"This article aims at explaining the relation between obesity and carpal tunnel syndrome."


Till date carpal tunnel syndrome is more like an unsolved mystery, there have been many theories but none of them have provided a conclusive answer. The most basic definition of carpal tunnel syndrome is that it leads to numbness in fingers, especially the thumb, ring and index finger. Some patients have reported pain too but it is quite uncommon in carpal tunnel syndrome. The reason for CTS lies in the anatomy of carpal tunnel; it’s a narrow passage that acts as a link between fore arm and palm. Some tendons and a median nerve traverse through this narrow passage and when it gets congested, the resulting pressure leads to a compressed median nerve. This compressed median nerve is the reason for carpal tunnel syndrome. In this article we will review obesity as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome.


  • Obesity:
There is substantial recorded data to support this claim, a survey done by a reputed hospital found that over 25 percent of the people who were obese developed carpal tunnel syndrome. Obesity is established by measuring the BMI (Body mass index) of a patient. People who have a body mass index lower than 25 are said to be of normal weight, people having a BMI ranging from 25 to 30 are classified as overweight and those having a body mass index over 30 qualify as obese. Statistics show that a considerable number of patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome were obese i.e. having a body mass index over thirty. However, it was also found in the same study that obesity was not a risk factor for elderly patients primarily over sixty years of age.
  • Can weight loss help in treating carpal tunnel syndrome:
The same patients who were classified as obese having carpal tunnel syndrome, were given a three month diet plan. It was done as a part of an experiment to establish whether weight loss will provide any relief to patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. After three months of dieting and other weight loss activities, another survey was conducted on these patients. It was found that with the help of diet plan, these patients achieved their goal of weight loss. Most of the patients were now having a body mass index below thirty, the average was 26. It clearly showed that these patients no longer qualified as obese. But this weight loss didn’t help the patients in relief from the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. This result was in direct contradiction to the fact that obesity can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.  This was a dead end for the research as no conclusive link was established between obesity and carpal tunnel syndrome. To explain this contradiction, doctors have suggested that there might be a genetic profile that pre-disposes people to both of these conditions i.e. obesity and carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Does wrist shape have any effect on CTS:
In another study, patients with CTS were examined and their data was compared to those who were not having any of the symptoms. From this study it was concluded that people with a squarer shaped wrist were prone to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Jeff Conley is the founder and contributing author for MyCarpalTunnel.com, the information packed online resource for Carpal Tunnel relief and treatment. To find out more about your options for Carpal Tunnel treatment, including information on Carpal Tunnel Surgery, visit the ultimate Carpal Tunnel Resource today.


Do you suffer from lower back pain? If your answer is yes, you’re not alone. Eight out of ten people suffer from this type of ailment at some point in their lives. The type of pain can be minor (lasting from a few days to weeks) to more severe (lasting for months or even years). Low back pain treatment is the most popular type of chiropractic care for back pain sufferers.

Chiropractic low back pain treatment uses spinal adjustments to normalize mobility on spinal joints brought on by tissue injuries. These are brought on usually by accidents, sports injuries, and poor posture. Chiropractors refer to this is as misalignment of the vertebra. This causes irritation of the surrounding area and nerve area resulting in inflammation, pain and degeneration.

Chiropractic Treatment for Pain


With chiropractic treatment, pressure is taken off the disc, joints, nerves and symptoms are improved. It also prevents it from getting worse, and you can get to feeling like yourself again. The treatment can also use soft tissue repair, stretching, and specific posture and strengthening exercises. However, if need be the chiropractor can use a spinal orthotic device called Denneroll , that is also used with the spinal adjustments. Back pain can be acute (less than one month) sub-acute (1-3 months) or chronic (more than three months). Most of the time low back pain can be caused from musculoskeletal problems, and unfortunately most people just put up with the pain until it becomes unbearable, and only then do they see a doctor. You can read more about the facts of low back pain here.

In addition, although low back pain treatment has come a long way, researchers are still studying spinal manipulation. For example, a 2010 review of 26 clinical trials reviewed the effectiveness of different treatments of both musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions. The authors of the study concluded that the spinal manipulation works for acute, sub-acute and chronic low back pain. This means that it can work for just about anyone suffering from low back pain.

Furthermore, there was a study completed last year in Switzerland which involved adults who were suffering from low back pain and who had not received chiropractic or manual help in the three months before the study took place. Patients with chronic back pain and acute pain both exhibited positive results. Patients with radiculopathy (when one or more set of nerves are not working properly) also had improved symptoms. Low back pain is considered to be the most common job related disability, especially for people who work in front of a computer all day, or do excessive labor.

Structural Imbalances


Moreover, what chiropractors do is identify structural imbalances that are related to a number of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. The daily stress on our backs related to everyday activities can lead to these imbalances resulting in a sprain or strain in the vertebrae area. This means that two or more vertebra have lost their normal motion or position. Most of these imbalances in the early stages can exist without the person even feeling spinal pain. 

However, as time goes on, the wear and tear worsens and is followed by various cases of muscular and skeletal dysfunction, which leads to pain. Low back pain treatment can also reduce tension, pain and other symptoms, as well as improved posture and balance. There is also a reduction in the rate of spinal degeneration, which will help you relax and cope with stress and changes in lifestyle. Furthermore, there will be an improved function of the body’s organs and systems. This will improve your emotional and health wellbeing, thus enjoying your life more.

Chiropractic care is known to be the one of the most popular forms of healthcare that people seek for neck and back pain. It is safe, effective and drug free. These characteristics have made chiropractor the best recognized complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professions. This is why people in the medical field are choosing it as a job, and it has become the third largest doctoral level profession, after medicine and dentistry. So, if you have back pain, make sure you go see a chiropractor to try low back pain treatment. It will get you on the road to recovery and back to doing the things that you love.

This article was written by Danny Oh, who resorted to chiropractic treatment for his low back pain treatment and is glad for it.
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The day has come. It’s time to take a leap forward in self-care. You know you need to learn self-catheterization, but you find the prospect intimidating. It seems so complicated. You don’t want to hurt yourself. You know the risks of infection are much greater for you than for the average person, and you want to minimize those risks, and keep them as low as possible.

Once your doctor has assessed you and given you a prescription for the right size and type of catheter, you may feel like you’re on your own. Perhaps an expert has advised you on how to perform the catheterization, but what if something happens that you don’t expect and they aren’t there to guide you?

Here are a few guidelines for self-catheterization to give you an idea of what the process of learning to catheterize yourself might be like, and what you’ll need to be aware of during and after learning how. This blog post is in no way intended as medical advice, and the guidelines listed below are not at all comprehensive. Your doctor is your best authority on self-catheterization.




1.Every 3 to 8 hours, you will need to empty your bladder. Try not to keep more than 400 milliliters (ml) in your bladder at any given time. 



2.As you master self-catheterization, be prepared to keep careful records of when you catheterized, how much urine you drained, and whether you were wet, dry, or damp. These records can help you in the process of establishing a routine. 


3.Catheterize in the morning when you wake up and at night right before bedtime. If you collect over 400 ml of urine in the morning, or if your bedtime is early, you may need to empty your bladder during the night. 


4.Urinary tract infections can be caused by prolonged urine accumulation in the bladder. For this reason, it is very important to avoid skipping a catheterization under any circumstances. 


5.Maintain proper hygiene by washing your hands before and after self-catheterization. 


6.When you empty your bladder, do so completely, but it’s important to never compress your bladder in an attempt to speed up the process. If you increase bladder pressure, you can cause urine to flow back into your kidneys. 


7.Be mindful of your fluid intake. 6-8 glasses per day, using 8 ounce glasses, is considered normal fluid intake. If you increase your fluid intake, you may need to catheterize more frequently, as urine output is a direct result of fluid intake. 


8.Maintain catheter stashes in various convenient places: for instance, the bathroom, a purse or backpack, the glove compartment of your car, your desk at work, your locker at school or at the gym. 



9.Stay vigilant about the possibility of a urinary tract infection. The symptoms can include: the need to urinate more frequently, painful urination, passing urine that looks cloudy, blood in the urine, fever, chills, vomiting, back pain, and/or flank pain. 


10.Be aware of less common complications from self-catheterization, such as urethral stricture (the narrowing of the urethral passage due to scar tissue), bladder injury, bladder stones, and urethral bleeding or pain.



Tim Loshe is a home health care professional with over twenty years of experience in the home care industry. In his free time Tim enjoys blogging about various home health care tips and products.
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More and more people are considering gastric sleeves and other weight loss surgery options as treatments for dangerous levels of obesity. While most of us hope we are able to control our weight through diet and exercise alone, the unfortunate reality is that some people find their weight problems don't respond to simple calorie counting – for a variety of reasons, they may find themselves excessively obese and none of the normal weight loss fads seem to have an effect.

That makes gastric sleeve surgery, a simple weight loss surgery procedure, an attractive option. A gastric sleeve can restrict how much food you are able to eat and thus how many calories you absorb, fundamentally changing how your body works. But what can you eat once you have a gastric sleeve? Here's everything you need to know about a proper gastric sleeve diet.


What is a Gastric Sleeve?

The gastric sleeve procedure is a surgery to change the size and shape of the stomach, altering how the body absorbs food. Normally the stomach can be seen as essentially a “bag”: it can hold a large amount of food which remains there for some time as nutrition is absorbed. However, by removing a portion of the stomach it can be reduced to about a fourth of its normal size, and reshaped like a “sleeve” that passes food through quickly. This is the gastric sleeve procedure.

This procedure doesn't just reduce how much food you can eat; it changes the stomach's activity at a basic level. One of the major benefits of a gastric sleeve procedure is that the part of the stomach that remains is largely unable to produce ghrelin, a hormone that induces hunger and tells the body to crave calories. With less ghrelin, eating patterns are easier to change and satiety is easier to accomplish.

Additionally, the body absorbs fewer calories from food because it spends less time in the stomach.


The Gastric Sleeve Diet

A gastric sleeve is not reversible, and it alters how and what you can eat. Following the prescribed diet is vital to both post-surgery recovery and long term health and safety.

You will need to work with your doctor or a dietitian to create a personal diet that addresses all of your unique health needs, but as a general rule you can expect your diet to progress in four parts:


Right after surgery.

In the days after surgery, you will need to consume only clear liquids, totaling less than 1,000 calories per day. You will also need to consume a large amount of water to stay hydrated.

First two weeks. 
For about two weeks after surgery, you can consume a wider variety of liquids but no solid food, and must stay within 500-1,000 calories a day. Hydration remains important, as is receiving enough protein – often from protein powders dissolved in water.

First two months. 
During the rest of the two months following surgery you will be able to eat some soft and moist foods, as long as you are able to effectively puree them with your teeth. Seeds, crunchy foods and raw fruit or vegetables absolutely cannot be consumed. Calories must be under 1,400 a day and protein should be about 30% of your diet.

Long term. 
Once the above stages are complete, you can return to a more normal diet but should never go over 1,600 calories per day, and never more than 300-400 per meal. You still need to split your calories about 30% protein, 30% fat and the rest can be carbs. Fiber and a proper balance of vitamins will also be important.
This is just an example of a gastric sleeve diet, but most will be similar. At all times it's vital to follow your doctor's directions. It's important to remember that undergoing gastric sleeve surgery is a lifelong commitment to carefully control your diet.

Andrew's Aunt just went through a gastric sleeve procedure. Throughout her recovery he took note of a few things and decided to share them with others.
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"Sustaining a head injury can be life changing and the road to recovery can be a long and draining one. Here 7 myths of recovery"


The actual head injury recovery process

There are many self-help sites and books about brain injury (BI) recovery, but the simple fact is you will get better when your body feels well enough and begins to heal. That is not to say you should just sit and wait, but the process of recovery from brain injury is as unique to you as your BI itself. Treat it as special rather than a nuisance – recovery from any surgery or injury can be frustrating, but also rewarding when you start to see real progress which is sustained. Recovery can be a stop-start-going backwards process – and is as much an adventure of self-rediscovery and new self-discovery as recovery. 



Head injury recovery takes place in the first year

This is not always true – the first year can give doctors and therapists a good idea of how you have been affected by your brain injury and perhaps how long it might take to recover. However, patients with brain injury progress towards normal life at a pace which is suitable for them and the injury – and continue progressing in most cases, especially as therapies and treatment advance. There is also nothing quite as satisfying as proving doctors wrong, so keep working steadily towards recovery and don’t get despondent if you feel you are not making as much progress as you would like – a breakthrough can happen at any time.



The head injury recovery “plateau”

The general feeling about head injury is that it gets underway and you improve noticeably, before improvement tails off and you hit a recovery plateau. Head injury patients can make progress at any time – and learn new skills or make new memories. UK neuroscientist Professor Adrian Owen has discovered even people supposedly in a persistent vegetative state are aware of their surroundings, are aware of new relationships in their lives (eg nieces or nephews born after their head injury) – and their brain reacts to instructions even if they are unable to communicate verbally or physically. 


Making friends with Medication
After brain injury you may be presented with a medicine chest to help treat a wide array of problems. All medications have side effects and interact with each other – and even herbal or complementary medicines from a health food shop can cause adverse reactions or interact with pharmaceuticals. Some drugs can also result in the opposite of their intended effect after brain injury, or if you take them and do not need them – for example, people without schizophrenia who take drugs to treat the condition may develop it because the drugs alter the way the neurotransmitters in the brain work. Discuss with your doctor the medications which will suit you and will help with any symptoms of your brain injury, such as drugs to treat seizures or pain – but don’t rely on drugs as the solution to recovery, or go to the extreme and try and cope without drugs if they do help you.


The IQ Test

Some patients with head injury may be subjected to IQ tests to measure their progress – a normal IQ (ie over 100) may indicate a return to normalcy, some health specialists think. However, IQ is nothing to with a return to normalcy after head injury – even if you can be bothered to apply yourself to the test in the first place. IQ tests usually measure logic and reasoning – but a certain type of logic and reasoning and some experts believe that with practice, people can learn how to score well on IQ tests. After head injury, you need to be able to function as well as possible in daily life – and enjoy as much of your life as possible (and even your therapies and treatments). Professor Stephen Hawking has an IQ of 160 – less than 1% of the population scores this highly, but he is probably more enthusiastic and focused about his work and daily life than his IQ and so should you be.


Rehabilitation

Cognitive therapies are now being used to treat a wide range of different conditions, from depression to lack of self-esteem. However, reprogramming the brain might seem like a cure for all ills, but therapies can sometimes be in the form of repetitive or tick-box solutions – or work by replacing negative attitudes with positive ones. In the case of neurolinguistic programming, experts say self-esteem and how well you interact with others can be changed by simply replacing words which convey negative thoughts with positive ones. Head injury and recovery from it can make you angry, however – and sometimes feel defeated. This is human nature and is perfectly normal and acceptable. These low periods are often necessary on the road to recovery as reflection helps you come to terms with what has happened and go forward from it. Retraining by repetition can help you on your way to recovery – and many therapies use this – but the warm support of family and friends you can feel at ease with can be the best rehab.


The Miracle Cure

Any patient with a serious condition or disease will be tempted to scour the world – or the World Wide Web – looking or a definitive cure for their condition to restore them to their previous health. This can be disappointing – but it is only human nature. Doctors generally are resistant to this type of over-optimism in patients, especially if alternative medicines or therapies are involved and these are untested. Faith is a great healer sometimes, though: one experiment found that patients who were prayed for during surgery – whether religious or not and whether they knew they were being prayed for or not – made a better recovery than other patients. Never give up – but be realistic and develop at your own pace, stick to your treatment plan and medication, and try as many new positive experiences in life as you can, as you never know which one may signal a new breakthrough in your progress.



Leo Wyatt is a freelance writer & journalist who graduated from Birmingham University and has particular interests in cars, sports, parenting, safety, politics, law and health. Leo has worked for several newspapers in the midlands but now spends most of his time writing articles for companies, websites and businesses on a freelance basis, primarily the brain injury experts who offer support and rehabilitation for individuals that require brain injury compensation services.


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You cringe when watching the replays of these types of injuries during NFL, NBA, NCAA, or any other sporting event. The athlete takes one step, and their knee suddenly gives way and the athlete crumbles to the ground as the crowd watches in silence. Tearing an ACL instantly sidelines an athlete for a minimum of eight months, and usually even longer. The timetable for athletes to return from one of these devastating injuries depends upon the time it takes the athlete to return to their pre-injury form. For certain athletes, a vigorous rehab process allows them to return at full strength in 8 months’ time. But it takes much longer for other athletes to return and sometimes even up to a year before they can play at a high level. Let’s look at the timetable for recovering from an ACL tear, and look to one athlete who set the bar for other athletes to follow.

When an athlete tears an ACL, there is a general schedule the athlete is to follow before they may implement their personal recovery itinerary. This includes:

* Athlete advised to stay home and rest 2-3 days following ACL surgery

* Athlete off crutches two weeks after surgery

* An immobilizer brace is worn for four weeks, which prevents full motion and bending of knee

* 5-16 weeks, athletes do strengthening exercises for hip, thigh, and calf muscles

* Cutting and running within 4-6 months’ time

* After 6 months, can return to sports-specific activities

* Quality, not quickness of rehabilitation

Adrian Peterson
The man nicknamed “All Day” approached his knee rehabilitation analogously. Peterson has since proven that he already possesses the ability to return from a serious injury, as he broke his collarbone while in college at Oklahoma. Peterson suffered the injury in the middle of October during the 2006-2007 NCAA season, and it was dubbed that Peterson would miss the remainder of Oklahoma’s campaign. Peterson defied physician logic and returned on January 1 to play in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State.

So what how was Adrian Peterson to return to, what he called “full-throttle” action? Here are a few of his keys:

* Focused on changing direction to improve cutting, acceleration, and explosiveness
         # One primary exercise involved side to side slides, and sliding quickly to pick up a medicine ball rolled out by his trainer as in this video

Circle sprints
        # Tested the flexibility of his knee, putting stress on his knee to bend while sprinting.

*  Box Jumps
       # Tested overall strength in Peterson’s knee and explosive ability

 * Straight sprints
       # Simple range of motion, but primary to Peterson’s rehab.
Peterson has been dubbed by teammates as a “robot” for his work ethic. He credits his intrinsic drive and appetite for coming back to being one of the chief explanations for his quick recovery. He told Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, who suffered the same injury in March 2011, that his road to recovery was 90% mental. This is not only revealed in Peterson’s words, but also his actions. Peterson would wake up at 8 am to begin daily rehab, and his workouts would often last up to six hours per session.

Adrian Peterson has defied physician logic and medical prognoses concerning an ACL-tear recovery. Not only was Peterson’s recovery time quicker than almost all other athletes, but the quality of his recovery is reflected in the result of his 2012 season. Peterson recorded the second-best season of the superstar’s amazing career, and only falling nine yards short of the NFL single-season record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984. Peterson is a true pioneer in ACL recovery, and has shown that his accomplishment is now a benchmark for other athletes enduring the same injury to follow.


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"Everything a patient must do before undergoing surgery"

People just don’t go to the hospital and undergo a major surgical operation right then and there. A long preparation time is necessary so as to ensure that the results will be as favorable as can be. Orthopedic treatments are no exception, and people who are to undergo any surgical orthopedic treatment are advised to take on some precautionary measures to up the chances of a successful surgery.
The following are some of the things you need to keep in mind if you are to undergo an orthopedic operation:

 1.     Eat, drink, and live healthy.
Shy away from an unhealthy lifestyle if you have a forthcoming surgery. Don’t drink or smoke as these could hamper recovery and discourage doctors from giving the go signal.  Increasing fluid intake also clears out the toxins from the body, so make sure that you gulp a good amount of water everyday. It also helps to load up on protein and calcium rich foods since you will need the extra nutrients for your recovery.

 2.     Increase your strength and endurance level.
An orthopedic surgery will be painful – perhaps even more painful than the pain and discomfort brought about by the disease condition or injury itself. It is therefore essential that you build up your body’s tolerance to pain so that you will more or less get a feel of what the recovery orders might be like. Orthopedic operations will probably leave you with some form of disability for a while, so you might have to depend on other parts of your body to navigate and accomplish activities of daily living.

 3.     Prepare your surroundings.
The transition from pre-op to post-op surgery will be quite hectic that you won’t be able to find any time in between to make adjustments when it comes to your living situation. You have to make all the changes right before you jump into the treatment process – from reorganizing your furniture to making arrangements for meal deliveries. See to it that you involve other people in your recovery because you won’t certainly achieve a lot when in a wheelchair. Don’t feel bad about this temporary dependence because it is just a normal phase of the entire recovery process.

 4.     Buy ambulatory equipment.
Hospitals will provide you with ambulatory devices while you are under their care, but they rarely allow patients to bring these home with them. Hence, you might want to purchase your own so that you can still make your way around the house after the surgery. But to make sure you do not waste your money, you should coordinate with your physician and physical therapist about what you get. And see to it that you find a discount provider or a rental service so you do not have to spend too much or deal with them after you are fully recovered from your condition.

 5.     Avoid drinking and eating supplements that could possibly affect your blood’s coagulation.
As much as possible, your body should be clean. So, you should not take unnecessary medications unless they are doctor-prescribed vitamins. A lot of people drink herbal teas and medications because of their therapeutic effects, but some of them also have a negative influence on your clotting time, and that might just keep you off the operating table for a longer while.

When you submit yourself for an operation, you will most likely be subjected to a series of pre-operative tests for your blood chemistry, cardiovascular, pulmonary and metabolic condition, as well as your psychological health. And then you will be given a pre-operative check-list that you must accomplish, which basically is everything that has already been advised above. The only thing that you need to settle from that point on would be your hospital care and your accounts. And this shouldn’t take more than two days to do.

Cedric Loiselle is a highly talented writer providing quality articles for a wide range of niches including health, fitness, and other medical related topics. If you are looking for the best specialists in back surgery Milwaukee offers, you should check out his articles.

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When you have a bad financial condition then it becomes hard for you to takes loans and it makes you think that you will not be able to get any financial assistance in the near future. All the banks and most financial institutions really do not want to lend you loans if you are a customer who is really bad when it comes to credit because for them it is just too risky. Now when you have a history of bad credit then it might be difficult for you get further loans but getting a loan for a cosmetic or plastic surgery is really not that difficult of a task.


Ways to get plastic surgery with poor financial conditions:

There are many ways through which you can get financial assistance or in other words get a financial loan when it comes to getting a plastic surgery. There are a few points which must be considered. 

Financing companies for plastic surgeries: 

There are many companies which provide you with loans in terms of credit if you want a cosmetic surgery. These companies provide you loans only if you are willing to get a cosmetic surgery and the condition is that you have to pay them back at an interest rate which is really high. It is actually higher than the normal rate at which you return loans.


Payment options with installments: 

Because of the increasing popularity of plastic surgery there are many companies that are willing to provide you with plastic surgery at a loan with down payments but the catch is that you have to pay them back with a much higher interest rate

Personal loans which are secure:

Banks will never provide you with loans if you have a bad credit, as you have to pay them some money in advance in order to get the loan from them. This process is a lot easier as compared to other companies. This is a very risky option because you have to provide your property as security till you return the loan. 


Things to be kept in mind when you are applying for a loan:

If in case you are willing to apply for loan to get a cosmetic plastic surgery then you must apply to only one company, in conditions when you have a bad credit history. You must compare and then review the interest rates and the repayments of various companies before you take the loan and then out of these pick up one that is good for you. But if you apply to more than one company then all your applications will get rejected. You must fill out the application and try not to leave out any information. You must provide all clear financial information. You must also state your financial situation.


Now there is one thing which you must consider and this is: if you have bad credit then you must not just go for cosmetic surgery Sydney or even go for something like a facelift, unless and until you are sure that you will be able to pay back the loan.


I am an avid blogger and interested in writing more and more articles for home improvement, SEO, health, legal etc.





If you’re still looking for a profitable, rewarding career that actually provides ample job security in this day and age, then you’re in excellent company. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t dream of not having to worry about the integrity of their paycheck or about their level of job security. However, the truly smart people are looking into options in stable fields like medicine. If you’re also into beauty and like the idea of helping people succeed in life and build their self esteem, then you might especially want to consider an option in cosmetic surgery such as cosmetic laser training.

Take a look at this handy infographic for some truly helpful information in regards to plastic surgery today. Learn the true statistics in regards to which of the many procedures available is really the most popular with both men and women. Find out the real costs in regards to plastic surgery today (you may be surprised). Even find out which ethnic groups and income brackets are the most likely to want to go under the knife!
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Computer imaging has proven to be a valuable tool in plastic surgery. In the past, if an individual wanted to get plastic surgery, they would rely on guesswork to determine the results. Plastic surgery procedures typically cost thousands, and pre-consultation fees can cost patients a hundred dollars or more. 

With the advent of computer imagery in plastic surgery, patients can now see what they would look like before their surgery is completed using state of the art technology. Today, prospective patients in a surgeon's office can use simple online tools provided by doctor's offices to see how they may look with a facelift or nose job for free. While these tools are typically not as powerful as the ones used in doctor's offices, they provide patients with a good idea as to how they may look, and it may convince them to step into the doctor's office afterward.

The technology used to bring an individual's plastic surgery dreams to life is relatively new. It's typically done by taking an image and altering the parameter's to make changes, for example, to straighten the bridge of someone's nose if it's in a profile view. It has been documented that patients who use computer imaging are often much happier after the surgery, as they have a good idea how the finished surgery will look. The technology has rapidly advanced in many ways. Now, when patients come into a doctor's office, they can have their face taken from twelve angles using a special camera tool. This tool then transmits the image into a computer, which allows the doctor to turn, rotate and alter the picture. The doctor can have the nose widened, the chin lengthened, suck fat out of the neck, and much more. The doctor can then take the completed image and put it side by side with the original. The patient can view this image in full 3D, and see it turned and rotated in many different angles. This way, even if the patient wants to know how the nose looks from a lower perspective, the doctor can show the visible changes immediately and clearly. 

Computer imaging technology can be used in a number of amazing ways. A professional, renowned and well reviewed plastic surgeon should be able to take the image projected onto the screen and turn it into a reality for his or her patients. While this technology is very advanced, there is still a lot that goes into a plastic surgery operation. They require patients to go under the knife with anaesthesia, they're expensive (Though not relative to some other forms of surgery) and the patient may feel physical pain while recovering. However, computer imaging technology has shown that with a competent doctor the end product should look like the image projected onscreen with computer imaging technology. As one would expect, a well informed patient will be much more confident in their surgery, and will be far less likely to regret their decision at the end of the day.



This post was written by Eric Forester, a "techie" from Toronto. She knows the The Canadian Institute of Plastic Surgery uses computer imaging for their surgeries. For more information on the topic, visitwww.cosmeticsurgery123.com.

What can you Eat Before and After Surgeries?


What can you Eat Before and After Surgeries?
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Being informed isn't limited to knowing what will occur during your surgery, it is also knowing about what you can and cannot eat both before and after your surgery. The type of diet ordered will depend on the kind of surgery performed. Diets can vary from limited restrictions to complete fasting. Below is a short list of common surgeries and their various diet restrictions.



Coronary Artery Bypass

  • There are no set diet restrictions prior to a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft aside from the typical order of nothing by mouth after midnight.
  • Immediately after surgery you will be placed on a cardiac liquid diet which consists of low fat liquids with no added salt or caffeine. In the case that you aren’t up for eating, your physician will order supplements or tube feedings to ensure you receive adequate nutrition. Once you are able to tolerate solids you will be placed on a cardiac prudent diet. This diet includes foods high in omega fats, whole grains and fruits and vegetables. 

Bariatric Surgery: 

  • A Bariatric diet usually begins two to three months before the surgery is actually performed. The reasons physicians order a special diet several weeks in advance are to reduce body fat, preserve lean body mass and prepare the body for post-surgery recovery and proper bariatric eating. Moreover a high protein, calorie restricted diet can shorten the operation by decreasing the size of the liver and can reduce the amount of fat in the upper abdomen.
  • Immediately following your surgery the only thing you will be allowed to consume is ice chips. The next day you'll be started on a clear liquid diet. This will include small amounts of a protein drink, diluted fruit juice and water. Once it is clear that you are able to keep clear liquids down, you’ll be advanced to thicker liquids and purees for a couple more weeks. Afterwards you will move on to a soft diet and then gradually return to a regular diet with decreased portion sizes.  

 Cesarean

  • The ACOG recommends women undergoing planned C-sections to not eat solid foods six to eight hours prior to the procedure. This mainly is due to the fact that after surgery the intestines start to slow down causing constipation. However, in most cases obstetricians will allow patients to drink clear liquids up to two hours before receiving anesthesia. Any point after this food consumption puts the patient at a greater risk of aspirating on food and drinks. 
  • There is no diet restrictions post C-section. It is only recommended that women refrain from foods high in fat, sugars and carbohydrates. This again is due to the fact that your bowels slow down after anesthesia and being immobile for a while.
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Eric Regan is a part of a writing team that has been published on many different sites and blogs on a variety of different interests and industries

Cricothroidotomy

scalpel
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreweason/268627274/

Cricothroidotomy is an emergency medial procedure in which an incision is made through skin and cricothyroid membrane to obtain the airway when other procedures e.g. orotracheal,endotracheal and laryngeal mask airway are not effective or contraindicated.Cricothyroidotomy is life-saving in many conditions so healthcare providers must know this procedure.It is also known with other names such as cricothyrotomy, throcricotomy, coniotomy and emergency airway puncture.


INDICATIONS


Cricothyrotomy is mostly the last option for obtaining an airway but it is indicated in the following conditions:
* Oral, nasal and pharyngeal hemorrhage
* Facial trauma
* Laryngospasm
* Emesis
* Cervical spine trauma
* Oropharyngeal edema
* Obstruction of airway by foreign body



CONTRAINDICATIONS


Cricothrotomy cannot be performed in children below 10 years at any condition.Some use 12 years as the cutoff age.It is also not performed when person is suffering with acute laryngeal infection.It should not be done when the anatomy of the cricothyroid membrane is altered by pathology such as tumors.



EQUIPMENTS


You should have following equipments to perform the cricothyrotomy:
* Sterile gloves
* Antiseptic solution (alcohol)
* Local anesthetic
* Scalpel
* Scalpel handle
* Endotracheal tube
* 10 cc syringe
* Stylet
* Water soluble lubrication
* Sterile dressing
* Tape
* Sthethoscope



PROCEDURE


1- Place the patient in supine position.
2-Locate the thyroid cartilage and cricothyroid membrane.
3-Clean the skin with alcohol and let it dry.
4-Anesthesize the area by local anesthetic.
5-Stabilize the thyroid cartilage with non dominant hand and make a vertical incision of about 2.5 cm over the cricothyroid membrane.
6-Check the cricothyroid membrane and make a horizontal incision through it.Remember not to go more than 0.5 inch deep to avoid the oesophagus peroration.
7-Open the incision by using inverted scalpel handle.
8-Insert the endotracheal tube (8 mm) down into the trachea.
9-Inflate the tube cuff with air by using the 10 cc syringe.
10-Auscultate over lungs and stomach and check the chest movements to confirm the position of endotracheal tube.
11- Fix the tube by using tape.
12-Apply sterile dressing.



COMPLICATIONS


Complications of cricothyrotomy are very rare if it is performed by an experienced person.Following complications may occur:
* Hemorrhage
* Oesophageal perforation
* Tracheo-oesophageal fistula
* Subcutaneous emphysema
* Thyrohyoid membrane incision
* Dysphonia

PATIENTS EDUCATION


You will need to inform your patient if he is conscious that it is a very short procedure and will take less than 5 minutes.Explain the whole procedure and its complications to your patient.


Hemorrhoid causes


16. hemorrhoid-symptoms
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People tend to withhold these cases perceiving them as quite embarrassing to disclose to the public even the doctors who come in handy to save the situation. A swelling around a reproductive or digestive system that is physically visible is not comforting at all but patients tend to suffer quietly until the situation gets out of hand. Swellings in the anal or rectum area are such vivid examples that are common today. These swellings are referred to as hemorrhoids. Simply put, they are inflammations on connective tissues located in the rectum. They are either external or internal. In a real sense, you would hardly hear of these cases even on magazines and/or journals but the truth on the ground is that hemorrhoid aliments are prevalent in the United States. A rough estimate of people suffering from this problem is about 100 million people in the US and the most affected group is 50 years and above.

Hemorrhoid causes come in a variety of ways but the most pronounced one is the consumption of awful food leading to flatulence and constipation. The aftermath of resultant excess digestive gases in the gastro-intestinal system, is a strenuous elimination of excretory wastes around the rectum area. Lack of fiber and high energy-concentrate food in the Western culture has been a major contributing factor of hemorrhoid causes

Developing countries especially in Africa have fewer hemorrhoid issues since their meal is rich in fiber and low in fats. Engineering ergonomics in the design of modern toilets has not done hemorrhoid patients any good. Resting on the seats of these toilets exerts undue loading on the rectum veins hence swelling of tissues. Besides, age adds the probability of suffering from strained rectal veins due to stretching and flexing of the anal muscles. Sphincter muscles situated around this area tend to contract and are subject to changes in pressure differences during excretion. Also, tissues that anchor hemorrhoids to anal canal muscles beneath get weakened. Properties of cushioning tend to minimize with age. Heredity may also chip in as another causative agent. A family with genetic factors that are trickling down would experience such a phenomenon in subsequent generations. Hemorrhoid causes like diarrhea bouts are thought to be reasons leading to this condition albeit they are seldom. Expectant women often experience anal tissue dentations out of fetal pressure on hemorrhoid veins. Lastly, pelvic tumors result in enlargement of connective tissues in the anus and an upward draining into the rectum canal.

Some theories have been suggested as to how hemorrhoids causes are projected especially during fecal discharge. The stool, hard in this matter, is thought to apply shearing force in the anal passage during its release pushing hemorrhoid tissues/cushions downwards. Hemorrhoid causes have also been catalyzed by pressure elevation of sphincter muscles which surround the hemorrhoids and anal tissues. Simple things like eating fresh, natural and low fat foods will surely minimize hemorrhoid infections.