Monday, October 29, 2012

How Driving For A Living Can Affect Your Health, You May Be Surprised

Have you ever stopped for long enough to consider some of the health issues that may associated with driving for a living, or even driving a great deal for work?
Aside from the risks and dangers associated with their mobile working environment, drivers are also confronted with health damaging effects of their job's nature. In one research study it was found out that 0.1% of car driving accidents are caused by health problems. Of this figure, 10-25% are heart related disorders.
According to research, people who drive for a living are more prone to suffer from a wide range of illnesses including gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and respiratory disorders than people who drive less often. Compared to other people of their age, drivers are more likely to be diagnosed with bowel and lung cancers due to their unhealthy lifestyle.
People who engage in trucking are highly exposed to high levels of air pollutants which can create drastic damage to their health. For instance, diesel fuels contain carcinogenic properties and emit carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are proven to have negative impacts to a person's respiratory functions.
Carbon monoxide can actually reduce the level of oxygen delivered to the tissues, especially the myocardium. Furthermore, these substances are directly associated with the occurrence of bronchitis, asthma and other conditions such as sore eyes, ear problems and headaches.
It is claimed that prolonged exposure to noise can actually increase the level of blood pressure which influences an individual's risk for cardiovascular disorders. Also, vibration which can be derived in fork lift truck operation and driving create severe effects on the arterial intima which can cause adverse effects to the functions of the cardiovascular system.
Aside from the environmental hazards and risks which drivers have to face regularly, they also need to deal with the effects of observing an unhealthy and non-conducive lifestyle while on duty. Long term driving can trigger substantial physical changes in the body.
These include changes in vision, attention, reaction time, coordination, strength, flexibility and hearing. These changes may drastically affect one's driving ability which when left unaddressed can lead to major road accidents.
A person's eyesight and peripheral vision decline with age. Through time, some drivers are diagnosed with eye disorders including macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataract. These conditions can affect the driver's ability to drive at night and see to the side. When left untreated, these conditions can increase the risk of crashes.
Moreover, long hours of driving regularly can trigger the accumulation of environmental, physical, nutritional and emotional stresses. Over-exposure to these stresses can actually increase one's risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Environmental stresses are normally caused by too much traffic, too many accidents, traffic jams, inadequate lanes and highways, as well as poisonous toxins such as lead and carbon monoxide produced by vehicles.
Long term driving can also trigger the onset of headaches, backaches and illness. It can cause nutritional stresses due to poor diet which may trigger nutrient insufficiency. Drivers spent most of their time on the roads, thus they are less likely to get adequate amount of food in appropriate times.
Unlike other groups of workers who can go home to take their dinner or lunch on time, drivers are more likely to succumb to a diet which contains high levels of carbohydrates and fats. Furthermore, there are higher chances that their intake of salads, fibres and fresh fruits are reduced. This can significantly contribute to poor health.
According to surveys, most drivers are smokers. Undeniably, cigarette smoking has huge drastic impact to the health of humans. It is one of the major factors that aggravate many fatal health conditions including hypertension, respiratory disorders and lung cancer.
Furthermore, posture in driving exerts certain amount of force in the spine which in the long run, can trigger the development of many musculoskeletal disorders including pulled muscles, neck problems, general stiffness and backaches.
Reclining or sitting for long hours create tremendous impact to a human's body. In fact, aside from diet, it is one of the most common factors that can trigger the formation of kidney stones. Continuous driving during hot weather while suffering from fatigue may actually trigger kidney stone relapse.
Many serious health conditions are caused by long term driving. It is important to seek out treatment whenever diagnosed with certain illnesses as it doesn't just put the driver's life into danger, it can also put other drivers at risk. Traffic police recommend driving for not more than 4 hours and frequent rest should be observed. Also, drivers should drink plenty of water while on the roads.

Monday, October 22, 2012

An Alternative To Liposuction That Safely Removes Fat

With educational programs concerning the crisis of obesity in our country, many have become conscious of their own health status and have tried several methods for improvement. In order to improve health, regular exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet are both important. One of the many benefits of incorporating a healthier lifestyle is the transformation of your outward appearance. As you exercise more and eat right, you may notice a whittling down of your waistline. You may also notice that no matter how hard you try, you just cannot seem to get rid of that stubborn fat from certain areas of your body.
Many individuals have chosen a surgical procedure known as liposuction to get rid of unwanted fat deposits from their bodies; however, there is a new, non-surgical option that is an effective and safe alternative. This procedure, known as CoolSculpting, targets specific areas of the body in order to kill excessive fat cell by using a non-invasive fat freezing technology. During the procedure, no incisions or anesthesia is used, and there is no long-term recovery time. This procedure does not damage the musculature or skin. This procedure will not even put too much of a damper in your regular schedule. You may be able to return to your normal activities almost immediately, since your body naturally gets rid of the dead cells in order to reveal a more contoured and shapely body.
The results of the fat freezing process in the CoolSculpting procedure may begin to show 2-4 months following your treatment. This procedure will kill fat and produce dead cells in your body. The natural response of your body to the dead cells is to get rid of them, which requires no surgery. You will have an applicator that will be attached to the area you want to target, which will draw the fat between cooling panels in order to kill and treat fat cells. Many of the patients who have this treatment experience no discomfort or pain; however, some experience temporary bruising. The procedure only takes around 1 hour to complete, with most patients simply relaxing or reading during the procedure.
If you are interested in the alternative procedure to liposuction known as CoolSculpting, locate a reputable plastic surgical clinic to set up a consultation. You will have the opportunity to learn more about the procedure as you speak to the surgeon. Make sure the surgeon has board certification through the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has memberships with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, as well as other important credentials. This surgeon will give you a detailed account concerning the procedure so you can make an informed decision as to whether it is right for you.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Identifying the Best Medical Transcription Services

Outsourcing medical transcription services have now become popular because of the benefits it has for medical practitioners. Identifying the best transcription service provider who suits your needs is the most challenging task. Especially because there are a number of providers offering these services and you will have to compare a list of features between them to decide on the final choice for outsourcing your transcription work. This article discusses the three areas to be assessed to identify the best transcription agencies for your requirements.
Experience Of The Service Provider
First of all you will require making a list of companies who are providing these services and choose the ones who have a good experience in this field. Experience of the service provider would mean that they know this field and they understand the need for accuracy and timeliness. The knowledge level of the staffs working with them would also be good and would be well versed in the medical terminologies used for medical transcription. You may go through the clientele, and contact a few of them personally to get feedback on their services.
Efficiency In Services Rendered
The efficiency of the service provider would major depend on the turnaround time and cost. You require choosing a service provider who offers a turnaround time of less than 24 hours. Some of the companies have transcriptions working from eastern countries; this would ensure you have your transcripts ready when you step in for work the next day. There are transcription services who offer a delivery time of 4 to 6 hours but these might be expensive than the others. You may choose the turnaround time depending on your requirements. Most of the service providers charge per line transcribed. You will require seeing through their billing process thoroughly to rule out any hidden fees or rework fees. You may also ask them on how much it would cost you to move you present patient records to the new system.
Online medical transcription services offer a number of options to submit your dictations online like digital recorders, software for dictation and toll-free numbers. You may choose the dictation method convenient to you. They also offer editing and reviews of reports online. They usually follow a specific format in which they would be delivering the transcript, so you may want to look through the format and see if you require any changes to be done to improve readability.
HIPAA Complaint
HIPAA compliance is essential to ensure that patient's records are protected, especially because the information is being processed in service provider's environment and the information is transmitted over the internet. Medical transcription services operating from outside the country also require being HIPAA complaint. This would ensure that patient's medical identity is protected.