Healthcare, Health Insurance, Vitamins, Nutrition

August 11, 2009

Body Ache – are you taking too much stress?

Filed under: Blog, Healthcare — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — blogadmin @ 9:39 pm

Body Ache includes any kind of pain and throbbing in the whole of your body. There come situations in life when over stress or health disorder results in severe body ache. Fibromyalgia, meaning muscle and connective tissue pain, is a medically unexplained syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety.

Fibromyalgia can develop on its own or along with other musculoskeletal conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Although the cause is unknown, physical or emotional trauma are suspected to play a role in the development of this syndrome. It has been suggested that sleep disturbances, which are common in fibromyalgia patients, may actually cause the condition. Another theory suggests that the disorder may be associated with changes in skeletal muscle metabolism, possibly caused by decreased blood flow, which could cause chronic fatigue and weakness.

The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferers tend to wake up with body aches and stiffness. Fibromyalgia pain can mimic the pain that occurs with various types of arthritis. However, the significant swelling, destruction, and deformity of joints seen in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis does not occur with fibromyalgia syndrome alone.

So, next time you have prolonged body pain, you might want to think over the stress factors affecting you and do something to de-stress yourself.

August 10, 2009

Swine flu continues unabated

Filed under: Blog, Healthcare — Tags: , , , — blogadmin @ 9:53 pm

Swine flu could strike more than 100 million Americans over the next two years – and hundreds of thousands could die – if prevention measures fail, the nation’s top public health agency warned on Friday. The estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mean about twice the number of people who usually get sick in normal flu seasons would be struck by swine flu.

Officials admit the projections would drop dramatically if a new vaccine is ready in time, effective and widely available. Meanwhile, the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat urged all kids 18 and under to get a seasonal flu shot this fall, whether or not an H1N1 vaccine is available. She said the agency is strengthening recommendations for children to get the shot, especially with fears that the new H1N1 virus could intensify during the influenza season.

The U.S. plans to have as many as 160 million doses of swine flu vaccine available sometime in October, and U.S. tests of the new vaccine are to start shortly, federal officials said this week. Kids, pregnant women and health care workers are at the top of the list to be vaccinated against swine flu this fall, the city’s top doctor says.

Swine flu was also at the top of President Obama’s agenda when he arrived in Mexico Sunday night. “Everybody recognizes that H1N1 is going to be a challenge for all of us, and there are people who are going to be getting sick in the fall and die,” deputy White House national security adviser John Brennan said ahead of the North American Summit.

August 7, 2009

Allergies, can we prevent or reduce occurrence?

Filed under: Blog, General, Healthcare — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 12:26 pm

An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing. Substances that often cause allergic reactions are pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, food, insect stings and medicines. Allergies can cause a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling or asthma.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient and hormone that is found naturally in only a few foods but is also made in the skin with sunlight exposure. Vitamin D plays an important role in the prevention of various allergic diseases, including asthma, by activating certain regulatory immune cells that prevent the release of chemicals that cause and worsen allergic diseases. Vitamin D deficiency, which is more common than once thought, may be one reason why allergies and asthma are becoming more common.

Unveiling the worst spring allergy cities in America has become an annual tradition. The lists are released by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, in Washington, D.C., and many factors are plugged in to figure out which cities will get the dubious honor each year, says Mike Tringale, a spokesman for the foundation. The top 10 cities that made to this dubious list are Lexington, Ky., Greensboro, N.C., Johnson City, Tenn.,   Augusta, Ga., Jackson, Miss., Knoxville, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., New Orleans, Little Rock, Ark. and San Diego.<

So can we prevent or reduce the occurrence of allergies? Well, the first step would be to get allergy testing done to be sure you know what triggers your allergies. Vitamin D and a fruit called mangosteen which is rich in Xanthones might be a good idea in improving your immunity against allergies. And incase you need to move, may be the list above will help in deciding your future home location.

August 6, 2009

Medical Insurance, Simplify please!!!!

Filed under: Blog, General, Health Insurance, Healthcare — Tags: , , , , — blogadmin @ 12:26 pm

We all understand the importance, the need and benefits of medical insurance. There is absolutely no doubt in any citizen’s mind about this facility called medical insurance. With the rising costs of medical care its makes utmost sense to insure ourselves and our family for all medical emergencies. So when the public is so clear about it, why does the medical insurance fraternity make medical insurance sound like rocket science?

Just imagine how wonderful it would be if servicing a medical claim was as easy and “happy” as is buying a pair of shoes at Zappos. Zappos is a breathtakingly beautiful piece of marketing where the focus point is customer experience more than the product itself. The company sees its core area to be “customer service”. How ironical is that? For a shoe company, shouldn’t they be focusing on style and size and fashion? You know the answer if you have already experienced their selling.

Insurance is usually invoked when the family is already going through a difficult time coping with a sick member of the family. At that moment it really becomes intolerable when one has to go through the clauses and sub clauses of an insurance policy. Instead of checking into their fat books on whether the medical condition is covered under insurance or not, would it harm the insurance company to come out with a more human face and talk to the customer about the problems they are facing and comforting them. A patient hearing and a sweet good wish will go a longer way than actually picking the claim or refusing it.

Also the language, when I hold my insurance policy in my hands I feel like it’s possibly the Memorandum of Understanding between two nuclear countries. All that the policy is supposed to communicate is that “we are with you in your sickness and health.”

August 5, 2009

What are my chances of getting Osteoarthritis?

Filed under: Blog, Healthcare — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — blogadmin @ 11:04 am

Other than heart problems, cholesterol and high BP, obesity has one more illness to its credit. That’s right osteoarthritis or weakening of the joints. Did you know that for a one-unit increase in BMI, the odds of rapid cartilage loss increased by a good 11 percent? These were the findings of researchers when they examined close to 3000 people in the 50 to 79 years age group.

In which case we need to understand what cartilage is and why we need to keep it protected. Cartilage is a strong protein matrix that lubricates and cushions the joints. When bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, subchondral bone may be exposed and damaged. The patient increasingly experiences pain upon weight bearing, including walking and standing. Due to decreased movement because of the pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting 27 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Osteoarthritis commonly affects the hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees. Joint pain is usually worse later in the day. There can be swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joints. Pain and stiffness of the joints can also occur after long periods of inactivity, for example, sitting in a theater. In severe osteoarthritis, complete loss of cartilage cushion causes friction between bones, causing pain at rest or pain with limited motion. There are also cases where OA shows itself without pain as a bony protrusion from the smaller joint of the fingers.

In conclusion although the real cause of osteoarthritis cannot be pinpointed and prevented it is researched that osteoarthritis can be caused by aging, heredity, and injury from trauma or disease. Obesity is a factor that has been diagnosed as a cause for cartilage loss. So, if anything lets step up against obesity and save our joints for healthy aging.

August 4, 2009

Day to day injuries in a child’s life and their consequences

Filed under: Blog, Healthcare — Tags: , , , , — blogadmin @ 11:07 am

You might be astonished as I was when I learnt that several deaths are caused by day to day injuries that our children face. The environment surrounding us is certainly not child safe to the extent that they are potential hazards. Unintentional injuries are responsible for many injury deaths each year, and it is estimated that 90 percent of unintentional injuries could be avoided. Unintentional injuries are those injuries that could be avoided if necessary precautions are taken. The five leading causes of injury death among children under age 15 are motor vehicle injuries, fires and burns, drowning, firearms and suffocation. Parents and caregivers need to know the greatest risk factors for their children and to take the appropriate steps to reduce the risk of unintentional injury. These were the findings of a research by the University of Missouri extension.

To reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), always place infants on their backs during naps or at bedtime. If your infant was born with a birth defect, spits up after eating, or has breathing or heart problems check with your pediatrician about the best sleeping position for your baby. In addition, always remove soft items such as pillows or comforters from the crib. These soft items may cause infants to re-breathe exhaled air and suffocate. Walkers are responsible for more injuries than any other nursery product.

The leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in this age group is motor vehicle accidents. Although fireworks may only be used a few times each year, they are responsible for a number of serious injuries. Many of these unintentional injuries result from improper use of fireworks, and typically involve burns to the hands, eyes and head. An estimated 40 percent of homes contain some type of firearm for recreation or for protection. Firearms that are kept for protection are more likely to remain loaded, unlocked and stored within children reach.

Do not overlook health insurance for children as things quickly go out of hand in the case of children when such accidents happen. And the last you want is to be stranded without sufficient and necessary medical help for your child.

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