Tuesday 25 October 2016

Weight Loss Advice Hurts More Than Obesity

Overview

Do you know weight loss may be more dangerous than obesity? As per the experts from Auckland, obesity is healthier than over focusing on BMI and the most anti-obesity efforts which don’t work and may be fat shaming. So basically what obese people need is very good health support with no mention of being overweight. Therefore healthy living initiative such as Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, #Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign or TLC’s “The Biggest Loser” and “My 600-lb Life” fail since they target the fat as problem.



Obesity is one of the most pervasive and chronic disease needing new strategies for medical treatment and prevention. As the leading cause of United States morbidity, mortality, disability, healthcare costs and utilization, the high instance of obesity continues to strain the healthcare system in the US. Since obesity is defined as excess adipose tissue there are several methods for determining the excess adipose or fat tissues and the most common one being the BMI. It is a disease affecting more than a thirs of the US adult population.

As per the CDC, it is estimated that around 112,000 deaths per year are related to obesity which puts individuals at risk of more than 30 chronic health conditions such as degenerative joint disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, fatty liver disease, GERD, heart failure, birth defects, heart diseases, sleep apnea, asthma, heart disease, stress incontinence, miscarriages and other respiratory conditions and numerous cancers.

Fat is safer than being told you're fat

As per a researcher from New Zealand who looked primarily at obese pregnant women but extrapolated the findings to also include all the overweight people as well. Some moms to be have reported of fat-shaming by the maternity doctors and then avoid the maternity care so as not to be advised for losing weight. As per scientists, the diet suggestions are more detrimental for patients who have lowered self-esteem from being told they were obese.

There's more to health than BMI

Often the patients complain that doctors do not look beyond obesity to other non-weight related problems. The study agrees that patient’s overall health should be focused and not their weight. Many conditions are not caused by weight but are exacerbated by it. None of these improve by being obese. Type 2 diabetes, health attack, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, sleep apnea, heart disease, hypertension, liver trouble, cholesterol and circulation problems, impaired cognition, some cancer and chronic pain have been associated with obesity. Morbid obesity is a disability so the question is which came first the obesity or other health related problems?

Too much emphasis on lifestyle choices

As per professor, doctors discuss the patient responsibility for weight gain more than they should which make them feel at fault. Therefor the overweight patients feel shame for their weight. Then they do not tend to be motivated to change their eating habits. Obesity isn’t even about the lifestyle choices but how people feel. As per Jamie Oliver on “Food Revolution” kids who were taught to eat healthy could and did lose some weight and felt better after having done so.

There's more to obesity than appearance

As per the Auckland University scientists, there is a fault with the diet, exercise and weight loss efforts due to look-orientation as if it is the only thing impacting i.e. the appearance. They do not address the known associations of the lifestyle diseases and also didn’t explain how anti-obesity initiative should separate weight from the general health.

Fat-shaming or anti-obesity awareness?

So is it bullying to advise weight loss? Doctors are paid to aid patients to get healthy even if it means by telling them to lose weight as they are simply doing their jobs.

Bottom Line

Unfortunately, blurring the lines between fat-shamming and weight loss advice has enable the patients to stay overweight and obesity since they have an excuse to do so.

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Thursday 20 October 2016

7 Questions Doctors Really Wish You Would Ask Them


Going to a doctor can be a whirlwind as you wait forever, your appointment flied by and then suddenly you are on your way home. Probably, this is when all those question you meant to ask pop into your head! And the same is also true of your doc-there’s a lot which is left unsaid on both sides during the rushed appointments. But this doesn’t need to be the case. You should remember asking the question below to your doctor as it will help you to stay on top of your health. After all, if you don’t bring them up, probably your doc won’t either.



  1. Did you wash your hands?
This is something you should really ask nicely. Even if doctor tell you to wash up all the time, that doesn’t mean they heed their own advice. As per few sources, docs follow proper hygiene practices only 30 to 40 percent of the time. Researchers in a newly presented study for the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology have found that the healthcare providers who knew they were being watched were more likely to grab the soap. It may be an uncomfortable topic for broaching but this could save you from getting sick. So you can always soften it by saying, “I know, it seems crazy to ask you but I am just so paranoid!”

  1. Could this be a heart attack?
If you are saddled with pressure or discomfort in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea then these are a few signs of a heart attack. It is critical that you should act as your own advocate to your doctor. Often it takes persistence to get life saving help! About 30 percent of the heart attack sufferers have received the wrong diagnosis that has increased their risk of dying and women were about 59% more likely to be misdiagnosed. You should describe the symptoms very clearly, calmly and specifically using the phrase, “I’ve never felt like this before” as this will help the docs to diagnose you correctly. You may even need to ask if you are having a heart attack or request an ECG or a blood test.

  1. How is my weight?
Do not assume you are in the clear just because your doctor don’t say anything about your weight. They are likely to not bring up this touchy subject themselves. The topic of BMI is ignored nearly half of the visits and about 70 percent of obese patient’s weren’t diagnosed as obese. If you know that you’ve gained or lost more weight than comfortable, do not be afraid to open up the discussion since your doc is likely to have ideas on where to start.

  1. Can the nurse see me?
With the growing doctor shortage, it is more difficult than ever to get an appointment and sometimes you need to be seen like when you come down with the nasty cough or the mysterious rash. In most states across the US, the nurse practitioners can evaluate, diagnose patients and prescribe medications.

  1. Is it normal to feel this way?
Whether there are problems with your in-laws, a health scare in the family or financial worries are making you feel down you do not discredit those feelings. Although there’s a push for more docs to screen for depression, the symptoms aren’t always obvious during an appointment, when you are there for a completely different reason.

  1. What kind of sunscreen do you recommend?
Slathering SPF every day is one of the most powerful measures for protecting your skin from cancer. Doing so will decrease your risk of melanoma which is the most deadly form by up to 73%. It is even crazy to think, that the doctors keep mum on this subject. But they do looking at 18.3 billion patient visits over a period of 20 years, doctors mentioned about sunscreen less than one percent of the time, even if the patient had a prior skin cancer. Talk to your doctor which is the first step to practice good sun protective behaviours.

  1. Can I use this app?
As soon as you feel the sniffle, you will probably hit up Dr. Google or a symptom checker app to figure out what is going wrong. However, you should be cautious with these tools as some have shown to be highly inaccurate. Docs don’t know about every app out there, but it is worth to ask about your go to that way you won’t need to be convinced that you probably need leg amputation when it’s actually just a bee sting.

Source:

https://healthcareandbeautytricks.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/top-5-questions-must-ask-for-your-lasik-surgeon/




Saturday 15 October 2016

Study: Bariatric Surgery After 60 is Safe

Overview

When it comes to bariatric surgery, age is no bar. Unlike a number of age groups, even people beyond the age of 60 can even have safer and effective results for the weight loss surgery. As per Diego Camacho the director of Minimally Invasive & Endoscopic services at Montefiore Medical Centre & assistant professor of surgery carried out a study wherein he and his team studied the possibility of pursuing weight loss surgery and they found out that the patients even beyond the age of sixty were able to manage with the same the best. However, when it comes to bariatric surgery after the age of sixty there are certain complications to check, which are enlisted as under:


A host of conditions to combat

As per reports, on an average, the patients with age group of sixties with the weight of around 270 pounds can fit into the bills for the surgery.  The team gathered people with 120 pounds of excess body weight on an average. Though a majority of patients had the problem of high blood pressure and similar amount of people had diabetes and high cholesterol along with other issues too can be managed with the weight loss surgery. In one year, the average extra weight loss tolled to around 65 percent. When the researchers were able to compare with the results of the weight loss they end up getting rid of the number of above said conditions. Thus the patients with surgeries like gastric bypass and other options end up getting the surgery on time. 

Fewer post-surgical complications

Though the sixty plus patients are not often open to under the surgery yet if they undergo they may have the risk of having certain complications in it including infections and other issue. However, as per the experts in the earlier decade, the surgeons were not that par in terms of techniques and facilities that make things simple but with growing time the surgery standstill and make things better. The effective is the result of the surgery the lower is the complications, however, considering a number of ailments and conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea the patients can have certain side effects after the surgery.  For example as per the study published in 2014 in a journal, the surgery though reduces the weight related issues, however, if the BMI was reduced by five after the weight surgery the conditions like High BP, diabetes and other issues can be reduced to a great extent. So, it may differ from one case to the other. Also, the patients who had undergone the abdominal surgeries may not be the right candidate for the weight loss procedures.

Bariatric surgery over 60: perspectives

There are different perceptions when it comes to undergoing any weight loss surgery is concerned. As per a study published by the Endocrine Web’s Medical Advisory Board Member, he has a couple of his own findings. The perspective on the sixty plus patient undergoing the weight loss surgery can be easily considered however with a number of conditions attached to them one can end up getting the problem.  When any surgeon considers any older patient for the weight loss surgery, he analyzes what he really calls their physiological instead of the chronological age. You have to check how much is your body can resist for the surgery then only you can do the same.

Bottom line

Earlier the doctors were very much reluctant to treat any patients above fifty years of age, however, with developed methods and ideas, the cut off for weight loss surgeries have improved a lot. Thanks to the improved techniques and the risk profile for these weight loss surgeries, one can avert the problems and thus can have the surgery done even for the people of sixty plus years.



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Saturday 8 October 2016

THE BEST COSMETIC DENTISTRY OPTIONS FOR TOOTH LOSS



Overview

Losing a tooth or several teeth due to decay or an accident can have a huge impact on your life. It will not only affect your self-confidence, but your body will also responds to the missing tooth by shifting teeth, jawbone loss and you may even have difficulty to chew or speak. Tooth loss can be quite upsetting at any age particularly if the tooth or teeth in question are right at the front of your mouth. It is quite necessary to replace the missing teeth as soon as possible and most probably you will want to do this anyway.

Nowadays, getting a missing tooth replaced will restore the function of your mouth as well as your confidence. There are many choices for tooth replacement which have increasingly become sophisticated and the modern materials can often help to replace the teeth so that no one will be know about your tooth loss. Do not be afraid to smile anymore, here are the best cosmetic dentistry options for tooth loss.

Dental Implants


The dental implants top the list when it comes to the best cosmetic dentistry options for the tooth loss. The dental implants are extremely sturdy, match the natural teeth perfectly and they are never needed to be replaced. These are anchored into your jaw firmly with a crown fixed onto the end. These implants will fully restore the functionality of your smile and give confidence to smile brightly again. You need to care for dental implants just like the natural teeth and there’s no need for extra maintenance than a crown replacement every few years.

Full or Partial Dentures

You can explore the option of full or partial dentures for the missing teeth. If you are missing a full set of teeth, then full dentures can help to restore the look in an instant! They can be removed and cleaned and the dentist will ensure the best fit so that you don’t feel as if they are moving about in your mouth.

Partial dentures are a great option for fewer missing teeth and it can be anchored securely by the surrounding teeth. Talk with your dentist about the implant supported dentures as well since they are stronger and can make for a beautiful smile.

Dental Veneers


Dental veeners are placed expertly over the natural teeth to fill the gaps which the missing teeth can create. They are made of porcelain which are very strong and strain-resistant. If you have one or more missing teeth, then these are excellent option for you. If you are looking for a more attractive smile then veneers can be easily placed over your teeth as they will hide gaps and match your natural teeth giving you a flawless smile. Take care of the veneers by brushing and flossing as normal and ask for a non-abrasive toothpaste to protect them.

Dental Bridges


It is typically composed of two crowns which are affixed to either side of the missing tooth or teeth in case you have several missing teeth in a row. The crowns support an artificial tooth or teeth which will be anchored in the middle of the crows which will effectively close the gap.
They also are available in a removable option and will be permanently attached to the natural teeth for replacing the missing tooth or teeth in between. It will help to prevent shifting teeth and restoring your ability to chew and speak well.

Conclusion

You will not have to live with missing teeth with the best cosmetic dentistry options. Not everyone is suitable for dental implants, therefore it is necessary to talk with your dentist to look for the best option. The longer you go with the missing teeth, the more time your mouth has to shift the teeth, be permanently affected with the loss and lose jawbone.

Consult your dentists by scheduling an appointment to talk about your options for replacing the missing teeth and find the best ones for you. Your dentist will carry out various diagnostic tests to examine your suitability and most people are able to get the dental implants for tooth loss even if you are slightly older as far as you are healthy.

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Tuesday 4 October 2016

Prolapsed Bladder (Cystocele) Causes, Symptoms and Treatments


A bladder is a hollow organ in the pelvis storing urine and the pressure created when it is full is what causes the urge to urinate. Durinf urination, the urine will travel from the bladder and out the body through the urethra. In women, the front wall of the vagina support the bladder which can weaken or loosen with age. Also with significant body stress such as with childbirth it can damage this part of the vaginal wall. With enough deterioration, the bladder can prolapse which will no longer supported and descends into the vagina.


This will trigger problems such as stress incontinence such as urine leakage due to coughing, sneezing and exertion, urinary difficulties and discomfort. Prolapsed bladders are called as cystoceles or fallen bladders which are separated into four grades based on how far the bladder will droop into the vagina.

Causes and symptoms of bladder prolapse

The factors such as menopause, childbirth and straining are commonly associated causes of bladder prolapse.

The first symptoms which a women with bladder prolapse notice is the presence of tissue in the vagina that most women will describe as something that feels like a ball.
Other symptoms of a bladder prolapse include- protruding tissue from the vagina, discomfort or pain in the pelvis, a feeling that bladder is not empty immediately after urinating, difficulty to urinate, more frequent bladder infections, stress incontinence, low back pain and painful intercourse.

Some women may not experience or notice symptoms of a mild bladder prolapse.

Tests and diagnosis for prolapsed bladder

The tests and diagnosis for a prolapsed bladder includes pelvic exam- a bladder that has entered the vagina conforms the diagnosis. For obvious cases, the doctor may use a voiding cystourethrogram that includes a series of X-rays taken during urination to help with diagnosis. It will determine the shape of the bladder and the cause of urinary difficulty. Your doctor will also test or take X-rays of different parts of the abdomen to rule out the possible cause of discomfort or urinary difficulty.

Post diagnosis, the doctor may test the muscles, nerves and the intensity of the urine stream to help decide the appropriate type of treatment. A test called as urodynamics or video urodynamics will be performed at the doctor’s discretion. Cystoscopy will be performed to identify the treatment options.

Treatment options for bladder prolapse

A mild prolapsed bladder producing no pain or discomfort will not require medical or surgical treatment instead the doctor will recommend that a woman should avoid heavy lifting or straining. For serious cases, the doctor will consider various factors such as general health, age, treatment preference and severity of the prolapsed bladder to determine the appropriate treatment.

Non surgical treatments for a prolapsed bladder are pessary, estrogen replacement therapy.
For severe prolapsed bladders which cannot be managed with pessary will require a prolapsed bladder surgery for correting them. Usually, this is performed through vagina and the goal is to secure the bladder in its correct position. The bladder is repaired with incision in the vaginal wall and the prolapsed ares is close and the wall will be strengthened.

Depending on the procedure, the surgery will be performed while you are under general, regional or local anesthesia and you may go home the same day of surgery. Various materials will be used to strengthen the pelvic weakness related to the prolapsed bladder.

Prolapsed bladder prevention and management

Prolapsed bladder prevention includes a high-fiber diet and daily intake of plenty of fluids to reduce the developing constipation risk. Avoid straining during the bowel movements. Women with long term constipation should seek medical attention in order to reduce the chance of developing a prolapsed bladder. Heavy lifting related to prolapsed baldder should be avoided. Obesity is also a risk factor to develop a prolapsed baldder. Weight control and management may help prevent development of this condition. 

When to call a doctor for bladder prolapse

Any women who notice the symptoms of prolapsed bladder should see her doctor. Timely medical care is recommended for evaluation and prevention of the problematic symptoms and complications caused by weakned muscles and tissues in the vagina. Several treatments are available to correct the proloapsed bladder as they cannot heal themselves and worsen over time.

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