Health identity: 3 Key questions answered

1. What constitutes a health identity?

We are all aware of the Social Security Number- it uniquely identifies us and our financial behaviors making it easy for us to borrow money, get insurance and much more. But when it comes to our health and medical records it is not a very consistent or standardized experience across the physicians, labs, drugstores or hospitals that we go to. Topping it all is the fast evolving online health care and the imperative for a comprehensive digital identity that collects, trends and makes all aspects of your health data securely and accurately available to those that need to interact with the information in a timely manner.

There are several acronyms you hear like PHR, EMR/ EHR, HRA, HIPAA etc, that describe platforms that digitize medical records or provide consumer protection of the information.

EMR/ EHR: Electronic Medical (or Health) Records are safe and confidential record your doctor, other health care provider, medical office staff, or a hospital keeps on a computer about your health care or treatments

PHR: Personal Health Record is a secure collection of all aspects of your health services, insurance information, test results, treatments or a collection of all your EMR / EHRs in one place

2. How do you contribute?

HRA: Health Risk Assessment(s) are evaluations that your providers (physicians, hospitals etc) and payors (insurance companies, employers) conduct to capture at a moment of time your health state. You fill out several questionnaires when signing up for insurance or seeing a doctor for the first time. These are all captured in the form of PHRs or EMRs by entities that provide adhoc or recurring health care services for you.

3. How are you protected?

HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (1996) is a privacy rule provides federal protections for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information. At the same time, the Privacy Rule is balanced so that it permits the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes. The Security Rule specifies a series of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for covered entities to use to assure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information.

Allergy – Top 10!

Itchy watery eyes, nasal congestion, sneezing…..sounds familiar?  Spring is here and so are your allergies

So what is it?

An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing. Allergies are relatively common. Both genetics and environmental factors play a role. The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses. It also reacts to foreign substances called allergens, which are generally harmless and in most people do not cause a problem. But in a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When it recognizes an allergen, it releases chemicals such as histamines which fight off the allergen.

Spring is a season when may deal with aggravated symptoms. Here are some common dos and don’ts that can help manage your symptoms and enjoy the season

What helps?

1.     Butterbur extract and tablets are widely used as natural treatments for allergies.

2.     Green herbal tea contains antioxidants that reduce over production of inflammatory substance, histamine.

3.     Traditionally, organic natural honey has been prescribed for allergies. The bees eat the pollen that’s in your region of the country, then they produce the honey and you consume that, so it’s kind of like a mini allergy shot.

4.     Including detoxifying spices in your daily diet might help. Turmeric in particular has anti-allergy, immune-balancing effects.

5.     Vitamin C is also believed to help. Citrus fruits like Oranges, Tangerine or Lemons are great natural sources of Vitamin C

6.     Grape seed extract, which can be found in vitamin or health food stores, has been shown to be effective.

7.     Sinus Massage can help relieve symptoms. This massage concentrates on the face, head, neck and ears to move along blocked residue as well as enhance blood flow to get the sinus cavity clear and healthy.

8.     Using a Neti Pot to Clean your Nasal passage with saline solution also seem help many

9.     Several Yoga exercises focused on controlled breathing help relief symptoms of allergy. To name some, Shoulder Stand and the Bridge Pose.

10.  Finally, don’t open your windows. Letting  allergens into your house can aggravate your symptoms significantly.