Radiology

Benefits Of Visiting A Dentist In Northern Virginia

Today many Americans have excellent oral health and are keeping their natural teeth throughout their lives. But everyone does not have healthy teeth. Cavities are still the prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Most of the people believe that they need to visit a dentist only if they think something is wrong or suffer in pain, but actually, they are missing the bigger picture. A visit to a dentist in Northern Virginia means diagnosing and treating conditions that can range from routine to complex.Team WorkThe team approach to dentistry helps in promoting continuity of care that is convenient, comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective. Members of the team include dental hygienists, lab technicians, and dental assistants. The team is led by a dentist who specializes in oral health and has a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).Role of the DentistDentists are doctors who have expertise in oral health. Their responsibilities include• Monitor development and growth of the jaws and teeth• Interpret diagnostic tests and x-rays• Perform surgical procedures on bone, teeth and soft tissues of the oral cavity• Ensure safe administration of anesthetics• Create treatment plans to restore or maintain the oral health of their patients• Promote disease prevention and oral health• Diagnose oral diseasesDentists’ oversight of his team is crucial to ensure effective and safe oral care. Even routine procedures like administering anesthetics, preparing and placing fillings, or extracting tooth carries risks of complications like prolonged bleeding, temporary or permanent nerve damage, infection, pain and hematomas.More than Gums and TeethThe areas of care for a dentist in Northern Virginia include not only their patients’ gums and teeth but also include salivary glands, the tongue, the nervous system of the neck and head, muscles of the jaw, neck, and head and many other areas. At the time of comprehensive test, dentists examine the gums and teeth and also look for discolorations, swellings, lumps as well as ulcerations. If a major problem occurs, they conduct procedures like screening tests for oral cancer, biopsies, salivary gland function, and diagnostic tests for infectious or chronic diseases. Moreover, the dentists can detect early warning signs in your mouth that may indicate disease in other parts of the body. Their training enables them to recognize situations that warrant referring patients for care by dental physicians or specialists.Why Oral Health Should MatterRecent scientific studies point out associations between various general health conditions and oral health, including heart disease and diabetes. The World Health Organization has integrated oral health into its efforts for preventing chronic disease “as the risks to health are interconnected. “ The American Dental Association states that a visit to the dentist must start after a child’s first birthday for establishing a dental home. Dentists in Northern Virginia provide guidance to parents and children, diagnose and treat dental problems in its earliest stages and deliver preventive oral health services. The ongoing dental checkup will aid both adults and children maintain optimum oral health throughout their lives.

Mesothelioma Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Mesotheliomais a kind of cancer that is always caused by disclosure to asbestos dust in the past. This type of lung cancer grows in the mesothelium.

Symptoms

  • Chest Pain (43%)
  • Chronic coughing that worsens over time (35%)
  • Shortness of breath (31%)
  • Coughing up blood
  • Exhaustion (18%)
  • Lung infection
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Loss of appetite and weight (38%)

Diagnose

  • X-RAYS
  • CT SCAN (Computed Topography)
  • MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
  • PET SCAN (Positron Emission Tomography)
  • BIOPSY

Types

  • Pleural Mesothelioma
  • Peritoneal Mesothelioma
  • Benign Mesothelioma

Treatment

  • Surgery
  • Radiation
  • Chemotherapy
  • Immunotherapy

Parkinson’s Disease: Its Over Diagnosis And Under Diagnosis

In this era of genuinely marvelous, high-tech, medical devices, it is sometimes surprising that certain diseases are still diagnosed “clinically,” meaning that the clinician makes the call based on just the story of symptoms and the physical exam. Parkinson’s disease is one such disease. There is no “Parkinson scan” or “Parkinson blood-test” to rely upon. MRI scans, CT scans and blood tests are usually normal in people with this disease.

Of course, once upon a timebefore scans and blood-tests even existedthis is how all diagnoses were made. So, in a sense, diagnosing Parkinson’s disease gets back to the very roots of what doctors are supposed to do. But when there are no corroborative tests available to prove or disprove a diagnosis, even the doctor sometimes gets it wrong.

Before delving into the challenges of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, let’s first consider what is known about this condition.In 1817 James Parkinson, an English surgeon and apothecary, published a classic, short book entitled “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy.” In it, Parkinson identified a consistent pattern of physical abnormalities in six patients he had examined. Although people with identical abnormalities had doubtlessly been around for thousands of years, Parkinson was the first to recognize this pattern of abnormalities as a distinct condition. For this important achievement, the disease was eventually named for him.

In the book’s opening sentence Parkinson wasted no time in laying out prominent features of this disease: “Involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power, in parts [of the body] not in action and even when supported; with a propensity to bend the trunk forwards, and to pass from a walking to a running pace: the senses and intellects being uninjured.”

Subsequently, scientists discovered that degeneration of a limited group of brain cells containing the chemical transmitter dopamine was responsible for these clinical changes. (The group of brain cells involved is too slight to show up on brain scans in all but the most advanced of cases.) In 1967, levodopa (one of two ingredients in brand-name Sinemet) a drug the body can convert into dopamine, was found helpful in alleviating many of the symptoms. Later, other drugs (dopamine agonists) were created that improved symptoms by mimicking the action of the missing dopamine. These include bromocriptine (brand name Parlodel), pergolide (Permax), pramipexole (Mirapex) and ropinirole (Requip). To date, there are no treatments that reliably stop or reverse the underlying disease-process.

As a condition that affects about one percent of people over the age of 60, Parkinson’s disease is usually on the radar screen of patients and doctors alike when new symptoms are present that suggest the disease. That other conditions can resemble it was not news to James Parkinson who devoted a chapter of his 1817 book to “Shaking palsy distinguished from other diseases with which it may be confounded.”In my consultation practice of neurology, I see both over-diagnosis and under-diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The problem usually centers on one of the most visible of symptoms, the tremor. When tremor of the hands is present, doctors often diagnose Parkinson’s disease, even when another condition is to blame. When tremor is absent, doctors often fail to consider Parkinson’s disease, even when it is present. One key to accurate diagnosis is to focus on the characteristics of the tremor itself. The Parkinsonian tremor usually affects one hand first, and at all stages of the disease the initially affected hand remains more tremulous than the other hand. And, as Parkinson himself emphasized, the tremor is most evident when the hand is at rest or supported, and decreases when the hand is in the air or put to use. In other conditions that cause hand-tremors, the hands are more equally affected, and the tremor is more evident when the hands are in the air or put to use.

What about cases in which no tremor is present? Because symptoms of Parkinson’s disease worsen slowlyyear by year instead of month by monthpatients and their families often mistake these changes as due to normal, healthy aging. Non-tremor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can include relative immobility of body-parts (hypokinesia), especially of the face which can show a mask-like lack of expression. Movements, once initiated, are slow (bradykinesia). Walking, as James Parkinson noted, involves a bent-forward posture with shuffling, short steps and reduced swinging of the arms. Sometimes the body’s center of gravity gets ahead of the feet’s ability to catch up, resulting in the passing “from a walking to a running pace” that Parkinson described and is known as festination.

The physical exam also shows clumsiness in hands and feet. Increased muscle tone, called “rigidity,” is encountered in the patient’s neck and arm muscles, even while they are supposed to be relaxed.

Patients who have Parkinson’s disease without tremor are often the most gratifying cases to treat. Having developed their problems slowly and having believed all along that their symptoms were due to aging, they are happily astonished by the rapid improvement in function produced by appropriate medication.

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

How To Build A Medical Startup: A Useful Resource Guide

The Ultimate Resource List in Healthcare Technology

Halfof the world’s population lacks essential healthcare services, as reported by the World Bank and World Health Organization. The number ofdeaths from poor-quality careexceeds deaths from AIDs and diabetes. Technology exists to transform healthcare. But despite the promise technology holds, the healthcare industry is slow to embrace it because healthcare ecosystems are bureaucratic and stifling.

However, innovation in healthcare is happening faster than most people realize. Individuals who decided to build a medical startup were able to raise$9.5billion in funding in 2018. Sooner or later, we’ll witness a massive adoption of healthcare technology globally.Entering the healthcare market is complex. The presence of players such as insurance companies, governments, and regulatory bodies — which influence prices and policies — creates considerable friction. Additionally, many solutions fail to address real pain points of consumers.

To see what the HealthTech landscape looks like and empower you as a healthcare entrepreneur, we’ve created the ultimate resource guide with a selection of articles, case studies, statistics, and more. This guide addresses issues in regard to healthcare technology and reveals best practices to cover blind spots you might have.

What are the top healthcare apps today?

Digital health is not a myth, it’s a reality. The best medical apps are winning over doctors and patients alike because they assist in diagnosis, treatment, and well-being, enabling patient-centric care. Jump to the section below to learn about healthcare startups, mobile health apps, and the features that attract users.Read more – Healthcare app development

Basics Of A Dental Cleaning Or Scaling

Asimple cleaning is when there is little or no build up of calculus, but maybe there is some discoloration such as yellowing stains.Coronalpolishing (prophylaxis) takes care of that by buffing the stains away with a rubber cup and a polishing paste. This process leaves your Teeth Feeling completely smooth and incredibly clean. Coronal polishing is also final stage when someone gets their teeth scaled.

Scaling and Root Planning (a deep root cleaning below the gums) is a process where the doctor or dental hygienist carefully Remove heavy calculus. We recommended that you get x-rays every 6 months so we can check to see if there is any build up that is latched to your teeth below the gums. This will help us greatly in efforts to inform patients on possible bone loss.

No matter which cleaning type you require we provide the most comfortable cleaning experience possible. Dr. Rana or our hygienist will go over the best treatment plan perfectly fit for your needs.

At our office we use a state of the art cleaning device called an ultrasonicscaler. Say “good-bye” to the dental tools that scrap, poke, and tug on your gums and teeth! The ultrasonicscaleris an effective way to clean your teeth in half the time by using water vibrations. The water comes from the tip of thescalerthat cools off the generated heat cause by the ultrasonicscalerpowerfrequency which is where you get the powerful cleaning action! Sounds pretty cool, right?

Here are a few GREAT reasons as to why keeping a healthy mouth is more important than you think:

  • Prevent Halitosis (Bad Breath) – No one wants bad breath!
  • Prevent Oral Cancer – Especially if you use tobacco.
  • Prevent Gum Disease or Gingivitis
  • Prevent Heart Attacks or Strokes
  • To have a Perfect Smile!
  • To keep ORIGINAL teeth.

Remember, if you get your routine cleanings everySIXmonths we can stop heavy calculus which causes gum disease. Remember, x-rays are very important too!