Tag Archives: anxiety

Do Beta Blockers Prevent Death Or Contribute To It?

Drug Safety, , , , , , ,

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Your doctor prescribes yet another drug for you, this time it’s Beta Blockers.

Do you take it?

Is it responsible to question your doctor before swallowing?

It’s tough to feel confident enough to question your doctor, but if you don’t ask questions, do you know what you are risking?

 

First, let’s take a look at the side effects you might expect from taking Beta Blockers:

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with the use of beta blockers include:

  • nausea
  • diarrhoea
  • bronchospasm
  • dyspnea
  • cold extremities
  • exacerbation of Raynaud’s syndrome
  • bradycardia
  • hypotension
  • heart failure
  • heart block
  • fatigue
  • dizziness
  • abnormal vision
  • decreased concentration
  • hallucinations
  • insomnia, nightmares
  • clinical depression
  • sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction
  • alteration of glucose and lipid metabolism.

Clinical guidelines in Great Britain, but not in the United States, call for avoiding diuretics and beta-blockers as first-line treatment of hypertension due to the risk of diabetes.

(article originally published on News-Medical.net)

 

WOAH!  Hold the phone!  Is it worth risking all that? Continue reading Do Beta Blockers Prevent Death Or Contribute To It? →

Is It Just Stress? Chest Pain Isn’t Always Serious, Is It?

Heart Disease, , , , , , , , , ,

Is It Just Stress? Chest Pain Isn’t Always Serious, Is It?

Do you ever feel significant chest pain?

Does it worry you?

Any type of chest pain that causes you concern or that is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, should be considered an emergency:

  • Pressure, tightness and squeezing pain across the chest
  • Pain radiating down the arm, shoulders, jaw, neck, and back, particularly on the left side
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness, sweating, weakness, overwhelming fatigue
  • Feeling of impending doom
  • Headache, blurry vision, light-headedness, feeling faint
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms such as indigestion, nausea and vomiting
  • Coughing and palpitations

You are much better safe than sorry.

If you experience symptoms like those above, you want to get to a hospital and rule out the possibility that you are having a heart attack.

Do not reason it away and lose valuable time.

There are many other causes of chest pain that can become worrisome, but they won’t give you sudden extreme symptoms like those of a heart attack.

Any of the following might give you chest pain:

  • GERD or heartburn
  • excessive belching
  • hiatal hernia
  • gastric ulcer
  • pulled muscle

Suffice to say that if you are worried, seek the advice of your doctor.

With that said, let me also say that even if you think your chest pain is related to stress, it is still cause for concern. Continue reading Is It Just Stress? Chest Pain Isn’t Always Serious, Is It? →

Is There a Chance You Could Be Suffering From Compassion Fatigue?

Sleep, , , , , ,
Is There a Chance You Could Be Suffering From Compassion Fatigue?
Is There a Chance You Could Be Suffering From Compassion Fatigue?

Whether your job requires that you struggle to function in a care giving environment that constantly presents heart-wrenching-emotional challenges, or you are a Sandwich generation caregiver torn between the needs of your young children and the needs of your dependent elders, Compassion Fatigue is something you should always be aware of.

Do you strongly identify with the pain of others?

Does it seem like you can actually feel their pain?

You are not alone.  Your empathy has everything to do with your desire to become a care giver in the first place.

It’s also the reason you are so susceptible to Compassion Fatigue.

The first step to healing is awareness.

What Are the Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue? Continue reading Is There a Chance You Could Be Suffering From Compassion Fatigue? →

Are There Tools To Help Manage Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?

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Are There Tools To Help Manage Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?
Are There Tools To Help Manage Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?

Having trouble coping with the stress in your life?

Do you feel on edge?

Have you been over-reacting to small irritants?

It’s not a good feeling to see yourself reacting and be unable to stop yourself.

After all, you want to choose your response to life, rather than reacting unconsciously.

Don’t you?

Over the weekend, I was headed home on the highway when a bad car accident happened just ahead of me.

When I arrived at the scene I got out to see if anyone was needing help.  The accident involved a very large truck and a very small car.

The passengers of the car were really lucky, it could have been so much worse.  They really didn’t seem to need any help I could offer so I stood back to wait for the paramedics.

I noticed that a teenage passenger from the car was getting really intense and freaking out with the most injured passenger who was still in the back of the car.

He was screaming, asking her not to die and begging her not to go to sleep.  I was concerned that he was going to hurt her worse than she already was, so Continue reading Are There Tools To Help Manage Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome? →