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Showing posts from May, 2019
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What is Abdominal Pain? The abdomen is an anatomical area that is bounded by the lower margin of the ribs and diaphragm above, the pelvic bone (pubic ramus) below, and the flanks on each side. Although abdominal pain can arise from the tissues of the abdominal wall that surround the abdominal cavity (such as the skin and abdominal wall muscles), the term abdominal pain generally is used to describe pain originating from organs within the abdominal cavity. The abdominal area includes organs such as the stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and pancreas. Abdominal pain can range in intensity from a mild stomach ache to severe acute pain. The pain is often nonspecific and can be caused by a variety of conditions. What Causes Abdominal Pain? Abdominal pain is caused by inflammation (for example,  appendicitis ,  diverticulitis , colitis), by stretching or distention of an organ (for example, obstruction of the intestine, blockage of a bile d

What causes abdominal pain?

What causes abdominal pain? There are many different causes of abdominal pain. Some cause short-term pain, some cause long-term pain or pain that comes and goes (recurring pain) and others cause sudden and severe pain. Short-term abdominal pain Among the most common causes of stomach cramps are trapped wind and bloating, which can be embarrassing, but are easily dealt with. Your chemist can recommend a product, such as charcoal tablets, which can be bought over the counter to relieve the wind. If your stomach cramps are accompanied by  diarrhoea, the cause is probably  gastroenteritis. This is a viral or bacterial infection of the stomach and bowel , which your immune system will usually fight off after a few days. Severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea that make you feel very ill (for example, causing chills or a fever) could be due to a more serious infection, such as food poisoning. This also usually gets better on its own without treatment. Long-term or r

Managing Chronic Pain

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Managing Chronic Pain                                                         1. Practice meditation or deep controlled breathing to aid relaxation By focusing on natural breath and avoiding negative or detrimental thoughts, you can guide your body to a state of relaxation. 2. Ease stress in your daily life                                   Undesirable feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, and stress can escalate the body's pain response. By discovering new ways to better manage stress, you may experience some relief from chronic pain symptoms. 3. Find a support group you enjoy                                                Engaging with other people who have chronic pain may help provide psychological relief and perhaps even introduce you to new coping methods or treatment options available to you. 4. Exercise to release natural endorphins                                         Endorphins are brain chemicals th

Meeting the Challenges of Acute Pain Management: Medication Choices for Acute Pain

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                                         Acute Pain Management                                                  Medication choices for pain should reflect the reported intensity of the pain and any confounding factors, such as comorbidities and other medications being used concurrently, such as sedatives, sleeping pills, and antiemetics -- which can have a contributory sedating effect when used with opioids. The World Health Organization (WHO) Ladder is one of the best methods of selecting an appropriate medication on the basis of severity of the pain; this is a stepwise approach that can provide direction for prescribers when choosing a medication for the patient's pain intensity:                                     Step 1. Pain Intensity 1-3, Mild Pain Acetaminophen -- daily limit, 4000 mg; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); both cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 (celecoxib); and nonselective NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and ketorolac; and Adjuvant medications,

Hidden Causes of Depression

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Hidden Causes of Depression 1. Bad diet:                                          1)I don’t think people truly understand the   impact of what they eat on their mood .   2)Processed foods, hydrogenated oils, sugar, and lots of bread and cracker-like snacks can certainly contribute to symptoms of depression and anxiety.  3)For optimal mental health, I advise my patients to eat a clean, Paleo (also called primal or ancestral) diet: eating whole or nutrient-dense foods, and avoiding refined sugar, gluten, pasteurized dairy products, and processed factory foods like Fritos and Oreos. I also recommend taking fish oil supplements, vitamins B-12 and D, a multi-vitamin, and a multi-mineral. 2. Leaky gut:                                     1)Leaky gut is clinically known as increased intestinal permeability or hyperpermeability, a condition in which food is allowed to pass through the small intestinal lining.  2)Substances leak into the bloodstream t

Sunburn: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

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Sunburn : Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Though sunburn is often laughed off as a side effect of a leisurely visit to the beach or the pool, it can be quite serious. In the United States, over 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer are treated each year and 90 percent of these cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, according to the  Skin Cancer Foundation.  Causes = Sunburns all start with melanin and UV rays. The UV rays found in sunlight and tanning beds damage the skin by damaging the DNA inside of cells. Once the DNA is damaged, the cell usually dies. Melanin is the skin's defense against this damage. When the skin is exposed to the sun, it makes more melanin to protect the skin's lower layers from damage. As the skin becomes damaged, it produces even more melanin. The extra melanin causes some people to become a darker color, or tan. Other people turn red, which is a sign of a sunburn. The redness o