How Do You Treat Whiplash?

Whiplash is a colloquial term that refers to neck pain that is caused by injuries and, most often, car accidents. These accidents cause the head to be jerked very suddenly and through a longer range than it usually is accustomed to that tissues, ligaments and muscles in the neck are taken by painful surprise. If you have gotten into an accident such as those that commonly cause whiplash and you experience pain, swelling around the neck, headache and muscle spasms, you may want to consider going to the doctor immediately.

But even at home, you can do some easy treatments to at least alleviate the pain until you get the chance to see a doctor. Use ice packs or moist heated towels every 20 minutes around the swelling or painful area. You need to do this exactly when you feel the pain. Medications are also suggested like pain relievers. Ibuprofen is a popular medicine for pain; you can try it but make sure you never overdose. Also, keep in mind that it would not heal the injured ligaments inside. The medicine would make the pain go away only temporarily. You should also refrain from moving your head and neck for several times to avoid putting pressure on the stressed ligaments and muscles.

However, if your condition is already chronic, meaning you have been enduring the symptoms for several months already, then you may seek a stronger prescription from your physician. You may also want to consider therapy and counseling if the accident that has caused your whiplash is really grave.

In the end, after you have had several medications and therapies, what really matters is how you carry yourself. Posture will always make the treatments stick, so be sure to always sit and stand properly. When you perform activities that require sitting (using the computer, studying, etc.) and standing (doing household chores), be sure that you observe proper posture so that you do not further stress out the muscles in your back and neck.

Whiplash is a condition that should not last long if treated properly. When you get into an accident, do the home treatments immediately to avoid the injury from becoming more severe. But it would be best if you go the doctor, if possible, the following day. You can order X-rays to be sure you have no fracture around the neck or broken ligaments in it. To know more about whiplash ask your trusted osteopath and find the right solution.

What Is A Private Health Insurance Rebate?

A rebate is defined as the amount deducted from a required payment and that is returned to the payee. Rebates are famous strategies of most companies to attract clients or investors. Of course, given a choice between a company that does not offer rebate when you purchase a specific product from them and another brand that does otherwise, you would tend to choose the latter.

Among the many companies that offer rebates are insurance and real estate businesses. They are categorically able to do so because of the high rate of revenue they get from their sales. For example, if you sign up for an insurance claim, you can come in agreement with the company that for your contributions you would be given back a specific portion of your payments.

Private health insurance providers are popular in the rebates they give their clients. If you have signed up for a health insurance, there are various rates of the rebate that you are entitled to. Most of the time, the amount of the rate depends on your age or the age of your beneficiaries.

An example is the Private Health Insurance Rebate, known as well as the Federal Government 30% Rebate, which is introduced by the Australian Government. For this rebate, the rate ranges from at least 30% if you are 65 years and younger. For contributors who are 66 to 69 years old, the rebate increases to 35%. At most, the rebate can reach up to 40% if you are 70 years old and up.

The Australian Private Health Insurance Rebate is something you can claim if you hold a Medicare card, often the green and the blue one. Claiming it is relatively easy. You just have to sign an application form and indicate how you want the rebate to be claimed. You can opt to claim it in cash form from any designated Medicare office. But if you want, you can also choose to claim it as a reduced premium. It means that the rebate gets deducted from your contributions, thus you pay less. Or, you can claim it as part of your tax return where all the rebates are given to you at the end of the year, in cash form, on top of your tax return.

Rebates are great but only so if you know how to claim them and make use of them wisely enough. So ensure that you have the right knowledge about getting a private health insurance rebate before you get one for you or for your family.

How Long Do You Need To Study To Become an Osteopath?

When you are younger and your teacher in school asks what you and your classmates would want to be like when you grow up, you would notice how many of the others say that they want to be a doctor. Maybe you have had that same dream, too. You know very well that medicine is a field that one can enter only with the right mixture of intelligence and passion. It is a complicated industry, where people's lives are at stake all the time.

Over time, people have chased after and worked hard for that dream. You might say that there are so many doctors in the world right now. But you do not of course consider the medical industry as too crowded because of the various specializations that doctors focus on. One specialization that doctors have been increasingly considering is osteopathy. This entails a study time frame that is just as rigorous as the other specializations have.

If you want to become a doctor of osteopathy (DO), you need to have a bachelor's degree in a science course. This is usually a four-year course in biology, chemistry and physics. Upon passing the medical exam, you can enroll to another four-year osteopathy program. Of course, you must find a great medical school that offers the course and an impressive curriculum for it. The four-year osteopathy course is commonly divided into two, where the first half deals with the framework of the field and the other half is for actual clinical rotations.

Usually, after the four-year course, you would be required to undergo a year more of practical training where you would be allowed to observe and help out in an osteopathic clinic or hospital. If you decide to take on an even more specialized osteopathic field, then you are looking at two to three more years of training and studying.

Totaling all of the years you would have to spend studying osteopathy, you would find out that you are looking at 11 to 12 years of study. Considering this in terms of your age, you are bound to become a full-pledged osteopath when you reach your 28th birthday. That is, provided you start at 16. Training to become an osteopath is indeed long, difficult and costly. But if you look at your goal that awaits you at the end of the line, maybe it all is just worth the fight.

6 Aspects of Patient Safety in Hospitals

Patient safety in any hospital or medical treatment facility is one of the greatest concerns around the world and yet there are many facilities who default on their safety promises to their patients.

Some of the things which contribute to patient safety are:

• Fire Safety
• Hygiene
• Security
• Waste Management
• Equipment
• Positive Patient Identification

Fire Safety

As some hospitals are very large facilities, it is necessary to have a properly functioning fire system in place that meets industry standards and is up-to-date on inspections. Patients at a hospital cannot confront a greater risk to their health than a fire occurring while they are incapacitated in a hospital bed. Fire escape exits also need to be clearly marked and the procedures for a fire-risk emergency displayed to the public.

Hygiene

At any one moment, at least 1.4 million people globally are suffering from infections caused by improper hygiene in a hospital, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Proper hygiene would consist of making sure that all surfaces such as walls, floors and counter/table-tops are always clean and sterile, that fresh linen of hospital beds are used frequently and all medical staff sterilise their hands in the proper manner, before and after seeing to each and every patient.

Security

Security safety is important for various reasons. Things such as secure-area intrusions, theft, fighting and kidnapping are not uncommon and occur due to poor security measures. Locked doors to sensitive areas, personnel identification, secured medical supplies and properly trained security staff is necessary in order to avoid such mishaps as mentioned above.

Waste Management

Disposing of dangerous waste material is crucial to ensure no patients or any unsuspecting person in a medical facility comes into contact with it. Contact with a used needle could transfer diseases such as aids to someone who is accidentally pricked for example. Disposal of medical waste needs to be handled on a daily basis and according to a strict procedure. All medical waste should be destroyed at once.

Equipment

Hospital equipment needs to be properly functioning and those who are operating the equipment need to be properly trained and certified to work with it. Many a time there has been an occasion where death or injury due to medical negligence has happened as a result of alleged equipment "malfunction", only to find out that the staff member operating it had not received the correct training.

Positive Patient Identification

Patients at any hospital need to be correctly marked and have their full patient file on hand in the hospital should any procedure be undertaken or drug administered. It is not uncommon that people have had unnecessary surgeries performed on them or an incorrect drug administered as a result of mistaken identity.

Getting Back To the Basics Of Health/Wellness

I will bet you can't turn on your television for more than five minutes before you see an ad for the latest and great fitness routine or product you can buy to take your fitness to the next level. There are so many programs, products and gadgets out there, that it's enough to make your head spin. You have something that is insane, another one you do for 90 days, and yet another that combines a bunch of things into cross training and getting fit in a big warehouse of sorts! Well it's all fine and these marketing machines do work. However, I sometimes have to sit back and observe this event that takes place between the consumer and the supplier, where you take some basic routines that have been here since the beginning of time, package it up, call it something fancy and create the frenzy behind it and, BOOM, you have a product, some people who want it and someone laughing all the way to the back!

Today I am simply want to share what I observe between commercialism and the consumer, but I do offer my advice that you can use to IMPROVE your life for the better so all is not a waste of time! Let's continue this conversation.

You know what I am talking about and you probably have fallen victim to this marketing monster yourself. We all probably have some product we saw on TV and after watching the infomercial, we felt this product would IMPROVE our lives for the better. Only to find out that it worked great for the first 30 days then it ended up in the closet somewhere or being used as a closet for your clothes! Been there done that- but now I know better! So here is my question. What ever happened to the basics?

I guess I am just a bit old fashioned, and believe if you stick to the basics of health and wellness and develop good habits that you can keep for the rest of your life, it will help you live a long and healthy life and your body will thank you for it later in life! Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with these extreme programs if that is what you like to do. If that is you, then more power to you. However, I can't help but to think how long will one be able to keep up such heavy demands on the body!

For example, did you know that skipping rope for 10 minutes, even at a moderate pace can be equivalent to jogging 30 minutes at a moderate pace? Most people see the nice fancy, shiny object in front of them and opt to try it out much like a child is easily distracted by the next toy that makes noise or has flashing lights! We have all been there.

My fear is that these fad workouts, programs, pills and potions will fade like the tides of the sea and we will be left with the good old fashioned basics of health and wellness that never left us in the first place! Now you can always change things up with your routines by adding a few things here and there or taking some things out, but at the end of the day, nothing will work for you if you don't work for it!

As I bring this plane in for a landing, allow me to share some tips that will help you start your own path to becoming a well rounded healthy person.

• Stay hydrated - our body is made of mostly water, and we can solve most of our problems by getting the proper amount of daily H20.
• Commit to staying active - I don't care if it's walking, running, or one of my favorites, jumping rope, we have to keep it moving in order to stay healthy.
• Stick to the more wholesome foods - foods like bean, legumes, and brown rice can keep you fuller longer and supply the body with fiber as well. Be sure to use plenty of spices too for some anti-oxidant protection and better taste.
• Resistance training - lifting weight or using your body weight are great ways to fight bone disease and keep the body looking good!
• Stay positive - there are people who seem happy with bringing you down. I would encourage you to keep them at a distance and concentrate on those who add value to your life and lift you up instead of bring you down!

Well there you have it, and thank you for allowing me to vent a bit and share some tips with you that will help IMPROVE your life for the better! Feel free to share with your friends!

Angiogenesis and Cancer Prevention

Angiogenesis is the natural process of blood vessel growth from existing blood vessels. It is a normal function of the body that allows for new blood vessels to be created during normal development and growth and it allows for the expedited healing of wounds (Medical Dictionary). Its role in cancer has more to do with angiogenesis that is out of balance, normally because of environmental factors, which will be covered shortly. When angiogenesis is out of balance it allows for a small cancerous tumor to grow beyond a minuscule size into the tumors easily detected by modern technology (Orchestration of Angiogenesis and Arteriovenous Contribution by Angiopoietins and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor).

Angiogenesis is a fundamental aspect of maintaining homeostasis and a healthy body. Therefore, knowing what factors cause it to fall out of balance and what factors can help keep it in balance are important in preventing disease and establishing a foundation of optimal health.

What factors cause angiogenesis to fall out of balance? It appears the largest factors are those that are under our control. These include cardiovascular workouts and proper nutrition. Environmental stressors of poor diet, chemicals, as well as mental and emotional stresses all drive the body away from the balance required for greater well-being. In fact, 30 - 35% of all cancers are caused by diet and most cancers are caused largely by environmental factors, NOT genetics. The problem with having the body out of balance as concerned with angiogenesis is the number of diseases that may result from excessive vascular growth or with a lack of vascular growth. This can lead to large cancerous tumors, cardiovascular disease, skin disease, and stroke.

What can I do to maintain a better balance and inhibit angiogenesis of cancerous tumors? First and foremost leading a healthy lifestyle is important. Diet and nutrition are just two of the pillars of excellent health, but they are foundational pillars that can have far-reaching effects. Research has been conducted into anti-angiogenesis foods and many have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis. To better understand how this can help someone with cancer one must first understand that the blood vessels formed within a tumor tend to be weak, brittle, and abnormally formed. This means that a diet rich in foods that inhibit angiogenesis will have a greater effect on these brittle blood vessels than it would have on the healthy vessels of normal bodily tissue. To better illustrate the power of small dietary changes let's look at a research study undertaken by 79,000 men over 20 years (Common Ground: A Recipe for Health). The study group ate two to three servings of cooked tomatoes (a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium and high in Lycopene), and showed a remarkable 50% reduction in prostate cancer!

What foods inhibit angiogenesis? Here is a list of foods that have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis to the same level as many drugs, including several statins that have anti-angiogenesis properties. The following is a partial list of anti-angiogenesis foods: red grapes, strawberries, soy beans, green tea (example: dragon pearl jasmine and sencha combined have been shown to have a high potency), black berries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, apples, pineapple, cherries, bok choy, kale, ginseng, maitake mushrooms, artichoke, licorice (the root), turmeric, nutmeg, lavender, pumpkin, sea cucumber, tuna, parsley, garlic, tomato, olive oil, grape seed oil, and dark chocolate.

What cancer drugs have been approved by the FDA to treat cancer through the path of inhibiting angiogenesis? Several drugs have been developed, this is only a partial list and only includes those that have been approved by the United States, Food and Drug Administration. Below is a list of drugs by name and the specific area they were designed to focus on.

Avastin - colon, lung, breast, brain, kidney

Erbitux - colon, head, neck

Tarceva - lung, pancreatic

Indostar - lung

Nexavar - kidney, liver

Revlimid - multiple myeloma

Sutent - gist, kidney

Thalomid - multiple myeloma

Torisel - kidney

Affinitor - kidney

Votrient - kidney

1) "Medical Dictionary." What Is Angiogenesis? Find the Definition for Angiogenesis at WebMD. Web. 08 May 2012.

2) "Orchestration of Angiogenesis and Arteriovenous Contribution by Angiopoietins and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)." Orchestration of Angiogenesis and Arteriovenous Contribution by Angiopoietins and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Web. 08 May 2012.

3) "Common Ground: A Recipe for Health." Common Ground: A Recipe for Health. Web. 08 May 2012

4 Major Dry Cough Causes to Watch Out For

Experiencing dry cough is a common health problem. Everyday, millions of people across the globe develop this condition. As a matter of fact, in the United States alone, cough is the top reason for visiting a physician because of the irritating symptoms associated with it. Despite being a simple disease, persistent and long-term cough can have great effects on your life. One of the best ways to avoid it is by learning as much as you can about its causes and steer clear of them.

Classifications of Cough

Many physicians will tell you that coughing is a natural reflex of the body. It can be likened to clearing one's throat. The problem is that unlike clearing your throat, you cannot control coughing and neither can you stop it from happening.

Coughing can be clearly classified into two. One is the cough with phlegm. This usually comes after a cold or flu episode. The other type is the dry cough. Out of the two forms, the latter is more annoying and persistent.

What Causes Dry Cough?

There are lots of reasons for developing this. Knowing all about the different causes of it will help you in avoiding the said condition. Some of the top causes include the following:

1. Viral Infections

Dry and irritating cough can be an impending sign of a viral infection. If your cough is accompanied by other symptoms such as headache, fever, and body ache, it is safe to say that virus is the cause of it. In cases like this, it is important that you call your doctor as soon as possible.

2. Asthma

Asthma is one of its major causes. People who have this particular condition suffer chronic unproductive coughs that are usually accompanied by shortness of breath and chest tightness. Undergoing medical tests will allow you to determine and detect asthma symptoms.

3. Weather Conditions

Another contributing factor in developing this is the extreme weather conditions. Too much humidity in the air can dry the mucous membranes. This can cause throat irritation that can lead to cough.

4. Medications

Meanwhile, there are some physicians who claim that too much intake of certain medicines can cause persistent dry cough. The medicines that you need to watch out for include blood-pressure drugs.

There are other causes that you need to watch out for. The above mentioned are just some of the common ones that doctors usually detect. Try your best to understand each cause. Through that way, you know what risk factors you need to protect yourself from.