Fitness And Health In The Corporate World

Many businesses have begun to understand that investing in the health and fitness of their employees is a wise move. They are also beginning to realize the effects that it has on their bottom lines. Because of this they have begun to teach their employees the concepts and practices of overall fitness and health. Teaching employees good health and safety principles and practices will not only give them an edge on success but also reductions in healthcare payouts for their employees in sick days. The benefit of health and fitness education for employees is two fold. The employee will gain lower levels of stress, an increase level of self esteem and improved physical fitness with increased stamina. The employer gains employee productivity increases, decreased rates of illness, and develops employee leadership skills. There is one other benefactor in this whole process…the community. The community will become or stay a competitive player in the market place.

Today companies look to including worksite health care facilities or health and wellness programs to help them to alleviate their profit margin. This has proven a successful investment with the return being healthier longer working employees, less turnover, and protection of the most important asset in any company, which is the employees. Employers want to keep the people who can do their job as good as possible, and these people need to have healthy minds and bodies to be able to get everything done. While everyone should take initiative on their own to stay healthy, unfortunately many people don’t.

When your employees get wrapped up in the day to day life of work, children, and other chores and tasks they forget to take time for fitness and health care concerns themselves. An employer who handles reminders and consultations of health related information is an employer that quality employees will want to work for and stay with for a very long time.
As we all age physical and mental fitness is sometimes taken for granted and before we know it there is a problem that possibly could have been rectified in a proactive manner instead of a reactive manner. Using a proactive approach could prevent loss of income of the employer and the employee and family if handled with care and respect for the wishes of both parties. Encouraging employees to live a healthier lifestyle outside of work is a behavior that will transfer into the workplace and make for a good or better environment for all concerned.

Some companies have bought into this idea by including memberships to gyms as incentive bonuses, or even as new hire bonuses. They are using fitness and health as a motivating factor to get promotions and raises. So if you are a company, large, small, or otherwise, it will be to your benefit to incorporate a health and fitness education plan. Maybe a health and fitness program, or incentive for your employees to better care for them and your bottom line in business is the answer. Find a plan that fits your company needs and watch out for your return on your investment. Even if it does not improve your bottom line noticeably, it is still a good idea to keep the plan around for general morale and well-being in your business.

Questions and Answers About Behcet’s Disease - Pamphlet

* What Is Behcet’s Disease?
* Who Gets Behcet’s Disease?
* What Causes Behcet’s Disease?
* What Are the Symptoms of Behcet’s Disease?
* How Is Behcet’s Disease Diagnosed?
* What Kind of Doctor Treats a Patient With Behcet’s Disease?
* How Is Behcet’s Disease Treated?
* What Is the Prognosis for a Person With Behcet’s Disease?
* What Are Researchers Trying To Learn About Behcet’s Disease?
* Where Can People Get More Information About Behcet’s Disease?
* Acknowledgments
* Key Words

What Is Behcet’s Disease?
The disease was first described in 1937 by Dr. Helusi Behcet, a professor of dermatology in Istanbul. Behcet’s disease is now recognized as a chronic condition that causes sores or ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals, and inflammation in parts of the eye. In some people, the disease also results in arthritis (swollen, painful, stiff joints) and inflammation of the digestive tract, brain, and spinal cord.

Who Gets Behcet’s Disease?
Behcet’s disease is common in the Middle East, Asia, and Japan, but rare in the United States. In Middle Eastern and Asian countries, the disease affects more men than women. In the United States, the opposite is true. Behcet’s disease tends to develop in people in their twenties or thirties, but people of all ages can develop it.

What Causes Behcet’s Disease?
The exact cause of Behcet’s disease is unknown. Most of the symptoms are caused by inflammation of the blood vessels, particularly veins. Inflammation is the body’s characteristic reaction to injury or disease and is marked by four signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain. Doctors think that an autoimmune reaction may cause blood vessels to become inflamed, but they do not know what triggers this reaction. In an autoimmune reaction, the immune system mistakenly attacks and harms the body’s own tissues. Under normal conditions, the immune system protects the body from diseases and infections by killing harmful “foreign” substances, such as germs, that enter the body.

Behcet’s disease is not contagious and does not spread from one person to another. Researchers think that two factors are probably important in its development. First, it is believed that abnormalities of the immune system make some people susceptible to the disease. Researchers think that this problem may be inherited; that is, it may be due to one or more specific genes. Second, something in the environment, possibly a bacterium or virus, might trigger or activate the disease in susceptible people. Researchers have found that people who have frequent strep infections (caused by Streptococcus bacteria) are more likely to develop Behcet’s disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Behcet’s Disease?
Behcet’s disease affects each person differently. Some people have only mild symptoms, such as skin sores or ulcers in the mouth or on the genitals. Others have more severe disease, such as meningitis or inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can cause fever, a stiff neck, and headaches. More severe symptoms usually appear months or years after a person notices the first signs of Behcet’s disease. Symptoms can last for a long time or can come and go in a few weeks. Typically, symptoms appear, disappear, then reappear. The times when a person is having symptoms are called flares. To help the doctor diagnose Behcet’s disease and monitor its course, patients may want to keep a record of the symptoms that occur and when they occur. Because many conditions mimic Behcet’s disease, physicians must observe symptoms to make an accurate diagnosis. The four most common symptoms of Behcet’s disease are mouth sores, genital sores, inflammation of parts of the eye, and arthritis.

* Mouth sores–Mouth sores (known as oral aphthosis and aphthous stomatitis) affect almost all patients with Behcet’s disease. They are often the first symptom that a person notices and may occur long before any other symptoms appear. The sores usually have a red border and several may appear at the same time. They can be painful and make eating difficult. Mouth sores go away in 10 to 14 days but often come back. Small sores usually heal without scarring, but larger ones may scar.

* Genital sores–Affecting more that half of all people with Behcet’s disease, most genital sores appear on the scrotum in men and vulva in women. The sores look similar to mouth sores and may be painful. After several outbreaks, they may cause scarring.

Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue

Fibromyalgia means that a previously healthy person develops unexplained exhaustion, fatigue and muscle aches and pains that last for more than six months, all blood tests are normal and doctors can't find a cause. One report shows that a large number of people who were diagnosed as having fibromyalgia really had polymyalgia rheumatica that does have an abnormal blood test. Another study shows that many sufferers have low spinal fluid levels of vitamin B12 and may be treated with 1000 mcg B12 pills each day.

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia should be made only after all other causes have been ruled out. Many infections can cause fatigue and muscle pain, such as parvovirus B19, which was reported to be cured with intravenous injections of immunoglobulin. The evaluation should include tests for infectious diseases; such as Lyme disease and hepatitis B or C, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis or the helicobacter that causes stomach ulcers; autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis; hidden cancers such as those of the breast or prostate; hormonal diseases such as low thyroid; or side effects from a medication or illicit drug.

About twenty percent of the patients are depressed, and most people miss work and complain of illness long before their diagnosis. A diagnosis of chronic fatigue means that tiredness is the major complaint. Fibromyalgia usually means that muscle and joint pains are the major symptoms. Many studies show that there is no dependable way to define chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, and that three months of antibiotics does not cure them, but if the doctor suspects a reactive arthritis it is reasonable to give a trial with antibiotics for a longer term. Reactive arthritis patients who may be be cured with long-term antibiotics are:

* Those who have positive blood tests for arthritis which are really measures of an overactive immunity that is trying to kill a germ,

* those who suffer from a chronic infection characterized by burning on urination, urgency or having to get up many times during the night

* those who have chronic diarrhea,

* those who have belching and burning in the stomach,

* those who have a chronic cough or sinus infections,

* those who have swelling in the middle of the hand which is characteristic of Rheumatoid arthritis.

However, people who have reactive arthritis must be treated for longer than three months, often for more than a year.

An article from the University of Washington, Seattle demonstrates that fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, temporomandibular joint syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis and chronic headaches share the same symptoms, occur in the same people and doctors can't find a cause or treatment. I have prescribed doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for several months, and sometimes azithromycin 500 mg twice a week, and some get better. However, this treatment is controversial and is not accepted by many doctors. Please check with your doctor.

Author : Dr. Gabe Mirkin

Is It Rheumatoid Arthritis - Polymyalgia Or What

What a great disease arthritis is. Is there any other illness where the experts won’t diagnose exactly what it is? I mean I’ve been suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis - or at least I think that’s what it is, since the middle of 2006. Suddenly one day I couldn’t get out of bed due to the incredible pain in the back of my neck, back of thighs and behind my upper arms. The pain in the arms and legs appeared to be in the muscles which sort of points to Polymyalgia Rheumatica but the rheumatologist I go to said that at 59 I am too young for that particular disease and he thinks it’s rheumatoid arthritis.

That flies in the face of what a local country doctor said when I limped into her surgery in August 2006 – she diagnosed Polymyalgia Rheumatica (which I would have preferred as I understand that condition can go away in a year or two, unlike RA) and put me on a high dosage of Prednisolone (steroids), reducing over the next few days. Well, I had almost instant relief as the arthritis pain left me within two hours of taking my first tablets (15mg a day). However, by the time I got back home a few days later the pain had returned so I went to my local doctor who agreed with the diagnosis and increased my steroid intake to 25 mg a day. I then suggested a specialist and he referred me to the one I mentioned earlier.

This specialist seems really good and knowledgeable but he won’t diagnose until my Prednisolone intake is down to around 7mg a day – at this stage that’s in mid-November. It’s a damned nuisance that you can’t just stop taking steroids and that you have to taper off them. I’m coming down from that 25mg a day and it’s taking forever. Currently on 10mg and each time I lower the dosage (every three weeks) I wait for the body to react badly. I must say it hasn’t done so and I’m eternally grateful for that. I am also on some herbal tablets which may well be helping.

Author : Graham Kelly

Understanding Polymyalgia Rheumatica Symptoms

Arthritis is a common ailment that more than 50 million American's suffer from. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis some more common than others. Polymyalgia Rheumatica is a rarer form of arthritis that affects the muscles rather than the bones.

Polymyalgia does not affect the joints or bones but instead it causes the muscles to become sore, tender, and stiff with inflammation. This type of arthritis affects hips, thighs, lower back, shoulders, and the neck muscles. The pain is caused because the blood vessels in the muscles become swollen.

Symptoms include severe stiffness and pain in the muscles but there is no weakness just pain. The pain is located in thighs, hips, lower back, shoulders, and neck. You may experience low energy, fatigue, sweating at night, slight fever, and loss of appetite. Anemia is also common as is depression. Women suffer more often than men with it but both can develop it and it often materializes after the age of 50.

Giant cell arthritis is a condition that is often associated with polymyalgia rheumatica. The temporal arteries in the front side of the head begin to narrow and can become blocked and result in lost vision. It affects both men and women generally over the age of 50.

Warning signs of giant cell arthritis include skin around the forehead becoming tender, swollen blood vessels on the side of the head, blurred vision or blind spots, and pain in the jaw when chewing.

There are other symptoms that can be present and if you believe you suffer from polymyalgia rheumatica you should see your doctor who can assist you with treatments that can help reduce inflammation and pain.

What causes this disease is not really understood. In some cases other family members have suffered but not always. Genetics may play a role but it's not the only element.

If your doctor believes you have this disease he or she will refer you to a rheumatologist who specializes in diagnosing such conditions. An EMG test may be performed which uses an electric current that is passed through your muscles. The main treatment relates to pain reduction because this disease usually goes away on its own.

NSAIDs are commonly used to reduce swelling and pain. At low dosages they reduce pain and at higher dosages inflammation. High dosages can cause stomach problems, ulcers, and bleeding so use caution.

Another option is oral cortisone which is a steroid which can reduce inflammation. Cortisone is a natural hormone produced by the body and Corticosteroids are man made and are very similar to cortisone. Prednisone is one of these drugs that can be used but because of the serious side effects it is important to reach a maintenance dose as quickly as possible.

Exercise is also important to the overall treatment. It will help reduce pain and it will stop muscles from becoming weak. There are three different types of exercise you should do - strengthening exercises, range of motion exercises, and endurance exercises.

Apply hot and cold compresses to relax the muscles and reduce pain. You can repeat this treatment as often as necessary. Your heat treatment can be a heating pad, a hot bath or shower, or a hot water bottle. Your cold treatment should be an ice pack.

Lastly be nice to your body. Avoid tasks that are too strenuous for you. After doing heavy work or repetitive tasks rest. Learn to lift correctly and use your back, arms, and legs as a group. Maintain a healthy weight. By loosing those extra pounds you will reduce the stress on your joints.

You can protect your joints by not overworking them and pacing yourself. Relax the muscles, reduce inflammation, and take care of the pain. A better understanding of polymyalgia rheumatica will help you learn to live with it better.

Author : Suellen Cazarez

Fibromyalgia – Understanding The Illness Without Known Treatment

Fibromyalgia, also known as FM, non-articular rheumatism, soft tissue rheumatism and fibrositis, is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

Although fibromyalgia is a recent medical finding, it is a relatively common disease among Americans affecting over three percent of all people. Findings discover that this disease is more likely to develop in women rather than men. The risk of having fibromyalgia also increases with age.

Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Although there are no two people who would experience the same symptoms, making fibromyalgia a more difficult illness to understand. Sufferers generally do experience similar symptoms.

Pain is one of the major and distinguishing symptoms of this illness and it would usually involve the tender point on the body particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips. Pain usually starts to develop in one area such as the neck or lower back first before spreading to other parts of the body. These localized pain, known as trigger points can cause terrible and immense pain when pressure is applied on them. Sufferers also experience widespread aches and pain, numbness, tingling and burning sensation. The degree of the pain is also often worse off in the morning and during cold and humid weather changes.

The other main characteristic of fibromyalgia is chronic fatigue, possibly related to disturbed sleep patterns. Fatigue and sleep disturbances is affecting about 90% of fibromyalgia sufferers. It is believe that the fatigue involve with fibromyalgia is much more than that of being tired only. It is common for sufferer to wake up as tired as when they went to sleep. Fatigue will also remain for the rest of the day and is understood to be very exhausting both physically and mentally. Sufferers will not have the ability to even continue with his simple daily activities.

Some lesser common symptoms reported include irritable bowel syndrome, mild to moderate depression, migraine headaches, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

The Diagnostic Process

At present time, the diagnostic process can take years because fibromyalgia remains a condition that continues to baffle doctors. It is label as a often misunderstood disease since the symptoms associated with the illness are so commonly seen in many other diseases and that there is also no clear cut laboratory tests such as biopsy tissue samples, blood tests or x-ray results to give doctors any clue or whatsoever. It also does not help in the diagnosing process when people with fibromyalgia can also look healthy and show no clear signs of pain or fatigue at all.

The only diagnostic method is through the identification of symptoms shown namely the presence of pain and aches on tender points, and fatigue. Laboratory tests can also be conducted to rule out other illnesses that share similar symptoms with fibromyalgia. Thyroid, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Lyme disease and Polymyalgia rheumatica are some conditions that can be rule out.

Medical science is still a far cry from identifying a cause for fibromyalgia. It is a fact that this disease exist and unfortunately, there are still no known cures for it. It is advisable for people who suspect that they have fibromyalgia to consult a doctor with experience in this syndrome. A rheumatologist is the most often the best choice to consult.

Today, patients have only few choices to manage their condition and can only lessen the symptoms associated with it. Fibromyalgia still remains as an idiopathic condition without a known cause or proven proper treatment to fully cure the disease. Hopefully, we can see a breakthrough in the near future.


Author : Moses Wright