Critical Medicine and Treatment

Archive for 2011

Not all chocolates are equal. Learn to distinguish

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) defines the chocolates into different categories according to their content of cocoa. The higher it is, the higher the content of heart-healthy flavonoids. To determine which reports you more chocolate health benefits, read the labels when you should come including the percentage of cocoa. The best for you is the dark, which contains 60 to 70% cocoa and is often called bitter, or extra-bitter, containing a small amount of sugar for flavor and a healthy amount of flavonoids.

Find other ratings on the labels according to taste or even the amount of sugar they contain. So you can more accurately choose, remember the following: Read the rest of this entry »

Chocolate lovers, especially the higher cocoa content, are celebrating. Study after study confirms that in addition to delicious, may even benefit the health, especially the heart, reducing cardiac risk, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But before you run to open that box of chocolates, they should know what type of chocolate provides these benefits and how much you should eat.

For many, a piece of chocolate is equivalent to a slice of heaven. Theobroma wonder, the scientific name of the cacao tree from which chocolate is extracted, in Greek means “food of gods.” It turns out that, in addition to delicious, rich in fat and calories. The soldiers of the two World Wars it included in their rations for its calorie content and ease of transport. Read the rest of this entry »

To treat mild frostbite or freezing, gently blow air into the frozen area or place in another area of the body with higher temperature. For example, place your fingers under your armpit or your palms on your ears, or put your fingers in the hands of another person.

If you experience severe frostbite, consult a doctor or go to an emergency department immediately. If this is not possible, begin warming the body part before seeing a doctor. However, it is best to warm frostbitten areas under medical supervision to minimize tissue damage. Furthermore, since the frozen area may be painful as it thaws, you may receive painkillers to reduce discomfort in your doctor or a hospital.

If a person with body temperature freezer has a lower than normal (hypothermia), frostbite can be treated safely once it has restored the core body temperature. This is usually done by removing wet clothing and cover the person with warm blankets, but may need urgent medical care. The frozen parts could be placed in water at a temperature between 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 degrees Celsius) for 15 to 30 minutes. The area has thawed when reset the color and skin sensitivity and feel normal. Read the rest of this entry »

Duration

There may be no permanent tissue damage in mild cases of frostbite. More severe cases may require amputation freezing. Each case of freezing is slightly different from another.

Prevention

The easiest way to prevent freezing is to avoid exposure to cold.

If you need to be exposed to cold temperatures, can be protected in several ways:

- Wear loose layers: the outer layer should be wind resistant to reduce heat loss, the inner layers of silk, wool or polypropylene will keep you warmer than cotton. Read the rest of this entry »

Symptoms

In the freezing, the skin may feel numb or normal is waxy white or lighter than normal. The freezing is common in the fingers, earlobes, cheeks and fingers. When body temperature recovery after freezing, the skin may become red.

In mild frostbite, the tissue is numb and feels smooth. It looks lighter than normal, or even white and may also have blisters. As the freezing progresses or after the skin regains some temperature, it could be more pink or red than normal.

In deep frostbite, the skin is numbed and feels hard, like wood, as well as being pale or white. At this point, the muscles and bones could be frozen. In more severe cases of frostbite, the skin may turn blue, gray or even black due to tissue injury. These changes sometimes do not happen until after the area recovered some temperature. Read the rest of this entry »

Frostbite occurs when body tissues (skin, muscle, bone) reaches such a low temperature to congeal. Less than 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), blood vessels near the skin begin to contract. This helps to preserve core body temperature. In extremely cold temperatures or when the body is exposed to prolonged periods of cold, this protective strategy can reduce blood flow to dangerously low levels in some areas of the body.

The combination of low temperature and poor blood flow can cause tissue damage. The most probable that the freeze happens in parts of the body far away from the heart and most of the surface exposed to cold. These areas include the toes and fingers, ears and nose.

Body tissues are not frozen until the outside temperature is 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2.22 Celsius). If tissue areas exposed to extreme cold start to freeze, ice crystals form in some cells and fluids do not flow through these cells. This can cause the cells to burst. Further damage can occur when the tissue is heated again, because the blood vessel damage can filter fluids and proteins into tissues and cause swelling (inflammation) and blisters. Read the rest of this entry »

It is important to prevent not only to avoid the discomfort and pain, but also because of sunburn increase the chances of developing skin cancer, cancer of the highest incidence in the United States. To avoid taking the following measures:

- Whenever you are exposed to direct sunlight, use a sunscreen of 30 and reapply every two hours.
- Use a wide-brimmed hat to protect the delicate skin of the face, neck and décolleté.
- Avoid the sun during the most intense hours (11 am to 3 pm)
- Wear long sleeves if you’re going to work in the garden.
- The sun can also burn the eyes. Use goggles to protect them.
- Even if you’re in the shade or on cloudy days, beware. Do not exaggerate and always wear sunscreen. Read the rest of this entry »

First aid for burns in the kitchen:

- Even with such precautions, it is possible that an accident occurs. If you burn, do the following:
- Let it run cool water over the burned area, or immersing the area in cool water (not cold or ice water or), or cover with a clean and moisturized size in cold water. This step is necessary to remove as much heat as possible from the skin and reduce inflammation.
- Cover the burn with a sterile bandage or clean cloth.
- Protect the burn (do not apply pressure and prevents friction). Wrap with gauze or sterile bandage too loosely.
- Take an analgesic (pain medicine) counter pain relief.
- Do not apply butter, ice cream or other home remedies. Nor will sconces adhesive bandages or cotton balls (the fibers may stick to the burn and irritate). Read the rest of this entry »

A splash of oil, the contact with the oven rack, a jet of hot liquid and even some in the sun for long periods may cause painful burns. All of them can be avoided with a little caution. Further agree that you are prepared and know how to act in the event of an accident. Follow these tips to make your home safer for you and your family.

As reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hundreds of people, especially children, come daily to the emergency room with burns caused by hot liquids or steam, or by carelessness in the kitchen. It is imperative that you take all measures necessary to prevent one of those people are you, a child or a beloved family member. First things first:

Preventing burns in the kitchen

This is the area of the house where most burns occurring and it is logical, since it is precisely the heart of the home, and where they prepare the food we consume daily, based on fire and heat! Read the rest of this entry »

Nursing facilities

Rehabilitation services available in nursing facilities are more variable than those in inpatient units or outpatient. The highly skilled nursing facilities usually place greater emphasis on rehabilitation, whereas traditional homes emphasize residential care. Addition, there are fewer hours of therapy compared to those offered in rehabilitation units for inpatient and outpatient. Read the rest of this entry »