Physical Health
The human
body is an incredible
complex machine.
Don't ever take
your body for granted. Everyone must fully understand the
responsibilities of
maintaining a
strong and
healthy body.
Learn to ask questions.
Examinations -
First Aid -
Healing -
Vitals -
Baseline
-
Sensors -
Doctors
Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Prevention is to
stop something
bad from happening or
arising by
taking the necessary
actions and
preparations. Doing
preventive maintenance to minimize
problems and
failures.
Healthy Eating -
Exercise -
Avoiding Toxins -
Body Burden -
Diagnosis
-
Lab Work -
ErrorsPrecautions are
measured actions that are
taken in advance to
protect oneself from impending
danger,
damage or
injury.
Having good
judgment and
evaluations in avoiding
harm,
illness or
danger. (safeguards,
preventives, protections, cautions, fail-safes, screens, shields, guards,
calculation, care, carefulness, chariness, gingerliness, wariness).
Cautious is being
alert and
aware of possible
dangers or
harm. To be on guard and to
put up
a defense. Showing careful forethought by
planning for possible
risks or
errors.
Preventive Medicine consists of
measures taken for
disease prevention, as opposed to
just disease
treatment.
Prevention relies on
anticipatory actions that can be categorized as primal, primary,
secondary, and
tertiary prevention. Prevention requires
social learning and
public service assistance so that people
can be given the tools and
resources that are needed to help people
self manage the
responsibilities of their physical and
mental health.
Cigarettes
alone causes
5 Billion Dollars in Heath Care Treatments from diseases
caused by smoking.
What is the cost of doing
nothing?
Preventive
Healthcare consists of measures taken for
disease prevention, as
opposed to just disease treatment. What do you need to be healthy? Learn
what being healthy is.
Pain -
Physical Therapy -
Posture
-
StrengthGroundwork
is the
work that must
be done in
preparation for
something that will happen later.
Ground School
is a series of courses and lectures designed to give the student the
aeronautical knowledge to safely fly an airplane.
Know Thyself -
Self Smart -
Holistic -
Do No Harm -
Duty of Care -
Insurance -
Self Defense -
Heal -
Deter -
Risk
Assessment -
Examination -
Chain
Reactions
Prevention
Science is the application of a
scientific methodology that seeks to
prevent or moderate major
human dysfunctions before they occur.
Prevention through Design is the
concept of mitigating
occupational
hazards by
designing them out.
Prophylactic is any device or mechanism
intended to
prevent harmful consequences. A medicine which preserves or
defends against disease. Serving to prevent or
protect against an
undesired effect, especially
disease.
Condom (safe sex).
Personalized
Medicine -
Personalized
Nutrition -
Evidence Based Medicine
-
Universal
Healthcare -
Intervention
-
Hospitals -
Number Needed
to Educate -
Assurance -
Insurance
Prevention is better than a Cure because it's better and easier to
stop a problem or illness from happening than it is to
stop it
or
correct it
after it has started. Treatment without prevention is simply
unsustainable.
It's Cheaper to Prevent Diseases
than it is to Treat Diseases. Don't just
treat the
symptoms, you
need to treat the whole
system
and find the
root of the problem.
But try to explain that to people who
profit from treating diseases instead of curing them.
Important
services need to be public, not
privatized
corporate monopolies who care about money more than people.
"There's a lot of money to be made from not curing diseases." "It's far
more profitable to provide a lifetime of treatments than a cure." More
money has been poured into treating diseases than actually curing them,
because
greedy scumbag corporations generate
trillions in profit. These scumbags care more about money than people.
It's like having the devil work in public service. Pure evil.
Telemedicine -
Sensors -
Mental Sickness
-
Lethargic -
Fatigue -
Body Temp
Knowledge is the Best Medicine. Knowledge
has the power to
heal. The
fountain of youth is
knowledge. A
High Quality
education is
the best
insurance against illness.
Let
food be thy medicine
and let
information be thy prevention.
Caduceus (☤) is the traditional
symbol of
Hermes
and features two snakes winding around an often winged staff. It is often
mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine instead of the
Rod of Asclepius. Asclepius was the god of medicine and
healing, especially in the United States. The snake
was believed to be able to cure a patient or a wounded person just by
touch. The snake is also connected with pharmacology and antisepsis, as
snakes possess an antivenom against their own poison. The two-snake
caduceus design has ancient and consistent associations with trade,
eloquence, negotiation, alchemy, wisdom, and controversially, thievery,
lying, and the passage to the underworld. In Greek religion and mythology,
Hermes was a god of transitions and boundaries. He was protector and
patron of travelers, herdsmen, invention, and trade. In the Roman
adaptation of the Greek pantheon, Hermes was identified with the Roman god
Mercury, who developed many similar characteristics, such as being the
patron of commerce. The Caduceus symbol alluded directly to the myth of
Hermes, who saw two snakes fighting and touched them with his rod so that
the two animals would stop fighting. Of course, peace is necessary for
trade to flourish. The modern use of the caduceus as a symbol of medicine
became established in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th
century as a result of documented mistakes, misunderstandings, and
confusion.
Medicine is the
science and the
practice of
the
diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of
disease.
Medicine is also something that
treats or
prevents or
alleviates the
symptoms of disease, like a
tonic.
Natural -
Holistic.
Physical Health Education
Health Education is a profession of educating people about
health. Areas within this profession encompass
environmental health,
physical health,
social health,
emotional health,
intellectual health, and
spiritual health, as well as
sexual and
reproductive health education.
Food and Nutrition -
Health Assessment
-
Disease Burden
Physical Education is an educational course related to maintaining the
human body through
physical
exercises (i.e. calisthenics). It is taken during primary and
secondary education and encourages psychomotor learning in a play or
movement exploration setting to promote health. (also known as Phys Ed or
PE).
Exercise Prescription refers to the specific plan of
fitness-related activities that
are designed for a specified purpose, which is often developed by a
fitness or
rehabilitation specialist for the client or patient. Due to the
specific and unique needs and interests of the client/patient, the goal of
exercise prescription should be focused on motivation and customization,
thus making achieving goals more likely to become successful.
Fatigue
-
Sitting too Much -
Posture -
Physical Therapy -
Medical
Procedure
Physical Fitness
is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to
perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical
fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition,
moderate-vigorous physical exercise,
and sufficient rest. Before the industrial revolution, fitness was defined
as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue.
However, with automation and changes in lifestyles physical fitness is now
considered a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and
effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist
hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations.
Fitness Testing.
Health is
feeling good and
strong in
the
body and
mind, and being free from
disease or
pain.
Health is the level of
functional and metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans it is
the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and
self-manage when
facing physical, mental, psychological and
social changes with
environment. A state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity
or
weakness. Health is defined as
homeostasis of the cellular ecology, and a
state where there has not been an inordinate loss, reversible or
irreversible, of the structural and/or functional reserves of the body.
Body Burden -
Health Assessment -
Wellness -
Healthcare Info -
Healing
Right to Health is the universal minimum standard of health to which
all individuals are entitled. The concept of a right to health has been
enumerated in international agreements which include the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. There is debate on the interpretation and application of the
right to health due to considerations such as how health is defined, what
minimum entitlements are encompassed in a right to health, and which
institutions are responsible for ensuring a right to health.
Public Health is the
science and
art of preventing disease, prolonging
life and promoting human health through organized efforts and
informed choices of society, organizations,
public and private, communities and individuals, epidemiology,
biostatistics and health services are all relevant. Environmental health,
community health, behavioral health, health economics, public policy,
mental health and occupational safety, gender issues in health, sexual and
reproductive health are other important subfields.
Department of Health and Human Services -
History of Healthy People.
Population Health has been defined as "the
health outcomes of a group
of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the
group". It is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of an
entire
human population.
Adolescent Health or
youth health, is the range of approaches to
preventing, detecting or treating young people’s health and well being.
The term adolescent and young people are often used interchangeably, as
are the terms Adolescent Health and Youth Health. Young people's health is
often complex and requires a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach.
Health Geography
is the application of
geographical
information, perspectives, and methods to the study of health,
disease, and health care.
Health Sciences are those
sciences
which
focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject
matter. Because these two subject matter relate to
multiple academic disciplines, both
STEM disciplines as well as emerging
patient safety
disciplines (such as
social care research)
are relevant to current health scientific knowledge. Health sciences
knowledge bases are currently diverse, with intellectual foundations which
are sometimes mutually-inconsistent. There is currently an existing
bias in the field, towards high
valuation of knowledge deriving from controlling views on human agency (as
epitomized by the epistemological basis of
Randomized Control Trial designs);
compare this against the more naturalistic views on human agency taken by
research based on
Ethnography for
example).
Patient Education is the process by which health professionals and
others impart information to patients and their caregivers that will alter
their
health behaviors or improve their health status. The value of
patient education can be summarized as follows: Improved understanding
of medical condition, diagnosis, disease, or disability. Improved
understanding of methods and means to manage multiple aspects of medical
condition. Improved self-advocacy in deciding to act both independently
from medical providers and in interdependence with them. Increased
Compliance – Effective communication and patient education increases
patient motivation to comply. Patient Outcomes – Patients more likely to
respond well to their treatment plan – fewer complications.
Informed Consent – Patients
feel you've provided the information they need. Utilization – More
effective use of medical services – fewer unnecessary phone calls and
visits. Satisfaction and referrals – Patients more likely to stay with
your practice and refer other patients.
Risk Management – Lower
risk of malpractice when patients have realistic expectations. The
competencies of a health educator include the following: Incorporate a
personal ethic in regards to social responsibilities and services towards
others. Provide accurate, competent, and evidence-based care. Practice
preventative health care. Focus on relationship-centered care with
individuals and their families. Incorporate the multiple determinants of
health when providing care. Be culturally sensitive and be open to a
diverse society. Use technology appropriately and effectively. Be current
in the field and continue to advance education.
Food and Nutrition.
Peer Education is an approach to health promotion, in which
community
members are supported to promote health-enhancing change among their
peers. Peer education is the
teaching
or sharing of health information, values and behavior in educating others
who may share similar social backgrounds or life experiences. Rather than
health professionals
educating members of the public, the idea behind peer
education is that ordinary lay people are in the best position to
encourage healthy
behavior to each other.
Peer Mentoring (social learning)
Health Communication is the study and practice of
communicating promotional health
information, such as in public health campaigns, health education, and
between doctor and patient. The purpose of disseminating health
information is to influence personal health choices by improving health
literacy. Because effective health communication must be tailored for the
audience and the situation, research into health communication seeks to
refine
communication
strategies to inform people about ways to enhance health or to avoid
specific health risks. Academically, health communication is a discipline
within communication studies. Health communication may variously seek to:
Increase audience knowledge and awareness of a health issue. Influence
behaviors and attitudes towards a health issue. Demonstrate healthy
practices. Demonstrate the benefits of behavior changes to public health
outcomes. Advocate a position on a health issue or policy. Increase demand
or support for health services. Argue against misconceptions about health.
Health Literacy
is the ability to obtain, read, understand and use healthcare information
to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for
treatment. There are multiple definitions of health literacy, in part,
because health literacy involves both the context (or setting) in which
health literacy demands are made (e.g., health care, media, internet or
fitness facility) and the skills that people bring to that situation
(Rudd, Moeykens, & Colton, 1999). Studies reveal that only 12 percent of
the adults in the U.S. have proficient health literacy. This means 77
million adults have basic or below basic health literacy. These
individuals have difficulty with common health tasks including reading the
label of a prescribed drug. Low health literacy reduces the success of
treatment and increases the risk of medical error. Health literacy is
essential to promote healthy individuals and communities.
Self-Regulation Theory
is a system of
conscious personal management that involves the process of
guiding one's own thoughts, behaviors, and feelings to reach goals.
Self-regulation consists of several stages, and individuals must function
as contributors to their own motivation, behavior, and development within
a network of reciprocally interacting influences.
Adherence in medicine describes the degree to which a patient
correctly follows medical advice. Most commonly, it refers to medication
or drug compliance, but it can also apply to other situations such as
medical device use, self care, self-directed exercises, or therapy
sessions. Both patient and health-care provider affect compliance, and a
positive physician-patient relationship is the most important factor in
improving compliance, The cost of prescription medication also plays a
major role.
Health Action Process Approach refers to a replacement of
health-compromising behaviors (such as sedentary behavior) by
health-enhancing behaviors (such as physical exercise). To describe,
predict, and explain such processes, theories or models are being
developed. Health behavioural change theories are designed to examine a
set of psychological constructs that jointly aim at explaining what
motivates people to change and how they take preventive action.
Theory of Planned Behavior states that attitude toward behavior,
subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, together shape an
individual's behavioral intentions and behaviors.
Health Belief Model developed to explain and predict health-related
behaviors, particularly in regard to the uptake of health services. The
health belief model suggests that people's beliefs about health problems,
perceived benefits of action and barriers to action, and self-efficacy
explain engagement (or lack of engagement) in health-promoting behavior. A
stimulus, or cue to action, must also be present in order to trigger the
health-promoting behavior.
Health Psychology is the study of psychological and behavioral
processes in health, illness, and healthcare. It is concerned with
understanding how
psychological,
behavioral, and
cultural factors contribute to
physical health and illness. Psychological factors can affect health
directly. By understanding psychological factors that influence health,
and constructively applying that knowledge, health psychologists can
improve health by working directly with individual patients or indirectly
in large-scale public health programs. For example, chronically occurring
environmental stressors affecting the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis,
cumulatively, can harm health. Behavioral factors can also affect a
person's health. For example, certain
behaviors can, over time, harm (smoking or consuming excessive amounts
of alcohol) or enhance health (engaging in
exercise). Health psychologists
take a biopsychosocial approach. In other words, health psychologists
understand health to be the product not only of biological processes
(e.g., a virus, tumor, etc.) but also of psychological (e.g., thoughts and
beliefs), behavioral (e.g., habits), and social processes (e.g.,
socioeconomic status and ethnicity).
By understanding psychological factors that influence health, and
constructively applying that knowledge,
health psychologists can improve health by working directly with
individual patients or indirectly in large-scale public health programs.
In addition, health psychologists can help train other healthcare
professionals (e.g., physicians and nurses) to take advantage of the
knowledge the discipline has generated, when treating patients. Health
psychologists work in a variety of settings: alongside other medical
professionals in hospitals and clinics, in public health departments
working on large-scale behavior change and health promotion programs, and
in universities and medical schools where they teach and conduct research.
Physiological Homeostasis is the
tendency of the body to
maintain critical physiological parameters (e.g.,
blood glucose level,
blood salinity,
blood pressure, core
body
temperature) of its internal environment within specific
ranges of values.
Social and Behavior Change Communication is to develop communication
strategies to promote positive behaviors which are appropriate to their
settings and there by solve world's most pressing health problems. This in
turn provides a supportive environment which will enable people to
initiate, sustain and maintain positive and desirable behavior outcomes.
Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine is changing the way doctors treat
chronic
diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer. By
putting
prevention over pills, doctors are empowering their patients to take
control of their own health because not all doctors can be trusted.
Unnecessary Treatments -
Fraud.
Compassion makes Doctors better at their jobs.
When health care providers take the time to make human connections that
help end suffering, patient outcomes improve and medical costs decrease.
Among other benefits,
compassion reduces pain, improves healing, lowers blood pressure and
helps alleviate depression and anxiety. Overworked Doctors can decrease
compassion and
increase mistakes.
Transtheoretical Model assesses an individual's
readiness to act on a
new healthier behavior, and provides strategies, or
processes of change to guide the individual through the stages of change
to Action and Maintenance. It is composed of the following constructs:
stages of change, processes of change, self-efficacy, decisional balance
and temptations.
Behavior
Modification.
Sadly,
too many
people do not participate in maintaining their health or take
responsibility for their health, mostly because of their own stubborn
neglect. They refuse to take advice from doctors and refuse to take advice
from other people who are trying to help them. They also refuse to try to
make changes that would have positive benefits to their health and to
their well being. They prefer to suffer from their own ignorance instead
of doing what is right or what is needed. Some people would rather come up
with stupid idioms that say very little than try to explain their
illogical reasoning. Too many people don't like to learn or listen, but
for some strange reason, people will listen to bad advice without ever
doing any research or verifying the information. People don't learn and
listen when they should, but for some strange reason, they will listen to
the wrong things and learn the wrong things when they shouldn't. This is
some crazy sh*t.
Education
needs to improve and so does the
Media.
Salutogenesis describes an approach focusing on
factors that
support human health and
well-being, rather than on factors that cause
disease (
pathogenesis).
Human Physiology is the entire structure of a human
being and comprises a head, neck, trunk (which includes the thorax and
abdomen), arms and hands, legs and feet. Every part of the
body is composed of various types of cells, the fundamental unit of life.
Healing - Recovery - Treatment
Healing
is the
process of the
restoration of
health from an
unbalanced,
diseased or
damaged organism. Healing involves the
repair of
living tissue, organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption
of normal functioning. It is the process by which the cells in the body
regenerate and
repair to reduce the size of a
damaged or necrotic area and
replace it with new living tissue.
First Aid -
Rescue -
Assistance -
Humanistic
Cure is the end of a
medical condition that helps
end a person's sufferings. It may also refer
to the state of
being healed, or cured or
make healthy again.
Incurable is someone who is not able to be
cured.
Mental Sickness
-
Disorder -
WithdrawalTreatment
is
care provided to
improve a situation, especially
medical procedures or
applications that are intended to relieve
illness or
injury. The
management of someone or something. An extended
communication (often
interactive).
Standard
Treatment is the medical treatment that is normally provided to people
with a given condition. In many scientific studies, the control group
receives the standard treatment rather than a placebo while a treatment
group receives the experimental treatment. After the clinical trial,
researchers compare the outcomes of the two groups to see if the
experimental treatment is better than, as good as or not as beneficial as
the standard treatment.
Therapeutic is something that is intended
to cure or
restore someone to good
health. A medicine or
therapy
that cures disease or relieves
pain.
Remedy is a
therapy that cures a disease or
relieves pain. The
act of
correcting an
error or a fault to set straight or
right.
Relief is the feeling that comes when
something burdensome is removed or reduced. A change for the better. The
act of reducing something unpleasant. Assistance in time of difficulty. A
pause for relaxation. When someone who takes the place of another.
Physical Therapy -
Functionality -
Homeostasis Recover is to get over an illness or shock. To get something back
so it can be used again.
Recovery is to
return to an original state. Gradual healing
through rest after a sickness or injury. The act of regaining or
saving
something lost or in danger of becoming lost. A slow recovery will
always be better than no recovery at all.
Long Road to Recovery is the process of becoming healthy again
after an illness or injury. The act or process of returning to a normal
state after a period of difficulty. The return of something that has been
lost or stolen.
Recovery Approach
- Nurse you back to health is to Educate the Mind.
Placebos.
Remission is either the reduction or disappearance of the signs and
symptoms of a disease. The term may also be used to refer to the period
during which this reduction occurs. A remission may be considered a
partial remission or a complete remission.
Bounce Back is to become
healthy again
after
being ill or from having difficulties. To recover quickly from
sickness or a setback. To return quickly to a normal condition after a
difficult situation or
event. To
overcome
and
rebound or to
recuperate and
gain strength. To return to a
previous level of success, enthusiasm, or activity.
Acute
Care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives
active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness,
an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical
terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care,
or longer term care.
Medical Case Management is a
collaborative process that
facilitates recommended
treatment plans to
assure the appropriate medical care is provided to disabled, ill or
injured individuals. It is a role frequently overseen by patient
advocates.
Respite
is a temporary relief from harm or discomfort. The act of reprieving or
postponing or holding back punishment. A pause for relaxation.
Quality of Life -
Comfort -
Care -
Palliative Care -
Elderly Care
Health is the state of being free of
physical or psychological
disease, illness, or
malfunction. The general condition of body and mind. Healthy is having
good health in
body and
mind. Being
strong and
not
weak, and having a stable
baseline.
Health
Care is the
maintenance or
improvement of health via the
prevention,
diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or cure of
disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in
people. Health care is delivered by health professionals in allied health
fields. Physicians and physician associates are a part of these health
professionals. Dentistry, pharmacy, midwifery, nursing, medicine,
optometry, audiology, psychology, occupational therapy, physical therapy,
athletic training and other health professions are all part of health
care. It includes work done in providing primary care, secondary care, and
tertiary care, as well as in public health.
Disease Burden.
Preservation is the activity of
protecting something from loss or danger. An occurrence of improvement by
virtue of preventing loss, injury or other change. The condition of being.
Food Preserving.
Transitional Care refers to the coordination and continuity of health
care during a movement from one healthcare setting to either another or to
home, called care transition, between health care practitioners and
settings as their condition and care needs change during the course of a
chronic or acute illness. Older adults who suffer from a variety of health
conditions often need health care services in different settings to meet
their many needs. For young people the focus is on moving successfully
from child to adult health services.
Physical Therapy -
Messages -
Rehabilitate
Continuity of Health Care is to what degree the care is coherent and
linked, in turn depending on the quality of information flow,
interpersonal skills, and coordination of care.
Information Continuity is the process by which information relevant to
a patient's care is made available to both the patient and the provider at
the right place and the right time, to facilitate ongoing health care
management and continuity of care. It includes that information on prior
events is used to give care that is appropriate to the patient's current
circumstance. Continuity of personal relationships, recognizing that an
ongoing relationship between patients and providers is the undergirding
that connects care over time and bridges discontinuous events. Continuity
of clinical management. To avoid misinterpretation, the type of continuity
should be agreed to before any related discussions or planning begin.
Seamless care refers to an optimal situation where there is continuity in
the healthcare even in the presence of many transitions. Analysis of
medical errors usually reveals the presence of many gaps in health
continuity, yet only rarely do gaps produce accidents. Patient safety is
increased by understanding and reinforcing health care providers' normal ability to bridge gaps.
Therapeutic Nihilism is a contention that it is impossible to cure
people or societies of their ills through just
treatment.
In medicine, it was connected to the idea that
many "cures" can do more harm
than good, and that one should instead encourage the body to heal
itself. This of course would require people to be more
informed and to be
more educated, which is
the main problem to begin with.
Hospitals - Health Facilities
Hospital
is a health care institution providing patient
treatment with specialized
medical and nursing staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of
hospital is the
general hospital, which typically has an
emergency department to
treat urgent health problems ranging from fire and accident victims to a
sudden illness. A district hospital typically is the major health care
facility in its region, with many beds for intensive care and additional
beds for patients who need long-term care. Specialized hospitals include
trauma centers,
rehabilitation hospitals,
children's hospitals, seniors'
geriatric hospitals, and hospitals for dealing with specific medical
needs such as psychiatric treatment in a
psychiatric hospital and certain disease categories. Specialized
hospitals can help reduce health care costs compared to general hospitals.
Hospitals are classified as general, specialty, or government depending on
the sources of income received.
Compare Hospitals.
There are
100,000 ICU beds in America
and
790,000 ordinary beds across the
country.
Pandemics.
Teaching Hospital or university hospital is a hospital or medical
center that provides
medical education and training to future and current
health professionals and that is involved in medical research. Teaching
hospitals are often affiliated with medical schools and work closely with
medical students throughout their period of matriculation, and especially
during their clerkship (internship) years. In most cases, teaching
hospitals also offer Graduate Medical Education (GME)/ physician residency
programs, where medical school graduates train under a supervising
(attending) physician to assist with the coordination of care. In addition
to offering medical education to medical students and physician residents,
many teaching hospitals also serve as research institutes.
Clinic
is a
healthcare facility that is primarily focused on
the
care of outpatients. Clinics can be
privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover
the primary healthcare needs of populations in local communities, in
contrast to larger hospitals which offer specialized treatments and admit
inpatients for overnight stays. Most commonly, the English word clinic
refers to a general medical practice, run by one or more general
practitioners, but it can also mean a specialist clinic. Some clinics
retain the name "clinic" even while growing into institutions as large as
major hospitals or becoming associated with a hospital or medical school.
Health Facility is any location where healthcare is provided. Health
facilities range from small clinics and
doctor's offices to urgent care centers and large hospitals with
elaborate emergency rooms and trauma centers. The number and quality of
health facilities in a country or region is one common measure of that
area's prosperity and quality of life. In many countries, health
facilities are regulated to some extent by law; licensing by a regulatory
agency is often required before a facility may open for business. Health
facilities may be owned and operated by for-profit businesses, non-profit
organizations, governments, and in some cases by individuals, with
proportions varying by country. See also the recent review paper, which
provides a comprehensive classification of health facilities from the
location analysis perspective.
Ambulatory Care -
Out-Patient -
Telemedicine -
House CallsField Hospital
is a temporary hospital or
mobile medical unit that takes care of
casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent
facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital or
MASH), but it is inherited to be used in
civil situations such as disasters and major incidents. A field hospital
is a medical staff with a mobile medical kit and, often, a wide tent-like
shelter (at times an inflatable structure in modern usage) so that it can
be readily set up near the source of casualties. In an urban environment,
the field hospital is often established in an easily accessible and highly
visible building (such as a manor house, restaurant, school, and so on).
In the case of an airborne structure, the mobile medical kit is often
placed in a normalized container; the container itself is then used as
shelter. A field hospital is generally larger than a temporary aid station
but smaller than a permanent military hospital. International humanitarian
law, such as the Geneva Conventions, include prohibitions on attacking
doctors, ambulances, hospital ships, or field hospitals buildings
displaying a Red Cross, a Red Crescent or other emblem related to the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Mobile Hospital is a medical center or a
small hospital with full
medical equipment that can be moved and settled in a new place and
situation swiftly in order to provide medical services to patients or
wounded persons in critical conditions such as war or natural disasters.
In fact, a mobile hospital is a modular in that unit that every part of it
is on the wheel, so it can be moved to another place easily, although all
the required space and necessary equipment are considered so it can be
utilized in the minimum time. With mobile hospital, one can provide
medical services to wounded soldiers or patients near the war zone or any
other place before moving them to the permanent hospital. In the mobile
hospital, depending on the patient's situation and definitive treatment,
admitted to the hospital and after evaluating the condition sent to
another health center.
Clinics on Wheels are compliant clinical examination and treatment
rooms including general, OB-Gyn, X-ray, pediatric, ear nose and throat,
ophthalmic, dental and dialysis, as well as designs for mass casualty,
central sterile processing, administration and a fully functioning
operating suit with positive air and sterile corridor. Easy to Deploy:
Under 10,000 lbs. they are easy to move with pickup truck. Generate Power:
Redundant power removes the need to grid connection. Manufacture Water:
Storage, filtration and water from air technologies available. Connected:
Cellular and Satellite connectivity options ensure communications.
Shipping Container Clinic is a type of
shipping container architecture
using intermodal containers (shipping containers) as the structural
element of a medical clinic that can be easily deployed to remote regions
of the world. Shipping containers are ideal because of their inherent
strength, wide availability and relatively low cost. In addition, and most
relevant, shipping containers can be deployed anywhere in the world with
the clinic already assembled within the container. This means pop-up
clinics can be operational within days after deployment.
Hospital Ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating
medical
treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military
forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be
used in or near war zones. In the nineteenth century redundant warships
were used as moored hospitals for seamen. The Second Geneva Convention
prohibits military attacks on hospital ships, though belligerent forces do
have rights of inspection and may take injured enemy patients as prisoners
of war.
Hospital Train is a railway train with carriages equipped for the
provision of healthcare. Historically this has ranged from trains equipped
to transport wounded soldiers, with basic nursing and first aid facilities
on board, to fully equipped mobile medical centres, sometimes including
operating theatres and nursing wards.
Lifeline Express is the world's first Hospital Train, formally known
as Jeevan Rekha Express. It started running from July 1991. It covers the
country's remote areas, providing free treatment to people in need.
Presently, it is stationed at the Badarpur station in Assam serving
patients free of cost.
Aid
Station is a temporary facility (often a tent, table, or general rest
area) established to provide supplies to endurance event participants or
medical first aid and provisions during major events, disaster response
situations, or military operations. Aid stations may be divided into
sections where the station serves both medical and non-medical functions.
Ambulance is
a medically equipped vehicle which
transports patients to
treatment facilities,
such as hospitals. Typically,
out-of-hospital
medical care is provided to the patient during the transport.
Ambulances are used to respond to
medical emergencies by
emergency medical services
or EMS. For this purpose, they are generally equipped with flashing
warning lights and sirens. They can rapidly transport paramedics and other
first responders to the scene, carry equipment for administering emergency
care and transport patients to hospital or other definitive care. Most
ambulances use a design based on vans or pickup trucks. Others take the
form of motorcycles, buses, limousines, aircraft and boats. Generally,
vehicles count as an ambulance if they can transport patients. However, it
varies by jurisdiction as to whether a non-emergency patient transport
vehicle (also called an ambulette) is counted as an ambulance. These
vehicles are not usually (although there are exceptions) equipped with
life-support equipment, and are usually crewed by staff with fewer
qualifications than the crew of emergency ambulances. Conversely, EMS
agencies may also have emergency response vehicles that cannot transport
patients. These are known by names such as nontransporting EMS vehicles,
fly-cars or response vehicles. The term ambulance comes from the Latin
word "ambulare" as meaning "to walk or move about" which is a reference to
early medical care where patients were moved by lifting or wheeling. The
word originally meant a moving hospital, which follows an army in its
movements. Ambulances (Ambulancias in Spanish) were first used for
emergency transport in 1487 by the Spanish forces during the siege of
Málaga by the Catholic Monarchs against the Emirate of Granada. During the
American Civil War vehicles for conveying the wounded off the field of
battle were called ambulance wagons. Field hospitals were still called
ambulances during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and in the Serbo-Turkish
war of 1876 even though the wagons were first referred to as ambulances
about 1854 during the Crimean War.
Freedom House Ambulance Service was the first emergency medical
service in the United States to be staffed by paramedics with medical
training beyond basic first aid. Founded in 1967 to serve the
predominantly black Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the
majority of its staff were Black American. Freedom House Ambulance Service
broke medical ground by training its personnel to previously unheard-of
standards of emergency medical care for patients en route to hospitals.
The paramedic training and ambulance design standards pioneered in the
Freedom House Ambulance Service would set the standard for emergency care
nationally and even internationally. Despite its successes, the ambulance
service was closed eight years after it began operating.
Doctor - Physician
Doctor or
Physician is a
professional
who
practices medicine, which is concerned with
promoting, maintaining, or
restoring health through the study,
diagnosis, and treatment of disease,
injury, and other physical and
mental impairments. Physicians may focus
their practice on certain disease categories, types of patients and
methods of treatment—known as specialties—or they may assume
responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical
care to individuals, families, and communities—known as general practice.
Medical practice properly
requires both a detailed knowledge of the
academic disciplines (such as anatomy and physiology) underlying diseases
and their treatment—the science of medicine—and also a decent competence
in its applied practice—the art or craft of medicine.
National Rural
Health Association states that
rural areas could be short 45,000
doctors by 2020. And other trade groups warn those numbers of unfilled
positions could loom even larger. Since 2010, more than 70 rural hospitals
have closed.
Telemetry Systems.
Medicine
is the
science and practice of establishing the
diagnosis, prognosis,
treatment, and
prevention of disease. Medicine encompasses a
variety of health care practices evolved to
maintain and
restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness.
Contemporary medicine applies biomedical sciences, biomedical research,
genetics, and medical technology to diagnose, treat, and prevent
injury and
disease, typically
through pharmaceuticals or
surgery, but also
through
therapies as diverse as psychotherapy,
external splints and traction,
medical devices,
biologics, and ionizing radiation, amongst others.
Residency or
postgraduate training is a
stage of
graduate medical education and someone who practices medicine, usually
in a
hospital or
clinic, under the direct or indirect supervision of a
senior clinician registered in that specialty such as an attending
physician or consultant. In many jurisdictions, successful completion of
such training is a requirement in order to obtain an unrestricted license
to practice medicine, and in particular a
license to
practice a chosen specialty. An individual engaged in such
training
may be referred to as a resident, house officer, registrar or trainee
depending on the jurisdiction. Residency training may be followed by
fellowship or sub-specialty training. Whereas medical school teaches
physicians a broad range of medical knowledge, basic clinical skills, and
supervised experience practicing medicine in a variety of fields, medical
residency gives in-depth training within a specific branch of medicine.
Internship in medicine means a physician in training who has completed
medical school and has a medical degree, but does not yet have a full
license to practice medicine unsupervised.
On the Job Training.
Medical Education is
education related to the practice of being a
medical practitioner; either the initial
training to become a physician (i.e.,
medical school and internship), or additional training thereafter
(e.g., residency, fellowship and continuing medical education). Medical
education and training varies considerably across the world. Various
teaching methodologies have been utilised in medical education, which is
an active area of educational research. Medical education is also the
subject-didactic academic field of educating medical doctors at all
levels, applying theories of pedagogy specifically in the context of
medical education.
Doctor of Medicine or
M.D., is a
medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different
jurisdictions.
Nurse
(care giving) -
Medical
Ethics -
Duty of Care -
Insurance
Early Historical Doctors:
Herophilos Greek Physician
335–280 or 255 BC) - (
Galen Greek Physician
AD 129 – c.200/c.216)
Galenic Corpus.
Health Care Provider
is an individual who provides preventive, curative, promotional or
rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to people,
families or communities. A health professional may operate within all
branches of health care, including medicine, surgery, dentistry,
midwifery, pharmacy, psychology, nursing or allied health professions. A
health professional may also be a public/community health expert working
for the common good of the society.
Compare Doctors
(ratings)
Psychiatric Nurse interview-Clarisse (youtube)
The
Global Standard (ICHOM) value-based health care focusing on health
outcomes.
Bedside Nursing is a
nursing
role that involves direct patient care, often in a hospital,
nursing
home, or the patient's home. Bedside nurses provide hands-on care,
build relationships with patients, and work to improve patient outcomes.
Bedside Manner or a good bedside manner is typically one that
reassures and comforts the patient while remaining honest about a
diagnosis. Vocal tones, body language, openness, presence, honesty, and
concealment of attitude may all affect bedside manner. Poor bedside manner
leaves the patient feeling unsatisfied, worried, frightened, or alone.
Bedside manner becomes difficult when a healthcare professional must
explain an unfavorable diagnosis to the patient, while keeping the patient
from being alarmed.
Ethics in The Medical Industry (customized care) -
Errors
made by Doctors
Specialist
in medicine is a branch of medical practice. After completing medical
school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in
a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency
to become a medical specialist.
Medical Specialists (webmd) -
More Specialties
Clinician is a
health care professional
that works as a care giver of a patient in a
hospital, skilled nursing
facility, clinic, or patient's home. Clinicians work directly with
patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher. A clinician may
diagnose, treat, and otherwise care for patients. For example, physicians,
nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, physician assistants,
speech-language pathologists (SLP), and speech-language pathology
assistants (SLPA) are clinicians. Midwives can be considered clinicians,
although some midwives may emphasize de-medicalizing giving birth. Many
clinicians take comprehensive exams to be licensed and some complete
graduate degrees (master's or doctorates) in their field of expertise. A
main function of a clinician is to manage a sick person in order to cure
the effects of their illness. The clinician can also consider the impact
of illness upon the patient and his family as well as other social
factors.
Board
Certification
is the process by which a physician or other
professional in the United States demonstrates a mastery of basic
knowledge and skills through written, practical, or
simulator-based
testing.
Accreditation
(school degrees)
Medicine Categories (wiki) -
Medicine Categories (wiki)
Medical Terminology is language used to
precisely describe the human body including its components, processes,
conditions affecting it, and procedures performed upon in. It is to be
used in the field of medicine. Notable aspects of medical terminology
include the use of Latin terms and regular morphology, with the same
suffixes and prefixes use quite consistently for a particular meaning.
This regular morphology means that once reasonable number of morphemes are
learned it becomes easy to understand very precise terms build up from
these morphemes. A lot of medical language is anatomical terminology,
concerning itself with the names of various parts of the body.
Medical Terms Definitions.
In Home Care -
Visiting Doctors -
Doctors making House Calls
Concierge Medicine is a relationship between a patient and a primary
care physician in which the
patient pays an annual
fee or retainer. This may or may not be in addition to other
charges. In exchange for the retainer, doctors agree to provide enhanced
care, including principally a commitment to limit patient loads to ensure
adequate time and availability for each patient. The practice has been
referred to as concierge medicine, retainer medicine, membership medicine,
cash-only practice, and direct care. While all "concierge" medicine
practices share similarities, they vary widely in their structure, payment
requirements, and form of operation. In particular, they differ in the
level of service provided and the fee charged. Estimates of U.S. doctors
practicing concierge medicine range from fewer than 800 to 5,000.
Direct Primary Care is a type of primary care billing and
payment arrangement made between patients and
medical providers, without sending claims to
insurance providers. It is an umbrella term, incorporating various
health care delivery systems that involve direct financial relationships
between patients and health care providers.
Operation Safety Net is a Street Medicine program in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. OSN was founded when Dr. Jim Withers and Mike Sallows began
to make "house calls" together at night under the bridges, along the river
banks and in the abandoned buildings of Pittsburgh.
Mercy Atlanta
everyone deserves exceptional medical care regardless of
Insurance or
income status.
One recent estimate cited in a legislative report on
homelessness suggested that more than $60 million in medical costs for
Atlanta's homeless population were passed on to taxpayers.
Doctors Without Borders -
International Medical Corps -
Fund Medical Treatments for People in Need.
People who saw their doctor for acute pain later in the workday were
more likely than those with morning appointments to get a prescription for
opioid painkillers. The people with late-in-the-day appointments — or seen
later than their scheduled appointment time — were more likely to leave
with a prescription for opioid painkillers than those with early
appointments. Another recent study suggests that
patients seen later in the day are less likely to receive recommended
cancer screening tests, like mammograms.
Examinations - Diagnosis
Physical Examination is the
process by
which a medical professional
investigates the
body of a patient for
signs
of
disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history—an
account of the
symptoms as experienced by the patient. Together with the
medical history, the physical examination aids in determining the correct
diagnosis and devising the
treatment plan. This data then becomes part of
the medical record. Physical Examination, medical examination, or clinical
examination, is when a medical practitioner examines a patient for any
possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally
consists of a
series of questions about the
patient's medical history followed by an examination based on the reported
symptoms. Together, the
medical history and the physical examination help
to determine a diagnosis and devise the treatment plan. These data then
become part of the medical record. Also known as a routine physical, or
general medical examination, periodic health evaluation, annual physical,
comprehensive medical exam, general health check,
preventive health examination, medical check-up, or simply medical,
which is a physical examination performed on an asymptomatic patient for
medical screening purposes. Physical is a
head-to-toe assessment or a comprehensive
physical assessment and a data collection method to gather patient data
and determine the patient's health status. It involves examining the
entire body from head to toe in a systematic and thorough manner to
identify health issues the patient may be experiencing. A medical
examination to determine a person's bodily fitness.
Wellness Exam may include
screening for cholesterol, blood pressure,
diabetes, mammogram, pap test, osteoporosis, or STDs. Your doctor may ask
you about current stress, physical activity, diet, or drug use such as
tobacco and alcohol.
Annual Wellness Visit is a
yearly appointment with your primary care provider or PCP to create or
update a personalized
prevention plan. This plan
may help
prevent illness based on your current
health and risk factors. Keep in mind that the AWV is not a head-to-toe
physical.
Vitals -
Sensors -
Imaging -
Lab Work -
Medial Errors -
Over Diagnosis
Examine is to
consider in
detail and subject to an
analysis in order to discover
essential features or
meaning.
Observe, check out, and
look
over carefully or
inspect.
Question thoroughly
and closely. Put to the
test, as for
its quality, or give
experimental
use to.
Examination is the act of
examining something closely for mistakes. A set of questions or exercises
evaluating skill
or knowledge.
Formal systematic
questioning and a detailed
inspection.
A
thorough search.
Forensic Science -
Evaluations -
Assessments
Critique is a serious
examination and
judgment of
something.
Diagnosis
is the identification of the nature and
cause of a certain phenomenon.
Medical Diagnosis is the process of
determining which
disease or condition explains a person's
symptoms and signs.
Diagnosis of Exclusion is a diagnosis of a medical condition reached
by a
process of elimination, which may be necessary if presence cannot be
established with complete confidence from history, examination or testing.
Such elimination of other reasonable possibilities is a major component in
performing a differential diagnosis.
Troubleshoot -
Reason by Deduction -
Critical Thinking
Diagnostic Test or
Medical Test is a kind of medical
procedure performed to detect, diagnose, or monitor diseases, disease
processes, susceptibility, and determine a course of treatment. It is
related to
clinical chemistry and molecular diagnostics, and the
procedures are typically performed in a
medical
laboratory.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is a panel of
14 Blood
Tests which serves as an initial broad medical screening tool. The CMP
provides a rough check of kidney function, liver function, diabetic and
parathyroid status, and electrolyte and fluid balance, but this type of
screening has its limitations. Abnormal values from a CMP are often the
result of false positives and thus the CMP may need to be repeated (or a
more specific test performed), requiring a second blood drawing procedure
and possibly additional expense for the patient, even though no disease is
present. This test is also known as SMA12+2 test. The CMP is an expanded
version of the basic metabolic panel (BMP), which does not include liver
tests. A CMP (or BMP) can be ordered as part of a routine physical
examination, or may be used to monitor a patient with a chronic disease,
such as diabetes mellitus or hypertension. Previous names for the panel of
tests have been Chem 12, Chemistry panel, Chemistry screen, SMA 12, SMA 20
and SMAC (Sequential Multiple Analysis - Computer). The tests are
performed on machines based on the AutoAnalyzer invented in 1957.
Smartphone Blood Test -
Heart Info -
Blood Work
-
Lab Work
Reference Range is the range of values for a physiologic
measurement in healthy persons (for
example, the amount of creatinine in the blood, or the partial pressure of
oxygen). It is a basis for
comparison
(a frame of reference) for a physician or other health professional to
interpret a set of test results for a particular patient. Some important
reference ranges in medicine are
reference ranges for
blood tests and reference ranges
for
urine tests.
Baseline -
Vitals -
Remote Sensors
Medical Test is a medical procedure performed to detect, diagnose, or
monitor diseases, disease processes, susceptibility, or to determine a
course of treatment. Medical tests relate to clinical chemistry and
molecular diagnostics, and are typically performed in a
medical laboratory, which is a
laboratory where tests are carried out on clinical specimens to obtain
information about the health of a patient to aid in diagnosis, treatment,
and prevention of disease.
Medical Imaging is the technique and process of imaging the
interior of a body for clinical analysis and
medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of
some organs or tissues.
Physiology.
Vital
Signs are the four signs that can give an immediate
measurement of the body's overall functioning and health status. They
are temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The
ranges of these
measurements vary with age, weight,
gender and with general health.
Analytical
Chemistry
In Vitro Diagnostics
tests a sample of tissue or bodily fluids, such as: Liquid biopsy,
Microbiological culturing, which determines the presence or absence of
microbes in a sample from the body, and usually targeted at detecting
pathogenic bacteria. Genetic testing, Blood Glucose testing, Liver
function testing, Calcium testing, Testing for electrolytes in the blood,
such as Sodium, Potassium, Creatinine, and Urea.
Rapid test could diagnose serious conditions within two hours. The
project, named DIAMONDS (Diagnosis and Management of Febrile Illness using
RNA Personalised Molecular Signature Diagnosis).
Biopsy is a medical test commonly
performed by a
surgeon, interventional radiologist, or an interventional
cardiologist involving
extraction of sample cells or tissues for
examination to determine the presence or extent of a disease.
3D Optical Biopsies within reach thanks to advance in Light Field
Technology. -
Light Technology.
Triage is the process of determining the
priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition.
Prognosis is a medical term for
predicting the likely outcome of one's
current standing.
Autopsy
is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough
examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause and manner of
death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. It is
usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist.
Also known as a post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum.
Medical Findings are the collective physical and psychological
occurrences of patients surveyed by a medical doctor. The survey is
composed of physical examinations by the doctor's senses and simple
medical devices, which build clinical findings. Diagnostic medical tests
such as blood tests, scans, and biopsies, may be needed. An X-ray for
example would soon be diagnostic of a suspected bone fracture. A noted
significance detected during an examination or from a medical test may be
known as a medical finding.
Condition is a state at a particular time.
The state of either good health or physically fit or an illness,
disease, or other
medical problem. ('in condition' or 'in shape' or 'out of condition' or
'out of shape').
Treating a Symptom is not
a Diagnosis. How symptoms, not diagnoses, often guide clinical
practice.
What do clinicians treat: diagnoses or symptoms? The incremental
validity of a symptom-based, dimensional characterization of emotional
disorders in predicting medication prescription patterns. With
337 million subscriptions prescribed
a year, it's clear to say that most Psychiatrists and Doctors are
mostly
drug dealers.
Drug
Effects -
Side Effects
Signs and Symptoms are the
observed or detectable signs, and
experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. Signs are
objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported
subjective experiences. Symptoms are subjective and can be perceived only
by the person affected. Signs are objective findings that can be seen or
measured. Both signs and symptoms of an underlying health condition are
important in making a diagnosis. A symptom is a manifestation of disease
apparent to the patient himself, while a sign is a manifestation of
disease that the physician perceives. The sign is objective evidence of
disease; a symptom, subjective. Symptoms represent the complaints of the
patient, and if severe, they drive him to the doctor's office.
Symptom Cluster is defined as consisting of
2 or more symptoms that are related to each other and that occur together.
Symptom clusters are composed of stable groups of symptoms, are relatively
independent of other clusters, and may reveal specific underlying
dimensions of symptoms.
Medical History
is information gained by a physician by asking specific
questions with the aim
of obtaining information useful in formulating a diagnosis and providing
medical care to the patient. The patient or other people who know the
person and can give suitable information. Medically relevant complaints
reported by the patient or others familiar with the patient are referred
to as symptoms, in contrast with clinical signs, which are ascertained by
direct examination on the part of medical personnel. Most health
encounters will result in some form of history being taken. Past medical
history is any previous surgery or operations including major illnesses.
The history requires that a clinician be skilled in asking appropriate and
relevant questions that can provide them with some insight as to what the
patient may be experiencing. The standardized format for the history
starts with the chief concern (why is the patient in the clinic or
hospital?) followed by the history of present illness (to characterize the
nature of the symptom(s) or concern(s)), the past medical history, the
past surgical history, the family history, the social history, their
medications, their allergies, and a review of systems (where a
comprehensive inquiry of symptoms potentially affecting the rest of the
body is briefly performed to ensure nothing serious has been missed).
After all of the important history questions have been asked, a focused
physical exam (meaning one that only involves what is relevant to the
chief concern) is usually done. Based on the information obtained from the
H&P, lab and imaging tests are ordered and medical or surgical treatment
is administered as necessary.
Heteroanamnesis is a record of past events
and circumstances that are or may be relevant to a patient's current state
of health. Informally, an account of past diseases, injuries, treatments,
and other strictly medical facts.
Body Burden Test.
Personal Health Record is a health record where health data and other
information related to the care of a patient is maintained by the patient.
This stands in contrast to the more widely used
electronic medical record, which is operated by institutions (such as
hospitals) and contains data entered by clinicians (such as billing data)
to support insurance claims. The intention of a PHR is to provide a
complete and accurate summary of an individual's medical history which is
accessible online. The health data on a PHR might include patient-reported
outcome data, lab results, and data from devices such as wireless
electronic weighing scales or (collected passively) from a
smartphone.
Electronic Health Alerts can help patients receive the best treatment
from the start. EHR systems can also provide physicians with alerts that
support clinical decisions. These alerts remind physicians about patient
tests, procedures or screenings that might be necessary.
Can AI help hospitals spot patients in need of extra non-medical
assistance? Test of machine learning techniques shows promise for
scouring medical record notes for social determinants of health. Needs
related to housing, transportation, food, social support and more can be
identified through AI/ML techniques, study of medical record notes from
patients with dementia shows. The researchers found that a rule-based NLP
tool -- a kind of AI that analyzes human speech or writing -- was far
superior to deep learning and regularized logistic regression algorithms
for identifying patients' social determinants of health.
Best Practice Alerts are clinician decision
support tools available in the electronic health record to bring clinician
attention to uncontrolled
HTN during medical visits.
Monitoring
(telemedicine)
Point-of-Care Testing is defined as
medical diagnostic testing at or
near the point of care—that is, at the time and place of patient care.
This contrasts with the historical pattern in which testing was wholly or
mostly confined to the medical laboratory, which entailed sending off
specimens away from the point of care and then waiting hours or days to
learn the results, during which time care must continue without the
desired information.
A Starving Mom
Suddenly Ate 40 Cookies. This Is What Happened To Her Heart (youtube)
- This video shows how correctly diagnosing people can be extremely
difficult at times.
Problem solving is a
skill that everyone should master.
Chubbyemu is a youtube channel for Medical videos and telling stories
in medicine. These are variations on cases I, or my colleagues, have seen
in the past. The main goal of these videos are to tell a story about
people, as we each have a unique story to tell.
Ai-Med mission to bring
medicine into the
Artificial
Intelligence future.
I'm Not
Sick But I'm Not Well! - Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta [1997] (youtube)
- "An illness can sometimes heal us".
SOCRATES is an acronym used to gain an insight into the patient's
condition, and to allow the health care provider to develop a plan for
dealing with it.
Site – Where is the pain?
Or the maximal site of the
pain. Onset –
When did the pain start, and was it sudden or gradual? Include also
whether it is progressive or regressive.
Character
– What is the pain like? An ache? Stabbing?
Radiation
– Does the pain radiate anywhere?
Associations
– Any other signs or symptoms associated with the pain?
Time course – Does the pain follow any
pattern?
Exacerbating/relieving factors –
Does anything change the pain?
Severity –
How bad is the pain?
OPQRST
is a mnemonic acronym used by medical professionals to accurately discern
reasons for a patient's symptoms and history in the event of an acute
illness. It is specifically adapted to elicit symptoms of a possible heart
attack. Each letter stands for an important line of questioning for the
patient assessment. This is usually taken along with vital signs and the
SAMPLE history and would usually be recorded by the person delivering the
aid, such as in the "Subjective" portion of a SOAP note, for later
reference.
Onset of the event. What the
patient was doing when it started (active, inactive, stressed, etc.),
whether the patient believes that activity prompted the pain, and whether
the onset was sudden, gradual or part of an ongoing chronic problem.
Provocation or palliation. Whether any
movement, pressure (such as palpation) or other external factor makes the
problem better or worse. This can also include whether the symptoms
relieve with rest.
Quality of the pain.
This is the patient's description of the pain. Questions can be open ended
("Can you describe it for me?") or leading. Ideally, this will elicit
descriptions of the patient's pain: whether it is sharp, dull, crushing,
burning, tearing, or some other feeling, along with the pattern, such as
intermittent, constant, or throbbing.
Region and
radiation. Where the pain is on the body and whether it radiates
(extends) or moves to any other area. This can give indications for
conditions such as a myocardial infarction, which can radiate through the
jaw and arms. Other referred pains can provide clues to underlying medical
causes.
Severity. The
pain
score (usually on a scale of 0 to 10). Zero is no pain and ten is the
worst possible pain. This can be comparative (such as "... compared to the
worst pain you have ever experienced") or imaginative ("... compared to
having your arm ripped off by an alien"). If the pain is compared to a
prior event, the nature of that event may be a follow-up question. The
clinician must decide whether a score given is realistic within their
experience – for instance, a pain score 10 for a stubbed toe is likely to
be exaggerated. This may also be assessed for pain now, compared to pain
at time of onset, or pain on movement. There are alternative assessment
methods for pain, which can be used where a patient is unable to vocalise
a score. One such method is the
Wong-Baker faces pain scale.
Time (history). How long the condition has
been going on and how it has changed since onset (better, worse, different
symptoms), whether it has ever happened before, whether and how it may
have changed since onset, and when the pain stopped if it is no longer currently being felt.
Nursing
Process is a modified scientific method. Nursing practice was first
described as a four-stage nursing process by Ida Jean Orlando in 1958. It
should not be confused with nursing theories or health informatics. The
diagnosis phase was added later. The nursing process uses clinical
judgement to strike a balance of epistemology between personal
interpretation and research evidence in which critical thinking may play a
part to categorize the clients issue and course of action. Nursing offers
diverse patterns of knowing. Nursing knowledge has embraced pluralism
since the 1970s. Some authors refer to a mind map or abductive reasoning
as a potential alternative strategy for organizing care. Intuition plays a
part for experienced nurses. Nursing process, the
ADPIE
(Assessment–Diagnosis–Planning–Implementation–Evaluation).
ASPIRE (Assessment–Systematic Nursing
Diagnosis–Planning–Implementation–Recheck–Evaluation) model includes an
additional stage—Recheck—in between Implementation and Evaluation.
Lab Work - Screening
Laboratory is a facility that provides
controlled conditions in which
scientific or technological
research,
experiments, and
measurement may be
performed.
Analytical Chemistry.
Medical Laboratory is a laboratory where tests are usually done on
clinical specimens in order to obtain information about the health of a
patient as pertaining to the
diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of
disease. Clinical
laboratories are thus focused on applied science mainly on a
production-like basis, as opposed to research laboratories that focus on
basic science on an academic basis.
Forensic Science.
Lab Tests -
Blood Test
-
Urinalysis -
Pee -
Poop
Lab Tests Online -
Direct Labs -
Lab Test Portal
Quest Diagnostics -
Clinical Trials -
Berkeley Laboratory
Nelson Labs -
Clinical Laboratory Manage -
Lab Calibrations
Screening in medicine is a strategy used in a population to
identify
the possible presence of an as-yet-undiagnosed disease in individuals
without signs or
symptoms. This can include individuals with
pre-symptomatic or unrecognized symptomatic disease. As such, screening
tests are somewhat unusual in that they are performed on persons
apparently in good health. Screening
interventions are designed to
identify disease in a community early, thus enabling earlier intervention
and management in the hope to reduce mortality and suffering from a
disease. Although screening may lead to an earlier diagnosis, not all
screening tests have been shown to benefit the person being screened;
Over-Diagnosis,
Mis-Diagnosis, and
creating a
false
sense of security are some potential adverse effects of screening.
Additionally, some screening tests can be inappropriately overused. For
these reasons, a test used in a screening program, especially for a
disease with low incidence, must have good sensitivity in addition to
acceptable specificity.
Several types of screening exist: universal
screening involves screening of all individuals in a certain category (for
example, all children of a certain age). Case finding involves screening a
smaller group of people based on the presence of risk factors (for
example, because a family member has been diagnosed with a hereditary
disease). Screening interventions are not designed to be diagnostic, and
often have significant rates of both false positive and false negative
results.
Bioinformatics are methods and software
tools for understanding biological data.
Assessment Errors
(observation flaws) -
Testing Vulnerabilities -
Invitro (vitro)
Clinical Laboratory Research
is a branch of healthcare science that determines the safety and
effectiveness of
medications,
devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens
intended for human use. These may be used for prevention, treatment,
diagnosis or for relieving
symptoms
of a disease.
Endopat non-invasive assessment of
Endothelial Dysfunction (arterial health), is a functional test for early
detection of underlying disease progression.
Pathology is a significant component of
the causal study of
disease and a major field in modern medicine and
diagnosis.
Microbiological Culture is a method of multiplying
Microbial
organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under
controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial
cultures are foundational and
basic diagnostic methods used extensively as a research tool in molecular
biology.
Microbial
cultures are used to determine the type of organism, its abundance in the
sample being tested, or both. It is one of the primary diagnostic methods
of microbiology and used as a tool to determine the cause of
infectious
disease by letting the agent multiply in a predetermined medium. For
example, a
throat culture is taken by scraping the lining of tissue in the back
of the throat and blotting the sample into a medium to be able to screen
for harmful microorganisms, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, the causative
agent of strep throat. Furthermore, the term
culture is more generally
used informally to refer to "selectively growing" a specific kind of
microorganism in the lab. It is often essential to isolate a pure culture
of microorganisms. A pure (or axenic) culture is a population of cells or
multicellular organisms growing in the absence of other species or types.
A pure culture may originate from a single cell or single organism, in
which case the cells are genetic clones of one another. For the purpose of
gelling the microbial culture, the medium of agarose gel (agar) is used.
Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed. A cheap substitute
for agar is guar gum, which can be used for the isolation and maintenance
of thermophiles.
Symptoms.
Vitals
are body functions essential for life.
-
Food -
First Aid
Biological Data refers to a compound or information derived from
living organisms and their products. A
medicinal compound made from living organisms, such as a serum or a
vaccine, could be characterized as biological data. Biological data is
highly complex when compared with other forms of data.
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field of
science that develops methods and software tools for understanding
biological data.
Biological Databases are libraries of biological sciences, collected
from
scientific experiments,
published literature, high-throughput experiment technology, and
computational analysis.
Public Health Laboratory are governmental reference laboratories that
protect the public against diseases and other health hazards.
Association of Public Health Laboratories is a membership organization
in the United States representing the laboratories that protect the health
and safety of the public.
Public Health Laboratories work at the federal, state and local level,
public health laboratories monitor and detect health threats ranging from
rabies and dengue fever to radiological contaminants, genetic disorders in
newborns and terrorist agents. Equipped with sophisticated instrumentation
and staffed by highly trained scientists, these unique institutions
deliver services that may be unavailable or cost-prohibitive elsewhere.
Emergency Use Authorizations
Laboratory Response Network Partners is a network of laboratories that
can respond to biological and chemical threats and other public health emergencies.
Diagnostic Tests - Advanced Sensors
Biomarker is a
measurable
indicator of the severity or presence of some
disease state. More
generally a
biomarker is anything that can be used as an
indicator of a
particular disease state or some other physiological state of an organism.
Heart Diagnostics -
Crispr -
Robot Bionics -
Smartphone Tools -
Smartphone Apps
Breath Gas
Analysis is a method for gaining non-invasive information on the
clinical state of an individual by monitoring
volatile organic compounds
present in the exhaled breath. Breath gas concentration can then be
related to blood concentrations via mathematical modeling as for example
in
blood alcohol testing.
Breathalyzers.
Breath Test could be possible for Drugs and Disease. The versatile use
of exhaled volatile organic compounds in human health and disease. Exhaled
breath contains thousands of
volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) of which
the composition varies depending on health status. Various metabolic
processes within the body produce volatile products that are released into
the blood and will be passed on to the airway once the blood reaches the
lungs. Moreover, the occurrence of chronic inflammation and/or
oxidative stress can result in the excretion of volatile compounds that
generate unique VOC patterns. Consequently, measuring the total amount of
VOCs in exhaled air, a kind of metabolomics also referred to as
breathomics.
Lab on a Chip is a device that
integrates one or several
laboratory functions on
a single
integrated circuit (commonly
called a "chip") of only millimeters to a few square centimeters to
achieve automation and high-throughput screening. LOCs can handle
extremely small fluid volumes down to less than pico liters. Lab-on-a-chip
devices are a subset of
micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices and sometimes called
"micro total analysis systems" (µTAS). LOCs may use microfluidics, the
physics, manipulation and study of minute amounts of fluids. However,
strictly regarded "lab-on-a-chip" indicates generally the scaling of
single or multiple lab processes down to chip-format, whereas "µTAS" is
dedicated to the integration of the total sequence of lab processes to
perform chemical analysis. The term "lab-on-a-chip" was introduced when it
turned out that µTAS technologies were applicable for more than only
analysis purposes.
Sensors
(AI).
Jack Andraka (video and text) -
Body Parts on a Chip (video and text)
Microfluidics
deals with the behavior, precise control and
manipulation of fluids that
are geometrically constrained to a small, typically sub-millimeter, scale.
Lego.
Electrochemical Sensing in Paper-Based
Microfluidic Device.
Organ on a Chip is a multi-channel 3-D
microfluidic cell culture chip that simulates the activities, mechanics
and physiological response of entire organs and organ systems, a type of
artificial organ.
Personalized
Medicine.
Artificial cilia could someday power diagnostic devices. Researchers
have now designed a micro-sized artificial cilial system using
platinum-based components that can control the movement of fluids at such
a scale. The technology could someday enable low-cost, portable diagnostic
devices for testing blood samples, manipulating cells or assisting in
microfabrication processes. Cilia are the body's diligent ushers. These
microscopic hairs, which move fluid by rhythmic beating, are responsible
for pushing cerebrospinal fluid in your brain, clearing the phlegm and
dirt from your lungs, and keeping other organs and tissues clean.
Researchers develop a stretchable, wearable device that lights up an LED
using only the warmth of your skin. Researchers have developed a
flexible, durable electronic prototype that can
harvest energy from body heat and turn it
into electricity that can be used to power small electronics, such as
batteries, sensors or LEDs. This device is also resilient -- it still
functions even after being pierced several times and then stretched 2,000
times.
Flexible circuits made with silk and graphene on the horizon. By
controlling silk protein nanostructure for the first time, scientists pave
the way for advanced microelectronic and computing applications.
Homemade 'play-putty' can read the body's electric signals. The
material could open a new field of flexible, cost-effective biometric
sensors. Researchers demonstrates the effectiveness of homemade play putty
at reading brain, heart, muscle and eye activity. The research outlines
the conductive properties of this material, so-named '
squishy
circuits.' These squishy circuits effectively captured various
electrophysiology measurements: electroencephalogram (EEG) for brain
activity, electrocardiogram (ECG) for heart recordings, electrooculogram
(EOG) for tracking eye movement and electromyography (EMG) for muscle
contraction.
AI enhances physician-patient communication. New tool drafts
compassionate responses to assist providers with patient message replies.
Scientists design built-in controls for mini-chemical labs on a chip.
In a miniaturized laboratory, microfluidic systems can conduct chemical
experiments on a chip through a series of small connected tubes the size
of a hair.
Sensors woven into a shirt can monitor vital signs such as
temperature, respiration, and heart rate.
Wearable Sensors -
Biosense -
Bio-Sensor Patch Monitor -
Biofeedback
Engineers fabricate a chip-free, wireless electronic 'skin'. The
device senses and wirelessly transmits signals related to pulse, sweat,
and ultraviolet exposure, without bulky chips or batteries.
Wearable patch wirelessly monitors estrogen in sweat. The sex hormone
commonly known as estrogen plays an important role in multiple aspects of
women's health and fertility. High levels of estrogen in the body are
associated with breast and ovarian cancers, while low levels of estradiol
can result in osteoporosis, heart disease, and even depression. (Estrogen
is a class of hormones that includes estradiol as the most potent form).
Estradiol is also necessary for the development of secondary sexual
characteristics in women and regulates the reproductive cycle.
GlucoWatch G2 Biographer -
Diagnostic Paper, Whiteside's
Stretchy, bio-inspired synaptic transistor can enhance, weaken device
memories. Robotics and wearable devices might soon get a little
smarter with the addition of a stretchy, wearable synaptic transistor. The
device works like neurons in the brain to send signals to some cells and
inhibit others in order to enhance and weaken the devices' memories.
Temporary tattoo printed directly on the scalp offers easy,
hair-friendly solution for
measuring brainwaves. Scientists have invented a liquid ink that
doctors can print onto a patient's scalp to measure brain activity. The
technology offers a promising alternative to the cumbersome process
currently used for monitoring
brainwaves and diagnosing neurological conditions. It also has the
potential to enhance
non-invasive
brain-computer interface applications. Lu and her team have been
pioneering the development of small sensors that track bodily signals from
the surface of human skin, a technology known as
electronic tattoos, or
e-tattoos.
Scientists have applied e-tattoos to the chest to measure heart
activities, on muscles to measure how fatigued they are, and even under
the armpit to measure components of sweat.
Engineers develop a soft, printable, metal-free electrode. Jelly-like
material could replace metals as electrical interfaces for pacemakers,
cochlear implants, and other electronic implants. Engineers developed a
metal-free, Jelly-like material that is as soft and tough as biological
tissue and can conduct electricity similarly to conventional metals. The
new material, which is a type of high-performance conducting polymer
hydrogel, may one day replace metals in the electrodes of medical devices.
Ultra-sensitive electronic skin modeled after the human brain.
Researchers have successfully developed an ultra-sensitive pressure sensor
for electronic skin
modeled after the nervous system
in the human brain. This technology is applicable to future devices,
including AI-based digital healthcare devices, and is expected to be
utilized across various fields, such as transparent displays and wearable
devices, due to its transparency and physical flexibility.
AI models can now continually learn from new data on intelligent edge
devices like
smartphones and sensors. A new technique enables on-device training of
machine-learning models on edge devices like microcontrollers, which have
very limited memory. This could allow edge devices to continually learn
from new data, eliminating data privacy issues, while enabling user
customization. Microcontrollers, miniature computers that can run simple
commands, are the basis for billions of connected devices, from
internet-of-things (IoT) devices to sensors in automobiles. But cheap,
low-power microcontrollers have extremely limited memory and no operating
system, making it challenging to train artificial intelligence models on
"edge devices" that work independently from central computing resources.
Human-Machine Interfaces work underwater, generate their own power.
Flexible waterproof sensors can control smart devices, such as lamps,
music players. Scientists describe the development of a type of wearable
human-machine interface
device that is stretchable, inexpensive, and waterproof. The device is
based on a soft magnetoelastic sensor array that converts mechanical
pressure from the press of a finger into an electrical signal. The device
involves two main components: a layer that translates mechanical movement
to a magnetic response and a magnetic induction layer consisting of
patterned liquid metal coils.
Electronic sensor the size of a single molecule a potential game-changer.
Researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a
widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring
widespread benefits.
Piezoresistors are
commonly used to detect vibrations in electronics and automobiles, such as
in smart phones for counting steps, and for airbag deployment in cars.
They are also used in medical devices such as implantable pressure
sensors, as well as in aviation and space travel. In
piezoresistive sensors, four resistors are placed on a silicon
diaphragm in order to measure the result of strain or physical pressure
applied upon them. Any perceptible change in resistance is being
converted, through a Wheatstone bridge circuit into an output voltage.
Do
Fitness Trackers influence eating disorders and extreme behaviors?
Effects of diet and fitness apps on eating disorder behaviors: qualitative
study.
Activity Tracker or
Fitness Tracker is
a device or application for monitoring and tracking fitness-related
metrics such as distance walked or run, calorie consumption, and in some
cases heartbeat. It is a type of
wearable computer. The term is now primarily used for
smart-watches that are synced, in many cases wirelessly, to a computer
or
smartphone for long-term
data tracking. There are also independent mobile and Facebook apps. Some
evidence has found that the use of these type of devices results in less
weight loss rather than more. Sleep tracker devices have a tendency to
underdetect wakefulness.
Brain Interface.
Smartwatch tracks medication levels to personalize treatments. Advance
could help doctors choose the right drug at the right dose for the right
person.
Claros Diagnostic Lab -
Materials that Compute.
Paper Test Strip for Diagnosing Diseases -
Ph Levels.
Variable Tech
Gadgets -
DxtER
Smart Wearable System is an end-to-end integrated and connected system
that has the following features, one or more sensors and actuators nodes
at the end-user side and possibly integrated into worn items. Nodes
connectivity to local and/or remote processor. Processor that classifies
events and, when actuators are available, takes corrective action. Sensor
nodes can monitor a.o. body location, motion & posture, body vital signs
and local context. Actuator nodes can influence properties of the worn
items, e.g. in order to protect the wearer from risks, or provide wearer
with feedback/recommendations.
Sensor-based early detection of age-related diseases from home.
Researchers have demonstrated how
sensors that
record movement patterns could help detect health problems in the
elderly, including old-age depression, risk of falls or cognitive
impairment, at an early stage. In the future, this could help seniors to
live a
self-determined life at
home for longer and relieve increasing pressure on the healthcare system.
Wearable chemical sensor is as good as gold. A novel Raman chemical
sensor made from noodlelike threads of gold. Researchers created a special
ultrathin sensor, spun from gold, that can be attached directly to the
skin without irritation or discomfort. The sensor can measure different
biomarkers or substances to perform
on-body
chemical analysis. It works using a technique called Raman
spectroscopy, where laser light aimed at the sensor is changed slightly
depending on whatever chemicals are present on the skin at that point. The
sensor can be finely tuned to be extremely sensitive, and is robust enough
for practical use.
Tuning flexible circuits with light. Researchers created flexible
integrated circuits precisely tuned by
illuminating an
organic polymer with ultraviolet light. This work may allow for
inexpensive electronics to be incorporated into wearable sensors or
computers.
Engineers develop stickers that can see inside the body. New
stamp-sized
ultrasound adhesives produce
clear images of heart, lungs, and other internal organs. Engineers
designed an adhesive patch that produces ultrasound images of the body.
The stamp-sized device sticks to skin and can provide continuous
ultrasound imaging of internal organs for 48 hours.
Telemedicine (in-home patient monitoring system)
Tattoo technique transfers gold nanopatterns onto live cells.
Researchers are reporting that they have developed a proof-of-concept
technique to 'tattoo' living cells and tissues with flexible arrays of
gold nanodots and nanowires. With further refinement, this method could
eventually be used to integrate smart devices with living tissue for
biomedical applications, such as bionics and
biosensing, which is an analytical device, used for the detection of a
chemical substance, that combines a biological component with a
physicochemical detector.
Addressing Antibiotic Resistance: Breath Analysis aims to reduce
unnecessary prescriptions. Scientists have found a potentially useful
link between the presence of exhaled acinetobacter baumannii derived
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and patients diagnosed with
bacterial pneumonia.
Flexible
Electronics -
Bionics -
Software Testing
Capturing Brain Signals with Soft Electronics using long-term stable
neural recording based on a novel
elastic material composite, which is biocompatible and retains high
electrical conductivity even when stretched to double its original length.
Self-Healing Sweat Sensor. Wearable sensors that track heart rate or
steps are popular fitness products. But in the future, working up a good
sweat could provide useful information about a person's health. Now,
researchers have developed a headband that measures
electrolyte levels in
sweat. And unlike many previous sweat sensors, the device can heal itself
when cut or scratched during exercise.
The bacteria powering a truly green revolution in personal electronics.
Team engineers biofilm capable of producing long-term, continuous
electricity from your
sweat
Researchers recently announced that they have figured out how to engineer
a biofilm that harvests the energy in
evaporation and
converts it to electricity. This biofilm has the potential to
revolutionize the world of wearable electronics, powering everything from
personal medical sensors to personal electronics.
Stretchable Biofuel Cells extract Energy from Sweat to power Wearable
Devices. A team of engineers has developed stretchable fuel cells that
extract energy from sweat and are capable of powering electronics, such as
LEDs and Bluetooth radios. The biofuel cells generate 10 times more power
per surface area than any existing wearable biofuel cells. The devices
could be used to power a range of wearable devices.
Researchers invent self-charging, ultra-thin device that generates
electricity from air moisture. Researchers have developed a new
moisture-driven electricity generation device made of a thin layer of
fabric, sea salt, carbon ink, and a special water-absorbing gel. The
device works by keeping one end of the fabric dry, while the other end is
perpetually wet. The difference in moisture content of the wet and dry
regions of the carbon-coated fabric creates an electric current. This
rechargeable fabric-like battery can produce electricity for more than 150
hours and provides higher electrical output than a conventional AA
battery, potentially powering everyday electronics. moisture-driven
electricity generation.
Stretchable micro-supercapacitors to self-power wearable devices. A
stretchable system that can harvest energy from human breathing and motion
for use in wearable health-monitoring devices may be possible, according
to an international team of researchers. By using non-layered, ultrathin
zinc-phosphorus nanosheets and 3D laser-induced graphene foam -- a highly
porous, self-heating nanomaterial -- to construct the island-bridge design
of the cells, Cheng and his team saw drastic improvements in electric
conductivity and the number of absorbed charged ions. This proved that
these
micro-supercapacitor arrays can charge and discharge efficiently and
store the energy needed to power a wearable device. The researchers also
integrated the system with a
triboelectric
nanogenerator, an emerging technology that converts mechanical
movement to electrical energy. This combination created a self-powered
system.
Self-Powered Paper-Based Electrochemical Devices 'SPEDs' may lead to new
medical-diagnostic tools. A new medical-diagnostic device made out of
paper detects biomarkers and identifies diseases by performing
electrochemical analyses -- powered only by the user's touch -- and reads
out the color-coded test results, making it easy for non-experts to
understand. The top layer of the SPED is fabricated using untreated
cellulose paper with patterned hydrophobic "domains" that define channels
that wick up blood samples for testing. These "microfluidic channels"
allow for accurate assays that change color to indicate specific testing
results. A machine-vision diagnostic application also was created to
automatically identify and quantify each of these "colorimetric" tests
from a digital image of the SPED, perhaps taken with a cellphone, to
provide fast diagnostic results to the user and to facilitate
remote-expert consultation. The bottom layer of the SPED is a "
triboelectric
generator," or TEG, which generates the electric current necessary to
run the diagnostic test simply by rubbing or pressing it. The researchers
also designed an inexpensive handheld device called a potentiostat, which
is easily plugged into the SPED to automate the diagnostic tests so that
they can be performed by untrained users. The battery powering the
potentiostat can be recharged using the TEG built into the SPEDs. The
SPEDs were used to detect biomarkers such as glucose, uric acid and
L-lactate, ketones, and white blood cells, which indicate factors
related to liver and kidney function, malnutrition and anemia. Future
versions of the technology will contain several additional layers for more
complex assays to detect diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever,
malaria, HIV and hepatitis.
Beautifully
Designed, Human-Centered Technologies (Shift Labs)
Printing flexible wearable electronics for smart device applications.
Using conventional printing techniques to print flexible supercapacitors
is economical, scalable. Since printed electronics offer the advantage of
flexibility and low cost, they can be used to manufacture solar cells,
flexible OLED displays, transistors, RFID tags, and other integrated smart
devices. This opens up the possibility of many other applications,
including smart textiles, intelligent packaging, and smart labels.
Food Sensors -
Sensors (ai)
Artificial Cardiac Pacemaker is a medical device that generates
electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to cause the
heart muscle chambers (the upper, or atria and/or the lower, or
ventricles) to contract and therefore pump blood; by doing so this device
replaces and/or regulates the function of the electrical conduction system
of the heart. The primary purpose of a pacemaker is to maintain an
adequate
heart rate, either because the heart's
natural pacemaker is not fast enough, or because there is a block in the
heart's electrical conduction system.
Compact Wireless Transfer Devices. New solution for low cost,
light-weight and compact wireless transfer devices. Development of a novel
power control system. Scientists have successfully developed a new power
controller system for wireless power transfer. The developed system will
effectively reduce the amount of circuit components in wireless power
transfer devices, as well as their cost and weight. This technology could
be especially beneficial for electric cars, drones and other such vehicles
for which a light weight and compact size are important, in addition to
implantable medical devices such as
pacemakers.
New Technique Uses the Body’s Naturally Occurring Ions to Help Transmit
Data Wirelessly. Researchers have created an implantable bioelectronic
device with a high-speed, low-power
wireless data link that uses ions within the body.
Bio-Electronics is a field of research in the convergence of
biology and
electronics.
Bioelectronic Devices combine a biosensing material, such as a
protein, nucleic acid, and cells, with electronic circuitry. Bioelectronic
medicines on the other hand, are a separate class of BEDs where
electronics are used to manipulate electrical signals in
vivo.
Magnetic Sensors -
Bio-Magnetism
Drug-delivery system can help even without drugs. A synthetic,
injectable hydrogel developed to deliver drugs and encourage tissue growth
turns out to have therapeutic properties all its own. encouraged blood
vessel and cell growth as new tissue replaced the degrading gel.
New wearable communication system offers potential to reduce digital
health divide. Researchers developed a wearable device that can
transmit health data 2,400 times the distance of Wi-Fi without significant
network infrastructure. Wearable devices that use sensors to monitor
biological signals can play an important role in health care. These
devices provide valuable information that allows providers to predict,
diagnose and treat a variety of conditions while improving access to care
and reducing costs.
Smart implants to monitor healing. New research introduces
self-powered smart implants to monitor spinal fusion healing, creating
patient-specific 3D-printed smart metamaterial implants that double as
sensors to monitor spinal healing. Spinal fusion -- fusing two vertebrae
together -- can treat a wide variety of spinal disorders. Often, surgeons
will use a cage to provide support where the disk once was between the
vertebrae. But what if those cages could support the spine's healing in
more ways than one? The Intelligent Structural Monitoring and Response
Testing (iSMaRT) Lab has developed a new class of multifunctional
mechanical metamaterials, which act as their own sensors, recording and
relaying important information about the pressure and stresses on its
structure. The so-called "meta-tribomaterials" a.k.a. self-aware
metamaterials, generate their own power and can be used for a wide array
of sensing and monitoring applications. The material is designed such that
under pressure, contact-electrification occurs between its conductive and
dielectric microlayers, creating an electric charge that relays
information about the condition of the material matrix. In addition, it
naturally inherits the outstanding mechanical tunability of standard
metamaterials. The power generated using its built-in triboelectric
nanogenerator mechanism eliminates the need for a separate power source,
and a tiny chip records data about the pressure on the cage, which is an
important indicator of healing. The data can then be read noninvasively
using a portable ultrasound scanner.
Telemedicine - In-Home Monitoring - Doctor House Calls
Patient Monitoring Remotely
can
improve patient care and reduce costs. The ability to
monitor the
patient’s condition remotely not only enhances the quality of care, it
also improves clinical efficiency and it can substantially
reduce
healthcare costs in multiple ways. It reduces the number of in-hospital
device
evaluations, hospital admissions, the length of stay
hospitalization, and follow-up office visits.
Monitoring in medicine is the
observation of a disease, condition or
one or several medical parameters over time. It can be performed by
continuously measuring certain parameters
or
vital signs using a medical
monitor or
bedside
monitor. This may include repeatedly performing medical tests such as blood glucose
monitoring with a glucose meter in people with diabetes mellitus.
Transmitting data from a monitor to a
distant monitoring station is known
as
telemetry or biotelemetry.
Remote
Patient Monitoring is a technology to enable monitoring of patients
outside of conventional clinical settings such as in their home, which may
increase access to care and decrease healthcare delivery costs.
Incorporating RPM in chronic disease management can significantly improve
an individual's
quality of life. It allows patients to
maintain
independence, prevent complications, and minimize personal costs. RPM
facilitates these goals by delivering care right to the home. In addition,
patients and their family members feel comfort knowing that they are being
monitored and will be supported if a problem arises. This is particularly
important when patients are managing complex self-care processes such as
home
hemodialysis. Key features of RPM, like
remote monitoring and trend
analysis of physiological parameters, enable early detection of
deterioration; thereby, reducing number of emergency department visits,
hospitalizations, and duration of hospital stays. The need for wireless
mobility in healthcare facilitates the adoption of RPM both in community
and institutional settings. The time saved as a result of RPM
implementation increases efficiency, and allows healthcare providers to
allocate more time to
remotely educate and communicate with patients.
Wearable
Sensors (AI).
Visiting Nurses -
Home Monitors
(caregiving from a distance) -
Health Apps -
Apps.
House
Call is a visit to the home of a patient or client by a
Doctor or other professional. In some locations, families used to pay
dues to a particular practice to underwrite house calls.
Point of Care is the point in time when
clinicians deliver healthcare
products and services to patients at the time of care. Point of care
documentation is the ability for clinicians to document clinical
information while interacting with and delivering care to patients. A
clinician will create clinical
documentation, which is a record of the critical thinking and judgment
of a health care professional, facilitating consistency and effective
communication among clinicians and patients. Documentation should be
performed at the time of clinical point of care and can be conducted using
paper or electronic formats. This process aims to capture medical
information pertaining to patient's healthcare needs. The patient's health
record is a legal document that contains details regarding patient’s care
and progress. The types of information captured during the clinical point
of care documentation include the actions taken by clinical staff
including physicians and nurses, and the patient’s healthcare needs,
goals,
diagnosis and the
type of care they have received from the
healthcare providers. Such documentations provide evidence regarding safe,
effective and ethical care and insinuates accountability for healthcare
institutions and professionals. Furthermore, accurate documents provide a
rigorous foundation for conducting appropriate quality of care analysis
that can facilitate better health outcomes for patients. Thus, regardless
of the format used to capture the clinical point of care information,
these documents are imperative in providing safe healthcare. Also, it is
important to note that electronic formats of clinical point of care
documentation are not intended to replace existing clinical process but to
enhance the current clinical point of care documentation process. One of
the major responsibilities for nurses in healthcare settings is to forward
information about the patient's needs and treatment to other
healthcare
professionals.
Home Hospital Reduces Costs, Improves Care. Utilization, and
readmissions while increasing physical activity compared with usual
hospital care. The home hospital model of care -- in which select patients
receive hospital-level care for an acute illness from the
comfort of their
own home instead of in a traditional hospital -- has become increasingly
popular across the United States.
Caregiving.
Outpatient is a
patient who receives medical
treatment without being
admitted to a
hospital. Outpatients are people
with health problems who visit the hospital for diagnosis or treatment,
but do not at this time require a bed or need to be admitted for overnight
care. Modern outpatient departments offer a wide range of treatment
services,
diagnostic tests and minor surgical
procedures. An out-patient is a patient who attends the hospital with no
plan to stay beyond the duration of the visit. Even if the patient will
not be formally admitted with a note as an outpatient, their attendance
are still registered, and the provider will usually give a note explaining
the reason for the visit, tests or procedure/surgery, which should include
the names and titles of the participating personnel, the patient's name
and date of birth, signature of informed consent, estimated pre- and
post-service time for a history and exam (before and after), any
anesthesia, medications or future treatment plans needed, and estimated
time of discharge absent any (further) complications. Treatment provided
in this fashion is called ambulatory care. Sometimes surgery is performed
without the need for a formal hospital admission or an overnight stay, and
this is called
outpatient surgery or "day surgery",
which has many benefits including lowered healthcare cost, reducing the
amount of medication prescribed and using the physician's or surgeon's
time more efficiently. Outpatient surgery is suited best for more healthy
patients undergoing minor or intermediate procedures (limited urologic,
ophthalmologic, or ear, nose and throat procedures and procedures
involving superficial skin and the extremities). More procedures are being
performed in a surgeon's office, termed office-based surgery, rather than
in a hospital-based operating room.
Ambulatory Care is medical care provided on an
outpatient basis,
including
diagnosis, observation, consultation, treatment, intervention,
and rehabilitation services. This care can include advanced medical
technology and procedures even when provided
outside of hospitals. Many medical
investigations and treatments for acute and chronic illnesses and
preventive health care can be performed on an ambulatory basis, including
minor surgical and medical procedures, most types of
dental services, dermatology
services, and many types of diagnostic procedures (e.g. blood tests,
X-rays, endoscopy and biopsy procedures of superficial organs). Other
types of ambulatory care services include emergency visits, rehabilitation
visits, and in some cases telephone consultations. Ambulatory care
services represent the most significant contributor to increasing hospital
expenditures and to the performance of the health care system in most
countries, including most developing countries.
Street Medicine Institute Street medicine practice is defined as those
health care and related services that are delivered directly to persons
sleeping on the streets, along the river banks, and in the abandoned
buildings, etc., of cities.
Street Medicine.
E-Patient is a health consumer who participates fully in his/her
medical care, primarily by gathering information about medical conditions
that impact them and their families, using the Internet and other digital
tools.
Good Doctors Ratings.
M-Health
is an abbreviation for
mobile health, a
term used for the practice of medicine and public health supported by
mobile devices. The term is most commonly used in reference to using
mobile communication devices, such as
mobile phones, tablet
computers and PDAs, and
wearable
devices such as smart watches, for health services, information, and
data collection. The mHealth field has emerged as a sub-segment of eHealth,
the use of information and communication technology (ICT), such as
computers, mobile phones, communications satellite, patient monitors,
etc., for health services and information. mHealth applications include
the use of mobile devices in collecting community and clinical health
data, delivery of healthcare information to practitioners, researchers and
patients, real-time monitoring of patient vital signs, the direct
provision of care (via mobile telemedicine) as well as training and
collaboration of health workers.
E-Health
is a relatively recent healthcare practice supported by electronic
processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999.
Therapy delivered electronically more effective than face to face.
Clinical Decision Support System is a means of requesting diagnostic
tests and treatments electronically and receiving the results. A health
information technology system that is designed to provide physicians and
other health professionals with clinical decision support (CDS), that is,
assistance with clinical decision-making tasks.
Computerized Physician Order Entry is a means of requesting diagnostic
tests and treatments electronically and receiving the results.
Telemedicine is the use of
smartphone telecommunication and
computers with internet to provide
clinical health care from a distance. It has been
used to overcome
distance barriers and to
improve access to medical
services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural
communities. It is also used to save lives in critical care and emergency
situations. Telemedicine is
remote
clinical services, such as
diagnosis and
monitoring, while telehealth includes preventative,
promotive, and curative care delivery. The World Health Organization uses
telemedicine to describe all aspects of health care including
preventive care. Telehealth can include
non-clinical services, such as provider training, administrative meetings,
and continuing medical education, and that the term telemedicine means
remote clinical services. Telehealth requires a strong, reliable broadband
connection. As
broadband
infrastructure has improved, telehealth usage has become more widely
feasible.
Store and forward telemedicine involves acquiring medical data (like
medical images, biosignals etc.) and then transmitting this data to a
doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time for assessment offline.
It does not require the presence of both parties at the same time.
Remote monitoring, also known as self-monitoring or
testing, enables medical professionals to monitor a patient remotely using
various technological devices. Telenutrition refers to the use of video
conferencing/ telephony to provide online consultation by a nutritionist
or dietician. Telenursing refers to the use of telecommunications and
information technology in order to provide nursing services in health care
whenever a large physical distance exists between patient and nurse, or
between any number of nurses. Telepharmacy is the delivery of
pharmaceutical care via telecommunications to patients in locations where
they may not have direct contact with a pharmacist.
Telemedicine - The Disappearance of the Primary Care Physical
Examination—Losing Touch.
Video Chat with a Doctor -
Tele-Medicine Exchange
-
Capture Proof
Teladoc 24/7
Access to a Doctor via Phone and Online Video Consultations.
Virtual Doctor MD
-
Physicians Online
- Interactive MD
-
Online Care over the Internet
Digital Therapeutics are evidence-based therapeutic
interventions driven by
high quality software programs to
prevent, manage, or treat a medical disorder or
disease. Digital therapeutic companies should publish trial results
inclusive of clinically meaningful outcomes in peer-reviewed journals. The
treatment relies on behavioral and lifestyle changes usually spurred by a
collection of
digital impetuses.
Because of the digital nature of the methodology, data can be collected
and analyzed as both a progress report and a preventative measure.
Treatments are being developed for the prevention and management of a wide
variety of diseases and conditions, including type II diabetes, congestive
heart failure, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, asthma, substance
abuse, ADHD, hypertension, anxiety, depression, and several others.
Digital therapeutics often employ strategies rooted in cognitive
behavioral therapy.
Digital Health is the convergence of
digital technologies
with health, healthcare, digital care programs, living, and society to
enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery to make medicine more
personalized and precise. The
discipline uses information and communication technologies to
facilitate
understanding of health problems and challenges faced by people
receiving medical treatment and social prescribing more
personalized and precise.
Digital health technologies include both hardware and software solutions
and services, including telemedicine,
wearable devices,
augmented reality, and virtual reality. Generally, digital health
interconnects health systems to improve the use of computational
technologies, smart devices, computational analysis techniques, and
communication media to aid healthcare professionals and their patients
manage illnesses and health risks, as well as promote health and
wellbeing. Although digital health platforms enable rapid and inexpensive
communications, critics warn against potential privacy violations of
personal health data and the role digital health could play in increasing
the health and digital divide between social majority and minority groups,
possibly leading to mistrust and hesitancy to use digital health systems.
Biotelemetry involves the application of telemetry in biology,
medicine, and other health care to remotely monitor various vital signs of
ambulatory patients. A typical biotelemetry system comprises: Sensors
appropriate for the particular signals to be monitored. Battery-powered,
Patient worn transmitters. A Radio Antenna and Receiver. A display unit
capable of concurrently presenting information from multiple patients.
Electronic Prescribing is the computer-based electronic generation,
transmission, and filling of a medical prescription, taking the place of
paper and faxed prescriptions.
Health Informatics is information engineering applied to the field of
health care, essentially the management and use of patient healthcare
information.
Consumer Health Informatics use of electronic resources on medical
topics by healthy individuals or patients.
Boston Scientific Latitude NXT
in-home patient
monitoring system allows a healthcare team to monitor connected devices
in-between primary care visits. Devices send data to providers at
regularly scheduled times from blood pressure monitors, pacemakers,
cardiac monitors, weight scales, and other connected health devices. The NXT connector is hands-free, meaning that patients do not have to
intervene to send health data.
Vital Signs -
Sleep Monitors.
Doctor on Demand
US-based, board-certified Doctors and Licensed Psychologists are available
on your Schedule.
Doctors without Borders
Medical Aid App
(youtube)
Health Symptoms Checker
-
Risk Assessment
Health Loop in patient engagement
solutions for providers, patients and their families. Cloud-based platform that automates follow-up care.
GE Healthcare Apex Pro CH telemetry system that allows hospitals and other
healthcare organizations to unify their monitoring systems under a single
wireless network.
Medtronic Vital Sync monitoring platform
providers integrated physiological information from bedside monitors and
wearable devices to a hospital server.
Nihon Koden Aware alarm
management system allows hospitals to draw analytics from their monitoring
parameters, and see detailed information about the types of patients and
when patients experience health risks. Aware is intended to assist
providers in identifying which alarms need the most attention based upon
patient condition. Providers can also use the system to detect when alarms
are on, off, have low battery life, and telemetry alarm responses.
EncorePro 2 has all a patient’s data presented in one convenient
dashboard while
automating routine sleep and respiratory settings.
Remote Monitoring -
Telemetry -
Tele-Robotics
Text messaging intervention is the next generation of therapy in mental
health. A psychotherapy tool in real-time. Text-messaging as an add-on
to an assertive community treatment. Today, there are more than 575,000
mental health therapists in the U.S. By 2025, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services estimates that the country will be over 250,000
therapists short. "A messaging-based intervention is an incredibly
scalable, cost-effective way to help manage the enormous shortage of
mental health capability in the U.S.
Surgery
Surgery is a
medical specialty that uses
operative
manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat
a pathological condition such as a disease or injury, to help improve
bodily function or appearance or to repair unwanted ruptured areas. The
act of performing surgery may be called a surgical
procedure, operation, or simply
"surgery". In this context, the verb "
operate"
means to perform surgery. The adjective surgical means pertaining to
surgery; e.g.
surgical instruments or
surgical nurse. The person or subject on which the surgery is
performed can be a person or an animal. A surgeon is a person who
practices surgery and a surgeon's assistant is a person who practices
surgical assistance. A surgical team is made up of surgeon, surgeon's
assistant,
anaesthetist, circulating nurse and
surgical technologist. Surgery usually spans minutes to hours, but it is
typically not an ongoing or periodic type of treatment. The term "surgery"
can also refer to the place where surgery is performed, or, in British
English, simply the office of a physician, dentist, or veterinarian.
Surgeon is a doctor who
performs
operations, which is a medical procedure involving an
incision using
instruments in order to repair damage or arrest disease in a living
body.
Incision is cutting into body tissues or organs. Surgeons may
be physicians, podiatrists, dentists, or veterinarians.
Robotic Surgery.
Invasive Surgical
Procedure refers to surgical techniques
that limit the size of incisions needed and so lessens wound healing time,
associated pain and risk of infection. An endovascular aneurysm repair as
an example of minimally invasive surgery is much less invasive in that it
involves much smaller incisions, than the corresponding open surgery
procedure of open aortic surgery.
Surgery Encyclopedia
Universal
Anesthesia Machine
Onebreath low-cost
Ventilator
Surgery Simulator
Color Coded Surgery (video)
Ultrasound Surgery (video)
-
Web
O-Arm Surgical Imaging
Laparoscopic
3D Holographic Imaging
Body Browser (youtube)
Surgery Costs by State -
Health Cost Institute
-
Fraud
Female surgeons earned 24% less per hour while operating compared to male
surgeons.
Molecular Surgery reshapes living tissue with electricity but No Incisions.
Researchers have developed a 'molecular surgery' process using tiny
needles, electric current and 3D molds to quickly reshape living tissue
with no incisions, scarring or recovery time. It shows promise as a
noninvasive alternative to laser eye surgery.
Implant Infections could be banished thanks to Scaffold Breakthrough.
A new type of implant scaffold to provide localised drug treatment and
prevent infection.
Battling bacterial infection with hexamethylene diisocyanate
cross-linked and Cefaclor-loaded collagen scaffolds.
Replantation the
surgical reattachment of a
body part, most commonly a finger, hand or arm, that has been
completely cut from a person's body. Replantation of amputated parts has
been performed on fingers, hands, forearms, arms, toes, feet, legs, ears,
avulsed scalp injuries, a face, lips, penis and a tongue. It can be
performed on almost any body part of children.
Regeneration.
Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or
surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease
process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene.
Surgical Stress is the systemic response to surgical injury and is
characterized by activation of the
sympathetic nervous system, endocrine responses as well as
immunological and haematological changes. Measurement of surgical stress
is used in
anaesthesia, physiology and surgery.
Analysis of the surgical stress response can be used for evaluation of
surgical techniques and comparisons of different anaesthetic protocols.
Moreover, they can be performed both in the intraoperative or
postoperative period. If there is a choice between different techniques
for a surgical procedure, one method to evaluate and compare the surgical
techniques is to subject one group of patients to one technique, and the
other group of patients to another technique, after which the surgical
stress responses triggered by the procedures are compared. The technique
with the least surgical stress response is considered the best for the
patient. Similarly, a group of patients can be subjected to a surgical
procedure where one anaesthetic protocol is used, and another group of
patients are subjected to the same surgical procedure but with a different
anaesthetic protocol. The anaesthetic protocol that yields the least
stress response is considered the most suitable for that surgical
procedure. It is generally considered or hypothesized that a more invasive
surgery, with extensive tissue trauma and noxious stimuli, triggers a more
significant stress response. However, duration of surgery may affect the
stress response which therefore may make comparisons of procedures that
differ in time difficult.
Medical
Procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the
delivery of healthcare. A medical procedure with the
intention of determining, measuring, or
diagnosing
a patient condition or parameter is also called a
medical test. Other common kinds of procedures are therapeutic (i.e.,
intended to treat,
cure, or restore function or
structure), such as surgical and
physical
rehabilitation procedures.
See One, Do One, Teach One. The traditional method of teaching in
Surgery is known as “See One, Do One, Teach One.” However, many have
argued that this method is no longer applicable mainly because of concerns
for patient safety. The basis of the traditional teaching method is still
valid in surgical training if it is combined with various
adult learning principles.
Organ Transplants
Organ Transplantation is a medical
procedure in which an
organ is removed from one
body and placed in the
body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and
recipient may be at the same location, or organs may be transported from a
donor site to another location. Organs and/or tissues that are
transplanted within the same person's body are called autografts.
Transplants that are recently performed between two subjects of the same
species are called allografts. Allografts can either be from a living or
cadaveric source.
T-Cells.
Organ Donation is when a person allows
to be removed, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or
after death with the assent of the next of kin. Donation may be for
research, or, more commonly healthy transplantable organs and tissues may
be donated to be transplanted into another person. Common transplantations
include: kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, bones, bone
marrow, skin, and corneas. Some organs and tissues can be donated by
living donors, such as a kidney or part of the liver, but most donations
occur after the donor has died. As of August 1, 2016, there are 120,004
people waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the US. Of these,
96,645 await kidney transplants. While views of organ donation are
positive there is a large gap between the numbers of
registered donors
compared to those awaiting organ donations on a global level.
Presumed consent is alternatively known as
an 'opt-out' system and means that unless the deceased has expressed a
wish in life not to be an organ donor then
consent will be assumed. In
opt-out systems, organ donation will occur
automatically unless a specific request is made before death for organs
not to be taken.
120,000 Americans are on organ transplant waiting lists.
20 people die every day from the lack of available organs for transplant. 30
Americans a day either die on the waiting
list or are removed from it because they
have become too ill to receive a transplant.
Every day, over
75 people in the United States get an organ transplant.
About 130 new people are put on transplant waiting lists each day.
One Legacy -
Organ Donor (gov) -
Giving your Body to Science
Paired Donation -
Paired Kidney Exchange
Scientists Triple Storage Time of Human Donor Livers. Research project
develops new method to preserve human livers for transplantation. A new
method of preservation maintains human liver tissue for up to 27 hours
will give doctors and patients a much longer timeframe for organ
transplant. They were able to do this by adding a modified glucose
compound, 3-OMG, and PEG-35kD -- an ingredient in antifreeze -- to the
protective solution that they use to cool the livers. The PEG compound
lowers the temperature at which the cells freeze and 3-OMG acts as a
protectant against the cold. With these additions, they were able to cool
the rat livers to ?6 degrees Celsius without freezing them -- a process
called supercooling.
Matching Donors and Recipients, These usually include: Blood type,
Body size, Severity of patient's medical condition, Distance between the
donor's hospital and the patient's hospital, The patient's waiting time,
Whether the patient is available (for example, whether the patient can be
contacted and has no current infection or other temporary reason that
transplant cannot take place). Depending on the organ, however, some
factors become more important. For example, some organs can survive
outside the body longer than others. So the distance between the donor's
hospital and the potential recipient's hospital must be taken into
consideration.
Can an organ recipient
choose an organ from a younger person? Putting a kidney from a 70
year old donor into a 20 year old recipient is not a great idea. In the
reverse situation a 20 year old kidney transplanted into a 70 year old
will be exposed to an aging environment: high blood pressure, other organs
which are not functioning optimally and it will not last as long as it
would in a 20 year old recipient (assuming the etiology is not prone to
recurrence). A 70 year old kidney would probably last longer in a 20
year old than in another 70 year old but sometimes young and otherwise
healthy patients have a greater tendency to reject than older ones. In any
case, some sort of age matching makes sense if feasible. The biological
age of the transplanted organ won't change after it has been transplanted.
Almost everyone can be an organ donor, no matter what your age.
Can people of different races and ethnicities
match each other? Yes. People of different ethnicities frequently
match each other. How are donated organs distributed? Organs are
matched to patients based on a number of factors, including blood and
tissue typing, medical need, time on the waiting list, and
geographical location.
Nearly 100,000
patients are waiting on kidneys and even more for other organs.
Roughly 5,000 a year are dying on the waitlist
— even as perfectly good donated organs end up in the trash. A two-year
inquiry by the
Senate Finance Committee uncovered numerous incidents that were
previously undisclosed publicly.
More than 100,000
people in the United States are waiting for a new kidney. 500,000 are
on dialysis.
Living Donations of a
kidney can be made to a family member, friend,
or anyone on the waiting list.
Dialysis is a process
for removing waste and excess water from the blood and is used primarily
as an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with
kidney failure. Dialysis may be used for those with an acute disturbance
in kidney function (acute kidney injury, previously acute renal failure)
or progressive but chronically worsening kidney function—a state known as
chronic kidney disease stage 5 (previously chronic kidney failure or
end-stage renal disease).
Dialysis: Last Week
Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (youtube)
Allotransplantation is the
transplantation of cells, tissues, or organs, to a recipient from a
genetically non-identical donor of the same species. The transplant is
called an allograft, allogeneic transplant, or homograft. Most human
tissue and organ transplants are allografts.
Xenotransplantation is the
transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs
from one species to
another. Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or
xenotransplants. It is contrasted with allotransplantation (from other
individual of same species), Syngeneic transplantation (Grafts
transplanted between two genetically identical individuals of the same
species) and Autotransplantation (from one part of the body to another in
the same person).
Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses are remnants of ancient viral
infections, found in the genomes of most, if not all, mammalian species.
Integrated into the chromosomal DNA, they are vertically transferred
through inheritance.[26] Due to the many deletions and mutations they
accumulate over time, they usually are not infectious in the host species,
however the virus may become infectious in another species.
Transplant Recipients Receive Memories of
the Organ Donor
Circumventricular Organs are structures
in the brain that are characterized by their extensive vasculature and
lack of a normal
blood brain barrier (BBB).
The CVOs allow for the linkage between the
central nervous system and
peripheral blood flow; additionally they are an integral part of
neuroendocrine function. The lack of a blood brain barrier allows the CVOs
to act as an alternative route for peptides and hormones in the neural
tissue to the peripheral blood stream, while still protecting it from
toxic substances. CVOs can be classified as either sensory or secretory
organs. The
sensory organs include the area postrema (AP), the subfornical
organ (SFO) and the vascular organ of lamina terminalis. They have the
ability to sense plasma molecules and then pass that information into
other regions of the brain. Through this, they provide direct information
to the autonomic nervous system from the systemic circulation. The
secretory organs include the subcommissural organ (SCO), the posterior
pituitary, the
pineal gland, the median eminence and the intermediate lobe
of the pituitary gland. These organs are responsible for
secreting
hormones and glycoproteins into the peripheral vascular system using
feedback from both the brain environment and external stimuli. All of the circumventricular organs, besides the SCO, contain extensive vasculature
and fenestrated capillaries which leads to a ‘leaky’ BBB at the site of
the organs. Furthermore, all CVOs contain neural tissue, allowing them to
play a role in the neuroendocrine system. It is highly debated if the
choroid plexus can be included as a CVO. It has a high concentration of
fenestrated capillaries, but its lack of neural tissue and its primary
role of producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) usually excludes the choroid
plexus from the CVO classification. Research has also linked CVOs to body
fluid regulation, cardiovascular functions, immune responses, thirst,
feeding behavior and
reproductive behavior.
Secretory Organ is any of various organs
that synthesize substances needed by the body and release it through
ducts or gland or directly into
the bloodstream.
Situs Inversus is a congenital condition in which the
major visceral organs are reversed or mirrored
from their normal positions. The normal arrangement of internal organs is
known as situs solitus while situs inversus is generally the mirror image
of situs solitus. Although cardiac problems are more common than in the
general population, most people with situs inversus have no medical
symptoms or complications resulting from the condition, and until the
advent of modern medicine it was usually undiagnosed.
Microparticles show promise for Transplant Rejection.
Crossmatch involves placing recipient serum
(potentially containing donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies) onto donor
lymphocytes (containing HLA antigens). A cytotoxic reaction (deemed
'positive') suggests the presence of preformed DSAbs.
Crossmatch test is an important stage of
the kidney transplantation that is performed just before the transplant
surgery is underway. This type of test is done by mixing together blood
from both the kidney donor and kidney recipient. A
positive crossmatch transplant means you're not compatible with
your kidney donor because your body has developed antibodies that react
against your living-donor's organs and their cells.
Lifesaving Organs for Transplant sometimes go
Missing in Transit. Hearts survive only four to six hours out of
the body. And kidneys and pancreases have longer shelf lives and often
travel commercial, as cargo. As such, they can end up missing connecting
flights or delayed like lost luggage. Worse still, they are typically
tracked with a primitive system of phone calls and paper manifests, with
no GPS or other electronic tracking required. We’ve had organs that are
left on airplanes, organs that arrive at an airport and then can’t get
taken off the aircraft in a timely fashion and spend an extra two or three
or four hours waiting for somebody to get them.
Organ Procurement Organizations often rely on commercial couriers and
airlines, which are not formally held accountable for any ensuing
problems. If an airline forgets to put a kidney on a plane or a courier
misses a flight because he got lost or stuck in traffic, there is no
consequence. If Amazon can figure out when your paper towels and your dog
food is going to arrive within 20 to 30 minutes, it certainly should be
reasonable that we ought to track lifesaving organs, which are in chronic
shortage.
Harvested alive -10
years investigation of Force Organ Harvesting (youtube) - China has
been
harvesting organs from live prisoners
to create it's thriving transplant industry. Average wait time for a liver
in the US is 24-36 MONTHS. Average wait time in China is 14-21 DAYS.
HARD
TO BELIEVE - Chapter 3 - The Canadian Investigation (youtube).
Organ Transplantation in China has taken place since the 1960s, and is
one of the largest organ transplant programmes in the world, peaking at
over 13,000 liver and kidney transplants a year in 2004. China is also
involved in innovative transplant surgery such as face transplantation
including bone.
Organ Procurement or
Organ Harvesting
is a surgical procedure that removes organs or tissues for reuse,
typically for organ transplantation. If the organ donor is human, most
countries require that the donor be legally dead for consideration of
organ transplantation (e.g. cardiac or brain dead). For some organs, a
living donor can be the source of the organ. For example, living donors
can donate one kidney or part of their liver to a well-matched recipient.
Transplant Tourism in the United States: A Single-Center Experience.
The practice of traveling outside the country of residence to obtain organ
transplantation.
Ecil Lockhart, a 95-year-old, became
the oldest organ donor in United States history
after he died last week. Lockhart's family said he chose to become a
donor over 10 years ago after his son Stanley passed away and helped heal
75 people through tissue and cornea donations.
There's no
age limit to donation or to signing up. People in their 50s, 60s, 70s
and beyond have been both organ donors and organ transplant recipients.
Below are some facts you should know about donation for people over age
50. The last oldest organ donor in the U.S. was age 92. He was a liver
donor and saved the life of a 69-year-old woman.
Food - Nutrition
Exercise - Sports
Human Body Knowledge
Human Body is the entire structure
of a
human being. It is composed of many different types of
cells that
together create tissues and subsequently organ
systems. They ensure
homeostasis and viability of human body. It comprises a
head, neck, trunk, which includes the
thorax and
abdomen, arms and
hands, legs and
feet, and
skin.
The study of the human body involves anatomy, physiology, histology and
embryology. The body varies anatomically in known ways.
Physiology focuses
on the
systems and
organs of the human body and their
functions. Many
systems and mechanisms interact in order to maintain
homeostasis, with
safe levels of substances such as sugar and
oxygen in the
blood. The body
is studied by health professionals, physiologists, anatomists, and by
artists to assist them in their work.
Heart -
Temperature -
Body Motion -
Organ Donation
Anatomy is the branch
of
biology concerned with the
study of the structure of organisms and
their parts. Anatomy is inherently tied to embryology, comparative
anatomy, evolutionary biology, and phylogeny, as these are the processes
by which anatomy is generated over immediate (embryology) and long
(evolution) timescales. Human anatomy is one of the basic essential
sciences of medicine. The discipline of anatomy is divided into
macroscopic and microscopic anatomy. Macroscopic anatomy, or gross
anatomy, is the examination of an animal's body parts using unaided
eyesight. Gross anatomy also includes the branch of superficial anatomy.
Microscopic anatomy involves the use of optical instruments in the study
of the tissues of various structures, known as histology, and also in the
study of
cells. The history of anatomy is characterized by a progressive
understanding of the functions of the organs and structures of the human
body. Methods have also improved dramatically, advancing from the
examination of animals by dissection of carcasses and cadavers (
corpses)
to 20th century medical imaging techniques including X-ray, ultrasound,
and magnetic resonance imaging. Anatomy and physiology, which study
(respectively) the structure and function of
organisms and their parts,
make a natural pair of related disciplines, and they are often studied
together.
Connections.
Anatomical Terms of Location. All vertebrates including humans have
the same basic body plan: they are strictly bilaterally
symmetrical in
early embryonic stages and largely bilaterally
symmetrical in adulthood.
If they are divided down the middle, in other words, they have
mirror-image left and right halves.
Coronal Plane is any vertical plane that divides the body into ventral
and dorsal (belly and back) sections. It is one of the three main planes
of the body used to describe the location of body parts in relation to
each other.
Sagittal Plane is an anatomical plane which divides the body into
right and left parts. The plane may be in the center of the body and split
it into two halves (mid-sagittal) or away from the midline and split it
into unequal parts (para-sagittal).The anatomical term sagittal was coined
by Gerard of Cremona.
Systems of the Human Body
The human body is the ultimate
multitasker that
coordinates hundreds of important body functions
simultaneously
every second,
like pumping blood through the body,
regulating temperature, breathing,
sensing, growing hair and shedding skin cells, producing saliva and tears,
repairing bones and creating new cells, removing waste and fighting
disease, just to name a few.
Organ System is a
biological
system
consisting of a group of organs that
work together to perform
one or more functions. Each organ has a specialized role in a plant or
animal body, and is made up of distinct tissues.
Biological
System is a complex
network
which connects several biologically relevant entities. Biological
organization spans several
scales and are determined based
different
structures
depending on what the
system
is.
Biological
Organization is the
hierarchy
of complex biological
structures and systems that define life using a reductionistic
approach. The traditional hierarchy extends from atoms to
biospheres. The
higher levels of this scheme are often referred to as an ecological
organization concept, or as the field, hierarchical ecology. Each level in
the hierarchy represents an increase in organizational complexity, with
each "object" being primarily composed of the previous level's basic unit.
The basic principle behind the organization is the concept of
emergence—the properties and functions found at a hierarchical level are
not present and irrelevant at the lower levels. The biological
organization of life is a fundamental premise for numerous areas of
scientific research, particularly in the medical sciences. Without this
necessary degree of
organization, it would be much more difficult—and
likely impossible—to apply the study of the effects of various physical
and chemical phenomena to diseases and physiology (body function). For
example, fields such as cognitive and behavioral
neuroscience could not
exist if the brain was not composed of specific types of cells, and the
basic concepts of pharmacology could not exist if it was not known that a
change at the cellular level can affect an entire organism. These
applications extend into the ecological levels as well. For example, DDT's
direct insecticidal effect occurs at the subcellular level, but affects
higher levels up to and including multiple ecosystems. Theoretically, a
change in one atom could change the entire biosphere. (Cells - Tissues -
Organs - Organ Systems - Organism) - Anatomy is Form and Physiology is
Function.
Form Influences
Function.
Cardiovascular System or the
Circulatory System helps to
circulate blood around the body via the
heart,
arteries and veins, which helps deliver
oxygen and nutrients to organs and
cells
and helps carry their waste products away.
Blood Vessel are
the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the
human body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the
arteries, which carry
the
blood away from the heart; the
capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals
between the blood and the tissues; and the
veins,
which carry blood from the capillaries back toward the
heart.
Vasodilation
refers to the widening of blood vessels. It results from relaxation of
smooth
muscle cells within the vessel walls, in particular in the large
veins (called venodilators), large arteries, and smaller arterioles. The
process is the opposite of
vasoconstriction,, which is the narrowing of blood vessels.
Extracellular
Fluid denotes all body
fluid outside the cells. Total body
water in
humans makes up between 45 to 75% of total body weight. About two thirds
of this is intracellular fluid within
cells, and one third is the
extracellular fluid. The main component of the extracellular fluid is the
interstitial fluid that bathes cells.
Intracellular Fluid is all fluids contained inside the cells, which
consists of
cytosol
and fluid in the
cell
nucleus. The cytosol is the
matrix
in which cellular organelles are suspended. The cytosol and organelles
together compose the
cytoplasm.
Interstitial Waters are
aqueous solutions that occupy the pore spaces between particles in rocks
and sediments.
Digestive System and the
Excretory System are the mechanical and chemical processes that provide
nutrients via the
mouth, esophagus,
stomach and intestines.
Helps to eliminate
waste from the body.
Microbes.
Endocrine System
provides chemical communications within the body using
hormones.
Integumentary System and the
Exocrine System include
skin, hair, nails, sweat and other exocrine glands.
Lymphatic System and the
Immune System is comprised
of a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called
lymph,
which defends the body against
disease-causing agents.
The
lymphatic system
is part of the
circulatory system and a
vital part of the
immune system,
comprising a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called
lymph directionally towards the
heart. Unlike the cardiovascular system,
the lymphatic system is
not a closed system. The human
circulatory system
processes an average of 20 liters of blood per day through capillary
filtration, which removes plasma while leaving the blood cells. Roughly 17 litres of the filtered plasma are reabsorbed directly into the blood
vessels, while the remaining three litres remain in the interstitial
fluid. One of the main functions of the lymph system is to provide an
accessory return route to the blood for the surplus three litres. The
other main function is that of defense in the immune system. Lymph is very
similar to blood plasma: it contains
lymphocytes and other
white blood
cells. It also contains waste products and cellular debris together with
bacteria and proteins. Associated organs composed of lymphoid tissue are
the sites of lymphocyte production. Lymphocytes are concentrated in the
lymph nodes. The spleen and the thymus are also lymphoid organs of the
immune system. The tonsils are lymphoid organs that are also associated
with the
digestive system.
Lymphoid tissues contain lymphocytes, and also contain other types of
cells for support. The system also includes all the structures dedicated
to the circulation and production of lymphocytes (the primary cellular
component of lymph), which also includes the bone marrow, and the lymphoid
tissue associated with the digestive system.
Blood Brain Barrier.
Lymphatic Vessel
are thin-walled, valved structures that carry lymph. As part of the
lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary to the cardiovascular
system. Lymph vessels are lined by endothelial cells, and have a thin
layer of smooth muscles, and adventitia that bind the lymph vessels to the
surrounding tissue. Lymph vessels are devoted to the propulsion of the
lymph from the lymph capillaries, which are mainly concerned with
absorption of
interstitial fluid from the tissues. Lymph capillaries are slightly
larger than their counterpart capillaries of the vascular system. Lymph
vessels that carry lymph to a lymph node are called the afferent lymph
vessel, and one that carries it from a lymph node is called the efferent
lymph vessel, from where the lymph may travel to another lymph node, may
be returned to a vein, or may travel to a larger lymph duct. Lymph ducts
drain the lymph into one of the subclavian veins and thus return it to
general circulation. Generally, lymph flows away from the tissues to lymph
nodes and eventually to either the right lymphatic duct or the largest
lymph vessel in the body, the thoracic duct. These vessels drain into the
right and left subclavian veins respectively.
Lymph derived from the
interstitial fluid, its composition continually changes as the blood and
the surrounding cells continually exchange substances with the
interstitial fluid. Lymph is collected through lymph capillaries. It is
then transported through larger lymphatic vessels to lymph nodes, where it
is cleaned by lymphocytes, before emptying ultimately into the right or
the left subclavian vein, where it mixes back with the
blood.
Muscular System
and the
Skeletal System
enables the
body
to move using
muscles.
The
bones help support the body and its organs.
Bones -
Bone Fracture
(first aid) -
Posture -
Jumping Exercises
Skeleton
is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism.
Vertebrate (wiki).
Human Height is the
distance from the bottom of the feet to
the top of the head in a human body, standing erect. It is
measured using
a
stadiometer, usually in centimetres when using the metric system, or
feet and inches when using the imperial system.
Nervous System collects and
processes information from the
senses
via
nerves and the
brain and tells the
muscles to contract to cause physical actions.
Renal System and the
Urinary System is the system where the kidneys
help filter
blood.
Reproductive System is
the sex
organs required for the production of offspring.
Respiratory System are
the lungs and the
trachea that bring air into the body.
Breathing.
Sensory
System consists of
sensory receptors, neural pathways, and parts of the brain involved in
sensory perception.
Nicer Drums
is a memory technique and acronym for ten organ systems.
Systems of the Human Body - List (wiki)
1:
Cardiovascular / Circulatory system:
Circulates blood around the body via the heart, arteries and veins,
delivering oxygen and nutrients to organs and cells and carrying their
waste products away.
2:
Digestive system / Excretory system:
Mechanical and chemical processes that provide nutrients via the mouth,
esophagus, stomach and intestines. Eliminates waste from the body.
3: Endocrine
system: Provides chemical communications within the body using hormones.
4:
Integumentary system/
Exocrine system:
Skin, hair, nails, sweat and other exocrine
glands.
Skin5: Lymphatic system /
Immune system: The system comprising a
network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph.
Defends the body against disease-causing agents.
6: Muscular
system/Skeletal system: Enables the body to move using muscles. Bones
supporting the body and its organs.
7:
Nervous system: Collects and processes
information from the senses via nerves and the brain and tells the muscles
to contract to cause physical actions.
8:
Renal system /
Urinary system: The system
where the kidneys filter blood.
9:
Reproductive system: The sex organs
required for the production of offspring.
10:
Respiratory system: The lungs and the
trachea that bring air into the body.
Eyes: Seeing and Sight
-
Check your Vision
Organs Human Body (wiki) - (there are approximately 79 organs).
Composition of the Body may be analyzed in terms of
molecular type e.g.,
water,
protein, connective tissue,
fats (or lipids), hydroxylapatite (in bones),
carbohydrates (such as glycogen and glucose)
and
DNA. In terms of tissue type, the body may be analyzed into water,
fat,
muscle, bone, etc. In terms of
cell type, the body contains hundreds
of different types of cells, but notably, the largest number of cells
contained in a human body (though not the largest mass of cells)
are not
human cells, but bacteria residing in the normal
human gastrointestinal tract.
Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements:
oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about
0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium,
chlorine, and magnesium. All 11 are necessary for life. The remaining
elements are trace elements, of which more than a dozen are thought on the
basis of good evidence to be necessary for life. All of the mass of the
trace elements put together (less than 10 grams for a human body) do not
add up to the body mass of magnesium, the least common of the 11 non-trace
elements. The average 70 kg (150 lb) adult human body contains
approximately 7×1027 atoms and contains at least detectable traces of 60
chemical elements. About 29 of these elements are thought to play an
active positive role in life and health in humans. The adult human body
averages ~53% water. This varies substantially by age, sex, and adiposity.
In a large sample of adults of all ages and both sexes, the figure for
water fraction by weight was found to be 48 ±6% for females and 58 ±8%
water for males. Water is ~11% hydrogen by mass but ~67% hydrogen by
atomic percent, and these numbers along with the complementary % numbers
for oxygen in water, are the largest contributors to overall mass and
atomic composition figures. Because of water content, the human body
contains more oxygen by mass than any other element, but more hydrogen by
atom-fraction than any element.
Some 60 chemical
elements are found in the body, and what all of them are doing
there is mostly unknown.
Chemical Elements listed by their presence in human body -
Photo
Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements:
oxygen,
carbon,
hydrogen,
nitrogen,
calcium, and
phosphorus. Only about
0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium,
chlorine, and magnesium. A 70 kg (154 lb body) would have approximately 7*1027
atoms. That is, 7 followed by 27 zeros.
Protons Neutrons
Electrons
Hydrogen 4.7*1027
0
4.7*1027
Oxygen 1.4*1028
1.4*1028 1.4*1028
Carbon 4.2*1027 4.2*1027
4.2*1027
Total 2.3*1028 1.8*1028
2.3*1028
98% of the Atoms in your Body will Cycle Out
within 1 Year. Full body mass is replaced in 2 weeks.
Almost every Cell in the Human Body gets Replaced Every 7 to 10 Years
-
Body Rejuvenation (video).
Human Bio-Digital
Human Sexuality -
Female -
Male
Human Body for Kids -
Body Browser (youtube)
Human Images From World’s 1st Total-Body Scanner Unveiled. EXPLORER is
a combined positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed
tomography (CT) scanner that can image the entire body at the same time.
Because the machine captures radiation far more efficiently than other
scanners, EXPLORER can produce an image in as little as 1 second and, over
time, produce movies that can track specially tagged drugs as they
move around the entire body.
Skin Color
Human Skin Color ranges in variety from the darkest brown to
the lightest hues. An individual's skin
pigmentation is the result of
genetics, being the product of both of the individual's
biological
parents' genetic makeup. In evolution,
skin pigmentation in human beings
evolved by a process of
natural selection primarily to regulate the amount
of
ultraviolet radiation penetrating the
skin, controlling its biochemical
effects. The actual skin
color of different humans is affected by many
substances, although the single most important substance is the pigment
melanin.
DNA Similarities.
Melanin is a broad
term for a group of natural
pigments found in most
organisms. Melanin is
produced through a multistage chemical process known as melanogenesis,
where the oxidation of the
amino acid tyrosine is followed by
polymerization. The melanin pigments are produced in a specialized group
of
cells known as melanocytes.
Grey Hair.
Melanogenesis is the process through which cells called melanocytes
produce melanin. These cells develop in the neural tube of the foetus,
then migrate to the underlying layer of the skin (the basal layer) before
birth. Melanocytes also migrate to hair follicles and determine an
individual’s hair colour. The process of melanin production is influenced
by hormones, immune and inflammatory factors and brain signals.
Melanocytes interact with other skin cells called keratinocytes which
are responsible for storing melanin in cells called melanosomes. Each
melanocyte interacts with 30-40 keratinocytes to which it transfers
melanin for storage in the skin’s layers until it is required for
photo-protection (protecting the skin from UV radiation). In dark skinned
individuals melanin is distributed throughout all the skin’s layers. It is
stored for longer periods of time. In lighter skinned individuals melanin
degradation occurs more quickly. The melanin which is produced is stored
mainly in the upper layer of skin (the squamous cells) with very little
melanin stored in the under layer of skin (the basal layer). In
determining skin colour, the number melanocytes of is not as important as
the type of melanin the cells produce. The number of melanin producing
cells is similar between people of different ethnic groups.
Hyper-pigmentation (e.g. as in darkening of the nipples during pregnancy)
and hypo-pigmentation (as in albinism) occur without change in the number
of melanocytes. It is the process of melanin production and the manner in
which melanosomes are transferred to and distributed within keratinocytes
which changes skin colour. The size and quantity of melanosomes, also
determines skin colour. Darkly pigmented skin is associated with larger
and more prolific melanosomes. They are elongated and the melanin they
produce is stored in the keratinocytes for longer than it is stored in the
keratinocytes of fair skinned individuals. In addition to melanin, other
pigments including haemoglobin and carotene also help determine skin
colour.
Haemoglobin is a red pigment running along
blood vessels. It results in skin being redder in places where the blood
vessels come closer to the surface, for example the lips. Carotene is an
orange/yellow pigment found in the skin as well as in yellow and orange
vegetables. Eating excessive quantities of vegetables like carrots over a
long period of time can change the skin colour. However it’s a rare
occurrence and won’t happen with normal fruit and vegetable intake. If you
notice your palms, face or the soles of your feet take on a yellow tinge,
it’s far more likely to be a result of liver problems than it is eating
too many carrots. Excess amounts of carotene can result in accumulation in
the skin, concentrated in tissues containing fat, for example the skin
yellowing associated with jaundice from liver dysfunction.
The skin may also show abnormal colours such as:
Cyanosis: Blueness of the skin in this condition occurs due to low levels
of oxygen in the circulating blood. This deficiency causes the haemoglobin
to turn reddish-violet. Erythema: refers to skin reddening and occurs due
to increased blood flow in dilated blood vessels. Pallor: Loss of colour
due to decreased blood flow.
Exposure to the
ultraviolet radiation from the sun causes changes to the skin colour.
In the short term too much sun can result in what doctors called erythema
and most people refer to as sunburn. Artificial exposure to UV radiation,
for example from a tanning bed has a similar effect. In the longer term UV
exposure stimulates melanin production causing skin reddening to change to
darker, tanned skin within a few days. Other UV induced skin changes
include thickening of the outer layer of skin, freckles and moles and
premature skin ageing, characterised by reduced elasticity, increased
dryness and wrinkles. Immediate skin changes (immediate pigmentation),
seen within 5-10 minutes of sun exposure and lasting for minutes to
several days, are induced by UVA radiation. They occur not because of
increased melanin production but due to redistribution of melanin stored
in keratinocytes in the upper layers of the skin. Delayed pigmentation
which occurs several days after exposure to sunlight and has a longer
duration (several weeks) is induced mainly by UVB radiation. These changes
occur due to increasing production of melanin, particularly eumelanin.
Over long periods of time, chronic sun exposure increases melanin levels
and increased levels of eumelanin offer additional protection from the
sun’s UV radiation. Exposure to UV radiation from the sun and artificial
sources like tanning beds is a major risk factor for all types of
skin cancer (melanoma,
the rarest but most deadly type, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell
carcinoma). The duration and intensity of sun exposure influences the type
of skin cancer. Chronic sun exposure, for example being exposed to the sun
everyday due to outdoor work, influences the melanin content of the skin;
over time skin darkens. Chronic sun exposure does not appear to increase,
and may offer protection from melanoma. Intermittent, acute sun exposure
is the major risk factor for melanoma, because over-exposure to sunlight
causes cancerous DNA changes. Acute sun exposure refers to exposure for
short periods of time in an individual whose skin is not usually exposed
to the sun and is more likely to result in sunburn. This type of sun
exposure occurs in office workers who spend a weekend or holiday at the
beach. Skin type influences the risk of cancer. Darker skin with more
melanin is less likely to burn and skin cancer is rarely seen in darkly
pigmented individuals, except on the non-pigmented skin of their bodies
like the soles of their feet and palms of their hands. Fair skinned
patients are more susceptible to the acute effects of sun exposure and
have a relatively high risk of
skin Cancer. As skin
cancer risk increases with cumulative lifetime exposure to UV radiation,
age is also a risk factor. Skin cancer is not however limited to the adult
population; 6% of all cancers in children are melanoma, which is the
second most common form of cancer in 15-29 year olds.
Penn-led Study Identifies Genes Responsible for Diversity of Human Skin
Colors -
Diversity
How We Get Our Skin Color (youtube)
Body Image -
Body Language -
Body Smart Kinesthetic
Human skin comes in a wide variety of colours, ranging from shades of dark
brown to almost white. Although an individual’s skin colour is influenced
by numerous factors, the most significant is its content of a pigment
called melanin. Melanin is also the pigment responsible for determining
hair and eye colour. Levels of melanin are primarily determined by
genetics; individuals born to fair skinned parents will inherit their
parent’s fair skin, as individuals born to dark skinned parents will
inherit dark skin. The level of inherited skin pigmentation is referred to
as constitutive pigmentation. A number of other factors determined at
birth, for example the way a person’s body produces hormones and the way
these hormones signal the cells which produce melanin, also influence skin
colour. These factors inherited at birth, which cannot be changed, are
referred to as intrinsic factors. Skin type is a classification based on
the skin’s reaction to exposure to the sun’s UV radiation, after a period
of non-exposure (e.g. sun exposure at the beginning of summer, when the
skin has not been exposed during winter). The skin’s reaction is measured
in terms of burning and tanning. The Fitzpatrick system of classifying
skin type is most commonly used in the assessment of skin cancer risk.
The Fitzpatrick skin types are: Type I
Extremely fair skin, always burns, never tans. Type II Fair skin, always
burns, sometimes tans. Type III Medium skin, sometimes burns, always tans.
Type IV Olive skin, rarely burns, always tans. Type V Moderately pigmented
brown skin, never burns, always tans. Type VI Markedly pigmented black
skin, never burns, always tans. Extrinsic factors, things outside the
body, also influence skin colour and provide acquired pigmentation.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the most important
extrinsic factor. The sun emits UVA and UVB rays and the different types
of UV rays have different effects on skin pigmentation. Exposure to UVA
rays produces immediate pigmentation by influencing melanin which has
already been produced and is waiting in the skin’s upper layers.
Pigmentation which occurs several days after sun exposure is a result of
new melanin being produced in response to UVB exposure. Other extrinsic
factors which influence skin pigmentation and colour include DNA damage
(often induced by UVB exposure) and age, as the way the body produces
melanin changes as a person ages. Skin colour is primarily determined by
genetic inheritance but exposure to sunlight also alters skin colour.
There are six skin types, fair skin that always burn, dark skin that never
burns and everything in between. Melanin is the pigment that determines
skin colour as well as hair and eye colour. Melanin is produced by skin
cells when they are exposed to the sun. The more sun exposure, the more
melanin is produced. There are two types of melanin, eumelanin which gives
skin a brown colour (tan) and pheomelanin which gives skin a red colour
(burn). Regular sun exposure (e.g. every day) is associated with tanning.
It increases eumelanin levels which gives skin a brownish tan and provides
protection against the sun’s rays. This reduces the risk of burning and
skin cancer with future sun exposure. Irregular sun exposure (e.g. only
during holidays or weekends) is associated with burning. It increases
pheomelanin levels and increases cancer risk. Exposure to artificial
ultra-violet radiation from tanning beds has the same effect on skin
colour and cancer risk as exposure to the sun’s ultra violet rays.
Child Development -
Human Development
Body Worlds -
Anatomage Virtual Dissection
Stress -
Heart Disease
-
Cancer -
Immune System
Sunken Chest or pectus excavatum, is a congenital deformity
of the anterior thoracic wall in which the sternum and rib cage grow
abnormally. This produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest. It
can either be present at birth or not develop until puberty.
Deformity is a major abnormality in the shape of a body part
or organ compared to the normal shape of that part. Deformity may arise
from numerous causes: Genetic mutation. Damage to the fetus or uterus.
Complications at birth. A growth or hormone disorder. Reconstructive
surgery following a severe injury, e.g. burn injury. Arthritis and other
rheumatoid disorders. Fractured bones left to heal without being properly
set (malunion). Chronic application of external forces, e.g. artificial
cranial deformation. Chronic paresis, paralysis or muscle imbalance,
especially in children, e.g. due to poliomyelitis or cerebral palsy.
Deformity can occur in non-humans, as well. Frogs can be mutated due to
Ribeiroia (Trematoda) infection.
Gigantism is a condition characterized
by excessive growth and height significantly above average. In humans,
this condition is caused by over-production of growth hormone in childhood
resulting in people between 7 feet (2.13 m) and 9 feet (2.75 m) in height.
Body Temperature
Body Temperature is a narrow
temperature range indicating optimal health and
thermoregulation. Individual body
temperature depends upon the age, exertion, infection, sex, time of day,
and reproductive status of the subject, the place in the body at which the
measurement is made, the subject's state of consciousness (waking or
sleeping), activity level, and emotional state. Despite these factors,
typical values are well established: oral (under the tongue): 36.8±0.4 °C
(98.2±0.72 °F), internal (rectal, vaginal): 37.0 °C (98.6 °F).
Temperature measuring has several scales and units, the most
common being Celsius (denoted °C; formerly called centigrade), Fahrenheit
(denoted °F), and, especially in science, Kelvin (denoted K).
A decline in average body temperature among healthy adults over the past
two decades. In the nearly two centuries since
98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.0 degrees Celsius was established as
the standard 'normal' body temperature. Declines might be due to lower
rates of lingering mild infections or other factors. A 2017 study among
35,000 adults in the United Kingdom found average body temperature to be
lower (97.9°F), and a 2019 study showed that the normal body temperature
in Americans (those in Palo Alto, California, anyway) is about
97.5°F.
Fever (thermometers) -
Thermia -
Heat (hot high
temperatures) -
Some People Feel Cold
(youtube) -
Sleeping -
Exercise Warm Up
-
Heart Rate
Thermoregulation
is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain
boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A
thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding
temperature as its own body temperature, thus avoiding the need for
internal thermoregulation. The internal thermoregulation process is one
aspect of homeostasis: a state of dynamic stability in an organism's
internal conditions, maintained far from
thermal equilibrium with its
environment (the study of such processes in zoology has been called
physiological ecology). If the body is unable to maintain a normal
temperature and it increases significantly above normal, a condition known
as hyperthermia occurs. For humans, this occurs when the body is exposed
to constant temperatures of approximately 55 °C (131 °F), and with
prolonged exposure (longer than a few hours) at this temperature and up to
around 75 °C (167 °F) death is almost inevitable. Humans
may also experience lethal hyperthermia when the wet bulb temperature is
sustained above 35 °C (95 °F) for six hours. The opposite condition, when
body temperature decreases below normal levels, is known as hypothermia.
Sweating -
Heat Index -
Wind Chill
Thermogenesis is the process of
heat production in organisms. It
occurs in all warm-blooded animals, and also in a few species of thermogenic plants.
Wim Hof
-
Vagus Nerve -
Energy Expenditure
Thermoception
is the sense by which an organism perceives
temperatures. The details of
how temperature receptors work are still being investigated.
Ciliopathy is
associated with decreased ability to sense
heat, thus cilia may aid in the
process.
Transient receptor potential channels are
believed to play a role in many species in sensation of hot, cold, and
pain. Mammals have at least two types of sensor: those that detect heat
(i.e., temperatures above body temperature) and those that detect cold
(i.e. temperatures below body temperature.
Thermographic Camera, also called an
infrared camera or thermal imaging camera, is a device that forms an image
using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image
using visible light. Instead of the 400–700 nanometre range of the visible
light camera, infrared cameras operate in wavelengths as long as 14,000 nm
(14 µm). Their use is called thermography.
Temperature Sensors.
Homeothermy
is thermoregulation that
maintains a stable
internal body temperature regardless of external influence. This internal
body temperature is often, though not necessarily, higher than the
immediate environment.
Warm-Blooded
animal species can maintain a body temperature higher than their
environment. In particular, homeothermic species maintain a stable body
temperature by regulating metabolic processes. The only known homeotherms
are birds and mammals. Other species have various degrees of
thermoregulation.
Hibernation -
Ice -
Water Therapy
Ectotherm is controlling body temperature through external metabolic
processes, such as by basking in the sun. An organism in which internal
physiological sources of heat are of relatively small or quite negligible
importance in controlling body temperature.
Endotherm is an organism that maintains
its body at a metabolically favorable temperature, largely by the use of
heat set free by its internal bodily functions instead of relying almost
purely on ambient heat. Such internally generated heat is mainly an
incidental product of the animal's routine metabolism, but under
conditions of excessive cold or low activity an endotherm might apply
special mechanisms adapted specifically to heat production. Examples
include special-function muscular exertion such as shivering, and
uncoupled oxidative metabolism such as within brown adipose tissue. Only
birds and mammals are extant universally endothermic groups of animals.
Certain lamnid sharks, tuna and billfishes are also endothermic.In common
parlance, endotherms are characterized as "warm-blooded". The opposite of
endothermy is ectothermy, although there is no absolute or clear
separation between the nature of endotherms and ectotherms in general.
Poikilotherm is the ability of an organism to function over a wide
internal temperature range. An animal whose
internal temperature
varies considerably. Usually the variation is a consequence of
variation in the ambient environmental temperature. Many terrestrial ectotherms are poikilothermic. However some ectotherms remain in
temperature-constant environments to the point that they are actually able
to maintain a constant internal temperature (i.e. are homeothermic). It is
this distinction that often makes the term "poikilotherm" more useful than
the vernacular "cold-blooded", which is sometimes used to refer to
ectotherms more generally. Poikilothermic animals include types of
vertebrate animals, specifically fish, amphibians, and reptiles, as well
as a large number of invertebrate animals. The naked mole-rat is the only
mammal that is currently thought to be poikilothermic.
Bradymetabolism is the ability to greatly alter metabolic rate in
response to need; for example, animals that hibernate. Organisms with a
high active metabolism and a considerably slower resting
metabolism.
Bradymetabolic animals can often undergo dramatic changes in metabolic
speed, according to food availability and temperature. Many bradymetabolic
creatures in deserts and in areas that experience extreme winters are
capable of "shutting down" their metabolisms to approach near-death
states, until favorable conditions return. Several variants of
bradymetabolism exists. In mammals, the animals normally have a fairly
high metabolism, only dropping to low levels in times of little food. In
most reptiles, the normal metabolic rate is quite low, but can be raised
when needed, typically in short bursts of activity in connection with
capturing prey.
Hibernation
-
Ice Therapy
Vasoconstriction
is the narrowing of the blood vessels
resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels, in
particular the large arteries and small arterioles. The process is the
opposite of vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels. The process is
particularly important in staunching hemorrhage and acute blood loss. When
blood vessels constrict, the flow of blood is restricted or decreased,
thus retaining body heat or increasing vascular resistance. This makes the
skin turn paler because less blood reaches the surface, reducing the
radiation of heat. On a larger level, vasoconstriction is one mechanism by
which the body regulates and maintains mean arterial pressure.
Mitochondrial Disease
is a group of disorders caused by
dysfunctional mitochondria, the
organelles that generate energy for the cell.
Mitochondria are found in
every cell of the human body except red blood cells, and convert the
energy of food molecules into the
ATP that powers most cell functions.
Underactive-Thyroid
Hypothyroidism is a common disorder of
the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough
thyroid hormone. It can cause a number of symptoms, such as
poor ability
to tolerate cold, a feeling of tiredness, constipation, depression, and
weight gain. Occasionally there may be swelling of the front part of the
neck due to goitre. Untreated hypothyroidism during pregnancy can lead to
delays in growth and intellectual development in the baby, which is called
cretinism.
Winter Camping -
Wim Hof
-
How to Survive a
Fall Through Ice
Targeted Temperature Management was
previously known as therapeutic hypothermia or protective hypothermia is
active treatment that tries to achieve and
maintain a specific body
temperature in a person for a specific duration of time in an effort to
improve health outcomes during recovery after a period of stopped blood
flow to the brain. This is done in an attempt to reduce the risk of tissue
injury following lack of blood flow. Periods of poor blood flow may be due
to cardiac arrest or the blockage of an artery by a clot as in the case of
a stroke. Targeted temperature management improves survival and brain
function following resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Evidence supports
its use following certain types of cardiac arrest in which an individual
does not regain consciousness. Both 33 °C (91 °F) and 36 °C (97 °F) appear
to result in similar outcomes. Targeted temperature management following
traumatic brain injury has shown mixed results with some studies showing
benefits in survival and brain function while others show no clear
benefit. While associated with some complications, these are generally
mild. Targeted temperature management is thought to prevent brain injury
by several methods including decreasing the brain's oxygen demand,
reducing the production of neurotransmitters like glutamate, as well as
reducing free radicals that might damage the brain. The lowering of body
temperature may be accomplished by many means including the use of cooling
blankets, cooling helmets, cooling catheters, ice packs and ice water lavage.
Simulating cold sensation without actual cooling. The perception of
persistent thermal sensations, such as changes in temperature, tends to
gradually diminish in intensity as our bodies become accustomed to the
temperature. This phenomenon leads to a shift in our perception of
temperature when transitioning between different scenes in a virtual
environment. Researchers have now developed a technology to generate a
virtual cold sensation via a non-contact method without physically
altering the skin temperature.
Hyperthermia
is
elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation that occurs when a body
produces or absorbs more heat than it dissipates.
Extreme temperature
elevation then becomes a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment
to prevent disability or death. The most common causes include
heat stroke
and adverse reactions to drugs. The former is an
acute temperature
elevation caused by exposure to
excessive heat, or combination of heat and
humidity, that overwhelms the heat-regulating mechanisms. The latter is a
relatively rare side effect of many drugs, particularly those that affect
the central nervous system.
Heat
Stroke results from an
abnormally high
body temperature usually due to exposure and over-exertion. The body is
unable to regulate its temperature and cool down. In some cases
it can
damage a person's heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs and prompt
injury or death.
Malignant hyperthermia is a rare complication
of some types of general anesthesia. Hyperthermia differs from
fever in
that the body's temperature set point remains unchanged. The opposite is
hypothermia, which occurs when the temperature drops below that required
to maintain normal metabolism. The term is from Greek υπε, ype, meaning
"excess", and θερμία, thermía, meaning "heat".
Hyperthermic
Conditioning is a scientific term for what happens to your body,
when you're
exposed to very hot conditions like a sauna. When you sit in a
sauna, your body goes through several physiological changes: It increases
plasma volume, which is a good thing because it improves blood flow to the
heart. Hyperthermic conditioning has been shown to reduce muscle glycogen
use by 40%-50% compared to before heat acclimation.
Hyperthermic
Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis (youtube) -
Adaptation -
Dehydration -
Global Warming
Sauna
is a small room or building designed as a place to experience heat
temperatures approaching and exceeding 100 °C (212 °F), which would be
completely intolerable and
possibly fatal if exposed to long periods of
time. Saunas overcome this problem by controlling the humidity. A steam
sauna can take 30 minutes to heat up when first started. Some users prefer
taking a warm shower beforehand to speed up perspiration in the sauna.
When in the sauna users often sit on a towel for hygiene and put a towel
over the head if the face feels too hot but the body feels comfortable. In
Russia, a felt "banya hat" may be worn to shield the head from the heat;
this allows the wearer to increase the heat on the rest of the body. Most
adjustment of temperature in a sauna comes from, amount of water thrown on
the heater, this increases humidity, so that sauna bathers perspire more
copiously. length of stay in the sauna positioning when in the sauna.
IGF 1 or insulin-like growth factor 1, is a protein that in humans is
encoded by the IGF1 gene. IGF-1 has also been referred to as a "sulfation
factor" and its effects were termed "nonsuppressible insulin-like
activity" (NSILA) in the 1970s. IGF-1 is a hormone similar in molecular
structure to insulin. It plays an important role in childhood growth and
continues to have anabolic effects in adults. A synthetic analog of IGF-1,
mecasermin, is used for the treatment of growth failure. IGF-1 consists of
70 amino acids in a single chain with three intramolecular disulfide
bridges. IGF-1 has a molecular weight of 7,649 Daltons.
Heat Acclimation is a broad term that can
be loosely defined as a complex series of changes or adaptations that
occur in response to heat stress in a controlled environment over the
course of 7 to 14 days. These adaptations are beneficial to exercise in
the heat and allow the body to better cope with
Heat Stress.
Heat Shock Protein 32 as a novel survival factor and therapeutic
target in neoplastic mast cells. (Hsp32).
Occupational Heat Stress is when workers who are exposed to extreme
heat or work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress. Exposure
to extreme heat can result in occupational illnesses and injuries. Heat
stress can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or heat
rashes.
Global Warming.
Heat Stroke is a
severe
heat
illness, defined as hyperthermia with a body temperature greater than
40.6 °C (105.1 °F) because of environmental heat exposure with lack of
thermoregulation. This is distinct from a fever, where there is a
physiological increase in the temperature set point of the body. The term
"stroke" in "heat stroke" is a misnomer in that it does not involve a
blockage or hemorrhage of blood flow to the brain. Preventive measures
include drinking plenty of cool liquids and avoiding excessive heat and
humidity, especially in unventilated spaces, such as parked cars, that can
overheat quickly. Treatment requires rapid physical cooling of the body.
First Aid.
Heat
Shock is the effect of subjecting a
cell to a higher
temperature than that of the ideal body
temperature of the organism from
which the cell line was derived. Heat shock refers to the cellular
exposure to rapid changes in stressors such as temperature, toxins,
oxidative stress, heavy metals, and pathogenic infections. Specifically
temperature induced heat shock, even by a change of a few degrees, causes
proteins to misfold, nonspecifically
aggregate, and/or entangle. Other cellular damage induced by heat shock
includes cytoskeleton rearrangement, changes in organelle localization,
decreased ATP production, drop in cellular pH, decreased translation, and
changes in RNA splicing. Introduction of heat shock to cells elicits the
molecular response, the heat shock response (HSR), which repairs damages
caused by stressors such as protein misfolding and protein aggregation.
Hypothermia is
reduced body temperature
that happens when a body
dissipates more heat than it absorbs
or creates. In humans,
it is defined as a body core temperature below 35.0 °C (95.0 °F). Symptoms
depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia there is shivering and
mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia shivering stops and confusion
increases.
In severe hypothermia there may be paradoxical undressing, in
which a person removes his or her clothing, as well as an increased risk
of the heart stopping. Hypothermia has two main types of causes. It
classically occurs from exposure to extreme cold. It may also occur from
any condition that decreases heat production or increases heat loss.
Commonly this includes alcohol intoxication but may also include low blood
sugar, anorexia, and advanced age, among others. Body temperature is
usually maintained near a constant level of 36.5–37.5 °C (97.7–99.5 °F)
through
thermoregulation. Efforts to increase body temperature involve
shivering, increased voluntary activity, and putting on warmer clothing.
Hypothermia may be diagnosed based on either a person's symptoms in the
presence of risk factors or by measuring a person's core temperature. The
treatment of mild hypothermia involves warm drinks, warm clothing and
physical activity. In those with moderate hypothermia
heating blankets and
warmed intravenous fluids are recommended. People with moderate or severe
hypothermia should be moved gently. In severe hypothermia extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or cardiopulmonary bypass may be useful. In
those without a pulse
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is indicated
along with the above measures. Rewarming is typically continued until a
person's temperature is greater than 32 °C (90 °F). If there is no
improvement at this point or the blood potassium level is greater than 12 mmol/liter at any time resuscitation may be discontinued. Hypothermia is
the cause of at least 1,500 deaths a year in the United States. It is more
common in older people and males. One of the lowest documented body
temperatures from which someone with accidental hypothermia has survived
is 13.0 °C (55.4 °F) in a near-drowning of a 7-year-old girl in Sweden.
Survival after more than six hours of CPR has been described. In those in
whom ECMO or bypass is used survival is around 50%. Deaths due to
hypothermia have played an important role in many wars. Hyperthermia is
the opposite of hypothermia, being an increased body temperature due to
failed thermoregulation. The term is from Greek ὑπο, ypo, meaning "under",
and θερμία, thermía, meaning "heat".
Heat Escape Lessening Position is a way to position oneself to reduce
heat loss while immersed in cold water. It is taught as part of the
curriculum in Australia, North America, and Ireland for lifeguard and
boating safety training. It involves essentially positioning one's knees
together and hugging them close to the chest using one's arms.
Furthermore, groups of people can huddle together in this position to
conserve body heat, offer moral support, and provide a larger target for
rescuers. The HELP is an attempt to reduce heat loss enough to lessen the
effect of hypothermia. Hypothermia is essentially a condition where bodily
temperature drops too low to perform normal voluntary or involuntary
functions. Cold water causes "immersion hypothermia", which can cause
damage to extremities or the body's core, including unconsciousness or
death. The HELP reduces exposure of high heat loss areas of the body.
Wearing a personal flotation device allows a person to draw their knees to
their chest and arms to their sides, while still remaining able to
breathe.
Endothermic Process describes a process
or reaction in which the system absorbs energy from its surroundings;
usually, but not always, in the form of heat. The term was coined by
Marcellin Berthelot from the Greek roots endo-, derived from the word "endon"
meaning "within" and the root "therm" meaning "hot." The intended sense is
that of a reaction that depends on absorbing heat if it is to proceed. The
opposite of an endothermic process is an exothermic process, one that
releases, "gives out" energy in the form of heat. Thus in each term
(endothermic & exothermic) the prefix refers to where heat goes as the
reaction occurs, though in reality it only refers to where the energy
goes, without necessarily being in the form of heat.
Sleeping Temperature -
Warm Clothing
Are body temperature and depression linked? Science says, yes. People
with
depression have higher
body temperatures, suggesting there could be a mental health benefit to
lowering the temperatures of those with the disorder.
Infrared Heater or heat lamp, is a body with a higher temperature
which transfers energy to a body with a lower temperature through
electromagnetic radiation. Depending
on the temperature of the emitting body, the wavelength of the peak of the
infrared radiation ranges from 780 nm to 1 mm. No contact or medium
between the two bodies is needed for the energy transfer. Infrared heaters
can be operated in vacuum or atmosphere. One classification of infrared
heaters is by the wavelength bands of infrared emission. Short wave or
near infrared for the range from 780 nm to 1400 nm, these emitters are
also named bright because still some visible light is emitted; Medium
infrared for the range between 1400 nm and 3000 nm; Far infrared or dark
emitters for everything above 3000 nm.
Ice Ice Baby
Hydrotherapy
is a part of medicine and alternative medicine, in particular of
naturopathy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, that involves the use
of
water for
pain relief and treatment. The term encompasses a broad range
of approaches and therapeutic methods that take advantage of the physical
properties of water, such as
temperature and
pressure, for therapeutic
purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain
diseases. Various therapies used in the present-day hydrotherapy employ
water jets, underwater massage and mineral baths (e.g. balneotherapy,
Iodine-Grine therapy, Kneipp treatments, Scotch hose, Swiss shower,
thalassotherapy) and/or whirlpool bath, hot Roman bath,
hot tub, Jacuzzi,
cold plunge and mineral bath.
Water has Memory.
Cold Shower for Health
-
Syncope (dizzy fainting)
Ice Bath Therapy is a training regimen
usually following a period of intense exercise in which a substantial part
of a human body is immersed in a bath of
ice or ice-water for a limited
duration. While it is becoming increasingly popular and accepted among
athletes in a variety of sports, the method is controversial, with a risk
of hypothermia, with the possibility of shock leading to sudden death.
Many athletes have used cold water immersion after an intense exercise
workout on the belief that it speeds up bodily recovery; however, the
internal physical processes are not well understood and remain elusive.
Generally research into the health effects of cold water immersion as part
of an athletic training regimen is inconclusive, with some studies
suggesting a mild benefit such as reducing muscle damage and discomfort
and alleviating delayed onset muscle soreness, with other studies
suggesting that cold water immersion may slow muscle growth and interfere
with an overall training regimen.
Ice Bath.
Breathing
-
Thin Ice 2.0: Weight Loss Clothing thermogenic calorie burning.
Thalassotherapy is the use of seawater as a form of therapy. It is
based on the systematic use of seawater, sea products, and shore climate.
The properties of seawater are believed to have beneficial effects upon
the pores of the skin.
Balneotherapy may involve hot or cold water, massage through moving
water, relaxation, or stimulation. Many mineral waters at spas are rich in
particular minerals such as silica, sulfur, selenium, and radium.
Medicinal clays are also widely used, a practice known as 'fangotherapy.
Weather Changes.
Frozen in Time
Cryotherapy is the local or general
use
of low temperatures in medical therapy. Cryotherapy is used to treat a
variety of benign and malignant tissue damage, medically called lesions.
Kryo Life Health.
Cryonics is the
low-temperature
preservation (usually at −196°C) of people who cannot be sustained by
contemporary medicine, with the hope that
resuscitation and restoration to
full health may be possible in the far future. Cryopreservation of
humans is not reversible with present technology; cryonicists hope that
medical advances will someday allow cryopreserved people to be revived.
Seeds -
Dormancy.
Embryo Cryopreservation is the process of preserving an
embryo at sub-zero temperatures,
generally at an embryogenesis stage corresponding to pre-implantation,
that is, from fertilisation to the blastocyst stage.
Semen Cryopreservation is a procedure to preserve
sperm cells. Semen can be used
successfully indefinitely after cryopreservation. For human sperm, the
longest reported successful storage is 24 years. It can be used for sperm
donation where the recipient wants the treatment in a different time or
place, or as a means of preserving fertility for men undergoing vasectomy
or treatments that may compromise their fertility, such as chemotherapy,
radiation therapy or surgery.
Cryogenics is
the study of the production and behaviour of materials at very low
temperatures.
Ice.
Hibernation is a
state of inactivity and
metabolic depression in endotherms. Hibernation refers to a season of heterothermy that is characterized by
low body temperature, slow breathing
and heart rate, and low metabolic rate. Although traditionally reserved
for "deep" hibernators such as rodents, the term has been redefined to
include animals such as bears and is now applied based on active
metabolic
suppression rather than based on absolute
body temperature decline. Many
experts believe that the processes of daily torpor and hibernation form a
continuum and utilize similar mechanisms. The equivalent during the summer
months is known as aestivation. Some reptile species (ectotherms) are said
to brumate, or undergo brumation, but any possible similarities between
brumation and hibernation are not firmly established. Some insects, such
as the wasp Polistes exclamans, hibernate by aggregating together in
groups in protected places called hibernacula.
Insect Winter Ecology entails the
overwinter survival strategies of
insects, which are in many respects more
similar to those of plants than to many other
animals, such as mammals and
birds. This is because unlike those animals, which can generate their own
heat internally (endothermic), insects must rely on external sources to
provide their
heat (ectothermic). Thus, insects sticking around in the
winter, must tolerate freezing or rely on other mechanisms to avoid
freezing. Loss of enzymatic function and eventual freezing due to low
temperatures daily threatens the livelihood of these organisms during
winter. Not surprisingly, insects have evolved a number of strategies to
deal with the rigors of winter temperatures in places where they would
otherwise not survive.
Antarctic Flies protect Fragile Eggs with 'Antifreeze'.
Temperature-resistant gel helps the eggs of wingless flies
survive the extreme conditions of
the southern continent.
Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation
normovolemic cardiac arrest in pigs.
Cryptobiosis is an ametabolic state of
life entered by an organism in response to adverse environmental
conditions such as desiccation,
freezing, and
oxygen deficiency. In the cryptobiotic state, all measurable metabolic processes stop, preventing
reproduction, development, and repair. When environmental conditions
return to being hospitable, the organism will return to its metabolic
state of life as it was prior to the cryptobiosis.
Cryobiology is the branch of biology
that studies the
effects of low temperatures on living things
within
Earth's cryosphere or in science. In practice, cryobiology is the study of
biological material or systems at temperatures below normal. Materials or
systems studied may include proteins, cells, tissues, organs, or whole
organisms. Temperatures may range from moderately hypothermic conditions
to cryogenic temperatures.
Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy is used to
improve a patient's quality of life
through
examination, consultation, research,
education, diagnosis,
prognosis and
physical intervention using mechanical force, movements,
manual therapy and
exercise therapy to promote
mobility, function and reduce
pain. Physical therapy attempts to address the
illnesses, or injuries that limit a person's abilities to move and perform
functional activities in their daily lives. PTs use an individual's
history and
physical examination to arrive at
a diagnosis and establish a management plan and, when necessary,
incorporate the results of laboratory and imaging studies like
X-rays, CT-scan, or MRI findings.
Electrodiagnostic testing (e.g., electromyograms and nerve conduction
velocity testing) may also be used. PT management commonly includes
prescription of or assistance with specific
exercises, manual therapy and
manipulation,
mechanical devices such as
traction, education, physical agents which includes
heat, cold, electricity, sound waves, radiation, assistive devices,
prostheses, orthoses and other interventions. In addition, PTs work with
individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing
fitness and
wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active
lifestyles, providing services to individuals and populations to develop,
maintain and restore
maximum movement and functional ability throughout
the lifespan. This includes providing
therapeutic
treatment in circumstances where movement and function are threatened
by aging, injury, disease or environmental factors. Functional movement is
central to what it means to be healthy. (performed by physical therapists,
known as physiotherapists, physiotherapy).
Caregiving.
Physical Therapy -
Physical Therapy News -
Physical Therapy Journal
Message -
Posture (back &
neck) -
Sports Medicine"Physical therapy is like braces for
your teeth, you have to keep doing it in order to receive the benefits and
make progress. But you also need to know when to change things or modify
things because you can make things worse."
Occupational Therapy is the use of
assessment and treatment to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living
and work skills of people with a physical, mental, or cognitive disorder.
Occupational Therapists also focus much of their work on identifying and
eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in
daily activities. Occupational therapists work with clients of all ages,
ranging from infants to the elderly. Occupational therapy interventions
focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task, teaching the skill,
and educating the client/family in order to increase participation in and
performance of daily activities, particularly those that are meaningful to
the client. Occupational therapists often work closely with professionals
in physical therapy, speech therapy, nursing, social work, and the
community.
Occupational Therapy.
Physical Rehabilitation is a branch
of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and
quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. A
physician having completed training in this field is referred to as a
physiatrist. Physiatrists specialize in restoring optimal function to
people with injuries to the muscles, bones, ligaments, or nervous system.
Sports Medicine -
Water Therapy
Physical Therapy Game (video)
Heat
Therapy is the use of heat in therapy, such as for pain relief and
health. It can take the form of a hot cloth, hot water bottle, ultrasound,
heating pad, hydrocollator packs, whirlpool baths, cordless FIR heat
therapy wraps, and others. It can be beneficial to those with arthritis
and stiff muscles and injuries to the deep tissue of the skin. Heat may be
an effective self-care treatment for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Heat therapy is most commonly used for rehabilitation purposes. The
therapeutic effects of heat include increasing the extensibility of
collagen tissues; decreasing joint stiffness; reducing pain; relieving
muscle spasms; reducing inflammation, edema, and aids in the post acute
phase of healing; and increasing blood flow. The increased blood flow to
the affected area provides proteins, nutrients, and oxygen for better
healing.
Body Temp.
Broken Bones (first aid)
Related Subjects
-
Stem Cells -
Cells -
DNA - Genetic Testing
-
Biology -
Water -
Body Smart
-
Meditation -
Brain -
Plasticity
-
Blood Brain Barrier
-
Metabolism -
Inflammation -
Hygiene -
Teeth
-
Dentistry -
Skin
-
Sweat -
Bathing -
Cold Shower -
Nails -
Hands -
Feet -
Hair -
Pee -
Urine -
Poo -
Human Feces -
Bowl Movement.
Pain
Pain
is a
natural sensory response to
help us avoid injury to the body.
Pain is a
distressing
feeling often caused by intense or damaging
stimuli, such as
stubbing a toe,
burning a finger,
putting alcohol on a cut, or bumping the "funny bone". Pain is an
unpleasant
sensory and
emotional experience associated with actual or potential
tissue damage, or
described in terms of such damage.
Pain Scale measures a
patient's
pain intensity or other features. Pain scales are based on
self-report,
observational (behavioral), or physiological data.
Self-report is considered primary and should be obtained if possible. Pain
scales are available for neonates, infants, children, adolescents, adults,
seniors, and persons whose communication is impaired. Pain
assessments are
often regarded as "
The 5th Vital Sign".
Excruciating is something that is
extremely painful that can
torment
you emotionally or mentally, like being
tortured.
Ouch is a word that is
used to express a feeling of pain.
Hurt
is to feel physical or mental pain and have a source of pain. Any physical
damage to the body caused by an
injury, violence, accident or fracture etc.. Cause damage or affect
negatively. Cause emotional anguish or make miserable. Psychological
suffering.
Senses (body smart) -
Back Pain (posture) -
People Who
Can't Feel Pain -
Numbness
Threshold of Pain is the point along a
curve of increasing perception of a
stimulus at which pain begins to be
felt. It is an entirely
subjective phenomenon. A distinction must be maintained between the
stimulus (an external thing that can be directly measured, such as with a
thermometer) and the person or animal's resulting pain perception (an
internal, subjective thing that can sometimes be measured indirectly, such
as with a visual analog scale). Although an IASP document defines "pain
threshold" as "the minimum intensity of a stimulus that is perceived as
painful".
Kratom.
Detection: Acute pain
begins with nociceptors—long neurons that originate in the
spinal cord and end as thin fibers in the
skin. Those fibers are tipped with receptors that respond to pain-inducing
stimuli. When a stimulus is strong enough, these receptors generate an
electrical current—the pain signal.
Transmission: The pain signal travels along the
neurons through a series of channels that
allow sodium ions back and forth across cell membranes. These channels,
like
Nav1.7,
allow those charged particles across a membrane if the pain signal is
strong enough. (If it isn’t, the person feels no pain.)
Perception: When a pain signal reaches
the spinal cord, it continues up to the brain, where the somatosensory
cortex is primarily responsible for translating information about the
intensity of the pain signal. The brain’s motor cortex then generates the
body’s response—a shout of surprise, a jerk of a hand.
Aftermath: After an injury, even an
innocuous stimulus—like a warm bath or a pat on the back—can generate a
pain signal at the site of the original injury.
Nociceptor is a
sensory nerve cell that
responds to damaging or potentially damaging
stimuli by sending
signals to
the spinal cord and brain. This process, called nociception, usually
causes the
sensation of pain in sentient beings.
(nociceptive glio-neural complex).
Nociceptor Sensory Neuron-Immune Interactions in Pain and Inflammation.
Nociception is the sensory
nervous system's response to
certain harmful or
potentially harmful
stimuli by sending “
possible
threat” signals to the spinal cord and the brain. If the brain
perceives the threat as credible, it creates the sensation of pain to
direct attention to the body part, so the threat can hopefully be
mitigated; this process is called nociception. (nociceptive glio-neural
complex).. In nociception,
intense chemical (e.g., chili powder in the eyes), mechanical (e.g.,
cutting, crushing), or thermal (heat and cold) stimulation of sensory
nerve cells called nociceptors produces a signal that travels along a
chain of nerve fibers via the spinal cord to the brain. Nociception
triggers a variety of physiological and behavioral responses and usually
results in a subjective experience of pain in sentient beings.
Neuropathic Pain can happen if your
nervous system is damaged or not
working correctly. Neuropathic pain is pain caused by damage or disease
affecting the
somatosensory
system.
Neuropathic pain may be associated with abnormal sensations called
dysesthesia or pain from
normally non-painful stimuli (allodynia). It may have continuous and/or
episodic (paroxysmal) components. The latter resemble stabbings or
electric shocks. Common qualities include burning or coldness, "pins and
needles" sensations, numbness and itching. You can feel pain from any of the various levels of the
nervous system—the peripheral nerves, the spinal cord and the brain.
Together, the spinal cord and the brain are known as the central nervous
system. Neuropathic pain is a pain condition that’s usually chronic. It’s
usually caused by chronic, progressive nerve disease, and it can also
occur as the result of injury or infection. non-neuropathic pain
(nociceptive pain) is due to an injury or illness. For example, if you
drop a heavy book on your foot, your nervous system sends signals of pain
immediately after the book hits. With neuropathic pain, the pain isn’t
typically triggered by an event or injury. Instead, the body just sends
pain signals to your brain unprompted. People with this pain condition may
experience shooting, burning pain. The pain may be constant, or may occur
intermittently. A feeling of numbness or a loss of sensation is sometimes
common, too. Diabetes is responsible for 30 percent of neuropathic cases.
Long-term excessive alcohol intake can cause many complications, including
chronic neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain tends to get worse over time if
untreated. A goal of neuropathic pain treatment is to identify the
underlying disease or condition that’s responsible for the pain, and treat
it, if possible.
Physical therapy,
exercise, relaxation,
massage therapies,
vitamins, cayenne pepper, quit
smoking and even a
warm bath are all used to
relieve symptoms of neuropathic pain. These forms of treatment can help
ease muscles. Some people with neuropathic pain may experience increased
symptoms after sitting for several hours. Peripheral neuropathy is a
condition that causes weakness, pain, and numbness in your extremities,
typically the hands and feet.
Sciatica is a medical condition
characterized by pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain
may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Typically, symptoms
are only on one side of the body. Certain causes, however, may result in
pain on both sides. Lower back pain is sometimes but not always present.
Weakness or numbness may occur in various parts of the affected leg and
foot.
Sciatic Nerves
branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each
leg. Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the
sciatic
nerve. The sciatica nerve is the
longest and
widest single nerve in the human body, going from the top of the
leg to the foot on the posterior aspect. The sciatic nerve has no
cutaneous branches for the thigh. This nerve provides the connection to
the nervous system for the skin of the lateral leg and the whole foot, the
muscles of the back of the thigh, and those of the leg and foot. It is
derived from spinal nerves L4 to S3. It contains fibers from both the
anterior and posterior divisions of the lumbosacral plexus. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body.
Lumbosacral radiculopathy is a disorder that causes pain in the lower
back and hip which radiates down the back of the thigh into the leg.
An effective new treatment for chronic back pain targets the nervous
system. The new treatment challenges traditional treatments for
chronic back pain, such as drugs and treatments that focus on the back
such as spinal manipulation, injections, surgery and spinal cord
stimulators, by viewing long-standing back pain as a modifiable problem of
the nervous system rather than a disc, bone or muscle problem. This
treatment, which includes specially designed education modules and methods
and sensorimotor retraining, aims to correct the dysfunction we now know
is involved in most chronic back pain and that's a disruption within the
nervous system. The disruption results in two problems: a hypersensitive
pain system and imprecise communication between the back and the brain."
The treatment aims to achieve three goals. The first is to align patient
understanding with the latest scientific understanding about what causes
chronic back pain. The second is to normalise the way the back and the
brain communicate with each other, and thirdly, to gradually retrain the
body and the brain back to a normal protection setting and a resumption of
usual activities.
Chronic pain can be predicted within three days of an injury. Lasting
pain is linked to anxiety and how much two brain regions talk about the
injury. After only one to three days of a whiplash injury, scientists can
predict which patients will develop chronic pain based on the extent of
cross 'talk' between two regions of the brain, and the person's anxiety
level after the injury, according to a new study . The study showed the
more the hippocampus -- the brain's memory center -- talked to the cortex
-- involved in long term memory storage -- the more likely the person is
to develop chronic pain. In addition, the higher a person's anxiety
immediately after the car accident, the more precisely scientists could
predict the chronic pain people reported one year after the accident. This
is the first study to show that only a few days after a given injury, the
brain can adapt in a way that imparts a risk for the development of
chronic pain.
Separating the physical and psychosocial causes of pain. Not all pain
is the same. Depending on the cause, it requires different therapies. A
team has now developed a method that enables physicians to better
distinguish between physical and psychosocial pain. Severe pain often has
physical causes. But emotional, psychological and social factors can
influence how we perceive and react to pain.
Thermal Comfort is the condition of mind
that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and is assessed
by subjective evaluation (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55). Maintaining this
standard of thermal comfort for occupants of buildings or other enclosures
is one of the important goals of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning) design engineers.
Cold Compression Therapy also known as
hilotherapy, combines two of the principles of rest,
ice, compression, elevation to reduce pain and
swelling from a sports or activity injury to soft tissues and recommended
by orthopedic surgeons following surgery. The therapy is especially useful
for sprains, strains, pulled muscles and pulled ligaments.
Cooling away the Pain: Researchers develop bioresorbable, implantable
device to block pain signals from peripheral nerves.
Weather Pains
-
Tooth Pain -
Processed Food
(msg)
Soreness is a pain
that is felt (as when the area is touched). An uncomfortable feeling of
mental painfulness or distress.
Psychological Pain or mental pain is an unpleasant feeling and
suffering of a psychological, non-physical, origin.
Resilience.
Visceral Pain is pain that results from the activation of
nociceptors of the
thoracic, pelvic, or abdominal viscera (organs). Visceral structures are
highly sensitive to distension (stretch), ischemia and inflammation, but
relatively insensitive to other stimuli that normally evoke pain such as
cutting or burning. Visceral pain is diffuse, difficult to localize and
often referred to a distant, usually superficial, structure. It may be
accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, changes in vital signs
as well as emotional manifestations. The pain may be described as
sickening, deep, squeezing, and dull. Distinct structural lesions or
biochemical abnormalities explain this type of pain in only a proportion
of patients. These diseases are grouped under gastrointestinal
neuromuscular diseases (GINMD). Others can experience occasional visceral
pains, often very intense in nature, without any evidence of structural,
biochemical or histolopathologic reason for such symptoms. These diseases
are grouped under functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) and the
pathophysiology and treatment can vary greatly from GINMD. The two major
single entities among functional disorders of the gut are functional
dyspepsia and
irritable bowel syndrome.
Visceral hypersensitivity is hypersensitive visceral pain perception,
which is commonly experienced by individuals with functional
gastrointestinal disorders.
Everyone's brain has a pain fingerprint. Fast-oscillating brain waves
linked to brief pain and touch can differ widely in scans. These waves,
called gamma oscillations, were previously thought to represent pain
perception in the brain -- with past research focusing on group data and
overlooking individual differences, even discarding them as 'noise' in
scans.
Arthritis is a disorder that
affects joints. Symptoms generally
include
joint pain and
stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness,
warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In
some types other organs are also affected. Onset can be gradual or sudden.
Arthritis Foundation.
Rheumatic Diseases or
Rheumatism affect your joints tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles.
Among them are many types of arthritis, a term used for conditions that
affect your joints. Sometimes they're called musculoskeletal diseases.
Common symptoms include: Joint pain.
Rheumatic
Studies are determining the rates, predictors, costs and outcomes
of a variety of rheumatic diseases.
Rheumatologist is a doctor of internal medicine who specializes in
arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions and systemic autoimmune
diseases. These diseases can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in
joints, muscles, and bones.
Chronic Pain is pain that lasts a long
time. In medicine, the distinction between acute and chronic pain is
sometimes determined by an arbitrary interval of time since onset; the two
most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since onset.
One in Five American adults experience chronic pain. Researchers
report that 50.2 million (20.5 percent) U.S. adults experience chronic
pain based on analysis of the new NHIS data. They estimated the total
value of lost productivity due to chronic pain to be nearly $300 billion annually.
Partners Against Pain.
The Link between Depression and Chronic Pain: Neural Mechanisms in the
Brain. Chronic pain-induced
depression. In particular, injury sensory pathways of body pains have
been shown to share the same brain regions involved in mood management,
including the
insular cortex, prefrontal
cortex, anterior cingulate, thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala, which
form a histological structural foundation for the coexistence of pain and
depression . Furthermore, the volumes of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and
hippocampus have been reported in many studies to be significantly smaller
in depressed patients and to be closely related to depression severity. In
addition, individuals with depression in postmortem studies have also been
observed to have a significantly reduced number of PFC synapses, which
thus decreases synaptic functions. Meanwhile, the effect of PFC on pain
development via the nucleus accumbens has also been verified, thus
indicating that the occurrence and development of pain and depression may
be associated with some identical
neuroplasticity changes. Furthermore, maladaptive plasticity changes,
which refer to the plasticity in the nervous system that leads to a
disruption of the function and may be considered a disease state, have
also been indicated in a large number of clinical trials and animal
studies. Additionally, these maladaptive plasticity changes may also occur
in sensory conduction pathways from the peripheral to the central nervous
system and participate in the occurrence, development, and maintenance of
chronic pain . In summary, chronic pain and depression may be based on
common neuroplasticity mechanism changes, which are a potentially
important route for the onset and aggravation of chronic pain and
depression. Reviewing the role of neuroplasticity in chronic pain and
depression, this paper explores the influence of analgesic drugs and
antidepressants with
different pharmacological effects on neuroplasticity as well as their
contribution to individualized application strategies in the treatment of
chronic pain-induced depression. Monoamine neurotransmitters, including
serotonin (5-HT),
dopamine
(DA), and norepinephrine (NE), have been studied in molecular mechanisms
involved in chronic pain and depression. Glutamate functions as one of the
main excitatory
neurotransmitters in the
CNS and exists in synapses throughout the brain . Furthermore, glutamate
and its receptor subtypes, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor and
α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor, have
been found to be involved in the occurrence and development of chronic
pain and depression. In the spinal cord, both increased excitatory system
activity and the accompanying reduced inhibitory system are known to
contribute to central hyperalgesia and to ultimately lead to the
progression of pathological pain. Glutamatergic activity can be promoted
through the breakdown of efficient inhibition of the actions of glutamate
by GABA.
Chronic Pain Program (Medical Advanced Pain Specialist Medical Pain Clinics).
Secret World Of Pain (youtube)
Elliot Krane: Chronic Pain (video)
Strong Painkiller
Ketamine Reaction | Scotland's Superhospital (youtube)
Headache
is the symptom of pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It
occurs in migraines (sharp, or throbbing pains),
tension-type headaches, and cluster headaches. Frequent headaches can
affect relationships and employment. There is also an increased risk of
depression in those with severe headaches.
Migraine
is a
primary headache disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that
are moderate to severe. Typically, the headaches affect one half of the
head, are pulsating in nature, and last from two to 72 hours. Associated
symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, or
smell. The pain is generally made worse by physical activity. Up to
one-third of people have an aura: typically a short period of visual
disturbance that signals that the headache will soon occur. Occasionally,
an aura can occur with little or no headache following it.
Thunderclap Headache is a headache that is severe and sudden-onset. It
is defined as a severe headache that takes seconds to minutes to reach
maximum intensity. It can be indicative of a number of medical problems,
most importantly subarachnoid hemorrhage, which can be life-threatening.
Usually, further investigations are performed to identify the underlying
cause.
Cluster Headache is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent
severe headaches on one side of the head, typically around the eye. There
is often accompanying eye watering, nasal congestion, or swelling around
the eye on the affected side. These symptoms typically last 15 minutes to
3 hours. Attacks often occur in clusters which typically last for weeks or
months and occasionally more than a year. The cause is unknown. Risk
factors include a history of exposure to tobacco smoke and a family
history of the condition. Exposures which may trigger attacks include
alcohol, nitroglycerin, and histamine. They are a primary headache
disorder of the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias type. Diagnosis is based
on symptoms. Recommended management includes lifestyle changes such as
avoiding potential triggers. Treatments for acute attacks include oxygen
or a fast-acting triptan. Measures recommended to decrease the frequency
of attacks include steroid injections, civamide, or verapamil. Nerve
stimulation or surgery may occasionally be used if other measures are not
effective. The condition affects about 0.1% of the general population at
some point in their life and 0.05% in any given year. The condition
usually first occurs between 20 and 40 years of age. Men are affected
about four times more often than women. Cluster headaches are named for
the occurrence of groups of headache attacks (clusters). They have also
been referred to as "suicide headaches".
A
combination of
physical therapy and
occupational therapy,
massage and
nutrition
counseling can be more effective than just pain medication. Exercise,
rehabilitation therapies, yoga and cognitive behavioral therapies and
cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to help relieve pain.
Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care,
Education, and Research.
CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United States,
2016.
Brain imaging reveals how mindfulness program boosts pain regulation.
Research has isolated the changes in pain-related brain activity that
follow
mindfulness training
-- pointing a way toward more targeted and precise pain treatment.
Alternative pain control circuits in the brain produce relief similar
to
opioids without the downsides. Targeting a
receptor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine produces powerful
analgesic effects in mice, even in animals with tolerance to opioids,
suggesting a promising path to developing non-opioid painkillers. New
research has identified an alternative signaling pathway in the brain of
mice that relieves pain, even in animals that have developed tolerance to
opioids. The study also showed that pain relief through this route did not
induce tolerance, did not create withdrawals symptoms after treatment was
stopped, and did not activate reward systems, limiting risk for addiction
and making it a viable path to developing effective, non-opioid pain
relief.
Researchers identify a small molecule that inhibits four types of pain
in preclinical studies. New compound outperforms pain drug by indirectly
targeting calcium channels. A compound -- one of 27 million screened in a
library of potential new drugs -- reversed four types of chronic pain in
animal studies, according to new research. The small molecule, which binds
to an inner region of a calcium channel to indirectly regulate it,
outperformed gabapentin without troublesome side effects, providing a
promising candidate for treating pain. The small molecule, which binds to
an inner region of a calcium channel to indirectly regulate it,
outperformed gabapentin without troublesome side effects, providing a
promising candidate for treating pain.
Gabapentin mitigates pain by binding to the outside of the Cav2.2
calcium channel, affecting the channel's activity. However, like many pain
medications,
gabapentin use often comes with side effects. Calcium channels play a
central role in pain signaling, in part through the release of
neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA -- "the currency of the pain
signal," according to Rajesh Khanna, director of the NYU Pain Research
Center and professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry. The
Cav2.2 (or N-type) calcium channel is the target for three clinically
available drugs, including gabapentin (sold under brand names including
Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica), which are widely used to treat nerve
pain and epilepsy.
Prostaglandin are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds
called eicosanoids having diverse hormone-like effects in animals. They
are derived enzymatically from the fatty acid arachidonic acid. Every
prostaglandin contains 20 carbon atoms, including a 5-carbon ring. They
are a subclass of eicosanoids and of the prostanoid class of fatty acid
derivatives. Prostaglandins are powerful locally acting vasodilators and
inhibit the aggregation of blood platelets. Through their role in
vasodilation, prostaglandins are also involved in inflammation. They are
synthesized in the walls of blood vessels and serve the physiological
function of preventing needless clot formation, as well as regulating the
contraction of smooth muscle tissue. Prostaglandins are produced following
the sequential oxygenation of arachidonic acid, DGLA or EPA by
cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) and terminal prostaglandin synthases.
The classic dogma is as follows:
COX-1 is
responsible for the baseline levels of prostaglandins.
COX-2 produces prostaglandins through stimulation. However, while
COX-1 and COX-2 are both located in the blood vessels, stomach and the
kidneys, prostaglandin levels are increased by COX-2 in scenarios of
inflammation and growth.
Arachidonic Acid is a polyunsaturated
omega-6 fatty acid
involved in
cellular
signaling as a lipid second messenger involved in the regulation of
signaling enzymes, such as PLC-γ, PLC-δ, and PKC-α, -β, and -γ isoforms,
arachidonic acid is a key
inflammatory
intermediate and can also act as a vasodilator.
Periaqueductal Gray is the primary control center for descending
pain
modulation. It has
enkephalin-producing cells that suppress pain. The periaqueductal gray
is the gray matter located around the cerebral aqueduct within the
tegmentum of the midbrain. It projects to the nucleus raphe magnus, and
also contains descending autonomic tracts. The ascending pain and
temperature fibers of the spinothalamic tract send information to the PAG
via the spinomesencephalic tract (so-named because the fibers originate in
the spine and terminate in the PAG, in the mesencephalon or midbrain).
This region has been used as the target for brain-stimulating implants in
patients with chronic pain. Stimulation of the periaqueductal gray matter
of the midbrain activates enkephalin-releasing neurons that project to the
raphe nuclei in the brainstem. 5-HT (serotonin) released from the raphe
nuclei descends to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord where it forms
excitatory connections with the "inhibitory interneurons" located in
Laminae II (aka the substantia gelatinosa). When activated, these
interneurons release either enkephalin or dynorphin (endogenous opioid
neurotransmitters), which bind to mu opioid receptors on the axons of
incoming C and A-delta fibers carrying pain signals from nociceptors
activated in the periphery. The activation of the mu-opioid receptor
inhibits the release of substance P from these incoming first-order
neurons and, in turn, inhibits the activation of the second-order neuron
that is responsible for transmitting the pain signal up the spinothalamic
tract to the ventroposteriolateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus. The
nociceptive signal was inhibited before it was able to reach the cortical
areas that interpret the signal as "pain" (such as the anterior
cingulate). This is sometimes referred to as the Gate control theory of
pain and is supported by the fact that electrical stimulation of the PAG
results in immediate and profound analgesia. The periaqueductal gray is
also activated by viewing distressing images associated with pain. Three
known kinds of opioid receptors have been identified: mu (μ), kappa (κ)
and delta (δ). Synthetic opioid and opioid-derivative drugs activate these
receptors (possibly by acting on the PAG directly, where these receptors
are densely expressed) to produce analgesia. These drugs include morphine,
heroin (diacetylmorphine), pethidine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and similar
pain-reducing compounds.
Cutaneous Nerve
is a nerve that innervates the skin, responsible for providing
sensory innervation to the skin.
Pinched Nerve
(body smart) -
Posture
Nerve Compression Syndrome is a
medical condition caused by direct pressure on a nerve. It is known
colloquially as a
trapped nerve, though this may also refer to nerve root
compression (by a herniated disc, for example). Its symptoms include pain,
tingling, numbness and muscle weakness.
Prospect for more effective treatment of nerve pain.
Radiculopathy refers to a set of
conditions in which one or more nerves are affected and
do not work
properly (a neuropathy). The location of the injury is at the level of the
nerve root (radix = "root"). This can result in pain (radicular pain),
weakness, numbness, or difficulty controlling specific muscles.
Peripheral Neuropathy is damage to or
disease affecting nerves, which may
impair sensation, movement, gland or
organ function, or other aspects of health, depending on the type of nerve
affected. Common causes include systemic diseases (such as diabetes or
leprosy), vitamin deficiency, medication (e.g., chemotherapy, or commonly
prescribed antibiotics including Metronidazole and the Fluoroquinolone
class of antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin, Avelox etc.)), traumatic
injury, radiation therapy, excessive alcohol consumption, immune system
disease, Coeliac disease, or viral infection.
Numbness.
Human Insula particularly its posterior portion, is often
regarded as a primary cortex for pain.
Somatic Nervous System
is the part of the
peripheral nervous system associated with skeletal
muscle voluntary control of
body movements. The SoNS consists of afferent
nerves and efferent nerves. Afferent nerves are responsible for relaying
sensation from the body to the
central nervous system (CNS); efferent
nerves are responsible for sending out commands from the CNS to the body,
stimulating muscle contraction; they include all the non-sensory neurons
connected with skeletal muscles and skin. The a- of afferent and the e- of
efferent correspond to the prefixes ad- (to, toward) and ex- (out of).
Scientists find the Amygdala can be Pain-Suppression Circuit. People
do believe there is a central place to relieve pain, that's why
placebos work. general
anesthesia promotes slow-wave sleep by activating the supraoptic nucleus
of the brain. The researchers found that general anesthesia also activates
a specific subset of inhibitory neurons in the central amygdala, which
they have called the CeAga neurons (CeA stands for central amygdala; ga
indicates activation by general anesthesia).
Can a dangerous microbe offer a new way to silence pain? Deadly
anthrax toxin blocks multiple types of pain in mice, study shows.
Researchers found the toxin targets pain-sensing cells to alter signaling
and block pain. Researchers engineered an anthrax protein vehicle to
deliver different types of treatments into pain receptors and modulate
nerve-cell function. The findings can inform the design of therapies that
selectively target pain-sensing fibers without the widespread systemic
effects of opioids and other pain killers.
New clues in the brain linking pain and food. Researchers may have
found an explanation in a new study that suggests that circuitry in the
brain responsible for motivation and pleasure is impacted when someone
experiences pain.
Autonomic Nervous System
is a division of the
peripheral nervous system that influences the
function of internal organs. The autonomic nervous system is a control
system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such
as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response,
urination, and sexual arousal. This system is the primary mechanism in
control of the fight-or-flight response and the freeze-and-dissociate
response.
Opioid Receptor are a group of inhibitory G protein-coupled
receptors with opioids as ligands. The endogenous opioids are dynorphins,
enkephalins, endorphins, endomorphins and nociceptin. The opioid receptors
are ~40% identical to somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). Opioid receptors are
distributed widely in the brain, and are found in the spinal cord and
digestive tract.
Opioid System controls pain,
reward and
addictive behaviors. Opioid receptors in the
brain are activated by a family of endogenous peptides like enkephalins,
dynorphins and
endorphin, which are released by neurons.
Endogeny (wiki) -
Kratom -
Endocannabinoid System
Opioid
Antagonist is a receptor antagonist that acts on one or more of the
opioid receptors. Naloxone and naltrexone are commonly used opioid
antagonist drugs which are competitive antagonists that bind to the opioid
receptors with higher affinity than agonists but do not activate the
receptors. This effectively blocks the receptor, preventing the body from
responding to
opioids and
endorphins.
Opiate is a drug
derived from
opium. Opioid is found naturally in a number of plants and animals. A
more modern term for Opiate is used to designate all substances, both
natural and synthetic, that bind to opioid receptors in the
brain.
Mu
opioid receptor: a gateway to drug addiction. Mu opioid receptors
mediate positive reinforcement following direct (morphine) or indirect
(alcohol, cannabinoids, nicotine) activation, and our understanding of mu
receptor function is central to the development of addiction therapies.
Recent data obtained in native neurons confirm that mu receptor signaling
and regulation are strongly agonist-dependent. Current functional mapping
reveals morphine-activated neurons in the extended amygdala and early
genomic approaches have identified novel mu receptor-associated proteins.
A classification of about 30 genes either promoting or counteracting the
addictive properties of morphine is proposed from the analysis of knockout
mice data. The targeting of effectors or regulatory proteins, beyond the
mu receptor itself, might provide valuable strategies to treat addictive disorders.
Body's natural pain killers can be enhanced.
A study in cells and mice finds a opioid-receptor modifying compound works to relieve
pain using the
body's own
pain-killers, with
fewer side effects than opioids.
Endocannabinoid System.
Opiorphin is an
endogenous chemical compound first isolated from human saliva. Initial
research with mice shows the compound has a painkilling effect greater
than that of morphine. It works by stopping the normal breakup of
enkephalins, natural pain-killing opioids in the spinal cord. It is a
relatively simple molecule consisting of a five-amino acid polypeptide,
Gln-Arg-Phe-Ser-Arg (QRFSR).
Analgesic.
The
endogenous opioid system and clinical pain management. The endogenous
opioid system is one of the most studied innate pain-relieving systems.
This system consists of widely scattered neurons that produce three
opioids: beta-endorphin, the met- and leu-enkephalins, and the dynorphins.
These
opioids act as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators at three major
classes of receptors, termed mu, delta, and kappa, and produce analgesia.
Like their endogenous counterparts, the opioid drugs, or opiates, act at
these same receptors to produce both analgesia and undesirable side
effects. This article examines some of the recent findings about the
opioid system, including interactions with other neurotransmitters, the
location and existence of receptor subtypes, and how this information
drives the search for better analgesics. We also consider how an
understanding of the opioid system affects clinical responses to opiate
administration and what the future may hold for improved pain relief. The
goal of this article is to assist clinicians to develop pharmacological
interventions that better meet their patient's analgesic needs.
μ-opioid receptor are a class of opioid receptors with a high affinity
for enkephalins and beta-endorphin, but a low affinity for dynorphins.
They are also referred to as μ-opioid peptide (MOP) receptors. The
prototypical μ-opioid receptor agonist is morphine, the primary
psychoactive alkaloid in opium. It is an inhibitory G-protein coupled
receptor that activates the Gi alpha subunit, inhibiting adenylate cyclase
activity, lowering cAMP levels.
Fighting opioids with an unlikely supplemental painkiller: Anti-itch
medicine that targets a specific part of our nerve cells that can make
morphine.
Dynorphin are a
class of opioid peptides that arise from the precursor protein
prodynorphin. When prodynorphin is cleaved during processing by proprotein
convertase 2 (PC2), multiple active peptides are released: dynorphin A,
dynorphin B, and α/β-neo-endorphin. Depolarization of a neuron containing
prodynorphin stimulates PC2 processing, which occurs within synaptic
vesicles in the presynaptic terminal. Occasionally, prodynorphin is not
fully processed, leading to the release of “big dynorphin.” This 32-amino
acid molecule consists of both dynorphin A and dynorphin B. Dynorphin A,
dynorphin B, and big dynorphin all contain a high proportion of basic
amino acid residues, in particular lysine and arginine (29.4%, 23.1%, and
31.2% basic residues, respectively), as well as many hydrophobic residues
(41.2%, 30.8%, and 34.4% hydrophobic residues, respectively). Although
dynorphins are found widely distributed in the CNS, they have the highest
concentrations in the hypothalamus, medulla, pons, midbrain, and spinal
cord. Dynorphins are stored in large (80-120 nm diameter) dense-core
vesicles that are considerably larger than vesicles storing
neurotransmitters. These large dense-core vesicles differ from small
synaptic vesicles in that a more intense and prolonged stimulus is needed
to cause the large vesicles to release their contents into the synaptic
cleft. Dense-core vesicle storage is characteristic of opioid peptides
storage. The first clues to the functionality of dynorphins came from
Goldstein et al. in their work with opioid peptides. The group discovered
an endogenous opioid peptide in the porcine pituitary that proved
difficult to isolate. By sequencing the first 13 amino acids of the
peptide, they created a synthetic version of the peptide with a similar
potency to the natural peptide. Goldstein et al. applied the synthetic
peptide to the guinea ileum longitudinal muscle and found it to be an
extraordinarily potent opioid peptide. The peptide was called dynorphin
(from the Greek dynamis=power) to describe its potency. Dynorphins exert
their effects primarily through the κ-opioid receptor (KOR), a
G-protein-coupled receptor. Two subtypes of KORs have been identified: K1
and K2. Although KOR is the primary receptor for all dynorphins, the
peptides do have some affinity for the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), δ-opioid
receptor (DOR), and the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-type glutamate
receptor. Different dynorphins show different receptor selectivities and
potencies at receptors. Big dynorphin and dynorphin A have the same
selectivity for human KOR, but dynorphin A is more selective for KOR over
MOR and DOR than is big dynorphin. Big dynorphin is more potent at KORs
than is dynorphin A. Both big dynorphin and dynorphin A are more potent
and more selective than dynorphin B.
Hydromorphone is an opioid agonist that binds to several opioid
receptors. Its analgesic characteristics are through its effect on the
mu-opioid receptors. It also acts centrally at the level medulla,
depressing the respiratory drive and suppressing cough. Hydromorphone is a
Narcotic that can treat moderate to severe pain and a Controlled substance
with High risk for addiction and dependence. Can cause respiratory
distress and death when taken in high doses or when combined with other
substances, especially alcohol. Hydromorphone is also known as
dihydromorphinone, and sold under the brand name Dilaudid among others, is
an opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain. Typically, long-term use
is only recommended for pain due to cancer. It may be used by mouth or by
injection into a vein, muscle, or under the skin. Effects generally begin
within half an hour and last for up to five hours.
Pharmacological Extinction or Pharmacological enhancement of drug cue
extinction learning: translational challenges.
Endogenous is having an internal cause or
origin. Growing or originating from within an organism.
Endorphins are produced by the
central nervous system and
the
pituitary gland with a principal function to inhibit the transmission
of pain signals; they may also produce a feeling of
euphoria very similar
to that produced by other
Opioids,
which are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce
morphine-like
effects. Opioids act by binding to opioid receptors, which are found
principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the
gastrointestinal tract.
Stellate Ganglion Block is an injection of medication into these
nerves that can help relieve pain in the head, neck, upper arm and upper
chest. A stellate ganglion block is used to diagnose or treat circulation
problems or nerve injuries, including: Reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Trigeminal
Neuralgia is a
chronic pain disorder that affects the largest of the
cranial nerves, the
Trigeminal Nerve,
which is a nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions
such as biting and chewing.
Cranial Nerves
are the nerves that emerge directly from the brain (including the
brainstem), in contrast to
spinal
nerves (which emerge from segments of the spinal cord). Cranial nerves
relay information between the brain and parts of the body, primarily to
and from regions of the head and neck. There are two main types: typical
and atypical trigeminal neuralgia. The typical form results in episodes of
severe, sudden, shock like pain in one side of the face that lasts for
seconds to a few minutes. Groups of these episodes can occur over a few
hours. The atypical form results in a constant burning pain that is less
severe. Episodes may be triggered by any touch to the face. Both forms may
occur in the same person. It is one of the most painful conditions and can
result in depression. The exact cause is unclear but believed to involve
loss of the
myelin around the trigeminal
nerve. This may occur due to compression from a blood vessel as the nerve
exits the brain stem, multiple sclerosis, stroke, or trauma. Less common
causes include a tumor or arteriovenous malformation. It is a type of
nerve pain. Diagnosis is typically based on the symptoms after ruling out
other possible causes such as postherpetic neuralgia. Treatment includes
medication or surgery. The anticonvulsant carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine
is the usual initial treatment and is effective in about 80% of people.
Other options include lamotrigine, baclofen, gabapentin, and pimozide.
Amitriptyline may help with the pain but opioids are not usually effective
in the typical form. In those who do not improve or become resistant to
other measures, a number of types of surgery may be tried.
Fibromyalgia is a medical condition characterized by
chronic
widespread pain and a heightened pain response to pressure. Other symptoms
include
tiredness to a degree that normal
activities are affected, sleep problems, and troubles with memory. Some
people also report restless legs syndrome, bowel or bladder problems,
numbness and tingling, and sensitivity to noise, lights or temperature.
Fibromyalgia is frequently associated with depression, anxiety, and
posttraumatic stress disorder. Other types of chronic pain are also frequently present.
Pain Psychologist works as part of a multidisciplinary pain treatment
team within an academic pain clinic, private pain clinic, in a hospital
rehabilitation setting, or in an outpatient chronic pain functional
restoration program. The plan often involves teaching relaxation
techniques, changing old beliefs about pain, building new coping skills
and addressing any anxiety or depression that may accompany your pain.
Painkillers without Dangerous Side Effects
Sex Differences in Brain Activity Alter Pain Therapies.
Certain exercises can help manage pain, with
mineral supplements.
BetterBack Therapy -
Cells carry 'memory' of injury
Pain Rehabilitation Center Bio-Psychosocial Approach.
Brain's insular cortex processes pain and drives learning from pain.
Evaluation of Group and Individual Change in a Multidisciplinary Pain
Management Program
Pain Management Programs (American Chronic Pain Association).
Wearable Pain Relief (Quell).
LumiWave: Pain Relief is now In-Demand!
Livia - The Off Switch for Menstrual Pain.
PAT- home use device that treats the underlying cause of pain.
iTENS Device - Wireless Electrotherapy.
Spinal Stimulation -
Nervo HF10.
Dissolving implantable device relieves pain without drugs. Researchers
have developed a small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on
demand and without the use of drugs. The first-of-its-kind device could
provide a much-needed alternative to opioids and other highly addictive
medications. It works by softly wrapping around nerves to deliver precise,
targeted cooling, which numbs nerves and blocks pain signals to the brain.
After the device is no longer needed, it naturally absorbs into the body
-- bypassing the need for surgical extraction.
How philosophy can change the understanding of pain. Researchers have
investigated how philosophical approaches can be used to think in new ways
about pain and its management. The researchers advocate not merely
reducing chronic pain management to searching and treating underlying
physical changes but instead adopting an approach that focuses on the
person as a whole.
How sound reduces pain in mice. Newly identified brain circuits may
point to more effective pain therapies.
Dating
back to 1960, studies in humans have shown that music and
other kinds of sound can
help alleviate acute and chronic pain, including pain from dental and
medical surgery, labor and delivery, and cancer. However, how the brain
produces this pain reduction, or analgesia, was less clear. The
researchers first exposed mice with inflamed paws to three types of sound:
a pleasant piece of classical
music, an
unpleasant rearrangement of the same piece, and
white noise. Surprisingly, all three
types of sound, when played at a low intensity relative to background
noise (
about the level of a
whisper) reduced pain sensitivity in the mice. Higher intensities of
the same sounds had no effect on animals' pain responses. In the
absence of sound,
suppressing the pathway with light- and small molecule-based techniques
mimicked the pain-blunting effects of low-intensity noise, while turning
on the pathway restored animals' sensitivity to pain.
Touch.
Music-Induced Analgesia is defined as the
subjective reduction of pain perception after
listening to music, and the effect has been reported in chronic pain
conditions such as low back pain, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia.
Analgesia is the
absence of the sense of pain without loss of
consciousness.
Ketorolac Toradol is a non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in the family of heterocyclic acetic acid
derivatives, used as an
analgesic,
which is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve analgesia, relief from pain.
Feverfew is a traditional medicinal herb
which is commonly used to prevent migraine headaches, and is also occasionally grown for ornament.
Petasites is a genus of flowering plants
in the sunflower family, Asteraceae.
Congenital Insensitivity is one or more rare conditions in
which
a person cannot feel and has
never felt physical pain.
Anesthetic is a drug to
prevent pain during surgery, completely
blocking any feeling as opposed to an
analgesic. A wide variety of drugs are used in modern anesthetic
practice.
Analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve
analgesia,
relief from pain. Analgesic drugs act in various ways on the
peripheral and
central nervous systems.
They are distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily affect, and in some
instances completely eliminate,
sensation. Analgesics
include paracetamol (known in North America as acetaminophen or simply
APAP), the nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as the salicylates, and opioid
drugs such as morphine and oxycodone.
Touching -
Endocannabinoid -
Sound -
Voice -
Half-Asleep -
Psychedelics
-
Time Perception
Analgesia is the absence of the sense of pain without loss of
consciousness.
Green Light Therapy is a Drug-Free Idea To Relieve Chronic Pain -
Light-Induced Analgesia -
Sound
Anesthesia is a state of temporary induced
loss of sensation or
awareness. It may include
analgesia or the relief from or
prevention of pain, paralysis
or muscle
relaxation,
amnesia or the loss of memory, or
unconsciousness. A patient under the effects of anesthetic drugs is
referred to as being
anesthetized. Anesthesia enables the painless
performance of
medical procedures that would cause
severe or intolerable pain to an unanesthetized patient. Three broad
categories of anaesthesia exist: General anesthesia suppresses central
nervous system activity and results in unconsciousness and total lack of
sensation. Sedation suppresses the
central nervous system to a lesser degree, inhibiting both anxiety and
creation of long-term memories without resulting in unconsciousness.
Regional anesthesia and local anesthesia, which
block transmission of nerve impulses
between a targeted part of the body and the central nervous system,
causing loss of sensation in the targeted body part. A patient under
regional or local anesthesia remains conscious, unless general anaesthesia
or sedation is administered at the same time. Two broad classes exist:
Peripheral blockade
inhibits sensory perception in an isolated part of the
body, such as numbing a tooth for dental work or administering a nerve
block to inhibit sensation in an entire limb. Central, or neuraxial,
blockade administers the anesthetic in the region of the central nervous
system itself, suppressing incoming sensation from outside the area of the
block. Examples include
epidural anaesthesia and
spinal anaesthesia.
Anesthesiology is the medical speciality concerned with the total
perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It
encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency
medicine, and
pain medicine. A physician specialised
in this field of medicine is called an
anesthesiologist, anaesthesiologist or anaesthetist, depending on
the country. The core element of the specialty is the study and use of
anesthesia and anesthetics to safely
support a patient's
vital functions through the perioperative period.
Anesthesia: Double chalice breaks the blockade. Template synthesis:
double calixarenes bind
neuromuscular blockers. Under anesthesia, patients are often given
muscle-relaxing neuromuscular blockers to make intubations easier and
reduce the skeletal muscle tone during surgery. Using a drug to remove the
blocking agent after the operation improves patient recovery and reduces
the risk of complications. A research team has now reported a novel
broad-spectrum antidote. It consists of two 'chalices' that are linked
together and cover the two ends of the blocker.
Neuromuscular blockers are drugs that inhibit the transmission of
stimuli to the synapses between nerves and muscles by blocking the
acetylcholine binding sites on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Different types of blockers meet different pharmacological needs.
Antidotes in this class are "drugs that bind other drugs," capturing free
blockers in the blood stream and reversing the blockade.
I Can't Feel Anything - People who Feel No Pain
Numbness is partial or total lack of
sensation in a part of
the body; a symptom of
nerve damage or dysfunction.
Not Happy or Sad.
Paralysis is loss of
muscle function for one
or more
muscles. Paralysis
accompanied by a loss of feeling or
sensory
loss in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as
motor. About 1 in 50 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with some form
of paralysis,
transient or permanent.
Brain Injuries -
Stroke -
Coma
-
Sleep Paralysis -
Neurological Disorder
Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation of the skin (tingling, pricking,
chilling, burning, numbness) with no apparent physical cause. Paresthesia
may be transient or chronic, and may have any of dozens of possible
underlying causes. Paresthesias are usually painless and can occur
anywhere on the body, but most commonly occur in the arms and legs. The
most familiar kind of paresthesia is the sensation known as "pins and
needles" after having a limb 'fall asleep'. A less well-known and uncommon
but important paresthesia is formication, the sensation of insects
crawling underneath the skin.
Spinal Cord Injury is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary
or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle
function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served
by the spinal cord below the level of the injury. Injury can occur at any
level of the spinal cord and can be complete injury, with a total loss of
sensation and muscle function, or incomplete, meaning some nervous signals
are able to travel past the injured area of the cord. Depending on the
location and severity of damage, the symptoms vary, from numbness to
paralysis to incontinence. Long term outcomes also ranges widely, from
full recovery to permanent tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia) or
paraplegia. Complications can include muscle atrophy, pressure sores,
infections, and breathing problems.
Researchers restore breathing, partial forelimb function in rats with
spinal cord injuries. Millions of people worldwide are living with
chronic spinal cord injuries, with 250,000 to 500,000 new cases each year
-- most from vehicle crashes or falls. The most severe spinal cord
injuries completely paralyze their victims and more than half impair a
person's ability to breathe. Now, a breakthrough study has demonstrated,
in animal models of chronic injury, that long-term, devastating effects of
spinal cord trauma on breathing and limb function may be reversible.
Designer cytokine makes paralyzed mice walk again. Using
gene therapy, a research team
has succeeded in getting mice to walk again after a complete
cross-sectional injury. The nerve cells produced the curative protein
themselves. To date, paralysis resulting from spinal cord damage has been
irreparable. With a new therapeutic approach, scientists have succeeded
for the first time in getting paralyzed mice to walk again. The keys to
this are the
protein hyper-interleukin-6, which
stimulates nerve cells
to regenerate, and the way it is supplied to the animals. Spinal cord
injuries caused by sports or traffic accidents often result in permanent
disabilities such as paraplegia. This is caused by damage to nerve fibers,
so-called axons, which carry information from the brain to the muscles and
back from the skin and muscles. If these fibers are damaged due to injury
or illness, this communication is interrupted. Since severed axons in the
spinal cord can't grow back, the patients suffer from paralysis and
numbness for life. To date, there are still no treatment options that
could restore the lost functions in affected patients.
Cytokine
are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–20 kDa) important in
cell signaling.
Cytokines are
peptides
and cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm.
Cytokines have been shown to be involved in
autocrine,
paracrine and endocrine signaling as immunomodulating agents. Their
definite distinction from hormones is still part of ongoing research.
Dancing molecules successfully repair severe spinal cord injuries.
After single injection, paralyzed animals regained ability to walk within
four weeks. Researchers have developed an injectable therapy based on
nanofibers that has enabled paralyzed mice with severe spinal cord
injuries to regain the ability to walk. By sending bioactive signals to
trigger cells to repair and regenerate, the breakthrough therapy
dramatically improved severely injured spinal cords in five key ways: (1)
The severed extensions of neurons, called axons, regenerated; (2) scar
tissue, which can create a physical barrier to
regeneration and
repair, significantly diminished; (3) myelin, the insulating layer of
axons that is important in transmitting electrical signals efficiently,
reformed around cells; (4) functional blood vessels formed to deliver
nutrients to cells at the injury site; and (5) more motor neurons
survived.
Stem Cells.
Re-Growing Damaged Nerves hinges on shutting down key Genes. Injured
neurons temporarily revert to immature state. Neurons in the brain and
spinal cord don't grow back after injury, unlike those in the rest of the
body. About 11,000 people in the United States survive a spinal cord
injury every year. The idea that cells must become less mature in order to
regenerate is not new. The researchers identified the key molecular and
genetic players involved in regressing to a less mature state, and showed
that the timing of the regression was crucial to successful recovery.
Nerve transfers to restore upper limb function in tetraplegia. Nerve
transfer surgery has enabled 13 young adults with complete paralysis to
regain movement and function in their elbows and hands, according to
the largest case series of this technique in people with tetraplegia
(paralysis of both the upper and lower limbs).
Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or
sensory function of the lower extremities.
Tetraplegia is paralysis caused by illness or injury that results in
the partial or total loss of use of all four limbs and torso; paraplegia
is similar but does not affect the arms. The loss is usually sensory and
motor, which means that both sensation and control are lost. Tetraparesis
or quadriparesis, on the other hand, means muscle weakness affecting all
four limbs. It may be flaccid or spastic.
Micro implants could restore standing and walking. Researchers are
focused on restoring lower-body function after severe spinal injuries
using a tiny spinal implant.
Paradoxical Kinesia is the sudden transient ability of a patient with
Parkinson's disease to perform a task he was previously unable to
perform, usually when facing an
immediate threat. Paradoxical kinesia refers to the sudden ability of
a person with Parkinson's to move quickly and fluidly, the way they did
before the disease eroded a brain area involved in
movement. The sensory cues
governing this behavior and the prevalence in real life situations are
unknown.
Waterloo's Dr.
Spine, Stuart McGill (youtube) Stuart McGill is one of the world's
foremost experts on spine
biomechanics.
Born without Pain Receptors
Woman with Novel Gene Mutation lives almost Pain-Free. She also
experiences very little anxiety and fear, and may have enhanced wound
healing due to the mutation.
Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase is a member of the
serine hydrolase family of
enzymes.
Congenital Insensitivity to Pain is one or more rare conditions in
which a person
cannot feel pain and
has never felt
physical pain. The conditions described here are separate from the
HSAN group of disorders, which have more specific signs and cause. Because
feeling physical pain is vital for survival, CIP is an extremely dangerous
condition. It is common for people with the condition to die in childhood
due to injuries or illnesses going unnoticed. Burn injuries are among the
more common injuries. (This condition is also known as congenital analgesia).
Numbness.
Chromosome 6q deletion is a chromosome abnormality that occurs when
there is a missing copy of the genetic material located on the long arm
(q) of chromosome 6. The severity of the condition and the signs and
symptoms depend on the size and location of the deletion and which genes
are involved. Chromosome 6 deletion can make a person to never feel pain,
and
never feel hunger, and
never feel sleepy.
Familial Dysautonomia is a disorder of
the
autonomic nervous system which affects the development and survival of
sensory, sympathetic and some parasympathetic neurons in the autonomic and
sensory nervous system resulting in variable symptoms, including
insensitivity to pain, inability to produce tears, poor growth, and labile
blood pressure (episodic hypertension and postural hypotension).
Anesthesia.
Fatigue - Low Energy
Fatigue is exhaustion, tiredness, languidness, languor,
lassitude, and listlessness. Sometimes a
subjective feeling of tiredness which is
distinct from
weakness, and has a gradual onset. Unlike
weakness, fatigue
can be alleviated by periods of rest. Fatigue can have physical or mental causes.
Food Energy
-
Stamina -
Toxins -
Body Burden -
Processed Food -
Injured -
Burned Out
-
Hormone Imbalance -
Focus Problems
Physical Fatigue is the transient inability of a
muscle to
maintain optimal physical performance, and is made more severe by intense
physical exercise.
Mental Fatigue is a transient decrease in maximal
cognitive performance resulting from prolonged periods of cognitive
activity. It can manifest as
somnolence, lethargy, or directed
attention
fatigue.
Tired is in need of
sleep or
rest and
feeling weary, but
not lazy.
Weary is being physically and mentally
fatigued and exhausted or tired from overuse or great strain or
stress. Weary can also mean to
lose interest or become
bored
with something or somebody.
Exhausted is
being drained of
energy
or depleted of energy, force, or strength.
Exhaustion is a state of extreme physical
or
mental fatigue. The action or state of using something up or of being
used up completely.
Depleted is
no longer sufficient.
Drained is exhausted or very tired or
emptied of liquid or electrical charge.
Incapacitated is someone lacking in or
deprived of strength or
power. Make unable to perform a certain action.
Lethargic is
being sluggish and
apathetic. Being affected by lethargy.
Lethargy is a state
of tiredness, weariness, fatigue, or lack of
energy. It can be
accompanied by
depression,
decreased motivation, or apathy. Lethargy can be a normal response to
inadequate sleep, overexertion,
overworking,
stress,
lack of exercise,
improper nutrition,
boredom, or a symptom of a disorder. It may also be a
side-effect of medication
or caused by an interaction between medications or medication(s) and
alcohol. When part of a normal response, lethargy often resolves with
rest, adequate sleep, decreased stress,
physical exercise and
good
nutrition.
Vegetative Symptoms are disturbances of a person's functions necessary
to maintain life.
Encephalitis Lethargica is an atypical form of encephalitis. Also
known as "
sleeping sickness".
The
disease attacks the brain, leaving some victims in a statue-like
condition, speechless and motionless. Encephalitis lethargica is
characterized by high fever, sore throat, headache, lethargy, double
vision, delayed physical and mental response, sleep inversion and
catatonia. In severe cases, patients may enter a coma-like state (akinetic
mutism). Patients may also experience abnormal eye movements ("oculogyric
crises"), Parkinsonism, upper body weakness, muscular pains, tremors, neck
rigidity, and behavioral changes including psychosis. Klazomania, a vocal
tic involving compulsive screaming or compulsive shouting, is sometimes
present.
Sleep
Disorders.
Parkinsonism is a clinical syndrome characterized by tremor,
bradykinesia (slowed movements), rigidity, and postural instability.
Weak is
lacking physical strength,
courage, or
will. Lacking bodily or
muscular strength or vitality.
Deficient in intelligence or mental power. Deficient or lacking in
some skill. When you're weak you are more likely to fail under stress or
pressure.
Weakness
is a symptom of a number of different conditions. The causes are many and
can be divided into conditions that have true or perceived
muscle
weakness. True muscle weakness is a primary symptom of a variety of
skeletal muscle diseases, including
muscular dystrophy and
inflammatory myopathy. It occurs in
neuromuscular junction disorders, such as myasthenia gravis.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, is a medical
condition characterized by long-term fatigue and other symptoms that limit
a person's ability to carry out ordinary daily activities. Low levels of
thyroid hormones are linked to
chronic fatigue syndrome.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome is a disabling
and complex illness.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. People with ME/CFS
are often
not able to do their usual activities.
What happens when you have a disease doctors can't diagnose: Jennifer Brea
(video and interactive text)
Stanford researchers have linked ME/CFS to variations in certain
cytokines,
immune-signaling
proteins, that track
with illness severity.
Things that May Cause
Fatigue: Poor
nutrition or
electrolyte imbalances, such as abnormal
levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Anemia or an
abnormally
low level of red blood cells.
Sleep disturbances.
Emotional
distress, such as
anxiety or depression.
Medication side effects.
Medical
conditions, such as heart, lung, or
hormone problems.
Exposure to toxins or environmental
pollution.
Hang Overs.
Researchers have turned a fungus into a disease-curing factory through
modern genetic engineering and patience.
The
natural antibiotic
is a promising cure for a neglected tropical disease called human
African trypanosomiasis, or
African sleeping
sickness, that infects thousands of people in remote, rural areas
of sub-Saharan Africa each year. The fungus
Acremonium egyptiacum naturally produces two different types of
antibiotic: one is toxic to humans, but the other was identified as a
potential treatment for African sleeping sickness. The fungus's two
antibiotics are both made from the same precursor molecule. After the
precursor is created, two separate groups of enzymes produce the two
different antibiotics. Researchers can leave the precursor molecule and
the genes responsible for the desired antibiotic completely unchanged by
simply deleting the genes responsible for the other toxic antibiotic. In
every liter of
fungus
that researchers grow in the lab, the engineered strain of the fungus can
produce 500 milligrams of antibiotic. People can develop African sleeping
sickness by being bitten by a fly. The disease is caused by a parasite
that moves from the flies, to patients' blood streams, and then into the
nerves of patients' brains and spinal cords. The disease is often fatal
within three years. The same parasite can also infect livestock animals.
Tetraplegia also
known as quadriplegia, is
paralysis caused by illness or injury that results in the partial or
total loss of use of all four limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but
does not affect the arms. The loss is usually
sensory and motor, which means
that both sensation and control are lost. Tetraparesis or quadriparesis,
on the other hand, means
muscle weakness affecting all four limbs. It may be flaccid or
spastic.
Neural mechanisms and areas of the human brain that contribute to fatigue
in people with depression, multiple sclerosis and stroke.
Things that May Alleviate Fatigue:
Exercise, good
sleep habits,
eating well, and
living with purpose, just to
name a few.
Sitting to Long (sedentary)
-
Physical Therapy
No Spring Chicken is to
describe someone who is no longer young and probably past their young
adulthood, and sometimes doesn't realize it and tries to look and act
younger than his age. This expression is a euphemism for calling someone
old. Specifically, people mean that they are past the prime of their young
adult years.
Where the term came from.
Chicks need to be raised in light, warm conditions, and in the past, it
was not possible to create these special conditions like we do nowadays,
so it was not possible for chicks to be raised in the winter. Farmers soon
realized that chickens born in the spring were the most desirable at
markets and buyers would pay the most for them. Farmers would often try to
sell an older chicken pretending that it was born in the spring but smart
buyers would say, “that’s no spring chicken!”
Endurance - Stamina - Strength
Physical
Strength is the
measure
of an animal's exertion of
force on physical objects. Increasing physical
strength is the goal of
strength training. An individual's physical
strength is determined by two factors; the cross-sectional area of muscle
fibers recruited to generate force and the intensity of the recruitment.
Individuals with a high proportion of type I slow twitch
muscle fibers will be
relatively weaker than a similar individual with a high proportion of type
II fast twitch fibers, but would have a greater inherent capacity for
physical endurance. The genetic inheritance of muscle fiber type sets the
outermost boundaries of physical strength possible (barring the use of
enhancing agents such as
testosterone), though the unique position within this envelope is
determined by training. Individual muscle fiber ratios can be determined
through a muscle biopsy. Other considerations are the ability to recruit
muscle fibers for a particular activity, joint angles, and the length of
each limb. For a given cross-section, shorter limbs are able to
lift more
weight. The ability to gain muscle also varies person to person, based
mainly upon genes dictating the amounts of
hormones secreted, but also on
sex, age, health of the person, and
adequate nutrients in the diet. A
one-repetition maximum test
is the most accurate way to determine maximum muscular strength.
Resilience -
Food Energy.
Stamina is having enduring strength and
energy and the
ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort.
Fatigue.
Endurance is the
ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period
of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and
have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. It is usually used in
aerobic or anaerobic exercise.
The definition of 'long' varies according to the type of exertion –
minutes for high intensity anaerobic exercise, hours or days for low
intensity aerobic exercise. Training for endurance can have a negative
impact on the ability to exert strength unless an individual also
undertakes
resistance training to counteract this effect. When a person is
able to accomplish or withstand a higher amount of effort than their
original capabilities their endurance is increasing which to many
personnel indicates progress. In looking to improve ones endurance they
may slowly increase the amount of repetitions or time spent, if higher
repetitions are taken rapidly muscle strength improves while less
endurance is gained. Increasing endurance has been proven to release
endorphins resulting in a positive mind. The act of gaining endurance
through
physical activity has
been shown to decrease anxiety, depression, and stress, or any chronic
disease in total. Although a greater endurance can assist the
cardiovascular system it does not imply that any
cardiovascular disease
can be guaranteed to improve. "The major metabolic consequences of the
adaptations of muscle to endurance exercise are a slower utilization of
muscle glycogen and blood glucose, a greater reliance on fat oxidation,
and less lactate production during exercise of a given intensity." The
term stamina is sometimes used synonymously and interchangeably with
endurance. In military settings, endurance is considered the ability of a
force to sustain high levels of combat potential relative to its opponent
over the duration of a campaign. Endurance may also refer to an ability to
keep going through a tough situation involving hardship, stress, etc. (see
patience).
Vitality is a healthy capacity for vigorous
activity. The property of being able to survive and grow.
Vitals -
Vitamins.
Endurance Training is the act of
exercising to increase endurance. The term endurance training
generally refers to training the aerobic system as opposed to the
anaerobic system. The need for endurance in sports is often predicated as
the need of cardiovascular and simple muscular endurance, but the issue of
endurance is far more complex. Endurance can be divided into two
categories including: general endurance and specific endurance. It can be
shown that endurance in sport is closely tied to the execution of skill
and technique. A well conditioned athlete can be defined as, the athlete
who executes his or her technique consistently and effectively with the
least effort. Key for measuring endurance are heart rate, power in cycling
and pace in running.
Limit to Human Endurance. Everyone hits the same metabolic limit,
likely due to constraints on the digestive tract's ability to break down
food. Humans can only burn calories at 2.5 times their resting
metabolic
rate. Not even the world's fastest ultra-marathoners managed to surpass
that limit. The body starts to break down its own tissues to make up for
the caloric deficit.
Posture - Sit Up Straight
Posture is the position in which you hold
your body upright against
gravity while standing, sitting or lying down.
Good posture involves
training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in
positions where the least strain is placed on supporting
muscles and
ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities.
Improve Posture (youtube) -
Improve
Your Posture | 3 Exercises Only! (youtube)
Good Posture -
Balance Center
-
Text Neck
(smartphones) -
Spine Diseases -
Sitting Too Much -
Sleeping Positions
-
Physical Therapy
Poor Posture is the posture that results from certain muscles
tightening up or shortening while others lengthen and become weak which
often occurs as a result of one's daily activities. There are different
factors which can impact on posture and they include occupational
activities and biomechanical factors such as force and repetition. Risk
factors for poor posture also include psychosocial factors such as job
stress and strain. Workers who have higher job stress are more likely to
develop neck and shoulder symptoms.
Lumbar
Support helps promote good posture by filling in the gap between
the lumbar spine and the seat, supporting the natural inward curve of the
lower back.
Lumbar is
the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum.
Sometimes referred to as the lower spine, or as an area of the back in its
proximity.
Car Seat
is made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand
prolonged use but you may still need some lumbar support. I like to use a
rolled up towel and place it near my lower back when I sit in a chair or
sit on a couch. You have to figure out how to place the towel where it
will have the most benefit, you also need to adjust the way you roll up
the towel, tight or loss. "This is lumbar
support, how can I help you?"
Ergonomics is known as comfort design,
functional design, and systems, is the practice of
designing products,
systems, or processes to take proper account of the interaction between
them and the people who use them.
Human Factors Ergonomics field has seen some contributions
from numerous disciplines, such as psychology, engineering, biomechanics,
industrial design, physiology, and anthropometry. In essence, it is the
study of designing equipment, devices and processes that fit the human
body and its cognitive abilities. The two terms "human factors" and
"ergonomics" are essentially synonymous.
Zero Gravity Position is a method of elevating your head, knees and
legs slightly above your heart to create a feeling of weightlessness. This
position can help your body to
relax and also help you
to
sleep.
Active workstations may improve cognitive performance. A recent study
suggests that active workstations incorporating a walking pad, bike,
stepper and/or standing desk are successful strategies for reducing
sedentary time and improving mental cognition at work without reducing job
performance. Extended sedentary behavior, whether at work or home,
increases a person's risk of preventable chronic diseases.
Some chairs,
though comfortable at first, should not put you in a position that could
cause you to eventually experience physical pain or cause abnormal body
developments.
Recliner
(wiki).
Anthropometry
refers to the measurement of the human individual for the purposes of
understanding human physical variation, in
paleoanthropology and in various attempts to correlate physical with
racial and psychological traits. Anthropometry involves the systematic
measurement of the physical properties of the human body, primarily
dimensional descriptors of body size and shape.
Fitts
Law is a predictive model of human movement primarily used in
human–computer interaction and ergonomics. This scientific law predicts
that the time required to rapidly move to a target area is a function of
the ratio between the distance to the target and the width of the target.
Fitts's law is used to model the act of pointing, either by physically
touching an object with a hand or finger, or virtually, by pointing to an
object on a computer monitor using a pointing device. Fitts's law has been
shown to apply under a variety of conditions, with many different limbs
(hands, feet, the lower lip, head-mounted sights, eye gaze), manipulanda
(input devices), physical environments (including underwater), and user
populations (young, old, special educational needs, and drugged
participants).
Alexander Technique is an educational process that develops the
ability to realign posture and to avoid unnecessary muscular and mental
tension. Alexander believed the individual's
self-awareness could be
inaccurate, resulting in unnecessary muscular tension such as when
standing or sitting with body weight unevenly distributed, holding one's
head incorrectly, walking or running inefficiently, and responding to
stressful stimuli in an exaggerated way. Alexander said that those who
habitually "misused" their muscles could not trust their feelings (sensory
appreciation) when carrying out activities or responding to situations
emotionally.
Neutral Spine refers to the "three
natural curves [that] are present in a healthy spine." Looking directly at
the front or back of the body, the 33 vertebrae in the spinal column
should appear completely vertical. From a side view, the cervical (neck)
region of the spine (C1-C7) is bent inward, the thoracic (upper back)
region (T1-T12) bends outward, and the lumbar (lower back) region (L1-L5)
bends inward. The sacrum (tailbone area) (S1-S5 fused) and coccyx (on
average 4 fused) rest between the pelvic bones. A neutral pelvis indicates
the anterior superior iliac spines and pubic symphysis fall in the same
vertical line.
Human Positions refers to the different
physical configurations that the human body can take. There are several
synonyms that refer to human positioning, often used interchangeably, but
having specific nuances of meaning. Position is a general term for a
configuration of the human body. Posture means an intentionally or
habitually assumed position. Pose implies artistic or aesthetic intention
of the position. Attitude refers to postures assumed for purpose of
imitation, intentional or not, as well as in some standard collocations in
reference to some distinguished types of posture: "Freud never assumed a
fencer's attitude, yet almost all took him for a swordsman." Bearing
refers to the manner of the posture, as well as of gestures and other
aspects of the conduct taking place.
Flexion is the anatomical name for forward bending. When treating back
pain, many spine specialists encourage
exercises to strengthen the
muscles that act to bring the spine into flexion. In the lower back,
approximately 50% of flexion occurs at the hips, and 50% occurs at the
lower spine.
Motion is divided
between the five motion segments in the lower back, although a
disproportionate amount of the motion is at L4-L5 (lumbar segment 4 and 5)
and L3-L4 (lumbar segment 3 and 4). Consequently, these two segments of
the lower back are the most likely to break down and become unstable from
osteoarthritis (degenerative spondylolisthesis), with an excess of motion
creating low back pain.
Yoga.
Thoracic Vertebrae compose the
middle segment
of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar
vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebrae and they are
intermediate in size between the cervical and lumbar vertebrae; they
increase in size going towards the lumbar vertebrae, with the lower ones
being a lot larger than the upper. They are distinguished by the presence
of facets on the sides of the bodies for articulation with the heads of
the ribs, as well as facets on the transverse processes of all, except the
eleventh and twelfth, for articulation with the tubercles of the ribs. By
convention, the human thoracic vertebrae are numbered T1–T12, with the
first one (T1) located closest to the skull and the others going down the
spine toward the lumbar region.
Spine Health.
How to Fix Your
Posture in 4 Moves! (PERMANENTLY) (youtube)
Zami the future of sitting -
Anthro -
Ergo Standing Desk -
HumbleWorks Standing Desk -
Sit or Stand Table -
Wooden Standing Desk -
My Up Desk -
Laptop Table -
Standup Desk -
Floor Stand Tablet PCs -
Floor Stand for PCs -
A-STAND: Transformable Workstation -
Alt-Work Station -
Kinesthetic Desks -
Stir - Kinetic Desk -
Lean Chair -
Edge Desk -
Vari Desk
Sitting too Long -
Body
Smart -
Treadmill Desk
Standing more may help prevent chronic diseases. Researchers observed
association between standing and insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a key
hormone in energy metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Normal insulin
function in the body may be disturbed by e.g. overweight, leading to
decreased insulin sensitivity and increased risk of developing type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers have noticed that
standing is associated with better insulin sensitivity. Increasing the
daily standing time may therefore help prevent chronic diseases.
Using ergonomics to reduce pain from technology use. The use of
smartphones, tablets and laptops has become commonplace throughout the
world and has been especially prevalent among college students. Recent
studies have found that college students have higher levels of screen
time, and they utilize multiple devices at higher rates compared to
previous generations.
Physical Manipulation
(messages)
Chiropractic is a form of
alternative
medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of unverified
mechanical disorders of the
musculoskeletal system, especially the spine.
Proponents believe that such disorders affect general health via the
nervous system. The main chiropractic treatment technique involves manual
therapy, especially
spinal manipulation therapy or SMT, manipulations of
other joints and soft tissues. Its foundation is at odds with mainstream
medicine, and chiropractic is sustained by pseudoscientific ideas such as
subluxation and "innate intelligence".
Osteopathy is a type of
alternative
medicine that emphasizes
physical manipulation of the body's muscle
tissue and bones. Practitioners of osteopathy are referred to as
osteopaths. Its name derives from Ancient Greek "bone" and "pain,
suffering". Osteopathic manipulation is the core set of techniques in
osteopathy. In the United States, the education and training of Doctor of
Osteopathic Medicine or
DO osteopathic
physicians is equivalent to that of Doctor of Medicine or
MD physicians.
Inversion
Therapy or
Inversion Table involves being upside down or at an
inverted angle while hanging by the legs, ankles, or feet with the
intention of therapeutic benefits. The process of doing so is called
inversion. It is a form of
spinal decompression and is a form of
spinal traction.
Gravity boots are ankle supports designed for
inversion therapy. Some people use gravity boots to add an extra challenge
to workouts, doing inverted crunches or squats. People who have heart
disease, high blood pressure, eye diseases (such as glaucoma), or are
pregnant are at higher risk for the dangers related to inversion therapy
and should consult their doctors about it first. The first time anyone
tries inversion therapy with gravity, they should be sure to have someone
standing by, in case assistance is required to get out of the apparatus,
or if health problems are experienced. During an episode of acid reflux,
small amounts of stomach acid may manage to escape from the stomach and
into the oesophagus. Typically, gravity minimizes this upward leakage but
combining an inversion table and acid reflux can be a painful, nauseating,
and potentially dangerous combination.
Physical Therapy
-
Pinched Nerve
Zero-Gravity Chair has a range of benefits.
They help reduce stress on your spine and joints by aligning your body in
a neutral posture, and by improving circulation by elevating your legs
above your heart level, which helps your body achieve a weightless
feeling. So there isn't too much pressure on one spot, as your whole body
is equally supported. This can potentially help reduce inflammation,
tension, and pressure points in muscles and joints.
Vertebral Column also known as the
Backbone
or
Spine, is part of the axial skeleton.
The vertebral column is the defining characteristic of a vertebrate, in
which the notochord (a flexible rod of uniform composition) found in all
chordates has been replaced by a segmented series of bones—vertebrae
separated by intervertebral discs. The vertebral column houses the spinal
canal, a cavity that encloses and protects the
spinal
cord, which is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and
support cells that extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to
the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The brain and spinal cord
together make up the
central nervous
system or CNS.
Spinal Cord
Injury is damage to the
spinal cord
that causes changes in its function, either temporary or permanent. These
changes translate into loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic
function in parts of the body served by the spinal cord below the level of
the lesion. Injuries can occur at any level of the spinal cord and can be
classified as complete injury, a total loss of sensation and
muscle
function, or incomplete, meaning some nervous signals are able to travel
past the injured area of the cord. Depending on the location and severity
of damage along the spinal cord, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain
or numbness to paralysis to incontinence. The prognosis also ranges
widely, from full recovery in rare cases to permanent tetraplegia (also
called quadriplegia) in injuries at the level of the neck, and paraplegia
in lower injuries. Complications that can occur in the short and long term
after injury include muscle atrophy, pressure sores, infections, and
respiratory problems. In the majority of cases the damage results from
physical trauma such as car accidents, gunshots, falls, or sports
injuries, but it can also result from nontraumatic causes such as
infection, insufficient blood flow, and tumors. Athletes are especially
susceptible to becoming involved in high collision spinal injuries. Some
of the more common injuries include any type of sprain and strain of the
spinal cord. These injuries can either occur alone, or with another spinal
disease. Dislocations and fractures are also common in spine injuries.
Efforts to prevent SCI include individual measures such as using safety
equipment, societal measures such as safety regulations in sports and
traffic, and improvements to equipment. Known since ancient times to be a
catastrophic injury and long believed to be untreatable, SCI has seen
great improvements in its care since the middle of the 20th century.
Treatment of spinal cord injuries starts with stabilizing the spine and
controlling inflammation to prevent further damage. Other interventions
needed can vary widely depending on the location and extent of the
injury,
from bed rest to
surgery. In many cases, spinal cord injuries require
substantial, long-term physical and occupational therapy in
rehabilitation, especially if they interfere with activities of daily
living. Research into new treatments for spinal cord injuries includes
stem cell implantation, engineered materials for tissue support, and
wearable
robotic
exoskeletons. The spine consists of the
spinal cord, which is a group of nerves that are protected by the
individual vertebrae of the spine. The main function of the spinal cord is
to send signals from the brain to other regions of the body. It is the
main messenger throughout the body.
Myelopathy -
Claudication.
Degenerative Disc Disease describes the natural breakdown of an
intervertebral disc of the spine. Despite its name, DDD is not
considered a disease, nor is it progressively degenerative. On the
contrary, disc degeneration is often the effect of natural daily stresses
and minor injuries that cause spinal discs to gradually lose water as the
anulus fibrosus, or the rigid outer shell of a disc, weakens. As discs
weaken and lose water, they begin to collapse. This can result in pressure
being put on the nerves in the spinal column, causing pain and weakness.
While not always symptomatic, DDD can cause acute or chronic low back or
neck pain as well as nerve pain depending on the location of the affected
disc and the amount of pressure it places on the surrounding nerve roots.
The typical radiographic findings in DDD are black discs, disc space
narrowing, vacuum disc, end plate sclerosis, and osteophyte formation. DDD
can greatly affect quality of life. Disc degeneration is a disease of
micro/macro trauma and of aging, and though for most people is not a
problem, in certain individuals a degenerated disc can cause severe
chronic pain if left untreated.
One third of people aged 40-59 have evidence of degenerative disc disease
-
Physical Therapy.
New method of spinal cord tissue repair. Successfully synthesized
hybrid biomaterial could be used to treat spinal injuries. The new hybrid
biomaterials, in the form of nanoparticles and building on existing
practice in the tissue engineering field, were successfully synthesized to
promote repair and regeneration following spinal cord injury, according to
the researchers. The debilitating disorder results in paralysis below the
level of injury and, in the US alone, the annual healthcare costs for SCI
patient care are $9.7 billion. As there is currently no widely available
treatment, continuous research into this field is crucial to find a
treatment to improve the patient's quality of life, with the research
field turning towards tissue engineering for novel treatment strategies.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone weakening increases the risk
of a
broken bone. It is
the most common reason for a
broken bone among the elderly. Bones that commonly break include the
vertebrae in the spine, the bones of the forearm, and the hip. Until a
broken bone occurs there are typically no symptoms. Bones may weaken to
such a degree that a break may occur with minor stress or spontaneously.
Chronic pain and a decreased ability to carry out normal activities may
occur following a broken bone. Osteoporosis is the leading cause of
age-related kyphosis, with sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, being a
secondary cause.
Osteopenia is when your bones are weaker than normal but not so far
gone that they break easily, which is the hallmark of osteoporosis.
Kyphosis is a painful condition commonly known as "
hunchback"
is a physical deformation of the middle and upper spine, in which its
natural curve increases, resulting in a "hunched over" posture. Kyphosis
is a spinal disorder in which an excessive outward curve of the spine
results in an abnormal rounding of the upper back. The condition is
sometimes known as "roundback" or—in the case of a severe curve—as
"hunchback." Kyphosis can occur at any age, but is common during
adolescence. Postural kyphosis (M40.0), the most common type, normally
attributed to
slouching, can occur in both
the old and the young. In the young, it can be called "slouching" and is
reversible by correcting muscular imbalances. In the old, it may be a case
of hyperkyphosis and called "
dowager's hump".
There are two different kinds of kyphosis, and they can both affect
babies, children, teenagers, and adults. The first type, postural
kyphosis, is caused by bad posture and
can be
corrected by the patient. The second type is caused by a structural
disorder and
cannot be fixed without medical
treatment.
Sarcopenia is the
degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass (0.5–1% loss per year after the
age of 50), quality, and strength associated with aging. Sarcopenia is a
component of the frailty syndrome. It is often a component of cachexia. It
can also exist independently of cachexia; whereas cachexia includes
malaise and is secondary to an underlying pathosis (such as cancer),
sarcopenia may occur in healthy people and does not necessarily include
malaise.
As the Spine and the Muscles that
support it become weaker, the vertebrae become susceptible to
compression fractures, in which the bone breaks under the load of everyday
activities like walking or even coughing.
Spinal alignment
and curvature can be altered in many ways. They can occur as a result
of a birth defect, a child's growth, aging, injury, or previous spine
surgery. The most common type of spinal deformity in adults is
degenerative scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine has a
sideways curve. The curve is usually "S"-
or "C"-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is
stable, while in others, it increases over time. Mild scoliosis does not
typically cause problems, but severe cases can interfere with breathing.
Typically, no pain is present.
Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry is a means of measuring
bone
mineral density (BMD). Two X-ray beams, with different energy levels,
are aimed at the patient's bones. When soft tissue absorption is
subtracted out, the bone mineral density (BMD) can be determined from the
absorption of each beam by bone. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the
most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement
technology. The DXA scan is typically used to diagnose and follow
osteoporosis, as contrasted to the nuclear bone scan, which is sensitive
to certain metabolic diseases of bones in which bones are attempting to
heal from infections, fractures, or tumors. (also called DEXA, and quantitative CT, or QCT).
Bone is a
rigid organ that constitutes part of the vertebrate
skeleton.
Bones of the Human
Body (image). Bones
protect the various organs of the
body, produce red and white blood cells,
store minerals, provide
structure and support for the body, and enable
mobility. Bones come in a variety of shapes and sizes and have a complex
internal and external structure. They are lightweight yet strong and hard,
and serve multiple functions. Bone tissue (osseous tissue) is a hard
tissue, a type of dense connective tissue. It has a
honeycomb-like matrix
internally, which helps to give the bone rigidity. Bone tissue is made up
of different types of bone cells. Osteoblasts and osteocytes are involved
in the formation and mineralization of bone; osteoclasts are involved in
the resorption of bone tissue. Modified (flattened) osteoblasts become the
lining cells that form a protective layer on the bone surface. The
mineralised matrix of bone tissue has an organic component of mainly
collagen called ossein and an inorganic component of bone mineral made up
of various salts. Bone tissue is a mineralized tissue of two types,
cortical bone and cancellous bone. Other types of tissue found in bones
include
bone marrow, endosteum, periosteum, nerves,
blood vessels and
cartilage. In the human body at birth,
there are over 300 bones, but many
of these fuse together during development, leaving a total of 206 separate
bones in the adult, not counting numerous small sesamoid bones. The
largest bone in the body is the femur or thigh-bone, and the smallest is
the stapes in the middle ear. The Greek word for bone is ὀστέον
("osteon"), hence the many terms that use it as a prefix – such as
osteopathy.
Broken Bones.
Bone Mineral is the inorganic component of bone tissue. It gives bones
their compressive strength. Bone mineral is formed from carbonated
hydroxyapatite with lower crystallinity. Bone mineral is formed from
globular and plate structures distributed among the collagen fibrils of
bone and forming yet a larger structure. The bone salt and collagen fibers
together constitute the
extracellular matrix of bone tissue. Often the
plural form "bone salts" is used; it reflects the notion of various salts
that, on the level of molecular metabolism, can go into the formation of
the hydroxyapatite. Bone mineral is dynamic in living animals; it is
continually being resorbed and built anew in the bone remodeling process.
In fact, the bones function as a bank or storehouse in which calcium can
be continually withdrawn for use or deposited for storage, as dictated by
homeostasis, which maintains the concentration of calcium ions in the
blood serum within a particular range despite the variability of muscle
tissue metabolism. Parathormone and calcitonin are the principal hormones
with which the neuroendocrine system controls this ongoing process. The
parathyroid and thyroid glands in the neck produce those hormones; thus,
problems with those glands (such as hypo- or hyperparathyroidism or hypo-
or hyperthyroidism) can create problems with bone mineral density (as well
as hypo- or hypercalcemia).
Bone
Marrow, the spongy tissue inside most of our bones, produces
red blood cells as well as
immune cells that help
fight off
infections and heal
injuries. According to a new study of mice
and humans, tiny tunnels run from skull bone marrow to the lining of the
brain and may provide a direct route for immune cells responding to
injuries caused by stroke and other brain disorders.
Strengthen the
core and the back. It's important to
strengthen the core muscles'
ability to stabilize and protect the spine and the back muscles'
capability to pull the shoulders and spine into upright
posture, resistance-band rows and lat pull-downs, can help strengthen
the muscles of the middle and upper back. Supine Y raises (in which you
lie on the floor and raise your outstretched arms from the floor to form a
Y with your body) and resistance-band pull-aparts, where you hold two ends
of a resistance band with your arms in front of your shoulders and pinch
your shoulder blades together, focus on the muscles of the upper back.
Avoid activities
that include spinal flexion or bending and can increase pressure on
the vertebra and spinal discs. Protein may help promote strong bones by
increasing calcium absorption and affecting hormone levels.
Wolff's law states
that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under
which it is placed. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone
will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of
loading. The internal architecture of the trabeculae undergoes adaptive
changes, followed by secondary changes to the external cortical portion of
the bone, perhaps becoming thicker as a result. The inverse is true as
well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become less dense
and weaker due to the lack of the stimulus required for continued
remodeling. This reduction in bone density (osteopenia) is known as stress
shielding and can occur as a result of a hip replacement (or other
prosthesis). The normal stress on a bone is shielded from that bone by
being placed on a prosthetic implant.
Massages - The Power of Human Touch
Massage involves working and acting on
the body with
pressure – structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving –
tension, motion, or vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids.
Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearm,
feet, or a massage device. Depending on the application and technique
used, massage is used to promote
relaxation and well-being, and is
beneficial in treating
sports injuries and other problems affecting the
musculature of the body such as
postural misalignment and many painful
conditions. In professional settings massage clients are treated while
lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on
the floor, while in amateur settings a general purpose surface like a bed
or floor is more common. Aquatic massage and bodywork is performed with
recipients submersed or floating in a
warm-water therapy pool.
Massage is kneading and rubbing parts of
the body to increase circulation and promote relaxation. To manually
manipulate someone's body, usually for medicinal or relaxation purposes.
Massage Therapy -
Massage Therapy 101 -
Massage Therapy -
Massage Therapy
Human Touch -
Skin (hygiene)
Deep Tissue Rolfing is typically
delivered as a series of ten hands-on physical manipulation sessions
sometimes called "the recipe". It is based on Rolf's ideas about how the
human body's "energy field" can benefit when aligned with the Earth's
gravitation field. Practitioners combine superficial and deep manual
therapy with movement prompts. The process is sometimes painful.
Deep Tissue Massage is a type of
massage that uses forceful strokes to release chronic muscle tension. It
targets the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It’s often used
to treat muscle damage from injuries. Deep tissue massage is a massage
technique that's mainly used to treat musculoskeletal issues, such as
strains and sports injuries. It involves applying sustained pressure using
slow, deep strokes to target the inner layers of your muscles and
connective tissues.
Swedish Massage
is a gentle massage technique that will be suitable for you if have a lot
of tension or are sensitive to touch. Swedish massage uses long strokes,
kneading, and deep circular movements. Vibration and tapping are also used
to aid in relaxation. Swedish massage therapy involves soft, long,
kneading strokes, as well as light, rhythmic, tapping strokes, on topmost
layers of muscles. This is also combined with movement of the joints. By
relieving muscle tension, Swedish therapy can be both relaxing and
energizing.
Sports Massage is a form
of bodywork geared toward participants in athletics. It is used to help
prevent injuries, to prepare the body for athletic activity and maintain
it in optimal condition, and to help athletes recover from workouts and
injuries. Conditions that generally respond well to massage as a
complementary therapy include: muscle pain and stiffness, muscle strain,
edema or swelling, muscle soreness, muscle sprains, muscle tension, sore
spots, repetitive strain injuries and tendinitis. Massage can help these
conditions, but it should never be used to replace skilled medical care.
Massage Envy -
Myotherapy
Erotic Massage is the use of
massage techniques by a person on another person's erogenous zones to
achieve or enhance their sexual excitation or
arousal and to
achieve orgasm. Massages have been used for medical purposes for a very
long time, and their use for erotic purposes also has a long history. In
the case of women, the two focal areas are the breasts and pubis, while in
case of men, the focal area is the male genitals. When the massage is of a
partner's genitals, the act is usually referred to as mutual masturbation.
Today, erotic massage is used by some people on occasion as a part of sex,
either as foreplay or as the final
sex
act, or as part of sex therapy. There is also a large commercial erotic
massage industry in some countries and cities.
Muscle Knots - Trigger Points
Trigger Point is a
sensitive area in the
muscle or connective tissue
or fascia that becomes
painful when compressed. Pressing on a trigger point can cause referred
pain and can help identify the external area in the body generating the
pain.
Muscle Knots are hard,
sensitive areas of
muscles that tighten and contract even when the muscle
is at rest. These tense muscle fibers can cause pain in other parts of the
body when touched. They’re also known as trigger points. Muscle knots can
be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, overusing or injuring your muscles or
poor posture. Other factors include
dehydration, unhealthy eating habits,
and stress and anxiety may also contribute to muscle knots. Muscle knots
can occur anywhere in the body, but they’re usually found in your back,
shoulders, and neck. They often show up in your gluteal muscles, too.
Muscles knots can cause aching sensations and pain in your muscles and
joints. When you touch a muscle knot, it may feel swollen, tense, or
bumpy. It could also feel tight and contracted, even when you’re trying to
relax, and they’re often sensitive to the touch. The affected area may
even become inflamed or swollen. Muscle knots can cause symptoms in areas
outside of the muscles, including: headaches, toothaches and earaches. You
may also experience stress, anxiety, and depression, and have difficulty
sleeping. Untreated muscle knots can cause chronic pain and lead to other
health issues. See your health care provider if you’ve taken measures to
relieve your muscle pain, but it persists. You should also call your
doctor if pain becomes severe and is interfering with your daily life and
well-being. It’s possible that what seems like a muscle knot could be
something else, such as a swollen lymph node. Usually there will be other
symptoms that accompany a swollen lymph node, such as a cold, cough, or
infection. Check with a doctor, physical therapist, or osteopath if you
want to make sure it’s a muscle knot and not something else. They can
determine possible causes for the pain.
Self-Massage in some cases can help to relieve the sore muscles
yourself. Locate the muscle knot and use your fingers to gently massage
it. While massaging, focus on trying to loosen up the tight muscle fibers
and relieve tension. Press firmly into the affected area and make small
circles with your fingers. You can also place a tennis ball between your
back and the floor or a wall, and roll back and forth on the ball to apply
more pressure to the knot. Experiment by slowly and gently moving the ball
to apply pressure to points of tension. You can use a foam roller in much
the same way. To get rid of the knots, you’ll need to break up the knotted
tissue and calm inflamed nerves. You can use massage to treat muscle
knots. Massage therapy increases circulation and improves blood flow. That
can improve muscle function and help loosen up your muscles. This helps to
relieve pain and stiffness. Keep in mind that one session isn’t usually
enough to heal you completely. You’ll likely need to have several frequent
sessions. Once you see improvements you can space out your sessions. There
are several types of massage. The type you’ll benefit from most will
depend on the severity of your muscle knots and your personal preference.
You may need to try several different types of massage before you find a
type that you like. Put pressure on the muscle knot until it softens and
releases. After a treatment session, you’ll have a set of movements to
complete at home. This will help to retrain your muscles. A physical
therapist can help you identify the underlying causes of your muscle
knots. They will treat your pain using treatments appropriate to your
case. You will be taught techniques that will reduce pain and prevent it
from recurring. Gentle stretching that elongates your muscles can help you
to release tension in your body. Aerobic exercise may help to relieve
muscle knots. Muscle rubs help to soften and relax muscle knots. You can
massage a muscle rub onto the affected area twice a day for cooling
relief. You may need someone to help you apply to it difficult-to-reach
areas. Using a
combination of heat and cold
can help to relieve pain and inflammation due to muscle knots.
Cold helps
to constrict the blood vessel, which reduces swelling. To apply cold, use
a cold compress for 10 minutes, and then remove it for at least 15
minutes. You can repeat this until you begin to find relief. Heat relaxes
and loosens stiff muscles, and relieves pain. Heat may increase blood
flow, which promotes healing.
To apply heat, use a heating pad or take a
warm bath. Alternate between cold and heat treatment, or use the one that
works best for you. Hot and cold therapy should be used in conjunction
with other therapies.
Prevention - There
are several ways to prevent muscle knots from forming. Always practice
good posture in your daily life. Focus on sitting relaxed, with your
shoulders back and down, and avoid slouching while sitting. Get plenty of
rest and adequate exercise. Warm up and cool down when exercising, and
don’t overexert yourself. Lifting too heavy or running too fast can cause
injuries that may also lead to muscle knots.
Don’t sit for long periods of
time. Take a break, and get up and move at least once every hour of
extended sitting. Do simple stretches throughout the day to keep your
muscles from getting tight. You can even do exercises while sitting at a
desk or watching television. Bring an awareness of the alignment of your
body while going about physical activities. Maintain a healthy diet that
includes calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and drink plenty of water.
Replace processed foods with fresh, whole foods. Consider getting regular
massages to help you to relax, gain flexibility, and keep your muscles
healthy.
Metamorphic Technique is an
Alternative
Medicine involving application of
pressure to the feet and hands with
specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use of oil or
lotion. It is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that purportedly
reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands, with the premise that
such work effects a physical change to the body.
Body Mechanics (youtube) -
Message Video (youtube) -
Message (youtube)
Stiff Neck Message (youtube) -
Massage Therapy (netflix)
Osteopathy is a type of
alternative
medicine that emphasizes massage and other
physical manipulation of muscle
tissue and bones. "sensitive to" or "responding to".
U-GYM Mini: Digital Muscle Stimulator
Acupressure is an alternative medicine
technique similar in principle to acupuncture. It is based on the concept
of
life energy which flows through "
meridians" in the body. In treatment,
physical pressure is applied to acupuncture points with the aim of
clearing blockages in these meridians. Pressure may be applied by hand, by
elbow, or with various devices. Some medical studies have suggested that
acupressure may be effective at helping manage nausea and vomiting, for
helping lower back pain, tension headaches, stomach ache, among other
things, although such studies have been found to have a high likelihood of
bias. Like many alternative medicines, it may benefit from a
placebo
effect.
Acupressure -
Acupressure Institute -
Human Touch -
Tapping.
Acupressure Online -
YouTube Acupressure Video
-
20 Second
Acupressure Massage to Relieve Eye Strain | Dr. Mandell (youtube).
Reflexology
is an alternative medicine involving application of pressure to the
feet and
hands with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use
of oil or lotion. It is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that
purportedly reflect an image of the
body on the feet and hands, with the
premise that such work effects a physical change to the body. Always pay
attention to any
unusual
changes. Don't
over do it.
Academy of Reflexology -
Reflexology.
Hand Reflexology (image of areas)
-
Foot
Reflexology (image
chart) -
Face Message Points (image of
areas)
Acupuncture is a form of
Alternative
Medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. It is a key
component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM theory and practice
are not based upon scientific knowledge, and acupuncture is a
pseudoscience. There are a diverse range of acupuncture theories based on
different philosophies, and techniques vary depending on the country. The
method used in TCM is likely the most widespread in the US. It is most
often used for pain relief, though it is also used for a wide range of
other conditions. Acupuncture is generally used only in combination with
other forms of treatment. If you do acupuncture correctly, your body
releases more
nitric oxide at the points where the needles are inserted. The nitric
oxide increases blood flow and triggers your body to release natural
anesthetics.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture where a small electric
current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles.
Biofeedback.
Electroacupuncture According to Voll is a form of
acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of
acupuncture needles. According to some acupuncturists[who?], this practice
augments the use of regular acupuncture, can restore health and
well-being, and is particularly good for treating pain.
There is evidence for some efficacy (when used in addition to antiemetics)
in treating moderate post-chemotherapy vomiting, but not for acute
vomiting or delayed nausea severity.
More than Four Hundred Acupuncture Points have been described, with
the majority located on one of the main
meridians, pathways which run
throughout the body and according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
transport life energy (qi, 氣).
Acupuncture -
Oriental Chinese Medicine -
Medical Acupuncture
Nitric Oxide is a molecular, chemical compound with chemical
formula of ·NO with a short half-life of a few seconds in the blood. Nitric oxide is a
free radical. Nitric oxide is an
important cellular signaling molecule involved in many physiological and
pathological processes. It is a powerful
vasodilator which results from relaxation of smooth muscle cells
within the vessel walls, in particular in the large veins (called
venodilators), large arteries, and smaller arterioles. The process is the opposite of
vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels.
Meridian is a concept in traditional
Chinese medicine about a set of pathways in the body along which vital
energy is said to flow. A path through which the
life-energy known as "
qi" flows.
There are twelve such pathways associated with specific organs.
Meridians (youtube).
Meridian Point Tapping is similar to
acupressure and acupuncture, it focuses on the
meridian points or energy hot spots. It helps to stimulate sensory nerves
and the pituitary gland.
Jumping
up and down benefits.
How Tapping These 9
Points Can Change Your Life | Dr Alan Mandell, DC (youtube) -
The Secret to
Younger Looking Skin (Boost Collagen Naturally) - Dr Alan Mandell, DC
(youtube) -
Meridian Tapping Techniques -
MTT
-
Meridian Tapping Technique (youtube) -
Meridian Tapping (youtube)
Instantly Double
Your Lung Oxygen Level (Created by Dr Alan Mandell, DC) (youtube) -
Squeeze thumb tip - Press on thumb base for 1 minute -
Parasympathetic Nervous System.
Chakras -
Soothing Sounds
Emotional Freedom Technique is a form of
counseling
intervention that draws on various theories of
alternative
medicine including acupuncture,
neuro-linguistic programming, energy
medicine, and
Thought Field Therapy
or TFT. It is best known through Gary
Craig's EFT Handbook, published in the late 1990s, and related books and
workshops by a variety of teachers. EFT and similar techniques are often
discussed under the umbrella term "energy psychology".
Placebos.
Facial Massage - Saving Face
Facial Toning
is a type of
cosmetic procedure or
physical therapy tool which promises to
alter facial contours by means of increasing muscle tone, and facial
volume by promoting muscular hypertrophy, and preventing muscle loss due
to aging or facial paralysis. Facial toning and exercise is therefore in
part a technique to achieve facial rejuvenation by reducing wrinkles,
sagging and expression marks on the face and
skin. As a physical therapy,
facial toning is used for victims of stroke and forms of facial paralysis
such as Bell’s palsy. Facial toning achieves this by performing facial
muscle exercising. There are two types of facial toning exercises: active
and passive face exercises.
Body Message.
Facial Massage (youtube)
Facial Massage:
Face Lift 2:30 (youtube)
Facial Yoga and Meditation 10 (youtube)
Face Yoga (youtube)
Happy Face Yoga
Facial Exercises For a
Younger Face.
Facial and
Shoulder Massage (youtube)
Tanaka Face (youtube)
Self Massage (youtube)
Lymph Massage Techniques (youtube)
Lymph Drainage Massage (youtube)
Facial
is a family of skin care treatments for the face, including steam,
exfoliation, extraction, creams, lotions, facial masks, peels, and
massage. They are normally performed in beauty
salons, but are also a common
spa
treatment. They are used for general skin health as well as for
specific skin conditions. Types of facials include European facial, LED
light therapy facials, hydrafacials and mini-facials.
Save Face is to
preserve one's dignity and
avoid having other people
lose respect for you. To
retain respect and
avoid humiliation.
Two
Faced -
Facial
Expressions.
Face is sociological concept and a class of behaviors and customs
operating (active) in different countries and cultures, associated with
the morality, honor, and authority of an individual (or group of
individuals), and its image in social groups.
Bathing (hygiene) -
Increase-Blood-Flow -
Improve-Blood-Circulation
Cranial Nerves
are the
nerves that emerge directly from the
brain, including the
brainstem, of which there are
conventionally considered
twelve pairs.
Cranial nerves relay information between the brain and parts of the body,
primarily to and from regions of the head and neck, including the special
senses of vision, taste, smell, and hearing. The cranial nerves emerge
from the
central nervous system
above the level of the first vertebrae of the vertebral column. Each
cranial nerve is paired and is present on both sides. There are
conventionally twelve pairs of cranial nerves, which are described with
Roman numerals I–XII. Some considered there to be thirteen pairs of
cranial nerves, including cranial nerve zero. The numbering of the cranial
nerves is based on the order in which they emerge from the brain and
brainstem, from front to back. The terminal nerves (0), olfactory nerves
(I) and optic nerves (II) emerge from the cerebrum, and the remaining ten
pairs arise from the brainstem, which is the lower part of the brain. The
cranial nerves are considered components of the peripheral nervous system
(PNS), although on a structural level the olfactory (I), optic (II), and
trigeminal (V) nerves are more accurately considered part of the central
nervous system (CNS). The cranial nerves are in contrast to spinal nerves,
which emerge from segments of the
spinal cord.
Olfactory Nerve contains
sensory nerve fibers relating to the
sense of smell. the olfactory nerve
is somewhat unusual among cranial nerves because it is capable of some
regeneration if damaged. The olfactory nerve is sensory in nature and
originates on the olfactory mucosa in the upper part of the nasal cavity.
From the olfactory mucosa, the nerve (actually many small nerve fascicles)
travels up through the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone to reach the
surface of the brain. Here the fascicles enter the olfactory bulb and
synapse there; from the bulbs (one on each side) the olfactory information
is transmitted into the brain via the olfactory tract. The fascicles of
the olfactory nerve are not visible on a cadaver brain because they are
severed upon removal. The olfactory nerve transmits sensory information to
your brain regarding smells that you encounter.
Optic
Nerve is a paired cranial nerve that
transmits
visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic
nerve is derived from optic stalks during the seventh week of development
and is composed of retinal ganglion cell axons and glial cells; it extends
from the optic disc to the optic chiasma and continues as the optic tract
to the lateral geniculate nucleus, pretectal nuclei, and superior
colliculus.
Oculomotor Nerve are the
eye muscles that
enable most movements of the eye and that raise the eyelid. The nerve also
contains fibers that innervate the intrinsic eye muscles that enable
pupillary constriction and accommodation (ability to focus on near objects
as in reading). The oculomotor nerve is derived from the basal plate of
the embryonic midbrain. Cranial nerves IV and VI also participate in
control of eye movement. The oculomotor nerve has two different motor
functions: muscle function and pupil response. Muscle function. Your
oculomotor nerve provides motor function to four of the six muscles around
your eyes. These muscles help your eyes move and focus on objects. Pupil
response. It also helps to control the size of your pupil as it responds
to light. When light enters your eye, it comes into contact with special
receptors in your retina called
rods and
cones. Rods are found in large numbers and
are highly sensitive to light. They’re more specialized for black and
white or night vision. Cones are present in smaller numbers. They have a
lower light sensitivity than rods and are more involved with color vision.
The information received by your rods and cones is transmitted from your
retina to your optic nerve. Once inside your skull, both of your optic
nerves meet to form something called the optic chiasm. At the optic
chiasm, nerve fibers from half of each retina form two separate optic
tracts. Through each optic tract, the nerve impulses eventually reach your
visual cortex, which then processes the information. Your visual cortex is
located in the back part of your brain.
Trochlear Nerve is your superior oblique muscle. This is the muscle
that’s responsible for downward, outward, and inward eye movements.
Abducens Nerve controls the movement of the lateral rectus muscle,
responsible for outward gaze. It is a somatic efferent nerve. This muscle
is involved in outward eye movement. For example, you would use it to look
to the side.
Trigeminal Nerve is the largest of your cranial nerves and has both
sensory and motor functions. The trigeminal nerve has three divisions,
which are the
ophthalmic division, which
sends sensory information from the upper part of your face, including your
forehead, scalp, and upper eyelids. The
maxillary
division communicates sensory information from the middle part of your
face, including your cheeks, upper lip, and nasal cavity. The
mandibular division has both a sensory and
a motor function. It sends sensory information from your ears, lower lip,
and chin. It also controls the movement of muscles within your jaw and
ear.
Facial Nerve emerges from the pons of the
brainstem, controls the muscles of
facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste sensations
from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The nerves typically travels
from the pons through the facial canal in the temporal bone and exits the
skull at the stylomastoid foramen. It arises from the brainstem from an
area posterior to the cranial nerve VI (abducens nerve) and anterior to
cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve). The facial nerve also
supplies preganglionic parasympathetic fibers to several head and neck
ganglia. The facial and intermediate nerves can be collectively referred
to as the nervus intermediofacialis. Facial nerve provides both sensory
and motor functions, including: moving muscles used for facial expressions
as well as some muscles in your jaw providing a sense of taste for most of
your tongue, supplying glands in your head or neck area, such as salivary
glands and tear-producing glands, communicating sensations from the outer
parts of your ear. Your facial nerve has a very complex path. It
originates in the pons area of your brainstem, where it has both a motor
and sensory root. Eventually, the two nerves fuse together to form the
facial nerve. Both within and outside of your skull, the facial nerve
branches further into smaller nerve fibers that stimulate muscles and
glands or provide sensory information.
Face Message Points (image of
areas)
Vestibulocochlear Nerve transmits sound and equilibrium (balance)
information from the inner ear to the brain. Through olivocochlear fibers,
it also transmits motor and modulatory information from the superior
olivary complex in the
brainstem to
the cochlea. known as the eighth cranial nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve
has sensory functions involving hearing and balance. It consists of two
parts, the cochlear portion and vestibular portion: Cochlear portion.
Specialized cells within your ear detect vibrations from sound based off
of the sound’s loudness and pitch. This generates nerve impulses that are
transmitted to the cochlear nerve. Vestibular portion. Another set of
special cells in this portion can track both linear and rotational
movements of your head. This information is transmitted to the vestibular
nerve and used to adjust your balance and equilibrium. The cochlear and
vestibular portions of your vestibulocochlear nerve originate in separate
areas of the brain. The cochlear portion starts in an area of your brain
called the inferior cerebellar peduncle. The vestibular portion begins in
your pons and medulla. Both portions combine to form the vestibulocochlear
nerve.
Glossopharyngeal Nerve is a mixed nerve that carries afferent sensory
and efferent motor information. It exits the
brainstem out from the sides of the
upper medulla, just anterior (closer to the nose) to the vagus nerve. The
motor division of the glossopharyngeal nerve is derived from the basal
plate of the embryonic medulla oblongata, while the sensory division
originates from the cranial neural crest. Glossopharyngeal nerve has both
motor and sensory functions, including: sending sensory information from
your sinuses, the back of your throat, parts of your inner ear, and the
back part of your tongue, providing a sense of taste for the back part of
your tongue, stimulating voluntary movement of a muscle in the back of
your throat called the stylopharyngeus. The glossopharyngeal nerve
originates in a part of your brainstem called the medulla oblongata. It
eventually extends into your neck and throat region.
Vagus
Nerve interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs,
and
digestive tract.
The vagus nerves are normally referred to in the singular. It is the
longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body and
comprises sensory and motor fibers. The sensory fibers originate from
neurons of the nodose ganglion, whereas the motor fibers come from neurons
of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and the nucleus ambiguus. Vagus
nerve is a very diverse nerve. It has both sensory and motor functions,
including: communicating sensation information from your ear canal and
parts of your throat, sending sensory information from organs in your
chest and trunk, such as your heart and intestines, allowing motor control
of muscles in your throat, stimulating the muscles of organs in your chest
and trunk, including those that move food through your digestive tract
(peristalsis), providing a sense of taste near the root of your tongue.
Out of all of the cranial nerves, the vagus nerve has the longest pathway.
It extends from your head all the way into your abdomen. It originates in
the part of your brainstem called the medulla.
Accessory Nerve is a cranial nerve that supplies the
sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. It is considered as the
eleventh of twelve pairs of cranial nerves, or simply cranial nerve XI, as
part of it was formerly believed to originate in the brain. The
sternocleidomastoid muscle tilts and rotates the head, while the trapezius
muscle, connecting to the scapula, acts to shrug the shoulder. Traditional
descriptions of the accessory nerve divide it into a spinal part and a
cranial part. The cranial component rapidly joins the vagus nerve, and
there is ongoing debate about whether the cranial part should be
considered part of the accessory nerve proper. Consequently, the term
"accessory nerve" usually refers only to nerve supplying the
sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, also called the spinal
accessory nerve. Strength testing of these muscles can be measured during
a neurological examination to assess function of the spinal accessory
nerve. Poor strength or limited movement are suggestive of damage, which
can result from a variety of causes. Injury to the spinal accessory nerve
is most commonly caused by medical procedures that involve the head and
neck. Injury can cause wasting of the shoulder muscles, winging of the
scapula, and weakness of shoulder abduction and external rotation. The
accessory nerve is derived from the basal plate of the embryonic spinal
segments C1–C6. Accessory nerve is a motor nerve that controls the muscles
in your neck. These muscles allow you to rotate, flex, and extend your
neck and shoulders. It’s divided into two parts: spinal and cranial. The
spinal portion originates in the upper part of your spinal cord. The
cranial part starts in your medulla oblongata. These parts meet briefly
before the spinal part of the nerve moves to supply the muscles of your
neck while the cranial part follows the vagus nerve.
Hypoglossal
Nerve is the twelfth cranial nerve, hypoglossal nerve is the 12th
cranial nerve which is responsible for the movement of most of the muscles
in your tongue. It starts in the medulla oblongata and moves down into the
jaw, where it reaches the tongue. Hypoglossal nerve innervates all the
extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue, except for the
palatoglossus which is innervated by the vagus nerve. It is a nerve with a
solely motor function. The nerve arises from the hypoglossal nucleus in
the medulla as a number of small rootlets, passes through the hypoglossal
canal and down through the neck, and eventually passes up again over the
tongue muscles it supplies into the tongue. The nerve is involved in
controlling tongue movements required for speech and swallowing, including
sticking out the tongue and moving it from side to side. Damage to the
nerve or the neural pathways which control it can affect the ability of
the tongue to move and its appearance, with the most common sources of
damage being injury from trauma or surgery, and motor neuron disease. The
first recorded description of the nerve is by Herophilos in the third
century BC. The name hypoglossus springs from the fact that its passage is
below the tongue, from hypo (Greek: "under") and glossa (Greek: "tongue").
Head
is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain,
forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in
various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste,
respectively. Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many
bilaterally symmetric forms do, regardless of size. Heads develop in
animals by an evolutionary trend known as cephalization. In bilaterally
symmetrical animals, nervous tissues concentrate at the anterior region,
forming structures responsible for information processing. Through
biological evolution, sense organs and feeding structures also concentrate
into the anterior region; these collectively form the head.
Human
Skull is the bony structure that forms the head in the human skeleton.
It supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.
Like the skulls of other vertebrates, it protects the brain from injury.
The skull consists of three parts, of different embryological origin—the
neurocranium, the sutures, and the facial skeleton (also called the
membraneous viscerocranium). The neurocranium (or braincase) forms the
protective cranial cavity that surrounds and houses the brain and
brainstem. The upper areas of the cranial bones form the calvaria
(skullcap). The membranous viscerocranium includes the mandible. The
sutures are fairly rigid joints between bones of the neurocranium. The
facial skeleton is formed by the bones supporting the face.
A crowning achievement in understanding head development. To
understand how cranial
neural crest cells help form many more body parts than the skull and
facial skeleton, scientists from the lab of Gage Crump created a series of
atlases over time to understand the molecular decisions by which CNCCs
commit to forming specific tissues in developing zebrafish. The
researchers labeled and tracked CNCCs throughout the lifetime of zebrafish.
With the help of a new computational analysis they created, they
identified genetic signs that point to the specific tissues CNCCs were
destined to form. The researchers also identified many of the potential
switches that allow CNCCs to form these very different cell types.
Cranial neural crest cells contribute to
much of the bone, cartilage, and connective tissue in the head, including
most of the head skeleton and parts of the teeth. Many congenital
craniofacial deformations are due to defects in the development of cranial
neural crest cells.
Occipital Bun is a prominent
bulge or projection of the occipital bone
at the
back of the skull. External occipital protuberance is a midline
bony prominence in the occipital bone that ligamentum nuchae and trapezius
muscle attach to its tip. The tentorium cerebelli attaches to its internal
surface. Exaggerated external occipital protuberance also is known as an
occipital spur. It is suspected that
occipital buns might correlate with the
biomechanics of running.
Another as yet unsubstantiated theory attributes them to enlargement of
the
cerebellum, a region of the brain
which mediates the timing of motor actions and
spatial reasoning.
A study conducted by Lieberman, Pearson and Mowbray provides evidence that
individuals with
dolichocephalic narrow heads
or narrow cranial bases
and
relatively large brains are more likely
to have occipital buns as a means of resolving a spatial packing problem.
Occipital Bun is also called occipital spurs, occipital knob, chignon
hooks or inion hooks. While common among many of humankind's ancestors,
the protrusion is still relatively prevalent in modern Homo sapiens. There
are still some human populations which often exhibit occipital buns. A
greater proportion of early modern Europeans had them, but extremely
prominent occipital buns in modern populations are now fairly infrequent,
which may be from a
dumbed
down education system.
Occipital Bone is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the
occiput on the
back and lower part of the skull. It is
trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself
like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of
the cerebrum. At the base of skull in the occipital bone, there is a large
oval opening called the foramen magnum, which allows the passage of the
spinal cord. Like the other cranial bones, it is classed as a flat bone.
Due to its many attachments and features, the occipital bone is described
in terms of separate parts. From its front to the back is the basilar
part, also called the basioccipital, at the sides of the foramen magnum
are the lateral parts, also called the exoccipitals, and the back is named
as the squamous part. The basilar part is a thick, somewhat quadrilateral
piece in front of the foramen magnum and directed towards the pharynx. The
squamous part is the curved, expanded plate behind the foramen magnum and
is the largest part of the occipital bone. Due to its embryonic derivation
from paraxial mesoderm (as opposed to neural crest, from which many other
craniofacial bones are derived), it has been posited that "the occipital
bone as a whole could be considered as a giant vertebra enlarged to
support the brain."
Doctors - Resources
Health News - Health Resources
Always Ask Questions - Medical Errors
When seeking help,
always get a second or
third opinion from a
professional source
or a very
intelligent well
trusted friend or family
member. There's a lot of
fraud, false medical claims and Doctors
over prescribing medications. So please do your homework,
especially with
medications and treatment
alternatives.
Compliance is only expectable after you have done your
Research. Don't just consult
a physician, you need to ask several
experts who have varying degrees of
knowledge.
Is surgery necessary? Is medication necessary? What are
my options? What are the risks? What happens if I do nothing?
Medical Gaslighting describes a behavior in
which a physician or other medical professional
dismisses or
downplays a patient's physical
symptoms or attributes them to something else, such as a psychological
condition.
Whitewashing
-
Errors -
Fraud
Be
positive and be hopeful but don't be
gullible. Not all
Doctors are Honest or Educated, so it's not just about who you can
trust.
Remember that
experts make mistakes too. 4 out of 10 doctors
misdiagnose their patients. There's also
over diagnosis and underdiagnosed. And please
don't worry. Ask questions and
learn as much as you can. Some Doctors
are like car mechanics, they don't want to show you how to do your own
maintenance, because then they would get less business from you and make
less money. They want you to come back for a reason, and it's not because
they like you. We can't provide effective, efficient, healthy, logical and
fair services when people are driven by greed. We need to improve. We
can't encourage people to be selfish and egotistical, and at the same
time, call it making a living. Yet here we are.
Fear of Doctors is real and life
threatening. And if Doctors don't receive better training and better
education, then these
fears will
continue to kill people, and not just from the lack of good training and a
good education.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prohibits
healthcare providers and healthcare businesses from disclosing
private health information to anyone other
than a patient and the patient's authorized representatives. It does not
restrict patients from receiving information about themselves, prohibit
them from voluntarily sharing their
private health information however they choose, or – if they disclose
private medical information to family
members, friends, or other private individuals – legally require those
non-covered people to maintain confidentiality.
HIPAA establishes policies and procedures for maintaining the
privacy and the security of individually identifiable health information,
especially from criminals and companies who can use this information to
unfairly discriminate against someone.
Never Events (medical
errors) -
Patient Doctor Relationships.
Women Doctors are better then Male Doctors, it's proven statistically
and from my own personal experience, women doctors are more likely to
consistently follow established medical procedures; other research has
shown that women doctors are more likely to provide preventative care than
male ones, and that they are more likely to prescribe medication
effectively. And on top of that, you’re more likely to die in a
hospital under the care of a male doctor than a woman doctor.
Women News.
Several common Causes for Diagnostic
Errors include inadequate
collaboration and
communication among clinicians, patients, and their
families.
Limited
feedback to doctors about the accuracy of diagnoses.
A culture that discourages
transparency and disclosure of
diagnostic errors, which impedes attempts to learn and improve in the
medical community.
Informed Consent
(right to know)
To Err Is Human is a report that brought the issues of medical error
and patient safety to the forefront of national concern. Building a Safer
Health System is a landmark report issued in November 1999 by the U.S.
Institute of Medicine that may have resulted in increased awareness of
U.S. medical errors. The push for patient safety that followed its release
continues. The report was based upon analysis of multiple studies by a
variety of organizations and concluded that between 44,000 to 98,000
people die each year as a result of preventable medical errors. For
comparison, fewer than 50,000 people died of Alzheimer's disease and
17,000 died of illicit drug use in the same year. The report called for a
comprehensive effort by health care providers, government, consumers, and
others. Claiming knowledge of how to prevent these errors already existed,
it set a minimum goal of 50 percent reduction in errors over the next five
years. Though not currently quantified, as of 2007 this ambitious goal has
yet to be met.
Hospital Infections
(super bugs)
Decision Support Center (common ground) -
Shared Decisions (mayo clinic)
Collaborate (problem solving)
Objective
Structured Clinical Examination (training)
-
Improve Diagnosis
Shared Decision-Making is an approach in which clinicians
and patients
communicate together using the best available
evidence when faced with the task of
making
decisions. Patients are
supported to deliberate about the possible attributes and consequences of
options, to arrive at informed preferences in making a determination about
the
best course of action which
respects patient
autonomy, as
well as
ethical and
legal norms.
12 Questions every Patient should ask Doctors and Nurses
1.
After admission, ask the names of your primary hospital doctor and the
other specialists who make up your physician team. Your primary hospital
physician will coordinate with the team, and your nurses will assist you
during your stay.
2. Ask your physician:
What is my main diagnosis, and are there any other newly diagnosed issues?
Feel free to express your fears and anxieties about your diagnosis to the
physicians and nursing staff. Don’t let the anxiety build until it becomes
uncontrollable.
3. Ask your nurse or
physician: How are my illnesses responding to treatment? Ask the nursing
staff in particular about how your condition is progressing and how you
can facilitate your recovery. It’s your fundamental right to obtain
information regarding your medical condition. Understanding both your
diagnosis and your treatment plan is a central tenet of the Patient’s Bill
of Rights, which was adopted by the Association of American Physicians and
Surgeons in 1995. According to this document, all patients are entitled
“to be informed about their medical condition, the risks and benefits of
treatment, and appropriate alternatives.”
Number Needed to Treat.
4.
Ask your family, friends, or other trusted individuals to be involved and
help support you in your recovery. Yes, it’s hard to put ourselves in a
situation where we feel like we’re burdening someone or losing our
independence, even for a little while. Understand that these people are an
integral part of your treatment team and contribute to the success of your
recovery.
5. Ask to speak with a
hospital social worker if you have questions about insurance and billing
related to your stay. The social worker is there to help clarify what your
insurance covers and how much you may be required to pay. If you need
assistance with payment, discuss the options available to you with the
social worker before you leave as well.
Hospital Price Transparency Requirements -
Publicly Disclose Prices for Hospital Services.
6.
Ask to see the nurse manager or charge nurse if you’re experiencing
ongoing issues with care or communication about your condition. The person
in this role is responsible for helping patients and easing any
misunderstanding or tensions that may arise during your stay.
7. As you approach discharge, ask if you
should continue taking any of the medications (including vitamins and
supplements) you took before you were admitted. This information should be
included in your discharge instructions, but take the time to fully
understand this aspect of your care to avoid potentially disastrous or
even fatal complications later.
8. Ask
the staff to show you and your caregivers how to perform any tasks
prescribed for after you’ve left the hospital, especially any treatments
that may require a special skill, such as changing a bandage or giving an
injection. Ask the nurse or physician to remain in your room while you
practice to ensure you’re doing it correctly.
9.
Ask your nurse or physician if it’s safe to perform ordinary tasks alone,
like bathing, dressing, driving, or exercising. Make sure you’ve arranged
for help with any of these activities before you leave the hospital.
10. Ask your nurse or physician if you can
or should use any medical equipment, such as a walker, brace, or health
monitor, to help with your recovery and comfort. If the answer is yes, ask
for assistance in obtaining these items before you leave or shortly after
your return home.
11. At the time of
your discharge, ask the discharge nurse any questions you have about your
discharge information. You should have been provided with printed
discharge instructions. Don’t leave the hospital without obtaining these,
reading them (or having them read to you), and making sure you
understanding all of the information they cover.
12. Ask about any follow-up appointments or
additional testing. Take a moment now to record anything that’s already
been scheduled or to schedule necessary appointments in the coming weeks.
Evidence Based Medicine
Evidence-Based Practice is considering the best available
research evidence bearing on whether and why a
treatment works, (2) clinical expertise (clinical judgment and experience)
to rapidly
identify each
patient's unique health state and diagnosis, their individual risks
and benefits of potential
interventions, and (3) client preferences and
values. Evidence-based behavioral practice (EBBP) "entails making
decisions about how to
promote
health or provide care by integrating the best available
evidence with
practitioner expertise and other resources, and with the characteristics,
state, needs, values and preferences of those who will be affected. This
is done in a manner that is compatible with the environmental and
organizational context. Evidence is research findings derived from the
systematic collection of data through
observation and experiment and the
formulation of questions and testing of hypotheses".
Pharmaceutical Research Studies.
Duty of Care -
Evidence Based Medicine
(personalized)
Evidence-Based Nursing is an approach to making
quality decisions and providing
Nursing
Care based upon personal clinical expertise in combination with the
most current, relevant research available on the topic. This approach is
using evidence based practice (EBP) as a foundation. EBN implements the
most up to date methods of providing
Care,
which have been proven through appraisal of high quality studies and
statistically significant research findings. The goal of EBN is to improve
the health and safety of patients while also providing care in a
cost-effective manner to improve the outcomes for both the patient and the
healthcare system. EBN is a process founded on the collection,
interpretation, appraisal, and integration of valid, clinically
significant, and applicable research. The evidence used to change practice
or make a clinical decision can be separated into seven levels of evidence
that differ in type of study and level of
quality. To properly implement
EBN, the knowledge of the nurse, the patient’s preferences, and multiple
studies of evidence must all be collaborated and utilized in order to
produce an appropriate solution to the task at hand. These skills are
taught in modern
nursing education and also as a part of
professional
training.
Evidence-Based Practices (harvard)
Comparative Effectiveness Research
is the direct comparison of existing health care
interventions to determine which work best for which patients and which
pose the greatest benefits and harms. The core question of comparative
effectiveness
research is which treatment works best, for whom, and under
what circumstances.
Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality is to produce evidence to make health care safer,
higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and to work
within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and with other
partners to make sure that the evidence is understood and used.
Translational Medicine is to combine disciplines, resources,
expertise, and techniques within these pillars to promote enhancements in
prevention, diagnosis, and therapies. Accordingly, translational medicine
is a highly interdisciplinary field, the primary goal of which is to
coalesce assets of various natures within the individual pillars in order
to improve the global healthcare system significantly. aims to expedite
the discovery of new diagnostic tools and treatments by using a
multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative, "bench-to-bedside" approach.
Within public health, translational medicine is focused on ensuring that
proven strategies for disease treatment and prevention are actually
implemented within the community. Two roadblocks in need of improvement,
the first translational block (T1) prevents basic research findings from
being tested in a clinical setting; the second translational block (T2)
prevents proven interventions from becoming standard practice.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is responsible for
ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence publishes guidelines
in four areas: the use of health technologies within the NHS (such as the
use of new and existing medicines, treatments and procedures); clinical
practice (guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of people with
specific diseases and conditions); guidance for public sector workers on
health promotion and ill-health avoidance; and guidance for social
care services and users. These appraisals are based primarily on
evaluations of efficacy and cost–effectiveness in various circumstances.
Patient
Decision Aids (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute)
Shared Decision Making (Informed Medical Decisions)
Transitional Care refers to the coordination and continuity of health
care during a movement from one healthcare setting to either another or to
home, called care transition, between health care practitioners and
settings as their condition and care needs change during the course of a
chronic or acute illness. Older adults who suffer from a variety of health
conditions often need health care services in different settings to meet
their many needs. For young people the focus is on moving successfully
from child to adult health services.
Customized Care - Personalized Medicine
Personal Care -
Personalized Diet -
Racial Bias in Health Care
-
Racism -
Women's Medicine Differences
Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in
Health Care (with CD) ( 2003 )
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Department Analgesic
Prescription -
Implicit (harvard)
Prestige Patient customized care.
The
Total Transparency Manifesto -
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Echo - Lifelong learning and guided
practice model that revolutionizes medical education.
Health Leads is a national healthcare organization that connects
low-income patients with the basic resources they need to be healthy.
Health Leads intends for healthcare providers to routinely take into
account the social and economic reasons people get sick.
AI can help make better clinical decisions than humans. Researchers
find that machine-learning algorithms can identify effective behavioral,
educational, and psychological interventions more accurately than
professionals can. Medical and educational professionals frequently
disagree on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions, which may cause
people to receive inadequate treatment. compiled simulated data from 1,024
individuals receiving treatment for behavioral issues. The researchers
then compared the treatment conclusions drawn in each case by five
doctoral-level behavior analysts with those produced by a computer model
the two academics developed using machine learning. The five professionals
only came to the same conclusions approximately 75 per cent of the time.
machine learning produced fewer decision-making errors than did all the
professionals.
Errors - Unnecessary Treatments
Medical Error is a preventable adverse effect of care,
whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. This might include
an
inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or treatment of a disease, injury,
syndrome, behavior, infection, or other ailment. Globally, it is estimated
that 142,000 people died in 2013 from adverse effects of medical
treatment; this is an increase from 94,000 in 1990. However, a 2016 study
of the number of deaths that were a result of medical error in the U.S.
placed the yearly death rate in the U.S. alone at 251,454 deaths, which
suggests that the 2013 global estimation may not be accurate.
Drug Error's (big pharma)
Diagnostic Error is the leading cause of
medical malpractice claims in the US, and is estimated to cause
40,000-80,000 deaths annually. One in every ten diagnoses is wrong and one
in every thousand ambulatory
diagnostic encounters result in harm.
Never Events are
the kind of
mistakes that
should never happen, especially in the field of medical treatment. Most errors in
medical care are clearly identifiable, preventable, and serious in
their consequences for patients, which indicates a real problem in the
safety and credibility of a health care facility.
Never Events are
defined as adverse events that are serious and largely preventable, and of
concern to both the public and health care providers for the purpose of
public
accountability.
The number of “
adverse
events” occurring at Connecticut hospitals rose 7 percent in 2018,
compared with the Rate of error in the previous year, with a growing
number of patients suffering serious injury or death associated with
falls, according to a new state report. Click through to see how many
errors or "adverse events" happened at CT hospitals in 2018.
Hospital Readmission is when a patient who had been discharged from a
hospital is
admitted again to that hospital
or another hospital
within a specified time frame.
The original hospital stay is often called the "index admission" and the
subsequent hospital stay is called the "readmission." Different time
frames have been used for research purposes, the most common being 30-day,
90-day, and 1-year readmissions. Some researchers start counting days from
the date of discharge from the index admission, while other researchers
begin counting from the day of a procedure or operation during the index
admission. An episode when a patient who had been discharged from a
hospital is admitted again within a specified time interval. Readmission
rates have increasingly been used as an outcome measure in health services
research and as a quality benchmark for health systems. Hospital
readmission rates were formally included in reimbursement decisions for
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, which penalizes
health systems with higher than expected readmission rates through the
Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. Since the inception of this
penalty, there have been other programs that have been introduced, with
the aim to decrease hospital readmission. The Community Based Care
Transition Program, Independence At Home Demonstration Program, and
Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative are all examples of these
programs. While many time frames have been used historically, the most
common time frame is within 30 days of discharge, and this is what CMS
uses.
Over Diagnosis
is the
diagnosis of disease that will never cause
symptoms or death
during a patient's lifetime. Overdiagnosis is a side effect of screening
for early forms of disease. Although screening saves lives in some cases,
in others it may turn people into patients unnecessarily and may lead to
treatments that do no good and perhaps do
harm.
Millions of people get tests, drugs, and operations that won’t
make them better, may cause harm, and cost billions.
What if we Paid Doctors to keep People Healthy? Matthias Müllenbeck
(video and text) - In the United States, up to 30 percent of all surgical
procedures were conducted although other nonsurgical treatment options had
not been fully exploited by the physician in charge.
More than 600,000 patients underwent a treatment
they didn't need, treatments that collectively cost an estimated
$282 million. More than a third of the money spent on the 47 tests or
services went to unnecessary care. 3 in 4 annual cervical cancer
screenings were performed on women who had adequate prior screenings – at
a cost of $19 million. About 85 percent of the lab tests to prep healthy
patients for low-risk surgery were unnecessary – squandering about $86
million. Needless annual heart tests on low-risk patients consumed $40
million.
Waste Calculator -
Health Care Waste in Washington State.
Medical Guidelines may be Biased and Overly Aggressive in US. You
don't really hear about people having colonoscopies as a screening
procedure in the U.K. It's much less invasive to test for blood in the
stool. It's also less costly and doesn't have the risks of undertaking a
colonoscopy.
Choosing Wisely
seeks to advance a national dialogue on avoiding unnecessary medical
tests, treatments and procedures Promoting conversations between
patients and clinicians.
Probability Training: Preventing errors of
reasoning in medicine and law. A
new study shows how students can better understand and
interpret conditional probabilities. How
trustworthy is a positive HIV test result? How
probable is an actual infection when the test is positive? Even
professionals often get such
questions wrong, which can lead to misdiagnoses and unnecessary surgeries
in practice.
Prevention.
30 Percent of all Health Spending — $750 billion — is wasted on fraud,
administration and needless procedures. Mammograms needed is overblown.
As many as five fewer deaths for 1,000 women.
Number Needed to Treat.
Spending on Emergency Room Fees has increased
by $3 billion and most hospitals do not make these fees public.
Facility Fee is the price of walking through the door and seeking service.
It does not include any care provided.
Health Care Cost Institute - Hospitals are now a racket, just like
war is a racket, more ways to tax the
poor.
Treating Patients in the ER costs, on average, $600 to $1,200 per visit, compared with
$165 to $262 if the patients were treated in an outpatient
clinic. Last year, the Houston Fire Department logged more than
318,000 incidents, but only thirteen percent of them were actual fires.
"People are receiving inadequate information, education and
advice on managing their health."
Upstreamists.
Who's My Doctor
-
Rate your Doctor and Hospital
-
Patient Safety
Medical Malpractice is
professional
negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the
treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the
medical community and causes
injury
or death to the patient, with most cases involving
medical error. Claims of medical malpractice, when
pursued in US courts, are processed as civil
torts. Sometimes an act of medical malpractice will also constitute a
criminal act, as in the case of the death of Michael Jackson. Medical
professionals may obtain professional liability insurances to offset the
costs of lawsuits based on medical malpractice. Further establishment of
conditions of intention or malice may be applied where applicable.
85,000 Paid Medical Malpractice Claims against MDs and DOs in 2001 in the
U.S.
Doctors who failed to recognize accurately
diagnose and treat the
symptoms that ended in injury or death due to the
negligence of a physician. When
women suffer injuries because of medical negligence, they have a right to
be compensated for damages including pain and suffering, lost wages,
medical and rehabilitation expenses and more.
Patient Abuse or neglect is any action or failure to act which causes
unreasonable suffering, misery or harm to the patient. Abuse includes
physically striking or sexually assaulting a patient. It also includes the
intentional withholding of necessary food, physical care, and medical
attention.
Neglect includes the
failure to properly attend to the needs and care of a patient, or the
unintentional causing of injury to a patient, whether by act or omission.
Patient abuse and neglect may occur in settings such as hospitals,
nursing homes, clinics and during home-based care.
Young women still may be getting unnecessary pelvic exams. Millions of
'outdated' tests being performed on healthy females 15 to 20 years old.
Pelvic examinations and cervical
cancer screenings are no longer recommended for most females under age 21
during routine health visits, but a new study has found that millions of
young women are unnecessarily undergoing the tests, which can lead to
false-positive testing, over-treatment, anxiety and needless cost.
Researchers at UC San Francisco and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) estimated that 1.4 million pelvic examinations and 1.6
million Pap tests performed on U.S. females 15 to 20 years old in a single
year may have been medically unnecessary. The findings suggest that
despite professional guidelines and recommendations against routine pelvic
examinations and Pap tests in this age group, there's a critical lag in
clinical practice. The estimated cost of these unnecessary exams was
approximately $123 million a year. The investigators estimated that of
approximately 2.6 million young women who received a pelvic exam during
the previous year, more than half (54.4 percent) were potentially
unnecessary, representing an estimated 1.4 million young women.
Additionally, the researchers found that nearly a fifth of females younger
than the recommended age had a Pap test within the past year. Because 72
percent were performed as "part of a routine exam," they were potentially
unnecessary, representing an estimated 1.6 million young women. Almost all
of the pelvic examinations were performed at the same time as the Pap
test. Young women who had been screened for a sexually transmitted
infection were 3.8 times more likely to receive a Pap test and 60 percent
more likely to receive a pelvic examination, compared with those who had
not been screened. Similarly, young women who used a hormonal
contraception other than IUD were 75 percent more likely to receive a Pap
test and 31 percent more likely to receive a pelvic examination, compared
with those who did not use those contraception methods. This study suggests
that healthcare providers and young women need to communicate clearly and
often about the best time for these tests.
Intelliguard
-
RFID solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
National Practitioner Data Bank is a database operated by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services that
contains medical
malpractice payment and adverse action reports on health care
professionals. Hospitals and state licensing boards submit information on
physicians and other health care practitioners, including clinical
privileges restrictions, actions against physicians' licenses, and medical
malpractice payments that is kept in the NPDB database. Only authorized
users (e.g. hospitals and state licensing boards considering a physician's
application for hospital privileges or a state medical license) are
permitted by statute to "query" this information in the NPDB.
Health Records.
Federation of State
Medical Boards supports America’s state medical boards in licensing,
disciplining and
regulating physicians and other healthcare professionals. Our end
goal: keep patients safe.
Federation of State Medical Boards (wiki) -
FSMB
State Medical Boards: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
(youtube)
Health Care Systems Four Basic Models -
The Association for Medical Education in Europe
Watch Dogs
-
Foxes Guarding the Hen House
Medical Scribe is a person, or paraprofessional, who
specializes in
charting physician-patient encounters in real time, such as
during medical examinations. Depending on which area of practice the
scribe works in, the position may also be called clinical scribe, ER
scribe or ED scribe (in the emergency department), or just scribe (when
the context is implicit). A scribe is trained in health information
management and the use of health information technology to support it. A
scribe can work on-site (at a hospital or clinic) or remotely from a HIPAA-secure
facility. Medical scribes who work at an off-site location are known as
virtual medical scribes and normally work in clinical settings.
Medical Devices - Medical Implant Warnings
Medical Devices can be easily approved without human testing using
loopholes provided by the
FDA's 510K product approval process. Pre
market approval can be easily manipulated, especially knowing that the
FDA has fired scientists for voicing concerns about a products safety.
When medical companies do their own research or fund research, they can
easily skew the results and facts and also be biased and say things that
are not true.
FDA
approves Cancer causing Chemicals to be in Foods.
If a
product is
the newest greatest thing, it means that there's very little
data and not enough research about how safe the product is. So the product
is not yet
proven safe. Innovation does not always mean an advancement, because
many products do fail and get recalled. And on top of that, Doctors
will always have very little experience with a new products, so the risk
of a medical mistake is even higher. 70 million Americans have medical
devices implanted in their bodies, and there a thousands of horror
stories and debilitating complications that have ruined peoples lives.
So please be aware and please do your research.
Computer Chip in
your Brain.
Doctors received over
2 billion dollars in Kickbacks from medical companies in 2016. So when a Doctor
says the product is 99% safe, they are not speaking from experience, they
are just repeating what the company paid them to say. Always ask your
Doctor how many procedures they have done, and if they think they are
an expert. 50,000 people a year get cancer from CT Scans, so don't
believe for a second that any technology is safe.
Check if your Doctor is getting kickbacks from
medical companies, if so, then the doctors decisions can be easily
corrupted by money, which could put you at risk of suffering
complications.
Always get a second opinion from not just other
doctors, but from other sources who have no incentive to lie to you or
mislead you.
Open Secrets.org -
Have you been Harmed in a Medical Facility, please Share your
Story.
You have a responsibility to
yourself, to maintain a healthy mind and body. To love yourself
this way is to reward yourself for loving life. To love life is
to be willing to spend some time on the
maintenance of life, a
maintenance that helps increase the quantity and the quality of
life. Maintenance is its own reward. And part of the maintenance
is to keep learning. If you are not increasing your knowledge
and understanding about life, then life becomes vulnerable and
you will not know enough in order to react accurately to the
changes that life throws at you. All life forms perform
maintenance, and maintenance is a small price to pay for life,
it's totally worth the investment.
Risk Factors (risk taking)
-
Surgical Risk Calculator -
Risk Factors in Surgery
The Bleeding Edge
Documentary. A searing exposé of the medical device industry from
Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering.
Readmission Rates
Hospital Readmission Rates are the percentage of admitted
patients who return to the hospital within seven days of discharge. In 2016
the readmission rate of 13.9. Readmission rates as an
important indicator of the quality of care because they reflect the
breadth and depth of care a patient receives. Unnecessary readmissions are
also expensive, costing the U.S. $25 billion annually, by one estimate.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the Hospital Readmission
Reduction Program (HRRP) in 2012. Under this program, hospitals are
financially penalized if they have higher than expected risk-standardized
30-day readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure,
and pneumonia.
10 Ways to Reduce Hospital Readmissions:
Understand which patient
populations are at greatest risk of readmissions. Target patients with
limited English proficiency.
Participate in incentive programs with payors. Join a readmission
prevention-focused collaborative. Ensure patients schedule a seven-day
follow-up. Implement a robust home healthcare program.
Relapse -
Recidivism
-
Prisoner Rehabilitation
-
Prevention -
Intervention
Preventive Services Task Force
Incorporating
Patient-Reported Outcomes Into Health Care To Engage Patients And
Enhance Care.
Patient-Reported Outcome or PRO is a method or questionnaire used in a
clinical trial or a clinical setting, where the responses are collected
directly from the patient.
Patient-centered Outcomes are outcomes from medical care that are
important to patients.
"
Knowledge is the Best Medicine,
but you need to do your homework to maximize the benefits"
Remember,
fewer than 25 percent of physicians believe they have
sufficient training to talk to patients about diet or physical
activity. Meanwhile, a good number of physicians are overweight
and don't exercise regularly themselves.
Tulane's Medical
School is one of the first to teach medical students how to
cook healthful food, with the goal that they'll share that
knowledge with patients.
Resources for Advancements in Medicine
ASA Physical Status Classification System (wiki)
ASA Physical Status Classification System
Partners In Health
Optum Health Care
Equity Research
and Innovation Center (ERIC) Vulnerable and Diverse
Populations.
Pioneer Health
Foundation.
Social Medicine.
Health Media Collaboratory.
Nutrition Gap, are Doctors ready think outside the Pillbox?
Rock Health
full-service funding healthcare entrepreneurs.
Latif Nasser: the amazing story of the man who gave us modern
pain relief (video and text)
Bj Miller: What really matters at the end of life (video and
text)
Quest
Center Empowering people, nurturing community, promoting
health and wellbeing.
Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation to improve the health and health care of all
Americans.
Learners Digest educational and research products for physicians,
healthcare professionals, researchers and scientists.
Lasker
Foundation Awards Program since 1945 has recognized the contributions
of scientists, physicians, and public servants who have made major
advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
human disease.
Hospital-Acquired Conditions Update, Saving Lives and Saving
Money
Hospital-Acquired Condition is an undesirable situation or
condition that affects a patient and that arose during a stay in a
hospital or medical facility.
Interim estimates for 2014 show a sustained 17 percent decline
in
hospital-acquired conditions since 2010. A cumulative
total of 2.1 million fewer HACs were experienced by hospital
patients over the 4 years (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) relative
to
the number of HACs that would have occurred if rates had
remained steady at the 2010 level. The measured interim rate for
2014 held steady from 2013 at 121
HACs per 1,000 discharges, down from 145 in 2010. We
estimate that nearly 87,000 fewer patients died in the hospital
as a result of the reduction in HACs and that approximately
$19.8 billion in health care costs were saved from 2010 to 2014.
The federal government is penalizing 758 hospitals with
higher rates of patient safety incidents, and more than half of
those places had also been fined last year in 2014.
HAC-Reduction-Program -
(HAC) Reduction Program
Elderly Abuses (care giving)
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (wiki)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (wiki)
The CDC has reported that urinary tract infections caused by
catheters became slightly more prevalent through 2013.
PSI is a
global health organization dedicated to improving the health of people in
the developing world by focusing on serious challenges like a lack of
family planning, HIV and AIDS, barriers to maternal health, and the
greatest threats to children under five, including malaria, diarrhea,
pneumonia and malnutrition.
PSI Impact -
IHME
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Path global
health innovation across five platforms—vaccines, drugs,
diagnostics, devices, and system and service innovations.
Human Factors Analysis (PDF) -
Common Cause Analysis (PDF)
National Quality Registry Network -
American
Medical Association
Global
Network of institutions and committed individuals whose mission
is to Strengthen Health Systems
Physicians for Human Rights
-
Oaths of Service
-
Ethics
Skepticism -
Skeptic
-
Questioning
-
Quack Watch
-
Pseudoscientific
Medical Malpractice Payout Statistics
Medical Harm: Patient Perceptions and Follow up Actions
Surgical Never Events in the United States. A total of 9,744
paid malpractice settlement and judgments for surgical never
events occurring between 1990 and 2010.
Malpractice payments for
surgical never events totaled $1.3 billion.
Health Care Fraud - Health Care Abuse
Medicare and Medicaid fraudsters are beating taxpayers out of an
estimated $90 billion a year - $60 billion of it from Medicare -
using a billing scam that is surprisingly easy to execute.
CBS
And you wonder why
Health Care Reform
is so important.
The National
Council Against Health Fraud -
Consumer Protection from Fraud.
Insurance Fraud
is any act committed to
defraud an insurance process.
This occurs when a claimant attempts to obtain some benefit or advantage
they are not entitled to, or when an insurer knowingly denies some benefit
that is due. According to the United States Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the most common schemes include: premium diversion, fee
churning, asset diversion, and workers compensation fraud. Perpetrators in
these schemes can be insurance company employees or claimants. False
insurance claims are insurance claims filed with the fraudulent intention
towards an insurance provider. Insurance fraud has existed since the
beginning of insurance as a commercial enterprise. Fraudulent claims
account for a significant portion of all claims received by insurers, and
cost billions of dollars annually. Types of insurance fraud are diverse,
and occur in all areas of insurance. Insurance crimes also range in
severity, from slightly exaggerating claims to deliberately causing
accidents or damage. Fraudulent activities affect the lives of innocent
people, both directly through accidental or intentional injury or damage,
and indirectly as these crimes lead to higher insurance premiums.
Insurance fraud poses a significant problem, and governments and other
organizations try to deter such activity.
A data mining company allegedly helped a Medicare Advantage program to
game federal billing regulations in a way that enables the plan to
overcharge for patient treatment. The
Justice Department has accused an upstate New York health insurance plan
for seniors, along with a medical analytics company the insurer is
affiliated with, of cheating the government out of tens of millions of
dollars. The lawsuit names as defendants the medical records review
company DxID and Independent Health Association, of Buffalo, which
operates two Medicare Advantage plans. Betsy Gaffney, DxID's founder and
CEO, is also named in the suit. DxID, which shut down in August, is owned
by Independent Health through another subsidiary. The Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS) pays the health plans using a complex formula
called a "risk score," which is intended to render higher rates for sicker
patients and less for those in good health. The data mining company combed
electronic medical records to identify missed diagnoses — pocketing up to
20% of new revenue it generated for the health plan. The Department of
Justice alleges that DxID's reviews triggered "tens of millions" of
dollars in overcharges when those missing diagnoses were filled in,
exaggerating how sick patients were or including charges for medical
conditions the patients did not have. Hopefully the case sends a message
that coding companies that exist only to enrich themselves by violating
many, many CMS rules will face consequences. While popular with seniors,
Medicare Advantage has been the target of multiple government
investigations, Justice Department and whistleblower lawsuits and Medicare
audits. One 2020 report estimated improper payments to the plans topped
$16 billion the previous year. At least two dozen whistleblower cases,
some dating to 2009, have alleged fraud by Medicare Advantage plans
related to manipulating patient risk scores to boost revenues. In July,
the Justice Department consolidated six such cases against Kaiser
Permanente health plans. In August, California-based Sutter Health agreed
to pay $90 million to settle a similar fraud case. Previous settlements
have totaled more than $300 million.
62% of all
Bankruptcies are
Related to Medical Bills from people
Being
Overcharged by greedy hospitals, and on top of that, almost 70%
of those people had insurance. So medical fraud is everywhere
in many different forms, so no one is safe.
Beware of the
Charge Master.
Why does Surgery costs differ from town to town?
2.8 Trillion is the
estimated cost of Health Care in the US in 2013.
Profit over People. America spends more on
healthcare than any other country on the planet and millions are still
dying and suffering from poor medical care. There are countries who are
spending less money and resources on healthcare but have a higher quality
healthcare system than the USA.
Drug Errors -
Patient Safety -
Elderly Abuse
Time Magazine Article "Bitter Pill" -
Corporate Terrorism
New Ban on
surprise Medical Billing. Patients with private health insurance who
will no longer be blindsided by "surprise" medical bills when they
unknowingly receive out-of-network care. The
No Surprises Act, passed by Congress in 2020 as part of the
coronavirus relief package, takes effect Jan. 1. In 2018 New Jersey
implemented a
final-offer arbitration system to resolve payment disputes between
insurers and out-of-network providers over surprise medical bills
Why are Doctors allowed to charge
insurance companies for unnecessary tests? And also charge to
give patients unnecessary drugs? But when a patient needs certain
medical care, it's not covered and the patient is forced to pay
out of pocket. WTF? It's like you have to be a criminal in order
to get help, or to be covered. So who's more criminal, the doctors or the
insurance companies?
Medicare Fraud
is when a medical provider bills Medicare for
unnecessary procedures, or
procedures that are never performed, or for unnecessary medical tests or
tests never performed, or for unnecessary equipment, or equipment that is
billed as new but is, in fact, used. A patient who is in on the
scam provides his or her Medicare number in
exchange for
kickbacks. Inflating
bills by using a billing code that indicates the patient needs expensive
procedures.
Marketing Fraud
-
Consumer Fraud -
Bad
Pills -
Body Burden -
Errors
False Claims Act makes it illegal to
defraud governmental programs. As of 2019, over 71% of all FCA actions
were initiated by
whistleblowers.
Bernie Sanders
Delivers ‘Major’ Speech on "Medicare for All" | NowThis (youtube) -
George Washington University July 17th, 2019.
GlaxoSmithKline
estimates that
90 percent of the drugs work in only 30 to 50
percent of the people. 300 people have to take the drug
statin for a year before one heart attack, stroke or other
adverse event is prevented. And five percent of those 300 have
side effects, that's 15 people. So you're 15 times more likely
to be harmed by the drug than you are to be helped by the drug.
There are other ways to reduce your cholesterol that will not
harm you.
For the most widely performed surgery on men over the age of 50,
removal of the prostate for cancer, the
Number Needed to Treat is 49. That means that 49 surgeries
are done for every one person who's helped. And the side effects
in that case occur in 50
percent of the patients. They include impotence, erectile
dysfunction, urinary incontinence, rectal tearing, fecal
incontinence. And if you're lucky, and you're one of the 50
percent who has these, they'll only last for a year or two.
Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services officials chose to do just 30
in-depth
financial audits to recover overpayments each year, even
though the records make clear they could complete many more, up
to 80 audits a year. So only 5 percent of the roughly 600
Medicare Advantage contracts in force would be audited in a
year. But overspending tied to fast-rising risk scores has cost
taxpayers billions of dollars in recent years, as the
Center
for Public Integrity reported in a series of articles
published
in 2014, leading to widespread suspicions that some risk scores
are being purposefully inflated. Many of the records released by
CMS are heavily redacted, with dates and the names of their
authors sometimes missing. More than 1,400 pages have been
"withheld in their entirety" by CMS, including names of the
health plans and how much they were overpaid. It's like we have
criminals watching criminals. If we
pay more people to over see and to look for fraud, we could
save billions. So we can create thousands of jobs that pay
for themselves.
Government Accountability Office Audit: Feds Failed To Rein In Medicare
Advantage Overbilling. Private Medicare Advantage plans treating the
elderly have overbilled the government by billions of dollars, but rarely
been forced to repay the money or face other consequences for their
actions, according to a congressional audit.
KFF is an
endowed, nonprofit organization filling the need for trusted, independent
information on national health issues. Legally we are a public charity —
not a foundation — and as I hope you know, we are an independent national
organization, headquartered in San Francisco, without any connection to
Kaiser Permanente.
Hidden Fee Costing Doctors Millions Every Year from corrupt insurance
middlemen. With more than $2 trillion a year of medical claims paid
electronically, these fees likely add up to billions of dollars that could
be spent on care but instead are going to insurers and
middlemen. Direct deposits are faster
and easier to process than checks, requiring less labor for doctors and
insurers alike. An industry of
middlemen
had begun sprouting up, processing payments for insurers and skimming fees
off the top. Sometimes they shared a portion of the fees with insurers, too.
Insurance - Health Insurance
Insurance
is a means of
protection from
financial loss. It is a form of
risk
management primarily used to hedge against the
risk of a contingent or uncertain loss.
Insured is a person whose interests
are protected by an insurance policy. A person who contracts for an
insurance policy that indemnifies them against loss of property, life or
health etc. Indemnifies is to secure against future loss, damage, or
liability.
Insurable is capable of
being insured or eligible to be insured. Insurability is the quality of
being insurable or the conditions under which an insurance company will
issue insurance to an applicant based on standards set by the insurance
company.
Savings -
Backup Plan -
Security -
Prevention
-
Dependable -
Healthcare -
Actuary Assurance is a
promise that a person will be
protected and given
assistance and help when needed. No one should be
denied help or be left behind to suffer. Everyone deserves to live with
confidence that their
fellow human being will not
let them down.
Health Insurance is insurance that covers the whole or a part of the
risk of a person incurring medical expenses, spreading the risk over a
large number of persons. By estimating the overall risk of health care and
health system expenses over the risk pool, an insurer can develop a
routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to
provide the money to pay for the health care benefits specified in the
insurance agreement. The benefit is administered by a central organization
such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity.
According to the Health Insurance Association of America, health insurance
is defined as "coverage that provides for the payments of benefits as a
result of sickness or injury. It includes insurance for losses from
accident, medical expense, disability, or accidental death and
dismemberment".
Insurance is a
two-party contract between the insured
and the insurance company. The insurance policy assumes a guaranteed
promise that the insured will be
compensated
by the insurance company in the case of a covered loss. A Surety
bond is a contract among at least three
parties. That means they have a
business license,
have the proper insurance and have made payments to a surety company for
protection by a bond. The insurance company or surety company will be
responsible for covering any
financial losses.
For example: The bond may also cover damage or theft that occurs.
Surety in finance, a
surety bond or
guaranty involves a
promise by one party to
assume
responsibility for the
debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. The person or
company providing the promise is also known as a "surety" or as a
"guarantor".
Bail Bond.
Surety Bond is a promise by a surety or guarantor to pay one party
(the obligee) a certain amount if a second party (the principal) fails to
meet some
obligation, such as
fulfilling the terms of a contract. The surety bond protects the obligee
against losses resulting from the principal's failure to meet the
obligation.
Vouch is to give
personal assurance or a guarantee. To give surety or assume
responsibility. To give supporting evidence.
Contractual Risk Transfer
is when the language in a non-insurance agreement excuses one party from
financial or legal responsibility associated with specified actions,
inactions, injuries, or damages. In contractual risk transfer, one party
agrees to indemnify and hold another party harmless in a
contract. The ideal use and true purpose
of contractual
risk transfer
is to place the financial burden of a loss on the party best able to
control or
prevent the incident leading to injury
or damage.
Medical bills is one of the
biggest causes of U.S. bankruptcies. Two-thirds of people who file
for bankruptcy say medical bills or other issues related to illness
contributed to their financial downfall. For middle-class Americans,
health insurance sometimes offers little protection. You can wipe out
medical debt in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Hospitals suing people for unpaid
medical bills is at an all time high in 2019.
Doctor eases your ills with pills only to kill you with bills.
This Doctors Group is owned by a Private Equity Firm and Repeatedly Sued
the Poor until we called them. After the Blackstone Group acquired one
of the nation’s largest physician staffing firms in 2017, low-income
patients faced far more aggressive debt collection lawsuits. They only
stopped after ProPublica and MLK50 asked about it.
What is
the point of having insurance when the insurance claim that you make is
denied and not paid or covered? Insurance companies spend more
money on fighting claims than paying them.
Insurance companies are using algorithms to deny care for people who
are insured.
Claim denial rates by insurance companies are always increasing, and
always increasing profits for greedy scumbag CEO's at the expense of
peoples health, their wellbeing and their lives.
Algorithmic
tools have also exacerbate racial biases in medical settings.
Algorithmic decision-making systems are also being used to decide who will
get housing or financial loan opportunities.
Deny,
Defend
and
Depose is an insurance company strategy
that insurance companies use to avoid paying claims to the people who paid
money for the insurance who are now injured or dieing.
First, Deny Claim,
the insurance company denies the claim.
Second,
Defend Denial, the insurance company defends denying the claim
using excuses, sometimes referring to the small print in the insurance
policy that the claimant was not fully aware of.
Third, Depose, the insurance company forces the person to give up
on making a claim, sometimes by giving them the runaround, and sometimes
by offering a small settlement, especially when the person wants to sue
the insurance company, which most people don't sue because they don't have
the money or the resources to take a big insurance company to court. And
the insurance companies know this. An insurance company is your typical
greedy scumbag who fucks people over for profit,
like republicans do. And
insurance companies have been doing this abusive shit for a over hundred
years. Luckily, not all insurance companies are assholes. People need
insurance to
protect themselves from large bills and big fees that they
get as a result of an accident or negligence, so having insurance is good,
just as long as the insurance company isn't corrupt and greedy.
Rain Maker 1997.
Health Insurance does not mean better care or better health.
Good health mostly comes from
acquiring valuable knowledge, information and experience, which
is called
preventive medicine. And Health
Insurance does not guarantee good care because 9 out of 10 Doctors
and Dentists commit
insurance fraud by doing unnecessary work. So too many Doctors
victimize their patients by not giving them the best care
that they need, mostly because they are more concerned with how
much money they can bilk the insurance carrier for, and not
paying attention to the persons needs. So
health insurance can actually be
bad for you, especially when you don't have a good experienced
and educated
Doctor who is also honest, so be very careful.
Medical Errors is the 3rd biggest killer.
Does having
insurance cause people to take more risks?
Health Inequity is the unfair, uneven
distribution of health or health resources. Avoidable differences arising
from poor governance, corruption or cultural exclusion.
Inequality -
Affordable Care Act
VIP Medicine is when a
very important person
uses his or her status to influence a given professional or institution to
make unorthodox decisions under the pressure or presence of said VIP—that
relates to the accessibility and quality of health care. It is essentially
health care in which a physician or hospital accommodates a wealthy,
important or famous patient who can afford to pay the full medical bill
outright, usually with luxury amenities, and seclusion from the ordinary
run of patient, as added benefits. As a result, such a patient may receive
something other than the normal standard of care; the deviation may be in
the direction of either greater or lesser safety and quality.
Medicaid
is a federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some
people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits
not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and personal
care services. The Health Insurance Association of America describes
Medicaid as "
a government insurance program for
persons of all ages whose income and resources are insufficient to pay for
health care." Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical
and health-related services for people with low income in the United
States,
providing free health insurance to 74
million low-income and disabled people (23% of Americans) as of
2017. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and
federal governments and managed by the states, with each state currently
having broad leeway to determine who is eligible for its implementation of
the program. States are not required to participate in the program,
although all have since 1982. Medicaid recipients must be U.S. citizens or
qualified non-citizens, and may include low-income adults, their children,
and people with certain disabilities. Poverty alone does not necessarily
qualify someone for Medicaid. The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) significantly
expanded both eligibility for and federal funding of Medicaid. Under the
law as written, all U.S. citizens and qualified non-citizens with income
up to 133% of the poverty line, including adults without dependent
children, would qualify for coverage in any state that participated in the
Medicaid program. However, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in
National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius that states do not
have to agree to this expansion in order to continue to receive previously
established levels of Medicaid funding, and some states have chosen to
continue with pre-ACA funding levels and eligibility standards. Research
suggests that Medicaid improves health insurance coverage, access to
health care, recipients' financial security, and some health outcomes, as
well as economic benefits to states and health providers. Medicaid and
Medicare are the two government sponsored medical insurance programs in
the United States and are administered by the U.S. Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services in Baltimore, Maryland.
6.8 million expected to lose Medicaid when paperwork hurdles return
the special Medicaid measure known as "continuous enrollment" will end on
March 31, 2023 no matter what. It was part of the budget bill Congress
passed in Dec. 2022. Even if the public health emergency is renewed in
April, states will begin to make people on Medicaid sign up again to renew
their coverage. And that means between 5 and 14 million Americans could
lose their Medicaid coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation,
the nonpartisan health policy organization.
Medicaid: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (youtube)
Medicaid Unwinding. The expiration of the continuous enrollment
condition authorized by the
Families First Coronavirus Response Act presents the single largest
health coverage transition event since the first open enrollment period of
the Affordable Care Act. As a condition of receiving a temporary 6.2
percentage point
Federal Medical Assistance Percentage increase under the FFCRA, states
were required to maintain enrollment of nearly all Medicaid enrollees
during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, delinked the end of the FFCRA’s Medicaid
continuous enrollment condition from the end of the COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency. As a result, the Medicaid continuous enrollment condition will
end on March 31, 2023. States will soon resume normal operations,
including restarting full Medicaid and CHIP eligibility renewals and
terminations of coverage for individuals who are no longer eligible.
Beginning April 1, 2023, states are able to terminate Medicaid enrollment
for individuals no longer eligible. States will have up to 12 months to
return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations.
Managed Care Organizations or MCO's steal millions of dollars every
year from medicade. Fraud in managed care programs increases costs for the
government – sometimes substantially. As the amount of taxpayer money
spent on managed care increases, so does the importance of stopping fraud
in managed care programs. Individuals with knowledge of fraud committed by
managed care organizations, or by providers and others doing business with
managed care organizations, may be able to blow the whistle on this kind
of fraud using the False Claims Act and other whistleblower reward
programs.
Medicare is a national health insurance program in the United States,
begun in 1966 under the Social Security Administration (SSA) and now
administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It
primarily
provides health insurance for Americans
aged 65 and older, but also for some younger people with disability
status as determined by the Social Security Administration, as well as
people with end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS
or Lou Gehrig's disease). In 2018, according to the 2019 Medicare Trustees
Report,
Medicare provided health insurance for
over 59.9 million individuals—more than 52 million people aged 65
and older and about 8 million younger people. According to annual Medicare
Trustees reports and research by the government's MedPAC group, Medicare
covers about half of healthcare expenses of those enrolled. Enrollees
almost always cover most of the remaining costs by taking additional
private insurance and/or by joining a public Part C or Part D Medicare
health plan. No matter which of those two options the beneficiaries
choose—or if they choose to do nothing extra (around 1% according to
annual Medicare Trustees reports over time), beneficiaries also have other
healthcare-related costs. These additional so-called out of pocket (OOP)
costs can include deductibles and co-pays; the costs of uncovered
services—such as for long-term custodial, dental, hearing, and vision
care; the cost of annual physical exams for those not on Part C health
plans that include physicals; and the costs related to basic Medicare's
lifetime and per-incident limits. Medicare is funded by a combination of a
specific payroll tax, beneficiary premiums and surtaxes from
beneficiaries, co-pays and deductibles, and general U.S. Treasury revenue.
Medicare is divided into four Parts. Medicare Part A covers hospital
(inpatient, formally admitted only), skilled nursing (only after being
formally admitted to a hospital for three days and not for custodial
care), and hospice services. Part B covers outpatient services including
some providers' services while inpatient at a hospital, outpatient
hospital charges, most provider office visits even if the office is "in a
hospital", and most professionally administered prescription drugs. Part D
covers mostly self-administered prescription drugs. Part C is an
alternative called Managed Medicare which allows patients to choose health
plans with at least the same service coverage as Parts A and B (and most
often more), often the benefits of Part D, and always an annual
out-of-pocket spend limit which A and B lack. A beneficiary must enroll in
Parts A and B first before signing up for Part C.
The Peckham Experiment
(guaranteed income) -
Disability Insurance
The
best
insurance you can have is
prevention. Because in order to avoid sickness you have to
do all the things that prevent illness. Insurance does not
prevent illness or injury, in fact, insurance might encourage
illness and injury because people are given a
false sense of security and thus fail to take the proper
measures that would improve their health, like eating the
right
foods,
exercising and avoiding
toxins
and
viruses. In 2009
there were 48.6 million people in the US (15.7% of the
population) who were without
Health Insurance Coverage.
Supplemental Insurance is extra or
additional insurance that you can purchase to help you pay for services
and out-of-pocket expenses that your regular insurance does not cover.
Other supplemental plans may provide you with a cash benefit paid out over
a period of time or given to you in one lump sum.
"Insurance is knowing someone who is
intelligent, someone you can trust"
"The purpose of insurance is not just about money, it's about
having a well thought out
Backup Plan.
"if things don't turn out the way you wanted, you should have a
backup plan, an alternate option, what choices do you have?"
The Affordable Care Act. or
Obamacare.
Every human has the right to have the
assurance that money gives. No human
should ever be without money or be abused because they have no money. Our
system is flawed, corrupted and abusive, and it does not need to be that
way.
Pre-Obama-Care
study found that
lack of Health Insurance Killed
roughly 45,000 Americans Annually. And
the
lack of knowledge and
information kills millions every year.
Medicaid Expansion Boosts Employment. Individuals with disabilities
saw greater working rates in expansion states.
The
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say the link between medical
recommendations and insurance coverage leads to financial incentives that
can corrupt the process and distort people's health care decisions.
Each year, 1 in every 20 Americans racks up
just as much in medical bills as another 19 combined. This critical
five percent of the U.S. population is key
to solving the nation's health care spending crisis. The United States
spends the most on health care per person — $9,237 – according to two new
papers published in the journal The Lancet. The U.K. spends less per
person ($3,749) on health care than the U.S. ($9,237). Despite its high
spending, the U.S. does not have the best health outcomes. Life
expectancy, for example, is 79.1 years in the U.S. and 80.9 years in the
U.K. And while the
U.S. spends more on health care
than any country in the world, it
ranks
12th in life expectancy among the 12 wealthiest industrialized
countries, according to the
Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit organization focusing on health issues.
Claims Adjuster
investigates insurance claims by interviewing the claimant and witnesses,
consulting police and hospital records, and inspecting property damage to
determine the extent of the company's liability. Verify an insurance
policy exists for the insured person and/or property. In general, these
are written by the policy-holding insurance company. Risk(s) of loss(es),
or damages to property, culminating in the loss of property and or bodily
injury. After completing the above investigations, evaluate the covered
injuries and/or damages that have been determined according to the
coverage grants. Negotiate a settlement according to the applicable
law(s), and identify coverage's for which the insured is covered,
following best insurance practices.
Professional Liability Insurance or
Errors and
Omissions, is a form of
liability insurance which helps protect professional advice- and
service-providing individuals and companies from bearing the full cost of
defending against a
negligence claim
made by a client, and damages awarded in such a
civil lawsuit. The coverage focuses on alleged failure to perform on
the part of, financial loss caused by, and error or omission in the
service or product sold by the policyholder. These are causes for legal
action that would not be covered by a more general liability insurance
policy which addresses more direct forms of harm. Professional liability
insurance may take on different forms and names depending on the
profession, especially medical and legal, and is sometimes required under
contract by other businesses that are the
beneficiaries of the advice or service. Coverage sometimes provides for
the defense costs, including when legal action turns out to be groundless.
Coverage does not include criminal prosecution, nor a wide range of
potential liabilities under civil law that are not enumerated in the
policy, but which may be subject to other forms of insurance. Professional
liability insurance is required by law in some areas for certain kinds of
professional practice.
Liability Insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk
financing to protect the purchaser (the "insured") from the
risks of liabilities imposed by
lawsuits and similar claims. It protects the insured in the event he or
she is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance
policy. Originally, individual companies that faced a common peril formed
a group and created a self-help fund out of which to pay compensation
should any member incur loss (in other words, a mutual insurance
arrangement). The modern system relies on dedicated carriers,
usually for-profit, to offer protection
against specified perils in consideration of a premium.
Liability
insurance is designed to offer specific protection against third-party
insurance claims, i.e., payment is not typically made to the insured, but
rather to someone suffering loss who is not a party to the insurance
contract. In general, damage caused intentionally as well as contractual
liability are not covered under liability insurance policies. When a claim
is made, the insurance carrier has the duty (and right) to defend the
insured. The legal costs of a defense normally do not affect policy limits
unless the policy expressly states otherwise; this default rule is useful
because defense
costs tend to soar when cases go to trial. In many cases,
the defense portion of the policy is actually more valuable than the
insurance, as in complicated cases, the cost of defending the case might
be more than the amount being claimed, especially in so-called "nuisance"
cases where the insured must be defended even though no liability is ever
brought to trial.
High-Deductible Health
Policies Linked To Delayed Diagnosis And Treatment
Deductible is the amount paid out of pocket by the policy holder
before an insurance provider will pay any expenses. Deductibles are
typically used to deter the large number of claims that a consumer can be
reasonably expected to bear the cost of. By restricting its coverage to
events that are significant enough to incur large costs, the insurance
firm expects to pay out slightly smaller amounts much less frequently,
incurring much higher savings.
Rising
Out-of-Pocket Costs of $30 or $40 is a factor of how often a person
sees a doctor. Using data from an insurer that provides health coverage to
about 20 million people per year across the United States, Ganguli and
colleagues found that visits to primary care providers made by adults
under the age of 65 had dropped by nearly 25% from 2008 to 2016. What's
more, adults who went at least a year without a single visit to a primary
care provider increased from about 38% to 46% in that period.
Out-of-Pocket Expense is the direct payment of money that may or may
not be later reimbursed from a third-party source.
Negotiate Medical Bills. Always call your
medical provider to negotiate medical bills. ask about any wavers,
discounts and relief plans or no interest payment plans that are
available.
Fair Health
Consumer - Estimate your healthcare expenses. Get essential
information on costs for thousands of procedures and learn insurance
basics.
Healthcare
Bluebook - Save money by choosing high-quality, affordable healthcare
providers.
Copayment is a fixed amount for a covered service, paid by a patient
to the provider of service before receiving the service. It may be defined
in an insurance policy and paid by an insured person each time a medical
service is accessed. It is technically a form of coinsurance, but is
defined differently in health insurance where a coinsurance is a
percentage payment after the deductible up to a certain limit. It must be
paid before any policy benefit is payable by an insurance company.
Copayments do not usually contribute towards any policy out-of-pocket
maxima whereas coinsurance payments do. Insurance companies use copayments
to share health care costs to prevent moral hazard. It may be a small
portion of the actual cost of the medical service but is meant to deter
people from seeking medical care that may not be necessary (e.g., an
infection by the common cold). In health systems with prices below the
market clearing level in which waiting lists act as rationing tools,
copayment can serve to reduce the welfare cost of waiting lists. However,
a
copay may also discourage people from seeking
necessary medical care and higher copays may result in non-use of
essential medical services and prescriptions, thus rendering someone who
is insured effectively uninsured because they are unable to pay higher
copays. Thus, there is a balance to be achieved: a high enough copay to
deter unneeded expenses but low enough to not render the insurance
useless.
Reimbursement is the act of compensating someone for an out-of-pocket
expense by giving them an amount of money equal to what was spent.
Co-Insurance is the splitting or spreading of risk among multiple
parties.
Cost
Sharing occurs when patients pay for a portion of health care costs
not covered by health insurance.
Who Still Doesn't have Health Insurance? -
Healthcare Act.
Self-Insurance describes a situation in which a person does not take
out any third party insurance. The essence of the concept is that a
business that is liable for some risk, such as health costs, chooses to
"carry the risk" itself and not take out insurance through an insurance
company.
Preventive Medicine.
Buying Insurance is a form of gambling
where the house always wins. All gambling is designed so that the house
(i.e. the casino owners or big insurance companies) will always net a
profit, regardless of the successes of the patrons. All their games are
designed to make you lose more money than you earn, so that the house
always wins.
Approximately 12 million adults who seek outpatient medical care
are misdiagnosed.
Patient Safety -
Elderly and Insurance
Choosing Wisely -
Comparing and Rating
Healthcare Services
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was
created primarily to modernize the flow of healthcare information,
stipulate how Personally Identifiable Information maintained by the
healthcare and healthcare insurance industries should be protected from
fraud and theft, and address limitations on healthcare insurance
coverage.
The
Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) is a
national trade association representing 60 not-for-profit Safety
Net Health Plans in 24 states. Collectively, ACAP plans serve
more than fifteen million enrollees, representing more than 50
percent of
individuals enrolled in Medicaid-focused health plans.
Insurance Fraud is any act committed to defraud an insurance process.
This occurs when a claimant attempts to obtain some benefit or advantage
they are not entitled to, or when an insurer knowingly denies some benefit
that is due. According to the United States Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the most common schemes include: premium diversion, fee
churning, asset diversion, and workers compensation fraud. Perpetrators in
these schemes can be insurance company employees or claimants. False
insurance claims are insurance claims filed with the fraudulent intention
towards an insurance provider.
Hard fraud
occurs when someone deliberately plans or invents a loss, such as a
collision, auto theft, or fire that is covered by their insurance policy
so they can claim payment for damages. Criminal rings are sometimes
involved in hard fraud schemes that can steal millions of dollars.
Soft fraud, which is far more common than
hard fraud, is sometimes also referred to as opportunistic fraud. This
type of fraud consists of policyholders exaggerating otherwise-legitimate
claims. For example, when involved in an automotive collision an insured
person might claim more damage than actually occurred. Soft fraud can also
occur when, while obtaining a new health insurance policy, an individual
misreports previous or existing conditions to obtain a lower premium on
the insurance policy. The detection of insurance fraud generally occurs in
two steps. The first step is to identify suspicious claims that have a
higher possibility of being fraudulent. the next step is to refer these
claims to investigators for further analysis. Due to the sheer number of
claims submitted each day, it would be far too expensive for insurance
companies to have employees check each claim for symptoms of fraud.
Instead, many companies use computers and statistical analysis to identify
suspicious claims for further investigation. There are two main types of
statistical analysis tools used: supervised and unsupervised. In both
cases, suspicious claims are identified by comparing data about the claim
to expected values. The main difference between the two methods is how the
expected values are derived. 19 states require mandatory insurer fraud
plans. This requires companies to form programs to combat fraud and in
some cases to develop investigation units to detect fraud.
Split billing is the division of a bill for
service into two or more parts. Bills may be split to divide work between
clients, payers or for reimbursement to different service providers for
performing a shared service.
Add-on codes
are additional work associated with a primary service or procedure. Add-on
codes can and should only be billed when the provider has performed and
billed the primary service. CMS guidelines and coding textbooks agree that
add-on codes should be on the same claim as the primary code.
Warranty
is a promise which is not a condition of the contract or an innominate
term: (1) it is a term "not going to the root of the contract", and (2)
which only entitles the innocent party to damages if it is breached: i.e.
the warranty is not true or the defaulting party does not perform the
contract in accordance with the terms of the warranty. A warranty is not a
guarantee. It is a mere promise. It may be enforced if it is breached by
an award for the legal remedy of damages. A warranty is a term of a
contract. Depending on the terms of the contract, a product warranty may
cover a product such that a manufacturer provides a warranty to a consumer
with which the manufacturer has no direct contractual relationship. A
warranty may be express or implied. An express warranty is expressly
stated (typically, written); whether or not a term will be implied into a
contract depends on the particular contract law of the country in
question. Warranties may also state that a particular fact is true at one
point in time or that the fact will continue into the future (a "continuing warranty").
HIPPA -
Confidentiality.
Vital Signs - Health Indicators - Biomarkers
Vital
Signs or
vitals are a group of the four to six most important
medical
signs that indicate the status of the body’s
vital life-
sustaining
functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the
general
physical health of a person, give clues to possible diseases, and show
progress toward recovery. The normal ranges for a person’s vital signs
vary with age, weight, gender, and overall health. There are four primary
vital signs:
body temperature,
blood
pressure,
pulse or
heart rate,
and
breathing rate or
respiratory rate,
often notated as BT, BP, HR, and RR. However, depending on the clinical
setting, the vital signs may include other measurements called the "fifth
vital sign" or "sixth vital sign". Vital signs are recorded using the
LOINC internationally accepted standard coding system. Early warning
scores have been proposed that combine the individual values of vital
signs into a single score. This was done in recognition that deteriorating
vital signs often precede cardiac arrest and/or admission to the intensive
care unit. Used appropriately, a rapid response team can assess and treat
a deteriorating patient and prevent adverse outcomes.
Life Expectancy.
Health Indicator are quantifiable characteristics of a
population which researchers use as supporting evidence for describing the
health of a population. Know your
baseline.
In-Home Mentoring Systems
(telemedicine) -
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Examinations -
Intelligence -
Heart
-
Blood Pressure
Framingham and
Reynolds Risk Scores. The Framingham ATP-III score predicts
'hard' CHD, defined as MI and coronary death,1 while
the Reynolds Risk Score predicts a
composite CVD
outcome defined as incident MI,
ischemic
stroke,
coronary revascularization, and
cardiovascular death.
Framingham Risk Score is a sex-specific algorithm used to estimate the
10-year
cardiovascular risk of an individual.
Body Fat Index (BMI) -
Breathing
Measuring (oxygen levels) -
Vitality
(nutrition)
Homeostasis
is the property of a system in which variables are regulated so that
internal conditions remain stable and relatively constant.
The All of Us
Research Program is inviting one million people across the U.S. to
help build one of the most diverse health databases in history. We welcome
participants from all backgrounds. Researchers will use the data to learn
how our biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health. This may one
day help them find ways to treat and prevent disease.
Population analysis of mortality risk: Predictive models from passive
monitors using motion sensors for 100,000
UK
Biobank participants. Many studies have utilized physical activity for
predicting mortality risk, using measures such as participant walk tests
and self-reported walking pace.
Blood Testing
Blood Test is a
laboratory analysis performed on a
blood
sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or
via
finger prick. Multiple tests for specific
blood components (such as a
glucose test or a cholesterol test) are often grouped together into one
test panel called a blood panel or blood work. Blood tests are often used
in health care to
determine physiological and biochemical states, such as
disease, mineral content, pharmaceutical drug effectiveness, and organ
function. Typical clinical
blood panels include a basic metabolic panel or
a complete blood count. Blood tests are also used in drug tests to detect
drug abuse. In some of the United States, a blood test is required before
marriage.
DNA.
Complete Blood Count Test gives your doctor important information
about the types and numbers of cells in your
blood, especially the red
blood cells and their percentage (hematocrit) or protein content
(hemoglobin), white blood cells, and platelets. The results of a
CBC may
diagnose conditions like anemia, infection, and other disorders. The
platelet count and plasma
clotting tests (prothombin time, partial
thromboplastin time, and thrombin time) may be used to evaluate bleeding
and clotting disorders. Your doctor may also perform a
Blood
Smear, which is a way of looking at your blood cells under the
microscope. In a normal blood smear, red blood cells will appear as
regular, round cells with a pale center. Variations in the size or shape
of these cells may suggest a blood disorder.
Lab Work.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is a panel of
14
blood tests which serves as an initial
broad
medical screening tool. The
CMP
provides a rough check of kidney function, liver function, diabetic and
parathyroid status, and
electrolyte and fluid balance, but this type of
screening has its limitations.
Screening.
Basic Metabolic Panel is a
blood test that
measures your sugar (glucose) level, electrolyte and fluid balance, and
kidney function. Glucose is a type of sugar your body uses for energy.
Electrolytes keep your body's fluids in balance. A basic metabolic panel
is a
blood test that measures your sugar (glucose)
level, electrolyte and fluid balance, and kidney function. Glucose is a
type of sugar your body uses for energy.
Electrolytes keep your body's fluids in balance.
Health Quotient is a measure used to assess
an individual's overall health and
awareness of
health issues. A health quotient assessment will evaluate an
individual's health factors including his or her lifestyle and medical
history and then assign the results a mathematical score.
Sensors.
Comprehensive Health Screening is a way to identify whether you are
at
risk for diseases like diabetes,
hypertension and more, so you can be aware of your
risks ahead of time and
take necessary steps to avoid long-term health problems. This information
can be used to determine your
risk for developing certain diseases like diabetes, heart damage,
heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, lung damage, stroke, and more.
The blood tests include a blood sugar or A1c check and and A cholesterol
test.
Automated Robotic Device For Faster Blood Testing.
Blood Work Sample (image)
New Blood Test Technology using cellphone-based technology that allows
for the very same test to be conducted in the doctor's office, clinic or
even in a remote area. A mobile version of the
Enzyme
Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), proving a cheap and easy way to
obtain bloodwork and
urinalysis
without visiting a laboratory. ELISA is the gold standard technique used
to detect the presence of an
antibody or antigen.
Measuring Blood Damage. Engineer uses mechanical resistance to detect
damage to red blood cells. Red blood cells sometimes rupture when blood is
sent through faulty equipment, such as a dialysis machine. This is called
hemolysis. Hemolysis also can occur during blood work when blood is drawn
too quickly through a needle, leading to defective laboratory samples.
Researchers have now developed a method to monitor blood damage in
real-time.
Phlebotomy is when someone uses a needle
to
take a blood sample or draw blood from a vein,
or the process of making an
incision in a vein with a needle. The procedure itself is known as a
venipuncture. A person who performs phlebotomy is called a "
phlebotomist",
although doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists and others do
portions of phlebotomy procedures in many countries.
Near-Infrared Vein Finder are devices used to try to increase the
ability of healthcare providers to see veins. They use
near-infrared light reflection to
create a map of the veins. The received imagery is then either displayed
on a screen or projected back onto the patient's skin. Unsurprisingly,
they may not increase the success of starting intravenous catheters in
children, since the difficulty may arise not in locating the vessel, but
in physical manipulation of the needle.
Newly identified biomarkers may detect early cognitive decline via blood
test. For some people, extreme stressors like psychiatric disorders or
childhood neglect and abuse can lead to a range of health problems later
in life, including depression, anxiety and cardiovascular disease. A new
study identified genetic indicators that can predict another health
problem, the decline of cognitive abilities, among people who have been
affected by these extreme stressors. Scientists are looking for genetic
markers that can assist in early identification of a variety of health
problems that result from extreme stressors.
Breathalyzers
Breathalyzer is a
device that
measures chemicals in a person's expired breath.
Breathalyzer
(wiki)
Breathalyzer can diagnose 17 different diseases via Pattern
Analysis of Exhaled Molecules.
Detecting Disease
Through Breath Prof. Hossam Haick Technion (youtube)
Health Calculators -
Wellness Testing
Breathing -
Lungs
-
Spirometer -
Choking or Not Breathing -
O2 Measuring
Na-Nose: A Nanoscale Artificial Nose to Detect Specific Medical Conditions.
Volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath, sweat or urine carry
much information on the state of human health. Volatile Biomarkers.
Markers
Disease Marker is a substance or
measurable parameter that can be used to
identify the presence of a condition.
Diagnostic
Markers are
biological parameters that aid
the
diagnosis of
diseases. Examples include the presence of particular genetic variants
and the levels of particular proteins in body fluids.
Marker in
blood is a
sign of a disease or condition that can be
isolated
from a blood sample.
Biomarkers are key molecular or cellular events that link a
specific environmental exposure to a
health outcome. Biomarkers play an important role in understanding the
relationships between exposure to
environmental chemicals, the development
of chronic human diseases, and the
identification of subgroups that are at increased risk for
disease.
Much progress has been made in identifying and validating new biomarkers
that can be used in population-based studies of environmental disease.
Biomarker is a
measurable indicator of some biological state or
condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated to examine normal
biological processes,
pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to
a therapeutic intervention. Biomarkers are used in many scientific fields.
Bio-Monitoring (Body Burden)
Hazard Quotient is the ratio of the
potential exposure to a substance and the level at which no adverse
effects are expected. If the Hazard Quotient is calculated to be less than
1, then no adverse health effects are expected as a result of exposure. If
the Hazard Quotient is greater than 1, then
adverse health effects are possible. The Hazard Quotient cannot be
translated to a probability that adverse health effects will occur, and is
unlikely to be proportional to
risk. It is especially important to note that a Hazard Quotient
exceeding 1 does not necessarily mean that adverse effects will occur.
Biomarkers of
Aging are biomarkers that could predict functional capacity at some
later age better than chronological age. Stated another way, biomarkers of
aging would give the true "biological age", which may be different from
the chronological age.
Validated biomarkers of aging would allow for
testing interventions to extend lifespan, because changes in the
biomarkers would be observable throughout the lifespan of the organism.
Although maximum lifespan would be a means of validating biomarkers of
aging, it would not be a practical means for long-lived species such as
humans because longitudinal studies would take far too much time. Ideally,
biomarkers of aging should assay the biological process of aging and not a
predisposition to disease, should cause a minimal amount of trauma to
assay in the organism, and should be reproducibly measurable during a
short interval compared to the lifespan of the organism. An assemblage of
biomarker data for an organism could be termed its "ageotype". Although
graying of hair increases with age, hair graying cannot be called a
biomarker of ageing. Similarly, skin wrinkles and other common changes
seen with aging are not better indicators of future functionality than
chronological age.
Biogerontologists have continued efforts to find and
validate biomarkers of aging, but success thus far has been limited.
Levels of CD4 and CD8 memory T cells and naive
T cells have been used to
give good predictions of the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice.
Advances in big data analysis allowed for the new types of "aging clocks"
to be developed. The epigenetic clock is a promising biomarker of aging
and can accurately predict
human chronological age. Basic blood
biochemistry and cell counts can also be used to accurately predict the
chronological age. Further studies of the hematological clock on the large
datasets from South Korean, Canadian, and Eastern European populations
demonstrated that biomarkers of aging may be population-specific and
predictive of mortality. It is also possible to predict the human
chronological age using the transcriptomic clock. The recent introduction
of low-power and compact sensors, based on micro-electromechanical systems
(MEMS) has led to a new breed of the wearable and affordable devices
providing unparalleled opportunities for the collecting and cloud-storing
personal digitized activity records. Consequently, modern deep machine
learning techniques could be used to produce a proof-of-concept digital
biomarker of age in the form of all-causes-mortality predictor from a
sufficiently large collection of one week long human physical activity
streams augmented by the rich clinical data (including the death register,
as provided by, e.g., the NHANES study).
Grip
Strength and Mortality -
LongevityBiological Age is a
measurement of your age based on various biomarkers — a number that can
change due to lifestyle and other health factors. Knowing your biological
age is an effective way of determining your cumulative rate of aging.
Smartphone Medical Apps -
Analyzing Tools (sensors)
A new way to Monitor Vital Signs (that can see through walls): Dina Katabi
(video and text)
Biometrics is the
technical term for body
measurements and
calculations. It refers to
metrics related to human characteristics. Biometrics authentication (or
realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of
identification and access control. It is also used to identify individuals
in groups that are
under surveillance.
Biometric identifiers are the distinctive, measurable characteristics used
to
label and describe
individuals. Biometric identifiers are often categorized as
physiological versus behavioral characteristics. Physiological
characteristics are related to the shape of the body. Examples include,
but are not limited to fingerprint, palm veins, face recognition, DNA,
palm print, hand geometry, iris recognition, retina and odour/scent.
Behavioral characteristics are related to the pattern of behavior of a
person, including but not limited to typing rhythm, gait, and voice. Some
researchers have coined the term behaviometrics to describe the latter
class of biometrics. More traditional means of access control include
token-based identification systems, such as a driver's license or
passport, and knowledge-based identification systems, such as a password
or personal identification number. Since biometric identifiers are unique
to individuals, they are more reliable in verifying identity than token
and knowledge-based methods; however, the collection of biometric
identifiers raises privacy concerns about the ultimate use of this information.
Health Calculators - How Healthy are You
Medical Calculator is a type of medical computer software, whose
purpose is to allow easy calculation of various scores and indices,
presenting the user with a friendly interface that hides the complexity of
the formulas. Some of the standard units they make include eGFR, CrCl,
BMI, BSA, DAS and many other custom units designed for a specific purpose.
Indices is a numerical scale used to
compare variables with one another or with some reference number. A number
or ratio (a value on a scale of measurement) derived from a series of
observed facts; can reveal relative changes as a function of time. A
mathematical notation indicating the number of times a quantity is
multiplied by itself.
Health Calculator -
Health Status Calculators
Health Calculators -
Calculate Body Health -
Health Calculator -
Blood Test
22 Senior Health Risk Calculators for Healthy Aging
Risk of Developing Chronic Diseases -
Chronic Diseases -
Fatigue
Smartphone Health Monitoring Technology Tools -
Tiny
Machines Health Care is the
prevention,
treatment, and
management of illness and the preservation of
health through the services offered by health care organizations and
professionals. It includes all the goods and services designed to promote
health, including “preventive, curative and palliative interventions,
whether directed to individuals or to populations.
Measures of Health Status can be measured using pathological and
clinical measures and is usually observed by clinicians or measured using
instruments. Types of disease measurement include: Signs - blood pressure,
temperature, X-ray, tumour size. Symptoms - disease specific checklists.
Co-morbidity - Charlson Index, ICED- index of co-existing disease (looks
at both disease severity and functional severity), adverse events – pain,
bleeding, readmission, complications (e.g. using Clavien-Dindo
Classification of Surgical Complications)
Body Mass Index - Body Fat Measurement
Body Mass
Index is a measurement of relative weight based
on an individual's mass and height.
Overweight is defined as a body
mass index, or BMI, of 25 to 29.9, which is about ten to 30 pounds
overweight depending on your height. Obese is defined as anyone with a BMI
of 30 or above.
BMI Calculator (Underweight = <18.5) - (Normal weight = 18.5–24.9)
- (Overweight = 25–29.9) - (Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater)
Visceral Fat
(obesity)
-
How Fat Are You?
Normal Weight individuals who Develop type 2 Diabetes: The Personal Fat
Threshold.
People with low BMI aren't more active, they are just less hungry and
'run hotter'.
Doctor
Examination Visits (examinations)
Body Burden Test Analysis
and Bio-Monitoring.
Vitamin Testing
Brainwaves could be the next Health Vital Sign
-
Vitals.
5 Biomarkers factors that influence Inner Age:
Glucose,
Vitamin D,
Testosterone,
hsCRP and
ALT.
Baseline reading of three key factors:
Your
blood pressure, average
blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Weight is
one of the most influential factors in our heart health. Keep
eating
healthy and keep
exercising regularly.
Your waist size should be less than half of your height.
Abdominal
Obesity occurs when excessive
abdominal fat around the stomach and
abdomen has built up to the extent that it is likely to have a negative
impact on health.
Central obesity has been strongly linked to
cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other metabolic and
vascular diseases.
Wellness - Well Being - Health Assessments
Wellness
is the level of
functional and metabolic
efficiency of a living organism.
In humans it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and
self-manage when facing
physical, mental or social challenges.
In Good Health.
Physical Wellness encompasses nutrition, physical fitness and the avoidance of unhealthy
habits like smoking, drinking too much and doing drugs.
Fitness Assessment.
Screening -
Examinations -
Prevention -
Vital Signs -
Blood Pressure -
Blood
Test
Intellectual Wellness -
Mental Wellness dimension refers to the amount of information and knowledge
you take in, and the amount of creative, analytical thinking you
put out. Learning, problem solving and mental productivity are
important aspects of intellectual wellness.
Emotional Wellness - Spiritual
Wellness pertains to how
well you are aware of, accepting of and able to deal with your
feelings. Relationships, stress, self-esteem and life outlook
are all factors that play into emotional wellness. It can make
you feel more resilient.
Medical Wellness involves health-promoting medical practices like medical
check-ups, preventative healthcare and medical health
management.
Wellness Alternative
means a healthy
balance of the mind,
body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
Quality of Life (satisfaction and fulfillment)
Wellness Coach -
Wellness Coaches
Rockford
Wellness Center -
Wellness Study in the Workplace (PDF)
Occupational wellness stresses
the importance of a positive attitude towards work, and a rewarding and
enriching career path.
Nutrition -
Food
Knowledge -
Preventative Health -
Love Yourself
Health Indicator are
quantifiable characteristics
of a population which researchers use as supporting evidence for
describing the health of a population. Typically, researchers will use a
survey methodology to gather
information about certain people, use statistics in an attempt to
generalize the information collected to the entire population, then use
the statistical analysis to make a statement about the health of the
population.
Public Health Intervention is any effort or
policy
that attempts to improve mental and physical health on a population level.
Mental Health Assessments
-
Interventions
Health Assessment is a plan of care that identifies the specific needs
of a person and how those needs will be addressed by the healthcare system
or skilled nursing facility. Health assessment is the evaluation of the
health status by performing a physical exam after taking a health history.
It is done to detect diseases early in people that may look and feel well.
Evidence does not support routine health assessments in otherwise healthy
people. Health assessment is the evaluation of the health status of an
individual along the health continuum. The purpose of the assessment is to
establish where on the health continuum the individual is because this
guides how to approach and treat the individual. The health care
approaches range from preventive, to treatment, to palliative care in
relation to the individual's status on the health continuum. It is not the
treatment or treatment plan. The plan related to findings is a care plan
which is preceded by the specialty such as medical, physical therapy,
nursing, etc.
Integrative Healing Center healing program for body, mind, and spirit,
which combines conventional medicine along with alternative forms of
healing to allow for complete restoration of the human body that is
naturally designed to heal itself when given the proper balance of
nutrition, sunlight, rest and relaxation, and detoxification.
Cancer.
Health is the level of functional and metabolic efficiency
of a living organism. In humans it is the ability of individuals or
communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental or
social challenges.
Workplace Wellness is any
workplace health promotion
activity or organizational policy designed to support healthy behavior in
the workplace and to improve health outcomes.
Workplace Safety.
Workplace Health Promotion is the combined efforts of employers,
employees, and society to improve
the mental and physical health and well-being of people at work. The term
workplace health promotion denotes a comprehensive analysis and design of
human and organizational work levels with the strategic aim of developing
and improving health resources in an enterprise.
Workplace Democracy is the application of
democracy in various forms (examples
include voting systems, debates, democratic structuring, due process,
adversarial process, systems of appeal) to the workplace.
Wellness Alternative Medicine a healthy balance of the mind,
body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
Physical Education
- Think Well, Act Well, Feel Well, Be Well -
Live, Learn, Love and Progress.
Universal access to Physical Activity could save Billions in Health
Costs.
Environmental Wellness relates to your level of
environmental consciousness.
Remember that every cell in your body was created by elements
from the environment through the food you eat, what you drink
and breathe. Your well-being is intertwined with the well-being
of the environment.
Social Wellness has to do with how you see your
place in the world and in
society, and how well you adjust to
your personal role in society.
Welfare.
How To
Create a Wellness Program (youtube)
Lawson
Health Research Institute understands the basis of wellness
and the dysfunctions of the body and mind that result in
disease.
Well-Being is a contented state of being
happy and
healthy and
prosperous.
Includes
choices and
activities aimed at achieving
physical vitality, mental alacrity, social satisfaction, a sense of
accomplishment, and personal fulfillment. An individual or a group's condition is
positive, while low well-being is associated with negative happenings.
Factors which are key for well-being are
self-acceptance, personal growth,
purpose in life,
environmental mastery,
autonomy,
positive relations
with others.
As we age,
the heart hardly ages at all and can actually strengthen over time, just
as long as you keep your
cholesterol and
blood pressure in check. So eat a
healthy diet, maintain a
healthy weight,
stay mentally active,
and
exercise regularly to help
age-proof your arteries.
Trade-offs' between wellbeing and resilience. There can be
'trade-offs' between increasing human
wellbeing
and improving the
resilience of societies and ecosystems, researchers say.
Sustainable.
Blood Pressure
Blood
Pressure is the
pressure of circulating
blood on the
walls of blood
vessels. Most of this pressure is due to work done by the
heart by pumping
blood through the
circulatory system. Blood pressure usually refers to the pressure in large arteries of the
systemic circulation. Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the
systolic pressure (maximum during one heartbeat) over diastolic pressure
(minimum in between two heartbeats) and is measured in millimeters of
mercury (mmHg), above the surrounding atmospheric pressure. (mm Hg is
Millimeter
of Mercury, which is a
manometric unit of
pressure).
Make sure that you are getting an
Accurate Blood Pressure Reading you should
avoid food, exercise, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol for 30 minutes before
taking a measurement. And you should sit quietly and be
relaxed with feet flat
on the floor before and during monitoring. Don't measure your blood
pressure right after you wake up. And make sure you have a
normal body temperature. You must also confirm
that you have a device that is calibrated and accurate. You should measure
your blood pressure twice daily if you can.
Sphygmomanometer is a
device used to measure
blood pressure and a means to determine at what pressure blood flow
is just starting, and at what pressure it is unimpeded. Not all BP Devices
are the same, so you must know how to use a particular device in order to
get an accurate measurement. BP Devices are also known as a blood pressure
meter, blood pressure monitor, or blood pressure gauge. The device is composed of an inflatable cuff to collapse and
then release the artery under the cuff in a controlled manner, and a
mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure. It is always used
in conjunction with a means to determine at what pressure blood flow is
just starting, and at what pressure it is unimpeded. Manual
sphygmomanometers are used in conjunction with a
stethoscope. A
sphygmomanometer consists of an inflatable cuff, a measuring unit (the
mercury manometer, or aneroid gauge), and a mechanism for inflation which
may be a manually operated bulb and valve or a pump operated electrically.
Guidelines for measuring blood pressure outline a series of steps for
getting the most accurate reading. it's supposed to be quiet, and the
patient needs to wait five minutes before the measurement is taken, go
to the bathroom ahead of time, keep their feet flat on the floor and have
their back supported. Their arm is supported, in this case resting on a
desk, with the
cuff positioned at about
heart level on
their arm. If the arm either resting on the patient's lap or hanging at
their side. Both positions produced substantial
overestimates of blood pressure. New physicians aren't being
trained well enough.
White-Coat Hypertension: Pathophysiological and Clinical Aspects:
Excellence Award for Hypertension Research 2020.
The effect of crossing legs on blood pressure.
A single
high blood pressure reading does not necessarily mean that
you have high blood pressure. However, if readings stay at
140/90 mm Hg or above (systolic 140 or above OR diastolic 90 or
above) over time, your doctor will likely want you to begin a treatment program.
How measuring blood pressure in both arms can help reduce
cardiovascular risk and hypertension. Blood pressure should be measured in
both arms and the higher reading should be adopted to improve hypertension
diagnosis and management, according to a new study. The research analyzed
data from 53,172 participants in 23 studies worldwide to examine the
implications of choosing the higher or lower arm pressure.
White Coat
Hypertension is a phenomenon in which patients
exhibit a blood pressure level above the normal range, in a clinical
setting, though they don't exhibit it in other settings.
Brain Strokes -
Oxygen Levels.
High Blood Pressure affects 1.13 billion people around the world while
blood pressure has dropped sharply in high-income countries, it has risen
in many low and middle-income countries, especially those in Africa and
South Asia. Globally, 597 million men had raised blood pressure, compared
to 529 million women. High blood pressure puts extra strain on the blood
vessels and major organs such as heart, brain and kidneys. It is the
world's leading cause of
cardiovascular disease, which leads to stroke
and heart attacks, and is thought to cause 7.5 million deaths a year
across the globe.
Ten-minute scan enables detection and cure of the commonest cause of high
blood pressure. Doctors have used a new type of CT scan to light up
tiny nodules in a hormone gland and cure high blood pressure by their
removal. The nodules are discovered in one-in-twenty people with high
blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure (hypertension) - 10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication.
Pulse Wave Velocity is the velocity at which the
blood
pressure pulse propagates through the circulatory system, usually an
artery or a combined length of arteries. PWV is used clinically as a
measure of arterial stiffness and can be readily measured non-invasively
in humans, with measurement of carotid to femoral PWV (cfPWV) being the
recommended method. cfPWV is highly reproducible, and predicts future
cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality independent of conventional
cardiovascular risk factors. It has been recognized by the European
Society of Hypertension as an indicator of target organ damage and a
useful additional test in the investigation of hypertension.
Difference in blood pressure between arms linked to greater early death
risk. Robust evidence from a large international study confirms that a
difference in blood pressure readings between arms is linked to greater
risk of heart attack, stroke and death.
Global Disparities of Hypertension Prevalence and Control. A Systematic
Analysis of Population-Based Studies From 90 Countries says 32 percent of
low-income people have high blood pressure, compared with 29 percent in
high-income countries. Long term high blood pressure is a major risk
factor for coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral
vascular disease, vision loss, and chronic kidney disease.
Blood Pressure Prevalence.
Salt substitutes help to maintain healthy blood pressure in older adults.
The replacement of regular salt with a salt substitute can reduce
incidences of hypertension, or high blood pressure, in older adults
without increasing their risk of low blood pressure episodes, according to
a recent study. People who used a salt substitute had a 40% lower
incidence and likelihood of experiencing hypertension compared to those
who used regular salt. Hypertension affects over 1.4 billion adults and
results in 10.8 million deaths per year worldwide.
Blood
Blood is a
body fluid in humans and other animals that
delivers necessary substances such as
nutrients and
oxygen to the cells
and transports
metabolic waste products away from those same
Cells. Human blood is
Red because
hemoglobin, which is
carried in the blood and functions to
transport oxygen, is iron-rich and
red in color.
Hemoglobin
is the iron-containing oxygen-transport
metalloprotein in the
red blood cells (erythrocytes or biconcave disc
without a nucleus) of almost all vertebrates.
Veins, which are sometimes visible through the skin, may
look bluish. It has to do with the way tissue absorbs, scatters and
reflects light.
The
Heart is a hollow muscular organ with rhythmic
contractions that moves the blood through the
body.
Blood is a mixture of about 55 percent plasma and 45 percent blood cells.
Plasma is a mixture of water, sugar, fat, protein, and salts. The main job
of the plasma is to transport blood cells throughout your body along with
nutrients, waste products, antibodies, clotting proteins, chemical
messengers such as hormones, and proteins that help maintain the body's
fluid balance. About 7 to 8 percent of your total body weight is blood. An
average-sized man has about
12 pints of blood
in his body, and an average-sized woman has about nine pints. Blood is
responsible for transporting
oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and
tissues, forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss, carrying cells
and antibodies that fight infection and bringing waste products to the
kidneys and liver, which filter and clean the blood regulating
body temperature.
Blood is
made inside your bones in the
bone marrow,
which is a soft fatty gelatinous tissue inside the cavities of
bones. Billions of new blood cells are created
everyday from
blood stem
cells in the bone marrow.
New
blood cells are transported through capillaries in the
porous bone into the blood system.
Blood flows
from the
Heart through arteries, which branch and
narrow into arterioles, and then branch further into capillaries where
nutrients and wastes are exchanged. The
capillaries then join and widen to become venules, which in turn widen
and converge to become veins, which then return blood back to the heart
through the
venae
cavae, which are two large veins (venous trunks) that return
deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart. In humans there are the
superior vena cava and the
inferior vena cava, and both empty into the right atrium. They are
located slightly off-center, toward the right side of the body. The right
atrium receives
deoxygenated blood through coronary
sinus and two large veins called Venae Cavae. The inferior vena cava (or
caudal vena cava in some animals) travels up alongside the abdominal aorta
with blood from the lower part of the body. It is the largest vein in the
human body. The superior vena cava (or cranial vena cava in animals) is
above the heart, and forms from a convergence of the left and right
brachiocephalic veins, which contain blood from the head and the arms.
Artery is a blood vessel that carries
blood from the
heart to the
body.
Vein
is a blood vessel that carries blood from the
capillaries toward the
heart.
Capillary is a small blood vessel from 5 to 10 micrometres (µm) in
diameter, and having a wall one endothelial cell thick. They are the
smallest blood vessels in the body:
they convey blood between the
arterioles and venules. These microvessels are the site of exchange of
many substances with the interstitial fluid surrounding them. Substances
which exit include water (proximal portion), oxygen, and glucose;
substances which enter include water (distal portion), carbon dioxide,
uric acid, lactic acid, urea and creatinine. Lymph capillaries connect
with larger lymph vessels to drain lymphatic fluid collected in the
microcirculation.
Capillaries are very thin blood
vessels that bring nutrients and oxygen to tissues and remove waste
products.
Inflammation.
Venule
is a very small blood vessel in the microcirculation that allows blood to
return from the capillary beds to drain into the larger blood vessels, the
veins. Venules range from 7μm to 1mm in diameter. Veins contain
approximately 70% of total blood volume, 25% of which is contained in the
venules. Many venules unite to form a vein.
Vessel in biology is a tube or canal that
carries fluid in an animal or plant. A vessel also means an object used as
a container. A floating craft used for transport over water.
Blood Vessel are the part of the
circulatory system,
and microcirculation, that
transports blood throughout the human body.
There are three major types of blood vessels: the
arteries,
which carry the blood
away from the heart;
the
capillaries, which enable the actual
exchange
of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the
veins,
which carry blood from the capillaries
back
toward the
heart.
Lymphatic Vessel are thin-walled vessels (tubes) structured like blood
vessels, that carry
lymph. As part of the
lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary
to the cardiovascular system. Lymph vessels are lined by endothelial
cells, and have a thin layer of smooth muscle, and adventitia that binds
the lymph vessels to the surrounding tissue. Lymph vessels are devoted to
the propulsion of the lymph from the lymph capillaries, which are mainly
concerned with absorption of interstitial fluid from the tissues. Lymph
capillaries are slightly larger than their counterpart capillaries of the
vascular system. Lymph vessels that carry lymph to a lymph node are called
afferent lymph vessels, and those that carry it from a lymph node are
called efferent lymph vessels, from where the lymph may travel to another
lymph node, may be returned to a vein, or may travel to a larger lymph
duct. Lymph ducts drain the lymph into one of the subclavian veins and
thus return it to general circulation. Generally, lymph flows away from
the tissues to lymph nodes and eventually to either the right lymphatic
duct or the largest lymph vessel in the body, the thoracic duct. These
vessels drain into the right and left subclavian veins, respectively. The
lymphatic vessels contain valves.
Endothelium is a type of epithelium that
lines the interior surface of
blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, forming an
interface between
circulating blood or lymph in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall.
It is a thin layer of simple squamous cells called endothelial cells.
Endothelial cells in direct contact with blood are called vascular
endothelial
cells, whereas those in direct contact with lymph are known as
lymphatic endothelial cells. Vascular endothelial cells line the entire
circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillaries. These
cells have unique functions in vascular biology. These functions include
fluid filtration, such as in the glomerulus of the kidney, blood vessel
tone, hemostasis, neutrophil recruitment, and hormone trafficking.
Endothelium of the interior surfaces of the heart chambers is called
endocardium.
Hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study,
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood.
-
Blood Donation.
Blood Type is a
classification of blood based on the presence and absence of
antibodies
and also based on the presence or absence of inherited
antigenic
substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be
proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the
blood group system. Some of these antigens are also present on the
surface of other types of
cells of various tissues. Several of these red blood cell surface
antigens can stem from one allele (or an alternative version of a gene)
and collectively form a blood group system.
Blood types are inherited and
represent contributions from both parents. A total of 35 human blood group
systems are now recognized by the
International Society of Blood
Transfusion. The two most important ones are ABO and the RhD
antigen; they determine someone's blood type (A, B, AB and O, with +, − or
Null denoting RhD status).
Many pregnant women
carry a fetus with a blood type which is different from their own,
which is not a problem. What can matter is whether the baby is RhD
positive or negative. Mothers who are RhD- and carry a RhD+ baby can form
antibodies against fetal RBCs. Sometimes these maternal antibodies are IgG,
a small immunoglobulin, which can cross the placenta and cause hemolysis
of fetal RBCs, which in turn can lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn
called erythroblastosis fetalis, an illness of low fetal blood counts that
ranges from mild to severe. Sometimes this is lethal for the fetus; in
these cases it is called hydrops fetalis.
The
Universal Blood Type is O Negative (O-). Donors with type O- blood
have the unique power to help anyone in need of a blood transfusion. Red
blood cells from O- donors can be transfused to anyone, regardless of the
person's blood type.
Histo-blood
group ABO system transferase is an enzyme with glycosyltransferase
activity, which is encoded by the ABO gene in humans. It is ubiquitously
expressed in many tissues and cell types. ABO determines the ABO blood
group of an individual by modifying the oligosaccharides on cell surface
glycoproteins. Variations in the sequence of the protein between
individuals determine the type of modification and the blood group. The
ABO gene also contains one of 27 SNPs associated with increased risk of
coronary artery disease.
Scientists Develop Ingenious Way to Convert Blood Into Universal Donor
Type. A new paper presents a viable way to convert type A blood into O
blood using enzymes that from the gut bacterium Flavonifractor plautii.
When these enzymes are added to type A blood, the molecules on its surface
that define it as A type become unattached, turning it into universal type
O blood. This is very useful, considering type A positive blood is the
second most common type in America, while only 7 percent are universal
type O negative donors.
Rh Blood Group System is one of 36 known human blood group systems. It
is the second most important blood group system, after the ABO blood group
system. The Rh blood group system consists of 49 defined blood group
antigens, among which the five antigens D, C, c, E, and e are the most
important. There is no d antigen. Rh(D) status of an individual is
normally described with a positive or negative suffix after the ABO type
(e.g., someone who is A Positive has the A antigen and the Rh(D) antigen,
whereas someone who is A Negative lacks the Rh(D) antigen). The terms Rh
factor, Rh positive, and Rh negative refer to the Rh(D) antigen only.
Antibodies to Rh antigens can be involved in hemolytic transfusion
reactions and antibodies to the Rh(D) and Rh(c) antigens confer
significant risk of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Rhesus
(Rh) factor is an inherited protein found on the surface of red blood
cells. If your blood has the protein, you're Rh positive. If your blood
lacks the protein, you're Rh negative. Rh positive is the most common blood type.
Blood Tests -
Markers -
Vitals
Hypovolemia is
a state of
decreased blood volume or
diminished body fluid; more specifically, decrease in volume of blood
plasma. It is thus the intravascular component of volume contraction (or
loss of blood volume due to things such as bleeding or dehydration), but,
as it also is the most essential one, hypovolemia and volume contraction
are sometimes used synonymously. Hypovolemia is characterized by sodium
depletion, and thus is distinct from (although often overlapping with)
dehydration, excessive loss of body water.
Red Blood Cells
are the
most common type of blood cell in
your blood. Blood is the vertebrate organism's
principal means of delivering
oxygen (O2) to the body tissues—via blood
flow through the
circulatory system. RBCs take up oxygen in the lungs or
gills and release it into tissues while squeezing through the body's
capillaries. Red blood cells are produced by cores of
bone marrow in the
heads of long bones in a process known as
hematopoiesis. Hematopoietic
stem cells are capable
of transforming into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
These stem cells can be found circulating in the blood and bone marrow in
people of all ages, as well as in the umbilical cords of newborn babies.
Stem cells from all three sources may be used to treat a variety of
diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow failure, and various
immune disorders.
Hemoglobin is the
iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood
cells. Hemoglobin is a red protein responsible for
transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates. Its molecule
comprises four subunits, each containing an iron atom bound to a heme
group. Red blood cells absorb lots of
blue light and reflects lots of red light. When someone is turning
"
blue in the face", it means that they're not getting enough oxygen.
Production of red blood cells is controlled by erythropoietin, a hormone
produced primarily by the kidneys. Red blood cells start as immature cells
in the bone marrow and after approximately seven days of maturation are
released into the bloodstream. Unlike many other cells,
red blood cells
have no nucleus and can easily change shape, helping them fit through the
various blood vessels in your body. However, while the lack of a nucleus
makes a red blood cell more flexible, it also limits the life of the cell
as it travels through the smallest blood vessels, damaging the cell's
membranes and depleting its energy supplies.
The red blood cell survives
on average only 120 days. Red cells contain a special protein called
hemoglobin, which helps carry
oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the
body and then returns carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs so it can
be exhaled.
Blood appears red because of the large number of red blood
cells, which get their color from the hemoglobin. The percentage of whole
blood volume that is made up of red blood cells is called the hematocrit
and is a common measure of red blood cell levels.
Breathing Exercises.
Anemia
is a condition in which you don't have enough healthy red blood cells to
carry
adequate oxygen to the body's tissues. Having
anemia may make you feel tired and weak. There are many forms of anemia,
each with its own cause. Anemia can be temporary or long term, and it can
range from mild to severe.
Erythropoietin
is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted by the kidney in response to cellular
Hypoxia; it
stimulates red
blood cell production (erythropoiesis) in the bone marrow. Low levels of
EPO (around 10 mU/mL) are constantly secreted sufficient to compensate for
normal red blood cell turnover. Common causes of cellular hypoxia
resulting in elevated levels of EPO (up to 10 000 mU/mL) include any
anemia, and hypoxemia due to chronic lung disease.
White Blood Cells
are the
Cells of the
immune system
that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease
and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from
multipotent cells in the
bone
marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells.
Leukocytes are found throughout the body, including the blood and
lymphatic system.
Monitor Detects Dangerously Low White Blood Cell Levels.
Mast
Cell is a type of white blood cell. Specifically, it is a type of
granulocyte derived from the
myeloid stem cell that
is a part of the immune and
neuroimmune systems and contains many granules rich in histamine and
heparin. Although best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis,
mast cells play an important protective role as well, being intimately
involved in wound healing, angiogenesis,
immune tolerance, defense
against pathogens, and blood–brain barrier function. The mast cell is very
similar in both appearance and function to the basophil, another type of
white blood cell. Although mast cells were once thought to be tissue
resident basophils, it has been shown that the two cells develop from
different hematopoietic lineages and thus cannot be the same cells.
B Cell
are a type of white blood cell of the lymphocyte subtype. They function in
the humoral immunity component of the adaptive immune system by secreting
antibodies.
Immune System Cells.
Blood Plasma is a
yellowish liquid component of blood that holds the blood cells in whole
blood in suspension. It is the liquid part of the blood that carries cells
and proteins throughout the body. It makes up about
55% of the body's total blood volume. It is
the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid (all body fluid
outside cells). It is mostly water (up to 95% by volume), and contains
dissolved proteins (6–8%) (e.g. serum albumins, globulins, and
fibrinogen), glucose, clotting factors, electrolytes (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+,
HCO3−, Cl−, etc.), hormones, carbon dioxide (plasma being the main medium
for excretory product transportation) and oxygen. It plays a vital role in
an intravascular osmotic effect that keeps electrolyte concentration
balanced and protects the body from infection and other blood disorders.
Blood plasma is separated from the blood by spinning a tube of fresh blood
containing an anticoagulant in a centrifuge until the blood cells fall to
the bottom of the tube. The blood plasma is then poured or drawn off.
Blood plasma has a density of approximately 1025 kg/m3, or 1.025 g/ml.
Blood serum is blood plasma without clotting factors. Plasmapheresis is a
medical therapy that involves blood plasma extraction, treatment, and
reintegration. Fresh frozen plasma is on the WHO Model List of Essential
Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.
It is of critical importance in the treatment of many types of trauma
which result in blood loss, and is therefore kept stocked universally in
all medical facilities capable of treating trauma (e.g. trauma centers,
hospitals, and ambulances) or that pose a risk of patient blood loss such
as surgical suite facilities.
Plasma Cell are
white blood cells that secrete large volumes of
antibodies. They are
transported by the blood plasma and the lymphatic system. Plasma cells
originate in the bone marrow; B cells differentiate into plasma cells that
produce antibody molecules closely modelled after the receptors of the
precursor B cell. Once released into the blood and lymph, these antibody
molecules bind to the target antigen (foreign substance) and initiate its
neutralization or destruction.
Platelet are a
component of blood whose function (along with the coagulation factors) is
to
react to bleeding from blood vessel
injury by clumping, thereby
initiating a blood
clot. Platelets have no cell nucleus: they are fragments of
cytoplasm that are derived from the megakaryocytes of the bone marrow,
which then enter the circulation. Circulating unactivated platelets are
biconvex discoid (lens-shaped) structures, 2–3 µm in greatest diameter.
Activated platelets have cell membrane projections covering their surface.
Platelets are found only in mammals, whereas in other vertebrates (e.g.
birds, amphibians) thrombocytes circulate as intact mononuclear cells. A
higher than normal number of platelets can cause unnecessary clotting,
which can lead to strokes and heart attacks; however, thanks to advances
made in antiplatelet therapies, there are treatments available to help
prevent these potentially fatal events. Conversely, lower than normal
counts can lead to extensive bleeding. Unlike red and white blood cells,
platelets are not actually cells but rather small fragments of cells.
Platelets help the blood clotting process (or coagulation) by gathering at
the site of an injury, sticking to the lining of the injured blood vessel,
and forming a platform on which blood coagulation can occur. This results
in the formation of a fibrin clot, which covers the wound and prevents
blood from leaking out. Fibrin also forms the initial scaffolding upon
which new tissue forms, thus promoting healing.
Platelet Plug is
an aggregation of platelets formed during the earlier stage of hemostasis
in response to blood vessel wall injury.
Cuts and Skin Wounds.
Coagulation or
Clotting, is
the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood
clot. It potentially results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss
from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The mechanism of coagulation
involves activation, adhesion, and aggregation of platelets along with
deposition and maturation of fibrin. Disorders of coagulation are disease
states which can result in bleeding (hemorrhage or bruising) or
obstructive clotting (thrombosis).
Blood
Clot is mass of blood that forms when platelets, proteins, and
cells in the blood stick together. When you get hurt, your body forms a
blood clot to stop the bleeding. After the bleeding stops and healing
takes place, your body usually breaks down and removes the blood clot.
Stroke.
Clotting is a
thrombus, colloquially called
a
blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in
hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets
and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of cross-linked fibrin
protein. The substance making up a thrombus is sometimes called cruor. A
thrombus is a healthy response to injury intended to prevent bleeding, but
can be harmful in thrombosis, when clots obstruct blood flow through
healthy blood vessels.
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel,
obstructing the flow of blood through the
circulatory system.
Embolic and thrombotic events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare
types of blood clotting syndromes that were initially observed in a number
of people who had previously received the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID‑19
vaccine AZD1222 during the
COVID‑19 pandemic. It
was subsequently also described in the Janssen COVID‑19 vaccine from
Johnson & Johnson leading to suspension of its use until its safety had
been reassessed.
Heparin
is a medication and naturally occurring
glycosaminoglycan, which is highly polar and attract water, they are
used in the body as a lubricant or shock absorber.
Bleeding also known as hemorrhaging or
hemorrhaging, is blood escaping from the
circulatory system. Bleeding can
occur internally, where blood leaks from blood vessels inside the body, or
externally, either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear,
urethra, vagina or anus, or through a break in the skin. Hypovolemia is a
massive decrease in blood volume, and death by excessive loss of blood is
referred to as exsanguination. Typically, a healthy person can endure a
loss of 10–15% of the total blood volume without serious medical
difficulties (by comparison, blood donation typically takes 8–10% of the
donor's blood volume). The stopping or controlling of bleeding is called
hemostasis and is an important part of both first aid and surgery.
Vitamin K.
Internal
Bleeding is a loss of blood that occurs from a blood vessel and
collects inside the body. Internal bleeding is usually not visible from
the outside. It is a
serious medical emergency but the extent of severity depends on
bleeding rate and location of the bleeding (e.g. heart, brain, stomach,
lungs). Severe internal bleeding into the chest, abdomen, retroperitoneum,
pelvis, and thighs can cause hemorrhagic shock or death if proper medical
treatment is not received quickly.
Stroke
-
Aneurysm -
Embolism.
Vetigel Stops Bleeding -
First Aid (bleeding).
Prothrombin Time is a
blood test that
measures how long it takes blood to clot. A
prothrombin time test can be used to check for bleeding problems. PT is
also used to check whether medicine to prevent blood clots is working.
This blood test is also called protime INR and PT/INR. They are used to
determine the clotting tendency of blood, in the measure of warfarin
dosage, liver damage, and vitamin K status. PT measures the following
coagulation factors: I (fibrinogen), II (prothrombin), V (proaccelerin),
VII (proconvertin), and X (Stuart–Prower factor). The normal range for a
healthy person not using warfarin is 0.8–1.2, and for people on warfarin
therapy an INR of 2.0–3.0 is usually targeted, although the target INR may
be higher in particular situations, such as for those with a mechanical
heart valve.
INR means International
Normalized Ratio.
Lymphatic System
is part of the
circulatory system and a vital part of the
immune system, comprising a
network of lymphatic vessels that
carry a clear fluid called lymph (from
Latin, lympha meaning "water") directionally towards the heart.
Lymph is
the fluid that flows through the lymphatic system, a system composed of
lymph vessels (channels) and intervening lymph nodes whose function, like
the venous system, is to return fluid from the tissues to the central
circulation. Interstitial fluid – the fluid which is between the cells in
all body tissues – enters the lymph
capillaries. This
lymphatic fluid is then transported via progressively larger lymphatic
vessels through lymph nodes, where substances are removed by tissue
lymphocytes and circulating lymphocytes are added to the fluid, before
emptying ultimately into the right or the left subclavian vein, where it
mixes with central venous blood. Since the lymph is derived from the
interstitial fluid, its composition continually changes as the blood and
the surrounding cells continually exchange substances with the
interstitial fluid. It is generally similar to blood plasma, which is the
fluid component of blood. Lymph returns proteins and excess interstitial
fluid to the bloodstream. Lymph also transports fats from the digestive
system (beginning in the lacteals) to the blood via chylomicrons. Bacteria
may enter the lymph channels and be transported to lymph nodes, where they
are destroyed.[clarification needed] Metastatic cancer cells can also be
transported via lymph.
Haematopoiesis
is the formation of blood cellular components. All cellular blood
components are derived from haematopoietic stem cells. In a healthy adult
person, approximately 10/11–10/12 new blood cells are produced daily in
order to maintain steady state levels in the peripheral circulation.
Blood Poisoning is a serious
infection. It
occurs when
bacteria
are in the bloodstream. Despite its name, the infection has nothing to do
with poison. Although not a medical term, “blood poisoning” is used to
describe bacteremia, septicemia, or sepsis.
Sepsis
is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to
infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. Common signs and
symptoms include fever, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate,
and confusion. There also may be symptoms related to a specific infection,
such as a cough with pneumonia, or painful urination with a kidney
infection. In the very young, old, and people with a
weakened immune system,
there may be no symptoms of a specific infection and the body temperature
may be low or normal, rather than high. Severe sepsis is sepsis causing
poor organ function or insufficient blood flow. Insufficient blood flow
may be evident by low blood pressure, high blood lactate, or low urine
output. Septic shock is low blood pressure due to sepsis that does not
improve after reasonable amounts of intravenous fluids are given. Sepsis
is caused by an immune response triggered by an infection. Most commonly,
the infection is bacterial, but it may also be from fungi, viruses, or
parasites. Common locations for the primary infection include lungs,
brain, urinary tract, skin, and abdominal organs. Risk factors include
young or old age, a weakened immune system from conditions such as cancer
or diabetes, major trauma, or burns. An older method of diagnosis was
based on meeting at least two systemic inflammatory response syndrome
(SIRS) criteria due to a presumed infection. In 2016, SIRS was replaced
with qSOFA which is two of the following three: increased breathing rate,
change in level of consciousness, and low blood pressure. Blood cultures
are recommended preferably before
antibiotics are
started, however, infection of the blood is not required for the
diagnosis. Medical imaging should be used to look for the possible
location of infection. Other potential causes of similar signs and
symptoms include anaphylaxis, adrenal insufficiency, low blood volume,
heart failure, and pulmonary embolism, among others. Sepsis usually is
treated with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Typically, antibiotics
are given as soon as possible. Often, ongoing care is performed in an
intensive care unit. If fluid replacement is not enough to maintain blood
pressure, medications that raise blood pressure may be used.
Metabolic Waste are substances left over from metabolic processes
(such as cellular respiration) which cannot be used by the organism (they
are surplus or toxic), and must therefore be excreted. This includes
nitrogen compounds, water, CO2, phosphates, sulphates, etc. Animals treat
these compounds as excretes. Plants have chemical "machinery" which
transforms some of them (primarily the nitrogen compounds) into useful substances.
Oxygen Levels in Blood
Oxygen Saturation is a term referring to the fraction of
oxygen-saturated
hemoglobin relative to total hemoglobin (unsaturated +
saturated) in the blood. The human body requires and regulates a very
precise and specific balance of oxygen in the blood.
Normal blood oxygen
levels in humans are considered 95-100 percent. If the level is below 90
percent, it is considered low resulting in
hypoxemia.
Blood oxygen levels
below 80 percent may compromise organ function, such as the brain and
heart, and should be promptly addressed. Continued low oxygen levels may
lead to respiratory or cardiac arrest.
Oxygen Therapy may be used to
assist in raising blood oxygen levels. Oxygenation occurs when oxygen
molecules (
O2) enter the tissues of the body. For example, blood is
oxygenated in the lungs, where oxygen molecules travel from the air and
into the blood. Oxygenation is commonly used to refer to medical oxygen
saturation. Oxygen Saturation Monitoring by Pulse Oximetry. Normal oxygen saturation values are 97% to 99%
in the healthy individual. Oxygen saturation indicates how much oxygen the
blood is carrying as a percentage of the maximum it could carry. Red blood
cells contain iron containing protein hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin attaches oxygen to the red blood cell and carries it
through the body. 1 hemoglobin molecule can attach up to 4 oxygen
molecules, which is considered to be 100 percent saturation. A healthy
person with healthy lungs and breathing air at sea level, a healthy
persons oxygen saturation should be between 95 and 100 percent. The
maximum volume of oxygen which the blood can carry when fully saturated is
termed the oxygen carrying capacity, which, with a normal haemoglobin
concentration, is approximately 20 mL oxygen per 100 mL blood.
Blood Cells -
Blood Pressure -
Breathing Exercises -
Oxygen
Pulse Oximetry
is a noninvasive method for
monitoring a person's oxygen saturation (SO2).
Its reading of SpO2 (peripheral oxygen saturation) is not always
identical to the reading of SaO2 (arterial oxygen saturation) from
arterial
blood gas analysis, but the two are correlated well enough that
the safe, convenient, noninvasive, inexpensive pulse oximetry method is
valuable for measuring oxygen saturation in clinical use. In its most
common (transmissive) application mode, a sensor device is placed on a
thin part of the patient's body, usually a fingertip or earlobe, or in the
case of an infant, across a foot. The device passes two wavelengths of
light through the body part to a photodetector. It measures the changing
absorbance at each of the wavelengths, allowing it to determine the
absorbances due to the pulsing arterial blood alone, excluding venous
blood, skin, bone, muscle, fat, and (in most cases) nail polish.
Reflectance pulse oximetry may be used as an alternative to transmissive
pulse oximetery described above. This method does not require a thin
section of the person's body and is therefore well suited to a universal
application such as the feet, forehead, and chest, but it also has some
limitations. Vasodilation and pooling of venous blood in the head due to
compromised venous return to the heart, as occurs with congenital cyanotic
heart disease patients, or in patients in the Trendelenburg position, can
cause a combination of arterial and venous pulsations in the forehead
region and lead to spurious SpO2 results.
What
are Normal Oxygen Saturation Levels? The normal oxygen saturation
level is 97–100%. Older adults typically have lower oxygen saturation
levels than younger adults. For example, someone older than 70 years of
age may have an oxygen saturation level of about 95%, which is an
acceptable level. For example, someone older than 70 years of age may have
an oxygen saturation level of about 95%, which is In practice, the SpO2
range of 92–100% is generally acceptable for most clients. It is important
to note that the oxygen saturation level varies considerably based on a
person’s state of health. Thus, it is important to understand both
baseline readings and underlying physiology
associated with certain conditions to interpret oxygen saturation levels
and changes in these levels. People who are obese and/or have conditions
such as lung and cardiovascular diseases, emphysema, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, congenital heart disease and sleep apnea tend to have
lower oxygen saturation levels. Additionally, oxygen saturation levels may
decrease slightly when a person is talking. Oxygen saturation may remain
normal (e.g., 97% and higher) for people with
anemia.
However, this may not indicate adequate oxygenation because there are less
hemoglobin to carry an adequate supply of oxygen for people who have
anemia. The inadequate supply of oxygen may be more prominent during
activity for people with anemia. Falsely low oxygen saturation levels may
be associated with hypothermia, decreased peripheral perfusion, and cold
extremities. In these cases, an ear lobe pulse oximeter device or arterial
blood gases would provide a more accurate oxygen saturation level.
However, arterial blood gases are usually only taken in critical care or
emergency settings. In practice, the SpO2 range of 92–100% is generally
acceptable for most clients. Some experts have suggested that a SpO2 level
of at least 90% will prevent hypoxic tissue injury and ensure client
safety (Beasley, et al., 2016). Blood oxygen levels below 80 percent may
compromise organ function, such as the brain and heart, and should be
promptly addressed. Normal arterial oxygen is approximately 75 to 100
millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Values under 60 mm Hg usually indicate the
need for supplemental oxygen. Normal pulse oximeter readings usually range
from 95 to 100 percent. Values under 90 percent are considered low. The
oxygen level from a pulse oximeter is reasonably accurate. Most
oximeters give a reading 2% over or 2% under
what your saturation would be if obtained by an arterial blood gas.
Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement can give errors for
patients with dark skin.
Breathing -
Lungs
-
Spirometer -
Choking or Not Breathing
Silent Hypoxia is hypoxia that
does not
coincide with shortness of breath. It is known to be a complication
of coronavirus disease 2019. It is speculated that this condition is
caused by
SARS-CoV-2
affecting the blood flow of the
lungs' airways, in
addition to the blood vessels within the lungs, which must match in order
to allow proper airflow, but not affecting them enough to cause shortness
of breath. It is also speculated that silent hypoxia may be caused by the
formation of small blood clots within the lungs. It has been shown that
the breathing rates of patients with COVID-19 gradually increase, which in
turn leads to silent hypoxia. It has also been shown that COVID-19
patients experience lesser levels of shortness of breath after exercise
than non-COVID-19 patients. The condition is also known to be caused by
walking pneumonia and
altitude sickness, which is caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of
oxygen at high elevation.
Physiologic Status Monitoring via the Gastrointestinal Tract
(youtube)
Physiologic Status Monitoring via the Gastrointestinal Tract
-
Microbes
Proteus -
Sensor Applications
Photoplethysmogram is an optically obtained plethysmogram that can be
used to
detect blood volume changes in the microvascular bed of tissue. A
PPG is often obtained by using a pulse oximeter which illuminates the skin
and measures changes in light absorption. A conventional pulse oximeter
monitors the perfusion of blood to the dermis and subcutaneous tissue of
the skin.
Photoplethysmography in the assessment of blood flow and vascular
mechanics. The biomechanics of
blood flow can provide parameters for
prediction of
cardiovascular diseases CVD at an early
stage.
Syncope: Review of Monitoring Modalities -
Syncope is the short loss of consciousness and muscle
strength.
Health Home Test
Normal
Body Temperature is around 37C (
98.6F), although it depends
on: The person, Their age, What they've been doing, the time of day, and which part of the body you take the
temperature from. It is generally accepted that
normal body
temperature ranges between 36.1C (97F) to 37.2C (99F).
The Human Body -
Every Breath You Take
Oxygen therapy harms lung microbiome in mice. We now know that the
balance of bacteria inside the lungs matters much like it does in the
gut. Oxygen is
actually a potent lung toxin. If I put healthy mice in 100% oxygen, they
will die in five days.
Oxygen Therapy is the use of
oxygen as a medical
treatment. This can include for low blood oxygen, carbon monoxide
toxicity, cluster headaches, and to maintain enough oxygen while inhaled
anesthetics are given.
Our bodies need a certain amount of oxygen
molecules circulating in the bloodstream at all times. When all internal
organs are functioning correctly, the oxygen that you inhale passes from
the tiny alveoli or air sacs of your
lungs into the bloodstream, and the
pumping action of your heart delivers this oxygenated blood to all parts
of your body.
Blood Therapy
Blood Transfusion is generally the process of
receiving
blood or blood products into one's circulation intravenously.
Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost
components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but modern
medical practice commonly uses only components of the blood, such as red
blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, clotting factors, and
platelets.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (cancer)
-
Synthetic Blood
Every two seconds, an American needs a blood transfusion. But
blood transfusions aren’t as simple as taking one person’s blood and
giving it to another. There are four different types, but type
O negative blood is the only one that can be given to
people with all other types. Because of this “universal” quality, it’s in
short supply and in high demand, but an incredible breakthrough announced
Monday could change that.
Longevity.
International Society of Blood Transfusion is a scientific society,
founded in 1935, which aims to promote the study of blood transfusion, and
to spread the know-how about the manner in which blood transfusion
medicine and science best can serve the patient's interests. The
society's central
office is in Amsterdam, and there are around 1700 members in 97
countries. Currently in 2020, the President is Martin L. Olsson.
At Home Dialysis Machine
Intravenous
is within or by means of a vein.
Intravenous Therapy is a therapy that delivers liquid substances
directly into a vein (intra- + ven- + -ous). The intravenous route of
administration can be used for
injections (with a
syringe at higher pressures) or infusions (typically using only the
pressure supplied by gravity). Intravenous infusions are commonly referred
to as drips. The intravenous route is the fastest way to deliver
medications and fluid replacement throughout the body, because the
circulation carries them. Intravenous therapy may be used for fluid
replacement (such as correcting dehydration), to correct electrolyte
imbalances, to deliver medications, and for blood transfusions.
Blood Irradiation Therapy is a procedure in which the
blood is exposed to low level red light
(often laser light) for therapeutic reasons. Most research on blood
irradiation therapy has been conducted in Germany (by UV lamps), and in
Russia (in all variants) while smaller-scale research has been performed
in other countries such as Britain. Blood irradiation therapy can be
administered in three ways. Extracorporeally, drawing blood out and
irradiating it in a special cuvette. This method is used for the
ultraviolet (UV) blood irradiation (UVBI) by UV lamps. The laser light is
monochromatic, i.e. it has such a wavelength that allows you to bring
light into the optical fiber and carry out irradiation intravenously
through a catheter in a vein. This method is more simple and effective.
Blood irradiation therapy is also administered externally through the skin
on the projection of large blood vessels. It is not related to the
practice of gamma irradiation of blood in transfusion medicine.
Saline as a medicine is a mixture of
sodium chloride in water and has a
number of uses in medicine. Applied to the affected area it is used to
clean wounds, help remove contact lenses, and help with dry eyes. By
injection into a vein it is used to treat
dehydration such as from gastroenteritis and diabetic ketoacidosis. It
is also used to dilute other medications to be given by
injection. Large amounts may
result in fluid overload, swelling, acidosis, and high blood sodium. In
those with long-standing low blood sodium, excessive use may result in
osmotic demyelination syndrome. Saline is in the crystalloid family of
medications. It is most commonly used as a sterile 9 g of salt per litre
(0.9%) solution, known as normal saline. Higher and lower concentrations
may also occasionally be used. Saline has a pH of 5.5 (mainly due to
dissolved carbon dioxide) making it acidic. The salinity (salt
concentration) of blood is approximately 0.9% while the salinity of sea
water is approximately 3.5%.
Blood Donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and
used for transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a
process called fractionation (separation of whole-blood components).
Donation may be of whole blood (WB), or of specific components directly
(the latter called apheresis).
Blood
Banks often participate in the collection process as well as the
procedures that follow it. As blood plasma, in contrast to blood, can be
donated as often as once every 2 weeks.
Blood
Plasma is a yellowish coloured liquid component of blood that normally
holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension; this makes plasma the
extracellular matrix of blood cells. It makes up about 55% of the body's
total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of
extracellular fluid (all body fluid outside cells). It is mostly water (up
to 95% by volume), and contains dissolved proteins (6–8%) (i.e.—serum
albumins, globulins, and fibrinogen), glucose, clotting factors,
electrolytes (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−, Cl−, etc.), hormones, carbon dioxide
(plasma being the main medium for excretory product transportation) and
oxygen. Plasma also serves as the protein reserve of the human body. It
plays a vital role in an intravascular osmotic effect that keeps
electrolytes in balanced form and protects the body from infection and
other blood disorders. Blood plasma is separated from the blood by
spinning a tube of fresh blood containing an anticoagulant in a centrifuge
until the blood cells fall to the bottom of the tube. The blood plasma is
then poured or drawn off. Blood plasma has a density of approximately 1025
kg/m3, or 1.025 g/ml. Blood serum is blood plasma without clotting
factors.
Chemistry -
Hormones
James Harrison (blood donor) also known as the Man with the golden
arm, is a blood plasma donor from Australia whose unusual plasma
composition has been used to make a treatment for
Rhesus
disease. He has made over 1000 donations throughout his lifetime, and
these donations are estimated to have saved over 2.4 million unborn babies
from the condition. As of 4 September 2017, Harrison had donated 1157
times. As Australia has a policy prohibiting blood donations from
individuals past age 81, he made his final donation on 11 May 2018.
Alloimmunity.
Heart
Heart is a
muscular organ in humans and other animals, which
pumps blood through the
blood vessels of the
circulatory system. Blood
provides the
body with
oxygen and
nutrients, as well as assists in
the removal of metabolic wastes. The heart is located in the middle
compartment of the chest behind the
sternum
and between the
lungs.
Cardiac Muscle
or heart muscle is one of the three major types of
muscle, the others being
skeletal and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that is
found in the walls of the heart. This muscle tissue is known as
myocardium, and forms a thick middle layer between the outer layer of the
heart wall (the epicardium) and the inner layer (the endocardium).
Myocardium is composed of individual heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes)
joined together by intercalated disks, encased by collagen fibres and
other substances forming the extracellular matrix. Cardiac muscle
contracts in a similar manner to skeletal muscle, albeit with some
important differences. An electrical stimulation in the form of an action
potential triggers the release of calcium from the cell's internal calcium
store, the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The rise in calcium causes the cell's
myofilaments to slide past each other in a process called excitation
contraction coupling.
Arteries carry
the
blood away from the heart to be used by the body.
Capillaries enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between
the blood and the tissues.
Veins carry blood from the capillaries back toward the
Heart.
Cardiac Muscle
Cell are the muscle cells (myocytes) that make up the cardiac muscle
(heart muscle). Each myocardial cell contains myofibrils, which are
specialized organelles consisting of long chains of sarcomeres, the
fundamental contractile units of muscle cells. Cardiomyocytes show
striations similar to those on skeletal muscle cells. Unlike
multinucleated skeletal cells, the majority of cardiomyocytes contain only
one nucleus, although they may have as many as four. Cardiomyocytes have a
high mitochondrial density, which allows them to produce adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) quickly, making them highly resistant to fatigue.
Myocyte is the
type of cell found in
muscle
tissue. Myocytes are long, tubular cells that develop from myoblasts
to form muscles in a process known as myogenesis. There are various
specialized forms of myocytes: cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle cells,
with various properties. The striated cells of cardiac and skeletal
muscles are referred to as muscle fibers. Cardiomyocytes are the muscle
fibres that form the chambers of the heart, and have a single central
nucleus. Skeletal muscle fibers help support and move the body and tend to
have peripheral nuclei. Smooth muscle cells control involuntary movements
such as the peristalsis contractions in the oesophagus and stomach.
Myofibril (muscles)
Adenosine Triphosphate is a complex organic chemical that participates
in many processes. Found in all forms of life, ATP is often referred to as
the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. When
consumed in metabolic processes, it converts to either the di- or
monophosphates, respectively ADP and AMP. Other processes regenerate ATP
such that the human body recycles its own body weight equivalent in ATP
each day. It is also a precursor to DNA and RNA. From the perspective of
biochemistry, ATP is classified as a nucleoside triphosphate, which
indicates that it consists of three components, a nitrogenous base
(adenine), the sugar ribose, and the triphosphate. It is used in cells as a coenzyme.
Cryo-EM structure of the human cardiac myosin filament. Pumping of the
heart is powered by filaments of the motor protein myosin, which pull on
actin filaments to generate cardiac contraction. In addition to myosin,
the filaments contain
cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C), which modulates
contractility in response to physiological stimuli, and titin, which
functions as a scaffold for filament assembly. Myosin, cMyBP-C and titin
are all subject to mutation, which can lead to heart failure. The heart is
made up of billions of cells. Each cell contains thousands of smaller
structures, called sarcomeres. These are the building blocks of muscle.
Within each block, are hundreds of myosin filaments.
Circulatory
System is an
organ system that permits blood to circulate and
transport nutrients (such as amino acids and electrolytes), oxygen, carbon
dioxide, hormones, and blood cells to and from the cells in the body to
provide nourishment and help in fighting diseases, stabilize
temperature and
pH, and maintain
homeostasis. The study of the blood flow is called
hemodynamics. The study of the properties of the blood flow is called
hemorheology.
Peripheral Circulation is concerned
with the transport of
blood, blood flow distribution,
exchange between blood and tissue, and storage of blood (venous system).
Peripheral Vascular System is the part of the circulatory system that
consists of the
veins and arteries not in the chest
or abdomen (i.e. in the arms, hands, legs and feet). The peripheral
arteries supply oxygenated blood to the body, and the peripheral veins
lead deoxygenated blood from the capillaries in the extremities back to
the heart. Peripheral veins are the most common intravenous access method
in both hospitals and paramedic services for a peripheral intravenous (IV)
line for intravenous therapy. In some cases blockages in the peripheral
arteries may be treated with catheterization and balloon dilatation
instead of surgery.
The Heart is more of a
Fluid Control Valve that Regulates the Flow of Blood, and not so much a
pump.
Fluid Mechanics.
Heart May Not Be a
Pump: Thomas Cowan on Cardiovascular Disease (youtube) - Thomas Cowan,
MD shares compelling evidence that ‘charged water’ drives peripheral
circulation and the heart’s job is to actually slow this down.
(electrically charged water drives peripheral circulation).
Hemodynamics is the dynamics of
blood flow.
The circulatory system is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms, such as
hydraulic circuits are controlled by control systems. Hemodynamic response
continuously monitors and adjusts to conditions in the body and its
environment. Thus hemodynamics explains the physical laws that govern the
flow of blood in the blood vessels. Cardiac output (v
= Q/A) or v = velocity (cm/s) , Q = blood flow (ml/s) , A = cross
sectional area (cm2). Blood flow ensures the transportation of nutrients,
hormones, metabolic wastes, O2 and CO2 throughout the body to maintain
cell-level metabolism, the regulation of the pH, osmotic pressure and
temperature of the whole body, and the protection from microbial and
mechanical harms.
Study explains why adults' hearts don't regenerate. As heart cells
mature in mice, the number of communication pathways called
nuclear pores dramatically decreases, according to new research. While
this might protect the organ from damaging signals, it could also prevent
adult heart cells from regenerating, the researchers found.
New gene therapy reverses heart failure in large animal model. In a
single IV injection, a gene therapy targeting cBIN1 can reverse the
effects of heart failure and restore heart function in a large animal
model. The therapy increases the amount of blood the heart can pump and
dramatically improves survival. The researchers were focused on restoring
a critical heart protein called
cardiac bridging integrator 1. They knew that the level of cBIN1 was
lower in heart failure patients -- and that, the lower it was, the greater
the risk of severe disease.
Heart Disease -
Heart Attack (heart stops
beating)
Scientists maps molecular mechanisms crucial for new approach to heart
disease therapy. Scientists have reprogrammed ordinary cells called
fibroblasts into new and healthy heart muscle cells, and recorded changes
that appear to be necessary for this reprogramming.
Heart Disease kills more than 600,000 people each
year in the United States alone and remains the leading cause of
death for both men and women. Diseases of heart muscle are of major
importance. These include conditions caused by a restricted blood supply
to the muscle including angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, and
other heart muscle disease known as cardiomyopathies.
Myocardial Infarction
also known as a
Heart Attack, occurs when
blood flow decreases or stops to a part of the heart, causing damage to
the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort
which may travel into the shoulder, arm, back, neck or jaw. Often it
occurs in the center or left side of the chest and lasts for more than a
few minutes. The discomfort may occasionally feel like heartburn. Other
symptoms may include shortness of breath, nausea, feeling faint, a cold
sweat or feeling tired. About 30% of people have atypical symptoms. Women
more often present without chest pain and instead have neck pain, arm pain
or feel tired. Among those over 75 years old, about 5% have had an MI with
little or no history of symptoms. An MI may cause heart failure, an
irregular heartbeat, cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. Most MIs occur
due to coronary artery disease. Risk factors include high blood pressure,
smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol, poor
diet and excessive alcohol intake, among others. The complete blockage of
a coronary artery caused by a rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque is
usually the underlying mechanism of an MI. MIs are less commonly caused by
coronary artery spasms, which may be due to cocaine, significant emotional
stress and extreme cold, among others. A number of tests are useful to
help with diagnosis, including electrocardiograms (ECGs), blood tests and
coronary angiography. An ECG, which is a recording of the heart's
electrical activity, may confirm an ST elevation MI (STEMI), if ST
elevation is present. Commonly used blood tests include troponin and less
often creatine kinase MB.
Commotio Cordis is a medical condition that happens when your heart
suddenly stops beating, known as cardiac arrest. Commotio cordis is an
often lethal disruption of
heart rhythm that occurs
as a result of a blow to the area directly over the heart (the precordial
region) at a critical time during the cycle of a
heartbeat. This leads to
disrupting the normal
heart electrical activity, followed instantly by ventricular
fibrillation, complete disorganization of the heart's pumping function,
and cardiac arrest. It is not an event caused by mechanical damage to the
heart muscle or surrounding organs and is not the result of heart disease.
It usually happens when there's a serious blow or injury to the chest that
causes abnormal electrical activity in the heart. The condition is rare.
Commotio cordis occurs when you experience a trauma to your chest that can
cause additional waves of electricity to pass through the heart muscle.
The extra waves throw off your normal heart rhythm—which can be deadly.
The person will typically stumble forward for a few seconds, which is
followed by unconsciousness, no breathing, and no pulse. An AED will
indicate the athlete is in ventricular fibrillation. Resuscitation within
3 minutes resulted in a survival rate of 25% (17 of 68 cases). Survival
drops to 3% when resuscitation is delayed beyond 3 minutes. Survival of
commotio cordis has risen from 10% to 15% since 2001. Reduced ventricular
ejection fraction has been identified in some commotio cordis survivors.
Cardiac Conduction System or the
electrical conduction
system of the heart transmits the signals generated by the sinoatrial
node – the heart's pacemaker, to cause the heart muscle to
contract, and pump blood
through the body's circulatory system. The pacemaking signal travels
through the right atrium to the atrioventricular node, along the bundle of
His, and through the bundle branches to Purkinje fibers in the walls of
the ventricles. The Purkinje fibers transmit the signals more rapidly to
stimulate contraction of the ventricles. The conduction system consists of
specialized heart muscle cells, situated within the myocardium. There is a
skeleton of fibrous tissue that surrounds the
conduction system
which can be seen on an ECG. Dysfunction of the conduction system can
cause irregular heart rhythms including rhythms that are too fast or too
slow. The sinus node generates an electrical stimulus regularly,
60 to 100 times per minute under normal conditions.
Sinoatrial Node is an oval shaped region of special cardiac muscle in
the upper back wall of the right atrium made up of cells known as
pacemaker cells. The sinus node is approximately fifteen mm long,
three mm wide, and one mm thick, located directly below and to the side of
the superior vena cava. These cells can produce an electrical impulse an
action potential known as a cardiac action potential that travels through
the electrical conduction system of the heart, causing it to
contract. In a healthy
heart, the SA node continuously produces action potentials, setting the
rhythm of the heart or sinus rhythm, and
so is known as the
heart's natural pacemaker.
The rate of
action
potentials produced or the heart rate is influenced by the nerves that
supply it. The atria are then activated. The electrical stimulus travels
down through the conduction pathways and causes the heart's ventricles to
contract and pump out
blood.
Cardiac Action Potential is a brief change in voltage or membrane
potential across the cell membrane of heart cells. This is caused by the
movement of charged atoms called ions between the inside and outside of
the cell, through proteins called ion channels. The cardiac action
potential differs from action potentials found in other types of
electrically excitable cells, such as nerves. Action potentials also vary
within the heart; this is due to the presence of different ion channels in
different cells.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of a Heart Attack -
Heart Attack Quiz
-
Stress -
Emotions
Heart toggles between maintenance and energy-boost mode using ribosomes.
New mechanism found which can be exploited to prevent or heal damage to
the heart. Researchers reveal that
cardiomyocytes and skeletal muscle cells replace their existing stock
of
ribosomes with a different type which can make physical contact with
mitochondria, the batteries
of the cells, and significantly boost the production of
ATP. In the heart, the natural mechanism
is triggered in response to myocardial infarction, as well as cardiac
hypertrophy. The findings establish ribosomes as a new frontier for
therapeutic strategies that prevent or heal damage to the heart. The study
provides some clues for why the heart and muscle use RPL3L for ribosomes
in the first place. The researchers found that RPL3L is only present in
the ribosomes of adult cardiomyocytes, while fetal tissues exclusively use
RPL3. At the same time, mice lacking RPL3L had lower lean muscle mass at
55-weeks old compared to mice with RPL3L.
How the Heart Works 3D Video (youtube)
Heart Intelligence (video)
The human heart may have a hidden ability to repair itself. After
severe heart failure, the ability of the heart to heal by forming new
cells is very low. However, after receiving treatment with a supportive
heart pump, the capacity of a damaged heart to repair itself with new
muscle cells becomes significantly higher, even higher than in a healthy
heart.
How Low Oxygen Levels in the Heart predispose people to Cardiac
Arrhythmias. Research shows that within seconds, at low levels of
oxygen (hypoxia), a protein called small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is
linked to the inside of the sodium channels which are responsible for
starting each heartbeat. And, while SUMOylated channels open as they
should to start the heartbeat, they re-open when they should be closed.
The result is abnormal sodium currents that predispose to dangerous
cardiac rhythms. Every heartbeat begins when sodium channels open and ions
to rush into heart cells -- this starts the action potential that causes
the heart muscle to contract. When functioning normally, the sodium
channels close quickly after opening and stay closed. Thereafter,
potassium channels open, ions leave the heart cells, and the action
potential ends in a timely fashion, so the muscle can relax in preparation
for the next beat. If sodium channels re-open and produce late sodium
currents, as observed in this study with low oxygen levels, the action
potential is prolonged and new electrical activity can begin before the
heart has recovered risking dangerous, disorganized rhythms. This new
research shows how rapid SUMOylation of cell surface cardiac sodium
channels causes late sodium current in response to hypoxia, a challenge
that confronts many people with heart disease.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (British Heart Foundation)
New drug for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy reduces heart mass. A
medication has impacted heart muscle thickness and function for patients
with the most common inherited heart condition,
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, rather than simply addressing their
symptoms. The medication works by blocking a protein called myosin from
interacting too much with other
motor
proteins, which then allows the heart muscle to squeeze and relax more
normally. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease in which the
heart muscle becomes abnormally thick (hypertrophied). The thickened heart
muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood. In HCM, the motor
proteins interact with each other too much, causing over-vigorous squeeze
of the muscle and causing stiffness of the muscle.
American Heart Association
Hydrogel to Repair Heart. Injectable hydrogel that aims to repair
damage and restore cardiac function in heart failure patients who
previously suffered a heart attack.
VentriGel
hydrogel made from the natural scaffolding of cardiac muscle tissue, also
known as extracellular matrix, or ECM. There are an
estimated 785,000 new heart attack cases in the
United States each year, with no established treatment for
repairing the resulting damage to cardiac tissue.
Cardiovascular Diseases killed 17.5 Million People in 2012
The incidence of
coronary heart disease in the U.S. declined nearly 20 percent from
1983 to 2011, mostly because people are
eating better,
exercising and avoiding
toxins.
Unhealthy diets linked to more than 400,000 cardiovascular deaths.
Carotid Artery Stenosis is the
narrowing of the blood vessels in the neck that carry blood from the
heart
to the brain. Carotid artery stenosis can be caused by
cholesterol
build-up in the blood vessels (atherosclerosis). Blood clots can form
in this area and travel up to the brain.
Endothelium.
Peripheral Artery Disease refers to diseases of the blood vessels
located outside the heart and brain. They are most often caused by a
buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. PAD is also known as peripheral
arterial disease or peripheral vascular disease (which includes both
arteries and veins). Peripheral vascular disease is a sign of
fatty deposits and
calcium building up in the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
Risk factors include aging, diabetes, and smoking. Symptoms may include
leg pain, particularly when walking. Tobacco cessation, exercise, and a
healthy diet are often successful treatments. When these changes aren't
enough, medications or surgery can help.
Dietary supplement shows promise for reversing cardiovascular aging. A
novel nutraceutical called
nicotinomide riboside has been found to kick-start the same biological
pathways as
calorie
restriction does, and boost arterial health in people with mild
hypertension.
Cardiomyopathy
is a group of diseases that affect the
heart muscle. Early on there may be
few or no symptoms. Others may have shortness of breath, feel tired, or
have swelling of the legs due to heart failure. An irregular heart beat
may occur as well as fainting. Those affected are at an increased risk of
sudden cardiac death.
Heart Disease -
Videos (youtube) -
Heart Disease Symptoms (webMd)
Researchers find new strategy for preventing clogged arteries. Revving
up a process that slows down as we age may protect against
atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes. Scientists
have successfully minimized artery-narrowing plaque in mice that would
otherwise develop those lesions. The researchers did so by boosting
chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), a cellular housekeeping process.
"I will give you a new
heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of
stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel
36:26 (wiki).
Causes -
The Food you Eat can Kill you
-
VitalsHeart Failure
afflicts 5.7
Million Americans, Costs the Country $30.7 Billion Every Year.
Study finds high prevalence of hidden brain changes in people with heart
disease. Detection through imaging could help guide safer
individualized treatment choices. A new analysis involving over 13,000
people has found changes to blood vessels in the brain that can increase
the risk of stroke and dementia are common in people with a range of heart
conditions, regardless of whether they have experienced a stroke.
Scientists create Heart Cells better, faster and stronger.
GATA4 is
a
protein that in humans is encoded by the GATA4 gene.
MEF2C
also known as MADS box transcription enhancer factor 2, polypeptide C is a
protein that in humans is encoded by the MEF2C gene. MEF2C is a
transcription factor in the Mef2 family.
TBX5
(gene) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TBX5 gene.
People with rare longevity mutation may also be protected from
cardiovascular disease. Patients with g
rowth
hormone receptor deficiency, or
Laron syndrome, appear to have lower than average risk factors for
cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
Using stem cell-derived heart muscle cells to advance heart regenerative
therapy. Regenerative heart therapies involve transplanting cardiac
muscle cells into damaged areas of the heart to recover lost function.
However, the risk of arrhythmias following this procedure is reportedly
high. In a recent study, researchers tested a novel approach that involves
injecting 'cardiac spheroids,' cultured from human stem cells, directly
into damaged ventricles. The highly positive outcomes observed in primate
models highlight the potential of this strategy.
Solving the riddle of the sphingolipids in coronary artery disease.
Investigators have uncovered a way to unleash in blood vessels the
protective effects of a type of fat-related molecule known as a
sphingolipid,
suggesting a promising new strategy for the treatment of coronary artery
disease.
Targeting the microenvironment rather than a specific cell type could be
the key to healing injured hearts. The potential for developing novel
therapies that leverage the body's innate regenerative capacity holds
great promise for millions of individuals affected by heart disease
worldwide. While current treatments focus on alleviating symptoms and
improving blood flow, they fall short of addressing the crucial issue of
lost
cardiomyocytes, leading to further complications such as heart
failure. Contrary to longstanding beliefs, the study reveals that
regeneration of CMs requires a complex microenvironment, where a dynamic
synergy between CMs, resident immune cells, and cardiac fibroblasts is the
driving force behind cardiac renewal. Through intricate signaling
mechanisms, these cell types coordinately instruct and support each other,
facilitating CM proliferation and effectively repairing damaged heart
tissue.
Cardiac Muscle Cells or cardiomyocytes are striated, branched, contain
many mitochondria, and are under involuntary control. Each myocyte
contains a single, centrally located nucleus surrounded by a cell membrane
known as the sarcolemma.
Biochemistry researchers repair and regenerate heart muscle cells.
Discovery has potential to become 'powerful clinical strategy' for
treating heart disease. Researchers are reporting new technology that not
only repairs heart muscle cells in mice but also regenerates them
following a heart attack, or myocardial infarction as its medically known.
Heart Rate - Pulse
Heart Sounds are the noises generated by the beating
heart
and the resultant flow of blood through it. Specifically, the sounds
reflect the turbulence created when the heart valves snap shut. In cardiac
auscultation, an examiner may use a stethoscope to listen for these unique
and distinct sounds that provide important auditory data regarding the condition of the heart.
Vitals -
Heart Rhythm
Stethoscope
is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or
listening to
the internal sounds of an animal or human body. It typically has a small
disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the chest, and two tubes
connected to earpieces. It is often used to listen to lung and heart
sounds. It is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries
and veins. In combination with a sphygmomanometer, it is commonly used for
measurements of blood pressure. Less commonly, "mechanic's stethoscopes"
are used to listen to internal sounds made by machines, such as diagnosing
a malfunctioning automobile engine by listening to the sounds of its
internal parts. Stethoscopes can also be used to check scientific vacuum
chambers for leaks, and for various other small-scale acoustic monitoring
tasks. A stethoscope that intensifies auscultatory sounds is called
phonendoscope.
Heart Rate
is the speed of the heartbeat measured by the number of contractions of
the heart per minute (bpm). The heart rate can vary according to the
body's
physical needs, including the need to absorb oxygen and excrete
carbon dioxide. It is usually equal or close to the pulse measured at any
peripheral point. Activities that can provoke change include
physical
exercise, sleep, anxiety, stress, illness, and ingestion of drugs.
Breathing.
Heart Rate Variability is the physiological phenomenon of
variation in the time interval between heartbeats. It is measured by the
variation in the beat-to-beat interval.
When a
nerve or muscle cell is at "rest", its membrane potential is called the
resting membrane potential. In a typical neuron, this is about –70
millivolts (mV). The minus sign indicates that the inside of the cell is
negative with respect to the surrounding extracellular fluid.
Supraventricular Tachycardia is an
abnormally
fast heart rhythm arising from improper electrical activity in the
upper part of the heart. There are four main types: atrial fibrillation,
paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), atrial flutter, and
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. Symptoms may include palpitations, feeling
faint, sweating, shortness of breath, or chest pain. They start from
either the atria or atrioventricular node. They are generally due to one
of two mechanisms: re-entry or increased automaticity. The other type of
fast heart rhythm is ventricular arrhythmias—rapid rhythms that start
within the ventricle. Diagnosis is typically by electrocardiogram (ECG),
holter monitor, or event monitor. Blood tests may be done to rule out
specific underlying causes such as hyperthyroidism or electrolyte
abnormalities.
Tachycardia is the
medical term for a heart rate over 100 beats per minute.
A fast heart rate.Bradycardia is a
heart rate that's
too slow.
What's considered too slow can depend on your age and physical condition.
Elderly people, for example, are more prone to bradycardia. In general,
for adults, a
resting heart rate of
fewer than 60 beats per minute (BPM)
qualifies as bradycardia. Slower-than-expected heart rate, generally
beating fewer than 60 beats per minute. Bradycardia can be a serious
problem if the heart doesn't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body.
Pulse represents the
tactile arterial palpation of the
heartbeat by trained fingertips.
Pulsating is characterized by a strong
regular rhythm; throbbing. Very exciting.
Normal Resting Heart Rate for
adults over the age of 10 years, including older adults,
is
between 60 and
100 beats per minute (bpm). Highly trained athletes may have a resting
heart rate from 60 bpm to 40 beats per minute. The resting heart rate
can vary within this normal range. The heart speeds up and slows down to
accommodate your
changing need for oxygen. What is a
"normal"
heart rate varies from person to person.
However, an unusually high resting heart rate or low maximum heart rate
may signify an
increased risk of heart attack and death.
The rate at which your heart is beating when it is working its hardest to
meet your
body's oxygen needs is your maximum heart rate. Your maximum
heart rate plays a major role in setting your aerobic capacity—the amount
of oxygen you are able to consume. A bigger, more powerful heart
compensates for a slower speed by moving more blood with each stroke. Some
medications—particularly beta blockers—can lower your heart rate.
Physical activity and resting pulse rate in older adults: findings from a
randomized controlled trial. Elevated resting pulse rate (RPR) is a
well-recognized risk factor for adverse outcomes. Generally, a lower heart
rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better
cardiovascular fitness.
Athlete's Resting Heart
Rate may be considered low when compared to the general population. A
young, healthy athlete may have a heart rate of
30 to 40 bpm. This means
the heart beats fewer times per minute than it would in a nonathlete. When
running, you should
train at 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. If you're 20 years
old you should have around 100-170 beats per minute (bpm) as your Target
HR Zone of 50-85% when running. Your max heart rate should be 200 bpm. If
you're 40 years old, 90-153 bpm on average and 180 bpm maximum. 70 years
old, 75-128 bpm and 150 bpm max heart rate.
Athletic Heart Syndrome is a non-pathological condition commonly seen
in sports medicine in which the human heart is enlarged, and the
resting heart rate is
lower than normal. The athlete's heart is associated with
physiological remodeling as a consequence of repetitive cardiac loading.
Athlete's heart is common in athletes who routinely exercise more than an
hour a day, and occurs primarily in endurance athletes, though it can
occasionally arise in heavy weight trainers. The condition is generally
considered benign, but may occasionally hide a serious medical condition,
or may even be mistaken for one.
Electrocardiography is the process of
recording the electrical
activity of the heart over a period of time using electrodes placed on the
skin. These electrodes detect the tiny electrical changes on the skin that
arise from the heart muscle's electrophysiologic pattern of depolarizing
and repolarizing during each heartbeat. It is a very commonly performed
cardiology test. In a conventional 12-lead ECG, 10 electrodes are placed
on the patient's limbs and on the surface of the chest. The overall
magnitude of the heart's electrical potential is then measured from 12
different angles ("leads") and is recorded over a period of time (usually
10 seconds). In this way, the overall magnitude and direction of the
heart's electrical depolarization is captured at each moment throughout
the cardiac cycle. The graph of voltage versus time produced by this
noninvasive medical procedure is referred to as an electrocardiogram.
During each heartbeat, a healthy heart has an orderly progression of
depolarization that starts with pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node,
spreads out through the atrium, passes through the atrioventricular node
down into the bundle of His and into the Purkinje fibers, spreading down
and to the left throughout the ventricles. This orderly pattern of
depolarization gives rise to the characteristic ECG tracing. To the
trained clinician, an ECG conveys a large amount of information about the
structure of the heart and the function of its electrical conduction
system. Among other things, an ECG can be used to measure the rate and
rhythm of heartbeats, the size and position of the heart chambers, the
presence of any damage to the heart's muscle cells or conduction system,
the effects of cardiac drugs, and the function of implanted pacemakers.
Ventricular Fibrillation is
when the
heart quivers instead of pumps due to disorganized electrical
activity in the ventricles. It results in cardiac arrest with loss of
consciousness and no pulse. This is followed by irreversible death without
treatment. Ventricular fibrillation is found initially in about 10% of
people in cardiac arrest.
Arrhythmia is a
problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. It
means that your heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular
pattern. When the heart beats faster than normal, it is called
tachycardia.
Cardiac Arrhythmia Irregular Heartbeat the
heartbeat is
irregular, too fast, or too slow. A heart rate that is too fast – above
100 beats per minute in adults is called
tachycardia and a heart rate that is too slow – below 60 beats per
minute – is called
bradycardia.
Brugada syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening inherited
disease that predisposes patients to fatal cardiac arrhythmias. A genetic
disorder in which the electrical activity of the heart is abnormal due to
channelopathy.
Channelopathies are a group of diseases caused by the dysfunction of
ion channel subunits or their interacting proteins. These diseases can be
inherited or acquired by other disorders, drugs, or toxins. Mutations in
genes encoding ion channels, which impair channel function, are the most
common cause of channelopathies.
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac
dysrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (VF) and non-perfusing
ventricular tachycardia (VT).
Defibrillator delivers a dose of electric
current (often called a countershock) to the heart.
LED Lamp Automatically Resets Racing Heart with a Bioelectronic
Defibrillator that detects fast arrhythmias in the atrium of a rat’s
heart and sends a signal to an LED device placed near the heart. “The
flash of light from this LED then causes the heart to generate an electric
current itself to halt the arrhythmia. This is made possible by using gene
therapy to introduce specific light-sensitive proteins into the heart.
This restores the heart’s normal rhythm immediately and automatically.
Palpitations is a perceived abnormality of the heartbeat
characterized by awareness of heart muscle contractions in the chest: hard
beats, fast beats, irregular beats, and/or pauses.
Heart Attack.
Murmur are heart sounds produced when blood flows across one
of the heart valves that is loud enough to be heard with a stethoscope.
Types of murmurs are due to structural defects in the heart itself.
Heart Rate Monitors for Home
use
Researchers develop ‘living diode’ using cardiac muscle cells and cardiac fibroblasts – cells found in connective
heart tissue – researchers at the
University of Notre Dame have created a “living diode,” which can be
used for cell-based information processing.
Engineers harvest heart's energy to power life-saving devices. Harnessing
the heartbeat to charge batteries.
Marfan Syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. The
degree to which people are affected varies. People with Marfan tend to
be tall, and thin, with long arms, legs, fingers and toes. They also
typically have flexible joints and scoliosis. The most serious
complications involve the heart and aorta with an increased risk of mitral
valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm. Other commonly affected areas include
the lungs, eyes, bones and the covering of the spinal cord.
The Heart-Brain Connection -
PDF -
emWave
A new way to Heal Hearts without surgery: Franz Freudenthal (video and
interactive text)
Obesity
-
Diabetes -
Patient Records
-
Broken Heart (feelings)
Valsalva Maneuver is a
breathing method that may slow your heart when
it's beating too fast. To do it, you breathe out strongly through your
mouth while holding your nose tightly closed. or pinching one's nose shut
while expelling air out the mouth as if blowing up a balloon. This creates
a forceful strain that can trigger your heart to react and go back into
normal rhythm. Variations of the maneuver can be used either in medical
examination as a test of cardiac function and autonomic nervous control of
the heart, or to clear the ears and sinuses (that is, to equalize pressure
between them) when ambient pressure changes, as in diving, hyperbaric
oxygen therapy, or air travel. A modified version is done by expiring
against a closed
glottis,
which is the opening between the vocal folds or the rima glottidis. The
glottis is crucial in producing vowels and voiced consonants.
Vagal Maneuver is an action used to slow down the heart rate by
stimulating the
vagus
nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous
system and helps regulate many critical aspects of human physiology,
including heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and digestion. Stimulation
of the nerve releases acetylcholine, which slows the pulse. Simple
maneuvers may include holding the breath, coughing, and cold water applied
to the face. Over-stimulation of the vagus nerve, however, can cause fainting.
Carotid Sinus Massage is a
simple bedside maneuver that helps to clarify the type and sometimes also
the mechanism of different rhythm disturbances. The major indication for
carotid sinus massage is the dlagnosis of tachyarrhythmias in which the
atrial activity is either absent or intermittently present. This technique
is performed with the patient's neck in an extended position, the head
turned away from the side being massaged. Only one side should be massaged
at a time. Pressure is applied underneath the angle of the jaw in a gentle
circular motion for about 10 seconds.
Carotid Sinus is a dilated area at the base of the internal carotid
artery just superior to the bifurcation of the internal carotid and
external carotid at the level of the superior border of thyroid cartilage.
The carotid sinus extends from the bifurcation to the "true" internal
carotid artery. The carotid sinus is sensitive to pressure changes in the
arterial blood at this level. It is the major baroreception site in humans
and most mammals.
Diving Reflex is triggered specifically by chilling and wetting the
nostrils and face while breath-holding, and is sustained via neural
processing originating in the carotid chemoreceptors. Or putting your face
into a bucket of cold water. The most noticeable effects are on the
cardiovascular system, which displays peripheral vasoconstriction, slowed
heart rate, redirection of blood to the vital organs to conserve oxygen,
release of red blood cells stored in the spleen, and, in humans, heart
rhythm irregularities. Although aquatic animals have evolved profound
physiological adaptations to conserve oxygen during submersion, the apnea
and its duration, bradycardia, vasoconstriction, and redistribution of
cardiac output occur also in terrestrial animals as a neural response, but
the effects are more profound in natural divers. The diving reflex is also
known as the diving response and mammalian diving reflex, is a set of
physiological responses to immersion that overrides the basic homeostatic
reflexes, and is found in all air-breathing vertebrates studied to date.
It optimizes respiration by preferentially distributing oxygen stores to
the heart and brain, enabling submersion for an extended time. The diving
reflex is exhibited strongly in aquatic mammals, such as seals, otters,
dolphins, and muskrats, and exists as a lesser response in other animals,
including adult humans, babies up to 6 months old (see infant swimming),
and diving birds, such as ducks and penguins.
A beating biorobotic heart aims to better simulate valves. Combining a
biological heart and a silicone robotic pump, researchers created a
biorobotic heart that
beats like a real one, with a
focus on a valve on the left side of the heart. The heart valve simulator
can mimic the structure, function, and motion of a healthy or diseased
heart, allowing surgeons and researchers to demonstrate various
interventions while collecting real-time data. The researchers focused on
mitral regurgitation, a disorder in which the valve between the left heart
chambers doesn't close properly -- resulting in a leaky heart valve where
blood can flow backwards. This condition, affecting about 24.2 million
people worldwide, can cause shortness of breath, swelling in the limbs,
and heart failure.