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Promoting Medical Tourism Through The Media

September 22, 2014

The Role Of Media In Promoting Medical Tourism

It used to be that healthcare was delivered in a standardised way in both private and public healthcare. The only difference was in the quality and venues. These days, new forms of media have revolutionised healthcare. The internet, television, direct contact through email, live chat and social media have made healthcare a most confusing field to be in at times! There are now multiple sources of information: some conflicting, some corroborating and it can result in decreasing healthcare standards and the trust we place on professionals. When it comes to medical tourism however, one thing is clear – new media is offering new platforms and giving clients an even bigger say on their healthcare treatment.

medical tourism

Medical tourism is a way of getting high quality medical care away from home. Going to a centre overseas, one might be able to get high quality healthcare for a fraction of the cost one can get in the United States .The advance of Obamacare and universal public healthcare has increased the waiting periods for many intensive treatments. This is particularly the case for diseases and conditions that are expensive to treat and manage like heart surgeries and transplants. Medial tourism might be the answer for people suffering from rare diseases and conditions who would like specialised care. Alternatively, one might go abroad for medical treatment to gain access to cutting edge technology, techniques and innovation. Individuals seeking a way from conventional treatment for long-term illnesses or simply want to make the best of a terminal illness might want to visit an exotic location to live out their last days. Whatever the reason for wanting to go abroad, successfully marketing to the target audience lies in letting them know the benefits of medical tourism. Different strokes for different folk.

  • Television

Medical tourism destinations market themselves through television too. A simple 30 second advert is enough to create curiosity about a medical centre and what they offer. It can be made especially effective when placed close to relevant entertainment and news shows. Showing the benefits of travelling to Myrtle Beach for a holistic treatment to cancer after showing an informative documentary on cancer and increase the odds of the message sticking due its relevance and the audience it is broadcast to. Television has the unique advantage of showing moving media without necessarily choosing a viewing format like the internet does. It just screens to its audience across the airwaves to people from all strata of life. The medium targets the masses and one cannot change the message to its audience which is fantastic if your marketing campaign centres on uniformity.

  • Internet

This medium has the widest scope and is the trickiest of them all. There are many ways to market on the internet. One can have promotions, create publicity on social media, and even have an own website, the opportunities are endless really. The internet is best used to amplify other marketing campaigns. If for example one is creating a martin campaign on the affordably of medical centres in Jakarta, one might need to have a patient who has been there give a tale of their experience. The medical centre could also get a high profile pro bono case and really use existing media attention to draw attention to your facility. The trouble with the internet is that the information that gets there stays there in continuity.

  • Phone calls

Telephone calls are a really personalised way of getting awareness from your target market. Partnering with some local clinics and hospices for  example, one can get contact details of people who have been suffering from specific ailments. That way, even when cold calling clients, it is easy to target your message to their needs and know how your medical facility can be of assistance to them. Such information can also help one do a comparioisn on the costs of treatment in the home hospital vis-a-vis abroad. That marketing information can be of huge advantage especially when selling to clients who are keen on quality as all you have to do is extol the virtues of your hospital.

Medical tourism

  • Social media

This is the latest in the media platforms. It is more personalised yet reaches more of the targeted audience. Working with an online media specialist, foreign medical agencies may use it to really sell the personal experience. With consent from the patient, medical facilities can profile the positive experience including swift treatment and short recovery times to the general public. This will make the whole idea more believable and realistic. More points are earned if you distribute as many stories from as different parts of the world as possible. It makes it seem that almost anyone can go for treatment at the centre unless of course the aim is to target luxury clients who prefer exclusivity.

All in all, there is a variety of platforms to be used in the marketing of medical tourism. Tailoring it to the personalised and very private nature of medical treatment is the catch. All the media can be used for different purposes and reasons all geared towards capturing a share in the lucrative $40 billion market.

The Role Of Media In Promoting Medical Tourism

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The Symptoms and Treatment of Chlamydia

September 20, 2014

Chlamydia: Symptoms, Effects and Treatment

Chlamydia is one of the most common types of sexually transmitted diseases affecting people leading active sexual lifestyles. There are several reasons that make the disease quite common. To begin with, the disease has got little or no symptoms at all. To many people, the disease may completely fail to show symptoms and only manifest itself later in the form of effects. The second factor is that Chlamydia, which is a bacterial disease, may be easily transmitted during oral or vaginal intercourse. These two factors; the fact that the disease may not show symptoms in some people and that it can be spread even by means of oral sex; make Chlamydia a very common sexually transmitted disease.

Symptoms of Chlamydia in women 

Although it has been stated that for many people, the disease does not show its symptoms, it is important to understand that the disease, like any other disease, does have specific symptoms. The only unique thing about it is that even to those that experience its symptoms, this usually happens long after they have contracted the disease. The long period between the time of actual contraction and appearance of symptoms creates ideal conditions for increased transmission of the disease.

There are several symptoms that one may experience after contracting the disease. Furthermore, it has been known that women generally experience symptoms that are completely different from those experienced by men. Here is a brief outline of some of the most common symptoms that some women who have contracted Chlamydia may show after some time.

The first common symptom of Chlamydia in women is manifested in the virginal discharge. Although it is common for women to have vaginal discharge, depending on several other factors, its color, smell and frequency of occurrence really matters. When a woman experiences a sudden and excessive bout of vaginal discharge, this is definitely a sign of a serious infection. In such a case, the woman should see the doctor immediately so that tests can be done and treatment given immediately.

For women who have contracted the disease, there is a gradual change in the discharge from the vagina. To most women, the discharge changes in color and occurs suddenly. The discharge, which is usually white or creamy in color, is a result of the disease-causing bacteria affecting the cervix. Therefore, such a discharge in women is an abnormal sign which may directly point to infection by Chlamydia.

The second symptom of Chlamydia in women is manifested in the form of a burning sensation when one is passing out urine. In general, many sexually transmitted diseases do cause this symptom in women. Therefore, when a women is having a burning sensation when urinating, other sexually transmitted diseases cannot be ruled out. The burning sensation in women is a result of the disease-causing microorganisms invading the urethra where they cause an infection. The burning sensation may be accompanied by an increasing urge to urinate all the time. All these are sure symptoms that one has been infected by Chlamydia and therefore, when one sees them, she should see a doctor immediately.

The third symptom of Chlamydia in women is seen in the form of pain during sexual intercourse. Usually, a woman who has been inflected by Chlamydia will experience pain either during or immediately after sex. For most women, the pain is accompanied with bleeding. These two symptoms, pain and bleeding during or immediately after sexual intercourse, are a result of the effect that the bacteria that cause the disease have on the cervix and even fallopian tubes of an infected woman. Therefore, when an otherwise normal woman experiences pain during intercourse, which may be accompanied by bleeding, she should seek medical attention immediately.

The fourth symptom of the disease in women is that they experience pain in the lower abdomen. Many women who have been infected by the disease experience pain either at the abdomen, the lower back or even in the rectum. Pain in the general hip area may be accompanied by usual sins of fever and a frequent feeling of being nauseated. Although lower abdominal or back pain may not be a clear symptom of the disease, its occurrence in conjunction with the other symptoms that have already been discussed should be taken as a manifestation of the Chlamydia in women.

Effects of Chlamydia in men and women

Chlamydia DiseaseChlamydia has several destructive effects on women, that is, if it is left untreated for a long period of time. One of the most serious effects of the disease on women is blocking of the fallopian tubes which automatically leads to infertility. This happens as a result of the bacteria invading and affecting the tubes over the course of time. Another serious effect of the disease on women is manifested during pregnancy. Expectant women who contract the disease can easily pass it over to their unborn babies. This leads to the babies developing different kinds of complications like blindness.

Further, if left untreated for long, Chlamydia causes considerable damage to the pelvis. It is the destructive nature of the disease causing bacteria that leads to a lot of the symptoms discussed before. And when this is left unattended to, it may lead to a number of complications in the form of difficulties in one’s sexual life. More often than not, this translates to difficulties in getting pregnant.

For men, the most common effect of the disease is seen in its effect on the two important parts of the male reproductive system: the urethra and epididymis. Prolonged periods of infection lead to complications that affect the urethra and epididymis.  Also, men who contact the disease and fail to get treatment may experience serious infection of the rectum over the course of time.

Since these are serious effects whose treatment may take much longer and cost more, it is wise for one to get treatment the moment the initial symptoms of Chlamydia are seen. Further, it is good practice for one to get tested for Chlamydia at least once a year. This practice, which can be done in any suitable healthcare center like AWARE med, is a good precautionary measure.

Chlamydia: Symptoms, Effects and Treatment

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Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine into Holistic Cancer Care

September 19, 2014

Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine into Holistic Cancer Care

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

The practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complicated procedure that entails the use of different approaches to treat different types of diseases. One important thing about this system that makes it completely different from the conventional treatment methods as developed in Western scientific tradition is that TCM is based on a holistic approach to the human body. Diseases are treated as disruptions to the entire body system and the focus is on returning the body to its initial ideal state. Therefore, TCM is focused on providing patients with a completely personalized mode of treatment. This is seen right from the diagnosis stage to the way specific intervention measures are administered to a patient.

acupuncture

Research in the use of TCM in cancer treatment

There has been a growing body of research on how traditional Chinese medicine can be used in treating cancer patients. From several studies, it can be seen that there has been general consensus among researchers that Traditional Chinese Medicine can be used to supplement conventional oncology care. Studies have indicated that when used alongside conventional methods of treating cancer, specific practices in the system can play a distinctive role in enhancing the overall outcomes of cancer treatments for patients. Known as integrative or holistic cancer care, this approach of combining conventional Western medicine with elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been growing in popularity over the recent past.

Use of acupuncture in holistic cancer care

Acupuncture is one of the many practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine that are integrated into holistic cancer care. The aim of acupuncture is to control the neurological processes in the body of a patient as a way of bringing about the desired effects. This is done by use of special needles which are inserted in the body of the patient at specific points. The application of the needles may be accompanied by several practices that are meant to enhance their effect on the body of the patient. For instance, it is common for the procedure to involve use of heat as a way of boosting the ability of the needles to restore the flow of energy within the body of the patient to an equilibrium state. Besides, it is common for the procedure to be carried out using heat from special herbs as a way of stimulating the specific locations within the body where the needles are inserted. As stated, all these alternatives are meant to enhance the overall way in which the procedure works. It is important to note at this point that the procedure itself is carried out by specially trained practitioners who understand every part of the process.

Its advantages in cancer treatment

Research has indicated that there are several ways in which this procedure can be useful when integrated into holistic cancer care. Basically, acupuncture has been found to be effective in relieving patients of many different and unpleasant side effects associated with different forms of therapy used in cancer. For example, findings from studies have indicated that when properly used, acupuncture is able to reduce the intensity of nausea and vomiting that cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy usually experience in the course of their treatment. Use of this procedure in such cases has indicated positive results, therefore strengthening the belief that such a procedure can be used to enhance the overall outcome of conventional cancer therapy in patients.

Further, studies have indicated that acupuncture can be an effective remedy to hot flashes, a condition experienced by patients of breast cancer. As a result of imbalance in the body hormones, any patients of breast and prostate cancer experience this condition over the course of time. Use of different forms of acupuncture or acupressure – a variant form of acupuncture – has been shown to play a key role of relieving the situation thus boosting the outcome of the therapy being used in general.

Use of herbal medicines in holistic cancer care

Herbal medicines are an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine. The herbs are usually applied to the patient using different methods like oral, topical application and even infusion. In practice, the method of application depends on the kind of effect that the herbs are intended to have on the patient and the nature of the herbs that are being used.

acupuncture

There are several important ways in which Chinese herbal medicine can be used as part of holistic cancer care. To begin with, the essence of Chinese herbal medicine is twofold: to restore the body to equilibrium state and provide nourishment to it. It is from this approach that the herbs have been found to be useful in helping cancer patients. For example, the fact that the herbs have been found to work by correcting any form of imbalance within the body means that they can be used to treat symptoms associated with different types of cancers in patients. From different studies that have been carried out, it has been found that traditional Chinese herbs can be effective in alleviating pain in cancer patients. The effectiveness of this mode of treatment has been found to be comparable to that of conventional pain relieving medications.

Another way in which Chinese herbal medicines have been used as part of holistic cancer care has been in providing nourishment for the body. Use of the different forms of the herbs has been found to be beneficial to the way the body actually responds to the conventional treatment in use.

Risks of TCM interventions in cancer patients receiving integrative care

There are several risks that are associated with using TCM treatments in cancer patients who are receiving integrative care. For instance, the fact that the traditional herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine can be applied by oral, infusion or topical application and contain a number of different herbs presents the risk of interaction with the conventional drugs that are being used on the patients.

Another risk of integrating traditional Chinese medicine in holistic cancer care has been with regard to how effective acupuncture really is when used in cases involving different forms of cancer. Although its efficacy in reducing particular effects in cancer patients has been established, the bone of contention has been that many of the studies upon which the results are based have involved relatively small samples. It then follows that the results obtained from such studies may not be extrapolated to cover entire populations. Although this is so, intense research on the subject is currently ongoing.

At AWAREmed, we understand the potential benefits and risks of using Traditional Chinese Medicine as part of Holistic Cancer Treatment. We have dedicated our time to keeping abreast with the most recent developments in this field, all for the benefit of our patients.

Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine into Holistic Cancer Care

 

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Integrative Cancer Treatment and the Hallmarks of Cancer

September 19, 2014

Integrative Cancer Treatment and its Relation to Hallmarks of Cancer

In this article, we shall examine the relationship between integrative cancer treatment and the hallmarks of cancer. Our concern shall be to show how exactly an integrative cancer treatment model like Life over Cancer is used to address the molecular and metabolic realities of cancer as indicated in the Hallmarks of Cancer model.

Integrative cancer treatment

This is an approach that has gained a lot of popularity in the current days both in theory and practice. In simple terms, integrated cancer treatment is a new approach to managing the disease that, unlike conventional approaches, takes a multi – dimensional approach to helping cancer patients manage the disease. It is much easier to understand how integrative cancer treatment works by first understanding how conventional therapies operate. Essentially, conventional therapies are based purely on scientific innovation and research. Using specially prepared and regulated approaches such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, surgery and other technologies, conventional cancer treatment targets to treat the disease with little disregard to how the body of the patient gets affected.

It is this weakness in conventional methods of treating cancer that the integrative approach seeks to correct. Essentially, integrative cancer treatment or integrative oncology, as it is commonly referred to, is based on taking all the different aspects of the cancer disease into perspective during the course of treatment. The evidence that is used in this approach is not just what has been collected from scientific research as is the case with conventional medicine; it is rather what has been collected from epidemiological studies of the disease, clinical research, basic science and ancient healing practices. The end result is that we have a system of treating cancer which uses different types of methods such as nutrition, lifestyle, spiritual support and naturopathic medicine. With the use of all these methods, the system is focused on the overall wellbeing of the individual rather than on merely ameliorating the disease.

How integrative cancer treatment works

So far, integrative cancer treatment has proven to be a successful method of treating cancer patients. This is so because the system has consistently been used to achieve various objectives with regard to cancer treatment which include reducing the severity of cancer symptoms, improving overall life quality of the patients and most importantly, treating the disease itself. This is achieved in several ways.

Integrative cancer

Integrative Cancer

Integrative Cancer Ways:

To begin with, integrative cancer treatment seeks to enhance the overall wellbeing of a patient. This is achieved using different intervention measures such as use of acupuncture and acupressure to restore the energy flow in the body to an optimum level. The wellbeing of a patient is also boosted by inclusion of natural supplements in the diet. This is important in ensuring that the body is well nourished in the first place.

Secondly, the direct effects of the disease are tackled by use of conventional therapies. Depending on the nature of the cancer, the stage that it is in, the patient and other factors, appropriate treatment procedures are used to tackle its effects on the body of the patient.

Thirdly, specific methods are used to rebuild the immune system of the patient. This is an important step since cancer itself as well as the specific therapies used to tackle it has been known to weaken the immunity system of patients. Therefore, it is of great importance that after specific therapies have been used, special steps be taken to rebuild the immune system of the patient and if possible, restore it to its initial level.

Lastly, integrative cancer treatment seeks to stop the process of angiogenesis for a considerable length of time. The importance of this cannot be overstated. At the heart of the growth, development and spread of cancer is angiogenesis. This is the ability of cancer cells to maneuver in a patient’s body and utilize the blood for their own development. It then follows that blocking them from doing this is a noble goal if a patient is to live a fulfilling life after treatment. This is exactly what integrative cancer treatment seeks to achieve.

The Hallmarks of Integrative Cancer

The different methods that are used in integrative cancer treatment work in such a manner that they represent the core realities of cancer as discovered by recent studies. New research in cancer has culminated in identification of six core realities about cancer cells, referred to as hallmarks of cancer. The principles are as follows.

Integrative cancer

Integrative Cancer

First, it is stated that cancer cells have the inbuilt capacity to trigger their own growth. By taking advantage of special signals in body cells which are used to regulate the process of growth, cancer cells are able to guide their growth and proliferation within the body of a patient quite easily. Second, after stimulating their own growth and proliferation, cancer cells are able to avoid natural signals that are used to inhibit growth. This further increases their capacity to proliferate the body. Third, cancer cells are able to initiate the process of metastasis. Fourth, they are able to replicate their ability to evade inhibition of growth. Fifth, cancer cells are able to initiate angiogenesis and lastly, they are able to overcome the natural process that is meant to lead to their automatic death as it is the case for normal body cells.

Relation between Integrative Cancer Treatment and Hallmarks of Cancer

Essentially, integrative cancer treatment is based on the six principles that are contained in the concept of hallmarks of cancer. It is by recognition of these principles that integrative cancer treatment seeks to use multiple approaches, evidence and technologies to tackle the disease. This is done by taking care of the special needs of the patient as well as seeking to reduce the side effects of the therapies used while suppressing the capability of recurrence of the disease.

AWAREmed health and fitness center is one of the most recognized centers where integrative cancer treatment is practiced. With a team of highly trained, experienced and passionate experts, we offer the best services in integrative cancer treatment to our patients.

Integrative Cancer Treatment and its Relation to Hallmarks of Cancer

 

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Finding Help For Sex addiction Victims

September 19, 2014

Sex addiction and how to find help

What is sex addiction?

sex-addictionSex addiction or ‘hyper sexuality disorder’ as some experts refer to it, is a subject that has elicited a lot of debate in the recent times. Arguments about the issue have not only been confined to medical journals and publications but have also found their way to popular media. In general, the big question about the issue has been whether or not it is actually a form of disorder and if so, what kind of treatment should be used on individuals who have been diagnosed with it. Of course there are many other questions with regard to how the diagnosis can be done and other related issues, but what is clear is the fact that there are millions of individuals who report that they are affected by this condition and are in need of help. Since such individual do seek help, get it and end up reporting overall improvements in their lives, it can be said that indeed sexual addition is a disorder that affects many people in the world today. The good news is that there are specific methods that can be used to handle it.

It is not easy for one to diagnose themselves as having this problem. In most cases, individuals who show the clearest signs of sexual addition tend to deny that they are affected. Some even go to the extent of denying the very existence of such a problem in the first place. This is not an issue to worry about since as it is known, sexual addiction is actually a type of obsessive compulsive disorder. Its manner of operation makes it very difficult, if not completely impossible, for an infected person to point it out. However, when you generally find it impossible to control your sexual drive to such extent that daily life activities are interfered with, chances are that you are in need of help. On most occasions, affected individuals are so consumed with sexual acts to the extent that they engage in what can be described as risky sexual behaviors. Such behaviors are done with total disregard for the social, economic and even health risks that are associated with them.  This may be evident in excessive sexual stimulation, obsession with sexual imagery and one having an unusually high number of sexual affairs.

There is still an important aspect to this condition. Although sexual addiction is seen as a disorder in itself, the role that other emotional sates such as anxiety, depression and other forms of emotional disturbances play in its development cannot be ruled out. What this means is that many individuals who are affected by this disorder usually have experience feelings of loneliness, the desire to experiment with new things and general emotional difficulties. These feelings precede excessive sexual fantasies which culminate to actual hyper sexuality disorder.

How can Sex Addiction be treated?

There are different forms of treatment that have been developed to help individuals caught up in this form of addition overcome it. Unlike the past, increase in knowledge, development  of new therapies and increased awareness has made it relatively easy and fast for one to have access to any form of treatment desired. Here is a brief overview of some of the methods and how to access them.

The first common method of treating sexual addiction entails use of psychotherapeutic techniques to help one break the thought patterns that are known to trigger such kind of behavior. The idea behind this form of treatment is that sexual addition, like many other forms of addiction, has a basis in the psychological processes of the individual. Therefore, if an individual is able to recognize what these thought patterns are, what triggers them and how they lead to the compulsive disorder, it will actually be possible to control them. For this process to be effective, you first have to get a properly qualified therapist. Working with such a specialist, you will have a chance to map your past life. It is through this process that specific experiences in the past that give rise to the current thought patterns will be identified, special methods of dealing with them developed and a sound plan of how to go about it adopted.

sex-addictionAnother common form of treatment for sexual addiction that is gaining currency in the current times entails counseling sessions. This may take many different formats. For instance, family counseling sessions may be effectively used for families that one of the members is affected. This form of counseling is effective in that it helps not only the individual who is affected but also those other members of the family who may not be having the disorder but are affected by it by virtue of being family to the affected individual.

Further, many individuals who are affected by this disorder find it useful to use group counseling as a form of therapy. The popularity of seeking group counseling for dealing with difficult conditions is not confined to sexual addition. From addiction to alcohol, drugs and other forms of socially undesirable behaviors, group counseling sessions have been used quite effectively to help affected individuals.  There are several reasons for this trend. The most common one is the anonymity that one is usually accorded when joining such a group. The second one is the friendly atmosphere that is usually created during such group counseling sessions. Since all the members have gone through similar experiences, it becomes easy for one to open up and share past experiences, present challenges and future aspirations within such an environment.

Lastly, the good thing about such support groups is that occasionally, expert help from doctors and other professionals is provided. This, which may be in the form of medication or other intervention measures, boosts the overall chances of one completely breaking free from the addiction.

Sex addiction and how to find help

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