Patients Rights In Hospice Care

The decision to begin hospice care is a frightening one for the patient and his family. It may be comforting to know that all hospice patients have rights to ensure they are treated securely, with dignity and respect. These rights, from the Hospice Association of America, are summarized below. Further information is available from local hospice agencies.

Hospice Defined

Hospice is a program or facility intended to care for those people who are nearing the end of life. Generally those patients are expected to have a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice care is different from other medical care in that hospice focuses on patient comfort rather than curing the condition. Hospice care can be given in private homes, nursing homes, hospitals or specific hospice facilities. Before hospice care begins, patients are given a list of their rights that include the following:

Dignity and Respect

Hospice patients are to be treated with dignity and respect, without fear, neglect or abuse. They are to receive written notification of the services they receive. They may make formal complaints without fear of reprisal if those services are neglected or poorly delivered and they have the right to be notified how the complaint is resolved. Hospice caregivers are not to receive gifts or borrow from the patient or her family.

Decision Making

Hospice patients have the right to take part in all decisions related to their care. They are to be notified of changes in that care. They can choose and/or change their caregivers and refuse care without fear of reprisal. They also have the right to be discharged from hospice at any time.

Privacy

Hospice patients have the right to privacy in all personal, medical, financial and legal matters. Details of those matters are to be given only:

*to those who need the information in order to provide care,

* to those legally entitled to the information.

*to those authorized by the patient.

Hospice staff are to make sure all private information is stored and disposed of properly.

Financial

Hospice patients have the right to know the costs of their care and how much will and will not be funded by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance etc. They are entitled to access all bills for service and to be notified if Medicare coverage is denied. If coverage changes, hospice patients have the right to be so notified within 15 days. Patients also have the right to know who owns the hospice agency and connections it may have with other agencies.

Quality of Care

Hospice patient have the right to the highest quality of palliative and support care available, including social, spiritual, psychological and physical needs. If a facility cannot provide that care, it is to inform the patient and seek to admit the patient to a more appropriate program.

Services provided should follow doctor's orders and the plan of care created for the patient. Medically-related personal care should be provided by a trained aide, under the direction of a registered nurse.

Responsibilities

With all rights come responsibilities: Hospice patients must treat their caregivers and equipment with respect. They should notify the hospice of changes in condition or schedule. They should also notify hospice staff of any additional treatments, medications or tests not provided. The patient should provide a safe environment in which the care is provided and be responsible for charges incurred.

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Diverticulitis Complications

Diverticulitis is a condition in which bulging, small pouches form in the digestive tract and become inflamed. These pouches are called diverticula and can appear throughout the digestive system including the stomach, esophagus and small intestine, but they most commonly appear in the large intestine. Many patients experience no symptoms or complications, but when complications occur, they are often severe and can greatly impact the patient's life.

Peritonitis

Peritonitis is a condition in which the contents of the intestine spill into the patient's abdominal cavity. This happens when an inflamed or infected diverticula ruptures. Once the contents are in the abdominal cavity, inflammation occurs. According to the Mayo Clinic, this complication of diverticulitis is a medical emergency that requires urgent medical attention.

Rectal Bleeding

Rectal bleeding can occur in diverticulitis patients, which is often from an infection or tear of diverticula. Some patients may experience minimal bleeding and only notice blood on toilet tissue. Others may experience heavier bleeding and notice blood in the stool or toilet.

Abscess

The diverticula can tear, resulting in an abscess, which is a small, swollen sac of poisons such as pus. If left untreated, an abscess may rupture or tear, allowing stool to seep into the abdominal cavity. When this occurs, infections may result.

Intestinal Obstruction

An intestinal, or bowel, obstruction also can occur. If the bowel becomes obstructed, it can no longer pass stool and waste out of the body, causing serious infection. For a complete blockage, surgery is required immediately to remove the blockage. Partial blockage surgery is an option, but it may not be required.

Fistula

A fistula is a complication of diverticulitis that occurs when two pieces of infected tissue located on two different organs grow together, causing an abnormal passageway. Fistulas most often form between the intestine and the patient's vagina, bladder or abdominal wall.

Cancer

Puberty Facts

Puberty is the time when children begin to grow into young adults. Many physical changes happen, including general growth and sexual development. These changes can cause a lot of anxiety, especially since some young people develop earlier or later than their friends. Both teens and parents need to be armed with the facts in order to deal with this exciting, yet sometimes difficult phase.

Definition

Puberty is the term for the time when the body begins to prepare for the ability to reproduce. Changes in the way that young people think, and interact with others, also occur during puberty.

When Does It Happen?

The average range of the onset of puberty is 8 to 14 years of age, give or take a year or two. Girls often begin puberty sooner than boys.

First Signs for Girls

Girls' first clue that puberty is beginning is the growth of small breasts. Menstruation comes much later, along with pubic and underarm hair.

First Signs for Boys

Boys may even see some slight swelling in the breast area; this is totally normal and temporary. They will also experience the growth of pubic and underarm hair, as well as facial hair growth.

Other Changes

Boys and girls will begin to grow in height and body size, and sexual feelings begin to emerge. Boys' voices begin to change during this period, and erections and wet dreams start to happen as sperm production begins. In girls, it becomes possible to have babies after menstruation occurs, and eggs are released from the ovaries. Both boys and girls usually experience oily skin and acne.

Everyone is Different

Everyone develops at a different pace, according to his or her own body's timetable. Part of puberty is accepting the fact that people come in all shapes and sizes, and that each person is completely unique.

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Neurologists & Migraine Headaches

To rule out serious medical causes of migraine, it is sometimes necessary to consult a neurologist.

A migraine is an episodic headache that usually lasts between four hours and three days, and frequently induces nausea or vomiting. In many cases, primary care physicians will refer migraine sufferers to a neurologist for assistance in diagnosis and treatment.

Description

A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in caring for the central nervous system. She frequently treats conditions like stroke, headache, dementia and multiple sclerosis.

When to Go

Though primary care physicians often handles patient with migraines, they frequently refer patients to a neurologist to rule out serious causes (like a tumor). The PCP will also refer patients whose symptoms throw up "red flags," like atypical aura, complicated migraine (like hemiplegic or basilar), unclear diagnosis or complications with other medical conditions (like heart disease).

Finding a Neurologist

Besides asking your primary care physician for a recommendation, you should consult friends and family, as well as online directories where patients can review and rate specialists. You should also look into a neurologist's credentials before undergoing any tests or treatment.

CT/CAT Scan

Neurologists often order a CT/CAT (or computerized axial tomography) scan, in order to get a detailed image of your brain. This test evaluates for brain disorders including tumor, stroke, injury and acute hemorrhage.

MRI

An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) is a painless test used to produce a detailed brain image. It can reveal conditions including stroke, hemorrhage, injury, malignant disease, sinus problems and tumor. Because this test requires you to lay inside an enclosed tunnel, patients with claustrophobia may require a mild sedative before the procedure.

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Electric Nerve Stimulation For Restless Legs

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a central nervous system disorder that causes unpleasant sensations in the legs or other limbs and interferes with sleep. The exact cause of RLS is not known, and it may occur for no known reason or be the result of another underlying medical condition or treatment. A variety of treatments exist for RLS, including massage, hot compresses, mineral supplementation, medications and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS. A TENS unit is a device that is attached to the skin in order to send electrical signals to certain parts of the body. TENS is believed to help the symptoms of RLS by blocking pain signals.

Instructions

1. Know the symptoms of RLS before considering electric nerve stimulation therapy as a treatment. Symptoms include creeping, crawling or tingling sensations in the legs that are usually relieved by activity. The symptoms of RLS are typically worse in the evening and during periods of inactivity, and some sufferers may experience involuntary leg movements during sleep and have a family history of RLS.

2. Speak with your doctor about your symptoms and about using electric nerve stimulation as a treatment. Certain treatable medical conditions may be related to RLS symptoms, and your doctor may want to perform some tests to rule out those conditions before prescribing any sort of treatment. It is likely that you will be required to have your iron levels checked, and you may receive and EMG and EEG to check for unusual nerve activity in your legs and rule out epilepsy. TENS can be dangerous in those diagnosed with epilepsy.

3. Consult with your treating physician about the proper way to use TENS for relief of your RLS symptoms. Your doctor will discuss with you any risk factors and side effects related to your specific medical history.

4. Test the battery pack in your TENS unit to make certain it is fully charged before using the unit for the first time. Your TENS unit should have two control knobs. The first control knob controls the strength of the electrical signals, while the second knob controls the signal speed. The control knob should be in the "OFF" position before beginning treatment.

5. Carefully clean the entire area where the electrodes will be attached. It is best to use rubbing alcohol, as it leaves no residue and dries quickly. The skin should be completely dry before proceeding.

6. Place a thin coat of gel designed for use with your TENS unit on the bottom side of each electrode. If gel did not come with your prescription, call your doctor to ask which specific gel is right for your treatment. The gel enables the electrical signals to reach the nerves beneath the skin.

7. Put the electrodes on your legs and use tape to cover them. It is important that the electrodes remain firmly in place during treatment. If you are unable to reach the area being treated, have a friend or family member assist you.

8. Attach the pin connectors located on the end of the electrode wires to the electrodes. Then, plug the wires into the TENS unit.

9. Turn the control knobs to the prescribed or desired setting. Your doctor should have instructed you as to what settings are right for your specific treatment. If the electrical signals are strong enough, you should feel a tingling in the affected area.

10. Switch the TENS unit off after 15 or 30 minutes, or whatever length of time has been prescribed. You can then unplug the electrode wires from the unit. Remove the electrodes and wash the area where the electrodes were attached to your skin.

11. Clean the electrodes using soap and water to remove any remaining traces of gel. Never use alcohol to clean the electrodes, as this will damage the rubber. Remove the battery from your TENS unit and allow it to charge for your next treatment.

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Different Techniques To Paint

Artists usually use painting techniques to bring texture to a work.

Every type of paint offers many different options for techniques and styles. Similarly, the surface you choose to apply paint to will change the available techniques and styles. Though the classic techniques are most frequently used, painters are always inventing new and original techniques. Do not be afraid to experiment with techniques of your own.

Oil Paint

Alla prima is a technique where you try to finish the painting in one sitting. This is one layer. Under-painting and glazing is a technique where the artist makes a rough sketch with the paint, and then goes over the under-painting with various colors of oil paint. Wet-into-wet is a style of painting where the artist blends wet paints together for a soft integration. Broken color is a technique which applies oil paint directly to the canvas in a stroke without blending it at all.

Acrylic Paint

Splattering is a technique used with a thinner paint that will splash from the paintbrush by waving the brush quickly in front of the canvas. You need to use protective tarps for this technique. Scratching is a technique where you use a tool of some kind to scratch dry paint from the canvas to expose underlying paint. Texturing is a form of acrylic painting where you use a modeling paste to make texture on the surface of the canvas before painting over it with acrylic paint.

Watercolor

An application of alcohol to an almost dry watercolor application produces light, well blended streaks on the board. You can sprinkle salt onto watercolor paint during various phases of drying to create a blotchy effect ranging from very blotchy if wet to a fine sprinkled texture if the paint is nearly dry. Using sandpaper to remove dried watercolor provides a rough texture to the pigment. A pencil eraser will effectively remove dried watercolor paint in textures, patterns or sketch form.

Home Interior Painting Techniques

Use a primer before adding interior wall paint.

Color washing is an interior wall color technique, where you overlay fresh white paint with a wash of color. For this you can use ordinary artist's acrylic paint mixed with water, then you wash the wall like you are cleaning it with a sponge. Rag rolling is a technique where you crumple an old rag in your hands and run it over wet paint on the walls. Sponging is a technique where you dab a sea sponge lightly in paint and blot it onto a fresh, dry coat of paint.

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Known Causes Of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is often not diagnosed until the disease has advanced and prognosis for survival may be poor. The causes of pancreatic cancer include factors out of your control such as age and genetics, as well as lifestyle choices you can control, such as smoking, diet and body weight. Consider this information from the Mayo Clinic about the known causes of pancreatic cancer.

Smoking

Smoking tobacco may cause cancer to develop in your pancreas as well as other organs, which may metastasize to the pancreas.

Overweight

Being overweight or obese may cause cancer of cells in your pancreas from overwork needed to produce digestive enzymes.

Diet

Not eating enough fruits and vegetables may cause or increase the risk of pancreatic cancer from a lack of fiber and antioxidants.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a chronic inflammation of your pancreas that can lead to pancreatic cancer if left untreated.

Genetic Syndromes

Genetic syndromes such as the BRCA2 (breast cancer) mutation, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole malignant melanoma (FAMMM) are causes of pancreatic cancer.

Older Age

Older age increases your risk for pancreatic cancer; most diagnoses of pancreatic cancer are in people 70 years and older.

Family History

A family history of pancreatic cancer may cause inherited genetic mutations and puts you at a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer yourself.

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Do The Parsvottanasana Pose In Ashtanga Yoga

Also known as pyramid pose or intense stretch pose, Parsvottanasana in Ashtanga yoga is good for stretching the entire body, including the legs, back, abdomen and arms. Make sure to warm up with a few less strenuous stretches before starting Parsvottanasana. Take your time throughout the pose as you feel the stretch throughout your body. Remember that the goal is not to see how far over you can bend, but to perform a pose that stretches and strengthens your body.

Instructions

1. Start in mountain pose, or Tadasana, by standing with your arms at your sides and your feet close together. Relax and try to balance your weight evenly on both feet. Hold this pose for a few breaths to prepare your body.

2. Turn your right foot slightly out and step forward with your left leg. Your feet should be fairly far apart, yet not so far that you feel uncomfortable or lose your balance.

3. Clasp your forearms together behind your back. Hold this pose for a few breaths to gain your balance and begin to stretch your legs.

4. Inhale as you lift your chest without lifting the shoulders and prepare to bend forward.

5. Exhale as you bend forward toward your left leg. Stop bending when you feel you’ve gone as far as you can go. Tuck your chin under and hold this pose for several breaths.

6. Inhale as you slowly stand upright again. Switch legs and repeat the pose with the right leg stepping forward.

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Attract Good Luck And Good Fortune

Good luck awaits you around every corner

The best way to attract good luck and good fortune is to believe good luck exists. There is actual scientific proof about the difference between lucky and unlucky people! Here are some easy ways to attract good luck and good fortune - not just today, but for the future.

Instructions

1. After many years of study, U.K. psychologist Richard Wiseman found that lucky people behave and act in a way that brings them good luck. Luck isn't due to kismet, karma, or sheer coincidence; luck is a positive attitude that brings about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your first lucky step begins with listening to your hunches and your intuitions. In my experience, first impressions are always correct, so if you have a gut feeling that someone you just met is going to be helpful in a job search or a relationship, go with your gut. Hand over your business card or your phone number, and be sure to get his/her number, as well. You will find that your hunch is correct when the phone rings or the instant messages appear. And they will.

2. Make the most of chance opportunities, based on Step #1. Say you meet someone "coincidentally", but find out you have friends or experiences in common. You can turn this chance meeting into another, longer meet-up or an exchange via email. Networking is the next logical step, either through the internet or in person. I have a friend who attended a Woman in Film meeting, and after wards, walked up to the speaker, an executive at a major studio, and handed her a business card. Within a week, my friend had a job interview and a job. It was a combination of intuition and making the most of a "chance" opportunity. My friend is not ordinarily so bold; she just "knew" to approach the executive, and her intuition paid off.

3. Keep a good luck/good fortune daily journal. In this blank book, mark down every good luck experience you had during the day - whether it's finding a quarter on the street (the new penny) or a friend taking you to lunch, the trivial notations of good luck build each day until you have a week's or month's worth of good luck notations. By focusing on good luck/happy coincidences or unexpected good fortune, and by banishing negative thoughts, you create your own good luck garden. From this garden grows many good fortune plants! Thinking and believing about Good Luck becomes a part of your daily routine, when you note each good luck experience. By following your lucky track record, good luck is sure to be enhanced and noticed - especially fortuitous opportunities.

4. Expect Good Luck. Your daily lucky journal will teach you notice good luck and appreciate it. Learning that good luck can occur in many different ways allows you to make the expectation of good luck and good fortune a part of your life. Lucky people are those who know good luck is just around the corner, even when it seems they are at a dead end. Lucky people persevere, no matter what their problems, and look for positive people, opportunities and positive ways to get ahead. Good luck is really just around the corner, if you believe it to be so.

5. Lucky people turn bad luck into good luck (like the proverbial making lemonade from a lemon). Lucky people use affirmations (positive thoughts written on sticky notes and pasted on your mirror or your fridge). They banish negative-thinking people from their lives (or, if family members, learn to deflect their negative thinking or criticisms). If an unfortunate situation occurs, lucky people immediately imagine how much worse things could be, and set to work making good things happen. They never dwell on the negative.

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Polysomnography

The polysomnography test is performed by sleep disorder labs. The test is prescribed in cases where patients report excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia and snoring. Because some sleep disorders cause or complicate conditions such as hypertension, doctors may recommend a polysomnography test for their patients who have the risk factors for sleep apnea, such as being overweight, have a large neck, or a narrow sinus passage or esophagus.

Identification

Patients coming to the sleep lab for a polysomnogram will be spending an entire night in the lab. After arriving they complete questionnaires that describe their sleep habits and list any medications they have taken that day. Then patient is then given time to change into their sleeping clothes and perform any bedtime routines such as brushing their teeth. The sleep technician then will apply electrodes and other monitors to the patient. Once the wires are all plugged into the computer monitoring the readings and the technician has verified that the readings are clear the patient is then allowed to sleep. In the morning the monitors are removed, the patient fills out a final questionnaire about their sleep quality that night and then they are discharged. The results of the polysomnography test is then sent to the patient's doctor for interpretation.

Function

The majority of the electrodes the patient wears during the study are to record EEG, which are brainwaves. As the patient sleeps their brain waves change. Wake brain waves are fast alpha waves. As the person falls asleep the brain waves slow down. There are three stages of non-REM sleep. Stage 1 is the lightest stage and is experienced as light dozing. Stage 2 is a transitional stage where the body rests quietly. Stage 2 by itself is not very refreshing sleep. Stage 3 is has the slowest brainwaves. During this stage of sleep growth hormone is released which helps children to grow and helps adults to repair and refresh their bodies. The final stage of sleep is REM, which stands for rapid eye movement. REM brainwaves are similar to the waves seen in stage 1 sleep. The difference is the eye movements and the lack of muscle tension. REM is the stage when people dream. People who do not get enough REM sleep suffer from depression and are irritable. Chronic REM deprivation can lead to psychological and emotional disorders. Knowing the stages of sleep a patient has, and how long they spend in each stage is important in determining the type of sleeping disorder a patient has and how severe the disorder is.

Features

Polysomnography tests also monitor breathing patterns. Patients wear belts around their stomach and chest to monitor how much effort they make to breath. A small temperature probe called a thermister is placed beneath the nose and in front of the mouth. As a person inhales it cools the probe and as they exhale it warms it. This is how the tests shows how much the patient is actually breathing. A probe on the finger called a pulse oximeter monitors the blood oxygen level. These probes are used to determine if the patient has apnea, which kind and how severe.

Considerations

There are three different kinds of sleep apnea. Obstructive apnea occurs when there is a complete blockage in the airway. This shows up on the polysomnograhy test as a flat line on the thermister while effort is still seen in the belts around the chest and stomach. A hypopnea is when the airflow is reduced but not completely stopped, indicating an incomplete but significant block in the airway. A central apnea occurs when the patient's body no longer attempts to breath. This appears on a polysomnogram as flat lines in both the airflow and the respiratory effort channels. The severity of each type of apnea is determined by how low the blood oxygen level reaches as a result of the apnea. Most people who snore have at least one type of sleep apnea.

Effects

For the polysomnogram electrodes are also placed on the muscles of the calves. These leg leads monitor leg movements during sleep. A common sleep disorder is periodic limb movement syndrome. This is when the legs twitch or kick during sleep. This can cause the patient to keep waking throughout the night, disrupting the quality of their sleep. It can also disrupt the sleep of the patient's spouse or bed partner.

Significance

REM behavior disorders and other sleep disruptions such as sleep walking and night terrors can also be detected during the polysomnography test. These are detected on the test by large movements in the EMG (muscle movement) channels. The sleep technician monitors patients all night and make notes regarding the specific behaviors patients display during their sleep test.

Prevention/Solution

Following the sleep test the record is scored, which is when sleep stages are assigned to every 30-second page of the recording. All apnea and sleep movements are marked in the record, along with any resulting sleep disruption such as waking up of dropping into a less restful stage of sleep. The record is used to produce a report that the doctor uses to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan. Most movement disorders are treated with medication. Patients who have sleep apnea are sometimes treated with surgery, but most return to the sleep lab for a CPAP study. CPAP is a machine with a hose attached to a mask that the patients wear at night. The machine used air pressure to open the collapsing air passages while the patient sleeps, allowing them to sleep uninterrupted by apnea.

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Identify Road Rage

Every driver should take precautions to ensure the safety of themselves, passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers on the road. Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t follow the rules of the road and some people seem to show no concern for others when they are driving. Here are some ways to identify road rage.

Instructions

Identify Road Rage

1. Take caution of any violent behavior of a motorist which is endangering to those around them. Reckless and aggressive driving are signs of road rage and can be the cause of automobile accidents.

2. Watch other driver's responses to driving situations. Cursing and shouting obscenities at other drivers is a sign of road rage and this behavior shouldn’t be returned because it could make the situation worse.

3. Notice any hand gestures other drivers make at you such as sticking up their middle finger, shaking a fist at you, or any other gestures that can be taken in a threatening way.

4. Pay attention to drivers who intentionally cut other drivers off, prevent drivers from merging into their lane, or repeatedly honking their horn at drivers who haven’t violated any rules of the road. This behavior is common for road ragers.

5. Note any negative behavior such as drivers who intentionally hit other vehicles, throw objects at vehicles, aim or shoot weapons at other vehicles, or get out of their cars to start confrontations with other drivers.

Tags: other drivers, drivers intentionally, drivers intentionally other, Identify Road, Identify Road Rage, intentionally other, other vehicles

Make Your Own Healing Ointment

You can make your own healing ointment using olive oil, beeswax, dried herbs and essential oils.

After a minor cut, healing ointment is often used to form a protective layer over the skin. While many household medicine cabinets contain some kind of store-bought ointment, you can easily make homemade healing ointment using simple ingredients. Homemade healing ointments last for months without the harmful chemicals usually found in store-bought ointments.

Traditionally, ointments are made from animal fat, but today's homemade ointments are made from beeswax and oil with added herbs and essential oils that aid the healing process. Herbs like comfrey and chamomile are used to promote cell growth, treating everything from minor cuts and abrasions, to stings, bites, anal itching and eczema.

Instructions

Making Homemade Healing Ointment

1. The olive oil should be at room temperature when added to the base mixture.

Fill the lower part of your double saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add ¼ cup of beeswax to the upper part of the saucepan. Once the wax has melted, reduce the heat and add 1 cup of olive oil, creating the base for your healing ointment. This will yield 1 cup of ointment.

2. Comfrey is used in homemade healing ointments because it promotes fast healing.

Combine 1/2 ounce of dried chamomile and 1/2 ounce of comfrey. Add the dried herbs to the base mixture and heat on low for approximately two hours.

3. Fit a piece of muslin fabric around the rim of a bowl, using a large rubber band to hold it in place. Pour the mixture into the bowl.

4. Rubber gloves will protect your hands, as the ointment will still be hot.

Put on rubber gloves. Remove the rubber band from the muslin fabric and begin to squeeze the mixture through the muslin into the bowl.

5. Tea tree essential oil is a natural anti-septic.

Add 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil to the base mixture. Do not add tea tree oil to mixture until it has been removed from the stove and transferred into the bowl. Exposure to heat will cause the tea tree oil to evaporate. Tea tree oil is important for homemade healing ointment because it is a natural antiseptic.

6. Transfer the ointment into the storage jars while it is still warm. Allow the ointment to fully cool before putting the lids on the jars to avoid condensation. Explicitly label your ointment jars so they aren't mistaken for food and store them in the refrigerator once the ointment has reached room temperature.

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Fibromyalgia Definition

Fibromyalgia is a common and chronic condition that affects approximately 2 percent of the population. Muscles, joints and tendons are involved, and symptoms can become debilitating. Yet, there are methods to help cope with pain and discomfort.

Identification

Widespread pain is typical with fibromyalgia, and you'll likely discover the presence of tender points in different parts of the body. In addition to pain, fibromyalgia can trigger fatigue, headaches and digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Causes

The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. But this particular ailment often runs in families. According to the Mayo Clinic, certain illnesses or emotional trauma increases the risk of developing fibromyalgia.

Prevention/Solution

Several medications are available to reduce muscle, joint and tendon pain. These include over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Antidepressants are also commonly prescribed.

Considerations

Adequate rest is key to managing fibromyalgia. Aim for eight hours of rest a night and learn your limitations. Listen to your body and avoid activities that cause further fatigue or pain.

Expert Insight

Although fatigue or tiredness are common with fibromyalgia, regular exercise might improve your condition. Low-impact workouts such as swimming or walking can reduce pain and increase your energy level.

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Dentist Tools

A dentist's tools often look like torture devices, but knowing about their purpose may help ease those fears about visiting the dentist. There are tools designed to clean, examine or restore teeth.

Dental Mirror

A dental mirror is a small, sometimes double-sided hand-held mirror that fits in your mouth. Dental hygienists use this tool to examine your teeth. There are some teeth, or parts of your teeth, that may be difficult to see. The dental mirror makes those impossible examination spots accessible. It also provides a view from a variety of different angles.

Sickle Probe

A dental explorer is a tool with a curved sickle probe on one side and a periodontal probe on the other. The curved end of the sickle probe is used in dental examination, to test hard structures like your teeth, to make sure they are in fact hard. If your teeth or parts of your teeth are soft, they are not healthy. This tool is also used to find any pits in your teeth, plaque, tartar and other build-up on your teeth.

Periodontal Probe

A periodontal probe is used to measure the part of your gum that is not attached to your teeth. It is healthy for a small portion of your gum to be unattached to your teeth. However, if you have a larger amount of unattached gum, called a periodontal pocket, you may have gum disease. That is why the probe is one of the most important dentist tools.