Requesting Medical Records From The Hospital

February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When you switch doctors you’re going to have to get your previous medical records sent over to the new doctor’s office. You can also request your medical records from your hospital is the step in the right direction in being able to take care of your health. By having your medical records you can get a second opinion from another doctor if you’re unsure about what a different doctor is telling you.

You can write to the office administrator at the hospital where your records are or go there and figure out which forms you’ll need to fill out in order to get your medical records. They’ll also let you know if there is a fee to request copies of your medical records. There isn’t a fee if you’re going through another doctor to get the medical records. You’ll need your full name, birthday and all the dates you visited the hospital.

You’ll need a request-of-information form to fill out. This will have to be mailed or brought to the hospital by you. You can’t have someone else bring it since they will need your signature as proof of identity. No hospital will ever release your medical records via the phone or e-mail.

Once you’ve got everything in order go ahead and sign your forms that will authorize the hospital to release your medical records to you. To avoid delays, make sure you’ve followed all the hospital’s rules.

If there are any fees you will need to pay them before your medical records will be sent out. These fees do vary depending on the hospital. Make sure you ask more about information on what they charge because some could charge per page and additional fees when you’re requesting for copies of your x-rays film. Some hospitals don’t even charge. This is why it’s always best to ask when you talk to the office administration.

Filed Under: Addiction, Medication Tagged With: , ,

Improving The Health In Your Joints

February 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As we get older we notice that our joints will begin experience a lot of stress. This happens a lot to someone who is athletic or had or has osteoarthritis. Like with many things, having a healthy diet and getting enough exercise could help give your joints a bit of a boost, which will ultimately keep them nice and healthy… and hopefully pain free.

First things first. Remember to take your glucosamine chondroitin each day. It’s a supplement that will build the levels up in your body, so make sure you take it on a regular basis. The reason they’re important is because they’re basically your building blocks that’s going to help your cartilage and help those joints of yours stay nice and lubricated.

You’ll need to take fatty acids like omega-3s. Don’t worry; they’re natural and anti-inflammatory. So they’re there to help reduce any pain you’re feeling in your joints. You’ll have two options available. You can either eat foods that have omega-3s, this includes nuts, fish and seeds, or you can take a supplement like fish oil or primrose oil. Most people go for the fish and nuts option.

Daily exercise is the key to having a healthy, pain free body. Just remember, your joints are in pain so don’t work out too much. Do some stretching, tai chi or yoga to help your joints. Many people will go for daily walks to improve any stiffness they’re feeling in their joints.

Bromelain supplement is an enzyme, found in pineapples, designed to help treat any inflammation and joint pain. The enzyme is found in the stem of the pineapple, so take the supplement instead.

There are many ways to help improve the health in your joints. Talking to your doctor about what to do and what to eat will help give you a better idea of how you can improve your joints’ health.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tips Tagged With: , ,

Eating To Help Grow Thick, Healthy Hair

February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

People can tell the type of foods that we eat based on how our hair and skin look. Remember that old cliché that states we are what we eat? Well, technically it’s true. We always see on the news that if we want healthy skin and hair than we have to change our diet to eat healthier. It’s true because if we all want that thick, healthy hair, we need to have good nutrition.

Having the right nutrition and hydration is going to do amazing things for your skin and hair. It’s time to get the health back in your body and your hair. Here are some tips for eating health in order to help grow thick, healthy, shiny hair no matter how old you are.

Eat lots of protein

Eating more protein is a great way to start. The protein is going to help make your hair much from pliable and strong. Majority of women out there are not getting the amount of protein they should be getting each day, which is about 37 to 50 grams. Not getting the protein you need could result in your hair becoming limp and even thinning out a lot. By eating your right amount of protein, you could bring back the thicker, shine and stronger hair you’ve been wishing that you had. If possible add soy, nuts, low-fat dairy, fish and eggs to your diet. If you’re a big meat eater, stick to lean meats.

Go ahead and eat a rainbow

Increase the amount of antioxidants you take. They will help protect your hair and keep it nice and healthy. It will also protect your hair when you’re going through normal hormone changes our body experiences as we get older.

Try and eat at least a serving from each of the four colors found on a rainbow. For instance, for the color red you can eat strawberries, pomegranates, watermelon and tomatoes or even peppers.  For orange you have oranges, cantaloupe, peaches, sweet potatoes, orange peppers and pumpkins. With the color green, try asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, grapes, kiwi, green beans and spinach.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tips Tagged With: , ,

Health Tips For Teenagers

February 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

We all remember what it was like being a teenager. The crazy, hectic schedules we had of work, school, sports and hanging out with friends. We have long school days, after-school activities, time with friends, going out with the boyfriend or girlfriend, work and spending quality time with the family. Does just thinking about doing all these things make you exhausted? It’s a lot to do for people at such a young age.

It’s important to start off each morning with a breakfast. You’re in a hurry and on the run in the morning so be sure to at least grab something remotely healthy to eat. You can always eat some fruit or bagels on the bus ride or while walking to school.

Bring healthy snacks to schools. You need your energy and eating garbage isn’t exactly going to give you the energy to get you through the day. It’s always recommended to bring some pretzels, dried frits or unbuttered popcorn with you. Drink lots and lots of water. Try and bring a bottle of water to class every day.

While it might be a little difficult when you’re a teenager, but it’s important to try and get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you’re too tired, you’re metabolism is going to end up slowing down, which will result in gaining weight. You’ll end up having a hard time concentrating in school and you’re grades will suffer. It’s not worth it if you’re planning on going to college after high school. Bad grades won’t get you there.

You’re sitting down a lot and carrying around a heavy school bag. Many will recommend trying to stretch your back, neck and legs in between classes. This will help you body stay flexible and hopefully remove any aches and pains you might be feeling.

Eating a well-balanced diet will always be recommended. There’s a lot of pressure to stay thin and starvation will not get you there. Neither will fad diets. Working out and eating healthy diets is the best way to keep your body at a healthy weight.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tips Tagged With: , ,

The Difference Between Long-Term Health Care and Disability Insurance

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When it comes to insurance there are so many options and information out there on the Internet. Often times people get confused and frustrated because they’re unsure about what they should do.

The two most important types of insurance coverage you could be purchasing are long-term health care and disability insurance. These can be confusing to deal with since many people don’t what the policies for either of these will cover. Knowing the different between long-term heath care and disability insurance will help in your decision making process.

With disability insurance you’re paying a monthly fee that will benefit you if you’re injured in the workplace and you’re no longer bale to perform your job tasks. After you’ve been injured, you’re insurance company is going to start sending you monthly benefit checks until you’re able to head back to work or you’ve used up all the money.

With Long-term health care you’re paying for expenses for a nursing home if you’re ever required to stay in one. Your benefits will be paid out either each day or month up until you’ve hit a certain limit that was chosen at the time you’ve signed the policy. The installments will go for as long as the insured person is still in the nursing facility or until you’ve used up all the funds in the benefit pool as they call it.

If you’re trying to figure out which policy to get, think about your age and what you do for a living. As you get older, your chances of being unable to perform your job tasks due to disability are less likely, but your chances of needing a nursing home will be more than likely. Now, if your job requires you to use a lot of machinery and is physically demanding, than your chances of disability is going to go up since your chances of being injured will go up significantly.

With any insurance, do as much research as possible and talk to a lot of companies. Don’t base it off what one person says because they’re trying to make a sale.

Filed Under: Addiction, Disabilities Tagged With: , ,

Comforting Someone Affected By Disability

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Disability is a tough thing for a person to have to go through. When you’re a caregiver, husband, wife or friend, you’re not just expected to care for your patient, but also be there for someone affected by disability. This can be a frustrating and draining task to take on because there are so many types of assistive products available on the market.

It’s important to talk about any skin issues that someone is having due to the disability. While skin irritation and even dryness might not be noticed immediately, it’s important to try and check it. You could help avoid someone having these problems as well as inflammation by informing them about a product called comfortable skinsleeves that will pretty much hug their forearms, which should protect their skin that has become extremely fragile.

As a caregiver, not only are you expected to take care of your patient, parent, or husband or wife, but you also must keep on top of trends in assistive devices. This can be bewildering, because there are so many different types of assistive products on the market designed to provide comfort for those with a disability. Let us break it down for you and make the topic easier to understand. If you notice that the skin is already getting damaged, it’s important to pick up some healing creams and moisturizers that were specially formulated to sooth the skin and anything that’s causing the skin to be in pain.

Keep in mind that anyone suffering from a disability will also be suffering from joints that are in pain and even ache pretty badly. Most people will use a standard heating pad or hot water to help with the achy joints. If you’re interested in trying a product that’s a little better than many people will recommend MediBeads, which is a microwavable heating wrap that doesn’t require any water. They clean real easily and it will pretty much be utterly impossible to overcook this product in the microwave.

These are just a few tips in comforting someone affected by disability.

Filed Under: Addiction, Disabilities Tagged With: , ,

Addictions – When Treatment is Necessary

January 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Mention the word addiction and most people will think of drugs and alcohol, but there are actually a number of addictions which can undermine a person’s health and happiness.

With some addictions, they begin as a good thing but get out of hand and can reach a point where treatment is necessary. For example, dieting when someone is overweight is a good thing, but when it becomes an addiction such as bulimia or anorexia, then there are serious health consequences. Likewise, in an effort to become healthier, someone can become addicted to exercising to the point where it takes over their lives.

Other addictions fall under the category of inappropriate behavior right from the beginning. Fetishes, illegal drug use, sadism, bestiality and self mutilation are a few examples. None of these addictions would be acceptable even at minimal levels of participation, and treatment is recommended.

Other activities which are fine within limits can become addictions which entail excessiveness that is detrimental either from a physical health, financial health, or mental health position. For example, buying the occasional lottery ticket or betting on a horse race now and then is fine, but developing a gambling addiction that is financially costly is not. Likewise, drinking a soda or eating a candy bar is fine as long as it does not grow into a 5,000 calorie a day addiction. Other addictions such as shopping addictions, sex addictions, smoking, video game addictions and even work addictions can have detrimental effects over time.

There are various treatments for addiction. Detoxification can be used for drug or alcohol addiction. Individual and group support can be used for various addictions. When some addictions are particularly difficult to break, the best course of action is residential treatment in which the person is removed from their regular lifestyle and undergoes intensive therapy in a monitored environment.

The first step is recognizing that an addiction exists and then seeking help.

Filed Under: Addiction Tagged With: ,

Quit Smoking or Better, Don’t Start!

January 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Tell someone that you want them to play Russian roulette and they will likely use a few expletives as they decline your invitation. Yet according to the national Survey on Drug Use and Health 730,000 people each year start cigarette smoking knowing full well that doing so drastically increases their chance of getting lung and other cancers and diseases. Perhaps they do not recognize just what the risk truly is.

With Russian roulette you have a 1 in 6 chance (16%) of killing yourself in the first round. For heavy smokers the probability of getting lung cancer is 27 times more likely than a nonsmoker. Even a light smoker has as much as 13 times greater risk. So which is the biggest gamble?

Before one decides to take this risk, they should think about what has already been proven. Cigarette smoke produces 4000 chemical compounds of which 43 have been identified as known toxins and carcinogens. Each and every cigarette smoked is introducing these to one’s lungs. Another staggering statistic is that the U.S. government has approved 599 additives that can be used.

The next thing to understand is that a carcinogen causes cell damage that leads to mutations in DNA. These unstable cells, called free radicals, go on to affect others. The body is capable of cleansing itself of some free radicals before they can result in cancer, but when it is overloaded as it is with constant smoking, it simply cannot keep up.

The best way to prevent lung cancer, as well as other cancers that the Surgeon General’s 2004 report linked to smoking (pancreas, stomach, kidney, acute myeloid leukemia and cervix), is to not start smoking. Once cells are damaged and progress to a point the body cannot cleanse, even quitting smoking will not help. Many a lung cancer patient has lamented, “But I quit 10 years ago!” not considering that they should not have begun in the first place.

Filed Under: Addiction Tagged With: ,

Addressing Physical and Phsycological Addictions to Cigarettes

November 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A man about to use a piece of nicotine gum.
Image via Wikipedia

If you are a smoker, then it is time to stop kidding yourself. You have a drug addiction that is very difficult to kick. Quitting cold turkey, which means immediate smoking cessation without any help, often leads to failure. Many people simply cannot handle the increased stress and withdrawal symptoms associated with giving up tobacco products. For those who cannot seem to quit on their own, there are nicotine replacement therapies that can prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine Replacement Prevents Physical Withdrawal

Most nicotine replacement therapies focus on symptoms of physical withdrawal. Nicotine patches and gums, for instance, contain nicotine that satisfies the body’s craving for the drug. Since you don’t have to smoke a cigarette to ingest the drug, you don’t have to inhale the harmful chemicals produced by burning tobacco. When you use a nicotine replacement product, you experience fewer withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nervousness and sweating.

Nicotine Replacements That Prevent Psychological Withdrawal Symptoms

Not all withdrawal symptoms, however, come from physical withdrawal. There are actually two types of addictions, physical and psychological. Most smokers develop both types of dependencies over years of tobacco use, so they need a replacement product that addresses both types of addiction.

The problem with most nicotine replacement therapies is that they do not address the psychological craving associated with smoking cigarettes. A smoker’s brain has learned to associate the physical act of smoking a cigarette with pleasure. When this activity is taken away, the brain feels a great loss. Electronic cigarettes are the only nicotine replacement therapy that adequately addresses this psychological need. Unfortunately, many states make it difficult for individuals to purchase these products, so you might find that it is easier to buy electronic cigarettes online. Despite their usefulness, they simply are not as easy to buy over the counter as nicotine gum and patches.

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Filed Under: Addiction, General, Health Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Stop Smoking, Start Vaping

November 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Stainless Steel T-Tip from Super-T Manufacturi...
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Smoking. It’s a bad habit, it’s bad for you and those around you and you know it but you just can’t stop. Being addicted to something is one of the hardest situations to break out of, and many people just don’t have the sheer stubbornness to kick bad habits like smoking without relapsing shortly afterward. If you’re one of those people who views your smoking habit as a hopeless situation that you’re stuck with, don’t worry–there’s a way out. You can quit smoking for good by starting a new habit instead: vaping.

“Vaping” is the term coined by users of electronic cigarettes to describe how they inhale the vapors produced by the devices. Because an electronic cigarette doesn’t actually burn anything or produce any actual smoke, it can’t technically be called smoking even though it looks just like smoking. Instead of smoke, electronic cigarettes operate by vaporizing liquid in their cartridges and releasing it for you to inhale and exhale as you’re used to doing with your smoking. The liquid is mostly made of water, with the cartridge adding the nicotine in as the vapor is created. Because it doesn’t involve inhaling smoke (along with the multitude of chemicals and other poisons that burning tobacco adds to that smoke), vaping with an electronic cigarette is actually good for you by comparison.

Great, you say. Electronic cigarettes still use nicotine, though, so you’ll still be addicted. What if you want to quit smoking or doing anything like it, even vaping? Elementary, my dear soon to be ex-smoker; unlike regular cigarettes, electronic cigarette cartridges come in a variety of strengths, including a nicotine-free one that’s literally just inhaling the water vapor for the look and feel of smoking. So here you have the ability to gradually wean yourself off of your nicotine addiction, fuss-free. After that, you may quit vaping as well if you like.

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Filed Under: Addiction
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