Battling For Health

The past few days, I keep coming up with ways of coping with Alzheimer’s disease that depend on already having a healthy relationship with the person who has it. If you never had enough respect for that person, or if they never had much respect for you, or if that respect was based on power or abilities that they lack now, that may cause problems with your relationship now. Alzheimer’s may not cause changes in the moral character of the person with the disease. If you’re the loved one of someone with Alzheimer’s, I guess it’s up to you whether it causes changes in your character, for good or for bad.

Perhaps no quality is as important for someone with Alzheimer’s than trust. It’s hard to feel secure in a world that you can’t remember. You need to have someone or something to trust in if you can’t remember where you are, what you’re supposed to be doing, what happened to important people or things.

The problem is that trust depends on history and experience. Oh, to some extent, someone with Alzheimer’s can sense whether a new person or a situation is trustworthy. But if they can’t remember specific reasons why they were able to trust you in the past, you may not be able to get new reasons into their memory banks now. And if deep in their memory banks, they can dimly remember that you weren’t trustworthy to them, it may be hard to change those memories now. Feelings and emotions create longer lasting memories than facts and words. They may not be able to remember why they are suspicious of you, but they remember the feeling of betrayal.

Memory loss can be convenient for family members and caregivers. It sometimes means that they can delight someone with Alzheimer’s with the same gift or story every day. But memory loss shouldn’t be exploited or presumed upon. If they remember a promise, they remember it. Don’t try to talk them out of it. Even if you never made the promise. Find a way to follow through or to delay its fulfilment if necessary or possible. Let them know they can trust you, even if they can’t trust their own minds.

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Source: CBC News

Death count mounts in breast cancer test fiasco

Last Updated: Friday, February 22, 2008 | 5:30 PM NT
CBC News

The number of deceased patients involved in a controversial series of breast cancer tests in Newfoundland and Labrador is significantly higher than previously thought, officials said Friday.

As well, more than three dozen patients were never told that their important lab tests had to be redone, even amid a widening public scandal over botched hormone receptor tests.

Results of a review announced Friday show that almost a third of the patients who were tested during an eight-year window, between 1997 and 2005, have already died, significantly more than had been reported less than a year ago.

…. MORE ….

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The types of contact lenses available today are nearly as numerous as the corrective issues they’re designed to correct. But today’s contact lenses don’t even need to be corrective in nature. Many are purely aesthetic, enabling a wearer to change eye color from brown to violet, for example, or to change from the appearance of human eyes into eyes that resemble that of a cat or wolf or even an alien!

Contact lens prescriptions include information on proper fit, measuring such attributes as curvature and diameter. But the prescription also contains other pertinent information such as proper measurements for correcting vision as well as the brand of contact lens believed most suitable for the patient’s situation.

It’s not necessary to understand all the different makes and models of contact lenses. That’s more the responsibility of vision specialists since they’re the ones responsible for making the final determination based on their training, knowledge and past experience.

There are several ways to categorize contact lenses. One way is to categorize contacts by material type. Plastic is the material of choice when it comes to contact lenses. Its fluid nature enables a more comfortable fit and its availability makes contact lenses more affordable. Plastic lenses fall into 3 general categories including gas permeable, hard and soft.

Another way to categorize contact lenses is by their wear and replacement schedules. As for wear schedules there are daily wear and extended wear lenses. Daily wear lenses are designed to be inserted and removed every day whereas extended wear contact lenses can remain in place for one to several weeks before removing.

And based on replacement schedules, there are disposable contact lenses and non-disposable. Daily wear disposable are worn once and then throw right away, completely eliminating the need for cleaning. Regular disposable contacts are worn several weeks before being thrown away. Again, the goal with disposables is less maintenance which lowers the risks of infection and other eye problems. Non-disposables require careful and regular maintenance as they don’t get replaced until torn or until a patient’s prescription changes.

And finally there are some special kind contact lenses. Theatrical contact lenses started out being designed for and used by actors and other performers. Giving eyes the ability to change from normal-looking to horrific and demonic, theatrical lenses are gaining in popularity among everyday users. Used primarily as a way to change a person’s look, the lenses generally are not designed for corrective purposes, but they do require a prescription for proper fitting.

Besides theatrical lenses, there are contact lenses that offer protection against damaging ultraviolet light - lenses called varichrome that darken when exposed to bright sunlight making sunglasses an unnecessary accessory, and contact lenses designed to change the color of one’s eyes.

Then there are the specialized contact lenses such as toric lenses that correct more troublesome astigmatisms, bifocal contact lenses which help a person see both close up and far away, spherical or aspherical lenses, and monovision lenses in which one lens assists with close up vision and the other lens is dedicated to distance vision.

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I found this link from the comments box and thought I’ll join in and share my arthritis story.

To do so, I will answer the following questions:

1. What were the initial symptoms you experienced which prompted you to seek medical attention?

The initial symptom I experienced was actually the inability to stand up after sitting long enough in front of my PC. The word arthritis did not even come to my mind initially. I really thought I was just being so inactive and my legs are taking the toll. Sine I work full-time as a professional blogger, I have been spending most of my days online — something that is better down sitting down. I couldn’t stand up without help and I was weighing 165 lbs initially. My legs will turn stiff, numb and without strength. There was pain when I tried to stretch my legs. Each time I tried to stand on my own, my knees will buckle and I will fall over.

2. How was your diagnosis made?

To be honest, I didn’t do to the doctor right away. I thought I was just tired and stressed out. That and the lack of mobility and exercise. Though I am a person that never exercised my whole life, I was really quit mobile. I used to walk. A LOT. I was a hiker. I am someone who will not think twice on occasions I was invited to hike up a mountain. No professional climbing though, only leisure hikes. Leisure hikes that also involved work when I used to do field work with a team of soil microbiologists.

Then after 2 months of the same episodes, I decided to visit our family doctor - general practitioner. Blood tests were ordered: one for blood potassium and one for blood sugar. The tests turned out negative. My family has no history of diabetes anyway, so I am not even at pre-diabetes. Although I was weighing 165 lbs, I only stand at barely 5 ft. So I can really blame my doctor for thinking diabetes. After which, I was sent home with diclofenac, a common pain relief for arthritis.

Diclofenac didn’t give me relief for long, the symptoms were back and this time I was really worried. I couldn’t help thinking that what if my lower extremities are going to be paralyzed and I will spend the rest of my days sitting on a wheelchair?! That was a scary thought, especially for somebody like me who has not been dependent on anybody physically.

So I went to a decent hospital and sought a specialist. I told the story, my symptoms and the meds I was given previously, my job, etc. I couldn’t help peeking at the medical record where the doctor was writing on. I saw the words, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and the funniest thing were: spending long hours of inactivity; severe stress brought about by intensive computer-related job. But it wasn’t funny at all because the doctor has a huge point. Doesn’t he?!

This doctor, gave me the following prescriptions:

• getting up and stretching every hour.
• take a walk daily- either in the early mornings or afternoons.
• daily body massage (at the end of each day!) , especially on my legs and thighs.
• drug prescriptions (i wrote in this blog sometime but I can’t find it right now!)

3. What treatments do you follow - medicine, surgery, physiotherapy, exercise etc?

I dropped out on the prescribed meds, because the combination made me palpitate. The suggested physical therapy (massage and walking and stretching exercises) I still follow to the letter. Those together with daily doses of Vitamin B-complex, multivitamin, lots of Vitamin C, fish oil and calcium supplements.

4. In coping with the pain have you found any regimes that help you particularly?

Regimens. That the word! Sand and beach therapy, as long as the weather permits it. On top of the walking and stretching stuff.

5. What adjustments have you made at home/work to help you cope?

Definitely. Adjustments are important. I made huge changes in my diet. I am trying to eat healthier. Like less meat, more veggies and instead of meat or chicken, I choose fish! Not only the types of foods. I always think of the amount eaten in one sitting. Since I am not a dieter, I found that eating less amount but more frequent (every two hours!) has worked really good for me.

By doing so, I lost some 35 lbs in the first 2-3 months of this eating habits and in the process have maintained the 130 lbs-weight. Not my ideal weight but it has brought relief to my knees. My knees hasn’t buckled since.

Well…I hope this has been helpful!

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Enough people have trouble talking with their grandmothers - or their mothers. Sometimes they don’t know what to talk about, other times they don’t want to talk about the same things you want to talk about. If their grandmothers or mothers also have Alzheimer’s disease, that doesn’t help the situation.

When you carry on a conversation with someone with Alzheimer’s, you can count on them to repeat themselves and to say some things that you may not agree with. “I don’t remember anything they’re talking about. I thought they were the one with the memory problems, not me,” you mutter to yourself.

Many loved ones respond by trying to fix the situation - trying a quick little Alzheimer’s cure for the benefit of the loved one. But I’m not sure it’s really very restful for the loved one - or for the person with Alzheimer’s:

“You already asked me three times if I’m too cold, Mother. Don’t you remember?”
No, she doesn’t remember. She has Alzheimer’s disease - don’t you remember? Do people ask the same question three times if they remember asking it the first time? On the other hand, do you remember answering her clearly the first time she asked? Many children never learn to do that, and when they’re grown, they feel they can stop trying. It’s a way of getting revenge.

“No, Mother, nobody took your favorite coat. Why do you always have to accuse people? Don’t you remember? We decided to throw it out.”
Are we trying to develop a talk-therapy cure for Alzheimer’s disease here? Talk therapy works better for depression, not for neurological diseases. You can’t force someone to remember something that’s not there.

I found that I was happier with my grandmother when I wasn’t fighting the unfightable, when I wasn’t trying to push the boulder up the hill. All your loved one is asking for is a little attention and reassurance. Give it to her quickly, gently, consistently, and you’ll both feel better. Don’t worry about being original or eloquent. Short is good, especially if you’re going to have to repeat it many times. You might experiment until you find the answer that best satisfies your loved one.

“Thank you, Mother. I feel warm and comfy.” (Short and sweet - if she believes you. Have you proved to her that she can?)
“I’m comfortable now that I’m inside the house. Are you warm enough, Mother?” (She may be hinting that she’s cold, or that she would like a sweater.)
“Let me put my sweater back on. Now, I feel better.” (Mothers often appreciate seeing improvements and changes in the world.)

“Your coat is missing? That sounds terrible. I’ll talk to one of the nurses about it. (Notice I didn’t say I would ask the nurse about it. I’ll just mention it to her, just so I can say I did.)
“Oh, I think I took it home with me.” (That may be enough, repeated on every visit or several times a visit, depending on whether she remembers the answer or asks more questions. Notice that I’m not lying, but I’m not telling her that I put it in the garbage when I got home with it.)
“That’s one of my favorite coats too. Where did you buy it?” (Only ask questions that you know she can answer. In this case, I know that she loves to tell about that shopping trip to Chicago.)

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Get To Know Sodium

Sodium is a mineral that is needed for proper functioning of the human body. This mineral is a part of salt, and if not present in the body can cause health problems. Sodium helps balance the fluids present in the body.

Sodium occurs naturally in foods, so when you add extra salt to a meal you are increasing your sodium intake. An excess of sodium can contribute to health problems such as kidney disease, heart attack, and stroke. Blood pressure is sensitive to sodium intake which is why people with high blood pressure should carefully monitor their sodium intake.

How Much Do I Need?

The minimum required dose of sodium is 400 milligrams. This is based on natural conditions and intake, not extra salting of food. 400 milligrams is equal to less than ¼ teaspoon of salt, basically a pinch! Not very much, hm?

So many people have become accustomed to buying pre-packaged convenience foods without realizing most of these foods are packed with sodium. Our taste buds have become accustomed to the flavors associated with extra salt, so foods may taste bland if salt is eliminated. Processed foods have spoiled us, leading to the avoidance of natural tastes in a well cooked meal. We are consuming more salt today than ever, even with all of the so-called healthy choices available in the grocery stores.

Spice It Up!

Instead of adding salt to the foods you cook, try tossing in other herbs and spices. Fresh herbs and spice mills give a punch without the extra sodium. Instead of buying commercially blended spices for your food, try mixing your own. Montreal Steak Seasoning is delicious, but has a large amount of salt. Mix your own with half as much or maybe with none at all!

Low-Salt Montreal Steak Seasoning (great for chicken, too)

*2 tablespoons paprika
*2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
*½ tablespoon coarse sea salt
*1 tablespoon garlic powder
*1 tablespoon onion powder
*1 tablespoon coriander, ground/crushed (coarse)
*1 tablespoon dill
*1 tablespoon red pepper flakes ,crush well

Mix all ingredients and keep in a sealed container away from heat or light.

Items To Watch

Everyday foods have sodium, some might surprise you. Many vegetables and fruit have between 1 and 2 milligrams of sodium. Good examples are: apples-2mg, corn(1 ear)-1 mg, lemon-1 mg. I bet you never thought these fresh foods would contain sodium!

Processed foods have far more sodium, though. Those tasty apple pies from a fast food restaurant? 400 mg of sodium compared to a large slice of homemade apple pie which only has half the sodium! Your breakfast cereal? 1 cup of plain corn flakes contains 256 mg of sodium. Yikes.

When shopping, choose carefully among the pre-packaged foods. Check the nutrition labels for sodium per serving size, then adjust your eating plan to use only the serving suggested. If you are eating a food high in sodium, balance that the rest of the day with low or no salt foods.

Be careful with your sodium intake, it can change your health!

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When you discover that something is missing from the place where you left it, what do you assume? Most people assume that somebody else moved it. That’s not my first response. My first response is to ask myself if I’m sure that’s where I really left it. I forget things. I know that. I’m not the only one who does it. Time management experts will smile knowingly. Enough people routinely find things by systematically looking in all the usual places that the time management experts can refer me to their handout on the subject.

But what if you discover that nothing is where you left? What if everything has been moved, including yourself? What if you don’t remember how you got where you are, but nobody will let you leave? That’s the common plight of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

What makes it complicated is that all sorts of people get Alzheimer’s, even time management experts, and not just forgetful people like me. What if a time management expert or an efficiency consultant can’t find what he or she is looking for? Years of experience would convince them that it had to be somebody else’s fault. They can’t lose things. They teach other people how not to lose things.

So Alzheimer’s is harder on efficient people, I imagine. When you’re accustomed to making few mistakes and having few lapses of memory, it’s hard to live a life where the answer to every question is, “Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I forgot.” That’s why humility becomes so important in the end.

Many people assume that Alzheimer’s disease itself causes people to become suspicious. I’m not sure that’s true. I think that suspicion is a way of dealing with the disease. That’s not my own original idea. People need some explanation to make sense of their world. It never made sense before to blame themselves for everything that goes wrong, so why should they start now?

Consider the following situation: your favorite coat is no longer on your favorite coat hook, where you have always kept it since 1983. Which is the most likely explanation?

1. It was borrowed by elves for a remake of Lord of the Rings.
2. It passed into a post-Einsteinian singularity and has reappeared in an alternate universe, where it will be displayed at UFO conventions.
3. After 25 years, you changed your mind about which coat hook was your favorite, but you forgot to tell yourself which one.
4. Your home health worker, who seems untrustworthy anyway, stole it.

Answer: Choice A and B are fantastical. Choice C is unlikely. You’ve known yourself all your life. You just met that home health worker, and she has a history of telling you things you know aren’t true. That leaves Choice D as the most plausible. Doesn’t it?

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By Robin Brain

Mental health problems are severe when the person becomes out of touch with reality. They may develop false beliefs about who they are or what is happening, feel persecuted by external forces, or believe they have been given special powers. They may hear voices, discussing their thoughts or behavior, or telling them what to do, or they may see things that are not there (hallucinations).

When someone is out of touch with reality in this way, they are called psychotic. Some people have only one episode of psychotic illness in their life, others have several with remission in between, and others have them most of the time. Alternative therapies can be useful for all these people but may not be appropriate in a crisis. Conventional drug medication can usually prevent psychotic episodes, but people who are very distressed or dangerous to themselves or others may need the shelter and protection of a hospital or specialized care unit.

Schizophrenia

Each sufferer’s experience of schizophrenia is unique. Thoughts and feelings are dramatically disturbed and the world is experienced very differently. The person’s behavior may appear bizarre to others. Schizophrenia does not mean “split personality”as is widely believed, but is a word used to describe a wide range of symptoms and conditions.

It is not known what causes schizophrenia: one theory is that a person’s genetic makeup makes him or her vulnerable, and that it is triggered off by stressful events. People diagnosed as schizophrenic are rarely violent, but they are often very frightened and isolated because of their distressing symptoms.

Symptoms of schizophrenia include jumbled, disordered thinking, paranoia, false beliefs, hearing voices, apathy, lack of concentration, and depression.

Treatment

Conventional drug treatment can help control some of the symptoms of schizophrenia (such as hallucinations) but may also create many new symptoms. Alternative therapies can be used alongside conventional treatment for these problems.

Manic Depression

Manic depression involves mood swings: periods of deep depression and over-excited or manic behavior. There may be periods of varying stability in between these extreme highs and lows.

During mania, sufferers are euphoric, feel self­important, excited, and extremely talkative. They may go on spending sprees, be unable to sleep, be irritable, or angry. They have no awareness of changed behavior. During the depressive periods (usually longer) they feel despair, guilt, and worth­lessness.

Music, which can access mood states without recourse to language, may be a helpful therapeutic tool in the treatment of psychotic illness.

Treatment

It is important to avoid stressful situations, and finding the right therapy and therapist is vital.

Relaxation Techniques

Meditation, visualization and relaxation exercises can all help.

Consult a qualified practitioner/therapist for:

Talking Treatments - Taking part in supportive psychotherapy and counseling can help reduce the risk of a relapse by helping sufferers to understand the condition and cope better with problems and stresses. Group or family therapy can help with the communication process. It is thought, however, that psychotherapy, which probes into the past, can be too stressful for people with manic depression or schizophrenia, but some sufferers do find it helpful. Some sufferers may prefer cocounseling.

Read out for Strength ball training. Check out arthritis and diagnostic tests

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Brain

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By Steve Dempster

You may have heard about the disease normally known as Multiple Sclerosis - but what is it and what causes it?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system. First described by Jean-Martin Charcot in 1868, MS (formerly known as disseminated sclerosis) is more common in women than in men and typically affects - depending on country and actual population - between 2 and 150 people per 100,000. The disease usually has its onset in early adulthood.

The disease affects the ‘white matter’ of the brain. Cells in white matter - present in the brain and spinal cord - carry signals for processing to ‘grey matter’ areas and also between these areas and the rest of the body. MS affects the neurons in the white matter - specifically destroying the cells known as ‘oligodendrocytes’ that are cells responsible for creating the ‘myelin sheath’ - a fatty layer that assists the neurons in the carrying of electrical signals.

The effect of the disease thins or destroys the myelin, though it can also cut the neuron’s extensions or ‘axons’. With loss of the myelin, the neurons cannot continue to effectively transmit their electrical signals, giving rise to the symptoms of the disease. The name ‘Multiple Sclerosis’ actually refers to plaques or lesions in the white matter - also called scleroses (scars). The loss of myelin in scarred regions cause some of the symptoms of the disease, which vary widely depending on just which signals are interrupted or lost.

MS appears in several forms, including progressive (accumulative) and relapsing (discrete) forms. Symptoms may disappear completely between attacks but permanent neurological issues tend to persist, particularly as the disease advances.

The cause of MS is unknown, despite much being known about the actual way the disease works upon the human body. The general opinion is that it is caused by attacks by the immune system upon the body’s own nervous system. Other theories claim that it is metabolically dependent whilst still others cite a virus as the cause. Still others claim that, as MS is almost unknown in tropical regions it may be caused by a lack of vitamin D in childhood.

Sadly, there is no cure -yet! - for Multiple Sclerosis and treatments tend to focus on returning function and mobility after an attack, the prevention of further attacks and the avoidance of disability. Many patients pursue ‘alternative medicine’ remedies, despite there being little evidence of effectiveness.

The expected course of the disease (prognosis) depends on exactly which type of the disease is present, initial symptoms, individual characteristics and degrees of disability experienced or likely to be tolerated by the sufferer. The life expectancy of people with MS is, however, virtually identical with healthy, unaffected people and in many cases a near-normal life is possible.

If for any reason you suspect that you may be affected by Multiple Sclerosis, a visit to your doctor or specialist is of paramount importance - if indeed you do have this illness, early diagnosis is immensely important to your future well-being.

If you’d like more information about aids to mobility or have mobility issues, pay us a visit at Electric Mobility World

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Dempster

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Stopping smoking often brings on cravings for that foregone cigarette. There’s no one magic method for dealing with withdrawal cravings that works for every individual. Each person employs a different stop-smoking method and each one will react differently as nicotine levels are reduced. But there are a handful of techniques that have proved effective for a wide group.

Cigarette smoking is a habit. As such, when you quit, you want to continue the habit, by definition. For the first two weeks, as the body flushes the chemical products of smoking out of your body, it reacts by trying to return to the status quo. That’s a biological mechanism that works in a number of circumstances.

The technical term is homeostasis. The body tries to maintain a kind of equilibrium. When something changes drastically, it reacts to return things to ‘normal’. Recognizing that it is an in-built mechanism can actually be used to your advantage.

Part of the difficulty of quitting smoking is the anxiety and guilt that often accompany the effort. One feels out of control, uncertain whether we can stick to the decision. That perceived lack of control increases stress, which encourages us to smoke a cigarette to counteract it. That sets up a cycle that’s difficult to break.

That situation is hardest the first couple of weeks as those physical changes take place. Understanding that they are, in fact, beyond one’s control at least, by sheer willpower - but that the commitment is still up to us - can help see you through that difficult period.

During that period, try to minimize any other potential stress-inducing factors. Avoid starting a quit-smoking program when starting a new job. Don’t begin that long-term commitment when a child is about to undergo a serious medical procedure.

Make use of every healthy distraction.

Have small pieces of fresh fruit on hand. When you feel the urge to reach for that cigarette, pop one instead. It helps if the fruit is tangy rather than just sweet or bland. Pineapple and orange work well, but choose your favorite.

When you feel the urge to light up, turn on one of your favorite tunes. A song lasts about the same length of time as a cigarette and, like smoking, you can continue doing what you were while listening. Let the music you love carry you through that period. Pick something elevating. Don’t reinforce negative moods with negative music.

Find small exercises to do with your hands. That may be something as simple as squeezing a tennis ball or using a stress-relieving hand spring. Work up to exercises involving the whole arm, shoulder and back. That helps two ways: it eliminates that harmful cigarette and gets your circulatory system back in shape.

Do something that requires intense concentration, such as trimming a beard, fixing your hair exactly, making a sketch, working a math problem - whatever suits your personality and circumstances. It should be short, but leave little room to think about anything else, including that cigarette you want so much.

Before long, the cravings will decrease to a minimum. They’ll recur from time to time at random over the next few months. Repeat the rituals you used the first couple of weeks, if necessary. Think about the long term good you’re doing for yourself. Before long, it will outweigh the short-term advantages of lighting up.

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