Tips for Common Symptoms
Allergies or Itchy Eyes
For minor symptoms:
Avoid the problem agent if possible
Take an antihistamine: Benadryl, chlorpheniramine, or Claritin
Use eye drops such as Naphcon-A for allergic conjunctivitis
Use a decongestant such as Sudafed for nasal congestion, but do not use if you have high blood pressure
Apply hydrocortisone cream to bites or allergic skin rash
See your health care clinician if:
Throat or chest tightness, swelling of lips or tongue — call immediately.
Problem recurs frequently or doesn't respond to over-the-counter medications.
Colds
For minor symptoms:
Get rest and drink plenty of fluids
Take pain relievers: ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen (do not use aspirin for children under 16)
Take a decongestant such as Sudafed to relieve nasal congestion, but do not use if you have high blood pressure.
Take a cough suppressant such as Robitussin DM for hacking cough
See your health care clinician if:
Cold or cough lingers more than one week.
Fever persists for more than a few days.
You have painful breathing or shortness of breath.
You have discolored mucous.
You have severe headache or sinus pain.
Cold Sores or Fever Blisters
For minor symptoms:
Apply ice for 5-10 minutes to reduce pain
Apply topical agents such as Herpecin-L® or Campho-phenique® for comfort
Use moisturizers such as Blistex® to hasten healing
Take pain relievers: ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen (do not use aspirin for children under 16)
Be patient: cold sores usually go away in 7-10 days
Be cautious: cold sores may be due to herpes simplex virus and may be contagious
See your health care clinician if:
Sores are excessive or do not heal.
Pain prevents you from eating or drinking.
You have severe or frequently recurring sores.
Constipation
For minor symptoms:
Increase dietary fiber and fluid intake
Take a stool softener such as Colace or fiber product as Metamucil®
DO NOT use laxatives, such as Ex-Lax, regularly
Increase activity and exercise
See your health care clinician if:
Condition persists for several days.
You have a fever.
You experience stomach cramping, bloating, rectal bleeding or nausea.
Cuts and Scrapes
For minor symptoms:
Wash thoroughly with soap and warm water
Stop any bleeding by applying direct pressure
Keep area clean and dry
See your health care clinician if:
Wound is deep.
You cut yourself on something rusty or dirty.
Bleeding won't stop.
Red streak appears around wound.
Wound doesn't heal.
You haven't had a tetanus booster in 10 years.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Good Sleep Wakes Up Memory
Good Sleep Wakes Up Memory
Besides helping you feel well-rested, getting your zzz's may also sharpen your memory, a new study shows.
Researchers found that sleep not only protects memories from outside interferences, it also helps strengthen them.
"There was a very large benefit of sleep for memory consolidation, even larger than we were anticipating," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, an associate neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and a postdoctoral fellow in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The research is scheduled to be presented May 2 at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Boston.
In the study, the researchers focused on sleep's impact on "declarative" memories, which are related to specific facts, episodes and events.
"We sought to explore whether sleep has any impact on memory consolidation, specifically the type of memory for facts and events and time," Ellenbogen said. "We know that sleep helps boost memory for procedural tests, such as learning a new piano sequence, but we're not sure, even though it's been debated for 100 years, whether sleep impacts declarative memory.
"The study involved 48 people between the ages of 18 and 30. These participants had normal, healthy sleep routines and were not taking any medications. They were all taught 20 pairs of words and asked to recall them 12 hours later. However, the participants were divided evenly into four groups with different circumstances for testing: sleep before testing, wake before testing, sleep before testing with interference, or wake before testing with interference.Two of the groups (the wake groups) were taught the words at 9 a.m. and then tested on the pairings at 9 p.m., after being awake all day.
The other two groups (the sleep groups) learned the words at 9 p.m., went to sleep, and were then tested at 9 a.m.Also, prior to testing, one of the sleep groups and one of the wake groups were given a second list of 20 word pairs to remember. These groups were then tested on both lists to help determine memory recall with interference (competing information).
The result: Sleep appeared to help particpants recall their learned declarative memories, even when they were given competing information.According to the researchers, people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words whether or not there was interference.
Those in the sleep group without interference were able to recall 12 percent more word pairings from the first list than the wake group without interference (94 percent recall for the sleep group vs. 82 percent for the wake group).When presented with interference, those who slept before testing did significantly better at remembering the words (76 percent for the sleep group vs. 32 percent for the wake group).
"We were surprised to find the order of magnitude by which the data demonstrated our effects," Ellenbogen said.Jan Born, a professor of neuroendocrinology at the University of Lbeck in Germany, said the study offers more proof of the importance of sleep for memory consolidation.
"Considering that learning in every educational setting (schools, colleges, etc.), is centrally based on hippocampus-dependent memory function [declarative memories], people should realize that optimal learning conditions require proper sleep," he said.Proper sleep may have other benefits, too, added Michael Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.
Research has shown that in addition to memory, sleep may be related to physical functioning, good immune function, physical and cognitive performance, and mood regulation, he said.
"These are all theories. The only thing we know is that when we're deprived of sleep, we do less well. Is that a lack of sleep or sustained wakefulness? It's very difficult to figure out how to crack that nut," he said. "We spend 30 percent of our time on sleep.
What is sleep for? This is a riddle we're still working on."For more on the importance of sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation.
Besides helping you feel well-rested, getting your zzz's may also sharpen your memory, a new study shows.
Researchers found that sleep not only protects memories from outside interferences, it also helps strengthen them.
"There was a very large benefit of sleep for memory consolidation, even larger than we were anticipating," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, an associate neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and a postdoctoral fellow in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The research is scheduled to be presented May 2 at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Boston.
In the study, the researchers focused on sleep's impact on "declarative" memories, which are related to specific facts, episodes and events.
"We sought to explore whether sleep has any impact on memory consolidation, specifically the type of memory for facts and events and time," Ellenbogen said. "We know that sleep helps boost memory for procedural tests, such as learning a new piano sequence, but we're not sure, even though it's been debated for 100 years, whether sleep impacts declarative memory.
"The study involved 48 people between the ages of 18 and 30. These participants had normal, healthy sleep routines and were not taking any medications. They were all taught 20 pairs of words and asked to recall them 12 hours later. However, the participants were divided evenly into four groups with different circumstances for testing: sleep before testing, wake before testing, sleep before testing with interference, or wake before testing with interference.Two of the groups (the wake groups) were taught the words at 9 a.m. and then tested on the pairings at 9 p.m., after being awake all day.
The other two groups (the sleep groups) learned the words at 9 p.m., went to sleep, and were then tested at 9 a.m.Also, prior to testing, one of the sleep groups and one of the wake groups were given a second list of 20 word pairs to remember. These groups were then tested on both lists to help determine memory recall with interference (competing information).
The result: Sleep appeared to help particpants recall their learned declarative memories, even when they were given competing information.According to the researchers, people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words whether or not there was interference.
Those in the sleep group without interference were able to recall 12 percent more word pairings from the first list than the wake group without interference (94 percent recall for the sleep group vs. 82 percent for the wake group).When presented with interference, those who slept before testing did significantly better at remembering the words (76 percent for the sleep group vs. 32 percent for the wake group).
"We were surprised to find the order of magnitude by which the data demonstrated our effects," Ellenbogen said.Jan Born, a professor of neuroendocrinology at the University of Lbeck in Germany, said the study offers more proof of the importance of sleep for memory consolidation.
"Considering that learning in every educational setting (schools, colleges, etc.), is centrally based on hippocampus-dependent memory function [declarative memories], people should realize that optimal learning conditions require proper sleep," he said.Proper sleep may have other benefits, too, added Michael Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.
Research has shown that in addition to memory, sleep may be related to physical functioning, good immune function, physical and cognitive performance, and mood regulation, he said.
"These are all theories. The only thing we know is that when we're deprived of sleep, we do less well. Is that a lack of sleep or sustained wakefulness? It's very difficult to figure out how to crack that nut," he said. "We spend 30 percent of our time on sleep.
What is sleep for? This is a riddle we're still working on."For more on the importance of sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Anatomy Case Studies
Anatomy Case Studies
This set of programs, authored with Asymetrix Toolbook, is for use as a teaching aid in Anatomy courses for pre-clinical medical students. Their aim is to help gain an understanding of regional Gross Anatomy. They may be used as a supplement to existing classes in Gross Anatomy, emphasising the Applied aspects of such a course. Each program consists of a series of clinical case notes, upon which the student is required to act, or answer questions. A set of three case histories is documented for each region of the body. The anatomical regions comprise:
1. Upper Limb
2. Lower Limb
3. Thorax
4. Abdomen
5. Pelvis and Perineum
6. Head and Neck
Presently only the upper limb is availiable for download.
Each case study is based on actual clinical presentations, in which the detail has been re-focused to draw attention to specific anatomical regions. Options allow patient interviews or the selection of various tests and manipulations. Also included are an extensive range of questions and problem solving exercises to concentrate attention to appropriate detail. This suite of programs attempts to bridge the gap between pre-clinical and clinical medicine.
Features
* uses highly interactive graphics linked with problem (clinical cases) based learning
* excellent example of CAL program which integrates lecture material with structured tutorials and revision exercises.
Download from author's site
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~phy050/anacase.htm
This set of programs, authored with Asymetrix Toolbook, is for use as a teaching aid in Anatomy courses for pre-clinical medical students. Their aim is to help gain an understanding of regional Gross Anatomy. They may be used as a supplement to existing classes in Gross Anatomy, emphasising the Applied aspects of such a course. Each program consists of a series of clinical case notes, upon which the student is required to act, or answer questions. A set of three case histories is documented for each region of the body. The anatomical regions comprise:
1. Upper Limb
2. Lower Limb
3. Thorax
4. Abdomen
5. Pelvis and Perineum
6. Head and Neck
Presently only the upper limb is availiable for download.
Each case study is based on actual clinical presentations, in which the detail has been re-focused to draw attention to specific anatomical regions. Options allow patient interviews or the selection of various tests and manipulations. Also included are an extensive range of questions and problem solving exercises to concentrate attention to appropriate detail. This suite of programs attempts to bridge the gap between pre-clinical and clinical medicine.
Features
* uses highly interactive graphics linked with problem (clinical cases) based learning
* excellent example of CAL program which integrates lecture material with structured tutorials and revision exercises.
Download from author's site
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~phy050/anacase.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)