Monthly Archives: June 2014

Working to keep people healthy

Doctors, nurses, clinicians and pharmacists are not the only professionals working to keep people healthy. The men and women of the public health sector are also there to prevent the spread of disease and stop injuries from occurring. Dirty kitchens in restaurants, hazardous construction zones, missing stop signs, flimsy buildings and toxic chemical byproducts all represent dangers to the well-being of everyone in the community. Safety can only be ensured by setting and enforcing the preventative standards of public health.

Any individual who wants an occupation in public health should know that they will be in for an involved learning experience. That can involve a test like ucat, or depending on what area of the field they want to specialize in, they will have to study up on architecture, disease, behavioral sciences and even the history of both natural and man-made disasters. Even after they have earned their bachelor’s degree and started working, their education will continue as new problems arise and old standards get updated.

Normal job experience is one way you can continue to grow, but increasing your education will improve your knowledge about public health by leaps and bounds. Not only that, but it could also open the door to even more high-paying career opportunities. Many schools are offering a series of online programs designed to allow students a chance to earn their Master of Public Health degrees. These programs are detailed and flexible, giving people of all backgrounds the opportunity to further their educations without needing to leave home or work behind.

How exactly do these online classes work? It tends to vary from school to school. For example, USC’s MPH online program at the Keck School of Medicine gives students a nice variety of public health specializations to major in. These include Biostatistics and Epidemiology, where health trends are examined to determine the causes behind sickness and injury, Health Education and Promotion, which promotes programs that seek to educate the public about safety concerns, and Global Health Leadership.

Public health serves a vital function in modern society. While it will never go away, it will never remain static either. Staying up to date on today’s best practices is one of many ways to keep people of all ages safe and healthy.

The Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing in the United States today. Although nursing positions are still the highest posted available positions, another industry related to healthcare is fast approaching nursing as a growing field for those who want to enter healthcare. Health informatics, which links technology and communication with healthcare, is gaining importance in the country.

Affordable Care Act

Much of this growth can be attributed to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, which provides incentives to healthcare providers to use electronic methods for patient records, treatment protocols and other data related to the health of individuals. In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid are also offering incentives related to the meaningful use of technology in providing healthcare. Therefore, individuals with a background in healthcare data collection, analysis and reporting will be highly sought after in the healthcare industry.

Types of Positions

There are many types of positions in the healthcare informatics field, and the number of specialties is expected to grow over the next few years as more incentives and mandates push the use of electronic information in the healthcare industry. There has been a decline over the past several years in the need for jobs that require little skill such as medical records clerks while the need for medical coder positions, which often require Coding Specialist certification, has grown significantly. Those with an understanding of disease classification systems are currently in especially high demand. In addition, clinical documentation specialists and clinical improvement analysts are also a growing field within the health informatics industry. Postings for those types of jobs doubled between 2007 and 2011, now constituting as much as 16 percent of the positions available.

Skills Necessary

The need for higher education in the healthcare informatics field has also grown tremendously. Many employers are now requiring certification and post-secondary degrees for positions in their informatics departments. Many are also requiring a background in the healthcare industry as well. Therefore, those who plan to enter the health informatics field should begin their careers in entry-level healthcare positions while working towards a post-secondary education through such programs as UIC’s medical informatics degree. Online degrees offer the flexibility necessary for working professionals to further their education and gain the skills necessary to further their career in health informatics or make a change to a new career.

Health informatics is a growing industry with a significant number of job postings available already. However, experts say that the industry will only continue to grow as mandates and incentives increase in order to move the healthcare industry forward with technology.

Cure for inherited blindness: New Gene therapy

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Believe it or not, science has done it once again. Treatment has been discovered for a tragic illness! A procedure known as the gene therapy has been proven successful for treatment of inherited blindness. A comprehensive study involving numerous participants suffering from this disease has proven the efficacy of gene therapy. This study was one of the first of its kind to prove that even inherited blindness could be treated with this revolutionary treatment option.

How does gene therapy work?
Researchers have put in a lot of hard work in ensuring that a disorder like blindness too can be cured by gene therapy which revolves around the process of eye mutation. The results of this study indicate that this treatment is beneficial in treating both eyes safely and successfully.

During this procedure, initially all the dysfunctional genes are sorted and healthy copies of these are made. Once the healthy copies are ready for eyes, these healthy gene duplicates are injected into the eyes of the patients. These healthy cells quickly adhere to the eye and trigger some spectacular reproduction and growth by which the eyesight can be restored easily.

The results of this treatment have been so positive that more and more patients are signing up for this study and doctors too seem incredibly optimistic about treating them. After the initial concerns of this experimental gene therapy are resolved, the doctors state that this will soon be rolled out for other patients to help in restoring their visual abilities.

Treating eyes at the right time
Doctors always state that the sooner you provide treatment to degenerative eyes, the faster they will respond and recover. This means that you have to keep a close watch on how you are treating your eyes.

Do not ignore any eye problems because the sooner you find out that there is a problem, the easier it is to resolve them. In case your eye troubles aren’t as severe as blindness but are close to astigmatism, it is best that you rely on safe and reliable eye products otherwise severe infections can result in serious eye damage.

Many patients of astigmatism have found that using a comfortable pair of hydrogel contact lenses like Biomedics Toric can be a very useful solution. These lenses are known for being able to provide the wearer with clear vision throughout the day. Since they are created with specially designed and patented thin edge design, it ensures that they stay put at the same place regardless of the levels of activity you undertake through the day. These lenses also offer a protective layer against UV rays.

Home remedies for better eyes

If you have been suffering from poor or deteriorating vision which hasn’t yet taken a very serious shape, then there is still time to better your vision by these simple home remedies:

1. Walking barefoot on grass early in the morning is supposed to work wonders on your eyesight. It essentially presses certain acupressure points that help in removing any blockages in the optic nerve and regulating proper blood flow.

2. Eat lots of green leafy vegetables apart from consuming raw salads to maintain natural mineral and vitamin levels in your eyes.

3. Wash your eyes regularly to keep them free of dirt and germs.

4. Never rub your eyes as tiny particles of dust may scratch the thin covering of your eye and it might lead to bleeding as well.

5. Give your eyes adequate rest. Do not work on your laptops or computers for more than 2 hours straight.

6. Do not watch television without anti glare glasses for more than one hour.

7. Never expose your eye to any form of artificial air or light like blow dryers or heaters.
If you can follow these simple and obvious things you can ensure you live a happy ocular life.

Author Bio:

Jeanie Price is associated with Contactlensheaven.com. In her free time, she would like to explore her knowledge in health care industry.

 

Hair and Health

Does it really matter how your hair looks? Does your hair make you look healthier? There is definitely something about it, and I am here to tell you in a nutshell what it is.

Imagine that you are bald by the age of thirty. Is it unusual? Maybe yes. Fortunately, there is something you can do about it. You go to a place that sells best wigs online and you get one that allows you to look and feel so much better than ever.

A Variant Of The Electronic Cigarette Called The Vapestick

Vapestick is a popular brand worldwide with its headquarters at London. It is a variant of the electronic cigarette. The products are available for almost everyone who has a knack for smoking. It is also a good option for those who want to quit smoking. But in spite of its popularity it is not devoid of adversities. Here is a view of its advantages and disadvantages-

Merits – they are of good quality, the life of battery is good, it offers a range of flavors and products and lastly it tastes good.

Demerits – It is a bit expensive, the looks are not as appealing as it should be but that does not affect its usability and do not offer the guarantee of return of money and also not good warranty.

The Vapestick offers a kit for starters ranging from small to big. Most of the packs come with a recharger, extra batteries, cartomizers and a booklet for its usage. Five different types of flavors are available such as peach, strawberry, apple, blueberry and grape. The vaping can be done for two hours which is the battery life apart from recharging it. The cartomizers are free of nicotine and has a varying strength of tobacco content. It is a foremost member of the ECITA so they have to follow the rules and regulations by them. Though the brand is at a high price but it does give one the value for money. The cartomizer provides puffs of 300 that are equal to supply vapor to 30 cigarettes. Vapestick also has other types of electronic cigarettes like the V-Shisha and mini electronic cigarettes.

The design and packaging could have been better nevertheless it does not take away from its credibility. The production of vapor is considered good. The products are of premium quality. There is no doubt being a variant of the electronic cigarettes it is safer than the regular tobacco based cigarettes. In the long run it saves money for the refilling and recharging as compared to other electronic cigarettes. But it is true that when the batteries do not work as long as it is supposed to one needs to charge it which is very well applicable to almost all the electronic cigarettes. You need to find your type of Vaping cigarette from an array of products. It is a break from the traditional variety.

Tips on Knowing What to Look For In a Dentist

When you set out to look for a dentist in Franklin, TN, the first thing that you will notice is that there are plenty to choose from. Simply picking the one that is closest to home is the way that many people go, but that is not always the best option. Too many people choose the first dentist office that they see, only to find that their insurance isn’t taken there, or that the dentist they choose is not as friendly as they would have hoped. There are many things to take into account when choosing a dentist in Franklin, TN, so let’s take a look at a few.

The most obvious thing to look for is the reputation of the dentist that you plan on visiting. How long have they been practicing, and what sort of feedback have they received from former patients? This is all information that is now incredibly easy to find thanks to the internet. Review sites are not just for restaurants anymore, as all kinds of different businesses, including dentists, are subject to feedback from their clients. Do a little bit of research on these sites to see what former patients are saying about the dentist you are considering.

You also need to think about what it is that you need to have done with your teeth. While the vast majority of dentists are able to perform all the basic dental procedures, not all are equipped to perform the more complex ones. If you just need a filling or a cleaning, chances are you will have no problem finding a dentist in Franklin TN to take care of you. If, on the other hand, you require complicated bridgework done or veneers put in place, you will have to make sure that the dentist you choose has experience in those areas.

As we touched on earlier, you will also need to make sure that the dentist office you plan on going to actually accept your insurance. While most reputable dentists will accept most major forms of insurance, there are some who simply don’t deal with one insurance provider or another. It is always best to check before you make an appointment, as there is nothing worse than getting some expensive work done and being stuck paying the full bill when you shouldn’t have to.

The best thing you can do when looking for a dentist in Franklin, TN is to actually pay a visit to the office before you decide which one to choose. Actually going there will help you get an idea of how professional the set-up is. If you get the opportunity to talk to the dentist, you will also get an idea of his or her personality, which will help you decide if that is someone you want to entrust your teeth to. Finding a great dentist really isn’t that difficult to do, it just takes a little bit of work on your part. The reward is well worth the effort.

Fitted tablecloths

I am sure that you would agree with me when I say that healthy food tastes better when you eat it from a table covered by a poly stripe fitted tablecloth. When you have food that is tasty, the least you can do to make it even better is to eat it from a place that will even further increase your appetite. Try to remember about it next time you throw a barbecue party in your garden.