How To Lower Health Dangers

We all know the frustration: you walk into the doctor's office for your appointment with the doctor or nurse practitioner. You wait for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, maybe an hour. And when you're finally in the room, you get 10 minutes in which your healthcare provider looks at your chart, asks for your "main complaint" and then writes a prescription or sends you to another specialist or tells you that there isn't anything much that can be done.

Believe it or not, your healthcare provider finds it frustrating, too. People who become health care workers do so because they want to provide help and care, but new health care systems and higher patient loads make it increasingly difficult to do so.

How Can I Get More Out Of My Doctor's Appointment?

As a patient, you can help make the appointment a positive experience for yourself, just by following these tips:

1. Before your next appointment, create a small notebook that's your dedicated to your health: a "healthbook." Don't use it for shopping or to-do lists - it's dedicated to the precious resource of your health.

2. Your healthbook should have an updated list of include the medications you are on, what they are for, and how much you take, including over the counter drugs; bring this list to every appointment.

3. If there's a list of things you're coming in for, tell the physician right away; the two of you should decide what can be managed on this visit and what should to wait.

4. Make sure you know what you've made the appointment for. Date a healthbook page and write down your needs and questions before you go.

5. Ask provider to write complex medical terms and drug names in your healthbook; if needed ask what they mean. If you'd like a diagram to help explain, your healthbook can be used for that, as well.

6. Tell the truth about what's going on, even if the problem is embarrassing or hard to describe. If you're not sure why you're being asked something , ask!

7. Find out what services your doctor's office offers: online copies of your records or test results? A special help-line or nurse practitioners to help with refills? Find out so that you don't need to deal with those things during your precious time in the office.

8. Outside of the office, learn about your health. What does it mean to have high blood pressure? Ask for booklets your doctor provides; read books geared towards patients; many local libraries will have videos on various conditions.

9. If you have a condition that may make communication difficult (e.g. you are hearing- or sight-impaired) or English is a difficult language for you, make sure that you bring a friend or relative who knows the communication ropes to your appointment, especially if this is the first time you've visited with this doctor.

10. Last but not least, remember that your healthcare provider likes working with patients - you can work together to have satisfying, helpful appointments!

"Eleven things you should talk to your doctor about," Harvard Health Letter, Volume 29, issue 5, March 2004
"A Day Spent Learning How To Satisfy Patients," Managed Care Magazine, September 1997

Cherry D.K., et al. "National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2001 Summary," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Volume 337, p 1-44, 2003

There Are Contact Lenses For Every Need

New technology with computers, such as the introduction of the internet has really allowed people convenient and comfortable ways to shop. You can order just about anything over the internet, including ordering contact lenses online. Shopping on the internet is not only popular, but it is becoming more and more useful. Before you were able to purchase contacts online, one of the only ways to obtain your contacts was through your eye doctor. However, as wonderful and handy as it is to order your contact lens online, there are a few things you will want to take into account and remember.
Before you order contact lenses online, or anywhere for that matter, you must first ensure that you have an up to date prescription with you at all times. The only legal way to purchase contacts in the United States is with a valid prescription issued by your optometrist. It is not that you will be involved in any legal trouble if you don't have a valid prescription and order contacts online, but you will be liable for anything that happens to your eyes. What could happen to your eyes you wonder? Well, if you wear contacts that are not fitted to the proper shape and size of your eye, you can cause damage to your vision; not to mention that they would feel most uncomfortable to wear. Remember, before you order contact lenses online and you haven't had an eye examination in the last two years, see your optometrist first! You may find you need a new prescription.
The contact lenses online that you can purchase, are from a variety of popular brand names like Acuvue, Johnson & Johnson, FreshLook and Focus. Each of these brands have their own different contact lens product that they sell for the different conditions of peoples eyes. For example, you can purchase the contact lens online that is called toric. Toric contact lenses are for those who suffer from astigmatism. You can also obtain contacts online that are for bifocal correction, or that color your eyes. Colored contact lenses online come in many varieties of brands and colors. These are one of the most popular of the contact lens online to be ordered. The reason for this is because they are designed for everyone to wear; those who have perfect 20/20 vision can purchase them. It is for this very reason why you should have your eyes checked, even if your vision is perfect. Remember, wearing colored contacts that do not properly fit the shape of your eye can be damaging.
Be a smart shopper when you purchase your contact lenses online. Learn about all of the great discounts that you can receive. Use your critical thinking skills when ordering contact lenses online, and you won't ever need to worry about what you wear in your eyes!

Let Your Mind Decide Your Kind of Training

There are thousands and thousands of fitness tips, training
techniques, fitness equipments and experts that tell you how to gain
fitness and what the best ways are to train your body. It's easy to
feel confused and to spend large amounts of money on things that
later turn out to be disappointments. And then you might never want
to try again.

You don't have to follow other people's ideas of fitness and training.
There will always be new trends and fashions in all aspects of life.
To gain fitness, the least important thing is caring about the latest
outfit or expensive training equipment.
The important thing is to ask yourself
these few questions:

What makes me feel good?

What do I like to do?

When am I happy?

Make a personal choice!

After asking yourself these questions you should make your own choice.
You need to find your own personal ways to keeping fit. If you don't
want to go to the local gym or join the football club, maybe you
prefer putting on some good music and creating a new dance of your
own in your living room a couple of times per week? Or maybe you'd
want to play hide-and-seek in the park with your next door neighbours
every Friday? Let your mood be the driving force! Discover the
feeling of joy and pleasure that comes with moving your body! The
season offers lots of opportunities: Outdoor activities such as
walking, cycling, swimming and different ball games are fun and easy
and mostly they don't require large investments. What makes you feel
happy? Don't ask yourself what others might like. Find your own way!