Each year, millions of Americans seek hospital care to treat a wide range of medical problems — from accidental injuries to chronic or life-threatening illnesses. While the majority of patients have positive outcomes, it is imperative to remember patient safety should be a top priority for everyone. You can take steps to help ensure your safety whether in the hospital for a planned or unexpected circumstance. Here are three things to keep in mind to make your hospital stay as safe as possible:
Reduce infection risks
Hospital infections are a top concern, especially for surgical patients. According to the World Health Organization, hand hygiene is the single most important measure to reduce health-care-related infections. Patients should keep hand sanitizer at their bedside and use it often. Additionally, the National Patient Safety Foundation recommends:
– Reminding your care team about hand-washing before any direct interaction.
– Keeping an eye on intravenous catheters and wound dressings, and notifying your health care provider right away if something looks wrong.
– Taking charge of health problems such as diabetes, excess weight and smoking, which can increase infection risk in the hospital.
– Following doctors’ directions about breathing treatments to avoid lung infections.
Be aware of setbacks
While unpredictable progress in recovery is not unusual, it’s important to minimize the risk of avoidable setbacks such as falls and readmissions.
Tumbles are a major concern for the elderly, but even younger patients are at risk of falling in the hospital. NPSF often points to research indicating more than 500,000 falls occur in U.S. hospitals each year, causing 150,000 injuries. Muscle weakness, medication-related impairment and age can increase a patient’s risk of falling. Follow your physician’s directions and the hospital’s procedures for surer footing.
Before you leave the hospital, make sure you understand the doctor’s after-care instructions to reduce your risk of readmission. Bring any questions or suspicions of complications to follow-up appointments to help your physician assess your recovery.
— Brandpoint
New Research
New research shows that a simple breath test that analyzes the chemical signature of a patient’s exhaled breath could help detect stomach cancer, according to the British Journal of Cancer. Scientists from China and Israel, who worked on the study, hope the test will offer an easier alternative to an endoscopy, where a doctor inserts a tube down a patient’s throat. The nanomaterial sensors, used to detect biomarkers of cancer in the patient’s breath, are 90 percent effective at distinguishing patients with cancer from patients with other stomach complaints. The sensors also ahd a 90 percent success rate at distinguishing late stage stomach cancer from early stage. While more testing and development is needed before the breath test can become widely available, researchers call the developments “promising” and “encouraging,” and plan to use the sensors in a multi-clinic trial.
— MedicalNewsToday.com
Health Tip
Plyometric workouts have long been known as one of the most efficient and effective ways to train, because they simultaneously burn calories and build muscle. Plyometrics or plyos are a type of exercise that encourages muscle development, power, speed and endurance. Plyos include anything that involves jumping. Start with something less complicated like picking up a jump rope, skipping or high knees. Gradually add squat jumps, split lunge jumps or box jumps. Even try good old-fashioned burpees. Youll see gains in strength and confidence in no time.
— Life Fitness
Number to Know
49: Percentage of Americans who believe carrots are the best food for eye health, according to the American Optometric Association. While carrots do contain nutritional value by supplying beta-carotene, which is essential for night vision, spinach and other dark, leafy greens are the healthiest foods for eyes because they naturally contain large amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin.
Vision Health
Thirty million (or one out of four) Americans age 40 and older suffer from some level of vision loss. Yet only 30 percent of Americans indicate they incorporate specific foods or supplements into their diet to help improve eye health and vision, according to the American Optometric Association’s American Eye-Q survey, which assesses public knowledge and understanding of a wide range of issues related to eye and visual health.
Six nutrients — antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin; essential fatty acids; vitamins C and E; and the mineral zinc – have been identified as helping to protect eyesight and promote eye health. Since the body doesn’t make these nutrients naturally, it’s important to incorporate them into a daily diet and, in some cases, supplement with vitamins.
Consuming a variety of the following foods can help protect your eyes for the future:
1. Lutein and zeaxanthin: To help reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), eat one cup of colorful fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, corn, green beans, peas, oranges and tangerines four times a week.
2. Essential fatty acids: Studies suggest omega-3 fatty acids such as flax or fleshy fish like tuna, salmon, or herring, whole grain foods, lean meats and eggs may help protect against AMD and dry eye.
3. Vitamin C: Fruits and vegetables, including oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers and tomatoes, can help minimize the risk of cataracts and AMD.
4. Vitamin E: Vegetable oils, such as safflower or corn oil, almonds, pecans, sweet potatoes, and sunflower seeds are powerful antioxidants that can slow the progression of AMD and cataract formation.
5. Zinc: A deficiency of zinc can result in poor night vision and lead to cataracts; therefore, consuming red meat, poultry, liver, shellfish, milk, baked beans, and whole grains on a daily basis is important.
— Brandpoint
GateHouse News Service
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Customer tags: long life(8), healthy living(8), health tips(8), live long(8), health and wellness(7), longevity(7), live longer(7), healthy lifestyle(7), health(7), health and fitness(7), healthy aging(7) Two Health Tips to Start the Day – The Rush Limbaugh Show
RUSH: Two health tips… If you're not 44 yet and you're smoking, have at it… Have only 500 calories a day for two days a week (but not days in a row), and the other five days go to town and enjoy yourself. http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/02/22/two_health_tips_to_start_the_day
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Health & Vitality: the Way to Good Health
Start living a healthy life now: Here is your 7-day plan ==> Having sworn to yourself that you’ll go to the gym in the morning, how many times have you changed your mind after you woke up and did not feel like working out? We all have days when we lose our motivation to get […]
Science-based Suggestions for self-confidence
A recent study shows your perception of your own image has a profound effect on how you present yourself to the rest of the world. Those findings could be empowering since even small changes to your self-care routine can significantly boost your self-confidence. The study by researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Business found […]
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(BPT) – Setting intentions is a powerful thing. Then when you have that shiny new gym membership in hand, you feel like nothing stands between you and your goals to get in shape once and for all. Trouble is, lack of motivation, unpreparedness and busy schedules have a way of interfering with our plans. If […]
When buying hearing aids: 6 essential things to know
(BPT) – Being an informed health care consumer is hard work. There is information everywhere. But how do you sift through it and make sense of it all? And how do you know what is reliable and what isn’t? Sorting through the noise when buying hearing aids is no exception. In the past several months, […]
Health Tips And Vitamins I Should Take Being A Growing Teen? Anyone recommend any daily vitamins i should take? please provide the store i can get em at and the price. what it does and all the details please. also any random health tips would be appreciated. thanks.
A multi vitamin suh as centrum is good. Flaxseed oil capsules are great as well.
Health Diet Tips To Keep Myself Skinny And Healthy? I am 115lbs and I am 13. I was wondering if anyone had any health tips to keep myself healthy.
I was looking into this diet where I would start with eating protein and gradually work my way into eating my fruits and vegetables. Does anyone know what this diet is called?
(Please, No comments with additude. Any other comments will be appreciated. Thanks so much!)
Also, I don’t want to be on a diet plan (Such as Weight Watchers). Thanks!
Water
Do These Health Tips Actually Work? 1 apple / day – no doctor
1 lemon / day – no fat
1 cup of milk / day – no bone problems
3 ltrs water / day – no diseases…
Also what are some losing weight health tips?
No, these health ‘tips’ are actually myths. It’s all very healthy to do that, but no.
To lose weight, all you can really do is exercise more and eat healthy and try to keep your calories at around 1600 a day. It’s good to drink homemade lemonade that tastes pretty sour and not sweetened very much- it’s good for your metabolism. Tea is good, fruits and vegetables are good. It’s a great time to get active because it’s summer and you’ll sweat more, which is awesome for your body to flush out toxins and such. I like making fruit smoothies and adding spinach or kale (you can’t taste it and it’s so good for your body- not to mention filling). When you snack during the day, only snack on ‘raw’ foods like fruits and vegetables, or maybe a few almonds.
Good luck!
What Are Your Best Tips To Live A Healthy Life? Health tips in any area would be great. Especially what foods to eat, fitness tips, avoiding colds or being sick, and being happier.
Sorry it’s so broad, but I just wanted some really good tips or secrets, or anything. Thanks!
One has to be happy, not worry about everything little thing that goes wrong, think of others who have life a lot worse or the ones who are gone who whould like to swich with you, but most importantly, you must cleanse your body of toxins and take suppliments.
Anyone Have Some Good Tips For A College Student Who Wants To Lose About 35 Pounds? Basically Im pretty lethargic due to the studying….I do a fair bit of walking and I dont eat fast food more than a coupla times a month, but I seem to keep gaining weight. Basically I need some health tips or some way of beginning to get rid of the buddha belly.
As a fellow student, I understand your struggle. My butt feels constantly glued to a seat and I don’t have the time or attention for planning healthy meals. It’s tough but I manage to control my weight and even lose weight every now and then with some pretty easy tactics. Since you want to lose it, you’ll have to get serious. I would highly recommend cardio workouts. Depending on your fitness level and personal tastes you could try at home workouts like Tae Bo or you can hit the gym (in which case walking or jogging on the tredmill mixed with weights would be effective). Basically, make yourself workout even when you feel tired from studying or a long day. Next thing you know, you’ll look forward to the stress relief. Remember to watch what you eat and consider counting calories…you may be surprised how much you eat daily! Get sleep. Lack of sleep stresses the bod out and you may compensate with food. And you definitely will have less energy for workouts. GOOD LUCK!
I’m Trying To Loose Weight, What Are Some Health Tips? I’m making a modeling portfolio, and I know I need to be slimmer. What are some health tips, such as eating veggies, and colors to dress in the make you look slimmer? What is skinny for height 5’8″? I am Indian (India) & German and I have blue eyes.
Unfortunately there are no easy ways to permanently lose weight and most people who lose weight regain it all.
A vegetarian or vegan diet for the rest of your life might perhaps be a good option as very few vegetarians or vegans are overweight.
If you want a life changing permanent weight loss you need to follow a maintenance diet for the rest of your life after you reach your target weight with one of the many diets you can choose from.
You can see further details in a web search for “how to lose weight and keep it off”.