What You Ought to Know About Laser Resurfacing

Laser Resurfacing

While skin defects such as hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and wrinkles can take away your confidence, you might benefit from an advanced skin laser resurfacing procedure. You can get the procedure from Mrs. Leslie Forrester in Naperville at Wrinkle Fairy. The treatment helps you maintain fresh-looking skin and keep on applying your makeup. However, as you seek the treatment procedure, you need to be adequately informed about the procedure to ensure you make the best choice for your skin and receive better results. Here are several points you need to note about laser resurfacing.

Basic Categories of Resurfacing Lasers

It is good as you seek to rejuvenate your skin through laser resurfacing to know that there are several key categories of lasers. This will help you to consult your provider on the right option for you. There are ablative lasers that can wound your skin and nonabrasive lasers that do not wound your skin. Other topical lasers include light therapies, which are considered gentler skin resurfacing options.

Laser Brand Names are Less Important

You may have seen some posts, or your peers may have undergone treatments, and you might think that you are already an expert in this field. Note that it is not the brand name that matters but the wavelengths used and your provider’s expertise alongside other important factors. Besides, your skin needs are unique, and you might also have different objectives. You have unique skin from your friends or anyone else who might have posted something about their laser resurfacing treatment. The most important thing is to consult your provider, who will evaluate your unique needs and draft a treatment procedure based on them.

Be Armed with Questions for Your Consultation

One thing about treatments such as laser resurfacing is that they are not obvious and the same for everyone. You ought to have confidence in your procedure. That is why you need to equip yourself with questions as you go for your consultation to ensure that you understand what you can expect. You can tell if the treatment procedure is right for you. Of course, a professional provider will be more than willing to ensure you understand everything before proceeding with the treatment.

Is Your Skin Tone Dark?

Although different lasers are customizable to suit different skin tones, different skin colors react differently to the treatment. If yours is dark, please approach laser treatments such as resurfacing with caution. However, your provider will help you understand how your skin tone can react to different lasers and choose the best for you. Remember that it is possible to use any laser on any skin tone but with caution.

Check Your Expectations

Lasers have proven effective in delivering amazing results. However, they are not miracle machines. Several factors, such as your unique case, and the type of treatment, can affect your results. Therefore, ensure you understand your uniqueness and be realistic about what you are expecting. Besides, even the duration of your results may depend on your lifestyle and other factors. It is good to work with your provider in setting up your aesthetic goals to avoid disappointments.

Your Wrinkle Fairy provider will help you understand laser resurfacing before you proceed. Therefore, book an appointment today and explore more about how this treatment can rejuvenate your skin’s appearance.

Addressing Weight Gain Relapse Through Surgery Revision

Surgery Revision

Drug rehab centers are created to help addicts recover and not go back to their dangerous lifestyle habits. However, there are many cases of formerly rehabilitated addicts relapsing months later. Bariatric surgery beneficiaries are not an exception. After undergoing the first surgery to address their obesity, they can gain more weight. The only option they have to enjoy their quality of life is seeing the Bariatric Experts team specializing in surgery revisions in Frisco.

What factors can lead to some people gaining weight after bariatric surgery

Most people who have undergone successful bariatric operation are likely to gain weight depending on circumstances such as:

  • Giving birth
  • Going through a divorce
  • Losing your job
  • Financial challenges
  • Getting a new job
  • Change in diet

All these circumstances play a significant role in increasing your weight. Your attitude towards life after your operation also contributes to the same. The irony of it all is that obesity is a chronic disease that can be life-threatening. Bariatric surgery is a life-saving procedure, not a permanent cure to your problem. You can only enjoy post-surgery results when you stick to healthy lifestyle habits. Before your surgeon recommends that you go for revision surgery, they will advise you to deal with any issues that are contributing to your gaining weight.

What to Consider Before Deciding to Go for a Revision Surgery

While revision surgery is designed for people who have gone through weight relapse, it also has a higher risk of complications. Most of the time, revision surgery is twice as risky. Before deciding to go for it, consult your doctor. Some doctors might make physical and nutritional evaluations through x-rays, endoscopy, and many others. In some cases, they may require you to shed some weight before your surgery to test your discipline on weight loss matters.  If other weight loss measures do not seem practical, you can go ahead with revision surgery.

What to expect after revision surgery

After successfully undergoing revision surgery, the rules remain the same as when you had your original surgery. Your body probably will behave according to your lifestyle habits. For example, if you stick to an unhealthy diet, do not exercise, or binge drink alcohol, your body will still gain weight. Still, every patient’s journey to recovery is different. Some people will not gain weight after revision surgery, while others will do the exact opposite. To ensure you do not go through a weight gain relapse for the second time, discuss with your surgeon to give you realistic expectations.

Are you ready for your revision surgery?

By the time you decide on bariatric surgery for the second time, it means you see it as a medical necessity. There is nothing good about being obese; neither is choosing not to go for revision surgery. However, it might not be for everyone. In most cases, your surgeon might recommend you change your lifestyle to see if you need the surgery. If lifestyle changes do not work for you, revision surgery might be the only option for saving your life. To find out if you are eligible for revision bariatric surgery, consult your doctor today.

Understanding Fertility Preservation Before Cancer Treatment

Cancer Treatment

If you are young and diagnosed with cancer, it is not a death sentence. Lucky enough, there is hope for your family plans. Fertility preservation allows you possibly to have a child after your treatment. You can seek help from Dr. Kutluk Oktay in New York, a medical expert with extensive reproductive endocrinology and fertility preservation expertise. Dr. Oktay will help you understand your options and how each can benefit you. Besides, Dr. Oktay will help you understand the connection between your fertility and cancer treatment. Additionally, here is information on fertility preservation and cancer treatments.

How Your Fertility is Affected by Cancer Treatments

If you are diagnosed with cancer and are worried about your fertility, know that not all forms of cancers affect your ability to bear children. Also, not all cancer treatments will affect your fertility. But specific treatments can harm your fertility, causing effects that can be temporary or permanent. It depends on the type and stage of your cancer, your age, and the particular cancer treatment you are undertaking.

Surgical treatments: your fertility will be affected if your ovaries, uterus, or testicles are surgically removed.

Radiation: your fertility can be affected depending on the location and size of the radiation field. Also, high radiation doses can destroy some or all of your eggs in your ovaries.

Chemotherapy: the effects of these treatments depend on the drug and dose. Alkylating agents and cisplatin drugs cause the most damage to fertility. Older women are at a higher risk of being affected than younger women.

Hormone Therapies: the medications used during this therapy can affect your fertility. However, the effects are reversible, and your fertility might be restored once the treatments stop.

Best Time to Consider Fertility Preservation

It would be good to talk to your provider about fertility preservation as soon as you learn about your condition. Your provider will help you understand different treatment options, some of which may require you to postpone your treatment if possible. This is because a single cancer therapy session is enough to destroy your fertility. Besides, specific fertility preservation methods are typically done at certain phases of your menstrual cycle.

Preservation Options

Several fertility preservation options may benefit you as you plan to begin your cancer treatment. They include:

Embryo Cryopreservation

Your eggs can be harvested, fertilized, and frozen to be implanted later. It is on record that embryos can survive the process at a 90% rate.

Egg Freezing

Instead of fertilizing your eggs, they can be frozen unfertilized. However, research shows that eggs’ survival rate is more minimal than a human embryo.

Radiation Shielding

When going for radiation treatment, small lead shields can be placed over the ovaries to minimize the amount of radiation you are exposed to.

Ovarian Transposition

This is also applicable when you are undertaking radiation therapy, where your ovaries can be surgically repositioned into the pelvis area out of the radiation field. However, the ovaries may not always be protected due to scattered radiations. Besides, you will need to have your ovaries repositioned after your treatment.

Surgical Removal

This can be applicable when managing early-stage cervical cancer. It involves removing the cancerous area on your cervix, leaving the unaffected part and the uterus unharmed.

Fertility Preservation for Men

Men can also preserve their fertility as they seek cancer treatment. You can benefit from sperm cryopreservation which involves the freezing of sperms to be used later. You can also benefit from radiation shielding, where lead shields are placed over your testicles to minimize their exposure to the radiation.

Contact Dr. Oktay today to learn more about fertility preservation before cancer treatment and know your suitable option. Remember, there is hope you can continue your family plan after your treatment.

How EMDR Can Help You Out of Your Emotional Distress

Emotional Distress

Some traumatic events can still control your feelings, thoughts, and responses even after the event is over. This can significantly affect your life’s quality, where you experience negative thoughts and emotions. Fortunately, Financial District EMDR specialists such as David Salvage, MD, FAPM, can help you through eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. The treatment involves eight phases, as described below.

History and Treatment Planning

This is the first phase of EMDR therapy that generally takes 1-2 sessions but may also be applicable later in your treatment should new problems be revealed. Your provider evaluates your medical history to formulate a treatment plan. It involves discussing the specific issues affecting you, including the behaviors and symptoms caused.

Preparation Phase

This mainly involves 1-4 sessions, although it can take more, depending on the severity of the traumatized background. One of the main objectives of this phase is to establish a relationship of trust between you and your provider. Your provider will take you through EMDR and what it entails so as you know what to expect. Besides, your provider will teach you specific techniques to help you rapidly deal with any emotional distress that may arise. If you achieve the techniques, you are good to proceed to the next phase.

Assessment Phase

This is where your provider will identify specific parts of the target event to be processed. You will be prompted to access the targets in a controlled and standardized way to ensure they are effectively processed, but processing does not mean talking about it. You will select a particular rational image from the target event that best characterizes the memory. You then choose a statement that expresses the adverse self-belief linked to the event and replace it with a positive one that you would rather believe. This will help you reflect on what is truly appropriate in the present.

Desensitization Phase

This phase deals with all your responses, including insights, associations, and memories, as the embattled event changes and the upsetting elements are resolved. All your senses will be involved as you process the targeted disturbances. Your provider will guide you in sets of eye movements, taps, or sounds with appropriate shifts and focus changes until your Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale levels are decreased to zero, one, or two.

Installation Phase

This phase aims to concentrate on and increase the strength of your positive belief that you choose to replace the original negative one. The goal is to ensure you accept the full truth of your positive self-statement.

Body Scan Phase

After strengthening and installing the positive cognition, your provider will ask you to bring the original target event to mind to detect any residual tension noticed by the body. If there is any, the sensations will be targeted for reprocessing. Therefore, an EMDR session will not be considered successful until you bring back the target event in your mind experience with no body tension.

Closure Phase

Your provider will ask you to keep a log documenting any material that can arise during the week. This will serve to remind you of the self-calming activities that have been mastered in the early phases.

Reevaluation phase

This is where the progress made is examined relating all historical events, current incidents, and possible future events. If you have multiple traumas, the treatment process can be restarted but with a new target event. Although, if you are successfully treated through EMDR, you will experience relieved distress, psychological reconciliation, and the ability to redevelop harmful thoughts.

If you are struggling with negative emotions or thoughts, contact David Salvage, M.D., FAPM today, and learn more about EMDR therapy. Dr. Salvage will help you understand how the treatment can help you out of your emotional distress.

Overcome Suicidal Thoughts with Ketamine Infusion Therapy in Florida

Suicidal therapy

Suicide appears to be the only way for many people to cope with a difficult life situation or the extreme pain resulting from depression. You may believe that taking your own life is the only option when dealing with suicidal thoughts. However, there is available help. Satyen Madkaiker, MD, FAPA, and the expert providers’ team at Ketamine Therapeutics, located in Jacksonville, FL, provide ketamine infusion therapy as a solution to suicidal thoughts. Your symptoms can be relieved almost immediately with this breakthrough therapy. Consult with a Jacksonville suicidal thoughts specialist today by calling the office or make an appointment online today.

What Does It Mean to Have Suicidal Thoughts?

Suicidal thoughts are ideas or plans that you might have for ending your life. You might feel like you are the only one who has these emotions or thoughts, but suicidal ideation affects almost everyone at some stage in their lives. Your pain might feel unbearable and unresolvable; however, assistance is available.

If you are contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. (800-273-TALK) or 911. They are there to support you.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Suicidal Ideation?

Knowing the signs and symptoms of suicide could save your life or the life of a loved one. Symptoms that are common include:

o   Retreating from social activities.

o   Obtaining suicide-related instruments, such as pills or a gun.

o   Giving away possessions.

o   Abusing narcotics or alcohol.

o   Personality changes.

Suicide talk is also a red flag that you should never overlook. You can avoid suicide.

Who is at Risk of Taking Their Own Life?

Suicide makes no distinctions, but certain risk factors raise a person’s chances of committing suicide. These include:

o   Previous attempts at suicide.

o   Substance abuse.

o   A stressful life situation.

o   An underlying medical diagnosis.

o   A family history of suicide and mental illness.

o   Terminal illness or chronic disease.

Suicide attempts are more common in women than in men, but suicide kills more men than women.

What Are the Options for Dealing with Suicidal Thoughts?

Suicidal thoughts are treated differently depending on the nature of the condition and the root problem. Call 911 or the National Suicide Hotline for urgent assistance or walk into the nearest emergency room.

If your suicidal thoughts are not life-threatening, prescription medication and/or psychotherapy can help. The Ketamine Therapeutics team focuses on mental wellbeing and creates individualized recovery plans to help you change your life outlook and control the root cause of your suicidal thoughts.

The team can recommend ketamine infusion therapy at Ketamine Therapeutics in extreme cases.

What Is a Ketamine Infusion, And How Does It Work?

Ketamine Therapeutics is a firm that focuses on the use of ketamine to treat a variety of mental health issues, like suicidal ideation. In 24 hours of treatment, ketamine infusion therapy can drastically improve suicidal ideation, fatigue, and depression.

Addressing suicidal thoughts with ketamine infusion is considered experimental. The team at Ketamine Therapeutics will decide if it is the best medication for you, depending on the seriousness of your symptoms. This infusion is done in the office under close observation with cutting-edge equipment.

In conclusion, Ketamine Therapeutics is the sole one-of-its-kind clinic in Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida. Call the office today or make an appointment online for professional mental health services from a team that provides cutting-edge therapies.

Restore and Enhance the Appearance of Your Smile with Crowns & Bridges in Virginia

Crowns & Bridges Tooth

Crowns & bridges are excellent tooth replacement and restoration options. At Advantage Dental Care’s cutting-edge clinic, the team of restorative specialists offers patients outstanding crowns & bridges in Springfield, Virginia. Call Advantage Dental Care or visit online to schedule your crown or bridge appointment today.

What Are Crowns & Bridges?

Crowns and bridges are oral prosthetics that help you preserve your smile’s health and beauty. A crown is an artificial tooth cap your provider perpetually bonds to an actual tooth or dental implant above the gum line, covering the entire visible portion of your tooth. A bridge, on the other hand, is a false tooth (referred to as a pontic) attached to crowns on both sides.

The crowns are placed on the teeth adjacent to your missing tooth, keeping the pontic in place as it fills the gap between your teeth.

Crowns and bridges are all constructed from representations of your smile, so they are tailored to your mouth’s distinctive curves and contours. They function and feel just like a normal tooth once they are in place, giving your freshly restored smile an unapparelled sense of comfort.

What Are the Roles of Crowns and Bridges?

A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth in your smile. Teeth that are missing may have a detrimental effect on your oral health. Replacing them using a bridge has multiple advantages for your smile, including:

o   Improving your speaking and chewing abilities.

o   Evening out the balance of force in your bite.

o   Enhancing your smile’s appearance.

o   Keeping the rest of the teeth from drifting out of place.

A crown restores the structure and strength of a tooth that has been damaged or become unsightly. Your dentist can recommend that you receive a crown so that you can:

o   Reinforce a tooth with too many large fillings.

o   Replace a discolored or misshapen tooth.

o   Prevent more damage to a decayed or broken tooth.

Following a root canal treatment, your dentist will normally fit you with a crown. After the treatment, the crown preserves your tooth and maintains its structural integrity.

What is the Procedure for Having Crowns and Bridges?

In two simple office visits, Advantage Dental Care will suit you with a crown or bridge.

Your dentist will prepare your teeth and take an image of your smile during your first appointment. An offsite lab will use this impression to create your bridge or crown. The preparation of your teeth entails removing some of your enamel to make room for the crown or bridge.

With a crown, your remove enamel from the tooth receiving the crown, whereas, with a bridge, you remove enamel from the abutment teeth. As you await the lab to create your permanent reconstruction, your dentist will fit you with a temporary bridge or crown to protect your teeth. You return for a second meeting after the permanent reconstruction is complete, and your provider locks it in position with dental cement.

That said, do not let missing or damaged teeth affect your smile’s appearance and general oral health. Make an appointment with Advantage Dental Care for a crown or bridge consultation today by calling or booking online.

Top Signs You Could Have Diabetes

Diabetes

Diabetes is a severe medical condition that is popular among adults. If you have diabetes, you must manage your blood sugars and monitor them closely to ensure they are within the desired target. While diabetes comes in different types, there are two main types: Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They differ on what causes them. It would be best to recognize the signs of diabetes, which could increase your chances of an early diagnosis. Thankfully, if you notice you have diabetes, with Humble, TX critical care medicine, you can get the medical care you deserve.

However, you need to understand that the early signs of diabetes are not always noticeable. Most people are asymptomatic, and they can remain undetected for an extended period. If you notice any of the following early signs, make sure you make an appointment with your doctor.

Frequent urination

When your blood sugars are high, your kidneys get significantly overworked since they have to bear the responsibility of removing the excess sugar by filtering it out of the blood. When that is the case, you will realize you are frequently urinating more than you used to. Do not wait for too long but instead make an appointment with your doctor to understand the problem.

Increased hunger

Intense hunger is an early warning sign of diabetes that most people do not understand. Your body uses the glucose in your blood to feed your cells. Breaking the system means the cells do not get to absorb the glucose. Consequently, your body has too many functions to take care of and will keep on looking for more fuel which causes persistent hunger. Since you have excess sugar in circulation, which eventually comes out through the urine, you may have to deal with weight loss, even when eating more than you usually do. If you have weight loss that you cannot explain, it could be a warning sign of diabetes.

Dry mouth and itchy skin

Since one of the top signs of diabetes is urinating a lot more frequently, you lose a lot of fluid, and you end up with less moisture for other body functions. You could get dehydrated when you are losing too much fluid and not doing anything to replace it. You could also become itchy as a result of dry skin.

Blurred vision

If you notice you have blurred vision, that does not always mean you should rush to get yourself a new pair of glasses. You could be having problems with your eyesight because of diabetes. Changing fluid levels often cause swelling in the eye lenses, making it nearly impossible to focus correctly.

Detecting diabetes is not a daunting task with the right doctor. If you notice any of the above signs, and especially if you are experiencing the symptoms in doubles, you should see a doctor to determine if diabetes could be the cause. Noticing the early signs and careful management can prevent many severe complications caused by diabetes. Remember, even when you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you can still live a fulfilled life.

Vital Facts About Neck and Back Pain

Neck and Back Pain

Having neck or back pain can be such an unpleasant experience. When you have neck pain, you cannot sleep well, turn your head, and it affects your posture. Having back pain affects your movement and your day-to-day activities. The good news is that your Albany neck and back pain specialists at Orthopaedic Associates can help relieve your pain.

What causes neck and back pain?

There are different causes of neck and back pain. These include:

  • Strenuous activities such as lifting heavy loads or doing an activity that requires repetitive twisting
  • Having an abnormal growth like bone spurs
  • Strain or sprain and muscle tension
  • Experiencing muscle and ligament tears and muscle weakness in your back
  • Having conditions like arthritis which affects your joints
  • Suffering injury, fractures, and trauma

What are the symptoms of neck and back pain?

You may experience different symptoms for your neck and back, depending on the cause of the pain.  If you have neck pain, you may experience stiffness, numbness, pain, tingling in your arm, strain when turning your head, pain in your neck and shoulders, and headaches.

If you have back pain, you could have a burning or sharp pain in your back, radiating pain down your leg and stiffness of your back, numbness in your leg, muscle spasm, or consistent ache either in your lower or middle back. You may also experience a sharp pain shooting from your lower back to the buttocks, spreading down to the calf and toes.

How is neck and back pain diagnosis carried out?

Your doctor will review your medical history and carry out a thorough physical examination of your muscles and joints. Your doctor may recommend further diagnosis like a blood test to examine arthritis, a condition that affects your joints, causing neck and back pain.

Your doctor may also recommend some diagnostic imaging like MRI to get pictures of your ligaments, blood vessels, and tendons. The test helps determine if you have any infection, inflammation, tumor, or nerve pressure.

Your doctor will perform bone scans to check for tumors and suspected compression fractures if you have symptoms of radiculopathy. An X-ray of the affected area is also essential.

Neck and back pain treatment

Your doctor may recommend the following conservative treatments for your neck pain.

Joint mobilization therapy to help restore joint motion. Some active and passive exercises prevent stiffness, regain motion in your muscles, and strengthen your brain-to-body communication to boost movement.

Ice and heat therapy will help relieve your pain and stiffness.

Steroid injections will help reduce inflammation around your nerve roots or inflammation area.

For your back pain, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:

Therapeutic massage to relieve pain and reduce stress, manual manipulation to relieve pain caused by muscle tension and muscle spasm

Steroid injections to reduce inflammation

Heat therapy to help boost the circulation of oxygen, and nutrients to joints and muscles. The circulation will help repair your damaged muscles and reduce inflammation.

If conservative treatments do not alleviate your neck or back pain, your doctor may recommend you undergo surgery for neck or back pain.

If you are experiencing neck or back pain, call or book an appointment online with Orthopaedic Associates.