3 February, 2015

Talk to nurse to ease pain, anxiety during surgery

Simple distraction techniques, such as talking to a nurse, watching a DVD or using stress balls, can help patients to relax during varicose vein surgery and reduce their pain, says a study.

"Undergoing conscious surgery can be a stressful experience for patients," said study author professor Jane Ogden from the University of Surrey in Britain.

"Our research has found a simple and inexpensive way to improve patients' experiences of this common and unpleasant procedure, and could be used for a wide range of other operations carried out without a general anesthetic," Ogden added.

The study involved 398 patients, splitting them into four groups.

For the first group music was played during their surgery, while the second was offered a choice of DVD to watch from a wall-mounted monitor.

In the third group, a dedicated nurse was positioned next to the patient's head to interact with them throughout the procedure.

In the fourth group, two palm-sized stress balls were given to participants once they were comfortably in place on the operating table.

The group that watched a DVD showed 25 percent less anxiety than those who received treatment as usual (but no differences for pain).

The group that interacted with a nurse showed 30 percent less anxiety and 16% less pain than those who received treatment as usual.

The group that used stress balls showed 18 percent less anxiety and 22 percent less pain than those who received treatment as usual.

However, music did not have any effect on anxiety or pain.

The study was published in the European Journal of Pain.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

03.02.2015

Beware! Your make-up products can be risky

Your make-up products can put you at risk of early menopause. Chemicals in lipstick, face cream and nail varnish can speed up the process by four years, according to a study.

The study examined the effects of 111 chemicals on 31,575 women.

As many as 15 different chemicals were identified as harmful by a team of researchers at Washington University in St Louis and among them were phthalates, which are used to soften plastics.

They are found in food packaging and household products, including perfume, lipsticks, body wash, hair care products and nail varnishes, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The scientists analysed the levels of 111 chemicals in the blood and urine of the 31,575 women who took part in the study.

Their findings show that women with higher levels of certain chemicals go through the change two to four years earlier than those with lower levels.

A decline in ovarian function not only affects fertility, but can lead to a woman suffering heart disease, osteoporosis and other health problems. The chemicals are also known to increase the risk of certain cancers, metabolic syndrome and, in younger females, early puberty.

"Chemicals linked to earlier menopause may lead to an early decline in ovarian function, and our results suggest we as a society should be concerned," said senior author of the study, Professor Amber Cooper.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

03.02.2015

If you learn from defeat,

 you haven't really lost

Zig Ziglar