Help Your Loved Ones In Their Last Days


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The toughest time in our lives is that when we come to know that our loved one is departing from this world. This is the time that is totally draining someone mentally and emotionally and leaving them blank as to what they would do. In this scenario, you can prepare yourself and you can help make your loved ones feel really good and happy in their last days and knowing as to what you can do to reduce their anxiety as the time comes near.

There might be some common signs and symptoms that you will come across when you will see a person die in which you will see the signs of irregular breathing, confusion, restlessness, loss of appetite, seeing people who have already died, and these can be very distressing for you, but you should know that these are the normal signs of the dying phase.

You can always be near to your loved ones and can help them reduce their anxiety when the news breaks out as to the time that one has to live. Usually the doctors predict that time that the person has and since no one can exactly predict that time, the doctors tell that the individual has some months, weeks or days that he or she is going to survive.

You must ask your loved one as to what are their wishes for the last phase of their life and you can have conversation with them. These conversations can be difficult and pretty uncomfortable, but this will provide your loved one to express themselves and any wishes that they have that they want fulfilled.

If your loved one wants to be moved to a nursing home facility, you must consult the doctor to see as to what you can do in terms of moving your loved one to the nursing home, and can check whether the Medicare and the Medicaid covers the cost of admission into those institutions. You can discuss this also with the social worker to see what options are there for you.

You can also seek religious or spiritual guidance for your loved one at the end of life time and they can find peace inside themselves and are more calm and are able to overcome their anxiousness.


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Help Your Close Ones To Combat Depression

Depression is a feeling of sadness and despair in which it just eats out the person inside. Depression is something that can isolate an individual and thus it would take them away from their family, friends and people who are close to them.

The person who is going through the episode of depression is a person who has no interest in life at all. If you see any individual who is going through depression, you can just observe them pretty closely as to what are the different feelings that they are going through and thus you can see their feelings and you can learn a lot as to the different phases they experience and your role in that to help them come out of those feelings.

You must know that you can do a lot for those individuals how are going through such a disaster in their life and just remember that these feelings are contagious and can absorb you too, so it is best for you that you just take care of your emotional feelings and make sure that you are not going to fall apart as they are doing at the current point in time. You are the one who is going to support that person and not the one who would be depressed like the person whom you are thinking to help.

The most important thing in helping someone with depression is that you recognize the signs of depression, which are sadness and despair and a feeling where they are going down every single day and are not able to come out of the feelings they are in. They will lose the interest in the pleasure activities that they used to have and they have crying spells as well too. Their sleep would be disturbed, they might have impaired thinking or concentration, you can observe them close and see that they are losing weight or might gain weight as well, fatigue is another sign, low self esteem, loss of libido and suicidal ideations are other signs that can be looked for in these individuals.

The first and the foremost thing that you can do is that you recognize it and you let the person who is suffering through depression to understand that they are going through depression. After that you have gone through the realization process, you need to urge them that they need to see a doctor, as it is a medical situation and this needs to be looked into by a professional so that they could guide the best. You can also tell them that there are other medical conditions that could trigger the symptoms of depression such as thyroid disease. This would put the realization that they do need to get themselves checked and they would get the best care possible.

You must know that pretty clearly that it is a feeling of impending doom and if you haven’t had felt what depression is then you just cannot feel what depression really is and what the other person is going through. You can read information on depression to see as to what it does to individuals and how lethal it can be.

You can offer the people suffering from depression the empathy and compassion and being by their side to comfort them as much as you can.

You can acknowledge their pain and don’t talk on the things much that would put them back in the same feelings that they were and you must not give them advices.

You can ask them as to how you can help them and you can do for them as to whatever they would want you to do and show them your concerns and your compassion for them.
You must always reinforce them positively and tell them how much they mean to you and how your life depends on them in so many ways and you don’t want them to be in that feeling and it really hurts you to see the suffering they are in.

You can ask them to go for a walk with you and you must ask them politely and do not press them much on that and just try to find their areas of interest in which they might find the strength to get themselves go out of the home and enjoy some time and feel a little better cause this can be a big break to make them feel good.

You must remember that if you see any signs of suicidal ideation in the individuals then you must take immediate action by letting their personal care provider know about the situation and you must stay with the person at all times so that they do not commit the suicide that they are planning to or saying through words directly that they are going to commit suicide, be very careful cause it is when they need the most attention.

You may want to look upon this antidepressant cymbalta.


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The Morning After Pill

There was this interesting case that was brought forward in which there were three women who sued the Wal-Mart for not keeping the morning after pill in Massachusetts.

There was a new law that took effect last year in which there was a heated debate among the lawmakers in which they said that it must be necessary that the hospitals provide the morning after pill to the rape victims, this also allows the pharmacists to dispense the pill without a prescription.

This lawsuit is being back by the abortion rights group who argue that Wal-Mart is defying the state policy, which requires all the pharmacies all over Massachusetts to provide the medicines that are commonly prescribed and this group wants the compliance with the regulation of the state.

The lawyer of the plaintiffs said that the Massachusetts pharmacies are required to stock all medications that are commonly prescribed to meet the usual needs of the community.

On the other hand, the spokesman for the Wal-Mart said that the company not chooses not to carry many products for business reasons.

The spokesman also said that if the Wal-Mart pharmacy does not have the prescription, then the pharmacist is instructed to refer the customer to a different drug store.

The Wal-Mart spokesman also said that they are not keeping that drug in any of the stores in any other state.

The way that morning after pill works is that it provides a high dose of hormones that the women can take till five or six days, which will prevent pregnancy. There are some people who oppose abortion state that contraception is another form of abortion because it works to block the fertilized egg from being implanted on the uterine wall.

The plaintiffs who tried to take the morning after pill were turned away when they tried to buy the contraception pill at the Wal-Mart stores in their areas.

One of the doctors’s stated that the women should not be refused of the emergency medications that they need.

This case has just caught a lot of publicity these days and people are awaiting to see as to how this case would shape in the coming days.


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Prostate Cancer Screening

There is a large population of men who fall in the clutches of prostate cancer and that is why it is necessary that men should get their prostate checked starting from the age of 50 till the age of 70.

There are millions of people that fall in this age and undergo the tests every year to get assessment as to the status of their prostate gland. The prostate check includes a blood test that checks the prostate specific antigen, which is also known as PSA, as well as a digital rectal examination in which the individual’s prostate gland’s anatomy is assessed through the rectal wall.

There is a stunning news that the prostate examinations are not perfect and that men should decide for themselves as to whether they would want to get screened for prostate cancer or not. This statement was made by Dr. John Concato, who is a clinical epidemiologist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System.

It is being mentioned by the doctors that some of the cases of prostate cancer grow pretty slow and their growth does not cause much symptoms, but on the other hand if that cancer is detected at an early stage and the patient goes through surgery and radiation treatment then this can cause incontinence and impotence, which was not that the individual was experiencing while having that cancer. Therefore this early recognition of the cancer is causing a lot of harm than the good as was expected.

It is also interesting to know that the PSA tests can give uncertain results, in which it is stated that if the individuals who have elevated prostate antigen specific levels, do not have prostate cancer. On the other hand some men who have low PSA levels do have cancer.

It is recommended that before an individual goes through the screening tests, they must be knowing the risks and benefits of this test so that they could make a decision as to whether they want to undergo the test or not.

In a study that was conducted included about two different groups of men who were treated at 10 different Veterans Affairs medical centers and one group consisted of about 501 men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and they died later because of that disease or other causes and then the researchers chose about 501 more men who matched the first group in terms of age and other factors, but they survived. The only difference between the two groups was that the group who was alive was not screened for prostate cancer and did not receive any treatments.

In order to understand the prostate anatomy, the prostate gland is a size of a walnut, which is located under the bladder and that makes the fluid for semen. It is interesting to note that the prostate cancer is second only to the skin cancer in its prevalence in American men.

It is mentioned that the diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer.
There are more studies being conducted to see as to what would be the most beneficial tests that would be there and how to assess as to when to start the treatment so that the individual’s quality of life is not affected in anyway.


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Radiology Departments, Not The Safest Place

The researchers said that the most dangerous time in the hospital is that to when the patients are being taken from their room to the Radiology Department for a test or a procedure.

According to United States Pharmacopeia, which is a nonprofit organization that sets the standards for the drug industry, they say that the harm to the patients is seven times more frequent in the radiological services than in other hospital settings.

The researchers said that the patients must ask whenever they are being taken from their room to another location as to where they are being taken, and what is the purpose of their visit to the other department they are being taken to.

The researchers also added that they hope that their report will help the hospital system to find better ways to examine the problem and find as to how to minimize the errors and they should raise a red flag at the times when the patient is going to such departments where the chances of errors in patient handling are high.

There are different reasons as to why the harmful errors can take place in the Radiology Department.

There are a variety of reasons that harmful errors are much more likely in the radiology suite. These comprise of receiving potentially fatal drugs such as dyes, sedatives, blood thinners, and at that point their care is being handed off from department to another and there are a whole lot chances of communication error that can occur and this can result in harm occurring to the patients.

Therefore the major thing that occurs in patient handling among different departments is lack of communication among them.

The Radiology Department performs different studies, x-rays, tests, procedures, which include cardiac catheterization and diagnosing heart problems.

The experts added that the data that was being brought up was surprising, as this has not received a lot of attention and there is a whole lot of work that needs to be done to minimize fatal errors.

Health Care Guide.


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Medical Errors Are Reduced Through New Drug Labels

Recently the Food and Drug Administration announced that they are going to overhaul entirely the drug labels on the drugs that contain information, which is all confusing to the patients and they hope that this will reduce the injuries and the deaths being caused by it.

It was also said that it does not affect the drug information sheets that the patients receive, but they said that it will change as to how the drugs will be advertised and may offer liability protections to drug makers.

According to the stats there are about 300,000 people that are injured and there are about 100,000 who are killed every year from the medical errors and they said that prescribing errors is a major cause of this.

The data also suggests that only one in ten physicians routinely read drug labels, which gives the complete information about the drugs, its side effects and benefits. Even after reading the drug labels there is very little information that the doctors gain from that.

The doctors even say that the labels are a whole lot confusing and there is tons of information that one can find there but it is all jumbled up and one can get easily confused.

Now according to the Food and Drug Administration, they say that the drug labels will now have highlights section that will summarize the important information that is needed to prescribe the drug safely. They also said that this new section will also list safety warnings and also summarize the recent changes. It also mentioned that this section will also add the advice as to how to use and write the dosage of drug and as to what the doctors must tell their patients about the drugs.
The doctors mentioned that avoiding preventable medication errors is a major issue and this is a major step making this possible in the future.

Another important thing that the drug agency added was that there is an estimate of about $4 billion to $4.8 billion dollars that are spent on medical errors and can be avoided by providing all the information necessary to the doctors to prevent those errors and this can be achieved through better labeling of the drugs.


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Kids Teeth Could Be Harmed With Cough Syrup

According to a new study that suggested that the children should brush their teeth after they swallow their cough syrup.

The researchers added that there are medications that are of a lot of help to the patient’s health, but they can be very bad for the teeth, so therefore one must maintain good oral habits at bedtime.

These findings are based on a study that involved a cough medicine that is involved in treating respiratory allergies. It was found that the syrup was pretty acidic and it had no fluoride but only a small amount of calcium in it and these are all the factors that could lead to tooth erosion.
In the study the team of researchers collected samples of tooth enamel and they dipped it in various solutions so as to stimulate the normal oral setting during the 24 hour period of time for about 10 days. The researchers found that the antihistamine syrup led to erosion in a few of the tooth samples to which the antihistamine was applied to, whereas the tooth samples to which the fluoride was applied showed signs of protected enamel and thus showed its capability of decreasing the effect of an erosive product.

The researchers wanted to warn the parents that they need to be aware long term use of the cough syrups that are acidic in nature can result to increased risk of tooth decay.

This effect of acid on teeth can occur in the same way if the children drink orange juice at nighttime, which leads to have them increased sugar, increased attack from acid producing bacteria and this leading to increased risk of decay.

The decaying can be prevented if good dental habits are maintained, so it is truly important that regular brushing is done so as to prevent the decaying of teeth.

The researchers also added that there is very little risk of decaying if the kids are on the cough syrups for a very short period of time.


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Inhaling Salt Water Improves Cystic Fibrosis

There was a recent research conducted that showed that people who are suffering from cystic fibrosis had improvement in their condition when they inhaled the salt water solution at least twice a day and there was reduction in half of the patients who used to get hospitalized with complications of cystic fibrosis and it improved their ability to clear the mucus from the lungs.

There was also included in the study that there was marked improvement in the lung function.
According to the statistics, there are about 30,000 children and young adults in the United States that are being affected by cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a fatal disease and in this disorder which causes a thick and sticky mucus to build up in the lungs. The inner surfaces of the lung in the patients with cystic fibrosis become dry, which makes the mucus both harder and stickier. During the normal process, the individual can cough up the mucus but in patients with cystic fibrosis the mucus does not come up that easily.

There was an incidental finding that the surfers who ride the waves and are suffering from cystic fibrosis had very fewer lung exacerbations.

This then led the researchers to think that this might have something to do with the salt water that the surfers who have cystic fibrosis have improved pulmonary functions.

The researchers added that the salt water adds a layer of lubricant to the inner lung surfaces and it rehydrates it and that helps make it a whole lot easier to clear the mucus.

The researchers conducted the study on 24 patients for 48 weeks and they found that the hypertonic saline were the ones who had the most benefit and on the other hand the patients who underwent treatment with amiloride, which is a diuretic drug to boost the hydration effect of salt water had no improvement at all.

It was found that people who had been getting the salt water through a nebulizer had marked improvement in lung function and they had about 56 percent fewer lung exacerbations.
The researchers also added that there is a whole lot need to perform more studies so that it could be learnt as to how the people would be able to tolerate the treatment.

It was also mentioned that the cystic fibrosis patients who are admitted for exacerbations at least one time a year can be reduced to half and this would be a whole big achievement.

The treatment with the salt water requires the patients to inhale it for about 15 minutes at a time. The researchers say that they need to find better ways of administering the drug for a less time possible.

This treatment can bring wonders for the patients who are suffering from the disastrous symptoms of cystic fibrosis and they will have a great chance to improve their quality of life.


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Take Your Temperatures Cautiously

A study was conducted by the nurses of University of Virginia where they mentioned that the mothers are right when they say that do not eat or drink anything before you take your temperature.

When we eat or drink, our temperatures change from baseline and this gives a false reading of our temperatures.

The research participants were given cold and hot beverages, and it was noted that the participants who consumed cold beverages, it took about 15 minutes to get their temperatures back to baseline, where on the other hand the participants who had hot beverages, it took them about 23 minutes to get their temperatures back to baseline.

Temperature is a vital sign that we take in an individual among blood pressure, respiration and pulse rate.

It is very important that the correct temperature is being recorded, as the variation in temperature is because of some pathologic process that is taking place in the body. Therefore taking the accurate temperature is one of the basic things.

The researchers also suggested that when a person plans to take their temperature, the individual must not be involved in any activities that may change body or mouth temperature and one must not exercise, smoke or chew gum before taking the temperature.

These researches have laid the foundation of evolving newer data and to identify ways as to how the health system, diagnosis and management and treatment can be delivered in the best possible way.

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Role Of Aspirin In Preventing Heart Disease

Aspirin plays a very different role in men and women from preventing them from heart diseases and strokes. In women, aspirin protects them from ischemic strokes, but they do not provide protection against myocardial infarction or death. On the other hand, aspirin provides men protection against myocardial infarction, but does not prevent them from strokes or cardiovascular mortality.

These results are derived from a meta-analysis study that was conducted in New York.

This is the first time ever that there is data available regarding women and there was no data that was available before for women and the doctors used to hesitate to prescribe aspirin for women. There was only data available on men regarding the use of aspirin. Therefore now it is much better as seen through the study that women can also use aspirin as men.

This study was conducted on 51,000 women and 44,000 men, and there were the differences in the cardioprotective effects between the two genders.

The common adverse effect that was found in both the sexes was that there was noted an incidence of major bleeding episodes.

The use of aspirin in the women was associated with a 12% reduction in cardiovascular events and about 17% reduction in stroke. There were no significant effects of aspirin that were reported on MI or cardiovascular mortality among women.

It has also been stated in the research that when an aspirin therapy is given for an average duration of 6.4 years, this resulted in an complete benefit with about cardiac events in 1000 women and about four events per 1000 men.

It has also been stated that the physicians must outweigh the risks and benefits of aspirin before they prescribe the aspirin therapy to any of the sexes.

The researchers also mentioned that as is reported in the study that there were very few cases of strokes in women and myocardial infarctions in men, it must be noted that the dose of aspirin, the duration for which it was used and the follow up was not uniform.


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