Everything you need to know about taking your child to the doctor

Doctor’s visit can be really scary for children. Many adults avoid the doctor’s office because of the fear that many children experience...

Here are 7 helpful tips for making a visit to the doctor’s office as comfortable for your child as possible:

1. Warn you child about the visit. Telling your little one beforehand will give them time to mentally prepare. It will also teach them to trust you. You don’t have to tell them a week before, the night or the morning before should be fine.

2. Explain the purpose of the visit. Let your child know that the doctor is looking to see how they are growing, or if they are sick. Tell them the doctor is trying to help them to feel better.

3. Walk them through what will happen. Tell them the doctor will look in their eyes and ears and listen to their heart beat. If they need shots too, let them know that too.

4. Read some books about other children going to the doctor. Your child will benefit from books that put them at ease. Books help them to know that it’s a normal part of life, and every child goes through the same thing.

5. Make sure your child is well rested. Schedule the appointment for a time of day when your child is generally happy. Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep.

6. Arrive early. Your children will feel more comfortable if they aren’t rushed and get comfortable with the doctor’s office. Many offices have toys, fish tanks and interesting things for your kids to look at.

7. Concentrate on the good. Explain to them that your doctor’s office gives stickers or a sweeties for good behaviour. You could also promise and outing afterwards, like to the library or the park.

Shots, nurses and exam rooms aren’t exactly a fun field trip for your kids, but these tips can make a visit to the doctor a lot less painful for you and your child.

Need a reliable supplier of all your medical equipment and supplies? Place your order on Supply Doctor today, call 021 110 0422 or email info@supplydoctor.co.za and choose from our wide range of medical products!

Here’s what to do if you have a sore throat

Having a sore throat can mean it feels painful, scratchy and even dry – have you been experiencing this recently? 

There can be many causes for your sore throat from allergies, dry air and chemicals to strep throat or a bacterial infection.

Besides visiting your doctor, here’s what you can do to relieve your sore throat…

- Drink warm liquids like chicken soup, warm water with lemon or tea with honey
- Buy lozenges and suck on a few throughout the day
- Do not talk too much so you can rest your voice until you feel a bit better
- Gargle warm salt water in your mouth
- Eat something cool and soothing like ice cream or cold water

Please be aware that these home remedies will not cure your sore throat if you have a bacterial infection – you will need to see your doctor for treatment.

Are you looking for medical equipment and supplies that are affordable but still high quality? Supply doctor is an online medical store that has a range of products from blood pressure meters and first aid supplies to hospital equipment, scales, thermometers and stethoscopes.

Place your orders today from info@supplydoctor.co.za or call 021 110 0422

Here’s what a Doctor’s Bag should ALWAYS contain

A doctor’s bag is very important as well as the contents inside the bag, however the equipment may vary according to each individual doctor and what they specialise in.

Besides containing essential medical equipment, a doctor’s bag should also be sturdy, lockable but still portable enough to carry around. Always remember that a doctor’s bag should be stored in a cool, dry place and never in the boot of a car.

Here is a list of the necessary equipment that should always be included in a doctor’s bag…

- Stethoscope
- Pulse oximeter
- Aneroid sphygmomanometer
- A diagnostic set
- Tongue depressors (wrapped)
- Tourniquet
- Scissors
- Alcohol wipes
- Gloves
- Reflex hammer
- Specimen bottles
- A small torch
- Syringes and needles
- Thermometer
- Disposable scalpel
- Peak flow meter
- Glucometer
- Face mask
- Space (for asthma)

What else do you think should be stored in a doctor’s bag?

Supply Doctor can supply you with all you need to fill your doctor’s bag – all at prices that everyone can afford! Place your orders today from 021 110 0422 or email info@supplydoctor.co.za

11 Types of Doctors and What They Do

A doctor is someone who helps people, gives hope to the sick and ultimately saves lives. However, there are a range of types of doctors, each treating different medical conditions according to what they specialise in.

Do you know which doctor you need to see? Here are the 11 types of doctors and what each of them do…

1. Family Practitioner/General Physician – Your friendly neighbourhood doctor who provides treatment for general illnesses and non-emergency conditions.

2. Internist/Internal Medicine Doctor – This doctor specializes in adult medicine, prevention and treatment of diseases that affect adults.

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

4. Hospitalist – A doctor you’ll see in the hospital that looks after the patients who are hospitalized.

5. Pain Management/Palliative Care Specialist – Helps in reducing the suffering and improving the quality of life of the patients who experience any sort of pain.

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

7. General Paediatrician – Studies, treats and specializes in general medical problems in infants, children and adolescents.

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

9. Geriatrician – Provides treatment for the diseases and health problems related to geriatrics or seniors.

10. Anaesthesiologist – Studies and administers anaesthesia during surgical procedures.

11. Surgeons – This doctor performs 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? Give us a call on 021 110 0422, email info@suppldoctor.co.za or place your order on Supply Doctor today!

4 Easy Ways to Take Control of your Health in 2019

Do you want to change your health for the better in the New Year, but you just don’t know where to begin?

Well, to help you out a bit, here are 4 easy healthy habits that you can adopt to help you take charge of your health and general wellbeing in 2019!

1. Come up with a meal plan

It is so much easier to eat healthy, well-balanced meals if you have the ingredients on hand with all your meals planned out. Make a meal plan for the week and then do one big shop for everything – this makes it easier to plan what you’re going to eat, plus the kids can help so everyone feels involved.

2. Always have a water bottle on hand

It is so important to stay hydrated, so be sure to always try and drink 4 – 6 glasses of water a day! When you carry around a water bottle with you you’ll be less likely to choose a fizzy, sugary drink when you need to quench your thirst.

3. Eat the colours of the rainbow

Always include produce of a range of different colours into your daily diet such as spinach, carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, strawberries,bananas, etc. These fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients and fibre and can help you stay health and protect you against illnesses.

4. Enjoy what you eat

This tip is an important one, but it is often lost amongst all the new diets and fads that come and go so often. Cooking together with your loved ones, sharing and finding joy in the food that you eat is vital when it comes to staying healthy and happy.

Use these 4 easy, helpful tips to take control of your health and wellbeing in 2019!

Supply Doctor is an online medical supply store that offers reliable medical equipment and products that everyone can afford - place your orders today from 021 110 0422 or email info@supplydoctor.co.za

Do you know what an Ultrasound is, and what it is used for?

Well, an ultrasound is a medical test that uses high-frequency sound waves to capture live images from inside your body. The ultrasound scan will allow doctors to see if there are any problems with your organs, vessels and tissues – without having to operate or make an incision.

An ultrasound isn’t just for pregnant women; it has a range of different medical uses. Your doctor may suggest an ultrasound if you are experiencing pain, swelling and other symptoms that need an internal view of your organs.

An ultrasound scan can provide a view of your:

- Bladder
- Brain
- Eyes
- Gallbladder
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Ovaries
- Uterus
- Blood vessels

An ultrasound is also a useful way to guide surgeon’s movements during certain medical procedures, such as a biopsy.

There will be some steps to take in order to prepare for an ultrasound, but it all depends on the area or organ that is being examined.

Your doctor may tell you not to eat for eight to 12 hours before your ultrasound. For an examination of the gallbladder, liver, pancreas or spleen, you may be told to eat a fat-free meal the night before your test.

Always be sure to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements that you have taken before the ultrasound.

Luckily, an ultrasound carries no risks at all. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, they use no radiation, that’s why they are the best method for examining a fetus during pregnancy.

Need an online medical supplier to provide you with medical products quickly and conveniently? Place your order on Supply Doctor today!

Using a Nebulizer for Asthma Treatment

A nebulizer is an electric atomizer used to deliver medicine to help control severe asthma. It contains the same medicine that is found in your inhaler, except it delivers it in a different, more effective way. A nebulizer is often only used on people who are too sick or too young to use an inhaler.

So how does a nebulizer work? A nebulizer is a device that compresses the medicine and turns it into an air mist that you can breathe in easily using the mouth piece or mask. There are a range of different nebulizers available including convenient, portable nebulizers (click here for an affordable one from Supply Doctor) that you can move around with you when need be.

Here’s how to use a nebulizer…

1. Always check with your doctor first for any specific instructions and read through the package details.

2. Get familiar with every part of the nebulizer before you use it.

3. Find somewhere comfortable, sit down and relax.

4. Hold the mask in place and breathe in and out evenly until the medicine is completely vaporized out of the cup.

5. If you are using a face mask, put it in place over your nose and mouth.

6. Be aware that the process of using a nebulizer can take up to 10 minutes.

7. When you are done, clean the mouthpiece or face mask as well as the medicine cup – not cleaning your nebulizer can result in bacterial infections!

Nebulizers can provide instant relief when your inhaler fails to work. Always ask your doctor first and keep in mind that when it comes to asthma it’s always good to be one step ahead!

Supply Doctor is an online medical store that provides affordable, high quality medical equipment and products, including nebulizers - take a look here...

Why you should ALWAYS wear medical gloves

Medical gloves are one of the most important pieces of medical equipment in the medical and health industry! They are an essential PPE that the Food and Drug Administration regulates, and they must ALWAYS be leak and tear resistant and packaged in sterile packaging.

The key fact is to find a reliable medical supply and equipment store and you’re sorted! Visit Supply Doctor, where there are thousands of medical supply products to choose from, including medical glove. Place your order from info@supplydoctor.co.za or call 021 110 0422

Medical gloves are disposable, so they are specifically designed to be worn only once. The main purpose of gloves is to protect patients and health care workers from germs, infection and from coming into contact with certain dangerous substances.

Gloves should be worn every time you touch blood, bodily fluids, bodily tissues, mucous membranes, hazardous drugs or broken skin. Doctors take note here: you should wear gloves for this sort of contact, even if the patient you are dealing with seems healthy and has no sign of any germs.

It is so important that the gloves actually fit your properly and cover the hand and part of the wrist. The gloves should be made of latex or a strong synthetic material like PVC or nitrile. Caregivers should always wash their hands properly before putting on the gloves and take special care when handling sharp objects.

Gloves can accidentally become ripped or torn, this means that they should be changed immediately and the old gloves should be thrown away. In fact, the golden rule is to NEVER ever reuse gloves!
But how you properly remove gloves?

When you take the gloves off make sure the outside of the gloves do not touch your bare hands.

Always follow these 6 simple steps:

1. Grab the top of the right glove with your left hand
2. Pull toward your fingertips – the glove will turn inside out
3. Hold onto the empty glove with your left hand
4. Put two right hand fingers in the top of your left glove
5. Pull towards your fingertips until you have pulled the glove inside out and off your hand. The right glove should be inside the left glove now
6. Throw the gloves away in a proper bin

It is essential to maintain excellent hygiene when dealing with patients, especially during surgeries and operations. Doctors always need to wear medical gloves to protect the patient from infections during surgeries and maintain hygiene.

How to Make your Child’s visit to the Doctor as Comfortable as possible

When it comes to visiting the doctor’s office, it can be really scary for small children, this is why a lot of parents avoid going to the doctor because of the fear their kids have.

Here’s how to make a doctor’s visit as easy as possible for your child…

Warn your child beforehand – Telling your child beforehand that you are visiting the doctor will give them time to prepare mentally. Surprising them with a doctor’s visit will only cause them not to trust you! So, tell them the night before or even the morning of the visit should be fine.

Explain why you are going – Always let your children know why they are going to the doctor, such as to check up on how fast they are growing or tell them if they are sick. Let them know that the doctor is there to make them feel better.

Let them know what will happen during the visit – Tell them that the doctor will check their eyes, ears, mouth and listen to their heart beat.

Read some children’s books about the doctor – Reading a fun children’s book will help to put them at ease. Books let them know that it is a normal part of life and every child goes through the same thing.

Make sure your child gets a good night’s rest – Schedule the doctor’s visit for a time of the day when your child is happy and fully rested.

Arrive at the doctor’s office early – This will ensure your child feels comfortable and give them some time to play and look at the interesting things in the office.

Focus on the good – Explain to them that if they behave well they’ll get a treat from the doctor, like a sweetie or a sticker. You could also give them a reward for their good behaviour afterwards by vising the local park or library.

Going to the doctor isn’t exactly a fun experience for a child, but these helpful tips will make it a lot less uncomfortable!

Need a reliable supplier of all your medical equipment and supplies? Place your order on Supply Doctor today and choose from our wide range of medical products.

Why every home needs a First Aid Kit

In light of the recent devastation caused by the fires in Knysna, we have decided to put together a list of the benefits of having a first aid kit as well as some of the contents that should be inside.

Having a first aid kit in your home is not an option, it is a necessity!

  n  A Central Location

Your first aid kit should contain all the essential medical supplies and products, meaning a person can immediately run to the location of the first aid kit and everything will be in one central location. As a rule, make sure that everyone in your family, all your friends and others such as your domestic workers, babysitters, etc. all know where the first aid kit is located. NOTE: Never place a first aid kit somewhere a toddler/young child can reach it.

  n  Travel

If you do not have a first aid kit in your car already you can bring your home first aid kit along on the road. Accidents can happen, like a burnt finger from the camp fire or even a minor fender bender, so make sure your first aid kit is on hand at all times. NOTE: It is best to have two first aid kits, one for the car and one for your home.

Here are some of the things you should have in your first aid kit:

       -          Crepe bandages

       -          Adhesive bandages

       -          Gauze pads

       -          Eye pad

       -          Scissors

       -          Disposable gloves

       -          Tweezers

       -          A space blanket

       -          Safety pins

       -          Burn dressing

       -          Plasters

       -          Thermometer

Supply Doctor has a range of first aid kits, including an affordable a home first aid kit. Should you want to simply buy supplies for your kit, all of the above are available from the Supply Doctor online medical supply store.

What do Doctors Listen for through the Stethoscope?

The stethoscope is one of the most popular pieces of medical equipment used by doctors all over the world. You will often see it hanging around their neck, but what do doctors listen for when they use stethoscopes?

Lub-dubs and Whooshes

Listening to the lungs is different to listening to the heart. A normal heart sound is often described as lub-dub, while whooshes are the sound that heart murmurs make. Doctors have to listen very carefully though because these sounds are often so soft that they can barely be heard. A stethoscope can also be used to listen to your pulse in your arm during a BP measurement.

Wheezes and Crackles

When a doctor listens to the lungs, they will keep their ears perked for any signs of wheezes and crackles. Wheezes are often heard from patients whose airways are constricted and crackles occur when there is fluid in their lungs. These sounds are bad signs and should not be present in any normal set of lungs.

Gurgles

Sometimes when a client has bowel problems, the doctor will place the stethoscope on their abdomen and listen for any gurgling sounds. These sounds are normal as it is just food and gas moving through your body.

Doctors use a stethoscope to find out important information about a patient’s body functions; it is painless and valuable piece of medical equipment.

Looking for medical supplies and products that are cheap, but still of high quality? Visit the Supply Doctor online medical supply store and place your order from the comfort of your own home.

15 Health Care Quotes From Famous Thinkers

Few topics in our culture today have burned with such fire as health care. TV news programs battle over who has the better plan to lower costs and raise quality daily.

Books and many articles are written and published to voice more opinions, and for people to line up and take sides.

It seems like everybody is rushing to get to the end, urgently goading people to follow their particular plan of escape, and no one can see where they're going.

In cases like this, there is clarity in simple and enduring ideas. So take a time-out from the political and economic world. Instead, let these thinkers remind us of what's really at stake--the person who suffers right in front of us. Each of us is armed already with the power to heal without the need for cash, without the risk of side effects. The human spirit and our connection to each other; that too, is medicine!

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
― Hippocrates

“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.”
― George Gordon Byron

“We look for medicine to be an orderly field of knowledge and procedure. But it is not. It is an imperfect science, an enterprise of constantly changing knowledge, uncertain information, fallible individuals, and at the same time lives on the line. There is science in what we do, yes, but also habit, intuition, and sometimes plain old guessing. The gap between what we know and what we aim for persists. And this gap complicates everything we do.”
― Atul Gawande, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

“It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.”
― Paul Farmer

“Disease is the biggest money maker in our economy.”
― John H. Tobe

“After you find out all the things that can go wrong, your life becomes less about living and more about waiting.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Choke

“Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?”
― George Carlin

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”
― Mother Teresa, A Simple Path: Mother Teresa

“The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it”
― Maimonides

“Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

“How do you tell the psychiatrists from the patients in the hospital?
The patients get better and leave.”
― Lisa Scottoline, Every Fifteen Minutes

"Let me recommend the best medicine in the world: a long journey, at a mild season, through a pleasant country, in early stages."
― James Madison

"I'm great at a death bed. I've never given tranquilizers or psychiatric medicine. I've given love and fun and creativity and passion and hope, and these things ease suffering."
― Patch Adams

"To array a man's will against his sickness is the supreme art of medicine."
― Henry Ward Beecher

"If we want to fight people in the world, we should fight them with pillows - pillows stuffed with food, medicine, music...That would be so much cheaper than bombs."
― Alice Walker

Supply Doctor is an online medical equipment and product store that offers a variety of medical supplies, from first aid kits and disposables to ECGs and ultrasound machines.

6 Common Types of Diagnostic Medical Devices

Diagnostic medical equipment and supplies help clinicians to measure and observe various aspects of a patient's health so that they can form a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, the clinician can then prescribe an appropriate treatment plan.

Diagnostic medical equipment is found in outpatient care centres for adult and paediatrics, in emergency rooms, as well as inpatient hospital rooms and intensive care units.

Order medical supplies and equipment online today! Supply Doctor has a wide range of medical products, from otoscopes to stethoscopes, thermometers and disposable medical supplies - place your order today!

The following list provides an overview of some of the most commonly used diagnostic tools.

Stethoscopes

Stethoscopes are probably the most recognizable of all medical diagnostic tools. They are used to listen to heart sounds, the lungs and even blood flow in the arteries and veins.

• Stethoscopes help diagnose:
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Heart palpitations
• Heart disease
• Arrhythmia
• Heart valve issues

Stethoscopes are also used along with a sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure.

Electronic Stethoscopes improve sound quality when listening to the low-pitched heart sounds and the high-pitched pulmonary sounds. They can be connected to a computer to record and save the sounds. 

They can be hooked up to distributors that allow multiple people to listen on adjoining stethoscopes. This last feature is important when training interns, residents and fellows.

Sphygmomanometers

Evidence-based medicine has proven that the measure of blood pressure is important in determining the overall health of a person.

The sphygmomanometer can help diagnose:

• Diabetes
• High or low blood pressure
• Artery hardening
• Arterial plaque
• Hypotension

High blood pressure has been linked to several diseases. There are a few products that are used to measure blood pressure.

Manual sphygmomanometers are considered the most reliable. Mercury manometers don't require routine calibration, and therefore are used in high-risk scenarios.

Aneroid sphygmomanometers are a little less reliable because they can lose their calibration when bumped, which can be a common occurrence in health care settings. Wall-mounted styles can reduce this possibility, but should still have calibration checks to be sure. The aneroid style is easily identified as a mechanical unit with a dial for the readings, as well as a bulb and air valve.

Digital finger blood pressure monitors are the smallest and most portable. While easy to operate, they are a bit less accurate.

Digital sphygmomanometers, like the digital finger blood pressure monitors, are also electronic. They can be inflated either manually or automatically. They are easy to use, but derive blood pressure in an indirect way. Digital units measure mean arterial pressure, which basically translates into an average of the systolic and diastolic pressure. The digital sphygmomanometer then must derive what the systolic and diastolic readings would be.

Opthalmoscopes

Ophthalmoscopes are handheld tools that allow a physician to see into the fundus of a patient's eye. This type of diagnostic tool is commonly used in physical or outpatient exams.

Ophtalmoscopes can help diagnose:

• Bacterial infections
• Detached retinas
• Glaucoma

There are two types of ophthalmoscopes.

Direct ophthalmoscopes produce an upright image of approximately 15 times magnification. These tools are held as close to the patient's eye as possible.

Indirect ophthalmoscopes produce an inverted image of 2 to 5 times magnification. Indirect ophthalmoscopes are held 24 to 30 inches from the patient's eye. Indirects also have a more powerful light so they are more effective than directs when used in patients with cataracts.

Otoscopes

Otoscopes are handheld devices that allow physicians to look into the ear canal and view the tympanic membrane through the magnification lens. 

Otoscopes help diagnose:

• Ear infections
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Causes of vertigo or dizziness
• Meniere’s disease
• Swimmers Ear

The head of the otoscope also has a light. The light, together with the magnifying lens, make it possible to view the outer and middle ear. The portion that the physician inserts into the ear canal is called the disposable speculum. Disposable specula are stored in a dispenser in the exam room so that a new, clean one can be attached to the otoscopes for each patient.

Electrocardiographs

Electrocardiographs measure the electrical activity of the heart. During this examination, heart rate can be recorded, as well as the regularity of the beats. These are two key indicators of any issues in the heart. Physicians can even read an electrocardiograph to determine the size and position of each heart chamber. And finally, a major use for the electrocardiograph is to diagnose damage to the heart, and the impact and efficacy of drug treatment or device implant.

Thermometer

Thermometers are used in all areas and levels of care, from routine physical exams, to emergency department triage, to inpatient care. There are now electronic thermometers that shorten the time necessary to measure a patient's temperature. The electronic ones can be set for the specific part of the body being measured, such as the mouth, under the armpit, rectally, or the ear.

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!

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.

How to make a doctor’s visit easier for kids

Doctor’s visit can be really scary for children. Many adults avoid the doctor’s office because of the fear that their kids have.

Here are some helpful tips for making a visit to the doctor’s office as comfortable for your child as possible:

Warn you child about the visit. Telling your little one beforehand will give them time to mentally prepare. It will also teach them to trust you. You don’t have to tell them a week before, the night or the morning before should be fine.

Explain the purpose of the visit. Let your child know that the doctor is looking to see how they are growing, or if they are sick. Tell them the doctor will try helping them to feel better.

Walk them through what will happen. Tell them the doctor will look in their eyes and ears and listen to their heart beat. If they need shots too, let them know that too.

Read some books about other children going to the doctor. Your child will benefit from books that put them at ease. Books help them to know that it’s a normal part of life, and every child goes through the same thing.

Make sure your child is well rested. Schedule the appointment for a time of day when your child is generally happy. Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep.

Arrive early. Your children will feel more comfortable if they aren’t rushed and get comfortable with the doctor’s office. Many offices have toys, fish tanks and interesting things for your kids to look at.

Concentrate on the good. Explain to them that your doctor’s office gives stickers or a sweetie for good behaviour. You could also promise and outing afterwards, like to the library or the park.

Shots, nurses and exam rooms aren’t exactly a fun field trip for your kids, but these tips can make a visit to the doctor a lot less painful for you and your child.

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Ultrasounds Explained

Do you know what an ultrasound is, and what it is used for? Well, it is a medical test that uses high-frequency sound waves to capture live images from inside your body.

An ultrasound scan will allow your doctor to see problems with organs, vessels and tissues – without needing to make an incision.

Why is an ultrasound performed? No, it’s not just for pregnant women, the test has many other uses.

Your doctor may suggest an ultrasound if you are experiencing pain, swelling, or other symptoms that require an internal view of your organs.

An ultrasounds can provide a view of your:

- Bladder
- Brain
- Eyes
- Gallbladder
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Ovaries
- Uterus
- Blood vessels

An ultrasound is also a useful way to guide surgeon’s movements during certain medical procedures, such as a biopsy.

There will be some steps to take in order to prepare for an ultrasound, but it all depends on the area or organ that is being examined.

Your doctor may tell you not to eat for eight to 12 hours before your ultrasound. For an examination of the gallbladder, liver, pancreas or spleen, you may be told to eat a fat-free meal the night before your test.

Always be sure to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements that you have taken before the ultrasound.

Luckily, an ultrasound carries no risks at all. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, they use no radiation, that’s why they are the best method for examining a fetus during pregnancy.

After the ultrasound scan, your doctor will review the images and check for any abnormalities. If your doctor is able to diagnose your condition based on your ultrasound, you can then begin treatment immediately!

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