Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments

The first step in treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is to diagnose it properly. This happens using a sleep study which is more formally known as a polysomnogram. This involves visiting an accredited sleep lab where a technician will attach a series of electrodes and wires to the body. These monitor things like respiration, abdominal force, eye movement so they can track what sleep stage you are in. They will also have a breathing monitor and a camera present in your room.

The camera is very important because it actually physically records someone having an apnea. It is not uncommon for patients to know that they have woken themselves up due to not breathing or to wake up and actually not be able to breathe, taking a second to catch their breath. However some other patients have no idea that they have a problem, they believe they sleep just fine. It is the bed partner who often cannot handle the snoring and the sounds who finally forces them to get treatment.

After the sleep study is executed the doctor and the sleep technicians will review the results with you. At that point it might warrant another one, which is called a CPAP titration. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, which is basically one of the most natural treatments you will find in sleep disorder medicine. It involves taking a mask or nasal unit of some kind which is connected to an air hose and compressor. Essentially this compressor which is set at a pressure prescribed by the doctor, is used to force air into the oral cavity and into the throat to expand the airway and prevent it from collapsing.

There are many different masks and face units that can be used. In the early days of sleep medicine CPAP choices where limited and the discomfort of wearing one prevented many people from seeking treatment. Nowadays we have so many more options, more people are staying complaint and use their prescribed machine. This usually leads to better sleep and better health.

Other treatments that can be used for other people such as an oral mandibular advancement device. This is some sort of dental apparatus, that is not usually indicated for everyone. You need to have certain conditions in your mouth to get one of those. Then there is a type of surgery called a UPPP which involves surgery on the uvula and soft palate on the throat. That is usually performed by an ear, nose, throat doctor and again surgery is not always an option for everyone.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Frugal Cooking Tips For Moms

Frugal cooking is something that most moms have to practice at some point. Whether you're dealing with lowered income or higher food prices or simply have a teenage boy in the house, there are times when you'll need to cut costs on what you make for your family.

Ideally, frugal cooking will be food that not only leaves a minimal dent in your wallet but also provides quality, nutritious meals thatyour family will enjoy. If no one eats, you're not really saving money.

Where to Start

The first thing to do is cut back on what you spend on the food you regularly use. This can be done in a number of ways.

Using store brands or no name brands of things like rice, cereal, etc. often is unnoticeable, but can save you quite a bit of money. Switch thingsyour family won't notice first, like the rice or beans.

Look for coupons, then use them on double coupon day at your local supermarket. You can also stay on top of sales and use coupons to get extra savings. Just be careful not to do this with foods you wouldn't normally buy, since this isn't a savings, at all.

Making your own biscuits, cookies and bread may be a little more time consuming (though many are surprised to find that it's that hard!) than simply buying them, but homemade will keepyour family fuller, give them better nutrition and help you save money. And, if you make a large batch each time, you spend the same amount of time and freeze the extras for later. Advanced Frugal Cooking

Making filling meals will cost you less in the long run than if you provide your family with food that tastes great but leaves them hungry shortly afterwards. Rice, potatoes and other starches make excellent bases for meals.

Use less meat by cutting it into smaller chunks and mixing with fried rice, pasta sauce, or something else that will help spread it out a bit more without anyone feeling deprived. For hamburger meat, you can mix in breadcrumbs, oatmeal, or textured vegetable protein to make it go further when making meatballs, meatloaf or hamburger patties.

Add flavor by using your bacon drippings in the mashed potatoes, etc. A little goes a long way and fat is the best way to add flavor to a simple dish. It also makes you feel fuller and more satisfied, so it's a very good way to go.

These frugal cooking tips are all very easy to implement and can have a drastic impact on how much you spend on feeding your family.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Searching For Interesting Information About Best Daily Multi Vitamin

Experts presently agree that with the chaotic lifestyle and stressful work conditions, many people come to neglect their diet for a number of reasons. And when they go to the doctor, the best daily multi vitamin supplements inevitably come into discussion. Supplementation has in fact become an effective and inexpensive way to maintain good health and prevent chronic disease in very serious forms.

Yet, no matter how we convince ourselves that we protect our health by using only the best daily multi vitamin products, such supplements are only surrogates. They do not fully compensate for a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and enough physical activity. If you really need to supplement we recommend the following tips to make sure that you get what's best for the body system.

Buy natural vitamines only!

The best daily multi vitamin supplements contain 100% organic ingredients. There are two major types of vitaminic elements available on the market: synthetic ones produced in the lab and natural extracts from fruit, herbs and vegetables. The latter have the highest efficiency because they are easy to metabolize and use. A large part of synthetic supplements is eliminated through digestive processes because there is little compatibility between the ingredients and the enzymes they interact with in the body.

Pay attention to minerals!

The best daily multi vitamin supplements also contain a balanced combination of minerals. Check the label for the indicator of 100% of the daily value. The issue with minerals like magnesium and calcium for instance is that they are too bulky to fit in one pill. In order to get the right dosage you have to take two or three supplements per day. Those one-pill-a-day supplements may not include all minerals, or the quantities available could be insufficient.

Consider special needs!

There are times in your life when your body needs the best daily multi vitamin cocktail you can provide in order to handle normal functions. This happens during the recovery period after some illness, when the immune system is weak, during the cold season, or whenever your medical tests reveal an imbalance of vitamines or minerals in the system.

A health care provider can decide the multi vitamine doses corresponding to one's needs and only after evaluating the patient's condition in the specific context. If you self-administrate, there are chances to overdo with some vitamines and develop side effects regardless of your usingthe best daily multi vitamin supplements available.