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  • Free Birth Chart

    A birth chart is an astrological chart that shows people the alignment of various stars and planets on their date of birth and at the exact time of their birth. You can obtain a free birth chart from many different sources. A birth chart can show a lot of information about an individual, based on the exact time of his or her birth. It also helps to show what the person’s astrological sign is. These charts require you to input several pieces of information such as the date of birth, time of birth, and place of birth, as well as the sex (male or female). Sometimes people use a birth chart of themselves and another person to make a comparison about their compatibility. You can usually find a free birth chart at various places online. Many of these websites have fields where you can enter in your data, and then your birth chart is shown to you online. The chart can be printed out as a keepsake if you like.

    When you look for a free birth chart, be sure you find one that will also explain to you what the different symbols and star alignments mean. By obtaining a free birth chart, you have an excellent keepsake for yourself, or your new baby. You can add the baby’s birth chart to their special scrapbook, or print out a nice chart in color and frame it. They make excellent memories and serve as a way to commemorate an exciting and special event, while marking your place in time. There are many different looks to varying birth charts, and some will have more details than others. It is a good idea to look for a free birth chart in different places until you find the style and information you are looking for.

  • Free Birth Records

    You may have lost your birth certificate, but that is no reason to panic, since you can find free birth records and have a new certificate printed in a matter of days. You can go to local courthouses to find free birth records if you want to research your family or if you need a copy of your birth certificate to obtain a passport. Free birth records can also be obtained over the internet, and it is fascinating just how much information exists online that seemed to have been lost in the “real world.” Now a significant amount of research is being done on families thanks to free birth records which have been a valuable tool, especially for those who are missing a birth certificate of a particular relative.

    Free birth records are not difficult to obtain and means filling out a simple form with the name, birth date, birth location and hospital. If you are lacking some of this information you still may be able to make some progress, although for best results, one should have all of the information filled out on the form. Free birth records can be held up because of a missing piece of data, so try to verify all of the information. Once the information is there it is not difficult to find free birth records, even on those who passed away many years ago. More amazing than records being destroyed is the number of records that are still intact and can be salvaged even after damage through the years.

    Free birth records may be easy to obtain, but it is a good idea to store your birth certificate with care to ensure that you never need to make a mad rush in order to get free birth records at the last minute when you need to order a passport, for instance. The best way to store a birth certificate is in a plastic folder which is carefully placed in a closet where it cannot get damaged from the heat or rain.

  • Genetic Birth Defects

    Birth is usually a joyous time, but unfortunately, each year in the United States, 100,000 to 150,000 babies are born with genetic birth defects. This number accounts for approximately 20% of the infant death rate. With numbers like this, many families like to receive genetic birth defects counseling from their physician before or after they conceive. Counseling can help them better understand the risks associated with genetic birth defects and determine what their chances are of having a child with a defect.

    There are many different types of genetic birth defects. One deadly birth defect is Anencephaly. Anencephaly is when the brain, spinal cord are not fully developed due to the neural tube at the cephalic end not closing properly. Although scientists don’t really understand what causes this birth defect, it is believed that taking folic acid during the pregnancy can help prevent it or at least lower the chances. Some studies have shown that folic acid intake can lower the chances of Anencephaly from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000.

    Down Syndrome is another genetic many women, especially older mothers, worry about. Down Syndrome occurs when the cell division is faulty and the baby has a 21st chromosome. As women age, the chances of having a baby with Down Syndrome increases. The disorder is characterized by the child having differences in body structure as well as impairment in both cognitive ability and physical growth.

    Tay-Sachs is a genetic birth defect that causes severe brain damage, blindness, an enlarged head, deafness, and eventually death. It occurs in child who have too little of the enzyme hexosaminidase. Without this enzyme, the nerve cells store too much ganglioside. This causes nerve cells to become swollen and die, resulting in brain damage.

    If you know of any conditions that exist in your family, ask your physician about genetic birth defects counseling. It may help ease your mind to know what the statistics are and what tests are available.

  • Getting Pregnant

    Perhaps getting pregnant has been something you and your significant other have been striving towards for some time. A baby can be a wonderful addition to your life, and getting pregnant is often much harder than people think, especially for some couples. Fortunately there are some things you can do to help increase the odds and help you to conceive. The most obvious thing that needs to be done is to cease taking all birth control medication. Some birth control pills can stay in your system for a longer period of time than you think, so the earlier you stop them, the better. You may want to set up an appointment with your gynecologist and have him or her do a fertility test. This test can check the state of your ovaries and your reproductive organs to make sure your body is ready to carry a baby. Often this test is invaluable in helping you get an idea of whether or not you’ll be able to get pregnant.

    Getting pregnant also takes practice and patience. Eliminating stress can be a major help. Stress can cause all kinds of problems on the body, and can make getting pregnant even more difficult. This goes for your other half, too, so make sure both of you are trying to do some things to help get rid of the stress in your life. Meditation and relaxation techniques are a surefire way to help ease the body and mind. Avoiding harmful things like alcohol, cigarettes, and overeating is also a good way to help ensure you will conceive. By taking care of your own body, you are offering a safe haven for a new life to grow. Many women who are overweight or smoke or drink regularly have a more difficult time getting pregnant, so be sure you are ready to make some lifestyle changes if necessary.

  • Giving Birth Video

    Bringing new lives into this world is the most fascinating moments in our lives. This is why many couples decide to capture this awesome moment on a video camera. Although, every birth is unique in their own way, you can make your giving birth video even more special through a few easy techniques.

    The first tip to making a special giving birth video is to know your equipment. This may be less of a technique and more common sense. However, if you don’t know how to operate your equipment right you may end up with no video at all. So, take a few practice videos at home and make sure you know how to pause, record, zoom and all of the other features available.

    The next thing to worry about is the lighting. Many hospital rooms have very poor lighting. You may want to bring in an additional source of light or at least experiment with the right angle. Sometimes positioning yourself in the right way can allow you to take full advantage of bad lighting during your giving birth video.

    Get some comments, but don’t feel that you have to do a running commentary. Comments are great because they give you a sense of how people are feeling. They also give you something to look back on and connect with. However, some of the finer moments need no comment. Be your own judge because you are the one who this giving birth video is for.

    The editing is another way to add to your giving birth video. Music can be a nice touch. This may not be a good option if you want to hear what people were saying. However, if there are long enough moments of silence you can always add some special music. Text is another post production add-on you may want to try. In the end, it isn’t the video that makes the moment special it is the birth.

  • Blood Clot

    Blood:  A tissue.   Blood consists
    of various formed elements, or blood cells, suspended in a fluid called
    plasma.  Blood transports gases, nutrients, metabolic wastes, blood
    cells, immune cells, and hormones throughout the body.  The blood,
    which is confined to the vascular system, constantly interacts with the
    body’s extracellular fluid for exchange and transfer.

    Formed elements in the blood include red blood cells (erythrocytes/RBC),
    platelets, and white blood cells (leukocytes/WBC).  RBCs and platelets
    function entirely within blood vessels; WBCs act mainly in the tissues
    outside the blood vessels.

    Clot:  a semisolidified mass of coagulum, as of blood

    How blood clots:  A 3 part process, the circulatory system
    protects itself from excessive blood loss. In this process, vascular injury
    activates a complex chain of events – vasoconstriction, platelet
    aggregation,     and coagulation – that leads
    to clotting.      This stops bleeding without hindering blood
    flow through the injured vessels.

    Blood flows freely through arteries and capillaries.  Clotting
    is a good thing, even vital, when a blood vessels is injured, at the first
    sign of injury or trauma, blood thickens (or clots), and stanches its own
    flow at the site of the wound.  Clot formation inside healthy blood
    vessels is abnormal and may be life-threatening.  Such clots are complications
    of heart disease or venous diseases.

    A clot that forms in the heart or a blood vessel and remains there is
    called a thrombus.  Tiny thrombi (plural of thrombus) develop on blood
    vessel walls to heal minute injuries, then it normally dissolve. 
    If they don’t dissolve, they not only slow circulation but can also break
    loose or break apart and flow with the blood.  A clot that travels
    and then becomes lodged at some point in a blood vessels is called an embolus. 
    Emboli are potentially more dangerous but are less common than thrombi.

    Complications posed by an abnormal blood clot depends on the size and
    its location.  Blood clots in the arteries supplying the heart (coronary
    arteries) are the major cause of heart attack.  An obstructive clot
    in a cerebral artery, can cause stroke.  Blood clots in arteries of
    the eye can lead to loss of vision.  An embolus in the lungs that
    blocks a pulmonary artery can cause severe shortness of breath, and possible
    death.

    Symptoms:

    Blood clots normally produce no obvious symptoms.

    Signs and complications from abnormal clots:

    Sudden and isolated pain in an leg or arm;  sometimes followed
    by skin discoloration, tingling, numbness, or a feeling of ‘cold’ just
    below the site of pain – may suggests a large blood clot circulation may
    be blocked and if left untreated, gangrene (tissue death) could result.

    Phlebitis:  (inflammation of a vein) – inflame the walls of blood

    vessels and promote abnormal clots -Skin tenderness, redness, may have
    slight edema, may develop a red streak.

    A hard, bluish lump in a vein may be caused by a large blood clot.

    A sudden complete or partial blindness in one eye may be due to a blood
    clot blocking a retinal artery.

    Dizziness or vertigo, that impairs a patients ability to stand or walk
    may be caused by a small blood clot blocking a cerebral artery.

    Treatment:

    Doctor may prescribed drug therapy to reduce the risk of abnormal clotting.
    Such as:  aspirin for patients who are at risk for embolisms or thrombosis.  
    Other anticoagulants includes:  dicumarol, heparin, and warfarin sodium
    for more severe cases.

    *Use all medication as prescribed by your doctor

  • Blisters & Contact Dermatitis

    Blisters & Contact Dermatitis:  It is
    a skin inflammation that results when the skin comes in contact with substances
    that can cause an allergic or inflammatory reaction. Clusters of blisters
    may result from severe burns, contact dermatitis, insect bites, viral infections,
    drug or chemical reactions, exposure to extreme cold, or autoimmune disorders.Have
    you been using some lotion or medicine to help relive them? If so you may
    be over treating it. Called ‘over treatment dermatitis – it is a form of
    contact dermatitis that occurs when inflammation results from measures
    used to treat another skin disorder.

    Most common type of contact dermatitis involves inflammation that results
    from contact with substances that may be irritants. These includes–acids,
    alkaline materials such as soap and detergents, solvents and other chemical.

    The other type involves exposures to a material to which the person
    has become hypersensitive or allergic–the skin inflammation varies from mild
    irritation and redness, to rash to open sores depending on the type of
    allergen, what part of body parts got infected and the sensitivity of the
    individual.

    Common allergens: Poison oaks, poison ivy, poison sumac
    and other plants. nickel or other materials, antibiotics-expecially topical(those
    applied to skin), rubber and latex, cosmetic products, topical anesthetic
    or other medications that are applied to the surface of the skin, detergents,
    solvents, adhesive perfumes, fragrance,  chemical and substance.

    Some products like sunscreen, sulfa ointments, coal-tar products. A
    few airborne allergens such as ragweed or insecticides spray.

    The diagnosis is primary based on the skin appearance and history of
    exposure to an irritant or allergen Skin lesion biopsy, or culture of the skin
    lesion.

    Treatment:  Washing thoroughly, if it is detergent related,
    you may have to rewash all clothing. Avoid contact to allergens or irritants. 
    In some cases the best treatment is to do nothing to the area. Topical
    corticosteroid medication may reduce inflammation, use as directed and
    see talk to you Doctor.

    If blister continues more than 2-3 days call your doctor.

  • Giving Birth

    Giving birth is a time of mixed emotions. After carrying a fetus or baby for 40 weeks, expecting mothers look forward to delivering their baby and starting a new life challenge. On the other hand, the majority of mothers approach labor and delivery with nervousness. Regardless of whether a pregnant woman has gone through previous births and delivery, the fear of complications is common. Besides, each birth is different. On one hand, some deliveries are smooth and the pain is manageable. On the other hand, some women spend several hours in the delivery room and undergo horrific pain and discomfort.

    Giving birth is a gradual process. Experienced mothers may easily recognize the signs of labor. The labor process must take place before a baby is born. During this step, the body prepares to deliver the baby. The uterus will tighten and release. This is called contractions. Gradually, the cervix starts to dilate. Before giving birth, the cervix must dilate to 10 centimeters. Once an expected mother is admitted to the hospital, a doctor will routinely examine the cervix, and determine the stage of delivery.

    Once the cervix is fully dilated, the process of “pushing” can begin. Many women say that the pushing phase is the most difficult part of giving birth. This process varies for each person. Some babies are delivered quickly. Other babies take longer, wherein the mother experiences great discomfort. In some cases, a mother is unable to deliver the baby vaginally. In this instance, the doctor will use specific instruments designed to facilitate delivery. If this doesn’t work, the expected mother must undergo a surgical procedure called a caesarean section. Giving birth through a C-section is common. However, the risk of complications increases and the recovery time is longer. With a vaginal delivery, a mother can start moving around within a few hours. On the other hand, a C-section is major surgery that requires a significant recoup time.

  • Basal Cell Carcinoma

    Basal cell carcinoma:

    This is a slow growing destructive skin tumor.  The exact 
    cause is unknown, but  precipitating factors include prolonged sun
    exposure, arsenic ingestion, radiation exposure, burns, and very rare,-
    vaccinations.  It is more common with those with blond, fair skinned,
    white males.  There is three types of basal cell carcinoma:
    1.) noduloulcerative, 2.) superficial, and 3.) sclerosing basal
    cell epitheliomas.

    Symptoms:

    * Noduloulcerative basal cell epitheliomas – occur most often on the face,
    particularly on the forehead, eyelid margins, and nasolabial folds.

    Early stage – lesions are usually small, smooth, pinkish translucent papules
    with telangiectatic (a vascular lesion formed by dilation of a group of small
    blood vessels) vessels on the surface and occasional pigmentation.

    Late stage – lesions are enlarged, with depressed centers, firm and elevated
    borders.

    They eventually become ulcerated becoming locally invasive.  Ulcerated
    tumors rarely metastasize.

    These occur if late stage lesions are not treated. If left
    untreated, they can spread to vital areas and become infected, and
    invade bone, or cause
    massive hemorrhage if they invade large blood vessels.

    * Superficial basal cell epitheliomas – occur most often on the chest
    and back and appear as oval or irregularly shaped, light pigmented plaques with sharply
    defined, slightly elevated thread – like borders. They may be scaly with small
    atrophic areas in the center that resemble psoriasis or eczema. Such lesions are usually
    chronic and noninvasive.

    * Sclerosing basal cell epitheliomas – occur on the head and neck.
    They appear as waxy, sclerotic, yellow to white plaques without
    distinct borders and often
    resemble small patches of scleroderma.

    Diagnostic test: physical examination, biopsy and family history.

    Treatment:

    Treatment varies depending on size, location and depth of the
    lesion. Treatment may include curettage and electrodesiccation for
    small lesion. Chemotherapy with topical 5 – fluorouracil Surgical
    excision, irradiation, or Moh’s microsurgery

    * Regular follow up with your doctor is important

    Call your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms.

    Cancer Treatments

    Cancer treatments seek to destroy malignant cells while sparing
    normal ones, to reduce pain, and to induce cure or remission. A single
    primary treatment
    or a combination of treatments may be used. These treatments can
    provide
    local and systemic therapy and offer doctors the advantage of attacking
    cancer cells
    with several mechanisms. They include:

    * Chemotherapy – which interrupts malignant cells life cycles, inhibiting
    or destroying their ability to divide

    * Radiation – which also inhibits cell division by impairing DNA synthesis
    and causing cell membrane lysis. Radiation can be used as a primary treatment
    or as an adjunctive procedure intended to kill cancer cells that may have survived other treatments.

    * Biotherapy ( immunotherapy ), which employs biological response modifiers
    that act on malignant cells by inhibiting division and by enhancing the body’s
    immune responses to such cells.

    * Bone marrow transplantation, which is used to replace or replenish the
    bone marrow of patients with leukemia or multiple myeloma

    * Surgery, which removes tumors or reduces their size. Surgery
    enables other treatments because there are fewer malignant cells to
    combat.

    * Several new cancer treatments are emerging. Surgical treatments
    using lasers and intraoperative radiation can effectively remove tumors
    or reduce their
    size at the time of initial surgery and staging. Hyperthermia – the use
    of heat to destroy cancer cells is being investigated as a single
    modality and in combination with radiation and chemotherapy.

  • Bad Breath

    Quick & Easy Cure for Bad Breath

    Bad Breath or Halitosis:  Foul odor from the mouth. 
    Good oral hygiene and a well balance diet usually results in fresh smelling
    breath.  In some cases halitosis can be a signal of a serious health
    problems.

    Cause:  Usually results from poor oral hygiene.

    Plaque is the major cause of bad breath.  Plaque is the sticky
    coating of food particles, saliva, and bacteria on the teeth.

    Certain foods and spices can attribute to bad breath, such as; garlic,
    salami, pepperoni, anchovies, cheese, and certainly smoking and alcohol.

    Lack of food and water can also lead to bad breath.  Saliva aids
    to clean the mouth, eating and drinking stimulates saliva flow.

    (if after flossing and brushing teeth and a well balance diet does not
    seem to help relieve bad breath, SEE YOUR DOCTOR for further evaluation)
    because certain medical disorder such as and not limited to; TB, diabetics,
    sinusitis, gum disease, post nasal drip, and cancer can be the culprit.
    Certain drugs can be the cause.

    Symptoms:

    Foul, stale odor coming from the mouth 

    May have foul odor coming from the nose

    Treatment:

    Good oral hygiene:  brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice
    a day.  You may want to brush teeth after meals because food particles
    may be lodge in between teeth’s.

    Baking soda helps deodorizes the breath

    Eliminating strong smelling foods and spices

    Eat a well balance diet and plenty of water

    See your dentist regularly and for  proper dental cleaning 

    See your MD and dentist for proper diagnosis of bad breath

    Brush your tongue (gently sweep the top of your tongue with your toothbrush)

    Note:  mouthwash, gums/mints are only temporary cover ups
    for bad breath

    Note:  Coffee, beer, wine, and whiskey are at the top of
    the list of liquid offenders.  They leave a residue that can attach
    to the plaque in your mouth and infiltrate your digestive system.