Kim Cooper – Accumed

14 Feb 2018

Kim Cooper Health heart, heart health, love, pulse oximeter, valentine's day

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

The first Valentine’s Day started during a Roman festival and people have been rushing to get flowers, chocolate, and other delightful trinkets ever since. The holiday’s namesake originates from the popular belief involving a Roman priest named Saint Valentine. When Emperor Claudius II banned marriages in 1477 in fear of married men making poor soldiers, Valentine continued to arrange marriages in secret. This resulted in St. Valentine being imprisoned which is where he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. On the day of his execution (February 14) he sent her a love letter signed with “from your Valentine”.

Luckily, the holiday has become more in-tune with spending time with the ones you love such as friends, spouses and other family members. As you celebrate the day of love and bonding, have you ever stopped to wonder what your heart thinks about all of this commotion?

How Love Affects Your Heart

Your heart is more than just a mass that pumps blood throughout your body in order to keep you alive. Just the rate of how fast or slow your heart is beating can indicate a good number of things, such as whether you’re at play or at rest. Plenty of people try to maintain a healthy heart by consuming so-called superfoods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and of course participating in a physical activity.

One thing that you might not have known that helps to improve your heart health (sometimes without even leaving your house) is just by loving someone. It doesn’t always have to be a romantic relationship, it can be any platonic relationship such as the bond between friends, family members, and even your four-legged companions. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, love lowers not only your blood pressure but your stress levels as well.

In a way, love acts like a natural drug to your body. When you love someone or someone loves you, oxytocin plays a major role in bonding and is released into your brain during certain scenarios. Oxytocin – often called the love or cuddle hormone – is a hormone that is secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. The nickname of the cuddle hormone originated from the fact that oxytocin is produced when you are cuddling up to someone you share a bond with.

Love has also been said to improve the survival rate after undergoing surgery because of the social and moral support provided by people that you know. You may also experience positive effects from bonding with your pets due to their unconditional love for you.

When you are in a positive relationship it acts as a zone of tranquility that causes your blood pressure to react to positively, which in turn causes it to either decrease or stabilize over time. When you spend time with one of your loved ones, do you ever feel as though a wave of calmness and peace has washed over you? Using a pulse oximeter much like one of the AccuMed varieties can help you provide an accurate representation of how your heart performs both after finishing an activity or when you’re participating in rest and relaxation with someone you love.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the AccuMed family.

6 Feb 2018

Kim Cooper Home canine influenza, dogs

5 Signs of Canine Influenza in Dogs

As the flu continues to interrupt the daily routines of many people across the United States, you may be surprised to know that we are not the only ones suffering from the effects of the flu. You may also be surprised to know that man’s best friend is just as capable of contracting an equivalent of the flu called canine influenza. Luckily for both people and pets, we cannot transmit either virus to one another.

Unfortunately, for dogs, however, they are capable of spreading it to other dogs if the proper preventative measures are not taken. Just like the influenza virus in humans, canine influenza is also an infectious respiratory disease that can cause great discomfort for your pampered pooches. The original strain of canine influenza originated from horses before eventually being transmitted to dogs sometime around 2004. Just like for us, the flu for dogs is just as contagious with roughly 80% of dogs who come into contact with an infected dog becoming infected.

While some dogs are good at hiding their discomfort, Accumed is here to tell you 5 of the most common signs of canine influenza in dogs. Unsurprisingly, the symptoms of canine influenza are very similar to the human version of the disease.

1. Coughing

Coughing is a large sign that something might be going on with your canine companion. For those that may be familiar with kennel cough, you may notice that many of the respiratory issues affiliated with it are quite similar to the canine influenza virus. These coughs may sound like your dog is hacking or choking on something. To give you an indicator, dogs who have contracted kennel cough can occasionally share some of the symptoms associated with canine influenza.

2. Lethargy

If your dog is experiencing a change in disposition and exhibits a sudden loss of energy, they may be lethargic. Lethargic dogs may appear depressed or seem overly fatigued. It is incredibly important to keep tabs on your dog’s appetite which is another indicator that something may not be right.

3. Fever

Dogs, much like humans, are also capable of developing a fever. The average body temperature for a dog should be around 101°F-102°F, whereas a human’s normal body temperature is roughly around 98.6°F.

4. Nasal Discharge

A dog that is experiencing nasal discharge or exhibits a runny nose should bring slight cause for concern, especially if there has been a recent outbreak of canine influenza in your area.

5. Breathing Difficulty

Signs that your dog may be having difficulty with breathing would be constant coughing, a significant change in their bark, constant panting, breathing through their abdomen (belly-heaving) or stretching their neck out in an attempt to breathe more easily. Should your dog appear as though they may be having difficulty breathing (especially for prolonged periods of time), you should immediately consult with your dog’s veternarian.

Much like the human variation of influenza, canine influenza is distributed through the air. It’s entirely possible, especially for dogs who have not been vaccinated, to catch the virus just from simply playing with other dogs at the park. This is still the case if the dogs are using contaminated objects such as toys, blankets, beds, water and food bowls. It is also equally likely for dogs who live outside to catch it from infected neighboring dogs. Luckily, the mortality rate for dogs infected with canine influenza is relatively low at approximately 10%.

Deaths typically occur in dogs who have contracted very severe forms of the virus. If you have reason to believe that your dog has been exposed to the canine influenza virus, has been infected or you’re concerned for their overall well-being please consult with your dog’s veterinarian.

5 Feb 2018

Kim Cooper Health accumed non-contact thermometer, flu, flu symptoms, thermometer

5 Flu Symptoms You Should Know

While the start of 2018 has motivated many to start their New Year’s Resolutions, some may find their plans interrupted by the onslaught of the flu virus. The flu outbreak is going into its eleventh week and is still going strong with all U.S. states besides Hawaii and Oregon reporting widespread flu activity and flu-like illnesses. This particular strain of the virus has proven to be quite formidable, although a common mistake is confusing the common cold and the flu. Although both are respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms, there are a few slight differences that may indicate what you have. However, you should always consult with your physician to determine your diagnosis.

The common cold is not considered as troublesome as the flu since it can usually be remedied with self-care and medication. The flu, also known as the influenza virus, has a higher chance of inviting severe symptoms in people with certain conditions and should be treated immediately. People that are at higher risk for developing flu-related complications according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is primarily children younger than 5, especially children younger than 2 years old, adults 65 years and older, pregnant women, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. However, you can be more suspectable to the flu if you suffer from other medical conditions such as asthma, blood disorders, liver disorders or weakened immune systems as a result of HIV or cancer.

While you can typically get over a cold within a few days, flu symptoms can last from anywhere from a few days to two weeks, some of which can further develop into pneumonia which can become fatal if left untreated. Influenza symptoms tend to settle in quickly while a common cold comes on gradually, usually resulting in someone saying something along the lines of “I think I feel a cold coming on.” before they actually become sick. To better prepare yourself and your loved ones for the flu season, familiarize yourself with the top 5 symptoms of the flu. In the event that you think you may have contracted the influenza virus, consult with your physician.

For those who are not experiencing any symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine every season.

1. Fever

So, what is a fever? A fever is a rise in overall body temperature*. Typically anything above the normal of 98.6°F may be the start of a fever, but it does not become a significantly high fever until it is above 100.4°F. A good device to have on hand is an infrared, non-contact thermometer, such as one of the 3 Accumed Non-Contact Thermometer models available on Amazon. The non-contact thermometer eliminates the risk of further spreading the flu by limiting physical contact with someone who may have contracted the virus.

*Not everyone that has contracted the flu will experience a fever.

2. A cough and/or a sore Throat

Another common symptom of the cold and the flu is a cough and a sore throat. For the flu virus, coughing is more likely to occur than a sore throat (which is more predominant in the common cold). Due to the coughing that may come with the flu virus, chest discomfort can also be common and can become severe if not treated.

3. Fatigue

A large indicator of the flu would be to experience fatigue which can interrupt your daily routine.

4. Chills and Body Aches

You may also experience moments where you fill unusually cold or your body aches even though you have not done any sort of extraneous activity.

5. Flu Complications

Due to the flu being a respiratory virus, some people may experience further complications outside of the symptoms typically associated with the flu virus.

These are just a few symptoms commonly associated with the flu virus. The flu can easily cause pneumonia, bronchitis and other complications especially if it goes untreated. We recommend consulting with your physician should you or a family member develop any of these – or any other – flu-related symptoms.

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