Archive | August 2019


“For the last four years or so,  Andrew Luck – Former Quaterback for the Colts-29 yrs old stated this month he’s been in this cycle of injury, pain, rehab, injury, pain, rehab — and it’s been unceasing, unrelenting, both in-season and offseason,” he said after a preseason game over the weekend. “I felt stuck in it, and the only way I see out is to no longer play football. It’s taken my joy of this game away.”


Continual Concussions can cause permanent brain damage!

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A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination.  Continue this injury over and over again can lead to high potential of brain damage.



******Remember the key to a brain concussion fully recovering is not to have impact to the head happening over and over again. Based on the same concept if you get hit in the same spot over and over again anywhere in the body bruising to actual injury will happen whether it be muscle or bone. Well get hit in the head over and over again like in sports especially boxing but now the big conversation with football even with a helmet on you will cause a permanent damage to the brain.  A perfect example of this is a boxer that gets hit over an over again to the head in a boxing ring. The head is just another area of the body and no different than other areas of our body.******

What actually happens is this a concussion is most often caused by a sudden direct blow or bump to the head.


The result? Your brain doesn’t function normally. If you’ve suffered a concussion, vision may be disturbed, you may lose equilibrium, or you may fall unconscious. In short, the brain is confused. That’s why Bugs Bunny often saw stars after getting whacked in the head in his cartoon by some other character.

The new uptake with football is being concerned with players getting concussions from getting hit by their opponent players whether it be defense or offense while playing the game. Concussions have become big business in the football world. With 1,700 players in the NFL, 66,000 in the college game, 1.1 million in high school and 250,000 more in Pop Warner, athletes and families across the country are eager to find ways to cut the risks of brain injury, whose terrifying consequences regularly tear across the sports pages. And a wave of companies offering diagnostic tools and concussion treatments are just as eager to sell them peace of mind.

That’s actually a slogan for one company. ImPACT, the maker of the world’s most popular concussion evaluation system, offers a 20-minute computerized test that players can take via software or online to measure verbal and visual memory, processing speed, reaction time and impulse control. The idea behind ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) and similar batteries is that doctors or athletic trainers can give a baseline test to a healthy athlete, conduct follow-up tests after an injury and then compare the results to help figure out when it’s OK to return the athlete to play. Selling itself as “Valid. Reliable. Safe,” ImPACT dominates the testing market and has spread throughout the sports world: Most NFL clubs use the test, as do all MLB, MLS and NHL clubs, the national associations for boxing, hockey and soccer in the U.S., and nine auto racing circuits.






Even with those caveats, the latest numbers are “remarkably consistent” with past research from the center suggesting a link between football and long-term brain disease, said Dr. Ann McKee, the facility’s director and chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.






American Heart Association



National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.


There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These 5 types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread. Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmiss-ion from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

WHO World Health Organization


Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver. … Hepatitis A and B can be prevented by vaccination, but not hepatitis C. There are now many good medications available to treat chronic hepatitis B and C. The symptoms of acute hepatitis include yellowing of the skin and eyes, nausea, fever and fatigue.



“Hemophilia is one of the more common inherited types of bleeding disorders. Currently, about 20,000 individuals in the United States have hemophilia. Although hemophilia most commonly occurs in men, it can also occur in women.”

National Hemophilia Foundation





What is this condition?

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder characterized by low levels of clotting factor proteins. Correct diagnosis of Hemophilia is essential to providing effective treatment. Blood Center of Wisconsin offers one of the largest diagnostic menus to accurately and confidently diagnose Hemophilia.




  1. A girl who is not a carrier
  2. A girl who is a carrier
  3. A boy without hemophilia
  4. A boy with hemophilia

Hemophilia is an X-linked inherited bleeding disorder caused by mutation of the F8 gene that encodes for coagulation factor VIII or the F9 gene that encodes for coagulation factor IX. The degree of plasma factor deficiency correlates with both the clinical severity of disease and genetic findings. Severe hemophilia is characterized by plasma factor VIII or factor IX levels of under 1 IU/dl. Moderate and mild hemophilia are characterized by factor VIII or factor IX levels of 1-5 IU/dL or 6 – 40 IU/dL, respectively. Genetic analysis is useful for identification of the underlying genetic defect in males with severe, moderate or mild hemophilia and for determination of carrier status in the female individuals within their families. Additionally, data is emerging regarding the correlation between a patients mutation status and the risk of that patient developing an inhibitor.

People with hemophilia A often, bleed longer than other people. Bleeds can occur internally, into joints and muscles, or externally, from minor cuts, dental procedures or trauma. How frequently a person bleeds and the severity of those bleeds depends on how much FVIII is in the plasma, the straw-colored fluid portion of blood.


Mild hemophilia A-  6% up to 49% of FVIII in the blood. People with mild hemophilia Agenerally experience bleeding only after serious injury, trauma or surgery. In many cases, mild hemophilia is not diagnosed until an injury, surgery or tooth extraction results in prolonged bleeding. The first episode may not occur until adulthood. Women with mild hemophilia often experience menorrhagia, heavy menstrual periods, and can hemorrhage after childbirth.

Moderate hemophilia A. 1% up to 5% of FVIII in the blood. People with moderate hemophilia A  tend to have bleeding episodes after injuries. Bleeds that occur without obvious cause are called spontaneous bleeding episodes.

Severe hemophilia A.  <1% of FVIII in the blood. People with severe hemophilia A experience bleeding following an injury and may have frequent spontaneous bleeding episodes, often into their joints and musclesHemophilia A and B are diagnosed by measuring factor clotting activity. Individuals who have hemophilia A have low factor VIII clotting activity. Individuals who have hemophilia B have low factor IX clotting activity.Genetic testing is usually used to identify women who are carriers of a FVIII or FIX gene mutation, and to diagnose hemophilia in a fetus during a pregnancy (prenatal diagnosis). It is sometimes used to diagnose individuals who have mild symptoms of hemophilia A or B.

For Diagnosing the condition:

Genetic testing is also available for the factor VIII gene and the factor IX gene. Genetic testing of the FVIII gene finds a disease-causing mutation in up to 98 percent of individuals who have hemophilia A. Genetic testing of the FIX gene finds disease-causing mutations in more than 99 percent of individuals who have hemophilia B.

For Treating the condition:

There is currently no cure for hemophilia. Treatment depends on the severity of hemophilia.People who have moderate to severe hemophilia A or B may need to have an infusion of clotting factor taken from donated human blood or from genetically engineered products called recombinant clotting factors to stop the bleeding. If the potential for bleeding is serious, a doctor may give infusions of clotting factor to avoid bleeding (preventive infusions) before the bleeding begins. Repeated infusions may be necessary if the internal bleeding is serious. When a person who has hemophilia has a small cut or scrape, using pressure and a bandage will take care of the wound. An ice pack can be used when there are small areas of bleeding under the skin.

When bleeding has damaged joints, physical therapy is used to help them function better. Physical therapy helps to keep the joints moving and prevents the joints from becoming frozen or badly deformed. Sometimes the bleeding into joints damages them or destroys them. In this situation, the individual may be given an artificial joint.

Treatment may involve slow injection of a medicine called desmopressin (DDAVP) by the doctor into one of the veins. DDAVP helps to release more clotting factor to stop the bleeding. Sometimes, DDAVP is given as a medication that can be breathed in through the nose (nasal spray).

Researchers have been working to develop a gene replacement treatment (gene therapy) for Hemophilia A. Research of gene therapy for hemophilia A is now taking place. The results are encouraging. Researchers continue to evaluate the long-term safety of gene therapies. The hope is that there will be a genetic cure for hemophilia in the future.



“Although Medical Alert IDs have been around for decades, chances are you may not know the depths of their importance. It is vital for people who have life-threatening or potentially dangerous medical conditions to wear a notification in case of an emergency. It helps first responders and medical personnel recognize the medical conditions, medications, allergies and treatment wishes of the patient.  Wearing a medical ID protects against potentially harmful medical errors.  They can also eliminate trips to the hospital, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and prevent minor emergencies from becoming major ones.


Stellar Benefits Group

Medic Alert Awareness!

There are advantages to having a medic alert button and medic alert ID tags!

It is comical to some with “Help me, I fell and I can’t get up.” regarding the commercial but we all know there are many that really have experienced this terrible disaster and did need this medic alert button for their health.

While the Medic Alert name is synonymous with medical identification bracelets; not all bracelets are created equal. That is why, this August, its celebration Medic Alert Awareness Month. This celebration is designed to educate the public about Medic Alert Foundation and the extra life-saving benefits that set foundation who sell this product apart from general medical jewelry providers (medic alert bracelets or necklaces).

The collection of services found behind every Medic Alert medical ID bracelet is how shoppers can distinguish Medic Alert Foundation from all other medical ID providers in today’s market. Only Medic Alert continues to deliver 24/7 life-saving services that other providers simply can’t match.

Medic Alert Awareness Month is a special event to recognize that, for over 50 years, the foundation has continued to protect the health and well-being of millions of members’ worldwide. We do this by ensuring you receive proper medical treatment and care during an emergency.


These medic alert foundations are a charity whose team members and services work 24/7; in order to ensure there customers to receive exceptional medical care in the event of an emergency (from a fall to chest pain experiencing a heart attach or experiencing a collapse due to a stroke).  With that medic alert on the individual has seconds on their bracelet or necklace medic alert button to push to get immediate help to their home with police and a ambulance with EMTs or Paramedics.

If your mom, dad or family member needs help like this may be the ideal thing for them it was for my mom.  Check out medic alert foundations on the internet and you may love just what the offer.

Don’t get this blog wrong medical bracelets are good to have also.  Your medical ID provides for a quick recognition of your medical conditions, allergies, medications, or treatment wishes; this leads to faster and more effective medical treatment.

Medical ID bracelets reduce treatment errors which may result from not having a patient’s health record during an emergency situation or upon hospital admission.

A medical ID speaks for you in the event of an emergency if you become unresponsive.

First responders and medical personnel are trained to first look for medical identification jewelry in an emergency. Medical IDs will immediately alert emergency medical professionals to your critical health and personal information.

There are unlimited reasons for you and your loved ones to wear a medical ID when living with common or unusual medical ailments. A medical ID will save your life and the lives of those you love.