Health Insurance

You’ve Heard About Mesothelioma, but What is it?

November 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Many people today have noticed that there are a lot of television commercials and ads all over about mesothelioma. You may be wondering, though, exactly what mesothelioma is, and how it could effect you. This is a rare form of cancer, that is generally caused by asbestos exposure. It grows from the protective lining that is the cover of many of the internal organs in a person’s body. This cancer is usually seen in the lining of the lungs, but can also been found in th abdominal cavity, the heart, and more.

So, who is at risk for mesothelioma? Generally it has been found in people who have had long term exposure to asbestos dust and fiber. For example, many people who have worked construction in the past, where asbestos was used in the home construction, have been found to have mesothelioma.

The symptoms of mesothelioma can include difficulty breathing, fluid between the chest wall and the lungs, or pain in the chest. The best way to have this type of cancer diagnosed is through a CT scan or chest X-ray. Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, it is usually confirmed by a tissue sample biopsy.

Unfortunately, mesothelioma comes with a very poor prognosis. There are chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but these have not proven as effective with this type of cancer as with others.

There have been lawsuits involving mesothelioma since 1929. These lawsuits have been against the manufacturers of asbestos. These lawsuits claim that the manufacturers neglected safety measures and possible health risks.

If you feel that you have had prolonged exposure to asbestos, and if you are concerned about the possibility of having mesothelioma, talk with your doctor about your concerns. They will be able to do some testing and show whether or not you have this rare form of cancer.

Filed Under: Health Insurance, Health Medicine, Health Tips Tagged With: Asbestos, Cancer, Mesothelioma

Identifying Ovarian Cysts

November 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Ovarian cysts are a problem that many women face, and even more women are concerned about. These cysts develop in the ovaries, and are sacs filled with fluid. Usually, these are harmless cysts, but in some cases they could cause major problems. At times, the cysts become so problematic that surgery is required to remove them. Other times, the cysts are completely harmless, and the woman may not even realize that they are there. Many women do not realize that ovarian cysts can affect women of any age. An overwhelming majority of cysts occur normally; the are not part of a disorder or disease. Most are also not cancerous, and will disappear in a short time on their own.

There are some risk factors for ovarian cysts that you may want to consider. If you have irregular monthly cycles, or menstruated early (generally considered before age 11), you may be at risk for ovarian cysts. Hypothyroidism and other hormonal imbalances, as well as infertility may also be risk factors for these cysts.

Severe, sharp pain in the lower abdomen is one of the most well known symptoms of ovarian cysts. Frequently, this means that the cysts has actually ruptured, and may require medical attention. If this pain, or pressure in the lower abdomen is paired with vomiting or nausea, there is a possibility that this may indicate ovarian cysts as well.

Ovarian cysts are generally diagnosed via ultrasound. A CT scan may also be used in the diagnosis of the cysts. If it is fairly certain that you have ovarian cysts, your doctor may want to do a laparoscopic surgery. With this surgery, the doctor is able to not only verify the cysts on the ovaries, but also remove them or take a sample for biopsy. A blood test to test hormone levels can also be helpful in diagnosing ovarian cysts.

Filed Under: Health Insurance, Health Medicine, Health Tips Tagged With: Cyst, Ovarian cyst, Surgery

What are Scabies, and How to Identify Them

November 5, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Many people have heard of scabies, but may not fully understand what it is. In fact, it is a common misconception that a person with scabies is dirty; maybe they don’t shower often enough, or live in filthy environments. This is not true, and scabies is something that can affect anyone. This is a contagious skin infection cause by a mite. It shows up by small burrows in the skin and extreme itching.
Many people can confuse scabies to be something more along the lines of hives. The itching that occurs is actually an allergic reaction to the microscopic mites. There is usually also a rash that occurs. This rash is actually the burrows of the mites into the skin. The best way to tell hives from scabies is that with scabies you will generally be able to see a small hole, which may look like an insect bite.

Scabies is extremely contagious. The mites can survive for up to 36 hours without a human host, and can be transferred by any means, including on items such as a keyboard or clothing. Skin to skin contact is another way that scabies can be transferred from person to person. Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine that is available for this problem. However, scabies can be treated with medication.

If you are concerned that you may have scabies, you will want to consult with your physician. If you do in fact have scabies, then your doctor will be able to prescribe the correct medication for you and your family. You will want to make sure that everyone in the house gets treatment, and that you alert people that you may have been in contact with, as well, so that they can get the treatment as well. Making sure that everyone who may have contracted scabies gets treatment is extremely important in keeping the contagious mites from coming back around again.

Filed Under: Health Insurance, Health Medicine, Health Tips Tagged With: Mite, Scabies, University of Michigan

Generic Drugs and Healthcare

September 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The term “œgeneric medicine” or drug is very common in the health medicine environment. However, what exactly does it mean? The answer is more complex than a simpler or less branded version of a popular drug and consumers should keep as informed as possible to ensure they are making the right choice. In the most basic terms, a generic drug is something that is “œidentical” to a brand-name drug. In this instance, identical means that that the generic drug has a degree of bioequivalence in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects. At its core, this means that on a chemical level the generic drug acts and “œlooks” chemically equivalent to the brand name drug. For health medicine, this means that to the FDA the generic drug acts in the same strength, indented use and safety.

For companies and patients, generic drugs are an area of health medicine where savings can come hand in hand with effective medicine. Generic drugs can be made once the patents on a brand name drug have either expired or if the generic drugs show that they are not infringing on the existing patents. Once this has been established, the bioequivalent generic drugs can be produced at considerable savings. These savings come in the form that since the drug is considered identical by the FDA, there are no expenses to test the efficacy and safety of the drug. And since the drug is already designed, there are no research costs for this health medicine.

With the existing FDA processes, generic drugs in the United States are very reliably tested for the same effects. Combined with the significant amount of savings that the patient can get through the use of generic drugs, they are a major piece of the medical economy today. While they are not an exact copy of the brand name drug, generic alternatives will provide the consumer with the same effects and applications, generally while reducing costs and increasing competition as well.

Filed Under: Health, Health Insurance, Health Tips Tagged With: Food and Drug Administration, Health, United States

Laser Eye Surgery’ Optical Medical Services

September 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Increasingly popular for those seeking vision correction is laser eye surgery, also known as refractive surgery. The most well-known of these services is called LASEK, or Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelium Keratomileusis, which uses a laser to reshape the eye on a microscopic level to treat common eye conditions, such as myopia or hyperopia as well as astigmatism. As far as medical services go, this one is very common and approachable by the general population. Generally, they are outpatient procedures with few risks and a relatively short recovery time for the patient.

However, the process itself is very specific and a basic understanding can help someone considering undergoing treatment get a better idea as to how this medical service will work and what to expect. The laser used in the process is called an excimer laser, which unlike a laser which could cut something, provides enough energy to an area of the eye that can cause an extremely small surface to disintegrate into the air without any burning or tearing to the rest of the eye, leaving no damage. The medical service can reshape the eye on a very small level, which corrects vision that would normally need some other form of correction for ideal vision.

However, while this medical service is common and very safe, there are considerations that you should take before undergoing any form of refractive surgery. If you have glaucoma or diabetes, as well as a number of other eye diseases, you may wish to avoid laser eye surgery. In addition, if you suffer from keratoconus, a thinning of the cornea, this medical service may advance this disease, leading to a cornea replacement. Like any medical service, it is best that you consult your doctor and get a full eye checkup before you proceed with any medical service or treatment.

Filed Under: Health, Health Insurance, Medical Services Tagged With: Ophthalmology, Refractive surgery, United States

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

Yoga Enhances Healthy Living

August 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Yoga therapy approaches healing as a journey that balances body and mind and embraces a commitment to life. The integrative healing process strengthens the immune system from the effects of stress and disease by building in the practitioner a positive outlook toward life’s challenges. Research proves that the mind-body connection opens the practitioner up to a greater commitment to life and good health.

The deep, mindful breathing that is integral to the practice of yoga increases lung capacity and substantially reduces stress through stimulation of the body’s relaxation response. Deep breathing techniques reduce mind chatter and calm the practitioner by slowing the release of stress-fighting hormones into the blood stream. Researchers are currently studying yoga’s ability to alleviate the symptoms of depression, which is believed to result from increased oxygen levels in the blood.

Medical professionals are well aware of yoga’s ability to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate, both of which are highly beneficial to heart disease patients. Studies also connect yoga with decreased cholesterol levels. Heart patients are not the only ones to reap benefits from a regular yoga practice; fybromyalgia and arthritis sufferers benefit from stretched muscles and soft tissue and an increased range of motion in their joints. More fluidity and flexibility translates to less pain on movement, as the stretching motion inherent in yoga poses safely releases the stored lactic acid that causes stiffness, pain, fatigue and tension.

This ancient practice brings the mind and body connection into balance by strengthening, relaxing and harmonizing our physical and mental bodies. Yoga should be an essential component of any healthy lifestyle.

Yoga undeniably benefits mind, body and soul. Any meditative practice supplements both a general health care program and those designed to assist recuperation from a specific illness or injury. Therapeutic yoga, or integrative yoga therapy, focuses on wellness at the physical, physiological and spiritual levels and is used successfully in connection with many medical conditions, including clinical depression, heart disease, arthritis, insomnia and chronic back pain.
Yoga therapy approaches healing as a journey that balances body and mind and embraces a commitment to life. The integrative healing process strengthens the immune system from the effects of stress and disease by building in the practitioner a positive outlook toward life’s challenges. Research proves that the mind-body connection opens the practitioner up to a greater commitment to life and good health.
The deep, mindful breathing that is integral to the practice of yoga increases lung capacity and substantially reduces stress through stimulation of the body’s relaxation response. Deep breathing techniques reduce mind chatter and calm the practitioner by slowing the release of stress-fighting hormones into the blood stream. Researchers are currently studying yoga’s ability to alleviate the symptoms of depression, which is believed to result from increased oxygen levels in the blood.
Medical professionals are well aware of yoga’s ability to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate, both of which are highly beneficial to heart disease patients. Studies also connect yoga with decreased cholesterol levels. Heart patients are not the only ones to reap benefits from a regular yoga practice; fybromyalgia and arthritis sufferers benefit from stretched muscles and soft tissue and an increased range of motion in their joints. More fluidity and flexibility translates to less pain on movement, as the stretching motion inherent in yoga poses safely releases the stored lactic acid that causes stiffness, pain, fatigue and tension.
This ancient practice brings the mind and body connection into balance by strengthening, relaxing and harmonizing our physical and mental bodies. Yoga should be an essential component of any healthy lifestyle.

Filed Under: Health Insurance, Health Medicine, Health Tips Tagged With: Blood pressure, Health, Yoga

Quick Fixes: Car Insurance Quotes and Over the Counter Medicaiton

August 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

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

Save Money With a Prescription Discount Card

June 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Current rising healthcare costs are leaving consumers who don’t have health insurance or a prescription plan available to them in a bind. A prescription discount card is one option for someone needing to pinch some pennies at the pharmacy. While prescription discount cards can save money, you have to consider what type of card you need, its restrictions, and its cost.

A prescription discount card may have limitations concerning its use and you should know your card’s rules and restrictions thoroughly. Age limit restrictions are generally for families with younger children and the elderly. Some cards may have an income limit for qualification. These kinds of prescription discount cards are inexpensive or free. In some cases, the government may issue them. The Medicare prescription card falls into this category. Certain prescription discount cards are not usable by people with health insurance. If you have health insurance, you should get a discount anyway.

Members belonging to various social groups and organizations may have access to prescription drug cards. To attain a card, you must be a member, which may require a membership fee. While cards from social organizations don’t generally enable members to receive free medications, you can rack up decent savings by using the card. AARP is one organization that offers cards to its members.

If you don’t fall within certain guidelines and you don’t want to be a member of an organization like AARP, you can still access benefits of a prescription drug card by buying one. There are loads of companies that offer cards to consumers for a monthly or yearly rate, allowing you to buy your medications at a lower cost. You can shop around for a card on the Internet or contact your drug’s maker or your pharmacy. Some pharmacies and drug companies offer prescription discount cards, and there are many options to save you money one script at a time.

Filed Under: Health, Health Insurance, Health Medicine, Medical Services Tagged With: Health, Health care, Health insurance, Medicare, Pharmacy, Prescription drug