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Compression Stockings: A Simple Solution for Many Disorders

September 23, 2009 on 4:18 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Compression stockings are used to treat disorders like varicose veins, venous ulcers, blood clots, and lymphedema. These stockings apply pressure on veins and tissues that are close to the skin. The pressure ensures that the amount of blood that the veins can carry is restricted. This prevents the veins from swelling beyond a limit. Since the pressure applied by these stockings is highest at the ankle and lesser towards the upper parts of the leg, the blood is forced back to the heart. They also apply pressure on the tissues below the skin. These tissues transfer the pressure to the blood which gets pumped into the capillaries that go into the deeper tissues of the leg.

Effect on Varicose veins

Varicose veins are veins that cannot properly send blood to the heart because of the malfunctioning of the valves that are supposed to prevent the blood from flowing backwards. Veins of legs tend to be more susceptible to this condition because they have to withstand the pressure of standing and walking. Compression stockings artificially reduce the diameter of the veins and the blood circulation is partially normalized.

DVT/PTS
These stocking are also used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In this case blood is forced into the deeper veins where the blood has clotted. This usually happens to passengers who travel for long periods in planes that do not have properly adjusted humidity levels. Low humidity leads to DVT. The condition is commonly referred to as 'economy class syndrome'. Often patients who have DVT develop Post Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS). This disorder can be prevented by the use of compression stockings. Thus patients with DVT are suggested to wear them for two years after they have had DVT.

Other Uses
Compression stockings are worn by pregnant women too because their blood vessels are affected by pregnancy induced hormonal changes. This is because they produce more blood to ensure that the growing fetus gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs. These stockings are also prescribed for patients with lymphedema because they prevent the accumulation of lymph by preventing the fluid from seeping out of the capillaries.

It must be noted that these stockings are not similar to socks used by athletes to enhance performance. The pressure applied by these stockings is much higher and physician's prescriptions are required to purchase some types of compression stockings. The stockings are difficult to put on and require gloves to be worn on feet to reduce friction.



Posted by: Evelyn    Source

Support Groups Can Help During Tough Economic Times

August 26, 2009 on 12:50 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

You would be hard pressed to find someone who is not experiencing some level of stress and anxiety because of the current world financial situation.

A number of support groups have begun which exist especially to help people with this particular type of stress.

Economic anxiety may emerge as feelings of despair, anxiety, and being overwhelmed. These feelings may affect your relationships or your job performance.

You may also find you have difficulty sleeping. Your appetite may have changed: you may find yourself less hungry than usual, or you find yourself making frequent, unhealthy choices.

You may have difficulty recognizing these symptoms in yourself; sometimes a talk with a trusted spouse or friend can help you recognize potential problems.

A number of support groups allow you to attend in anonymity. Most are available at no charge to you. It can be very helpful to be in a group setting as you attempt to address your feelings: it helps to know that others are experiencing the same concerns.

There are also a number of support groups established to help with specific needs that are related to the economy. For example, there are support groups for people who are out of work and looking for a job.

If you are attending a support group but your symptoms are not improving, or are worsening, consider one-on-one counseling.

How To Manage Your Anger Through Your Diet?

August 24, 2009 on 12:55 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Stress is closely related to anger, and where there is one, the other will follow immediately behind.

It is imperative to one’s health and well being that one learns to control one’s stress and the anger caused by the stress, so that one is able to develop the much coveted ability to let go of everything and relax and thereby become more productive members of society.

Anger may cause all or several of these symptoms: change in appetite, either an increase or a decrease, fatigue, breathlessness, nightmares, muscle pain, stress and the related symptoms of feelings of helplessness and vulnerability, feelings of rejection, and feeling that one is not being appreciated, general irritability and temper, being late for work regularly, neglecting one’s appearance, taking drugs of all kinds to counteract these feelings.

Experts recommend that anger and stress can be managed relatively easily if one were to talk and share these feelings with someone, either a close friend or relative, or a counselor who would help him see the way through the tension and achieve happy results at the end.

In addition, certain diets allow one to achieve some form of control over anger, and since this is a good way to start managing one’s anger, it would help to read these tips:

• Avoid eating fatty foods, and instead, opt for high fiber foods that provide you with the required amount of energy to work and perform efficiently during the day. Evidence has proved that when an individual is on a high fat diet, and undergoes a lot of stress, then he may be inadvertently paving the way towards developing arteriosclerosis.
• Eat healthy and balanced nutritious meals at least three times a day. If possible, try to include more complex carbohydrates in your diet, and remember, never skip a meal, especially never skip breakfast, which is in fact that most important meal of the day.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits. They will provide you with enough sweet and energy to last you through the day.
• Eat lots of fresh green and leafy vegetables in whatever forms you prefer everyday.
• Avoid eating too much of sugar in whatever form you prefer it, and instead, drink fruit juices.
• Avoid consuming too much caffeine.
• Drink plenty of water through the day. This will keep you fresh and hydrated at all times, and when you feel fresh, you will find it difficult to let anger control you. You will, instead, learn to control and manage your anger so that you are able to function efficiently in your workplace and at home.

Worrying Tendencies May Lead To Earlier Mortality

August 20, 2009 on 9:30 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Recent studies found that personality traits associated with worries and stress can lead to hazardous health problems.

Having worrying tendencies or stressful behaviors can also lead to earlier death because people with stressful personality traits are more likely to engage themselves in unhealthy habits such as smoking or drugs.

Daniel K. Mroczek, a professor of child development and family studies in Prude University, says that extreme levels of neuroticism can lead to earlier death.

The reason behind it was found as having worrying tendencies or being kind of a person with stressful behavior develops unhealthy behaviors like alcohol or smoking and hence raises their risk of earlier mortality.

Read full report on Eurekalert

Addiction Treatment With Heroin Injections Seems Possible

August 20, 2009 on 8:07 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Canadian research suggest that for heroin addiction treatment, injections with heroin as active ingredient work effective than oral methadone.

But, researchers warned that such kind of treatment carries a risk of seizures and overdose. So, it is recommended that the injections should only be given in a medical setting.

Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes of the University of British Columbia and colleagues reports that oral methadone provided according to best practice guidelines should remain as treatment of choice for patients. When it doesn’t work, heroin injections appears to be an effective option.

Oviedo-Joekes and colleagues studied 226 addicts in Montreal and Vancouver. Only 54 percent of those who got methadone stayed in treatment for a year, they found.

But 88 percent of those who got diacetylmorphine shots did. And those who got diacetylmorphine cut back on illicit drugs by 67 percent, compared to 48 percent who got methadone.

Read full report on Reuters