Archive for November, 2008

Tips When Using Pregnancy Test Kits

November 22nd, 2008 -- Posted in Pregnancy | No Comments »
urine pregnancy test


Nowadays, women do not always need to go to the hospital to confirm pregnancy. If your period is past your expected date and you begin to experience some early pregnancy signs, you can take a pregnancy test at home using pregnancy test kits. If pregnancy symptoms like missed period, swelling of breasts, cramping, frequent urination, food aversions, morning sickness or nausea is experienced, there is a possibility that you may be pregnant. If you want to take a home test, simply purchase pregnancy test kits and conduct the test by yourself right in the comforts of your home.  Pregnancy test kits may be purchased from a drug store without prescription. These home use kits work by measuring the amount of pregnancy hormone, also called as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) present in your urine. If hCG is found, then you are pregnant. The most common reason why women prefer to take a test using pregnancy test kits is the convenience, privacy and quick results that you get from it. Home use kits may detect the hormone hCG in your urine about 2 weeks after conception or 2 weeks after the egg has been fertilized by the sperm. Using your kit, drop urine on the strip and wait for a few minutes to see the results. To ensure better results, take a look at some of these tips. Be sure to read the label and the instructions very carefully. While most kits are very simple and very easy to use, keep in mind to review the instructions to give yourself a better idea on how the entire test should be performed. Find out how urine sample should be collected. Take note as well of the timing instructions and result indicators. Use only pregnancy test kits which are regulated by the FDA. You can check the FDA database online to find out which brands are regulated by them. You may also ask your pharmacist. There is a chance that kits which are not regulated by the FDA may be ineffective and unsafe.  Some health institutions also offer free pregnancy testing. Most of these institutions make use only of FDA-approved kits. Bear in mind that home pregnancy kits even those used in health institutions offering free pregnancy testing are not always as accurate as blood tests administered by your physician. Kits also cannot determine the stage of the pregnancy. The most sensitive pregnancy test is the process conducted in the laboratory by your physician. He uses a sample of your blood. Blood tests do not only detect hCG. It can also tell you the amount of pregnant hormones present in your blood which usually double on the first few weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, blood tests can also find out which week or month of pregnancy you are in. Apart from that, blood tests can also detect possible problems. Despite the slight inaccuracy percentage of home pregnancy kits, still, many suspecting moms resort to home use tests, to confirm pregnancy. Kits are way more convenient and private as compared to going to your health care provider. However, to get more accurate results and to know the exact stage of your pregnancy, it is always highly recommended that you see your doctor and take a blood test as soon as you can.


Cost effective Dentals surgery packages at Goa and Kerala in India with exciting tourism services

November 18th, 2008 -- Posted in Surgery | No Comments »
dental surgery


If you dream of beautiful charismatic teeth you are looking for the best treatment at affordable cost then dental surgery clinics at Goa and Kerala in India is where you can place your trust. Medical tourism India provides cost effective packages for dental surgery at Goa and Kerala in India coupled with fascinating sightseeing at exotic beaches of Goa and Kerala. The dental team at hospitals of Goa and Kerala consists of excellent dental surgeons in various fields of dental surgery who work together to give the patient the best care. Dental surgery at Goa and Kerala in India is provided by well trained experienced doctors to match the best of international standards and endeavor to offer high quality services for international patients with the perfect combination of the innovative dentistry and the most comfortable recuperation while maintaining the state-of-the-art facilities and comfortable and relaxing environment.

Dental surgery

Dental surgery involves diagnosis, treatment and surgery of the dental problems. Dental problems encompass filling cavities, removing the nerves of the teeth (Root Canal Treatment), extraction of tooth, replacing tooth with dentures and bridges and treating gum diseases. The best diagnosis, evaluation and treatment both surgical and non-surgical for diseases of the gum, oral cavity, maxillofacial area and other associated structures by the dentist is known as dentistry.

Dental Surgery

Oral health and dental care is a part of health care and any malfunction in the area needs to be taken care, seek proper advice and treatment to restore dental hygiene and personal well being. Dental problems can be of various kinds.

Often teeth are filled with gold, silver, cements, amalgam and Porcelain Inlays. Periodentitis is a serious gum disease and most important is preventive dentistry which asks for periodic visit to the dentist for proper dental care such as brushing, flossing.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and Maxillofacial surgery treats extraction of wisdom teeth, tumors or cysts of the jaw and the mouth, misaligned jaws and dental implantation. Defects and diseases in the, face and jaws, head, neck and the hard and soft tissues of the maxillofacial region are corrected through surgery.

Dental surgery Include:



Impacted and buried teeth often cause serious problems and so do cysts. Oral and Dentoalveolar Surgery is often recommended to correct the problem.



Bone augmentation needs Preprosthetic Surgery.



Missing teeth replacement, stabilizing dentures, tumors and retaining facial prostheses are associated with denta implantation and bone grafting.



Dentofacial deformities need Orthognathic surgery.



For Facial bone fractures facial trauma surgery is suggested.



Surgery of the cleft lip and palate.



Craniofacial deformities



Temporomandibular joint disorder.



Dental implant

Dental Implant is implantation of an artificial tooth or crown into your jaw to replace tooth or bridge. People with good general oral health who have lost a tooth due to periodontal disease or injury go for dental implantation. Dental implants have a natural feel and look natural too. Dental implants can make one feel confident again. With proper dental care, implants can last a lifetime. Dental Implants can replace one or two teeth without affecting the neighboring teeth. It gives you the feel of a natural tooth.

Why India:

Hospitals providing dental surgery at Goa and Kerala in India recognize that international patients have special needs and requirements and desire real medical value when they travel to India and provide a highly specialized and dedicated service, they have international patients service centre dedicated to meet needs of foreign patients. Medical tourism in India provides menu of seamless services that will make your treatment and trip hassle-free, i.e. from greeting you at the airport, to your registration & discharge, and even organizing the ground handling of any post-treatment travel. Dental treatment in India can be combined with white golden beaches, amazing cuisine, year round sunshine of Goa and Kerala and traditional India massage or spa helps to enhance the surgery healing process. A large flock of international tourists embark on Goa, Kerala tour to explore the mystical charisma of the exotic beaches. To know more about dental surgery at Goa and Kerala in India visit us at www.indianhealthguru.com or mail your queries at contact@indianhealthguru.com.


Seven Things you Should Know About Low Carb Diet

November 17th, 2008 -- Posted in Dieting | No Comments »
low sugar diet


1. Any weight loss or diet plan, including low-carb plans like the induction phase of the Atkins Diet will result in water loss during the first week or two. However, one of the real beauties of following a low carbohydrate eating plan is that most of the weight loss than extends beyond the initial induction phase of the diet is really from a drop in fat pounds.

2. Low carb diets can be classified as food plans that require keeping carbohydrates as low as 3% and never more than about 25 to 30%. This is much lower than the 50 to 60% recommended by most good scientists and valid research. Low carb diets include programs like Atkins, Protein Power, The Zone, Sugar Busters and the South Beach diet.

3. Diets at both the top and bottom extremes have their problems. Anyone can lose weight on a diet – fad or otherwise – for a week, a month or even six months. But, for a weight loss program to be truly effective, your diet must become part of your lifestyle and the basis of everyday food choices. Besides health concerns, too many people find both low carb and high carb diets difficult to stick with for a lifetime. Your best bet is to develop a low calorie, healthy eating lifestyle that includes regular moderate exercise.

4. Low carb diets can lead to weight loss, health benefits and an entire lifestyle change – however you don’t have to give up everything you enjoy in order to experience rapid weight loss.

5. All of the low carb diets are consistent on this one fact though – you need to overcome short-term cravings to ensure long term weight loss success. There is definite scientific proof linking simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, to cravings you have for more food.

6. Just by reducing the simple carbs in your diet such as sugar, milk, some fruit you can make a big difference in curbing your cravings for more food.

7. By focusing on foods that trigger chemical and biological reactions in your body resulting in cravings, you can burn fat and increase your health at the same time.


Dental Insurance – an Overview

November 15th, 2008 -- Posted in Insurance | No Comments »
dental insurance


The amount of money spent on dental procedures and dental care is on the rise. Dental insurance helps the policyholder get the amount spent on the dental care treatments through refunds. There are discount dental plans that allow the person to receive heavy discounts on the dentistry bills. Teeth are our assets and they are very important just like any other organ of the body and need great care. Dental insurance provides the policyholder with a list of dentists from whom the services can be availed in the market. The policyholders are required to get the services only from the given list of dentists. But some of the discount dental plans do not exercise any kind of limitations as far as choosing the dentist of the policyholder’s preference. Discount dental plans are easier to get and also there is no age limit. Hence best dental plans provide greater support during heavy payments on the dentistry bills.

Affordable dental insurance plans:

There are many affordable dental insurance plans that are mainly crafted for the children and spouse of the family. The family dental insurance plans have lowered the costs drastically for certain dental care work like cleaning, x-rays, fillings, uproot canals, orthodontics, fittings of braces etc. The main aim of family dental insurance plans is to bring down the costs and at the same time provide dental care to the family members. The amount is lowered in this dental insurance plan because many dental insurance companies offer free or lower amount dental care policy coverage for the children. The coverage of such policies differs broadly from one insurance company to another. Hence before choosing a plan and the insurance company the coverage scope needs to be checked thoroughly. Family dental insurance is entirely different from the individual dental insurance. They are both less expensive and money is saved through reimbursements. This is the simplest and easiest kind of dental insurance to get without any paper work for receiving the claims.

Important things to be checked before going in for a dental insurance policy and coverage:

The policyholder should make sure that everything is covered under the dental insurance policy, as some will offer only checkup, which will be of no use when the policyholder has to go for a full cover. When an employer offers a dental insurance policy, it has to be checked for the coverage again, as most of the companies do not provide full coverage to cut down the cost spent on the insurance policies but may give them as a benefit to the employee. In such cases the employee has to go for a private dental insurance policy covering the rest of the dental care procedures, which has been excluded in the employee cover. The waiting periods have to be checked. It is the time limit which the company will have the policyholder to wait before he can enjoy the benefits of the policy. Certain policies may make the policyholder wait for more than 1 year to enjoy the benefit. If the policy holder likes to go for cosmetic dental procedures like teeth bleaching or whitening he should look for a dental insurance policy which provides coverage, as only a few insurance companies provide such coverage and that too for a higher premium.