A Brief History of Pulse Oximetry

1850’s Russian physiologist I.M. Sechenov developed a vacuum blood pump which was laterly used for research purpose. [8] 1864 Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet, an Irish physicist and mathematician, discovered the respiratory function of haemoglobin. [1,2] 1876 Karl von Vierordt, a German physician who developed techniques and tools for the monitoring of blood circulation, used a light source to distinguish fully saturated blood from that which is not. [1,3] 1898 English physiologist Halden brought forward the principle of chemical expulsion of oxygen from its complexes with haemoglobin. J.Barcoft used this principle for the examination of gas composition of blood. [8] 1900 R. Vierordt demonstrated that application of Hufner tourniquet caused a decrease in the intensity of red light passed through a human hand. 1922 American biochemist D. van Slyke combined the vacuum and chemical principles of gas expulsion from blood and used them in his manometric appratus.[8] 1932 German physiologist L. Nicolai optically recorded the in vivo oxygen consumption of a hand after circulatory occlusion in Gottingen, Germany. [5] 1935 The first device developed by Carl Matthes to noninvasively measure oxygen saturation in human blood by transilluminating it with coloured light,which employed an ear probe. [1,2,5] 1939 K.Matthews and F. Gross used photometry in examination of the ear auricle. Two-wavelength spectrophotometry was used to avoid the absorption of light by surrounding tissues. 1940’s The development of pulese oximeter intensified due to the need of pilots flying at high altitudes in lack pressurized cabins during WW II. This technique saved pilots in the war.[3,5] 1941 Oximetry testing is first used to identify the process of obtaining saturation readings with an pulse oximeter. [1] 1942 E.Goldie used compression of earlobe to obtain “bloodless” reference. [7,8] 1942 G. Millikan and H. Sarre used local heating to arterialize capillary blood.[1,8] 1942 Light reflection oximetry was developed. 1970 Oximetry becomes clinically feasible, after scientists at Hewlett-Packard developed commercial ear oximeter that preferentially measured arterial saturation by heating the tissue to 41 Celcius degree to increase local cutaneous blood flow. [1,4] 1974 Takuo Aoyagi found that arterial oxygen saturation could be measured by quantifying pulsations in the light signals coming through tissue, which made heating the tissue unnecessary. This device was the ancester of most modern pulse oximeters. [4] 1978 William New, MD, PhD invented the prototype for modern pulse oximetry.[6] 1980s Oximeters became smaller in size, easier to apply, and less expensive. [1] 1995 Fingertip oximeters, which are small enough to put a finger in, first appeared on the market. [1]2000 U.S.A. Medicare accepts physicians’ billing for in-office oximeter readings. [1] References: [1] Portable Oxygen: A User’s Perspective, Viewed May 2007 [2] George Gabriel Strokes, Viewed May 2007 [3] Karl von Vierordt, Viewed May 2007 [4] Pulse oximetry, C Crawford Mechem, MD, FACEP, Viewed May 2007 [5] History of blood gas analysis. VI. Oximetry, Severinghaus JW; Astrup PB, J Clin Monit 1986 Oct;2(4):270-88. [6] Saving Lives One Breath At A Time, Viewed May 2007 [7] Medical Electronics Lecture, Neil Townsend, Viewed May 2007 [8] The history of oximetry, B.D.Zislin and A.V.Chistyakov, Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2006, pp. 53-56. Translated from Meditsinskaya Tekhnika, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2006, pp. 44-47.

What Is Balneotherapy?

Balneotherapy treats diseases through bathing and immersion in water. The process may include bathing in warm or cold water, and can be combined with massage therapy. Mineral water, often used in spas, contains rich minerals such as silica, sulfur, radium, and selenium which are incredibly powerful when absorbed through the skin.The word “Balneotherapy” is now being applied to anything associated with spa treatment, including water therapy, spa baths, natural vapor baths, and also certain types of sand and mud treatments.Bathing in mineral water is a powerful form of therapy. The main substances in mineral water are sodium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. These substances mix with acids to create chlorides, sulfates, carbonates and sulfides. Other elements frequently present in Balneotherapy are arsenic, lithium, potassium, iodine, manganese and bromine. The principal gases contained in mineral water are oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and carbonic acid.The pine needle bath is one of the most popular therapeutic baths: needles from pine trees and firs are added to the bath. Essential oils (for those of us who don’t have time to cut down pine trees) work just as well. Essential oils are absorbed through the skin and many stimulate circulation.The practice of Balneology is growing in popularity, especially in Japan and Europe, where special classes about Balneotherapy are offered regularly and taught by leading doctors and nurses in the field.Balneotherapy works in several ways. Bathing in thermal springs progressively increases the body temperature, fighting off damaging bacteria and viruses. Hot spring bathing boosts hydrostatic pressure within the body, therefore increasing blood circulation and body cell oxygenation. The enhanced blood flow facilitates the process of dissolving and eliminating toxins out of the body. Thermal bathing raises the flow of oxygen to the blood, improving circulation so that essential tissues and organs are constantly nourished.Bathing in hot springs boost metabolism and lead to better digestion. Frequent thermal bathing within a month of therapy aids in normalizing the task of endocrine glands and enhances the function of the nervous system. Mineral water has therapeutic effects on common skin conditions. It is helpful in healing wounds and minor abrasions, and is known to boost the immune system.

Types of Physical Therapies and their Important Benefits

The main objectives of Physical Therapy are to promote body strength, function and mobility and prevent future physical injury. Physical therapy is a dynamic health profession, which utilizes both scientific knowledge and evidence based clinical. A course to focus on prevention of impairments, functional limitations or disabilities by identifying disablement risk factors and providing educational intervention to facilitate a positive change in the health behavior of patients. Physical therapy focuses primarily on those individuals whose potential or actual impairment is related to musculoskeletal, neuromusculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, and integument (skin) systems.TypesOrthopedic Physical Therapy: The first type of physical therapy is the one most commonly known to the general public. Orthopedic therapy usually takes place in the hospital directly following surgery or in an outpatient clinic where customers visit on a daily or weekly basis. Pediatric Physical Therapy: Pediatric physical therapy assists in the early detection of health problems among infants, children and adolescents. Treatments often seek to improve gross and fine motor skills, strength, cognitive functioning and balance.Geriatric Physical Therapy: This type of physical therapy is geared toward people of older generations as well as toward people who have trouble with the aging process. Victims of osteoporosis often see a geriatric physical therapist as do senior citizens who undergo extensive surgery.Neurological Physical Therapy: Neurological physical therapy is one treatment path for patients with a neurological disorder or disease—such as Alzheimer’s, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s.Heat Physical Therapy: Heat can help relax and heal your muscles and soft tissues by increasing blood circulation. This can be especially helpful if a joint is stiff from osteoarthritis or from being immobilized, or to relax the muscles before exercise. However, heat can also increase swelling in an injured area if it is used too soon after the injury.Speech therapy : A speech therapist can also help your child strengthen her facial muscles if she has trouble eating or swallowing. This is especially important if your child is not getting enough nutrients at each meal.Causes of physical therapyOrthopedic Disorders - Orthopedic injuries are injuries that involve trauma to a bone, such as a fracture, or trauma to soft tissue. People with these types of injuries often have limited mobility because of pain, weakness, and limited range of motion. Westchase Physical Therapy focuses on helping patients regain their strength and mobility so they can get back to living life. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Pain, numbness or weakness that affects some part of the median nerve in the hand, thumb or ring finger. Pain may radiate into the arm. Causes for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include repetitive handwork and trauma.Benefits Of Physical Therapy benefits of physical therapy, but the key benefits are to evaluate physical problems, increase and maintain muscle strength and endurance, restore and increase joint range of motion, increase coordination, decrease pain, decrease muscle spasm and plasticity, decrease swelling and inflammation of joints, promote healing of soft tissue lesions, prevent contracture and deformity of limbs, alleviate walking problems, educate patients and family, decrease stress and a whole lot more too numerous to mention. These are but a few of the benefits of physical therapy.

Anti-Aging Yoga

Yoga is one of the most effective ways to make you look and feel younger and can add years to your life with better health, strength and flexibility.Yoga is suitable for all ages and all health conditions and almost everyone will get some positive benefits from doing yoga on a regular basis.Yoga is one of the most effective methods of reducing stress, along with meditation and anything that will reduce the effects that stress can have on your mind and body will make you look and feel younger.There are various different types of yoga and you can choose the one that suits your needs the most from the simplest exercises that will help you to relax to the advanced exercises that will help you get a toned body and help to wind back the years.Yoga helps to improve your blood circulation and that will make your skin condition look and be healthier. Even certain inverted exercises will increase the blood flow to the scalp and this can assist with the reduction of hair loss in some people.Increased flexibility will help to reduce muscular and joint pain and a reduction in pain can help with a reduction of frown lines that are common with people who suffer from constant pain.Yoga helps the digestive system and this will help to get the maximum benefits from the food that you eat and in doing so improve overall health and nutrition which will be reflected in good skin condition.By bringing about a balance in both mind and body yoga can do more for the aging process than a hospital full of surgeons. You should consider trying it as it can be done freely at home without the cost of gym fees; it is convenient and scaleable according to your fitness levels.

Xue Fu Zhu Yu Wan for Blood statis and muscular pain

Xue Fu Zhu Yu Wan is a natural herbal medicine popularly known as Xuefu Zhuyu Wan. It is used in promoting the overall blood circulation in the body as well as it helps in reducing the blood stasis. More importantly it also assists in increasing the Qi circulation in order to provide instant relief from the pain. Thus this herbal medicine is very useful in curing not only the blood statis and muscular pain but also in joints pain which is quite a common problem found in day to day life.There are several useful ingredients in this medicine like Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Bupleuri, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Semen Persicae, Fructus Aurantii, Radix Platycodi and Flos Carthami etc. Among these ingredients, Semen Persicae is an ingredient that helps in the overall circulation of the blood by relieving the blood stasis. In addition it also helps in providing relief from the problem of constipation. This ingredient is also used in combination with various other herbs to cure various diseases for example in order to treat the problems like dysmenorrheal, irregular menstruation and constant lochia after delivery, this herb is used with Faeces Trogopterorumn, Flos Carthami, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Pollen typhae, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong and several other useful herbs in order to promote the blood circulation, to regulate the menstruation and for treating the swelling, pain and trauma caused because of the blood stasis. The other ingredient used is Radix Angelicae, which is a herb that is useful in enriching the blood, promoting the circulation of the blood, alleviating pain, regulates menstruation. It removes deficiency of the blood etc. This herb is used with several other useful herbs in order to cure various diseases for example Radix Angelicae, when used in combination with Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata, Radix Astragali seu Hedysari and Radix Paeoniae Alba is used for curing various blood related diseases like for curing blood deficiency syndrome. This herb is also useful in providing relief from various kinds of pain like headache, abdominal pain, muscle pain as well as joint pain. It also protects the liver from getting damaged. Another ingredient used in this medicine is Fructus Aurantii that is useful in solving the problems associated with the phlegm and also for relieving the stagnation of Qi. This ingredient is used with several other herbs like magnolia bark, rhubarb root and several other useful herbs in order to provide relief from internal body heat and helps in the bowel control. This thus it helps to provide relief from pain. In addition it also provides relief in problems like fever, constipation etc. The next herb that is present in the ingredient is Rhizoma Chuanxiong. This herb is useful in regulating menstruation, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain and postpartum lochiostasis. In addition it is also used in relieving from rheumatic arthralgia and headache. This herb is also very useful in preventing problems related to liver and gallbladder. Also it helps in providing protection to the pericardium channels.Along with above ingredients, the Radix Bupleuri herb is also used as an important herb in this medicine. This herb helps to relieve the half interior and exterior pathogens thus clearing the body heat. It helps in soothing the liver, alleviating the mental depression and regulating the circulation of Qi and thus provides relief from any kind of pain. Radix Platycodi which is present acts on the lung channel and is used in the treatment of chest pains due to cold and helps to clear the phlegm.You too could get the benefits of Xue Fu Zhu Yu Wan . and rid yourself of all problems.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common disorder. To cope with the problem, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Precaution is definitely better than cure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common disorder of blood circulation that may lead to fatal heart attacks, stroke, or even kidney diseases. Statistic shows almost 1/5 of adults in the West are affected by this dreaded disease.

Experts say hypertension could be hereditary. It is a common disease for people in their mid and old age than the young. Hypertension is affecting more men than women. However, women on contraceptive pills are prone to it. Not to mention also, short people and those under stress are very susceptible to it. Smokers should also be aware of this disease because they are likely to have high blood pressure.

Medications can help solve hypertension problem but the cure cannot be found on drugs. Drugs can only sustain what is deemed safe limits but cannot guarantee that there will be no attacks. Dietary practices and physical activity can help prevent or control hypertension. Obese people are more likely to have hypertension than slim bodied people. There are prescribed ideal weight for a particular height and age of a person. Trimming down to an ideal weight will be a big help.

Alcohol is not advised when you are hypertensive because it induces high blood pressure. But doctors advise one shot of red wine after every meal to help gain anti

oxidants. Taking more is not advisable.

Studies proved that foods low in salt are very helpful. Limit salt intake to 4 g a day or ask physician for better advice. Keeping the taste of your foods as natural as possible is the best diet.

While cutting down salt intake, consume more fruits and vegetables, especially foods rich in potassium such as dried apricots, nuts, and others. Potassium can help lower blood pressure. For those with kidney disorder, avoid taking potassium-rich foods as it can complicate the matter.

Calcium and magnesium are two dietary minerals that show positive effect against high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables high in soluble fibre also show good sign of lowering blood pressure. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 fatty acids from oily fish like tuna have also been shown to lower blood pressure. Garlic and moderate alcohol intake (1-2 shots per day) can have the similar effects.

Vegetarians have less incidence of high blood pressure probably due to high fibre content, flushing out toxic cholesterol and fats from the body. Many vegetables contain potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C which can lower blood pressure. Above all, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Precaution is definitely better than cure.

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

If you are attempting to lose weight the two most important things you can do is to start eating right and definitely start an exercise routine. Your ultimate goal is to jump start your metabolism which will enable your body to burn more fat and in turn create more energy since the burning of calories creates energy.

Regardless of the amount of weight you’d like to lose the thing you need to focus on is increasing your metabolism. The reason for this is that when your metabolism is increased it will begin to stabilize at a higher level enabling you to burn more fat for energy at all times.

Now if you feel you need to lose a lot of weight I’d suggest that you first start increasing your metabolism by taking short brisk walks everyday. If you haven’t exercised in a while you want to start out slow so that you don’t cause injury or burn yourself out early in your quest. So start out with short walks, approximately 10 to 15 minutes per day. This will help to get the heart pumping and increase your blood circulation. This will also start increasing your oxygen intake which will increase the amount of oxygen to your entire body including your joints and ligaments. The addition oxygen helps to burn fat and increase your metabolism. Of course this is just a start and you will see some improvements, but as you get used to the increased exercise you will then want to start increasing the time and speed of your walks.

Once you start feeling your energy level and your strength increase you can then start adding some type of aerobic exercise program. Aerobic exercise will help with increasing your metabolism and help your heart muscles. Be aware that the aerobic heart rate is much higher that the ideal heart rate for burning fat, which is a bit lower in beat per minute. But you will still get the benefits of burning fat while pushing your metabolic rate much higher

Of course if you have less weight to lose your metabolism is probably a little higher already but you can still increase it, with more exercise of course. I’d suggest doing some type of cardio or aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes every other day. I would also recommend eating 5 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day. This will give your body the continuous fuel to increase your metabolism.

The next level you want to approach is the level of strength and muscle building. This type of exercise will definitely increase your metabolism and will assist both men and women to build muscle which will allow the ability to burn fat at all times, even when you are at rest. Good or good! For all you woman don’t worry you do not need to get bulky, the weight lifting will provide toning and firming of your muscles and will help with your structure and the strength of your bones. For you men, lifting weights will start to give you more mass or just a more toned and cut look which will help you feel better about your body and yourself.

Many people do turn to supplements to increase their metabolism. This might be helpful but be careful. Make sure that you speak with your doctor whenever you start a new exercise program or if you start taking a metabolism increasing supplement. Be sure that there will not be any repercussions to your health or any conflicts with any prescription you may be taking. Also do some research on the ingredients and make sure they are good quality. There may be many supplements that work but pay attention to what your body is telling you and if the side effects create any discomfort discontinue the use of them.

The thing to focus on is that increasing your metabolism will assist you to burn fat and give you more energy. The addition of more muscle on your body will always make you look and feel better but no matter what route you take to boost your metabolism, make your health your number one priority.

Copyright (c) 2006 Douglas Alp

The Wonders of Omega 3

Omega-3 oils have been called “the miracle food of the 21st century.” It has been proved to prevent heart disease, maintain optimum blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also serves as great relief from joint pain, migraines, depression, autoimmune diseases and many other unwanted health conditions. Omega 3 can improve brain and memory development. It also provides the perfect brain food. Here are the following diseases that omega 3 can help prevent: * Coronary heart disease and stroke; * Essential fatty acid deficiency in infancy (retinal and brain development); * Autoimmune disorders (e.g., lupus and nephropathy); * Crohn disease; * Cancers of the breast, colon, and prostate; * Mild hypertension; * Rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish have been shown to be protective of heart disease and lower death rate from coronary disease, especially cardiac arrest. Omega 3 fats are good and recommended to your health. You can certainly get them from cod liver oil or fish oil. People with certain circulatory problems, such as varicose veins can benefit greatly from fish oil. Fish oil helps stimulate blood circulation, increases the breakdown of fibrin, a compound involved in clot and scar formation. But be cautious, those who have congestive heart failure or evidence that their heart is receiving insufficient blood flow are advised to consult a doctor before taking omega 3 fatty acids. For people with congestive heart failure, the heart is barely pumping blood well enough to keep them alive. In these patients, Omega%26#8722;3 fatty acids may eliminate enough of these few pumping cells that the heart would no longer be able to pump sufficient blood to live, causing an increased risk of cardiac death. So you better be careful when trying Omega-3. To learn all about the importance of Omega-3 for your health and its benefits, check out benefits of Omega 3 for more information.

Fight Night Blindness, Boost Eye And Vascular Health With Bilberry

Weakness of blood vessels is often seen during the aging process when blood vessels become fragile. Dark bilberry fruit has been shown to reduce blood vessel permeability, improve capillary resistance, and provide antioxidant properties, to scavenge free radicals. One way to fight the aging process of the body is to promote health in the vascular system by eating nourishing foods, exercising, and learning how to handle stress. Evidence shows that eating five servings or more a day of fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and some other disorders that related to blood vessel health. The dark pigment in fruits and vegetables has many health advantages. A lot of people think that the only way to improve blood vessel health is to reduce blood cholesterol, minimizing the risk of a heart attack. That is an essential goal, but blood vessels should also have strength and integrity to maintain their health in order to carry nutrients and oxygen through the body to feed the tissues. As we age, eye function begins to diminish and causes a lot of people to fear that they are losing their eyesight. The blood vessels decline in function, but there are other factors such as the reduction of arrestin and rhodopsin. Arrestin is a protein while rhodopsin is the light sensitive pigment that can be found in the retina. The dark pigment of fruits and vegetables is extremely important to blood vessels and the health of the structures and proteins of the eyes. Brilliant colored fruits and vegetables may prevent strokes, heart disease, and help long-term vision because they improve integrity of blood vessels. Bilberry fruit has been studied for over 40 years for its supportive effects on blood vessel health, blood circulation, and lymph flow. Blood vessels in the brain, heart, eyes, stomach, veins in the legs, and actually anywhere in the body have the potential to leak. In many regions bilberry extract has been used to support individuals with microcirculatory disorders including varicose veins, atherosclerosis, and degenerative retinal conditions including macular degeneration and cataracts. Diabetes, atherosclerosis, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol and an inability to handle stress can all contribute to blood vessel disorders and cause the capillary’s membrane to thicken, therefore, increasing capillary permeability causing edema and leaking of fluid. During the aging process, oxidative damage occurs by free radicals in the eyes, which then causes a loss in the transparency of the lens. Symptoms that occur because of this are blurred vision, increased sensitivity to glare, reduced visual acuity, color perception, and light sensitivity. When the eye structure begins to break down, vision impairment and cataract formation result. Bilberry extract has been shown to improve vision and twilight vision, helping the retina adapt to darkness and glare. With aging, a gradual degenerative process is experienced which is caused by free radical damage to our body’s genetic material, cell membranes, and tissues. Free radicals attack blood vessel endothelial cells, and they begin to rupture. Antioxidants help to prevent AMD and reduce the damage of the retina’s photo receptors. In summary, blood vessel health is an important part of age management. By improving diet, managing stress, exercising, and supplementing with bilberry extract, one can promote the health of blood vessels throughout the body, and therefore, support the eyes.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common disorder. To cope with the problem, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Precaution is definitely better than cure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common disorder of blood circulation that may lead to fatal heart attacks, stroke, or even kidney diseases. Statistic shows almost 1/5 of adults in the West are affected by this dreaded disease.

Experts say hypertension could be hereditary. It is a common disease for people in their mid and old age than the young. Hypertension is affecting more men than women. However, women on contraceptive pills are prone to it. Not to mention also, short people and those under stress are very susceptible to it. Smokers should also be aware of this disease because they are likely to have high blood pressure.

Medications can help solve hypertension problem but the cure cannot be found on drugs. Drugs can only sustain what is deemed safe limits but cannot guarantee that there will be no attacks. Dietary practices and physical activity can help prevent or control hypertension. Obese people are more likely to have hypertension than slim bodied people. There are prescribed ideal weight for a particular height and age of a person. Trimming down to an ideal weight will be a big help.

Alcohol is not advised when you are hypertensive because it induces high blood pressure. But doctors advise one shot of red wine after every meal to help gain anti

oxidants. Taking more is not advisable.

Studies proved that foods low in salt are very helpful. Limit salt intake to 4 g a day or ask physician for better advice. Keeping the taste of your foods as natural as possible is the best diet.

While cutting down salt intake, consume more fruits and vegetables, especially foods rich in potassium such as dried apricots, nuts, and others. Potassium can help lower blood pressure. For those with kidney disorder, avoid taking potassium-rich foods as it can complicate the matter.

Calcium and magnesium are two dietary minerals that show positive effect against high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables high in soluble fibre also show good sign of lowering blood pressure. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 fatty acids from oily fish like tuna have also been shown to lower blood pressure. Garlic and moderate alcohol intake (1-2 shots per day) can have the similar effects.

Vegetarians have less incidence of high blood pressure probably due to high fibre content, flushing out toxic cholesterol and fats from the body. Many vegetables contain potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C which can lower blood pressure. Above all, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Precaution is definitely better than cure.

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/