Employee Health Screening

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that is characterized by insulin resistance that occurs primarily during the second and third trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. It is believed to be caused by the rapid and excessive hormone production that women go through during their pregnancy. It is also thought that pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to deal with rising blood sugar levels which causeshyperglycemia. Left untreated a gestational diabetes baby is placed at a higher risk for a variety of health problems.

About 4 percent of all pregnant women will be afflicted with gestational diabetes but it usually goes away after the baby is born. Left untreated this form of diabetes can pose a dangerous risk to both the mother and unborn baby. The biggest risk is caused by excessive sugar that crosses the placenta to the baby. Insulin on the contrary does not cross this barrier.

High blood sugar levels in the mother means the same for the baby. The developing baby’s pancreas compensates for this by producing more insulin to remove the excess sugar from its blood stream. The sugar is stored away as fat which causesmacrosomia, also known as fat baby syndrome.

Babies born with macrosomia can have a whole host of health issues, some of which can be life threatening. Because babies born with this condition tend to be bigger then normal they are most often require a cesarean birth. If they are born naturally they are able to damage their shoulders because they are too large for the birth canal. They can also be born with extremely low glucose levels and their respiratory system may not be fully developed, causing breathing problems.

To prevent gestational diabetes baby risks every woman should be tested during the second trimester of their pregnancy. If they are found to be suffering from this condition treatment and control needs to be began quickly. In most cases it can be controlled through gestational diabetes meal planning and exercise but in more extreme cases medical intervention may be necessary including daily insulin injections.

Colorectal cancer is a disease due to the cancerous growth found in the large bowel, the end portion of the digestive tract which holds the undigested food that is waiting to be eliminated. The colon is about 5 to 6 feet long and 2.5 inches in diameter. The rectum is the last 6 to 8 inches of the colon which ends at the anus.

Cancer involving the upper part of the digestive tract or the small bowel (intestine) is rare. But cancer of the large bowel is very common. Colorectal cancer is said to be the fourth most common cancer worldwide. It’s second only to lung cancer as a cause of death from cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society’s publication — Cancer Facts and Figures 2006 — in 2006, approximately 148,610 new cases (72,800 men and 75,810 women) of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. And around 37% or 55,170 people (27,870 men and 27,300 women) will die from it.

Colorectal cancer is predominantly a disease of people 50 years and older. Less than 6% of this cancer occurs in those below 50 years old. However, the incidence of colorectal cancer increases after age 50 and continues to elevate until age 75.

Diet

Dietary factors are considered to be responsible for 80% to 90% of all cases of colorectal cancer.

1. Colorectal cancer is common in population with high intake of meat products and relatively low level of dietary fibre.

2. Diet high in animal fat is associated with increased rate of colorectal cancer.

3. Diet high in vegetable and cereal fibers reduced colorectal cancer rate. It’s suggested that large quantities of vegetables and cereal fibers increase stool bulk, bacterial fermentation and hasten large bowel transit rate.

Signs of Colorectal Cancer

This cancer is often called the silent killer. In most people the cancer does not show any obvious symptoms at its early stage. One early symptom, in some patients, is bleeding. The tumour may bleed on and off giving out a small amount of blood. In some cases, such bleeding is hardly noticeable.

It’s when the disease has progressed and becomes advanced that symptoms develop, such as –

1. Changes in bowel habits. This can manifest in constipation, diarrhoea, bowel incontinence, and feeling of unfinished bowel movement.

2. Production of narrower stools than normal.

3. Presence of blood in stools. Make sure to take note, nonetheless, that not all bleeding is due to cancer. Other problems such as hemorrhoids (piles), ulcers, ulcerative colitis, etc. can also produce blood in stools.

4. Anemia. This is the shortage of red blood cells.

5. Abdominal discomforts. This may be manifested in feelings of discomforts, bloatedness, fullnes, cramps or pains in the abdomen.

6. Weight loss.

7. Fatigue or feeling of extreme tiredness.

8. Vomiting.

Staging of Colorectal Cancer

Stage 0 (or carcinoma in situ) –  Tumour is in innermost lining of colon wall.

Stage I (Dukes A) –  Tumour in innermost lining, second and third layers of colon wall.

Stage II (Dukes B) –  Tumour grows through colon wall.

Stage III (Dukes C) –  Tumour grows out and spreads to lymph nodes.

Stage IV (Dukes D) –  Tumour has spread to other parts of the body.

Recurrent Cancer –  The cancer has come back after being treated.

Prognosis

The prognosis of the disease is poor if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This is considered as Stage 4. The five-year survival is only 5 percent. However, if the cancer is at its early stage, e.g., Stage 1 and 2, the five-year survival is 90% and 85% respectively. Therefore, the stage at diagnosis greatly impacts survival rates of colorectal cancer.

Wellness programs are a long-term investment. But how long should you wait for results?

Finance and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) want hard numbers to show Return On Investment.  And wellness Return On Investment is tougher to calculate than, say, a 401(k).

18-month guideline

Current studies have established some benchmark data on wellness Return On Investment (ROI) you can use as a guideline. It’s useful whether you already have a health promotion program or are thinking about beginning one.

It typically takes at least 18 months from the launch of a wellness program to see any results in your healthcare plan bottom line.

For many firms, 18 months is the point at which workers’ improving health begins to cancel out the cost of sponsoring and administering the wellness program.

By and large, the long-term cost savings from a health promotion program will be driven by how much you’re willing to spend. Ordinarily, companies get what they pay for â.” both in time and money invested.

As a rule of thumb, the average cost to the employer is about $3 to $5 per participating worker per month. Within three years of launch, you should be seeing meaningful savings.

The typical ROI tends to be about $4 to $5 saved for every dollar spent. So how can you manage the costs in the short-term for achieve the long-term savings?  and how can you maximize the long-term payoff?

Consider making health promotion programs budget-neutral

For a lot of employers, the most effective way to manage the cost of a health promotion program in the start-up phase is to make it a budget-neutral expense.

In other words, the wellness program neither adds to your healthcare costs at the outset, nor lowers them. Example –  You plan to roll out a wellness program effective Jan. 1.  The wellness program will cost the company $5 per staff member.

You can roll the $5 per month cost directly into the employee’s monthly share of their healthcare premium. In this age of continuous cost-shifting, most personnel are used to seeing small increases in their monthly contributions each plan year.

Just be certain you’re not hitting folks with a large hike on top of that $5. Comparably designed wellness programs pay off about the same â.” meaning staff purchase in and participate at the same rate â.” whether they’re budget neutral or the company absorbs the cost.

But when personnel get clobbered by large-scale contribution hikes at the outset, they often resist the wellness program.  The long-term Return On Investment (ROI) for these wellness programs is often disappointing.

When you’re faced with a situation where achieving a budget-neutral wellness program would trigger push-back, your firm is better off absorbing most or all the wellness costs.

The largest hurdle is to get over the hump for those first 18 months or so.

So you have been diagnosed as a diabetic, meaning you have either high or low level of sugar content in your body. But then, one should not fear having this kind of health condition since many people across the globe are suffering from the same state. Actually, diabetes focuses on insulin absorption in a person’s system; however, it has negative health effects in the long run, most especially if medications or food intake is not being monitored or carefully controlled.

While there may be a lot of prescriptions given by doctors that would drain the pockets, there are natural, less-costly alternatives that a diabetic can practice and one of is to go on a diet. Control sugar level by having well-balanced meal containing proper amounts of calories, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Similarly, there are some foods that should be taken as alternatives like meat, bread, milk, fruits, and vegetables. Though these are not totally restricted to the diabetic person’s meals, the amount should be measured or limited, if not adjusted. This is being observed so that weight will be maintained at normal levels and blood sugar will be in the average level.

As we all know, sweets are the most restricted type of food for those with diabetes. Since insulin isn’t properly produced by the body, the presence of sugar on certain foods must be just enough to be treated by the system. Conversely, desserts and other meal that use low-calorie sweeteners or artificial flavorings are not at all safe. Saccharin causes cancer in the bladder, and starches, that are converted to sugar when being digested, is also not that good when taken in large proportions.

Diabetes is primarily inherited when family members have been diagnosed with having one, so before undergoing any diet plans, it’s always recommended to seek for the doctor’s advice. For additional practical tips and information a diet program for the diabetic, you can always check updates at Diet Fads.

If you are thirty or older and having issues with bleeding when having a bowel movement, you may be alarmed if you happen to notice traces of blood in your stool. Though the presence of hemorrhoids does cause bleeding; it’d be in your best interest to have this condition evaluated by your family doctor to R/O any other underlying problem, because cancer and other conditions also have some of the same symptoms as a hemorrhoid flare-up.

Though hemorrhoids alone are not life threatening; other conditions could be if they are not diagnosed and treated, especially in the early stages. Also, as you can see, it is very important to know what you are treating before you treat any particular kind of undesirable ailment. This isn’t the time to guess.

In most cases, if the bleeding is caused by a hemorrhoid, and if it’s an external one that has set the alarming bell off in your head, your doctor will be able to see it at first glance upon examining your rectum.

With the diagnoses of an external hemorrhoid condition; you’ll find out by your doctor that the veins in your rectum are swollen and inflamed, for internal hemorrhoids you’ll see blood on the toilet tissue or inside the toilet bowel. However, for external piles, upon examination you doctor may see a large protruding lump around the outside of your anus; a protruding nodule is a sure sign that your symptoms are in fact caused by a hemorrhoid condition and not some other underlying problem.

If you are age 50 and older and you see blood in your stool, and there has been a change in your regular bowel habits, this bleeding could be a sign of rectal or anal cancer, or colon cancer. If there is a family history of colon cancer, most likely the bleeding isn’t the result of hemorrhoids, but something else in which your doctor will have to detect for give you the appropriate treatment.

Other conditions that may render the same symptoms as hemorrhoids are medical conditions such as –  anal fissures, colon polyps, inflammatory bowel disease and rectal prolapsed. All and all, the above mentioned conditions are more serious then having to cope with painful and embarrassing hemorrhoids, do not you think?

Now, just because your symptoms resemble that of a hemorrhoid condition, your doctor is the best one to decide or determine the cause of blood coming from your rectum or anus. For the older person, it’s important that anytime you see blood …. contact your doctor right away.

Make certain to get the right diagnosis before you start treating any particular condition, or health issues.

Just in case you did not know, it’s possible to be misdiagnosed, and if the diagnoses is wrong, then the treatment is wrong , and if that happens, well…..lets just say that it will take longer for the medical condition to heal. So don’t second guess your ailment……………see a doctor and get the truth of what’s ailing you.

At the same time, you might want to see some natural remedies to help with any bleeding or pain fast. I highly recommend the Hemorrhoid Miracle system right away for this regardless of your case.

A few years ago, company wellness fairs were all the rage. Now they’re making a comeback, with a slight twist.

In the past, the fairs often better served the vendor(s) who came on-site than the needs of the hosting organization or their staff. More lately, businesses have refined the planning of the events to serve specifically to launch or promote a wellness program.

To be successful, the events need to serve two purposes – boosting employee education and building their enthusiasm to participate in the wellness program.

To make sure you and your workforce get the most out of a wellness fair, it assists to be aware about the plusses and minuses – and some little touches that can mean the difference between a so-so event and a hit.

Health Fairs –  Double-edged sword

On the plus side, workers received easy-to-grasp information on key wellness topics like illness detection, symptom control and smarter medication practices. They also receive important services like free blood-pressure screenings.

On the down side, some experts said the more newfangled events were more like “disease fairs” than “wellness fairs.” In other words, the tone was little too somber and staff weren’t particularly tuned in because they weren’t enjoying themselves.

Health Promotion program advisor Dr. Ron Goetzel believes that the savviest firms strike a balance in their wellness fairs. Stick with the screenings, but also feature exhibitors who offer “lighter,” more enjoyable services. Examples -

o  A booth from a local health-food store

o  A chair-massage station

o  elder-care info from the AARP, or

o  A “complimentary medicine” info booth (e.g.,a chiropractor or an acupuncturist).

Offering incentives

In many cases, workers still need an incentive to attend the fair and get the desired screenings, further to doing the fun stuff. Some real-life wellness programs that’ve worked -

o  A contest offering prizes to workforce who visit every station

o  quizzes and prizes based on info from different providers’ literature

o  flex-scheduling or time-off incentives for getting screened (e.g., a comp day or an additional afternoon off), and

o  cash incentives (as little as $20 and as much as $100) to individuals  who voluntarily take part in various screenings.

Humans are not the only ones prone to diabetes. For most, it is surprising news to find out that their dog has obtained diabetes. How’s it possible for dogs to contract diabetes? Is there a diet for diabetic dogs? In the Arbuckle household, rest assured, the “dumb mutt” as the fat cat calls him will be an unlikely candidate for diabetes, and as for the cat, well, that’s a different story.

Sugar is of course the main source of diabetes, which your dog may not exactly be asking for extra cubes of sugar to accompany their kibble. The treats you hand out unwittingly can be loaded with sugar or products that when broken down become sugar. Make it a habit to read the label of commercial pet foods before making a purchase. As a general rule carbohydrates when broken down gets converted into sugar.

What are the symptoms of diabetes in dogs? Symptoms to watch out for and perhaps ought to make you consider switching to diabetic dog diet or diabetic dog food are: when you pet that’s constantly thirsty and drinks more water than a camel, laziness, an increase in appetite, constant peeing and an overall weakness. Somehow this list points more and more to that orange cat and not to the dog. For one thing he’s not even consuming commercial pet foods, hence you can imagine the sugar imbalance he now has. Perhaps its time for John to put him on a diet for diabetic dogs!

What you generally feed your pet will last for the rest of his adult life. With the wide variety of diabetic dog food available, picking food for your diabetes inflicted pooch ought not be challenging. Obviously you want to be certain you don’t feed your dog anymore sugar. What’s the best diet for diabetic dogs then?

The best recommended diet for diabetic dogs, whether it is a specially formulated diabetic dog food or a homemade alternative requires you to feed 2 to 3 times a day instead of one big meal. With these rations you might control the level of sugar in your pet’s blood stream. Select only diabetic dog food kibble rather than its semi-moist counterparts. There’s nothing wrong with commercial pet foods since you choose one that is right for your dog. Also starting your pooch on a similar diet for diabetic dogs isn’t a bad option as it encourages a healthier lifestyle at an early age.

Imbalanced blood sugar levels can cause kidney problems, cataracts, intestinal disorders and liver failure. A diabetic dog diet or any diet for the matter is always more effective when combined with exercise. One can also count on exercise to help prevent diabetes in dogs. Daily walks or jogs around the park will keep blood sugar levels at a healthy rate. Be sure to take your dog for swimming, play fetch, or indulge in some Frisbee action.

Overweight dogs are targets of diabetes. Before diabetes strikes your pet, make sure to keep him healthy with the proper diet. Preventive diabetic dog food can be used or simply controlling what your pet eats should keep your pet fit for life.

Colitis is the term for inflammation of the colon or large bowel or intestine. The rectum is the very last part of the colon. When it’s inflamed the term proctitis is used. Understanding the causes and treatment of colitis requires a basic understanding of the colon and inflammation.

The starting of the colon is called the cecum. It begins in the lower right portion of the abdomen where the last part of the small intestine (ileum) empties into the large intestine. This part of the colon is also where the appendix attaches. The segments of the colon in order from the starting of the colon or cecum going distally are ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid colon and rectum. One of the major jobs of the colon is to recycle water for the body. When the entire colon is present and healthy the stools have only enough water in them to remain soft and easy to pass, but not so watery or loose that leakage occurs and dehydration ensues. If a large part of the colon is removed or when the colon is significantly injured the stools are very watery and frequent.

Inflammation is the body’s response to infection or suspected attack or irritation. Inflammation of a body area is labeled by adding the suffix “-itis” to the body part, therefore tonsillitis when tonsils are inflamed and appendicitis when the appendix is inflamed. Recognized since ancient times, inflammation has been classically described by the presence of signs and symptoms of redness (rubor), pain (dolar), heat (calor), swelling (tumor) and impairment of the function of the involved organ or tissue. If you have arthritis, joint inflammation; the joint is red, swollen, painful, warm and is stiff, preventing normal function.

In colitis the colon is usually quite red and swollen appearing when seen by colonoscopy (scope exam of the colon). Abdominal pain and impaired function occurs resulting in diarrhea because the damaged colon loses some of its ability to absorb water. If enough damage occurs to the lining sloughing of the surface cells occurs with passage of bloody stools, mucus, and even the appearance of tissue.

Inflammation has cell and fluid components. The cell component includes various white blood cells. The type of white blood cells found in the lining of the intestine determines the cause and effect on the intestine. Fluids include chemicals secreted to fight infection or presumed infection that can cause damage to the colon lining.

Colitis can be acute (self-limited) like E. coli infection or chronic like in ulcerative colitis. Causes of colitis include infections, ischemia (poor blood flow), food allergies, food protein intolerances, lack of normal bacterial flora or stool (after antibiotics, diversion after a colostomy), radiation injury, chemotherapy induced low white blood cell counts (neutropenic), or idiopathic (unknown cause).

Chronic colitis is one of several types of inflammatory bowel disorders or IBD for short and shouldn’t be confused with IBS the term for irritable bowel syndrome. IBS  does not involve any colon inflammation though it was referred to in the past as mucus colitis because of common symptom of excess mucus in stools or spastic colitis because of the common complaint of painful spasms of the colon that commonly occur in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Biopsies of colon tissue in irritable bowel syndrome are normal and don’t show signs of inflammation therefore it is not considered an inflammatory bowel disorder.

Medical research has long shown quitting smoking at any age can improve a person’s health.

But a Duke University shows that the group you could think would be the least likely to quit – individuals  over the age of 50 – might actually have the best odds for quitting through a smoking cessation program.

Researchers tracked 573 older patients over 10 years. They found that just 16% of those who joined the smoking cessation program later returned to smoking.  Meanwhile, previous research has found young smokers who attempt to quit have a 35% to 45% relapse rate within two years.

Bottom line –   Given the aging staff member population and the cost of retiree health care, you could want to keep attempting with use of tobacco cessation education for your older workforce.

Diabetes is a rapidly growing problem. The treatment of diabetes is being created in different medical fields. Some of these treatments have been proven to show excellent potential. One out of those is the herbal treatment for the various aspects of diabetes.

Following are some of the herbal tips for diabetic patients.

Curry Leaves

Be sure to eat 8-10 fresh curry leaves daily in the morning for approximately three months

It delays even the diabetes that is carried in the genes. The leaves due to its weight reducing property also prevent the diabetes due to obesity. As the weight lowers a diabetic patient stop to pass glucose contents in the urine.

Fenugreek seeds

Make sure to take 2 teaspoons full of fenugreek seeds (in the powdered form) daily in the morning preferably with the milk. Another way of using this is to soak 10-12 seeds in water at night and drink that water in the morning.

It helps to control even very high blood glucose levels.

Amla

Mix equal quantity of powdered jumbal, amla and bitter gourd. Be sure to take one tablespoon of this mixture once or twice a day.

It hinders the progress of diabetes.

Madhuca

The decoction of the bark of Madhuca tree cure the diabetes.

It helps by lowering down the blood sugar level.

Garlic

Swallow a clove of garlic daily in the morning.

The constituents of the garlic have been scientifically proved to lower down the blood sugar level.

Herbs play a very important role in the managing and even curing the diabetes.The above herbal tips if applied properly as per instruction will give guaranteed results.

Diabetes is not something to play with rather it requires a quick action. So check – Diabetes Information and find many more guaranteed cures of diabetes.