According to the statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2006, 26 percent of all deaths were due to heart disease. Patients who have mild to moderate heart disease can be treated with medications, surgery and...
Central nervous system, or CNS, depressants are drugs that physiologically depress activities of the brain that control vital processes in the body. The role of CNS depressants, according to Drugs.Com, is to decrease breathing function and heart...
Opioids, also known as narcotics, are a class of medications used to control pain. They are the most effective pain medications. Examples of frequently used drugs are oxycodone, morphine, codeine and fentanyl. As a class, opiods have a high...
Your employer may offer a selection of benefits that include life insurance options. The basic benefits package often provides a minimal amount of life insurance coverage based on your salary with an option to increase your coverage through...
Stage IV melanoma occurs when the cancer spreads beyond the skin to another area of the body. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most common sites of melanoma spread include other areas of the skin, lung, liver, brain and small...
Russian scientist and physician Konstantin Buteyko pioneered a novel asthma treatment, writing in 1991 that, "The essence of the method is to decrease the depth of breathing by will power and by relaxation of breathing muscles until one achieves a...
Grief, a natural response to loss, occurs in different stages. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler identified five stages of grieving in her book, "On Death and Dying," published in 1969 and based on her work with terminally ill patients in Chicago. Not all...
Boswellia, also known as frankincense, is taken from the resin under the bark of the frankincense tree. In the biblical account of the birth of Christ, frankincense was one of the gifts bestowed upon him by the three wise men. Today, science has...
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a psychiatrist known for her work with dying patients and their families. She wrote a book called "On Death and Dying" in which she outlined the five psychological stages a dying or grieving person goes through. Her...
Hospice is a philosophy of care that accepts dying as the final stage of life, according to the American Cancer Society. The term was first applied in 1967 to the specialized care provided to terminally ill patients and their families. Although...
Therapies promoted as literal alternatives to conventional cancer treatments should be viewed with caution. Lifestyle changes and other complementary therapies may provide adjunctive approaches to healing, symptom control and enhanced quality of...
Medicare provides in-home services to patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and have a life expectancy of less than 6 months. The benefits include a wide variety of services that are more comprehensive than those provided by...
Hospices offer specialized care and support to people who are suffering from untreatable, terminal illnesses. Doctors and nurses manage pain and discomfort and facilitate comfortable and dignified last days for patients. Plus, they create an...
Whether it takes place in a patient's home or in an institutional setting, hospice care in the United States and other wealthy countries often includes artificial nutrition and hydration, or food and fluids -- sometimes called assisted or...
Home health care brings aid and assistance to those who are chronically or terminally ill, or those who are recovering from illness or injury. The costs are typically less than that of a medical facility, and the familiar environment is often more...
If you are having conversations with loved ones about alternatives to nursing homes in Buffalo, New York, consult the state Department of Health's county-by-county list of quality care measurements. Chances are they have already evaluated your...
Home health care in Glendale, Arizona, draws on the many resources available in the greater Phoenix area. You can begin with the Arizona Association for Health Care's (AAHC) list of agencies and vendors already Medicare certified and licensed by...
The number of days a person can live without food varies widely, based upon factors that include but are not limited to physiology, overall health and whether or not liquid is consumed. Reliable data on the survival rate of healthy individuals who...
The elderly population is growing, and many people need assistance and care in a healthy and safe environment. The elderly face a broad range of medical and physical needs that require assistance and supervision on a temporary or full-time basis,...
The Budwig diet is an anti-cancer eating plan developed by German scientist Johanna Budwig. Budwig claimed that research she conducted with terminally ill patients revealed cancer could be both treated and prevented by regular consumption of a...
Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders fall under the category of advance directives for health care. DNR orders are a written order from your doctor. A DNR order represents a deliberate decision to withhold life-saving measures, such as cardiopulmonary...
Senior citizens living in West New York, New Jersey, who require assistance with day-to-day living have several options available to them. Whether they need short-term recovery care or long-term assistance, assisted living services provide a wide...
The symptoms of lung cancer and the medications used to treat the disease can slow your bowel movements and make stools hard and difficult to pass. Fatigue and shortness of breath can restrict your activities and increase your anxiety level,...
Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum), a plant indigenous to Europe and the United States, is a member of a wheat-like grass family known as Poaceae. Wheatgrass can be cultivated outdoors or indoors and is commercially available as a dietary supplement...
Wheat grass as a nutritional food was popularized in the United States in the 1940s by Ann Wigmore, author on natural health. Wheat grass juice, which is made by grinding the young shoots, contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, trace elements...
Dietary protein is essential for growth and development. It helps provide energy and proper pH balance in the body. The building blocks of proteins are amino acids. Essential amino acids must be obtained from foods; those that contain all...
Preparing for end-of-life is a difficult time for all. Family, friends and healthcare providers play a critical role in helping your loved one's death be comfortable and peaceful. Although making peace with dying is a journey that your loved one...
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice defines home care as "a simple phrase that encompasses a wide range of health and social services. These services are delivered at home to recovering, disabled, chronically or terminally ill...
The Hospice Foundation of America defines hospice care as a way to provide comfort and enhanced quality of life to those who are terminally ill. Hospice teams specialize in the symptom management that comes along with life-limiting illnesses, such...
