Stroke is one of the major reasons for disability in adults. In the US alone, 7 million people suffer from a stroke in a year. After a stroke, the affected individual suffers from lots of health issues. They feel week and fatigued. An ache in one side of the body, inability to walk, and social disability are experienced. Emotional and cognitive functioning is disturbed. Continuum care is recommended for the affected individuals and they need interdisciplinary care to ensure they can do things independently. This is where occupational therapy plays a vital role.

What does the therapist do? 

Using a range of evidence-based methods, the occupational therapists can address the physical, emotional, and mental challenges caused by the stroke. Occupational therapy does not concentrate only on the ailment. It takes into account the emotional needs, desires, limitations, and activities of the stroke survivors. It helps them to recoup the skill to get the daily chores done independently. An occupational therapist surveys the home of the stroke survivor and evaluates the risk of hazards. The practitioner also helps the affected individuals in coping with the loss of vision and memory. The physical strength and fortitude are augmented. The major focus will be on making the affected reach the heights of performance in the valued occupations.

How does it help? 

Studies prove that occupational therapy does not only help one to recover faster, but also prevents worsening of the condition further. The stroke survivor, who receives the occupational therapy, is independent when it comes to daily living chores. Wouldn t it be a great improvement on the emotional health when the affected feels he or she can get things done with little or occasional help? Also, this reduces the caregiver burden. The family is relieved that the survivor can eat, bath, and take a few things without someone having to sit closer and help. This mentally boosts the caregivers and the family to motivate the survivor. The stroke survivor also looks forward to the rehabilitation treatment as the occupational therapy makes them feel great.

Transitional and community integration services can make sure that the patients are engaged in their specific environments, once they get back home after occupational therapy in the specialized care center. After a certain period, when the stroke survivors show considerable improvement, the practitioner again evaluates to find if activities like driving can be resumed by the clients. Community mobility of different choices is recommended if the client is not fit for driving. There are driver rehab programs and the driving skills can be regained.

An occupational therapist spends more time with the client than any other healthcare professional. This is because the practitioner is responsible for alleviating the challenges faced by the affected individual emotionally and physically. The practitioner not only helps the client to achieve the goals but also ensures that the client is psychologically motivated whenever he or she is discouraged. Rehabilitation can reverse the damage done to the brain. But it takes lots of efforts to learn the things to do them in a different way. An occupational therapist makes this goal easier for his or her clients.

Occupational Therapy For People Recovering From A Stroke! 

Lifestyle changes and unhealthy habits take a toll on one s physical and mental health resulting in many diseases. One such disease that is growing common is the stroke that occurs due to a sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain. As with any lifestyle disease, the chances of having a stroke can be reduced as well. Knowing the risk factors and taking appropriate measures can prevent you from a stroke attack. 

Read on to know the seven effective ways to prevent you from a stroke.

Opt for a healthy lifestyle: While smoking leads to an increased risk of suffering from a stroke, excessive consumption of alcohol not only triggers irregular heartbeats, but also high blood pressure, which can be a solid reason behind having a stroke. Therefore, leading a healthy lifestyle free from smoking and alcohol can help in preventing strokes.
Manage conditions: Whether it is diabetes or any other kind of illness which directly or indirectly give rise to the risk of having a stroke, dealing with one's underlying conditions is important. In case one is diagnosed with such a condition that can be responsible for a stroke, he or she must make it a point to keep that condition under control.
Lose weight: Obesity is often known to increase the complexities associated with a stroke such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Therefore, for those who are overweight, losing a few pounds can be really helpful in preventing the chances of having a stroke.
Keep blood pressure in check: High blood pressure often causes a stroke, if not controlled. It is referred to as the biggest contributor in causing a stroke by many. Lowering the high blood pressure or bringing it to normal levels can indeed be a great way of preventing a stroke.
Exercise regularly: Exercise not only contributes to lowering the blood pressure, but also helps to maintain body weight while ensuring the overall fitness of the body. Some light hand exercises or regular walking combined with proper diet can do wonders in preventing a stroke.
Have a proper sleep at night: Spending sleepless nights may increase the risk of stroke. Therefore, one must make it a point to maintain the necessary amount of sleep at night that can help in reducing stress and anxiety, while decreasing the chance of heart diseases as well as a stroke.
Never ignore the palpitations: Ignoring the palpitations is the last thing one can want to do, if he or she is willing to prevent the chances of suffering a stroke. Feelings of lightheadedness or shortness of breath, chest pain and abnormal heart beats can be warning signs for a stroke. Therefore, you must pay proper attention to these and deal with appropriate medications.
An otherwise healthy person can stay away from stroke by continuing a healthy lifestyle and following the tips mentioned above. However, if you have suffered a stroke earlier, then it becomes imperative to follow these tips along with supervised medical care.

Stroke - Can You Prevent It From Happening?

Cardiac or Heart Arrhythmia is a condition which results in disruption of heart s normal rhythm. Due to this, the heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or have an irregular rhythm. Though most of the arrhythmias are not harmful but at times they can have serious consequences, which might turn to be fatal. Differences in heart beats can lead to the restriction of blood, that gets pumped around the body, hence causing damage to the brain, heart and other organs of an individual.

Now we would take into account the causes behind the occurrence of this heart condition.

Causes

Interruption to the electrical impulses in any form that lets the heart to contract can result in arrhythmia. A person with a healthy heart should have a heart rate of anywhere between 60-100 beats per minute while the body is at rest.

There are a number of factors which can cause the heart to work inefficiently, which include:

Alcohol Consumption: If you are used to drinking alcohol varying from light to moderate, the chance of irregular heartbeat increases. A recent study has shown that with every drink consumed per day, the risk of atrial fibrillation increased by 8 percent. Men and women both are at equal risk for irregular heartbeat. Irregular heartbeat is caused because drinking leads to damage of the cells, which in turn leads to causing damage in small areas of fibrous tissue within the heart.

Anxiety: Arrhythmia from anxiety is when the heart feels like something happened due to which it tries to overcompensate and beat quickly. This leads to heart skipping a beat, getting squeezed or undergoing heartbeats at a rapid pace.

Excessive Cosumption of Coffee: Caffeine is a stimulant and tends to speed up heart rate, so consuming too much coffee can lead to the problem of arrhythmia.

Deficiency of Magnesium and Potassium: Magnesium and Potassium deficiencies in one s body can cause Arrhythmia. The deficiencies can be caused due to less intake of citrus fruits and vegetables like potatoes, kiwi, papaya etc.

Symptoms

Arrhythmia can produce a broad range of symptoms which affect the proper functioning of heart. Some of the most serious symptoms are:

Fatigue: If you feel that you are getting fatigued quite easily, then it s a clear symptom of arrhythmia.

Dizziness: A sense of dizziness creeps in when you are having the problem of irregular heartbeat.

Lightheadedness: Feeling light on the head is another symptom of Cardiac Arrhythmia, as there is fluctuation in the amount of blood that reaches the brain through the heart.

Treatment Options

Problem of irregular heartbeats, especially if it s on the slower side, can be solved through the placement of certain devices like pacemaker, which can speed up one s heart rate.
Faster heartbeats can be treated through blood-thinning medications, which would help keep threatening blood clots from getting formed.
Doctors can even go for Catheter ablation, wherein they would thread one or more catheters through the blood vessels of one s heart. Electrodes at the catheter tips can make use of extreme heat, cold or radiofrequency energy to damage a small sport of heart tissue and create an electrical block along the path, that s causing one s arrhythmia.

Cardiac Arrhythmia - Factors That Can Lead To It!

During breathing activity, chest wall moves out & in, lungs expand & relax. For the smooth movement of the lungs inside the chest cavity, they are lined by pleura.

Pleura includes two thin linings, the layer lining lungs is called visceral pleura and the one lining chest wall is called parietal pleura. The cavity formed between these two layers is called Pleural cavity. It contains a small amount of lubricant called Pleural fluid which helps smooth sliding of two pleural surfaces. Any condition which results in inflammation of the pleural surfaces or accumulation of excessive fluid in the pleural cavity gives rise to symptoms attributable to pleural involvement or disease.

Pleural effusion is nothing but the collection of excess fluid in the pleural cavity. Excess fluid in the pleural space is not normal and can occur due to a variety of reasons. Depending on the chemical composition it is broadly divided into two categories, transudate and exudate. 


What Causes Pleural Effusion?

1. Transudate pleural effusions 

Transudate pleural effusion is formed when fluid leaks from blood vessels into the pleural space. Chemically, transudates contain less protein and LDH than exudates. It is generally seen in the following conditions.

Congestive heart failure

Liver failure or cirrhosis

Kidney failure or nephrotic syndrome

Peritoneal dialysis

2. Exudate pleural effusions 

Exudate pleural effusion is caused by inflammation of the pleura itself and are often due to diseases involving the lung. Following are some common illnesses giving rise to exudate pleural effusion.

Tuberculosis
Pneumonia
Lung or breast cancer
Lymphoma
Pulmonary embolism
Post chest wall trauma or surgery
Asbestosis and mesothelioma
Secondary to intra-abdominal pathology 
Pancreatic pseudocyst, etc
Symptoms of Pleural Effusion -

Chest Pain: Chest pain is mainly due to irritation of the pleural lining. The pain is sharp, localized and worsens with a deep breath, yawning, coughing which is usually described as pleuritic. If the effusion causes inflammation of the diaphragm the pain may be referred to the shoulder or the upper abdomen. As the pleural effusion increases in size, the pain may increase or disappear altogether due to the separation of inflamed pleural surfaces.

Shortness of breath: As the effusion grows larger with more fluid, the harder it is for the lung to expand and the more difficult it is for the patient to breathe resulting in shortness of breath.

Other Symptoms: Other symptoms are generally attributable to the underlying disease process.

Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion -

Patient s Detailed History and Clinical Examination are the mainstays of diagnosing pleural effusion and it s the underlying cause. Following investigative modalities are generally opted for working out the final diagnosis before instituting appropriate therapy.

Chest X-ray: X-ray will help indicate the presence of fluid. 
Chest Ultrasound(USG): will help in confirming the presence of the fluid and it s localization which in turn can guide the physician about its quantity and its capability.
CT Scan: CT scan of the chest may at times be required to ascertain the underlying cause or to know about any other co-morbid conditions.
Thoracentesis: Thoracentesis is a procedure used to sample the fluid from the pleural effusion. Using a long thin needle, fluid can be removed and sent for testing to confirm the diagnosis.
This can be just for diagnostic purposes or can even be used as a therapeutic procedure.
Chemical analysis of the fluid will help determine the type of pleural effusion.
Treatment of Pleural Effusion -

Treatment of underlying Disease: The treatment of a pleural effusion usually requires that the underlying illness or disease is treated and controlled to prevent the accumulation of the pleural fluid. Like anti-TB therapy for Tubercular etiology or treatment of Cancer in malignant pleural effusion, etc.

Thoracentesis: As discussed earlier Thoracentesis can be used as a therapeutic procedure to remove excess fluid and help lung expand and function properly.

Tube thoracostomy: Thoracostomy or chest tube insertion may be done to drain and treat fluids which cannot be removed by needle aspirations, e.g. empyemas (pus collections).

Pleurodesis: Some pleural effusions reoccur multiple times; sclerosing agents that induce scarring such as talc or tetracycline was used to prevent a recurrence.

Decortication: If sclerosing agents fail, surgery may be required, called Decortication.

Pleural Effusion - What Is It?

SGLT2 (sodium-glucose-co-transporter 2) inhibitor is an oral tablet used in conjunction with exercise and diet to improve blood glucose control in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

The medication works by targeting and helping prevent sodium-glucose transport proteins from allowing glucose that has been filtered by the kidneys to be reabsorbed into your bloodstream.

Who is SGLT2 Inhibitor suitable for?

This drug is not suitable for everyone. Selection of the right patients is crucial to understand the mechanism of the medication and see improvement in the condition.

SGLT2 Inhibitor is given to patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus as a second-line drug in case the first line of treatment, metformin, fails to keep high blood sugar levels in check.

If the patient has hyperglycemia i.e. high, uncontrolled blood sugar, and a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 due to the accumulation of fat in the abdominal region (central obesity), then SGLT2 Inhibitor could be a useful medication. The drug not only works to reduce high blood glucose but also helps with weight loss. However, in patients with normal BMI, the medication does not induce weight loss.

SGLT2 Inhibitor may not be suitable for patients with a history of urinary tract infection. Hence, it is advisable for all patients to undergo a urine test before starting with the dosage. If the test results are normal, then only you can discuss the dosage with your doctor/healthcare provider and start taking the prescribed medications immediately.

Benefits of Taking SGLT2 Inhibitor :

The benefits of using SGLT2 Inhibitor are as follows  

Helps reduce excess weight if the patient is obese. If taken in the correct dosage as prescribed, you can lose up to 5 Kgs in about three months.

Helps reduce Systolic blood pressure   if a diabetic is living with hypertension, SGLT2 Inhibitor can bring down systolic blood pressure.

As an anti-diabetic drug, SGLT2 Inhibitor works to control high blood glucose and improves glycemic control. Thus, with the help of the drug, Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients can keep their HbA1c levels at 7% or less.

Side Effects

One major side effect of SGLT2 Inhibitor is urinary tract infection. SGLT2 Inhibitor drug filters excess blood sugar from the body in the form of urine. Frequent urination or filtering of wastes through the urethra may lead to infections. Therefore, it is imperative that patients are informed about the mechanism of the drug and its probable side effects before taking the medication. One way to avoid urinary tract infections is to maintain good hygiene   wash and clean your private areas after urination.

SGLT2 Inhibitor can also cause dehydration in the patient, as a lot of fluid is drained out of the body. Patients are advised to have a glass or two of water more than what they usually drink.

SGLT2 Inhibitor is an effective oral medication for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. Speak with your doctor and get yourself thoroughly checked before you start taking the drug.

SGLT2 Inhibitor - Know Merits & Demerits Of It!

Loving relationships are known to improve more than just your mood, it improve your looks and your health. Researchers believe that it might just be the best medicine for most people, as it helps keep your heart healthy, beat cancer and recover faster, boosts athletic performance and leads to spiritual and emotional growth. Mentioned below are a few of the ways, in which love may lead to a healthy heart and life. 

1. Better heart health: research has shown that women in healthy and loving marriages are less prone to contracting cardiovascular diseases, in contrary to those in stressful marriages. It has also been discovered that love reduces the likelihood of chest pains and suffering from angina despite having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes in men.

2. Lengthens your life: the national longitudinal mortality study studied a million subjects and concluded that couples in a loving marriage tend to live longer and have lowered risk of getting heart attacks, pneumonia, cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. Their chances of committing suicide are also reduced by almost half.

3. Faster cancer recovery: after extensive research, university of iowa proved that patients of ovarian cancer, who were in loving relationships, had stronger wbcs i. E. White blood cells that kill cancerous cells, as compared to those in unhealthy relationships. They also concluded that patients in love recover quickly or completely eliminate cancer. 

4. Lowers blood pressure: studies show that when couples are together, their blood pressure is significantly lowered. This research even proved that spending time with loving and supportive friends results in lower systolic numbers. 

5. Keeps you slim: being in love is a much healthier and better option than juice cleanse, when it comes to losing that extra weight. People in loving relationships produce more adrenaline i. E. An appetite suppressant and are more likely to hit the gym and make healthier lifestyle choices to look their best. Apart from that, sex is one of the best ways to lose calories and reduce your weight.

Being in Love Will Lead You to a Healthy Heart and Life

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