The Meningitis Vaccination - Its Importance and Ease Protecting Our Children

What is meningitis and when is a meningitis vaccination needed? These questions literally wake full-grown adult parents up from a dead sleep. In towns and counties-even cities-and all over the United States, meningitis is rearing its ugly head. How do we defeat the threat of our children becoming infected with this most devastating and potentially fatal disease that can attack anyone yet seems to find our children most vulnerable?

Many parents know the horror story of having someone in their son or daughter's class who comes down with what seems an instantaneous attack of meningitis. Many times the children are sent home and the next thing that happens is you are sitting with your child and clumsily explaining life and death and mortality to them as you drive over to the funeral home so the fellow students of the deceased can share in their grief.

The statists are frightening. Worldwide there are over 330,000 new cases reported each year. In the United States the number of new cases reported annually is approximately 2,600. Out of both these infection rates up to twenty percent of those infected will die from the disease.

What is Meningitis?

There are different types of meningitis- Spinal, viral, and bacterial are just three-and vaccination guards against all of them. Generally speaking, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane that covers and protects the brain inside the skull cavity and that also protects and covers the spinal cord.

• Viral Meningitis can cause a relatively less severe infection. It's no walk through the park and it may clear up without applying a heavy duty treatment plan, but it is still an infection that is concentrated around the brain and spine and should never be taken lightly.

• Bacterial Meningitis on the other hand, can cause a much more severe infection. This strain of meningitis may cause brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities and easily...death.

• Knowing the difference between which strain the patient (or loved one) has been infected with is very important because the treatment options are so-very different for each type.

Signs & Symptoms

The symptoms of both types of meningitis overlap. They may take one or two days to develop and they include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Difficulty looking into bright lights
• Confusion
• And sleepiness

Now, obviously this list looks like it could fit any teenager at one point or more in his/her life. Do not jump to conclusions. Keep your ears to the ground regarding what is happening in your part of town health-wise. And remember that if a schoolmate or your child comes down with any form of meningitis you will be notified through the school system.

Protection

The best protection available today is the meningitis vaccination. Some types of meningitis is passed from person to person, student to student. So unless you are planning on home schooling for their entire lives (and then still not allowing them outside around other kids to have any fun whatsoever) vaccination is the way to go.

Who should receive the meningitis vaccination?

According to the preeminent authority on such matters, The Centers For Disease Control & Prevention, the following individuals should receive the meningitis vaccination:

• Preteens and teens 11 to 18 years old
• College freshman who reside in dormitories
• Children ages 2 to 10 years old who are at an increased risk and those suggested by their medical care providers or parents

So there it is, the meningitis vaccination should be administered to all those who fit in the above-mentioned categories, for then and only then, can they rest assure they will be safe from infection even throughout an unfortunate breakout at their school or at after-school events.

If you live in NYC and would like more information on this potentially fatal, but always serious disease, please log onto Travel clinic NYC. This certified meningitis vaccination NYC clinic is staffed by a board-certified doctor and not a nurse practitioner like some other clinics are. They are located just two blocks from Grand Central Station and therefore very easy to reach by both subway and bus. Call 1-212-696-5900 to make an appointment today. Stay safe.

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Eye Twitching: What to Do

Lots of people experience nystagmus (involuntary eye movements). For many people, this is the twitching of the eyelids, for many it is an actual twitching of the eyeballs. Myokymia fasciculation can be a different way to describe eye twitching. This problem is fairly common. Whether it's eyelid twitching or eyeball twitching, there is absolutely no need to worry in case you have a problem with eye twitching. Many people have problems with this, and there are a number of options available that will help you to handle this.

What actually causes nystagmus or eye twitching? Well, you will find a wide variety of things that will in fact cause these involuntary eye movements. Lack of sleep or anxiety could possibly be the cause. It may be something a lot more complicated like allergies, a pinched nerve, or possibly a reaction to a specific medication. For starters, if you experience nystagmus, determining what the cause of your nystagmus is should be the first thing. There are a variety of internet sites where you can find out more in regards to the numerous causes, take quizzes to evaluate exactly what the main cause is for you, and gain much more information in general on nystagmus. It's a good option, though, to see a medical doctor in relation to any medical condition. A licensed expert is able to better understand precisely what is causing your eye twitching by fully examining your specific situation.

Uncontrollable facial spasms on a single side of the face or hemifacial spasm as well as rapid uncontrollable blinking or blepharospasm are merely two of the conditions that are similar to nystagmus. These conditions really involve precisely the same muscle groups. However, generally more muscle groups will be affected in these conditions as compared to nystagmus as these conditions are more severe. You will definitely need to visit a health care provider to learn what is happening if, along with eye twitching, you find yourself having symptoms such as these.

If your nystagmus is a result of something simple like lack of sleep or stress, the simplest way to correct this is to solve the problem that is causing it. Getting ample sleep or coping with your stress threshold can regularly correct nystagmus in these kinds of cases.

Some advertisers will promote a "cure all" capsule that offers to help your eyelid or eyeball twitching. Nonetheless, be wary of these. Discovering just what the underlying reason for these symptoms are and then performing towards fixing whatever problem is causing your eye twitching is the foremost way to help your eyeball or eyelid twitching.

Remember additionally that eyeball twitching or eyelid twitching is not uncommon. In many instances the causes of nystagmus are fairly simple and can be solved in a simple and clear-cut fashion, even though you should undoubtedly be safe and consult a health care provider.

Visit our web site if you need to understand more about nystagmus. It is a common difficulty and you aren't required to suffer from eye twitching when you get help.

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5 Easy Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening

Everyone dreams of having white teeth. However, not everyone can pay for expensive professional dental care for teeth whitening. Besides pricey alternatives such as chair-side bleaching, veneer, crowns, bonding, or dentist supervised gel, there are affordable alternatives that you can make at home. Here are some home remedies you can try:

1. Using strawberries.

Cut a strawberry in half, then apply it onto your teeth and leave it on for about ten minutes. Afterwards, brush your teeth immediately with toothpaste to get rid of the leftover sugar and acid which can erode the tooth enamel.

2. Using hydrogen peroxide.

You can whiten your teeth using hydrogen peroxide by applying it directly to your teeth with a cotton swab. Rub your teeth gently but be careful not to get too much contact with your gum as hydrogen peroxide can create a burning sensation. Or, if you can stand it, gargling with hydrogen peroxide is also safe as long as you don't swallow it. You will see the results within a few weeks.

3. Using a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.

Take the lid of the hydrogen peroxide bottle (or any small container) and fill half of it with baking soda and add some hydrogen peroxide. Stir them well until forming a paste-like mixture. Wait about 2 minutes until the paste thickens up. Brush your teeth with the paste and rinse with lukewarm water afterwards. Any contact of the mixture with your gum, lips, or tongue can create burning sensation or turn them into pink or white. Do not worry since the effect is only temporary.

4. Using a mixture of strawberry, baking soda, lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide.

Mash a strawberry with a fork, add baking soda, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide to form a mixture. Apply the mixture onto your teeth using a toothbrush. Do not use your daily toothbrush as the strawberry seeds will be very hard to clean from the brush. Leave the mixture on for five minutes then rinse. Floss your teeth to remove any remaining strawberry seeds. Make sure to immediately brush your teeth with toothpaste after applying this paste since sugar from the strawberry and acid from the lemon juice can weaken the tooth enamel.

5. Using hard wood ash.

Hard wood ash contains potassium hydroxide which can help whiten your teeth. You can either apply it directly onto your teeth using a toothbrush, or you can mix it with your toothpaste. Potassium hydroxide also helps to remove stubborn plaque. However, you should not use hard wood ash for long periods of time since frequent use can weaken the tooth enamel.

Home remedies for teeth whitening are indeed cheaper. Yet, they can be harmful to your teeth health if not done carefully. Visit your dentist and read more about teeth whitening reviews before deciding to take particular method to whiten your teeth.

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Car Wreck Injury And Insurance Companies

Today, I am going to do my best to explain why car wreck injuries can be so severe even when it appears there is minor damage.

It's called "inertia."

Definition of inertia - the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force.

What that means is that, if you are traveling at 30 mph and your car is struck head on, your body will keep moving at 30 mph while your car will slow down. In fact, your body will keep moving at that speed until an external force (seatbelt, dashboard, steering wheel) stops you. Well, that doesn't sound very healthy, right?

Let's talk about 30mph for just a minute. That really doesn't sound like a big number when we talk about speed. Especially considering that the current land speed record sits at 760mph! But consider that a shark can only swim up to 25mph. The world record holder in the 100m dash, Usain Bolt, can only muster up 23.35mph. And, the most famous racing horse ever, Secretariat, averaged around 37mph. So, you see, 30mph is not necessarily a low speed and definitely not too low to have some injuries from a car wreck at that speed.

The most common injury from auto accidents must be whiplash.

Whiplash injury: Hyperextension (over-extension) injury to the neck, often the result of being struck from behind, as by a fast-moving vehicle in a car accident. The mechanics of whiplash injury are thought to be as follows: The victim may be first pushed or accelerated forward, pushing the body forward, but the head remains behind momentarily, rocking up and back, and some muscles and ligaments may be stretched or torn. These muscles, in a reflex action, contract to bring the head forward again, to prevent excessive injury. There may be overcompensation when the head is traveling in a forward direction as the vehicle decelerates. This may rock the head violently forward, stretching and tearing more muscles and ligaments. -medicinenet.com

New information from new studies has come about recently. It seems the mechanism of whiplash is to be lifted up from your seat slightly (possibly causing low back issues), then a swift and severe extension of your neck, then dropping back into the seat as the seatbelt catches you, followed by swift and severe flexion of your neck. Basically, you can have a sprain/strain of your low back from the lifting and dropping out of and back into your seat. You can have thoracic sprain/strain from the seatbelt position. And it is obvious that your neck is most likely going to hurt for quite some time. If the wreck is severe enough, you can also have serious tearing of the ligaments and connective tissue in the front and the back of the neck. But, even in minor accidents, you can suffer what is called micro-tearing of these ligaments. Meaning that you can have pain and eventual scar tissue that's cause isn't completely obvious from an MRI. This is the most important argument in favor of treatment and complete rehab of an automobile accident injury.

I would say whiplash is definitely the most common injury we see from car wreck patients. The problem is that the insurance companies have a little equation they use to assess what personal injury amount they will pay for. This equation takes into effect the speed at which the car was traveling. Although there are plenty of studies refuting this tactic, they continue to use it. They refuse to tell anyone exactly what the equation is but they still use it. For example, you may be driving a BMW and have very little damage to the car itself but the damage is $4000. Or you may be driving a 15 year old car an have plenty of damage that is only worth $1500. And it is guessed that the insurance companies use the damage amount in their equation which affects the personal injury payout. This is not a good thing. I have said it before in this blog and I'll say it again. This is why you most likely should call an attorney for a car wreck if the damage is anything beyond a fender bender.

Even I learned something in writing this article. I never knew how fast Usain Bolt or Secretariat could run!

Amarillo Chiropractor
Amarillo Pain & Accident Chiropractic Clinic
http://www.amarillopain.com/

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Pulse Oximeter Moves Out of Walter Reed

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been a staple for over one hundred years in the United States and the District of Columbia. Over the years, it has served many service men and woman, and it has served as a leading center for research as well. Over the past weekend, when Hurricane Irene was set to hit the east coast, the medical center had its closing ceremony. The ceremony included a large number of Walter Reed staff and military personnel, and it included a flag-lowering ceremony as well. The gloomy skies added to the sadness and made something to make the ceremony all the more memorable. Right before the closing ceremony, the last 18 patients from Walter Reed were transferred to their new location, Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, whose name will change to Walter Reed Military Medical Center.

Right before Walter Reed was determined to close; they made a large purchase of pulse oximetry products. A pulse oximeter, also known as a pulse ox, is a medical device use to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of a patient. Walter Reed bought about five hundred of these devices ranging from a finger pulse oximeter to a hand held pulse oximeter. These devices are designed to be portable and easy to use. They run on standard triple A batteries, and are come in both a color and non color screen. Doctors at Walter Reed had discovered their usefulness years ago, when they started to use them both at the hospital and also provide them to patients who were released. These patients were not able to keep track of their oxygen levels both on the go and at home. Some military personnel even found themselves using a pulse oximeter while on tour or duty.

The new facility, Walter Reed Military Medical Center, will be run jointly by both the Army and the Navy. The location is right in the center of Maryland, near both Virginia and the District of Columbia. It is about 20 minutes from Andrew's Air force Base, and accessible by the metro system. Across from the medical center is National Institute of Health, also known as N.I.H., which will contribute to research for the new medical center. Research from centers and institutes like this have lead to various technologies that come back to serve patients. The pulse oximeter is one example of this collaboration and implementation.

For high quality, low-cost pulse oximeter models, visit us at http://www.pulseoximetersplus.com/.

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Enjoy the Health Benefits of Matcha Powder

Matcha powder is considered to be a complex ground tea leaf that has an astringent taste that is easily sprinkled into recipes as well as drinks. In most cases, the leaves are steamed in a light mode so as to keep them from losing antioxidants. Later on, they are carefully ground into a fine as well as emerald green tea powder. On the other hand, matcha green tea is very popular especially in regions located in Japan. It is mostly sold in powder form rather than leaves which makes it very easy for an individual to add different kinds of food such as desserts as well as noodles. There are health benefits that come with this particular beverage and are very helpful to human beings. Keep reading the article and learn these benefits so that you on your next shopping, you can include it in your list.

· Firstly, the beverage is believed to elevate an individual's mood since it entails an amino acid known as l-theanine. It is believed to have a relaxing effect on a person's mind thus making it best for releasing tension as well as anxiety.

· Matcha green tea powder does not have sugar which is a health benefit to those suffering from diabetes. Lack of sugar indicates that there will be no rising of insulin levels which in return helps in blood sugar regulation. In addition, those willing to cut down their sugar intake, taking these particular beverages are beneficial as it will in return boost their immune system.

· It acts as a detoxifier in that it helps in removing any toxins as well as metals completely from the body. This is because of high presence of chlorophyll content.

· In case an individual is suffering from constipation, this beverage is considered to be a very perfect source of obtaining dietary fiber that aids those constipated persons.

· For those having energy issues, taking matcha can be used as an energy booster. This is simply because it raises the level of energy for a prolonged period of time without the necessity of you having an overstimulated feeling.

· Weight has become a very big issue to many people. There are several ways that can be used to achieve weight loss and taking this powdered beverage is one of them. It helps in boosting metabolism which in return burns fat. In addition, it helps in maintaining stability in blood sugar levels that help in suppressing carvings for consuming sweet things such as sweets, chocolates etc.

· Due to the high content of antioxidants in it, it aids in fighting the effects that come with aging

When choosing matcha powder to prepare your matcha green tea, make sure you take time to know what you expect to gain from consuming matcha green tea powder before making a purchase; http://wmseo.hubpages.com/hub/Start-Taking-Matcha-Green-Tea

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Pulse Oximeter Survives Earthquake

Earthquakes are not a norm here on the east coast of the United States. Even a relatively small earthquake can cause quite a disruption. On August 23, 2011, Mineral, Virginia experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that was felt throughout the east coast. The Washington D.C., metro area being less than 90 miles away, felt the quake as well. Most buildings in the D.C. area were evacuated since corporations and agencies were not sure how well the buildings would hold up structurally. The east coast is not designed to withstand seismic activity. As the quake occurred, most people in D.C. did not think it was an earthquake at first. Their initial response was that it was a terrorist attack, which caused some panic in some areas. The same effect occurred in New York City as well, where many buildings were evacuated. There was some damage that was reported at various locations in D.C., with the National Cathedral as one of them. Most of the damage that occurred was the result of things falling or tipping over, and some brick walls that collapsed.

A local medical supply store in Virginia, who specializes in supplying pulse oximetry equipment, was unfortunate enough to be one of the few places to have damage. A pulse oximeter, also known as a pulse ox, is a medical device used to measure blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of an individual. The local medical supply store owner reported that his shelves of over five hundred oximeters tipped over with the shelves tumbling down upon them. Luckily, almost all of the pulse oximeters were not damaged. A new finger pulse oximeter is built to be small and compact, but also sturdy. Their sturdiness was proven yesterday. A pulse oximeter, which is smaller than most cell phones, took a brunt hit from metal shelving and survived. The medical store owner stated that he will not sell a damaged oximeter to any customers, but now is even more confident in his products. He said that he will tell him customers that a pulse oximeter he sells survived an earthquake.

The pulse oximeter became very popular recently in the past ten years or so. Before that it was a medical device more likely found in a clinical setting such as your doctor's office. Now it is just as common to find a pulse oximeter at home just like a blood pressure monitor or a blood glucose meter.

For high quality, low-cost pulse oximeter and oximeter models, visit us at http://www.pulseoximetersplus.com/.

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