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Bariatric wheelchair Bariatric wheelchairs Comfortable wheelchairs for the elderly

How Medical Products Can Increase Hospital Patients Comfort

Geri chairs for elderly

There are a lot of products that are necessary in the medical type of setting. Hospitals and nursing homes must provide their patients with beds that are adjustable and comfortable, easy to access restrooms with handicapped accessible washrooms and even easy to use wheelchairs for transportation around the facilities. A hospital or nursing home would not function as smoothly if they did not have these types of products available to their patients. This could hinder their health and their physical improvement during their hospital stay. These products need to be of high quality and extremely durable, ensuring that that are used safely and correctly.

Wheelchairs are probably one of the most needed transportation devices. In fact, 56,672,000 individuals, about 18.7% of civilians living in the community, reported at least one disabling condition in 2010. Those with chronic conditions or disabilities require the assistance of a geri wheelchair to get around. Without the use of a wheelchair, they would not be able to independently transport themselves around communities or campuses. Wheelchairs are common in both the hospital and the nursing home type setting. Pedal wheelchairs are available for those patients who are still able to pedal themselves around with either the use of their arms or their legs.

Wheelchair use also allows those with disabilities to live normal lives, such as working. Many jobs are handicapped capable, allowing them to live a normal working life. Despite the lack of opportunity for disable candidates, more than three quarters of the employers surveyed by BMO in 2012 said that after recruiting disabled workers, the hires either met their expectations (62%) or exceeded them (15%), further proving that wheelchairs can help the disabled find employment. A geri chair can provide them with high quality seating, while still doing the roles of their job.

The use of products such as wheelchairs and a shower commode chair are only going to increase as people get older. For the first time ever, there are now more people in Canada age 65 and over than there are under age 15, according to Statistics Canada. This age difference results in a higher number of people with disabilities and requiring the use of wheelchairs and a shower commode chair.

Although some people may have certain disabilities and chronic pain conditions, they may not require the use of a wheelchair. They may simply need assistance with everyday activities, such as showering and bathing. Those who are able to still walk may find that standing in a shower for an extended period of time can be a struggle. A shower commode chair or a bariatric chair can help them preform these daily duties, without requiring additional assistance. The chair gives them a place to sit if they need to, or if they need a break during their shower. Products such as the shower commode chair allow seniors and those with disability concerns to remain in the comfort of their own homes. They can also make nursing home and hospital employee?s jobs easier, by providing them with assistance when working with the elderly or those with disabilities.

The average age of people in the country is getting older. People are living longer and they are being faced with more disabilities and chronic health conditions that prevent them from working and from doing everyday activities, such as showering. Fortunately, there are products available to make these activities easier, both for the patient and for the employees of hospitals and nursing homes. These products can make the patient more comfortable and feel more independent.

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Three Reasons Why You Should Choose Urgent Care

Summer health concerns: part 1

The chances are high that at some point in your life, you’ll have to seek emergency medical care — or at the very least, medical care you can’t or don’t want to wait around for. Nobody wants to admit it, but accidents happen. You could twist your ankle jogging, or perhaps get dehydrated during a bad bout with the flu. As much as you might avoid it, nobody can have perfect health at all times. It’s certainly better that you seek professional medical care if you’re at all questioning if it’s necessary. Once, it seemed that the best option for emergency medical care was, of course, the emergency room. But many people choose not to go to the emergency room even when they perhaps should, for a number of reasons. They end up staying home and risking getting worse, not knowing that there is a compromise. You can get quick medical care without going to the emergency room — and without sacrificing all of the time, money, and energy you’ll lose during an emergency room visit, as discussed below. Through advanced urgent care, you’ll get the necessary urgent medical care without the sacrifice. Here are a few of the reasons why advanced urgent care could be a better option for you than the emergency room.

1. Quality Care

Your chief reason for balking over seeking advanced urgent care over the emergency room may be a perceived difference in the quality of care. Many people believe that the emergency room is the only way to get fast, quality medical care, as emergency rooms are attached to hospitals and advanced urgent care centers often are not. Conversely, even when advanced urgent care centers are close to or even connected to hospitals, people aren’t aware of what makes an urgent care center an urgent care center. Urgent care centers provide quality medical care, and employ medical professionals, just as any other legitimate center providing medical care would. In fact, 50% of urgent care centers are owned by a physician or a group of physicians. They provide care that can be found in emergency rooms — for example, 70% of urgent care centers can provide intravenous fluids when needed, just like an emergency room. Urgent care providers can prescribe medication as well. At many urgent care centers, simple fractures can be set — 80% of urgent care centers provide fracture care in total. Certainly, sutures can be provided when necessary. If a case is too complicated for an urgent care center to handle, they won’t provide inferior care, but rather refer the patient in question to a hospital. Urgent care is not lesser care; it’s simply a different way of receiving quality care.

2. Shorter Wait Times

Many believe that emergency rooms are fast and hectic places, the way they’re portrayed on television. The reality is quite different. Unless your emergency is grave, you can end up waiting for care for hours. In comparison, the wait for attention at an urgent care center is much shorter. It’s estimated that about 60% of urgent care centers provide medical care from a physician or mid-level provider within 15 minutes, with 65% of urgent care centers having physicians on-site at all times. According the Urgent Care Association of America, 57% of patients wait 15 minutes or less to be seen, while 80% of urgent care center visits last 60 minutes or less.

3. Convenience

Perhaps the greatest point about urgent care centers is their overall convenience. For one thing, urgent care centers tend to provide more affordable care. Therefore, it is easier for people to gain access to that care when they need it. Another good point about urgent care is that it is often available at all hours. While emergency room care is accessible at most if not all hours, the wait time and high costs make it less than appealing to many people. Care a doctor’s office, on the other hand, is only available during normal business hours. Urgent care merges the best of both worlds, making the simplest experience.

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Central jersey radiology Diagnostic imaging Radiology

Everything You Need to Know About Having an MRI

Breast biopsy

“You need an MRI.” No-one likes to hear those words. For many patients the thought of an MRI can be extremely frightening; for those with claustrophobia, the idea is even more disturbing. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), however, while not necessarily pleasant, is not painful. Here is everything you need to know about having an MRI.

Every year, more than 30 million MRI scans are conducted and of those 22% (6.6 million) are head scans. An MRI scan typically lasts between half an hour and two hours and will require you to lie very still. An MRI scan essentially takes a series of pictures, each lasting about 15 minutes. There are generally two to six series of pictures per scan. Such scans can be used to create 3D images to be viewed at different angles.

Some radiology centers do have access to scanners that can cut down on the claustrophobia. These open scanners work in a way that is like a normal MRI machine, but the benefit is that it is open on three sides. This openness can reduce anxiety and help patients better cope with head scans.

In cases when a doctor needs images of a limb such as a knee, foot, arm, elbow or wrist, an extremity MRI may be used. An extremity MRI is a special scanner that is specifically designed to provide images of such limbs. Such an extremity MRI would be scheduled if a doctor feels a mass in a limb during an examination, sees something abnormal in an x-ray or bone, if there is redness, pain or swelling in a leg or of an ankle joint, or in a number of other circumstances.

MRI radiology centers will issue detailed instructions to anyone scheduled for an MRI, indicating the requirements for preparation. This means that you should not eat for two or more hours before the scan. There are no other special precautions necessary. If you are pregnant, especially if you are in the first trimester, in most cases an MRI scan will not be scheduled. If absolutely necessary, though, one can be performed.

While an MRI might not be procedure that anyone wants to have done, understanding what happens, how it works and what is required of you can help you through it; open MRI scanners can also play a significant role in reducing stress and helping claustrophobic patients cope.

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Affordable digital hearing aids Batteries for hearing aids Hearing aids

Five Signs You May Suffer from Hearing Damage

Hearing aid battery

Like many signs of aging, hearing loss can be so gradual that we may not realize it’s happening to us. Our bodies grow accustomed to the incremental loss of sensation and we lose perspective of the accumulative damage. Among Americans, 1 out of every 5 adults suffers from hearing loss, and for those over the age of 65, numbers increase to 1 in every 3 adults. While it can be difficult to notice the change, there are always clues.

Here are a few signs that it is time to seek out hearing loss treatment.

    You have trouble following conversations in large groups.
    Do you struggle to keep up with the table talk in busy restaurants or crowds? Do you find yourself tuning out of a conversation when too many people are talking or when the room has lots of background noise? Hearing aids may help you rejoin the conversation. In spaces with lots of background noise or competing voices to follow, someone with hearing loss can have trouble distinguishing between important sounds and plain old noise. Digital hearing aids and assisted listening devices can help sharpen sounds and weed out background comotion.

    You can’t always tell which direction sounds are coming from.
    Not only do our ears help us hear, they also help with balance and location perception. Hearing well from both ears helps us place where sounds are coming from. If you’ve found yourself looking to the right when you hear a siren, but the ambulance drives up on your left, you may be suffering from hearing loss. People who have hearing damage in one ear will mistakenly assume that all sounds are approaching on their more perceptive side. Hearing aids and custom hearing protection can help restore normal perception.

    Your friends and family complain about the TV and radio.
    You think the volume is just right, but your fellow watchers ask you to turn it down. This one may seem obvious, but it even happens to people who have sought treatment for hearing damage. Hearing aid batteries begin to wear out, and often times we turn the dial up instead of checking our hearing aids. If you’re straining to hear when others are happily listening, it might be time to get your hearing checked.

    You have trouble understand young children.
    It’s true that sometimes children have trouble annunciating their words, and occasionally their parents are the only ones who can distinguish the child’s meaning. That being said, hearing loss can make it especially difficult to hear the high-pitched voices of young children. Their words may sound muffled and distant, but if you’re struggling to understand more than other adults, it may be a hearing issue.

    You frequently suffer from a ringing in your ear.
    Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, affects 50 million Americans. The noise can come and go, but when you hear it, it’s annoying and distracting. A tinnitus hearing test can help determine if the ringing is an internal auditory issue and can be resolved. Tinnitus can be linked to other health or hearing issues and a professional audiologist can help discuss all the options and possible solutions. Even sporadic ringing in the ears can be a big annoyance and it’s unnecessary to suffer through without a solution.

Any of these signs may be a tip that it’s time to check your hearing. Though hearing loss is a common and easily preventable health issue, many people avoid seeking help. On average, people with hearing damage will wait seven years before they pursue relief.

Hearing loss can be isolating and frustrating, both for those who are hard of hearing and the friends and loved ones trying to communicate with them. Assistive listening devices and hearing aids can make a big difference. Modern advances help audiologist fine tune hearing aids to suit the specific concerns of each patient. It never hurts to have your hearing checked.

Have you noticed these signs in yourself or a loved one? What other clues have helped you recognize hearing damage? Tell us about what made you seek help and the solutions that have given you relief.

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Physical therapy equipment Walk Walk in clinic bellevue

How to Heal Yourself and Avoid Having to Go to a Walk in Health Clinic

Walk in clinic kirkland

When you’re feeling a bit under the weather in terms of your health and overall well being, what’s the first thing that you do? Do try to listen to your body’s needs in the form of symptoms or do you seek to dull the pain with over the counter medication? Do you slow down and rest or do you plow through and hope whatever it is goes away as soon as possible? Do you reach for a pill bottle or do you increase your intake of water? Do you seek medical help in the form of a doctor or another medical professional or do you walk into the produce section of your local grocery store to find foods that will naturally boost your immunity?

Whether it’s emergency care for a true medical emergency, a sexual health check up at a walk in health clinic, or consulting with a pharmacy, people should always, always, always, seek professional medical treatment for any ailments or conditions they’re suffering from that gives cause for concern. This decision, especially when made early, can help to get the healing process started sooner so the road to recovery is shorter! And as the case for most if not all medical conditions, the sooner a condition is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis. Keep in mind that many seemingly harmless symptoms are actually clues to a hidden chronic illness. Early detection is key to keeping illness at bay!

But many people don’t realize they have the power to heal themselves too, and that you don’t always have to get a prescription from a doctor at a walk in clinic in order to get better. First and foremost, it’s important to realize how truly amazing the human body is as an organism. It’s the perfect example of a well oiled machine, and with it’s ability to constantly renew itself in cycles, it has the capacity to heal itself of many common ailments with little to no effort.

For example, listening to your body and getting in touch with your intuition is one of the best ways to avoid having to go to a walk in clinic every time you’re sick. You might even be able to prevent getting sick altogether! Just take a look at the common cold, or its even sicker cousin the flu. As impolite and inconvenient as these illnesses are, they very rarely just walk in and punch you in the face. Rather, it’s more like a steady build of symptoms that worsen over time.

You may begin to feel lethargic or start lacking energy. Your appetite may begin to change. You may feel more irritable or sensitive than normal. Your may have a slight, dull headache, mild fever, trouble sleeping, and dull body aches. Then of course, there’s always the classics — sneezing and coughing. But the point is to begin treating the root of these symptoms by boosting the body’s immunity right away with the help of natural and organic produce.

Instead of ignoring symptoms, think of it as a way of giving your body a head start in healing by addressing them right away. Your body is trying to communicate with you, so listen to what it’s saying! If you’re feeling lethargic, it’s time to change up your routine. Slow down and rest, and begin increase your water and fluid intake immediately! Dehydration is a major contributing factor in many illnesses, such as the common cold and the flu, and stay hydrated helps the body heal on it’s own.

One of the most important things to realize about healing yourself is that food is medicine. You are are what you eat, and if you’re eating large amounts of sick, factory farmed animals, high levels of unhealthy fats, empty carbs, artificial sugars, and processed foods, you’re going to feel worse than all of those things! On the other hand, eating lean proteins, a plant based diet with plenty of fruits, and regular exercise can dramatically improve the way a body heals. People that eat this way also have more energy.

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Used medical equipment for sale Veterinary crash cart Veterinary equipment

How Used Medical Equipment Can Change Veterinarians’ Prospects

Autoclave for vets

Undoubtedly, veterinarians are a key part of life for many Americans. In 2013 alone, veterinary care accounted for $14.37 billion dollars spent on pet care. However, that doesn’t mean that vets are getting rich off of what they do. Far from it, in fact. Many veterinarians in this day and age are finding it difficult to stay afloat. This isn’t because pet owners are taking poor care of their animals. Nor is it because they can’t afford the services offered by veterinarians. In fact, sometimes the opposite is the issue. Veterinarians are not in this for the money, but rather for the love of animals. Nor are they monitored by the same oversight that doctors who treat humans experience. That is, when it comes to paying for human medical bills, insurance companies are often involved. This can result in a kind of regulation of fees in human medicine. Veterinarians do not have nearly as many patients with insurance; when pet owners do have pet insurance, it usually involves reimbursement, and doesn’t have to be “accepted” by the vet in the way human health insurance does. As such, vets perform medical services similar to those performed on humans for much less money, and out of the goodness of their hearts sometimes don’t make enough money to stay “in business”.

Why Do Vets Have Money Problems?

First of all, it’s important to stress that not all vets are experiencing cash flow problems! But it is something that many vets experience. It’s estimated that 62% of vets don’t use financial strategies to run their businesses, with many not using reviewing key metrics on a regular basis. Furthermore, vets come out of school with nearly as much debt as those who go to school to become “human doctors”. The American Veterinary Medical Association indicated that about 90% of vets left veterinary school with significant debt. So while combatting debt, veterinarians are at the same time dealing with high costs and the issue of charging fees to pet owners that are profitable but fair. Veterinarians aren’t always comfortable with the idea of turning away an animal because its owner can’t pay for its medical fees, and with good reason. Many vets experience financial problems simply because they’re trying to do the right thing. Yet doing the right thing doesn’t mean that things like veterinary equipment cost any less — at least, not when they’re brand new.

Used Medical Equipment Sales: An Option For Vets?

Some vets will immediately balk at the idea of used medical equipment sales — but they shouldn’t. For one thing, used medical equipment sales offer a variety of different types of medical equipment. A veterinarian wouldn’t have to buy all of their equipment used; simply the types they are comfortable with. Even that could save a significant amount of money. A used veterinary exam table is obviously not a product used for invasive purposes, but nonetheless is necessary and important. Through used medical equipment sales, a veterinarian can get his or her hands on equipment like this for a fraction of what a brand new piece would cost. This allows the vet to save money without hiking up their fees to a ridiculous degree. Thus, the same level of quality care can be provided to all patients. Furthermore, used medical equipment doesn’t necessarily have to show signs of wear and tear. Often the used equipment sold by such dealers is refurbished. As such there is no aesthetic sign of use, and certainly the equipment remains high quality and capable of excellent performance.

Veterinarians shouldn’t have to worry about their livelihoods. Nor should they have to leave patients uncared-for due to rising costs. Buying used and refurbished medical equipment is one way to cut costs without cutting quality care.

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How to control excessive sweating Iontophoresis devices Treatments for hyperhidrosis

How Much Sweat Is too Much Sweat? Identifying and Treating Hyperhidrosis

Iontophoresis

Sweating is a normal part of life, and in most cases can even be good for you! It can help cool you down, as well as rid your body of dirt and toxins. Although sweating in moderation can be good for your body, excessive sweating is not. Unfortunately, excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, affects about 3% of the total population, and it can be a source of physical and emotional discomfort.

What causes hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, occurs when the sweat glands are over-active. There are two major types of hyperhidrosis, primary and secondary, and the causes for each vary. With primary hyperhidrosis, the causes are less well understood. Professionals used to think it was a result of mental and emotional state, but recent studies have proven that patients who suffer from primary hyperhidrosis have increased feelings of anxiety and uneasiness because of their disorder. Secondary hyperhidrosis, on the other hand, can be a result of a number of different related disorders or physical traumas, such as pregnancy, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism.

How can you stop hyperhidrosis?

Right now, there is no known cure for hyperhidrosis. Although anywhere from 30% to 50% of the population knows someone with an excessive sweating problem, there simply isn’t enough research to have a cure for this disorder just yet.

Is there any treatment for hyperhidrosis?

Although modern medicine may not be able to stop hyperhidrosis, it can be treated! A treatment called iontophoresis was introduced to the medical community almost 50 years ago as a solution to help people suffering from hyperhidrosis. This treatment involves placing the hands, feet, or any other part of the body into a shallow pool of water, into which a gentle electrical current is charged. This process lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, and must be performed regularly to take effect and shut down the sweat glands temporarily.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from excessive sweating, don’t lose hope! Although science can’t cure excessive sweating yet, it can be controlled. There’s no longer any need to hide your body away. With treatments like iontophoresis, anything is possible.

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How to Find a Medical Marijuana Doctor

How to find a family doctor

If you are considering seeing medical marijuana doctors in order to get a prescription for pain management, then there are a few things that you should keep in mind before finding medical marijuana doctors. In order to find a doctor, you can start your search in several different areas. Once you do find one, you’ll need to make sure they are accepting new patients in to the legal medical marijuana programs. Not all local medical marijuana doctors are accepting at this point so before you try to go to one of the walk in clinics, make sure this is not the case. Here are some tips to help you find medical marijuana doctors in your area.

Get a Referral
The best way to make sure that you are getting in with a reputable medical marijuana doctor is to get a recommendation for your regular family doctor. Doctors communicate with each other and if you are referred by another doctor then the chances of being seen are much more likely. That is a medical referral but you could also be referred to a medical marijuana doctor by a friend who already goes there. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising as every business owner understands. As long as the doctor is accepting new patients, if he already has a friend or family member of yours as a patient, you will likely get the VIP treatment as will your referral.

Use the Internet
If you don’t know of anyone that is seeing a medical marijuana doctor then there are a lot of websites online that will give you information to doctors in your area. It’s hard to tell whether the doctors on some of these sites are trustworthy and appropriate but doing research can tell you a lot about a facility. Check out their reputation and reviews before scheduling an appointment. Many clinics will offer a free consultation before actually giving out any prescriptions which would be a good idea for both you and the doctor to get to know each other. Remember, as skeptical as you may be of certain marijuana doctors, that same doctor probably sees several patients a day that are just trying to play the system to get weed. You will have to show him that is not you.

Think Beyond Tradition
Medical marijuana is still a controversial issues in the medical field because of the side affects smoking can have. If your regular physician is not comfortable signing your medical marijuana forms or giving you a referral, you may need to find an alternative office. Natural care, holistic and wellness center are all places that will probably be able to sign the papers for you. These centers are more likely to focus on natural remedies and treatments rather than surgery and medication like a regular doctor’s office.

Build a Reputation
If you have no patient history or diagnosis that shows why you are eligible for a medical marijuana card, you will need to build a firm reputation and even relationship with your doctor before asking about cannabis. Be willing to try other treatments before discussing marijuana as an option. Again, you don’t want the doctor to think that you are just in it for the high. There needs to be a solid foundation and history of tried and failed methods.

Don’t Give Up
It may take awhile to find a trustworthy medical marijuana doctor that will help you out but don’t give up the search. There are not a lot of licensed doctors but you will eventually be able to find one in your area if you take the time to research and look. You may even get shot down by a few before finding someone who will help you and evaluate you and see how imperative your need for a medical marijuana card is.

There are many clinical trials and research going on right now looking into the pros and cons of medical marijuana. Every day new evidence is showing up and little by little doctors are starting to understand the therapeutic benefits to this alternative therapy. It may just take a little time for them to see why its use is so important to you. Helpful research also found here.