October 26th, 2008 by admin
Information About Anxiety Medications Patients Need To Know
It is estimated that more than 40 million Americans suffer from the effects of various anxiety disorders. The particular triggers and even some of the symptoms can vary depending on the exact disorder, but most patients find their ability to enjoy life is greatly sidetracked when one of these disorders is present. To help patients overcome some of the symptoms and work through therapy, many doctors prescribe medications. There is some basic information about anxiety medications that patients must be aware of before taking any prescriptions for any anxiety disorders.Asking doctor questions about anxiety medications he is about to prescribe is so important, it might even save person’s life. Here some common questions that can provide patients with insight and valuable information about anxiety medications. These questions should be asked regardless of which the particular medications is about to be prescribed: * What is the brand name of the medication you are prescribing?It is important for patients to know the exact name of the medication they are supposed to get and whether or not generic equivalents are available. * What is the exact dosing I should take and how many times a day?This information about anxiety medications can make or break their ability to function. With certain medications it is very important to take exactly the right dose at the right times each day. * What precautions should I take when on this medication?Some anti-anxiety medications prescribed by a doctor can be depressants, sometimesreferred to as sedativesand tranquilizers. These substances slow down normalbrain function. Why it is very important to watch for side effects, avoid alcohol and not operate heavy machinery. Side effects can also include dizziness and drowsiness. * Are there medications I should avoid while taking the prescription ?Most anxiety medications can have bad interactions with other prescription, herbal or even OTC medications. So any combination of anxiety medication withother medications must be undera physician’s close supervision. Typically, anxiety medications should notbe combined with any othermedication or substance for treating anxiety, prescription painmedicines, plus some OTC coldand allergy medications. This alone is a very valuable information about anxiety medications patients should be aware of. * How long should I take this medication?Despite many beneficial effects, anxiety medication might be potentially addictive. Ideally, they should be prescribed for short-term use only. Prolonged use can lead to physicaldependence and - whenuse is reduced or stopped -withdrawal. Withdrawal from some anxiety medications can have life-threatening complications. Therefore, patients should be aware of the potential for addiction and understand the need to discontinue use after a certain period of time. * What kind of results should I see?Anxiety medications are not meant to be a panacea. In most cases, they are meant to lessen the worst symptoms and allow for other forms of treatment to have a chance to work. * What else should I be doing?In most cases, anxiety medications are meant to supplement other forms of therapy. Patients can achieve some peace of mind. It allows them to implement other techniques needed to regain control of their lives. Pursuing other forms of treatment, besides taking anxiety medications, is invaluable for coping with anxiety disorders.Patients who arm themselves with information about anxiety medications and what they can and cannot do are one step ahead in the battle against their condition. Taking the right steps to ensure medications work and other forms of therapy are pursued can help many patients overcome the symptoms that control their lives.
Posted in Public health | No Comments »
October 26th, 2008 by admin
What is a doctors note? Well, technically, a doctors note is used to excuse you from a day?s work or school activities. You may need a day off to recover from that wild party you went to last night, to spend a little time with the family or even to recover from the crazy deadlines of the past week. In fact, if you consider what many work and class environments are like and how competitive everyone is these days, it?s a wonder that more and more people aren?t resorting to obtaining doctor?s notes to get a little bit of R%26R. A doctor?s note is also a legally-binding document which is why these are highly-prized. While many people would actually make a trip to their doctor?s to obtain one, there are instances when you just can?t spare the time or the cash to do so. Your next best option? Fake it. Really, the easiest way to get a day?s leave is to claim that it?s for medical purposes. And most organizations will expect you to produce a note from a qualified medical practitioner to validate your excuse. While various organizations adopt different guidelines for leave taking, almost none will ever turn down an application for leave on medical grounds. So what sort of information can you find on a doctor?s note? For starters, the physician?s name, address and contact details, as well as your name and identification or employee number. Another vital piece of detail is the date and time of your visit. Then of course, the reason for you missing work will be cited including the number of days that you?ll require off and when you?ll be available to resume work. When you?re required to do manual work such as if you?re working in a warehouse, then the medical note may stipulate that you must be exempt from heavy lifting, driving heavy machinery and so forth. Hence, depending on the specifics of your employment, the doctor?s note will include details of your illness that can be useful if you?d like to continue being exempt from hard work even after you?ve returned. As you can see, there are a number of very important details that a doctors note should include. And while we?re sure you?d like to attempt producing one yourself, something of this delicate nature is best left to the professionals. Especially when you consider that a minor slip-up can mean all the difference in whether you have a job to get back to or not. Just remember that the reason you need a doctor?s note is so that you can actually enjoy a day off - time off that is badly needed. There is nothing worse than having to spend the entire day worrying if your note can pass muster that you actually fail to enjoy your leave. Ideally, you should be able to simply tell your employer that you just need to take a break before possibly losing your sanity, but very often, this alone is not enough. Hence, the need for a fake doctors note. Ken Kenesi is a internet niche reviewer. He finds credible websites and writes about their strange topics. To learn more about Doctors Note and Doctor Note, check out the website.
Posted in Public health | No Comments »
October 18th, 2008 by admin
In the 21st century, the commercial world is very much more in touch with the welfare of the people who work for them. Health in the workplace takes a precedent these days as bosses are rapidly adopting the understanding of what creates a healthy workforce. Office refurbishment includes the use of efficient air conditioning, specialist lighting, open plan offices to create the right atmosphere and office water coolers to ensure constant hydration leading to an alert and healthy staff.Water is a vital nutrient for life but in a busy work environment, it is easy to forget to drink it in order to stay hydrated. However, few workers forget to drink a caffeinated beverage each day, 93% of them do so, believing it acts as a stimulant to the nervous system thereby helping to stave off fatigue. Unfortunately, as caffeine also acts as a mild diuretic, this contributes to dehydration. Dehydration is a problem receiving many headlines in recent years, as the understanding of its effects on the human body becomes better known. It is known that a healthier workforce leads to improved productivity and fewer working days lost to illness. Good hydration contributes to staff health and safety as even mild levels of dehydration can adversely affect both physical and mental performance. Its effects reduce mental performance and alertness, increase tiredness and irritability, affect memory, concentration and response time. As dehydration increases, safety is compromised with hand-eye co-ordination becoming more difficult, making jobs requiring handling heavy machinery particularly dangerous. The dehydrated condition is first indicated by thirst, although it is thought that by then, the body %26#39;s process of shutting down due to lack of water has already began. If thirst is not quenched, then a headache will generally follow, indicating that the brain is squeezing fluid from its tissues. Other symptoms previously mentioned may follow and the solution to this? A short stroll to the nearest office water cooler will quickly raise levels of alertness and dissipate headaches.Businesses recognise that by providing a drinking water solution such as water coolers, most of the problems associated with dehydration are alleviated quickly, revitalising a lagging brain very quickly leading again to increased productivity.Office water coolers made their debut in the USA in the 1920 %26#39;s and 1930 %26#39;s when the building of skyscraper office blocks necessitated a way of getting clean fresh drinking water to the higher floors when water pipes simply could not perform the task. Prior to this, in 1906, the main source of clean drinking water came from drinking fountains, developed by Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws, in an attempt to reduce the incidence of illnesses from water borne diseases such as typhoid.Chilling the water in the early days came from using a 20-pound block of ice. Then the first refrigerated coolers were introduced with chillers but they were very heavy and contained CFC’S, which is now no longer used. The style and positioning of office water coolers changed in America when the government recognised that disabled people in wheelchairs could not access the often wall mounted water dispenser. In the 1980 %26#39;s , as offices became more aesthetically aware of their environments, the water cooler became an image associated with modern, contemporary coolness. Since then, designs have become more streamlined, filters more technologically advanced providing better quality water and now, in the 21st century, the water cooler is an essential requirement for any office.In conclusion, water in any business environment is essential for the health and well-being of the workforce and it is in the interests of all business owners to ensure that a plentiful supply of good quality, clean fresh water is available.
Posted in Public health | No Comments »
October 14th, 2008 by admin
Everybody knows that if it’s over-the-counter, it’s got to be safe. Or is it really? After all, prescription sleeping pills are a lot more tightly regulated by doctors and the FDA. Not to mention a lot more expensive.Let’s just start with what everybody knows already about over-the-counter sleep aids. Just so everybody’s on the same page.Firstly, the main ingredient of over-the-counter sleep aids is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, but also make you feel very sleepy. And yes, while they make you get to sleep faster, there is little evidence that they improve the quality of your sleep at all, much less help treat insomnia. Meaning, if you really had good quality sleep, won’t you be productive in your following wake hours? That brings me to the second fact that everybody already knows about OTC sleep aids.OTC sleep aids tend to cause “morning hangovers” or what is explained as residual next-morning sedation due to the fact that antihistamines have long half-lives. That simply means they stay very long in the bodies and therefore continue to cause drowsiness.So most people usually try to live with that limitation by simply staying away from driving or handling heavy machinery. However, did you know that you would also have to put up with constipation and a racing heartbeat through your day? Did you also know that you could be in a state of confusion, delirium and have urinary retention? These are called anticholinergic side effects of antihistamines. That certainly wouldn’t do for that important office meeting next morning.Thirdly, common over-the-counter sleep medications are Sleep-Eze, Sominex, Nytol, and Unison that are mostly either diphenhydramine or doxylamine antihistamines.However, other common OTC sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Advil PM are actually combinations of the painkillers acetaminophen and ibuprofen with an antihistamine, diphenhydramine.And that is why, the Medical Letter, which reviews drugs, recommends against using antihistamines for sleep. Some doctors say users of Tylenol PM may be taking acetaminophen they do not need. Acetaminophen overdoses can cause liver failure.As for ibuprofen, common side effects mainly involve the gastrointestinal system. It can cause ulcerations, abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, gastritis, and even serious gastrointestinal bleeding. Sometimes, stomach ulceration and bleeding can occur without abdominal pain, and black tarry stools, weakness, and dizziness upon standing may be the only signs of internal bleeding.And finally, back to the premise that if it’s over the counter, it’s got to be safe. That is truly the costliest and harmful fallacy that everybody has believed about OTC sleep aids being safer than prescription sleeping pills.The reason is this. OTC sleep aids are not regulated and therefore, prone to abuse. If the OTC sleep aids were used as they were originally intended for i.e. to treat allergies or relieve mild pain that usually resolve within days, their sedative side effects would have been limited. And because using OTC sleep aids does not require a doctor’s consultation and supervision, potential drug interactions would not have been flagged out and underlying serious side effects would have gone undetected. Also, you can develop a tolerance for over-the-counter sleep aids after using them for just a few days. You may find quickly that you’ll need to pop in more pills each time to accomplish the same effect.Last but not least, a so-called transcient insomnia may progress into a chronic insomnia if the root of the problem is not resolved. A slippery slope indeed. Don’t we all agree that insomnia is just a symptom of an underlying problem? And for many of us occasional insomniacs, it’s always triggered by something called stress.Here’s a tip. Today, researchers have found that the best treatment for insomnia with the highest success rates is to change our thought patterns to then change our behaviors into those that induce sleep. So, it’s really all in the mind.
Posted in Public health | No Comments »