| ZONE Diet | The Zone DIETS

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Nerve Treatment Via Nose Shows Promise Against Migraines

Posted by Unknown , at 01:41

0 comments

Therapy reduced pain level by about one-third for up to a month, study found

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

SUNDAY, March 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A procedure that delivers the anesthetic lidocaine (Xylocaine) directly to nerves in the back of the nasal cavity appears to offer significant relief to migraine sufferers, preliminary research indicates.

Early findings suggest that a single outpatient treatment can reduce migraine pain levels by about 35 percent for up to a month after the procedure, according to this small, ongoing study.

The technique is "a minimally invasive treatment option," said the study's lead author Dr. Kenneth Mandato, a vascular and interventional radiologist at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. He added that he views the new procedure as "a clear simple alternative" to standard migraine treatments.

"This nasal spray option is safe, convenient and innovative," said Mandato.

In the new study, his team focused on 112 patients averaging about 45 years of age. All had been diagnosed with either migraines or another type of intensely painful (and cyclically occurring) headache known as cluster headaches.

Before participating in the study, patients were asked to indicate their pain levels according to a standardized scale from 1 to 10. Pre-treatment pain scores averaged more than 8, Mandato said.

The participants all underwent a session of "image-guided therapy," in which a spaghetti-sized catheter was inserted through a nostril and into the nasal passage to deliver a dose of lidocaine to a nerve center known as the sphenopalatine ganglion. This was then repeated in the opposite nostril, according to the researchers.

Mandato stressed that no one in the study required sedation to undergo the procedure.

The target nerve bundle, explained Mandato, "resembles a complex highway crossing with many [nerve] signals and exits going in all directions." And, he said, the hope was that lidocaine would essentially short-circuit that bundle's headache-causing pathway.

The day after the procedure, average migraine pain levels had dropped from about 8 to just over 4. Pain scores rose only marginally a week after the procedure, and reached an average of just over 5 by the one month post-procedure mark, according to the study.

source : Nerve Treatment Via Nose Shows Promise Against Migraines

Alzheimer’s Disease: Caregiver Tips

Posted by Unknown , at 23:47

0 comments

By Susan Bernstein
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Richard Senelick, MD

Your mom or dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While your first feeling may be worry, you can get support to help you guide your parent’s care and manage costs. That way you can make the most of your time together.

Several local, national, and online resources can help you find care for your parent, along with discounts, delivered meals, and legal or financial tips. Here are some leads on how to get started.

Recommended Related to Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

Unfortunately, getting an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is not simple. Your doctor can’t check for the disease by doing a quick blood test. That’s because signs of Alzheimer’s disease don't appear in your blood. Instead, Alzheimer’s disease is the result of a problem inside your brain. The only way to be 100% certain a person suffers from Alzheimer’s disease is to examine samples of brain tissue. This can only be done during an autopsy, after a person has died.

Read the Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis article > >

Create a Plan

Your first step is to draw up a plan for your parent’s future care, says Ruth Drew, director of Family and Information Services for the Alzheimer’s Association. Talk to a social worker trained in Alzheimer’s care or to a support group to help you make a checklist, she says. You can contact a social worker at your local hospital, community center, nursing home, or assisted living center.

“You need to address now your plan for down the road,” Drew says. Your plan may change as your parent’s health or needs change, she says. Most importantly, “involve the person with the disease in these conversations. Understand their wants and choices, and incorporate these into your plan.”

Your plan might include:

Day care, long-term care, or home health care
Assisted living or memory care housing
A financial plan to cover costs
Power of attorney and living will documents
End-of-life care decisions
Which family members will help with care

Different types of care can vary greatly in cost. Your choices may be limited by your financial resources, and insurance might not cover some choices. You'll simply do the best you can to honor your parent's wishes. Some things might not be possible because of financial constraints. See more tips on how to cover costs below.

Seek Support

Tap into a local support group of other caregivers of parents with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, says Shelly Eisenstadt, a licensed clinical social worker at the William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta. Your parent’s doctor or social worker, a local senior center, or the Alzheimer’s Association can refer you to groups in your community.

source : Alzheimer’s Disease: Caregiver Tips