Muhammad Ali is one of the world’s greatest fighters. He has won 56 fights (with 37 of those wins by knockout). Another great fighter is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. By the way, Mayweather comes from my home town. Like Ali, he has won many fights (many by knockout). But I want to talk about another fight it seems a lot of us are losing. It’s pornography. I know this is a touchy subject. However, if we think we’re going to win this fight, we have to hit it head on with a strategy that will work. Now I would not only like for us to win this fight, but do so with a knockout punch! If you struggle with this, please call us today. Don’t wait another minute.  Click here to comment.

No one knows the exact number of professional drivers with diabetes; however www.truckersfund.com reports that 70% of truckers have one or more serious health problems, including diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are three types: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. In Type, the body does not make insulin, a hormone used to convert sugar and starches into energy. In Type 2, the most common form and often occurring later in life, the body does not produce enough or cells ignore insulin. Diet and exercise can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2. Gestational Diabetes occurs during pregnancy. In all types, glucose builds up in the blood, which can lead to many other health complications.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that must be managed through regular monitoring of diet, exercise, and glucose testing. However, only 37% of Type 2 patients are achieving the recommended levels of control, according to www.welldoc.com. Successfully managing diabetes is the key to helping patients live longer and reducing complications. Since 2005, truckers with insulin-treated diabetes must demonstrate that they can manage their diabetes when applying for a CDL with a Diabetes Exemption. Listed below are many options that can help.

WellDoc, is a mobile phone solution, approved by the FDA, that becomes a virtual personal health coach. Patients share test results and information and receive real-time feedback from their doctor through a data-enabled phone. Blood sugar levels are monitored more effectively, which will help patients to achieve diabetes control. It will be available from employers this fall and from your doctor next year. See product demos at: http://www.welldocinc.com/Products-and-Services/Demonstrations.aspx

There are several Diabetes Application Managers available for download to your data-enabled cell phone, iPad, or PC (some are free). You can also download applications that provide nutritional information on food, including food purchased at restaurant chains or grocery stores nationwide. Click on the links below for reviews of the most popular apps: Glucose Buddy, WaveSense, OnTrack, Track3, and LogforLife:
• American Diabetes Association (iPhone & Android)
• GOOMEDIC (Android)
• Medpedia Answers (iPhone & Android)
• VitalmHealth (iPhone)

An increasing number of Bluetooth-enabled or USB-connected meters that sync with cell phones are becoming available (FDA approval still pending in some cases). Click on the links below to review the details of each meter:
• MyGlucoHealth Meter
• WaveSense Jazz Meter
• Telcare Blood Glucose Meter

Maybe you feel you didn’t have control in getting it, but how you manage diabetes today is in your hands. For drivers with insulin-treated diabetes, it’s imperative to demonstrate good management in order to keep driving. If you’re a diabetic not yet on insulin, learning how to manage your diabetes well may help you avoid insulin treatment in the future. In either case, modern day technology could very well become one of the best tools to help you stay safe and on the road. We’d love to hear your tips. Driver, share with us how you do it while you’re on the road. Click here to comment.

In a previous article, we discussed the signs of sleep apnea—loud snoring, shortness of breath, intermittent periods of not breathing, daytime sleepiness. Here are some of the causes/signs you may suffer of sleep apnea:

• Excess weight: fat deposits around your upper airway may obstruct breathing; however, not everyone who is overweight has sleep apnea.
• Neck circumference: a circumference greater than seventeen inches is associated with increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
• High blood pressure: sleep apnea is more common in people with hypertension.
• A narrowed airway: some people have a naturally narrow throat, or enlarged tonsils and adenoids, all of which can block the airway.
• Gender: men are twice as likely to have sleep apnea. However, overweight women have an increased risk for this condition, and the risk rises after menopause.
• Age: sleep apnea occurs two to three times more often in adults older than 65.
• Family history: your risk for sleep apnea increases if you have family members who suffer of this condition.
• Alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers usage: They relax the throat muscles and can affect your breathing.
• Smoking: increases the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway; smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea.
• Prolonged sitting: studies suggest that long period of daytime sitting can cause fluids to shift from your legs when you recline at night, narrowing airway passages and increasing the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.

If you believe you have sleep apnea, visit your doctor for a test to determine if that is the cause of your daytime drowsiness. Here are some tips to help you alleviate symptoms until you visit your doctor:

• Try to sleep on your side—this can help your breathing.
• Lose excess weight. Even a slight loss in excess weight may help relieve constriction of your throat.
• Avoid alcohol and medications such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills, as they relax the muscles in the back of your throat and can interfere with breathing.
• Use a saline nasal spray or Breathe Right® Nasal Strips to help keep your nasal passages open. These medications are generally recommended only for short term use, however.

The best way to deal with sleep apnea is to get a diagnosis from your doctor. The doctor will most likely order a test that monitors your heart, lung, and brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movement, and blood oxygen levels, all done while you are sleeping. Once the test has been performed and an assessment made, the doctor may prescribe several options:

• A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device, which delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep. The air pressure keeps your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring.
• An Adjustable Airway Pressure Device automatically adjusts pressure, providing more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale.
• Another option is an oral appliance, a device that opens your throat by bringing your jaw forward, thereby helping to relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.

Your doctor will determine what device will work best for your particular case.

Getting treatment for sleep apnea can help you avoid many problems, including:

• Cardiovascular problems: sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during sleep apnea can increase your risk of stroke.
• Daytime fatigue: people with sleep apnea often experience severe daytime drowsiness, fatigue, and irritability.
• Complications with medications and surgery: obstructive sleep apnea is a concern with certain medication and general anesthesia.
• Emotional and mental distress: sleep apnea can be a cause of memory problems, morning headaches, mood swings, depression, gastroesophageal reflux disease, a frequent need to urinate at night, and impotence.

Click here to comment.