An honest look at doctors’ visits

Majority of us don’t enjoy going to the doctor. Even if you really need to make that dreaded visit, it can bring up a lot of feelings of fear, anxiety, stress and so much more.

Let’s take an honest look at doctor’s visits and why we choose to avoid them…

Did you know that 65% of us avoid going to the doctor, but why do we do it?

      ·         24% do it because they have no health insurance

      ·         24% do it because they are embarrassed about the issue

      ·         19% do it because it’s too expensive

      ·         18% do it because they are not covered by health insurance

      ·         13% do it because they are worried about discovering a pre-existing condition

      ·         7% do it because of other reasons

A majority of us confess that we have even lied to our doctors… 54% of us are liars and 46% of us tell the truth when we visit the doctor.

But, what do we lie about the most?

      ·         Bad eating habits

      ·         Lack of exercise

      ·         Sex-related issues

      ·         Smoking

      ·         Alcohol

      ·         Drugs

Sometimes, it’s not fear or anxiety that stops us from visiting the doctor, it’s the pet peeves that seem to get on our nerves. Here’s what people say they are most annoyed by:

      1.       Long waits

      2.       Exposure to germs

      3.       Paperwork

      4.       Missing work or other obligations

Since we are living in a very technology based time, many of us prefer to communicate over the computer or using a mobile device. That is why people say they’d be more likely to ask about some topics online. So, what are the most popular topics?

      ·         4% Other

      ·         11% Digestive health

      ·         15% Weight

      ·         16% Drugs and alcohol

      ·         29% STDS

      ·         41% Sex-related issues

Supply Doctor is your one-stop online store for all your medical supplies and equipment. Choose anything from BP meters and disposables to ECGs and ultrasound devices.

The Hospital Room of Tomorrow

Okay, so maybe not all of these cool gadgets will be in one hospital room, but advances in medical science and technology promise to provide you with better medicine and a more enjoyable experience.

So, step into the hospital room of the future!

     ·         SMART PILL
Intelligent pill technology is actually being used at the moment to diagnose conditions such as Crohn’s disease and colon cancer.

     ·         SMARTPHONE ULTRASOUND
Researchers are working on a handheld machine that connects vis USB to a smartphone. This device could prove to be life-changing in developing areas!

     ·         TAKING CONTROL
Patients will have the ability to raise and lower the blinds in their room, order food, turn off the lights and surf the web using one controller.

     ·         MEDICAL TRICORDER
This device would use technology to collect and analyze data on a patient’s health and then compare that data to electronic medical records. It would also be able to determine the best treatment.

     ·         ARTIFICIAL WOMB
Tanks are filled with amniotic fluid and umbilical cords are attached to pumps that regulate nutrient intake and waste production. These methods are actually being used on animals, but not on human babies.

     ·         HEALTH DISPLAY
With the swipe of a card patient information will be displayed on a computer monitor in the room. Doctors and nurses will be able to see data they need to know.

     ·         CENTRALIZED IV SYSTEM
Nurses will no longer need to program your IV manually. A centralized system will program them all automatically.

     ·         SMARTBED
You won’t have to be hooked up to about 25 monitors, your bed will track all your key health information; temperature, blood pressure, heart rate etc.

     ·         ORGAN PRINTER
A 3D printer process will be able to create tissue that can be used for transplantation, getting rid of the lengthy process of waiting for a donor.

     ·         ROBOTIC SURGEONS
These have been around since the 1980s, but they are seeing increasing usage in heart, intestinal, brain and orthopedic surgery.

     ·         MEMORY RESTORATION
This military project is aimed at restoring memory by bypassing brain injuries. The theory is that injured soldiers will be able to return to the battlefield with improved performance.

     ·         MEDICATION SECURITY
A medication dispensing system will use bar codes and scanning technology to reduce medication mistakes.

It’s true that we probably won’t be seeing these medical gadgets in the hospital room tomorrow, but in the near future, your hospital room will be nothing like it was 10 years ago.

Supply Doctor's online medical supply store can provide you with a wide range of medical products, from BP meters and disposables to ECGs and ultrasound monitors.

What is a syringe driver, and why is it used?

A syringe driver will help to reduce symptoms by delivering a steady flow of injected medicine. You might have used one before to help control pain, sickness, agitation or fits. Sometimes, it is called a continuous subcutaneous infusion.

Using a syringe driver can be used instead of having regular injections repeatedly, which can be restricting when you have places to go and things to do throughout the day.

So, what exactly is a syringe driver? Well, it is a small pump that is powered by batteries that delivers medicine through a soft plastic tube into a syringe with a needle that is placed under the skin. Most often, it is the skin on your arm, abdomen or leg. A syringe driver is used to treat things like…

- Pain
- Seizures
- Agitation
- Vomiting

If you are using a syringe driver it will have a built-in computer with a small screen to show the rate at which the medication is being prescribed. The syringe driver will alert you if there are any blocks or leaks, be careful as blocks can happen is you lie on the tubes.

A syringe driver should make a slight whirring sound when it is turned on, this is normal and signals that it is working properly. If you are using a syringe driver, it shouldn’t make you less mobile. They are built to be portable, so just clip it onto your clothing or put it in your bag, allowing you to move around normal.

Why should I use a syringe driver? Your doctor or nurse will obviously explain to you why a syringe driver is being used. Syringe drivers are used in these situations:

- Severe pain. A regular flow of medicine will help to the relive the pain.

- Difficulty swallowing tablets or liquid because of a sore or dry mouth.

- You feel very weak

- Vomiting or nausea

- Agitation or feeling distressed

- Respiratory secretions

A syringe driver is helpful to use as it is portable and allows the continuous delivery of medication to aid your comfort.

Looking to purchase a reliable, affordable syringe driver? Order from Supply Doctor today, we can guarantee quality medical products at our online medical supply store!

How to choose a wheelchair

It is so much easier for the disabled or ill to get around independently than it used to be, and there are various types of wheelchairs to choose from. Here are a few of the features, to help choose which one is best.

Need a dynamic and professional online store that can provide you with a wheelchair of your choice? Supply Doctor can provide you with all your medical supplies, consumables, medical equipment, disposables and more.

1. Motorized Scooters

- This wheelchair does not need much physical strength, which means it is better for the elderly

- It is easy to negotiate curbs and road crossings

- Unfortunately they won’t fit in your car, and a spare battery should be carried around just in case it dies

2. Power Wheelchairs

- Perfect for people who have very limited mobility, as it is powered by a joystick

- Easy to negotiate curbs and road crossings

- It won’t be able to fit in most cars; however you can fit them on modified vehicles

3. Self-propelling Wheelchairs

- Buy this chair if you want easy access to shops and very easy steering

- Notice that you can fit one inside your care, which means total mobility

- You can use this wheelchair alone, without any help

- Realise that it is very hard work for your arms

- Terrain is a major concern, so take your environment into account

4. Push-wheelchairs

- These are for people with extremely limited movement or no movement at all

- Most of these fold down to fit into a normal car

- You cannot use these on your own, so you will need someone to push you around at all times

- Remember that these are not very maneuverable

Choosing a wheelchair is never simple; it is much more than looks. So take a look at the features, disadvantages and advantages and make the right choice.

The Science of Space Blankets

How can something so thin keep you warm? Even though it sounds cliché, it's space age technology!

Manufacturers created the material of the space blanket by depositing vaporized aluminum onto a very thin plastic film. The resulting material is thin, flexible and thermal-reflective -- meaning it reflects heat. The aluminum helps redirect infrared energy, which is just a fancy word for heat. Depending on how the blanket is made, it can reflect heat away or it can reflect heat in (that's how it regulates body temperature). Sometimes called a passive warming system, space blankets assist the body in conserving that infrared energy.

Let's focus on how space blankets work to keep a person warm. First, we need to understand how a body loses heat in the first place. Excessive heat loss leads to hypothermia, an extremely dangerous condition. Space blankets stop both evaporative and convective heat loss.

Evaporation is the process of water changing from a liquid to a gas. In the case of a person, the liquid can be sweat or wet clothing. Evaporation uses a lot of energy and lowers the body temperature. This is why you need to be careful not to get too sweaty in cold weather. Your body temperature will drop quickly once you stop exerting yourself -- and the evaporation of sweat will make you even colder. To prevent evaporative heat loss, you should try to stay as dry as possible. A space blanket helps slow down the process of evaporative heat loss by increasing the humidity of the air next to the skin.

Convection is a lot like conduction. Conduction is the transfer of heat or cold between two objects. With convective heat loss, however, the cold object is moving -- like a cold wind. The wind takes the warmth away from whatever it touches. The faster the object is traveling, the colder you'll get. You can help reduce convective heat loss by wearing layers of clothing as insulation. A space blanket forms a barrier between the wearer and the wind, providing insulation.

Lastly, we also lose body heat through radiation -- it simply radiates off our body. The reflective agent on space blankets -- usually silver or gold -- reflects about 80 percent of our body heat back to us.

DID YOU KNOW: The Taliban sometimes used space blankets to avoid detection from U.S. thermal imaging cameras. The space blanket holds in your body heat, making them less likely to show up on camera.

Space blankets are often used in first aid situations, emergencies and in cold weather – you have probably seen them in movies, but you probably had no idea how they worked!

Supply Doctor can supply you with all the medical products that you need. Choose anything from disposables and BP meters to thermometers and sterilizers.

Different Types of Doctors and What They Do

Medicine is a career that has a lot of respect and high esteem from people of all walks of life. A doctor saves lives, helps new life to come into the world and gives hope to the ill.

There are many different types of doctors who treat different various medical conditions according to what they specialize in.

Here are some of the general medical experts…

     ·         Family Practitioner/General Physician – Your friendly neighbourhood doctor who provides treatment for non-emergency conditions.

     ·         Internist/Internal Medicine Doctor – Specializes in adult medicine, prevention and treatment of adult diseases.

     ·         Emergency Doctor – Offers medical services in the emergency room and are on call 24/7.

     ·         Hospitalist – Looks after the patients who are hospitalized.

     ·         Pain Management/Palliative Care Specialist – Helps in reducing the suffering and ameliorating the quality of life of the patients who experience pain.

     ·         Infectious Disease Specialist – Studies and treats diseases that are caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

     ·         General Pediatrician – Studies and treats general medical problems in infants, children and adolescents.

     ·         Critical/Intensive-care Specialist – Studies, diagnosis, and treats life-threatening conditions requiring organ support and invasive monitoring.

     ·         Geriatrician – Provides treatment for the diseases and health problems related to geriatrics or old people.

     ·         Anesthesiologist – Studies and administers anesthesia during surgical procedures.

     ·         Surgeons – Perform surgeries related to different sub-specialties of medicine.

There are many specialties of medicine and each specialty has a different type of doctor or surgeon.

Looking for high quality, affordable medical supplies and equipment? Place your order on Supply Doctor today!