Friday, April 10, 2009

Cooperating In Our Health Care

Funny thing pain, if you’ve never had a severe pain then the suggestion of taking simple analgesia and resting the affected area all seems quite reasonable. I was reminded of this when I read recently of a doctor’s advice to someone who was suffering from sciatica. Having personally experienced sciatica, it’s a condition I would not recommend to anyone who wishes to walk, sit, laugh, sleep, or to just simply pull up your trousers. It’s a bit like a dentist drilling your teeth without an anaesthetic, but it affects your whole leg. In other words the pain is consuming, exhausting and without respite. Clinical studies do show that in the majority of cases the pain will eventually subside and surgery may not be necessary, but in the meantime the patient has to deal with the pain or deal with the medication required to dull the pain. Remember, pain-killers are not selective to the area affected. They affect the whole of the nervous system and elsewhere so there may be significant side-effects from these medications.

Dealing with severe pain can be a complex issue, but I suggest that you have to treat this sort of pain fairly aggressively as acute severe pain is relatively easier to treat than chronic severe pain. In the early stages of an injury or insult to an area of the body, most of the pathological processes are happening at the site of the injury or insult. Throughout time the brain begins to modulate this pain and so no only do you have the injured area to deal with, but you also have complex neural pathways within the brain to deal with as well. This often means a far more complex management plan and a far more protracted recovery time. Specialists are very skilled at dealing with these issues but they do rely heavily on the stories their patients give them. That means being honest in answering their questions and not being heroic with a grin and bear it grimace! Often the use of a pain scale is helpful with zero being no pain at all and a 10 being the worse pain you have ever experienced.

Another health issue we commonly down play is influenza. Over the years I have frequently heard people say that they would not have the flu vaccine because either they never get the flu or that they had it last week for a couple of days and then it was all over! Influenza is a serious debilitating disease that will usually last from 10 days to two weeks and often leave you flat on your back exhausted. It’s not a happy 10 days either as patients do not have the energy to read a magazine or even watch a DVD. You will literally feel ancient with every movement being a real challenge and that doesn’t include the aching all over or the fevers and sleepless nights. The influenza virus is also extremely contagious and most people are unaware that if you spread it to someone who is more frail than yourself that you may actually be putting their life at risk.

With the ‘flu the big challenge is to vaccinate as many people in the community as possible, including children, those employed and unemployed, the elderly and the infirm, to reduce the chance of an epidemic occurring. Recent research has also showed that vaccinating pregnant women in the last trimester of their pregnancy will help protect their new born infants born during the ‘flu season.

Medicine has evolved over the last 40 years, but the change has been fairly slow with doctors by nature being very cautious and conservative people. But we can’t leave the doctors to take all the initiatives. As patients we need to be good listeners in our approach to health by heeding all the great health messages that keep being given to us about vaccinations, smoking, alcohol, exercise and healthy eating. We also need to be good communicators and tell our doctors how we are feeling with conditions such as pain. If the team treating you doesn’t have the best information then it may be that you will not end up getting the best treatment!

Health Insurance

Pennsylvania Uninsured Helping Pennsylvanians since 2005

Some states in the US require that all citizens of their state be covered for Health Insurance. Pennsylvania is one of the states that allows PA citizens to receive Free Health Insurance. There are 2 free health insurance programs CHIP for children and AdultBasic for adults. However a Pennsylvania resident must qualify first.

Do you Qualify for CHIP see income charts and apply now at EasyToInsureMe.com

Do you Qualify for AdutlBasic see income charts and apply now at EasyToInsureMe.com

SO, HOW DO I SIGN UP for CHIP?
You're ready to apply - great! Before you do, you will need the following information handy to apply:





Income amounts for your entire household before taxes - this includes income from employment and all other forms of income (for example - social security, pension, workers compensation, unemployment, child support, etc)



Social Security Numbers and birthdates for all applicants



Day care expenses for your household (if any)



Work transportation expenses for your household (if any)



Private health insurance information (if you have or had private health insurance in the last six months)



Car insurance card information (if you have car insurance)







SO, HOW DO I SIGN UP for AdultBasic?

Recognizing the need to provide quality healthcare coverage that is accessible and affordable to the Commonwealths uninsured adult population, adultBasic was launched in 2002 to cover the basic healthcare needs of Pennsylvanians age 19-64 who have no health insurance and who meet certain eligibility requirements.

We are proud to have already covered over 90,000 Pennsylvanians with adultBasic. You may be eligible to take advantage of the benefits that adultBasic has to offer. Find out if you qualify by accessing the links below. You'll be glad you did.












Current Enrollment 55,256



What is adultBasic?



Am I eligible for the program?



What are the benefits?



How do I apply for coverage?



Is it true adultBasic has a waiting list? YES



Where can I find additional resources?

Health Insurance

Some states in the US require that all citizens of their state be covered for Health Insurance. Ohio is one of the states that allows Ohio citizens to receive Free Health Insurance. There are 2 free health insurance programs Healthy Start and Healthy Families. However a Ohio resident must qualify first.



Healthy Start & Healthy Families are Medicaid programs that provide eligible Ohio families with comprehensive health coverage. This means families get coverage for all of the following: doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital care, immunizations, vision & dental care, substance abuse, mental health services and much more! Not only is this a great benefit package, but families who qualify for Healthy Start & Healthy Families will receive covered services at no cost

Who Qualifies:



U.S. citizens of Ohio

Ohio residents

Ohio residents with a social security number

Ohio residents who meet the financial requirements listed below.





Who is covered? Income Eligibility Guidelines Gross Monthly Income Gross Monthly Income Gross Monthly Income Gross Monthly Income Family Size 1 Family Size 2 Family Size 3 Family Size 4 Children (to age 19) 200% FPL $1,734 $2,334 $2,934 $3,534 Pregnant Women 200% FPL $1,734 $2,334 $2,934 $3,534 Families 90% FPL $780 $1,050 $1,320 $1,590





The following services are included in the plan:



Ambulance services

Chiropractic services (children only)

Community alcohol and drug addiction services

Community mental health services

Dental services

Durable medical equipment

Family planning services and supplies

Home and community-based services waivers (restricted enrollment)

Home health services

Hospice

Inpatient hospital services

Lab and X-ray services

Nursing home care

Nurse-midwife, certified family nurse practitioner, and certified pediatric nurse practitioner services

Outpatient services, including Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy

Physician services

Podiatry

Prescription drugs

Screening and treatment services to children under age 21 under the HEALTHCHEK (EPSDT) program

Transportation to medical appointments

Vision care, including eyeglasses

Do You Need to Obtain a College Health Care Plan?

Upon graduation from high school, there is no doubt that you will surely start your tertiary education in college or university. At age twenty, children will not be covered by health insurance of their parents and this can be disastrous if they are merely study and do not do part-time job. Some universities or colleges may have insurance plan offered to students. These insurance may not answer all your needs but you need to be meticulously considered it.

Most of the universities and colleges offer student health insurance plans. These plans should absolutely be at reasonable price, and can give you the school's nearest hospitals. This option is one that you should definitely think of, if your son or daughter is enrolled in a college far away from home.

College health care scheme may vary from college to college due to laws and some other factors. Many students may think medical services are free of charge, but it is not always true. In term of clinic visit or routine checkups they may be free, however students still require to pay for special kinds of lab tests and other specialties such as x-rays, prescriptions, and a wound treatment. Compensation usually covers some types of service stated in the health care offered at college health centre. When you are referred to see an outside doctor, then the coverage will cover only 70% of your total expense and you are at risk to pay high medical cost.

You may have a problem getting treatment at the campus health centre if you have pre-existing condition. Having a pre-existing condition or illness does not mean to prevent you from obtaining health insurance plan, but you may not be eligible to have your treatment on your pre-existing condition. It can be troublesome if your new symptoms develop from a pre-existing one.

Health schemes are different, so be sure you find out everything about your health insurance plans. Be sure that your health plan stretch to summer break when you or your child do not take classes. This is vital for you because you don’t want to find out that your health care does not cover when you need it most. Some college health insurances may not cover during summer break, while others do.

Be certain that you study your plan thoroughly. Is it an HMO, or can the member utilise any service provider they went? This is critical. You need to know where you can go in case of emergency, and there is nothing worse than discovering that you will have to pay off the bill yourself.

There is no definitive solution to whether you should or should not commit yourself to college health insurance. Be certain that you study your plan thoroughly so that it answer to your need when you need it most. Although there is no free health insurance scheme, surely it will save you a lot of money in time of illness or accident.

For more information, please visit http://www.health-care-central.com

Ohio Health Insurance --- Free Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Ohio Health Insurance --- Free Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Author: Ohio Health Insurance

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The Ohio health insurance companies can be accessed by using the easy to use Easy To Insure ME quote engine. Simply put in your Ohio zip code. After this is done the Ohio resident can compare every Ohio health insurance plan available to them. Once the Ohio resident has chosen a plan they can choose to apply online or download an application for immediate Ohio health insurance coverage. Easy To Insure ME also provides information for free health insurance in Ohio. This can be found in the HealthCare Focus section of the site. The two free Ohio health insurance plans are called Healthy Start and Healthy Families.

Free Ohio health insurance consultations will be done over the phone between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feel free to call Chad Levin the owner of Easy To Insure ME at 215 944 3079. Or email them at easytoinsureme@aol.com

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Benefits of working with EasyToInsureMe.com

We are your local insurance broker offering free online health insurance quotes for Ohio Health Insurance. View and compare Ohio health insurance quotes in 30 seconds. Ohio residents can buy Ohiohealth insurance , apply online and get coverage today. Choose from a variety of Ohiohealth insurance plans and health insurance deductibles. Compare Ohiohealth insurance quotes , Ohio health insurancebenefits , and Ohiohealth insurancecompanies side by side. Choose from HMO , PPO , HSA plans. Enjoy low cost health insurance in Ohiothrough our quoting system. View and Quote the best Ohiohealth insurance rates available - our rates are the same as the ones you can get directly from the insurance company - nobody has a better price. Also available are Ohio health insurance quotes by phone. (call Easy To Insure ME 215 944 3079) We offer the most competitive Ohiohealth insuranceplans available to all consumers showing only quality Ohiohealth insurance. Our agency knows every Ohiohealth insurance plan in the states of Ohio. We also know every Ohiohealth insurance plan by the counties of Ohio.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/ohio-health-insurance-free-ohio-health-insurance-quotes-612059.html

Pennsylvania Health Insurance Free Pennsylvania Health Insurance Quotes

Pennsylvania Health Insurance --- Free Pennsylvania Health Insurance Quotes

Author: Pennsylvania Health Insurance

www.EasyToInsureME.com is proud to announce they now offer Free Pennsylvania Health Insurance Quotes. Pennsylvania health insurance quotes are available for Blue Cross Blue Shield , Highmark , Independence , Aetna, HealthAmerica , Golden Rule , United Healthcare, and Celtic insurance companies. These health insurance companies are the top Pennsylvania health insurance carriers.

All Pennsylvania residents will be able to visit www.EasyToInsureME.com enter their zip code and compare all of the Pennsylvania health insurance plans side by side in the Easy To Insure ME quote engine. When the Pennsylvania resident has chosen a health insurance plan they can apply online or print an application for immediate health insurance coverage. If the Pennsylvania resident is not ready to buy yet they can choose up to 4 plans to compare and print the Pennsylvania health insurance comparison.

Free Pennsylvania health insurance consultations will be done over the phone between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feel free to call Chad Levin the owner of Easy To Insure ME at 215 944 3079. Or email them at easytoinsureme@aol.com

Thank you for your trust and confidence Pennsylvania.

We are your local insurance broker offering free online health insurance quotes for Pennsylvania Health Insurance. View and compare Pennsylvania health insurance quotes in 30 seconds. Pennsylvania residents can buy Pennsylvania health insurance , apply online and get coverage today. Choose from a variety of Pennsylvania health insurance plans and health insurance deductibles. Compare Pennsylvania health insurance quotes , Pennsylvania health insurance benefits , and Pennsylvania health insurance companies side by side. Choose from HMO , PPO , HSA plans. Enjoy low cost health insurance in Pennsylvania through our quoting system. View and Quote the best Pennsylvania health insurance rates available - our rates are the same as the ones you can get directly from the insurance company - nobody has a better price. Also available are Pennsylvania health insurance quotes by phone. (call Easy To Insure ME 215 944 3079) We offer the most competitive Pennsylvania health insurance plans available to all consumers showing only quality Pennsylvania health insurance. Our agency knows every Pennsylvania health insurance plan in the state of Pennsylvania. We also know every Pennsylvania health insurance plan by the counties of Pennsylvania.

About the Author:
Chad Levin

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/pennsylvania-health-insurance-free-pennsylvania-health-insurance-quotes-612040.html

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

healthcare Heart Attack

healthcare Heart Attack

(Myocardial Infarction)
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is the death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. Usually, the loss of blood supply is caused by a complete blockage of a coronary artery(an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle) by a blood clot.

What are the features of a heart attack?
Pain: is the cardinal symptom of a heart attack. The pain is often described as a tightness or heaviness in the chest. It is often severe enough to be the worst pain that can be experienced. the usual location of the pain is in the center of the chest but it frequently radiates to the left arm or the jaw.

Some heart attacks though can pass unrecognized; these painless attacks are called as ‘silent infarcts’ and are particularly common in diabetics.

Anxiety: fear of impending death.
Breathlessness,
Nausea and vomiting,
Sweating, pallor and a fast pulse.

Sudden death: loss of blood supply disturbs the orderly transmission of electrical impulses in the heart and as a result the heart stops to effectively pump blood. Permanent brain damage and death can occur unless oxygenated blood flow is restored within five minutes. Approximately 40% of people suffering a heart attack die before reaching to the hospital.


What causes a heart attack?
A heart attack is almost always caused by the formation of a blood clot on a cholesterol plaque located on the inner wall of an artery to the heart (coronary artery). It is believed that the process of formation of these plaques starts in the late teens. Over a period of time the accumulation of cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries; a process called atherosclerosis.

Many factors have been found to influence this plaque formation. It can be accelerated by smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes. Whereas, factors like exercise, low fat diet, avoiding stress seem to help in retarding this process.

Ultimately, the arteries narrow to an extent where they are unable to supply enough blood to the heart muscle during periods of increased demand like during exercise or excitement. This results in a condition called ischemia which leads to chest pain called as angina.

Occasionally, however, for unknown reasons, the surface of the cholesterol plaque can become sticky, causing blood clotting. When a blood clot forms on top of this plaque, the artery becomes completely blocked, causing death of the heart muscle (heart attack).

healthcare Premenstrual Syndrome

healthcare Premenstrual Syndrome

PMS consists of various physical and/or emotional symptoms that occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation. It is characterized by premenstrual discomfort in the lower abdomen and back, and in the breasts. All these features precede the period by a week or ten days. Fortunately, a woman obtains relief when her menstrual period begins. Another feature of PMS is a symptom-free time for several days every month, in the first half of the menstrual cycle.

Features: these include physical features like acne, backache, bloating, sore breasts, and headache. Emotional symptoms might include changes in sexual desire, difficulty concentrating, irritability.

Women may gain upto a kg. of weight or more in the latter part of the menstrual cycle due to water retention in the body. Emotional stress often contributes to the symptoms.

The only saving grace in this problem is that few women experience all these symptoms! Most have a few that recur each month.

The symptoms of certain medical conditions can resemble PMS. These conditions include allergies, depression, diabetes, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and thyroid problems.

CAUSES
There's still some disagreement about what causes PMS, but it definitely seems to be linked to hormones. A relative lack of the hormone progesterone is suspected along with increase in a water retaining substance called anti diuretic hormone.

TREATMENT
The assessment of the emotional and work related stress is very important. Many women find that a balanced diet and healthy snacks are helpful, as are avoiding caffeine and reducing salt intake. Simple reassurance often does wonders, but often it is necessary to treat the symptoms with various drugs
Diuretics ("water pills") can reduce bloating
Analgesics like ibuprofen, aspirin ease headache or cramps
Combined oral contraceptives also called the birth control pill may be useful for some women.
Evening primrose oil (gamma linolenic acid) is also used widely these days.

Suggested Reading
Premenstrual Syndrome - Vitamins and other therapies, which could be helpful in syndrome.

Premenstrual Syndrome - Exercise and nutrition guide for PMS

Healthcare Pregnancy

Healthcare Pregnancy


Symptoms of Pregnancy
For a woman having a regular monthly cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period, or sometimes women who are pregnant have a very light period, losing only a little blood. Other signs are:
Feeling sick, not necessarily in the morning, but at any time.
The breasts may become larger and tender. Veins may become prominent and nipples may darken and stand out.
Increased frequency in passing urine.
Tendency for constipation.
Tiredness.
An increased vaginal discharge without any associated complaint.
A metallic taste in the mouth.
Dislike for certain things like tea or coffee or fatty foods.
Increased liking for certain things like spicy foods.

Pregnancy test can be carried out on urine samples, as early as from the first day of a missed period-that is, about fourteen days after the conception.
A positive test result is almost definitive of pregnancy. If the test is negative, it is less reliable. It can be repeated after a week, or a doctor can be consulted.

What you should eat?
Pregnancy puts additional nutritional demands on your body. You require to eat judiciously to meet the demands of the body. Make sure that you eat a mixture of different foods each day in order to get all the various nutrients that you and your baby need.
Your diet should have plenty of fruit and vegetables which provide vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eat them lightly cooked or raw. Let starchy foods like bread, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals with vegetables form the main part of any meal.

Eat some good sources of nutrients like fish, eggs, cheese, beans, and lentils every day. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt are important as they contain calcium and other nutrients needed for your baby's development.
Avoid sugar and sugary foods like sweets, biscuits and cakes and sugary drinks like cola. Cut down on fat and fatty foods as well.

Mineral and vitamin supplements
A large number of pregnant women suffer from varying degrees of anemia so additional iron supplementation is provided by pills. Also tablets of Folic acid (a vitamin necessary to prevent certain spinal disorders in the growing baby) along with Calcium are generally prescribed by the health care providers.

Pregnancy and weight
Most women gain between 10 -12.5kgs (22 - 28lbs). Weight gain varies a great deal and depends on your weight before pregnancy. Weight gain significantly more or less than the average could be an indicator of a problem, so you must monitor your weight gain carefully. Also if you weigh more than 100kg or under 50kg your health care provider may have special advise for you.

Smoking during pregnancy
Try to stop. When you smoke, carbon monoxide and nicotine passes into your lungs and blood stream. This means that: a) your baby gets less oxygen and cannot grow as well as it should, and b) the nicotine makes your baby's heart beat faster. Constantly breathing in other people's smoke may also have a harmful effect.

Babies of mothers who smoke are, on average, 200g (about 8 oz) lighter than other babies. These babies may have problems during and after labour and are more prone to infection; it will be better for your baby later too if you stop smoking. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from illnesses such as asthma; and there is an increased risk of cot death.

Alcohol
It has now been shown that even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful to your baby. Alcohol has adverse effects on the baby's development and can produce a lot of anomalies generally termed as 'Fetal Alcohol Syndrome'. So to be safe avoid alcohol totally during your pregnancy.

Pills medicines and other drugs
You should be very careful while taking any kind of medication, specially in the earlier part of the pregnancy. Majority of drugs have some effects on the growing fetus and the first three months are crucial. You would be better off asking your doctor about any medications you want to take. Make sure your doctor or dentist knows you're pregnant before prescribing anything or giving you treatment.

At the same time it is important to remember that if you on treatment for some chronic conditions like epilepsy or diabetes you consult your doctor and continue your medications because control of such conditions is vitally important for you as well as the pregnancy.

Suggested Reading -
Pregnancy and your Feet - "Oh, my aching, swollen feet!" Most pregnant women, already handling so many changes in their bodies, find themselves echoing this complaint.

Ultrasound Images of Pregnancy - Every would be parent is curious to see how the baby is growing inside the mother. Here are some very good Ultrasound images of a growing fetus.

Healthcare for Your Goldfish

Healthcare for Your Goldfish By: Dane Stanton

Goldfish Healthcare

You would think that it’s unfair that such a small little creature that brings you so much joy can actually fall sick. But it’s a fact of life that all living things are susceptible to illness, infections, and diseases and will ultimately die. Goldfish too are a species with its own set of health problems that will leave you feeling helpless. The best way to deal with this issue is to familiarize yourself with common health issues that goldfish face and the reasons for their sickness. Knowing the kinds of ailments will empower you with the knowledge to be alert to symptoms and take the appropriate steps to deal with if you can.

Through many hours of research, I have been able to come up with the answers to some the most important questions that have plagued me for so long. Such questions as -

1. Why do Goldfish suddenly turn on their sides before dying later on?

2. Why do goldfish sometimes attack eachother?

3. What exactly is that white growth that appears on their body, known as Ichtyopthirius(Ich), and how do you treat it?

4. What other health threats do Goldfish face?

5. How many fish can you fit in a tank without it being overcrowded?

I was able to find the answers to several hundred questions in total, which I documented in an ebook that I called 'Goldfish Secrets Revealed' You can check it out at my site by http://www.goldfish-secrets.com">Goldfish-Secrets.com