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Archive for June, 2011

When people don’t know the answer to a question, there’s a terrible temptation to make up an answer. Some people just don’t have the humility to admit they don’t know. That’s how urban myths are born. Whenever an answer could just be true, it gets passed on. If enough people repeat it, the world comes to hear and that makes it respectable. Except, of course, the fact many may believe something to be true doesn’t make it so. A myth is by definition untrue and no amount of wishing can change it. They are particularly common when there’s a scary quality to the facts or there’s some embarrassment about the subject. No one wants to admit the need for the information about erectile dysfunction because that admits they may have the problem. So they listen and absorb all the myths without ever asking the sensible questions to test whether they are true.

For example, many believe erectile dysfunction cannot affect men under the age of 40. This is one of those weird beliefs and there’s no reasonable way of explaining how it started except as an example of wishful thinking. In reality, although it would be surprising if teens found their performance affected without there being an accidental injury of some kind, it’s not uncommon to find performance anxiety and depression affecting sexual performance at all ages. There’s also the fact that erectile dysfunction is a fairly common side effect of quite a few drugs, both legal and illegal. When the National Institutes of Health undertook a survey last year, it estimated about 30 million men were suffering erectile dysfunction in the US and that this was distributed evenly across the age range. Although, when you look at the statistics in more detail, the truth is erectile dysfunction becomes more common as men age.

Which leads to the myth that once you have grown old, there’s nothing that can be done to recover sexual performance. Although it’s true the level of testosterone falls as we age, this affects libido rather than the quality of the erections. Indeed, the medical evidence shows a good quality of life can be maintained with lifestyle changes. All it takes is regular exercise and a good diet. As the weight falls and muscles tone, sexual performance also improves. More importantly, now there are three drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, there’s no reason for any older man to feel inadequate. All it takes is a little medical support and this will rebuild confidence.

Finally we come to the attack on men which says erectile dysfunction is “all in the mind”. That’s a judgement we are at fault if our erections stop working. This is a distinctly unkind myth because the most common cause of the dysfunction is artherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries. Again Levitra can produce immediate results but, in this case it’s better if the drug is combined with lifestyle changes to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the diet and drugs to reduce high blood pressure. Most of these myths undermine self-confidence and discourage men from actually attempting sex. In fact, with patient support from our partners we can usually get back in the action. If it’s still difficult, Levitra can solve all the problems.

It was shown that, even if it seems hard to believe, the initial signs of lupus may appear in the blood, a blood disorder can be the first sign that comes in patients having systemic lupus erythematosus.Systemic lupus erythematosus can show hematological symptoms like anemia, thrombocytopenia, low white blood cell counts and clotting disturbances. That is why, specialists in disorders of the blood can be of real help.

One of the most usual hematological abnormalities that can appear in persons having lupus is anemia. Anemia consists in a reduction in the number of red blood cells and it is recognized by some tests, such as, the hemoglobin concentration in blood, the hematocrit and the red blood cell count.It is known that anemia can have many causes, and in what concerns persons with lupus, anemia can appear because of a chronic inflammation, iron deficiency, prolonged uremia or hemolytic anemia. It is also known that fatigue, which is suffered by many patients having lupus can contribute to the apparition of anemia.

Prolonged uremia, which appears because of an impaired kidney function can lead to anemia. Anemia caused by prolonged uremia can be treated with androgens or erythropoietin, a recently developed hormone having role in the stimulation of red cell production. Sometimes, chronic uremia can determine the apparition of more severe forms of anemia, and that requires blood transfusions.

Prolonged inflammation, which is an important cause of anemia in patients that have lupus, hinders the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow. Because of this inflammation, iron, which is very important in the production of hemoglobin accumulates unused in the marrow tissue. The solution to restore normal red blood cell production is to ease the inflammatory condition.

Iron deficiency is another cause of anemia that can appear because of the blood loss from the body. Drugs that are used in the treatment of lupus can irritate the stomach and produce bleeding and from there results iron-deficient anemia. Iron deficient can become also women that have heavy or frequent menstrual periods.Anemic patients should take some tests for blood loss from the stomach or intestines. It is important to do that, because the source of bleeding must be found and treated.Iron deficient anemia can be corrected in a short time by taking iron tablets.

Hemolytic anemia is a condition that can appear in some people with lupus, usually due to antibodies directed against red blood cells. In this condition, auto-antibodies interact with the red blood cells, and the result is that the red blood cells are removed in the spleen or liver by scavenger cells.Usually, steroids like Prednisone are effective into treating this type of anemia, but there are cases of patients that do not respond to the treatment, and surgical removal of the spleen may be required. Also in severe cases, it is needed a blood transfusion.It is known that a deficiency of thrombocytes, which are tiny particles in the blood, essential for blood clotting causes thrombocytopenia. This leads to bleeding from the gums, nose, or intestines and excessive skin bruising. As some typical signs of thrombocytopenia, we can mention petechiae and pinpoint hemorrhages in the skin.In person with lupus, usually occurs immune thrombocytopenia. This appears because antibodies destroy the platelets, similarly with the destruction of the red blood cells in the autoimmune hemolytic anemia. As a treatment, we can mention steroids like Prednisone and in severe cases splenectomy may be needed.

It was discovered that patients that have lupus produce an antibody called the lupus anti-coagulant. It was seen that some patients with the lupus anti-coagulant tend to form clots abnormally condition called venous thrombosis. That is a paradox that science can’t explain yet.Sometimes, venous thrombosis can associate with pulmonary embolus, and particularly that situation requires treatment with anti-coagulant drugs such as heparin and Coumadin. Lupus anti-coagulant was also detected in cases of recurrent fetal loss, but it is not known if it causes the so-called habitual spontaneous abortion.

Patients with lupus can experience also some abnormalities , like granulocytopenia, which means there is a low granulocyte count, and lymphocytopenia- when there is a low number of lymphocytes. Usually, these abnormalities are harmless and without symptoms, but there can occur severe granulocytopenia, which is usually caused by a reaction to medication. In this case, there must be stopped the intake of the causative drug, and if there is an infection, treatment with antibiotics is required.

Nowadays, there is a great concern about the risk of getting AIDS by blood transfusions. It is good to know that there were developed tests for antibodies against the virus that causes AIDS, and all the blood donors are screened for such antibodies.Of course, the safest thing that can be done is to store your blood for later transfusion, but this is not always practical.It is also possible in some blood banks to designate a member of the family to donate blood for you, but it must be taken in consideration the possibility of blood incompatibility.

A new survey in Massachusetts finds 75% of respondents in favor of continuing their universal health care system with two-thirds positively approving it. More kudos to Mitt Romney! This is not what the GOP wants to hear, of course. The leading politicians want both Romneycare and Obamacare repealed. In the meantime, most states have been taking in $2.8 billion in federal funding to expand Medicaid, improve preventative treatments, and design health exchanges where people will be able to buy their new plans. In this context, a report from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) makes very interesting reading.

NASCIO argues it will be better for states to design their own exchanges for both individuals and small businesses with less than 100 employees (SHOP). The system must allow consumers to compare the prices of all the available plans based on benefits, services, premium rates and a “quality” rating. The exchange must allow transparent competition and avoid the current problem of bad value-for-money where high administrative costs are deducted before picking up the patients’ bills. This will be complicated to create and so NASCIO suggests states pool their efforts to create a standard package all contributing states can adopt. If every state is going to try creating the same code, some will succeed in the time available, but many will fail and budgets will be wasted.

As models we already have Massachusetts Connector and Utah’s Exchange. Building on their experience would save time and money. It would also produce a better quality result which is to be administered by the state or a non-profit entity – this includes the operation of a toll-free hotline and an online calculator to show how much a plan will cost taking account of any tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. All citizens must be able to discover whether they are eligible for help under Medicaid, CHIP, and so on. This can only happen if the exchange system can work with the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, and so on. The federal government expects every state to give their citizens a first-class experience. The accounts for running the exchanges must be audited and published, showing the exchanges are self-supporting and good value-for-money. Given the long list of features to be included in this specification, the sooner state start the planning, the better. If they do not make good progress, the federal government will impose its own exchange.

Even if we only look at one feature – that all the health plans must be presented in standardized format – the problems are immense. All the insurance companies must cooperate and supply the information about their plans in the same format. This will require the insurers to redesign their IT systems to interface with the new exchanges so that details of new plans can be available through the exchanges without separate uploading. The work expected of all interested parties is immense. So is it all going to be worth it? The experience in Massachusetts suggests the answer is “yes”. Individual health insurance through the new exchange has proved popular. More importantly, even though the premium rates have been rising, local citizens accept this is not the fault of their universal health insurance law. Costs are rising everywhere.

There are two main types of hair and scalp diseases: infectious and non-infectious. Infectious diseases are those that they can go contagiously from one man to another. The most common examples of them are: impetigo, head-lice, ringworm, scabies, warts and some more.

Severity of these infections and their danger to surrounding people may differ greatly. Therefore, it is of primary importance to note the symptoms, define the cause and begin the proper treatment as soon as possible. For this purpose, let’s have a look at some common infectious diseases of the scalp and hair.

Impetigo. This is a highly infectious disease that is most common among children. The cause of it is bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus/pyogenes) that enters through cut or injured head-skin. Impetigo is characterized by large moist blisters that gradually dry and form a yellow crust.

Scabies. Scabies is an ectoparasite skin infection that is caused by a small animal mite that can burrow through the scalp and lay eggs there. It is characterized by itchy rash and reddish spots and burrows on the scalp.

Warts. Warts are little raised lumps, which are typically found on hands and feet, but can occur on the head-skin as well. The cause of this infection is a human papillomavirus (HPV), which is spread by direct contact with the infected person.

Ringworm. This one is also known as Tinea capitis. It is a highly infectious scalp disease that is characterized by pink patches that gradually develop into round areas with damaged hairs. The cause of this infection is the fungus that can be spread directly or indirectly through combs and brushes, clothes and towels.

Head-lice. This is very infectious disease caused by small wingless parasitic insects (head-lice) that spend their entire life on the scalp, lay eggs, reproduce and suck human blood. This infection is very common in children.

Folliculitis. Folliculitis is an infectious inflammation of hair follicles caused by bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) that enter the scalp through scratching or by direct contact with the infected person.

These are common infectious diseases and conditions of the scalp and hair. If you suspect that you may have one of these disorders, you must instantly seek medical advice from either a doctor
or a trichologist.

What is Hydrofera Blue?

Hydrofera Blue is a product which is made of a polyvinyl alcohol sponge impregnated with Methylene Blue and Gentian Violet, substances which have been in use for over 50 years and are proven to provide broad-spectrum bacteriostatic protection.

What types of wounds can Hydrofera Blue be used on?

Hydrofera Blue is highly absorptive and is effective against numerous bacteria, including MRSA and VRE. It can be used on a variety of wounds, including:
Pressure ulcers Venous stasis ulcers Radiation burns* Orthopedic wounds Arterial ulcers Donor sites Lacerations/abrasions Post-op incisions

*Hydrofera Blue is not indicated for the treatment of third-degree burns.

Advantages of Hydrofera Blue

Hydrofera Blue dressings are highly absorptive and can be used on wounds which are draining heavily. They are also very durable and can be compressed to 1/10th their normal size. They are quite soft and unlikely to damage or irritate healthy tissue. Hydrofera Blue is biocompatible and is highly resistant to chemicals.

How to use Hydrofera Blue dressings

The dressing should be wet with sterile normal saline or sterile water. Squeeze the dressing and leave some fluid in for drier wounds; for heavily exudating wounds, squeeze the dressing until it is almost dry. Position the dressing so that it is in contact with the wound. Hydrofera Blue may be used as a packing or as a wound cover, overlapping the edges of the wound by at least 1 inch.

It is important to make sure that the dressing does not completely dry out. The dressing should be changed every one to three days, or when the area of dressing over the wound becomes saturated. Also, if the dressing turns white, this indicates that it has used all its antimicrobial substance, and the dressing should be changed.

Cover Dressings

Because it is so important to ensure that the Hydrofera Blue dressing does not dry out, care should be taken to choose an appropriate cover dressing:

If the wound bed is dry, a cover dressing which prevents the wicking away of moisture should be chosen. Good examples of appropriate cover dressings may include hydrocolloids, adhesive foams, film dressings, or composite dressings.

If the wound bed is draining heavily, a dressing which will absorb this excess moisture should be chosen. ABD pads, foam dressings and composites may be used to serve this purpose. When the outer dressings are soaked, they should be removed, but the Hydrofera Blue dressing may be left in place until it changes color to white, at which time it should be changed.

Hydrofera Blue is a good multi-purpose dressing that can be used to treat a variety of wounds and is effective against a variety of microbes, including VRE and MRSA. The main components, Gentian Violet and Methylene Blue, have been used for many years and have proven to be safe. A major advantage of the dressing is its ability to handle large amounts of exudate, its durability, and its ability to conform to virtually any wound bed size or shape.

If you are interested in learning more about wound care management, or are ready to take the next step in becoming a certified wound care specialist, please contact us for more information.

Diabetes can be a life-threatening disease if you don’t know how to cure it early. In this article I will tell you about six easy steps to get rid of diabetes forever. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will understand the big danger that diabetes patients are in as well as find a way out of that danger.

1. Learn about diabetes: Knowledge is the best medicine. Learning about the disease is half the battle won. If you learn a little about diabetes, it will help you a long way towards curing it. There is a lot of free information on diabetes available all over the internet. Just browse them and in no time you will see that you have got hold of some easy remedies.

2. Ask your doctor: I am sure you are already visiting a doctor. If not, why not? Your doctor can give you the best advice as far as diabetes is concerned. You just need to ask him. Ask him what is the best way to cure diabetes. Tell him about the kind of things you have tried in order to cure diabetes and whether they have worked for you or not. Based on your family history and health, your doctor should be able to find out the perfect solution for you!

3. Proper diet: Eating a balanced diet is the first step towards curing diabetes. You should bid goodbye to junk foods and starch, and focus on real foods, such as fruits and vegetables. These foods will go a long way in helping you get rid of diabetes quickly!

4. Exercise: Along with having a proper diet, you should exercise regularly. If nothing else, then swim, jog or walk regularly. You should ideally walk for 30-45 minutes per day, if not more. You can also do various simple exercises in your home. No need to visit a gym for this purpose, although a gym does provide you with an ideal environment for exercising.

5. Understand the symptoms: Are you able to know when your blood sugar level goes up or when it goes down? Well, it is easy to predict whether you are suffering from high blood sugar or low blood sugar if you know the symptoms that prelude the disease. For example, if you are suffering from anxiety, anger or frustration, then you maybe suffering from high blood pressure. On the other hand, if you are feeling confused, unfocussed or unable to concentrate on anything, then you are suffering from low blood sugar. Once you understand the symptoms, it becomes easy to prevent diabetes.

6. Medication routine: lastly, you should religiously follow the medication routine given to you by your doctor. Your best bet is to stick these medication instructions at a place where you are able to notice it every hour and everyday.

Diabetes doesn’t mean the end of life. It can be easily controlled, if you are willing to follow the rules. I would suggest that you also join a diabetes membership site or a diabetes support group. This would help you keep focused on your health and you will be able to recover from diabetes faster.