Archive

Archive for June, 2010

Jun
17

An abscessed tooth is an infection. An abscess can often include pus and swelling of the soft gum tissues that are surrounding the tooth. An abscess generally develops because of tooth decay or tooth trauma, such as a broken tooth. An opening in the enamel of a tooth, can also be created by a cavity. Either of these can allow bacteria to get into the center of the tooth. This can often cause an infection. The area inside the tooth essentially consists of “pulp” and it is soft and tender. Because of this, infection can cause a great deal of damage. This resulting damage is called an abscess of the tooth.

Once an abscess begins to occur, the infection can spread throughout the rest of the mouth and body. Usually, a root canal is the only option to save a tooth, once it has become abscessed. If you suspect that you might have an abscessed tooth, it’s important to go and see your dentist right away. The sooner this problem is treated, the more likely that potential damage can be minimized. The longer you wait for treatment, the more likely that the effects created by the abscess will have permanent consequences that cannot be reversed.

If an abscess causes the tooth to be severely decayed all the way into the nerve of the tooth, then a root canal is usually the only option to save the tooth. That is why it is so important to see your dentist, if you think you might be suffering from this problem. A root canal is a dental procedure that attempts to fix a tooth that cannot be filled or restored in any other way. The procedure is quite involved and extensive. Catching an abscess early can prevent you from ever needing a root canal. If you do require this procedure though, here’s what you can expect.

A root canal begins with the dentist numbing your tooth. It’s likely that they will use a rubber “dam” to keep the tooth area dry and free of saliva. A rubber dam is a piece of rubber that is designed to fit over the tooth and isolate it from the rest of the mouth. The dentist then needs to prepare the tooth by drilling and opening into the decayed area. After the dentist removes all the decay and bacteria from the upper area of the tooth, they will then have to focus their efforts down into the roots of the tooth. To do this, root canal files will need to be used. Root canal files are small instruments that are various sizes, so that they can fit deep down into the canals of the tooth. It is important that the files vary in diameter so that the different size roots can be thoroughly cleaned and the decay and infection located deep within the roots can be removed. After the decay and infection has been completely removed from the root system of the tooth, the dentist usually fills the canals that he has just cleaned with a rubber filling material called gutta percha. After the canals are filled with this rubber compound, a regular filling is placed in the tooth.

After a root canal procedure, a tooth can become dry, brittle and it can easily break. Because of this, a crown (cap) is usually placed on the tooth to properly restore it. The cost of a root canal generally averages about $800 and a crown, which is usually also required as part of the procedure, is going to cost about $900. Although the total price might seem expensive, the only other alternative to a root canal is the removal of the entire tooth. You can probably see now why it is so important to take care of your teeth in the first place. If you think you have an abscess, the sooner you can get into your dentist, the better.

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Jun
16

Anxiety is normal. However, too much of it, also called panic anxiety attack, can be devastating not only to you but to the people that surround you as well. In most cases, it intervenes with the patient’s daily life, preventing his or her body from functioning normally.

Thus, it is very important to identify have a better understanding on this disorder and how to prevent and treat it. It does not have to limit one’s capacity. Anxiety disorder patients have to seek help from a medical professional and learn the ways on how to prevent the disorder naturally.

Anxiety Attacks and Depression Treatments

There are several Anxiety and depression treatment recommended by medical professionals for anxiety or panic disorders, depending on the severity of the condition. Among the treatments include cognitive behavior therapy, which focuses on cognition, thoughts, and behaviors; and exposure therapy, a therapy that lets the patient confront his or fears in a controlled and safe environment. Apart from that, there variety of medications is also used to treat or control panic attacks or anxiety disorders. These include antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which can greatly reduce anxiety attack symptom especially when combined with therapies.

Aside from the treatments above, patients of anxiety disorders can also reduce panic attach symptoms through the following natural treatments:

Healthy Diet

Studies show that there are certain food substances that can trigger panic disorders. Diets that include refined sugar can cause mood swings. Other food substances that panic disorder patients need to avoid include alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.
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Quality Sleep

Psychological and physical ailments can be triggered by lack of sleep. It is for this reason why anxiety disorder patients need to maintain quality sleep as bad sleeping habits can result in mood swings and irritability that can aggravate the condition.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise has long been proven to contribute in attaining optimum health. For panic attack patients, though, it is best to consult a medical professional first about the appropriate types of exercises for the condition as there are some types of exercises that can cause the body to increase production of lactic acid. This acid has been identified to trigger panic attack symptoms.

Panic attack or anxiety disorders do not have to limit one’s capabilities and affect one’s life and affect the lives of the people that surround him or her. With therapies, right medications, healthy lifestyle, and supervision of a professional, getting rid of the condition is always not impossible.

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Jun
16

What Is Asystole And Why Is It Bad?

Asystole is the medical term that is commonly called flatline. Flatline means that there is no cardiac electrical movement. During flatline, the myocardium does not produce any contractions and provides no blood flow or cardiac output. The myocardium is the center of the 3 layers that form the heart’s wall. Medical physicians require a state of asystole to certify that an individual is dead.

Patients that exhibit signs of asystole are usually treated with chest compressions and injections of atropine, epinephrine or vasopressin. During asystole, electrical shocks (defibrillation), will typically have no affect on the heart since it has already become depolarized. Defibrillation comprises of applying a medicinal amount of electrical shock to a stricken heart through a defibrillator by an ECG technician or another medical professional.

A defibrillator stops the heart from beating by depolarizing a large portion of the heart muscle. Before asystole occurs, the normal heart rhythm can be revived. After applying a defibrillator, the natural pacemaker chemicals in the sinoatrial node within the heart can restart the heartbeat.

There are a few emergency room doctors that believe in using defibrillation even after seeing the signs of asystole. They suggest that defibrillation should be applied because the lack of heartbeat may really be an uneven contraction of the heart muscle inside the chambers of the heart. This type of contraction is also known as ventricular fibrillation and makes the heart muscle quiver like a can full of worms.

While it may be true that ventricular fibrillation may be hard to distinguish from asystole, there is still not a lot of evidence to back up this practice. The majority of doctors believe that asystole is a verification of death and not an uneven heart rate. ECG/EKG training usually defines asystole as a medical confirmation of death. When another cause is detected for the absence of a heartbeat and is treated immediately, a small percentage of patients are brought back to life.

An ECG technician will analyze the patient’s heart rhythm to check for a cardiac arrhythmia and a ventricular fibrillation heart condition. A cardiac arrhythmia happens whenever there is unusual electrical activity within the heart such as being too slow, too fast or extremely irregular.

ECG technicians are required to learn this detailed knowledge through ECG/EKG classes to earn their ECG/EKG certification.

You will find ECG technicians with ECG/EKG certification working in hospital emergency rooms, high-risk industrial facilities, nursing homes, cardiologist offices or working one-on-one with patients. Their ECG/EKG training includes working under supervision at a medical facility and taking ECG/EKG classes in:

  • Patient preparation
  • ECG device operation
  • Electrical lead positioning
  • Analyzing ECG tracings
  • There is a growing demand for medical professionals that can work with asystole conditions, defibrillators and ECG/EKG devices because of the large population of baby boomers that are now in their 60s.

    Jun
    15

    Autism is a very misunderstood condition that affects a surprisingly large amount of the UKs population. Until you have firsthand experience of dealing with somebody that you know to be on the Autistic Spectrum, dependent where on the spectrum they are you may be forgiven for not even knowing they are autistic. You are more likely to believe that they are just being rude.

    The more you come to know about Autism you will realise that this just isn’t the case. Autistic people are just like the rest of us they just do things differently just as different cultures live by different rules. People with ASDs generally only have a single focus of attention and are UN able to multitask.

    As an example if somebody with Autism is watching a particular program on the television that they really like you could be screaming and shouting their name and they could seemingly not hear you because they are so focused on the program they are watching. ASD people are excellent at what they are doing at that point in time and will not change that focus until they want to.
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    Apart from this there are many other areas of an ASD that may present themselves such as sensory over load. A lot of ASD people cannot cope with their surroundings if it’s too busy as there are simply just too many things for their minds to process. Most of us wouldn’t notice all of these things going on around us but to somebody with an ASD this sort of environment can be very distressing.

    This article isn’t intended to give you an overview of Autism and all its traits its more to offer some advice on a particular area that may affect some people with an ASD. Somebody suffering from a sensory issue, in particular aversion to noise, in the past would have probably relied on putting their hands over their ears, not going anywhere where they would come into contact with strange noises or even walked around with a pair of ear phones on.

    Today there are at least two popular alternatives that can be offered. The first can help in two ways and is an iPod. iPods are very popular today and if the person wanted to go UN noticed as suffering from this particular trait and iPod would offer a good alternative and they can also pipe some music through it that they like. This solution works well on the move but in some situations just isn’t possible like in school classrooms for instance.

    The way around this is the ever popular ear defenders. These devices can be custom moulded to fit snugly in your ear. They come in a whole host of different colours and can be worn as much as you like. Ear Defenders literally block out all the excessive noise allowing you to hear what is being said so your hearing is very focussed rather than all over the place. As an option if the person suffering with an ASD will wear them is probably the most suitable. Autism isn’t a condition to be feared it’s a condition that needs to be understood in greater detail.

    Jun
    14

    Removing gout crystals needn’t be difficult. There’s an easy way that is totally natural and painless. Discover here how this secret natural gout remedy can help you get rid of your excruciating symptoms.

    As a gout sufferer you need to do everything you can to remove the gout crystals that have formed in your joint(s). It is your body’s natural reaction to these that causes your gout symptoms of swelling, stiffness, inflammation, redness, heat and very, very great pain.

    When you go to your doctor, you’ll most probably be prescribed medication. And these can work for most people, except that they can have some very bad side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, etc., that put many sufferers off. So that more and more gout sufferers are seeking natural gout remedies.

    And of all the natural remedies I’ve tried for my gout during my research, the one that I’ve found to be the most effective in removing gout crystals has been baking soda. No kidding! the stuff that you’ve probably had hanging about in your kitchen for ages, can help to alleviate your gout symptoms, and pretty quickly.

    Otherwise known as bicarbonate of soda, this cooking aid has been found to be a very valuable gout home remedy. The key benefits are…

  • Helps to dissolve uric acid (gout) crystals to alleviate the excruciating pain you suffer during a gout attack.
  • Increases the amount of fluids in your body to help your kidneys process and flush excess uric acid out of your system.
  • Improves the solubility of uric acid in your blood which again helps your body to excrete it better.
  • Increases the pH of your urine in order to help lower the chances of you getting kidney stones forming.
  • Can be used in conjunction with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help improve their capabilities.
  • How to prepare and take this natural gout home remedy…

    Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to 8 oz of water and stir until the powder has completely dissolved. Drink a cupful before bed, one first thing in the morning, and then, one cup every three hours between meals. But don’t drink more than 8 cups per day i.e. 4 teaspoons of baking soda. Repeat this on a daily basis until your symptoms have gone.

    Also, change over to a low sodium, or better still, a salt-free diet whilst using this remedy because baking soda is already very high in sodium. Plus, if you suffer from hypertension — high blood pressure — then please talk to your doctor before attempting it.

    As I’ve said, I’ve found this to be great for removing gout crystals and relieving the pain of an actual gout attack. But we can’t take this every day, so what happens in between gout attacks? What’s to prevent further gout attacks causing long term joint damage and even kidney problems?

    This is where you need to do what I did and start to focus on the underlying issues such as your diet, your weight, lifestyle, medications being taken, underlying medical conditions, family history, etc. These are typical issues that can affect your propensity to get gout. And now that you’ve had one gout attack, your chances of suffering more are considerably higher.

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    Jun
    11

    Allergies are very common, and most people will know what an allergy is. If you are unaware of what an allergy is, it is a type of bad reaction inside the immune system to a ordinary mild substance. Someone who does not suffer from any type of allergies will most likely have no reaction to the substance. However when there is someone who has allergies, their body will be set off by an encounter with the substance, the body will then respond by realizing chemicals, this will be the reason for the allergy.
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    When children experience a reaction it can be seen as eczema and most likely be a food allergy. Children that do experience eczema will be at a high risk of getting a type of asthma or allergic rhinitis; which is more than likely to happen when children are in school.

    By adulthood eczema will probably go away likewise with many other food allergies. Asthma or allergic rhinitis can sometimes form during their teenage years and when they are young adults, and are likely to hang around throughout their lives. An allergic symptom may, however not be permanent and will disappear eventually.

    An atopic dermatitis (eczema), is usually the first sign of an allergy and can be seen in up to 20% of children, normally around the infant age. This form of allergy is consisted with itching, and a rash. The rash will appear to be dry and red, could have small blisters and may ooze or flake overtime. For infants this rash may be on the face most typically around the cheeks, the chest, the back of the scalp, and could form on the arms and legs. Where the distribution is, is where the children are most likely to scratch. The rash will be different for older children to younger children. For adults the rash will most likely be behind the knees or on the elbows.

    A food allergy will happen at any stage of someones life. If there is a food allergy that has evolved it will result in a skin symptom, like swelling, hives or a redness on the skin, because of eating the food that started it. The symptom can arise quickly or it may take a while to show up. There are other symptoms involved with a food allergies, they can be nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach aches not being able to breath sneezing, lightheadedness or a runny nose.

    Symptoms can occur at any time but if they are food allergies a rash will appear. Children will most likely develop a form of eczema when they are allergic to something. Some allergies may also disappear over time. However, any type of allergy should be treated and seen by a doctor.

    Jun
    10

    If you are like numerous people today that are trying to kick the habit of smoking you have probably tried numerous clever techniques to help you reach that goal. Some people try substituting something else for their cigarettes, such as gum or candy, like the readily available nicotine gum. However, other people have turned to smoking cigars instead of smoking that pack of cigarettes a day.
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    Many people believe that lighting up a cigar instead of a cigarette is a good way to overcome their nicotine addiction, and therefore quit smoking. On the other hand, the increased popularity of cigar smoking today can not only be contributed to this reason. There is an image that many people have when they think about smoking cigars, much like the image people think about when smoking cigarettes.

    If you were to take a few moments to really look at the smokers around you, you may be amazed to see how many of them are actually smoking some type of cigar. This is especially true among the younger population, such as teenagers and young adults. What’s even more astounding is that there are numerous women that have taken up cigar smoking, due in part to the social status it can provide to them in certain circles.

    Whatever the reason may be, there seems to be a general consensus that lighting up a cigar is far less dangerous to your health than lighting up a cigarette. Numerous cigar smokers also believe that this type of smoking will not lead to addiction. Their typical way of thinking is that cigar smoke is not inhaled the same as that of a cigarette so how can I become addicted? On the other hand, with a little research you may find that everything you have come to believe may not be as true as you once thought.

    Cigar Addiction

    Have you ever asked yourself if you can become addicted to smoking cigars? If not, you may be amazed by the answer. We all know that it is the nicotine in cigarettes that makes them so addictive. Studies have provided evidence that cigars can contain higher rates of nicotine than cigarettes. Therefore, smoking just one cigar a day can put you at risk of becoming addicted.

    Health Risks
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    As we have stated before, cigar smoke is not inhaled in the same fashion as cigarettes so this leads people to believe that they are not at risk for lung cancer from smoking a cigar. While the risk of contracting lung cancer is not the “same” as cigarette smoking, you may be putting yourself at risk for different forms of cancer.

    Cigar smoke is typically held in the mouth for a period of time and this can put you at risk for contracting oral or throat cancer at a higher rate than cigarette smoking. The smoke doesn’t travel down to the lungs so it is absorbed almost entirely by the mouth and throat. What’s more, cigar smoking can lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

    Cigarette manufacturers are required to put warnings on their packing, however cigar manufacturers are not. The lack of this warning on the label is what leads numerous smokers to believe they are not taking the same types of risks that are associated with cigarettes. However, if you take a little time to do some research you would find that lighting up a cigar in place of that cigarette can be putting you in as much danger, possibly more, of contracting cancer and other illnesses as that of cigarette smoking.

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    Jun
    09

    Are you afraid to smile because of the way your teeth look? Yellow, stained and down right ugly? The truth is, when someone looks at you the first thing they notice is your smile. Now if your teeth are ugly then that will be a big turn off. Even though it is not always your fault, you need to do something about it as soon as possible. But the question is: how can you actually whiten your teeth without spending a fortune?

    To answer that question, let’s look at the available options:
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    1. A Visit To The Dentist – Dentists are trained professionals who knows exactly what to do and how to do it to remove even the toughest of stains from your teeth. If you have a few hundred dollars to fork out then this would be the best option. However, that would go against our main objective – to whiten your teeth without spending a fortune. Thus we have to look at other options available.

    2. Use Teeth Whitening Remedies – There are many remedies that people all over the world use to remove teeth stains and whiten their teeth. However, one of the most common remedy is the use of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

    With this remedy, you mix a small amount of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide as a paste and use it to brush your teeth. You can add a little mint flavor to it so that it mimics your toothpaste. Use this for at least a week and you will see amazing results. This option of teeth whitening is very cheap and if you have no problem using home remedies then this is for you.

    3. Tooth Whitening Kits – This is another option of teeth whitening that is relatively cheap and provides amazing results. Some of these comes in gel form that you apply to a tray and place over your teeth for a few minutes. Some are strips while some are pen applicators. Most of them work in a similar fashion and it is said that they contain the same ingredients as those used by professional dentists.

    Teeth whitening kits are mostly available online. However, most companies offer free trail offers. What that means is that you can try the product before you buy. What you need to do is ensure that you make note of the date the free trial offer expires. That way, if you don’t like the product you can cancel before your credit card is billed.

    Verdict – There are many options available to whiten your teeth. Some are cheap while some are expensive. If you looking for cheap ways to whiten your teeth, I recommend you try the home remedy above or go for a teeth whitening kit.

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    Jun
    08

    The usual definition of diabetes is having too much glucose in your blood.

    How much is too much? Well, the World Health Organisation lowered the threshold some time ago, 1997, as people were being found to have diabetes, despite being under the blood sugar level associated as being normal.

    The new definition, along with the usual symptoms such as fatigue, excessive thirst, frequent urination and blurred vision is:

    • A randomly taken sample of blood glucose showing a level greater than 11 mmol/l (millimoles per litre).
    • Blood sugar levels greater than or equal to 7 mmol/l when fasting
    • If blood sugars are greater than 11 mmol/l two hours after drinking 75 grams of glucose diluted in water.
    • Millimoles per litre are an almost universal measurement, except in the US, where mg./dl (milligrams per decilitre) is used, which is mmol/l x 18.

    Everyone is different. In my case I had my own business at the time, dealing with floods and fires for insurance companies. We would go in, strip out all the damaged items and building fabric, then reinstate the property. It was physical work and I loved it.

    I thought the physical aspect meant that it helped keep me fit, and when at 47 years of age, I found that I needed to take a short 20 minute nap in the afternoon; I simply put this down to my advancing years.

    Some months later, I developed a raging thirst. I was literally drinking over 5 gallons of water a day, and needed to visit the bathroom about every half hour.

    Things came to a head about 2 weeks after this, when my vision became slightly blurred. Initially, that too I put down to age, especially since I received a reminder for an eye test! I woke up one morning and just couldn’t see, everything was just a mass of colour.

    I happened to be visiting my parents at the time, and my father, a doctor, recognised the symptoms immediately.

    I finally visited my doctor the next day, more tests and it was confirmed. I had type 2 diabetes.
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    I was instantly put on 3 different drugs as my sugar levels were out somewhere around 27 mmol/l! Some 6 months later I was put on insulin, and have been injecting twice a day for nearly 2 years now.

    The point is, if you have any of these symptoms, including stress and irritability, don’t simply put them down to old age or stress in the workplace. Go and see your doctor and get checked out. In fact, you should really have a check up every year.
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    Early diagnosis means getting this disease under control earlier, and reduces the potential consequences of diabetes – renal failure, blindness and amputations to name three.

    Jun
    07

    Type 2 diabetes causes almost no pain or discomfort and yet has profound effects on most of the body. Type 2 is invisible, a chronic disease that does not go away…it damages the blood vessels and changes the blood chemistry; it reaches every organ. One good reason for preventing or controlling diabetes has to do with hip fractures.

    Researchers in the Yoo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, looked at diabetes and the risk of hip fractures in a study reported in the journal Diabetes Care, May 2010. Over 60,000 volunteers were followed for an average of 12 years. Diabetics had almost twice the risk of hip fractures as non-diabetics.

    The results were consistent with those of another study published in the Journal of Gerontology, Biological Science and Medical Science, published in 2002. Workers at the School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Texas at Galveston, looked at 3050 people over 65 years old. They were followed up for 7 years. The risk of hip fractures for those volunteers with diabetes was more than one and a half times higher than for non-diabetics.

    Hip fractures can have severe consequences, including death. Surgical repair is usually highly effective, but major surgery carries its own risks, particularly in people over 65. Immobility after surgery can lead to pneumonia, skin infections, and heart disease. If you are diabetic, consider eliminating all the modifiable risk factors for broken hips.

    One such factor is osteoporosis. As we age there is a tendency for the bones to lose calcium, making them weak and susceptible to fractures. If we don’t have enough calcium and vitamin D to begin with, we are candidates for osteoporosis. One of the best ways to get enough calcium is through vegetables such as broccoli and turnip greens. Milk and milk products are not the best because their high protein content can interfere with calcium’s absorption.

    And speaking of absorption, be sure to get enough sunlight to make vitamin D. This does not mean that you need to sunbathe for hours and risk skin cancer, but make a point of going for a walk every day. That will not only get you some sunlight, enabling your body to make vitamin D, but the weight-bearing you do while walking will help your bones to absorb the calcium.

    It has been found women with type 2 diabetes and poor blood sugar control can suffer greater levels of bone loss than normal, and they are 1.7 times more likely to develop hip fractures. Controlling blood sugar, coupled with weight-bearing exercise and calcium supplements, may reduce the bone loss of osteoporosis.

    Astronauts in space found that they were losing calcium from their bones despite an adequate diet, because they were weightless.

    Smoking and consuming excess alcohol can also prevent your bones from taking in calcium, so if you smoke, it sounds like a good time to stop.

    Ask your doctor if he or she thinks that testing for osteoporosis is warranted in your case. The tests are simple and painless.

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