Medications for Shingles

January 30, 2013 Articles

When you have shingles, there are certain types of medications that can be given to you. When combined, you will find that there are many things that can help with this. Let’s take a look at the different sort of medications you might be told to take to help you with your condition.

The first type of medication that is often times prescribed would be antiviral medication. Since shingles is caused by a virus, this would take care of that. This is usually only prescribed to those who have just been recently diagnosed with this condition. This would be when they first start noticing the outbreak. They are normally given the first seventy two hours after someone has been diagnosed with this. They are to take this sort of medication then for five to ten days. There are two main types that they might choose to use. One of these is known on the market as Acyclovir. This is to be used forty eight hours after the onset of the rash. The down side to this medication is that you are to take this every four hours. Then there is Valacyclovir. This is almost like Acyclovir. The thing with this is that you don’t have to take this as often. This is good to take every eight hours. You are to take this for seven days.

Another sort of medication that you might need to take are pain medications. The one most uncomfortable things about having shingles is that they cause harsh pain. This might only be at the rash sight, but either way, it’s not something that is too pleasant to experience. Normally, a doctor will just tell you to take over the counter pain reliever. When you have this, you will find that it can take some of the pain that you are experiencing away. There are still more things they might have you take as well.

There are what is known as topical medications. Some people use calamine lotion. Others use oatmeal. There are also topical things that are prescribed by their doctor. This can help reduce the itching that is associated with the shingles. This can also help you to reduce the pain that they might experiencing. The way this does this is by actually numbing the skin. What is found is that when you have shingles, you will find that the rash disturbs some of the nerves in the body. This will only affect a certain area of the body. So, this will have to take part in reducing the effects that this plays on those nerves.

These are the things that you can use. Most of them as you can see are over the counter which means that these are safe to use without a prescription. They can be bought at many locations too. So, that’s the good part. However, if you can catch the rash that accompanies shingles early on, then you will find that more treatment options are available to you when this occurs.

Comments Off , , , , , , , , ,

Tele Medicine and the Future Of Health Care Today – Why You Need Tele Medicine

January 28, 2013 Articles

Tele Medicine is the future of health care. People just don’t know it yet. Tele Medicine has been around for about 10 years for the rich and famous. Medical convenience has always been around for those who have had the money for a doctor on call. Think of this service as that old time country doctor who made house calls on request. This kind of service is defined as none emergency medical discussions of symptoms that can be discussed through a web cam or over the phone. Most doctors involved with this service like the web cam because they can see the patient and it is a little more personal. If a person feels uncomfortable using a web cam they can just use the phone. Online services like Tele Medicine is just now starting to come to the attention of the media and the online community. Even though this service has been on line for 10 years. Ask the average person and they have no idea what Tele Medicine really is. This kind of on line service gives the patient convenience and time savings like nothing they had before through their health care provider. There are on line services today that are giving people the option of an app for the iPhone or the Android phone that let you do everything through your cell phone. Tele Medicine is an advance in health care that gives convenience to the patient as well as savings.

Do you remember how 25 years ago people use to think of the cell phone as a fade? People use to look at a cell phone as a luxury of convenience. Now we see grandma using a iPhone at the store or even text messaging and who would thought. Why have so many people gone to using the cell phone? Very simple it’s all about convenience, time savings, and having peace of mind. I remember the days being out on the road looking for a pay phone to make a phone call. Now kids would look at a pay phone and say what is that Dad. Makes a person think their getting kind of old (LOL). What is my point to all of this!! These on line medical services are Medical Cares next cell phone ( Think about that ). If you were to define what Tele Medicine really is in one word it would be “Convenience.” Just like your cell phone you use everyday.

This on line interaction gives you options to discuss symptoms, prescriptions, script issues, or care related issues such as heart disease or other long term diseases. These on line doctors can even relay information to your primary care giver. That means blood pressure readings, blood sugars, pulse rates and other simple readings can be documented and passed on to your general doctor. You may be wondering where Tele Medicine could be going in the future. This is just the beginning. As on line medical services will be common place in the doctors offices in the future. You will see new doctors coming out of the medical colleges. Wanting to give this on line medical service to their patients because of the convenience and time savings. All in all you are foolish to not at least look at Tele Medicine as being apart of your general health care long term plan. If you love the idea of convenience, time savings and just peace of mind. Which means you know you can get a hold of a doctor any time of the day or night. Then Tele Medicine is your next service you must have.

Join the future in health care and be part of the revolution that could change the face of long term health care and the insurance industry. Where we could see Tele Medicine used in our everyday life when it comes to Medical care. Just like the x-ray machine used everyday in Medical field. This is not just a fade its a service here to stay in the long term. You will see people using this service more and more as time goes on. Tele Medicine is not just a service its a revolution of convenience.

If you are curious and want to know more about Tele Medicine then go to my blog and read more. I have videos and articles that go into greater detail. If you would like to even sign up to a Tele Medicine service I have a link for you to look at as well.

Comments Off , , , , , , , , ,

The Side Effects of Sleeping Pills

January 27, 2013 Articles

As many as 160 million Americans are estimated to suffer from insomnia or other poor sleeping habits. Should you be in the half that has problems getting enough restful sleep you are probably considering taking sleeping pills to get some relief.

A sleeping pill may be effective at ending your sleep problems short-term. That said, however, you should be sure you know as much as possible about the medication you are taking. That means also knowing as much as possible about any potential side effect. When you are aware of the possible downside of taking sleeping pills, you are more able to avoid those problems.

Almost all of the popular sleep medication on the market can correctly be called “sleep hypnotics”. This is a well-defined category of medications that are used to help you get to sleep and stay asleep. Two of the most frequently utilized chemical compositions are Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates. There are also other hypnotic drugs used on a smaller scale. Here is a brief overview of these:

Benzodiazepines
Trade names include Xanax, Ativan, Librium, and Valium. This class of drugs was originally developed as anti-anxiety medications and they are also able to make people drowsy and aid in sleep. While all these drugs will work and work very well for some people, all Benzodiazepine drugs are possibly habit forming.

Barbiturates
Most often Barbiturates are used as an anesthesia but some are prescribed as sleeping aids. Barbiturates work by depressing the central nervous system. Trade names include both Seconal and Nembutal.

Other Trade Names
There are newer medications available to help with sleep issues that are claimed to be non-habit forming. These include Ambien, Lunesta, Rozerem, Halcion, and Sonata.

All prescription sleeping medications have side effects, just like most other medications. Your doctor can recommend which sleep medication may work best for your situation and explain its known side effects. However, just how you will react can’t be known until you actually take it.

Commonly observed side effects of the newer medication that are not specifically habit forming are as follows:
· Weird dreams
· Headache
· Tingling or burning sensation in the extremities
· Difficulty balancing
· Drowsiness
· Stomach pain
· Overall weakness
· Uncontrollable shaking of an extremity

Beyond these specific observations, some sleep medications have other side effects known as “Parasomnias”. These are defined as actions or behaviors you have no control over. If you are experiencing a parasomnia, you are technically asleep and are not aware of your actions. Parasomnia actions and behaviors include sleep walking, sleep eating, sleep driving, and others.

Another known risk of sleep medication is combining them with alcohol. This is a very dangerous combination because alcohol will increase the sedative effects of your medication to the point where it can be fatal. The warning labels of all prescription, and some OTC, medications carry strong warnings about drinking alcohol while taking the medication.

If you and your doctor decide that sleep medication is right for your insomnia it is critical for you to report your experience with any side affects you may experience. If your reaction to one medication is severe your doctor can prescribe another that may work without as many negative reactions.

Sleep medication should be used as a short term (several weeks or so) answer only. Prolonged use can cause a tolerance for the drug and it will stop working. There is also a risk that you may become psychologically dependent on your sleep medication. When this happens the very idea of attempting to sleep without your medication causes anxiety.

Comments Off , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries