Buzzing, hissing, booming, and humming in the internal part of the ear with the absence of external sound – these are all how a tinnitus sounds. Oftentimes, this is addressed to as ringing ears. This affects the daily living for sufferers of this condition since it is very distractive and irritating. As this tinnitus is not the disease itself but a flag sign of a problem in the body, the person must be well informed of its causes that they may find the correct way to stop ears from ringing, making them get back to their routine activities.

As said, tinnitus is not the disease in itself but a symptom. So, in order to stop ears from ringing, the basic step would be, knowing if the earwax has something to do with it. Excessive or impacted earwax can aggravate tinnitus. A way to stop ears from ringing brought about by impacted earwax is to have it removed by a doctor. It is not good for the person himself to remove it because it may cause further damage to the ear. The doctors have special instruments that they are going to use for this case.

To stop ears from ringing, the one affected must know what lies behind the symptoms, reassuring that are not a fatal illness or a disease that would cause lifetime deafness. It must be remembered that since this is a symptom, treating it won’t be effective as it may recur if the root cause is not pointed to and treated. People also who are under medication must be sure that the drugs they are taking in don’t have side effects like tinnitus. Self medication is discouraged as there are drugs that cause tinnitus. Medications must be recommended by a doctor.

There are simple ways to stop ears from ringing. Having a healthy immune system could be one. To get a healthy immune system, relaxation, healthy diet, and exercise would be needed for it to be boosted. According to a study, an excessive stress can cause a chemical imbalance in the body. The imbalance of this fluid level in the inner ear could be a cause of tinnitus. The diet of a person with tinnitus must be monitored. Salty diet must be avoided, as well as those high in caffeine, and too much fat. Limitation or stopping the intake of alcohol, and nicotine is required as this can worsen tinnitus.

As surgery could be a possible way to stop ears from ringing, other tinnitus can be addressed in a nonsurgical way. This would include behavioral and combined therapies which include hypnosis, cognitive therapy and biofeedback. Some of tinnitus could be treated with pharmacological and complementary strategies that include: anti-depressants, neuromodulators, dietary supplements, herbal medications, homeopathy, naturopathy, aromatherapy, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic manipulator, low-dose laser, ultra quiet ultrasonic therapy and low- dose electrical stimulation. Still, new and developing, but specialized centers reported 75% of good tinnitus recovery using the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.

There are a few occasions in our lives that bring about some mild doses of anxiety along with them. Weddings, examination, public facing are some of the best examples to support this statement. These mild doses of anxiousness are not that bothersome and goes away quickly. However, if these tend to increase and start to interfere in the everyday life, then there is something wrong.

By and large, such anxiety disorders are seen more in females than in males. Most anxiety attacks disrupt your normal life and you have to make many modifications to your personal and social life. Commonly, people use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably, which is incorrect as both the terms have a subtle difference. If not treated on time, the anxiety attacks can really cause great harm and make a fool out of you in difficult situations.

When a person realizes that something is wrong with him or her, they rush to the doctor. However, when it comes to anxiety attacks, some of the doctors find it very difficult to tell you what is wrong with you. They may conduct several tests and still they may not come to any conclusion. They may also say that you are perfectly normal, but you know it from within that you are not normal. There are times that the patients may go crazy if they do not get the proper treatment.

If you suffer form frequently occurring anxiety attacks, then visiting your regular physician is not recommended. You will have to visit a specialist or a medical professional that deals with only such cases. You can get enough help for anxiety from a psychiatrist. However you need to be patient with the doctor as well as the treatment.

Although, most of the medications that are prescribed are good and effective, however, some of them have side affects too. If you want to avoid the side affects and look forward for something drug-free, then you can go for hypnosis therapy. This therapy, is generally, combined with other therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. The medical specialist who conducts this therapy is called as a hypnotherapist.

When you visit a hypnotherapist the first time, he or she will ask you about your medical history and other health related questions. Then, the hypnotherapist will give you a briefing about hypnosis along with all the pros and cons of the treatment. After the briefing of the technique, the hypnotherapist will tell you how the treatment will help for anxiety attacks. The treatment starts with a series of relaxation exercises. Each session of the hypnotherapist may last for 30 minutes and you will surely feel the difference in four to ten sessions.

The hypnotist would make observations after each session so as to understand and interpret the progress of the patient. You will get to know about the same when the information would be shared by you. children in the age group of 9-12 are easy to hypnotize and get a quick relief. They can be cured after 2-3 sessions of hypnotherapy. Another type of hypnotism that can be done along with hypnotherapy is self hypnotism. You need some audio tapes and special instructions for the same.

Charles Linden devised another method of fighting anxiety attacks. this is referred to as Linden method. It is really helpful and has made the lives of many people easier. Hypnotherapy and Linden method both are drug free and without any side affects. It would be completely wrong to think that anxiety attacks are untreatable when there are so many methods to treat it.

According to quantum physics we are made of energy. Energy is all movement of particles. Particles are very very small, miniscule for us to even consider, as we are trained to think of ourselves as solid bodies.

Now, imagine you and all you know around you are made of particles, and between each particle is…. WHAT??? Vacuum, nothing, dark matter, space.

Now it feels bizarre, that we may even think ourselves solid, doesn’t it?

In fact, we can say that since we are made of particles moving in a particular way, we are part of everything else. We are part of each other, our environment and the Universe.

From here, since we are part of everything else around us, so are all of our thoughts, are also non-solid particles moving in a particular mode.

Everything we think, every way that we think a particular thought, all of our worries, doubts about ourselves, our environment, or other people, all of that is connected to everything else. So in fact, all you think affects me! All I think affects you.

The way you think, the thoughts you put our there go out into the negotiated space and stay there until the critical mass of the particular form of thought is reached and then they come “down” to our “real reality”, the one we choose to live in. Then you might say “I knew this would happen!” And in fact, yes you did, and you also helped it happen, by contributing into the strength of the source of the thoughts about it.

Back in my teen years and later in my early 20s, my mother used to worry about me all the time, even when I moved away and started to live my own life, or should I say particularly when I moved away? LOL

Upon my resurfacing to the world, she would describe to me all the horrors of what she thought would happen while I was enjoying my life being a youth.

One day after a tirade like this, I asked my mother if there is anything good she thought I might have been doing or enjoying at the time of her worrying about me.

She, clearly stunned, replied negatively, and then I told her that perhaps it is more useful that from now, on when I am out, she would think about something else, find a hobby, or a book to read, go see her friends, or do some yoga, just so she did not have to think about ME, because all she puts out there goes out to the Universe as a request for that to happen. Sort of like a Law of Attraction in action, you might say. Do I need her worries to take physical shape and roll down into my life? NOooooo!

Now in her eighties, she often forgets to worry anymore. God bless her beautiful heart. I often send her love and positive thought energy. She says that she is still carrying on largely due to good thoughts I am sending her, which may be true.

Discovered in late 70s in Egypt this powerful energy of Reiki is a combination of the Universal white light of healing and the personal chi, ki, prana, thriving in each one of us. The word Sekhem was used in ancient Egypt as a powerful tool to attune the vibration of dying Kings -Pharaohs to the sanctuary of the Kingdom of the Dead. It is a symbolism that worked well to discribe the power of the attunement, initiation to the higher light of the energy of eternal life.

Because in fact, there is no death. All that there is, is just the energy flow changing its form. Particles flow to form yet another way of life, light and etheric, non-solid, again, and non- physical.

Application of this powerful energy are various and many: from arthritis and anxiety to healing the past trauma, and creating the future you want. Some were able to get rid of knee and hip pains, eating disorders, correct sleep patterns, depression, etc. and get off the medication, which is alarming to doctors.

When I was diagnosed with the Hyperthyroid I said to myself, no way, I don’t want this in my life, I am too busy living to start thinking of dis-ease.

With Sekhem, I was able to get rig of my hyperthyroid in 3 months, and the fibroids in 3,5 moths. The doctors told me thay are not intersted to know how I got rid of those dis-ease, and that it is not an alopatic method, but so what, the doctor said, “Go ahead and use it if it works better. I don’t need to see you anymore.” “Ever?” I asked. “Ever”, said my doctor. It has been over ten years I am still healthy, in fact even healthier than before, using Sekhem.

With all of us beginning to use this energy , doctors might start paying attention to how we really heal, and what really helps. It is the thought that we put out that makes reality.

So what do you want?

What thought do you want to put out there so it makes your reality?

In day to day use, many consider the term “used” to mean that something is somehow inferior in quality but this is simply not always true. When we think about something as used we have the impression of the item’s newness, thus its ability to perform optimally to be diminished. When it comes to used laboratory equipment there are things at play that should be considered.

Used laboratory equipment is not simply used by one dentist or doctor then washed with soap and water and sold to another practice. There are refurbishing concepts that come into play here. The equipment has to first be sterilized thoroughly to assure nothing is resident in the device/equipment. In most cases the equipment is refurbished where components have come near or are used in close proximity to the patient. In dentists’ offices, for example, most parts that fit this description have disposable tips, or parts that are sterilized and disposed of. The main parts of the equipment such as the drill, the lights, or other mechanical equipment built to last can simply be sold to another dentist after being inspected for safety and sterilized.

The fact of the matter is that practices starting out can’t always afford to purchase their equipment new, it’s simply too expensive. Luckily, doctors or dentists who have upgraded their practice, moved to a new building or simply change technologies, will often offer up their old equipment for sale at a drastically reduced cost to the new dentist. The established dentist will actually expect to sell this equipment before they even purchase it as part of the value in the first place. In other words they expect to recoup some of their costs by selling it later when they no longer need it or purchase new equipment (i.e. state of the art equipment over legacy technology). The equipment is designed to last many more years than the dentist will need it so this is a perfect way to recoup your investment later.

Hospitals will purchase used equipment either when their current equipment breaks or the hospital expands to handle more patients. One of the reasons that medical bills are so high is that the hospitals are trying to recoup their investment in the equipment, so anything that will help them save money helps patients see lower bills in the long run.

Blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a disease where the arteries have atypical pressure.The possibility of getting high blood pressure increases as one becomes older.Medication may help you control high blood pressure.However, there is also a drug-free way through which you can keep high blood pressure in check.Exercises may help decrease the blood pressure and sustain it at controllable levels.However, what is the connection between hypertension and exercises?

Exercises help to toughen your heart.A strong heart does not struggle to pump blood to different body parts.Blood pressure is decreased when the force on the arteries which happens when hearts employs little effort to pump blood. Compared to medication, exercise is more effective.Exercises can help those suffering from primary blood pressure manage their high blood pressure problem for the last time.Exercises help to lower blood pressure and sustain it at a normal level.To appreciate the benefits, you must exercise regularly.You ought to exercise frequently to get the benefits.However, it is important that you understand these benefits will only last as long you continue exercising.Aerobics are said to be the most helpful exercises.However, you may also participate in strength exercises such as weight lifting.Other simple but highly beneficial exercises include walking, cycling, swimming, jogging and even climbing stairs.

One important thing you need to do before joining an exercise program is gets a go ahead from your doctor.Specific groups of individuals must check in with their doctors prior to exercising.These are smokers, obese individuals, those over the age of 40, as well as those that have suffered heart attacks before.You ought to talk to your physician if you are using drugs for details on whether exercises will affect their effectiveness.Make certain you start little by little.Do warm-ups prior to performing serious exercises.Discontinue the exercises if you experience shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, chest pains, dizziness and faintness.

They are words of warning that there could be something wrong.Ensure you that as you exercise, you watch your blood pressure.You may buy a blood pressure monitor for this end.Prior to and after exercising, verify your pressure and note down the changes.If you have high blood pressure, exercising is not only the simplest but also the most economical way of lowering your blood pressure.

Crucial Information on What is Normal Blood Pressure

Normal blood pressure may be regarded as ideal blood pressure.The pressure, which most of the time is 120 over 80, is the type of pressure that all healthy people should have.Nonetheless, it is crucial that you realize that different individuals have distinct blood pressure.When your blood pressure is high, you are said to be suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension. Physicians urge people to maintain normal blood pressure as a way of preventing the risk of strokes or even heart diseases.Going for a check-up is the easiest way of telling if your blood pressure is high, normal or low. Physicians use a sphygmomanometer to measure the blood pressure.

Your blood pressure is said to be normal when it is more than 120 over 80 but less than 140 over 90.Nonetheless, one thing you should realize is that though a pressure of 140 over 90 is regarded as normal, it exposes one to the risk of heart attack and strokes.If your blood pressure is elevated, it is crucial that you reduce it and keep it at a normal level.You may do this in different ways, making a lifestyle change being the most crucial.Consuming less salt is one way to decrease blood pressure and sustain it at normal levels.When it comes to hypertension, salt is believed the biggest offender.Blood pressure is raised by consuming excessive amounts of salt.If you suffer from high blood pressure, doctors recommend that you eat very little salt.Lowering and preventing hypertension may be achieved by removing salt from one’s diet.

You may also lower your blood pressure by eating a healthy diet.You should eat meals that contain the three food groups, carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins.You should especially eat more vegetables and fruits, as they are known to lower and maintain blood pressure at normal levels.Exercising more is another thing you need to do.This helps to keep your heart active and healthy thereby lowering blood pressure.You may either register at the local fitness center or employ expert trainers to assist you train comfortably at home.The trainers may draft training schedules for you that could assist you keep healthy weight and maintain normal blood pressure.You must stay away from excessive smoking and alcohol since it only elevates your blood pressure.Keeping a normal blood pressure is simple merely by following these simple regulations.

Several questions arise before you. You may suffer from genital warts and feel embarrassed in that situation. Resultantly you also avoid meeting doctors and look for best quality genital warts cream in such condition. Most often sold as over the counter medicines these creams are effective and result-oriented solution for patients suffering from genital warts. How do you apply them is a matter of great concern? You must follow cautiousness in applying genital warts creams on the affected areas.

Careful approach is first precondition for selection of genital warts creams to ascertain better wart removal. Selection of genital warts cream should be on the basis of track record and effectiveness of creams. Selected cream should be capable to remove genital warts completely. It must be assured before choosing any. Many costly creams are available in market which works for certain extent only. Your genital warts remain unresolved. Avoid those creams and don’t buy them. Some best quality creams are mentioned below:

oDermisil

oTerrasil

oWartrol

oClearNatural

oGardasil

Dermisil is mostly available in two forms—a capsule and a topical solution. For the application of the Dermisil topical solution, you don’t need the help of a doctor. You can try the application of the Dermisil topical solution on your own. You don’t need a doctor’s prescription to buy Dermisil. It is an over the counter medication for the removal of genital warts and is easily available at a pharmacy or drug store. Check out the schemes that are associated with the Dermisil medication.

One good scheme that is available with the Dermisil medication is the money back guarantee. For more details, you can ask the pharmacist. The Dermisil medication attacks the genital warts in two ways. The Dermisil topical solution attacks the external portion of the genital warts and causes them to fall off. The Dermisil capsules work from the inside and boosts the immune system of the body. If the immune system is strong, the genital warts will not reoccur and you will be completely cured from the genital warts.

Feedback about Dermisil medicine is most favourable in medical circle and internet. Those used this medicine earlier are highly satisfied of it due to its miraculous result. Least known side effect of Dermisil medicine is one of the most important benefits. No doubt Dermisil medicine takes extra time in application but it remains gentle and smoother as well compared with other genital wart medicines. Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for knowing more about Dermisil medicine including any doubt you may have about it.

Keeping a doubt free mind is the most important aspect for one treating genital warts? Get your doubts cleared first before you start any such treatment of genital warts to attain best possible result. You shouldn’t forget to monitor the entire treatment process while treating genital warts. It becomes more important for you when you use genital wart cream for such purpose. A notebook should be maintained by noting each and every observation in it while genital wart treatment undergoes. You should also note the details of medications applied during that treatment period.

You might have doubt about performance of Dermisil medicine and or feel that it doesn’t prove best treatment for genital warts then prefer other choice instead. Take better treatment which doesn’t harm your skin and remains affordable too. Any treatment showing positive result and early cure is best option to cure genital warts. You should choose that. Treatment must be economical. In case you look for economical treatment options then do comparative study of costs involved in various treatments. When you compare rates of these treatment options you will find some suitable option for curing your warts.

Seeking guidance from family members or friends who have treated genital warts on earlier occasions is one of the safest options to avail suitable and genuine information. Most often some people falsely presume that higher treatment cost provides quality treatment to them but such assumptions are baseless especially in the case of genital warts treatment. Some of the costliest and best quality laser treatments can’t ascertain complete cure of genital warts in certain cases. It is mandatory to think deeper and plan treatment procedure intrinsically.

The Davinci Robot, also known as the Davinci Surgical System, is a new system that offers an impressive alternative to traditional open and laparoscopic surgeries. This incredible system allows for procedures to be done in a less invasive manner, thus decreasing the length of time it takes patients to recover from their surgeries.

The Davinci Robot is being used for several different types of surgeries, including cardiothoracic and gynecological procedures. Being that the robot can provide a less invasive way to complete these procedures, it is an excellent option to be considered by patients and doctors alike.

Open-heart surgery requires an incision up to 10 inches long and splitting and spreading open of the breastbone and ribcage to allow access for the surgeon. The Davinci Robot is able to do the same surgeries using only small incisions between the ribs, significantly reducing scarring and recovery time for the patients.

Gynecologically, the Davinci Robot is able to gain access to the reproductive organs either vaginally or through very small incisions as opposed to the large incisions that are very common with traditional procedures. Having smaller precise incisions reduces the risks of infection and the time it will take for the patient to recover and get back to their normal routines.

With such benefits as smaller incisions and decreased recovery time, the Davinci Robot is an excellent option for patients undergoing surgery. Contact your healthcare provider today to find out more and if they use the Davinci Robot to complete their surgical procedures.

Many people choose to get a tummy tuck, to improve their body contours. A tummy tuck is not a weight loss solution, but can tighten the abdominal muscles and eliminate skin and fat and help you regain your figure after pregnancy or weight loss.

A candidate for a tummy tuck should be in good physical condition before getting the procedure. If you are a smoker, you should stop months before undergoing the procedure. In addition, you should get a physical from your regular doctor, before even getting a tummy tuck to make sure your body can withstand the procedure.

You should also plan for the costs of getting a tummy tuck. The costs of the surgery can depend on factors such as the region you live in, the complexity of the procedure and the equipment that your doctor uses. Most patients either use money from their savings or a credit card to fund their surgery. There are also doctors who work with plastic surgery finance companies to help patients finance their surgery.

Ordinarily, the procedure is not covered by insurance, however in the case of a hernia your insurance may cover the procedure. Make sure you look at your insurance policy to see if the procedure is covered. In addition, many plastic surgeons may need a letter from your insurance company stating that they will cover the procedure.

After deciding to get a tummy tuck, make sure you take your time and choose a plastic surgeon you can trust. Ask your friends or relatives if they have any recommendations for a plastic surgeon. After deciding a few plastic surgeons, go to their office for a consultation and make sure you ask plenty of questions.

How long have they have been performing as a plastic surgeon? Do they have any references that you can contact? In addition, ask the doctor if they have any before and after pictures that they would like to share with you.

On the day of the surgery, a doctor may administer local or general medication to the patient. The surgeon will then make a horizontal incision above the pubic area. The length of the incision will depend on the amount of skin that needs to be removed. Most of the time, the doctor will keep incisions within the bathing suit lines so that they are not visible.

Once the doctor places the incision, the doctor will eliminate the fat and close the incision. After any tummy tuck, the patient may have to stay in the hospital for a day to recuperate. Afterwards, the patient may feel sore and have some slight bruising in the affected area.

Make sure you follow all the directions from the doctor to minimize the likelihood of complications. Realize that your body may take a few weeks for you to see the full results of your surgery.

Many individuals get a tummy tuck to eliminate excess fat in their tummy area. If you are interested in the procedure, make sure you take your time and choose a plastic surgeon that you can trust.

Learning all about preventing panic attacks is something that suffers from this problem aim to do. The fact is that those unfortunate folks who have to endure panic episodes, as well as their family, and good friends would go to any extent to be told ways to this problem. While deliberating about this subject, let us begin on a positive note.

Firstly, it is critical to understand what caused them. To paraphrase, what’s the trigger? Thanks to the likeness of symptoms between panic and coronaries, it is not strange to find {people rushing their family to the nearest surgery as fast as fast as an attack occurs.

The doctor might simply give a calmative for preventing panic attacks which would probably result in the patient feeling better after a little time, and walking back home. The unlucky link to this story is that the real cause or the main cause wasn’t identified! There are relatively easy steps concerned if you want to know how to stop panic episodes.

Step one might be to completely keep noting down the list of the triggers which caused it in the first place. It might be simple stuff like the caffeine or a soft drink you drank or the speech you had to make at work meeting or perhaps your collusion in an overcrowded event. A heated debate with your other half could also trigger a panic attack. Researching these patterns and triggers, you would simply find that the bulk of the panic fits are a result of the irrational mind.

Doctors and psychotherapists have long noticed that panic fits are typically because of a dysfunctional mind. With the advancement in psycho-therapeutic science, the physician is now using the powers of modern science to halt panic attacks. If you are aware when and how panic fits happen, you would also learn the way to stop them.

A pleasant example of this is physicians using Cognitive Behavioral Treatment or CBT. Drugs are also prescribed by physicians, majority of which can only assure short term relief. However psycho-therapeutic approaches are providing better and sustainable results.

This care is a long-drawn process which helps the patient to see the rational side of his mind. Fundamentally the patient becomes capable of rationalizing his fears, fears, ideology and even values. Once the patient sees reason behind his irrational behavior, he gradually gains the talent to be ready to forestall panic episodes.

As an example, if the patient is revealed to be startled stiff of crowded paces, the doctor would show the patient in a peaceful demeanour to places that are crowded and the patient learns slowly, how to cope with this precise situation. While all that is good, the problem of it actually is this treatment usually does not yield the needed results swiftly.

Hypnotherapy either thru a qualified hypnotist or by self hypnosis has been found to offer an effective solution in stopping panic episodes.

Since the real cause of many types of anxiety attacks rests in the deepest crevices of the mind, effective use of the technique of hypnotherapy can help the patient to get to the subconscious and dig out the assembled thoughts, fears, fears and other negative associations. Again, setting the mind at complete peace and in a cool condition is the 1st step which hypnotist takes.

Once the mind is relaxed and chilled it is more open to more positive confirmations given to him outwardly. At last effective mind control and making it clutter-free could give the crucial cue to stop preventing panic attacks.

It’s vital to grasp, while learning strategies to stop a panic episode, that drugs and tough medicines can nether stop nor relieve the symptoms as the key to heal basically lies in the mind of the influenced individual.

We’ve all seen patients who were far beyond the reach of medical treatment suddenly defy the odds and recover. We’ve also seen patients who were well on the road to recovery, take a turn for the worse for seemingly no reason at all. No matter what the technology or how terrific we are at our jobs, sometimes medicine just isn’t enough.

Case in point, a few years ago, my Grandma, in her mid-sixties at the time, had a moderate CVA. No matter what her doctors did for her, she wasn’t regaining consciousness, defying explanation. My mom and I were living and working in Los Angeles and Grandma was two thousand miles away in Chicago. When the doctor called to tell us about the stroke, he not only said that Grandma might not live through the night, but that she might not last the few hours it would take us to fly to her side. Mom and I both felt very strongly that we had to talk to her for what might be the last time, before we got on the plane. Hearing our voices and knowing that someone was with her, had always made a huge difference in any difficulty she faced. So Mom got the head nurse on the phone and asked if she could get a phone to Grandma. Asking quickly turned to pleading - we needed to tell Grandma to hold on and that we were coming. The nurse basically dismissed the notion - what possible good could THAT do It took a while, but Mom finally convinced the nurse to put a phone up to Grandma’s ear. We were able to tell her how much we loved her, that she was going to be fine and that we were on our way. By the time the nurse came back on the phone, she was speechless. Evidently the moment Grandma heard our voices her eyelids began to flutter. Her vitals stabilized, her eyes opened for the first time since she’d been in the hospital and she looked straight up at the nurse and then around the room looking for us. Two weeks later, she was out of the hospital and on her way to rehab.

That’s the miracle of communication.

Whether it’s a family member, a friend or just a familiar face, patients need to have the people they love surrounding them, when they’re ill, in pain, or afraid. As caregivers, it’s part of the job to realize that patients might be too ill or physically unable to initiate the contact they so desperately need, on their own.

I wish that were the end of the story. A few years later, Grandma who had recovered fully, badly injured her leg and her jaw after falling in the bathroom at home. She was unable to speak but was in stable condition, when admitted to a different hospital. She was supposed to have gone on vacation so we hadn’t expected to hear from her and had no idea she was in the hospital. A few days later she began spiraling into critical condition. By the time the hospital called us, she was in the ICU, unconscious and critical. While I was on one phone trying to get a flight, my mom was on the other phone with the doctor who happened to be standing right outside Grandma’s room. She begged him and then the nursing staff, to get a phone into her, so she could talk to her, for what looked like it would be the last time.

But at this hospital, the doctor and the nurses refused. While the doctor was on the phone with mom, Grandma, who had been unconscious just a few minutes before, unexpectedly opened her eyes and began to look around. The doctor told Mom what happened and took this as a sign that she her condition was turning around. Even so, Mom still pleaded with him to get a phone to Grandma. He told her there was no way to get a phone to an ICU patient. “We’ll try and figure something out in the morning,” he said, hanging up the phone. But Grandma didn’t have until morning. She died just a few hours later, before we could get to her and we lost our chance to tell her we loved her - our chance to say goodbye.

Looking back on that time reminds me of that scripture, “without a vision, the people perish”. Some people, even while facing serious illness or death are so self-motivated that just the possibility of dying makes them muster every ounce of strength they have, to fight it. But most people aren’t that way. Most people need to use the strength of others - the people they love - to provide the strength they cannot find.

Patients need connection. They need vision - the vision to “see” themselves getting through the darkness and fear that they’re facing. They need help “seeing” the next day or the next week. Seeing themselves strong and well again. And without that strength and that support they so desperately need from the people they love, there is no vision. And without that vision, they perish.

Simply put, at that moment, Grandma needed us. She needed to hear our voices that night and the very people who were there to be her advocates and to help her make that connection happen, didn’t do it. And that night, Grandma perished, without knowing that we were right there at the other end of that phone and on our way to be with her.

The good news is, the same thing that happened to us, doesn’t have to happen at your facility. With just a few simple steps designed to help communication-impaired patients, you can not only make a huge difference in their lives, you might even save them.

With just a few simple steps designed to help communication-impaired patients, you can make a huge difference in their lives.

Assessing Your Patient’s Ability To Communicate

The next time you’re caring for a patient with compromised communication ability, take a moment to see your patient’s surroundings from her perspective. If your patient’s family and friends are not at the hospital with her or can’t come often, are there tools you can provide your patient that will facilitate communication with the outside world

Mobility Limitations

If your patient can speak, is the telephone close enough to her for her to use

Does she need help dialing Is she able to see well enough to read a number off a piece of paper or out of her address book

If your patient is unable to hold a telephone, would she benefit from a speakerphone or a cell phone

Hearing/Speech Limitations

If your patient can’t speak, ask her to indicate if she would like to have someone called for her, and task a patient representative or volunteer to hold the phone up to her ear and facilitate their communication.

If your patient is deaf, make sure that your facility has TTY telephones to connect with family members. If your patient is blind, make sure that she has Braille writers or other devices to help her communicate.

Take a moment to call the department in your facility that deals with hearing or vision-impaired patients. They may have more tools or ideas that can bridge difficulties and enhance communication.

Another idea for patients who can’t speak, is patient Internet access. If your hospital has it available, it can be a real lifesaver, allowing a patient to type an email, a text message or to supervise while a message is typed for them. If your facility doesn’t have Internet access for patients, either you or another team member can use a smart phone or cell phone to send an email or text a message for them, facilitating emergency communication with a loved one.

For patients who have a temporary physically impairment, like a broken jaw, encourage them to use patient Internet access or their cell or smart phones (if allowed) to email, text and keep in touch with family or children who might not be able to visit in person.

If you work with seriously ill pediatric or adult patients who need to communicate updates about their patient to a whole team of family and friends, there is a terrific service called Care Pages. It was created by a family with a seriously ill child and no time to constantly email everyone who wanted to know how the child was doing.

Critical Care/End of Life

Since many hospitals still don’t have a means of patient communication in the ICU, you may have to get a bit more creative for patients in critical care units.

There are now low emission wireless phones, like those manufactured by Spectralink, which can be used safely in critical care units. Wireless web pads also work well, or if those aren’t available, you can always order an extension phone, like those used in regular patient rooms and keep it at the nurses’ station. When it’s needed, it can be plugged into a phone jack in a patient’s room.

And don’t forget that technology is making huge strides in facilitating patient communication. As unusual as it sounds, surgeons are now using Twitter to keep families apprised of patient’s progress during surgery, while families who are apart during emergencies, are using Facebook and MySpace to keep each other up to date. You can use that same technology to help a critically ill or dying patient communicate with family members who might not make it to the hospital in time to be with them.

How With your smart phone!

Most smart phones have the ability to record video, audio and take photos, all of which can be sent or received via email right from the phone. Let’s say you have a patient who might not make it through the night. His family is about to board a plane, but won’t arrive for three or four hours. Even if you aren’t allowed to turn your personal cell phone on to receive calls in the ICU, the family can record a video or audio message on their own phone and email it to you, so you can play it for the patient - something you can do without the phone actually being on. Or they can email you a photo of themselves to show to the patient or an email that your patient can read for himself.

You can do the same thing at your end. Let’s say that your patient is alert and oriented now, but you both realize that he might not live. By using your smart or cell phone with video or audio recording capability, he can record a final message to a loved one, that can later be emailed to the family. I don’t think I have to tell anyone, how much that bit of video can mean to a family.

Or let’s say that your patient is a John Doe or that she was a part of a mass casualty and even though you’re relatively positive you have the right name with the right person, the family member is still in transit. You can snap a quick photo and email it to the family, hastening the identification.

Communication isn’t just a patient’s right - for many it can be their only link to the outside world, or a life-renewing source of strength and love. Combine that with outstanding medical care and watch the miracles flow.