Your Gum Disease Can Signal Health Issues

By Jarod Johnson

It is always important to take an interest in your personal health consistently throughout the year. When you simply brush and floss on a daily basis you are fighting gum disease and so many health issues.

Periodontal Disease (pronounced: per-ee-oh-don-tul) is a disease of both the gums and bone. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gum, and periodontitis is bone loss, usually of the jaw which can lead to breaking down your gums and the structures supporting your teeth. Red or swollen gums, gums that easily bleed during brushing, flossing, or cleaning are clear warning signs of gum disease.

Gum disease may be caused by a build-up of plaque " the same kind of plaque which can clog your arteries, is a sticky invisible layer where germs form naturally. The plaque contains bacteria which in turn give off toxins. The bacterial toxins irritate and damage the gum and bone supporting your teeth.

Gum disease comes with specific warning signs such as:

Red or swollen gum tissue

When you Bite you notice that Your Teeth do not fit like the used to

Your Gums Easily Bleed when you Brush or Floss

If you have a Partial, It does not fit like it used to

A change in the fit of partial dentures

Partial Dentures that do not fit

Your Teeth May Feel Loose or May Separate between Each Other

You may not show any of these signs and still have gum disease. Because gum disease is normally painless, you may not know it. Your body systems can be affected by gum disease. Your heart and lungs are suitable from the impact of gum disease. Women who are pregnant, and anyone with diabetes should be careful of potential risks from gum disease.

As you now know, plaque is the primary agent in gum disease. However here are several other contributors to the disease:

Prescribed Drugs

Sicknesses

Smoking

Illness

Family Health

Shifts in Hormone Levels

Its important to visit your dentist for regular check-ups. Gum disease and other oral diseases can be remedied more easily when they are detected early. Examinations for gum disease usually include radiographs, and gum measurements. Most dentists use a tiny ruler called a probe to measure the space between your tooth and gum during their gum disease exam.

Todays dentist office uses a Diode Laser to zap gum disease tissue and eradicate the bacteria causing the gum disease in the first place. Many see a super difference after their first treatment with a laser.

Tooth brushing and flossing are the major tools in preventing gum disease. Used on a daily basis they help to reduce your gum disease risk and will manage your oral health.

Cleaning products which include interproximal brushes " these are the tiny toothbrushes used to clean between teeth, tongue scrapers, and rubber tip stimulator all can work to manage or reduce your gum disease.

Your complete body system is impacted by the destruction brought on with gum disease.

Gum disease can be reversed by having your dentist and hygienist regularly clean your teeth along with you maintaining a routine floss and brush schedule. The risk of gum disease or the level of magnitude can be reduced measurably by simple life changes:

Eat Well, Have a Good Diet

Prescription medications

Do Not Smoke

Maintain a Good Diet

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently published a link between health issues and gum disease. They said that the bacteria in gum disease can lead to more health issues, serious health problems like heart disease and stroke, in addition to diabetes.

About the Author:

Gum disease is no fun, your dentist is there to help you get healthy and maintain your health. Treatment for Periodontal Disease using the Diode Laser will help to stopfurther gum disease in your oral tissues check out Advances in dentistry to learn more, or you can visit our Dentist Blog to stay up on the latest info.

Candida Albicans - Is There An Antibiotic Connection?

By Richard H. Ealom

INTRODUCTION: Candida Albicans is a naturally occurring yeast that is present in all of our bodies and it is supposed to be there in balance with many other micro-organisms. It is responsible for superficial infections such as oropharyngeal candidiasis (Thrush) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (Vaginal Candidiasis). Infections of the latter category are also referred to as candidemia and are usually confined to persons with severely compromised immune systems, such as cancer, transplant, and AIDS patients, whereas superficial infections of skin and mucosal membranes, causing local inflammation and discomfort, is common in many populations around the world.

An Infection is often brought on by various components of our modern lifestyle such as the foods we eat, toxins in the environment, antibiotic use, etc. and once you have an overgrowth it can be extremely difficult to get it under control.

INFECTIONS: The introduction of the mass use of antibiotics has coincided with the increase in yeast infections. Initially almost all yeast infections were preceded by a prescription for antibiotics and during the 1950's an infection usually followed a few weeks after treatment. By the 1970s both women and men began to have the condition even when their MD's did not treat them with antibiotics.

The past 10 years has seen the growth of opportunistic infections due to different Candida species mostly because of the worldwide increase in the number of persons with compromised immune systems, who are highly susceptible to opportunistic infections. These infections can be cured with antifungal drugs, but they do represent a concern in AIDS patients.

OVERGROWTH: People have lived on this Earth a long time but Candida Overgrowth is a relatively new problem. Antibiotic and steroid use are the most common reason for yeast overgrowth. Sugars help and aid the overgrowth of yeast, possibly explaining the increased prevalence of yeast infections in people with diabetes mellitus. Some MD's will tell you there is nothing wrong with you because they have no training specific to fungal infections, so without specific education, most do not even believe in Candida yeast overgrowth.

Many alternative practitioners believe that overgrowth in the intestines is the cause for a yeast syndrome that results in symptoms such as fatigue, headache, mood swings, sinus congestion, depression, poor memory and concentration, and yearning for sweets.

SYMPTOMS: Symptoms usually include severe itching, burning, and soreness, irritation of the vagina and/or vulva, and a whitish or whitish-gray discharge, often with a curd-like appearance. Alternative medicine practitioners often use the term Candida to refer to a complex and broad spectrum of symptoms, most of which center around gastrointestinal distress, rashes, sore gums and other miscellaneous symptoms.

Many women mistake the signs of the more common Bacterial Vaginosis for a yeast infection. In males, symptoms include red patchy sores near the head of the penis or on the foreskin, extreme itching and/or a burning sensation. However, not having symptoms is quite common and usually, a more severe form of the symptoms may emerge later.

Symptoms are vast and all embracing and can even incapacitate the patient. They can vary from one person to another and often move back and forth between systems within the individual. One day you may experience symptoms in the musculoskeletal system and the next day it could be the digestive system etc. The majority of people with yeast overgrowth are also suffering from nutritional deficiencies and correcting your deficiencies can help you in your fight with candida symptoms.

TREATMENTS: Local treatments may include vaginal suppositories or medicated douches. Treating it with antibiotics can worsen the condition by eliminating the yeast's natural competitors. If you have to take an antibiotic for some reason, you should also take an acidophilus supplement during the course of the treatment. There are a variety of natural health products that are helpful in the treatment of Candida infections such as caprylic acid, garlic, peppermint, oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, colloidal silver as well as a few prescription medicines you can get from your physician. One very popular treatment product is called Threelac.

During any treatment approach most people experience a temporary worsening of symptoms. Probiotics are a popular treatment for chronic candida, probably because the condition is thought to occur (in some cases) because of the reduction in gastrointestinal flora after treatment with antibiotics.

CONCLUSION: Candida depends on a living host for survival and is usually present in most people, but uncontrolled multiplication resulting in disease symptoms normally is kept in check by other naturally occurring micro-organisms. It is now at nearly epidemic levels in our society and is responsible for many of the chronic illness we see so frequently and is also an instigating factor for alcoholism. Candida thrives in a sugary environment, so your diet should be low in carbohydrates and contain no yeast products or sugar in any form.

Thousands of people suffer from it with out even being aware of it. Almost 15% of people with weakened immune systems develop a systemic illness caused by Candida. Since the fungus thrives in warm, moist and dark places, exposed areas with these conditions such as the mouth, skin folds, arm pits and vagina's are more vulnerable. If you suspect you have a candida infection, consult your doctor or dermatologist for an examination and advice.

About the Author:

About The Author: Richard H. Ealom is the Author of this article and the writer of "Free Articles On Diseases: How To Prevent and Even Cure Them". Want more information Please go to us at our websites@Diabetes & Cancer Secrets OR Go To Heart Disease & Obesity Secrets. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.

Every phlebotomist should exercise certain consistent precautions on a routine basis

By Shahbaz Ahmed

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends several disease-specific precautionary policies for patients known to be or suspected of being infected with certain pathogens. With strict following of standard precautions, all sources of specimens (patients) are considered to be potentially pathogenic or infectious.

Every direct contact with body fluid is infectious is the assumption in the Standard precautions. To prevent cross-transmission and exposure of the skin and mucous membranes to infectious microbes, avoid direct contact with patient specimens, and when contact is anticipated appropriate barrier precautions should be used " this is the essential element of standard precautions.

It is mandatory for the phlebotomist to practice universal precautions routinely during work. Protection of laboratory personnel from infected patients is achieved and cross-transmission of infectious diseases to patients is prevented by the use of these standard precautions which recognize the infectious potential of any patient specimen.

A licensed inactivated vaccine (HB) is recommended for the phlebotomist to prevent from getting infected from HBV. As a precautionary step for clinical laboratory workers, phlebotomists, pathologists, and other health care workers who are at a greater risk for Hepatitis B infection, are required to use Hep B vaccine following CDCs advisory committee recommended immunization practices.

To eliminate the risk of infections, other safe work practices for phlebotomists handling blood specimens or other samples are:

- To prevent transmission of pathogens, practice hand washing every time after the handling of specimens. - Laboratory or clinics should be isolated from eating, drinking, or smoking areas. - Gloves, lab coats/gowns, masks, safety glasses are the required personal protective equipments. - In case of spills, cleaning up should be done as per protocol of the lab and blood spills should be cleaned immediately, aerosolization should be minimized. - Waste disposal should be done as per the OSHA and NCCLS guidelines. Sharp resistant container should be used for disposal of lancets, needles, scalpel blades and other contaminated waste should be disposed in biohazard marked containers. - Sharp needles and lancets, should not be handled by hand or bent, or broken. - Pre exposure and post exposure prophylactic guidelines for handling potential occupational transmission of certain pathogens should be followed by the phlebotomist.

Professional phlebotomist should be aware of general safety regulations for the clinical laboratory, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) stipulated guidelines for chemical hygiene and for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens, the use of lab safety manual, and general emergency procedures.

Allied health professionals always face the risk during the disposal of sharps which is a hazardous procedure. The risks involved in venipuncture should be known by the phlebotomist. Proper training in the use of closed vacutainer system, which minimizes the possibility of injuries, should be a must for all healthcare professionals.

Action to be taken in the Case of a Needle-Stick Injury:

- Encourage bleeding from the affected site - Wash the injured area or irrigate with water or normal saline as appropriate - Cover with a suitable dressing - Record the patients name and ID - Complete an accident form - Inform immediate manager - Go to Occupational Health, GP or Accident and Emergency Department as appropriate

All the necessary techniques and procedures needed to be a competent and skilled phlebotomist are covered in accredited phlebotomist technician programs. Anatomy and physiology, Blood and cell composition, Blood sampling procedures, Laboratory safety, and CPR are some of the subjects in training courses for professional phlebotomist. Professional behavior, Quality control, Legal issues, Computer training are some other subjects which might be included in formal training programs. Phlebotomy schools customize and offer some differences in the training programs depending on the regulations and program geared for specific job.

About the Author:

Maxis Healthcare Limited run professional 1 Day Fasttrack Phlebotomy Training Courses in London, UK. Learn How to become a phlebotomist And Get Phlebotomy From Venepuncture Trainers With Over 30 Years Practical Experience and a FREE 10 Day Phelebotomy Taster Course.