Archive for the ‘Healthcare’ category

Treatment of Psoriasis

November 30th, 2011

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Doctors generally treat psoriasis in steps based on the severity of the disease, the extent of the areas involved, the type of psoriasis, or the patient’s responsiveness to initial treatments. This is sometimes called the “1-2-3” approach. In step 1, medicines are applied to the skin (topical treatment). Step 2 focuses on light treatments (phototherapy). Step 3 involves taking medicines internally, usually by mouth (systemic treatment).
Over time, affected skin can become resistant to treatment, especially when topical corticosteroids are used. Also, a treatment that works very well in one person may have little effect in another. Thus, doctors commonly use a trial-and-error approach to find a treatment that works, and they may switch treatments periodically (for example, every 12 to 24 months) if resistance or adverse reactions occur. Treatment depends on the location of lesions, their size, the amount of the skin affected, previous response to treatment, and patients’ perceptions about their skin condition and preferences for treatment. In addition, treatment is often tailored to the specific form of the disorder.
Treatments applied directly to the skin are sometimes effective in clearing psoriasis. Doctors find that some patients respond well to sunlight, corticosteroid ointments, medicines derived from vitamin D3, vitamin A (retinoids), coal tar, or anthralin.

Health Benefits of Proper Sleep

November 15th, 2011

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Sleep repairs body cells. How does this happen during sleep that does not happen when a person is awake? It turns out that the human body produces more protein molecules during sleep, which help fight infection and allow a person to stay healthy. The immune system benefits from these molecules, as they repair the body at cell level, resulting in obvious benefits during stressful times or when the person is exposed to bacteria or pollutants.
Sleep aids in keeping a healthy heart. A person’s cardiovascular system is always under pressure; sleep helps keep it healthy by reducing stress and inflammation in the body. Heart disease is reportedly linked to high levels of inflammatory markers. Sleep also helps keep cholesterol levels and blood pressure in check, and these play a crucial role in heart conditions.Stress levels are reduced by sleep. Not only does sleep lower blood pressure, the levels of stress hormones produced by the pressure-packed lifestyle are also lowered. This keeps a person in better stance to fight against wear and tear. Also, degeneration of cells caused by the physical impact of stress also catalyzes aging, and sleep effectively slows these effects while also encouraging a state of relaxation.
Sleep helps improve one’s memory. Nobody can argue at the foggy and almost lost feeling a person has when he is deprived of sleep. Poor concentration comes next, which result in poor memory retention or even attention to important conversations. What happens when you sleep? During sleep, the brain gets busy organizing as well as correlating memories. This means that getting enough sleep lets your brain develop
better at processing new information and experiences.

Mortality and Morbidity of Weight Loss Surgery

May 1st, 2009

It is indeed good news to hear that recent studies report decrease in mortality and severity of medical conditions after bariatric surgery also known as Weight Loss Surgery. Surgery patients had 5.0% mortality while control patients had 6.3% mortality. This means 75 patients must be treated to avoid one death after 11 years, number needed to treat is 77. Thanks to our modern medical technology the treatment of obesity is showing a good sign. However, since there is a good chance of being treated, I hope this won’t stop us from our fight against obesity. The procedures are both straining financially, psychologically and physically, so why would we let our self and love ones suffer from this strain, as early as today, let us practice healthy eating habits and exercise regularly to avoid becoming obese. We should help and watch one another to win this battle.