Accidentchiros
Yakima: (509) 452-1111

Author: admin_sahil

What Causes Shingles?

What Causes Shingles?

If you had chickenpox as a child, there is the risk of getting shingles. Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Even after the chickenpox infection is over, the virus may lay dormant in your nervous system for years before reactivating as shingles. Most adults never develop shingles, but for some, the virus reactivates several times. Shingles is most common after the age of 50, but it can occur at any age.

There is no cure for shingles. But early treatment with antiviral drugs can lower the likelihood of complications, including pain that lasts after the rash is gone. Some serious complications are possible, especially when the rash is located in or near the eyes and ears.

Some people may experience a fever, chills, headache and fatigue. Some of the most common symptoms of shingles include:

a constant dull, burning, or gnawing pain, or a sharp, stabbing pain that comes and goes
a skin rash that resembles a chickenpox rash but only affects certain areas, usually on one side of the body
fluid-filled blisters that develop as part of the rash
Shingles is contagious. The virus can spread to someone who has not had chicken pox or the vaccine. It is recommended to avoid contact with pregnant women, newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems who may not have been vaccinated against chicken pox.

read more
Circadian Rhythm

Circadian Rhythm

Do you notice that you tend to feel energetic or sleepy around the same times each day? That’s because your circadian rhythm is at work. What is a circadian rhythm? Your circadian rhythm is essentially an internal clock that operates in the background of your brain and alternates between cycles of drowsiness and alertness at regular intervals. This rhythm determines our sleep patterns.

Good sleep hygiene is so important to one’s overall health. During sleep, the body is busy healing and repairing.  Getting enough sleep helps keep the immune system strong and good sleep habits can even help maintain a healthy weight. Sleep deficiency occurs if consistently you don’t get enough sleep, you sleep at the wrong time of day, you don’t sleep well, or you have a sleep disorder. Continual sleep deficits are linked to an increased risk of heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Lack of sleep can also inhibit the ability to make decisions and solve problems.

The main factor affecting your circadian rhythm is daylight. When night falls, your eyes send a signal to the hypothalamus that it’s drowsy time! Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to your body to release melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that lets the body know that it is time to go to sleep. Bedtimes obviously vary per individual and we even classify ourselves as a night owl or a morning person.

If you are well-rested, you won’t feel the dips and rises of your circadian rhythm. However, if you’re consistently not getting enough sleep, you’ll notice bigger swings of alertness to sleepiness. Things like jet lag or the change to daylight savings time can also disrupt our circadian rhythm.

So to get your circadian rhythm working optimally, maintain regular sleep habits. Aim for a consistent bedtime at night and waking up in the morning at the same time each day (including weekends). The more you pay attention to your body and develop good sleep habits, the better you’ll feel.

read more
Safety First – Know The Heimlich Maneuver

Safety First – Know The Heimlich Maneuver

The forkful looks so good! You can’t wait to sink your teeth into it. Uh oh…too much, too quickly. Most of us have experienced this and can relate! Choking is a real risk especially for our children and seniors. Believe it or not, choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death and the leading cause of infant deaths.

Choking happens when an object, usually food, gets stuck in the windpipe, blocking airflow. A lack of air can cause brain damage in as little as four minutes. If a person is choking and can not cough, talk or breathe, they may need the Heimlich Maneuver to dislodge the object in their throat. The Heimlich Maneuver is performed by administering a series of abdominal thrusts. Follow these steps on grown children and adults (not on infants):

Get the person to stand up.
Position yourself behind the person.
Lean the person forward and give five blows to their back with the heel of your hand.
Place your arms around their waist.
Make a fist and place it just above the navel, thumb side in.
Grab the fist with your other hand and push it inward and upward at the same time. Perform five of these abdominal thrusts.
Repeat until the object is expelled and the person can breathe or cough on their own.
For infants, never perform the Heimlich Maneuver as noted above. Instead, follow these steps on infants less than a year old:

Sit down and hold the infant face down on your forearm, which should be resting on your thigh.
Give five back blows gently with the heel of your hand.
If that doesn’t work, position the infant face up and resting on your forearm and thigh so their head is lower than their trunk.
Place two fingers at the center of their breastbone and perform five quick chest compressions.
Repeat the back blows and chest thrusts until the object is expelled and the infant can breathe or cough on their own.
To prevent choking, always be sure to cut food into small pieces and chew thoroughly. As for young children, be vigilant about keeping small objects such as marbles and beads out of reach. Also, consider taking a first aid course. Keeping our families safe is always a first priority!

read more
Blood Type & Your Health

Blood Type & Your Health

Researchers believe that blood type can have a real influence on your health. In fact, blood type may be linked to a risk of developing certain diseases. The American Red Cross notes that common blood types are A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, O-  with the differences of the various blood types being the presence or absence of certain molecules called A or B antigens, as well as a protein called the Rh factor. These differing antigens make an effect beyond more than just your blood type.

So what determines your blood type? Heredity. One’s natural parents determine the type of blood you have. Many combinations can be made from parents and in fact if both parents have the same blood type, this may not necessarily mean that their child will have the same type as them. Parents who both are type A may have a type A or type O child.  And parents who both have type B may have a child with either type B or O. Yet parents that are both type O will probably have an O type child. If parents have a combination of type A and type B, a child may be A, B or O blood type.

Donating blood is a great way to learn your blood type if you do not know what blood type you are. It is reported that each year 4.5 million lives are saved with blood transfusions. Human blood cannot be manufactured, people are the only source of it and that is why it is important to donate blood to help those who need it. O negative blood can be used for any blood transfusion and there is always a demand for it.

Here are four ways your blood type and your health may be connected:

Heart Attack and Heart Disease

It seems clear that your blood type is related to your heart since the heart pumps blood to the rest of the body.  Your blood type can increase the risk for conditions such as heart attack and heart disease. There is a gene called the ABO gene — a gene that is present in people with A, B, or AB blood types. The only blood type that doesn’t have this gene is type O. If you have the ABO gene and especially if you live in an area with high pollution levels, you may be at a greater risk of heart attack than those who don’t have the gene. This same gene can also raise your risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD develops when the arteries that supply blood to and from your heart harden and narrow, which can lead to a heart attack if they become blocked. Non-O blood types have 25 to 30 percent higher levels of blood-clotting proteins (known as von Willebrand factor and factor VIII). Those added blood clotting proteins means that people with A, B or AB blood types also have a 15 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease when compared to people with O blood types.

Brain Function and Memory Loss

The ABO gene also has an effect on brain function and memory loss. People who have A, B, and AB blood types are up to 80 percent more likely to develop cognition and memory problems (which can lead to dementia) compared to those with O blood type. Scientists believe the reason for this memory loss is the fact that the clotting proteins in the non-O blood type can lead to conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. These conditions can cause cognitive impairment and dementia. Blood type has been connected with strokes which can occur when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted.

Cancers

There are many factors that have been connected with an increased risk of cancer. However, people with Type A blood have been found to have a higher risk of stomach cancer specifically, compared to those with other blood types. The ABO gene present in non-O blood types may play a role with this heightened cancer risk, as well. This gene has been linked to other cancers including lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, liver, and cervical cancers. This correlation has been researched for many years, and while studies continue to show a connection, there is no definitive explanation as to why the ABO gene might raise your risk for some cancers.

Diabetes

People with a blood type of A or B have an approximately 21 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with type O, according to a recent study. Those who were B positive had the highest odds. While scientists are not exactly sure why, one thought is that the blood type may influence the GI microbiome, which can affect glucose metabolism and inflammation.

read more
Patient Empowerment

Patient Empowerment

Patients are automatically empowered when they are respected as being people who are entitled to understand and know about their care. There is ample research that shows that health outcomes are better and it is encouraged for patients to build a relationship with their healthcare professional.

The term ‘patient empowerment’ is among the top buzzwords in health care circles, yet as with many buzzwords, they can mean different things to different people. The term is most often used to emphasize the value of having patients assert greater control over their health and health care. This shift is due in large part to the use of technology that facilitates increased patient access to information via the internet, peer-to-peer sharing, consumer health devices, and mobile apps.

Patient advocates find that empowered patients do their research, ask questions, and go to appointments organized. Empowered patients are willing to self-advocate with self-confidence, communication skills, compromise, research skills, and desire a relationship with their healthcare provider. Patients understood as individuals with unique concerns can receive tailored care and not the one size fits all protocols.

Empowerment starts with a lifestyle that supports good health. On a daily basis, we take responsibility for decisions of hygiene, diet, exercise, spiritual and intellectual growth and social connections. Our actions are reflective of the type of patient we become. Ask questions and learn how you can be the best version of you! Learn the best practices for supporting good health and reach out to the healthcare professionals that you trust and make them part of your family’s support team.

read more
Vigilant Handwashing

Vigilant Handwashing

One thing for sure that the coronavirus health crisis has taught us, is the importance of washing our hands. Consistent handwashing kills germs and helps prevent the spread of disease. So, let’s review again proper handwashing techniques.

Be sure to wash your hands before and after you prepare food, before you eat, after using the bathroom, before and after assisting someone who is ill, and after you visit public places. Consider carrying hand sanitizer with you; it can serve as a back-up if you are unable to have a water source.

Only touch your face and eyes with clean hands. Be sure to always practice proper hand hygiene so your family can stay healthy!

  1. Wet your hands with clean, warm, running water, and apply soap.
  2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Don’t forget your thumbs and wrists!
  3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Sing “Happy Birthday” from beginning to end twice.
  4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Every day as we go about our daily routines, keep this very basic practice in mind. This is a reminder to be vigilant about hand washing so it becomes a habit and not so hard to remember to do.

read more
Protein Is A Macronutrient

Protein Is A Macronutrient

Protein is considered a “macronutrient,” meaning that we need relatively large amounts of it to stay healthy. Children need more protein than usual during growth spurts and women need more during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Protein is a nutrient the body needs to grow and repair cells and so we need more protein after an illness.

Proteins are often called “the building blocks of life.” In fact, proteins are the main component of cells and are essential to life. After water, our body is mostly composed of proteins. As one matures, an aging body processes protein less efficiently and needs more of it to maintain muscle mass and strength, bone health and other essential physiological functions. Even healthy seniors need more protein than when they were younger.

Protein can become an energy source, especially if you are not eating enough carbohydrates. Vegans should be mindful to get enough of the right type of protein. The best way to get the right type and amount of protein is to eat a wide variety of protein rich foods as part of a balanced diet.

Some good sources of protein are:

• Beans
• Almonds
• Cottage Cheese
• Lean Meat
• Split Peas
• Lentils
• Wild Salmon
• Eggs
• Greek Yogurt

Protein helps to keep our muscles strong, which is extremely important for maintaining balance and mobility. For aging adults, living independently can depend on this. It is well known that normal aging is associated with a loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) and with that, the loss of muscle function and increased risk of falls, decreased ability to perform daily tasks and ultimately a reduced quality of life. Therefore, a balanced and optimal diet with sufficient protein is seen as a major dietary-related determinant of healthy aging. Unfortunately, a recent study found almost half of older adults are not getting enough protein, thus negatively impacting their health.

Protein sources along with fruits, veggies, and good hydration provides the body with the nutrition to maintain and repair cells efficiently. To maintain good balance, mobility and coordination with age, be sure to get enough protein in your diet!

read more
Change Your Brain For The Better

Change Your Brain For The Better

Exercise is fantastic for your mind. Studies show that exercise changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills. Sure, the obvious reasons to exercise would be to lessen the chances of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Or perhaps to lose a bit of weight or lower blood pressure, yet getting physically active helps maintain good mental health.

Exercise affects the brain in many ways. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. Furthermore, exercise stimulates the release of hormones that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells. In fact, studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise appeared to sharpen study participants’ memory and certain other mental abilities.

The “runner’s high” is real.  Physical activity improves mood and sleep and reduces stress and anxiety. And since lack of sleep and high levels of stress can contribute to cognitive impairment, exercise can offer a two-fold benefit. If running or aerobic exercise isn’t for you, get out and walk. When you go for a walk it’s not just your body that benefits – the way you think and feel changes too! When you exercise, chemicals called endorphins are released in the brain, which have a positive impact on your mood.  Active people develop a sense of achievement and purpose. Taking a walk gives you a chance to take time out, think and reflect. As confidence and self-esteem improve, you’re also more inclined to reach out and connect with others.

It’s recommended to do at least 30-45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least three times a week. You don’t have to do it all at once though. Multiple shorter periods of 10 minutes throughout the day is still good for your physical and mental health.

So remember, what’s good for your heart is generally good for your brain, too!

read more