The Secret of Health

Spinal stenosis is a disorder, which impacts the space in your spine over time. The narrowing of the spinal space could compress or irritate your spinal cord or nerve roots with time, causing pain. The expert staff at Pacific Sports and Spine employs sophisticated technologies and techniques to diagnose and treat spinal stenosis in Eugene, Oregon; thus, relieving your pain. If you are struggling with spinal stenosis, arrange an appointment to explore your care alternatives by calling the office or book online.

What Exactly Is Spinal Stenosis?

A narrowing of the room in your spine is referred to as spinal stenosis. This narrowing could constrict the space surrounding your nerve roots and spinal cord, compressing or irritating the nerves; hence causing pain.

The narrowing of your spine is most commonly caused by osteoarthritis, a type of wear-and-tear arthritis, which happens with aging.

Spinal stenosis can happen in any part of the spine, but it is most common in the lumbar and cervical spines.

What Exactly Are the Signs and Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis?

The position of the narrowing in the spine could affect the symptoms of spinal stenosis.

v  Cervical spinal stenosis

If you have cervical spinal stenosis, you could experience mild to severe neck pain. You could also have issues with balance, walking, or hand coordination.

Additional pain symptoms entail upper extremity weakness and discomfort, as well as tingling and numbness feelings that go down your upper back or arm.

v  Lumbar spinal stenosis

Symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis encompass mild to significant lower back discomfort. Narrowing in the lumbar spine can also result in sciatica, characterized by radiating pain in the leg.

If you suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis, you could also realize that your symptoms worsen while standing or walking and ease while lying down.

Not everybody suffering from spinal stenosis experiences symptoms. Nonetheless, if you are experiencing symptoms, please call Pacific Sports and Spine for an examination.

What Could You Anticipate From a Consultation for Spinal Stenosis?

Whenever you come in for a spinal stenosis evaluation at Pacific Sports and Spine, you should anticipate a patient-centered and extensive assessment.

Throughout your consultation, your specialist will evaluate your symptoms, surgical and medical history and conduct a physical examination. They could also perform various tests to evaluate the functionality and strength of your extremities.

To examine the degree of your spinal stenosis, the staff could recommend diagnostic imaging, including an MRI or X-rays.

What Is the Treatment for Spinal Stenosis?

Pacific Sports and Spine develops personalized care regimens for spinal stenosis depending on the area of the narrowing, the degree of your symptoms, and your general wellness.

At first, the doctors could suggest conservative treatments, including:

v  Chiropractic manipulation

v  Steroid injections

v  Anti-inflammatory drugs

v  Acupuncture

v  Physiotherapy

If your spinal stenosis is resulting in tremendous disability and pain, your doctor could propose surgery.

Pacific Sports and Spine is a spine surgery practice that focuses on minimally invasive procedures. To address spinal stenosis, they could propose the use of the Superion® device or minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD®) treatment.

Are you struggling with spinal stenosis in Oregon? Call Pacific Sports and Spine’s office or use the online scheduling service to set up a consultation today.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common but scary sleep disorders throughout the world. In the U.S., sleep apnea affects about twenty million adults, with a significant percentage of undiagnosed cases. The condition affects your breathing as you sleep, and while multiple factors might cause it, it is often related to conditions that affect your throat, nose, and ears. Matthew W. Shawl, MD, is a board-certified otolaryngologist specializing in the management of sleep apnea in Union Square, NY, and determines if your breathing problems are because of the underlying nose, ear, or throat issues. For more consultation, call or book an appointment online today.

What Exactly Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea refers to a sleep disorder that makes your breathing very shallow or stops several times in the night when sleeping. These breathing pauses can occur in seconds or a few minutes. This condition can be scary for both you and your sleeping partner. The major types of sleep apnea include:

·         Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is the main sleep apnea type, accounting for more than eighty percent of all cases. It happens when your throat muscles relax, obstructing your airway.

·         Central sleep apnea

This type occurs when there is no proper communication between your brain and the muscles controlling your breathing.

You can also suffer from complex sleep apnea syndrome, which features a mix of central and obstructive sleep apnea.

What Are the Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

The common sleep apnea symptoms include:

• Insomnia.
• Snoring loudly.
• Irritability.
• Waking up with a dry mouth or headache.
• Gasping for breath when sleeping.
• And difficulty staying awake during the daytime. 

This condition can be dangerous, and you should make an immediate appointment with a medical professional if you experience any of these symptoms.

What Nose, Throat, and Ear Conditions Affect Sleep Apnea?

Several underlying noses, ear, and throat conditions may contribute to your nightly breathing problems. These include:

·         Deviated nasal septum

·         Allergic rhinitis

·         Narrow throat

·         Enlarged adenoids or tonsils

Dr. Shawl provides treatment for any of these conditions with surgery or medication to relieve your sleep apnea symptoms.

What Should You Expect During Your Sleep Apnea Evaluation?

When you go to the physician with symptoms related to sleep apnea, the doctor starts by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the health of your nose, ear, and throat. This is to find out if they might be contributing to your sleep apnea and breathing difficulties. Based on the evaluation results, the provider will develop an individualized plan to relieve the symptoms and support other sleep apnea treatments.

To sum up, you don’t have to live with any of these overwhelming symptoms or sleep apnea conditions while there is an existing effective treatment and management. Untreated sleep apnea can cause many medical pathologies and keep you at higher risks of other health issues. If you have experienced any sleep apnea symptoms, you should visit a health specialist for diagnosis and treatment. Call or schedule an appointment online with Matthew W. Shawl, MD, for the best treatment!

Having a vision problem can be stressful, considering you need your eyes to see. If you suspect that your eye problem could be due to corneal infection, it would be best to see a Huntingdon Valley cornea specialist for diagnosis and corrective care. Consistent eye appointments with the Suburban Eye Associates team are essential. To qualify for a corneal visit, your doctor may consider the specific circumstances.

How to know if your cornea has a problem

The cornea is a dome-shaped part that covers your eyes. It helps you see images and light precisely. While its size may make it look insignificant, the truth is an infection or damage can negatively affect your vision. Symptoms of corneal issues may include redness in the eyes, pain, excess tears, light sensitivity, or blurry vision.

Your eye doctor may refer you to a cornea specialist for the following reasons:

1.  To have a detailed look in your eyes

It is easy to confuse an ophthalmologist and a cornea specialist because they deal with eye problems. In the real sense, a cornea doctor has special tools that help them see deep scarring in the eye. Your cornea doctor can also prescribe and administer medications or treatment options to heal your scarring or injury. When left untreated, corneal conditions can cause permanent damage to your vision and eyes.

2.  To teach you how to care for your eyes

Light sensitivity is a symptom of a corneal condition awaiting to happen. If you find yourself twitching more regularly or avoiding spaces with light, it would be best to see a cornea specialist determine if you have it. Besides offering medications, your doctor can also teach you how to care for your eyes to avoid developing any issues in the future.

3.  Preventative care

Present-day cornea care is more preventative than restorative. It is the reason eye doctors ask people to go for regular checkups. Sometimes, you may have a cornea condition but not realize it. Some symptoms may come and go on their own, preventing you from seeing your doctor. There is no way of telling you are free from an eye problem or have already developed a cornea condition unless your doctor diagnoses you for it.

What to expect

Your visit will start with knowing who your optometrist is, followed by an examination. Whether your eye condition is acute or severe, you may spend between one and three hours. Remember, most procedures are conducted in individual offices. But if you have a condition that your current doctor cannot handle, they may refer you to another cornea specialist for advanced treatment. Before your visit, ensure you carry a list of your current medications, eyeglasses, referral forms, and contact information of your general eye doctor.

Are you ready for your cornea appointment?

Now that you have known how an injured or infected cornea can affect your vision, ensuring you see the right specialist can help restore your sight and reduce your suffering. A cornea specialist can identify the cause and treat your eye problem. To learn more about cornea conditions, schedule an appointment with your specialist today.

Do you suffer from nearsightedness, alias myopia? You can still restore your visual wellness even if you are ineligible for LASIK surgery. Moreover, it does not necessarily translate to you wearing glasses or contacts forever. You can benefit from an implantable Collamer lens in Philadelphia at IC Laser Eye Care and considerably improve your vision. Call your nearest provider or plan to book your consultation online today.

What Is an Implantable Collamer Lens?

A phakic intraocular lens, commonly known as an implanted Collamer lens, corrects or considerably decreases nearsightedness (myopia). Patients with cataract surgery receive an intraocular lens, but an implantable Collamer lens differs because it is positioned on your current eye lens rather than replacing it.

If you seek a LASIK option, the IC Laser Eye Care team recommends implantable Collamer lenses since they are reliable and secure ways to improve your vision.

Am I A Good Candidate for An Implantable Collamer Lens?

Implantable Collamer lenses are ideal for patients who meet the following conditions:

• Thin corneas
• History of dry eyes
• Moderate to severe myopia
• Not a candidate for LASIK
• Large pupils

Many men and women who acquire implantable Collamer lenses do so because they do not qualify for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis and seek long-term vision correction (LASIK). Implantable Collamer lenses could provide you all the benefits of LASIK, and it is an outpatient operation, just like LASIK.

How Much Can an Implantable Collamer Lens Improve My Vision?

It all depends on the magnitude of your myopia. An implantable Collamer lens can entirely correct your vision if you have myopia ranging from minus 3 to minus 15 diopters. Myopia is usually corrected without the use of eyeglasses or contact lenses after the surgery.

An implantable Collamer lens can significantly decrease myopia from minus 16 to minus 20 diopters, allowing you to be less reliant on corrective lenses or wear a lower-strength prescription.

How Does Implantable Collamer Lens Surgery Work?

Your IC Laser Eye Care surgeon uses a mild, topical, or local anesthetic to numb your eye and makes the operation painless. Two tiny iris incisions, two side port incisions, and one primary temporal incision are all done.

Your surgeon will then insert the implantable Collamer lens behind your iris through the primary temporal incision. It is placed centrally in front of your natural lens. You may receive prescription eye drops and oral medication to take at home after your treatment. Your follow-up appointment is usually the next day.

Other Treatments

IC Laser Eye Care experts can also administer a range of quality treatments, including:

• Eyelid surgery
• Glaucoma
• Keratoconus
• Optic neuropathy
• Optometry
• Macular degeneration
• Ocular disease management
• Floaters
• Retinal detachment

Bottom Line

Visual clarity is critical to a lifetime of optimum health and wellness. Nonetheless, most people choose to suffer silently from vision disorders. If you are ready to face the world better, a customized treatment at IC Laser Eye Care can deliver outstanding results. Call the clinic closest to you or schedule an online consultation to benefit from today’s most advanced implantable Collamer lenses.

Valvular heart disease is a condition that can lead to valvular stenosis, valvular regurgitation, or both. Heart valves are the structures in your heart that open and close to regulate blood flow. When valvular disease occurs, the valves may become narrowed (stenosed) or leaky (regurgitated). Symptoms of valvular heart disease depend on which valve(s) are affected and how severely they’re damaged. It’s important to be able to recognize the symptoms of valvular heart disease in Plano.

This blog post will discuss common symptoms of valvular heart disease and what you should do if you experience them!

1. Chest pain

Chest pain is a common symptom of valvular heart disease. But, the intensity and quality of chest pain can vary greatly depending on how severe your valvular stenosis or regurgitation is and other factors such as age and vascular injury. Chest pain may feel like tightness, pressure, heaviness, or burning in the chest and may sometimes radiate to the left arm or neck.

If you experience any of these symptoms in Plano, you must see a valvular heart disease doctor for diagnosis as soon as possible.

2. Shortness of breath

When valvular heart disease affects the pulmonary valve, shortness of breath can occur. Shortness of breath is when you’re having trouble getting enough oxygen into your body to fully function and may feel like it’s hard to breathe or that you are “gasping for air.”

Shortness of breath is a common symptom of valvular heart disease and can signify pulmonary valvular stenosis or regurgitation.

The best way to treat shortness of breath is by visiting your valvular heart disease doctor in Plano for an accurate diagnosis.

3. Swelling in the legs, feet, or ankles

Valvular heart disease can cause swelling in the legs, feet, or ankles. Swelling may be a sign of valvular stenosis or regurgitation and should not be ignored!

The best way to treat swelling is by visiting your valvular heart disease doctor in Plano for an accurate diagnosis.

4. Fatigue

Valvular stenosis and regurgitation can cause fatigue. The heart is working harder to pump blood through narrowed or leaky valves, which causes a lot of stress on your body.

If you experience any of these symptoms in Plano, visit your valvular heart disease doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

The best way to treat fatigue is by visiting your valvular heart disease doctor in Plano for an accurate diagnosis.

5. Palpitations

Valvular stenosis and regurgitation can cause palpitations. When your heart works to pump blood, it may adapt to palpitations due to the narrow valves. Other problems such as stress on your body may also occur due to your heart working harder to pump blood.

If you experience any of these symptoms in Plano, visit your valvular heart disease doctor for an accurate diagnosis so they can help find the best heart valve disease treatment for you.

6. Dizziness or lightheadedness

Dizziness or lightheadedness are signs of valvular stenosis and regurgitation. When you stand up quickly from a sitting position, lightheadedness may be a symptom of valvular stenosis or regurgitation.