Entries from April 2009 ↓

I just placed an extremely long story_more than a question in itself_in the health section, but it was placed by yahoo in the pregnancy one. I’ve asked people to search for it there so they can help me. But it seems to me I should also be adding it here int he LEGAL one:

An elderly person who suffers from respiratory and heart problems, but who very much wants to live, is not being treated properly by medical staff, including doctors. The story is extremely long but I’ll tell it as brief as possible:

She’s in her early eighties, was misdiagnosed with cancer based simply on one X-ray and fact that she was long time smoker and looked thin and frail. Previously had been told couple years earlier she was suffering from emphysema. But doctors ignored this and went ahead with cancer diagnosis. Was basically sent home to die, without any other tests or further X-rays, etc. Months later while in emergency room_due to lack of proper meds and treatments_doctor going by wrong diagnosis to which I informed him about, went ahead and did complete brain scan and apparently scans of lungs as well. He came back with news of zero cancer in brain, and only scaring in the lungs, which everyone else should have known about by then and which we were told couple of years earlier.

Now, and after many doctors repeating that she’s at end stage of COPD, and suffering from CHF, attrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, apparent damage to adrenal glands_and who knows if anything else, for they only search for further things once I’ve either repeatedly asked or given the WHOLE LIST OF SYMPTOMS, whether new or old_she’s been sent home once again earlier than she should have, even after having suffered much blood loss couple of hours before discharge from hospital.

Doctors main concern is to inform me she’s at end stage, that next time they will probably not intubate her, that social workers can send hospice home, and that if family wants her to live like this. I thoroughly explained IT IS NOT ONLY FAMILY who wants her to live IT IS HER as well. She insists on been taken to hospital when she knows her breathing is not right.

At this very moment she’s at home, having had a really bad night. Once again whole family is guessing as to what it could be. She was shaking for quite some time at midnight. It could well have been the 37 degrees temeperature outside and her insisting on not been covered for she’s always hot even when others are freezing. Still I did cover her, gave her the 30mg dialtizem prescribed, plus the 10mg prednisone, plus the pepcid. And I also gave her the tiny dose of Xanax which is the .25 prescribed by physician three days ago. I know for a fact that if she were at hospital they would check out for all symptoms before deciding to give her xanax. I wouldn’t have given it to her because her breathing has not been normalized since coming back. They keep sending her home in very poor condition.

I could describe in perfect details why I know this is the case. They had also offered to send a nurse and a hospital bed and NOTHING has happened.

I know that most people would say “Just suit them!” And the many suits to hospitals, doctors, etc. are very well deserved from what I have experienced in nearly a dozen hospitalizations in these last three years. I do know also that MEDICARE apparently refuses to pay for certain things. I have no idea which. I would very much need LEGAL counsel but cannot afford to spend days on the phone searching for lawyers whom would probably take the case once she IS DEAD.

Is there a COURT I can go to to make sure this person is not left to die this way?

You seem to be very adament that this woman get the medical treatment she needs, and I commend you for that. We should never just assume that she's lead a full life, so let her go. She is being misdiagnosed because they dont want to put in the effort and her insurance just isnt good enough.
Since you've been helping this woman and have been verbal enough to push them for more tests, Im gonna assume that you have already threatened medical malpractice suit. Not actually attempt it, but just threatened. They will do their best to get away with as much as possible. They want to get paid. So if you threaten them with 'contacting your attorney and will file a medical malpractice suit against the doc, the hospital, and anyone else involved in her care', you may get more results (even if you dont have an attorney).
If you have already done that, then you may need to contact a personal injury lawyer and tell them from the beginning that it is concerning an emergency situation of medical malpractice. You need action now, not 6 weeks from now. You can also call the district attorneys office and ask what court you need to contact in order to enforce emergency medical procedures.

Oh! I found a law that actually prohibits the actions they are taking. It is called EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment And Active Labor Act). Throw that in their face and see if they refuse to test her.
Heres the link:
http://library.findlaw.com/2001/Jan/1/126650.html

One doctor told me that eating garlic reduces high blood pressure, another herbalist said he has a cure.But am not sure of either the two.

If you have high blood pressure, the most important thing to do is monitor it regularly. If it's consistently above about 135/85, your doc should be considering a medication. There are many good and cheap ones with few or no side effects. No matter what, you should get regular aerobic exercise, lose any excess weight you may have (this can clear up high blood pressure by itself if you manage to do it), avoid smoking, excess alcohol, and both fatty and high salt foods (i.e., fast foods and prepared foods). You don't want to spend a life with high blood pressure. It will definitely shorten your life and may make the last years of your life very uncomfortable because of heart failure. My dad went through this, and it was very painful to see. Go ahead and eat garlic, but if you are not monitoring your BP, this will not protect you.

i hade very high blood pressure all of a sudden in the 28 weeks of pregnancy, my gync recomended total bed rest till delivery. but during my 37'th week i had few symptoms of preeclampcia and i was induced in 38'th week . then had a c-section.

http://www.womens-health.co.uk/hyperten.asp
Blood pressure problems are one of the most common reasons women are admitted to the hospital antenatal ward. The amount of attention received by a woman with 'blood pressure' depends very much upon what kind of disease causes it and how high the blood pressure (BP) actually is. Hypertension is when the blood pressure is too high, and hypotension when its is low. Hypotension is a common finding in early and mid-pregnancy and is, by and large, nothing to worry about.
Why does high blood pressure matter?

The most important cause of high blood pressure in pregnancy is a disease called pre-eclampsia. If untreated, pre-eclampsia can lead to eclampsia, which is very serious. Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are the most important causes of death during pregnancy in the UK, USA and Nordic countries. Five to 10% of women in their first time pregnancies develop pre-eclampsia. A woman in this country is very unlikely to die because of it, mainly because they are recognised early, investigations performed and proper treatment given. There are similar risks for the baby, and a part of the assessment includes ensuring s/he is well.
Types of blood pressure problems in pregnancy

Chronic hypertension
This is also known as essential hypertension. This type of hypertension was present even before the woman was pregnant. It is more common in older mothers and there may be a family history. A woman may have been taking tablets for it before getting pregnant. Chronic hypertension may get worse during later pregnancy and the type or dose of drugs may need to be changed. Since a woman's blood pressure naturally falls during the first half of pregnancy, many chronic hypertensive women have a normal blood pressure and need no treatment at this time. We know that certain drugs used to control blood pressure are quite safe in pregnancy, and if a woman is taking a newer type, it is usually suggested she change to one with which we have more established experience.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)
This type of hypertension is much like the chronic type, but it only comes on when a woman is pregnant and resolves completely after delivery. There are probably some women who are chronic hypertensives who are labelled as PIH because we don't know what their BP was before pregnancy. This does not matter much as the treatment is the same, and it will be clarified after the baby is born. A proportion of women with PIH will go on to develop pre-eclampsia; unfortunately we cannot predict who it will be. Also, women who have PIH are at greater risk of developing hypertension later in life.

In both the above types of hypertension, the only abnormality is the blood pressure. Studies have compared outcomes of pregnancies in women with chronic hypertension and PIH, and there is little risk to the baby. Very rarely babies will have to be delivered early for women with unusually severe hypertension.

Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is a disease unique to pregnancy. It is much more than just blood pressure and when we assess women who are suspected of having it, several investigations are done to establish its presence and severity. In addition to high blood pressure, the other main screening test is to check the urine. The kidneys become 'leaky' and in pre-eclampsia there is protein (also known as proteinuria). You will see that it is sometimes documented as +, 2+, or 3+. This is determined by dipping a piece of paper into the urine and the colour change suggests the relative concentration of the urine. To strictly diagnose pre-eclampsia we need to know the exact amount of proteinuria over 24 hours and this is one investigation we do if it is suspected. Greater than 0.3g is significant.

Pre-eclampsia doesn't just affect the BP and kidneys, it affects almost every organ system of the body. In the milder forms it might just be the kidneys that are affected to any serious degree, hence proteinuria is the only other sign. If pre-eclampsia is more severe, it can cause headaches, flashing lights before the eyes, abdominal pain as well as making you feel very jittery. If severe pre-eclampsia is not treated or if it develops very quickly, then eclampsia may occur. This is when a woman has a seizure (fit). Usually the BP is very high and if the baby is not yet born, it becomes distressed. There is a serious risk of stroke in the mother because of the excessively high BP. Fortunately, eclampsia is rare as pre-eclampsia is usually picked up and treated. Women with established pre-eclampsia have overall about a 1% chance of having an eclamptic seizure. In about half of the women who suffer eclampsia, it occurs after the baby is born, usually within 24 hours of delivery.
What causes pre-eclampsia?

It isn't really known what causes the disease. Many changes have been discovered in hormone levels which explain some of the findings, but the actual trigger isn't known. It has a lot to do with the placenta (afterbirth). The placenta is not as well developed as it should be, with thinning of the blood vessels from mum's side that invade the placenta as it grows. These changes begin as early as 18-20 weeks, even in the (usual) women who don't develop pre-eclampsia until toward the end of pregnancy. There are also blood clots blocking off the arteries in the placenta, reducing the amount of blood getting across to the baby. This explains the common finding of a smaller than expected baby in women who have pre-eclampsia. There is lots of research going on at the moment to try and discover why it happens and how we might go about preventing it.
What makes pre-eclampsia more likely?

The following can predispose you to developing pre-eclampsia, but many cases occur without any risk factors at all.

* If it is your first pregnancy
* Pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy
* Age under 20y or over 35y
* Short stature
* If you suffer from migranes
* Family history of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia
* Previous hypertension
* If you have Raynaud's disease
* If you are underweight
* If you have s ystemic lupus erythematosis (SLE)
* Multiple pregnancy (eg. twins)
* Hydatidiform mole

What kind of symptoms does it cause?

Usually high blood pressure doesn't cause any symptoms, but the complaints below are common if pre-eclampsia is present:

* Flashing lights, stripes before the eyes, floaters or black-outs of vision
* Light hurting the eyes (photophobia)
* Headache
* Pain at the top of the abdomen, or on the right side under the ribs
* Vomiting
* Just not feeling right.

What is the treatment for pre-eclampsia?

Ultimately the only treatment is delivery of the baby. This may be fine if a woman is, say, 38 weeks gestation, but at 30 weeks, it becomes much more of a dilemma. In the later stages of pregnancy it is normal to induce labour, but early on if delivery is decided upon, caesarean section is more usual. It's an individual decision and must be tailored to the patient and her disease severity.

For mild to moderate pre-eclampsia when a woman is prior to term, admission to hospital is needed and assessment of the severity of the disease carried out. In addition to regular examinations, the following tests are commonly arranged:

* 4-6 hourly blood pressure checks – BP in pre-eclampsia can go up & down very quickly. It might be fine when you're first admitted, but if it shot up high and you were in hospital, at least we would know about it.
* 24 hour urine collection – to estimate total protein. Also checks on each specimen are done to see if its suddenly getting worse (eg. 1+ to 3+ over a day, maybe associated with increasing BP)
* Blood tests – more guides to the severity of the disease – blood count, kidney & liver function tests.
* Ultrasound scan – to check on the growth of baby. Pre-eclampsia can cause small babies, and its important to identify this if its present. Also we check on the water around the baby (liquor volume). If the placenta isn't working as well as it might, the liquor volume may be reduced. A watch on the baby's movements & breathing can be made to see its still as active as usual.
* CTG's – or monitoring of the baby's heart with the belt straps and doppler pick-up. Usually done once daily.

By repeating these tests over a few days, your obstetrician can get an idea of how the disease is progressing, if its getting worse or staying the same and plan when delivery might be best. Also staying in hospital encourages rest which helps the BP to settle.
I've had pre-eclampsia/eclampsia – will it happen again?

Pre-eclampsia is more likely to happen in a second pregnancy if one has suffered it before. Mild pre-eclampsia at term is less likely to recur (5-10%) and when it does it's usually mild again. After severe pre-eclampsia recurrence rate is about 20-25% in subsequent pregnancies. After eclampsia, about 25-30% of subsequent pregnancies will be complicated by pre-eclampsia, but only 2% with eclampsia again.

Chronic hypertension is more common after pre-eclampsia, affecting about 15% at 2 years. It is more likely after eclampsia or severe pre-eclampsia (especially if recurrent or occuring during the 2nd trimester), affecting 30-50% of women.
Can I take anything to prevent pre-eclampsia?

Many trials of different drugs and supplements have been carried out to try and prevent this disease. Fish oil (halibut liver oil) in one trial has been suggested to marginally reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia. The study that demonstrated this dates back to 1946 and subsequent trials have not been as promising. In addition, there are concerns about side effects with excessive supplementation with fish-oils (bleeding tendancy & fall in platelet count). Presently there are two multi-centre studies underway in New Zealand and Scandinavia to assess its usefulness.

Increased dietary protein has been suggested to reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia, but review of the published literature by the World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Pregnancy and Lactation concluded that in the absence of any established deficiency, supplementation is unlikely to change a woman's chance of developing pre-eclampsia.

Calcium supplementation has also been suggested; indeed, summation of several smaller trials definitely pointed to a reduction in blood pressure complications in those who took calcium supplements. What was needed was a large comparative study to confirm or refute this possible finding. In July 1997 in the New England Journal of Medicine a paper was published from the National Institutes of Health in the US. They enrolled almost 5000 women, half of whom received calcium supplements. Unfortunately, there was no difference in pre-eclampsia between the two groups.

A large trial of low-dose aspirin has confirmed that it has a place in prevention of pre-eclampsia. This multi-centre study which was published in 1994 demonstrated that the only group of women shown to benefit from aspirin were those deemed to be at risk of severe early pre-eclampsia – ie. those in whom it had occurred before. Aspirin made no difference to any other group treated.

High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to be tested for it. You can find out if you have high blood pressure by having your blood pressure checked regularly at your family doctor. Most doctors will diagnose a person with high blood pressure on the basis of two or more readings, taken on several occasions. A consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered high blood pressure, another term for hypertension. Some people experience high blood pressure only when they visit the doctor's office. This condition is called "white-coat hypertension." If your doctor suspects this, you may be asked to monitor your blood pressure at home or asked to wear a device called an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. This device is usually worn for 24 hours and can take blood pressure every 30 minutes.

Would the stopping of blood pressure controlling medication encourage someone to make healthy lifestyle choices like eating healthy, adequate water intake and exercise? Would it encourage someone to make a lifestyle change much sooner than they otherwise might decide on a much later time? What do you think?

its not a good idea to stop taking your blood pressure medication, it can lead to a lot of things that are far worse than having to take the medication. High blood pressure is know (where I come from) as the silent killer. Its not something to play with. A healthy lifestyle choice would help your medication control your blood pressure.

Dealing with high blood pressure is a serious matter that needs to be addressed. We will endeavor to put your mind at ease about this serious subject and find some natural products that you can use to lower your blood pressure. Fortunately for most people, high blood pressure is not difficult to control.

The main causes of high blood pressure are diet, hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, diabetes and other factors including genetics and the environment. Once you have it what can you do to help your heart to pump your blood more efficiently and to get your blood pressure down. What we want is to find a natural cure for high blood pressure.

Your Diet
You will need to cut down or eliminate animal fats and table salt. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and get one of the salt substitutes that is in any grocery market. Cut down on your consumption of coffee and alcohol. Quit smoking. Your diet also needs to be low in sugar but high in foods containing potassium, magnesium and calcium. Add foods that are high in fiber or take a fiber supplement. Also any food that belongs to the onion family such as garlic should be in your diet. Watch for high salt content in canned and processed foods.

Nutritional Supplements
If you don’t think you are getting enough of the right vitamins/minerals in your diet then you may want to consider nutritional supplements. Some of the more beneficial supplements are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and niacin. Take B vitamins in a balanced B-complex and extra B6, folic acid, and B12. Take a good multivitamin supplement. Add magnesium, calcium and potassium.

Herbal Medicines
Hawthorn (also known as thorn-apple) is one of the most commonly used herbs for high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems and is a natural cure for these conditions. Some of the other herbs often used are cayenne pepper, coenzyme Q10, gotu kola and borage.

Lifestyle Changes
One of the best things you can do to lower blood pressure is to lose weight. Helping to lose weight by exercise is a double whammy. Exercise helps by helping you to lose weight and reducing stress which is also a factor in high blood pressure. Find an exercise that you enjoy and do it every day. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any kind of exercise program. Some hospitals have very good exercise programs, check with a hospital near you, your doctor is probably aware of these and can recommend one for you. Managing stress is very important, some techniques are biofeedback, yoga, meditation and relaxation exercises.

By using these suggestions your blood pressure should be monitored closely, you will need to purchase a home blood pressure monitoring kit and use it often to keep tabs on how you are doing to use these natural cures for high blood pressure.

William Weaver
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/natural-cure-for-high-blood-pressure-85694.html

Hypertension, high blood pressure (as it is commonly known), is at epidemic proportions in America. Second only to heart disease, almost 23,000 deaths were attributed to “hypertension” in 2004, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The NCHS also placed the percentage of deaths for non-institutionalized people, due to “hypertension”, at 29% for the years 2001-2004. What cause of hypertension or symptom of high blood pressure has left Americans to miss the boat on this “Silent Killer.” Why are so many dying in America from hypertension when fewer, percentage-wise, are stricken in countries like France, Spain, and Italy?

The answer to that question is a double-edge sword, so to speak. The cause of high blood pressure and the cure for high blood pressure intertwine when we discuss a high blood pressure diet and herbs for high blood pressure. Over the years, a consensus has agreed that there must be something in the diet of the Europeans that is woefully lacking in the American diet. And indeed there is, the main cause of hypertension in America is diet and stress.

Once diagnosed with hypertension, a high blood pressure diet is usually prescribed to supplement the medication a doctor puts you on. This high blood pressure diet will consist of foods high in lycopene, a very effective antioxidant. Tomatoes (and tomato sauce and paste) contain the highest concentration of this cure for high blood pressure. Unfortunately, you would need to consume four tomatoes a day to positively impact hypertension. The great news is, a study conducted in Israel proved that taking a tomato extract supplement significantly reduced blood pressure levels after just four weeks. A 200 mg tomato supplement will provide the equivalent of over four tomatoes.

Another natural cure for high blood pressure that most likely explains the reduction of hypertension in Europeans compared to Americans is in the health significance of grape juice and red wine. Grapes are known to contain antioxidants and other phytonutrients (nutrients derived from plants). They have a small amount of fiber that is good for the heart and digestive system. Both grape juice and red wine are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Also the moderate intake of red wine offers some protection against heart disease, which is an accompaniment to hypertension.

Some herbs for high blood pressure are Allium Sativa, more commonly known as “Garlic,” and the Hawthorn Berry. Several scientific studies have shown that garlic helps lower blood pressure, and serum cholesterol levels. In fact Europeans have used garlic as a hypertension herbal remedy for centuries. While the hawthorn berry is known for its ability to enhance metabolism and increase oxygen into the bloodstream. This allows for protection of the arterial walls and dilation of the heart’s blood vessels, thus improving the pumping of the heart cells. This helps reduce blood pressure as expanded blood vessels allow the blood to move more freely throughout the body.

I have only scratched the surface of the cause of high blood pressure to be increased in Americans over the Europeans. As I have shown in this limited space, it is primarily linked to the differences in our diets. Healing hypertension can be accomplished. You can learn more about the cause of high blood pressure and high blood pressure treatment at GreatNewsHealth.

Resource Box

Hypertension, high blood pressure, can be avoided and corrected. All you have to do is take your health into your own hands, you will not regret it. To learn how to control hypertension and about a natural cure for high blood pressure that is guaranteed to work, visit

http://GreatNewsHealth.com today.

Arthur Nelson
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/stop-hypertension-naturally-136818.html

At one point, Doctors hesitated to prescribe medication for patients with a blood pressure reading of less than 159/99 Hg. This was described as “mild hypertension” and as such not deemed at the time to be dangerous.

The rationale behind this that Doctors felt that the adverse side effects of the medication used at the time would possibly be of more danger to the patient than the high blood pressure readings.

Times have changed however and this line of thinking is no longer in use. Both of the above perceptions relating to the danger of the side effects and the mild nature of the blood pressure readings have lead to the discontinuance of this practice.

Recent research has firmly established the value of treating “stage 1 Hypertension” (a reading of between 140/90 – 159/99 Hg) with medication if necessary. It is now also considered prudent to treat patients who also suffer from Diabetes and High Blood Pressure if their readings are as low as 130/80 Hg. The sensitivity of medication nowadays is such that blood pressure levels can be controlled with much lower dosages meaning that the danger of side effects can also be reduced.

There has never been a greater variety of medication for High Blood Pressure available to Doctors from which to choose. These “antihypertensive drugs” also include many types of medication where there is a combination of several different types of drug. The newer types of medication quite often have a different chemical makeup and structure compared to the older ones but quite often produce nearly identical effects on the human body.

The range and sophistication of medication is such now that Doctors can produce care plans and treatment programmes tailored to the individual patient and in most cases prescribe medication that have little or minimal side effect to the patient and protect against possible further complications down the line.

On of the most important aspects of where treatment differs nowadays is that Doctors can quite possibly provide one single course of medication that can treat conditions like Hypertension and accompanying medical problems like congestive Heart Failure.

The generally accepted initial approach to Hypertension Treatment nowadays is to start slow & low and then build gradually where possible gradually increasing the dosage of the medicine prescribed until the blood pressure level sinks to a normal level. If this is not shown to work or causes troublesome side effects then a wide number of replacement medications are available for use.

The presently accepted course of treatment for Stage 1 Hypertension is to start with one drug and add a second if the blood pressure reading does not respond or decrease to normal levels. The target levels here are 140/90 Hg. For those with diabetes or chronic kidney disease then the ideal targets are reduced to 130/80 Hg. For “Stage 2 Hypertension” (the old levels of conventional High Blood Pressure) then the accepted treatment programme is to start with at least 2 drugs. Again if the response to this is not within an acceptable timeframe then the introduction of a third drug may occur.

Just when you think that Hypertension can be controlled with purely medication. There is a marked improvement to all of these programmes when the medication is accompanied by the introduction and implementation of lifestyle changes such as a well balanced diet, reduction in the consumption of alcohol, increased exercise and a complete cessation of smoking.

‘Nuff said really.

Scott James
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/high-blood-pressure-an-introduction-to-treatment-options-103460.html

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