HOW TO MANAGE STRESS AND FATIGUE

Once the body reacts to physical, mental or emotional stimulus, it can cause stress which interferes with your health or normal functioning. Stress occur when situations exert more pressure on you than you think you can handle. One symptom of long-term stress is fatigue, which is defined as physical or mental exhaustion. Fatigue causes a dulling of your senses, thought processes and reflexes. Calling attention to the “red flags” of stress and fatigue is an important part of the Crew Resource Management family of skills, that help caregivers work as effective team members. With routine monitoring of stress and fatigue, you can anticipate behavior that leads to ineffective teamwork and risks to patient safety. Stress often results from your own reaction to a situation, rather than from the situation itself. You create most of your own stress, and you can also manage it. However, if stress continues or isn’t managed, it leads to pain, illness, injury, emotional problems, fatigue and disruptive behavior, all of which inhibit your own effectiveness and that of your team, as well as seriously affect patient safety. UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND FATIGUE Stress results from stimuli such as overwork, anxiety, fear, worry, illness, injury or trauma. It also follows major life events such as job or marital changes, financial difficulties, the death of a family member and so on. Even positive events like an awards presentation or a wedding act as powerful stressor, since something is usually given up in return for getting something better. In addition to dealing with stressful situations outside the job, you face a high-pressure environment every day. As you work long hours, juggle various tasks and deal with multiple patients and other issues, you may feel that it’s impossible to take time to rest, exercise, sleep or eat properly. The demands of your job cause stress; ignoring your body’s basic needs adds to it. If this continues without relief, you experience fatigue, exhaustion, depression, burnout, illness, pain, and suppression and degeneration of the immune system. You may also exhibit irritability and disruptive behavior, which interferes with your team’s effectiveness and can create disciplinary problems for you. When the mind perceives a stressful event, the body automatically begins the biological “fight or flight” stress response: releasing adrenaline, tensing muscles, boosting heart rate, constricting blood vessels, slowing the digestive system, causing “tunnel vision” and so on. Without proper rest, exercise and nutrition to counteract these effects, the body continues producing the stress response until it is fatigued or exhausted. When you are fatigued, you have a limited attention span and little energy to function effectively. Some common effects of fatigue include physical weakness, mental sluggishness, forgetfulness, restlessness, euphoria, slow reflexes and reaction time, and microsleeping (“nodding off” for a few seconds at a time). Fatigue severely undermines your performance, especially during irregular or high-risk procedures. Research has shown that more than 20 percent of all serious incidents and bad patient outcomes are fatigue-related. When you experience fatigue, you can’t concentrate, causing you to easily lose situational awareness—the constant state of knowing what’s going on in your immediate environment, why it is happening and what is likely to happen next. Also, fatigue causes more stress from inattention to details, poor decision-making and unintentional medical errors. Sometimes, fatigue can be resolved by sleeping sufficiently or leaving a high-stress environment; however, continuing poor sleeping habits or not coping with that environment produces chronic fatigue. In addition to fatigue, dozens of other disorders result from stress. Stress affects the nervous system—especially through the digestive and intestinal systems—and the hormone-producing adrenal and thyroid glands. Stress can begin with simple headache, backache and neck pain. As the stress accumulates over time, you are susceptible to ailments like insomnia, irritability, dizziness, depression, high blood pressure, impotence, loss of appetite, cardiovascular conditions, colitis, digestive disorders, ulcers, hair loss, anxiety and nervous disorders, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, premenstrual and menstrual disorders, skin conditions, temporomandibular joint pain and clicking, and weight loss or gain. Managing stress and fatigue is important for maintaining a culture of quality and patient safety. To bring down the damaging effects of stress and fatigue, 1. deal with the problems and learn how to cope. 2. Do not ignore root causes, symptoms and effects of the problem on your body, mind and behavior. 3. In some cases, you may require a counselor to help you manage your stress and fatigue.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: get a pang free muscle

Rheumatism is a disease which causes pains, stiffening and swelling of the muscular and joint regions of a person's body. The term is used to describe a large number of clinical manifestations that affect the components of the skeletal muscle. All rheumatic disorders are characterized by inflammation and pain that generally affects the joints. Rheumatism give rise to the different joint and muscular related disease that devastate the human health, especially when one start to aged. However, rheumatoid arthritis get worse over a period of time and causes painful swelling and permanent damage in the joints of the body, especially the fingers, wrists, feet and ankles. RHEUMATOID arthritis is a disorder of the joints that involves the chronic inflammation of the synovial membrane. As FIBRIN is secreted and progressively invades the cartilage and bones, destroying them and leaving malformation and invalidity in its wake. Rheumatism attacks three times as many women as men; hence it is the result of an (non-infectious) immunological reaction of the connective tissue. SYMPTOMS symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis first appears between the ages of 35 and 45 and the signs are as follows: 1. Nodules form underneath the skin that covers the pressure points, and the cartilage and bone are slowly destroyed. 2. The small joints in the hands and feet are usually the first to be affected, causing morning stiffness. 3. This is followed by a spindle-shaped swelling of the finger and toe joints and puffy swelling of the wrist and ankle joints. 4. General health is affected by an undefined sensation of illness, nervous over-excitability, depression, disorders affecting the sensitivity of the hands and feet, myalgia (muscle pain) that comes and goes, excessive sweating and occasional slight rises in temperature. DIAGNOSIS The disorder is diagnosed through the process of RADIOLOGY and blood analysis. therefore, bear in mind that the problems affecting the joins are not the actual disease itself, but merely a very noticeable symptoms when applying treatment. GENERAL TREATMENT For rheumatoid arthritis, treatment mainly work on the skin, neurovegetative system, metabolism and immunological system. these treatment are as follows: 1. Dry brush massage over the whole body followed by low abdominal washes at alternate temperature. 2. Short air and sunbaths and high-mountain climatic cures. 3. It is recommended to apply a full hot baths and brush massages in the water, to which plant extracts of holm oak bark and sulfurous baths. 4. After taking the bath, wrap yourself warmly in bed for at lease an hour to allow for transpiration. DIETARY TREATMENT A cure that is based on a raw fruit and vegetables for two to three weeks, followed by a low-salt vegetarian diet is recommended. FOR MEDICATION 1. Cryotherapy (with gold salt) only when indicated by the physician 2. A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory especially salicylates is recommended. If medication proves unsuccessful, then surgery can be perform to remove the synovial membrane (synovectomy), which however, help remove the field of action of the disease and impede the destruction of the joint.

CANCER: living a riskless life

A tumor cancer is describe as the abnormal spread of cells. The fundamental difference between malignant tumor and benign tumor is that the latter is limited; it develops slowly and do not penetrate the tissues or blood vessels. However, a malignant cancer on the other hand, grows quickly and randomly, thereby destroying and also invading the surrounding healthy tissues, and using the bloodstream to spread to distant organs (metastasis). Some benign tumors like those affecting the brain are said to be lethal as many of the malignant tumors are curable, provided they are detected and treated at early stage. Among diseases, cancer ranks high as a major killer, being responsible in recent years for tons of thousands of deaths per year in the world. It is estimated that one million people in the United State receive treatment for some kinds of cancer related ailment each year. Of these, more than half are new cases, having been diagnosed for the first time during the year. If present trend continues, about one fourth of the nation’s population will sooner or later develop cancer. A malignant tumor-sometimes starting as or in a chronic ulcer-is one which grows irregularly and tends to infiltrate surrounding tissues or to be carried to other parts of the body through blood lymph channels and to implant itself and grow there. Because of this tendency, cancer is likely to damage important or vital organs or tissues in any or all parts of the body, resulting in serious disease and often death. Statistics indicate that deaths from cancer are still increasing. Some argue that the increase is the natural result of saving the lives of children and youth and allowing a larger proportion of the population to reach the “cancer age.” Therefore, that this fact enters into the increase is undeniable, but most authorities agree that it is not enough to account for all the increase, especially for the increase in lung cancer and certain other varieties. One difficulty is that many cancers are not detected at early stage of occurrence until they have spread to such an extent that they become incurable. CAUSES OF CANCER Medical science is yet to made final discovery of the basic cause of cancer. However, the following facts exist: 1. Long-continued irritation or repeated injury resulting from pipe smoking, syphilis of the tongue (=jagged teeth or rough fillings often precedes cancer of the tongue) 2. An increased life expectancy. 3. While heredity has a definite influence on the occurrence of cancer in human beings, the hereditary lines represented in any given individual are so complex that it is difficult or impossible to predict what will happen in his case. 4. There are those who feel that diet may have contributory influence; and there is no proof that they are wrong. SIGNS OF CANCER • A persistent change from normal in bowel action • Irregular bleeding or blood-tinged discharge from any body opening, including a nipple • Persistent lump or thickening in tissue, especially in the lip, breast or tongue. • Persistent hoarseness, cough or sore throat. • Indigestion or loss of appetite, mostly in people over forty years of age. Some doctors believe it wise to have all tumors, whether they show signs of becoming cancerous or not, completely removed at the earliest opportunity. Any long-continued sores on the skin or on the mucous membranes of the body opening should be examined by biopsy or other appropriate methods and should be treated without delay if proved malignant.

DEALING WITH ANOREXIA NERVOSA

Anorexia nervosa is associate degree disorder that's characterized by tries to change state, to the purpose of starvation. An individual with anorexia could exhibit variety of signs and symptoms, the sort and severity of which can vary and should be gift however not pronto apparent. Anorexia nervosa, and therefore the associated deficiency disease that results from voluntary starvation, will cause complications in each major organ system within the body.[13] Hypocalcaemia, a call in the extent of K within the blood, could be a sign of anorexia. a major call in K will cause abnormal heart rhythms, constipation, fatigue, muscle injury and palsy. Some people could lack awareness that they're sick. Symptoms could include: Refusal to keep up a traditional body mass index for one's age Amenorrhea, a symbol that happens once prolonged weight loss; causes catamenia to prevent, hair becomes brittle, and skin becomes yellow and unhealthy. Petrified of even the slightest weight gain and takes all preventative measures to avoid weight gain and changing into overweight Obvious, rapid, dramatic weight loss to a minimum of V-J Day underneath traditional body weight Lanugo: soft, fine hair growing on the face and body Obsession with calories and fat content of food Preoccupation with food, recipes, or cooking; could cook elaborate dinners for others, however not eat the food themselves Food restriction despite being scraggy Food rituals, like cutting food into small items, refusing to eat around others, activity or discarding food Purging: could use laxatives, diet pills, emetic sweetener, or water pills; could have interaction in self-induced vomiting; could run to the toilet once consumption so as to vomit and quickly get eliminate eaten calories Excessive exercise Perception of self as overweight despite being told by others they're too skinny Intolerance to cold and frequent complaints of being cold; vital sign could lower (hypothermia) in an attempt to conserve energy cardiovascular disease or hypotension cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia Depression. Causes There is proof for biological, psychological, organic process, and content risk factors, however the precise explanation for consumption disorders is unknown. Biological Dysregulation of the monoamine neurotransmitter pathways has been involved within the etiology, pathological process and pathophysiology of anorexia. Genetics: anorexia is much inherited. Twin studies have shown a heritability rate of between twenty eight and fifty eight. Association studies are performed, finding out 128 completely different polymorphisms associated with forty three genes as well as genes concerned in regulation of consumption behavior, motivation and reward mechanics, temperament traits and feeling. Consistent associations are known for polymorphisms related to agouti-related amide, brain derived neurotrophic issue, catechol-o-methyl enzyme, SK3 and opioid receptor delta-1. Epigenetic modifications, like polymer methylation, could contribute to the event or maintenance of anorexia, although clinical analysis during this space is in its infancy. Medical specialty complications: antenatal and per natal complications could issue into the event of anorexia, like maternal anemia, DM, toxaemia, placental infarct, and infant internal organ abnormalities. Infant complications may additionally have associate degree influence on damage shunning, one amongst the temperament traits related to the event of associate degree.[medical citation needed] System deregulation: altered signaling of peptides that facilitate communication between the gut, brain and fat, like internal secretion, leptin, neuropeptide Y and orexin, could contribute to the pathological process of anorexia by disrupting regulation of hunger and satiation. Infections: Some folks are hypothesized to own developed eating disorder dead as a reaction to a eubacteria or true bacteria infection. medical specialty acute-onset medicine syndrome (PANS) could be a hypothesis describing youngsters WHO have abrupt, dramatic onset of psychoneurotic disorder (OCD) or anorexia coincident with the presence of 2 or additional medicine symptoms. Studies have hypothesized the continuance of disordered consumption patterns could also be epiphenomena of starvation. The results of the Gopher State Starvation Experiment showed traditional controls exhibit several of the behavioural patterns of anorexia (AN) once subjected to starvation. this could ensue to the various changes within the system system, which ends up in an exceedingly self-perpetuating cycle. Another hypothesis is that anorexia is additional possible to occur in populations during which blubber is additional rife, and results from a sexually hand-picked biological process drive to look young in populations during which size becomes the first indicator mature. Anorexia nervosa is additional possible to occur in an exceedingly person's time of life years. Some informative hypotheses for the rising prevalence of consumption disorders in adolescence are "increase of fat in women, secretion changes of time of life, social expectations of magnified independence and autonomy that are significantly tough for anorexic adolescents to meet; magnified influence of the coevals and its values." Psychological Early theories of the explanation for eating disorder coupled it to childhood sex crime or dysfunctional families; proof is conflicting, and well-designed analysis is required. Sociological Anorexia nervosa has been more and more diagnosed since 1950; the rise has been coupled to vulnerability and learning of body ideals. folks in professions wherever there's a selected social pressure to be skinny were additional possible to develop eating disorder, and people with eating disorder have a lot of higher contact with cultural sources that promote weight loss. This trend may also be ascertained for folks that partake in sure sports, like jockeys and wrestlers. there's a better incidence and prevalence of anorexia in sports with a stress on aesthetics, wherever low body fat is advantageous, and sports during which one has got to build weight for competition. Media effects Constant exposure to media that presents body ideals could represent a risk issue for body discontentment and anorexia. The cultural ideal for body form for men versus ladies continues to favor slender ladies and athletic, formed muscular men. A 2002 review found that the magazines most well-liked among folks aged eighteen to twenty four years, those browse by men, not like those browse by ladies, were additional possible to feature ads and articles on form than on diet. Body discontentment and learning of body ideals are risk factors for anorexia that threaten the health of each male and feminine population. Websites that stress the importance of attainment of body ideals praise and promote anorexia through the employment of spiritual metaphors, way descriptions, "thinspiration" or "fitspiration." Pro-anorexia websites reinforce learning of body ideals and therefore the importance of their attainment. Treatment There is no conclusive proof that any explicit treatment for anorexia works higher than others; but, there's enough proof to recommend that early intervention and treatment are simpler. Treatment for anorexia tries to handle Restoring the person to a healthy weight; Treating the psychological disorders associated with the illness; Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that originally led to the disordered consumption. Although restoring the person's weight is that the primary task at hand, best treatment conjointly includes and monitors behavioral modification within the individual in addition.[medical citation needed] Some remedies have very little worth in breakdown anorexia; hospitalization is worse than voluntary treatment. Psychotherapy for people with associate degree is difficult as they will worth being skinny and should obtain to keep up management and resist modification. Diet Diet is that the most essential issue to figure on in folks with anorexia, and should be tailored to every person's desires. Food selection is very important once establishing meal plans in addition as foods that are higher in energy density. folks should consume adequate calories, beginning slowly, and increasing at a measured pace. proof of a job for metallic element supplementation throughout re-feeding is unclear. THERAPY Family-based treatment has been shown to be additional made than individual medical care. varied varieties of family-based treatment are evidenced to figure within the treatment of adolescent associate degree as well as conjoined group psychotherapy, during which the fogey and kid are seen along by constant expert, and separated during which the fogey and kid attend therapy individually with completely different therapists. Proponents of group psychotherapy for adolescents with associate degree assert that it's necessary to incorporate oldsters within the adolescent's treatment. Cognitive behavioral medical care is helpful in adolescents and adults with eating disorder nervosa; acceptance and commitment medical care could be a kind that has shown promise within the treatment of associate degree. Psychological feature redress medical care is employed in treating anorexia.