Depression from life circumtances

An estimated ten percent of all Americans suffer from some form of depression during their lives. This figure varies but is pretty much the same worldwide. There are a few areas of the world that depression seems to have missed, but not many. Depression in general affects the way we behave from our sleeping patterns up to the way we think and live life.

The difference between depression and bipolar depression is in the severity and frequency. Depression alone is often brought about by life circumstances, while bipolar depression is chemically- induced and the flip side of mania. The depression and mania come in cycles, regardless of the circumstances in a person’s life.  While those suffering clinical depression are at risk of using drugs or alcohol to alleviate their symptoms, the risk is greater in those with bipolar depression. A person who knows the highs of mania may try to recreate the feeling when they are depressed or “stable”. Drugs often help create that high for a short time. This puts the person at risk of adding drug addiction to the bipolar disorder.

For more information please go to: http://dilusional.com/about-me/ ‎

Do I Really Need an EKG Course to Work on a Telemetry Unit?

Pretty much the only rhythm you know is normal sinus rhythm, and the only facts you know about telemetry are that a very fast or slow heart rate can be bad.  You’ve heard of atrial fibrillation but could you point it out on a monitor if you saw it?  What about ventricular tachycardia- would you know it if you saw it on the screen and would you know what to do about it?  And forget about junctional rhythms, heart blocks, and bundle branch blocks… what are those?  You are indeed a newbie to the world of cardiac telemetry and EKG.

That’s why you should to take an EKG course.  Whether online or in person, an EKG course is your best bet in getting the knowledge and competence you need to care for your telemetry patient and safely work on a telemetry unit.  

Most EKG courses start with reviewing cardiac anatomy and physiology and the cardiac conduction system.  This helps by giving you a picture and a basis for everything you will be learning, as most EKG courses are broken down into categories of where the cardiac electrical impulse originates from, i.e. sinus, atrial, junctional, etc.  

Another aspect of EKG education is learning what all those lines and squiggles on the monitor stand for and what they are called.  It shows you which part of the heart coordinates with which wave on the screen and what that part is doing at the time of that wave, i.e. the big up and down wave is the QRS complex- it represents the electrical impulse moving through the ventricles.  Then we learn how to measure each of these.  Each wave or line on the screen determines a certain length of time.  Time is important because it shows how quickly or slowly an impulse is moving through the heart.  A slower impulse may mean there’s an issue in the conduction system somewhere.

Once all the labeling and measuring is learned, most EKG courses then break it down into categories of where the electrical impulse originates from.  There are usually 5 categories here: sinus, atrial, junctional, ventricular, and the heart blocks.  Sometimes a 6^th category is paced rhythms.  Each category has several rhythms within it that need to be learned and each rhythm has its own set of rules regarding the wave lengths, time, etc.  Once these rules are learned, reading EKG’s and telemetry gets A LOT easier.

Some EKG courses also have extras like a review of cardiac medications and their indications regarding cardiac arrhythmia or a clinical perspective on each rhythm regarding the causes, treatments, and clinical presentation.  A good EKG course will also give you lots of rhythm strips to practice measuring and figuring out what each rhythm is.  It’s not enough just to just practice at work, as most of the rhythm strips you will encounter there will be a form of sinus rhythm with the occasional atrial fibrillation.

Finally, when choosing an EKG course, make sure it offers you everything you think you will need to feel comfortable and confident caring for your cardiac patient. 

Where can you get a free lesson on EKG?

Where can you get a FREE lesson on EKG?







Using the lessons of this free telemetry course, you will be be able to identify whether an EKG rhythm is safe or potentially fatal.

http://understandingekg.com/

What is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is known by several names – COPD, Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, or COLD. The condition is progressive, meaning that the effects of this disease worsen over time. The effects cannot be reversed, but patients can manage their condition.

The two most common conditions associated with COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, according to the Mayo Clinic. To manage these conditions, patients should not smoke and should avoid prolonged exposure to other lung irritants.

By working with their doctors, patients can take an active role in managing their symptoms. Treatments often include doctor-assisted pulmonary rehabilitation, which includes exercise, breathing therapy and diet monitoring. To get the most benefit out of this treatment, patients should make a point to exercise regularly and take care with their diet, trying to avoid foods that encourage the production of mucous. In some cases, doctors may prescribe the use of ventilators or oxygen therapy through a facemask or nasal cannula. For these treatments to be most effective, the patient should wear their oxygen mask or breathing device regularly. 

Smoking is both a cause of COPD and an irritant. Patients who have emphysema or chronic bronchitis will likely hear their doctors tell them that they need to quit smoking, and perhaps the best way to manage symptoms is to do just that. Patients should faithfully take their medications, including bronchodilators and expectorants, in order to manage their symptoms.

In severe cases, doctors may consider surgical intervention. Lung volume reduction surgery is a treatment for severe cases of emphysema. It involves removal of portions of damaged lung tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic. Lung transplant is another option for patients with severe COPD. In very severe cases and those cases of COPD caused by a deficiency of the protein Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, doctors may perform a bullectomy, which entails the removal of large air pockets and damaged lung tissue. 

When it comes to surgical interventions, the patient can play an active role in their preparation and recovery – by getting as much exercise as possible and following dietary recommendations prior to the surgery. Afterward, patients should follow all instructions and take prescribed medications faithfully.

Individuals who live with COPD may runs the risk of other issues, like thinning bone, weight problems, heart failure and even an increased risk of lung cancer. These complications are yet another reason that patients should cooperate with their doctors and treatment plans as much as possible.

Specialists in COPD treatment brought this article to you

Sources: 

Lung volume reduction surgery: http://www.mayoclinic.org/lung-volume-reduction-surgery/

Surgical intervention explanations: http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/surgical-procedures.html

The Connection Between Obesity and Sleep Apnea

We all know about the many health risks associated with obesity, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes.  A less spoken about risk is sleep apnea. People that carry excess weight can develop a type of sleep apnea called Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Due to Obesity

People that carry excess weight have fat that compress their upper airway while they sleep.  Not everyone that has Obstructive Sleep Apnea is obese, but this condition is much higher in this category of people.  OSA causes poor sleep quality, which may explain why severely overweight people also feel tired throughout the day.

Effects of OSA on Obesity

When obese people suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, they may be stuck in an endless cycle that will only make the problem, and their health, get worse.  OSA causes poor sleep quality, reducing the amount of a hormone called Leptin to build up in one’s system.  Leptin is the hormone that regulates appetite and metabolism.  Not having a good night’s sleep can result in one feeling hungry because of this lack of Leptin.  The body thinks it does not have enough energy, and so it thinks it needs more food to build up the necessary amount of energy, causing a person to eat more than they really need.  If an obese person continues to eat more than they can work off, they will continue to put on weight, making the Obstructive Sleep Apnea to become worse, and producing less Leptin during the night.  This cycle continues and gets worse as time goes on. 

Ghrelin is another hormone that helps to regulate weight.  It determines when your body needs to eat or store it away for later use in fat cells.  When sleep deprivation occurs due to OSA, a lower buildup of Ghrelin occurs, making the body think it is hungry rather than tired.  Rather than wanting to sleep, the body thinks it needs to refuel, and so it increases the desire to eat, rather than sleep.

What To Do If Suffering From Obstructive Sleep Apnea Due to Obesity

If one suffers from OSA due to obesity, the first step would be to consult his or her doctor for consultation in lifestyle modification.  There is a treatment called PAP (Positive Airway Pressure). The devices that the doctor can prescribe, if used as directed, can result in an increase in quality sleep and weight loss, assuming a proper diet regimen is also followed. 

Why is immunisation necessary for public health?

Why immunise?


 ... for protection against serious infectious diseases

by Dr Robert Arlt - Consultant Paediatrician

 

Dr Arlt provides general paediatric care, ultra-sound, health checks, developmental checks for babies and children at Richmond Practice.

There are two ways of protecting ourselves against most infectious diseases:

• vaccination 
•  by preventing disease being passed on from one person to another, ex. thorough hand washing

Immunisation is effective in eradicating disease and preventing death.

A worldwide immunisation campaign against smallpox in 1979 lead to complete eradication of
the disease, after reports of 10 to 15 million cases in 1966. As a result, vaccination against
this disease could be stopped. In the early 1960s hundreds of children in the UK died of
poliomyelitis every year. Now the disease has nearly disappeared thanks to the effective
vaccination programme in place worldwide. We need to protect others too
By vaccinating children we achieve "herd immunity." This is the level of immunity that occurs
when the vaccination of a majority of the population (or herd) provides protection to
unprotected individuals. It is more difficult to maintain a chain of infection when large numbers
of a population are immune and this prevents massive outbreaks of a disease. It is particularly
important to protect vulnerable people who cannot be immunised, especially babies in their
first two months of life.

The licensing of vaccines is closely regulated 

Vaccines go through many different phases of testing. Their safety and any potential side
effects are always carefully assessed. Organisations such as the European Medicines
Agency (EMEA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) also continue to work actively to
monitor side-effects contributed to vaccines after they have been released.

What about the side effects? 

We must see vaccines as what they are. Some are ‘dead’ and contain no active disease cells.
Examples are tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis. But they do contain additives needed to
preserve the vaccine and to increase its efficiency. These sometimes cause local reactions
like fever and flu symptoms and allergic reactions that we must be ready for when we
immunise. Some vaccines are ‘live’ or ‘attenuated’. However, they are so weak that anyone
with a fairly normal immune system will not have a problem. Our immune systems fight off full
strength bugs all the time. Of course, we should not use these ‘live’ vaccines on immune-
deficient people.

... and MMR?

The recent scare around the combined Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccine was
connected to the work of Dr Andrew Wakefield. He linked the vaccine with autism and bowel
disease (Lancet (1998.) This contributed to a resurgence of measles cases in Britain when
many parents declined the MMR vaccination for their children. Many large-scale studies,involving millions
of children ailed to establish a link to autism and the Wakefield hypothesis
has not gained acceptance in the medical community. Dr Wakefield has since admitted that
his claims were “not proved.”

To conclude, immunisation protects everyone and helps a great deal in eradicating many
serious infectious diseases. It saves lives and is safe when used appropriately.

---

Richmond Practice routine childhood immunisation programme

• when to immunise
• diseases protected against
• vaccine given

   Two months old

• Diphteria, tentanus, pertussis
• (whooping cough), polio and
• Haemophilus influenza typeb (Hib)
• Pneumococcal infection
• DTaP/OPV/Hib and
• Pneumococcal conjugate
• vaccine (PCV)

Three months old

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
• (whooping cough), polio and
• Haemophilus inflyenzae type b (Hib)
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C)
• DTaP/IPV/Hib and MenC

Four months old

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
• (whooping gough), polio and
• Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)
• Meningitis (meningococcal group C)
• Pneumococcal infection
• DTaP/IPV/Hib and MenC
• and PCV

Around 12 months

• Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and
• meningitis C
• Hib/MenC
• Around 13 months
• Measles, mumps and rubella (German
• measles)
• Pneumococcal infection
• MMR and PCV

Three years and four

• months or soon after
• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio
• Measles, mumps and rubella
• DTaP/IPV or dTaP/IPV
• and MMR

Girls aged 12 to 13
years

• Cervical cancer caused by human
• papillomavirus types 16 and 18
• HPV*
• 13 to 18 years old
• Tetanus, diphtheria and polio
• Td/IPV
• *Human papillomavirus vaccine

The HPV vaccine was introduced into the routine immunisation programme in September 2008.

Mother Nature's Safe Ways To Treat Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism, a term for the over activity of the thyroid gland, affects many people globally every year. The thyroid usually produces a protein-bound thyroid hormone that is essential to cellular activity. This hormone helps every organ in the body function at its proper speed, and is a fundamental part of a body's metabolism.

When the thyroid produces an excess of this hormone, but they don't bond to the proteins and circulate normally through the body, this is called hyperthyroidism. It affects every part of our anatomies, and can become a serious problem.

What you can do?

Fortunately, there are not only many ways to detect if a thyroid is overproducing, but there are quite a few different options one can undertake for diagnosis and treatment.

Only your doctor can prescribe medications to you. But there are many things you can do entirely on your own that can curb an overactive thyroid gland and feel better at the same time!

You get out what you put in

Diet is extremely important to your personal health, and your thyroid is not an exception. The right kinds of food has been proven to improve thyroid efficiency. One of the best is protein. Protein has demonstrated that it can assist in transferring the thyroid hormone around your body. Eggs, nuts, and fish are all great sources of protein.

Another place that will help is in the area of candy and soda. Instead of sweets, try whole fruits. The body treats it exactly the same as sugar. And caffeine excites the metabolism, forcing the thyroid to work even harder. Avoid those energy drinks too, if you can. They will make your sugar levels jump incredibly.

One more piece of advice in the food category is to eat smaller meals more frequently. When a person eats a large meal, their insulin level spikes, causing even more thyroid problems. It is better to have a few smaller meals instead, to keep the thyroid working smoothly.

It's also a good idea to avoid alcohol, as it dehydrates you and takes your minerals with it when it is metabolized. Staying active is also one of the best ways to keep your thyroid working right. At least fifteen minutes of brisk exercise each day lowers levels of insulin. Plus, exercise is incredibly healthy.

These easy and natural practices promote thyroid health. For more information about Hyperthyroidism, click here.