Archive for December, 2011
Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases continue to plague the world’s population. Whether it’s the emergence of a new disease or the recurrence of an old one, it is something that health organizations worldwide must keep track of. For example, consider the avian flu virus that frightened Hong Kong and killed people before it was brought under control. On top of this, a new strain of AIDS was found that has been known to have sickened and killed thousands of people for over 2 decades before AIDS became the worldwide epidemic that it is today. The frequent migration of people and the ease of travel have also led to the easy transmission of diseases from one continent to another.
Infectious diseases don’t care what you look like, nor how much money you make. They infect young and old alike. Infectious diseases create a problem financially, because they become a strain on the health care system when it comes time to treat each patient. Just take a look at what is emerging on the worldwide stage: Hong Kong is reporting the discovery of a new influenza virus. A new virus recently emerged in the UK after someone ate beef possibly tainted with Mad Cow Disease. A brand new drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis was found in HIV patients. The list goes on and on. It has been discovered that a person’s resistance to infection is hereditary, in part.
Emerging threats, new technology, and new science has been released in the recent years, and we need to update our methods to account for this. The new innovations in technology alone are making it easier to track, find, and attempt to get rid of the causes of infections and outbreaks. The U.S. becoming more of a managed care-oriented country, and because of this, these facilities can offer deeper research than the usual hospital. This can often lead to better innovations.
The goal when it comes to infectious diseases needs to be four-fold. First, we must expand the network of health departments, and those departments need to share information with each other regularly. It’s important that health organizations share notes about each other’s progress, research, and challenges. Secondly, we need to smartly identify the risk factors that each emerging diseases and respond in kind to them. Third, training must be provided in infectious disease epidemiology throughout the world. Poorer nations without the access to this type of education will greatly benefit. Finally, global awareness cannot be stressed enough. A commitment to supporting and promoting disease control must be part of any infectious disease prevention program–whether the disease is old or brand new.
Alternatives in Cardiology for Treating Blood Pressure
High Blood can remain undetected because of the few noticeable symptoms that it has and can continue to harm the body from the inside. Proper medical treatment is highly necessary. The good thing is that there are lots of alternative treatments that are available.
Nowadays many people prefer opting for alternative treatments because unlike regular medicines, these treatments are free from any kind of side effects. We will now look into few of the viable substitutes of medical treatment.
• Minerals like magnesium, potassium and folic acid are really helpful in lowering your pressure. These minerals are easily available from leafy green vegetables and whole grain cereals.
• Vitamin therapy is also an option in which vitamins like B, C, D and E are consumed which are helpful in maintaining as well as lowering blood pressure. These vitamins can be obtained from natural sources like fruits or can also be obtained from supplements that are available in the market.
• Avoid consumption of processed food or fast food that is available in the markets. Though these foods are time saviors, they are high in fats and salts and thus aid in increasing pressure. The nutritional value of these food items is also negligible.
• Mental relaxation is also an important aspect of pressure. Stress and anxiety can result in a rise in blood pressure. People who are prone to pressure related problems should try and avoid any kind of stress and for this they can opt for a vacation to a quiet and serene place.
• Yoga and other forms of physical therapies are also a good option to treat blood related problems. These therapies have been used since centuries and have been proven effective in lowering pressure and also curing them.
• An unconventional method of treating high blood is using flowers. There are many flowers that have beneficial effects on hypertension. Flowers like hawthorn, passion flower and beech have certain chemical compositions that help in lowering blood.
• Homeopathy or herbal medications are also helpful in treating pressure related problems. Nux-vomica, belladonna and glonoine are a few examples of homeopathic medicines that help in lowering pressure.
Along with all the above points, it is necessary to keep a constant check on pressure which can be done by using automatic blood pressure monitors and chronoscopes. These alternate remedies combined with regular checkups can allow you to easily maintain your blood levels.