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Endoscopy

Endoscopy describes many procedures that look inside the body using some type of endoscope, a flexible tube with a small TV camera and a light on one end and an eyepiece on the other.

The endoscope allows doctors to examine the inside of certain tubelike structures in the body. Many endoscopes transmit the doctor's view to a video screen. Most endoscopes have attachments that permit doctors to take fluid or tissue samples for laboratory testing

Risks

There is minimal risk that the endoscope may injure or puncture some part of your body. For more specific risks related to a particular type of endoscopy, check with your doctor

Preparation

The amount of preparation needed for endoscopy depends on what part of the body is being examined. For upper endoscopy, you will be instructed not to eat or drink for six to eight hours before the test. For bronchoscopy, you will need to follow restrictions on eating and drinking and take special precautions regarding your mouth and teeth. Your doctor will give you specific details. For colonoscopy, you will need to clear your bowels completely of stool before the procedure. To do this, you will modify your diet and take laxatives the day before the procedure. For sigmoidoscopy, you will need to have an enema before the test.

Before any endoscopy, remind your doctor of your medical and surgical history. Tell your doctor if you have any allergies. If you are a woman and there is any chance that you may be pregnant, tell your doctor.

It Used For

Removal of a foreign body — Endoscopy allows doctors to find and remove foreign bodies from the upper lung airways or gastrointestinal tract.

Cancer prevention — Sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy allow doctors to find and remove polyps before they become colon cancers

Diagnostic evaluation of symptoms — Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy allow doctors to view organs directly and take pictures of any abnormalities that may be causing symptoms such as abdominal pain or rectal bleeding. The doctor can remove a sample of tissue (biopsy) through the endoscope during the procedure. The doctor may also obtain images of nearby organs, such as the pancreas, by an ultrasound attachment to an endoscope.

How It Is Done

In general, you will dress in a hospital gown and lie on an examination table. Your vital signs (pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate) will be monitored throughout the procedure. The type of pain medication or sedatives you receive depends on what type of endoscopy you are having

Falls and Fractures

Falls are serious at any age, but especially for older people who are more likely to break a bone when they fall.

If you have a disease called osteoporosis, you are more likely to break a bone if you fall. Osteoporosis is called the "silent disease" because bones become weak with no symptoms. You may not know that you have it until a strain, bump, or fall causes a bone to break.


Causes
Drinking alcohol can lead to a fall because it can:

• Slow your reflexes
• Cause you to feel dizzy or sleepy
• Alter your balance
• Cause you to take risks that can lead to falls.

Some of the reasons people fall are:

• Tripping or slipping due to loss of footing or traction
• Slow reflexes, which make it hard to keep your balance or move out of the way of a hazard
• Balance problems
• Reduced muscle strength
• Poor vision

Medicines that may increase the risk of falls are:

• Blood pressure pills
• Heart medicines
• Diuretics (water pills)
• Muscle relaxants
• Sleeping pills

Prevention

At any age, people can make changes to lower their risk of falling. Some tips to help prevent falls outdoors are

Wear rubber-soled shoes so you don't slip

Walk on grass when sidewalks are slick

Use a cane or walker

prevent falls indoors are:

Use plastic or carpet runners

Wear low-heeled shoes

Keep rooms free of clutter, especially on floors

Do not walk in socks, stockings, or slippers

Be sure rugs have skid-proof backs or are tacked to the floor

Keep a flashlight next to your bed

Use a sturdy stepstool with a handrail and wide steps

Add more lights in rooms

Be sure stairs are well lit and have rails on both sides

Prevent Broken Bones

Sometimes you cannot prevent a fall. If you do fall, you can try to prevent breaking a bone. Try to fall forwards or backwards (on your buttocks), because if you fall to the side you may break your hip. You can also use your hands or grab things around you to break a fall. Some people wear extra clothes to pad their hips or use special hip pads

Herpes Simplex 1

Herpes simplex 1 is caused by the virus HSV 1. People often confuse oral herpes with genital herpes. The symptoms are almost similar in both the cases; the only difference is that in oral herpes the sores and blisters can be found in and around the mouth, whereas in genital herpes they are found in the genitals.This infection basically causes sores and blisters to occur on the face, and has no permanent cure. But treatment options are available to make the infection less painful. After a person is infected with oral herpes there are three stages, by which it advances. It is very important to know the important of this infection, as it is highly contagious. Over the last few years, millions of people have been diagnosed with herpes simplex 1, and many children get this virus as well, as it can be easily transmitted.


The three stages are -

The primary or initial stage -
This is where the blisters or sores are first detected. Some of these small sores may appear individually or as a cluster. They are full of fluid and can be seen around the mouth. Usually the first attack is severe and can be very painful. Sometimes, within a few days the small blister or group of blisters may become bigger and open up, after which it automatically heals. It is at this stage that an itching and tingling sensation is felt on the sores.

The latency stage -
In the next stage, the virus will progress to a mass of nerve tissue in the spine. Here the virus lies inactive, until triggered to break out.

The recurrence stage -
It is important to know that the virus is most contagious when there is a break out. The blisters on the face usually break open, releasing the fluid inside of them. This fluid is filled with the virus, which can spread easily. It is also important to know that genital herpes can be transmitted via oral herpes, and vice-versa. Hence, it is even more important to be on the safe side. But, even when the virus is inactive it can be transferred from one individual to another. Recurrence occurs when there are certain changes, such as severe heat, illness and stress - either emotional or physical. At this stage the inactive virus becomes active again, and brings out more sores and blisters.


the symptoms of this disease.
1. Blisters and cold sores in and around the mouth.
2. Fever
3. Fatigue
4. Blisters that break out and ooze
5. Itching


Some of the methods to prevent oral herpes are -

As oral herpes is transmitted through saliva, it is essential to avoid using the same cups, spoons and make up, as this may lead to an infection


Using protection during intercourse is a must.


 It is important to always wash the hands thoroughly before and after touching the sores.


Wearing sunscreen on your face, and especially the lips is also very important to stop a break-out from recurring.


avoiding contact with others as far as possible, especially when the individual has an outbreak is one of the best ways to prevent oral herpes.

Start Exercising Today!

We always find excuses for things we don't want to do, ignoring it until it becomes our worst nightmare. Same goes for exercising - putting it off until it wears you down and then realizing how you could have avoided a disaster. As they say, prevention is better than cure so why not start today and prevent your body to get out of your control. Logically, if you need reasons to convince yourself, the best five are listed below -


Weight Check
First of all, you need to balance your weight in order to live a happy and content life. It is easy - you eat, you gain calories; you exercise, you burn those calories. Thus, engaging in physical activity would help you in maintaining a healthy body weight and keep your body strong. For those who are already obese, the more physical activity you engage in, the more satisfying would be the result. After you lose those extra pounds, you would be fit and fine to perform all the tasks as good as others may be even better. A strong body is what you need to keep your mind rejuvenating and heart strong.

Heart Matters Secondly, exercising makes your heart strong. Obviously, we have all heard it before but it doesn't make it any less factual. If you devote half an hour to walking or cycling or aerobics, you would do your heart a favor by reducing the bad cholesterol, risk of diabetes and eliminating the risk of heart failures. As the reports suggest, inactive lifestyle is one of the major reasons for heart problems, you can keep your heart strong by some cardiovascular exercises everyday. Although majority of conditions occur at an old age, starting out young would preserve your heart when you're old.

Euphoria Thirdly, it makes you happy. It has been proved that physical activity improves your mood, reduces stress and helps in preventing clinical depression. When you work out, your body releases a hormone that increases your energy level and procures a better mood. After working out for sometime, you would feel good about yourself, get relaxed and ultimately it would boost up your confidence. Moreover, it perks up your self-esteem and boosts up your energy.

Sex It Up
Fourthly, physically fit people have a better sex life. Researchers say that fit people enjoy a better sex life than those who are not. Fit people are more attractive because of their confidence level and hence they experience a better love life. Also, exercise improves circulation that would most likely reduce the risk of getting an erectile dysfunction in men. For women, regular exercises can enhance arousal ultimately making a positive effect on your sex life.

Dream On
Lastly, working out would help you get better sleep. A good 8 hours of sleep makes you feel well-rested and increases your concentration level. Good exercise is the key to fall asleep faster and it also deepens your sleep. Though, you should not work out just before you are about to hit the bed as you would be too keyed up to fall asleep.

Chronic Tinnitus

Chronic tinnitus is a condition that is symptomized by an irritating buzzing racket in the ears. While there are many prescribed medicines available for treating the condition, not all of them seem to be effective, not at least in the long run. Fortunately, there are several chronic tinnitus natural cures which can help you get rid of the problem.

Here is a list of natural cures that can help you to get quick relief from the irritating noise in your ears:

There are certain types of foods that you need to avoid at all costs if you seek a cure from chronic tinnitus. Processed foods should be avoided, as should dairy products and foods containing concentrated fats also need to be avoided, since they are believed to exacerbate the condition. Avoiding refined sugar is also advised since it helps in stimulating the body's natural therapeutic process.


It is important that you devise an exercise plan suiting your requirements and stick to it. Exercise might include a relaxing jog, early morning swim, or a brisk walk.


Vitamin supplements can help you in treating the ailment


 Chronic tinnitus can be encouraged by a variety of things, such as exposure to very loud music or loud sounds at work, such as drillng or digging machines. An obvious prevention treatment would inlcude wearing ear plugs in very noisy working condtions. The key point to remember here, is to avoid placing yourself in such situations.


Natural herbs are known to be very efficient in treating the condition. Many of these natural products are eaten by hundreds of thousands of people world-wide. They include pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.


Blood pressure is also a major concern in instances of chronic tinnitus. Blood pressure can be controlled through the abstention of alcohol and smoking, which in themselves can play In order to maintain the correct blood pressure it is important that you abstain from smoking, as well as completely avoid or limit your intake of alcohol too.

Wrist Sprain

A sprain in the wrist is an injury to its ligaments, the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to one another inside a joint

There are three levels of sprain:

Mild (Grade I)

The wrist's ligaments are stretched or have microscopic tears.


Moderate (Grade II) 

The damage is more severe, and some wrist ligaments may be partially torn.


Severe sprains (Grade III)

One or more wrist ligaments are entirely torn or torn away from where they normally attach to bones.


Sprains of the wrist are fairly rare in everyday life and in the workplace. Under certain weather conditions, such as during ice storms or after a snowfall, a wrist sprain is commonly caused by a fall in which a person lands on outstretched arm.


In a mild wrist sprain, your wrist may be slightly swollen and tender, and you probably will feel some mild pain when you move it.

In more severe sprains, swelling can change the shape of your wrist, and you may have some bruising (a black-and-blue skin discoloration). Also, you'll probably feel significant pain when you try to move your wrist, or when your health care professional moves your wrist while examining it.


Treatment

Rest the joint

Ice the injured area to reduce swelling

Compress the swelling with an elastic bandage

Elevate the injured area.

For moderate wrist sprains, especially in professional or competitive athletes, the wrist may be immobilized in a splint or light cast for seven to 10 days. If you have a significant wrist injury, you will need physical therapy as soon as symptoms allow. Athletes usually can return to competition once symptoms subside, although it may be advisable to protect the injured wrist with a support splint. When a severe wrist sprain causes significant instability in the wrist, surgery may be required.

Prevention

To prevent sports-related wrist sprains, wear protective equipment that supports the wrist. In particular, snowboarders and inline skaters should protect their wrists by using wrist guards or snug-fitting plastic wrist splints. Platform divers may wear protective tape, wrist splints or wraps that limit extension of the wrist.

To prevent wrist sprains related to falls, you can stay indoors when it's icy or wet outside. If you must go out, wear shoes with soles that provide traction during slippery conditions and pay careful attention to the surface where you are walking.

To prevent wrist sprains related to skiing, choose ski poles that have a low-profile grip with finger grooves. Also, grip ski poles without using straps and drop poles during a fall.