General health

Archive for May, 2010

What is Rh factor?
Every person’s blood is one of four major types. A, B, AB, or O. Blood types are determined by the types of antigens on the blood cells.

Rh describes the factor that is found on the red blood cells of most people. People with the Rh factor are Rh positive, those who do not have the factor are Rh negative. Approximately 85% of the United States population is Rh positive and about 15% is Rh negative. The type we are is determined by our parents just like eye color. The Rh factor does not affect a person’s general health. Rh factor can be determined by a simple blood test which only requires a finger stick.

When is Rh important?
Rh is important when donating blood or receiving a blood transfusion and during pregnancy. Rh negative blood donors are always in demand because Rh negative patients need Rh negative blood. Rh positive patients can receive blood from either Rh positive or Rh negative donors. In pregnancy, Rh is especially important when an Rh negative woman carries an Rh positive fetus.

What if I am Rh negative and pregnant?
If an Rh negative woman is pregnant with an Rh positive fetus, her body will produce antibodies against the fetus’s blood, causing a disease known as the Rh disease. Sensitization to the disease occurs when the woman’s blood is exposed to the fetus’s blood. The antibodies attack and destroy the Rh positive red blood cells of the fetus, a progressive anemia develops and in severe cases, there can be heart failure or even death. This hemolytic disease usually does not affect the first pregnancy, but once a woman has produced antibodies, all future Rh positive pregnancies are at risk. Antibody production can be prevented by giving Rh Immune Globulin (Rhlg or RhoGam).

 
What is RhoGam and what does it do?
RhoGam is a solution containing Rh antibodies which is injected into the Rh negative mother during pregnancy and just after delivery, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or induced abortion.
Once the antibodies have been given, the immune system sees no need to act and the woman’s body does not make her own antibodies even though Rh positive red blood cells from the fetus got into her bloodstream.

Is protection necessary after each pregnancy?
Yes. With each pregnancy the Rh negative woman has a chance of being exposed to the red blood cells of her fetus. Unless it is known for certain that the fetus is Rh negative, the woman should receive protection. Before birth, miscarriage or induced abortion there is no way of knowing the baby’s Rh type unless both parents are Rh negative.

Is RhoGam Safe?
Yes. RhoGam has an excellent safety record. Before it was made available for general use, it was tested in medical centers around the world. Millions of women have received RhoGam safely and delivered healthy babies. RhoGam is prepared by a process that has not been shown to transmit hepatitis or other infectious diseases.

Rh disease is preventable through this simple injection of Rh Immune Globulin.

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A cure for arthritis may now be available but it also depends upon the types of arthritis. It can be diagnosed at any local hospital or by any general practitioner. When you see your physician, don’t hesitate to provide full description of pain, stiffness or other symptoms. Arthritis affects everyone but especially people who are about 80 years and above. Yes, more aged people undergo from arthritis, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the case. Even children could be brought down with arthritis; however, the older people are the mostly affected.

Relief for the disease has improved in recent years.
Corticosteroids which are medication, decrease inflammation and pain, and damage joint. Drugs used to control the disease come under two categories: those that are used to make living with the symptoms easier, and those that have the possible to change the course of the debility. Weight is very important when it comes to arthritis. If you are more than 30 pounds overweight, having this extra stress can affect your joints and create arthritis pain.

Causes of Arthritis: – Inflammation is a reaction of the body that causes swelling, redness, pain, and loss of motion in an affected area. It is the major physical problem in the most serious forms of arthritis.

* Age
* Previous Injury
* Weight
* Psychological factors
* Illness or Infection
* Hepatitis A
* Stress
* Joint instability
* Hormonal factors

Natural Prevention Arthritis: -

* Yoga – Yoga has helped arthritic patients with improving confidence, mood, self-awareness, range of motion, relaxation, blood circulation, concentration, stress and pain reduction, health of bones, tendons, muscles and joint ligaments.
* Emu Oil – due to its small molecular weight, Emu Oil easily penetrates skin membrane and delivers its soothing relief to sore joints. Its anti-inflammatory properties make preparations with Emu Oil more and more popular among health professionals and sportsmen.
* Vitamin B – This is an efficient pain-killer. It acts well on the knees and can aid in stopping degeneration that is triggered by free-radical molecules, not only in the joints but also in some other body parts.
* Exercise – when balanced with rest, can help reduce pain and stiffness, making muscles stronger and joints more flexible. Consult your doctor first, however, before beginning an exercise program.
* Down Dog Variation – This position is for alignment, balance upper and lower body strength and flexibility. In a standing position, with feet parallel and straight beneath the hips, pointed forward, face a wall. Point knees straight ahead, bend them slightly and place your hands against the wall, slightly higher than your shoulders, shoulder-distance apart.
* Ginger – An antioxidant that functions as an anti-inflammatory without any of the foremost side effects.

Massage Enhances Athletic Performance

Whether you opt for a massage before or after your training or competitive performance, you will soon feel the health and fitness benefits of a massage, beating injuries by returning to a pre-exercise bodily state.

A regular massage can help the athlete’s body no end, to recover from the aches and pains of lengthy training or race and to improve your blood supply and flexibility.

A massage can significantly improve the condition of the muscles of any athlete, of any level.  Athletes generally repeat their activity and this stresses the body causing numerous problems to occur, such as general aches and pains and reduced flexibility.  A deep massage using pumping and stroking movements improve circulation, remove waste products and improve elasticity.  

All in all, massage therapy provides an impressive package of benefits to the professional athlete of any level.  It helps keep athletes injury-free, loose, supple and in optimum condition. 

It may therefore be reasonably claimed that one of the greatest benefits of massage to any athlete is in helping prevent injury.

Don’t delay, Discover the art of massage today at www.DiscoverTheArtOfMassage.com to help keep your body at peak performance. 

How Massage Can Benefit Your Regular Workout?

Massage can help you to achieve your fitness goals and have a positive effect of your fitness level.

Massage improves circulation and general nutrition of muscles.  This appears to be the most valuable fitness-related benefit.  Massage is accompanied or followed by an increase interchange of substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism.  After a muscle is exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied in order for it to increase in size.  Massage maximises the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow, which helps the body rebuild itself.

Massage improves the range of motion and muscle flexibility.  This results in increased power and performance, which helps you work efficiently and with proper intensity to facilitate the body’s muscle-building response.

Massage helps to shorten recovery time between workouts.  Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles after exercise.  Increased circulation to these muscles help to eliminate toxic debris and shorten recovery time.

Massage can help prevent over-training.  Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles, as well as a sedative effect on the nervous system.  This can prevent over-training syndrome which has a limiting effect on muscle building.

Massage may aid in fat loss.  According to research, massage may burst the fat capsule in the subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed.  In this way, combined with proper nutrition, massage may help with weight loss.

Massage helps prevent and even heal injuries.  By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions.  Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur) necessary for tissue repair.

While a massage won’t build muscle directly, it helps to facilitate the body’s rebuilding phase following a workout and influences muscular growth.  Receiving a massage is as important as your regular workout and supportive nutrition for a comprehensive fitness programme.

Great news for those of us who thought building a great body was all hard work at www.Your-Fitness-Coach.com.

A chronic illness isn’t the name of just one illness. It’s a word used to describe a group of health conditions that last a long time. In fact, the root word of chronic is ”chronos,” which refers to time.

There are many kinds of chronic illnesses. Some illnesses (like a cold or the chicken pox) only last a short time and go away on their own, but sometimes an illness doesn’t go away. Don’t worry, most chronic illnesses are not contagious – you usually don’t catch them from someone else. But chronic illnesses can be genetic, meaning that parents can pass the tendency to get them on to their children before they are born through genes. If a person has a chronic illness, he needs to take care of his condition for months or years.

A Personal Health Record can help adolescents with chronic illnesses to communicate with their providers and others about their health. Electronic personal health record software applications offer the benefits of understanding and tracking your treatments. For people with chronic diseases, their application helps in interpreting a range of relevant health data, illustrates online how their daily behaviors affect their condition and how they feel. It also provides specific recommendations for improving their typical routines.

You can keep track of medications, dosage, refills and routines via an Electronic Health Record. Through an interactive Web portal, patients input personalized information on their daily activity level and lifestyle. They then receive customized plans to increase activity levels in ways that are tailored to their daily routines.

Capturing observations from the home and interacting with patients in everyday life helps put patients on their own healthcare monitoring, which is why Personal Health Records are the key to managing a healthier lifestyle.

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2010 Outlook for Surgeons

The Advisory Council for General Surgery reported that the number of general surgeons in the US in 1994 was between 17,289 and 23,502, or a ratio of 7.1 general surgeons per 100,000 population. As many as one-third of today’s practicing physicians may retire by the year 2020. It is projected that because of the number of retiring surgeons employment for them is strong and should continue to grow. There is particular concern about shortages in the near future as older physicians retire. Rural areas are especially vulnerable to attracting and retaining physicians.

Increased job opportunities will be available for surgeons in areas of low-income populations or rural areas. Surgeons earned an average annual salary of $240,533 to $361,589 in 2008, based on Salary.com reports. Salaries vary based upon experience in the field and professional specialty.

General Surgeon’s Salary Range

As with most specialties the years of experience, geographic location, the type of facility and determine the General Surgeons salary. The Allied Physicians Salary Survey revealed a difference in salary for general surgeons by years of experience as follows:

* 1-2 Years – $226,000
* 3 or More – $291,000
* Maximum – $520,000

General Surgeon Job Outlook

The job outlook for general surgeons is good as the shortage for physicians is occurring around the world. Employment opportunities are expected to grow faster than average between now and 2014. The Department of Labor reported that 14.6 of all practicing physicians specialized in surgery.

The Aging Population in the US

The US population is aging. From 2010 and 2035, all age groups 70 and above will increase over 95%. This means there will be a greater demand for all health care services and relatively smaller younger population of physicians taking the retiring physicians place . Some fear that as the Baby Boom generation starts receiving Medicare coverage the older physicians may retire more quickly rather than accept the lower fees and higher workload of the government funded insurance. Further, it is estimated that as many as one-third of today’s practicing physicians will retire by 2020. However, the recession and massive job loss across the country has had a direct impact on the revenue stream to physicians. When people lose their job, they also lose their health care benefits and so access to health care.

Stock Market Decline impact on Retirement

The recent stock market decline has impacted older physicians’ decisions. Some physicians are postponing retirement because of the economy’s impact on their retirement savings. But even a three- to five-year delay won’t address the impending loss of experienced physicians. Some new physicians are looking to Locum Surgery jobs for the short term to remain available for better opportunities.

Health Insurance Reform

The final uncertainty is the outcome of national health reform. If the reform actually works in increasing the enrollment into health care insurance programs then when combined with the long term the aging population and these increased numbers should push demand for services and therefore cost higher. However, no one yet knows what will happen to reimbursement rates from Medicare and this new program. The question is will there be rate a cut of reimbursement rates for different procedures by Medicare and this new program that may ultimately decrease the income of all specialties.