Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Archive for October, 2009

In the United States, there are millions of Americans who use natural remedies as a way to seek treatment or relief from a minor medical issue.  Since many are pleased with the results, ease of use, as well as affordability, many pet owners wonder if natural remedies can be used on their pets.  In most cases, you will see that they can.

When it comes to using natural remedies for pets, there are a number of important points that you will first want to take into consideration.  One of those points is your source of information.  If you decide to use a natural remedy that you got online, be sure to use your best judgment.  Make sure that you are getting your information from a trusted website.  In fact, the best ways to get information on natural remedies for pets is by buying printed resources, namely remedy books for pets, or by speaking with a vet.

Another point that you will want to take into consideration, before deciding to use a natural remedy on your pet, is the problem at hand.  For example, if your dog is having difficulty breathing or if they are bleeding excessively from a deep wound, it may be best to seek professional help.  With that being said, natural remedies are a safe, easy, and affordable way to treat some pets with minor medical issues.

Some things are simply a mystery and so goes the perceived role and importance that the Critical Care Transport (CCT) RN plays in the healthcare field. Other professionals seem to view us like mutts - a little bit of everything but certainly not a thoroughbred in anything.

I once heard a co-worker describe the job as something between a magnified EMT and a bench warmer. Such flattery - but what can you do?

Anyhow, I just wanted to set the record straight, so to speak, by pointing out the value and importance that the CCT RN brings to the table.

What’s so ironic about the perception is that most CCT RN’s are veteran nurses from the ICU or ER with certifications that give new meaning to the use of acronyms. Many hold certifications that consist of ACLS, PALS, CCRN, CEN, TNCC, PHTLS, ATLS and anyway - you get the picture.

Fighting hair loss can be a costly battle and an all-out war. If ever you find yourself fighting for your crowning glory, you better be armed with information about the enemy. Hair loss is oftentimes a genetic condition, especially for men (androgenetic alopecia). Or if you have a change in diet, or you are not getting enough vitamins and minerals, then you need to switch to a healthier lifestyle and start munching on fruits, vegetables and raw nuts. Hair loss can also be brought about by medication (especially if you are undergoing chemotherapy), if you stop taking birth control pills, or if you are taking some kind of antibiotic.At times it can be stress-induced, and it is a matter of mastering yourself and handling stress better. Hair loss can also happen to women who have just given birth, in which case you need to give time for your hormones to stabilize, and again taking in vitamins and minerals will help. Moreover, when you have damaged or dry hair, its tendency is to produce static which leads to flyaway hair and brittleness, causing hair to fall out faster when you try to brush or detangle it.

There are several types of diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a multi-faceted disease characterized by the body’s inability to properly handle the insulin in the blood. The two main types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. There is also gestational diabetes which affects pregnant women. Gestational diabetes often subsides after the baby is born, but it puts the woman at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.Type 2 diabetes is often called adult-onset diabetes. Though it can develop at any point in a person’s life, it is increasingly seen in children nowadays. In Type 2 diabetes, the body and the pancreas are producing insulin, but the body is unable to process or respond to it correctly. Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include obesity, eating a high fat diet and living a sedentary lifestyle. Also high cholesterol and a history of diabetes especially gestational diabetes for women put them at high risk for DM Type 2. Type 2 can be managed with changes to diet and exercise. Medications are also prescribed.

If your body doesn’t absorb the sugar properly then you have diabetes. Elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels due to insufficiencies of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is the main feature share by both type I and type II diabetes.

By the year 2025, the incidence of diabetes is expected to exceed 250 million people globally- resulting in 35 million heart attacks, 13 million strokes, 6 million episodes of renal failure, 8 million instances of blindness or eye surgery, 2 million amputations, and 62 million deaths. Already a reality, according to the American Diabetes Association, 21 million Americans suffer from diabetes and another 54 million are highly likely to develop Type II diabetes. This means that 75 million Americans either have diabetes or are at high risk.

Educated physicians stand together to discourage patients in believing a cure for diabetes. This is due to their teachings in which they were taught. According to their knowledge obtained in medical school, the optimal result is that the disease can only be “controlled” with insulin and medicine.

So technically they are right. Diabetes can’t be cured … if masking the symptoms with medications is the only measures in which they take. Prescription medications don’t attack the real cause of the disease; instead, they help “artificially regulate” your blood sugar levels.

When making your decision on an emergency medical alert system, you will need to decide if you want a system that is paid for up front and monitors monthly for free, or if you want to use a system that charges you monthly for as long as you use the service. One of the more popular choices is a system that is self-contained and you only pay upfront for the equipment. These types of systems will cost roughly $200 or less. Other systems will charge $40-$80 per month for their service. By paying for your system once, you don’t have monthly payment fees and you own the emergency medical alert system outright.This system contains a console base and a basic panic button as the pendant. The base is where you will program the numbers of the people who will respond to the emergency. New research has shown that there is less delay in the response to the medical emergency if you program people that you know and love into the call program. These people can come from family, friends, neighbors or even co-workers. The numbers don’t even have to be local; the program system allows long distance telephone numbers as well as the 911 response number. It is suggested that the 911 response number be the last number in the call sequence. When the emergency medical alert systems are activated, the call program begins consecutively calling the numbers you had configured until a real person is reached.

One of the oldest medications currently in use for acne is Sulfur. Sulfur and acne treatment go back to the tubes of popular ointments used in the 1950’s

Before the invention of antibiotics there were few affective drugs other than sulfur for infections. Even after the development of the many drugs that were considered to be miracles, there are still limited uses for sulfur drugs.

The primary use of sulfur in acne treatment is as exfoliating or pealing agent. It is often used as one of the ingredients in the skin toned medicated concealers. It is in use in adult acne treatments today as an alternative to harsher less appropriate treatments.

When used with a treatment regime it is used last as a leave-on ingredient. This is an important distinction to keep in mind. Some ingredients in acne treatments have to be used briefly and washed off. Others are best used for hours before being rinsed off. However these are often very mild acne treatments.