Goin on Private Trips Abroad
6 Sep, 2024
If you are going on holiday on private trips abroad to countries which are not members of the European Union or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the National Commission for Health and Examination of Disability of Doctors invites you to fill in the Consular Register of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (available at: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/lv/konsularais-registrs), providing details about yourself and your family members, so that in the event of a large-scale crisis (e.g. natural disaster, terrorist attack, hostilities) in one of the selected countries of travel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can promptly contact the traveller or the contact person indicated by the traveller in order to organise the necessary consular assistance.
P.S. Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that for technical reasons, the service "Consular Register" is temporarily unavailable on the portal http://www.latvija.lv as of 2 April. You are therefore invited to send information on your travel plans to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs electronically by e-mail: konsularais.registrs@mfa.gov.lv.
What Is a Second Medical Opinion
14 Aug, 2024
A second medical opinion is an opinion or finding by a doctor who is not the patient's primary care physician. A second opinion examines the patient's medical records and gives an opinion about the patient's health problem and its treatment. A second medical opinion may confirm or question the first physician's diagnosis and treatment plan, provide additional information about the patient's disease or condition, and suggest other treatment options. A second medical opinion can be given online or in-person (depending on the situation).
How Does Increased Weight Affect a COPD Patient's Health?
31 Jul, 2024
- oxygen consumption increases;
- load on the diaphragm increases.
* The respiratory muscles of a COPD patient work under a greater load than those of a person without COPD, i.e. the respiratory muscles of a COPD patient may require up to 10 times more calories to function.
How Does Low Weight Affect a COPD Patient's Health?
29 Jul, 2024
- increases the likelihood of infectious diseases;
- increases fatigue;
- muscle function becomes weaker.
What Can Help Treat COPD?
25 Jul, 2024
- smoking cessation;
- vaccination (flu and pneumococcal);
- rehabilitation;
- medication (bronchodilators);
- correct use of inhalers.
What Can Influence the Onset of COPD?
23 Jul, 2024
- smoking (including passive smoking) during childhood or adulthood;
- chemicals;
- outdoor and indoor air pollution;
- genetic factors;
- infections;
- ageing;
- vitamin (A, C, E) deficiencies;
- deficiencies of fresh fruits, fish, omega-3 fatty acids.
What Is COPD?
22 Jul, 2024
COPD or a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common, preventable and treatable condition with persistent, ongoing respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation due to changes in the airways and alveoli caused by harmful particles and gases.
How Can Others Help You When Your Loved One Is Sick: 3?
21 Jun, 2024
Think about who could help you. Maybe it's your friends, relatives, neighbours or colleagues. But don't be offended if help is refused. It may be that the person who would like to help you cannot because of time constraints. Maybe someone you want to talk to can't listen to you, but will be happy to bring you the things you need from the supermarket, or vice versa. People around you may also feel confused and not really know how to help you. There are people who simply avoid negative things, others who find it hard to understand what you are going through. However, it is important to speak out - to express your emotions out loud, rather than keeping them to yourself and then thinking that others should have understood the same way. If you feel that someone is avoiding you, don't necessarily ask for help. But if the person is dear to you, it's better to tell them how you feel and maybe together you can come to a better solution.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
How Can Others Help You When Your Loved One Is Sick: 2?
20 Jun, 2024
You may be busy caring for a loved one and finding it difficult to cope with everyday tasks, so if someone offers to help, don't be shy about accepting. Maybe someone who wants to help you doesn't know exactly how to help you, so think about what help you might need:
- help with housework - cooking, cleaning, shopping, gardening, looking after children or parents;
- support just by listening and talking to you;
- help finding information - about treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation, state support for treatment.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
How Can Others Help You When Your Loved One Is Sick: 1?
20 Jun, 2024
Accepting help from others is sometimes not so easy, but it is often very important. Especially in crisis situations, people tend to refuse help from others because they feel they have to manage everything themselves - I am the one who is helping my loved one! However, when you support your loved one for a long time, you may find that you need a shoulder to lean on yourself.
To convince you of this, here are 3 reasons why outside help can be a good solution:
- your health and mood need to be stable, so you need rest;
- your loved one will feel better if they can see you are not overworking. Remember that they too can feel like a burden;
- it is important to use all available knowledge and resources - the more people involved, the more opportunities.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
Things You Can Do to Help a Loved One with Cancer: 4
18 Jun, 2024
Be knowledgeable! It will be helpful if you are informed about the disease itself, the treatment process, duration and side effects. This will help you understand the disease better - the more you know about it, the better you can help!
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
Things You Can Do to Help a Loved One with Cancer: 3
17 Jun, 2024
Your loved one may need help with daily activities, as basic needs that you take for granted may be difficult during the active treatment period. Cleaning the house, preparing meals, going to the shops, doing the laundry, looking after the pet - there's no telling what you should be doing now, but remember that these are areas where you may help. The best thing to do is to ask your loved one what you can get from the shop, how you can help in other ways.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
Things You Can Do to Help a Loved One with Cancer: 2
14 Jun, 2024
Emotional support - being there is already a big part of the help, but unfortunately you often feel powerless and don't really know how to help. Find out about the availability of psychological support for oncology patients. For example, in Riga there is a support association for oncology patients called "Dzīvības koks" ("Tree of Life"), which organises free support groups. Various therapies - art, music, movement - can also help. Psychosocial rehabilitation programmes for oncology patients, organised by "Dzīvības koks" ("Tree of Life"), are also valuable. It is important to find out about psychological support, as your loved one may not have the strength for this at the moment, so you can be a great support by gathering useful information for them.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
Things You Can Do to Help a Loved One with Cancer: 1
13 Jun, 2024
You can help organise treatment - making an appointment, taking tests, getting to the doctor and then home. You can find out what your loved one is entitled to from the state - disability benefits, technical aids (if they have had breast cancer and mastectomy), etc.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
I Don't Know How to Help a Loved One Who Has Been Diagnosed with Cancer
12 Jun, 2024
As the treatment can take many forms, the key is to act according to the situation. Perhaps you need to ask more often "Can I help you somehow?". If you see that the person is lively but emotionally confused, you can offer to do something together. Your loved one will feel needed, his or her thoughts will be distracted from the illness, at least for a while. The final piece of advice is not to fall into extremes, but to follow how your loved one feels and what they say.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
The Relationship Between the Loved One and the Patient in the Case of Cancer: 2
11 Jun, 2024
A person who finds out they have cancer faces a lot of different issues - uncertainty, fear - and the fact that their relationships with their close people change is secondary at first. So you have to be someone who is aware that relationships are also changing and be supportive. However, do not fall into the same ditch - if you try too hard to sniff, to pity, to do nothing, you may end up with more losses than gains. It will not help if people feel that they are treated like a porcelain cup that cannot be touched. Life should be tried to continue as before, but with attention to physical exercise and reducing emotional tension. Of course, situations and conditions can be very different. It may be that a person really needs to be "carried around" for a while, or, for example, allowed to rest undisturbed in the days after chemotherapy, or, on the contrary, to bustle about.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
The Relationship Between the Loved One and the Patient in the Case of Cancer: 1
10 Jun, 2024
It is normal to feel confused when you learn that someone close to you has cancer. One of the important things is that your roles change in this situation, because it does not matter whether you are older or younger than the person, now you have to take on some of the caring and support role. Be aware that the person you want to help may refuse to do so because of the unusual role. This time it may be the person who is ill, the one who always looks after everyone and is a strong leader. In this case, it is another challenge for your loved one to allow others to help him or her when it has always been the other way around.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
What to Ask a Doctor in Case of Cancer?
7 Jun, 2024
- Ask what the terms you don't understand mean. Help to have it explained to you in a different way if the information you hear seems incomprehensible.
- Ask where you can look for more information.
About illness:
- What kind of cancer does your loved one have?
- Will he/she recover?
- Is this cancer hereditary?
About treatment:
- What treatment will your loved one receive?
- How does this treatment work?
- How do people feel when they receive this treatment? Does it hurt?
- How long will it be applied?
- Does it affect the person's appearance?
- What happens if the treatment has not been effective?
- Can you go with your loved one when he/she needs to receive the treatment?
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
Waiting for the Result of Cancer Treatment
6 Jun, 2024
It is difficult to wait to find out whether the treatment you have chosen has been effective enough. Your doctor may try one method, then another, or combine several treatments. The treatment process can take months, sometimes years, and is emotionally very difficult.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .
What Are the Side Effects of Cancer Treatment: Nr.2?
5 Jun, 2024
The following table describes the 6 cancer treatments, their course and possible side-effects. Usually one or more of these methods are encountered, sometimes in combination. Depending on the type of method, the patient either has to stay in hospital or only come for 1 day.
| Treatment Method | What Is It? | How Does It Work? | Side Effects |
| Surgery/Surgical Intervention | Tumour removal. | The surgeon removes the tumour, this happens when the patient is under anaesthetic. | Post-operation pain, fatigue, other side effects depend on the size of the tumour and the part of the body that has been operated on. |
| Medical Irradiation | Strong radioactive radiation is used to kill cancer cells and reduce the size of the tumour. | The source of the radiation may be medical equipment placed near the patient or radioactive substances injected into the body as close to the tumour as possible. | Fatigue, red and sensitive skin and other side effects depend on the amount of radiation and the part of the body where the radiation was applied. |
| Chemotherapy | The administration of drugs to kill cancer cells. | Medicines can be given as tablets or in liquid form, or given intravenously, usually as a course. | Nausea, diarrhoea, hair loss, extreme tiredness, dry mouth. |
| Stem Cell Transplantation/Also May Be Bone Marrow Transplantation or Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation | Stem cells found either in the bone marrow or in the blood are used. They replace cells that have been destroyed by radiation or chemotherapy. | A stem cell transplantation uses cells that have been obtained either from the patient or from a donor. Most often, the donor is a family member. | The side effects are most often the same as for radiation or chemotherapy. In some cases, the side effects are more serious and should be discussed with your doctor. |
| Hormone Therapy | Therapy that adds, blocks or removes hormones. Hormone therapy is used to stop or slow down some types of tumours. | Hormone therapy is also given in the form of tablets, injections or sometimes patches. Sometimes surgery is needed to cut out hormone-producing glands. | Hot flushes, tiredness, weight fluctuations, mood changes. |
| Immunotherapy | Immunotherapy uses the body's own defences to fight cancer. | The patient may be given tablets or injections. | Flu-like symptoms: chills, fever, muscle aches, weakness, diarrhoea, nausea. |
In addition to the treatment, tests will definitely be carried out to check the efficacy of the medicine.
The "Tree of Life" booklet was quoted in the article. For more information: https://dzivibaskoks.lv/lv/ and https://www.spekaavots.lv/ .