10 Common Conditions that May Result in Seizures – How Many Are Misdiagnosed?

When it comes to conditions that result in seizures, there is often a fine line between the actual cause of the seizure and the best treatment for that particular underlying condition. The truth is, just because someone has a seizure, even a grand mal seizure, it doesn’t mean they have epilepsy. It could be triggered by any number of conditions such as, believe it or not, low blood sugar or even a stroke.

Because there are so many underlying conditions and illnesses that can trigger a variety of seizures, they have often been misdiagnosed and as a result, anti seizure medications were wrongly prescribed leading to unwanted and often severe side effects. You would be surprised at the number of lawsuits which have ensued following a misdiagnosis and improper prescriptions stemming from those errors.

Before Taking Any Medications or Treatments

If you, or someone you love, has had one or more seizures, it is important to get a full battery of tests prior to taking any medications or treatments whatsoever. This often means seeking a second or even third opinion and consultation with one or more specialists.

Also, the type of specialist you see is dependent upon the diagnosis you receive. A patient suffering from bouts of dangerously low blood sugar wouldn’t need to see the same type of specialist who treats epilepsy, for example, and vice versa. Without these diagnostics, you could be taking the wrong medication for what ails you!

A Brief Look at Common Conditions Which Can Result in Seizures

When you think seizures, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Of course, it would be epilepsy because everyone who has had any kind of first aid training knows that epileptics are prone to grand mal seizures and there is a danger of choking on their tongue. You are taught how to use a tongue depressor to keep them from swallowing their tongue and in the absence of one, you are taught to use any object at hand, including your finger or a Popsicle stick! But there are other triggers leading to seizures which begin with epilepsy. The list would look something like this:

1. Epilepsy – A neurologic disorder resulting in a disturbance in electrical activity within the brain, leading to recurrent seizures.
2. Injury to the Brain – Usually blunt force trauma of some kind that disrupts electrical activity of the brain.
3. Eclampsia – Seizures brought about as the result of pre-eclampsia (e.g., high blood pressure and organ damage) in pregnant women.
4. Withdrawal from alcohol or drugs – Withdrawal can also trigger a disruption in electrical activity of the brain.
5. Cerebral Palsy – Impairment of motor function from birth which can lead to seizures.
6. Low Blood Sugar – Can lead to more episodes and brain damage which results in seizures.
7. Low Blood Sodium – Causes an imbalance of electrolytes in the system, leading to imbalance in brain activity.
8. Intracranial Hemorrhages – Bleeding in the brain.
9. High Fevers – Triggers a disruption in brain activity leading to seizures in some cases.
10. Brain Hypoxia – A reduction in oxygen within the brain.

As you can see, each of those conditions that can lead to seizures would be treated in different ways and sometimes are absent by the time a patient sees a doctor about seizures they’ve experienced. For instance, you may not still be running a very high fever when you saw your doctor so he or she might assume you have neurological issues. This can result in a misdiagnosis and an erroneous prescribing of anti-seizure medications or treatments.

Your Health Is in Your Hands

When it comes right down to it, your health really is in your hands. Before accepting a serious diagnosis, you always have the option of getting a second, or even a third, opinion. One thing to be aware of, as in the case of epilepsy, is there really is no one test or string of tests which can lead to a diagnosis. Patterns of seizures are observed and a number of other factors can lead to the prescription of a medication which ultimately isn’t necessary.

Those who have been misdiagnosed can sometimes claim medical malpractice and a lawsuit can ensue. However, your health is at stake here so it is important that you understand that you have an active role to play in any treatments ordered by your physicians. If you are in doubt, always seek secondary consultations with specialists pertinent to the diagnosis you have been given.

The most common side effects of anti-seizure medications are not typically severe. While they can include such things as blurred vision, nausea and headaches, few people do experience side effects that are much more serious resulting in secondary issues. If you have been misdiagnosed, consult an attorney. However, don’t let it get to that stage! Be proactive in your treatments to avoid complications.


This is a guest blog entry.

Let’s Clear Up 3 Common Misconceptions About Anxiety

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million adults in the United States are affected by an anxiety disorder. Each case of anxiety has unique causes and can be associated with other related illnesses – such as sleep or eating disorders, chronic pain and substance abuse.

From the outside, the symptoms of anxiety may look like nothing more than senseless stress or worry. Many people who are battling an anxiety disorder, however, know how impairing it can be.

There are all too many myths associated with anxiety disorders. Allowing anxiety to go unchecked can lead to harmful stigma, preventing those with a disorder from seeking help. If left untreated, some forms of anxiety can lead to other issues, such as depression and substance abuse.

Let’s take a look at three common misconceptions about anxiety and why they are inaccurate.

Myth: Anxiety Always Stems from Past Experiences 

Although a challenging childhood can be related to anxiety, the two circumstances do not always go hand in hand. Even people with fond memories of childhood can develop anxiety in their adult years. People with anxiety that does not stem from childhood can encounter further issues when forced to search for a problem that simply is not there.

Anxiety Can Be Caused by Many Factors 

It is often assumed that someone with an anxiety disorder suffered a traumatic experience in the past that he or she did not properly deal with. Most anxiety disorders are more general in nature. While certain fears and phobias do exist, in most cases, past trauma is not the root cause.

Myth: Anxious People Should Avoid Whatever Causes Anxiety 

Avoiding stressful situations is simply not possible. Anxiety has evolutionary benefits to help us focus in an emergency and power through tough situations. Not every stressful situation will cause anxiety for someone with the disorder, and experiencing little bits of anxiety at a time can actually help reduce fear of a certain situation.

Avoiding Situations Can Reinforce Fear 

By running away from situations known to cause stress, a separation is created between the feared encounters and the person with anxiety. This separation will grow every time the situation is purposely avoided, and the fear will grow with it. Rather than easing the anxiety, evasion can remind the anxious person of their fears, and he or she may begin to form a weak self-image as a result.

Myth: Anxious People Should Turn to Substances to Ease Their Symptoms 

To some, anxiety disorders are considered harmless, so those suffering from the condition may not seek professional treatment. This behavior can lead to self-medicating and eventually a dependence on alcohol. For many people, having a drink or two can help “take the edge off,” but for someone with anxiety, it can be an unhealthy escape.

Self-medicating is a way of avoiding the disorder rather than confronting it. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable with therapy and other non-invasive methods, so turning to substances should not be an option.

Substances Are Habit-Forming 

People with anxiety disorders are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to smoke than their peers. Likewise, they are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol. These substances may temporarily relieve anxiety symptoms, but they can have debilitating long-term effects that make the mental illness much worse.

Don’t Shy Away from Anxiety Disorder Treatment 

Only one-third of the people suffering from an anxiety disorder in the United States receive proper treatment. Recent research has shown that community acceptance can greatly reduce the negative impacts of anxiety. By debunking the common myths associated with this group of disorders, we hope to help those with anxiety – and their families – to reach out and ask for help.

To learn even more about anxiety disorders, visit the website for Maryland Recovery, a prestigious substance abuse and social anxiety disorder treatment center based less than an hour northeast of Baltimore.

This is a guest blog entry.

What’s New About Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring has shown promise in the healthcare field for a long time now, being regarded as a viable solution for the increasing number of the aging population and chronic diseases.

This comes as no surprise at all, especially when it brings to the table cheap technology, varying workflow degrees and accessible digital infrastructure that allow healthcare workers a centralized location to monitor patients and to intervene for those at-risk.

The current situation 

While this monitoring system comes as a panacea to healthcare, the reality is that the present healthcare system is still at baby steps when it comes to adopting this technology-influenced healthcare solution. Sure, there have been a number of successful pilots, yet looking at the bigger picture, most healthcare systems continue to operate using the traditional approach when it comes to dealing with patients with chronic disease.

On the upside, the issues that once hindered remote patient monitoring programs in the past—security, usability, implementation, and interoperability—have become less relevant at present because of how today’s technology, guidelines, and standards have matured.

Baby steps 

According to a recent survey appointed by the KPMG LLP, about three-fourths of healthcare workers are currently implementing steps in virtual care, while a third of them are already using remote patient monitoring initiatives to effectively engage patients. This leads to the possibility that more of these programs, as well as access to care, are coming for the healthcare industry.

KPMG principal, Michael Beaty, observes that this is a strategic shift in how healthcare providers perceive the importance of digital health capabilities, such as enhanced web portals, virtual health applications, and referral management tools in providing continuous and accessible patient care.

With this technology, the constraint of geography is removed from the healthcare field, overall improving patient commitment and promoting convenience, all the while delivering higher quality healthcare to far-off areas.

The fate of RPM in 2017 

One of the trending topics on last year’s Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference was the normalization of data succeeding the publication of the Health Level 7 standards, which resulted to the establishment of documented protocols to ensure a unified provider experience despite various software systems. This simplifies workflow in the clinical area in the long run.

Likewise, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has formulated a set of requirements that allowed healthcare chief information officers to spend less time when it comes to their data security tasks. On the other hand, another trend has been the increasing awareness and development of medical sensors and devices that ingeniously collects critical medical biometrics and transmits them in a verifiable approach, as compared to manual input that proves to be more error-prone.

The emergence of these trends may prove that 2017 could be the best year for remote patient monitoring to set sail. Because healthcare systems are gradually moving on from executing electronic health records, they might be able to explore more ways to maximize their digital infrastructure—graduating from a records repository to a universal approach in the form of an electronic solution, which can produce better patient outcomes and generate savings.

RPM and beyond 

Looking at it, the reality may not be too far-fetched as it seems. Currently, remote patient monitoring seems to be gathering momentum, and it won’t be too long to witness its adoption to entire healthcare systems across the globe. Soon, health coaching can be directly done in patients’ homes. Timely alerts and tips for patients can be delivered. Patient engagement will improve like never before.

With the increasing positive trends inclined to remote patient monitoring systems, technology can be easily transformed soon from a remote tele-monitoring instrument utilized for specific chronic diseases into simpler yet more generalizable platforms that improve patient engagement and healthcare access.

This is a guest blog entry.

5 Facts About Stretching You Should Know

First introduced in 1976, the popular Stretch Armstrong action figure wowed kids across the world with his super flexibility and elastic powers. Manufactured to be about 15 inches tall, Stretch Armstrong could be pulled and stretched to anywhere between 4 and 5 feet, briefly remaining expanded before shrinking back to its original size.

Unlike Stretch Armstrong who was filled with latex rubber and corn syrup gel, humans have a little tougher time getting the hang of the stretching thing. If you’re looking to boost your flexibility or simply fight off aches and pains with routine stretching, know these important tips:

Hold Stretches for 30 Seconds

Forget quickly touching your toes, bouncing for a few seconds, and returning to standing position. This does little for long term flexibility and truly doesn’t benefit your muscles very much at all. When you stretch, your muscles experience an automatic reflex (myotatic reflex) that aims to contract the muscle back into its original position. If you hold the stretch for an extended amount of time, the message to contract gets overridden with a message to relax (autogenic inhibition), helping lengthen and stretch the muscle to maintain tone, strength, and range of motion.

Stretch After Exercise

Stretching is best done when muscles are warm and pliable, hence, stretching after exercising (cardio, aerobic, strength training) is more suitable for your muscles. Want to warm up your muscles before your workout? Take more dynamic actions like jumping jacks, a brisk walk, or burpees. Exercises like yoga and tai chi, in turn, incorporate gentle stretching into the practice itself, combined with deep breathing and held positions - mindfulness practices like these help you warm up muscles, lengthen your spine, and ramp up your flexibility.

Elasticity and Plasticity are Different

Elasticity is simply your body’s ability to return to it’s original position and form after stretching, while plasticity is its ability for the skeletal muscles to lengthen and adapt overtime. The skeletal musculature of the human body is absolutely remarkable. Natural reflexes that cue muscles to relax and contract when you stretch are conducive to proper elasticity, and overtime as those muscles modify and physiologically restructure with routine stretching, you experience plasticity as well. A proper balance of the two supports functional flexibility that powers strong biomechanics, balance, and coordination.

Stretching Won’t 100% Prevent Injury

While flexibility is important to preventing muscle strains, tears, and inflammation, no studies have proven that it can fully prevent injury. What stretching does do is prevent muscles from becoming short and tight. Stiff muscles which lack elasticity are more susceptible to injury from a sudden onset of strenuous activity or impact - this can lead to pain and even affect joint health, as joints rely on the fluid movement of muscles and other connective tissues.

Stretching Tools Can Help

Experiencing pain specifically in the foot? Or is muscle inflammation targeted mostly in your neck and shoulders? There are stretching tools that support and promote continuous stretching movements to alleviate swelling, pain, and even help prevent injury. A calf stretcher, for example, aids the foot in helpful stretches which benefit the calf and plantar fascia muscles. Exercise balls can be used to help stretch the spine and associated muscles and tendons, while foam rollers target almost every appendage, helping stretch back muscles to your glutes, hamstrings, calves and even your ankles.

Stretching and maintaining flexibility as you age is vital to not just leading an active and healthy lifestyle, but to preventing falls as well. Flexibility might mean the difference between tripping over a cord on the floor and quickly catching your balance, or tripping over a cord on the floor and falling to the ground, hurting yourself and possibly even going to the hospital. You may not bend, stretch, and tie into knots quite like Stretch Armstrong, but with routine (and proper) stretching, you can certainly get close.

This is a guest blog entry.

Things to Check before Choosing a Hip Replacement Surgeon

With the advancement in medical science and technology, joint replacement has become much easier with faster recovery. However, if you are planning on getting a hip replacement surgery, you need to know that it can change the way you sit, sleep, and stand or even walk. And that is why you need to be extra alert, especially in choosing the right surgeon. You must make all attempts in verifying that the surgeon chosen by you is highly skilled and experienced to give you the desired results post surgery. Reading this article, you will learn about some important things that should be checked before choosing a Hip Replacement surgeon.

Surgical Approach and Experience with it

One of the main aspects to consider before selecting a surgeon, such as Dr. Nakul Karkare for a hip replacement surgery is their approach and experience. He is known to be a specialist with years of experience in Fluoroscopy that ensures a perfect fit of the replaced joint.

Generally, the traditional posterior approach is followed in such surgeries but due to development of newer technologies, many surgeons have started trying an anterior approach and even a minimally invasive approach to conduct a hip replacement surgery. What is most important here is to know the experience of the surgeon, so that you don’t end up being an experimental patient for the surgeon trying a new approach.

Expected Results Post Surgery

Another vital aspect to check before choosing a hip replacement surgeon is to know the estimate of expected results post-surgery (e.g., successful vs unsuccessful outcomes). Although this type of replacement surgery is successful in almost all patients you must not take everything for granted. So be sure to ask about expected results in your particular case and what would be the measures to control pain after the surgery. Additionally, ask questions related to mobility and other medications required post-surgery.

Options for Replacement Prosthetic Materials

Also check with your surgeon about the various options available for replacement prosthetic materials. The common hip replacement prosthetic materials are available in ceramic, plastic, metal and sometimes the combination of any of these materials. An experienced surgeon will always consider your specific case and suggest the best material option as a replacement part for your hip.
Possible Complications and Risks

Another important question to ask your hip replacement surgeon before the actual hip replacement surgery is the list of possible risks and complications. Don’t solely be fixated on with the benefits of this surgery. You must be well aware of its complications before the surgery, especially if you are suffering from some pre-existing health problems like diabetes, heart diseases, or high blood pressure. Thus, ensure that the surgeon can frankly inform you about the possible risks related to your pre-existing health problems and the hip replacement surgery.

Precautions before the Surgery

Last of all, make sure to ask about any precautions before the surgery from your chosen hip replacement surgeon. It is in fact very important to know certain do’s and don’ts prior to the surgery such as any lifestyle changes such as losing weight or gaining muscles around the hip. You may also ask whether there are any medicines to take prior to the surgery and any specific post surgery modifications or rehabilitation required.

This is a guest blog entry.

Common Changes to your body during Pregnancy

From the moment you become pregnant, your body starts the wonderful process of making a baby. This can be both a joyous time and also very difficult, as some mothers need time and help to adjust to their new body and the symptoms of pregnancy.

Almost every part of a woman’s body will change during pregnancy, and if it’s your first time, these changes can seem a little overwhelming. Some things such as discharge during pregnancy can be worrying, but others are very normal. Here are some of the things that will happen to your body as the weeks and months progress.

Congestion

Because of a higher than normal blood volume you can start to suffer from nasal congestion and a runny nose. This is perfectly normal but can be a little annoying. Using a saline spray will help you to clear up the mucus and dry up the nasal passages.

Frequent Urination

Often the curse of pregnancy is the near constant need to go to the toilet. This is caused initially by a higher volume of blood through the kidneys. Later on, in pregnancy, the weight of the baby pressing down on the bladder can also have a similar effect. At this point, you may feel like you need to urinate all the time.

Heartburn

Another problem during pregnancy is heartburn and wind. This is most common during the later stages and can be triggered by almost anything. It’s the result of the baby squeezing your stomach upwards and the valve of the stomach becoming looser. This causes the stomach acid to go up into the esophagus.

Thankfully in recent years, heartburn remedies such as Tums and Rennies were deemed safe during pregnancy.

Shortness of Breath

Towards the end of the pregnancy, the same squashing that is causing the heartburn will also squeeze your diaphragm. This can lead to shortness of breath even if you are only doing very little. If this happens, it is good time to take things easy and avoid strenuous activities. Sometimes laying on your side can alleviate the feeling.

Discharge

One of the worries women have when they are pregnant is blood and discharge. It can be normal to have discharge during pregnancy, but as with anything else, if you think that something is wrong, you should consult with your doctor.

Blood again can be common in pregnancy, but it should be monitored by your doctor to make sure there is nothing amiss.

Aches and Pains

Aches and pains are an unfortunate problem and one that can happen throughout pregnancy. Not only are the tendons and ligaments stretching, but the extra pressure on the back can cause pain and in some cases lead to trapped nerves and sciatica.

These are some of the things that can cause problems during pregnancy. Others can be constipation, tender breasts, changes to teeth and nails becoming brittle.

Although all of these things could be deemed a burden, they are usually not harmful to the mother or the baby. However, it is important however to keep regular check-ups with your doctor.

This is a guest blog posting.

Cycling – A Health Boost or a Danger?

While cycling has become more popular over recent years, and people are feeling significant health benefits from cycling, there is a population of people that are too scared to take to the roads by bicycle.

This isn’t necessarily a reflection of their own cycling ability but more of a concern for their safety in terms of being hit by a vehicle. Therefore, large investment has been made to try and ensure more cycling lanes are available, but there are still many areas where people feel concerned for their safety when cycling on the road.

Cyclists often complain that drivers are unaware of how much room that they should leave when overtaking a cyclist and this can result in accidents. Similarly, not checking inside mirrors for cyclists is a common problem. Did you know that in 2013 over 900 cyclists were killed in the US and there were around half a million cyclists injured and required a visit to the emergency department? These stats are off-putting, but we must remember that everything is relative. People driving cars have much higher levels of protection than cyclists, but there are still large numbers of traffic accident related injuries each year. Additionally, if you have been injured in a traffic accident, then you should speak to a Chicago personal injury attorney from phillipslawoffices to get some advice on how to pursue a claim.

Unfortunately, there are dangers in most daily activities - even from crossing the road, so people shouldn’t be put off cycling because of the potential dangers. Cycling is great for your health and mental well-being, so you should get out on your bike as much as you can. As well as weight loss and muscle gain, being outdoors and exercising will give you a big mental boost to thanks to an increase in endorphins.

If you are thinking about starting cycling and want to know how to stay as safe as you possibly can, you should check the cdc.gov website for ways to prevent injuries. So for example, wearing a helmet is highly important, and many of the serious accidents could have been prevented if the person was wearing a cycling helmet. You might think that they look silly, but that should be the least of your concerns when you are going out on a bike. Other measures that you can take are wearing highly visible clothing with reflectors on and having good quality lights on your bike.

You obviously also have a responsibility as a cyclist to use the road in a safe manner, so make sure that you are aware of the necessary road laws to help you to stay safe and to protect the safety of others. If you are cycling for leisure, you can find routes that are specifically designed for cyclists or that are particularly safe from road hazards. You can download apps for your phone to find routes near to you or visit the adventurecycling.org website to find out more information and to download maps.

Cycling is a great way to see the world, boost your health and save on travel expenses so get on your bike and stay safe!

This is a guest blog entry.