Medical History | Health And Wellness Tips

What You should Do if You Had a Panic Attack

Experiencing a panic attack for the first time can be distressing not only because of the actual experience during the attack but also because you tend to develop fear of future attacks. Also known as anticipatory anxiety, fear of future attacks causes continuous fear and tension disabling you to relax. Often when the condition is not addressed, it will lead to phobic avoidance wherein you avoid places, situations, gatherings, and events where emergency help is not readily available or where having an attack can be embarrassing.

Take into extreme, this condition may lead to agoraphobia where you begin to avoid much of the activities you usually do. To avoid this, consider the following advices:

1. Consult your medical doctor. Symptoms attributed to panic attacks such racing heart, chest pain, heavy breathing, profuse sweating, agitation, etc., are also common to other physiological and psychological conditions. Seeking for proper diagnosis from your doctor, therefore, will rule out any cause unrelated to anxiety. Tell him your symptoms, when did the attack happen, and how intense the attack was. Your doctor will ask about your past medical history and may run some tests (e.g. urine test, blood test, drug screens, etc.).

2. See a therapist who is properly trained to handle such psychological condition. No, you are not crazy (people who go to a therapist are not crazy). The reason why you have to see a therapist is to process your emotion and prevent future attacks. Do not wait too long to seek help. Left untreated, a panic attack can lead to more severe conditions. Your therapist may subject you to cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy to process your thoughts.

3. Find the cause of the attack. Some cases of panic attacks may show a “pattern” certain activity, thoughts, time or person you are with at the time of the attack. These give you important clues to eliminate later symptoms.

4. Learn some relaxation techniques you can practice at home or while out. Music, meditation, yoga, and breathing techniques are not only helpful in reducing the symptoms during the actual attack but also in strengthening your body’s relaxation response.

5. Do not add more fear. Absorbing all the fears and other negative thoughts that come with anxiety attack only adds to more fear which worsen the negative impact even further. Instead, recognize that you are afraid and make it work to your advantage.

6. Practice healthy lifestyle (regular exercise, balanced diet, and enough sleep). Studies prove that at little as 30 minutes of physical activity 3 to 5 times a week is a great stress buster, helpful in preventing future attacks. Balanced diet keeps the supply of nutrients and maintains the balance of chemical in the body. Sleeping at least 8 hours each day recharges the body, refreshes the mind, and calms the muscles.

7. Remove all unnecessary stress. Since, panic attacks are closely linked to stress, avoiding things, people, and situations that stress you out help reduce the chance of future attacks.

8. Educate yourself about panic attacks. There are many resources where you can learn more about the condition. Reading books, health magazines and internet articles about panic attack will definitely equip you with the right information on how to combat any negative effects it brings.

What Is Chronic Sinus Infection

There are two types of sinus infection. It could be acute or chronic and among the two, more people get afflicted with the chronic sinus infection.

The difference between chronic and acute sinus infection is the fact that this can last for 12 weeks or longer and this can recur once you get better. An acute sinus infection is gone after a week.

Common causes for chronic sinus infection include allergies, airborne fungus, nasal or sinus obstructions, trauma to the face, certain medical conditions and respiratory tract infections.

As a result, some of the symptoms that most people feel include headaches, congestion, difficulty breathing, reduced sense of smell, ear pain, fatigue, cough, nausea, sore throat and aching in the upper jaw or teeth.

Since you probably tried already to self medicate yourself without any positive results, the doctor is your only hope to make it go away.

After reviewing your medical history, some test will need to be done such as an MRI, CT scan, nasal endoscopy, extracting nasal or sinus cultures and an allergy test.

An MRI or CT scan is similar to an X-ray machine because they can show details of your sinus and nasal area without inserting anything into your body.

If this is needed, the doctor will have to do a nasal endoscopy by putting a thin, flexible tube with fiber optic light up your nose to see what is happening inside.

Not many people like that because it is like putting a similar tube up your anus. If possible, they will give a nasal or sinus sample instead so this can be checked.

If your doctor has not yet determined the exact cause of the chronic sinus infection, you may be referred to another specialist especially if he or she suspects that this is caused by an allergy so they can conduct an allergy test.

Once the results come in, the doctor will probably prescribe some antibiotics until you are free of the symptoms. To deal with the inflammation and swelling in the nasal cavity, you will be prescribed a corticosteroid. If this doesnt work, then you will probably try antihistamines, decongestants and expectorants.

The doctor may also try moisture or humidification to help flush the nasal cavity and loosen the dried mucus. Should the chronic sinus infection be caused by an allergy, it can be treated with immunotherapy. A method designed to stimulate the antibodies that block the bodys reactions to a specific allergy.

Chronic sinus infection can be prevented and the steps that you take are not that different when you are suffering from an acute sinus infection. You just have got to practice proper hygiene, get flu shots once a year, stay away from people who have colds as it is a contagious illness, limit your drinking, keep yourself hydrated at all times, buy a humidifier and avoid being in polluted areas or around people who smoke.

Should you already have chronic sinus infection, just follow the instructions of the doctor and update him or her on any progress.

Chronic sinus infection is no joke. Just to give you an idea of how serious it is, over 30 to 40 million Americans get it every year. If you dont want to be another person added to the statistics, do what is needed so you are always healthy.

Can You Get Spider Vein Treatment

Can you get spider vein treatment? That is one question that only your doctor can answer after conducting a thorough physical examination and reviewing your medical history.

The patients medical history is important because spider vein could be caused by age, heredity, medication or pregnancy. If you think that only females get it, men also do but it is rare for men to undergo treatment so this can be removed.

If you are considering spider vein treatment, you have to be physically fit because people who have circulatory problems, diabetes, heart condition or a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS cant undergo this procedure.

One issue that prevents some from undergoing spider vein treatment is the cost. It may be as low as $150 per leg but this could be much higher depending on how many veins have to be treated, how large are the veins, the experience of the doctor and where this will be done.

If you cant afford it, you may want to check if your insurance will be able to cover it. The bad news is that it is rarely covered by your provider because spider veins are considered to be a cosmetic problem, nothing else. If you are lucky, you will be required to present photographs or laboratory studies before your request is approved.

The procedure used by most doctors today is called sclerotherapy. Here, the doctor will inject needles into the affected veins. Studies have shown that the patients condition will improve by 50 to 90 percent but this takes months. The end result is that the spider veins will disappear but this does not prevent new ones from appearing later on.

Patients who choose to undergo sclerotherapy will be on an operating table for about 15 to 45 minutes. Again, this depends on how many veins need to be treated. Anesthesia is not used all throughout and you are awake the whole time. Since the needles are so thin, the only thing you will feel is a prick.

Once you have been injected with the fluid, the area will be bandaged and you will have to wear a prescribed tight fitting hose for 72 hours.

During this time, your legs will look like someone beat you up. To remove the sclerosing solution that was injected, your doctor will advise you to walk. Until the next session which is due in the following month, you should not carry heavy items, exercise, sit, stand or squat for a long period of time.

If money is not an issue and there is nothing in your medical history that is preventing you from undergoing sclerotherapy, the only thing you have to do now is look for a doctor.

Just be sure that the specialist is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). These people are members of a bigger organization namely the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

But can spider veins be prevented? Yes it can as long as you wear a support hose regularly as this helps prevent unwanted blood vessels from developing. You should also exercise regularly and maintain your weight. Lastly, you must avoid exposing yourself too much from the sun as its harmful rays can also do damage.

But some people still experience spider veins despite the measures mentioned and if you want to get rid of it, you have no choice but to undergo spider vein treatment.

What You Should Know About Spider Vein Treatments

Spider veins are nothing more than a cosmetic problem. If you plan to undergo spider vein treatment, here are a few things you should know.

Before you undergo any type of treatment, you have to consult with your doctor. You will be asked a few questions with regards to your medical history, what medications you take, what type of work do you do and a few others because these are some of the cause of spider veins.

He or she will examine your leg to check if there are other problems. The hand held Doppler ultrasound device will be used to detect if there is a backflow within the venous system. If there are no serious problems, then you can undergo spider vein treatment but should there be any, you will be referred to another specialist.

Lets say there are no problems. Your doctor will then explain to you what happens when you undergo sclerotherapy. This procedure is the trend these days for this cosmetic problem. In this procedure, sclerosing agents are injected in the affected area which is designed to lighten the color of the veins.

If you have any questions, dont be afraid to raise them. Some people ask if it is going to hurt, what are the risks and benefits, how long is the recovery period and the costs which is perfectly normal since you will be the one who will undergo the procedure.

After getting all the necessary information and your willingness to still do it, you have to follow your doctors instructions to prepare you for treatment. You must not apply any moisturizer, sunblock or oil to your legs on the day of your procedure. You can wear shorts during the procedure but have to wear a prescribed support hose and slacks when you go home.

The procedure does not take that long. This may last from 15 to 45 minutes. It is a painless procedure and you dont have to be injected with anesthesia. If your doctor has their own clinic, it will be done right there.

Just how many injections will be used depends on the number of spider veins. Some patients will get 5 injections while this can go up to about 45. When the injection has been removed, the doctor will apply cotton ball and compression tape to that area of the leg.

Your legs will look bruised or slightly discolored for a few weeks and chances are you wont be going to the pool or beach for a few weeks because you will not be comfortable wearing a swimsuit. You can go to work and party but instead of wearing dress, you will be wearing slacks or a pair of jeans.

Since one session is not enough to make the spider veins unnoticeable, you will have to go back for the next session after one month. If new spider veins start appearing, it is your choice whether or not you want to undergo this procedure again. If you are vain, chances are you will.

Not everyone can undergo sclerotherapy. If you happen to suffer from diabetes, circulatory problems, heart condition or are suffering from a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS, you will have to find another form of spider vein treatment.