The Tools of the Trade

Courtesy of MedicalDeviceStore.com

Karl Storz, a physician that has often been called "The Father of  Endoscopy," began producing surgical instruments for ENT specialists in 1945. Storz' goal was to make his own surgical instruments that would give surgeons and physicians a unique view inside the human body while performing their surgical duties.

Nearly 70 years later, Karl Storz designed medical instruments are still the most popular type of devices in-use in hospitals and medical centers. The fluid designs of a Storz instrument is usually a smooth, flowing, thin, stainless steel lever with its appropriate head shape in a very tight and effective design. Storz was also one of the first doctors to experiment with image transition through bent scopes. This allowed for doctors to use "cold" light either emitted from an instrument inside the body, or emitted outside the body, and reflected downward into the body.

Karl Storz designed medical instruments, and surgical instruments and devices from the globe's top brands are available for purchase through the Medical Device Store. For pricing and a full catalog, visit them online at:

http://www.medicaldevicestore.com/store

Midlife Changes and Food Intolerance

Photo Courtesy of Histame.com

Food intolerance is still a part of nutritional science that baffles experts and nutritional scientists all over the world. Food intolerance and food allergies can either be inherent, or with an individual since birth, but they can also be developed later in life, sometimes seemingly-overnight.

The most popular food intolerance -- in terms of commonness -- is lactose intolerance: an intolerance to food made from dairy, intolerance to dairy products themselves, or an intolerance to products containing nutrients and vitamins commonly found in milk and dairy. Some scientists argue that the prevalence of lactose intolerance is so widespread because mammals are only supposed to have dairy in their diet during the initial developmental stages of life and growth. After this time period, we are supposed to switch to a "regular" diet. While this is a popular opinion, and is backed up by the fact that Native Americans were severely lactose intolerant when introduced to dairy products by the original American Settlers, no studies have proved this to be fact.

The truth of the matter is that the body has the last say in which foods we accept naturally, and which ones we grow an intolerance to. If the body does not accept a foreign food, it will produce histamine to fight off the foreign invader, causing a multitude of food intolerance symptoms.

To learn more about food intolerance, its systems, and ways that you can live a happy and healthy life while treating your symptoms of food intolerance, visit Histame online at:

 http://histame.com/

Obesity's Effects on the Brain

Photo Courtesy of HealthyWomen.org

While it is a well known fact that the heart, liver, kidney, and lung functions of the body can be severely affected by obesity, new information is shining light on the effects that too much fat cause on the brain as well. The brain is our most sacred of organs, giving us the ability to think, ponder, and respond to all outside influences in our lives, so even the smallest affect on the brain is one to be concerned about, and take action against. 

What scientists found, was that eating high-fat diets can cause physical changes in the brain. These changes, have a shocking similarity to the changes that occur in the brain during the development to drugs, alcohol or other substances. These changes, scientists believe, is the actual physical formation of an addiction. These changes develop quickly, before the "addiction" has even fully matured. What this means is that: for a drug addict, the addiction is formed in the brain before the addiction has fully taken hold; and for an over-eater, the addiction to fatty foods is formed early, before the weight itself becomes an issue. This gives us so many clues as to why overweight individuals have such a hard time laying off of fatty foods, successfully diet, or strictly adhere to diet plans.

The article above is one of the many of articles on Healthy Women, a website exploring women's health, pregnancy advice and other topics related to women.

Read more great articles from Healthy Women at:

http://www.healthywomen.org/

Imaging Technology Building Jobs

Photo Courtesy of Southwesternimaging.com

 The medical industry has seen a large expansion in the United States in recent years, with the opening of hundreds of hospitals, thousands of medical centers, and hundreds of schools and technical programs offering education for jobs based in the medical industry. Partially due to the rapid growth of medical knowledge and technical breakthroughs, health care and health care professionals are in high demand currently.

The medical imaging sector has seen a good portion of the overall growth, with more students seeking education for nuclear medicine service degrees than any other sector in the medical industry. It is a very good thing that so many students have decided to go down this avenue of medical studies, because more and more medical centers are beginning to house their own medical imaging centers on premises, rather than referring patients to another location to have their scans done. This means that many more technicians are needed globally that have been trained in CT scanner processes.

It isn't just medical professionals who are reaping the benefits of job availability, technicians are also needed who can service and repair the actual imaging machines as well. These machines, such as PET scanners, Cardio MDs, Gamma cameras, and Biograph 16 machines, are highly technical and require skilled workers to be able to rectify any problems or glitches that the machines may encounter. With so many of these machines popping up around the country, engineers that are trained in maintenance and repair of the devices are highly sought after.

To learn more about medical imaging, imaging machinery, or occupational information, visit Southwestern Imaging online at:

http://www.southwesternimaging.com

Synthetic Marijuana Side Effects Coming to Light

Courtesy of DrugRehab.us.

Several years ago, when synthetic marijuana (Often called K2 or Spice) began to gain popularity all over the United States as a legal replacement for marijuana, many users of the drug felt that since the desired affects obtained from smoking synthetic marijuana so closely resembled actual marijuana, that the negative effects would also be low and not serious. Now, as users have been abusing the drugs for some time, we have some insights into what the short and long term effects of synthetic marijuana use can include.

Circulatory

As it turns out, smoking synthetic marijuana has a devastating effect on the circulatory system as a whole. Depending on the strength of the "spice blend," a user's blood pressure can rise to dangerously high levels after just one "hit" of the drug. Not only does the inhaled smoke of this drug dilate the blood vessels to extreme levels, but the smoke also irritates the lining of the lungs so much, that the tissues begin to swell immediately have inhaling, inhibiting strong, deep breaths.

Skin

Drug rehab treatment centers treating addicts who have been smoking synthetic marijuana for extended periods of time have noticed skin issues in addicts that mirror the issues seen in users of methamphetamine. Burns and sores are common, as the chemicals cause a numbing sensation to the skin as it is leaving a user's body. These "down times" when an abuser is not using synthetic marijuana, the skin gives a crawling feeling, causing the individual to pick at or peel skin.

While these are just a few of the synthetic marijuana side effects found, side effects are plentiful with this drug. It is arguable that synthetic marijuana causes more common, acute, mild, and severe side effects than any other drug on the market. Ranging from constant pain, COPD, Hypertension, low blood sugar, atrophy, and more, these side effects are not light side effects -- these are quite serious. In light of these findings, drug addiction rehab professionals are shocked, and are striving to get users of this dangerous drug into addict treatment immediately, before additional damage to their bodies is done.

For more on synthetic marijuana, its dangerous side effects, treatment options, or counseling, call:

855-251-4307 

or visit online at:

drugrehab.us

Hypnotism For Addiction

The prospect of it has doctors and non-professionals buzzing all around the world; could it be possible to cure addiction, simply by hypnotizing the addict out of a yearn-for or dependency-to drugs?

The question is being asked, and quite seriously, by some researchers. In an article on Hypnosis addiction treatment from Addiction Treatment Magazine, proponents of the treatment tout the practice's ability to lessen and/or alleviate stress, manage pain, improve health, and positively affect one's overall mood and stride. Not only does the hypnosis provide successful cessation from drugs and alcohol, but also helps the patient feel more under control of his/her addiction recovery program.

While the practice is still in its infancy, preliminary results have been exceptionally promising, and could usher in a brand new way of thinking when it comes to treatment of addiction.

Read the entire article on hypnosis addiction treatment at: 

Addiction Treatment Magazine

Guns Vs. Drugs: The Biggest Danger in Schools

With the horrors that unfolded only a few weeks ago in Newtown, Connecticut, many parents are holding a more vigilant eye out for dangers hidden within their children's schools. But are the worries about guns in schools outshining the more common and very real danger of drugs in schools?

The debate over gun control and the danger guns pose to school students has literally overtaken the airwaves for several weeks now and has some parents wondering why this one incident is overshadowing the constant threat of drugs in educational facilities and campuses.

It estimated that over half of all drug purchases and use by students in grades 1-12 take place on school campuses. The social, educational, and recreational center for kids ages 8-18 is the school, so it is no surprise that if a young adult or child were to come into contact with drugs and/or alcohol, it would likely be on school grounds. This, however, is still an unacceptable statistic, and proves the necessity for a hard look at exactly what we are doing to ensure our children's safety in schools.

While minimal efforts have been made to curb drug possession and use in schools, many feel that the efforts simply do not go far enough. Some parents feel that drug counseling programs in schools would be sufficient, while other parents feel that this is not necessary.

As it stands, if a student is caught with drugs or alcohol on campus, zero-tolerance policies simply expel that student, and the student must go to school elsewhere. Absolutely no sorts of drug rehab or drug counseling programs are provided nor offered.

While the recent school shootings are spurring reform in keeping students safe from the extreme chance that a mentally-troubled student will bring a gun onto campus, absolutely no changes are being looked into for the common problem that a perfectly normal student might bring drugs onto the campus.