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Drain bags Intermittent catheters

Urinary Catheters Usage and Care

Catheter leg bags

Were you aware that urinary catheters have been used for over 3,500 years? These devices, which assist the bladder to drain urine, have been further developed since those times.

If you have recently had surgery, then you may have had a foley catheter, or indwelling catheter, placement. These are used 15%-to-25% of the time during hospitalizations prior to and during surgery, as well as for other types of medical situations requiring a hospital stay.

Both men and women may experience some type of bladder or kidney issue that will require the use of a catheter to assist with expressing urine. Men over 60, for example, may experience some level of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In some cases, they may have issues with blockage, which will require the use of a catheter.

Urinary incontinence tends to increase with age. For individuals between 65-to-69 years, it increases 14%. For individuals 85 or older, it may increase 45%. Urinary catheters, pads, and other devices may be used to address this situation.

In addition to draining the bladder, catheters may also be used to administer medication. If you have panful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis, for example, there are two ways to treat this condition. One is through taking oral medication, and the other is through a catheter that administers the medication into the bladder.

Since you want to remain active and improve your quality of life, having the right medical equipment to care for your bladder or kidney issues can make a major difference. It’s also important to take proper care of this equipment to avoid infections.

The most common type of infections are catheter-associated urinary tract infections. In acute care hospitals, these account for 30% of healthcare-associated infections. Nearly all of these are caused by inserting catheters.

If you have a leg bag, for example, it’s necessary to clean it on a daily basis to avoid bacterial growth and other issues. Your doctor will advise you when to replace your leg bag. In general, however, this will be once a week or twice a month.

It’s also important to empty your leg bag when it reaches the half-full mark. While this will usually be a minimum of two times a day, be sure to check it on a regular basis to avoid issues related to overflow.

At bedtime, you will want to exchange your leg bag for your drainage bag. Before going to sleep, it is recommended that you follow these instructions for cleaning the leg bag:

    Rinse the bag with one part vinegar and three parts water.
    Allow the bag to soak for 20 minutes.
    Rinse out the bag with warm water.
    Hang the bag up to dry.

Depending on the type of bladder, kidney, or urinary tract issue experienced, there are different types of medical supplies with which you may be familiar. Consider these and other urological supplies that are available at a medical supply store:

    Anti-reflux valve flap system
    Catheter leg bag extension tubing
    Catheter plugs and caps
    Catheterization tray
    External male urinary catheter
    Intermittent catheters
    Urinary drain bags

If you have any questions or concerns about a catheterization tray or any other urological devices, you can discuss these with your doctor or other medical professional. You may also ask your medical supply professional information about a catheterization tray.

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Counseling services Counselor lafayette la Therapy

Is You rLoved One Getting the Necessary Mental Care Treatment That Is Needed?

Couples therapy

My yoga teacher told me that an evil spirit is essentially bad thoughts repeating in a person’s head. I keep PRAYING, but the evil thoughts persist like they are out of my control. I read in a kid’s Bible, and one verse said to give up all of your possessions.”
The nonverbal student stood in front of his tutor meekly offering two different Star Wars space ships. One was big. One was small. The scribbled message, however, seemed to be a combination of something that was both big and small. A big worry, with a small offering for some kind of help. With his parent standing close by, the 14-year old Autistic student was clearly asking for help. Could the tutor, by accepting the offering of these Star Wars toys, rid the student of his rituals? Was there a way for the tutor to help rid the young man of the evil spirit that the young man was convinced was dictating his behaviors? Behaviors that found this young man and his family home schooling after a disastrous start to his eighth grade school year.
With tears in her eyes, the tutor looked toward the parent and hoped beyond hope that the family was seeking some kind of counseling for the young man who wanted to exercise more control over how his days went.
Do You Know Someone Who Is Struggling with Depression, Anxiety of Some Other Kind of Mental Conflict?
The holidays are a time of celebrations and festivities for many people. For others, however, the holidays are a stressful time of loneliness and anxiety. The fact that this week’s social media posts feature reminders of the suicide Prevention Hotline is just one indicator that the months of November, December, and January are not happy times for all Americans. Psychotherapy services and other counseling options are often a more important aspect of the holiday season than a gift under the tree for many struggling individuals.
Unfortunately, as many as 11% of adolescents have a depressive disorder by the time they reach the age of 18. How families deal with the conditions can determine whether or not that adolescent is able to reach a stable adulthood and lead a normal life. And while some parents do their very best to get the counseling services that their children need, these needs often continue for many more years. Understanding that mental health is really a medical concern that everyone needs to be concerned about is a challenge that seems to be ongoing in America.
As families sometimes struggle to get the treatments that they need covered by their health insurance providers, they also realize that the success of many of these treatments depend on the continued access to the needed counseling sessions and medications.
Even more unfortunate is the fact that as many as 50% of Americans with major depression do not ever seek treatment for their mental illness. Untreated, these individuals can suffer from worsening conditions and actually become a danger to themselves or to others. Events like this last week’s social media postings strive to help people know that others are available for help and that there is quick and easy access to the Suicide Prevention Hotline.
The fact that 350 million people around the world are affected by some form of depression is reason enough for the world’s population to concentrate on getting the necessary help to the individuals who need it the most. A concentrated effort on the part of government officials and the medical community would go a long way toward making insurance companies provide families the coverage that they need. Without efforts from all fronts, however, it is likely that many people will continue to go untreated for depressive tendencies that they have.
When a young man who is barely a teenager finds himself asking heart wrenching questions like how to rid of an evil spirit he fears is possessing him it is essential that this be recognized as a plea for help. The combination of loving parents, attentive educators, school systems, and counseling services may be able to help. By providing straight forward answers, the adolescent’s struggle may actually subside.

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Digestive enzyme supplements Prostate supplements Supplements for menopause

7 Tips to Keeping Your Prostate Healthy and Happy

Supplements for longevity

There are a lot of things you can do to keep your prostate healthy and happy. Many people turn to prostate health supplements. They can help but there are also other things you can do to live a healthier life and keep your prostate healthy.

  1. Stay active and maintain a healthy weight. Research done on 30,000 men found that there is an inverse relationship between exercise and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The bottom line here is that when men are even mildly or moderately active, they cut down on the amount of BPH they suffer. Walking every day can yield great results. Chronic prostatitis and erectile disfunction (ED) can also be reduced by staying active. Men who exercise often and maintain a healthy weight are much less likely to suffer from ED than men who do not. When men work out at least three times each week, they see reduced rates of chronic prostatitis.
  2. Up your consumption of produce. Fruits and vegetables have a lot of the same substances that are found in prostate health supplements. When you are picking out the fruits and vegetables, select those that have deep or vibrant colors. Many people like to take antioxidant supplements but you can get those same antioxidant supplements benefits from eating certain fruits and vegetables. Berries, watermelon, tomatoes, pink grapefruit, papaya and guava are great sources of lycopene. This is one of the best antioxidant vitamins. Broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kate and bok choy are all great for maintaining good prostate health. Experts recommend getting at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. This will do a lot to help with your prostate health but also for your overall health. Eating a diet that is more colorful will help you keep your weight where it needs to be as well.
  3. Get more soy in your diet. You can get soy from products such as soy nuts, tofu and sot powders. Increased consumption of soy products has been linked to a reduction in prostate cancer. If you take prostate health supplements, taking cellular prostate protection that has soy products in them can help. It is easy to get soy from your diet. Many people balk at first when it comes to tofu but it generally tastes like whatever sauce you marinate it in.
  4. If you smoke, you should quit. Smoking increases the chances of a host of cancers and other health problems. Quitting can be one of the best things you can do for your prostate health and over all well being. The negative effects of smoking can be reversed when you quit and you will feel a lot better after you stop smoking. It is also a lot easier to get the exercise you need if you are not a smoker.
  5. Get more selenium in your diet. You can get this from prostate health supplements or from supplements to speed up metabolism. You can also get it from foods such as tuna, herring, shellfish, eggs, garlic, onions, sesame seeds, cashews and mushrooms. Selenium has been linked to prostate cancer prevention and can boost your metabolism.
  6. Make your fats be healthy fats. You need fat in your diet but there are good fats and there are bad fats. Olive oil, nuts such as almonds, avocados all have fats that are healthy. Saturated fats such as those that some from animal products, including dairy products, should be consumed in limited quantities. Look at food labels to be able to avoid trans fats. More and more products are being made without trans fats so it is easier than ever to avoid them.
  7. Eat less meat. Protein is another essential part of any healthy diet but when you are picking your protein, you should opt for healthier options such as chicken, fish, beans, eggs and tofu. When you can, limit your consumption of beef, pork and lamb. Processed meats like hot dogs and bologna can be very bad for you. Eating a lot of the unhealthy proteins can be bad for your health.

Maintaining good prostate health involves more than just taking prostate health supplements. Using these tips to help maintain overall health can do a lot to help keep your prostate healthy and happy.

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Delaware therapeutic massage Massage therapy in wilmington delaware Sports massage

4 Ways to Get Stress Out of Your Body

Deep tissue massage

When you are stressed, there are trigger points in your body that are all knotted up and tense. Our bodies involuntarily respond to stress in our lives if we don’t properly deal with it. It’s amazing how much our minds are connected to our bodies. What goes in your mind can equate out to physical manifestations in your body. Here are a few ways to treat those trigger points and help to get the physical stress out of your body. Keep an open mind to the options and you may be surprised to find out what helps.

A Good Night’s Sleep
It’s incredible how much a good night’s sleep can help you. Things can seem like they are such a huge deal at night time seem silly in the morning. Or sometimes, if you are trying to figure something out at night, if you sleep, the answer or solution will come to you easily in the morning. This is because your body needs sleep in order to regenerate. Our minds are constantly working and by the end of the time, they can be so worn out that they are processing properly anymore. Going to sleep will allow your mind and body to be refreshed and renewed and better ready to face obstacles and problems on a daily basis. You should be trying to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep every single night without fail otherwise you will build up stress and tension in your body.

Deep Tissue Massage Therapy
Using massage therapy, your trigger points can be targeted and worked on until they are gone. While this solves the immediate problem, massage techniques can only provide temporary relief. You’ll have to keep going back every single month or even every couple of weeks to have your body worked on again and again. If you have a high stress job then this may be your answer. However, if you can possibly deal with the issue that is causing you stress, you might be able to cut down on the amount of massages that you get or the type because your trigger points will be less tense.

Nature Walks
Being outside is a proven way for people to calm down. This is a great, quick way to calm down. For example, if you are at work and something is just incredibly stressful, try and steal a few minutes and step outside. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. The fresh air will fill your lungs and cool your body down so that you aren’t so fired up. If that can happen in a matter of minutes, imagine how a nature walk every day would make you feel. If you can’t fit in going for a walk every day, trying three times a week. The best times to go are in the morning when the air is crisp and cool or in the evening, after work in order to decompress.

Frequent Vacations
Believe it or not, taking vacations is a proven way of leading a stress free life. Studies show that people who never take vacations are less productive than people who do. Why is this? Because vacation has the same effect on your body as a good night’s sleep. It gives you time to rejuvenate your mind and body which gives you more energy to focus and more alertness to be more creative once you do get back to your job, no matter how demanding it is. It also gives you a break and time to reconnect with your family which can also reduce stress quite a bit, according to studies.

Staying Active

It’s important to make sure that you are not harboring stress in your body. You may be the kind of person that feels like you don’t get stressed out. You might be a pretty laid back person and don’t freak out in situations that other people might. However, everyone stresses out one way or another and you need a way to decompress. Those people that don’t emotionally and mentally feel stressed out can bottle it up in their bodies worse than anyone else. So, make sure that you are taking advantage of the above tips so you can maximize your impact in your life.

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Summer health concerns: part 1 Urgent care littleton co What is urgent care

When You Should Consider Going to Urgent Care

Find urgent care

We have all experienced this. A flu that strikes on Friday night. A knee we twisted on a Saturday morning run. We know we cannot wait until Monday morning to get medical care but really do not think we need an emergency room. Luckily there are other places we can receive medical care at night or on the weekend. Urgent care clinics are open all over the country for just these times. You may ask, “what is urgent care?” Quite simply, it is care we can get when we need it and right away.

When should I go to an urgent care center and when should I go to my primary care doctor?

Your primary care physician is a very key player in getting and keeping you healthy. This person should be up to date on all of your medical issues and problems. They should be completely familiar with your health history and know everything about the health care that you have received. If you think of your health care providers like a football team, your primary care physician is the quarterback. When you become ill or have an injury, the first place you should call is to your primary care physician.

So, what is urgent care? Urgent care clinics do not exist to replace the care that you receive with your primary care physician. The care you receive at an urgent care facility is meant to supplement the care you get from your primary care doctor. The medical staff at urgent care centers are there to treat urgent medical problems that cannot wait for an office visit with your primary care doctor. They do not handle true medical emergencies, those do need to be treated in an emergency room.

A good example of what can and should be treated in an urgent care clinic is a sprained ankle. This is one of the most common injuries in the United States. This is not a medical emergency but is painful enough to make you not want to wait to see a primary care physician. Most urgent care centers are open after 6:00 pm and on the weekend so you can get the medical treatment you need when you need it.

What are the medical conditions that be treated at all urgent care centers? When you think about “what is urgent care” you may not know what kinds of conditions can be treated at these urgent medical care centers. Here are a few:

  • Muscle sprains and strains and small fractures. Most urgent care centers have x-ray machines so they can look at your injury and let you know if you have any broken bones or if the problem is a strain or sprain.
  • Persistent cough, colds and the flu or a severe sore throat.
  • Stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If you are dehydrated because of a stomach problem, you can get intravenous fluids at many centers. About 70% of urgent care centers offer this service for people.
  • Mild to moderate back pain.
  • Eye irritation.
  • Small cuts.
  • Urinary tract infections.
  • Skin irritation and rashes.

Basically, any condition that cannot wait but would not result in an admission to a hospital can be treated in an urgent care center.

What is urgent care? There is a list of criteria that must be met in order for a center to classify itself as an urgent care center. The two associations that govern these centers, Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) and the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM), list the following:

  • The clinic needs to see walk-in patients during the weekday (normal business hours).
  • The center needs to treat a wide array of sicknesses and injuries.
  • The clinic staff need to be able to perform minor procedures.
  • There needs to be a licensed doctor serving as the medical director.
  • They need to stay open seven days each week.
  • They need to have certain equipment such as x-ray technology and phlebotomy.
  • The clinic needs to have more than one exam room.
  • In an ideal world, when you become ill or injured you would be able to get in right away to see your primary care doctor. Unfortunately, that is not always an option. When you or a family member is too sick or hurt to wait there are urgent care centers.

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Foot and ankle doctor Painless foot treatment Podiatrist vs orthopedist

Do Your Feet Hurt at the End of the Day?

Ankle sprain grades

If you have had a really good night’s rest you almost forget.
After an uninterrupted eight hour sleep you wake feeling both refreshed and energized. As soon as you swing your legs out of be and place your feet on the floor, however, the foot pain reminds you that all is not well. You are looking forward to the twice weekly appointment you have at the podiatry office. The laser foot therapy sessions have been effective, but when you are the day before the next appointment some of the benefits seem to diminish. Foot and ankle problems have often been a part of your life, but this constant ache that cannot be erased by pain medications has been frustrating. You are thankful for the laser foot therapy sessions that have been covered by your insurance. Hopefully, by following the physical therapy exercises that you have also been given, combined with your efforts to lose weight, you are hopeful that the pain will subside in between the laser foot therapy appointments.
Foot and Ankle Doctors Provide Needed Relief to Thousands of Sufferers
Did you know that nearly 60% of all foot and ankle injuries that are reported by the U.S. population older than 17 involve sprains and strains of the ankle? For athletes, workers who spend their days on their feet, and for parents of young children, sprained and strained ankles can significantly limit your ability to function. Even though they are a major interruptions, however, somewhere between 75% and 80% of the adult population have some form of foot problem. Perhaps because there are 52 bones in a pair of human feet it is easier to damage one or more bone.
Did you know that the average adult takes 4000 to 6000 steps a day? This means that our feet carry our bodies the equivalent of five times round the earth in an average lifetime. That is a lot of pressure and weight on some of the smallest bones in our body. And while a lucky few never have problems with their feet, the majority of Americans spend at least some time learning how to manage the pain on a foot injury.
Laser foot therapy is just one way that some people find relief. The pulsating and penetrating warmth and heat of laser foot therapy is often a treatment that can provide comfort for hours, and even days, after it is applied. Administered by both podiatrists and physical therapists, laser treatments are often used with a steroid cream as well. The heat and laser rays actually push the steroid cream into the muscles and tendons, reducing inflammation and numbing some of the pain.
Alleviating Foot Pain Can Require Attention to Footwear and Overuse
Few things are more important to the health of your feet than making sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes. The decision to purchase a pair of shoes for fashion instead of comfort can be a decision that you will pay for in the end. Women who shoes high heeled shoes with narrow or pointed toes often end the day with feet that ache long into the night. Continued wearing of these types of shoes can lead to damage to your feet that can become quite severe. And while it is often tempting to buy a pair of shoes that are actually too small for your feet because they are on sale, the decision to wear improperly fitting shoes is also something that can lead to foot pain and long term damage.
Finding a well designed pair of shoes that fit you well and provide good arch support can make your day of standing on your feet far more comfortable. For runners who hope to cover long distances on their daily workouts, it is especially important to purchase shoes that fit well. Some running stores, in fact, have several types of pressure pads and machines that can actually read your running gait. Using the detailed information that is provided by these screenings, these running store sales people can suggest a shoe that will be a perfect fit.
If you want to wake up every morning with feet that are ready for the day, make sure you take good care of your feet.

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Emergency room frisco tx Urgent care in frisco tx Urgent care north richland hills

The ER Or Urgent Care Clinic? Which Should You Choose?

Urgent care mckinney

There is an ever increasing amount of urgent care facilities serving timely primary medical care for those in need of emergency services.

It is approximated that there are now over 9,000 walk-in urgent care centers in the United States. About 50 to 100 new urgent care and clinics open each and every year. And there is very good reason for this.

Currently 20,000 physicians are practicing urgent care medicine today, and the number is growing. These medical professionals have developed timely primary medical care into an important, recognized specialty that represents this fast-growing medical field.

Emergency Rooms Vs. Urgent Care, Which Should You Choose?

While emergency rooms have served a useful purpose for many years, there simply are not enough of them to treat the numerous patients that come through their doors in a timely fashion.

One recent study shows that approximately 44% to 65% of all trips to the ER could have been treated in an urgent care clinic.

Cost is another factor that must be considered. A case that could be treated at an urgent care clinic may cost on average a little over $200. Whereas that same case may cost upwards of $2,000 when handled in a hospital emergency room.

What about wait times? Emergency rooms are notorious for long wait times. If you are injured, sick, or in agonizing pain, do you want to wait for hours in an uncomfortable chair? Only to have to wait another hour or longer to be seen by a doctor? Of course not.

When it comes to timely primary medical care, urgent care facilities are another story all together. The average wait time of most urgent care centers is less than 15 minutes to see a doctor.

It seems pretty clear, if you are looking for convenient medical treatment, if you have urgent medical needs, urgent care clinics are the right way to go.

The next time an emergency arises and you are looking for skillful convenient and affordable care, turn to the closest urgent care center. There is truly no better place for timely primary medical care.

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Addiction family therapy Drug abuse in canada Drug rehab centers

Drug Rehab Choices Include Inpatient and Outpatient Services

Substance abuse in canada

If you have a drug or alcohol problem, there are two ways you can try to overcome it with rehabilitation. Your choices are outpatient rehab, which can take many forms, or inpatient rehab, which can be done either in a medical facility or a residential-like facility. Both options have advantages and disadvantages, and each can have varying levels of effectiveness depending on the extent of your problem and your willingness to overcome it.

Drug rehab, be it inpatient rehab or outpatient rehab, differs from self-help groups like Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous. In those groups, you have support, but you are on your own to make the right choices. With rehab, you often are under the care of a licensed medical provider or counselor. In many cases, you may be prescribed medications that help to slowly wean you off of the drug you are taking. A well-known example of this is those trying to overcome heroin addiction. Such addicts are often given methadone, a synthetic version of the drug and one that is much less addictive. Once their body adjusts to the methadone, it is much easier to wean them off of it than it is to stop using heroin.

Outpatient rehab usually involves working with a medical professional or counselor through appointments. A person with a drug or alcohol problem may have daily or weekly sessions depending on the extent of their addiction and their overall mental and physical well-being. Necessary medications may be dispensed at these meetings. Outpatient therapy usually works well for people who are in decent health mentally and physically and who have a good support system.

Inpatient drug rehab obviously is more intense than outpatient rehab. It usually is reserved for people who are in poor health or who have mental issues that make them a danger to themselves or others, something that usually is present in about 15-20% of all drug abuse cases. Many people check into inpatient rehab of their own accord and can leave whenever they want. Others may be committed there by a mental health professional and are not allowed to leave. Most inpatient rehab is private rehab, although there are some public hospitals that offer such services. In an inpatient drug rehab center, people usually undergo daily counseling sessions and may have their entire days, including meals, planned out for them to help them find a routine and overcome the urge to use drugs.

Inpatient rehab centers usually are more expensive than outpatient ones, but they usually are more successful at producing lasting elimination of drug addictions. Before choosing one or the other drug rehab process, you should talk with your family and medical professionals to make the right decision.