Post # 9, Gum Disease & Your Health

I've read several interesting articles concerning  periodontal disease and overall health. Chronic inflammation caused by gum disease is quite common, and has a well established link to cardiac disease and increased risk of stroke. Those affected by diabetes should be aware that periodontal disease can represent an palm-sized area of inflammation on the body, and make diabetes more difficult to manage.

Gum disease can also increase the risk of preterm labor and low- birthweight babies, and has possible association with lung disease such as pneumonia, osteoporosis, and arthritis. An informative and easy to read article can be found on WebMd at http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-10/oral-overall-health?page=1

By: Martha J. Powell, RRT, CEO

Strategic Medical Sales, LLC

Post # 8 , Links, Blog Promos, Other Information

Links To Blogs, Other Information, & Blog Promos

The Diabetes Beat

http://blogs.medscape.com/matthewmintz

Family Med

http://blogs.medscape.com/ericgrief

Infectious Diseases

http://blogs.medscape.com/lukechen

 

Internal Med

http://blogs.medscape.com/sampannick

Medicare.com  Diabetic Shoes


http://www.medicare.com/equipment-and-supplies/diabetic-supplies/diabetic-shoes.html


Blog Promo

<a href="http://hotels.juaxoo.com/">Cheap Hotels Online</a>

Post # 7 , Are You A Health Care Worker?

To All Health Care Workers That Need Medical Scrubs/Uniforms

We have Full Sets Starting at: $14.95

That's right ... full sets starting at $14.95 ... up to $16.95 per set!

We even have the clog style shoes ... $12.95 per pair!

Take a moment to look over our Website: www.strategic-medical-sales.com and you will see all the styles, colors, and prices.  Call, fax, or email your orders ...

If you are a Practice, Facility, or Health System that provides medical staff with Uniforms, email, fax (or) call

 we may be able to provide large volume discounts.

All Medical Scrubs / Uniforms and Shoes Are From:

Post # 6, Medical Equipment For: Home (or) Facility

What do you do ... you have a parent that is aging, another friend or family member, maybe you, yourself are in need of some medical equipment in a home setting ... again, what do you do?  Who will help?  Who should you call?

You can start by asking your primary doctor ... or ... the health-care provider you are being treated by when the need becomes clear.  Many times those individuals are in contact with local DME .......(Durable Medical Equipment) Companies...  These are the people that have rental wheelchairs, rental hospital beds, oxygen equipment, rental patient lifts, and a number of bath aides.  Many times the DME companies can bill your insurance for you, deliver the equipment, and pick it up when the time comes that you no longer have a need for said equipment.  While these companies fill a very large need, and many of the DME companies are very good ... there are a number of things you should think about:

1. Do I want to use a rental bed?  How many have used this bed prior to my needing this equipment, and has it been cleaned the proper way?  Is this just going to be a short term use ... or ... will I need use of this for a long period of time?  Would the cost of a new bed truly be all that much more money?
2. Wheelchair rentals?  What type of chair do I need?  How long will I need to use it?  How will it need to be used?  How much would it cost to buy vs. rent & pay the co-payments?  Again, how clean is that wheelchair when it is delivered to my home?

Note:  Something you need to talk over with the DME company ... and ... keep in the back of your mind, the very trucks/vans that are delivering your rental bed, mattress, and wheelchair ... may have a dirty/used bed that was just picked up from a sick patient that was admitted into the hospital!  Did that dirty bed touch and contaminate the very equipment you just ordered?

You Can Buy Home Medical Equipment

click on link below for short video

http://dai.ly/HgEOjj

If you go to our website: www.strategic-medical-sales.com you will find a number of different types of medical equipment that we sell ... click The Product Line Tab # 1.  Should you not find what you are looking for ... please do email, call, or fax us and we will be happy to quote you pricing for what ever it is that you need.

"we are pleased to do business with this company for medical equipment"

foam mattress with waterproff cover, 650lbs max

standard wheelchair

full electric hospital bed

AS5000 system mattress, 350lbs max

"bag for: leg / foot-rests"

full electric bariatric hospital bed 650lbs max

bed saftey call set "ulti mat"

chair saftey call set "ulti mat"

PVC Geri Chair, 300 lbs max

"All of The Above Equipment Can be Used/Sold for Home (or) Facility Use"

Office Phone: (716) 489-8262

Office Fax: (866) 873-8308

Email: info@strategic-medical-sales.com





Be sure to check our website, we have many more products listed

 

Shop Our Company E-Store Today!

 

www.strategic-medical-estore.com

 

 

 

Note: Our Company does not bill insurance in any form.  We do however accept major credit and debit cards as payment.  For large accounts we can help to open lines of credit.  If you wish to have your medical equipment billed to insurance, we would be happy to help you find a local DME company that can service your needs.

By: Dean C. Eggert

Post #5, Diabetes and Your Feet

Diabetes and Your Feet

This was posted some time ago ... so the numbers that are quoted may have changed, "I'm sure of it"  ... but you will get the point non-the-less. 

Information below is from:

"North Coast Foot Care"

According to the CDC, almost 24 million Americans have diabetes. This includes an estimated 6 million Americans that have diabetes, but have not been diagnosed. Almost 40% of individuals with diabetes are age 65 and older.

Most individuals have type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes the body produces insulin, but it does not produce enough of this hormone or the cells don't respond to it appropriately. The result is an elevated blood sugar and sometimes an elevated insulin level as well. The blood sugar is high because the sugar is not being taken into the cells and utilized for energy properly. Most of the diabetics over the age of sixty have type 2 diabetes.

Serious complications associated with diabetes include stroke, heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, high blood pressure, nervous system diseases, and amputations. In 2004 there were approximately 71,000 lower extremity amputations in diabetics. In 2005 the CDC estimated that 4.3 individuals of every 1,000 people with diabetes will have a lower extremity amputation. A slow healing or non-healing open sore (known as an ulceration) on the foot is the most common reason diabetics will end up with a foot or leg amputation. Over 2 million diabetics have ulcerations and one in four diabetics with an ulcer will have an amputation. Unfortunately, over 25% of diabetics have not heard of an ulcer. New study on fenofibrate reducing diabetic amputation risk.

There are many factors which contribute to the development of ulcerations. Let's start by looking at the two main effects of diabetes on the feet: the impact of the elevated blood sugar on the circulation and the nervous system.

Circulation

When we talk about circulation, we are referring to the blood circulating in the body through the blood vessels. The arteries carry blood with oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the tissues. The veins carry blood with CO2 and other waste products back to the heart and lungs to be excreted. By far, the worst circulation problem is caused when the blood, oxygen and nutrients can't get to the lower extremities. High blood sugar can contribute to hardening of the arteries, making blood flow and nutrient transfer to tissues difficult. Without vital nutrients and oxygen, the feet and toes can become cold and painful, the skin changes color and even the smallest cut or scrape or infection will be difficult to heal. Smoking also causes problems with circulation to the feet and in combination with diabetes, usually results in disaster.

Nervous System

Your nerves tell you what types of sensations you are feeling, whether you are feeling something that is hot, cold or painful. The nerves control movement in your body and also control functions like breathing, heart rate and sweating. We typically don't think of pain as a good thing, but pain tells your body something is wrong. For example, if you were to step on a sharp object, the pain signal would be sent to the brain and in response to this pain, you would pick up your foot up, off the sharp object.

In diabetics, the nerves can lose their ability to sense pain. There are many theories for why this happens:

• The blood supply is decreased to the nerves, causing dysfunction.
• The increase in blood sugar causes malfunction.
• The sugar metabolism within the nerve causes swelling and results in compression of the nerves.
• There are loses of specific enzymes that are needed to enable nerve function.
• There are more free radicals causing oxidative damage within the nerve as a result of the increased sugar.

Regardless, the result is the same. There is a loss of sensation in the feet and sometimes in the hands. This is called diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Diabetics develop ulcerations because of the lack of feeling in their feet due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The ulcerations don't heal because of the constant pressure and rubbing on the ulcer or because of poor circulation. For this reason, treating diabetic ulcers is difficult. Preventing diabetic ulcers is not.

Prevention

Take these steps to help prevent diabetic foot complications:
1. Check your feet everyday! This is an absolute necessity. If you can’t reach your feet, have a friend or family member check your feet. If needed, put a mirror on the floor and put your foot over it to look for cuts, scraps, bruises, openings or areas of irritation. Make sure you check between your toes. Look for moist areas, white areas or red areas. Look for anything unusual. If you see something unusual, make an appointment with your podiatrist.
2. Don’t walk around barefoot. Needles, tacks, broken glass, splinters of wood can be hidden in the carpet, even if you vacuum regularly. You can puncture a foot without sensation. Punctures can go unnoticed and develop into ulceration or infections.
3. Watch out for folds in your socks. Rough seams and small folds in the socks can cause areas of irritation that may lead to skin breakdown and ulceration.
4. Don’t be a victim of fashion. High fashion shoes usually lead to a high number of problems in the feet. Make sure the shoes are wide enough. Don’t buy shoes that are too wide or too long which can cause a lot of slipping. Pick shoes that are soft and flexible and allow for cushioning on the top and sides, but are rigid on the sole. Make sure they don’t fold in half. You may be eligible for your insurance to pay for diabetic extra-depth shoes with custom insoles. These shoes will take the pressure off your feet and help prevent ulcerations. Ask your doctor. General information for choosing shoes.
5. Check your bath water with your hand before you put your foot in it. The temperature your foot feels is much different from the temperature your hand feels when you have neuropathy. Make sure to check the temperature with your wrist. This will be much more accurate than testing the water with your foot.
6. Avoid medicated corn pads. Medicated corn pads contain acid and can be dangerous to diabetics. Yes, it will remove the corn, but there is a good chance it will also remove all the surrounding skin. What you will be left with is an ulceration. Check foot products you buy to make sure they are safe for diabetics.
7. Dry between your toes. Increased moisture between your toes can lead to the skin breaking down or foot fungus. This can eventually lead to an ulcer between the toes. Ulcers between the toes go unnoticed for longer periods of time and they can be difficult to treat.
8. Avoid cotton socks. Those white cotton socks you were told to wear for so many years are not the right socks for a diabetic. Cotton socks don't wick moisture properly, they lose their elasticity quickly and have a greater chance for thick seams and bunching at the toes. Try synthetic socks, acrylic, small fiber wool socks or diabetic socks. More information on socks.
9. Know your risk. Some diabetics do not have any loss of sensation or circulation in their feet. They are not at risk of developing an ulceration and have a low risk of an infection becoming a problem. Others, have severe neuropathy or circulation problems and don’t know it. It’s important to know your risk. Make sure your primary care doctor evaluates your feet and uses a monofilament wire (thin wire to assess sensation) or refers you to a podiatrist.
10. Do not trim your own toenails, calluses or corns. If you have a loss of sensation or blood supply then have your podiatrist trim your corns, calluses or toenails for you every two months.

Click to go to: North Coast Foot Care

Dr. Zen Diabetic Shoes

By: Dean C. Eggert

Post #4, Foot Care

1.)If you (or) a loved one/Family member goes to a DMP on a regular basis for foot care and or the    management of a wound ... how do you get the wound care products you need?

2.)Again, if you are the patient of a DPM, and you are having foot/wound issues ... does your doctor offer a line of shoes in his/her office?  If the doctor does not offer any type of shoes for sale from their office, would you know how to find shoes that could help you?

3.)If you have a family member, friend, or loved one that is in a Skilled Nursing Facility ... and that Facility is not using: Gentell Advanced Wound Care Products ... ask them to look into them ... better yet, send us an email with the contact information: info@strategic-medical-sales.com

Gentell has special wound care packages for the DPM offices.  Tell your health care provider about this service and have them call: Strategic Medical Sales, LLC  at: (716) 489-8262, to have a Representative stop to the doctor's office with samples. 

In addition to wound care, Strategic Medical Sales, LLC, can help your doctor with a top quality line of Diabetic Shoes.  Not only are Dr. Zen shoes billable to Medicare, but they have a large product line with many sizes and styles for both men and women.

 

Shop Our Company E-Store At The Following:

 

www.strategic-medical-estore.com

 



The Dr. Zen company can equip your doctor's office with some of the latest equipment to help them size your feet to make sure you receive the best results you can from a new pair of Dr. Zen Diabetic Shoes.  Many times ... even if you do not have diabetes, these type of shoes can give relief from foot pain or wounds found on patients feet.  Please do keep in mind, without a diagnoses of Diabetes, Medicare will not cover the cost of the shoes ... however, Dr. Zen shoes are affordable.

Have your doctor look over our website:

www.strategic-medical-sales.com

(or)

Have your doctor give us a call or send a fax:

Office Phone Number: (716) 489-8262

Office Fax Number: (866) 873-8308

For additional ( OTC )foot care products look these over:

Note:  These are Top Quality  Insoles, not the type you will find in the discount baskets in you local chain pharmacy.  If you suffer from foot pain at all, give these a try ... they come with a 1 year warranty!

$39.99 per pair

$39.99 per pair



$39.99 per pair

Any Size, Any Color, One Low Price!

Find out what, " Action Flow Media Technology," is all about ...

Who should try AirFeet Insoles?

People That:

Walk

People That:

Run

People That:

Are On their Feet For Work

And People That:

Want To Feel Better

"Each Pair Come With A 1 Year Warranty"

By: Dean C. Eggert

Post # 3, Wound Care Products

Let us talk about, "Wound Care," for a moment or two.... What do you do when you (or) a loved one have a wound that need to be taken care of ... and a simple peal-n-stick bandage will not do the trick?  Your Doctor has written a Rx for wound care products that you have never heard of before ... What do you do???

Do you drive (or) walk on down to: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid?  Chances are if you did ... the very nice young man (or) young lady working  behind the counter would have, "NO IDEA," what you are asking for ... and if they did ... they would not have it, nor would they know how to bill your insurance for the products.

So ... what do you do???  If you ... a family member ... a co-worker ... or a loved one has ever needed wound care supplies in the past ... you have some idea as to the fact that, "they can cost a lot of MONEY!"  What to do, What to Do?  Talk to your doctor!  Look on the Web!  Check these sites!

www.woundsource.com

www.strategic-medical-sales.com

www.totalhomecaresupplies.com

 

 

Buy All Of Gentell's Products From Our E-Store

 

Go To: www.strategic-medical-estore.com

 



 

Wound Care Kits For Doctor Offices & Clinics

Billing Information For Doctor Offices & Facilities

By: Dean C. Eggert

Post # 2, Just a few links ...

Just a Few Sites & Links We Would Like To Share Today ... Please do Feel Free To Place Any Additional Information Yourself, That You Think Might Be Helpful To/For Others.

Podiatry Today

Wound Care Research

American Diabetes Association

Again, Please Feel Free To Put Additional Links On This Blog That May Help Others ...