Category Archives: Medical

23FEB

Why Going To Costa Rica For Rehab? Costa Rica Treatment Center

costa rica

Making the decision to go and get help for a drinking or drug problem is the smartest decision possible for ones future, health, sanity and basically your whole life. If you have taken this decision you are to be commended!

But what is the best way to “get help”? It’s a huge decision closely related to high chances of success in gaining long-term sobriety.

Most people committing to recovery are of the opinion that choosing an out-of-town rehab/ treatment center is the best option that can help make the recovery process that much more effective and productive.

Why Costa Rica Treatment Center suits your needs?

Though there are many similarities, personal circumstances of each addict or alcohol differs from anyone else’s. Those differences need to be addressed for successful recovery.

For example, detox and rehab from certain substances, like benzodiazepines and alcohol require medical supervision and monitoring for safety that is not offered in many places. Having medical staff around that is able to prescribe medication that can help with withdrawal and cravings.

Get help as soon as possible

According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there are almost 23 million Americans who need some sort of alcohol or drug treatment. That brings us to a number of 44,000 people who die every year from drug overdoses.

Facing those numbers actually only 11% of American citizens who need drug or alcohol treatment get it.

Waiting lists can be months long and many facilities can be so expensive that it renders them unaffordable for almost anybody.

When someone has decided to get treatment and deal with their addiction it is critical to get them into a program as fast as possible before their addiction asserts itself to not be able to resist any longer.

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Showing greater commitment to recovery and sobriety

Insisting that a treatment facility has to be local is a dangerous way of hedging your bets. At a local hometown drug treatment center, it will always be in the back of your mind that you could simply walk out the door, call an uber and within just a few minutes be right back with your old buddies and customs.

Dwelling on that possibility just long enough and combining it with having a “bad day”, you might just fall victim, with that destroying your goals of recovery.

Having the same situation in Costa Rica will make you pause, to say the least. This pause might very well save your life!

Reducing distractions

After a few days you might start to feel homesick, and naturally, your loved ones will be missing you. At your “hometown- rehab” it’s to be expected that friends and family visit you, and they will want to, as often as possible. These visits are wonderful, welcoming and thoughtful.

But drug rehab is not about visits, especially early in recovery. It is, you guessed it, about YOU and only YOU!

YOU getting YOURSELF clean and sober, to understand why you drink and use, receiving the tools YOU need to create YOUR own path to safeguard YOUR hard-won sobriety.

Regular visits actually can help to derail your progress and risk your recovery. There will be time in the future to reintegrate with family and friends.

Having more privacy

If you are from a small town people most likely already know more about you than you would like. Going to a local facility can have the fact that word might get out if you want it or not. You might even meet people you know, which can be awkward, given the setting.

Being out of town maintains some semblance of anonymity without the need to worry that your boss, friends, family, church or other people find out.

You can concentrate on learning the tools that will be useful for the rest of your life.

It gives you time to prepare, reflect and decompress

Entering the stage of recovery is an immensely positive step. During the travel time to the facility you can prepare yourself for all challenges to come.

You can look back as to what brought you where you are right now in life and move past all negative things that occurred.

You can look forward, create hopes and dreams for the future and the sort of life you want to live when achieving your goal of sobriety.

After successful completion of your drug/alcohol rehab program, traveling back home, you can prepare yourself to reenter society. Most likely you’ll be anxious dealing with daily life without the crutch of substance abuse. Being equipped now with all types of tools and having yourself applied during the treatment can calm your nerves to succeed long-term in your recovery.

This travel time can be invaluable, allowing you an easier transition from inpatient client at a rehab center to a functional and productive member of society. Simple because of this time the transition will be far less jarring than it would be if you had checked out in your neighborhood rehab and had no time for readjustment.

Looking at it in any way, deciding to take and accept help in the form of attendance at an inpatient rehabilitation facility is a wonderful thing. It will be an overall improvement over a life of drinking and drugging. However making the choice to go to a facility outside of your hometown, or even better, outside of your country will maximize your chances of a successful, long-term life of sobriety.

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Consuming alcohol sleep

The Effects of Alcohol on Your Sleep

Have you made drinking alcohol an evening ritual that you cannot do without? Consuming alcohol can have strong adverse effects on the quality and quantity of your sleep.

Consuming alcohol sleep

Having a drink or more before bedtime can negatively impact your sleep. And not many people are aware of the effects of alcohol on the quality and quantity of sleep. In a study1 carried out in 2009, 58% of the 2,000 participants did not know that drinking alcohol had negative effects on the quality of sleep.

Alcohol stimulates the release of endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in the brain. These chemicals are responsible for increased confidence, extroversion, and more vocal behavior. But after some time alcohol begins to sedate, and a small amount can make you fall asleep. The brain absorbs the alcohol and it takes effect immediately. How long the effect lasts depends on how much you consume.

Alcohol has been used to induce sleep for many years, and a lot of people continue to use alcohol to make them fall asleep, thereby having to deal with an unfulfilling sleep. A while ago physicians recommended “nightcaps” for people suffering from difficulty or inability to sleep. Using alcohol to induce sleep is not healthy because it affects the stages of sleep, makes you sleep more lightly and wake abruptly from time to time. A chronic alcoholic who depends on alcohol to get sleep may find it difficult to achieve this with low doses. S/he may have to take alcohol in very high amounts before s/he can sleep.

Alcohol and how it affects the sleep cycle

Below are the four stages of the sleep cycle:

  • N1: This accounts for 4 to 5 percent of your sleep, and is the period of transition from being awake to being asleep.
  • N2: This is the stage where your heart rate and breathing pattern start slowing down.
  • N3: This is the deep sleep stage where your brain and body are going through restoration.
  • REM: At this stage some segments of the brain are most active. This is where you have dreams filled with action. The REM stage is where the muscles are paralyzed so that you do not act out your dreams.

All stages are important. Even sleep scientists do not put preference on any stages. Therefore you cannot place more value on one stage over another. It is important that the quality of your sleep is not compromised. You have to go through all the stages to get quality sleep.

How alcohol affects sleep

  • It affects the quality

If you take alcohol in the evening and sleep through the night, you may not get the rested and refreshed feeling that you are supposed to get when you wake up. Alcohol prevents deep sleep and suppresses REM.

  • It interferes with sleep time

Alcohol causes frequent abrupt wakening and sometimes makes it difficult to fall asleep.

  • It causes sleep disorders

Some disorders2, such as sleep apnea, worsen after consuming alcohol. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by heavy snoring and abnormal breathing patterns (intermittent pauses) while sleeping. Alcohol consumption before sleeping can make the airway narrower which heightens the inability to breathe during sleep.

Is it possible to prevent the impact of alcohol on sleep?

Getting alcohol out of the body takes time, and if you do not want alcohol to interfere with the quality of sleep, you need to leave enough time for the alcohol to get out of your body. You can take alcohol at least three hours before bedtime. This will help reduce the effects of alcohol on your sleep. If you do not intend to let go of alcohol, you can make a conscious effort to monitor how much alcohol you consume in one drink. Try to drink drinks with low alcoholic content hours before you go to bed so that you can enjoy a drink without sacrificing sleep.

Tips for getting good sleep without alcohol

Are you used to inducing sleep with alcohol and scared that giving up alcohol will lead to difficulty sleeping? Check out some of these sleeping solutions and tips to sleep successfully without alcohol.

  • Consistent sleep/wake time

Maintaining a consistent sleep/wake time can guarantee a good sleep. Have a set time for going to bed and set an alarm to get up. Include weekends, and you will find your body adjusting to this routine.

  • Exercise

Exercise in the evenings, and you will find it easier to go to sleep. Exercising increases the temperature of your body, and by the time you are ready to sleep the temperature starts dropping which makes it easier to fall asleep.

  • Avoid caffeine

Caffeine is a very effective stimulant that keeps you awake and active. Avoid taking any foods or beverages that contain caffeine from the afternoon on. Drinking water will help you maintain a natural sleep cycle.

Conclusion

Although a lot of people see alcohol as a simple way of inducing sleep, it is not. Alcohol makes your sleep unhealthy and reduces its quality. If you want to sleep better, avoid the booze.

Referances:

1. BBC news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8208212.stm

2. National sleep foundation: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/how-alcohol-affects-sleep

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Lack of Sleep

Things to Hate and Be Aware of About Lack of Sleep

Do you always suffer from lack of sleep? You might already know that sleep loss can make you foggy or irritated. However, uncontrollable factors can cause sleep, including stress, discomfort, and medical conditions. It is like no matter how you closed your eyes and tried to fall asleep. Still, you end up with few hours of sleep.

Lack of sleep issues is common to many people. The bad thing is it can affect the quality of your life, including your health, memory, looks and even weight. Here, you have the chance to learn the possible adverse effects of lack of sleep.

QUALITY OF LEARNING AND THINKING ABILITY

Sleep can directly affect the quality of learning and thinking process of people. If you suffer from sleep loss, it can affect the cognitive process in different ways. In can impair your alertness, attention, reasoning, concentration as well as problem-solving skills. As a result, it will be hard for you to learn efficiently.

Lack of Sleep

DEPRESSION

With extreme lack of sleep, it can lead you to depression. People who are diagnosed with anxiety or depression are more likely to sleep less than 6 hours at night. Insomnia, a sleep disorder, is considered to have the strongest relation to depression. It is also known to one of the main symptoms of depression.

Depression and lack of sleep are feeding on each other. Meaning, sleep loss can aggravate the symptoms of depression while depression makes it more difficult for patients to fall asleep.

SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS

When you experience lack of sleep, it does not necessarily mean that you can be free from other health issues. It can lead to serious health problems. A sleep disorder can put you at risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, irregular heartbeat, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

People having trouble staying and falling asleep are reported to have another health problem. This can include Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and more.

SKIN AGING

You can notice that when you lack from sleep, your skin start to age. Most people lacking sleep have experienced puffy eyes and sallow skin. On the other hand, chronic lack of sleep can lead to under dark eye circles, fine lines and lackluster skin.

Without enough sleep, your body is releasing more stress hormone cortisol and an excess amount of the cortisol. Your skin collagen can be broken down. Remember, collagen is a protein that can keep your skin elastic and smooth.

WEIGHT GAIN

If you think a lack of sleep can make you lose weight, it can make you gain more weight. This is because it can increase your appetite and hunger. Apart from that, it can also stimulate your cravings for high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods.

Regardless of the reason why you experience lack of sleep at night, it is best for you to determine the possible treatment. This can help you prevent further serious health conditions. Thus, you can be sure that you can live healthier.

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Liposuction Surgeon

London Liposuction Surgeon – All You Need To Know About These Type Of Surgeons

Liposuction is the quickest and easiest way of reducing fat in specific areas of the body. This cosmetic surgery process can be performed in itself but it is usually accompanied by other plastic surgery procedures such as tummy tuck, breast lift or reduction and also face lift. This cosmetic surgery procedure involves the removal of excess fat in the body. Some fats in the body are easy to remove and can be done through exercise and diet while other fats are hard to metabolize. These fats that are hard to remove are removed through liposuction where the fats which are difficult to metabolize are broken down into liquid form and the liquid is drained out using small suction tubes. Liposuction effects are aesthetic and not intended for weight loss or treatment of obesity. The aim of this paper is to look at the various reasons why people perform liposuction.

Liposuction Surgeon

Firstly, people perform liposuction in order to remove the excess accumulation of fats in the abdominal area. Abdominal tissues tend to get fuller due to one’s weight or height. Shorter individuals with a big body size mostly have large abdomen due to their height and weight. Liposuction is performed in this case to remove the excess accumulation of fat around the abdominal area. This is done based on the patient’s interest and how she wants to look like after the procedure. This depends on the size and shape that the patients want their after surgery breasts to look like.

What is more, liposuction is to correct the after excessive weight loss surgery. The bariatric surgery helps the patients lose a large amount of weight rapidly during the first year following surgery. After undergoing an excessive weight loss surgery, the post-surgery patients may still have stubborn pockets of fats that remain despite having improved their eating and exercising habits. Liposuction comes in here because it helps remove the stubborn fats. Skin tightening may also be performed alongside liposuction helps tighten the tissues around the necessary areas. The skin can then be tightened through another skin firming cosmetic procedure. The common body areas where liposuction can be performed include the tummy, upper hands, buttocks, chest, chin, hips and thighs.

Liposuction Surgeon

Moreover, liposuction may also be done to remove the excess fluid collection in the tissues. The fluid usually builds up under the surface of the skin. The fluid, known as serum does not usually build up immediately after surgery but starts to collect several weeks after surgery. The area where the fluid is located may be tender or sore when touched. Liposuction is performed to drain the excess fluid accumulation using the small suction tubes. The suction tubes are placed in and around the incision point and may remain in a patient’s body for some few hours or days after surgery in order to prevent fluid from building up.

Liposuction is performed to remove the excess or abnormal accumulation of fats in the breast area. This is because when a woman gains weight, the first place that the fats will be stored is around the breast area because the breast tissues stretch easily. It is also done after excessive weight loss surgery to remove the fats that could not be removed through exercise and diet. These are usually the fats that are not easily metabolized. Liposuction also helps in removing the excess fluid that is collected around the tissues. Fat removal is done to correct the issues of metabolism of the body fat. One may decide to perform liposuction because he or she feels uncomfortable with the current body shape and structure or is unhappy with their appearances.

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plastic surgeon

What to Expect from Breast Reduction Surgery

People who are interested in breast reduction surgery want to know what to expect after the procedure. Your plastic surgeon in London can explain the recovery process to you. It’s normal to feel fatigued, groggy, sore, body pains and discomfort after the procedure. You should rest properly and follow the advice of the surgeon. Don’t sleep on your front. Your body should be propped up with two or three pillows. You can take pain relief drugs as directed by the surgeon. Your surgeon may also advise you to avoid certain activities during this period such as demanding exercises, lifting heavy objects and bending at the waist. You should also avoid, jogging, running and tobacco products. Follow the surgeon’s advice to avoid complications.

plastic surgeon

See your surgeon for a follow-up check-up by the end of the first week. Examinations will be done to determine the progress of your healing and to prevent any complications. Soreness, swelling and bruising should have started to disappear as well. Most patients are able to go back to work after  2 weeks. It all depends on your healing progress and job requirements. All other minor surgical after effects should have disappeared in the following months.

You should be able to resume your normal duties, and you shouldn’t feel any numbness or tingling sensation. The scars from the procedure will also start to disappear around this time. Majority of patient’s healing progresses well their scars fade fairly unnoticeable. It’s also from this period that you start to see the benefits of breast reduction surgery.

Benefits of Breast Reduction Surgery

Results vary from one patient to another. Here are some of the expected benefits of breast reduction surgery.

  • Better Sleep – Most women who have undergone breast reduction surgery report that they now sleep better. Large breasts affect your sleeping posture and weigh down too much on your lungs, making you breathe harder when you sleep on your back.
  • Headache and Backache Relief – The weight of huge breasts that you’re carrying around on your neck and shoulders causes headaches and back ache. Breast reduction surgery can help remove the extra weight. You won’t have headaches, and your back and shoulders will feel much better.
  • Improved Self-esteem – Large breasts can make women more self-conscious. After undergoing breast reduction surgery, you stop wondering whether people are staring at your breasts or your face. Your self-esteem also continues to improve.
  • Enjoy Shopping – Women with large breasts have a hard time shopping for clothes that fit them. Breast reduction surgery can make shopping for clothes fun again as they can now easily find clothes that perfectly fit over their bust.

It usually takes a couple of months for the breast tissue and scars to heal completely. Breast reduction surgery will give you smaller, firmer and more aesthetically pleasing breasts. Talk to your plastic surgeon in London about the best way to achieve your desired results. He or she will give you post-surgery tips. Follow the surgeon’s advice, and you will definitely see the best results.

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