Credit: iStock.com/AlexLMX Thrombocytopenia is the medical term used to describe a low platelet count. Blood platelets are the tiny cells responsible for clotting the blood when you cut yourself. They help stop bleeding by clumping together and acting as plugs when you experience a blood vessel injury. When platelet counts are low, thrombocytopenia can set in and leave you at risk, most dangerously for internal bleeding. Platelets are just one of many cell types that make up the blood floating through your body. They are colorless, while the other components of blood, white cells and red cells, are characterized by their hue. Often the result of another health condition, thrombocytopenia typically appears alongside severe illnesses like leukemia or other illnesses that impact the immune system. But sometimes, it can result from either taking certain medications or exposure to environmental toxins ranging from alcohol to pesticides. It’s quite possible that you could experience … [Read more...] about Low Platelet Count Symptoms Causes Diagnosys & Treatment
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Maker of highly addictive OxyContin says it will stop incentivizing doctors to push its deadly drugs
(Natural News) The opioid crisis has reached epidemic proportions in this country, with the number of deaths quadrupling since 2000, and around 115 people dying from overdoses each day. President Trump has declared the opioid crisis a national health emergency, and high schools across the country have started stocking up on the drug Narcan to try to save lives in case of an accidental overdose on school premises.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that when you consider direct healthcare costs, lost productivity, criminal prosecution and addiction treatment, this crisis costs the United States around $78.5 billion annually.Now, Big Pharma giant Purdue, the manufacturer of OxyContin, the world’s bestselling opioid drug, has vowed to stop marketing the drug to healthcare professionals.Several pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Purdue, have admitted to having entire teams of sales people, as well as “front groups” and “key … [Read more...] about Maker of highly addictive OxyContin says it will stop incentivizing doctors to push its deadly drugs
I Have Low Blood Sugar. Here’s How I Lost 20 Pounds And Kept It Off.
“Why don’t you try going low carb?” people would say when I told them I was struggling to lose weight. "Just eat half the amount you usually do,” others would suggest, as if it were that simple. I was at the end of my rope. I had literally tried everything to lose a few pounds, but I felt like the more rules and restrictions I made for myself around food, the more my body rebelled and demanded I eat more.And it turns out, that wasn’t all in my head. Five years ago, I went to my doctor and learned that I was dealing with low blood sugar. My blood sugar crashes made it nearly impossible for me to diet, and even my doctor instructed me to eat more often. It took me some time to figure out the right amount and balance of what to eat so that I could stay healthy while trying to lose weight.The silver lining is that having low blood sugar has taught me so much about nourishing my body. Ironically, it was only when I started giving my body what it needs that the … [Read more...] about I Have Low Blood Sugar. Here’s How I Lost 20 Pounds And Kept It Off.
Providers make efforts, but cuts to low-value care elusive
Providers are moving toward paying for value with two key approaches: encouraging simple high-value methods like a follow-up phone call with patients, and discouraging low-value, pricey services like unnecessary testing. Both have their challenges, but the latter has been a particularly hard nut to crack. It's not for lack of trying. One leading effort is at the University of Michigan's Center for Value-Based Insurance Design, created in 2005 to explore ways to lower financial barriers to high-value clinical services. The initial goal was to align patients’ out-of-pocket costs with the value of services. Now they're taking on the second part of the equation. “We have more than enough money in the system. We can use more on good stuff and less on bad stuff,” Dr. A. Mark Fendrick, professor and director of the center, told Heathcare Dive. For more than a decade, a number of initiatives have attempted to drive down use … [Read more...] about Providers make efforts, but cuts to low-value care elusive
Keto Dieters Love This Low-Carb Sugar Substitute—but Is Worth the Hype?
On the quest for a healthy sugar substitute? You may (or may not) have heard of monk fruit, a funny-sounding sweetener that’s popular among low-carb eaters and keto aficionados.Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a small melon native to parts of China and Thailand. It has been used as a sweetener and herbal remedy in traditional Eastern medicine for centuries, and has recently become more widely available in the United States in dried and powdered forms.Monk fruit extract is appealing for three major reasons: It’s unbelievably sweet, won’t raise your blood sugar levels, and has little to no calories in its pure powdered form. Plus, there are no known nasty side effects, and the Food and Drug Administration categorizes monk fruit extract as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), even if you have diabetes.“It’s 150 to 200 times sweeter than sugar, so you can use very little,” explains Keri Glassman M.S., R.D.N., founder of Nutritious … [Read more...] about Keto Dieters Love This Low-Carb Sugar Substitute—but Is Worth the Hype?