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Archive for November, 2009

Osteoporosis – Symptoms, Treatment and Medication

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Osteoporosis is an increasingly widespread condition defined by the loss of bone density. In a word, bones become fragile and easily breakable. Normally, bones are comprised of a mix of protein, calcium, and collagen. They make bones strong; they are lacking in the bones of someone with osteoporosis. Once this condition sets in, a bone can be broken even if the injury is minor; the most innocuous injury can cause a fracture. The most common fractures include cracking bones, collapsing bones, and compression fractures. Frequently, breaks occur in the spine, the wrists, and the hips.

It is rather difficult to successfully pinpoint osteoporosis symptoms, simply because they often do not occur for decades. In fact, a person may not know he or she has osteoporosis until a fracture occurs. Even certain fractures can go without being detected for a number of years. A person with this condition may thus be unaware of it until he or she suffers a particularly bad break. At that point, the symptoms are proportional to the location of the break.

When a fracture occurs in the spine, it might manifest in symptoms like severe pain radiating from the back to the side of the bond. Chronic pain in the lower back, loss of height, and curvature of the spine can occur over time. This often results in what is known as a dowager’s hump. In order to accurately pinpoint this condition, sometimes a routine X-ray can do the job. Unfortunately, they often do not do so in time to prevent pain, nor can they accurately illuminate bone density. Osteoporosis may not appear on an X-ray until the patient has lost thirty percent – or more – of his or her bone strength.

The goal of any osteoporosis treatment is to be able to prevent fractures by stopping the bone loss and improving bone density and bone strength. Detecting the condition early and receiving treatment from the onset is always recommended, but it is not always possible. There are no complete cures for this condition, but there are a number of helpful treatment options, some of which come in the form of lifestyle changes. Cutting out cigarettes, moderating the intake of alcohol and caffeine, regular exercise, and adopting a balanced diet are extremely beneficial.

In addition to vitamins C and D, patients often begin taking osteoporosis medication. There are plenty which can make bone loss stop and improve bone strength. There are also advances in osteoporosis medication occurring every day. So if your doctor has prescribed treatment for osteoporosis, it’s time to find out about Reclast —the only FDA-approved, once-a-year treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

One annual intravenous (IV) dose, along with daily calcium and vitamin D, helps strengthen your bones and protect them from fracture for an entire year. Reclast is an IV, so it bypasses your digestive system, going to work to help protect you from fracture for 12 full months. Treatment takes at least 15 minutes and is given by a nurse or doctor. With Reclast you won’t have to wait to eat or remain upright for a half-hour or more. Just remember to take daily calcium and vitamin D as recommended by your doctor to maintain blood calcium levels. If your doctor tells you that you need treatment for osteoporosis, ask if Reclast could be right for you.

Dental Hygiene Products

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

The dental floss that you used as a dental hygiene product growing up still exists, but there are many other variants today. First, you can use flat dental floss. Dental floss used to come in one shape and size, but now it comes in different shapes and sizes. Flat dental floss is perfect if your teeth are very tight together. It still offers a nice, thick strip to clean with, but the thinner side allows it to fit in very tight spaces. Second, you can use the easy disposable floss sticks.

These sticks have a small piece of floss strung across like a slingshot, only tighter. That way you can get to every tooth without having the floss wrap itself tightly around your fingers and without getting your fingers all wet with your own saliva. Third, you can even get floss in various flavors. Some people are very picky about flavors and cannot stand the taste of unflavored floss. If you are one of these people, you can still use this dental hygiene product as it now comes in many different flavors!

One dental hygiene product that is relatively new but very, very popular is teeth whitening products that you can use at home. Instead of having to pay someone who went to dental hygiene school to whiten your teeth, you can now whiten your teeth from the comfort of your own home! These products are relatively cheap at around twenty dollars and pretty easy to use. There are many different brands and designs for the teeth whitening. Some have strips that you put directly on your teeth and leave on for a specific amount of time. Others have dissolving strips.

Crest is a brand that has continually pushed to improve oral health since its inception in 1955. Today, Crest is among the most trusted household brands, a value reinforced by the continued recognition of many of its products by the American Dental Association. Crest’s dream is to lead the way in the passionate pursuit of perfect oral health so that everyone can have a healthy, beautiful smile for life. Crest offers everything you need for dental hygiene products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, teeth whitening systems, and mouthwashes.

Another whitens by painting your teeth with the whitening serum at night. Still another product has a whitening tray much like the ones used at the dentist’s office. Finally, there is a product that you simply roll onto your teeth like lip gloss. All of these products whiten your teeth at least a little. This is, by far, the best selling novelty dental hygiene product out there today!