Monitoring

One of the first things a diabetic has to learn is how to monitor his blood glucose (sugar) on his own, since this important measure can change constantly and elevated levels can be life threatening.  Normally, a glucometer is used to indicate the levels, and it is recommended that levels be measured before and after meals, since food is the main trigger for increases. (Although stress and pain can also trigger sudden spikes.)  Levels should read 70 to 130 milligrams (per deciliter) before meals and less than 189 milligrams after.

Checkups

As a control measure, a doctor will order an additional test called a hemoglobin A1C in his office from time to time.  This test measures the average blood sugar over the previous two or three month period.  This helps avoid a patient behaving well (i.e. eating properly) just before a doctor visit, thinking he will be able to hide the fact that his glucose has been too high.  A1C levels should be lower than 7%, and you can count on a grilling by your doctor is your glucose level is good but your A1C level is high.

Diet

But one of the most important and permeating factors in a diabetics life is his diet.  Adult onset diabetes (unlike juvenile diabetes, which is congenital) is caused by obesity and poor diet: too much sugar, or foods that break down quickly into sugar.  Diabetes are advised to eat less refined foods, which have a lower glycemic index and are therefore slower to raise blood sugar than refined products.  Diabetics should avoid sweets and processed starches such as soda, cakes, bagels, pasta, etc.  These items should be replaced in the diet with fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grain products, all of which require processing by the body and therefore break down more slowly into glucose.

Diabetes cannot be cured; it can only be controlled.  To avoid some of the tragic consequences of diabetes, such as gangrenous limbs, blindness, stroke and death, it is imperative that the diabetic take his treatment very seriously and take every necessary step to monitor and control it.  If you don’t have diabetes, you can help to avoid it by avoiding too many sweets and refined carbohydrates, and getting plenty of exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.

If diabetes is left untreated, it can become even more serious in the elderly resulting in the need for a home health care worker. Even though most people in the medical profession are trustworthy, you may want to do a background check, just to be sure.

Floss
Floss is among the items that often seems to go missing, no matter where it gets stored or how much is stowed away in the bathroom cabinet. For this reason, it is a good diea to purchase floss packets and include them among dental care stocking stuffers that will remind the receiver to clean between their teeth after candy canes, holiday ham and any baked goods with a winter theme.

Be sure to go with a simple mint or unflavored variety unless the stocking recipient has a known preference. The fruit, cinnamon and other varieties are preferred by some but disliked by others, so it is a good idea to get a floss that will get used rather than discarded.

Travel Toothbrush
For the dental care stocking stuffers that will go to a person who travels often and has a regular need of oral hygiene products, be sure to toss in a travel-sized toothbrush that features their favorite color or design. If a young one will be travelling to get home for the holidays, it helps to select a short brush that has their favorite cartoon character on it, as it will promote regular brushing while on the road.

A travel toothbrush often costs less than their full-length counterparts and can be purchased anywhere dental hygiene products are sold. They can be easily stowed among other dental care stocking stuffers and promote a good brushing following the opening of presents or after a large family dinner.

Toothpaste
While toothpaste may not make the most exciting gift idea, it certainly makes it easier on the recipient to remember to brush. Depending on how much space is in the stocking, it can be good to select a full tube or a mini tube for the recipient, bearing in mind their preferred flavor and brand.

For kids especially, the offering of toothpaste in their stocking can be a fun idea that has characters from books or TV shows that are on the tube. This makes the gift idea a practical and fun one that should become a holiday stocking stuffer tradition.

Whatever ends up in the stockings over the fireplace this holiday season, it helps to keep good oral care in mind. Be sure to enjoy the holidays while protecting those chompers through the treats and eats of the winter gatherings, and it may help to suggest resolutions for the new year that focus on keeping a healthy smile strong!

Robert Seitzinger is a copywriter and SEO analyst who enjoys annual dental care stocking stuffers and recommends Sandy Family Dentistry for more info on dental care through the holidays. A dentist in Sandy, OR, this office offers great services and info for the whole family.

Radiology = increase in understanding

Clear, sharp images offered by radiology have opened the door for the process to be used in a number of ways that it never could before. Research and trials have led to an increase in understanding as to what different diseases look like under imaging and also how they change as they respond to treatment, thus enabling doctors and surgeons to monitor patients’ progress and make decisions regarding treatments.

Clearer images also provide the opportunity for image-led treatments. Growths or masses, which have been identified by radiology, can now be investigated with biopsies with the needle path being guided by the use of imaging techniques, thus reducing the need for invasive surgical procedures. This technique is being used in an increasing number of procedures as it provides the opportunity to perform procedures such as arterial and colonic stenting as well as image guided removal of tumour tissue and vascular embolisation without the need for invasive surgery.

Importance for modern day doctors

These increasing uses make it more important than ever that trainee medical staff, including those who are intending to go on to become doctors and surgeons, understand the many and increasing applications of radiology. This will ensure that radiology continues to be used to its full current potential and perhaps even further.

Problems within radiology

The increasing use of radiology across all disciplines has resulted in a worldwide shortage of trained and qualified clinical radiologists. In the UK, the Department of Health and the Royal College of Radiologists have responded by increasing training opportunities and establishing Radiological Academies to encourage suitably qualified students to consider a career in radiology and thereby fill the growing number of radiology jobs. Entry requirements and other conditions have changed with foundation studies being included in the new training. Establishing a good foundation in clinical radiology in medical school should also help fill radiology jobs and account for the current shortage.

New training courses

To be considered for clinical radiology jobs and one of the new training courses you will need a good understanding and foundation in general medicine and surgery. You may have shown an interest in imaging and radiology during previous medical training. For obvious reasons you will also need good eyesight, be able to demonstrate good attention to detail and be self-motivating. During the initial period of training you will find that you get a good all round view of basic radiology in all its forms and in all departments. Later study will allow you to focus on areas in which you may decide to specialise.

The role of a radiologist in detecting and assisting in the treatment of conditions and diseases such as cancer should not be underestimated. Early detection of many diseases can, of course, improve prospects for treatment and for this reason radiology is much respected both by other medical professionals as well as the patients themselves.

This guest post has been written by Robert Elliot who is currently writing on behalf of Nuffield Health. Nuffield specialise in jobs within healthcare.

For many years, disabilities of this nature were greatly misunderstood and led to those affected being resigned to psychiatric hospitals, or ‘asylums’. The chance of a ‘normal’ life was minimal. Instead they were subjected to largely experimental forms of treatment such as electroconvulsive therapy and insulin coma treatment.

Thankfully, changes were instigated in the care and understanding of those with neurological problems due to the formation of charities such as NAMH (later to become MIND) and the introduction of drug treatment programmes.

Supported Living

Yet potentially, the biggest step occurred in 1954 when Warlingham Park Hospital in Croydon appointed the first ever outpatient nurses and began offering what is today often referred to as ‘supported living’.

The nurses’ duties included visiting outpatients and discharged patients in their own homes and helping with everyday tasks such as finding accommodation or securing a job.

This enabled those with neurological conditions to enjoy a free and independent lifestyle; it also helped reduce the severe overcrowding that psychiatric hospitals in the 40’s and 50’s were experiencing (one hospital built in 1851 to accommodate 1000 patients was housing over 2000 by 1950).

2000 and Beyond

Today, the lives of those with learning disabilities and mental health problems couldn’t be more different.

Few people are living in ‘institutionalised care’ and even those that are, are often there with a view to living independently at some point in the future.

In the 21st Century, there is little holding any neurological patient back from living a ‘normal’ and fulfilled life. There are countless people in the public eye afflicted with a wide range of conditions that, should they have been born a few decades earlier, may well have prevented them from enjoying the success they have today.

Tim Howard, previous Manchester United and current Everton goalkeeper, has Tourette’s. Geri Jewell is an American actress and comedienne with cerebral palsy. Actor Hugo Weaving and musician Neil Young both have epilepsy.

2010 saw the launch of the Erica Awards, a ceremony dedicated to celebrating inspirational people with autism and learning disabilities. This year’s winner was ‘Heavy Load’, a punk band from Brighton made up of a number of members with learning disabilities.

The band is now campaigning for the next progression in the care for people with learning disabilities; their ‘Stay up Late’ campaign is calling for supported living carers to become more flexible in their working hours, therefore increasing access to activities for adults with learning disabilities.

Online marketer Amy Fowler wrote this article on behalf of Voyage, who offer assistance with supported living and arrange activities for adults with learning disabilities.

Porcelain veneers are ultra thin shells placed over the existing teeth. The two types of material used for these veneers are dental porcelain and resin composite. Porcelain veneers are much more stain resistant, more durable, and more closely match the look of natural teeth. Resin composites are less expensive and they are thinner, requiring less removal of the natural tooth surface. The resin composite (“bonding”) material will become stained and discolored over time as opposed to porcelain veneers which are stain resistant. Both are bonded to the existing teeth using a special light activated bonding compound. 

Since veneers are a financial investment, the first step is usually a consultation with a qualified dentist to determine if veneers are the best option for the individual situation. It is also important to consider the fact that veneers are an irreversible treatment. Adjustments can be made and the veneers can be replaced, but since a thin layer of the original tooth’s enamel must be ground off in order to adhere the veneer, the process cannot be reversed.

There are some veneer products that do not require grinding and these ultra thin veneers are bonded directly to the cleaned and prepped teeth. These are more controversial than standard veneers and some dentists do not recommend this application since a thinner material may not hide the problems it was designed to cover as completely as a thicker shell. Another issue with these types of veneers is that although they are thinner than traditional veneers, they still add bulk to the surface of the tooth and they can create a tiny ridge where the veneer stops. This area may collect stains or plaque and may cause irritation at the gum line.

At the first visit, the dentist will explain the procedure and may take x-rays or do an impression of the mouth and teeth, depending on what the veneers are being used to correct. The order is then sent to a lab and usually is completed within three weeks depending on the situation. To apply the veneers, the teeth are cleaned, polished and then etched or roughed in order to provide optimal adhesion for the bonding compound. Once the veneer is in place a special light is used to activate the bonding resin causing it to cure very quickly. The veneers are then checked again, for proper placement and any excess bonding cement is removed.

With proper care and maintenance, veneers may be expected to last anywhere from 10 to 20 years depending on the type of material used. They should be cared for in the same way as natural teeth so it is important to maintain good oral hygiene and continue to see a dentist regularly.

Dr. Mark Matsumoto is the owner of Grandview Center for Dentistry, a Minneapolis Cosmetic Dentist that offers high quality, custom-made Dental Veneers.

What Exactly is Bee Pollen?

Bee pollen is the pollen that is collected by worker bees.  When a worker lands on a flower it collects the very choicest of pollens and dampens it with a bit of honey which allows them to attach it to special indentations on their legs so that they can carry it back to the hive.  This dampening creates granules which is called ‘bee bread’ and which is fed to the bee larvae.  Queen bees never eat anything but bee bread.

The Impact of Bee Pollen

Bee pollen is chock full of nutrients, over 12 vitamins and 28 minerals as well as proteins and fatty acids and all sorts of things that can help those who take it to achieve their optimum health levels.  There have been actual laboratory tests that have been done that showed that after just a few weeks people who take bee pollen actually have an improvement in their blood analysis.  From metabolic processing through improved organ function, using bee pollen on a daily basis can significantly impact your health.

With so many vitamins and minerals, proteins and fatty acids packed into every tablespoon, bee pollen is the most nutritious food available.  In fact, bee pollen contains everything that a living being needs in order to stay alive.   It is, after all, the food that the adult bees feed to their babies to make sure that they grow into functioning workers.

How Bee Pollen Affects Women’s Health

One other thing that those laboratory tests showed was that bee pollen can help middle aged individuals who are fighting weight gain.  It can also improve sexual potency and stamina, something that will seem very helpful indeed for those who are feeling tired and run down thanks to the stresses of everyday life and the impact of menopausal changes on bodies.

In fact, besides helping to improve overall health and energy, bee pollen can also help to regulate a woman’s hormone levels, which means that the impact of hormone surges and ‘hot flashes’ that are a part of menopause can be minimized.

The Best Nutritional Supplement

With so many health benefits to be had from bee pollen it is understandable why the popularity of bee pollen as a nutritional supplement is growing exponentially.  While you can take bee pollen by ingesting bee pollen granules, you can also ingest it as powder or as pills or tablets depending on your preference or the reason for which you are taking it.  It is a very versatile supplement and will provide you with health benefits the likes of which you’ve never encountered before.

Joshua Kane writes about the bee pollen benefits, side effects and how bee pollen can be used for various health conditions. You can find out more about the topics like “bee pollen for hot flashes” or “does bee pollen contain B12” by visiting his website.

Classified as a medical food, allowing the manufacturer to put “RX Only” on the label and make medical claims without actual FDA approval, Deplin’s marketers claim that it’s more effective than plain folic acid (vitamin B9) for treating depression. But since there are no studies to support that claim, we’ll focus on the role of folic acid as another weapon in the ever growing antidepressant arsenal.

As previously mentioned, studies have shown a solid link between folic acid and depression. Along with supporting the production of healthy red blood cells and fetal nervous system formation, folic acid—which the body metabolizes after ingestion into the active form L-methylfolate—plays a major role in the synthesis of three key neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood, namely serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. During several studies performed to determine the safety and efficacy of Deplin, it was reinforced that people who can’t properly metabolize folic acid to its active form are more prone to depression than those who can. Also, folic acid deficiency due to insufficient intake of dietary folic acid was found to be a common denominator among patients with depression. Another important finding was that people with adequate amounts of folic acid responded better to their traditional antidepressant medications than those who had low folic acid levels.

Further studies involving both men and women taking the popular antidepressant Prozac who were given folic acid in doses of 500mcg per day showed marked improvement over a control group on Prozac which got no folic acid—suggesting that folic acid can augment the effects of some antidepressants without increasing their side effects.  Another study using a similar set up with L-methylfolate, given or withheld from patients taking other antidepressants, also showed a significant improvement in mood and well-being in the group that got both medications. A surprising revelation of both studies was that women seem to benefit from folic acid supplementation more than men, suggesting that men need higher doses of folic acid to make their antidepressants work better.

In other studies, pitting various antidepressants against one another, with or without folic acid in its various forms, significant improvement was also seen in the groups that got both folic acid and antidepressants. One of the most compelling studies, involved patients who had not responded well to all types of antidepressants, and were then given fairly large doses of folinic acid, a potent folic acid derivative, along with their antidepressants. After 8 weeks 30% of all patients responded positively with a 50% improvement , while remission rates (those who showed no signs of clinical depression) were 20%.

Although more studies must be done to explore the benefits of folic acid in treating clinical depression, due to the efficacy and safety profile of the drug, along with its being very inexpensive, adding folic acid to the drug regimen of depressed persons has very little downside for physicians. However, senior citizens should not take more than 500mcg daily, as folic acid in the elderly has been linked to certain cancers. Although patients might be tempted to ask their physicians to write them prescriptions for Deplin, studies clearly showed that the much cheaper alternative was every bit as effective. Although folic acid may be purchased over the counter without a prescription, be sure to ask your physician if adding folic acid to your current antidepressant regimen is right for you.

Tim Crater is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about depression news.

1. Avoid Tobacco

One major risk factor for developing heart disease is smoking cigarettes or using tobacco. Tobacco contains chemicals that can hurt the blood vessels in your heart. This damage to the blood vessels causes the arteries in your heart to get narrower, resulting in a medical condition known as atherosclerosis. Since the arteries aren’t as wide as they used to be, they leave you more susceptible to clogged arteries, which in turn results in heart attacks. It’s not just cigarettes that cause this kind of damage – any type of tobacco at all can do the trick, from smokeless tobacco to exposure to secondhand smoke. If you are a woman over the age of 35 who takes birth control pills, you should be especially careful with tobacco as this combination of factors leaves people in this group particularly susceptible to heart attacks and strokes. If you stop smoking or using tobacco, within a period of time as short as one year you will see your risk of heart disease drop dramatically.

2. Exercise!

Another risk factor for developing heart disease is not getting enough exercise. By adding in just 30 minutes of exercise per day, you can make your heart healthier. Doing exercise will help you control your weight, and it will also cut down on your chances of developing risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. If you can’t do 30 minute of exercise a day, don’t stop doing exercise altogether – whatever you can manage is helpful no matter how short it is.

3. Better Dieting

A third way to reduce your risk of developing heart disease is to eat a heart-healthy diet. One special diet that is designed to do just this is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. This is a low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-salt diet that encourages you to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Another major risk factor that a diet can take care of is being overweight. Being overweight can lead to a multitude of other conditions that cause heart disease. One quick way to determine if you are overweight is to measure your waist. If you are a male with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches or a female with a waist measurement of over 35 inches, then you are probably overweight.

4. Visit Your Doctor

Another thing you can do to keep your heart healthy is to get health screenings on a regular basis. If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure but don’t know about it, how are you supposed to get these conditions treated? Knowing what’s going on with your body is a crucial step in keeping it running properly.

This post was provided by the life insurance website Life Cover. To learn more about Crown Life Assurance products visit this website.

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are a type of good bacteria naturally found in the body. They found in foods such as yogurt, Miso and soy milk. Probiotics can also be taken in the form of a supplement. Many health care practitioners believe that probiotics offer many health benefits including improved digestion and better immune system functioning. However, some experts disagree and believe that a person can be healthy without probiotics.

Are there any side effects of probiotics?

Probiotics do offer many health benefits, but people should also be cognizant of the fact that there are potential side effects. Gas, bloating, diarrhea and indigestion have been reported by people who have taken probiotics. Those side effects are generally mild and usually subside on their own.

Researchers have also found that there are more serious possible side effects. Some studies have shown that probiotics can make certain people more susceptible to developing fungal infections Probiotics can also over-stimulate the immune system. Below are some of the other possible probiotic side effects:

*Headaches*. Headaches are a common side effect of probiotics. Many people have found that lowering the dosage helps the headache subside.

*Skin rash*. A small group of people may have an allergic reaction to probiotics and develop a skin rash.

*Intestinal infections.* Probiotics may increase the risk of intestinal infections. Bloody stool, fever and diarrhea are symptoms of an intestinal infection.

*Unhealthy metabolic activity*. Probiotics can also lead to unhealthy metabolic activity.

People who notice adverse side effects should stop taking probiotics and consult with their physician.

Do the benefits of probiotics outweigh the risks?

Most holistic health practitioners will agree that the benefits of probiotics outweigh the side effects. It is important to note that serious side effects are extremely rare.

What can I do to minimize the chances of developing serious side effects?

The best thing that people can do is consult with their doctor before taking probiotics. The chance of developing side effects are increased in people who have certain medical conditions. Researchers have not yet determined whether it is safe for pregnant or nursing women to take probiotics. People should also make sure that they are buying high-quality probiotics. Additionally, it is important to never take more than the recommended dosage.

It is best to avoid taking supplements and get more probiotics in one’s diet. Studies have shown that the probiotics in food may be more effective than supplements.

My name is Kevin and I write articles about several health topics. One of the main ones being probiotics which are healthy bacteria that can help your digestive system.

An early Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling, Pennsylvania Dept. of Corrections et al. v. Yeskey (1998), held that the law’s reference to public entities included state and local governments. One complication was that the case didn’t involve a challenge on constitutional grounds.

SCOTUS has answered that question with a definite “maybe”. It barred an ADA suit against a state based on Title I of the law, which deals with employment discrimination, on Eleventh Amendment grounds (the Eleventh Amendment blocks the jurisdiction of the federal courts over state governments in some cases) in Board of Trustees of Univ. of Alabama v. Garrett (2001). However, it also upheld a suit against a state where the issue was inability to access the courts in Tennessee v. Lane (2004). That is covered by Title II of the ADA which deals with access to public facilities.

HIV a disability?

Another key issue is how to define a disability under the ADA. SCOTUS, in Bragdon v. Abbott (1999), held that a dentist’s refusal to treat an HIV+ patient was an ADA violation even though the patient hadn’t developed HIV symptoms. The limits on reproduction being HIV+ meant that she was limited in a “major life activity”, and thus covered by the ADA.

Not all the key rulings are done in the highest court in the land. National Federation of the Blind v. Target Corporation was a state lawsuit that found its way into federal court because of a claimed ADA violation. The issue here was e-access, specifically, the ability of blind people to use Target’s website. Target had argued that its brick-and-mortar stores were accessible to the blind and that a website was not a “facility” under the terms of the act. The federal trial judge rejected the claim and permitted a class action, blind internet customers being the class, to go forward. Facing that, Target settled the case and agreed to make changes in its website. This was a groundbreaking application of the ADA to e-commerce.

Congress vs. SCOTUS

Supreme Court opinions based on constitutional interpretation can’t be changed by Congress; opinions based exclusively on interpretation of the statute can. Congress did that with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. In Sutton v. United Airlines (1999), SCOTUS held that a disability that could be mitigated by corrective action (for example, glasses) didn’t count as a disability under the ADA. The 2008 law overruled Sutton by stating that mitigating measures cannot, in most cases, be taken into account when determining a person’s disabled status.

This article made available by the Michigan Disability Lawyers and SSI Disability Experts at DCS.