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Over the years, nurses have functioned as the foundation of healthcare delivery. However, there has been a critical talent shortage with the increase in healthcare needs of the nation, as the training remains the same, hence cannot keep up.

Telehealth technologies present a ray of hope where the healthcare needs can be addressed, sidestepping the shortage. The technology has come at a time when people suffering from chronic illnesses need augmented services and consultation.

What is Telenursing

Telenursing, also telehealth nursing, is the use of technology to provide nursing services through mobile devices and computers. Telehealth is becoming a more prevalent healthcare option with the increase in the accessibility of mobile devices.

Patients are no longer limited to in-person clinical settings, as they can access their primary care providers from any location. Telenursing enables patients to connect with their nurses through mobile apps, computers, mobile devices, video technology, and remote patient monitoring.

Nurses provide care through telenursing by using a variety of tools. They can regularly monitor the specific patient conditions, and send information through websites or apps.Did You Know? More patients are interested in direct interactions with their nursing, making telenursing more prominent than ever.

Benefits of Telenursing

Patients, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners obtain significant benefits from the application of telenursing. Here are the top four benefits to the patients

i) Remote Service Delivery

Applying telenursing enables the nurses to remotely monitor the conditions of their patients by applying a variety of tools that blend audio, video, and text-based information. The quality of telenursing service parallels that of in-person office visits, hence increasing efficiency for patients in sparsely populated areas and rural communities. These also ensure that any complications can be promptly addressed by a qualified nurse without having the patient inconvenienced by traveling.

ii) Financial Savings

Telenursing significantly reduces costs for the patients and the practitioners. According to a 2017 study by Health Affairs, an office visit would cost patients $146 while a telehealth visit costs only $79. Other savings include reduced visitation expenses for the patient.

iii) Improved Bed Allocation

Healthcare providers have asserted that there are considerable reductions in readmissions due to the improved follow-up care to high-risk clients using telenursing. Chronic illness sufferers and recent surgical patients can receive high level follow up that reduces the complications that might prompt readmission, improving the bed allocations within hospitals.

iv) Patient Comfort

In a survey conducted, three out of four patients reported feeling comfortable with telenursing. The patient can freely access specialists who might typically remain heavily scheduled with other patients. A study of Massachusetts General Hospital telehealth patients revealed that most patients reiterated the improved convenience of virtual health, with 60% pointing out that the quality of the virtual visits was comparable to in-person visits. Besides, telenursing improves the comfort as you fulfill your appointments from the safety and privacy of your home.

Telenursing at Shot Health

Shot Health has established a sophisticated and advanced telenursing platform that ensures that our clients have the best quality service from the comfort of their homes. Our virtual appointments are handled by qualified and professional nurses who deliver services comparable to in-office visits, with an added advantage of convenience, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

Get in touch with us at www.shothealth.com and book your virtual appointment today.

Testosterone has been implicated in sports scandals, blamed for violence in males, promoted as an aging tonic, desired by gym devotees, and linked to sexual prowess. But do you really understand what testosterone is, its roles, and its importance?

The levels of testosterone in males are approximately ten times higher than in females. The hormone has an important role in women but has a significantly different role in men. This article focuses on testosterone in men.

The Role of Testosterone in Male Development

Testosterone is the most important male sex hormone and plays a vital role in sexual and reproductive functioning. Hormones are chemical messengers made in the body by various glands and transported by the blood to initiate their effect on various organs in the body.

This hormone is crucial for the physical changes that take place during puberty in males like the development of the testes and penis, and the features that distinguish adult men like body and facial hair. Testosterone also facilitates sperm production in the testes.

It also helps in muscle and bone growth, affects the sex drive, and various aspects of mental capability; testosterone is thus important for overall good health.

The hormone is present within the body from the early fetal growth stages to old age. It helps the fetus in developing a male body and “male brain.”

The levels within the body peak between 20 and 30 years. Thereafter, the levels of testosterone in the body fall by approximately 1% to 2% every year, though studies have shown variations between individuals. A large part of the drop in testosterone levels is related to chronic health conditions like diabetes and obesity.Did You Know? The testosterone levels in a man may stay the same even as they age if the man remains very healthy into old age.

Too Little or Too Much?

Low testosterone levels in males may be due to a genetic disorder (like Klinefelter’s syndrome, a chromosomal disorder leading to poor functioning of the testes) or damage to the testis, or in rare cases lack of complimentary hormones synthesized in the brain. Approximately one in 200 men below 60 years have low testosterone levels.

The effects of low testosterone vary with the different ages. In teenagers and young boys, low testosterone results in poor development of pubic and facial hair and muscles, and the testes and penis would not grow well.

In adults, low testosterone causes low sex drive, changes in body fat distribution, reduced muscle strength, poor concentration, irritability, mood swings, and low energy levels.

Too much testosterone has effects too. People have linked excess testosterone to aggression though research has not validated this. Studies have however shown excess testosterone to be linked with traits like empathy and caregiving.

Needless Supplementation

Research has shown that the best development is achieved by having testosterone levels in the mid-range – not too low or too high.

For men who have been clinically diagnosed with low levels, the normal levels of the hormone in the blood can be restored by testosterone therapy. This would maintain good health and restore sexual development in boys.

Taking testosterone supplements when one has normal levels can cause problems. Testosterone can result in slow sperm production and a reduction in the size of the testes. It would take many months to get back to normal.

How We Help

At Shot Health, we provide testosterone treatment for people clinically diagnosed with low testosterone levels. Contact us to have your blood testosterone levels measured and obtain testosterone therapy from the comfort of your home by our team of qualified professionals.

February is American Heart Month. Coincidentally, February is also the month of love with Valentine’s Day coming in the middle of the month. Love is represented by the symbol of a healthy heart. This month allows people to focus on their cardiovascular health. You can express love to your heart by ensuring it is healthy. One of the best gifts you can give your heart is physical exercise. Johns Hopkins research has established that undertaking regular exercise, not smoking, maintaining a normal weight, and adopting a Mediterranean-style diet will provide the greatest protection against vascular disease and coronary artery disease.

These four simple lifestyle factors were tested in 6,200 subjects across eight years. The findings of the study revealed that these practices reduced the chance of death from all causes by 80 percent.

Now that you have this amazing fact, you may be wondering how much more facts support the beneficial effects of exercise on your heart. Understanding how physical activity benefits your heart can strongly motivate you to get moving. Here is an outline of six benefits that exercise will have on your heart.

1. Exercise is vital for weight control

When combined with a smart diet plan, physical activity is a critical component for losing weight. More important, being physic`ally active will help you keep your weight off. Maintaining a normal weight in this way will help in optimizing your heart health. Being overweight makes the heart work harder in pumping blood which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

2. Exercise lowers blood pressure

When you exercise, you train your heart to have a slower heart rate when resting. Like beta-blocker medications, physical activity will slow your heart rate and in consequence, lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure puts you at risk of heart disease and other complications.

3. Exercise strengthens muscles

Combining strength training (resistance training, weight lifting) and aerobic workouts (swimming, running, walking, cycling, etc.) has been proven to be best for your heart health. Aerobic exercises designed based on your fitness level help in increasing the vigor of heart pumping. The exercise improves the ability of muscles to draw oxygen from the blood as it circulates. Your heart is a muscle organ itself. Therefore, increasing its strength and ability to draw oxygen from the blood reduces its risk of failing and the need for the heart to pump blood harder to the muscles.

4. Exercise slows down the progression of Diabetes

Combining regular aerobic exercises and strength training reduces the risk of developing diabetes by over 50 percent. This is enabled by the muscles processing glycogen better.

Glycogen is fuel for energy that when impaired causes an excessive rise of glucose levels in the blood, and diabetes.

5. Exercise can help you quit smoking

Increasing fitness helps smokers to quit. Similarly, fit people have a less likelihood of starting smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart diseases. The substances in the smoke damage the function and structure of blood vessels causing cardiovascular problems.

6. Exercise lowers stress

Any form of exercise will help you relax and ease stress, preventing the production of stress hormones. Stress hormone puts an extra burden on the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease.Did You Know?
Shot Health has a medical weight loss program.

Our program is designed to incorporate the four principles of a heart healthy lifestyle, helping you express affection to your heart. For more information on our heart-friendly services, visit www.shothealth.com

Hormone blood tests can reveal a lot of vital information about a woman’s health. For example, estrogen levels would reveal where a woman is in her menstrual cycle, helping to pinpoint fertility problems or show the beginning of menopause.

The blood tests measuring female hormone levels are also used to diagnose various medical conditions like diabetes or thyroid disease and help in evaluating the effectiveness of medications. The hormones commonly evaluated as part of a comprehensive hormone panel include estrogen, progesterone, Follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones.

The meaning of the results of these hormone tests depends on whether a hormone is higher than normal or lower than normal.

1. Estrogen

Estrogen is a group of three hormones, estradiol, estriol, and estrone. Of the three, estradiol is the most important as a major sex hormone responsible for female characteristics, healthy bones, and sexual functioning. Estrogen levels vary with age and the menstrual cycle. Low estrogen levels may be a sign of low body fat, anorexia nervosa, low testosterone, decreased pituitary function, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Some medications can also decrease estrogen levels. High estrogen levels may be caused by high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. Certain medications are also known to increase estrogen levels.

2. Progesterone

Progesterone is produced by ovaries to help prepare the uterus to receive the fertilized egg. While high progesterone levels bear little medical consequences, persistently high progesterone levels may show an increased breast cancer risk. Low progesterone levels during pregnancy may foreshadow premature labor or miscarriage. Progesterone levels are often measured to assess the risk of miscarriage or pinpoint the cause of infertility.

3. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

FSH is produced by the pituitary glands and stimulates the growth of an egg in the ovary as it gets ready for fertilization. FSH levels often increase as the levels of estrogen and other hormones decrease in menopause to compensate for the loss. FSH levels are used in evaluating conditions like ovarian cysts, pituitary gland tumors, PCOS, menopause, infertility, and abnormal menstrual bleeding. High FSH levels are often linked to malfunctioning in the ovaries. On the other hand, low FSH levels are linked to congenital defects or diseases affecting the pituitary gland, or hypothalamus, or the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.

4. Testosterone

Testosterone is typically considered a “male sex hormone.” However, women also produce testosterone in the ovaries and adrenal glands before it is converted into estradiol with the help of enzymes. High testosterone levels may cause missed or irregular menstrual periods, infertility, acne, weight gain, or virilization – the development of secondary male traits. PCOS, anabolic steroid use, and ovarian cancer also cause high testosterone levels in females. Low testosterone occurs in menopause and causes a reduced sex drive.

5. Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid hormones are a group of hormones produced by the thyroid gland or the pituitary gland and are used in evaluating thyroid function. The three main thyroid hormones are thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3). The thyroid hormones test is included in the hormone panel as thyroid diseases are more common in women than men. Elevated thyroid hormone levels may cause light and/or irregular menstrual periods, hyperactivity, goiter, and weight loss. Conversely, low thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy might cause congenital thyroid problems for the baby, low birth weight, preterm birth, miscarriage, placental abruption, and preeclampsia.

Shot Health provides blood/Lab work services that will enable you to know your hormone profile. Our team of professional and certified nurse practitioners is available to discuss with you your health and the meaning of your hormone profile test results. Get in touch with us at www.shothealth.com