antibiotics | Health And Wellness Tips

Accutane Helps Your Skin Renew Itself More Quickly

Accutane is a form of vitamin A. It reduces the amount of oil released by oil glands in your skin, and helps your skin renew itself more quickly.

Accutane is used to treat severe nodular acne. It is usually given after other acne medicines or antibiotics have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.

What is the most important information I should know about Accutane?

Accutane can cause severe, life-threatening birth defects if the mother takes the medication during pregnancy. Even one dose of Accutane can cause major birth defects of the baby’s ears, eyes, face, skull, heart, and brain. Never use Accutane if you are pregnant.

Women of child-bearing potential must agree in writing to use two specific forms of birth control and have regular pregnancy tests before, during, and after taking Accutane. Unless you have had a total hysterectomy or have been in menopause for at least a year, you are considered to be of child-bearing potential.

Accutane is available only under a special program called iPLEDGE. You must be registered in the program and sign agreements to use birth control and undergo pregnancy testing as required by the program. Read all program brochures and agreements carefully.

It is dangerous to try and purchase Accutane on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. The sale and distribution of Accutane outside of the iPLEDGE program violates the regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the safe use of this medication.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Accutane?
Accutane is available only under a special program called iPLEDGE. You must be registered in the program and sign documents stating that you understand the dangers of this medication and that you agree to use birth control as required by the program. Read all of the iPLEDGE program brochures and agreements carefully. Ask your doctor or call the drug maker if you have questions about the program or the written requirements.

Before taking Accutane, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any foods or drugs, or if you have:

– a personal or family history of depression or mental illness
– heart diease, high cholesterol or triglycerides
– osteoporosis or other bone disorders
– diabetes
– asthma
– an eating disroder
– or liver disease

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take Accutane.

For Women: Unless you have had your uterus and ovaries removed (total hysterectomy) or have been in menopause for at least 12 months in a row, you are considered to be of child-bearing potential.

Even women who have had their tubes tied are required to use birth control while taking Accutane.

It is not known whether Accutane passes into breast milk. Do not take Accutane without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

A Guide In Coping With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

People who have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome are both blessed and cursed. For the most parts, they are relieved by an explanation regarding the sudden plunge in their health. However, they are also cursed by the fact that there is nothing much they can do about it because the cure for CFS is yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, there are medications, therapies and self-care techniques that a person can undergo which can help substantially in relieving the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Here are some suggestions.

Handle your sickness and do not let it handle you Chronic disorders and illnesses often demand a lot from patients in order for them to control the symptoms. However, the best course of action is to always take the hand in controlling the disorder. If you have spent months or years suffering from this syndrome, it is likely that you have developed a sense of helpless and defeat against the disorder. But this must not be the case. Gain back control and know how to handle the disorder.

Look for simple but effective solutions Not all CFS treatment may work for you. This is because while there is a general clinical definition of the disorder, there are various levels of severity whereby it occurs. So if you think your prescribed medications are not doing you much good, pass and try to look elsewhere for symptoms relief. There is a host of treatment and therapies you can use which oftentimes go beyond conventional medicine.

Try to look for those. Consult herbalists and alternative medicine therapists and seek treatments that will help your disorder. Ask your doctor about supplements instead of antibiotics and pain relievers. Go to a psychologist and ask whether there are therapies you can undergo to facilitate better coping with your illness. Dont be limited by pharmacological treatments, experiment on various options and pick some that provide you the most benefits.

Take lessons from each day With chronic fatigue, you are lucky if you don’t feel sick for one day. So for the most parts, you can take note of your symptoms and your responses to treatments and therapies. It is important to keep a journal of your daily experience as this can help guide you on how to better manage your disorder.

Take charge of your healthcare Take an active role in facilitating the delivery of healthcare services for yourself. If what your doctor gives you does not work, find someone else. Dont be afraid to get second or third opinion from doctors who are expert in immune system dysfunction. If you dont respond well to conventional medicine, find other treatments.

Move your body For most patients, the idea of doing some physical activities is not only impossible but unthinkable. Nonetheless, recent studies have shown that minor physical activities pick up one’s energy and health so try undergoing exercise programs. Try graded exercise therapy, for example. According to recent studies, this therapy improves the physical energy and capacity of an individual with chronic fatigue syndrome.

While it is of course hard for the first few months, first few years even, it is always worth the effort. Eventually, with a little activity done each day, the body will regain the strength and vigor that once were available prior to the onset of chronic fatigue.

Treatment For Deafness Problems

There are many causes to deafness problems. It could be genetic, from an accident, an illness or the side effects of medication. One thing you have to keep in mind though is that it is not an illness but a symptom of an underlying disorder.

Deafness problems can be classified into two namely conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss. The first one can be treated surgically or medically. The second cannot be corrected which is why the use of implants is very common.

Your doctor will only know the degree of your deafness problem after reviewing the results of the audiology test.

There are different types of conductive hearing loss. These are namely blocked Eustachian tubes, fluid in the ear, infection, infected mastoid bone, otosclerosis, ruptured eardrums and wax buildup.

If you happen to have blocked Eustachian tubes, the doctor will have to insert tubes to the eardrum to stop the blockage.

Fluid in the ear is usually caused by an infection. It may go away on its own which is why doctors will wait and see what happens before draining it after making a small incision in the ear drum.

In the event that you have an ear infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics or eardrops.

If there is an infection with the mastoid bone, this can be treated with antibiotics and in some cases may involve surgery.

Ruptured eardrums similar to fluid in the ear can heal on its own or with the use of an antibiotic. If there are no changes, then the doctor may have to perform surgery.

The only way to treat otosclerosis is an operation. The doctor will go in and replace the damaged bones of the middle ear and put in tiny metal replacements.

Should there be a wax buildup, a trained professional will first do a probe and then use either water irrigation or a suction device to remove the wax.

As mentioned earlier, there is no way to permanently treat sensorineural hearing problems. The only thing that doctors can recommend is a cochlear implant. Installing this device will allow the person to hear.

This is different from a hearing aid because the implant does not amplify sound but works directly by stimulating any functioning auditory nerves inside the cochlea with electric field stimulated through an electric impulse.

The cochlear implant consists of a microphone, speech processor and an RF transmitter. According to one study, more than 100,000 people have had cochlear implants.

Why so low you might ask? This is because cochlear implants are very expensive. It may cost between $40,000 to $100,000 depending on an individuals needs and the center at which the surgery is performed. Those who have undergone the procedure say it was worth it because it helps them read lips better.

So if you had the money, does this mean you can have a cochlear implant? Not yet because you must have certain requirements. You must have severe or profound sensorineural hearing impairment in both ears, have a functioning auditory nerve otherwise it wont work, have good communication skills, tried other hearing aids with no improvement, fit to undergo surgery and have facility close by to monitor your progress.

Treating deafness problems could be both easy and complicated. If you want to hear, you have to see a doctor to find out what is wrong before any option is presented on the table.

Oral Eczema Treatment

In cases where topical eczema treatment is not successful, doctors may prescribe oral eczema treatment. You may be prescribed one of the following namely antibiotics, antihistamines, corticosteroids and cyclosporine.

The antibiotics given are designed to decrease the irritation caused by Staph bacteria. You will have to take it for the next 14 to 28 days. In cases where you have this condition repeatedly, you may need to take maintenance antibiotics.

Some examples of these antibiotics include Bactroban, Cephalosporins, Cloxacillin, Erythromycin and Fucidin.

Next you have antihistamines which are very helpful in reducing itch. Because the side effect of this is drowsiness, patients are advised to only take it at night. Studies have shown that this will also help with any urticarial component of eczema of this skin condition. Two of these that are commonly used include Doxepin and Hydroxyzine.

You might be wondering if there are antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness and yes there are. But in a study that compared drowsiness and non-drowsiness antihistamines, the one that does not cause drowsiness is not as effective in helping those who have eczema.

Third, you have corticosteroids. There are 4 types of these namely mild, moderate, potent and very potent. The severity of your skin condition will determine how long you have to take the medication. The more severe it is, the shorter the period of time because you may soon suffer from serious side effects such as avascular necrosis of the hip.

Fourth, you have Cyclosporine A or Neoral. This is only used when the first 3 oral medications do not work. What makes this drug so powerful is that it prevents the immune system from sending special cells called lymphocytes into the affected areas of skin. By doing this, it reduces inflammation.

Doctors will usually start by giving you a 3mg. dosage per day and a maximum of 5kg. because of the side effects like hypertension, renal problems and the susceptibility of patients to other types of infections including skin cancer.

Whichever oral medication you are given, it is best to take this with food right after a meal. The only exception is the antihistamine since you have to take this at least 30 minutes before you go off to sleep.

You should follow the dosage as prescribed and if you miss taking one, dont try to take the one scheduled for that day and the one you missed at the same time.

If the medication is working, your doctor will gradually reduce the dosage given and not suddenly. While there are known side effects, you just have to bear with it.

Some of oral medication for eczema can be purchased from the pharmacy without a prescription. Before you go out and get one, better check first with your doctor to make it is safe especially if the one who has the skin disorder is an infant.

Oral eczema treatment is sometimes used with topical products. If you do not see any improvements, perhaps it is time to find other options. You can try wet wrap therapy, light therapy, tar therapy and a list of other options once you have consulted your doctor.

Just remember that although eczema treatment is available, none of these will make it go away permanently so preventive measures must be taken seriously.