Sunday, September 12, 2010

Breast Cancer And Pregnancy

By Diego Armando

Although it is rare for breast cancer to strike younger women, the fact remains that all women are at risk. And for those of childbearing age, the first sign and symptoms of breast cancer leading to a diagnosis can not only be upsetting and unexpected, but complicated as well.

Developing breast cancer at a younger age-in a woman's 40s, 30s, even 20s-will mean making important and difficult decisions about one's life and future perhaps much sooner than originally expected.

One concern is developing breast cancer during pregnancy, which although rare, can still occur. In this case, the treatment chosen will not only affect the patient and her body, but the growing baby inside her as well. It will depend on what stage of pregnancy she is in (first, second or third trimester) and what stage her cancer is in-such as whether or not it's advanced.

Most pregnant women can have treatment for their breast cancer without affecting the baby. But some might be advised by their obstetrician or health-care practitioner-or even decide themselves-to terminate the pregnancy, more so if the pregnancy is in its earlier stages, in order to receive certain treatments that would be too risky otherwise. But it is essential to remember that it is a woman's own decision-it is not medically necessary to terminate a pregnancy if the expectant mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. All it does is limit treatment options. Breast cancer itself will not affect the fetus-only certain tests and treatments will.

Generally speaking, tamoxifen, chemotherapy, radiation, and other drug-related therapies are avoided if the woman is pregnant because of their associated risks with birth defects. Tamoxifen, especially, is considered very unsafe because it is a hormonal therapy and is never recommended if the woman is pregnant or planning on conceiving.

Surgery-either a lumpectomy or mastectomy-is the most common and preferred method of treatment for breast cancer in pregnant women.

Another concern is whether or not breast cancer survivors can or should go on to have children after treatment and recovery. It's a very controversial issue with firm advocates on both sides of the debate.

There are two main questions here, for both the medical and health community and breast cancer survivors wanting their own children: 1) Do certain breast cancer treatments affect fertility?; and 2) Is it actually considered safe to conceive and carry a baby to term following breast cancer and breast cancer treatments?

As far as fertility goes, there is no definite answer here. For chemotherapy, it depends on the age and what specific drug was used-some affect fertility more than others. And taking tamoxifen after chemotherapy to prevent recurrence is not recommended if the woman desires to become pregnant right away. Although tamoxifen is sometimes used as a fertility treatment, there is evidence to suggest that it damages developing embryos, and therefore is not considered safe to use.

Many doctors caution these women to wait several years to ensure receiving the best breast cancer treatment possible and to go past the point of the biggest threat of breast cancer recurrence. But some women decide to go ahead and have babies anyway, since it's so important to them.

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Saturday, September 11, 2010

How To Deal With Fevers And Colds

By Logan Blakes

Your first urge would be to go to a pediatrician when your baby has a cold or fever. However, mild colds and fevers are common so you don't need to visit a doctor, just some management at home. Below are some information and techniques about managing colds and fevers and to let you know when it's time to call a doctor.

Doctors don't really consider under 100F to be a fever, but if you're baby is under 2 months old then you should seek medical treatment. There's no need to panic if the fever doesn't go above 102F, but you do need to treat it if your baby is having problems sleeping or feeling uncomfortable. However, if you notice your baby having purple spots on the skin, showing signs of dehydration like dry lips or infrequent urination, or whose temperature reached 105, then you should immediately seek medical attention.

If you want to keep your baby cool and treat the mild fever, give them a tepid bath or use compresses. Dress your baby loosely and try to ignore the old wives tale of keeping them bundled up. Keep a watch on your baby and feed her/him plenty of fluids. Unless your baby is unable to sleep, you should try to avoid using over the counter medications. It's best to let the body do it's job because fever is its way of fighting infection.

Rest is the best treatment for minor colds. But unless you treat the cold symptoms, your child may not rest comfortably. When it comes to relieving congestion, you can use vaporizers or add vapor treatments in the bath. If your baby is really uncomfortable, only then can you try to use over the counter medication. For guidelines about the dosage, read the bottle or follow your doctor's advice and go by weight, not age.

If the colds hadn't resolve themselves in a week or so, then it's time to look for signs of an ear infection. Signs of ear infection includes tossing and turning while trying to sleep, tugging the ears, or crying when lying down. Take your child to the doctor if you noticed him having these symptoms. Ear infections are very painful and recognizing them in young children is difficult.

Ask your pediatrician when you should call or come in and listen to his recommendations for treating colds and fevers. But if there's a real problem, trust your instincts and don't hesitate to call your doctor.

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Should You Really Stop Smoking? The Real Reasons Why

By Karri Owens

Do most individuals really want to stop smoking? We can give you tons of reasons why you should quit smoking. The number one reason would have to be someones health.

Smoking can cause you and other individuals so many health difficulties that in the long run, it would not only be expensive but also life threatening. Even if you are in excellent health now, chances are if you continue to smoke you will possibly have so many health issues that it wouldn't even be funny. You have to ask yourself at what level is it worth for me to smoke?

Is it worth smoking to have to pay five plus dollars for a pack of cigarettes and remain tossing all of your money away on nothing that is going to help. Is it worth smoking that in the long run and over time you will have breathing complications and start getting breathless and winded. Or would it be worth it to keep smoking when you are all run down and tired from your body not getting enough oxygen? Can you imagine trying to spend time with your family? How about trying to play around with your son? When you smoke you easily get out of breathe and you cannot do anything. That just sounds awful.

Not to mention all the other health issues associated with smoking. Did you know that many Cancers, Emphysema, Asthma and Bronchitis are caused by smoking? Just sit and think about this for a minute. In the long run it just does not seem worth it to smoke anymore.

Then there is all of those chemicals that are in cigarettes. Did you know that you are putting tons of chemicals into your body? Yes, that is right chemicals! With every draw of a cigarette that you take in, you are polluting your lungs and body with all those chemicals that they put in cigarettes. You are probably asking yourself what ingredients are in cigarettes? Can they be that bad? You are allowing these ingredients into your body.

Did you know that there is tar in cigarettes? That is the same kind of tar that you walk on every time you walk on the road. Does smoking still sound all that tempting after hearing what all is in it or the serious health conditions that you can face. It just does not seem appealing to smoke when it can literally mean your life.

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Looking At Jobs In The Health Care Industry

By Adrianna Noton

Doctors that want to practice Health care on a temporary basis are referred to Locum Tenens. These are doctors that work in different practices when the head doctor, or owner of the practice, is away. Many such practices are in need of temporary help. This could be risky as there may be periods of inactivity due to lack of work being available. This would also mean no money during these periods of inactivity.

You can join a locum tenens firm to avoid this type of problem. These companies would negotiate contracts and source work on behalf of the health care givers. One of the main reasons why some doctors prefer to be a locum tenens is to gain diverse experience and travel. This could be very risky but beneficial. When there is work then there will be more money. This is a higher paid job. Unfortunately, when there is no work then there is no pay.

If one wants to join one of these firms, then he or she should ensure the firm is registered with all the relevant associations. This helps is the event of problems that could arise. The problem if not resolved could be escalated to the relevant body or association. There could be a dispute with pay and working conditions that is not resolvable at one level.

Always ensure that your firm does offer malpractice insurance. Therefore, when a patient decides to claim against a caregiver in the event of malpractice they will be covered. Some of the superior firms can arrange for relocation fees, best payments, compensation, terms, conditions, and other related matters. This will help ensure that you will live as a locum tenens comfortably and profitable.

The better firms will be able to arrange the best payment deals, relocation fees, terms and conditions, compensation and all other such related matters. This makes working and living as a Locum Tenens as comfortable and profitable as possible.

Another consideration to make when sourcing a Locum Tenens firm is to see that they cover a large area geographically. This gives much more options in terms of acquiring work. This also means the caregiver does not have to be listed with more than one firm. The firm should be keeping regular contact with clients. This ensures that changes in contracts and other relevant information are made available to the Locum Tenens.

Organizations that have been operating for a long time stand a better chance of achieving the best results and are in a stronger position to negotiate better packages and benefits. They will be more experienced in all aspects of the services to be provided and the needs of the client. They will probably also be able to negotiate simultaneous contracts.

A health care provider many often need the help of a Locum Tenens. This helps in not having to find a caregiver on one's own. Working through a firm gives some degree of comfort, as the firm would have screened the Locum Tenens. Permanent pay and negotiating long term contracts is not necessary on this basis. If staff is away due to illness, this will make the load lighter. This makes working in the Health care industry easier for both parties.

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Friday, September 10, 2010

Dangerous Effects Of Excess Sugar

By Bill Evans

The body converts sugar into glucose rather quickly, which results in a rise in blood sugar levels and a matching rise in insulin levels. Sugar can be a dangerous thing. It's easy to fall for its sweet taste, but at the end of the day, there are many reasons to avoid it as much as you possibly can.

If you are taking in too much sugar, you could be putting yourself at risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Are you taking in too much sugar?

Sugar is divided into two categories, added and natural sugars. This will make it easier to understand how sugar affects the body. First, added sugar comes in the form of soda, processed foods, beverages, junk food and sweetened cereals. It has been said that there is quite a bit of sugar in the average American diet.

Did you know that a can of soda contains 8-10 teaspoons of sugar? This is just like having that same amount of sugar by itself all at once. The average American consumes about three times the amount of the daily max of sugar which should be 10 teaspoons to 40 grams a day at the most.

Natural sugar, as opposed to added sugar, comes from natural sources like fruit and honey so it is a little more forgivable.

In regards to natural sugar, you can safely take in 100 grams a day. Whether is added or natural sugar, it is still best to limit your intake.

30 minutes of exercise a day is a good idea that will burn off any excess glucose. If you do cardio combined with strength and interval training you can keep your body from storing the sugar away as fat.

Make sure you are checking the food you eat to see if you are taking in too much sugar. And if you remember to cut down on your sugar intake you are also cutting down on your risk of life threatening diseases in the future.

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Do You Recognize The Features Of Multiple Sclerosis

By Adam Bishop

Multiple sclerosis is a condition in which the nerves of the brain and spinal cord are impaired to such an extent that they cause problems for one to perform activities on a daily basis. Basically, the harm done on the myelin sheaths is what causes the damage.

Myelin sheaths acts as an insulation layer and also advance the health of the nerves that pass between the spinal cord and brain. Once the sheaths are destroyed, the passage of impulses also becomes slower than usual. This is what leads to an interference between the functions that are controlled by the nervous system.

A person suffering from multiple sclerosis may have problems in speech, writing, walking, vision and memory. This disease is more common in adult women than in men. The approximate age during which a person may be diagnosed is between 20 to 50 years.

The symptoms of sclerosis may be mild or very intense, and can either be short or long term. The first symptom is having a blurred vision, and finding difficulty in distinguishing from one color to another. At times, complete loss of vision in one eye may take place.

Weakness in limbs to such an extent that one cannot maintain coordination and balance may be experienced. A pain similar to pricking needles may be felt in an area, and the person may feel completely numb at times.

Another common symptom is being at a loss for words, and difficulty in organizing speech. They may also feel dizzy and shake all over.

Mental changes that around fifty percent of the people who are suffering from sclerosis experience include low levels of concentration and attention deficits. He or she may go through certain memory loss and will be unable to perform tasks that involve the memory and concentration, the same way as they did earlier.

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Ways To Manage Multiple Sclerosis

By Mark Gifford

Almost three hundred fifty thousand individuals in the United States are suspected to be affected by the disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Nearly two hundred cases are diagnosed every week. In its early stages, it is hard to recognize because its symptoms may be very mild, and the attacks may not be frequent. This will often keep people from meeting the criteria required to be classified as having MS. The following will to discover ways of living with Multiple Sclerosis.

This disease damages the fatty myelin sheaths around what are called the axons of the brain and the spinal column. This represents damage to the nervous system. In order for the brain to communicate with the spinal cord it requires that electrical impulses travel down axons which are actually nerve fibers that protect the nerve cells.

Myelin is the necessary insulation for the axon, and when it becomes damaged, the signals are damaged, or not sent. The bodies own immune system is the cause of the myelin being attacked and damaged. This is the actual cause of this disease.

Symptoms can be almost anything, but will be neurological in relation. Some people will suffer with attacks, while others will just get worse over a period of time at the disease progresses. Early detection can help with the prevention of damage to the nervous system with new medication that is available.

A neurologist will be necessary for the determination of the disease. Extensive testing is required to rule out other problems in order to prove that MS exists. There is still not a specific test for this disease. Finding the right neurologist for testing and treatment will be important for diagnosis and future care. Tests may include, but are not limited to blood testing, spinal tap, and an MRI.

With a confirmed diagnosis, a neurologist will want to begin treatment right away. New medications are available to prevent the immune system from attacking the myelin and causing damage. Other medications and therapy are used to repair damage that may have been caused. There is no cure as of yet, but there is a great deal of hope for those suffering with the disease based on new treatments.

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