Thanks to my Diva Sister, Yvonne Osinga-Bisk for allowing me to share this crucially important information for all women! See below:

         Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction)

Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack… you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman’s experience with a heart attack.

‘I had a completely unexpected heart attack at about 10:30 pm with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might’ve brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking,’A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.’ A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you’ve been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you’ve swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in s low motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn’t have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation—the only trouble was that I hadn’t taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p. m.

‘After that had seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when adminstering CPR). This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws.

‘AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening–we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven’t we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, ‘Dear God, I think I’m having a heart attack !’ I lowered the foot rest, dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself ‘If this is a heart attack, I shouldn’t be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else……. but, on the other hand, if I don’t, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment.’

‘I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics… I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn’t feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

‘I then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don’t remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like ‘Have you taken
any medications?’) but I couldn’t make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.

‘I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.

‘Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.’

1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body not the usual men’s symptoms, but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act ). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn’t know they were having one, and commonly mistake it as indigestion,
take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation, and go to bed, hoping they’ll feel better in the morning when they wake up…. which doesn’t happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you’ve not felt before. It is better to have a ‘false alarm’ visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said ‘Call the Paramedics’. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER–you’re a hazard to others on the road, and so is your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what’s happening with you instead of the road. Do NOT call your doctor–he doesn’t know where you live and if it’s at night you won’t reach him anyway, and if it’s daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn’t carry the
equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.

3. Don’t assume it couldn’t be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it’s unbelievably high, and/or accompanied by high blood pressure.) MI’s are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware.
The more we know, the better chance we could survive..

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we’ll save at least one life.

**Please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about**

http://www.Ryze.com/go/hoyo888

Thanks to Diva Kathryn, we have another crucial and very helpful tip to assist in identifying a STROKE! Read on…

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) …..she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
 
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening
 
Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die…. they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
 
It only takes a minute to read this…
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke… totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
 
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the ‘3′ steps, STR . Read and Learn!
 
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
 
New Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your Tongue 

If the tongue is crooked, or it goes to the other side, this too could be signs of a stroke!

When you think a loved one may have Alzheimer’s disease:

The Alzheimer’s Association has developed a checklist of common symptoms to help you recognize the difference between normal age-related memory changes and possible warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

1. Memory loss
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disorientation to time and place
5. Poor or decreased judgment
6. Problems with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things
8. Changes in mood or behavior
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

Diabetes occurs when there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is caused when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Type 2 occurs when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin and the body does not respond to insulin properly.

Type 1 diabetes affects 10-15% of people with diabetes. It is an autoimmune condition, meaning the body’s immune system turns on its own tissue; in diabetes, it is the insulin producing cells that are destroyed. Type 1 diabetes occurs in a small number of people who have the genes that confer susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. The triggers may be a virus or other toxin. Research is still being conducted to find what triggers diabetes in some people.

The majority of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Initially insulin is still produced by the pancreas, but is less effective than normal. This is called insulin resistance and is an inherited characteristic made worse by carrying extra body fat or being inactive.

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It occurs in approximately 1 in 20 pregnant women, and is usually detected during a routine screening test, which is performed at 26-28 weeks of pregnancy.
The development of diabetes is influenced by our lifestyle and our genes. We can identify some factors that are frequently present in people who have diabetes. The presence of these risk factors may indicate if someone is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

http://www.diabetes.com.au/diabetes.php

Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to automatically regulate blood glucose levels, resulting in too much glucose (a sugar) in the blood.

Glucose comes from foods that contain carbohydrate (starches and sugars); for example, breads and cereals, milk and dairy foods, fruits and some vegetables. Glucose travels in the blood stream to the muscles and other organs where it is used as fuel. Excess glucose is detoured to the liver where it is stored for future use. Glucose is the body’s preferred source of energy and our bodies need it to work efficiently, just like a car needs petrol to run.

The blood glucose level is regulated with the help of insulin, a hormone (or chemical messenger) made in the pancreas. >Insulin is the key that glucose needs to enter the body’s cells so that it can be used as fuel. Diabetes develops when the pancreas stops producing insulin (Type 1 Diabetes or when the body does not respond properly to insulin (Type 2 Diabetes). Insulin injections are necessary to treat Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can usually be controlled in the first instance by regular exercise and diet. Tablets and eventually insulin injections may be needed as the disease progresses. The normal blood glucose level ranges between 3.5-7.8 mmol/l.

Over time, high blood glucose levels may damage blood vessels and nerves. These complications of diabetes can cause damage to eyes, nerves and kidneys and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, impotence and foot problems. This damage can happen before an individual knows if they have diabetes if diabetes is undetected for a long time.

Studies have shown that if blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and blood pressure are kept within normal limits, the risk of damage to the body is reduced. Therefore, it is important to know if you have diabetes.

The symptoms of diabetes include:

• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• Tiredness or lack of energy
• Blurred vision
• Infections (eg. Thrush)
• Weight loss (in type 1 diabetes)

However, the symptoms of diabetes may not appear until blood glucose levels are above approximately 15mmol/l or higher. So, it is common to have diabetes without knowing about it.

In Australia, one adult in twelve has diabetes and the prevalence is increasing. Research has shown that for every person with known diabetes, there is another who has it but has not yet been diagnosed.

There are 3 main types of Diabetes:

• Type 1 (previously known as juvenile onset diabetes),
• Type 2 (previously known as mature onset diabetes) and
• Gestational Diabetes(occurring during pregnancy)

A new super-charged cervical cancer vaccine that could offer women almost total protection from the disease is being tested in Australia.

Pharmaceutical company CSL is trialling an experimental vaccine which is hoped will block 90 per cent of viral strains that cause the cancer.

The second generation vaccine uses the same Australian technology as the blockbuster vaccines Cervarix and Gardasil, which are on the National Immunisation Program, but offer 70 per cent coverage.

The Queensland scientist behind the technology, former Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer, said the vaccine had exciting potential to offer protection from more strains of the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV).

However, it was not yet known if it was possible to simply add more strains to a vaccine to get more protection, Prof Frazer said.

“It would be unfortunate if people put off being vaccinated in the expectation that a better vaccine is coming along because it’s still preliminary and we don’t know if we can make it work,” he told AAP.

The vaccine is being tested on woman aged 18 to 26 in 11 centres across Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Peter Richmond, head of the Vaccine Trials Group from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth, said the composition was being kept under wraps but it would protect against HPV types which cause 90 per cent of cervical cancer and most cases of genital warts.

It would work in a similar way to the other two vaccines, only offering protection to women who had not already been exposed the HPV strains.

“While it wouldn’t remove the need for regular pap smears, it certainly has the potential to further reduce the risk of cervical cancer, other genital cancers and distressing diseases, even more so than the currently available vaccines,” Dr Richmond said.

“At the moment there are about 700 cases of cervical cancer a year in Australia and 200 deaths so 20 per cent is significant in these terms.”

With type 16 and 18 essentially blocked by Gardasil and Cervarix it was important to block against other types which may start to cause more cervical cancer in the future, he said.

Women enrolled in the study would receive either Gardasil or the trial vaccine and would be tracked over three years.

It would be at least five years before the new vaccine would be publicly available, Dr Richmond said.

© 2007 AAP

Awhile ago, whilst I was busily seeking out other authors online, I happened upon a forum which had been set up to support people who had either been directly/indirectly affected by abuse-‘Out of Darkness’

The Administrator, quickly became my friend, and once I began reading her books[yes, a published author!] I was inspired even more- Elizabeth Melton Parsons always gave her time, [even when she should have been using it elsewhere] to discuss ideas on writing, ways to promote work and the best places & people online to get involved with. Her key words, SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT have played an integral role in my work, forever MAKING time to share any written piece with any publisher or website willing to accept! This wonderful woman is a wife and mother, poet, published author[of MANY fictional books], artist, freelance writer for local paper and a friend. Spend some time reading her work, and you cannot help but taste her inspiration!

Official Website: 

Note: You will find Elizabeth on many of my own website pages!

 With Summer just getting ready to kick in here in Australia, it seemed a good time to remind people about the dangers of over-exposure to the sun!

With all the information constantly aired on TV and Radio, still, there are those who ignore the danger signs. NEVER leave home without your 30+sunscreen, hat and sunglasses!!

Sunburn treatment
For severe sunburn, or if you are experiencing blistering, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or severe pain, you should seek immediate hospital treatment.How to treat sunburn
These suggestions may help to manage the symptoms of sunburn:

Avoid further sun exposure until the redness, peeling and pain have disappeared.
Drink plenty of water to replenish your fluid levels. Dehydration is another potentially dangerous side effect of too much exposure to the sun.
Take cool showers, and apply cool compresses.
As soon as it becomes comfortable to do so, apply a moisturising cream to the burnt area to keep it moist and supple. Even though it will not prevent peeling, moisturising will help prevent the new skin below from drying out. (Chemists stock a range of sunburn treatments that can be rubbed or sprayed onto the skin.)

Severe sunburn
For severe sunburn, or if you are experiencing blistering, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or severe pain, you should seek immediate hospital treatment.

courtesy http://www.sunsmart.com.au/

 Medical Information displayed on various pages are kindly supplied by other websites and were working at time of publication-

This blog will continually be updated with medical issues which are all placed in navigation/menu bar for your convenience. I am always happy to share other information from the public, as long as it is credible information with details of its origin. Always supply a link! Any posts that are merely people sharing their own personal experiences will be accepted.

Thank you

Have a healthy day!