Tag: Congestive Heart Failure

How Can Continuing Medical Education Credits Be Obtained?

While physicians spend many, many years in school prior to receiving their MD, it is impossible for them to learn everything there is to know. The medical field is simply too vast, and it is constantly in motion; therefore, it is important that every physician complete continuing medical education.

Continuing medical education (CME) allows a physician to stay abreast of new discoveries, treatments, and other advancements in their chosen field. What worked thirty years ago is not usually the method of choice for today’s physicians, and clinicians who do not complete these continuing education credits may often be placing their patients at risk because of a lack of knowledge of treatments that have been deemed ineffective or hazardous. Unfortunately, often when a physician is wrong it is the patient‘s life that pays the price.

Due to this, every physician is required to complete a minimum number of CME credits every year; however, they are certainly not required to stop once that number is met. This does not necessarily mean returning to school, although this is certainly an option; however, for most physicians caring for their patients leaves them little time for the heavy workload of a secondary education institution. Many other more convenient options are available to them.

Across the nation hundreds of thousands of medical conventions, symposiums, workshops and conferences are available to healthcare professionals, covering topics from new surgical techniques to treat collapsed heart valves to the use of stem cells to treat congestive heart failure; all cutting edge technology not yet taught in the classroom. These often take place over the course of a weekend, often last more than one day and are held in various locations, so physicians from any location in the country may attend at their discretion.

In many rural areas there is only one doctor available, often with no one to see to their patients when they are unavailable. These are the physicians who are still on call twenty four hours a day, make their own hospital rounds and see patients from birth to death for everything from a toothache to a heart attack. Needless to say they are often unable to get away from their practice to attend weekend workshops. Another option is available for them so they can continue to provide their patients with around the clock care. The internet has opened up a whole new world to the field of continuing education. Many organizations, such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association for Continuing Medical Education (AACME) offer resources online for healthcare workers to complete their continuing medical education credits. Here clinicians will have the opportunity to complete coursework online, view online conferences and use the teleweb to attend lectures and symposiums.

These CME resources may be found free of charge or for a small fee per credit hour, depending on the situation; however, this is infinitely less expensive (and time consuming) than returning to a college or university, and offer greater benefits because attendees are able to stay apprised of new research and untried methods that are not taught to students.

It is true that no one ever stops learning, and this is especially true in the medical field. Continuing medical education allows clinicians to stay on top of their field and provide the best, most advanced care options available to their patients.

Heart Failure

Whenever cardiac conditions develop these conditions, weaken or damage your heart, which leads to heart failure. In a weakened condition, the heart over time can no longer keep up with even the normal demands placed on it. The ventricles may become stiff and not fill properly between beats. The heart ventricles stretch (dilate) to the point that the heart cannot pump blood efficiently throughout your body. The failing pump causes blood and fluid to back up throughout your circulatory system. The circulatory system consists of your lungs, legs, feet and ankles. The kidneys retain excess water and sodium. All this builds up is the congestive part of your heart failure. The lung congestion occurs only with left-sided heart failure with fluid backing up into the lungs. The most common cause of right sided heart failure is left sided heart failure.

When the fluid fills up the left side of the heart the pressure in the lungs passes to the right side of the heart, which then fails. The fluid then collects in the abdomen and lower extremities which all leads up to heart failure. Heart Failure develops quickly after a heart attack. The heart failure can also develop after years of high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. A defective valve may cause heart failure. A heart valve replacement in this case will prevent heart failure. A specialist normally does the surgical part, which is a cardiologist.

Many times people think that such things cause heart failure as smoking, being overweight or eating foods high in cholesterol and fat but there is a condition known as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were the heart weakens without explanation. This condition will also cause you congestive heart failure if not properly taken seriously.

You might be suffering from if you have heart failure several conditions. These conditions can weaken your heart over time and be present without you being aware that you have the problem. The follow is a brief description of some conditions that affect the heart:

– The most common cause of heart failure is Coronary artery disease. A process called atherosclerosis, which is a build up of fatty deposits in the arteries. This fatty build up causes the blood to narrow a process called plaque, which leaves chronically deprived of oxygen-rich blood pump less vigorously. A heart attack occurs if an unstable plaque not function well it will cause a blood clot in turn completely blocks the blood flow to an area of the heart muscle. This is one of the most common causes of heart failure.

– There are several other reasons that might cause heart failure but we shall discuss the next highest reason for now. High Blood Pressure (hypertension) is the force of blood pumped by your heart through your arteries. When your blood pressure is high then your heart has to work harder causing failure.

Take your cardiologists advice watch your weight and exercise your on the way to a heart healthy way of life.

Enjoy the Highest Quality of Life Possible With Congestive Heart

Enjoy the Highest Quality of Life Possible With Congestive Heart Failure

There is no doubt about it, cardiac complications can impact every corner of life, forcing patients to forego activities they previously enjoyed and causing them to feel as though they have sacrificed their life to save it. There are, however, many steps patients can take to allow them to enjoy life even after having been diagnosed with heart failure.

Congestive heart failure occurs when the cells of the heart are unable to constrict properly and pump blood through the body. This results in edema throughout the body, particularly in and around the lungs and is the cause of the dyspnea that is typical of heart failure. To counteract this, patients should take any diuretics prescribed by their doctor and maintain a low sodium diet, allowing the excess fluid to leave through the renal system and making it easier for the patient to breathe. Daily exercise is important; it is not necessary that it be vigorous, patients should consult with their physician prior to embarking on an exercise regime to ensure that they will not be taxing their heart unnecessarily. It is possible that if a patient has previously enjoyed activities that put a great deal of strain on the heart they will find it necessary to restrict themselves to less stressful endeavors; however, with the proper precautions many physical activities are still permitted.

The heart pumps blood more easily when the body is at rest; therefore, it is essential that patients with heart failure schedule time daily to rest. They may sit and read or watch television, take a nap or meditate; any activity that allows the body time to recharge. Meditation is being considered as a possible method of treatment for patients suffering from heart failure; meditation causes the heart to beat slower, blood pressure to normalize, the muscles to use oxygen more efficiently and the body to produce less adrenaline. All of these factors make it easier for the heart to function.

Any patient suffering from heart failure should abstain from smoking. Inhaling nicotine causes the body’s blood pressure and heart rate to increase, less oxygen to reach the muscles and an increased clumping and stickiness in blood vessels that may impede blood flow. All of these factors cause the heart to beat harder in an attempt to compensate, placing more stress on an already weak heart.

Patients should also avoid flu and pneumonia as much as possible, avoiding crowded areas during cold and flu season and receiving both an annual influenza vaccination and at least one dose of the pneumococcal vaccine (this will provide some protection against pneumococcal bacteria, the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia). The decreased oxygen in the blood resulting from either flu or pneumonia will result in the heart pumping harder in an attempt to compensate.

Everything in their life affects a patient’s well being when they are suffering from congestive heart failure, right down to their clothing. These patients should avoid restrictive clothing and stockings as much as possible, as these items present an increased risk for clotting and a blockage of blood to the extremities. They should also avoid temperature extremes as much as possible and dress appropriately for the weather; the body must work much harder to maintain temperature when it is either extremely hot or extremely cold.

The most beneficial thing that patients suffering from heart failure can do to allow them to enjoy their life is to enjoy their life. The negative effects of stress on the heart are well documented, and patients who live a stress free existence create a much better environment for their heart than those who are unhappy or overworked. So by maintaining a positive mental state, patients are able to help themselves both emotionally and physically.

Continuing Medical Education for Cardiac Professionals

In a field that is constantly shifting and changing, where researchers are finding new information almost daily and new diseases and symptoms are discovered with each patient it is very important for doctors and nurses to stay abreast of changes in the field. They do this through a variety of means, one of which is continuing education.

A cardiologist can spend twelve years or more in school prior to receiving their degree between undergrad school, medical school, residency, then additional coursework and residency to specialize. It may seem ludicrous to have to return to school after that period of time; after all, after ten years wouldn’t they know all there is to know? The answer is no. The medical field is constantly open to new opportunities and knowledge; a cardiologist who graduated medical school thirty years would not have learned many of the new treatment and surgical options that are available today. They simply did not have the resources or technology then that they do now. Enter the field of continuing education.

Every clinician is required to complete a set number of continuing education credits on a regular basis, and to update these credits regularly. These credits do not have to be done by returning to an academic setting; most physicians would not have time to treat their patients and still take classes. Every year hundreds of symposiums, conferences and workshops are held throughout the world on a variety of topics. These each provide an established number of continuing education credits, and most clinicians will have to attend several of these to fulfill their continuing education requirement. Here cardiac professionals can learn about new techniques to treat a variety of diseases, such as the ongoing interest in using stem cells to strengthen the heart of patients with congestive heart failure, or the benefits of the newly released angiotensin II receptor blocker drugs. In this manner they are able to follow all of the advances in the field without having to abandon their practice and return to school.

The internet has also opened up a wonderful opportunity for health care professionals to complete their continuing education credits from the comfort of their homes. Many organizations offer online continuing education to healthcare professionals. They may complete coursework, watch online conferences, and virtually attend lectures. This is often the method of choice for physicians in rural areas who find it difficult to attend conferences due to their distance and the lack of other physicians to see their patients in their absence.

These continuing education credits may be available at no cost, or a reduced cost per credit hour, to physicians and group members. Continuing education is very important to healthcare professionals. A lack of continuing education will result in a clinician not being kept abreast of changes in the field, both positive and negative, and being unaware of which treatments have now been ruled ineffective or even hazardous. This will lead to being unable to properly treat their patients, and possibly endangering their lives in the process.