health,beauty and fitness

It’s always been important to you that people know what options they have in life. You’ve always cared about healthy living and are passionate about promoting it to others. You see the big picture, and people come to you because they know you’ll have the resources to get them connected

If you consider yourself a people person and have a desire to help others improve their lives, you’ve probably considered a healthcare career. But just because you’re interested in providing direct patient care, doesn’t mean you have to work in a hospital. It sounds like a career as a community health worker might be right up your alley

But before you make your decision, you need to know the ins and outs of the job. We connected with a variety of community health workers to give you a realistic view of the profession. Keep reading for a sneak peek into this rewarding healthcare career

What does a community health worker actually do

A community health worker (CHW) serves as a liaison between health or social services and individuals in their communities. These are the people on the front lines, providing advocacy, information and education to community members in order to help them improve their lifestyle and link them to their proper healthcare options. They can work everywhere from family services offices to outpatient care centers to offices of physicians

You’re interested in the healthcare industry because you want to help people. Your compassion is your calling; it’s why you do what you do. But the irony is that by working in healthcare you’re also putting your own health in harm’s way

Hospitals are one of the most dangerous places to work. In fact, hospital workers suffer more workplace injuries and illnesses than even those in the construction and manufacturing industries, according to theOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). For every 100 full-time hospital employees, there were 33 reported cases of injury and illness in 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Does this mean you need to choose a new career path? No! It just means you have to be aware of the hazards and know how to prevent them. Keep reading to learn how you can stay healthy and safe in a healthcare work environment

What are the risks

Germs

There’s no getting around it: you’re exposed to a lot of germs and disease in hospitals. Sometimes hospital workers pay the price

“The most common diseases hospital workers would be exposed to are bacterias causing strep, pneumonias and some viruses that cause flu and colds,” says healthcare advocate Diane Harayda M.ED

Hospital workers that spend more face-to-face time with patients or handle more bodily fluids are more at risk than ones who briefly see patients, such as a physician, adds Peg Luebbert, consultant and owner of Healthcare Interventions, LLC

Heavy lifting

Lifting and maneuvering patients is just part of the job for many hospital employees. Unfortunately, lifting up heavier patients can take a toll on the backs of nurses and other healthcare workers. Back injuries are all too common amongst healthcare workers, especially nursing assistants, reports NPR

Slips, trips and falls also pose threat to hospital employees, as well as operating heavy equipment.

“When you add new techniques and new equipment, you introduce new problems,” says Luebbert. “You have to constantly be alert to what you can do”

Unruly or violent patients

“Hospital workers are here to help and care for others, but we sometimes take a beating in doing so,” says Alicia Hyatte, an inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse social worker

Hospital workers can unfortunately bear the brunt of stress and aggression amongst unruly patients. Patients brought in under the influence of drugs or alcohol or patients experiencing psychosis may also exhibit violent behavior that could pose a threat to workers, according to Scientific American.

Overworked employees

Long, irregular hours amongst hospital workers also affect their health. Busy, chaotic shifts mean they often don’t get to take breaks. Overworked and understaffed hospital workers are more likely to make mistakes

Stress and sleep deprivation from overnight shifts may also contribute to obesity in nurses, as well as poor eating habits, according to Nurse Together. Stress experienced over longer periods of time can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout, which take a toll on employee health and wellbeing

Negligent hand-washing

This simple preventative act is second-nature in hospitals. After all, hospital workers more than anyone should know– it’s the most important way to reduce infection risk. However, the more hours a hospital employee works, the less likely they are to practice safe hand-washing, according to a study by the Social Science Research Network

Radiation exposure

Non-invasive surgeries and X-rays are routine in hospitals – but these common procedures come with radiation exposure for the nurses, physicians and radiological technicians involved. Over time, this radiation exposure has been linked to cancer, cataracts and a slew of other health-related issues, says Michael D. Seymour MS, MPH, CIH, director of advocacy programs of the Organization for Occupational Radiation Safety in Interventional Fluoroscopy

gift guide for medical assisting students

Medical assisting students are pretty special! We akin them to superheroes because not only are they staying up late to study, taking tests, writing papers and reading textbooks, but they’re also working to pass clinicals and helping people—all at the same time

If anyone deserves a spectacular gift this holiday season, it’s these hardworking folks! But that doesn’t mean they’re easy to buy for. If you’re stumped on what to buy the soon-to-be healthcare professional in your life, you came to the right place. These practical present ideas will make this season as a student a bit easier and a lot more fun!

12 holiday gift ideas for medical assisting students

Personalized stethoscope

When you think of a medical assistant, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Scrubs, a clinic and … a stethoscope! The stethoscope is an iconic gift, and there’s no doubt your medical assisting student will be using one—so why not get it personalized! Etsy has tons of different designs and patterns to fit any medical assistant’s taste

RingSafe accessories

Is your medical assisting student married? Most healthcare professionals aren’t allowed to wear jewelry, so using RingSafe, a company that makes necklaces and key chains that hold rings when they need to be removed, is a great idea! This type of gift ensures that your loved one’s most precious trinkets are kept safe during working hours

Comfortable (and stylish) shoes

Medical assisting students are on their feet for long periods of time throughout the day during clinicals. Clogs are helpful in easing sore feet, and Dansko clogs are a favorite among medical professionals. They also come in a variety of patterns and colors. Not only will their feet benefit from these supportive shoes, but can spice up their scrubs with a bright color or fun print

Medic bag

As a student, backpacks can get tiresome and sometimes purses just aren’t big enough to carry all the essentials you need! A medic bag is the perfect gift to give a medical assisting student, as they’ll be able to fill it with everything from their books and devices to scrubs and medical equipment. Medic bags from Scrubs & Beyond and Etsy can work for both the men and women on your list this year

Caffeine

Not only do students pull late nights—medical professionals do too! Combine both, and you have one individual who needs a lot of caffeine. Whether it’s a gift card to their favorite café so they can grab a cup of joe on the go, or some coffee pods to fuel their single cup brewer at home, they’ll appreciate the boost of energy! Or for a more permanent present, a sturdy thermos to transport their favorite beverage would fit the bill

Relaxation package

Staying up late and studying for hours can often lead to fatigue. Not to mention all of that pouring over books and jotting down notes can elicit sore muscles. The stress of school can manifest physically, leaving students exhausted, tense and anxious, according to the University of Florida. Gift your medical assisting student with a gift card for a massage, some at-home spa products or sign them up for a yoga class

Humorous medical-themed paraphernalia

You have to keep a sense of humor when you’re in a medical profession! Bring a smile to your medical assisting student’s face with a funny T-shirt. We like this “I Found This Humerus” one. Or stuff their stocking with these cool syringe pens. There’s no reason not to geek out about hilarious medical-themed garb

A maid or housecleaning service

Who would say no to having their place professionally cleaned? Medical assisting students are incredibly busy people, so a gift card for a housecleaning service would be an excellent Christmas gift. Looking to save money as you Christmas shop this year? Gift them a homemade gift certificate and do the dirty work yourself

Steth-O-Charm

Add some bling to that personalized stethoscope with a Steth-O-Charm. Little details like this can make the medical experience more fun and may even bring a smile to a patient’s face. With several charms to choose from—like “Commitment to Excellence” or “I Radiate Pure Awesomness” charms—you really can’t go wrong

DIY blood type testing kit

You’re medical assisting student knows all about blood types, but have they ever tested their own? Good news: there's a kit for that! Figure out your blood type quickly and easily with this BYOB (bring your own blood) experiment. With a little prick and a few drops of blood, your medical professional will be able to see the antigens in his or her blood!

Medical prints

A dorm, apartment or house is always more complete once you deck the walls with artwork. Gift your medical assisting student with some vintage medical art prints to decorate their home or office. Take a look atDictionArt and Fine America Art’s selections of medical prints to find the perfect health-related piece for your special student

Monopoly: EMS edition

Who doesn’t love a good game of medical Monopoly? A fun twist on the age-old board game, this healthcare-themed version is sure to please. They can whip this out at holiday gatherings to educate the cousins or impress their friends at game night with their wealth of medical knowledge

how to have a happy healthy holiday season

For many, the holidays begin with an earnest anticipation of seeing loved ones and sharing treats and meals. But as the season progresses, your rose-colored glasses can get tinged with stress, sickness or fatigue

These days, most people realize that health and wellness is based on more than just your diet. But developing a holistic, healthy lifestyle is easier said than done. But it is possible to have a healthy holiday season! Despite what it seems, the holidays are a perfect time to implement some healthy habits and encourage your loved ones to do the same

We wish you a happy holiday

When you think of “healthy holiday tips”, you may think you’ve got it covered. Cut back on the seasonal sweets and don’t overdo it with the alcoholic beverages. While these are great tips, there’s a lot more to it than that.

We consulted the experts to provide some simple, actionable tips to help you feel your best this holiday season

1. Get plenty of sleep

Yes, you read that right. While it might feel counter-intuitive to sleep more when you already feel strapped for time, those extra Z’s are critical to your health. “Sufficient sleep should be a high priority during the holidays,” says RN Terry Cralle of We Get Sleep. She explains that without it, our appetites are increased and we tend to overload on sugar and fat to help power us through the day

She adds that lack of sleep also disrupts mood and immune resilience, leaving us more vulnerable to sickness in the peak of cold and flu season. Plus, without enough sleep we are too exhausted to get the exercise our bodies and minds need. Having trouble switching off at night? She recommends keeping the room as dark as possible and using a white noise machine or earplugs.

2. Brave the outdoors

Maybe you don’t have the time (or cold tolerance) for a full-scale winter activity, but getting outside for even 20 minutes will help replenish your vitamin D levels, according to nutritional therapist Darshi Shah. She says vitamin D deficiency increases our chances of feeling melancholy, which can lead to seasonal depression

Are your loved ones prone to gloominess in the winter? Recruit them to join you on a crisp, morning walk to appreciate the beauty of the season. “I find if I take a camera, everyone joins the party and moves outdoors with me,” Shah says

3. Drink water before your meals

Staying hydrated is key for health and happiness on many levels, but making sure you drink water before a meal will net you some extra credit. Challenge yourself to drink a glass of water 30 minutes before eating, recommends Shane Allen, sports nutritionist for Personal Food Trainer

“Researchers believe this time between drinking and eating helps you feel full while giving you time to shape better decisions about what you eat,” Allen explains. This will help you avoid the typical “my eyes were bigger than my stomach” scenarios at those family meals or holiday parties

4. Warm up those muscles

The urge to hibernate during the cold months can be strong. But curling up couch-potato style is hard on your body. Joints and muscles can feel stiff in the cold and lack of activity exacerbates the problem, causing more strain and a greater risk of injury

It’s important to keep your muscles and joints warm and relaxed during the holiday season, according to Dr. Nupur Kohli, author of Chill! How to Survive Stress. “Get a massage, visit a sauna if possible, drink hot beverages and engage in light exercises to stay fit and relaxed,” he recommends

5. Don’t forget your teeth

Eat cheese with your red wine and make raw veggies part of every feast. Why? Because it promotes good oral health, according to Dr. Matthew Mullally of Bright Side Dental. He says people often count calories at holiday feasts but rarely consider their teeth. Streptococcus mutans, bacteria that contribute to tooth decay and allow plaque to grow, can have a heyday with that appetizer table

“Consider serving vegetables like raw carrots which naturally clean your teeth.” Mullally also suggests including nuts in your meal for their tooth-strengthening minerals and eating cheese with your red wine to protect your enamel from staining

6. Incorporate short bouts of exercise in your day

Exercise is probably the last word you want to hear amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays. But neglecting this aspect of your health can take a toll on your overall mood. Your health can deteriorate over the holiday season when you forget to work in some exercise, says fitness guru Carol Michaels

Without physical activity, you’re more susceptible to stress and lethargy, which is not how you want to be feeling during this fun season. Michaels suggests sneaking in 10-minute exercise sessions and going for walks.

“Exercise first thing in the morning when you have more energy,” she adds. “It will reduce stress, which will also help you to control your food intake”

7. Enjoy small moments of meditation

Stress gets a hold of us for the strangest reasons sometimes. While we can’t always stop the feeling, we can choose how to react. “We know meditation is good for us,” says Dr. Kathy Gruver of The Alternative Medicine Cabinet. “But not everyone has time during the holidays to stop, sit down and meditate”

Gruver’s favorite stress-relieving practice is “mini-mediation.” No matter where you are (sitting in traffic, the checkout line or surrounded by scampering children,) simply pause and “concentrate on your breath, the rise and fall of your chest.” She adds a simple mantra to each inhale and exhale, such as “I am … at peace.” This can be done before encountering an inevitably stressful situation or even in the middle of one. And the best part is that nobody ever needs to know!

8. Make a plan (and check it twice)

The best way to have a healthy, stress-free holiday season is to plan ahead, according to Kohli. Many of the poor health decisions we make can easily be averted with a little forethought. Before you visit your in-laws, tackle your shopping list or even clean the house, think over the coming weeks. Pinpoint the days you presume will be the most stressful and put safeguards in place

This could be anything from popping a few healthy dinners into the freezer ahead of time, to scheduling a yoga class at the gym. “When you are prepared, it will not feel like chaos, and you can be more relaxed,” Kohli says

Shah devotes five minutes every morning to be alone and focus on the big picture. “I want energy for an activity-filled holiday season; I want quality time being present,” she says. “After all, if you aren’t going to enjoy it, why bother”

Google Changing Health Related Search Results

Google has been ruling the tech world for yearsbut now the tech giant has decided to dive into the world of health too! Nearly 1 out of every 20 searches on Google are related to health issues, and therefore this effort, if done properly, can be helpful for many people around the world. However if it goes bad, it may itself be the cause of serious health issues

Why is Google going to change health related search results

Well their official statement would included that they basically want to help the humanity to get the best medical advice and be healthy. This could possibly be the real motive behind the move too. However, if we dig deeper into the issue, we’ll see that Google has been putting its feet into a lot of stuff in recent years, including the robotics, artificial intelligence, internet provision and so on. So on the business end, it’s about profit. Apple and Bing has already put their feet into it some years back

How would the new health search results change

Unlike Bing who relies mainly on the Wikipedia based info, written by non-professionals mostly, for its health related queries, Google has partnered with Mayo Clinic for its venture. They’ve created a database of the most commonly searched medical conditions and got it extensively checked and reviewed by the doctors at Mayo Clinic

So now whenever someone searches for any medical issue related to the most common conditions, Google will show the results from the database on top of the results in its classic way. This would include the symptoms and info on management of the condition, along with information regarding how critical, common and contagious it is

Amit Singhal, Google’s Search Vice President mentioned that the 400 conditions have been vetted by 11 doctors on average for each fact

These results are currently not available all over the world and are returned to the US citizens only. However Google plans to expand this service to other countries and enhance the list of conditions and disorders as well

Hazards of this change in health results

Although it could be a very good service to help people get familiar with the health conditions they have, this could also lead to some hazards including self diagnosis and self medication, which can lead to serious side effects, as proper diagnosis and management shouldn’t dependent on simply one or two symptoms, but rather on the overall condition and circumstance of the patient – and not just treating the obvious symptoms

Can Asthma Medication Help Treat Hives

A drug already used to treat moderate-to-severe allergic asthma appears to offer relief to people with chronic hives who haven’t been helped by standard medications, new research suggests.

The prescription drug — omalizumab (Xolair) — is already available to treat hives, following U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval earlier this year for that use

The current study confirms that when Xolair is taken at a high dose for a six-month period it seems to be both safe and effective at controlling the severe and often debilitating itching that characterizes long-term hives

While not lethal, chronic hives can last for months, and tend to come and go without a clear idea of what brings it on

To explore Xolair’s potential, the team tested its effectiveness among more than 260 chronic hives patients for whom prior treatment had failed

Patients were randomly divided into four groups, in which they were respectively treated with a once-a-month injection of Xolair at either a 75 milligram (mg) dose, a 150 mg dose, a 300 mg dose, or a dummy shot

Tracking was conducted for both a three-month period and a six-month period

The team found that by the 12th week, people given Xolair showed a marked reduction in their overall number of hives, hive intensity and itching severity, compared with patients who got the dummy treatment. And Rosen noted that roughly 40 percent saw a complete disappearance of all symptoms, while 80 percent experienced “what we call minimally important improvement.”

Symptom relief was maintained through the six-month mark, and the authors determined that those treated with the highest (300 mg) dosage of Xolair saw the biggest improvement

Side effects were described as being mild to moderate, and included headaches, joint pain, sinus infection and reactions at the point of injection.

The study authors acknowledged that more research will be needed to see how the drug performs over longer periods of time