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Earaches can result from a wide range of conditions, some as simple as the common cold and others more serious, such as brain or eye problems. Most of the time, it’s no cause for worry. However, many people find the discomfort distracting and look for ways to alleviate it, even temporarily. There are several ways to go about this and many have been proven effective, although not all are guaranteed to work for everyone.

Antibiotics are perhaps the most common of earache remedies. Naturally, they work best when the pain is caused by an infection of the ear or some other organ, such as the sinuses. But the reason many people find it effective is that they are often coupled with analgesics, or pain relievers. Using antibiotics for earaches can therefore get in the way of diagnosis. When you’re not sure what’s causing the pain, or if you’re already taking antibiotics for something else, you may want to find another solution.

Some people prefer home remedies to combat earache. These remedies vary greatly, and some are more scientifically sound than others. The simplest and least invasive is a warm compress. This can be as simple as pressing a warm cloth over the ear and surrounding area for a few minutes. Sometimes this will eliminate the earache altogether, especially if the cause is physical (such as pressure or impact).

If the ear is inflamed, garlic and mullein flower oil can be used to bring down the swelling. Garlic is known to …

written by madamejune

Just like the temperature, the number of runners on the streets goes noticeably down in the fall and winter. People tend to think of cold weather as a sedentary period, an excuse to stay in and fight off the chills. But the unsurprising truth is that people need to stay active throughout the year, and in some ways even more so when it’s cold. After all, few things warm you up better than working up a sweat. If it helps, think of it as preemptive measures to make up for all that hot chocolate.

Most people associate exercise with the outdoors, so going to the gym just doesn’t cut it. For one thing, some find that treadmills and spinners are poor imitations of grass, pavement and fresh air. For another, many gyms require a one-year membership when one can exercise outdoors for free for half of the year. But it may be worth checking out—perhaps individual sessions aren’t that much more expensive if you go twice a week and don’t work with a personal trainer. University and high school gyms may also offer lower rates, although the latter may have fewer facilities.

That being said, try to keep your routine for as long as you’re able to. Invest in cold-weather gear such as a fleece sweater, thick socks, and thermal tops so you can adapt to the weather. While you’ll reach your limit eventually, it’ll allow you to enjoy the outdoors longer. Keep doing this year after year and you’ll …

written by madamejune

Ayurveda is an Indian science that places importance in five basic elements: earth, air, fire, water, and ether (the space in which everything exists). Practitioners believe that these elements are found on earth as well as the human body, and that they must always exist in balance. Natural disasters are believed to be caused by disruptions of this balance, and disease comes from a similar disturbance in the body.

The concept has been widely applied in alternative medicine, and in recent years has even found its way to cancer patients. Ayurvedic treatment for cancer differs from traditional treatment in that it’s largely about rejuvenating the affected cells, rather than killing them (as chemotherapy and radiotherapy do). It’s a known fact that these treatments kill healthy cells alongside the cancerous ones, causing numerous side effects. By applying a gentler hand to these cells, according to advocates, Ayurveda not only eliminates discomfort, but also improves one’s overall well-being.

The science behind Ayurvedic treatment stems from evolution, which states that when an organism (such as a cell) is no longer able to survive in its environment, it responds by changing its form. The same thing happens when a cell becomes cancerous, according to Ayurveda. Doctors know for a fact that cancer cells develop from a mutation in the cell’s genetic makeup, but aren’t sure whether the cause is genetic, environmental, or a combination of both.

Ayurvedic treatment is made up of three elements: diet, medicine, and Panchakarma. Patients are put on a diet …

written by madamejune

Physical therapy assistants are one of the many allied healthcare jobs on the rise in the face of high demand for medical care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this field is expected to grow above the average rate, and qualified workers have excellent job prospects. The median wage in 2008 was $46,146 per year, with the highest bracket earning upwards of $63,000. The lowest earners were paid around $28,000 that year.

As the name suggests, a physical therapy assistant helps a physical therapist deliver services to patients. This can involve teaching patients how to use support devices, offering tips on rehabilitative exercise, and administering procedures such as electrical stimulation and massage. They also record patient progress and responses, and write up reports for the therapist. This sets them apart from physical therapist aides, who do mostly physical work (such as transporting patients between rooms) and clerical work (such as answering phones and distributing forms).

In most areas, physical therapist assistants are legally required to have at least an associate degree in the field. The program takes about two years and includes a mix of on-the-job experience and academic courses. Students learn anatomy, physiology, and psychology alongside general education courses such as English and algebra. Hands-on training requires clinical work, where students are introduced to first aid, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and emergency field treatment. They are also taught on-the-job skills such as interpersonal relations and counseling.

Physical therapy assistant schools are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation …

written by madamejune

Upon finishing a bachelor’s degree, most graduates are faced with two options: jump into the job market, or pursue further studies. The economic crunch in the last three years hasn’t helped settle the score, either. There are those who think that since job prospects are dim, they’re better off beefing up their resumes with master’s degrees while waiting for things to level out. Others figured there was no use sinking further into student debt, and started sending out applications by the dozen.

This reignites an older question. Does it make more sense to work in the academe or the industry? Should you start cashing in on all those skills you spent the last four years developing, or stay in school and help people who are still on their way? There are pros and cons to both sides, and at the end of the day the only one who can make the decision is you. In most fields, however, you have five things to consider:

Choice: As a university researcher or professor, you usually get to choose your subjects. You get a bit of this freedom researching for a private company, but there’s more pressure to get results, whether it’s a concept or a product—and there are professional relations to consider.

Money: Much of the work in academia goes to getting your work funded. It can get very competitive, especially in up-and-coming fields like computer science and physics. In the corporate world, your employer is your financier, and the …

written by madamejune

Changes to the breast are normal over the course of a woman’s life, and are usually no cause for concern. But sometimes, a thickening of breast tissue or skin can signal a more serious condition. If you’re fairly healthy and have no known history of breast disease, the chances are small—but a checkup can catch the problem if there is one and keep it from getting worse.

Breast thickening may be accompanied by a mild or sharp pain, or just general discomfort. Skin thickening may appear as a lump on the surface that’s easily felt, and may cause some itching. Tissue thickening can occur close to the surface or further in, the discomfort can increase when you move. It may feel like a lump that moves around, or just an area that feels denser than the rest of the breast.

Swollen lymph nodes can accompany breast thickening or be mistaken for it. Common reasons include reactions from breastfeeding, hormonal changes, or even just stress. If it persists, however, or of the pain gets more intense, you should see a doctor right away. Other possible causes include:

Fibrocystic changes: This refers to a change in your tissue due to hormonal shifts, which in turn can be caused by pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, or a new medication. These are common in women aged 35 to 50 and may be accompanied by tenderness and small, harmless lumps. Some women experience this every menstrual cycle.

Fibroadenoma: It sounds serious, but a fibroadenoma is just a …

written by madamejune

Medical billing and coding is one of the many industries that cropped up with the rise of outsourcing. As hospitals in developed countries struggle in a weak economy, they cut down on labor costs by passing whatever work they can to contractors instead of a full-time staff. Medical billers and coders work on the administrative side, either from home or in-house, keeping track of bills, treatments, and prescriptions using industry-specific codes.

In the U.S., the average medical billing and coding salary ranges from $30,000 to $50,000 per year. This depends largely on the conditions of your work—whether you work from home or at the hospital, how big the organization is, and whether you have health insurance and other benefits provided. Medical coding and transcription are usually the highest-paid sectors, as they’re more specialized. A medical records coding technician can make around $45,000 a year working full-time. Medical billing is less lucrative—a clerk whose job mostly involves office paperwork usually makes less than $35,000.

Although the levels of specialization vary, medical billing and coding require the same basic knowledge. Both involve learning medical codes, either to send accurate invoices to insurance companies or to work more directly with insurance agents. This takes anywhere from six months to several years of training, depending on how specialized you want to get. For example, transcriptionists often work from audio files recorded by doctors, who are often too busy to write things down themselves. This obviously calls for better attention to detail, which is why …

written by madamejune

Scientists have long known that smoking suppresses appetite, although the mechanism behind it wasn’t clearly pinned down until recently. As a result, people who quit smoking tend to gain weight as their bodies adjust to the new lifestyle, and they become hungrier on average than their smoking peers.

This has of course become a major roadblock in quitting smoking. As if quitting weren’t hard enough by itself, it turns out that it can make you fat—although the benefits no doubt outweigh a little weight gain. Thankfully, new research suggests there may be a way to kick the habit without the extra pounds.

A recent study by Yale School of Medicine scientists showed how nicotine, an active ingredient in cigarettes, works to suppress hunger in smokers. This can pave the way for the creation of a new drug which would stave off cravings in new quitters, helping them quit without gaining weight.

The researchers found that nicotine activates a group of neurons in the hypothalamus, a small part of the brain that controls several functions, including hunger. These neurons then send a signal that the body is full. Nicotine appears to work by activating a different set of receptors, rather than the ones responsible for cigarette cravings.

The initial goal was to isolate the function of the brain’s nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which appeared to be nicotine’s main target. The scientists tried a depression drug that had earlier proven effective on these receptors, and found that mice that were given the drug …

written by madamejune

For all their economic power, First World countries aren’t exactly known for cheap healthcare. Many get particularly bad marks in dental coverage. But what’s bad news for the middle class is a boon to dentists in Eastern Europe, where dental tourism is just taking off.

In Hungary, for example, the industry generates a cool 227 million euros every year. That’s 40% of the European market. And it doesn’t end there: the country has announced it will expand its dental tourism programs over the next three years, with the goal of doubling its revenue.

In a statement last May, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said dental tourism was the country’s most valuable tool for getting back on its feet. He promised to invest heavily in the field, striving to provide higher standards of care and offering up incentives to keep its top dentists at home.

Turkey is also an emerging destination for cheap dental care. In the next three years, the country’s medical and dental tourism markets are expected to grow 26% with the help of increased spending in both the public and private sectors. The government aims in particular to attract a North American market, banking on its hospitals’ ties with prestigious American institutions such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins.

Medical tourism, on the other, remains concentrated on the other side of the Atlantic. Costa Rica has risen in the last few years from providing little more than cosmetic surgery to offering spinal cord surgery, cancer treatment, cardiology, and orthopedic. …

written by madamejune

More women are gunning for lucrative medical careers these days, although their male colleagues make almost $17,000 more when they enter the job market, Reuters reported earlier this year.

The pay gap has existed for a long time, but it has widened significantly in the last ten years. Female doctors made only $3,600 less than their male counterparts in 1999, but the difference had gone up to $16,819 by 2008, according to a study at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public Health.

The findings aren’t all that surprising, according to the study’s head, Anthony Lo Sasso. Female doctors tend to opt for lower-paying jobs, usually in primary care, or simply work fewer hours, he said in a public statement.

What comes as a surprise, Lo Sasso said, is that the starting salary gap is still disconcertingly large even if we take into account the hours, the specialization, and other factors. For one thing, he pointed out, the pay differences exist equally in primary care and specialty fields.

Indeed, the preference for primary care fields, which include pediatrics and family medicine, has gone down from 1999 to 2008. While about half of women finishing med school or training went into primary care in 1999, only about 30% did so in 2008, approximately the same ratio as male doctors.

In an interview with Reuters, Lo Sasso admitted the salary differences were unexpected, and that they couldn’t as yet explain why—there are no observable characteristics unique to female doctors that …

written by madamejune