Motherhealth Caregivers Bay Area In-Home Care Hollistic

Pigs are a crucial part of the tapeworm life cycle

A teenager in India who had been infected with tapeworms died as a result of numerous cysts—formed by the tapeworms—in his brain (he had them throughout his body as well), which doctors only found when he showed up at the emergency room in Faridabad with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. These full-brain seizures, plus his groin pain, eye swelling, and general confusion are fairly common symptoms for bodily infection with tapeworms.

My 83 year old mother who complained of groin pain a year before she died of liver cancer had pulled a worm out of her anus few months before she died.

These parasites must all use nutrients from the host to multiply and survive. They are found in the digestive tract, the kidneys, liver, lungs or the blood stream.

In the sow, the important parasites are the large white worms ascarids (Ascaris suum), red stomach worms (Hyostrongylus rubidus) and whip worms (Trichuris suis).

The sow becomes the source of potential infection to piglets. The threadworm (Strongyloides ransomi) is important in the piglet. The life cycles of all are direct from eggs in faeces to adult in the intestine.

Internal parasites are an uncommon problem in the weaned, growing and finisher pig unless they are housed in continuously occupied straw based or bare concrete pens in which case ascarids may become a problem.

There are four groups of endoparasitic worms: nematodes (roundworms); thorny-headed worms; tapeworms and protozoa:

Trichinosis (trik-ih-NO-sis), sometimes called trichinellosis (trik-ih-nuh-LOW-sis), is a type of roundworm infection. Roundworm parasites use a host body to live and reproduce. Infection occurs primarily among meat-eating animals (carnivores) such as bears and foxes, or meat- and plant-eating animals (omnivores) such as domestic pigs and wild boar. The infection is acquired by eating roundworm larvae in raw or undercooked meat.

When humans eat undercooked meat containing trichinella larvae, the larvae mature into adult worms in the intestine over several weeks. The adult worms then produce larvae that travel through various tissues, including muscle. Trichinosis is most widespread in rural areas throughout the world.

Trichinosis can be treated with medication, though it’s not always necessary. It’s also easy to prevent.

Symptoms

Abdominal symptoms can occur one to two days after infection. Other symptoms usually start two to eight weeks after infection. The severity of symptoms usually depends on the number of larvae consumed in the infected meat.

Possibly no signs or symptoms

Mild cases of trichinosis — those with only a small number of parasites in your body — may cause no recognizable signs or symptoms. Symptoms can develop with moderate or heavy infestation, sometimes progressing as the parasite travels through your body.

Initial signs and symptoms

You swallow trichinella larvae encased in a cyst. Your digestive juices dissolve the cyst, releasing the parasite into your body. The larvae then penetrate the wall of the small intestine, where they mature into adult worms and mate. At this stage, you may experience:

Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Fatigue
Nausea and vomiting

Later signs and symptoms

About a week after infection, the adult female worms produce larvae that go through the intestinal wall, enter your bloodstream, and eventually burrow into muscle or other tissue. This tissue invasion can cause:

High fever
Muscle pain and tenderness
Swelling of the eyelids or face
Weakness
Headache
Sensitivity to light
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)

Vets are better than doctors in identifying parasites, the monster in us

When you have diarrhea , feeling bloated, cannot sleep at night and filling ill, check your poop for parasites. Bring the poop to the vet to be checked for parasites.

Less agreement among physicians occurs with three other parasites: Endolimax nana, Dientamoeba fragilis, and Blastocystis hominis. For years, these three were considered harmless. Unfortunately, most lab technicians assigned to poop examination (a part-time job I myself held during medical school) are not well-trained in checking for them. It’s very likely a reasonable percentage of patients written off as irritable bowel syndrome/diarrhea dominant actually have an infection with one of these three. The main clues that their IBS is protozoan in origin are that the diarrhea emerges as a new event in their lives, unrelated to stress, and isn’t triggered by any particular foods. “I got traveler’s diarrhea while in Mexico and despite antibiotics, it never went away,” sends me a clear signal to check for parasites.

Source: https://wholehealthchicago.com/2012/06/11/six-commonly-missed-diagnoses-parasites/

Parasites and groin pain

What are parasites?

Parasites are animals or plants which must live on or in another plant or animal to survive (go on living). There are several parasites in the environment and when they get into a person’s body, his/her health can be affected. Some parasites enter the body by way of contaminated food or water and some live on the skin and the hair. Examples of parasites include:

stomach and gut worms (threadworm, hookworm)
skin mites (scabies)
hair and body lice (head lice and crab lice)
protozoa (Giardia)

Most of these parasites cannot be seen without the help of a magnifying glass. Like a microscope, this is another kind of special instrument which makes things look bigger than they really are. Some adult worms are big enough to see without the help of a magnifying glass.
It is often easy to see where parasites have been, such as when they cause rashes on the skin.

Protozoa

Protozoa are tiny single-celled animals which can move about on their own. Protozoa are so small they can only be seen with the help of a microscope and only some of them cause disease in humans. An example of one of these is Giardia lamblia.

Fig. 1.10: Giardia, a disease-causing protozoan.

Worms

Parasitic worms are small animals which can live inside the body. Their eggs are taken into the body, usually by swallowing. The worms then hatch out of the eggs and live in the body. Some types of worm larvae (young worms) can also burrow their way into the body through the skin.
When the worms live in the body they can cause sickness. They may get into the stomach and gut and eat the food before the body has digested it. This means that the body does not get enough nourishment. Sometimes the worms will find their way into other parts of the body, such as the blood or liver. When this happens these parts of the body may not work properly.

Fig. 1.11: Worms

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Mites and lice

These are small animals which affect the skin and hair of the body. They cause the skin, especially the scalp, to become very itchy.

Fig. 1.12: Lice.

5.2 Diseases caused by parasites

Common diseases in Indigenous communities which are caused by parasites are described below.

Giardiasis

This is a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Giardia lamblia getting into the small intestine. Giardia is a single celled animal which is so small it can only be seen with the help of a microscope.

This disease can occur anywhere in Australia and is very common in Indigenous communities. The symptoms (signs) of this disease are:

very severe or chronic (long-lasting) diarrhoea
stomach cramps and pain
fatigue (tiredness)
weakness
weight loss

There is special medicine which can be taken to get rid of Giardia from the body.

Hookworm infection

This is a widespread disease in warm, tropical and sub-tropical places, especially where sewage disposal is inadequate. It is common in the Kimberley and other parts of tropical northern Australia.

Hookworm is a parasitic worm. The adult worm is about 1 cm in length and is about the thickness of a pin.
The worms suck blood from the human host. The disease becomes serious when there are many worms in the intestine sucking blood from the host. When this happens, the host loses too much blood which contains the body’s important nutrients (nourishing food).

This can cause:

the body to become anaemic (pale and weak)
fever
diarrhoea or constipation

In extreme cases hookworm infestation can stop the person from thinking and moving properly. It can also slow down children’s growth.

To get rid of these worms from the body, the person must be treated with special medicine.

Threadworm (or pinworm) infection

This is a disease which can occur in any part of Australia. It is another disease which is caused by a parasitic worm which lives in large numbers in the human intestine.

Threadworm causes anal (bum hole) itching. This can lead to disturbed sleep and can cause people to become grumpy. Excessive scratching can lead to broken skin which may become infected (pus sores).

Threadworms are easily passed from one person to another and frequently whole families or groups become infected.

There is also special medicine to get rid of these worms from the body.

Dwarf tapeworm infection

Dwarf tapeworm is the most common human tapeworm in Australia. It is a parasitic infection of the stomach and intestine.
Infection with this tapeworm can cause:

diarrhoea
stomach pain
weight loss
weakness

There is special medicine which will get rid of these worms from the body.

Scabies infection

This is a skin disease caused by a tiny animal which is called a mite. It is usually about 0.3 mm long. The female burrows into the skin to lay her eggs and this irritates the skin and makes it very itchy. As a result, the person scratches the skin a lot.
If the skin breaks as a result of the scratching, germs can enter the break in the skin and cause an infection. When treating the infection it is important to also get rid of the mites or lice; otherwise the irritations will continue and cause more infections.
To get rid of scabies a specially medicated lotion is used.

Pediculosis (head lice infection)

These tiny bloodsucking animals live their whole life on a person’s head. The lice stab an opening through the skin and suck up blood from the host. This causes irritation. The resulting scratching can lead to broken skin which can become infected.
Special shampoos are used to get rid of head lice. The eggs which are stuck to the hair need to be removed with a special fine-toothed comb.

5.3 Methods on how some important parasites are spread

Giardia

Giardia occur in the intestines of humans. When Giardia are inside the body they can move about quite easily, but they often leave the body as tiny egg-like cysts in faeces.

Infection happens when these cysts are taken back into the body of someone who does not have Giardia in their intestines. Once inside the intestine they become mobile (able to move) again and start to reproduce themselves by dividing and redividing.

Giardia cysts can be passed:

directly by the faecal/oral route from an infected person to one who is not infected
indirectly by taking in the cysts in contaminated water or food when eating or drinking

Hookworm

When hookworms get inside people, they lay their eggs inside the person’s intestines. These eggs get into the soil or water when infected human faeces has been left on the ground or from faulty or broken sewage systems.

Tiny larvae (young worms) will hatch out. If the soil is wet the larvae will develop to a stage where they can infect people. They can survive in wet soil for several weeks and are able to burrow through unbroken skin. This happens when people’s skin comes into contact with water, soil or faeces which is infected with hookworm larvae.

People can become infected with hookworm directly by the ingestion of larvae or by larvae burrowing through the skin.

People in the tropical parts of northern Australia who walk around in contaminated wet places without shoes are very likely to get infected.

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Inside the body the larvae travel through the blood stream to the lungs where they are coughed up and then swallowed. They finally reach the intestines where they develop into adult worms. Adult worms are able to attach themselves to the walls of the intestines. They have hooks around the mouth which allow them to do this. They live there and suck blood from the human host.

Fig. 1.14: How hookworm gets into the body and where it lives in the body.

Threadworm (or pinworm)

These worms look like tiny white threads and live in the intestine. The female worm will travel to the anal opening to lay its eggs on the skin around the anus. It is this activity which causes the itching. The eggs and the worms leave the body in faeces. The eggs hatch when they are taken into the same or another person’s intestine.

The worms or their eggs can be passed from one person to another:

directly through the faecal/oral route from an infected person to one who is not infected
indirectly through contact with contaminated clothing, bedding or food

Dwarf tapeworm

The dwarf tapeworm occurs in the stomach and intestines of humans. The adult tapeworm lays its eggs in the body. The eggs are passed out of the body in the faeces. If these eggs are ingested by other people indirectly or directly, the eggs will hatch in the intestine. The immature worm goes through two further stages of development before it becomes an adult.

Humans become infected with dwarf tapeworms:

directly by touching the mouth with fingers which are contaminated with faeces containing the egg
indirectly by ingesting eggs in contaminated food or water, or by swallowing an insect which has ingested eggs which have then hatched into larvae inside the insect

Roundworms

Roundworms are nematodes and are found in northern parts of Australia and in many tropical countries. Strongyloides stercoralis is a roundworm which causes a life threatening disease called Strongyloidiasis.

People can become infected through contact with soil contaminated by faeces containing the parasite.

People can often get sick where hygiene and sanitation are poor. Infection can be detected with a special blood test and people can be cured with special tablets.

Scabies

These small animals are a type of mite. The female burrows into the skin where it lays its eggs. When the mites hatch they climb out onto the surface of the skin and then enter hair follicles. These are the small openings in the skin which hold the hair roots. The young mites grow into adults in the hair follicles. They then climb out and mate and start the process all over again. It is the burrowing activity of the mites which causes the skin irritation associated with scabies.
Fig. 1.15: Scabies' life cycle
Fig. 1.15: Scabies’ life cycle.

Scabies prefer to live in certain places in the body. These are body creases such as the backs of the knee and elbow and in the armpit and groin.

Fig. 1.16: Scabies rash on the body.

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Scabies can be passed from an infected person to an uninfected person by:

direct contact; or
indirect contact with contaminated clothing or bedding. Infection happens more frequently when people live in overcrowded conditions

Head lice

Adult lice live their whole lives in the hair of a person’s head. The lice stab openings in the skin to suck blood. The eggs of the head lice, which are also called nits, are glued to the hairs on the person’s head. The nits are about 1 mm in size and are whitish in colour. They take about a week to hatch.

The lice can be passed:

directly from person-to-person, such as when small children play or sleep together; or
indirectly through the sharing of infected combs, brushes and hats

While head lice can be killed with special shampoos, the nits are difficult to kill in this way. For this reason, nits must be removed with a special fine toothed comb.

Vitamin A and zinc

Scientists found that vitamin A and zinc supplementation was associated with distinct parasite-specific health outcomes. Vitamin A plus zinc reduces G. lamblia incidence, whereas zinc supplementation increases A. lumbricoides incidence but decreases E. histolytica-associated diarrhea.

Supplementation of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium reduce the risk of infection by invasive diarrheal pathogens.

Supplementation of selenium and copper may help the control of H. contortus.

Healthcare advisory team

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My fee starts at $250 per hour. And I can provide references when needed.

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President

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PO Box 3138 Saratoga CA, 95070
408-854-1883

Low levels of vitamin D in cancer and parasites-infection related health issue

Early signs of disease shows deficiency in vitamin D. Parasites, infections, inflammation, auto-immune disease and cancer shows low levels of vitamin D.

Souce:

Pathogenic mechanisms underlying multiple sclerosis development have yet to be clearly identified, but considerable evidence indicates that autoimmunity plays an important role in the etiology of the disease. It is generally accepted that autoimmune diseases like MS arise from complex interactions between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Although environmental factors unequivocally influencing MS development have yet to be established, accumulating evidence singles out several candidates, including sunlight-UV exposure or vitamin D deficiency, viral infections, hygiene, and cigarette smoking. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with different autoimmune diseases. Several investigations indicate 125 (OH)2 vitamin D plays a critical role in shaping T-cell response and inducing T cells with immunosuppressive properties. Likewise, helminth infections represent another potential environmental factor exerting immunomodulatory properties. Both epidemiological and experimental data provide evidence to support autoimmune down-regulation secondary to parasite infections in patients with MS, through regulatory T- and B-cell action, with effects extending beyond simple response to an infectious agent. Finally, different epidemiological studies have demonstrated that Epstein-Barr virus infection confers added risk of developing MS. Proposed mechanisms responsible for this association include activation and expansion of self-reactive T and B cells, lower threshold for self-tolerance breakdown, and enhanced autoreactive B-cell survival, all to be discussed in this review. Understanding environmental factors influencing propensity to MS will lead to new and more effective approaches to prevent and treat the disease.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26046559

Toxic free home building materials

Working from the exterior in, here are five eco-friendly building materials Marilee strongly recommends over their more common—and chemical-laden—counterparts.

Instead of traditional sheathing . . .

ExtremeGreen Board

Breathability is a huge factor in having healthy walls, Marilee explains—that’s what helps prevent mold. “When a typical frame house is built in the U.S., we have what’s called sheathing, and the standard material for that is exterior-grade plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), and those both contain formaldehyde,” Marilee explains. Instead, Marilee recommends using a product called ExtremeGreen Board, which is made from magnesium oxide. “It has no formaldehyde, will not mold, cannot be eaten by insects, and is fireproof,” she explains.

Instead of traditional insulation . . .

American RockWool

“Finding perfect insulation is not easy because in today’s green building industry, foam is one of the most popular materials—and unfortunately it contains toxic flame retardants,” Marilee explains. Instead, she recommends American RockWool, which is naturally flame resistant, won’t mold, isn’t food for pests (apparently this is a problem with traditional insulations!), doesn’t smell, doesn’t degrade, and won’t damage your lungs like fiberglass.

Instead of traditional drywall . . .

Foreverboard

Made of magnesium oxide—the same mineral behind ExtremeGreen Board, you might remember—Foreverboard won’t get moldy or mildewed, and it’s fireproof and doesn’t smell. “The contractors love it, because it can be cut and used just like drywall,” Marilee says. Plaster is also perfectly acceptable (“a wonderful option,” Marilee says), but if you insist on using drywall, she asks that you at least look for one with no added biocides, a toxic material often added for mold prevention, and having it carefully installed in a way that inhibits moisture.

Instead of traditional joint compounds . . .

Murco M100 and Murco HA100

You might be wondering what in the world a joint compound is—don’t worry, we didn’t know either! Apparently it’s a material required for drywall installation. The ones typically used by contractors are full of SVOCs, which Marilee considers “insidious chemical”” because you can’t smell them and they ride on dust particles to spread all throughout a room. “Wonderful joint compounds that are nontoxic and will go from a textural wall to a full, level-five smooth wall are Murco’s M100 and HA 100,” she says, and the brand also has a great primer. For this step, she recommends referring your contractor to Murco’s chemist—his name is Lonny!—to get some tips on easy application.

*Instead of traditional paints . . . *

ECOS or Envirosafe

If you’re looking for non-toxic synthetic paint, Marilee highly recommends ECOS, as well as EnviroSafe, created by the chemists that make paint for NASA. “It’s interesting because they use purified water and materials from Europe,” she explains. Another alternative is to use an oil-based paint and let the smell completely clear before moving in. “One that’s mineral-based with no biocides is an American paint: RomaBio,” she says.

*Instead of traditional tile mortar . . . *

Kerabond or Versabond

Yes, even your tiling materials need to be considered if you want the build a nontoxic home! “One of the problems with the green building movement is that we have this obsession with mold,” Marilee explains. “So all of these companies are pouring biocides, antifungals, and antimicrobials into products that for years I considered nontoxic . . . installing tile used to be my easiest thing! But now the thinsets and grouts are full of biocides.” Two good biocide-free alternatives she recommends are Kerabond, an unmodified thinset without harmful chemicals, biocides, and latex, and Versabond by Custom Building Products, which contains a mild latex but has no biocides.

*Instead of traditional grout . . . *

Biocide-Free C-Cure AR Grout and Polyblend

Marilee recommends C-Cure AR Grout, which has no latex or biocides, and Polyblend by Custom Building Products, which has no biocides and a mild, fast-curing latex. (The latex decision is up to you!)

Instead of traditional caulk . . .

Non-Toxic Titebond Weathermaster Sealant

“Once a contractor uses Titebond Weather Master sealant, I get a call because they love it so much,” Marilee says. Not only does it hardly smell but it can also be used indoors or out and can fill up gaps up to an inch in diameter—and you can paint right over it immediately, rather than waiting 24 hours for it to dry. Contractors also like it for use in crawl spaces, because traditional caulk can get very toxic in closed quarters like those. Lesson learned: Build green and everybody, even your workers, are safer.

Causes of fast heart beat

Causes

Tachycardia is caused by something that disrupts the normal electrical impulses that control the rate of your heart’s pumping action. Many things can cause or contribute to problems with the heart’s electrical system. These include:

Damage to heart tissues from heart disease
Abnormal electrical pathways in the heart present at birth (congenital heart conditions, including long QT syndrome)
Disease or congenital abnormality of the heart
Anemia
Exercise
Sudden stress, such as fright
High or low blood pressure
Smoking
Fever
Drinking too much alcohol
Drinking too many caffeinated beverages
Medication side effects
Abuse of recreational drugs, such as cocaine
Imbalance of electrolytes, mineral-related substances necessary for conducting electrical impulses
Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

Most common signs and symptoms of health issues

Final signs of death

no pulse
no breathing
relaxed muscles
fixed eyes
no response
a bowel or bladder release
partially shut eyelids

Lung cancer

A cough that doesn’t go away or gets worse
Breathing trouble, like shortness of breath
Coughing up blood
Chest pain
Hoarseness or wheezing
Pneumonia that doesn’t go away or that goes away and comes back

Poisoning

drowsiness
headaches
confusion
severe diarrhea
feeling and being sick

Medication poisoning

diarrhoea
stomach pain
drowsiness, dizziness or weakness
high temperature of 38C (100.4F) or above
chills (shivering)
loss of appetite
headache
irritability
difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
breathing difficulties
producing more saliva than normal
skin rash
blue lips and skin (cyanosis)
burns around the nose or mouth
double vision or blurred vision
mental confusion
seizures (fits)
loss of consciousness
coma, in severe cases

Heart Symptoms

Chest Discomfort. It’s the most common sign of heart danger
Nausea, Indigestion, Heartburn, or Stomach Pain. Some people have these symptoms during a heart attack
Pain that Spreads to the Arm
You Feel Dizzy or Lightheaded
Throat or Jaw Pain
You Get Exhausted Easily
Snoring
Sweating

Metabolic syndrome

Most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome don’t have obvious signs or symptoms. One sign that is visible is a large waist circumference. And if your blood sugar is high, you might notice the signs and symptoms of diabetes — such as increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.

Stomach cancer

Poor appetite
Weight loss (without trying)
Abdominal (belly) pain
Vague discomfort in the abdomen, usually above the navel
A sense of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating a small meal
Heartburn or indigestion
Nausea
Vomiting, with or without blood

Kidney disease

Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Fatigue and weakness
Sleep problems
Changes in how much you urinate
Decreased mental sharpness
Muscle twitches and cramps

Symptoms of chronic pain syndrome

joint pain
muscle aches
burning pain
fatigue
sleep problems
loss of stamina and flexibility, due to decreased activity
mood problems, including depression, anxiety, and irritability

Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Memory loss that disrupts daily life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
New problems with words in speaking or writing

Uterine Fibroids (MedlinePlus)

Heavy or painful periods or bleeding between periods
Feeling “full” in the lower abdomen
Urinating often
Pain during sex
Lower back pain
Reproductive problems, such as infertility, multiple miscarriages, or early labor

Hormonal imbalances in women

heavy, irregular, or painful periods
osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones)
hot flashes and night sweats
vaginal dryness
breast tenderness
indigestion
constipation and diarrhea
acne during or just before menstruation

Growth Hormone Deficiency Symptoms in Adults

Anxiety and/or depression
Baldness (in men)
Decrease in sexual function and interest
Decreased muscle mass and strength
Difficult to concentration and lack of memory
Dry, thin skin
Elevated triglyceride levels
Fatigue and/or tiredness

Digestive tract

Bleeding
Bloating
Constipation
Diarrhea
Heartburn
Incontinence
Nausea and vomiting
Pain in the belly

Liver disease

Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
Abdominal pain and swelling
Swelling in the legs and ankles
Itchy skin
Dark urine color
Pale stool color, or bloody or tar-colored stool
Chronic fatigue
Nausea or vomiting

Leukemia

Fever or chills
Persistent fatigue, weakness
Frequent or severe infections
Losing weight without trying
Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
Easy bleeding or bruising
Recurrent nosebleeds
Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)

Hypothyroidism

Fatigue
Weakness
Intolerance to cold
Muscle aches and cramps
Constipation
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Poor appetite
Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland)

Chronic Stress

Low energy
Headaches
Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
Aches, pains, and tense muscles
Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
Insomnia
Frequent colds and infections
Loss of sexual desire and/or ability

Lymph node inflammation

tender, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin
upper respiratory symptoms, such as a fever, runny nose, or sore throat
limb swelling, which could indicate lymphatic system blockage
night sweats

Chronic fatigue

Fatigue
Loss of memory or concentration
Sore throat
Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits
Unexplained muscle or joint pain
Headaches
Unrefreshing sleep
Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise.

Food poisoning

Upset stomach
Stomach cramps
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fever

Parasites

The most common symptoms and signs of intestinal parasites include:

Digestive problems including unexplained constipation, diarrhea, or persistent gas
Skin problems including unexplained rashes, eczema, or hives
Muscle and joint pain
Fatigue
Lack of satiation after meals
Constant hunger
Teeth grinding during sleep
Anxiety
Itchy skin
Yeast infections
Loss of appetite
Iron deficiency
Itching of the anus or vagina

In home health support services – IHSS Programs

IHSS Programs

There are 4 IHSS programs:

The IHSS Residual (IHSS-R) Program is for people who are not eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal. It provides a maximum of 283 hours of services per month for people with severe disabilities and a maximum of 195 hours for people with disabilities that are not severe.

The Personal Care Services Program (PCSP) is for people withfull-scope Medi-Cal who are:
- Adults who get care services from a parent, or
- Adults who don’t have a spouse to provide services, or
- Children under 18 who don’t have a parent to provide services.

Severely and non-severely disabled people can get up to 283 hours of services per month, including protective supervision.

The IHSS Plus Option (IPO) Program is for people who get services from a spouse or parent (for people under age 18), or who get restaurant meal allowance or advance pay. The program provides a maximum of 195 to 283 hours of services per month, depending on the severity of the impairment.
The Community First Choice Option (CFCO) Program is an alternative for PCSP and IPO recipients. CFCO provides home and community-based attendant services and supports, including help with household chores, personal care services, paramedical services, and protective supervision. Severely and non-severely disabled people can get up to 283 hours of services per month, including protective supervision.

Hours per Week for Services

There are limits on how many IHSS hours can be used for certain services.

IHSS Service Limits
Service	Maximum Hours	Exceptions
Domestic chores	6 hours per month	Children usually are not eligible for IHSS domestic chores
Laundry services	1 hour per week	1.5 hours if you have to use a laundromat
Food shopping	1 hour per week
Other shopping and errands	.5 hours per week

For more information about these service limits, see the IHSS fact sheet on Functional Index Rankings and Hourly Task Guidelines.

Note: If you can show that you need more hours than what is listed above, you may qualify to get it. You must tell your IHSS worker about this additional need during the needs assessment process.

Protective supervision hours will be provided for up to 195 hours per month or 283 hours, depending on the severity of the impairment and the person’s IHSS program.

IHSS for Children

If you’re a child under age 18, you can get IHSS in different ways, depending on your living situation.

If you live with at least one parent, you can pay someone other than your parent to provide IHSS if:

Your parents are absent because of employment, education, or training for vocational purposes.
Your parents are physically or mentally unable to perform the needed services
Your parents are absent because of ongoing medical, dental or other health-related treatment, or
A combination of the above.
Note: If your parents must be absent to go shopping, do other essential errands, or take care of your siblings, you can pay another person for IHSS for up to 8 hours per week.

If you live with at least one parent, your parent can be paid to do IHSS if:

Your parent has no full-time employment or can’t get full-time employment because of the need to provide you with IHSS; and
No other suitable provider is available.
Note: If you don’t get the IHSS your parent is supposed to provide, you may require inappropriate out-of-home placement. That means you wouldn’t live in your own home with your parent anymore.

If you live with both parents, one of your parents can be paid to do IHSS only when:

Your other parent cannot provide the services because they are working, getting an education, or are physically or mentally unable to provide the services.
- If your other parent cannot provide services because they are working or getting an education, the parent providing the services can only get paid for them during the hours when the other parent is working or studying.

IHSS in the Workplace

You can use IHSS personal care services to help you get, keep, or return to work. IHSS that can be performed in the workplace includes meal preparation and cleanup, personal care services (except routine bed baths), and paramedical services. IHSS hours cannot be used for assistance with college courses or vocational training.

To use IHSS personal assistance hours at the workplace, you must first contact your IHSS worker and specify the number of hours and services you need.

Note: You can request to transfer IHSS hours to the workplace but you cannot request additional hours specifically for use at the workplace.

Example

You currently get 80 hours of IHSS for use at your home. You request 20 hours of service for use at your workplace. Your caseworker may approve those 20 hours, but if that happens, you will only get 60 hours of IHSS at home.

Long-Term Care Insurance , get them when you are in your 40s

Long-term care (LTC) coverage helps pay for the high cost of care when you need assistance with the activities of daily living. CalPERS LTC is an optional, employee-paid benefit available to all current and former members (including retirees) and their eligible family members, including:

Children and siblings between the ages of 18 and 79
Parents
Parents-in-law
Spouses
And many additional relatives

Visit the CalPERS LTC website to:

Apply*
Customize a plan and get a quote
Learn about the cost of care
Log in to or register your account

*Eligible family members can apply for CalPERS LTC, even if the active member or retiree does not have coverage.

Contact CalPERS Long-Term Care

Contact CalPERS LTC for questions about:

Existing Coverage
(800) 982-1775

Purchasing New Coverage
(800) 908-9119

Group Long Term Care

Unum no longer markets the sale of new group or individual policies for long term care (LTC) insurance. But if you have Unum LTC coverage, rest assured: We are committed to all current policyholders — now and in the future — with the same benefits, services and support for a period of long term care.

The New York State Partnership for Long Term Care(NYSPLTC) is a special Department of Health program combining private long term care insurance with Medicaid Extended Coverage (MEC). The NYSPLTC helps New Yorkersprepare for the possibility of needing nursing home care, assisted living care or home care.

The Top Ten Long-Term Care Insurance Companies

CLTC Insurance Services
ACSIA Partners
Mutual of Omaha
New York Life
MassMutual
Northwestern Mutual
Genworth Financial
TransAmerica Long–Term Care

Note:

In the bay area, if you do not own a real estate property, try applying for In Home Health Support Services. The county pays $15 per hour for caregivers for homebound seniors.

Could Manipulating the Microbiome Treat Food Allergies?

University of Chicago immunologist Cathryn Nagler began to suspect that the body’s resident bacteria play a role in food allergies almost two decades ago. A handful of studies of germfree mice in the 1980s and ’90s had suggested that bacteria in the gut, or compounds they produce, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), are important in teaching the immune system not to overreact to the foods we eat. But it was a new mouse model of peanut allergy, developed by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York in 2000, that really made Nagler think about whether the gut microbiome might be involved in how humans respond to dietary antigens.

The mouse strain they used, C3H/HeJ, carried a mutation in the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). This protein had recently been shown to mediate immune responses triggered by a bacterial antigen known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the mutant mice were consequently nonresponsive to LPS. But according to the 2000 paper, the animals also exhibited anaphylaxis—a sometimes fatal allergic reaction in people—upon exposure to freshly ground peanuts.

It made Nagler wonder if TLR4—and specifically, the propensity of certain gut bacteria to activate it—was the key to tolerance to dietary antigens. Sure enough, when she treated mice with broad-spectrum antibiotics to deplete their intestinal bacteria, even animals with wildtype TLR4 had severe reactions to food allergens. “That established a role of signaling by bacteria in the gut in regulating responses to food,” she says. “And then all of the studies we’ve done since then, over 15 years, have built on that.”

These days, there is little doubt that the body’s resident bacteria have a big say in how the immune system responds to food allergens. Research into the underlying causes of food allergies has blossomed to parallel the condition’s growing prevalence: an estimated 6 percent of children and up to 10 percent of adults in the US have an allergy to some food. Scientists have identified connections between a person’s microbial makeup and whether or not that person has a food allergy. Microbiome differences also help determine which children will outgrow their food allergies and which won’t, notes Supinda Bunyavanich, a physician scientist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “So it suggests that there is an impact of these microbiota on the clinical outcomes.”

Further research in mice has demonstrated a causal relationship between the microbiome and allergic reactions to food. In January, Nagler and her colleagues published the results of an experiment in which they transferred fecal samples from healthy human infants and from infants with cow’s milk allergy to germfree mice. Control animals that did not receive a fecal transplant, as well as mice that received samples from the allergic babies, became sensitized to the milk protein β-lactoglobulin, developing an allergic response upon repeated exposure to the protein. Mice that had received transplants from healthy infants, on the other hand, tolerated the dietary antigen without any issues.

Exploring the microbiomes of the mice, the researchers identified one particular bacterial species, Anaerostipes caccae, that was significantly reduced in rodents that demonstrated an allergic response to cow’s milk. The team also showed that transferring this species “to germfree mice is sufficient to protect against an allergic response to” cow’s milk, Nagler says.

In June, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital got similar results with a different allergen in a different mouse model. The team found that transplanting fecal material from healthy human babies into their own mouse model of severe egg allergy protected the animals against anaphylaxis, whereas a transplant of fecal material from babies with food allergies provided no such protection. Moreover, they found that feeding allergic mice a consortium of Clostridium or Bacteroides species or even the single species Subdoligranulum variabile was sufficient to provide protection against egg allergy.

“They’re not exactly the same data, but they seem to be very consistent,” study coauthor Rima Rachid, a clinical researcher at Boston Children’s, says of her results and those of Nagler’s group. “We’re very happy, because the science is being validated.”

The mechanisms underlying the bacteria’s effect on response to food allergens appear to be multifaceted. In Rachid’s recent study, the researchers found that the microbes somehow trigger the formation of a type of regulatory T cell called retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma (RoRγ) T cells. If the investigators removed these T cells from their mouse model, the animals had severe reactions to allergen exposure, even after transplants of the protective bacteria. And a study published in May found that germfree or antibiotic-treated mice develop a different type of regulatory T cell that cause elevated level of immunoglobulin E, an antibody that is known to mediate food-allergic reactions. Other work has pointed to a possible role for basophils, immune cells involved in inflammatory responses, and Nagler says she and her colleagues are still working out the role of TLR4.

While researchers continue to untangle these mechanisms, many scientists already have an eye toward microbiome-manipulating interventions for preventing or treating food allergies. Currently, the standard of care for such conditions simply involves avoiding the culpable antigens and being prepared with an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen) and an antihistamine in the event of accidental exposures. Immunotherapy, in which patients are exposed to low, increasing doses of an allergen over time, has recently become an option as well, but it only works for some patients, Rachid notes. “There is really an unmet need here for finding better treatment for food allergy.”

Several clinical trials have tested the effects of probiotic supplementation, with promising but mixed results. “When it comes to probiotics, so far the studies done are not very definitive,” says Rachid. The approach is worth pursuing further, she says, noting that she and her colleagues hope to develop probiotics based on the bacterial species they recently identified as protective against food allergy. At the same time, Rachid is overseeing the first clinical trial for fecal transplant for peanut allergy. “It’s a very interesting approach where you’re trying to change the whole microbiome.” The researchers are currently screening potential trial participants.

“There’s tremendous interest in this,” says Bunyavanich, adding that some of her colleagues have started companies to move such approaches forward. “The fact that food allergies have been rising in recent decades really implores us to try to figure out as much as possible what could be contributing to this.”

Looking for bay area (San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Peninsula) caregivers: Text Motherhealth caregivers at 4088541883

Source: https://www.the-scientist.com

Emergency Room Visit Cost How Much Does an Emergency Room Visit Cost?

Typical costs:

An emergency room visit typically is covered by health insurance. For patients covered by health insurance, out-of-pocket cost for an emergency room visit typically consists of a copay, usually$50-$150 or more, which often is waived if the patient is admitted to the hospital. Depending on the plan, costs might include coinsurance of 10% to 50%.
For patients without health insurance, an emergency room visit typically costs from $150-$3,000 or more, depending on the severity of the condition and what diagnostic tests and treatment are performed. In some cases, especially where critical care is required and/or a procedure or surgery is performed, the cost could reach $20,000 or more. For example, at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in Minnesota, a low-level emergency room visit, such as for a minor laceration, a skin rash or a minor viral infection, costs about $150; a moderate-level visit, such as for a urinary tract infection with fever or a head injury without neurological symptoms, about $400; and a high-level visit, such as for chest pains that require multiple diagnostic tests or treatments, or severe burns or ingestion of a toxic substance, about $1,000, not including the doctor fees. At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center^[1] , a low-level emergency room visit costs about $220, including hospital charge and doctor fee, with the uninsured discount, while a moderate-level visit costs about $610 and a high-level visit about $1,400.
Services, diagnostic tests and laboratory fees add to the final bill. For example, Wooster Community Hospital, in Ohio, charges about $170 for a simple suture, $200 for a complex suture, about $170 for a minor procedure and about $400 for a major procedure, not including doctor fees, medicine or supplies.
A doctor fee could add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the final cost. For example, at Grand Lake Health System^[2] in Ohio, an emergency room doctor charges about $100 for basic care, such as a wound recheck or simple laceration repair; about $300 for mid-level care, such as treatment of a simple fracture; about $870 for advanced-level care, such as frequent monitoring of vital signs and ordering multiple diagnostic tests, administering sedation or a blood transfusion for a seriously injured or ill patient; and about $1,450 for critical care, such as major trauma care or major burn care that could include chest tube insertion and management of IV medications and ventilator for a patient with a complex, life-threatening condition. At the Kettering Health Network, in Ohio, a low-level visit costs about $350, a high-level visit costs about $2,000 and critical care costs almost$1,700 for the first hour and $460 for each additional half hour; ER procedures or surgeries cost$460-$2,300.
According to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality^[3] the average emergency room expense in 2008 was $1,265.

Related articles: Ambulance, Air Ambulance, Broken Arm, Broken Foot, Health Insurance

What should be included:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008, about 18%of emergency room patients waited less than 15 minutes to see a doctor, about 37%waited 15 minutes to an hour, about 15% waited one to two hours, about 5% waited two to three hours, about 2% waited three to four hours, and about 1.5% waited four to six hours.
In some cases, the doctor might recommend the patient be admitted to the hospital. The American College of Emergency Physicians Foundation offers a guide^[4] on what to expect.

Additional costs:

An ambulance ride typically costs $400-$1,200 or more, depending on the location and services performed.

Discounts:

An urgent care center offers substantial savings for more minor ailments. DukeHealth.org offers a guide^[5] on when to seek urgent care. An urgent care visit typically costs between 20% and 50% of the cost of an emergency room visit. MainStreetMedica.com offers a cost-comparison tool for common ailments.
Hospitals often offer discounts of up to 50% or more for self-pay/uninsured emergency room patients. For example, Ventura County Medical Center^[6] in California offers ER visits, including the doctor fee and emergency room fee but not including lab tests, X-rays or procedures, for $150 for patients up to 200% of the federal poverty level, for $225 for patients between 200% and 500% of the federal poverty level and $350 for patients from 500% to 700% of the federal poverty level.

Shopping for an emergency room visit:

The American College of Emergency Physicians Foundation offers a primer^[7] on when to go to the emergency room.
In most cases, it is recommended to go to the nearest emergency room. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a hospital-comparison tool^[8] that lists hospitals near a chosen zip code.

Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.

Needless medical tests not only cost $200 billion, they can do harm

It’s common knowledge in medicine: Doctors routinely order tests on hospital patients that are unnecessary and wasteful. Sutter Health, a giant hospital chain in Northern California, thought it found a simple solution.

The Sacramento-based health system deleted the button physicians used to order repetitive daily blood tests. “We took it out and couldn’t wait to see the data,” said Ann Marie Giusto, a Sutter Health executive.

Alas, the number of orders hardly changed. That’s because the hospital’s medical-records software “has this cool ability to let you save your favorites,” Giusto said at a recent presentation to other hospital executives and physicians. “It had become a habit.”

There are plenty of opportunities to trim waste in America’s $3.4 trillion health care system — but, as the Sutter example illustrates, it’s often not as simple as it seems.

At least $200 billion is wasted annually on excessive testing and treatment, according to an estimate by the Institute of Medicine, now called the National Academy of Medicine. This overly aggressive care also can harm patients, generating mistakes and injuries that are thought to cause 30,000 deaths each year.

“The changes that need to be made don’t appear unrealistic, yet they seem to take an awful lot of time,” said Dr. Jeff Rideout, chief executive of the Integrated Healthcare Association, an Oakland, California, nonprofit group that promotes quality improvement. “We’ve been patient for too long.”

Progress may be slow — but there have been some encouraging signs. In San Diego, for instance, the Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group said it cut unnecessary lab tests by more than 10%.

A large public hospital, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, eliminated preoperative testing that was deemed superfluous before routine cataract surgery. As a result, patients got into surgery six months sooner, on average.

These efforts were sparked by the Choosing Wisely campaign, a national effort launched in 2012 by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation. The group asked medical societies to identify at least five common tests or procedures that often provide little benefit.

The campaign, also backed by Consumer Reports, encourages medical providers to hand out wallet-sized cards to patients with questions they should ask to ascertain whether they truly need a procedure.

Critics have knocked Choosing Wisely for playing it too safe and not going after some of the more lucrative procedures, such as certain spine operations and arthroscopic knee surgeries.

Daniel Wolfson, chief operating officer at the ABIM Foundation, said the Choosing Wisely campaign has been successful at starting a national conversation about unwarranted care. “I think we need massive change and that takes 15 years,” Wolfson said.

For patients, overtreatment can be more than a minor annoyance. Galen Gunther, a 59-year-old from Oakland, said that during treatment for colorectal cancer a decade ago, he was subjected needlessly to repeated blood draws, often because the doctors couldn’t get their hands on earlier results. Later, he said, he was overexposed to radiation, leaving him permanently scarred.

“Every doctor I saw wanted to run the same tests, over and over again,” Gunther said. “Nobody wanted to take responsibility for that.”

At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, officials said that economic incentives still drive hospitals to think more is better.

“We have excellent patient outcomes, but it’s at a very high cost,” said Dr. Harry Sax, executive vice chairman for surgery at Cedars-Sinai. “There is still a continued financial incentive to do that test, do that procedure and do something more.”

In addition to financial motives, Sax said, many physicians still practice defensive medicine out of fear of malpractice litigation. Also, some patients and their families expect antibiotics to be prescribed for a sore throat or a CT scan for a bump on the head.

To cut down on needless care, Cedars-Sinai arranged for doctors to be alerted electronically when they ordered tests or drugs that run contrary to 18 Choosing Wisely recommendations.

The hospital analyzed alerts from 26,424 patient encounters from 2013 to 2016. All of the guidelines were followed in 6% of those cases, or 1,591 encounters.

Cedars-Sinai studied the rate of complications, readmissions, length of stay and direct cost of care among the patients in whose cases the guidelines were followed, Sax said. It compared those outcomes with cases where adherence was less than 50%.

In the noncompliant group, patients had a 14% higher incidence of readmission and 29% higher risk of complications. Those complications and longer stays increased the cost of care by 7%, according to the hospital.

Cedars-Sinai said it avoided $6 million in medical spending in 2013, the first year of implementation of Choosing Wisely guidelines.

In Northern California, Sutter has incorporated more than 130 Choosing Wisely recommendations as part of a broader effort to reduce variation in care. In all, Sutter said it has saved about $66 million since 2011.

For her part, Giusto meets with Sutter doctors to present them with data on how many tests or prescriptions they order and how that compares to others. At one clinic, she shared slides showing that some doctors were ordering more than 70 opioid pills at a time when others prescribed fewer than 20. In response, Sutter set a goal of 28 tablets in hopes of reducing opioid abuse.

“Most of the physicians changed,” said Giusto, director of Sutter’s office of patient experience. “But there were still two who said, ‘Screw it. I’m going to keep doing it.'”

Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit health newsroom whose stories appear in news outlets nationwide, is an editorially independent part of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Looking for bay area (San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Peninsula) caregivers: Text Motherhealth caregivers at 4088541883

Sources: https://money.cnn.com

Yearly Costs of Chronic Pain Exceed Those of Cancer, Heart Disease, and Diabetes

The annual cost of chronic pain is as high as $635 billion a year, which is more than the yearly costs for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, say health economists from Johns Hopkins University in this month’s The Journal of Pain.

The researchers estimated the annual economic costs of chronic pain in the United States by assessing incremental costs of health care due to pain and the indirect costs of pain from lower productivity. They compared the costs of health care for people with chronic pain with those who do not report chronic pain. The authors defined people with pain as those who have pain that limits their ability to work, are diagnosed with joint pain or arthritis, or have a disability that limits capacity for work.

Data from the 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was used to gauge the economic burden of pain. The sample included 20,214 individuals 18 and older to represent 210.7 million US adults.

Results showed that mean health care expenditures for adults were $4,475. Prevalence estimates for pain conditions were 10% for moderate pain, 11% for severe pain, 33% for joint pain, 25% for arthritis, and 12% for functional disability. Persons with moderate pain had health care expenditures $4,516 higher than someone with no pain, and individuals with severe pain had costs $3,210 higher than those with moderate pain. Similar differences were found for other pain conditions: $4,048 higher for joint pain, $5,838 for arthritis, and $9,680 for functional disabilities.

Also, adults with pain reported missing more days from work than people without pain. Pain negatively impacted 3 components of productivity—work days missed, number of annual hours worked, and hourly wages.

Based on their analysis of the data, the authors determined that that the total cost for pain in the United States ranged from $560 to $635 billion. Total incremental costs of health care due to pain ranged from $261 to $300 billion, and the value of lost productivity ranged from $299 to $334 billion. Compared with other major disease conditions, the per-person cost of pain is lower but the total cost is higher.

The authors noted their conclusions are conservative because the analysis did not consider the costs of pain for institutionalized and noncivilian populations, for persons under 18, and for caregivers.

Looking for bay area (San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Peninsula) caregivers: Text Motherhealth caregivers at 4088541883

Source: https://www.apta.org

408-854-1883 starts at $30 per hr home care

Soon

Soon

Symptoms

Trichinella cysts

Possibly no signs or symptoms

Initial signs and symptoms

Later signs and symptoms

What are parasites?

Protozoa

Worms

Mites and lice

5.2 Diseases caused by parasites

Giardiasis

Hookworm infection

Threadworm (or pinworm) infection

Dwarf tapeworm infection

Scabies infection

Pediculosis (head lice infection)

5.3 Methods on how some important parasites are spread

Giardia

Hookworm

Threadworm (or pinworm)

Dwarf tapeworm

Roundworms

Scabies

Head lice

Vitamin A and zinc

ExtremeGreen Board

American RockWool

Foreverboard

Murco M100 and Murco HA100

ECOS or Envirosafe

Kerabond or Versabond

Biocide-Free C-Cure AR Grout and Polyblend

Non-Toxic Titebond Weathermaster Sealant

Causes

Final signs of death

Lung cancer

Poisoning

Medication poisoning

Heart Symptoms

Metabolic syndrome

Stomach cancer

Kidney disease

Symptoms of chronic pain syndrome

Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Uterine Fibroids (MedlinePlus)

Hormonal imbalances in women

Growth Hormone Deficiency Symptoms in Adults

Digestive tract

Liver disease

Leukemia

Hypothyroidism

Chronic Stress

Lymph node inflammation

Chronic fatigue

Food poisoning

Parasites

IHSS Programs

Hours per Week for Services

IHSS for Children

IHSS in the Workplace

Long-Term Care at Calpers

Contact CalPERS Long-Term Care

Group Long Term Care

It’s common knowledge in medicine: Doctors routinely order tests on hospital patients that are unnecessary and wasteful. Sutter Health, a giant hospital chain in Northern California, thought it found a simple solution.