SkyBlue Cross Alternative Health Blog

Monday 23 April 2012

Back Pain and Multiple Myeloma

By:http://www.skybluecross.com
Some of the common problems that cause back pain merge from musculoskeletal conditions and neurological conditions. However, back pain also arises from arthritis, muscle disorders, etc, including multiple myeloma. Muscle myeloma is abnormalities and proliferation of the plasma cells within the bone marrow. According to etiology aspects, doctors believe that multiple myeloma derives from genetics, environment, and unknown sources.

The physical condition merges from a single tumor, which starts in the bone marrow and disseminates into the liver, lymph nodes, spleen, bones, and kidney. Tumors of this nature set up in plasma cells, which manufacture abnormal counts of immunoglobulin. The tumor then triggers activities, such as osteoblastic, which leads to destruction of bones and extends all through the body.

Symptoms emerge from the actions, which include headaches, hemorrhaging, height loss, severe, and constant bone pain, splenomegaly, fractures, hepatomegaly, deformations of the skeletal muscles, ribs, sternum, and renal calculi. Multiple infections often emerge from the tumor as well.

As you can see, the symptoms will cause back pain as well, since the skeletal system, muscles, ribs, etc, are affected.

How multiple myeloma is noted:
Doctors order x-rays, bone marrow biopsy, blood chemistry, bone scan, hematology, urine chemistry, immuoelectrophoresis, and Bence Jones tests to note multiple myeloma.

If the doctor spots diffusions that point to spherical punch-outs of bone lesion, the search carries on to discover potential osteoporosis. As well, the doctor will look for osteolytic lacerations of the cranium, and widespread of demineralization.

Doctors will look for various signs that diagnose multiple myeloma, including monoclonal spike, increases in count of juvenile plasma cells, and so on. Once tests are completed management, interventions, and other steps are taking to avert paraplegia, gout, acute renal failure, seizures, hemorrhaging, urolithiasis, infections, and fractures.

If you are diagnosed with multiple myeloma, it is recommended that you sway away from lifting heavy objects. Lifting may cause constipation. In addition, you should avoid over-the-counter medications, since it to can cause variant symptoms to emerge. You will need to wear braces, casts, or splints also to avoid fractures.

Occult blood could set in if you have multiple myeloma, which doctors will often recommend that you watch for its symptoms. Strength training exercises or exercises that exercise the muscles is highly recommended to those with multiple myeloma. Doctors often set up medical management schemes, which include diet forced fluids, transfusion therapy, mouth and skin care, etc.

As the management scheme is setup, the doctor will monitor the patient, since falling is dangerous. In addition, the patient is monitored, since bruising and infections could set in and increase the symptoms. Activities and bed rest is incorporated into the scheme. The patient must also learn stress reduction strategies.

Post-radiation and post-chemotherapeutic treatments are issued in severe cases. In addition, the patient is monitored for infections, bleeding, and imbalances of electrolyte. Patients are encouraged to monitor symptoms at home, including symptoms that merge from fractures, seizures, and renal calculi.

If you are diagnosed with multiple myeloma, you will experience pain over the entire body. You can minimize the pain by following your physician’s recommendations. In addition, you will need to learn more information about your disease from the ACS. (American Cancer Society)

Unfortunately, back pain emerges from a variety of conditions, including cancerous diseases. In fact, hemophilia can cause back pain, which we can discuss briefly.

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. The disease is characterized by various symptoms, yet it is separated from Hemophilia A and B. VIII is the common disorder, which deficiencies. Deficiencies also emerge IX B disorders. To learn more about back pain, study diseases, disorders, muscle skeletal disorders, and so on.




Saturday 21 April 2012

Eat Better: The Health Benefits of Organic Foods

 By: http://www.skybluecross.com
Organic foods have become easier and easier to obtain in recent years. Still, many consumers wonder if this type of food is
 healthy enough to be worth the often extra cost. Many of the benefits of organic foods have come to consumers through word
 of mouth and the promotions put on by advocates of organic eating. Fortunately, there has been research and several solid
 arguments supporting the use of organic foods in everyday eating.

 Several recent studies on farms which produce organic foods determined that organic farms don’t release synthetic pesticides
 into the ground, the air and, most importantly, the water table. Some of the inorganic, chemical pesticides are known to be
 harmful to wildlife and other animals. Organic farms also are superior to conventional farms when it comes to maintaining
 surrounding natural ecosystems. This includes, maintaining healthy populations of natural plants, insects and indigenous
 animals. They also rotate crops more often to maintain a healthy soil.

 When researchers calculated the energy use per unit area or per unit of yield of organic food-producing farms, it was found
 that organic farms used less energy and generated less packaging and chemical waste than conventional produce farms.
 The yield in organic produce farms is about 20 percent less when those farms used half the fertilizer and 97 percent less
 pesticide than conventional farming. Others feel that organically-used soil is of a higher quality and maintains higher
 water retention than farms that raise produce conventionally. This factor may improve the yield of organic farms during
 years when rainfall is less than average.

 In one study on organic farming techniques, a comparison of an organic farm and a conventional farm during a drought
 season, the yields of soybeans were between 50 and 90 percent better than the regular farms. Organic corn yields were
 mixed but, on average, the farms were on par with conventional farms.

 Consider the risk of pesticide exposure on farm workers. Farm workers on organic farms are spared the health risks of being
 exposed to pesticides, which are great, even when used correctly. Pesticides made from organophosphates, in particular,
 can cause serious acute health problems with over-exposure. Long term exposure, unfortunately, is associated with breathing
 problems, memory problems, skin conditions, cancer, miscarriages and birth defects.

 To make matters worse, those who eat food not grown in an organic fashion can be exposed to both pesticides and herbicides
 that remain on the food. This is why all produce from conventional farms should be washed carefully. Exposure to certain
 herbicides is known to cause birth defects, even in small doses. Sadly, one recent study showed that the greatest source
 of pesticides in babies is through the dietary consumption of food not grown in an organic fashion.

 On a happier note, another study found that a group of children who were switched from a regular diet to an organic diet
 dramatically reduced their levels or organophosphate pesticide exposure. In addition, studies have shown that organic food
 actually tastes better in taste tests than conventional food.

 If you want to keep your family as healthy as possible, consider making the switch to organic foods. The benefits to the
 environment and likely to your family’s health are considerable

Eat Healthy with Organic Foods


By: http://www.skybluecross.com
When you go to the grocery store or supermarket to buy fruits or vegetables, do you pick just any produce or are you
particular about getting organic foods? There is a difference between the two and, after our discussion, you may decide
that organic foods are the way to go. Let’s take a look at the benefits of buying organic produce.

While both types of produce may look the same, organic foods must be able to meet specific standards of production,
including specific growing and processing conditions that are unique to foods that can be labeled “organic”. For crop
foods, the organic foods can’t be grown using any chemical pesticides, non-organic fertilizer, human waste fertilizer or
sludge from sewage. They also cannot be processed using ionizing radiation—a process that kills bacteria but that some
people believe is unsafe. Finally, the food can’t be genetically altered.

At one point, organic foods were grown on small farms, particularly those that were family-owned and operated. In today’s
time, however, organic foods are grown on larger farms and are more readily available in most supermarkets, co-ops and
health food stores. In the US, parts of Europe and Japan, the production of organic foods is currently federally regulated
and in other countries, specific organic certification is required before these foods can be sold.

Organic foods can include fresh vegetables and fruits, which are not processed and come directly from the growers through
farmer’s markets, supermarkets and roadside stands. Many of these products are only available during certain times of the
year. One can also get organic eggs, dairy products and meat in their fresh and unprocessed forms.

Organic eggs are generally provided by free-range chickens and not from those kept in cages in large, egg factories.
Organic meats must not come from animals that have been treated with any growth hormones, steroids or antibiotics.
Processed organic foods can be found in the organic food section of the supermarket but often are more expensive than
their conventional food counterparts. Processed organic foods can include canned products, frozen produce, prepared items
and even snack foods.

In truth, processed organic foods need only contain a certain percentage of organic ingredients. In Australia, for
example, a food can be labeled “organic” if it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. In other countries, however,
the percentage can be less than that. Even so, those non-organic ingredients must be free of artificial food additives
and no aspect of the food can be processed using chemical ripening techniques, genetic modification or irradiation. In
some cases, the organic food must be made using energy-saving techniques and packaged in recyclable or biodegradable
materials.

It’s not always easy to identify whether or not your food is truly organic. Sometimes, you need to buy directly from an
organic grower in order to be certain the food is organic. More recently, however, foods that are organic can be
identified by governmental labeling, stating that the food is “certified organic”.

Because of the safety and wholesomeness of organic foods, you may wish to do you and your family a favor by buying only
organic products. The food tastes excellent and you can be assured you’re getting a product that won’t be harmful to you.


Thursday 19 April 2012

Things to Ponder in Cases of Personal Injury

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
ow would you know if you are eligible to file for compensation claims regarding personal injury that you have sustained from any accident or related events? There are actually two types of this kind of injury. The first type is physical wherein you can broadly record the data of all the details of what you have gotten out of the situation. Aside from pictures taken at the scene, you can also submit medical bills, charts and other stuffs that you were asked to undergo in the hospital after the incident. The other type of this injury is psychological. This is more worse than the first because the effects can be long-term and may cause you stress, anxiety and other emotional baggage that won't help you in moving forward after the accident.

It is very important that you gather all related evidences while you are still at the scene where the accident happened. If you cannot do this, ask for help from someone you know personally to do the recording of all matters that can be used as evidences later on.

You must not take the matter lightly because even if you think that the pain is light or that you can handle things well after the incident, you can never be too sure as to what can be the effects later on. You may be kind and you simply want to forget about what happened, but this cannot be easily said and done if the accident will cause you too much, like you won't be able to attend to your regular duties and responsibilities because of your injuries.

The mental effects are harder to treat because the length will vary depending on your state and how you were affected by what happened. The treatment can be short but there are also cases when it takes too long. There will also be a stigma attached to it, like you will be treated differently on your job and on other activities that you were active before the accident happened.

To be sure that you will be able to get what you deserve at these cases, here are some of the things that you must handle at the scene of the accident.

1. You should gather all the evidences that are visible right then and there. Ask someone to do this for you if you can no longer perform such task or you need to be wheeled in immediately on to the nearest hospital. Take photos of all the things that occurred on the scene. If it is a vehicular accident, you must take pictures of all the angles of both vehicles. You should also record your injuries and take photos of what you have gained from the accident.

2. You should also gather all the bills and all the papers for the treatments that you have undertaken after the accident. If this is not your fault, you can later ask the other party to pay you for the expenses that you have shouldered in relation with what happened.

3. You should find a good lawyer that handles compensation claims regarding personal injury. Give them all the evidences that you have gathered so that they can figure out how to handle and help you with your case. You should ask for recommendations for attorneys who do not ask for consultation fees, especially if you cannot afford such additional expenses.

Step-by-Step Process when You Have Encountered a Personal Injury

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
There are some things that you must always be ready for in case you encounter a personal injury through an accident or any means. You cannot be too sure as to the extent of the damage of your injuries. Even if you just want to forget about what happened, you might be forced to pursue your rights and ask for legal claims because of the various effects that the incident might cause in the days to come.

 To give you an insight about what should you remember when you have been involved in these cases, you may want to divulge into some research. You can easily know more about the topic by browsing through various websites that tackle the subject. You will find personal blogs of those who have experienced such incidents and legal battles. You can also look at the sites of those who offer their professional services when it comes to this topic. It will also help you a lot if you will join online forums and participate in the discussions or read the posts that are related to the subject.

 If you are the kind of person who wants to read printed materials to understand matters better, you must take time to go at your local library and search for related books. You can also choose to buy the books if you want. Just make sure that you look through the pages first to know if the materials were written for regular people like you who are looking for ways to understand legal matters better.

 Steps to Accomplish

 If one day, you find yourself caught in an accident and you sustained injuries from such, you cannot just stand there and wait for help to come along. You must make sure that you do the following in order for you to find it easy to pursue a case if ever you have found out that you are eligible to do so.

 1. You must first make sure that you are okay. If you are not, you should ask someone to do the rest of the steps for you while you have yourself treated for all the kinds of pains and injuries that you have gotten from the scene.

 2. If you do not have a digital camera with you, you can simply use the camera on your cell phone to record evidences from the incident. Make sure that you capture all the details that you can later use to support your claims once you have decided to get your claims. If you cannot do this because of your injuries, you should ask someone else to accomplish the task for you.

 3. Aside from photos, you should also take note of all the details that might be asked from you once the investigation starts. You should know basic details like the date of the event, time, location and things like what you were doing at the time when the accident happened. You must make sure that you jot these down on paper because you can never be too sure if you will still be able to remember these things very clear later on.

 4. You must get in touched with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. You must tell them everything that you remember from the incident. Hand over to them all the evidences that you have gathered from the scene. Tell them all that can help the case to proceed. They are your allies and together, you can make things work our perfectly.
 

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Atkins and Intestinal Problems

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
The major complaint of those who use the Atkins diet is the intestinal problems that are associated with reducing carbohydrates. These problems can include constipation and diarrhea. These symptoms can happen to anybody at some point, but those who follow a low-carb diet are especially prone.

Most commonly dieters will experience diarrhea during the early days of induction. This is a result of the body getting rid of excess carbohydrates. It also marks the beginning of the ketosis process. So in actuality, experiencing diarrhea at the beginning of the diet is a good thing. It indicates that you are on the road to becoming a fat burning machine.

Constipation is a side effect of lack of fiber in the low carb diet. Whole grains, legumes and fruit are the normal sources of dietary fiber, and they are all restricted on the Atkins diet’s initial phases.

However, you shouldn’t be scared off from the low-carb way of life because of these issues. There are simple solutions that can prevent and help with these symptoms and allow you to continue with staying on the diet plan.

The first tip is to make sure to include the proper amount of low-carb vegetables in your daily diet. In the induction phase, you can eat up to 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. This is roughly equal to 3 cups of salad vegetables. Some people are tempted to use their carbohydrate grams on cheese or artificially sweetened soda. Eating acceptable vegetables is a vital part of maintaining intestinal health while following the Atkins plan. It’s also important to drink a minimum of 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day and get exercise. Both of these steps can help with intestinal programs.

If you are experiencing constipation specifically, then there are many methods for relief. When you switch from a diet full of processed and refined sugar products, your body will need some time to adjust to this new way of eating. You’ll need to make sure to up your fiber intake with acceptable vegetables and fruits (certain fruits are allowed after the initial induction phase). You can also try a fiber supplement like sugar-free Metamucil.

Make sure you are eating enough fats and oils. Constipation can be a result of too little fat in your diet. Adding tablespoon of olive oil or flax oil to salads or other vegetables can help your intestinal health. Also, try to incorporate a variety of vegetables in your salad. Pale iceberg lettuce does not have much fiber in it. Try dark green lettuces or have a serving of dark green steamed veggies (broccoli, asparagus or spinach are good choices).

If these tips don’t work, try cutting out all salt from your diet for a couple of days. This includes pickles, mustard, diet soda, ham, bacon and bottled salad dressing. This will decrease your fluid retention and sometimes helps with bowel movements.

Diarrhea should not be a problem after the first week of the Induction plan. However, on rare occasion, it does persist longer. First, analyze your diet. If you are eating low carb protein bars or other sugar free products, eliminate them. They may contain sweeteners like glycerine, sorbitol and malitol which are known to cause diarrhea and gas. Homemade low carb desserts may also be a cause of problems. Most of them use maltodextrin, an artificial sweetener used in baking. Maltodextrin is made from corn and can cause problems for some people.

If you are not used to eating raw vegetables everyday, this may be a cause of diarrhea. Understand that your body will adjust to the vegetables and the intestinal side effects won’t last forever. Make sure you are chewing your raw vegetables thoroughly. Also, using lightly steamed vegetables rather than raw can be a solution to this problem.

Intestinal problems are common during the first portion of the Atkins diet. Keep in mind, however, that these problems will go away within the first few weeks of the new way of eating. If the problems persist, try the previously mentioned tips to get relief.

Atkins Diet Foods

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

 You’ll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

 The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and don’t make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

 When you start the Atkins plan, you’ll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.

 You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book. There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating meal plans.

 It’s a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You can’t always rely on “low carb” labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly. Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb to sell products and don’t have your health in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

 Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee. The programs require you to register and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level. There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick.

 Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.

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