Doctor In The House

Author : DOLA RAHEEM

Infertility treatment has only recently started to receive the attention the subject demands, infertility is both a medical and social problem in America where it is responsible for an estimated one in every nine couples remaining childless There could be any number of reasons for the infertility but only your doctor will be able to give you the answer to that question It is just as important to know which partner has the problem as it is to know what the couple can do about it when they see an infertility specialist

A full physical examination is only normally carried out when a couple have been trying to conceive for over a year and their doctor needs to assess their general state of health and discover if there is any reason for the condition

Many older women convince themselves mentally, after listening to or reading misleading information that they are too old to conceive The emotional and mental condition can also dictate the chances of becoming pregnant and many couples have convinced themselves so completely that they are infertile and this attitude destroys any attempts to cure the situation

Unfortunately, there is another condition that affects women who have already had their first child but have failed to conceive again even after a full year of trying, and it is known as secondary infertility A common problem for men experiencing infertility has to do with the sperm itself This is often caused by high levels of oxidative stress and it creates a problem with the sperm quality Clinical research suggests that by reducing this oxidative stress then the situation can be reversed and an improvement in the sperm quality will be seen

Considering vitamins and minerals as an option for natural infertility treatment may be your best decision and it will do no harm while you are trying other medical procedures, the aim is to give yourself the best shot at success which begins with a healthy, nutrient-rich body Another aspect to this is the cost, as staying healthy and improving your chances of fertility with vitamins and other supplements compared to other types of treatment, and medical procedures, is low in contrast Another treatment that has been known to help is acupuncture by reducing the stress levels that can be associated with infertility

If in your pursuit of fertility treatment you are denied medical cover, it is possible to appeal to your insurance company on the grounds that the fertility coverage is a legitimate and necessary medical procedure Still, if you are unlucky with your claim then take heart because infertility treatment is tax-deductible

Dola Raheem is the webmaster of http://www.infertilityreasons.com/ a website specialized on infertility, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Infertility Treatment

Author : Thomas Pretty

Going under the knife is a worrying time for anyone Surgery places stresses on the body physically, emotionally and mentally and we all want to recover from a procedure as quickly as possible so we can get on with our life Complementary therapies are becoming a popular way to assist with post-operative recovery by helping with pain relief and worry Complementary therapy has proved effective in dealing with the stress, tension, pain, immobility and anxiety that can impair healing and slow down recovery times

Recent studies have shown how complementary therapy can help pain levels and stress for patients who have undergone heart surgery Complementary therapy doesn’t replace medications that post-operative heart patients require but it does work in addition to conventional treatment to help the whole person One such complementary therapy program consisted of massage therapy to ease pain and tension Many people have found massage to be more beneficial to their pain relief than traditional medications as it can pinpoint pain faster and also doesn’t have the nasty side-effects of drugs (such as drowsiness and constipation)

Guided imagery was used to help patients visualise their recovery and music therapy was used to aid relaxation before and after the procedure Finally, stress education for both patient and family eased anxiety about their time in hospital and the rehabilitation process

Patients that used osteopathic complementary therapy after knee and hip surgery were found to have improved mobility after their procedure (particularly when climbing stairs and walking) Osteopathy uses physical manipulation techniques to correct the body’s structure, ease restricted movement and re-establish normal circulation If the body can function properly as quickly as possible after surgery there is a greater chance of recovering faster

A complementary therapy such as acupuncture has been found to decrease pain levels after certain surgical procedures Acupuncture uses ultra fine needles that stimulate deep sensory nerves in the body to cause a chemical release of endorphins and other substances Once released in the body, these substances help with pain and assist healing

Hypnosis is another popular complementary therapy being utilised in post operative care Hypnotherapy has aided relaxation, discomfort and fatigue in breast cancer surgery patients By modifying the experience of pain in the mind using imagery and positive suggestion, hypnosis can help to reduce its effects and alleviate suffering With pain dulled down, the body’s natural ability to heal is improved

One complementary therapy that is proving effective before and after surgery is homeopathy Homeopathy uses animal and plant extracts, minerals and salts to help the body heal itself by increasing natural energy Homeopathic remedies can be used for anxiety before an operation and to decrease the physical symptoms associated after a surgical procedure Remedies do not interfere with surgery or medications but should be taken with the surgeon’s knowledge Homeopathic remedies have been found to reduce bruising, swelling, bleeding and tissue damage after surgery Certain remedies may help with the disorientation, nausea and weakness felt from the anaesthetic

An integrated approach of conventional medicine and complementary therapy may help ease the fear before an operation and decrease the pain and discomfort afterwards as well as helping you to cope with the stress of recovering

Health expert Thomas Pretty looks into how complementary therapy can help patients recover from surgical procedures.

Author : Sylvia Fontrellini

According to new research conducted on behalf of Hep the Aged, 74 per cent of elderly people don’t think that the Government is correctly responding to their needs

Help the Aged attribute this high figure to the Government’s lack of action over age discrimination, which they believe has fuelled a sense of rejection among older people Indeed, ageism is a big problem in the UK with 61 per cent of people agreeing that the older people get, the worse they are treated by society In order to tackle this increasing problem, Help the Aged is asking the Government to listen to the public’s needs and treat ageism in the same way as racism and sexism

The Charity has launched its Just Equal Treatment campaign, which is pushing for the Government to include proposals for legislation against age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services in its forthcoming Equality Bill

Kate Jopling, Head of Public Affairs for Help the Aged, believes that "The Government doesn’t seem to think age discrimination is a big deal" and is eager to help convince them otherwise She said: "Despite millions of older people being subjected to ageist attitudes and practices each day, the Government doesn’t seem to think age discrimination is a big deal While it deliberates over whether or not to introduce legislation, older people are denied access to the marketplace, insurance and banking facilities - even medical treatment - because they are deemed ‘too old’ In an increasingly ageing society, this is a moral outrage "

Ms Jopling said that the public are supportive of legislation, so it is essential for the Government to help tackle ageism She said: "Ministers have the power to outlaw age discrimination The public are overwhelmingly supportive of legislation – it remains to be seen whether the Government is listening "

Help the Aged is an international charity that fights for the rights of older people, as well as protecting them from abuse, isolation, poverty and neglect They are publishing a booklet, ‘Worth Fighting For: Ten Stories of Age Discrimination’, which features real-life examples of age discrimination, in order to support their latest campaign They are also launching a viral email that they hope will encourage members of the public to email Minister for Equalities Harriet Harman and help put an end to age discrimination

Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring washable knickers, disposable bed protection and Molicare adult nappies.

Author : Sylvia Fontrellini

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced plans to reform the social care system in a speech that kicks off a six-month public consultation focused on making care services fairer and affordable

Mr Brown said that a radical shake-up is needed in the care system, as it faces a £6 billion shortfall in the next two decades This shortfall has been forecast by the Department of Health, who say that a quarter of the UK adult population will be over 65 in the next 20 years, while the number of people over 85 will have doubled Thanks to advances in medical treatment, the number of disabled people in the UK is also expected to increase This vast growth of elderly and disabled people in the UK is expected to put a huge amount of pressure on care services and the benefits

David Rogers, who is chairman of the Local Government Association Community Wellbeing Board, said that there was a ‘black hole’ in the social care budget because the government has not kept up with the demands of our ageing population He said: "Social care budget increases have not kept pace with demographic changes, forcing councils to withdraw services for people with low and moderate needs, such as help with the cleaning and bathing "

Mr Brown said that reform was necessary to protect families who worry about selling off parent’s homes and losing their inheritance in order to pay for long-term residential care He said: "Helping relatives is a challenge that most families rise to - however difficult it becomes But that doesn’t make it any easier Nor does it remove family worries…that at some point in the future they may have to sell a treasured home to pay for their own care "

Mr Brown said that it was "essential" that any future system would protect those who had worked hard throughout their lives He said: "It is essential that in future there is fairness for those who work hard and save for their retirement "

The Prime Minister said that the reform was "an issue at the heart of our ambition to create a fairer Britain " However, some cynics believe that he is choosing to tackle an issue that is close to the heart of voters in order to take pressure off him following Labour’s disastrous local election results Mr Brown has also been under pressure this week following the publication of memoirs by Cherie Blair, John Prescott and Lord Levy, which focused on his relationship with former Prime Minister Tony Blair

Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring washable pants for men, washable chair pads and absorbent incontinence pads.

Author : Sylvia Fontrellini

Help the Aged is working alongside HelpAge International (www helpage org), a charity that helps disadvantaged older people, and the YMCA in Yangon (Rangoon) to deliver aid to elderly people affected by Cyclone Nargis in Burma

Cyclone Nargis struck the south west of Burma on Saturday 3 May The country was battered by winds of 150mph, which swept away homes and destroyed crops The total death toll is not yet known, although it has reached around 100,000 so far and continues to rise In addition to this high death rate, up to one million people have been left homeless by the catastrophe

Since the cyclone hit, a state of emergency has been declared in the five regions that were worst affected In these areas there is a desperate need for food, shelter, water, basic medicines and healthcare

300 YMCA staff and volunteers have been sent to Burma on behalf of Help the Aged and HelpAge and they will initially target 10,000 older people throughout Hlaingtharya, Bogalay and Labutta They will help these people by providing them with food, safe drinking water, shelter, medication and other items that are vital to survival Godfred Paul, who is Regional Emergency Co-ordinator at HelpAge International, said: "Survival needs are the most urgent Many people have lost their homes and most of their household items have been destroyed We are immediately setting up community kitchens in the worse affected areas We will shortly be providing relief packages consisting of food and non-food items such as cooking and eating utensils, torches, blankets, plastic sheeting, clothing and sandals "

Godfred also emphasised the need for clean water in these areas, particularly for older people who are very vulnerable in these situations He said: "The other urgent need is water Poor sanitation, bodies in the water, and flooding could all bring disease We will be supplying water purification tablets, first aid kits and vaccinations against water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery "

Although the news tends to focus on the children that have been affected by this tragedy, older people are also a very vulnerable group As Godfred explains, the ageing population of any country face many challenges during emergencies like this, which is why Help the Aged and HelpAge International are focusing their efforts on helping them Godfred said: "It is important to assess older people’s needs and ensure that they are included in the relief effort "

YMCA workers are also thought to be distributing cooked food to elderly people who are unable to cook for themselves and over the last weekend, they took 50 older people to their office in Rangoon where they received food and vital health check-ups

Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring washable pants for women, waterproof mattress protectors and absorbent continence pads.

Author : Sylvia Fontrellini

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged reform in our social care system in order to better cater to the needs of an ageing population His announcement comes after Government advisors warned that the system would suffer from a £6 billion funding gap within the next 20 years

The funding gap has been predicted in a report by the Department of Health, which estimates that a quarter of the UK adult population will be aged 65 or over by 2028, while the number of people over 85 will have doubled and those aged over 100 will have quadrupled The Department of Health also claim that advances in medical knowledge and practice indicate that many disabled people will also live longer and healthier lives These statistics mean the cost of care will rise to around £24 billion, which is almost double this year’s bill

The report said that a "radical re-think" was required to tackle the problems that are posed by an ageing population It read: "We expect over 1 7 million more people to have a need for care and support in 20 years’ time A radical re-think of the care and support system is needed to address these challenges "

In his speech, Mr Brown said that it was essential that the people who have worked hard throughout their lives and saved towards retirement were treated fairly in the provision of social care However, he also warned that there was "no easy solution" to this problem

Mr Brown said that he understood the public’s anxiety about the state of social care He said: "We can - and must - look to give people the opportunity and the support to save for their old age in a way which insures them and protects their houses and their inheritance "

At the moment, state support for social care includes services such as help in cooking, shopping and cleaning It also allows people with savings worth less than £22,250 to get help with care home fees However, due to rising property prices, not many homeowners can actually qualify for help In fact, charities estimate that around 70,000 people per year are forced to sell their homes in order to pay for residential care The cost of residential care in the UK is an average of £450 a week

The new system proposed by the Labour Government would most likely see everyone receive government help in the form of a basic contribution from the state towards the cost of his or her care This amount could then be ‘topped up’ with more funds just like an insurance scheme

Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring washable briefs, disposable bed protection and adult nappies.

Author : Sylvia Fontrellini

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed a new insurance-based system to solve the problem of social care for the elderly, which is expected to soar in cost to a massive £24 billion in the next 20 years

The soaring costs have been estimated using a report by the Department of Health, which estimates that a quarter of the adult population will be aged of 65 by 2028, while the number of people over 85 will have doubled and the number of those over 100 will have quadrupled

In a speech that marks the beginning of a six-month public consultation into care, Mr Brown said that he wanted to free people from the fear of selling their homes to pay for care, which is what happens under the current system The Prime Minister criticised the current system and said that it is unfair for those who had worked hard and saved throughout their lives

The current system doesn’t allow anybody with a home or savings worth over £22,250 to receive help with care home fees, which are an average of £450 per week However, because of rising property prices, few homeowners actually qualify for help and charities estimate that as many as 70,000 people a year are now forced to sell their homes to pay for residential care

In his speech, Mr Brown said that many families were currently forced to care for elderly relatives and there was a lot of anxiety associated with the provision of care, he said: "Of course, helping relatives is a challenge that most families rise to - however difficult it becomes But that doesn’t make it any easier " He then added: "Nor does it remove family worries about providing physical care that is needed, or take away people’s concerns that at some point in the future they may have to sell a treasured home to pay for their own care We can - and must - look to give people the opportunity and the support to save for their old age in a way which insures them and protects their houses and their inheritance "

While Mr Brown revealed very few details on how the new system might work, it is thought that it will see everybody receive a basic contribution from the Government towards the cost of care People will have the opportunity to boost this insurance by saving towards ‘top-up payments’, just like a real insurance scheme

Stephen Burke, who is chief executive of the charity Counsel and Care, believes that a social insurance scheme like this is a good option He said: "The growing care gap means we have to examine creatively new ways of paying for care, sharing the cost and risk Social insurance schemes have worked in other countries and certainly should be examined during the care debate, along with other forms of private and public spending "

It is hoped that the Prime Minister’s care initiative will revive the popularity of the Labour Party after its disastrous local election results

Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring washable briefs for adult, bed protection for incontinence and disposable nappies for adults.

Author : Sylvia Fontrellini

Incontinence is a massive problem for three million Britons This embarrassing ailment means sufferers have an inability to control urine elimination, which makes them to pass urine by accident People of any age or gender can suffer from incontinence, but it is much more widespread in people who are older

There are many kinds of incontinence, although each one is due to a bladder problem The kidneys produce our urine & it is collected in the bladder The bladder empties when it is full When it empties, the muscular wall of the bladder must contract simultaneously with the relaxation of the band of muscle at the outlet of the bladder Most cases of incontinence in adults are due to a problem with one or both of these processes

It is pretty obvious that incontinence’s symptoms are urinating without intending to do so However, this can display itself in a number of ways Indeed, some sufferers find that they leak urine when there is sudden pressure put on their bladder, including when they lift something or cough Meanwhile, other sufferers may find that they leak urine constantly

As you might already be aware, there’s a number of different types of incontinence We have listed some of the most widespread strains of the ailment below

Stress incontinence is the most widespread form of incontinence & it’s particularly widespread in ladies that have had children Stress incontinence sufferers find that urine leaks when they cough, or do any other sort of activity that puts pressure on the bladder

There is also functional Incontinence, which is when you know you want to go to urinate but you can’t due to a communication issue or physical problem that prevents you from getting to the washroom quick enough

There is a wide range of different incontinence treatments available One of them is bladder training This involves emptying your bladder at certain times, before gradually increasing the duration between intervals You need to follow this treatment for at least 6 weeks to see if it is going to work

Your doctor could also prescribe a course of medicines to treat your problem HRT might also help relieve your symptoms if you have undergone the menopause & suffer from an overactive bladder

If you have stress incontinence & other treatments haven’t been adequate, your Dr may recommend a surgical procedure to support your bladder & urethra There is a wide range of surgical procedures available, which means that you will have to visit your Dr for further info on the one that’s best for you

As well as these treatments, there are also a wide variety of goods available that can help you to keep your symptoms under control These include washable & disposable pads & knickers to keep you dry throughout the night & day, as well as a wide variety of bed protection goods and toiletries that will help you to feel great

Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring incontinence nappies, locking incontinence pants and continence care products.