General

Common Rashes in Children and Infants

August 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Mothers are often concerned about the slightest things. A different cry, a temperature, and a mystery rash can send even the most seasoned mom searching for the phone to ring the family physician. While the sudden appearance of a rash on an infant can be alarming, it’s not usually serious. There are several causes for infant rashes and most don’t require medical attention. Viral illnesses are to blame for many types of skin rashes. While some viruses can cause specific types of rashes, some viruses don’t manifest a unique appearing rash. Keep in mind, that if a child is unwell, and develops a rash, it’s probably a harmless virus at blame.

Chicken pox begins as a few red bumps accompanied by a fever. Over the course of a few days, more bumps appear and older bumps start to blister. After a few days of new bumps and blistering, the older bumps start to crust over and fever subsides. It’s important to keep infected kids isolated until all the blisters are crusted over as this is when Chicken Pox is no longer contagious. Fifth disease is a very common virus known as Slapped Cheek disease. Children come down with fever and develop bright red cheeks. From there, a rash spreads outward from the trunk to the limbs. Sometimes, kids experience a cough and a runny nose with Fifth disease, but no other discomfort. Roseola is one of the most common culprits when it comes to rashes and fever in children. Children run high to moderate fevers over the course of a few days with no other symptoms. Around day four, the fever breaks, but a red, bumpy rash appears. Children will act like nothing is wrong, even though the rash covers their entire body. Coxsackie is known as hand, foot, and mouth disease and causes blisters on said body parts. Overall, viral illnesses aren’t contagious once the fever is gone and symptoms will clear on their own.

Filed Under: General, Health, Health Tips Tagged With: Chickenpox, Hand foot and mouth disease, Infectious disease, Rash

How to Avoid Hot-Car Tragedy

August 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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With summer heat beginning to blaze, it’s tragic that each year several dozen babies and toddlers succumb to the heat and are accidentally killed when left in or become trapped inside over-heated cars. Since the turn of the century, several hundred children have died from hyperthermia, or overheating caused by a rapid rise in body temperature. Babies and children’s bodies aren’t made like adults and cannot keep cool as effectively; a little one’s body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult. This affect is amplified by the oven-like environment of a well-sealed car interior.

By following some easy steps, all parents can avoid losing a child in this manner. Upon entering your vehicle, put everything necessary for that trip in the back floorboard. If you’re going to work, put your briefcase in the back or if you’re shopping, put your purse in the back. You’ll need to retrieve these things when you reach your destination and will be reminded your little one is with you. Place children behind the passenger seat where they are more likely to be seen. When you’re child’s seat is unoccupied, place a stuffed animal in it. When it is full, move that animal to the front as a reminder that your little one is there. If you take your children to day care, ask the provider to call you if you don’t bring your child as scheduled. Always open the back when leaving the car, making it a habit, and you’ll never forget the baby. It’s important too that you always make sure baby is where you think; misunderstanding has caused many hot-car deaths. Devices that sing a lullaby when the car stops or sound alarms when you walk away with a child in the car are available to help you avoid this tragedy. Simple steps that are frequently taken can become a life-saving habit for your baby.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Child, Death, Hyperthermia, Normal human body temperature

Military Heroes Being Treated to a New Appearance

August 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Every day many American soldiers face injury, disfiguration, dismemberment, and death. So many soldiers return home in flag-draped coffins, and an equally alarming amount return with faces that are unrecognizable to friends and family and seem hideous to the public. Our nation’s heroes have become a new variety of patient to San Antonio’s Lackland Air Force Base’s prosthetics laboratory. Wounded soldiers suffering horrific burns and a multitude of traumas have bombarded the facility as it is one of only two major prosthetic centers working for the Defense Department.

Before the recent wars, Lackland’s lab had seen mostly cancer patients and civilian injuries which helped prepare lab specialists for wartime work. While the lab doesn’t document how many wounded heroes it treats, a rise in soldiers needing expert help occurred in the last few years. Before the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this lab rarely saw a combat related injury; when a combat related injury did occur, a veteran was looking to replace his prostheses. Currently, almost 20 percent of the lab’s 425 patients every year are wounded soldiers.

The superior technology and highly developed capabilities of Lackland’s lab are available to the outside world. The lab focuses on giving soldiers the best care possible without worry over financial burdens that civilians may face by benefitting from their services. Patients here are treated with only the latest technologies and all prostheses are handmade. To benefit soldiers and give them their old faces back, technicians convert MRI images into three-dimensional molds. This process helps create custom pieces of missing facial bones, including the recent replication of almost 35 percent of one soldier’s skull. While some of the work done in the lab is for life-saving purposes, some is done to save soldiers from the stares and whispers they will face from people who’ve never seen such severe injuries before. Aesthetics do matter, even when you are a military hero. This combination of art, science, and creative thinking can help our returning heroes feel more welcome at home.

Filed Under: General, Medical Services Tagged With: Lackland Air Force Base, Military, San Antonio, War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

Handling Your Green Demon

August 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

It happens all the time. You’re happily plodding through life, content with where you are, who you are, and all things around you. Then….BAM! Out of nowhere, the jealousy bug bites and you’re suddenly green with envy. Often times, confident, happy people can turn on a dime into a wild-eyed, green demon of a person without any cause other than their own insecurities. By following a few simple pointers, you can wrestle your inner, green demon back where it belongs.

Hey, nobody is perfect, so stop comparing yourself to someone you think is. Even though it may appear that another person has it all together, more than likely, he or she is probably struggling with the same insecurities you are. Take an inventory of what makes you, you. What can you do better than anyone else? Maybe you can organize a closet like nobody’s business, but can’t sing a note. That’s okay! Embrace what you’re good at and let the other stuff go.

Figure out what caused the bout of jealousy to begin with. Be specific when you do this. Saying “I wish I had her life” isn’t going to work. What is it you want? Her house? Her Car? Her Marriage? Knowing what triggered your green demon will help you decide if it’s worth being jealous over. Next, determine how will you feel when you’ve obtained her house? Her car? Her marriage? Be honest with yourself. If you can’t be sure whether your life will improve for the better once a certain goal is achieved, it probably won’t make you any happier than you are right now. Instead, find different ways to bring more happiness and contentment into your life. Generally, a jealous fit originate with a case of the “don’t haves”. Instead of focusing on an empty spot in your life, search out things you can do to enhance your current situation. By reaching inward and focusing on what you do have, you can keep your green demon tame and put away where it belongs.

Filed Under: General, Health, Health Tips Tagged With: Esoteric and Occult, Happiness, Satanism

Is Older Blood Making Patients Sick?

August 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Every day in the United States millions of people having surgery or facing injury need donated blood. It’s frightful to think that a life-saving blood transfusion could be weeks old—up to six weeks old! A group of scientists is working to prove that older blood may have detrimental effects on recipients. While this may seem icky to some people, the idea of having weeks-old blood put into their veins, the national blood supply is continually strained.

Blood is a perishable commodity, much like eggs at the grocery store. The Food and Drug Administration allow blood banks to store red blood cell products for up to 42 days. While older blood is rotated out when newer blood is received, some blood may reach the 42 day limit, especially in hospitals where a surplus of one specific blood type has built up. The median number of days that blood is stored before going to a patient is 16.

Almost 15 percent of patients that are hospitalized received a blood transfusion. An estimated 15 million bags are used in the United States every year with very little to spare; at least one area of the country goes through a blood shortage annually. Scientists are just trying to determine whether fresh blood is better for a patient’s overall health and recovery.

Blood breaks down over time, like any other organic matter, but it’s not known whether those microscopic changes are contributing to serious side effects in patients. Several years ago, a series of smaller studies indicated blood that was well beneath the FDA’s 42-day guideline may cause an increase in complications for some patients. Researchers were concerned that infections, blood clots, and organ dysfunction could occur. More recently, the Cleveland Clinic found that in 6,000 heart patients, those who received blood that was over 14 days old were at a slightly higher risk of dying, being ventilated longer, experiencing kidney failure, or contracting infections. This current study may be able to give a definitive answer to this question, but in case it doesn’t, medical personnel has been educated about older blood.

Filed Under: General, Health, Health Tips Tagged With: Blood transfusion, Cleveland Clinic, Red blood cell

I am Healthy: Why Should I Get Health Insurance?

August 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

With all the talk on the political scene and in the news nowdays, it’s no wonder that people are asking questions about health insurance. Should I get it? Do I need insurance? How can I protect my family? The fact of the matter is that although health insurance can be expensive, you can’t afford to be without it!

Many people, especially those who are young and relatively young, often wonder if they need any health insurance at all. An alarming amount of people in the US actually go without health insurance! While there is no one set answer for everyone, being insured and protecting your future is always a good option.

For many people, health insurance is like car insurance. You pay premiums every month, but you never use it until there’s an accident. Even though you are fit and healthy, you need to have some kind of health insurance. It might seem wasteful to pay premiums month after month when you’re not sick, but much like that car insurance, when an accident happens, you’ll be thankful for the insurance.

Let’s just look at one situation to help put this into perspective. Let’s say you are driving along in that insured car of yours. You are gong about your business when suddenly you are hit by another driver who was distracted. That driver has no car insurance, no license, and was driving at reckless speeds. You and your car are both severely damaged. You will wind up in the emergency room, getting tests and treatments, and may even need surgery. Now, while your car is likely taken care of because you had car insurance, your life is not! You are now stuck with thousands of dollars of hospital and doctor’s bills. Not to mention any medications you may need for your recovery. Similar to car & personal insurance, you need to take about insuring your pet; there are different pet insurance plans available which keeps away those unexpected veterinary hospital bills.

While this is a rather drastic situation, the fact of the matter is that it could happen. And does everyday! So, even if you are young, healthy, fit, and disease free, think about some medical insurance to protect you—now and in the future.

Filed Under: General, Health Insurance, Health Tips Tagged With: Health insurance

Current C-Section Guidelines Come Under Fire

August 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Over the course of history women have enjoyed many advances in technology that have allowed childbirth to become a less painful, safer experience for both mother and baby. Epidurals have made childbirth much less excruciating and ultrasounds have prevented breached babies from becoming dangerous to mother and baby’s health during delivery. While some obstetrical techniques and policies are tried and true, some are coming under fire recently. Some hospitals are adopting a policy regarding deliveries; if a woman has already had one or more C-sections, these surgical deliveries become standard rather than allowing the mother to labor and deliver vaginally.

The American College of Obstetricians is rewriting guidelines regarding C-section repetition. In 1995, almost 30% of women who had previously delivered via C-section, delivered vaginally. That number currently rests below ten percent. It’s estimated that nearly 35% of doctors and hospitals prohibit women from attempting vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC, resulting in record-high numbers of births by C-section. Almost one-third of deliveries are cesarean. While C-sections can save the lives of both mother and child, there are risks involved, many of which increase upon multiple C-sections. Multiple cesareans can elevate risk of problems in subsequent pregnancies that include placenta defects and hemorrhage and as with any surgery there is risk for infection and injury during healing.

Vaginal birth after cesarean was prohibited for so many years to protect the mother and baby from injury or death due to uterine rupture from labor strain. Less that one percent of the time that occurs because C-section scars are generally on a part of the uterus that is less strained during labor. Women who want to try VBAC have a 60 to 80 percent chance of succeeding. If a mom-to-be is considering VBAC, it’s critical that the hospital is equipped to do an emergency C-section if rupture occurs.

Filed Under: General, Health, Medical Services Tagged With: Pregnancy and Birth, Reproductive Health, Vaginal birth after caesarean

Quick Fixes: Car Insurance Quotes and Over the Counter Medicaiton

August 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Everyone is looking for a quick fix to health these days. Just like car insurance quotes, there are a lot of options out there. Just because there are a lot of options doesn’t mean all of them are good. As a matter of fact, some of the options are just downright dangerous. If you are interested in taking over the counter products to make yourself feel better, take a look at these four rules to buying over the counter products.

Stick with a Multivitamin

Everyone, it seems, wants to diagnose themselves. They believe they could use a fat burner, a cholesterol blocker, or anything else under the sun, but the fact is if there is a problem, a doctor should be consulted. A multivitamin is a trusted way to get the essentials your body needs.

FDA Approved

You see this on a lot of over the counter stuff items, but you don’t see it on everything. There are many products that have not been endorsed by the FDA, which means you should stay away from them. This is because the product wasn’t given to them to test, or there isn’t enough testing for the FDA to make a ruling.

Side Effects

Look at the package to see side effects. Oftentimes they are there, and are worse than the problem. For example, those fat loss products can result in anal leakage, anxiety, and dizziness. These are things you want to be aware of before you take anything.

Talk To Your Pharmacist

They are there to be your friend and guide you, so let them. They will let you know what products are safe and what ones you should avoid. Seek their advice proactively, and follow it closely.

Filed Under: General, Health, Health Insurance Tagged With: Food and Drug Administration, Personal Finance, Vehicle insurance

Make Your Dreams Come True With an FHA Home Mortgage

June 3, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

One of the most common dreams is to someday become a homeowner. Thanks to the many FHA home mortgage programs, that dream has become a tangible reality for many Americans. The Federal Housing Administration or FHA doesn’t generate a home mortgage loan. What they do is insure the loan that a lender provides for a qualified applicant. Think of it as having the government be an invisible “co-signer” on your home mortgage. This doesn’t mean if you default that the government is going to step in and make your payments for you. But there are many benefits with an FHA home mortgage such as lower interest rates and less money needed for a down payment. However, these loans come with a strict set of guidelines and those guidelines have become even tighter in the last couple of months.

Most people are under the impression that a FHA home mortgage is for a first time home buyer. The truth is that the FHA mortgage program is for anyone who qualifies—whether you’re buying your first home, your second or even just refinancing. The main restriction is that you can’t currently have an FHA loan.

Another reason why many Americans have secured an FHA home mortgage is because of the flexible terms. The FHA lets you use a personal lump sum gift from a family member as your down payment. And that down payment can be as low as 3%. That’s a significant drop from the average 20% that is required of most home mortgage loans. You can also chose among the variety of loan programs such as adjustable rate or a fixed rate with an FHA mortgage. Although the FHA backs the loan, you will still need to work with a qualified mortgage broker to actually secure your loan. Finding out about a FHA home mortgage should be a part of your complete loan research project.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business, Loan, Mortgage, Mortgage loan, United States