Having a Fetal Heart Monitor At Home

August 28th, 2010

fetal DopplerWhen you first heard the news about your pregnancy, nothing excited you most but to know what is going on with the baby inside you. If you experienced difficulties and complications in your previous pregnancies, or perhaps you have heard stories about miscarriages from your friends and relatives, you may be even more curious to check his condition. Traditionally, parents are only able to check their baby’s status when they go to the clinic or to their personal doctor. Aside from being exhaustive and time consuming, this only causes them delay and uneasiness. But nowadays, thanks to the advent of science and technology, any expecting parent can observe and monitor a fetus’ heart rate with their own fetal monitor at home.

During your prenatal check-ups, probably what thrilled you most is to hear the heart beat of the person growing inside of you. As you have probably observed, your obstetrician uses a device which makes you hear the heart beat of your baby aloud. This device is more commonly called as fetal heart monitor. Some doctors and manufacturers refer to this as fetal Doppler or Doppler fetal heart rate monitor. This device uses the Doppler Effect, a theory proposed by the Austrian physicist Christian Doppler (from whom the theory and this device are named for). A fetal heart monitor makes use of a probe that senses high frequency sound waves that are produced by your baby’s heart beat.

Since sound waves are sometimes not heard, a special solution is spread onto a pregnant woman’s belly. The doctor will then move the probe around this area until the device detects a sound of a heart beat. Once the sound is detected, the probe will transfer the sound waves to the fetal heartbeat monitor which will then amplify the sound for anyone to hear. Fetal heart monitoring can detect if the child is healthy or not, and if he needs special attention before, during, and after your delivery. Nowadays, these devices are not exclusive to hospitals and health clinics. They can now be bought (or rented) in a nearby medical store.

Having a fetal heart rate monitor in your home will enable you to check and monitor your baby’s heart beat every now and then, most especially if you or anyone in your family has a background of difficult pregnancy. Also, you can immediately know and confirm if something bad is happening with your child in cases of emergency. You can as well record and save the sound of your baby’s heart beat as an audio file. Later, when your baby has grown up, you will have a keepsake to remind him of how much he was loved even before he was born.

The Benefits and Basic Types of Wheelchair Lifts

August 15th, 2010

Wheelchair lift for stairsWhen you provide someone a wheelchair, most probably the intention is to give him the liberty and independence to move inside the house and to allow him to have a little stroll in the neighborhood or in the park. Wheelchairs are indeed important for people who have difficulty in moving like the elderly, the sick, the handicapped and the disabled. These devices enable them to travel without being too dependent on others.

However, the freedom that a wheelchair alone provides is not full and complete. The old, the sick, the handicapped and the disabled may move from one place to another, but they will never be able to travel from the first floor to the second floor, nor would they be able to climb in the car with their wheelchairs. Wheelchairs provide them motion, yet they are limited only to moving from side to side, and forward-to-backward. Unfortunately, they do not allow the sick to overcome vertical barriers. Perhaps the wheelchair users could, but not on their own; they’ll need to ask for someone to carry the wheelchair. Although we think that we make them feel better because we help them in their troubles, this could, however, signify to them how helpless their condition is. Instead of helping them, it only lessens their self-esteem and decreases their hopes of recovery.

That is why, there is a wheelchair lift. This device carries the wheelchair and its occupant to help them overcome vertical obstacles all by themselves. Wheelchair lifts come in different kinds and models and all of them offer wheelchair-ridden persons, as well as the people around them, to find more comfort and convenience despite their immobile condition. These devices may be installed on a staircase, an automobile, or may simply be carried around.

Wheelchair lifts that are installed on the stairs are called stair lifts. These are lifts that carry the wheelchair and its user up and down the stair. In this system, a rail is installed on the tread of the stairs. A chair is then fastened to the rail. The person is carried as the chair moves along the bar.

There are also wheelchair lifts that are especially made for van use. However, several modifications are needed in order to install the lift. Such modifications include lowering the floor of the vehicle, rearrangement of the seats, and addition of a lifting device that raises the wheelchair and automatically rolls it inside the car.

Portable wheelchair lifts, on the other hand, are best for patients who always go out of their house. Most of these lifts are lightweight, durable, and weather-proof.

Cherries: A Key to Good Health

August 2nd, 2010

healthy and fresh cherriesBecause of its numerous nutritional benefits, the cherry fruit has been considered by many as the “Super Fruit.” No wonder why! According to researches, cherries provide a lot of potential health benefits because of their high antioxidant content. Cherries are sold all year round ― either fresh or in pack ― and are best enjoyed if added in a recipe among the likes of pies, cookies, and salads.

Cherries are usually grouped in two categories: the sweet cherries and the tart cherries. Sweet cherries are usually seen at the grocery store, while tart cherries are the ones usually used in baking and making salads. Cherries contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that are essential in keeping a person strong and healthy. Some of these are carotene, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, and as mentioned, a very high level of antioxidants. As compared to sweet cherries, tart cherries have more vitamin C and beta carotene content; nevertheless, they still have a minimal amount of calories. That is why a cherry-inspired diet is recommended to people who desire to go slimmer and lighter in weight.

As one of their major benefits, cherries are gaining popularity as an anti-cancer supplement. This is because of the fruit’s high level of anthocyanins and quercetin, and the phenolic acid amygdalin. Anthocyanin is the natural occurring pigment that gives cherries their red color. Quercetin, on the other hand is part of the group of phytochemicals known as flavonoids. According to studies, dried cherries contain higher levels of flavonoids than fresh cherries. Amygdalin is also a phytochemical that is used to treat cancer. These chemicals are also recognized as pain relievers. For this reason, eating cherries can help as well in relieving pain caused by arthritis and gout. Experiments show that taking 30 cherries is comparable to taking one tablet of ibuprofen for pain relief.

Cherries are also known to prevent, or at least, mitigate the symptoms of diarrhea. A research done at the Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland indicated that flavonoids can hinder the growth of fluids that cause this disease.

Other health benefits of cherries include the promotion of weight loss and the prevention of diabetes and heart-related problems. They can also decrease cholesterol level and delay the aging process. Flight passengers are also advised to take 30 cherries every night upon the arrival at their destination to avoid having a tremendous jetlag.

Cherries are liked by many because of their deep red color and their sweet finishing on our cake or ice cream. But more than that, we should also know that there’s more to cherries than their taste; they also are a key to our good health.

Hair Loss Causes – The Myths and the Reality

July 31st, 2010

hair loss causesHair loss is a very controversial subject. A person experiencing this traumatizing problem can easily get lost because of the overwhelming quantity of information available on the internet.

However, the jungle of medical terms is not the only confusing thing. Unfortunately, there are also numerous hair loss myths, especially concerning women hair loss. Some say that hair loss is a consequence of wearing a hat, blow drying, limited brushing, hair color, lack of vitamins, even lack of sexual activity! While there is a seed of truth in some of these statements – for example, excessive blow drying and hair perms can make your hair thinner and easily breakable – such factors do not cause permanent hair loss in the long run.

The reality is much simpler than all this kaleidoscope of notions and superstitions. Do you know the saying: You can’t see the forest because of the trees? The same perspective can be applied to hair loss and not only. We’re so obsessed about a detail or a symptom of our well-being, that we tend to forget that our body is an interconnected system and all processes are linked between them.

Hair loss is generally caused by two main things: genetic predisposition (both in men and women) and an unhealthy lifestyle (especially for women).

Yes, most of the times hair loss is not a disease in itself – it’s just a sign meant to show you that you have to change something about your lifestyle – your habits, your nutrition, your emotional balance and so on. Most people nowadays underestimate the importance of a harmonious life – I’ve even read on some websites that stress and unhealthy habits cannot cause hair loss. Of course, this is true when we talk about long-term, irreversible baldness (especially in men). However, temporary women hair loss can easily be caused by stress, detrimental nutrition, depression, even a polluted environment!

I’ve witnessed many cases of hair loss caused by emotional traumas (a divorce, the death of a relative), exhaustion, lack of sleep or simply the lack of fulfillment in the personal or professional life. While these factors will never cause total baldness and permanent hair loss, they will severely affect the thickness and the shine of your hair.

That’s why female hair loss treatment (especially when we talk about the temporary, non-genetic form of this condition) has to focus on eliminating the cause, not on drinking hair loss pills and vitamins and waiting passively for them to do their work. Transform and improve your lifestyle and your habits – after all, what’s so important that it’s worth losing your health and your beauty for?

What are Governments doing about Smoking?

July 28th, 2010

The fact of the matter is, governments are putting in measures across the world making it far more difficult for smokers to continue the habit. These measures are thankfully, making it more difficult for people to start. Not only does the act of smoking cost so many lives and put so many people under pressure both in health and financial terms, it puts public health infrastructure and supporting systems under so much duress and stress, that it’s costing billions more and more each year to provide for these services. The Australian Government is a good case in point.

Several years ago they were one of the first governments to ban smoking in nightclubs, bars and inside venues. Not only did this have a massive effect on the environments in that they became instantaneously healthier, young people in particular started quitting at a higher rate, recognizing that the habit of smoking was becoming less and less desirable, both as an attribute as well as an attraction. It was only a few years before that smoking was seen as sexy, and attractive but this single legislative act creating the beginnings of an environment in which the tide began to turn saving many lives in the process. The Australian Government has followed up this achievement by increasing taxes on cigarettes making it even harder for those to afford to smoke that do smoke already. The rise in costs in buying cigarettes is up to $17 a packet in Australia. The high price also deters younger teens from smoking because the reality is, it’s nearly impossible for them to afford. Not only is smoking now seen as un-cool, but its also seen as highly expensive and highly disgusting.

The Australian Government has also banned smoking in such places as beaches, public stress and other public venues, further isolating current smokers and providing more of a conducive environment for them to quit. Other governments should begin to take the Australian lead and create more legislative policies that enable more people to decide to quit. Quitting smoking not only decreases the chance of illnesses and sicknesses such as cancer and the like, but it also decreases the costs to the public. These costs include paying for those that need operations due to their habit of smoking and other related expenses. If you are a current non smoker and would like to bring about change, why not write to your local representative in order to promote more governmental initiatives designed to help people quit smoking permanently.

Orthopedic Pillows: an Answer to Body Pain

July 23rd, 2010

orthopedic pillow for expecting mothers

What you are most excited about after a very exhausting activity is to get inside your room, change your clothes and immediately lie on your bed and have some good lengthy sleep. Unfortunately, as you rest and close your eyes, you become conscious that you are having a hard time finding your most relaxed sleeping position. You twist and turn trying to locate your spot. But you just cannot. And then you realize it’s not your position’s fault, not even your bed’s defect. It’s actually your pillow.

But thanks to human intelligence, you can now rest and relax wherever you like and whenever you want through the medical innovation in pillow technology: the orthopedic pillows.

An orthopedic pillow aims to correct the posture of the body while lying down on any surface. There are different orthopedic pillows available today. They are stiffer and firmer than ordinary pillows because they are designed to support a specific body part. They conform to the contours of the body to provide it comfort and relief. For this reason, orthopedic pillows are also called as therapeutic pillows. They reduce the symptoms of sleeping disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia and snoring. There are also claims that orthopedic pillows lessen problems in blood circulation, lower back pain, whiplash, sciatica pain and neck pain.

Neck orthopedic pillows are designed to give relief to the neck. They are shaped like a horseshoe so that the neck can fit into it. This type of pillow is best used while traveling, reason for it to be called travel pillow. It can be placed on the car seat and can be used while sleeping in a sitting position.

For an expecting mother, however, getting some sleep and rest could be very difficult. The weight of her tummy makes it hard for her to find comfort when lying down. That is why there is an orthopedic pillow specifically designed to help pregnant women: the pregnancy pillow. This pillow is designed to assist the body of an expecting mother. It makes it easier for them to locate a position that supports their whole body while giving them comfort by lessening muscle pain and tension on their back and joints.

Lastly, the wedge pillow is used for supporting the head and the upper body. Shaped like a wedge, this pillow is believed to relieve acid reflux symptoms and GERD during sleep.

What You Need To Know About Whiplash Injury

July 15th, 2010

neck and shoulder painWhen a powerful force throws your head forward and then it abruptly returns it to its original position, you experience a terrible pain. Then you start to feel dizzy, your arms and legs feel weakness, and the pang starts to crawl from your neck to your shoulders and up to your face. You don’t know what to do and you feel like you are gravely injured. It seems that your spine is badly damaged and you will no longer be able to move forever. Do not worry too much. You are just suffering from whiplash.

Whiplash is a neck injury caused when the neck is suddenly thrown back and forth like a whip. It is usually associated with motor vehicular accidents, especially when the car is hit at the rear. That is the reason why whiplash has been one of the main injuries that is covered by most car insurers in the United Kingdom. While whiplash indeed happens most of the time during vehicle accidents (430,000 people claimed they suffered from whiplash in 2007 in U.K.), this neck injury may also transpire in accidental falls (from chairs, ladders, bicycles and even horses).

The symptoms of whiplash injury include neck and back ache, shoulder pain, sensory disturbance in the arms and legs, headaches, dizziness, and numbness and weakness in different parts of the body (most especially in the face and limbs). These may show up immediately after the accident, yet it could also take several days ― even a span of one week ― before the symptoms manifest. The graver the injury, the sooner the unpleasant sensations appear.

An injured person is usually strapped firmly on a strong board while wearing a collar neck in order to prevent any movement that might aggravate the situation. The patient is then examined by a doctor. More often than not, the injured is required to undergo X-ray examination. Sometimes, a doctor might even deem CT-scan necessary.

The Quebec Task Force has categorized the extent of whiplash-associated disorders into four:
1. Grade 0: absence of neck pain, stiffness, or any physical damage.
2. Grade 1: complaints of neck pain, stiffness and inflammation but the examining physician does not detect any physical sign.
3. Grade 2: complaints of neck pain and the physician finds out that there is a decreased range of motion and point of inflammation in the neck.
4. Grade 3: complaints of neck pain with neurological signs (decreased reflexes of deep tendon, weakness and deficiency in senses.
5. Grade 4: complaints of neck pain and presence of fracture or dislocation, or damage in the spinal cord.

Luckily, whiplash may be treated by physical exercises and therapies, medications like non-narcotic analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and rest.

Foods that Help Solve Trouble Falling Asleep

July 13th, 2010

It is recommended to sleep around 7 or 8 hours a night in order to function at maximum capacity. Hence, many of us experience occasional problems of disturbed sleep. Insomnia is characterized by the inability to fall asleep when you go to bed and/or waking during the night and not being able to get back to sleep. Scientific studies show that a lot of people who do not sleep soundly for seven to eight hours a night tend to have a lower immune system making them less strong in warding off diseases. Most of us would like to have the desired range of normal sleep but doesn’t know how to. Foods found in your kitchen could help us solve this problem. As people become more health conscious, there’s a growing interest in natural products to treat various problems that puts health at risk, including trouble falling asleep. Listed below are atop of those that could help loosen your muscles up, calm your mind, and stimulate your body hormones such as serotonin and melatonin, helping you in having continuous uninterrupted sleep.

• Warm Milk
Mothers usually give their young children warm milk before going to bed to help them relax and rest. Milk has a tryptophan, the amino acids which has sedative effect and contains calcium that helps the brain utilize tryptophan to promote sleep.

• Banana.
Banana has a small quantity of serotonin and melatonin and is a good source of magnesium that stimulates muscle relaxation.

• Honey
To add sweet taste in our milk or tea, we typically add a bit of honey. The presence of sugar in small amount increases our energy. Sugar can notify our brain to degrade the performance of orexin which is a neurotransmitter associated with your consciousness.
• Potato
Having steamed potatoes or baked potatoes at night will not definitely increase your weight. Potatoes are able to clean unnecessary acids that can disrupt the function of tryptophan in the body.

• Wheat Bread
Combining a loaf of wheat bread and tea will help to stimulate insulin in the body thus helping the performance of tryptophan in the brain; this is converted by the body into serotonin to tell the brain to sleep.

• Oatmeal
Eating oatmeal at night will surely solve your sleeping problem because it stimulates the production of melatonin in the body at night.

• Almonds
Almond peanut is fine for heart organ but it is also composed of tryptophan and magnesium that helps the person to sleep.

• Flaxseed
It is rich in omega-3 acids that can help improve your mood. When a person feel stressed or depressed, it is recommended to consume an amount of flaxseed because it will make your sleep more comfortable.

• Chamomile Tea
This tea has calming effect which reduces the physical and mental stress of the body thus making it a perfect beverage to be consumed prior to sleep.

• Turkey
Turkey meat is a very good source of tryptophan. However, bear in mind that tryptophan is most effective when the stomach is basically empty, not full, and when there are some carbohydrates in the stomach, not lots of proteins.

Non Surgical Face Lift Techniques

June 28th, 2010

face lift without surgerySurgical beauty procedures abide by the maxim “No guts, no glory.” However, this is just a euphemism of what they want to say. What they really mean is, “Come to our clinic and let us slash your face with a knife to make you younger-looking.”

Although the saying is positive ― encouraging everyone to be brave in reaching a specific goal ― it could be a little different in the case of cosmetic methods. Because the truth is, in face lifting methods, you need not to be cut by a knife in order to be beautiful! What you need are a little imagination and some non-surgical face lift techniques. And voila! The beauty you wished for can be yours.

Many techniques and procedures of face lift without surgery are available in different dermatological clinics. These methods aim to provide people the appearance that they need in order to have a better self-esteem. The non surgical procedures are more accessible and more convenient than the surgical ones since they are less invasive and less costly. Many people, in fact, choose to undergo these methods since they pose less possibility of complications and side effects. A face lift without surgery also does not require prolonged time of recovery, thus enabling the individual to function normally after a few days of treatment. And most of all, non surgical face lifts are less expensive than the surgical ones. Anyone, and not just the elite, can access the beauty that everyone is dreaming of.

Non surgical face lifts avoid the signs of aging. However, these methods do not treat deeper wrinkles and darker age spots. Also, the effects of a face lift without surgery are not permanent and they only last for several months.

The usual techniques of non surgical face lifts include facial exercises, topical creams, and office procedures.

Facial exercises seem to be the easiest of all. The exercises, like jaw flexing, aim to increase muscle tone. Tutorials are available online. Moreover, topical creams are very affordable and easy to use. They promise to make the skin tighter and younger looking.

Office procedures should be done by an expert dermatologist. These are the less invasive methods of face lifting― less because some of the procedures use needles and injections. They also cost more than the previous options. Among these techniques we can name Thermage (which uses heat generated from radio frequency), Botox (uses a series of injections to reduce wrinkles), Collagen (increases the amount of collagen in the skin), and Photo Treatment (diminishes the signs of aging as caused by sun damage).

Measuring Your Oxygen Levels Anytime, Anywhere

June 26th, 2010

finger oxygen monitorAre you having enough oxygen in your body?

For most people, oxygen intake seems to be one of the most neglected considerations. We focus more on our nutritional intake, the security of our shelter, and the availability of water and natural resources ― overlooking the fact that oxygen is first and foremost one of the most essential elements that determine our existence. And today, in a world full of taxing activities and recreation, not to mention the huge volume of air pollution in the air, we, humans, unfortunately are often deprived of this basic, most important need― oxygen in our body.

Before, people used to have their oxygen blood saturation checked in the clinic or hospital. The procedure is done through an invasive method; a direct blood sample is needed. However, there are neither clinics on very high or very low altitudes, nor are there any medical institutions that are accessible for athletes who do their daily routine in a peaceful, remote area. Gladly, through the intervention of medical technology, observing the level of oxygen in our blood is no longer impossible and out of reach. Thanks to finger oxygen monitors, one can measure and determine his level of oxygen anywhere, anytime.

An oxygen monitor is a medical tool that determines the presence and levels of oxygen either in ambient air or in the body. One type of oxygen monitors is the pulse oximeter, or usually called the finger pulse monitor. This device enables a patient or an ordinary person to monitor the saturation of oxygen in his blood. The method is non-invasive, therefore requiring less effort and does not cause pain. The gadget is attached to a translucent part of a body, usually on a finger or ear lobe. It releases lights that contain both red and infrared wavelengths. The ratio of the changing absorbance of these wavelengths will determine the measure of oxygenation (the percentage of hemoglobin molecules that are bounded with oxygen molecules) in the body.

Currently, there are more than 40 finger oxygen monitor models that are being sold on the market. These monitors observe and measure the level of oxygen and the pulse rate of the person. Some models function well in an area with volatile temperature or in a setting that is vibration-prone, such as in a vehicle. Some latest models of this type have a warning alarm when the battery power becomes low.

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