Understanding X-Ray Aprons

For healthcare professionals who work with x-ray machines and scatter radiation, the importance of protective garments cannot be overlooked. Hospitals and healthcare centers have a designated contact person to help technologists, nurses, radiologists and other doctors follow the guidelines for proper radiation. The versatility of radiation protection garments has grown over the years, as technology and environmental accountability have become more common. The leaded apron has long been a stalwart in protective garments that has been modernized with the creation of new technology. Where it was once a one-size-fits-most design, x-ray aprons can now be custom fit to an individual or the medical employer may order a variety of sizes to be kept for general use in different colors and styles for anyone who needs one.
The type of material used in these garments is more diverse than it was even 10 years ago. Where leaded aprons were once made only of heavy lead in one color, they are now made of different materials that still provide radiation protection, but are not as physically heavy as lead. For someone wearing these garments for several hours, lightweight garments that don't compromise safety are a popular alternative.
When it comes to the healthcare industry, there are many products that cannot be recycled or reused. One of the exceptions to the rule is the use of x-ray aprons. These items can be re-covered to lengthen the life of the garment or change its appearance for the work environment. It is the medical professional's responsibility to determine whether the materials are still sufficient for blocking radiation for protection before submitting it for re-covering. The radiation protection garment company will not take responsibility for the safety and soundness of the materials, but can make a garment look like new by using new fabric and replacing the apron's closures if needed.
This process is especially helpful for healthcare workers who have custom x-ray aprons that still fit, but they may have changed where they work. Rather than investing in new leaded aprons, they can instead have them re-covered at a lower price. For example, someone who works in children's radiology may have kid-friendly designs to help their patients stay relaxed and at ease during the procedure. If they transfer to another facility or department where they are working with adults and teens, their kid-friendly leaded apron designs might not be appreciated. When having an x-ray apron re-covered, new fabric choices can notably change the garment's appearance to one that is more appropriate for different environments or may look more professional.
When leaded aprons have outgrown their useful purpose in a medical environment, they can be recycled, which reduces the burden on landfills and refuse collection sites. This is an important factor for companies trying to be as eco-friendly as possible within the restrictions of their industries and protocols.

The Many Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep

Getting Enough Sleep

- If you would like to be successful, then it is imperative that you get enough sleep every night. Do you believe that you are superhuman and can survive on less sleep than everybody else? Do you figure that if you stay up a little longer that you will be more productive?

Well, you may be the exception, but that is probably not the case.

The average person needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night to be productive.

Failure to meet these guidelines may lead to -

- Increased weight

- Increased strew and maybe even depression

- Lack of focus and clarity

- Increased chance of accident

I, like many of you, fall into the trap of thinking that if I cut out an hour of sleep each day, I can get more done. I made that error last night and wound up setting my alarm to get up an hour early. I am not sure if that was a good decision or a bad decision, but I do know that I did not get enough sleep last night.

As a result, I am going to put in a new practice to make sure that I can get more sleep on a daily basis. This may benefit anybody who struggles with getting enough sleep.

Go to sleep at the same time every night - This is easier said than done. However, the body craves consistency and the best way to give it this consistency is to go to sleep at the same time each day. It helps if you can have a bedtime routine, which may include winding down about an hour before you want to go sleep. Get your body and mind trained that it s about to sleep and you will be more likely to fall asleep quickly.

Complete things that day - A major cause of people's inability to sleep is worry because of things that are not done. You will not be able to get everything done every day. However, you o have control over completing a few things a day and creating plans for those things that you can complete during that day. Putting in this simple practice will allow you to go to sleep at night with a fairly clear head. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds, attributed much of success to being able to get enough quality sleep each day, even when he was facing tremendous stress and pressure in building his business.

Whatever is going on, make every effort to clear your mind at night. If you are successful at doing this, you will be in a much better position to make tomorrow a more productive day.

Don't beat yourself up - Like anything you do, getting enough sleep is more of an art than a science. If you are not completely successful at achieving your sleep goals, do not beat yourself up. Learn from your experiences and you will put yourself in a much better position to get everything that you want out of your life and your work.

Drink Water To Drop Pounds

The volume of water you consume every day plays a huge role in weight loss and sustaining a good weight. Water aids the way one's body processes nutrients and maintains good circulation. Water increases your metabolic rate which gives you energy and helps you burn more calories. When enjoying plenty of, water will be able to help your body burn calories three percent faster.
Drinking six to eight 8 ounces servings of water per day will help you to replenish the fluids your body uses over the course of the day. If you are hitting the gym, have a more active job, etc you will want to consume more than that- between eight and twelve 8oz of water.
Water for thought:
If you believe you are dehydrated, you probably are. If you feel you are hungry, you are actually probably thirsty as well. It is common to mistake hunger for thirst- the end result is people get inadequate amounts of water and they overeat. What can this lead to? You guessed it: extra weight.
DO this: When you think you are hungry and you find yourself grabbing a piece of food, drink eight ounces of water first. That means before a single bite goes in your mouth! The majority of the time the water will satisfy your craving. This is especially helpful when you're eating away from home- whether it is at a restaurant, a dinner party with friends, a picnic, BBQ, etc. You know- you sit down to dinner, they put a basket of bread in front of you and before you know it the bread is gone and you can barely finish your food. Before reaching that bread, enjoy your glass of water and see if you still feel the need to polish off the basket of bread.
Get bored with plain water? Here are some suggestions!
* Keep a bag of frozen fruit in the freezer. Throw a couple strawberries, blueberries, mango slices, etc in your glass of water. Homemade flavored water plus they act like ice cubes AND you can eat them after you finish your water
* Along the same lines, keep a pitcher of water in your refrigerator with orange slices, lemon slices or cucumber slices in it.
* If you don't have access to the frozen or fresh fruit, a splash of juice will do the trick as well. Orange juice, grapefruit juice, grape juice, they all work well.
* Lastly, if you are a soda drinker, try seltzer water and a splash of juice. You get the fizziness of soda without the caffeine or sugar.

Find a Plastic Surgery Expert

When you are considering having any type of plastic surgery, one of the most important steps you can take for yourself is to locate an expert in the field. Any and all changes to your body that this type of doctor makes will have lasting results. There is no way to go back. As a direct result, you should put off having any type of procedure until after you know you have an expert that you can trust to do the best possible job. How can you find this pro? There are a few simple things to do to make it happen.
Learn About Training
The first thing to do is to learn the type of and amount of training a doctor had prior to actually getting started in the field. You want to find an expert that has at least five years of surgical training as well as at least two of those years (or longer) being in plastic surgery specifically. You also want to learn where he or she did their residency and find out if this professional has a solid level of education on the latest technologies and advances in medicine. You want to know he or she is continuing that education since it ultimately makes a difference to you.
Experience Also Matters
You need someone that has worked in the field and has a specialty in the type of treatment you need. For example, some doctors focus on just the hands or the nose. Some focus on the ears. Others provider just cosmetic procedures while some focus on just reconstructive procedures. Choose a provider that offers the type of service you need and is an expert in that field.
Talk to the Provider
Next, spend some time actually talking to the provider. Discuss the procedure. Discuss your concerns. Talk about not only what can be done but how it is done. Learn what the realistic outcome of the type of procedure you are having is going to be. Do not overlook the importance of having a professional who knows the industry well enough that he or she can offer options using the latest advances in the field.
Why put so much effort into finding a plastic surgery expert? When you find someone you can trust to do the best possible job, not only do you get the best possible results but you feel good about it. You need to feel as though you are getting a professional you can trust with your health and well-being. Talking to this provider can help to give you this confidence. You can see significant improvement in your body when you work with someone who has the ability to help you.

Mythbusting: 5 Fitness Myths Debunked

Working out for weight loss and muscle gain is not easy. That's why most people easily fall into traps that are fitness myths. These are workout tips that get passed around by word of mouth and in the process are often times distorted from fact to fiction. According to professional triathlete and personal coach Eric Harr, author of The Portable Personal Trainer, "Some myths are just harmless half-truths, but many others can actually be harmful, they can cause frustration in working out and sometimes even lead to injury." He adds, "One reason myths get started is that we all react to exercise a little differently. So what's true for one person may not be true for another. In this sense you sometimes have to find your own 'exercise truths' - the things that are true for you".
Before you take up on the role of being your own personal trainer and dive into a seemingly too good to be true personal training fitness plan, here are five fitness myths that just need busting:
Myth 1: An ab machine will get rid of belly fat.
Those late-night home tv shopping infomercials may sound convincing, but your best bet is to be skeptical.
According to experts, doing ab crunches don't help you lose that belly fat. Phil Tyne, director of the fitness center at the Baylor Tom Landry Health & Wellness Center in Dallas, says "You can't pick and choose areas where you'd like to burn fat. In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength-training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content". So crunches aren't going to help you with body fat loss in a specific area.
Myth 2: Exercise machines are safer and you'll be doing it right every time.
It may seem that exercise machines automatically puts your body in the right position and help your body do all the movements correctly, but unless you have a personal trainer who can figure out which setting is right for your weight and height, you can still make mistakes in form and function.
Myth 3: If you're not sweating, you're not working hard enough.
Sweating is not necessarily an indicator that you're workout is effective, it's your body's way of cooling itself. It's is actually possible to burn a significant number of calories without breaking a sweat, try walking or doing some light weight training.
Myth 4: When you're feeling OK while working out, you're not overdoing it.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting out with an exercise program is doing too much too soon. No matter how good you feel when you return to an activity after an absence, you should never try to double the work. Even if you don't feel it now, you will eventually, which could take you back out of the game again.
Myth 5: No pain, no gain.
While you should expect to feel some degree of soreness a day or two after working out, it's different from feeling pain during workout. A fitness activity shouldn't hurt while doing it; it's either you're doing it wrong or you already have an injury. If it hurts, stop and rest to see if the pain goes away. See a doctor if it doesn't go away or if it begins again or increases after you start to work out.

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