There are many things that can impact your sleep from your position throughout the night to whether you sleep a full 8 hours. Sleep apnea has an impact on more than sleep patterns, though. It actually can have a very negative affect on your health. The following ways are just a few examples of that.

High Blood Pressure

Sleep apnea causes a person to wake continuously throughout the night, which results in less restorative sleep. Due to this, the body can become stressed and that causes blood pressure levels to become elevated. When you can’t breathe, the level of oxygen in the blood can drop, which is also a serious problem that impacts blood pressure.

Depression

Lack of sleep can create irritability, frustration and crankiness that can turn into depression in the long term. When a person never gets a good night’s sleep, it takes a toll on their mental health. They’re always fatigued and sleepy. This leads to a sense of unhappiness and an impact on their sense of well-being.

Heart Disease

The stress of not getting a full night’s sleep combined with low oxygen levels throughout the night can make it hard for the heart to work properly. It impacts how the blood flows through the arteries as well as the brain and heart. This sleeping disorder can put undue pressure on the circulatory system of the body as well as other problems with the heart and brain.

Dental Health

Part of sleep apnea can involve teeth grinding throughout the night. This can have a serious impact on a person’s dental health. It can lead to broken teeth, clenched jaw pain and pain when chewing. Mitcham Dental Clinic and other dentistry services can treat the results of sleep apnea as it impacts your dental health. You might even be able to get a night guard to help decrease the impact of grinding on your teeth.

Greater Risk of Sickness

A person with sleep apnea has a greater risk of becoming sick. This is because they’re not getting enough sleep, which causes the body to become tired and unable to effectively fight off germs. This leads to many colds as well as an overall sense of fatigue. Sleep is a restorative process, but when it’s not complete, it can lead to greater problems.

Sleep apnea may be a sleeping disorder, but it has a profound impact on every aspect of a person’s life as well as their overall health. People with sleep apnea are prone to more colds, circulatory issues, high blood pressure, diabetes and weight issues. It can have a serious impact on their dental health as well, which can often be surprising to sleep apnea sufferers. Seeing a doctor as well as a dentist is recommended.

Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She graduated from the University of California-Sacramento with a degree in Journalism.

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Living with pain can be a frustrating ordeal. Luckily, there are plenty of choices when it comes to over-the-counter painkillers that can help in most situations. Certain types of pain relievers are more effective for different types of ailments. Headaches, muscle pain, fever, and inflammation are all issues that can be addressed with over-the-counter solutions, but each pain reliever has their own benefits and downsides. It is always a good idea to check with a doctor before taking any new medication, but here are a few guides to what each kind of painkiller is most effective and for what ailments.

Aspirin
If you are experiencing minor aches and pains, specifically headaches, aspirin may be a good choice. Its major benefit is the ability to treat and prevent heart disease. Aspirin has become an over-the-counter drug to keep on hand due to the claims that if it is taken during a heart attack, it may save your life. If you are at risk, this can be an easy way to protect yourself. If you are a migraine sufferer, aspirin may not be the best choice though. It has not proven to be as effective as other choices for migraine pain, and the same goes for menstrual cramps. Children should not take aspirin as it has been linked to Reyes disease in young people.

Ibuprofen
Pain experienced during a migraine or other type of headache will likely be relieved using ibuprofen. It is effective for fever and inflammation reduction, and even relieves menstrual cramps fairly well. Its effectiveness is made even better because it rarely has any ill effects if taken as directed. It is a mild pain reliever and is most helpful for pain caused by inflammation. According to a DWI lawyer this may come in handy if you experience pain after a traumatic event like a car accident, though you should always check with a doctor first. If you have heart issues, this may not be the best option, as there are concerns about its relation to heart health. But if you have ulcers or stomach issues, then it is considered a good choice as it is gentle on the stomach.

Naproxen
If long lasting pain relief is what you are looking for, naproxen will most likely be your best bet. It is effective for all types of headaches and is considered one of the best treatments for menstrual cramp pain. The relief offered by naproxen outlasts most other types of pain relievers. It does take its toll on your stomach in some cases, but if you have no stomach concerns, the ability of naproxen to last twice as long as anything else may make it a winner in your book.

Acetaminophen
This treatment for minor aches and pains associated with cold and flus is often used to reduce fevers and for minor headaches. Migraine sufferers may not get the relief they are looking for with this drug though. Acetaminophen is very mild on the stomach though it is important to keep careful track of how much is taken because this drug is filtered through the liver and can cause liver damage if not taken as directed. It is considered a safe choice for hemophiliacs and those with aspirin allergies and acetaminophen is also safe to take in combination with other pain relievers.

Choosing an effective over-the-counter pain reliever can be confusing with all the choices and brands on the market. It is helpful to focus on what is causing your pain and research which type is going to do the best job making you feel better, while avoiding side effects that could lead to bigger problems. It is also important to follow your doctor’s advice and always take medication as directed.

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Why Is the Public Losing Trust in Healthcare Professionals?

In days past, the relationship with a family physician was a close one, with adults often having the same physician that brought them into the world. Today’s health professionals operate under a slew of new rules and regulations, some of which arise from business forces and others that arise from the need to collect data about medical care. These requirements often impact doctors’ ability to maintain good patient contact and have had the result of reducing overall faith in health professionals. A number of factors impact this lack of trust:

Insurance Companies Influence Care

Health insurance companies exert a strong influence over many decisions that physicians make for their patients. They may dictate what types of treatments are covered, availability of medications, and limitations on physical therapy or other options. These restrictions can cause a conflict between what the physician would like for his or her patient to have, and what is actually covered and possible. However, the restrictions can also cause patients to have less confidence in their physicians’ ability to deliver care.

HMO Pricing

Health maintenance organizations have worked aggressively to keep down costs, but they have also provided less money for keeping physician’s practices going. Doctors must see more patients in order to keep their practices financially sound, which often makes patients feel rushed and given less opportunity to voice their concerns. Utilizing electronic media may provide a method for better doctor-patient communications in the future.

Additional Mandates Decrease Patient Time

The need to carefully collect data on patient care and outcomes is causing physicians to have less face-to-face patient time, which is often critical to serving their needs. When patients spend less time talking to the doctor, they feel they are receiving poorer quality of care. Utilizing nurses or physician assistants to collect this information may enable physicians to spend more time with their patients.

Outside Influences

The federal government and many states require companies in the life sciences to record and report any interactions with healthcare organizations and providers. This aggregate spend requirement is intended to track the financial relationships between healthcare manufacturers and doctors. When these relationships work against patient interests, it can lead to a loss of trust.

Media Images of Doctors Result Cause Dissatisfaction

Another problem appears to be created by media, who often portray physicians in a self-serving manner, focused more on generating income than serving their patients. This portrayal has caused patients to doubt their physician’s commitment to their care and has undermined the essential doctor-patient trust that can help to ensure good outcomes.

Conclusion

Although the image of health professionals is suffering in the public, people still generally feel satisfied with their own personal physicians. Learning to communicate effectively with a physician can go a long way toward improved relations and better outcomes for patient care.

About the Author: Marlena Stoddard is a freelance writer who received her BA from University of Georgia.

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Preventative screenings are the most effective treatments for cancer. Tests done for prevention allow this dangerous disease to be caught and treated while in the early stages and offers the best survival rates for the average patient. Improvements in cancer screening techniques have allowed certain cancers to be spotted earlier, and while it is smaller than previous methods could notice, it offers astronomically better odds for patients everywhere. Let’s examine some of the ways that the most common cancer screenings have improved over recent years.

Better Intervals
Cancer screenings have improved markedly as a result of more research into specific types of cancer. This has helped doctors to create guidelines concerning intervals for screenings to occur, depending upon the age and other factors of an individual. The American Cancer Society states that tests to find rectal cancer should occur every three years, while other guidelines exist for more prominent cancers. This allows slow- and fast-developing cancers to be found, which in turn helps to greatly improve the life of any patient.

New Imaging Methods
New technologies have developed that allow for higher resolution imaging, and cancer consisting of just a few thousand cells can now be detected. Some of these methods are significantly safer and less invasive than previous models. Sonography is one such method that allows cancerous tumors to be identified without the need for potentially harmful radiation. Diagnostic medical sonographic schools now teach students these new technologies as part of the course work. Making new advancements more assimilated into hospitals and clinics everywhere.

Standardized Tests
By working with physicians and organizations to standardize cancer screenings, improvement in detecting cancer has been improved. Breast cancer screenings are an example of this.
With clinical breast examinations, practices like taking biopsies of growths has become common practice. Different scales have been developed to assess the results of biopsies, which in turn make it easier for doctors to consult patients with regards to their treatment options.

Considering Patient Involvement
One of the greatest improvements in cancer screenings revolves around the way physicians are aiming to better understand the desires of their patients. For example, some patients may be opposed to exams like breast exams due to the personal nature of these exams.
By informing patients of alternatives and the benefits of screenings, patients are better able to act quickly. This allows them to make informed decisions that work best for their health.

Conclusion
These four improvements are but a small start to making cancer screenings more effective. As new technologies develop, higher resolution, and safer imaging will become commonplace. When combined with more precise early treatment options, this could allow cancer to go from being one of the leading causes of death to one of the most prevented diseases. Hopefully new technologies will continue to develop, and in time will make cancer and all the involved treatments a thing of the past.

“Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.”

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