Kratom: Fear-worthy foliage or beneficial botanical?
Depending on what you read, kratom is a dangerous, addictive drug with no medical utility and severe side effects, including overdose and death, or it is an accessible pathway out of undertreated chronic pain and opiate withdrawal. How can the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), medical professionals, and millions of regular kratom users have such divergent views of the same plant?
What is kratom?
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical tree from the coffee family native to Southeast Asia, with properties that range from stimulant-like, energizing and uplifting, to opiate-like, causing drowsiness and euphoria. Kratom has d...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - August 7, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Peter Grinspoon, MD Tags: Addiction Pain Management Vitamins and supplements Source Type: blogs
Possible Way to Avoid Some Unnecessary Visits to Emergency Departments
I recently encountered an article that quantifies the resources expended by unnecessary patient visits to emergency departments (EDs) (see:Diverting avoidable emergency department visits could save healthcare $32 billion annually). Many such visits could have achieved the same results and less expensively in a physician's office. Below is an excerpt from the article:Diverting avoidable emergency department visits could save healthcare $32 billion annually. Primary care services rendered by hospital EDs come with substantially higher price tags than in primary care settings. Avoidable visits to emergency departmen...
Source: Lab Soft News - August 5, 2019 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Cost of Healthcare Diagnostics Healthcare Information Technology Healthcare Innovations Hospital Financial Medical Consumerism Medical Education Preventive Medicine Public Health Quality of Care Source Type: blogs
10 Health Benefits you should know about Himalayan Salt Lamps
You're reading 10 Health Benefits you should know about Himalayan Salt Lamps, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Natural
Saltlampsare made up of pink crystalline salt naturally coming from the
Himalayan Mountains. Himalayan ranges are a true source of pink crystalline
salt with an orange hue touch naturally.
These
salt crystals are mined first then a hole is dug out to fit in a bulb.
Himalayan Illuminated salt devices are not only night bulbs in your room they
can also be placed for decoration purpose an...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - July 27, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Hassanbukhary Tags: health and fitness Himalayan salt lamps Natural salt lamps Source Type: blogs
4 behavioral changes to tame urinary incontinence
Although urinary incontinence is not a life-threatening medical condition, it can significantly affect quality of life. When urinary incontinence becomes bothersome, people often stop traveling, exercising, visiting family and friends — in short, people stop doing the activities they enjoy.
Surprisingly, approximately 70% of urinary incontinence can be significantly improved just by changing behavioral habits. This is called behavioral therapy. In a recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, behavioral therapy, either alone or in combination with medication therapy, was more effective than medication treatmen...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - July 10, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: May Wakamatsu, MD Tags: Health Healthy Aging Incontinence Women's Health Source Type: blogs
Thunderclap headache: The “worst headache of my life”
Not all headache disorders are the same. An excruciating, sudden-onset headache known as thunderclap headache (TCH) is a medical emergency, very different from more common headache disorders such as migraine and tension headache. If you develop TCH, you should call 911 or immediately go to the closest hospital.
TCH is associated with a variety of causes, ranging from benign to potentially fatal. Urgent evaluation in an emergency setting is needed to quickly identify and treat any underlying condition.
Diagnosing and treating secondary thunderclap headache
When you arrive at the hospital, the medical team will want to confi...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 25, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Aneesh Singhal, MD Tags: Headache Health Source Type: blogs
Segmental bronchial atresia-Case Report
Discussion –- Bronchial atresia usually is benign and asymptomatic and is incidental finding& clinical manifestations may range from recurrent pulmonary infections to mild wheezing and dyspnea. Bronchial atresia is a congenital abnormality resulting from focal interruption of a lobar, segmental, or subsegmental bronchus with associated peripheral mucus impaction (bronchocele, mucocele) and associated hyperinflation of the obstructed lung segment. The apicoposterior segmental bronchus of the left upper lobe is most common site to be involved, followed by segmental bronchi ...
Source: Sumer's Radiology Site - June 21, 2019 Category: Radiology Authors: Sumer Sethi Source Type: blogs
Ultrasound Case 097
Dr James Rippey Ultrasound Case 097
A 47 year old previously healthy man presents with sore throat / neck, dry cough and shortness of breath for 2 weeks. This had not improved despite inhalers and a course of antibiotics. He also describes widespread aches and pains including in both calves. There is some swelling in his right lower neck and you wonder whether it is lymphadenopathy, an abscess or something else. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane)
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - June 16, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Dr James Rippey Tags: TOP 100 Ultrasound André Lemierre André-Alfred Lemierre Armand Trousseau Fusobacterium necrophorum gastric malignancy Lemierre syndrome reniform Top 100 ultrasounds Trousseau syndrome visceral malignancy Source Type: blogs
Why IVF embryos don't fall out after the transfer.
One of the biggest worries IVF patients have is that the embryos whichare transferred into their uterus artificially after an embryo transfer will fall out , in case they cough , or sneeze or strain or lift weights.This is a myth.Remember that once an embryo is inside the uterus , it's safe ! It's like a pearl in an oyster , and the embryo really doesn't care how it got into the uterus - whether it spends five days in the IVF clinic's test tube, or five days in your fallopian tube.Once it's in the uterus , it's in its natural environment, just like any other natural pregnancy.Please remem...
Source: Dr.Malpani's Blog - June 4, 2019 Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: blogs
The Brain Stage: The Power & Promise of The Cephalic Phase for Health
Listen to the Podcast or Read the Transcript
[00:00:03] Hi I’m Dr. Alan Greene pediatrician and I’d like to talk with you tonight about The Brain Stage.
[00:00:10] I remember vividly when I was a pediatric resident in training go to a Grand Rounds about a surprising topic.
[00:00:18] The function of the brain and the function of the skin and one of the things that dermatologists talked about was a common procedure freezing warts. Freezing warts was then, and is still, one of the most common ways to get rid of warts. What she talked about was how wildly different the results were in different studies. People use...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 23, 2019 Category: Child Development Authors: Dr. Alan Greene Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Uncategorized Cephalic Phase Placebo The Brain Stage Source Type: blogs
The Brain Stage: The Power & Promise of The Cephalic Phase for Health
Listen to the Podcast or Read the Transcript
[00:00:03] Hi I’m Dr. Alan Greene pediatrician and I’d like to talk with you tonight about The Brain Stage.
[00:00:10] I remember vividly when I was a pediatric resident in training go to a Grand Rounds about a surprising topic.
[00:00:18] The function of the brain and the function of the skin and one of the things that dermatologists talked about was a common procedure freezing warts. Freezing warts was then, and is still, one of the most common ways to get rid of warts. What she talked about was how wildly different the results were in different studies. Peo...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 23, 2019 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Uncategorized Cephalic Phase Placebo The Brain Stage Source Type: blogs
Millions Take Gabapentin for Pain. But There ’s Scant Evidence It Works. - The New York Times
One of the most widely prescribed prescription drugs, gabapentin, is being taken by millions of patients despite little or no evidence that it can relieve their pain.In 2006, I wrote about gabapentin after discovering accidentally that it could counter hot flashes.The drug was initially approved 25 years ago to treat seizure disorders, but it is now commonly prescribed off-label to treat all kinds of pain, acute and chronic, in addition to hot flashes, chronic cough and a host of other medical problems.The F.D.A. approves a drug for specific uses and doses if the company demonstrates it is safe and effective for its intend...
Source: Psychology of Pain - May 22, 2019 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: blogs
Why Measles Making the News Is a Sign of Progress
A set of measles outbreaks in Washington state, New York City, and elsewhere, is making national headlines and frightening parents around the United States. Counter-intuitively, measles making the news is a sign of progress. Not long ago, measles was so common that it was simply not newsworthy. Suffer ing from the extremely infectious disease, which causes spotty rashes and a hacking cough, was widespread and often deadly.It was once the case that even royalty fell victim to diseases now easily preventable with routine shots given during childhood. Measles killed the un-vaccinated King Kamehameha II of Hawaii, a...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - May 15, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: Chelsea Follett Source Type: blogs
Potassium and Magnesium: how low is too low?
Conclusion: Adverse events in patients with hypoK were rare and not directly related to the K level. But just one case of death is enough to affect patient management.Case continued:The patient felt better after treatment, including K supplementation, and wanted to go home. She was told that this was a very bad idea and that she could die.Shortly thereafter, she became unresponsive and was found to be in ventricular fibrillation.She was defibrillated.All serial troponins were negative.Learning Point:Hypokalemia with associated ECG abnormalities is very dangerous.Here is a previous case of ventricular fibri...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - May 14, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
How Could Digital Tools Help Fight Against Anti-Vaccination?
Anti-vaccination movements lure increasingly more people into skipping potentially life-saving immunization against infectious diseases, such as measles, mumps, or rubella, highly impairing herd immunity for entire communities. Social media platforms could restrict the reach of anti-vax messages, groups, and activities, with algorithms recommending tailor-made content and health apps providing information about vaccinations. Here’s our collection of the most recent steps and digital tools supporting the fight against anti-vaccination and its believers.
300 percent increase in measles globally
In a widely shared soc...
Source: The Medical Futurist - May 8, 2019 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Empowered Patients Future of Medicine anti-vaccination anti-vax anti-vaxxer digital disease disease outbreak facebook figth Health Healthcare infection Innovation measles movement social media technology Source Type: blogs
Post #45 How to be Optimally Measles Immunized
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes – the kicker is this can happen 2 hours AFTER said person has left the room. Measles starts with a fever; soon after, it causes a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Then a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out which starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.It is important to recognize that fever and rash are extremely common in children and the vast majority of fever/rash cases will not be Measles.Unless you are reading about local cases of Measles in the news – it is highly impro...
Source: A Pediatrician's Blog - April 30, 2019 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: blogs
