Medical Services

What Does Bell’s Palsy do?

November 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

There are quite a few disorders and diseases that can cause partial face paralysis. Usually, if a person has paralysis of the face, it is found to be a stroke, brain tumor, or other disorder within the brain. If no cause can be found, it is said to be Bell’s palsy. Basically, what Bell’s palsy is, is a complete or partial paralysis of the face that is unexplained. Generally this occurs in either the right or left side of the face, but in about 1 percent of cases can be seen through the whole face.

Many doctors who have studied Bell’s palsy believe that the cause of the disorder is that the facial nerves start to swell. This is generally caused by an inflammatory condition, though the cause of the swelling may also be unknown. Without any treatment, many people start to show improvement within about two weeks. There are treatments for Bell’s palsy, though since there is so little information about the condition, it can be difficult to treat effectively. Currently, steroids have been shown to have the best recovery time. If starting on steroids for this disorder, it has to be treated early to have any effect. It is currently thought that certain viruses can lead to Bell’s palsy, and stress is also a huge factor for many people who have gotten the disorder.

There are some major complications that can occur with Bell’s palsy. A complete loss of taste is one of the side effects that can have huge implications for many people. Infections in the cornea can also happen, because many times with Bell’s palsy, a person can not close the affected eye.

Though it can be difficult to diagnose, since other things such as stroke must be ruled out first, it has been said that over 40,000 people are diagnosed with Bell’s palsy each year.

Filed Under: Health Medicine, Health Tips, Medical Services Tagged With: Bell's palsy, Facial nerve, Health

Types of Leukemia

October 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Leukemia is a type of cancer that attacks a person’s blood cells. There are actually five different types of leukemia. Generally when a person thinks of leukemia, they think that it only is found in children. This is not the case.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which is also known as CLL, is a type of leukemia that is slow growing. Nearly 20,000 cases of leukemia that are found each year are CLL; it is the most common form of leukemia. This form of leukemia generally is diagnosed in adults over the age of 55. In fact, it is extremely rare that it is found in children.

Chronic myeloid leukemia, also known as CML, also grows slowly, at first. It is the cause of over 5,000 new leukemia cases every year. Again, this form of leukemia rarely effects children, and is usually seen only in adults.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia, know as ALL, is the most common form of leukemia in children. It is a fast acting form of leukemia; it grows quickly. More than 5,000 cases are diagnosed each year. Though it is the most prevalent form of leukemia in children, it can also be diagnosed in adults.

Acute myeloid leukemia, AML, is also a type that grows quickly. With over 13,000 new cases diagnosed each year, this is the second most common form of leukemia. It is found both in children and adults.

Hairy cell leukemia is a rare form of leukemia that is only found in about 2 percent of all leukemia cases. This tends to affect the spleen and bone marrow, as well as the blood cells in the body.

Lymph nodes that are swollen, but do not hurt, along with fever and frequent infections are some of the warning signs of leukemia. Bruising or bleeding easily as well as discomfort and swelling in the abdomen are also signs.

Filed Under: Health Medicine, Medical Services Tagged With: Acute myeloid leukemia, Chronic myelogenous leukemia, Leukemia

Stress and Healthcare

October 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Stress is a problem that exists well outside of the common scope of medical services, but its impact on health and healthcare is significant. In addition to the physical symptoms and problems with stress, it can also impact your ability to fight disease or heal. High levels of stress can heavily impair your health and well being, and there are few direct medical treatments for it. However, there are many techniques that you can do to reduce and manage your stress.

Some of the problems with high stress levels include physical side effects, such as headaches or an upset stomach. In severe cases, the physical manifestations of stress can be as strong as hypertension. In addition, studies have shown links between high levels of stress and developmental problems in children. However, the mental damages of intense stress are just as pronounced in healthcare, such as depression, wild mood swing and an inability to concentrate. Stress has also been linked to panic attacks and panic disorder, severe psychological problems for anyone who has experienced them. These are only a few of the problems and possible connections made by healthcare professionals with stress.

However nasty the effects of stress are, there are a number of things you can do to reduce levels of stress without involving medical services or healthcare professionals. Some techniques are basic, such as maintaining an exercise regimen to reduce your stress levels on a regular basis. In addition, long term habits, even if you are in a high stress job for example, can break the negative impacts of stress without medical services. Some of these habits include a healthy diet and maintaining some hobbies that will work to reduce stress. As long as you can work to keep stress levels low, the healthcare effects that you might experience can be kept at bay, and your health maintained.

Filed Under: Health, Health Tips, Medical Services Tagged With: Health, Mental health, Stress

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

SSRIs in Healthcare

September 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A set of drugs that have been in controversy with medical services has been the antidepressants. While they have use, the side effects of such drugs, as well as the cultural implications have left them in a position where they need more understanding of their place in healthcare. However, it is best to understand their function on a chemical level and where they are most effectively put to work. Likewise, it must be explained why these drugs, like all treatments, require caution and intelligent use to make that not only that antidepressants are being used in the right condition, but not used in a harmful manner to the patient.

The current standard of antidepressant drugs are SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. On a chemical level, what they do is negate the re-absorption of serotonin in the human brain, the chemical most commonly associated with feelings of well-being and happiness. SSRIs do not necessarily add anything to the brain chemistry, but prevent the loss of serotonin. However, in healthcare terms, studies have shown that SSRIs are not very effective against cases of mild or moderate depression, and only has a significant impact in cases of severe depression.

There are numerous criticisms of SSRIs, however. Most notably, some studies have linked SSRIs with increased rates of suicide in young people. This effect is most noticed in children and young adults, studies have not found a similar effect in older adults. Combined with criticism of the widespread advertising and prescription of them, there should be considerable caution about healthcare fully embracing SSRIs. However, in 2004, the FDA enforced a warning about these risks to be printed on SSRI medications, and a decline in prescriptions to young people and in youth suicide has dropped over time. If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, it is best that you consult a healthcare expert on using the medicine, to determine whether or not this kind of treatment is the best solution to the condition.

Filed Under: Health, Health Medicine, Medical Services Tagged With: Antidepressant, Major depressive disorder, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

How do painkillers work?

September 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

For healthcare, both professionally and when you have a small headache, the common painkiller drugs are a staple, from the smallest pains to recovery from major surgery. However, with pain being such an unclear concept to describe or prescribe, the effect of various painkillers can vary greatly. There are several different kinds of painkilling health medicine, and they all work in slightly different ways. Likewise, they also have slightly different side effects and usages.

The most common type of painkiller is NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, even today work in ways that are not entirely certain in the healthcare community. Studies have shown that they work centrally, that is working in the brain itself as opposed to the area that is in pain. In addition, the drugs will work to combat inflammation of any affected areas of pain. This health medicine is commonly known in the form of Aspirin or other related drugs. These are commonplace and the side effects are very limited, outside of heavy use that may cause damage to the liver, but generally NSAIDs are seen by healthcare professionals as safe.

Opiates work along the same principles as an NSAID in that they operate in the brain itself, but their strength and potential harmful side effects ensure that opiates are the realm of healthcare professionals. Used properly, opiates can negate the severe or chronic pain associated with post-operation recovery or long term diseases such as cancer. However, this health medicine runs considerable risks of side effects or addiction, and therefore should be used only by healthcare professionals.

Other painkillers work on the specific areas, such as gels or injections that can directly relieve pain in a specific part of the body. Health medicines like Lidocaine can be used to dull the pain in joints or even mouth sores. These are samples of just a few types of painkillers and how they work on the human body, and as health medicine, these compounds are all powerful tools to help patients get over temporary or chronic pain.

Filed Under: Health, Health Medicine, Medical Services Tagged With: Analgesic, Aspirin, Medicine

The Truth Behind ECT

September 17, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Electroconvulsive therapy, better known as electro shock therapy, is a medical treatment that has been embroiled in controversy and a public image problem. The medical service of ECT does have its uses in therapy, however knowing exactly what it does and how it works can help explain why this medical service does what it does, and why it has earned its reputation. For healthcare services, ECT is another tool that can be used to treat patients, but only if applied correctly and appropriately in regards to the condition.

Primarily, ECT is used to combat major depression which has resisted other treatment attempts. At its core, the medical service works by delivering a shock to a patient under anesthesia which induces a specific type of seizure called a clonic seizure, which creates convulsions and a loss of consciousness. While healthcare specialists do not fully understand the mechanism, it appears that the seizure forces a spike in chemicals and synapse formation in the area of the brain affected by the depression. This in turn provides a sudden relief from the chemical mechanics of depression, and alleviates the symptoms.

However, while this medical service can relieve the effects of major depression, it is not a perfect cure. Studies have shown that while ECT can temporarily repulse depression, it has a high instance of relapse and most ECT plans will generally involve multiple treatments over many months in concert with other treatments. In addition, there are concerns about this medical service, mostly about the long-term impacts of ECT on the cognitive ability or brain structure of the patients. Some studies have indicated the possible danger to the memory and cognitive ability of patients; however the majority of studies show little dangerous side effects. While it should not be relied on as a front line defense against depression, healthcare can still use ECT as a temporary relief to depression that has not responded to other treatments, and this medical service has its place.

Filed Under: Health, Health Medicine, Medical Services Tagged With: Electroconvulsive therapy, Major depressive disorder, Mental health

Medical Tourism

September 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

An increasingly popular medical service that is found across the world is medical tourism, where customers or patients will travel to another nation to receive some form of surgery or treatment, as opposed to the healthcare in their home nation. The reasons for engaging in medical tourism are varied, ranging from avoiding the costs of the home nation to getting a service that is not available at home. Likewise, the destinations for medical tourism are just as varied, with healthcare from across the world being offered to customers or even the proximity of famous therapeutic resorts.

The process of this medical service begins with a medical tourism provider, where a patient brings their case and needs to the provider. The provider then checks the healthcare options available in the tourist destinations. Once the patient chooses a destination and acquires a medical visa, they travel to their chosen destination. They are not simply turned over to the host nation’s hospitals, and the medical service providers stay in constant contact with the tourism provider through a case manager. The patient then can get their treatment at their host and either recover there or return home.

While the medical service offers treatments and savings that the customer can enjoy and take advantage of, there are some risks and concerns that must be stated. On a medical sense, the tourist may compromise their immune system by being in a weakened state and surrounded by foreign bacteria or infections. Likewise, ethical concerns for this medical service exist around not only the business leaving a host nation, but also in that tourists can overwhelm the medical services of a host nation, clogging them with tourists while the host’s own citizens struggle to find healthcare. However, some businesses and practices are adapting to this change, and as the world becomes more accessible, and as if a tourist is accepting of the risks, they can find deals and medical services that are normally out of reach.

Filed Under: Health Medicine, Medical Services Tagged With: Business, Medical tourism, Medicine

Need for a Drug Treatment Program for Many Military Personnel

August 31, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Experts in the military are becoming increasingly concerned that substance abuse and its related problems may be rising in military personnel who are involved with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as their family members.

Professionals in the fields of health and medicine often look at the organizational structure of the military — which is quite unique — as well as demographics, for the high frequency of binge drinking and smoking. In addition the military has a relatively low rate of abuse of illicit substances, when compared to the civilian population. For instance the use of tobacco is approximately 50 percent higher among active duty personnel than within the civilian base of the population. What is more interesting is that this rate is additionally 50 percent higher with military members having served in war zones.

Studies indicate that combat experience may have an influence on the substance abuse rates. One study indicates that there may be a possible link between post-traumatic stress disorder and other cognitive and mental disorders and the associated substance abuse and dependence.

Research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has set out guidelines for treating and preventing this substance abuse. These studies are helping reduce abuse and the subsequent consequences. The NIDA does say that these guidelines may change. Many military members are reluctant to enter a drug treatment program or treatment. This may be a result of the emphasis on maintaining a show of strength by military personnel rather that to seek assistance.

The NIDA studies do say that studies and research should be done in order to recognize the link between military deployment to war zones and the rate of substance abuse. The organization especially emphasizes the need for research on the high rates of substance abuse and those with corresponding incidents of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Filed Under: Health, Medical Services Tagged With: Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Substance abuse

Using Female Condoms to Prevent HIV

August 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Over two decades have passed since the HIV virus and AIDS began making headlines. Initial news reports raised alarm, and somewhat of a panic throughout the United States and the entire world. Although HIV and AIDS are treatable, why put yourself at risk when it’s easily prevented. In Washington D.C. has one of the highest rates for new cases in the country and local authorities are encouraging women to use female condoms to fight the rising number of HIV cases.

Various non-profit groups joined larger corporations like CVS Pharmacy to distribute female condoms to the populace. These flexible, cylindrical sacs resemble male condoms, but are wider and cover more area, possibly providing more protection. Seminars teaching women how to properly use female condoms are being taught at barber shops and beauty salons, as well as, churches and eateries. CVS Pharmacy reports sales of the female condom are slow; hopefully, as the movement catches on, numbers should rise. Currently, Washington D.C. is the only city where women can get female condoms at a retail center rather than a community clinic or group.

Officials hope to raise awareness about this alternate method of protection through city-wide promotional campaigns. Posters will be pasted to over 400 buses; a website will be up and running to help women with any concerns or questions. Ads feature cuddling couples with an encouragement to “give it a try”.

Awareness and promotion is critical in Washington D.C., where an estimated three percent of the populations over 12 have HIV. This is considered severe by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; any infection rate over one percent is considered severe by the CDC. While Washington D.C. isn’t the only city to offer this type of protection, it is the first city to do so on such a broad scale. Hopefully, the idea of female condoms will catch on; they are just as effective as male condoms at preventing HIV, pregnancy, and other sexually transmitted illnesses. Female condoms put a woman’s health and protection in her hands alone.

Filed Under: Health, Health Tips, Medical Services Tagged With: Condom, Female condom, HIV, Sexually transmitted disease