Osteoporosis: A Disease of the Bones

Like a honeycomb, our bones (which contain spongy and compact bone) possess the same traits in that they have little holes. However, if the holes inside the bone are too big and spaced out unevenly, you should go to the doctor's and ask for a bone density test: you may have osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease in the bone where either a person does not make enough bone, produces too little, or both. While mainly found in women aged 50+, men aged 50+ are susceptible to it too.

Osteoporosis can be very life threatening because if a person's bones are too weak, any little bump or movement can break a bone and cause lasting pain. Factors that lead to osteoporosis commonly include a lack of calcium and vitamin D, not eating healthy, not getting enough exercise and other controllable factors. Some factors one cannot control, however, include aging, genetics and body built (being weak/small). Having a healthy lifestyle goes a long way, especially in preventing osteoporosis.

Like my physiology teacher says, the body and what happens to it is a cycle that affects not just one system or place, but many others as well. That being said, there are diseases that cause osteoporosis or can make it much worse. To name a few: RA arthritis, inflammatory bowl disease, diabetes, leukemia, depression and many other diseases can lead or worsen osteoporosis in any victim.  Certain medicines, too, can cause osteoporosis, with diagnoses not occurring until much later.

There are various medications for maintaining osteoporosis at bay, but it all depends on age, sex, how severe the osteoporosis is and one's personal preference.  The following list names but a few of the approved medications.

 

Medicines Approved to Prevent and/or Treat Osteoporosis

Class and Drug	Brand Name	Form	Frequency
Bisphosphonates
Alendronate	Generic Alendronate and Fosamax®	Oral (tablet)	Daily/Weekly
Alendronate	Fosamax Plus D™ (with 2,800 IU or 5,600 IU of Vitamin D3)	Oral (tablet)	Weekly
Ibandronate	Boniva®	Oral (tablet)	Monthly
Ibandronate	Boniva®	Intravenous (IV) injection	Four Times per Year
Risedronate	Actonel®	Oral (tablet)	Daily/Weekly/Twice Monthly/Monthly
Risedronate	Actonel® with Calcium	Oral (tablet)	Weekly
Risedronate	Atelvia TM	Oral (tablet)	Weekly
Zoledronic Acid	Reclast®	Intravenous (IV) infusion	One Time per Year/Once every two years
Calcitonin
Calcitonin	Fortical®	Nasal spray	Daily
Calcitonin	Miacalcin®	Nasal spray	Daily
Calcitonin	Miacalcin®	Injection	Varies
Estrogen*
Estrogen	Multiple Brands	Oral (tablet)	Daily
Estrogen	Multiple Brands	Transdermal (skin patch)	Twice Weekly/Weekly
Estrogen Agonists/Antagonists Also called Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
Raloxifene	Evista®	Oral (tablet)	Daily
Parathyroid Hormone
Teriparatide	Forteo®	Injection	Daily
RANK ligand (RANKL) inhibitor
Denosumab	ProliaTM	Injection	Every 6 Months

Source 1
Source 2

To Be or Not to Be: A Chiropractor

While many believe that any career in the medical field proves promising, the contrary seems to be true for some professions. One such conflict lies in the chiropractic field. A chiropractor "treat[s] patients with health problems of the musculoskeletal system, which is made up of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons" (Source 1).  Chiropractors manipulate the spine and use other techniques such as ultrasounds, x-rays, massage therapy, acupuncture and many others to diagnose and treat their patients.

While some may work in a clinic or hospital, most work in outside offices that are sterilized and approved by the medical association. In 2010, there were approximately 52,600 jobs in the chiropractic field. Many of those were self-employed, but otherwise a chiropractor works for a company. Hours range, depending on the company or on the patients. Most offices tend to work with patients' work schedules and tend to have afternoon sessions. The most common yearly salary for entry-level chiropractors ranges from $25,000 to $32,000. According to the Bureau of Labor, the median wage was $67,200.

In order to become a chiropractor,  a "Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree" is required, which usually takes four years to complete, after finishing undergraduate requirements and study, another four years. Once degrees are completed, a licensing exam is required before being able to apply for chiropractor jobs or performing chiropractic services to the public. While licensing issues vary from state to state, the U.S. requires that a chiropractor pass the exam and accredited chiropractic program.

The very prominent controversy and phenomena that occurs in the chiropractic field, however, resides in the unfortunate fact that chiropractic jobs are scarce and do not offer entry-level graduates any sort of benefit (financial and/or emotional). Upon researching for this blog, I found more than enough blogs, articles, and sites that expressed the chiropractor's career in a dark light. One such blog, named "The Chiropractor's Wife", explains that while the idea of becoming a chiropractor sounds appealing and may benefit A FEW, it does not guarantee a stable and beneficial future FOR MOST. What commonly occurs is this: a person takes all the courses and requirements needed to become a chiropractor, gets their degree/licensing, cannot find work in the next 6+ months, and is faced with student loan debts of over $150,000. With an entry-level salary of $25,000 to $32,000 most cannot pay off their loans and thus, interest increases their debts. Another issue that most "fresh chiros" found is that in their jobs, they do not find some employers ethically (and sometimes, legally) correct. Because insurance companies do not fully cover all the expenses, they sometimes have to trick patients into getting credit, payment plans, or other possible illegal ways of receiving money. Some chiropractors also have to experience other ethical issues from their employers, such as calling patients who visit often "good patients" and those that don't go often "bad patients"; and having to work irregular hours for most of the time. Every person pursuing the chiropractic field is always forewarned by at least one professional to NOT go down that road; however, many misconceptions and ignorance have led dreams into nightmares.

Source 1
Source 2
Source 3 
Source 4

  

Massage Therapy: A Look Into the Life of a Masseuse

Massage therapy is slowly becoming important in the health field because it has been proven that it has many health benefits. Becoming a masseuse requires patience, strength, determination and above all, a medical thought process. The steps for beginning a career as a masseuse are quite simple:

• Enroll in a program that is licensed by the state, health association and/or city regulations
• Complete a minimum of 330 hours (depending on the state's licensing laws) 
• Pass classes like kinesiology, anatomy, and hands on practice techniques
• Obtain license

Some programs require a high school diploma to enroll but once again, it all depends on the state in which you live in.



Masseuses' average annual salary ranges from $32,000 to $43,000 but what should be taken into consideration is that most masseuses work part time. I think it is to avoid too much strain in the wrists and hands and avoid the risk of getting carpal tunnel syndrome, most commonly seen in massage therapists.

So why is this career so important to us, an anatomy class in high school? Well, masseuses need to have prior knowledge about tissues and determine how to go about them. Tissues vary in how much pressure they can handle without spraining or hurting the patient or person getting a massage. That's what differentiates deep tissue massages, deep muscle tissue massages, and a regular massage. Cartilage can be very fragile while dense connective tissue can be handled more roughly. Without this kind of knowledge, the masseuse can be sued or fired from their job because they can hurt the public. 







Sources:
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4

What is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition where someone does not produce enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. Red blood cells are important because they are the cells that contain oxygen and if you don't have enough oxygen in your body, you are prone to weakness and even death. While some cases of anemia are hereditary, there exist the cases where poor diet, pregnancy and other medical conditions cause anemia.

There are three main ways in which someone can develop anemia:

1. Blood loss
2. Decreased or weak red blood cell production
3. Destruction of red blood cells

The most common type of anemia is when someone has iron deficiency. Bone marrow requires iron to produce hemoglobin and without it, red blood cells can't be produced. This would fit the category of blood loss due to either heavy menstrual flow, ulcer, cancer or excessive use of anti-inflammatory drugs. In rare cases, when bone marrow cannot produce red blood cells, a life threatening version of anemia called Aplastic anemia develops. A lack of vitamins and poor diet also develops anemia because it causes the body to have a poor production of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Sometimes, people take supplements but their bodies do not know how to process the vitamin. An example of destruction of red blood cells could be an over sized or diseased spleen. The spleen helps to remove used red blood cell and if it is too large, it has the chances to remove too many red blood cells and thus causing anemia.

The most common symptom of anemia is the feeling of fatigue or just being weak. It can also cause shortness of breath, dizziness, pale skin and chest pains. If someone has a disease or condition prior to getting anemia, it can worsen and their treatments for the disease may not work anymore. Some treatments for anemia include eating foods that contain more iron in them (like red meat or spinach) and taking vitamins to have a healthy diet and system. This goes hand in hand with prevention: the best way to prevent to anemia is to have a balanced diet and to always consult a doctor if symptoms are present. 
  
 


Sources:
Anemia Source 1
Anemia Source 2
Anemia Source 3

Oral Cancer

Close to 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer, 8,000 of those cases being fatal. Oral cancer has a high death rate not because there is no treatment, but because the cancer is diagnosed too late (a common dilemma when it comes to certain cancers). The genes associated with oral cancer include p53, BAX, BCL-2, and many other growth factoring genes and inhibitors. The full list can be seen here.

Oral cancer's symptoms include sores that never really go away and are located in the gums, lips or deep in the mouth walls. Excessive bleeding of the gums is a common symptom and while it can be confused with other oral diseases, oral cancer tends to numb the mouth more often in the early stages. Oral cancer does not only affect your mouth but also your entire body. Weight loss, lack of sleep, and ear and throat pain.

The most obvious causes of oral cancer are smoking or chewing tobacco (electronic or not), excessive alcohol, and family genes. However, one cause of oral cancer that is not commonly acknowledged is sun exposure. It is more dangerous for a young person to be out in the sun for too long since it can lead to cancer and oral cancer is no different. Ironically, 25% of people who develop oral cancer do not even smoke or drink and some do not even have a family history associated with oral cancer. 

When oral cancer is diagnosed at your dentist, the dentist will perform an oral cancer check up. They will feel around the neck, nose, ears and mouth for an irregular bumps. If suspicious tissue is found, they may perform a harmless oral brush biopsy. However, if the tissue in question is too irregular, a scalpel biopsy is performed and those tissues are sent to labs for tests. It is necessary to test any irregular tissue to ensure that if it is a malignant cancer or disease, it doesn't spread.  If the oral cancer is at a certain stage, medical experts may take x-ray exams of your thoracic region to see how far the cancer has spread. 

       

Oral cancer is treated like any other cancer and is said to be very delicate when removing the cancerous tissue due to the area of the surgery. Radiation therapy is part of the treatment in order to prevent cancer cells from overproducing and spreading. In order to prevent getting oral cancer, make sure to brush your teeth regularly, eating healthy, not smoking or drinking and staying away from sun exposure. Also, be sure to visit your dentist and get a check up every six months.  

Sources:
http://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/oral-cancer
http://www.medicinenet.com/oral_cancer/page4.htm#what_are_the_symptoms_of_oral_cancer
http://www.medicinenet.com/oral_cancer/page6.htm#treatment_for_oral_cancer
http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/1/300/T1.expansion.html

A Look Inside the Life of an EMT

   When an emergency occurs, the paramedics, police and sometimes even fire fighters arrive at the scene. An EMT, or Emergency Medical Technician, also helps during any emergency. In this blog, we will have a look into how one can become an EMT, the annual salary and what some usual tasks of an EMT are.

   According to UCLA's Center for Prehospital Care, there are four steps into becoming an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician):

1. Meet the prerequisite requirements before entering an EMT course
2. Attend and learn the EMT course
3. Take and pass the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT)
4. Apply and achieve the certification of course completion in two years

   Now, in every state it can be the same or different procedure, but one thing is for certain: all EMTs must pass the NREMT. Once a person obtains their certification, they can begin practicing in internships, gaining experience, until they think they are ready to handle working on the front lines, so to speak. The annual salary is about $31,215, in accordance to salary.com. There are many fields in the EMT career, including Security Guard EMT, Flight Medic and Paramedic. Once again, this may all vary due to location and how much experience one has.
   The typical duties of an EMT include assessing a patient, controlling bleeding, bandaging injuries, performing emergency birth assistance, splinting broken bones, IV treatment, cardiac monitoring, burn management, and anything else the situation and patient requires. These tasks vary, again, due to state regulations and level of experience.  

Sources: 

UCLA Center for Prehospital Care

Salary of an EMT

Duties of an EMT

kt 101

My name is Katie Gonzalez, and I am a senior at Alhambra High School. I've lived in Alhambra all my life, and I've lived in the same apartment my entire existence thus far. I am the youngest of three children. My sister, who is the oldest of the three, has been in the Navy and is now working as a civilian substance abuse counselor. My brother, the middle child, lives at home with us and is currently attending a video editing internship in Burbank. My entire family, except for me, was born in Guatemala. Most of our family still lives there with the exception of some grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I have four cats and a dog. My father also has three turtles and two fish. (It's a zoo in our house, I know...) When I graduate high school, I plan to study to become a nurse. What type of nurse I'm still not sure, but most likely I would like to work with pregnant women and in the pediatric area. I recently got into anime and manga this past summer, so it's become a sort of guilty addiction for me. I really want to be able to travel the world and help people. And... that's pretty much it for now. The more you know me personally, the better the experience :^)