Health and Life

2008-08-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Quiting Bad Habits:

The effects of some bad habits - smoking, in particular - can haunt you for decades. But the damage from other habits - especially those that affect the circulatory system - can be largely offset. Any time you improve your behaviour and make lifestyle changes, they make a difference from that point. The day you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide levels in your body drop dramatically. Within weeks, your blood becomes less sticky and your risk of dying from a heart attack starts to decline. Adopting healthy habits won't cure all that ails you, of course. But doctors believe that many chronic diseases - from diabetes and high blood pressure to heart disease and even some cancers - can be warded off with a few sensible changes in lifestyle. Not sure where to start? Surprisingly, it doesn't matter, since one positive change usually leads to another. Make enough changes, and you'll discover you've adopted a new way of life. It won't make you invincible or doctors unnecdessary, and you can't wait forever. But you'll never know how much damage you can undo if you don't try. It's nver too late to.

Valtrex Prescription

2008-04-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Health is wealth. So, we need a proper solution and guidance for our health problem. 1st Online Pharmacy is a pioneer in telemedicine. If you have any health problem, you can communicate directly with board-certified physicians. It is simple and quick. 1st Online Pharmacy has been providing a direct patient-to-physician relationship online since 1998. Some concern fields are Valtrex Medication, men’s health, genital herpes, flu treatment, genital warts, emergency contraception, birth control, insomnia, weight loss, depression, quit smoking, allergy relief, skin care/beauty etc. Some important medicine like Valtrex Medicine will be found along with its prescription. There are no any hidden fees but have a cancellation charge of $10. All orders are shipped in discreet packaging via FedEx. The cost for shipping is typically $18 for 2nd day delivery. In case of P.O. Box, your order will be sent by the United States Postal Service Priority Mail. Detail information for any medicine will be found displayed along with its prescription. This site is user friendly. Check it out and take the benefit in 1st Online Pharmacy.

Sweet Potato

2008-03-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sweet potato is a great source of energy and minerals. It has high starch content and that’s why it is a great energy booster. Since it is also a high-calorie food, the best way to eat it is to steam it lightly. Boiling, cooking of frying will only increase its calorie count and you will lose out on the minerals that it contains.

Why sweet potatoes….

Nutritionists advise that the single most important dietary change for most people would be to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates. This is where sweet potatoes step in. This root veggie is rich in dietary fibre, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. They have the lowest glycaemic index rating among all root vegetables. That’s because the sweet potato digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar.

Parkinson’s disease

2008-03-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

As per medical science Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disease mostly found in the middle aged to the elderly. It was first described by James Parkinson in 1817. It is seen in 1 % of the population above 60 years of age. More than 1 million people are suffering from this disease in America about one and half times more commonly in men as compared to woman.
Usually it begins with a tremor of the fingers and the thumb is frequently affected and the characteristic tremor involves the thumb and is known as pill rolling movement.
To begin with it usually involves one side of the body but later on the other side of the body is involved. One peculiarity of the tremor is that it is seen when the hand or fingers are at rest i.e. they are not active and with action i.e. when the person moves the hand the tremor tends to disappear.
The other symptoms that are seen in PD is a stiffness of the body which to begin with may be localized but becomes more generalized with the passage of time. More important than these above two symptoms is another symptom which we call bradykinesia which means all the actions of the patient become very slow and the patient is not able to keep pace with friends or family members when they are walking with them. They start taking a significantly more time in changing clothes.
Another peculiar thing which is observed in these patients is that as the disease advances they have a lot of difficulty in initiating a movement i.e. if they are sitting then standing up takes a long period of time and if they are standing and then trying to walk then they cannot start walking easily and seem to be frozen, but once they start walking, they can keep on walking. The walk of patients with PD is slow and the patient tends to stoop forward and has short shuffling steps i.e. they seem to drag their feet along the ground.
The speech of these patients become slow and feeble with the passage of time and gradually it becomes so dysarthric that one cannot make out what they are saying. The face of the patient with PD cases become expressionless and the expression hardly changes- a condition which we call mask facies. They tend to blink eyes less frequently than normal people.
Even the swallowing mechanism is affected and saliva seems to drool from their mouth. A significant percentage of cases of PD also seem to develop an impairment of their intellectual faculties- a condition which in medical parlance is known as dementia- seen in around 30 % of patients. The patients cannot think clearly, their memory starts failing and they start forgetting many things and also have difficulty in comprehending slightly complex things. In the later stages the patient becomes disoriented to time i.e. they do not know the date, day of the week or the time of the day.
As the disease progresses they may fail to recognize friends or relations. With the passage of time the PD patients activities becomes very restricted and he/she becomes wheelchair bound or bedridden.
The pattern of abnormalities described above are seen not only in Parkinson’s disease but also in other conditions known as Parkinson plus syndrome which are a group of conditions. They have a lot of resemblance to PD but in reality are different disorders and their response to treatment is very different from that of PD. Usually a CT scan of the brain or MRI is done in PD to rule out other conditions. A number of other investigations may have to be done when in some cases where the diagnosis is not clear. PD is highly responsive to treatment and a number of modalities of treatment are available which will be discussed in a later article.

Easy Eye Exercise for Computer users

2008-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

As eye is the most important organ, we need proper protection and care specially for computer professionals. Some small and easy exercises are given below.

1. Blink your eyes as much as you can. While you keep your eyes closed, roll your eyeballs both clockwise and anticlockwise and take a deep breath. Open your eyes gradually while releasing your breath. This can lasts for a minutes and repeat it three times before work.

2. While working for long hours, look at distant objects beyond twenty feet. Try this breaks for about 5 to ten minutes every hour.

3. Rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your warmth palms and relax for 60 second. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired. Your warmth palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes.

4. Splash water on your face while closing your eyes during breaks. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps you feel refreshed.

5. Take a stroll outside your office for a few minutes in the break. This will give your eyes a much-needed break and get them fresh air.

6. Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

7. Drink plenty of water.8. Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

Advantage medical quotes

2007-11-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Advantagemedicalquotes provide a wide range of benefits for you and your family as healthcare insurance including traditional fee plans, HMO plans insurance, group policies, student plans, high deductable, medical savings accounts etc with a minimal insurance premium rate. We are developing a comprehensive insurance order-entry system that provides instance quotes from top insurance companies to purchase of their choice at lowest price. Followings are the facilities we provide.

Traditional Fee Plan: You can make appointment with almost medical provider. Your provider will send your claim to the medical insurance company. Fee-for-Service plan will pay a percentage of the bill. You have to pay the remaining percentage which is known as coinsurance.

HMO plans insurance: In this plan, you have to choose a primary care physician from the plan’s list. When you are sick, you can call or see this doctor as they become your “gatekeeper”. He or she will refer you to a specialist within the HMO network. There are two types of HMO. They are (a) Staff Model HMO and (b) Individual Practice Associations (IPAs). Former is a HMO in which doctors are employees of the HMO and later is an HMO contracts with outside physician groups or individual doctors who have private practices.

Student Plans: In the event of a major illness or accident, lack of adequate coverage may interfere with your ability to complete your studies. Insurance should be considered a basic cost, in the same category as housing, food, and transportation. It may be calculated into your financial aid application.

Medical Savings Account (MSA): This account is generally associated with self-employed individuals and it must be coupled with a hig-deductible health plan (HDHP). Any withdrawals from the MSA are tax-free if used to pay for medical expenses and tax-deferred deposits can be made for medical expenses. Its account funds can cover for accidents, dental care, vision care, ear care, disability and long-term care.

Health and Life

2007-10-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

We bring to you a collection of articles that are specifically chosen keeping these objectives in mind, while being presented in an easy to understand manner. Hope you enjoy reading them.

The amazing thing about our body is that it goes to health unless impeded – if you cut your finger the body heals, get a cold your body heals. The body is designed to be youthful and healthy. It is only stress that ages the body and stress can be triggered by our thoughts, feelings, food, drugs, smoke, negative relationships, and the like.

Find ways to exercise the mind and body and you will be amazed at the vitality and energy you will have. You may wish to join a yoga group, practice meditation or just sit and enjoy a light lunch of greens at your favorite restaurant. You will be glad you did.

Some points to remember for Long Healthy Life

Don't smoke. You will:
1. Decrease your risk of some cancers, heart attack and lung disease.
2. Experience better blood circulation.
3. Improve your ability to taste and smell.
4. Be a positive role model for younger generations.
Limit alcohol
1. Too much alcohol can increase risk for developing various diseases and physiological and social problems.
2. If you do drink, the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" suggests no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.
Eat well
1. Diet and exercise go hand in hand. Healthy foods give your body the fuel it needs to stay active and function at its best.
2. Choose wisely – look for foods that give you the most "bang for your buck," meaning food that provides your body with the nutrients it needs to build and repair itself. Examples include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.
Be active
1. Activity does not need to be strenuous; a little goes a long way. Aim for at least 30 minutes of daily moderate activity, such as brisk walking.
2. Researchers continue to uncover health benefits from maintaining a physically active life. They include:
  1. Weight management
  2. Improved sleep patterns
  3. More energy
  4. Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
  5. Stress relief
  6. Improved ability to fight off colds and other illness
  7. Arthritis relief
  8. Strengthened bones and muscles, which can prevent falls and bone loss
  9. Lowered risk of diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, blood pressure, and colon cancer
  10. Decreased need for hospitalizations, physician visits and medications

Get enough sleep

Aim for 7-8 hours each night.
Stick to a regular schedule.
Before bed, avoid food or drinks that might keep you up.

Get regular check ups and screenings

They'll help you spot any changes in your body that may not be visible.
Early detection increases survival and treatment options.

Practice safe habits

Wear a seatbelt.
Wear a helmet when riding a bike or motorcycle.

Remember mental and emotional health

Mental (emotional and brain) health is important to healthy aging.
Depression, stress, and anxiety can affect your health and ability to recover from illness. Talk with your doctors if you have concerns. They can determine the best treatment or behavioral change for you.

BRAIN HEALTH

New research suggests brain health can be improved by being physically and socially active. Explore the different learning opportunities available in your community, such as lectures workshops and classes. Brain teasers and puzzles are also a good way to exercise your brain.

Social activities are both fun and good for your health. Find activities that match your interests, such as book clubs, dance classes, walking programs or simply getting together with friends. Volunteering is a rewarding experience for you and those you are helping. Volunteer opportunities range in scope and can provide you with the opportunity to apply any skills and training you have.
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