Vitamin D Defiency and You
By Teresa M. Odell, RNC, MSN, FNP-C, APRN-BC |
The term, “Osteopenia” is a descriptive radiologic diagnosis suggesting reduced bone mass that may be noticeable on an x-ray of the chest or lumbar spine. However, before bone loss is evident, approximately 30-40% of the skeleton has demineralized. (1)
Osteopenia can be caused by metabolic or endocrine conditions such as calcium deficiency, Vitamin D-deficient states, malnutrition, renal tubuler acidosis, scurvy, thyrotoxicosis, Cushing’s syndrome, male and female hypogonadal states, prolactinoma, or hyperparathyroidism. Certain medications such as Corticosteroids, Chronic heparin therapy, excessive thyroid hormones, Phenobarbital, Diphenylhydantoin, or chemotherapy can be a secondary cause of Osteopenia. More commonly, lifestyle choices are seen as a contributor to Osteopenia: nutrition, alcohol, smoking, inactivity or immobilization, and excessive intake of coffee or soft drinks. (1) However, the most common cause is simply age-related idiopathic osteoporosis.
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Click to Read full Article on Vitamin D. . .
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| Spider Bites, Insect Bites and Stings, Oh My! |
Warm weather has returned causing the insect community around us to stir and fly and crawl and yes – bite and sting as well. Insect and Spider bites are common throughout the country during the warmer months and often cause redness, pain, swelling and itching. These are all common, mild reactions to being bitten or stung by a spider or insect. Babies and children may be even more affected by bites and stings than adults. Some people have severe allergic reactions to being bitten or stung and can be fatal. These people who are allergic to stings should always carry a preloaded syringe of epinephrine, which blocks allergic reactions.
Read More about Insect Bites and Stings . . .
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Healthcare Providers Defined
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Today we see many different types of doctors. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. Some doctors are specialists who treat very specific areas of the body (i.e. oncologists, neurologists, and podiatrists) and other doctors treat the entire person (doctors of osteopathy), and primary care doctors. The healthcare providers you see in your family practice often have different designations too. We are going to discuss four medical designations – Medical Doctors (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Physician Assistants (PA) and Nurse Practitioners (NP).
Differences between MDs and DOs
A Medical Doctor or Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a person who has 4 years of undergraduate study at a college or university and has also completed 4 years of medical school (some cases 3 years) and a residency which last from 2 to 6 years.
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Find out More on the different Providers. . .
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