Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The possible side effects of vitamin “D” injection...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The possible side effects of vitamin “D” injection...: So you’ve been told your “D” is too low and a shot will help you elevate/replenish/supplement your level of D. Guess what? That isn’t ex...

The possible side effects of vitamin “D” injections

So you’ve been told your “D” is too low and a shot will help you elevate/replenish/supplement your level of D. Guess what? That isn’t exactly true. Here, is why:

Vitamin D is……

*Collected through the skin’s exposure to sunlight

*Consumed through eating animal products

*Stimulated by exposure to sunlight

However, too much Vitamin D can cause other problems like kidney stones, rendering more undesirable side effects than not having enough. Since the body uses D to assist calcium, too much can lead to the following side effects:

*Excessive calcium deposits in your blood vessels which can eventually lead to narrowing the flow of blood to vital organs such as your heart

*Dizziness, nausea, weight loss

*Kidney stones, forming from excessive calcium

*Bone loss, the result of excessive calcium leaching from your bones into your blood

Most of us wouldn’t know any better if we were told our “D” was low and would automatically look for the easiest way in replenishing our “D” levels. However, before jumping to that conclusion, why not seek the advice of a nutritionist or dietician for a full evaluation. You may find out that there is more going on than just low levels of “D” and you will be seeking the advice of a medical professional in this area of expertise.

If I had a heart problem I’d see a cardiologist, right? If I suffered from allergies I’d consult with an allergist, right? So why not seek the advice of someone who specializes in all matters related to diet and nutrition. Even your primary care physician would suggest you to do so. There are no quick fixes, but, there are answers. Find the solution that not only helps you feel better now but also in the future.

Quick tip for wellness: When it comes to nutrition, seek wise counsel from a nutritionist or dietician to receive sound advice.

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: A "thankful heart" does the body good!

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: A "thankful heart" does the body good!: Thanksgiving is the one day on the calendar that everyone in the world can celebrate, regardless of your faith, your political views and y...

A "thankful heart" does the body good!

Thanksgiving is the one day on the calendar that everyone in the world can celebrate, regardless of your faith, your political views and your financial status. This one day is more than the food we eat, the fellowship we share and the memories we might capture. This is a day in which we can simply reflect upon the positive things in our lives if we choose to do so.

Even when our lives are out of control and our world attempts to wreak havoc upon us, how we respond is the only thing that remains within our control. Being “thankful” is always our choice. When you look at the bigger picture around you, what do you see? Problems or potential? Desperation or inspiration? Dead ends or new beginnings? Both are there, but the one you choose to "see" makes all the difference in the world. Thankfulness is a choice, just as doubt, fear and negativity are choices, too. Even when we've been stripped of everything in our life, only "we" hold the key that unlocks the door to empowering our ability to move forward when we "choose" to be thankful.

Today, I will choose to be thankful – even when everything in my world may not be as I wish or want.

Today, I will see the world around me from a different perspective - from the eyes of other people who may see the world very differently than I do.

Today, I will intentionally be more compassionate, forgiving and understanding.

Today, I will humble myself and thank God for a glass that is not dry and for the potential that remains inside of it.

Today, I will choose to be thankful!

Quick Tips for Wellness: Thankfulness is a choice. Choose to be thankful and you just might be surprised how quickly the world around you changes.

Happy Thanksgiving and I pray God’s richest blessings upon your life, today!

Pat Ferguson

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The fight against prescription drug abuse through ...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The fight against prescription drug abuse through ...: If you have ever been in pain, then you know the benefits of taking something to help ease your discomfort. Most patients receiving pain ...

The fight against prescription drug abuse through Prescription Monitoring Programs

If you have ever been in pain, then you know the benefits of taking something to help ease your discomfort. Most patients receiving pain medication prefer to be rid of the pain more than they desire to continue taking the drug. However, most will also tell you that breaking free from needing the drug to alter the pain is a difficult process, especially once relief’s received.

The balance between “managing” pain and over medicating pain is delicate, to say the least. For that reason a growing alliance of states are joining hands to help reduce the opportunities of prescribed medications from becoming a drug abuse problem. But for some, the idea of limiting access to pain medication may seem more like a "hinderance" than a help. The concept behind this design isn't to stop access but to monitor abuse.

The Alliance of States with Prescription Monitoring Programs
(http://www.pmpalliance.org/) is an organization concerned with reducing opportunities of prescription drug abuse. Through their drug monitoring initiations, the organization has been able to unite, share and offer insight to states who join their organization within the U.S.

Their mission statement is pretty straight forward:

“The Alliance of States with Prescription Monitoring Programs provides a forum for information sharing on prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) among state and federal agencies seeking to curtail drug diversion and abuse while ensuring patient care.”

The real root of the prescription pain medication concern is the over medicating or loop holes within the system. Just recently, Tennessee adopted a PMP program to curtail the overprescribing of pain medication problem they were facing. The number of pain medication prescriptions issued were so outrageously high that something had to be done. Through 37,266 prescriptions, over 5 million doses prescribed to only 3,611 patients. The prescribed medications street value was over $55+/- million based on the assumed average of the street value provided by the Tennessee Drug Diversion Task Force.
The following information is provided on the Alliance website (http://www.pmpalliance.org/)

BY THE NUMBERS
• Prescription opioid overdose is now the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States, killing more people than heroin and cocaine combined.
• In 2009, Tennessee ranked second in the nation, with 17.3 retail prescriptions written per capita, compared with a national average of 12.
• Nationwide, prescription drugs account for the second most commonly abused category of drugs, second only to marijuana.
• 7 million Americans report current nonmedical use of prescription drugs, more than the number using cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants combined.
• 1,059 Tennesseans died from drug overdoses in 2010, more than doubling over a decade.
• The top prescriber in Tennessee wrote prescriptions for more than 5 million doses of painkillers in 2011.

(Sources: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tennessee Department of Health, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy)

Many of these drugs, when mixed with a minimal amount of alcohol, can stop the patient from breathing, linking directly to death. The urgency to stop overprescription of pain medication while eliminating the accessibility to these types of drugs has proven to be a double edged sword. There is often a distinct line between those who desperately need them versus those who are abusing them or using them with other drugs like alcohol.

PMP monitoring is for the benefit of the patient and a deterrent for those abusing the system (both medical professionals and patients). The problem does not just lie with the patients; many doctors overprescribe and undereducate/monitor their patients when issuing pain medication for long term use. Not all patients respond the same to pain medication. From hallucinations to respiratory complications, pain medications can lead to severe side effects that are not consistent in every patient.

Before agreeing to take any pain medication, consider asking your physician the following questions:
*What should/shouldn’t be taken with the medication (i.e. Food, beverage, other medications, supplements, etc)?
*How long and how often (is there a limit to the number of doses per 24 hours and when will you stop taking the medication)?
*What is the history of drug’s effect on your kidneys, heart, liver, etc?
*Has your physician performed a drug interaction check BEFORE issuing the drug?
*Does your current overall health condition make you a good candidate for the medication (i.e. Do you have any known heart disease or other health condition that may interfere with taking the drug)?
*Have you been totally honest with your doctor about your alcohol and/or other drug consumption? If the answer is NO, then stop and consider the deadly side effects from mixing the two.
*Who will monitor your progress on the pain medication? Will the doctor’s office check in with you within the first 24 – 48 hours from when you consumed the pain medication to verify your side effects/response?

Pain medications can be lethal and have long term side effects while also inducing addictive qualities in some patients. Before agreeing to take a pain medication prescription, consider the alternatives and review the drug thoroughly.

Unfortunately, doctors are not expressly trained to know the entirety of drugs they prescribe and rely heavily upon the pharmaceutical companies to research and provide accurate information to them.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Before agreeing to consume pain medication, know everything (possible) about it! Not everyone responds the same.

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Cell phone exposure during pregnancy related to fetal brain development problems in babies

Yale School of Medicine study reveals impact of fetal brain development in babies from expectant moms using cell phones. According to a recent study, cell phone radiation may lead to brain development problems including hyperactivity in children amongst other things.

“This is the first experimental evidence that fetal exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cellular telephones does in fact affect adult behavior,” said senior author Dr. Hugh S. Taylor, professor and chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences.

A control group case study using pregnant mice exposed to an active but muted and silenced cell phone revealed more “hyperactive and had reduced memory capacity” in their offspring. The study measured brain electrical activity in adult mice exposed to the radiation as fetuses against those not exposed. Dr. Taylor’s study reveals that the development of neurons in the fetus prefrontal cortex region is adversely effected, when exposed to cell phone use during pregnancy.

The dangers behind cell phone use are nothing new. Exposure to “radio frequency” (RF) has been a concern for almost 20 years. More concerning is the possible exposure to RF near the fetus. The results of the control study group revealed that even using an active phone around a fetus can be dangerous to the unborn child.

Arguments can be made that the subjects used (mice) against the bombardment of frequency’s received (cell phones) was not in proportion, but the concern still exists. If a muted, silenced cell phone can actively emit RF’s then it can still expose a fetus to the dangers caused through contact.

The concern over whether or not this frequency can cause irreversible brain damage should be enough to eliminate the use of or exposure to cell phones during pregnancy.

Quick Tips for Wellness: The safest way to protect your unborn child is to avoid cell phone exposure during pregnancy.

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Resource: http://medicine.yale.edu/publications/medicineatyale/may2012/news/advances/124799