Heartburn or GERD can Kill

Heartburn is a common annoyance. The busy lifestyle, quick meals, fatty or spicy foods all contribute to the occasional need of a chewable pain reliever. The acceptance of heartburn as an inconvenient, but natural, part of the daily grind can blind you to the warning that a severe heartburn symptom can bring.

Heartburn as a Disorder

Heartburn can be a symptom as well as a disorder. Simple heartburn or GERD can be controlled and dealt with. However, heartburn can signal the presence of a much more serious problem. If it’s heartburn, you will have a burning sensation in the chest usually after eating. There may be a spread of the burning to the throat, sometimes accompanied by a bad taste, difficulty in swallowing, belching, coughing, hoarseness and/or wheezing.

It can become worse by lying down or bending over or by eating. Relief can come from an antacid. While the more severe heartburn symptoms may be mistaken for a heart attack, simple heartburn is usually not made worse by exercise. If there is any concern that the pain may signal a heart attack, get help quickly.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Methodology For Skin Mole Treatment And Removal

By Kevin Jones

Skin moles can be annoying and can interfere with your daily life. Some moles snag your hair, clothes, and jewelry or stay sore and irritated. You are not alone. Skin moles are a common problem for people all over the world.

From being a slight nuisance to being a large, impossible problem, skin moles can interfere with daily activities more than many people realize. The presence of visible skin moles can have a terrible impact on your self confidence. They may even become dangerous to your health and well being. Living with them daily, you have undoubtedly thought about getting rid of annoying skin moles. Do you know the options that are open to you? How can you determine which mole removal option is best?

When you experience skin moles, you can't help but wonder what causes them? Researchers tell us that there is a small hereditary factor that may determine whether or not you develop skin moles. Sun exposure is another factor in skin mole development. Those who live in sunny climates demonstrate a dramatically increased risk for the development of skin moles. If you can't stay out of the sun, at least cover your skin with sunscreen and wear appropriate attire. This will lower your chances of developing more skin moles, and it will lower your risk of developing cancerous skin moles.

In addition to sun exposure and heredity, your body's response to stress and hormonal changes can cause the development of skin moles. You may also see the development of skin tags. Skin tags are actually little flap-like extensions on the skin that often look like skin moles.

Surgical mole removal seems to be the most common way of getting rid of moles. There are three ways of surgically removing moles. In some cases, moles are scraped or shaved off in one swift motion. This is the preferred method if moles are shallow or on the surface of the skin. Deep moles that are beneath the skin require a surgical cut. The incision must be made around the mole and deep enough to extract the entire mole. A few stitches are used to close the site. Laser mole removal is a newer method for removing deeper skin moles. All three methods may leave scars, and with as with any surgical procedure, there is a risk of infection.

You may find that you would rather get rid of your skin moles without surgery. If so, natural skin mole removal is something you need to research. Many people have successfully used home skin mole removal methods. The ingredients are inexpensive and may already be sitting in your kitchen cabinet.

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Non Specific Low Back Pain " New NICE Guidelines for Early Management

By Jonathan Blood Smyth

Persistent low back pain of non-specific origin is commonly assessed and managed by healthcare practitioners, making up a major proportion of all those people off work due to sickness absence. During the last ten years there have been significant increases in valid research work on this subject, allowing for the first time an evidence based set of recommendations for the assessment and management of longer term back pain. In May 2009 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published updated guidelines.

The first requirement in the assessment of back pain is to establish a diagnosis. By definition the source is not clear in non-specific low back pain but many potential diagnoses have been ruled out such as ankylosing spondylitis, arthritic diseases, fractures, infections or tumours. Diagnosis is not a one time thing with periodic reassessment important if things change, and investigations should be requested if a specific diagnosis is suspected. Radicular symptoms in the leg, typically called sciatica, and cauda equina syndrome are neurological syndromes which cause severe and very specific symptoms and need consultation with a spinal surgeon.

The classification of low back pain has been traditionally divided into chronic back pain, sub-acute back pain and acute back pain. Chronic back pain refers to pain persisting longer than 12 weeks with sub-acute back pain lasting between 6 and 12 weeks. Under six weeks duration is referred to as acute low back pain. However, due to the variability of symptoms and the long term nature of many back pain syndromes this classification system is too rigid to be useful in the assessment and management of back pain.

In the UK adult population around a third are thought to suffer from an episode of low back pain every year. Of this number around a fifth of sufferers will attend their GP to seek help for their back pain. Research has shown that it persists for a long period with 62% of sufferers still having pain at one year after the onset. Patients who are unable to work due to their back pain episode have a 16% probability of still being off work due to back pain after a year. The disability and pain improves rapidly over the first month but with little more after three months.

Contemporary figures for the costs of back pain to society are not available but are known to be very high. Patients spend a lot of money on private therapists in the UK, patronising private physiotherapists, acupuncturists, osteopaths and chiropractors. A new episode or a worsening of low back pain makes the exclusion of non-mechanical causes for the back pain vital. Infection is more common in people with immune system problems such as HIV. The incidence of the types of cancers which spread to bone is higher in older age groups. Fractures due to osteoporosis have a higher incidence in older people and anyone on steroids.

Loss of the ability to work, development of disability related to the back and loss of normal activities are the negative factors which can result from sub-acute to chronic low back pain and are the factors which must be addressed to manage this condition successfully. High pain levels, a high degree of disability and psychological distress are risk factors for a poor result and so must be targeted to improve the patient's outcome. Back pain treatments are very numerous with many claims for effectiveness but there is little good evidence to back up the use of most therapies. NICE made the decision to look at the overall delivery of a care package for back pain rather than concentrate on particular therapeutic interventions.

The large number of potential interventions for low back pain includes:

Patient education which covers advice and explanations from professionals, written material and education sessions.

Exercises which cover individual programmes to group based exercise classes, both on land and in water.

Land or water based exercise programmes, again either individually or as part of an exercise group.

Other physical, non-invasive therapies such as ultrasound, interferential, laser, TENS, lumbar traction and lumbar corsets.

Psychological interventions to improve self management, either mindfulness or a form of cognitive behavioural therapy.

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Calorie Shifting - Starting Out With Calorie Shifting

By Judson Lassiter

Calorie Shifting. Do you know what the calorie shifting diet plan is? Prepare yourself for success. Here are some things you really want to know, before you dive into your calorie shifting diet plan.

Mindset- You are far more likely to succeed at anything you do if you have the right mindset for the task. That is especially true for dieting and weight loss. It's a good idea to spend some time visualizing how you will benefit from a good weight loss plan. Study yourself in that mirror and visualize the image you wish you could see looking back at you. Okay. Now, write out your fat loss goals on a small piece of paper and post it someplace where you can see it every morning. READ it every day. Let it motivate your weight loss efforts for that day. Keep on track.

The calorie shifting cycle is only 11 days. I like that because it is much shorter than with most diet plans. However, that can seem a long time when everyone around you is enjoying great food without restrictions. That is why you need to have a strong and positive mindset to stay motivated and on task.

Support- Try to convince your friends and family and people you work with that they really make things difficult when they tempt you just for fun or try to get you to cheat on your plan. They might believe "just one won't hurt" but you know better. Tell them that you get a break in just 11 days when you can eat whatever you want. Explain that you need their support in your weight loss campaign.

Preparation- Look over your daily menu for your upcoming cycle with the Calorie Shifting dite plan. Make sure there are no food items on it that you are intolerant of or have allergies to. Then write your grocery list. Here comes the hard part. Go to the supermarket and only buy what is on that list! By eating the daily items in any order you can schedule them for your convenience.

Let's look at this example. You can take nuts, fruit, bread, etc. to work. If you are lucky enough that you have a microwave and refrigerator available at your job, you can have more choices for your mid-day meals and snacks. One thing that I tried was microwave bacon strips. It was ten seconds per slice and they are good, but expensive.

Perspective- The Calorie Shifting dite plan does not require exercise. However, you and I both know it is good for your body and healthy for your heart to get active somehow. I suggest planning for some cardio and resistance exercise each week. A friend of mind makes it a point to walk a brisk mile everyday. Realize that no matter how thin you manage to get, your bathing suit is not going to look all that great without good muscle tone.

If you are beginning a major weight loss project, calorie shifting could be a way of getting a fast start. Don't think of it as the "diet to end all diets" or you will be disappointed. If you only need to drop a few pounds to look better for the summer, maybe it will only take one or two calorie shifting diet cycles. Use if you get stuck on a weight loss "plateau". For more information on calorie shifting diet plans visit this site.

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County Officials Put Off Ambulance Collections Decision

By Jonathan Summers

Commissioners on Monday delayed a decision to hire a collection agency because of unpaid ambulance bills incurred in unincorporated areas of Flagler County. Instead, county staff will do more research and the item will be brought back to commissioners for consideration sometime in July.

Commissioner Alan Peterson said during the meeting that he wasn't ready to sign at the dotted line in the piggyback contract alongside officials in Orange County because he first wanted to know how the collection agency does its business.

He wanted to know how repeatedly the agency calls residents about their delinquent accounts and what times of the day those calls were made. He also wished to know how many written notices would be sent to residents in arrears for their emergency medical care during an ambulance ride.

"My overriding concern on this whole issue is that unlike most bills people incur, this is an involuntary expense," Peterson said. "People don't normally choose to take an ambulance for medical care."

Commissioner Barbara Revels said she also wanted to guarantee that the county wasn't getting into business with a "heavy-handed" collection agency that could result in consumer retaliation, like some that's now being seen around the country.

Under the county's current billing routines, insurance companies are billed for a patient who receives medical care and transport. If the patient is not insured or the insurance does not cover the full balance due, a third-party billing company steps in and attempts to collect the debt through written notices with the help of information verification from Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston's office. The account is kept open and debt collection attempts continue for up to a year, at which time the debt is moved to a "bad debt" list and charged off by commissioners.

The debts are not placed on residents' credit reports and pugnacious telephone tactics are not used for collection.

Peterson also said if the board arrives at conclusion to move forward in hiring a collection agency, he'd like to see county officials add a new level of regular review to the accounts on its "bad debt" list before they're turned over for collection.

"There should be a review of each and every account to see if it makes sense to turn it over to the collection agency," Peterson said.

He requested county staff acquire the proposed collection agency's procedures and has asked them to present an outline of the policy they will use for reviewing accounts before they're turned over to the agency sometime before the end of July.

"We haven't had a collection agency up to this point, so I don't think it would hurt to delay the decision two weeks," said County Administrator Craig Coffey.

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Michigan Mesothelioma Lawyer - Defending the Rights of Michigan Mesothelioma Victims

By Bart Icles

Asbestos is a very toxic mineral that was widely mined and used during the 70's as fireproof roofing and flooring materials, for heat insulation, gaskets, brake pads, clutch plates, stage curtains, and interior fire doors, fireproof clothing for firefighters, and for many other purposes. If you or anyone you know have lived in Michigan and its surrounding areas and have contracted Mesothelioma should immediately get the services of a Michigan Mesothelioma Lawyer for proper legal remedies.

Individuals who worked in asbestos mines, factory and construction workers, ship yards, automotive brake mechanics, and any one else who worked with asbestos-lined insulation materials over a prolonged time have an increased risk of contracting Mesothelioma or cancer of the chest and abdomen lining.

Studies have shown that prolonged or even short-term exposure to asbestos can cause other forms of illness other than Mesothelioma to occur. Other forms of cancer such as cancer of the colon, kidney, larynx, pancreas, and esophagus have been linked to asbestos exposure. Although some individuals who worked around asbestos never develop the illness, science has not yet determined what predisposes some individuals to contract the illness. Symptoms of Mesothelioma may take from 10 to 30 years to manifest.

A claim for asbestos-related injury or illness is known as a personal injury claim that can be filed anytime within three years after diagnosis by a specialist. The families of victims who've died can still file a claim within three years after the death of their loved ones. Because of the cancer's nature, a special provision of the law has been made setting the statute of limitations for filing a claim to begin at the start of the victim's diagnosis, and not with the initial exposure. In some cases, even if the three year period has already elapsed, filing a case for compensation can still be possible. In this regard, it is of vital importance to consult only with a highly experienced Michigan Mesothelioma Lawyer, who has a thorough knowledge and understanding of asbestos compensation cases and asbestos laws.

Lawyers who specialize in Mesothelioma claims have access to all the important documents connected to claims of asbestos-related injuries and illnesses. From gathering all your personal and medical records, to proving that your illness was due to your employers negligence, your lawyer will be able to gather all evidences to make your case successful. They will do everything in their power to investigate your claim using their experience; if your exposure happened at work, your Michigan Mesothelioma Lawyer can file a case against your former employer, whether they are still in the same business as before, or have declared bankruptcy and moved on to another type of business to elude liability.

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