Houston Personal Injury Lawyer - Miscellaneous

Innocent Bystander Shot In Police Stand-off With Gunman

Scott Kappes — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:41:52 GMT

An innocent passerby was shot by a gunman involved in standoff with Alvin police last night. The standoff began when Alvin police approached a distraught man in a grassy area at the Wedgwood Apartments in Alvin around 11 p.m. The man then turned toward police began firing. The officers were able find shelter from the gunfire by hiding behind a car. A passerby was not able to avoid the wild shooting of the suspect and was struck in the shoulder by one the gunman’s rounds. The injuries were not life-threatening.

After the initial gunfight the gunman retreated to his apartment. Over the next five hours police and the gunman exchanged fire on several occasions before the man was eventually coaxed out of his apartment and arrested around 4 a.m.

Police estimate that over the five hour standoff the suspect fired between 50 and 60 rounds at police. No one other than the passerby was injured in the standoff.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Scott Kappes

Thinking About Training?

Ashley Davis — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:26:51 GMT

Being hydrated while training for something as intense as a marathon is crucial to your success. Not drinking enough water could lead to dehydration, but drinking too much water can be just as harmful. Drinking too much water can lead dangerously dilute the sodium levels in your blood. New research on this has been conducted after a 28-year old woman died after running the Boston Marathon.

Here are some tips on how to regulate your daily drinking so that you can be sure that you are not drinking too much or too little:

1.Look at the color of your pee- keep track of the color. It should be light like lemonade. If it gets dark like apple juice then you should drink more water.

2. Keep track of your weight- Check your weight before and after exercising. If you weigh more after your workout then that means that you probably drank too much water. If you weigh less then you probably did not drink enough. Experts say that you should try and weigh the same or a little less before and after your workouts.

3. Consider Drinking Sports Drinks- Sports drinks are perfect for replacing the salt that you loose when you sweat.

4. Be aware of what you are replacing your fluids with- obviously coffee or beer is not something you should be drinking after a tough workout because they will not replenish you the right way.

5. Do not drink sugary drinks- Although sugary drinks like juice and sodas have water in them, the high levels of sugar give your stomach more work to do and the liquid is not absorbed as quickly as it should be.

With these tips in mind I hope you will remember to stay hydrated and healthy!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

Know Someone with Anorexia?

Ashley Davis — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:23:38 GMT

What are the key features of anorexia nervosa?

Refusal to sustain a minimally normal body weight
Intense fear of gaining weight despite being underweight
Distorted view of ones body weight, or denial of the dangers of ones low weight

There are two types of anorexia. In the restricting type, weight loss is achieved by restricting calories. Restricting anorexics follow drastic diets, go on fasts, and exercise to excess. In the purging type, people get rid of calories they’ve consumed by vomiting or using laxstives and diuretics.

Anorexia is the most common in girls during adolescents, but an increasing number of men suffer from it as well. Anorexia usually starts with extreme dieting and exercise, but as the pounds come off, the desire to loose more weight is triggered, and the disease might start to take over.

Some eating and food behavior signs and symptoms include:

Dieting despite being thin
Obsession with calories, fat grams and nutrition
Pretending to eat or lying about eating
Preeccupation with food
Strange or secretive food rituals

If you or a loved one has anorexia then call the National Eating Disorders Association’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-931-2237

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

The Body Mass Index

Ashley Davis — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:20:31 GMT

Your body mass index is your weight in relation to your height. In order to calculate your body mass index, just multiply your weight in pounds and divide it by the square of your height in inches. Having a body mass index greater than 23 will classify you as overweight, and a body mass index of over 30 will classify you as obese.

So is the body mass index really accurate? Although the calculation of BMI is an inexpensive way to determine a persons weight category, it should not be used as a diagnostic tool (To be a diagnostic tool, it should include measurements of body fat percentage, diet history, exercise patterns, and family history).

Not only should BMI not be used as a diagnostic tool, it does not take into account age gender or muscle mass (and it doesn’t differentiate between lean body mass and fat mass). Because of this, some people such as body builders or muscular athletes may have a high BMI even though they have a low percentage of body fat.

The national Heart, Lung and Blood institute recommends that all health care providers use BMI, waist circumference, and any other underlying factors that may contribute to obesity. Combining all of this information will provide you with the best assessment of your overall health and fitness.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

A Chronic Bone Condition

Ashley Davis — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:43:00 GMT

Paget’s disease is characterized as a chronic bone condition in which there is a disorder of the normal bone remodeling process. During a normal bone remodeling process the bone has a synchronized relationship of mechanisms that act to lay down new bone and take up old bone, and this relationship is essential for maintaining the normal calcium levels in our blood. I the bones affected by Paget’s disease, the bone remodeling is disturbed and not synchronized. As a result, the bone that is formed is abnormal, enlarges, not as dense, brittle as well as more prone to breakage.

It is not known yet what exactly causes this disease, but it is becoming linked more to genetic factors. There are usually no side effects in people affected by Paget’s disease, and people usually do not find out until an x-ray test. The most common bones affected by the disease include the spine, the thighbone, the pelvis, the skull, the collarbone, and the upper arm.

So in conclusion:

Paget’s disease is a chronic bone disorder
Paget’s disease frequently has no symptoms
Paget’s disease can cause pain in the bones or joints, headaches and hearing loss, pressure on nerves, increased head size, bowing of limb, or curvature of spine.
Surgical operations may be necessary for damaged joints, fractures, severely deformed bones, or when an enlarged bone is pinching nerves.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

Antidepressants and Lack of Sleep

Ashley Davis — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:17:10 GMT

The official name for REM is actually called rapid eye movement and it is the rapid movement of the eyes during sleep. R. Robert Auger, a sleep researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has found links between taking serotonin reputake inhibotors (more commonly known as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.) and REM behavior disorder.

Do you wake up feeling like you never went to bed at all? REM behavior disorder describes when a person's body does not become paralyzed during REM sleep, allowing them to act out their dreams. A relatively rare phenomenon affecting roughly 0.5% of the population, REM behavior disorder nearly always surfaced in men over 50 until recently. Now with antidepressants being subscribed for numerous health issues, this sleep disorder is beginning to show up in men, women, and children of all ages.

Scientists are beginning to believe that the chemicals in some antidepressants affect the neurochemicals in the brain that affect atonia. As of the present, the answer to this sleep disturbance can be easily fixed by switching to another antidepressant that does not carry this side effect.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

Sunstroke Info

Ashley Davis — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:06:16 GMT

Do you know how to prevent sunstroke? Sunstroke can be very serious and life threatening, and with these few tips you can start to take proper prevention. An important factor to consider whenever you will be spending time outdoors is how much time you will be in the sun and to protect your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun by either a hat or sunglasses. Some key things to remember:

Try and keep your skin out of the sun as much as possible. Wear hats and protective clothing.
Try to enjoy the sun in the early part of the day (when the sun has not reached its peak) or later in the day when the sun is setting. Limit the amount of strenuous activity during the middle of the day and drink plenty of water!

Take these tips to heart when spending the day in the sun so that you do not injure yourself! Have fun and be safe!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

Heparin Troubles

Ashley Davis — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:48:18 GMT

The drug Heparin is used as a blood thinner in the prevention of blood clots in the veins, arteries, or lungs as well as before surgeries to reduce the risk of blood clots. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:

Swelling at injection site
Bone pain
Easily broken bones

Seek immediate medical attention if any of these serious side effects occur:

Pain/loss of feeling in the arms/legs
Change in color of the arms/legs
Chest pain
Trouble breathing
Confusion
Weakness on one side of the body
Slurred speech
Vision changes

Seek immediate medical attention if any of these serious allergic reactions occur:

Rash
Itching/swelling (especially on the face/tongue/throat)
Severe dizziness
Trouble breathing

This is not the complete list of side effects, but if you think heparin has effected you than contact yur doctor immediately and the office of Reich and Binstock for an evaluation of your case.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

Fentanyl Patch

Ashley Davis — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:44:46 GMT

On December 31, 2008, the recall of the Duragesic patch was issued because of a leak in the patch that allows the intense Fentanyl gel (that is supposed to be delivered in a regular manner over 7 hours) to directly contact the skin. The direct exposure to the gel may result in a higher dose of Fentanyl being absorbed through the skin than normally occurs by using the patch: this can cause deaths and overdoses.

The purpose of the patch it to provide convenient and effective relief for many people who happen to experience chronic pain, and who have been taking pain medications for long periods of time.

If the Fentanyl patch has affected you or a loved one, contact the office of Reich and Binstock for an evaluation of your case.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis

Radiation Side Effects

Ashley Davis — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:28:15 GMT

There are two different types of radiotherapy experienced by normal body tissue: Acute and Late Effects. Some general side effects or symptoms include:

Radiation nausea
Hair loss
Fatigue/ Malaise
Low blood count

Some organ specific side effect symptoms include:

Skin
Mucous membranes
Accessory glands

Late radiation side effects include:

Scarring
Carcinogenicity
Genetic effects

The degree to which individuals experience reaction varies, but radiation will still always put some hardship on the human body.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ashley Davis