Post about "Weight Loss"

Addiction to Drugs: What Is It

Addiction is a brain and behavior disorder. Even if you know that taking drugs is harmful, you can’t resist the impulse to do so. The longer time you give yourself to recover from drug addiction, the better your chances are of avoiding some of the disease’s worst effects. To take help, you can join a drug rehab in Austin, program and take help from medical professionals.

Addiction to illegal substances isn’t limited to heroin, cocaine, or any other type of illegal substance. Alcohol, nicotine, sleep aids, and anti-anxiety drugs (more info) are just a few of the legal implications that can lead to addiction.

When you initially start using drugs, you may do so because you enjoy how they make you feel. There is a misconception that you have complete control over how much and how frequently you use it. They can cause you to lose your composure and engage in harmful activity. Quitting this habit is possible with the help of drug detox in Austin, Texas.

Abuse and Tolerance vs Addiction
A drug abuser is someone who misuses legal or illegal substances in a manner that is detrimental to their well-being. Pills can be taken in excess or prescribed by someone else if you’re unsure how much you should be taking. Feeling good, relieving stress, or escaping reality are all possible reasons for drug usage. Even yet, most people can adjust their bad habits or completely stop using.

Not if it means putting your life in jeopardy. Not if it causes you or others to care about financial, emotional, or other issues to deal with them. Even if you intend to stop using drugs, you may find yourself compelled to do so at all hours of the day.

When you stop taking a substance abruptly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance occurs when a substance’s effectiveness diminishes over time.

Tolerance and even physical dependence can develop if you use opioids for pain over an extended period. This does not imply that you are dependent on it. Only a tiny fraction of persons become addicted to drugs when they are administered under medical care.

Rehab for substance abuse is available.
Medical or psychotherapeutic treatment of the addicted individual for their reliance on psychoactive elements such as alcohol, prescription pharmaceuticals, and illicit drugs such as heroin, morphine, and amphetamines are collectively referred to as drug rehabilitation, or simply rehabs, in the United States (methylphenethylamine – definition). The fundamental purpose of inpatient drug rehab in Austin TX is to ensure that the addicted individual begins to abstain from substance abuse to avoid a wide range of issues that might occur as a result, including psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences of continued substance abuse.

Hence, it is very essential that one has a glance via the sober living Austin, which is only possible after one admits themselves to the inpatient drug detox in Austin. The sooner the corrective measures are taken the better it will be indeed. Having control of your own life is in your hands, so you must take corrective measures for the same.

Get Help for Your Eating Disorder

An eating disorder is a mental health condition that happens when your regular eating pattern is disrupted. We must eat to survive, but if we start consuming food abnormally, we could experience a whole host of different types of health problems.

It is important to diagnose eating disorders early and start treatment without delay. Most people who are diagnosed with an eating disorder can be helped.

What Causes an Eating Disorder?
The leading cause of eating disorders is linked to mental health. In some cases, people who are experiencing emotional trauma can start eating more than they usually do. On the other hand, the patient may suddenly start eating less food than normal.

Social pressure has been identified as one of the causes of eating disorders. Younger people can be influenced by content they see on the internet, which portrays unrealistic perceptions of how they should look. These images and content can trigger depression and subsequently lead to a severe eating disorder.

Who Can Suffer From an Eating Disorder?
Generally, statistics show that women are more prone to experiencing eating disorders than men (source). However, there have been some reported cases of men with this health condition, and the numbers are rising.

The victims who suffer from eating disorders usually fall between the ages of 12 to 35 years.

Signs of an Eating Disorder
Here are some of the indications that someone is experiencing an eating disorder…

Rapid and Unexplained Weight Loss
People who have an eating disorder lose weight very quickly. This happens because they suddenly develop a fear of eating meals that they previously enjoyed.

Eating less food can cause anorexia, which can be fatal if the condition is not quickly treated.

Obesity
In some cases, people with eating disorders can quickly become obese.

Physical Exhaustion
An eating disorder can cause physical exhaustion because the patient consumes fewer calories needed to produce energy.

Treatment for Eating Disorders
People who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder should be checked into a mental healthcare centre for rehabilitation.

The treatment process involves a series of steps that depend on the patient’s condition.

First, an assessment is done to determine the extent of the patient’s condition, before rehabilitation commences.

If necessary, the patients are recommended to be registered for an inpatient rehab program or an outpatient program, which are for patients who do not suffer an extreme case.

The treatment process involves intensive psychotherapy. The patient is guided on how to accept the condition, and cooperate with the rehabilitation process to achieve best results.

The therapy for rehabilitation depends on the patient, and it may involve…

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT – more info)
Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT), and
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Transformational Mindset Coaching (such as James Peters)
The treatment process is aimed at identifying alternatives such as healthy foods in the case of obesity, and foods rich in calories, if the patient is anorexic. Treatment for eating disorders also involves long-term coping methods that can help the patient to avoid a relapse after leaving the facility.

What Do Doctors Say About Lateral Flow Tests?

The Lateral Flow test is an easy and affordable way to test for covid from the comfort of one’s own home. It provides people with the ease of testing at their convenience without waiting for days to get their results. But is the Lateral flow Test as credible as it seems?

What’s the Verdict on LFT’s accuracy?
During the pandemic, the Lateral Flow Test (LFT) has been a blessing for easy testing and sifting through infected and uninfected patients, says Economist. First, it provides an easy way of testing that can be done easily by anyone, increasing testing rates. According to doctors, many Covid patients are asymptomatic, meaning they show no signs of infection. Lateral Flow Tests help find these kinds of cases and avoid the spread of the virus.

While this technology is deemed favourable by some medical professionals, others have different opinions. Since it is not as sensitive as PCR tests performed in the labs, doctors and researchers believed it was a waste of precious funds. In addition, professionals also believe the public was misled about the test’s reactiveness to the virus, which increased the chances of getting a false-negative result.

Is it Recommended as a Primary Choice for Covid Testing?
The science is simple. The lateral flow test comes behind the PCR test for almost all testing criteria. However, LFTs still provides an excellent testing method to people who don’t show any Covid symptoms. Other than that, the test is pretty simple to perform as well. Almost anyone can do it without any help from a professional, unlike the PCR test.

Doctors are, by no way, discouraging the use of the Lateral Flow Tests altogether. On the contrary, it is still a valuable weapon in the war against Covid, but it has its limitations. That’s why they stress that everyone must take precautions, regardless of the type of test.

If you are in London in the UK, you can now get a lateral flow test in Croydon that will allow you to received a test kit that can be used at home.

Do World Health Bodies Authorize lateral Flow Tests?
Lateral Flow Tests fall short of the minimum criteria that have been set by organisations such as WHO, which casts a shadow of doubt on its efficiency in testing accurately. During studies, it was found that Lateral Flow Tests show varying results in adults but are also deemed less effective when trying on children for Covid. In comparison to the PCR tests, the fluctuation and discrepancies in the test results helped conclude that Lateral Flow Test is good but probably not the best option.

Due to recent studies and the claim made by WHO, both US and UK divisions, that LFTs do not meet their criteria for accurate covid testing, it is still unsure which side of the spectrum this test lies on. For now, it is safe to say that Lateral Flow Tests are a helpful tool for quick testing when there is a time crunch, but it is better to be safe and follow up with a PCR than to rely on an LFT solely.

What Is In-Cell ELISA? The Modified Procedure for a More Accurate Assay

In-Cell ELISA is a highly regarded quantitative method for detecting and measuring proteins in cells. This immunocytochemistry assay determines the concentration of a protein in a cell lysate or culture supernatant, according to abcam.com. The principle behind In-Cell ELISA is that soluble proteins will bind to an antibody labeled with a fluorescent molecule. The assay can perform in either adherent or suspension cells. Other standard terms for In-Cell ELISA are Cell-Based ELISA, In-Cell-Western (ICW) ELISA, or cytobot. The In-Cell ELISA procedure is similar to a traditional Western blot assay, with a few key differences that can make it more accurate.

In-Cell ELISA Procedure

The In-Cell ELISA procedure aims to extract proteins from cells and detect the presence of a target protein. The basic procedure for performing In-Cell ELISA is as follows:

Dilute the cell lysate or culture supernatant in a buffer that does not contain detergents.
Add the diluted sample to a microplate well that has been coated with an antibody against the protein of interest.
Incubate the plate at standard room temperature for two hours.
Remove the unbound antibodies by washing the plate three times with a buffer that does not contain detergents.
Add a second antibody labeled with a fluorescent molecule to each well.
Incubate the plate again at room temperature for two hours.
Remove the unbound antibodies by washing the plate three times with a buffer that does not contain detergents.
Count the number of fluorescently labeled antibodies in each well using a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) machine.
In-Cell ELISA Benefits

Several factors should be considered when deciding what assay to use. Western Blot is a commonly used assay for detecting and measuring proteins in cells. However, In-Cell ELISA has several advantages over Western Blot: it is more sensitive, specific, and quantitative.

The benefits of using In-Cell ELISA over Western Blot include:

Increased sensitivity: The assay is more sensitive than Western Blot and can detect proteins at lower concentrations depending on the specific signature used for measurement according to Future-Science.
Increased specificity: The assay is more specific than Western Blot and can distinguish between closely related proteins.
Heightened quantitative accuracy: The assay is more quantitative than Western Blot and can provide more accurate protein concentration measurements.
Characterize a broader range of cell signaling parameters: Western Blot is limited to measuring the phosphorylation state of proteins. In-Cell ELISA can also measure protein localization, interaction, and degradation.
More effective protein analysis: The assay can be performed in adherent or suspension cells, allowing for the study of both soluble and insoluble proteins.
Ease of performance: The assay is relatively easy to perform and does not require specialized equipment or expertise.
Concentration insight: The assay can be used to measure the concentration of proteins in cell lysates or culture supernatants.
Shorter protocol: The assay has a shorter protocol than Western Blot and can be completed in a few hours due to shorter incubation times, faster washes, and the lack of electrophoresis.
Reduced variability: The assay is less variable than Western Blot due to the smaller standard of deviations that are typically observed.
Replicate efficient measurements: The assay can replicate measurements at a very low level of coefficients of variation. This allows for the accurate determination of protein concentrations in addition to processing many samples or replicates to have a more streamlined workflow.
Using In-Cell ELISA over Western Blot provides a more accurate and quantitative assay for detecting proteins in cells. The ease of performance and shorter protocol makes it a more convenient assay. In-Cell ELISA is becoming the assay of choice for protein analysis and should be considered when designing a protein detection assay.

Basics Of Medical Residency You Must Know

Completing four years of medical school can be a significant achievement for medical students. Once medical students have obtained their medical degrees, obtaining a medical residency can be the next milestone for many students. Medical students must check out the studentdisciplinedefense.com website before getting started with their medical residency program.

Medical residency training can be helpful for most students once they have completed their medical degree (see here). Although, medical residency can become a confusing aspect for some students. The student must be aware of different residency programs. Unfortunately, many medical students do not know which program is best suited for them or what exactly the training will provide them. This article can help you if you want to learn more about medical residency and the steps to achieve it.

What is a medical residency?

A medical school graduate student or a resident will be undergoing training in a specialized medical field. Medical residency primarily deals with diagnosing, treating, and managing various medical health conditions. Medical residents mostly work at hospitals, private clinics, or emergency rooms to get specialized training in their desired medical field.

What is the job of a medical resident?

Simply put, a medical resident’s job is to diagnose, treat and manage different health conditions of a patient. Medical residents will be supervised and assisted by doctors and other senior residents while performing various tasks. The medical resident will be able to learn how to order and understand each diagnostic test and medical procedure, obtain medical histories and perform physical examinations if necessary.

The medical resident will likely work in different sectors of hospital-like emergency departments, intensive care units, operation theater, pediatric wards, and general patient wards. A resident can also work in private clinics. Apart from working in different departments of a hospital, the medical resident will also learn how to communicate with patients, their families, and other healthcare staff.

In case of surgeries, the medical resident will be guided by the doctor about how they should perform a surgical procedure and diagnostic test. Lastly, medical residents will also be required to attend seminars and conferences to boost their knowledge about their particular medical field.

What are the different types of medical residency?

There are mainly four types of medical residency as follows:

Primary care residency
Primary care residency is aimed to produce knowledgeable and well-rounded physicians who can provide the best quality patient-oriented clinical care.

Categorical residency
It is a hospital-based facility that will provide the resident with the full training required for Board Certification in a medical specialty.

Preliminary residency
Premilimanry residency is a two-year training program provided to medical residents before they choose an advanced specialty program.

Transitional residency
Such type of residency is centered on first-year residents, and it mandates the residents to rotate or change different hospital departments every two or three months.