Heartburn or GERD can Kill

Heartburn is a common annoyance. The busy lifestyle, quick meals, fatty or spicy foods all contribute to the occasional need of a chewable pain reliever. The acceptance of heartburn as an inconvenient, but natural, part of the daily grind can blind you to the warning that a severe heartburn symptom can bring.

Heartburn as a Disorder

Heartburn can be a symptom as well as a disorder. Simple heartburn or GERD can be controlled and dealt with. However, heartburn can signal the presence of a much more serious problem. If it’s heartburn, you will have a burning sensation in the chest usually after eating. There may be a spread of the burning to the throat, sometimes accompanied by a bad taste, difficulty in swallowing, belching, coughing, hoarseness and/or wheezing.

It can become worse by lying down or bending over or by eating. Relief can come from an antacid. While the more severe heartburn symptoms may be mistaken for a heart attack, simple heartburn is usually not made worse by exercise. If there is any concern that the pain may signal a heart attack, get help quickly.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Laser Hair Removal Pricing

By Robert Mary

As procedural and technological advancements improve the safety and reliability of laser hair removal, the rise in demand for this method of hair removal is no surprise and one of the first things people want to know is how much it costs to have hair removed by laser. Unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than a simple one answer for everyone. The bottom line is that the final cost, as with all cosmetic procedures, depends on the individual and the treatment that person requires.

The final price is determined by three main factors. The final price will differ according to where the hair will be removed, as well as how many sessions it will take to eliminate the hair entirely, and the doctor performing the procedure. So it is important to get information about the laser procedure as well as a price quote.

Different clinics will use a variety of pricing methods to come up with the final bill, be sure to make yourself aware of what method is used. Some places charge by the minute and your bill depends on the amount of time is involved. Other places will charge a flat fee for each session for each area of the body. This means any individual wanting work done in the same area should be priced equally. Still, some places will charge per pulse. There are a variety of other methods but these three are the most common.

When a clinic is using time as the basis for billing, there are a few key factors. The number one on the patient's part is the amount of hair involved. That is the overall amount of hair follicles regardless of whether it is across a large area, or a lot of hair in a small concentrated area. The other two factors depend on how fast the person performing the procedure operates the laser hair zapping equipment, and the speed of the laser machine itself. Most places use 15 minute increments so your final cost depends on how many 15 minute increments are needed to get the work done.

In the flat fee pricing method, the price is determined by the area that is to be treated. Every patient who is to have hair removed from the same area will be billed the same amount regardless of the amount of hair to be removed. It is usually determined for that particular session or series of sessions, whatever is typical for that area and how the area is treated.

The fee per pulse is another method of pricing the laser hair removal procedure. A pulse is each time the laser is fired, and pulses ordinarily last just under one second. A pulse can penetrate up to one hundred hair follicles, so the amount of hair that needs to be treated will determine the number of pulses necessary to complete the procedure.

In many cases where the per pulse pricing method is used, clinics will charge a minimum number of pulses to begin. This means if your hair removal needs requires fewer pulses than the minimum you will still be charged for that amount. Usually, the practice is quite fair and many patients are happy because they tend to go over the minimum, and anything over the minimum is charged a reasonable rate somewhere to the tune of one dollar per pulse. In repeat sessions when the hair grows back thinner, it is cost effective to go back for more treatment since less hair needs to be removed.

In the end, the final cost depends on the individual. The area of the body from which the hair will be removed, the thickness and amount of hair, and the total number of treatments required will all play a role in determining the final price of laser hair removal.

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How Hylaform or Restylane Injections Help Fight Wrinkles

By A Nutt

Restylane and Hylaform are two new injections for smoothing wrinkles and laugh lines that are highly effective, give beautiful results, and are less invasive than many other injection treatments for wrinkles.

You've probably seen advertisements for Reestylane and Hylaform and how they will take years off of your face. You may wonder how they work and if they work.

The injections have fewer problems than other types of injections for smoothing wrinkles, and those who use them prefer their ease of use.

Other injections for sculpting and removing wrinkles are made from animal based products. By contrast, Restylane and Hylaform are created from non-animal, biodegradable substances.

The major ingredient in the two products is hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in our bodies, that provides fullness and volume to the skin. This natural base makes Restylane a favorite in the wrinkle removal field.

This is in direct contrast to Botox, which is a drug, not a natural product. Botox blocks the nerves from transmitting and relaxes the muscles under the nerves. Restylane, on the other hand, fills in folds and wrinkles with a natural filler.

The Restylane and Hylaform products have very few side effects and nearly no allergic reactions. With animal based injection, there is a high percentage of patients who have an allergic reaction to the products.

This reaction causes swelling, itching and redness, and embarrassment for the patient. However, these side effects are nearly all connected to the animal proteins in those products, and Restylane has none of those acids, so there is little to no incidence of allergic reactions.

In fact, with other products, patience have to go through and experimental prick and small injection to test for allergic reactions. With Restylane and Hylaform, that testing step is completely eliminated.

That means faster treatment for you, and faster results. Not only can you have the procedure early, but you'll see the effects for a long time as well.

The effects of Restylane last up to six months, which means less frequent injections and more natural looking results. Eventually the acid is absorbed into the skin naturally so there is never a unnatural or unattractive look.

The treatments generally last only 20 or 30 minutes, and the process usually takes only one treatment to produce effective results.

There is generally no pain involved in the Restylane procedure. The ultra thin needles and technology involved mean minimal discomfort for the patient. This gentle treatment allows patients to return to work, school, and regular daily activities immediately, with little or no visible sign of swelling or redness, just beautiful skin and no wrinkles.

Despite the mildness of the treatment, you should avoid St. John's Wort, high doses of Vitamin E supplements, aspirin and ibuprofen. These items may increase the incidents of bleeding at the site of the injection.

There is a small chance of facial cold sores, if a patient has had a problem with these in the past there is a small chance that the needle puncture could cause a recurrence.

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What Causes Panic Attacks and Where Do They Come From?

By Adrian King

Many people suffer from anxiety disorders of various types. This effects their quality of living and their experience of life in drastic ways on a daily basis. This leads them to wonder what causes panic attacks, and how to deal with them.

When asking what causes panic attacks, we need to look at some core problems that are experienced by many people who suffer on a regular basis. Obsessive behaviors are one of the biggest causes of anxiety disorders.

It is very common for sufferers to obsess over a multitude of different things. For example, our wife or girlfriend, work and work relationships, getting that electricity bill paid on time, our children's success at school, etc. Of course, these are issues that definitely require attention, though shouldn't consume our lives. Realize that obsessing over anything won't change its outcome. If you can do something about the situation, then do it - in the end, obsessing won't help anything.

Going hand in hand with obsession is perfectionism. An example of this is a person who needs to constantly fix and re-fix their outfit before leaving the house, because they aren't happy with the tiniest of details. Learning to relax a little bit more is an important factor to take into consideration when dealing with what causes panic attacks. Nobody's perfect.

So what causes panic attacks? As we can say that it is usually our sense of self within this world and thus the way that we approach it, we can too say it is our need to feel in control, and have everything perfect for ourselves. Unfortunately, we cannot control the future. We can influence it, sure, but the end result is out of our hands. Relinquishing control over everything and everyone around us is the first step to understanding what causes panic attacks, and thus being able to deal with them, taking us even closer to being able to live a life free of suffering.

Fortunately, curing anxiety is a LOT EASIER THAN YOU THINK. Many think that because their symptoms are so severe, that a cure would be either a lot of hard work, or simply non-existent. Thankfully, we know this is not the truth!

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Your Options Against Dental Infection

By Cathy Howard

Bad breath and toothaches are not the only things that dental infections bring. Although a dentist should be consulted for treating these infections, it will be good to know what causes this to know what treatments to expect.

Gum disease, if left unattended, can cause dental infections. These can lead to toothaches, swelling and sores in the gums. Bleeding, halitosis and your tooth falling off can also be caused by these. In serious cases, the infection can reach your brain and cause death. This is normally cured with intense cleaning, surgery and the removal of teeth that are too far gone to be saved.

Tooth decay, if left to spread, can also lead to dental infection. Untreated tooth decay can reach the nerves and cause extreme pain and swelling. This infection can also block your airways or spread to the brain and end up killing you. Antibiotics and extraction of the rotten tooth are the usual treatments.

A strong blow to the jaw or the mouth can also shock a nerve and cause dental infection. If a tooth gets broken, the tooth underneath could suffer extreme trauma.

The nerve could die from the trauma and rot inside the tooth. Excessive sensitivity and discoloration can be warning signs.

If you feel any of these symptoms, see a dentist immediately. You could save your tooth, and even your life.

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Retinoic Acid - Treatment for Wrinkles

By Edward Villablanca

Wrinkles should not necessarily correspond with one's age. After all, there are about a dozen skin-care products that contain retinoic acid which are available on doctor's prescription. Retinoic acid is a chemical or substance that is derived from vitamin A. As such, it can eliminate wrinkles as it assists the skin in retaining moisture more efficiently.

However, the effectiveness of each type of skin treatment (creams, liquids, or gels) may vary from person to person. For some people, retinoic acid may work well in making many of their fine wrinkles disappear. But for others, it may have very little or no effect at all.

What causes wrinkles, and why does the skin develop such crease marks as one ages? The medical field explains it this way: As a person ages, so too does his or her skin. And in this inevitable 'growing old' process, the skin's production of oil becomes lesser and lesser, making the epidermis (the outer nonsensitive and nonvascular layer of the skin) harsh and dry. Moreover, less collagen and elastin - proteins in the connective tissue that help in maintaining the skin's suppleness - are produced by the dermis (the under layer of the skin). These simultaneous biological activities make the skin tenuous and less springy, thus making it more unresistant to wrinkles.

But it makes us wonder at times why someone who's in the 50's seems to have far less wrinkles than somebody who's ten years younger. The reason could be that the older person spends more time indoors than the younger one who chooses an active outdoor life. Being exposed to the sun very often makes skin wrinkling a lot more pronounced. Smoking is another possible cause of early wrinkling of the skin.

How does retinoic acid work in eliminating the fine wrinkles in the skin? This substance is known to hasten the casting off of inert skin cells on the epidermis. Regeneration of skin cells ensues, which results to a more vital and fresh look. The positive results of retinoic acid against wrinkles may be conspicuous only after about several weeks (even a few months to some) of continuous use. The height of its effectiveness may be reached in about half a year and it becomes pure upkeep for you from then on. Also, you have to realize that your wrinkles can reappear once you stop using creams with retinoic acid.

Some people may be wary of using such retinoic-acid treatments, insisting that there are side effects to their use and that wrinkles are a natural part of aging. Their concern may have some basis, especially since some people who tried using retinoic-acid creams for their wrinkles developed skin irritation, redness, and intense itching. People who suffer from eczema should likewise refrain from using products with retinoic acid as this may aggravate their condition.

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