with exaggerated reflexes and muscle spasms. Ataxic cerebral palsy results in poor muscle coordination and, with some people, tremors. Dyskinetic or athetoid cerebral palsy results in a mix of both very stiff and very limp muscles and involuntary movements. The last type is hypo-tonic cerebral palsy which causes the muscles to be very limp leading to very little or no ability to move.

In general CP can make it very difficult for someone to walk, stand, or even sit up by themselves. They may also have problems performing simple motor skills such as: writing, typing, or holding onto things. If the person is able to walk there is a high chance that they will drag one leg when walking or walk with a scissored gait. Cerebral palsy can also lead to other medical conditions as well. Some of the other conditions that CP can lead to are: problems with hearing or vision, mental retardation, seizures, and problems with teeth.

Although there is no cure for cerebral palsy there are things that can be done to improve the quality of life for someone with CP. Physical therapy can sometimes help to strengthen the muscles. Speech therapy can help to make communication easier. There are medicines that can help with seizures, muscle spasms, and pain. There are surgeries that can help loosen muscles. Also there are many medical devices that can make life easier such as: wheelchairs, braces, walkers, and many others.

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