The reason for enduring wearing masks for much longer

Even with news of many people receiving vaccines against COVID-19, the world isn’t out of the woods yet. Sure, the light at the end of the tunnel is now more visible than before. However, vaccinated people still have to wear their masks a little longer.

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For starters, most vaccines require individuals to receive two shots before the immunity response to fully work, with about three weeks to a month in between shots, mentions Dr. Lisa M. Cannon. Much like any other vaccine for any other disease, the response is not instant, but results are promising and encouraging. No vaccine provides 100% protection from the dreaded virus but receiving complete doses does offer one protection from severe symptoms.

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In countries where help is not easily obtained, people will have to wear masks for much longer for reasons such as lack of vaccine supply and challenges in the rollout and inoculation logistics. Herd immunity may take more time in these regions. Children below 18, pregnant women, and individuals with severe chronic illnesses cannot be vaccinated. Keeping a mask on would mean protecting these vulnerable individuals from the threat of the virus.

According to Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, vaccines alone cannot end the pandemic. The development and rollout of the vaccines, including inoculation, signify that the world is on the right track. However, diligence in following health and safety protocols set by health authorities remains the best way to protect oneself and their loved ones from the virus.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a pulmonologist with more than 15 years of experience in her field. Her passion for pulmonology and critical care has led to her own medical practice in New Jersey. Subscribe to this blog for more updates from Dr. Lisa M. Cannon.

A review of some habits that help improve sleep quality

 

According to Lisa M. Cannon, the importance and need for a good night’s sleep in everyone cannot be stressed enough. Sleep habits have direct effects on an individual’s mental and physical health, and even the quality of one’s life in general. Because of this, Lisa M. Cannon has taken it upon herself to come up with a series of blog to educate and inform readers everywhere of the finer points of getting some well-needed shut-eye.

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Below is a quick review of habits Lisa M. Cannon shares with patients with the goal of getting a good night’s sleep.

Sleep schedule

Sticking to a sleep schedule, meaning the same time for going to bed and waking up in the morning, is a basic yet essential step. Doing this helps regulate the body’s clock. It also goes a long way in helping the body fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Lisa M. Cannon mentions that it’s better if people stick to the schedule even during weekends.

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Light exposure

The light to which people are exposed to throughout the day affects their circadian rhythm. During the day, Lisa M. Cannon recommends people be exposed to bright light to increase their energy. In the evening however, she tells people to lessen their exposure to blue light, since it stimulates the brain into believing it is still day time.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a New Jersey-based physician. She specializes in pulmonology, internal medicine, sleep medicine, and critical care. For more updates from Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, visit this blog.

How sleep can be the deciding factor on weight loss success

 

Individuals who set out on a weight loss journey often assume that a gym membership would do the job. Without a proper diet and enough sleep, gym-goers could be setting themselves up for defeat. Dr. Lisa M. Cannon shares on this blog how sleep can influence one’s weight loss journey. 

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People on the road to weight loss must acknowledge early in the game that lack of sleep is the main hindrance to their objective. Sleep loss leads to increased appetite. This is due to the body producing more ghrelin, a hormone released in the stomach signaling hunger in the brain, and less leptin, the hormone suppressing hunger and signaling fullness. Sleep deprivation changes the way one’s brain operates. Lack of sleep potentially decreases activity in the frontal lobe, the part of the brain essential for self-control and decision-making. 

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Individuals who get enough sleep consume fewer calories compared to those who sleep for a short period. People who exercise regularly and include weightlifting in their routine develop their muscles. Lean muscles are known to burn fat, which improves resting metabolism. Lack of sleep decreases muscle mass, which could lower one’s resting metabolic rate.

According to Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, sleep deprivation is to be blamed for daytime fatigue. Individuals who do not prioritize sleep are more likely to want to skip exercise as they could lose motivation to do anything physical. Athletic performance is improved in those who get more sleep. A 10-hour sleep each night for a few weeks can alter an athlete’s performance, improving their reaction time, accuracy, and speed.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon specializes in critical care, sleep medicine, and pulmonary diseases. A board-certified physician, she received her medical degree from New York College of Medicine and her fellowship in pulmonary disease, critical care, and sleep medicine from Mount Sinai Hospital. Head over to this page for more updates.

Six ways to stay safe from airborne diseases

 

After more than 200 doctors wrote to the World Health Organization to reconsider the manner COVID-19 is transmitted and spread, the global health agency is firm in keeping its initial claim that the higher risk of spreading the virus is still through droplets or larger particles that settle faster and are less likely to gather in the air. 

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However, as safety and health precaution, it is in the best interest of people to treat the virus as if it is airborne. One of the best ways to stay safe from airborne diseases is to avoid large gatherings. Airborne diseases spread quickly in crowds. Wear a face mask properly to reduce the risk of encountering airborne microbes that may be present in the atmosphere, reminds Dr. Lisa M. 

Cannon. 

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It is imperative to unlearn the habit of touching the nose, eyes, mouth, and face during these times. If a person is to touch their face, they must make sure that they have clean hands. Regular handwashing or disinfecting reduces a person’s risk of catching the virus.

According to Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, it is crucial to practice healthy habits, such as getting quality sleep, keeping a well-balanced diet, working out regularly, managing stress, and drinking lots of fluids, and taking multivitamins to boost the immune system. A strong immune system can help fight off airborne diseases. Lastly, practice social distancing. Keeping a safe distance of 2 meters while wearing a mask when in public, reduces the risk of people spreading and catching COVID-19 and airborne diseases.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease, critical care, and internal medicine. She completed her Master’s in Public Health from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service to continue giving her patients the best service. Visit this page for more updates from Dr. Lisa M. Cannon.

Sleeping positions and their effect on your health

Have you ever woken up with a sore neck or back? Or how about waking up with a dry throat? If you have experienced any of these, chances are you didn’t have a good night’s sleep. And if one doesn’t have a good night’s sleep, one could feel tired and even cranky throughout the rest of the day. This is why knowing what sleeping position is right for you matters, says Dr. Lisa M. Cannon.

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As one grows up, there are massive changes in the body that affects sleep. Weight, for instance, matters a lot when it comes to finding the right sleeping position. Any woman who’s carried a child for nine months can tell you that sleeping on their backs was painful due to the added weight and the pressure it caused their spines.

The body often shifts to a more comfortable position when sleeping. However, some people sleep through the discomfort, which then translates to other problems. Besides stiff body parts, they could easily develop sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that is often associated with other illnesses like stroke or heart failure, diabetes, depression, and severe headaches.

If you feel like no sleeping position works in giving you a good night’s rest, consider changing mattresses. There are a lot of mattresses out there, several of which are made specifically for certain body types. It could be possible that what you need is a mattress that suits you in terms of stiffness or firmness. If all else fails, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon recommends visiting a sleep clinic as no person should suffer sleeping problems for an extended period.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a New Jersey-based physician. She earned her degree in medicine from New York Medical College. She has board certifications in critical care medicine, internal medicine, and pulmonary disease. Her practice focusses on pulmonary and respiratory medicine and sleep medicine. For similar reading materials, visit this blog.

Increase lung capacity in five ways

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Individuals who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary fibrosis often have difficulty in breathing. The fear of experiencing a flare-up may hinder them from living their best lives. In this blog, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon shares a few tips to increase lung capacity.

Proper exercise helps in increasing lung capacity. While it may seem counterintuitive to work out with COPD, getting the muscles in shape can improve breathing. Toned and strong muscles use energy efficiently. Breathing exercises such as pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing help improve the use of proper muscles when breathing.

Keep the house clean. The air quality at home must be a priority, as it can be more polluted than the air outside. Houses and offices should be cleaned regularly to reduce allergens inside.

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Eat smaller meals throughout the day. Doing this can lessen the chances of experiencing COPD symptoms, as eating large meals at a time can cause one’s stomach to bloat, thus pressing the lungs, keeping them from expanding to the fullest, and resulting in shortness of breath. When medical professionals say that smoking kills, we better believe it. Also, quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke. Such environmental irritants make the lungs weak.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon encourages individuals to get vaccinations for flu and pneumonia to help avoid contracting lung infections. In keeping the lungs healthy, one must be proactive; prevention is always better than cure. Improved breathing can help one experience better overall health.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease, critical care, and internal medicine. To continue giving her patients the best service, she completed her Master’s in Public Health from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Subscribe to this blog for similar reads.

Causes of acute and chronic bronchitis: An overview

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Lisa M. Cannon is a doctor who has, for decades, helped clients with respiratory and sleep problems. Through her series of blogs, she has imparted parts of her vast knowledge of health and wellness. While Dr. Lisa M. Cannon’s blogs are highly informative, she still recommends a doctor’s visit as the first course of action.

For this, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon sheds light on acute and chronic bronchitis, specifically on their causes.

Bronchitis is one of the more common lung conditions that patients have diagnosed and treated. It happens when the lining of the bronchial tubes experience inflammation and swelling, making it difficult for people to breathe in oxygen and clear out the phlegm from the airways.

Acute bronchitis lasts for a few days. Causes of acute bronchitis are viruses and bacteria. Sometimes, acute bronchitis leads to colds and maybe even a fever. Influenza (the flu), rhinovirus, and other viral infections may also lead to acute bronchitis and vice versa. Viral infections account for 9 out of every 10 cases. The remaining 10% of acute bronchitis patients suffer from bacterial infection.

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Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, can last for as short as three months to as long as two or more years, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon notes. For patients with this condition, medical intervention is important. Causes of chronic bronchitis include prolonged and heavy exposure to chemicals, pollutants, or even dust. However, heavy use of cigarettes and tobacco is the most common trigger, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon adds.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991 and obtained her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. Before starting her own private practice in New Jersey, she was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

Sleep isn’t for the weak: Here’s why you shouldn’t miss a shut eye

For workaholics and hardcore students, the saying, “Sleep is for the weak,” helps in keeping them from falling asleep at night. In a culture wherein working while running on little sleep is praised, promoting healthier sleeping habits can be difficult. Here are a few reasons for one to prioritize sleep.

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Losing sleep increases stress, disturbs mood, and impairs one’s ability to concentrate. All of these short-term effects can impact one’s work productivity and overall performance. In the long run, forsaking proper sleep can cause heightened risk fact for diabetes, increased risk for breast cancer, high blood pressure, decreased immune function, major depression, and obesity.

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Major depression is a serious threat for insomniacs and other individuals who don’t get enough sleep at night. As depression carries a negative effect on sleep patterns, it may develop a cycle that can be hard to break. Lack of sleep can also affect one’s relationship with their partner and loved ones. Inadequate sleep can impair an individual’s ability to appreciate their partners and friends, which can then lead to stress and place tension on relationships.

Sleep is an integral function for a number of reasons. When one sleeps, the brain signals the body to release hormones and compounds helping in decreasing risk for health conditions, managing hunger levels, maintaining one’s immune system, and retaining memory. Having seven to eight hours of sleep a night can help improve one’s overall health.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991. She received her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Dr. Cannon specializes in pulmonary disease, critical care, and sleep medicine. Visit this blog for more updates.

Foods for healthier lungs

An average adult breathes 15 to 20 times a minute, amounting to 20,000 breath cycles each day.  When you breathe, the respiratory system (nose, throat, trachea, lungs) is responsible for transporting air throughout the body.  The lungs act as the main machine of the system, as it transports the oxygen to the bloodstream and to the cells.  In short, the lungs play a vital role in maintaining the body’s health and vigor.

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Aside from doing regular exercise to regulate breathing, you can also adjust your diet to make it beneficial for your lungs.  Here are examples of foods that will make your lungs healthier so you can breathe better.

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Beans, seeds, and most nuts are rich in magnesium, a mineral known to improve lung function.  The essential fatty acids found in legumes and nuts are also good for the cardiovascular system.

Kefir and yogurt are rich in protein, calcium, and digestion-promoting bacteria called probiotics.  Probiotics help prevent respiratory infections and keep colds at bay. Remember that 70 percent of the body’s immune system is stored in the gut area, which is why foods with active cultures work great to keep it healthy.

Good lung function has been proven to be associated with high intakes of vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, which are found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and apples.  Greens such as broccoli contain antioxidants, which makes it ideal for individuals suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders.

Drinking plenty of water is the main cleanser of the body, and it is important in maintaining healthy blood flow in and out of the lungs.  Water keeps the lungs hydrated and the mucus flowing in the right consistency. 

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical college in 1991. She received her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and has ties with Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood. For more reading material on pulmonary health, visit this blog.

What constitutes a healthy sleep?

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Sleep is a cornerstone of good health that should never be neglected.  It is vital to both physical and mental wellness, and sleeping well means giving the body the time it needs to recharge and recover for another day.  But what can actually be considered healthy sleep – and how can it be achieved?

Adults, on average, are encouraged to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night.  It should be known, however, that those needs actually vary individually.  Some people, for instance, are at their best with eight hours, while others are well on six hours alongside daytime naps.

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Aside from quantity, quality is a vital factor in determining healthy sleep.  A restful sleep should be free of common disrupters such as noise and daytime light.  Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco can also affect sleep quality and thus should be avoided. In addition, having a regular sleep routine will help one function properly, ideally waking up at the same time every morning and going to bed at night once sleepy.

Numerous benefits come with healthy sleep, including promoting peak performance and productivity, fighting off infection, and keeping a healthy weight.  It’s also crucial for sharp memory and focus, helping one excel in work or at school.  Healthy sleep balances one’s mood and emotions, and without it, one is more prone to struggle with anxiety and depression.

To achieve healthy sleep one should stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends or during vacations.  Establish a relaxing bedtime routine where the bed is only for sleep, the bedroom is quiet and at a cool temperature, and there’s little to no exposure to bright lights.  Turn off electronic gadgets at least half an hour before bedtime. 

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991. She received her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. She has since focused on developing her own private medical in New Jersey. For more articles like this, click here.

Medicine Safety: Are Expired Drugs Still Okay To Take?

Some people consider expiration dates as mere estimates, while some believe that they're really not set in stones. Is there any truth to these? These axioms may make you think twice about tossing out your expired medicines into the trash, and this is quite a sensible thing to do, at least according to this study. According to Lee Cantrell, a professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco, and the study's lead author, the results show that "time frame doesn't necessarily correlate to a drug's potency."

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So what now? The current regulation on expiration dates set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considered the benchmark for safety: "To assure that a drug product meets applicable standards of identity, strength, quality, and purity at the time of use, it shall bear an expiration date determined by appropriate stability testing."

Expiration dates stand as the date by which the full potency and safety of the drug can be assured. The time frame may appear as a conservative estimate, but this also serves as a barrier against risks that come from the potential spoilage of the chemical make-up and loss of potency in various drugs. Since the pharmaceutical and medical communities are split on their views on drug expiration, consumers are rethinking whether to keep or flush their expired medications. Despite the conflicting statements on expired medicines, your best bet is never to take the risk. Discard all expired medications and follow what the label says to make sure that you're getting what you paid for and maximize what it can do for your health. It's also recommended to consult your physician or pharmacist to get some clarity around the longstanding debate on drug expiration.

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Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon is a board-certified internist based in New Jersey. Follow this Twitter account to learn more about her practice.

REPOST: Healthier lungs in California kids after pollution controls

A study conducted in California found better lung function among kids as the state's air quality improved.  This Reuters article provides the details.

(Reuters Health) - Doctors have long predicted that less air pollution will produce healthier lungs. Now a first-of-its-kind study of 2,120 children in southern California has documented dramatically better lung function growth as air quality has improved.

       

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Over a 13-year period, the proportion of children with poor lung capacity and lung health fell by half as levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter dropped. The gains were seen both in youngsters who had asthma and in those who did not.

“It certainly supports the efforts that have been made over 40 years to improve air quality,” chief author Dr. James Gauderman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles told Reuters Health. “We would expect improvements in other urban centers to produce similar improvements in children’s health.”

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, complements research showing that childhood lung function deteriorates and the risk of asthma rises as pollution levels rise.

"This is an association study, so there's always a question of cause and effect. Maybe these people got healthier on their own, ate better diets. You can never say it's an absolute proof," said Dr. Norman H. Edelman, senior consultant for scientific affairs at the American Lung Association.

        

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"But it's not a standalone study. It's based on older studies that show an association between the degree of air pollution and lung function in kids. This turns around and looks at improvement," he told Reuters Health.

Gauderman and his colleagues examined the long-term effects in children by studying three groups during three time periods between 1994 and 2011. Typically, the children entered the study around age 11 and were followed for four years, a period when the lungs are developing rapidly. All lived in the Los Angeles area, a region of the U.S. known for air pollution problems, which have been abating as a result of strict state controls.

“We looked at the proportion of children whose lung function was below 80 percent of normal. That’s a cutoff a physician will often use to flag a person for a possible issue with their lungs,” Gauderman said. While 7.9 percent of children fell into that category in 1998, the proportion had dropped to 3.6 percent by 2011.

“We certainly suspected that improving air quality would improve children’s health,” Gauderman said. “We were surprised by the magnitude of the effect that we’ve seen.”

"What's news about this is the large magnitude of the effect, from 8 percent down to 4 percent," said Edelman, who was not connected to research. "Asthma is present in 10 percent of the population and that's a major health problem. If a percentage of those kids is going to have worse asthma because the air pollution has limited their lung growth, that's a big deal."

During the study years, the air improved “dramatically,” Gauderman’s team writes in their report. For example, in 1994-1997, each cubic meter of air in one of the most-polluted communities, Mira Loma, had 31.5 micrograms of small particles called PM2.5 that penetrate deep into the lungs. By 2007-2010, Mira Loma averaged 17.8 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air, a 43 percent decline. All five study sites had significant drops in particle pollution and nitrogen dioxide, they note.

Overall, average lung capacity increased by 91.4 milliliters for every decrease of 14.1 parts per billion in nitrogen dioxide. It rose by 65.5 ml for each decrease of 8.7 micrograms per cubic meter of particle pollution. Significant changes were not linked to ozone levels, but levels of that pollutant have not declined as dramatically over time.

       

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“There were significant effects on lung-function growth in both boys and girls, although the magnitude of the air-pollution effect was significantly larger in boys than in girls,” the researchers conclude.

“We found no significant association between growth in height and change in pollution during the study period, which indicates that our findings on lung-function growth are probably not the result of a secular trend in general development,” they write.

California has stricter pollution controls than the U.S. as a whole, but Edelman said even the federal clean air act has cleaned up a lot of pollution "and this study is part of that. We're making progress. There's still a long way to go. We still have much more unacceptable effects of air pollution than we should have."

Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon is a board certified physician who specializes in pulmonary care.  Visit this Facebook page for more access to resources on related topics. 

REPOST: E-Cigarettes May Not Help Smokers Quit Tobacco, Study Finds

Do e-cigarettes really help smokers stop the habit? Discover the truth from this Philly.com article below.

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While some proponents of "vaping" claim that smokers who try e-cigarettes may use them as a bridge to quitting smoking, a new study finds that the opposite may true.

The study, published April 16 in the American Journal of Public Health, found that smokers who used e-cigarettes were less likely to quit regular cigarettes than those who hadn't tried the devices.

A team led by Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy, chief of the division of global public health at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, followed 1,000 California smokers for one year.

The researchers found that smokers who said they had ever used e-cigarettes were about half as likely to cut down on their smoking and 59 percent less likely to quit, compared to those who never used e-cigarettes.

"Based on the idea that smokers use e-cigarettes to quit smoking, we hypothesized that smokers who used these products would be more successful in quitting," Al-Delaimy said. "But the research revealed the contrary."

Two anti-smoking experts said the study casts doubt on the notion of e-cigarettes as a smoking-cessation aid.

"These results confirm the potential harm e-cigarettes cause smokers, in that they may not only result in continued smoking but they may also discourage or delay quit attempts," said Patricia Folan, director of the Center for Tobacco Control at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck, N.Y.

She believes that "the knowledge gap about electronic cigarettes is currently being filled in large part by e-cigarette industry advertising rather than scientific information."

But one industry representative took issue with the new study.

"Asking smokers about their 'ever use' of a product, and then somehow attributing that 'ever use' to their subsequent success or failure to quit smoking months or years down the line, is dishonest and unethical," said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association.

He said that to keep "credibility," the researchers should "have also sought out data about the relationship between 'ever use' of nicotine replacement therapy products like the gum and patch and a smoker's ability to quit."

Dr. Harlan Weinberg is medical director of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. He believes that more research on the issue is needed.

"There are no currently accepted guidelines for the use of e-cigarettes regarding smoking-cessation efficacy or as a cessation tool," he pointed out. "Their rapid use among the general population and as a social phenomenon require a more thorough evaluation regarding their safety and effectiveness."

Study author Al-Delaimy concurred. "We need further studies to answer why [smokers using e-cigarettes] cannot quit," he said. "One hypothesis is that smokers are receiving an increase in nicotine dose by using e-cigarettes."

Over the past two years a number of leading medical groups, including the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Medical Association, have called for increased regulation of the sale and advertising of e-cigarettes, citing health concerns.

Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon is a licensed physician specializing in pulmonary care. Discover more information on internal medicine and pulmonary health from this Facebook page.

Study: Obese patients more likely to survive from sepsis

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Researchers from the University of Michigan Health System found an obesity paradox among older patients suffering from sepsis. The study, which was published in the August issue of Critical Care Medicine, observed 1,404 Medicare beneficiaries and found that heavier patients had higher rates of survival from the life-threatening condition that may require a stay in the intensive care unit.

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The study’s aim was to look into the association of body mass index to survival, health care use, and functional deficiencies after hospitalization due to sepsis. Sepsis cases have doubled in the last 15 years, thus leading to an increase in research efforts and Medicare spending.

The findings run contrary to the belief held by many physicians that obese patients will do poorly when faced with such a condition. Unfortunately, this belief may affect the care and counseling that doctors provide to patients and their families. The study, however, is expected to reverse this with proof that obese patients suffering from sepsis actually have lower mortality rates and similar functional outcomes as patients with normal weight.

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Still, the authors of the study noted that maintaining a normal weight is linked to many health benefits. The findings, however, do suggest that the body may respond differently to critical illnesses when it has excess weight. A better understanding of this phenomenon is important to health care providers to find ways to improve care for patients with sepsis and other critical illnesses.

Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon specializes in pulmonology and critical care medicine. For more articles about critical care, visit this Facebook page.

A positive shift in critical care medicine

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The responsibilities of doctors who specialize in critical care medicine have vastly changed along with the times. Primarily, this field of medicine was focused on ensuring patient survival from severe illnesses. However, the treatments involved looked at the short-term and may come at cost. Some treatments and therapies have adverse effects to the patient’s quality of life after their confinement in the ICU.

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With the advancements made in the field, driven by the input of patients and their relatives, as well as numerous studies on the matter, critical care is moving into a more positive direction in the selection of treatment and therapies.

Because of the shift in priority, the measure of success in critical care now goes beyond ensuring the patient’s survival. Critical care now takes a well-rounded approach that ensures that patients’ quality of life is restored after their time in the ICU. This is achieved through taking into account the input of patients and their relatives, carefully defining any problems that arise, and testing through research hypotheses on the long-term effects of therapies.

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Critical illnesses may have effects on patients that linger even after they have been discharged from the hospital. Taking note of this and preventing such cases is now among the primary concerns of critical care professionals.  

Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon is a known specialist in critical care medicine. For more articles about care for critical illnesses, subscribe to this Facebook page.