Nurses Need Care Too

July 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
British nurse in nurses' station.

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People look to nurses to fix their wounds, listen to their problems, and help the get better when they are sick. Nurses are almost indestructible in the eyes of many; however, what we fail to recognize is how stressful their jobs are. Nurses work very long hours, in environments that are often short-handed, and subjected to constant life and death situations. As such, many of our nurses, stressed to the max, are in danger of burning from their jobs. Nurses need help too and, as a nurse, you must know where to go when you need help.

It is critically important that nurses be taught the symptoms of stress. By catching stress early, it can be addressed easily with rest and relaxation. It is those nurses who keep going in spite of their stress level, that end up in the worst situations. If you are feeling the stress of your job, it is time to take a short break. Often, even a weekend off will help.

It is a sad fact that there are not a lot of resources for nurses. All nurses are encouraged to find a good counselor to meet with . They should also have a general practitioner to discuss the physical symptoms of stress. Hopefully, hospitals and doctors will begin to recognize just how much pressure is placed on nurses and will work to discuss the situation.

As nurses, we often feel that we have to be strong all the time. It may be that we need to take our own advice and learn that everyone needs a break sometimes.

 

Filed Under: Trauma Life Tagged With: , ,

The cheap insulating material can be pricey for the users

July 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The asbestos is natural mineral; it is used as insulator due to its heat resistance property. The material is versatile and comes at very cheap price. This is widely used in cement, roof building, truck brakes, automobiles and other heavy industries.

It is present in several household things such as floor adhesives, asbestos roof sheets, door gaskets, boilers, ironing board covers, textured paint and the hair dryers.
The above uses of asbestos shows a true side of the mineral, but read on more to know about the complete Picture of asbestos .
The asbestos breaks down in to small minute particles. These microscopic fibers get into the air and when one inhale this air; these fibers enter the lungs and cause physical damage to the misothelial cells. This causes inflammation and the healthy cells are eaten away and the defective cell starts to germinate. This results in the lung disease called mesothelioma, it its rare form of cancer. The mesothelioma affecting the lungs it is called pleural mesothelioma.

The workers carry home this disease causing fibers in their clothes, shoes, hair and skin. So, even the family members are also exposed to asbestos. This mode of disease transportation is known as paraoccupational exposure.

For the entire details log on to this website, it is very resourceful in providing all the asbestos related facts. I am real estate agent and accidentally while searching for the information related to my business I
came across all this useful information.

Filed Under: Career & Education Tagged With:

Where to Send Your Patients for Diabetes Outreach

May 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most people are aware that the complications of Type 2 Diabetes, in which the body cannot successfully regulate its blood sugar levels, are very serious. More and more people know someone who has suffered an amputation or blindness or worse from uncontrolled diabetes. However, as the number of diabetes cases explodes just as many people are struggling with a lack of health insurance, it is important for health care practitioners to know where they can send their patients for low- or no-cost diabetes counseling.

Many communities in the United States now have diabetes outreach and/or clinics that offer diabetes care on a sliding payment scale, based upon the income of their patients. You can find out if your area has one of these services by checking the medical services section of the phone book, doing an internet search, or, if available in your area, by calling 2-1-1 and asking a hotline operator.

These diabetes health centers often offer services that include tips on how to recognize the symptoms of diabetes, risk surveys, nutrition and fitness counseling, diabetes blood testing, symptom management training, and diabetes support groups. Some may provide their services in languages other than English, depending upon the needs of their communities, and may be sensitive to the cultural needs of people who are most susceptible to diabetes. Diabetes health centers are often staffed by Registered Nurses, Registered Dieticians, Certified Diabetes Educators, and others who are specially trained to care for diabetic patients.

Another more general source of assistance is a local safety net clinic. Check with your healthcare provider to find if you have a Federally Qualified community health clinic, meaning that it can accept grants that will allow it to provide free care for those in need. You may also have free diabetes screening available through your county public health department.

In any case, it is critical to manage all diabetes cases.

Filed Under: Ask a Nurse Tagged With: , ,

How to Convince Your Patients to Exercise

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Everyone knows that regular physical activity is important for maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit, but this knowledge does not always encourage everyone to actively take part in regular exercise. Here is a list of just a few of the benefits that exercise physiology research has recently identified to encourage you, your patients, and your associates to engage in a regular activity:

  • A 2003 Georgia Tech study showed that running hard for 50 minutes or riding an exercise bike increased blood levels of endocannabinoids, a chemical class that reduces a person’s experience of pain and anxiety. For someone facing a great deal of stress, regular exercise can provide an important coping mechanism.
  • A Journal of Physiology article showed that people who worked out before breakfast were able to burn fat more efficiently than a group that had a big breakfast first. This is a good way to burn extra calories consumed around the holidays.
  • The telomeres, which are a cellular component that get shorter as the cell ages, are longer in older people who are active than those who are sedentary. In other words, exercise combats the cellular wear and tear that causes us to age. This difference is not discernible among the young, but once people reach middle age, there is a pronounced difference between the active and the sedentary. The full effects of this difference are not known, but some researchers believe this effect may have implications for the diseases that we ultimately suffer as we get older.
  • Walking helps people to remember more. Regular walks and other aerobic exercise help people to retain memories better.

Go forth and run!

Filed Under: Medical Questions Tagged With: , ,

Preventing Child Obesity

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is greater attention to the epidemic of obesity in the deveoped world than ever before. We now know that being too heavy can lead to diabetes and a host of other chronic illnesses. Of particular concern is the tremendous increase in child obesity over recent years. People are suffering from the ill effects of obesity at younger and younger ages, and we must change our behavior and encourage our children to have healthy habits to avert a future health crisis among the next generation. This advice is all well and good, but how, exactly, do we prevent child obesity?

The Maine Youth Overweight Collaborative came up with a simple tool for parents to use each day that is intended to make it easier to raise a child to have a healthy weight. Their campaign is called “52-10″ for its simple direction to:

  • Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, the fresher and less processed, the better.
  • Get 2 hours or less of recreational screen time (television, video games, computer use) per day.
  • Spend 1 or more hours doing some kind of exercise or active play.
  • Drink 0 beverages that contain added sugars, such as sodas and punches.

By ensuring that your child meets these goals for as many days as you can, you will be providing him or her with the nutrient-dense foods that are needed for growth and development, plenty of opportunity for physical activity, and avoidance of the “empty” calories that lead to weight gain when consumed on a regular basis. Of course it is fine to enjoy a soda every now and then, but as a society, we have made sweetened beverages a regular part of our diet and a major factor in our increasing obesity. A small amount of fruit juice is a good way to get one serving of fruit, but this should not be the primary source of this food group as it presents a concentrated form of fruit sugar. Try to eat fresh fruit as often as you can, or unsweetened applesauce when fruit is out of season.

Filed Under: Ask a Nurse Tagged With: , , ,

Prevention Of Public Health Problems Is A Priority

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are various health problems that can occur in the community if adequate care is not taken by the government. There are some diseases that can take giant proportions within a few days if they are not properly controlled. This is the primary role of the public health department in any country.

There are various diseases in recent times that have taken the world by storm. One of the most recent diseases is the swine flu. This disease that is caused by a virus was able to spread rapidly all over the world. These days, the spread of diseases from one country to another is also very quick and causes major problems. This is because of the ease of travel from one place to another.

Since the disease can spread fast and can affect a large number of the population, the public health departments have to take various measures to prevent this from occurring. Some of the methods of prevention can be to try and reduce the travel. This cannot be easily enforced, but if the disease is a life threatening one and is easily contagious, then travel restrictions become very necessary to prevent such problems.

Other than the travel restrictions, there are other things that can be done too. The sanitation in the country or at least the area that is affected by the infection is very important. As the sanitation improves, there is a decreased infection. This is because there is a direct relationship between the sanitation in any area and the spread of diseases. Other than sanitation, the availability of appropriate medications will also help in the decreased spread of the diseases. These are the various methods of preventing diseases from spreading. So the role of public health departments in reducing chances of spread of infections and diseases in the community is very important.

Filed Under: Life or Death Tagged With:

Community Health Approaches

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The health of the people in the community is very important. There are various definitions to a community. As far as the community in the health aspect is concerned, it means all the people who live in a particular area. There are many people who are acutely sick and are hospitalized. There are many other people who are sick, but they are not hospitalized because of the fact that they may be suffering from a chronic problem that has no proper cure.

These people in the community may also be suffering from problems that have no cure. Some of the problems that are commonly seen in the community include stroke patients, amputees and other disabled people. These disabled people in the community have to cope with various problems. It is very important for the community approach in medicine to take root. This will help to treat all the people in the community too.

A hospital based health approach is very important as far as the acute care problems of patients are concerned. On the other hand, all the other problems can be and in fact should be based on the community based approach. This will help the affected sick people to be rehabilitated much better and quicker in their own homes and communities.

This is the best method of approaching certain health problems. There are various kinds of team members who are involved in the community based approach to treatment of people and rehabilitating them. The team leader is the community physician. The members of the team may include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and many other people involved in the care of the patient. All the members of the team should work in cohesion to make sure that the patient is treated and successfully rehabilitated. This is the ultimate aim of community based approach in treatment.

Filed Under: Career & Education Tagged With:

The Physical Effects of Alcohol Addiction

January 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Drinking alcohol occasionally isn’t something that most people see as a problem. The majority of people have at least tried alcohol, and a lot of them have a drink or two on the weekends, or after work some days in order to relax a little bit. If you’re a social drinker who goes out with friends and has a beer or two, you’re probably not in any danger. The serious problem comes into play for people who drink to excessive. When people are drinking all the time, and they can’t stop or stay sober, they can do serious damage to their bodies. If they stop drinking they’ll stop doing more damage, but they might not be able to reverse all of the physical damage that they’ve already done.

People who are alcoholics are poisoning themselves, over time. They’re setting themselves up for a loss of brain and cognitive functioning, liver problems, and heart disease. Knowing that those problems are often permanent makes it even more urgent to get help if you find yourself drinking too much. You may not see how anyone will help you, but there are plenty of rehab centers out there that will help you to get better. Even if you don’t have insurance or a lot of money, you can still get help, so don’t give up.

Your first step should be to go to rehab-international.org and take a look at your options. Even if you’re in a rural area or a small town, there will still be places near you where you can go for rehab. Some people choose to go to an inpatient facility, and others choose outpatient options. It’s best to talk openly and honestly with family and friends, and with people at the rehab center, so you can make an informed choice about which option is better for you.

Filed Under: Life or Death Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cataract Is One Of The Most Common Public Health Problem

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Cataract is a common problem that is seen in each and every part of the world. There are many people who suffer from this health problem. There are various kinds of cataracts that a person can suffer from. There are some cataracts that are much more common than the other types of cataract.

The age related cataract is the most common one. This is the kind of cataract in which the affected person will not be able to see because of the severity of the cataract. Cataract is nothing but the formation of a tissue on the surface of the eye. This layer of tissue is usually opaque and this leads to covering the lens of the eye which will provide vision for the person.

As the cataract forms on the eye, the person will not be able to see properly. This is a common problem because as the age of a person progresses, the person is usually prone to this problem. As the number of aged people in the society is increasing rapidly, there are many people who suffer from this problem these days.

The other type of cataract is the one that is caused by the use of steroids for a long time. Steroids are a group of medications that are used for various health problems. These health problems include those like asthma, arthritis, pain, inflammation and other problems. The drugs are also given to prevent or treat nerve damage. These drugs when used for a long time can cause cataract to form on the eye and this is called as the steroid induced cataract.

A person who is suffering from diabetes is highly prone for cataract. Since it is a common problem in the society, it is a very challenging public health problem that can lead to blindness if it is not treated quickly.

Filed Under: Medical Questions Tagged With:

Getting Health Insurance to Protect You From Financial Harm

January 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
This road sign image is in the public domain a...
Image via Wikipedia

A lot of people don’t have health insurance. They think they don’t need it because they’re healthy, but that doesn’t really show them the entire picture. Even with good health, they can end up in an accident or have a sudden emergency. That could happen to you, and it could devastate you financially if you’re taken in for treatment and you don’t have any insurance to pay the bill. You could end up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and you’d have little choice but to just file for bankruptcy. All of that stress on top of the physical problems could be overwhelming, and you shouldn’t have to go through that.

You can protect yourself with insurance, even if you don’t think you’ll really need it. You just never know, and you’ll be buying yourself some peace of mind. It’s a great way to protect your family, too, from the financial strain that a serious accident or illness could put on them. Getting insurance isn’t that difficult. You can compare insurance quotes online and get the information that you need, so you don’t have to sit around and wonder if you can afford good insurance or whether you should buy from a particular company. There are plenty of choices out there when it comes to plans, so explore them thoroughly and get what you need.

Don’t get into trouble by purchasing the first insurance policy you’re offered, either. There might be reasons that you aren’t a good fit for that policy, or that it’s not the right choice for you. It’s far better to explore all of your choices instead of just picking something so that you have coverage. You want value for your money, and you have to do a little bit of research work to make sure that you’re getting it. It’s well worth the time and effort.

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