In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Raj Sundar. Raj Sundar is a full-spectrum family physician and community organizer. He hosts Healthcare for Humans, a podcast dedicated to educating others on how to care for culturally diverse communities so they can be better healers.
Questions and Topics
Can you give us a little background about yourself?
Why did you decide to start Healthcare for Humans?
Why doesn’t healthcare translate over to culture?
Often times we trim down treatment and approaches to patients into set protocols, once size fits all approach. When does that approach fail?
It almost seems like the bigger the healthcare system, the less culturally sensitive it is.
As a medical director, how can you help push healthcare in the right direction?
Blood Transfusion and Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Carly Newton & Lori Harada, who are both registered nurses working as managers at Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies. Carly uses that experience to educate Health Care Professionals on the most effective ways to prescribe Red Blood Cell Exchange. Lori leads a team of 12 Specialists who train and support their customers on the company’s medical devices. Lori is also a leader in the industry with more than 35 years of apheresis experience. We discuss blood transfusions, donations, the blood shortage, and current technology.
Questions and Topics
Can you give us a background about yourselves and how you got involved with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
What is Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
What do they do?
What is the company goal?
Does Terumo do any R&D? What are they currently working on?
What is RBC and Plasma exchange?
What is apheresis?
Where does the blood go?
What is the full scope of components you can donate?
What patients or illnesses do the blood and its components help with?
What are some common misconceptions about donating blood, or where is the lack of education regarding donations or treatment?
Why do you think medical sales and pharmaceutical sales get a bad rep?
During the pandemic, how did things change for you?
EP 208: Headache and Migraine Relief with Jono Taves
Headaches or migraines can affect anyone. Blinding migraines can also stop someone in their tracks. And when it can’t be relieved, it can lead to a more serious condition. What headache and migraine relief can you do? Is there something you can do to relieve your headaches?
He specializes in relieving headaches and migraines for patients who don’t get enough of what they need from traditional treatments. He believes everyone deserves a life free from intrusive pain and unwanted medication so that they can excel in everything they do.
We discuss the different types of headaches, why you’re getting them, and how to relieve the pain.
Questions for Our Guest
The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.
Looking forward to our conversation!
These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions, and wherever else our conversation goes.
Can you give us a little background about yourself and how you’ve gotten involved in pain relief, specifically headaches?
Is there a difference between a migraine and a headache?
Different types of headaches?
Are there any misconceptions about headaches?
For example, some people think that only women get recurring headaches
Can headaches or migraines cause any damage? Or are those pains a signal that there can be potential damage?
Where do headaches or migraines stem from?
Are there multiple causes, or what can worsen them? Dehydration, stress, lack of sleep….
How can migraine symptoms stem from the neck?
Is pressure being put on the spinal cord like in a pinched nerve?
Is there an abnormality in the spinal column that causes head pains?
Does it have anything to do with the muscles around the neck?
7. Does the location of the pain play a role in what’s causing it and how to treat it?
8. How do you treat migraine or headaches?
9. What tips or recommendations can people use to relieve their headaches or prevent them?
ENDING QUESTIONS
Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why?
To rid yourself of your headaches and migraines, watch the full episode here 👇👇👇
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction 01:44 About Dr. Jono Taves 05:57 Understanding the Difference Between Headache and Migraine 09:23 Anatomy of the Upper Neck and Its Relationship to Pain 15:51 Understanding the Causes of Neck Tension And How To Avoid It 18:57 The Link Between Muscle Tension and Headaches/Migraines 20:53 Sleep Position Recommendations for Neck Pain Relief 23:50 The Psycho-Emotional Impact Of Neck And Migraine Pain 27:10 Steps to Relieve Headache and Migraine 29:43 The Impact of Chronic Pain on the Brain 32:38 Headache Locations May Reveal Source Of Pain 36:27 Benefits of Neck Cracking in Physical Therapy 39:41 Using Joint Mobility To Alleviate Muscle Tension And Migraines 42:15 What a Session with Dr. Jono Looks Like 44:09 Tips For Preventing Migraines 47:54 Proper Neck Support Tips for Intubated Patients 50:52 Improving Sleep & Reducing Snoring Through Pain Relief 52:18 Wrapping up the show
What are the lab values to know as a nurse? Lab values and what they show could mean so many things. They are used to determine the patient’s overall well-being and health and on nurses to base their care plan.
Different factors affect the patient’s lab values result, but the most common factors affecting it are the patient’s age, race, gender, medical history, and presence of any underlying conditions. Knowing and understanding lab values is essential in your nursing career.
There are different lab values to know as a nurse. In this episode, we will talk about all the different labs we look at in the hospital. We will go over their normal values, what they signify, and what can happen if they are out of their normal range.
This will be a good refresher episode for everyone who deals with labs and a great one for any nursing students because these are the labs you’ll need to know to pass some of your classes and the NCLEX.
Electrolytes
Potassium K+
Potassium is one of the most important minerals in the body. It helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals.
Normal level: 3.5-5 mEq/L
Hyperkalemia signs: heart arrhythmias, numbness, and tingling, breathing problems
Sodium plays a key role in your body. It helps maintain normal blood pressure, supports the work of your nerves and muscles, and regulates your body’s fluid balance.
It is a mineral that is necessary for life. In addition to building bones and keeping them healthy, calcium enables our blood to clot, our muscles to contract, and our heart to beat. About 99% of the calcium in our bodies is in our bones and teeth.
Normal level: 8.5 to 10.2 mg/dL
Hypercalcemia signs: bone pain, muscle weakness, excessive thirst, lethargy, nausea
Hypocalcemia signs: numbness and tingling in digits, muscle cramps, wheezing, fatigue
Clinical problem
Increased level: Hyperparathyroidism, malignant neoplasm of bone, lung, breast, kidney, multiple myeloma, and prolonged immobilization.
Decreased level: Diarrhea, malabsorption of calcium, Hypoparathyroidism
Chloride CI-
Chloride is one of the essential electrolytes in the blood. It helps keep the amount of fluid inside and outside of your cells in balance. It also helps maintain proper blood volume, blood pressure, and pH of your body fluids.
It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, keeps the heartbeat steady, and helps bones remain strong. It also helps adjust blood glucose levels. It aids in the production of energy and protein.
Normal level: 1.5-2 mEq/L
Hypermagnesemia: diminished deep tendon reflexes, flushing, headache, nausea, drowsiness.
Hypomagnesemia: muscle weakness, twitches, or tremors; irritability, insomnia, drowsiness
Clinical problem
Increased level: Severe dehydration, renal failure, leukemia
Decreased level: Protein malnutrition, malabsorption, cirrhosis of the liver, alcoholism, hypokalemia
Phosphorus
It is a mineral that makes up 1% of a person’s total body weight. It is the second most abundant mineral in the body. It is present in every cell of the body. Most of the phosphorus in the body is found in the bones and teeth.
Decreased level: Severe liver damage, overhydration, malnutrition
Specific Gravity
A urine-specific gravity test compares the density of urine to the density of water. This quick test can help determine how well your kidneys dilute your urine.
Normal level 1.010-1.030
High signs: Dehydration, Diabetes, Proteinuria, SIADH
Low signs: Polydipsia, Diabetes Insipidus, Diuretics, early stages of CKD
LDH
Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) is an intracellular enzyme in nearly all metabolizing cells, with the highest concentration in the heart, skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, brain, and RBCs.
Hemoglobin responsible for the transportation of oxygen
Normal level
male 13-17 g/dL
female 12-15 g/dL
Increased level: Dehydration, polycythemia, COPD, HF, severe burns
Decreased level: Anemias, Hemorrhage, cirrhosis of the liver, Leukemias, Hodgkin’s disease, kidney disease
Hematocrit
The hematocrit is a ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the volume of all these components, called whole blood. The value is expressed as a percentage or fraction.
Normal level Male 40%-52% Female 36%-47%
Increased level: Dehydration/hypovolemia, severe diarrhea, diabetic acidosis, burns.
Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is a blood test that looks at how long it takes for blood to clot. It can help tell if you have a bleeding problem or if your blood doesn’t clot properly.
Normal level 25-35 sec. If on Heparin 1.5-2.5x normal
Increased level: Hemophilia, cirrhosis, vitamin k deficiency, Von Willebrand disease, DIC.
PT
Prothrombin Time. It is synthesized by the liver and is an inactive precursor in the clotting process.
The international normalized ratio (INR) is a laboratory measurement of how long it takes blood to form a clot. It is made to monitor patients receiving warfarin.
Normal level 0.9-1.2 If on Coumadin 1.5 – 3
Reticulocytes
Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells (RBCs).
Normal range 0.5-1.5%
Neutrophils
Are the most numerous circulating WBCs, respond mainly to inflammation & tissue injury.
Normal range 2-8 x 10^9/L
Bands
Basophils increase during the healing process
Basophils are white blood cells that defend your body from allergens. Basophils release histamine
Normal Range < 1 x 10^9/L
Lymphocytes
Increased during chronic and viral infections
Normal range 1-4 x 10^9/L
Monocytes
The second line of defense. More extensive and more substantial than neutrophils can ingest large particles and debris.
Normal range 0.2-0.8 x 10^9/L
Eosinophils
Increase during allergic and parasitic conditions
Normal level < 0.5 x 10^9/L
HBA1C
The hemoglobin A1c test tells you your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months. It’s also called HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, and glycohemoglobin.
Normal level <6.5%
Glucose
Simple sugar is used as an energy source and is stored as glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscles.
Bilirubin is formed from the breakdown of hemoglobin by the reticuloendothelial system and is carried in the plasma to the liver. Bilirubin (unconjugated or indirect) is bound to serum albumin and transferred to the liver, which is conjugated to glucuronate by glucoronyl transferase. Conjugated (direct) bilirubin is excreted into the bile.
Normal level
Direct Bilirubin 0-6 µmol/L
Total Bilirubin 2-20 µmol/L
Increased level: Obstructive jaundice caused by stones, hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer
Decreased level: Iron-deficiency anemia.
Albumin
Albumin is a protein made by your liver. Albumin helps keep fluid in your bloodstream so it doesn’t leak into other tissues. It also carries various substances throughout your body, including hormones, vitamins, and enzymes.
Normal level 35-50 g/L
Increased level: Dehydration, severe vomiting, severe diarrhea
Decreased level: Cirrhosis of the liver, acute liver failure, severe burns, severe malnutrition, preeclampsia, renal disorders, prolonged immobilization.
ALT/AST
ALT/AST is an enzyme found primarily in the liver cells and is effective in diagnosing hepatocellular destruction.
Normal level 5-30 U/L
Increased level: Acute (viral) hepatitis and liver necrosis (Drug or chemical toxicity).
Amylase
Amylase is an enzyme derived from the pancreas, the salivary glands, and the liver. Its function is to change starch to sugar.
Normal level: 30-125 U/L
Increased level: Acute pancreatitis, obstruction of the pancreatic duct, acute cholecystitis, diabetic acidosis, diabetes mellitus, renal failure.
Lipase
Lipase, an enzyme secreted by the pancreas, aids in digesting fats. Appears in the bloodstream following damage to the pancreas.
Normal level: 10-150 U/L
Increased level: Acute and chronic pancreatitis, cancer of the pancreas, and obstructions.
Hormones
Hydroxyprogesterone
IHydroxyprogesterone is a hormone made by the adrenal glands, two glands on top of the kidneys. A 17-OHP test is used for Hydroxyprogesterone levels to help diagnose a rare genetic disorder called congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Normal level: 0.2-1 mg/L
Adrenocorticotropic ACTH
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is made in the pituitary gland. It is needed for your adrenal glands to work properly and help your body react to stress. ACTH stimulates the release of another hormone called cortisol from the adrenal gland’s cortex (outer part).
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) refers to a group of genetic disorders that affect the adrenal glands, a pair of walnut-sized organs above the kidneys. The adrenal glands produce essential hormones, including Cortisol, which regulates the body’s response to illness or stress.
TSH
Thyroid-stimulating hormone is a pituitary hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine (T3), and triiodothyronine (T4) which stimulates the metabolism of almost every tissue in the body.
Serum T4 levels are commonly used to measure thyroid hormone concentration and the function of the thyroid gland.
So, if your T3 and T4 levels are too low, the pituitary gland will release more TSH. If they’re too high, the gland will release less TSH — but this give-and-take system only works if everything functions properly.
Decreased level: Hypothyroidism, Protein malnutrition.
Follicle-stimulating hormone
FSH, a gonadotropic hormone produced and controlled by the pituitary gland, stimulates the growth and maturation of the ovarian follicle to produce estrogen in females and promote spermatogenesis in males.
Normal level:
(FSH) 1-10 IU/L (M/F)
5-25 IU/L (ovulation)
30-110 IU/L (postmenopause)
Increased level: Gonadal failure such as menopause, Pituitary tumor, Turner’s syndrome, Klinefelter’s syndrome
Decreased level: Neoplasms of the ovaries, testes, adrenal: polycystic ovarian disease, hypopituitarism; anorexia nervosa.
Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone (hGH), a hormone from the anterior pituitary gland, regulates the growth of bone and tissue.
Normal level: (fasting) 0-5 ng/m
Increased level: Gigantism (children), Acromegaly (adults), major surgery.
Decreased level: dwarfism in children, hypopituitarism
Progesterone
It is secreted by the corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine gland that the female body produces after ovulation during the second half of the menstrual cycle.
Normal level 70-280 ng/dL
Increased level: Ovulation, pregnancy, ovarian cysts, tumors of the ovary or adrenal gland.
It is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland, which sits at the bottom of the brain. Prolactin causes breasts to grow and develop and causes milk to be made after a baby is born.
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and an anabolic steroid. In male humans, testosterone plays a crucial role in developing male reproductive tissues such as the testes and prostate and promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass and body hair growth.
Normal level: 10-25 nmol/L
Increased level: Adrenal hyperplasia or tumor, polycystic ovaries in females
LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins. It is sometimes called the “bad” cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries.
Normal level: 85-125 mg/dL
Saturated fat and cholesterol in your food make your blood cholesterol level rise.
HDL
HDL stands for high-density lipoproteins. It is sometimes called the “good” cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body.
Normal level: 40-80 mg/dL
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells.
Decreased level; Hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, and protein malnutrition.
Total chol
A measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Normal level: 3-5.5 mmol/L
Cardiac Markers
Creatine kinase
Creatine kinase is an enzyme found in the heart, brain, skeletal muscle, and other tissues. Increased amounts of CK are released into the blood when there is muscle damage.
Normal level: 25-200 U/L
Increased level: exercise and inflammation of muscles, called myositis, and myopathies such as muscular dystrophy. Rhabdomyolysis.
Troponin
Troponins are a group of proteins found in skeletal and heart (cardiac) muscle fibers that regulate muscular contraction—used for cardiac disease diagnosis of acute MI.
Normal level: 0-0.4 ng/mL
Increased level: MI, myocardial damage
C-reactive protein
It is produced in the liver in response to tissue injury and inflammation.
D-dimer is a fibrin degradation product, a small protein fragment in the blood after a blood clot is degraded by fibrinolysis.
Normal level: < 500 ng/mL
Increased level: DIC, P.E, Thrombosis, COVID
BNP
Brain Natriuretic peptide is a neurohormone secretion primarily in the cardiac ventricles and will increase in response to volume expansion and pressure overload.
Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a screening test, is usually done between 16 and 20 weeks gestation to determine the probability of twins or to detect low birth weight or severe birth defects, such as neural-tube defects.
Normal level: 0-44 ng/mL
Increased level: Cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, Spina bifida, Fetal death, fetal distress, Turner’s syndrome
Decreased level: Down’s syndrome, absence of pregnancy
HCG
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced by cells that surround a growing embryo, which eventually forms the placenta after implantation. The presence of hCG is detected in some pregnancy tests. Appears in the blood and urine 14-26 days after conception.
Normal level: <5 IU/I
Increased level: Pregnancy, Chorionepithelioma of pregnancy is a malignant tumor originating in connection with pregnancy.
Decreased level: Nonpregnant, dead fetus, postpartum (3-4 days)
CA 19-9
Cancer Tumor Markers (CA 19-9) is a cancer antigen in diagnosing pancreatic, hepatobiliary, gastric, and colorectal cancer.
Normal level: <40 U/mL
Decreased levels = Effective response to treatment, benign disease
There are also different tumor markers. You won’t need to know all of these, but we thought we should include them.
CA 15-3: Metastatic breast cancer, ovarian, lung, pancreas, cirrhosis, colon cancer.
CA-27.29: Recurrence of breast cancer
CA 50: Gastrointestinal tumor, biliary tract tumors
CA 125: Ovarian breast cancer, uterine tumors, pancreas, breast, colon, lung, cirrhosis, pancreatitis.
CEA
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been found in the gi epithelium of embryos and has been extracted from tumors in the adult gastrointestinal tract.
Normal level: <4 ug/L
Increased level: GI tract (esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, rectum cancer), leukemia, Ulcerative colitis.
PAP
Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) originates in the prostate and usually is present in small amounts in the blood.
Normal level: 0-3 U/dL
Increased level: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
PSA
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is always present in low concentrations in the blood of adult males.
Normal level: <4 ug/L
Increased level: Prostate cancer
Vitamins
Folate
Folate is one of the B vitamins needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow, convert carbohydrates into energy, and produce DNA and RNA.
Normal level: 7-36 nmol/L
Increased level: Pernicious anemia (is a deficiency in red blood cells caused by lack of vitamin B12)
It is a Fat-soluble vitamin absorbed from the intestine in the presence of lipase and bile. Vitamin A moves to the liver and is then stored in the body as retinol.
Vitamin A is vital for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development.
Decreased level: Night blindness, liver, intestinal, or pancreatic disease, chronic infections, cystic fibrosis, protein malnutrition, malabsorption, celiac disease
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin your body needs for several functions. It’s significant to protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism and the creation of red blood cells and neurotransmitters.
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent a type of anemia.
Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin important for forming collagen and certain amino acids for wound healing and withstanding stress, injury, and infection.
Normal level: 0.4-1.5 mg/dL
Decreased levels: Scurvy, malabsorption, pregnancy, cancer, and severe burns.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin occurring from exposure to the ultraviolet rays of sunlight and is absorbed in the presence of bile and stored in the liver. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy.
Normal level: 5-75 ng/mL
Decreased level: Malabsorption, cirrhosis of the liver, rickets, osteomalacia, hypoparathyroidism, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease
Miscellaneous
Rheumatoid Factor
RF factor is a screening test used to detect antibodies (Igm, IgG, or Ig)
An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a type of blood test that measures how quickly erythrocytes (red blood cells) settle in unclotted blood in millimeters per hour.
It can show if you have inflammation in your body.
EP 200: Understanding Your Body Language With Kelly Love
Your body language is essential to your well-being, but do you know when your body speaks? Psychosomatic bodywork is an approach that combines different techniques that are rooted in guiding a person to reach their goals through different therapies.
Among these include talk therapy, breathwork, and movement. It also includes somatic-emotional awareness and trauma release to reclaim one’s energy and physical presence.
Psychosomatic bodywork works by tapping into mind and body communication. It focuses on this connection so the therapist can work toward physical and emotional healing.
In a way, it is possible to heal the mind and the body through the mind. But how does this truly work? Is it possible to adapt this in our everyday life?
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Kelly Love. Kelly is a rewilding coach guiding you back to the truth of what your soul came here to do, be, and express through the body’s wisdom.
Kelly uses transformative psychosomatic bodywork to help achieve physical and emotional healing.
Questions for Our Guest
The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.
Looking forward to our conversation!
These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.
Please give us a little background about yourself.
What is the language of the body?
How can we use the body’s language to live aligned with our soul’s purpose?
Can you hear what pain and trauma you store in your body?
How can nurses use body Language to understand their patients?
How does this body language allow us to treat the root cause of disease to better care for our patients?
Tell us how you help patients heal.
Where can people find you?
Matts’s Experience with Body Language
The left pectoral muscle is also lower than the right, speaking again into the feminine heart energy being drained out, exhausted, or having challenges encouraging and uplifting your own heart.
This is your solar plexus, and when the elbows are turned out, it signifies a history of giving away your power. Imagine a young boy with his arms out asking, “How much more do I have to give you for you to love me?
LOWER BACK: More hollowing shows a long history of busting your back to please/care for others vs. caring for your own needs and desires.
ENDING QUESTIONS
Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests.
If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be and why?
Enjoy Kelly’s services and use our code CUPOFNURSES10, which is suitable for any service of $500 or more. To know more about Kelly, send her a DM thru her socials or visit her website at:
Do you want to learn about your body language? Watch the full episode by clicking here 👇👇👇
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction 01:35 About Kelly Love 03:26 How Kelly learned about the relationship between the body and emotions 07:31 How does body language impair our physical state? 11:56 How emotions impact particular body parts 13:41 Body language as a two-way system 15:37 How does the condition of our patients affect us as nurses? 21:31 How to tell if there is a medical or mental problem 25:56 How can a nurse give their patient greater care? 27:49 Common issues that most people have 29:42 How Kelly treats her patients 32:36 How can you heal yourself 33:42 A recurring theme in Kelly’s client 38:13 What should women do during their period? 41:49 Wrapping up the episode
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