Who’s the Daddy?

A lot of people may find it embarrassing that they don’t know who’s the daddy of their child, or better said the paternity of their child. I watch the news. Ive not been cosseted away from the good and bad of the world. But something the other day caught my ears attention. It was an advertisement on the radio. It said, do you want to know who is the father of your child? Or need help in an adoption dispute? It even spoke of testing your child to see if they were truly yours or got mixed up in the nursery after birth. I was somehow appalled at that idea having three sons of my own. But I listened out of curiosity and then did some research of my own. DNA testing is used for many things, from ancenstry testing, to forensics to realtionships. It is changing the way that we validate the truth of who is who.

I am sure you, like me are wondering what DNA is and how DNA testing works? DNA is material that governs inheritance of eye color, hair color, stature, bone density and many other human and animal traits. DNA is a long, but narrow string-like object. Our body’s cells each contain a complete sample of our DNA. There are muscle cells, brain cells, liver cells, blood cells, sperm cells and others. Basically, every part of the body is made up of these tiny cells and each contains a sample or complement of DNA identical to that of every other cell within a given person. There are a few exceptions. For example, our red blood cells lack DNA. Blood itself can be typed because of the DNA contained in our white blood cells.

DNA testing is based on the principals of inheritance. That each child born gets one half of his or hers genetic makeup from each parent. The test gives a control batch of genetic markers, All the markers that did not match the mothers, must match the fathers. If not mother is being tested, then the father has to half at least one half of the markers found to be the biological father.

One of the fastest growing areas of DNA testing is the paternity test. Because of this, there now exsists and overwhelming amount of companies willing to provide this service. Most of these companies will send a home kit to you, that you can send back.

Make sure you’re getting what you need. Choose the right test for your situation. And find out the company’s response time. Can they meet your deadlines if you have any? Most labs can provide results in three to nine days, depending on the test. Expedited service is often available for an extra fee. Be sure to check with your lawyer regarding notary or need for going to the lab and not doing a home kit. You would hate to have to repeat it.

DNA is not cheap. It can cost from 99 to 500 dollars. So make sure that you investigate the companies you might choose. So far there is no regulation that controls online testing companies and it is up to you to choose wisely. Here are some things you might want to consider:

The American Association of Blood Banks sets standards and accredits labs that fall within their acceptable ranges. So the first thing to do is make sure your choice of lab is accredited. The second thing to be aware of is whether the company is ISO 17025 certified. ISO stands for International Standards Organization. The organizations perform audits and inspections to ensure that they maintain high standards. A lab that holds both accreditation and Certification are demonstrating a commitment to quality and accuracy.

The next thing is to make sure of the cost. Is it all inclusive? Meaning do you get the kit, the testing procedure and the results? Or are there hidden costs? What about postage and copies of the test results? Some companies have been known to send the test, do the test but then charge for the results. Read up and know the business you are using.

Check into their privacy policies. Do they guarantee confidentiality? Look into their staff. Are they licensed or professional? A company that provides DNA testing should employ only staff with doctoral level degrees in the appropriate fields, such as; molecular biology or medical genetics.

To do the test, to take the time and the expense, it must be very important to you. That the results can have far reaching consequences is saying it mildly. Do your homework, Investigate the company. Contact them by phone. Find out everything you need to know. If you cannot contact them, don’t even consider using them. This is your decision, make it wisely.

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Meningitis seems to be in and out of the news and garners quite a bit of media attention. It is important to understand the disease and to make an informed decision in regards to it. There is a vaccine for meningitis but it is up to you whether you get vaccinated and you should take into consideration the meningitis vaccine and its side effects.

The first and most important thing you should know is just what is Meningitis? Meningitis is the inflammation of the outer lining of the brain and spinal cord.

There are different viruses and bacteria’s that can lead to this illness. Most of the discussion you will hear about from media sources is of one type of meningitis and that is bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitides. Though this type of illness is rare In the United States, it is responsible for the deaths of children and college students each year.

Do to communal type dorm living in colleges; students are at an increased risk. Most colleges are advising that dorm students especially, if not all college students be immunized to reduce this risk.

Who should take the vaccine?

Meningitis C (Neisseria meningitis) is the most deadly strain and while the vast majority of people are happy there is a way to safeguard our teenagers from this serious disease, reports in the news of late have influenced our decisions due to the distressing side effects.

The Center for disease control recommends that all college students take the meningitis immunization regardless of the side effects. In particular, those who live in close quarters (dormitories, fraternities, and sororities), who frequent bars or consume alcohol, who smoke or are regularly around smokers are at higher risk and should consider vaccination.

Students with certain chronic conditions (eg, have had their spleen removed) should be vaccinated. Students traveling to high-risk areas of the world (eg, sub-Sahara Africa) should consider vaccination

Who should NOT take the Meningitis vaccine?
Anyone with a severe allergy to it or its components
Anyone with a fever
Anyone with sever flu like symptoms or is actively with an infection
Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding
Meningitis vaccine side effects
Redness, soreness, and swelling at the injection site
Other reactions may include fever, headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, joint pain, and rashes and should subside in 1 to 2 days
Allergic reactions like hives, itching, wheezing, swelling of the face and mouth
Unfortunately, as with all medications and vaccinations, there is potential for meningitis vaccine side effects. Making an informed decision about being vaccinated or not is just one component in your over all health. But it is a vital one and one you should research. If you don’t want the vaccines because you are afraid of a shot then research more!

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Osteoporosis is a significant enough disease that it has its own “Awareness Month”.

It is May of every year that people are to be reminded what a harsh disease this is. Yet there are still at least 45 million People in America at risk for osteoporosis and most are not even aware that they are on that short road to misery. They don’t even know they have the disease until they suddenly fracture an ankle or their spine. Balloon Kyphoplasty Brings Hope to those Osteoporotic Spinal Fractures.

Osteoporosis is defined by Wikipedia as “A disease of bone that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone micro architecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered.”

Can you imagine what some people are going through in their daily lives before they find the answer to their problem? They are walking around in pain, some are hurting so badly that it curtails their normal activity and they can no longer walk up steps, ride a bike or even go grocery shopping. This is the reality for some 800,000 suffers of spinal fractures each year.

There is a woman that suffers so badly with pain back that she stays in bed all day long, hardly able to get out of it to go to the bathroom. She thinks possibly that she has pulled a muscle, injured a ligament. So she stays there babying her body willing it to heal. She is no longer able to play with her grandchildren, no longer able to take daily walks with her husband, no longer able to enjoy time in the garden. The days pass and she gets more helpless and more depressed and yet the excruciating back pain lingers. Finally she goes to the doctor.

This is what a person suffering with a debilitating osteoporotic spinal fracture feels. She tells the doctor she did nothing out of the ordinary to hurt herself, but it has been weeks with no recovery. She speaks to him of her concerns and that she is finding it hard to breath. She is asking for help.

The doctor did tests and like most people faced with the same situation she was shocked to learn that her back pain was caused by a small fracture of her spine. She was told it happens when one of the vertebral bones of the spinal column weakens and then collapses.

She was advised to undergo a procedure to fix it called the Balloon Kyphoplasty which was a minimally invasive surgery that would relieve her pain as well as give her back the height of the fractured vertebra.

She was given further confidence in this procedure when he told her that scientific studies proved that patients who underwent the balloon Kyphoplasty experienced complete pain relief, to the point that most of them needed no further pain medication. She was also told that they improved in their mobility so much that they were able to resume much of their old routines and were walking independently and without aid.

It has now been three years since she had the procedure done and she reports that the pain she had been experiencing was gone within two days. Not only that she was out weeding in her garden without in a week and since then she has had nothing go wrong with her back or experienced any more pain.

If you are having back pain and before you run out and demand a balloon Kyphoplasty you should know that like all surgeries there are risks and though the outcome of complications is said to be low there is always a chance it will not work or even cause more harm.

Spinal fractures have become a major health concern especially now that there are more than 48 million people in America at risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bone to become fragile. Left untreated, multiple spinal fractures can result in kyphosis, better known as hunchback. This is a serious health issue in that the curvature compresses the stomach and lungs and elevates the risk of complications and death.

The estimates given by The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) say that 50% of all women will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. It is vital that you understand you osteoporotic risk factor. See your doctor if you are over forty for bone density screening.

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In order to use impotence aids you first have to know about impotence. Impotence is the inability to achieve and maintain an erection. First it is important to know that an erection is achieved only when three conditions are met:

1. There must be adequate blood supply to the penis
2. There must be good brain stimulus
3. There must be nerves in the penis that are functioning correctly

If for whatever reason there is something blocking any one of the three things then there will be a problem and there will be no erection. If this happens to you fifty percent of the times you engage in sexual activity then you are officially impotent.
The causes are many and here are some of the more common ones:

• Atherosclerosis
• Psychological problems like depression,
• Stress and performance anxiety,
• Nerve diseases
• Penis injury
• Smoking and
• Alcohol drinking

Common ways to treat impotence:

• Viagra, Levitra, Cialis
• Sex therapy
• Penile injections
• Surgery
• Vacuum pumps
• Suppositories

We are going to discuss impotence aids. These are devices that help give and maintain an erection. It is important to talk to your doctor and learn to use each one correctly.

Tension Ring
Other names for the tension ring are; venous flow controller, constriction ring. Its job is to help you maintain an erection, but first you must have an erection. It is generally used in conjunction with other treatments. The ring must not stay in place for longer than 30 minutes.

There are risks and complications involved; they include pinched, bruised, or irritated skin. Some people are allergic to latex rings and they do sell silicone ones.

Vacuum Pump
This aid is used to get an erection. It has a tube that you slip over the head of the penis and down the shaft. Using the hand held pump you create a vacuum that pulls blood into the penis and causes it to get an erection.

Once the erection is achieved you put a tension ring on it to hold the erection tight. Remember the tension ring must not stay on longer than 30 minutes.
The risks of using this device are pain in the penis and scrotum. It is also known to make the penis feel cold and change color during the erection.

Self-Injections
You inject along the side of the penis with the medicine that your doctor gives you. You use a very small needle. The drug relaxes blood vessels so they can fill with the blood needed to achieve an erection. Within ten minutes you should be able to become rigid and have sexual intercourse.

Risks and complications may include pain, bleeding, bruising, or scarring. Get medical help right away if you have an erection that lasts for longer than 4 hours.

Transurethral Medication
You get a prescription from your doctor. You then take the applicator with the pellet already in it and insert it into the urethra (pee hole) on your penis. You leave the pellet there and the medicine is absorbed into the penis. This drug then relaxes the blood vessels so they can fill with blood and give you an erection within ten minutes. To keep the erection you may need to use the tension ring.
Risks and complications may include pain and irritation of the urethra. Get medical help right away if you have an erection that lasts for longer than 4 hours.

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What to expect when you take your teen to the ER

Nearly 100 million people go to the emergency room each year. It’s important to know what to expect when you take your teen to the ER before it happens. This article will show you what to expect when you take your teen to the ER and what you can do to make sure the visit is successful and as stress free as possible.
Preparation
Don’t wait for the emergency to happen to run around looking for the things you should have ready for any possible emergency.

This means have a list of phone numbers ready near the phone:
• Police
• Fire
• Doctor
• Ambulance
• Poison Control
• Hospital

Another list that is just as important should contain:
• The teens allergies
• Medication and dosages they take
• Any list of diseases or disorders they have
• Their insurance information

Before you go to the hospital take with you anything that might help out in their care of the teen:
• If he was bit by a spider and killed it, bring the spider
• If he was bit by a snake and killed it, bring the snake
• If he ate, drank, huffed, puffed, injected and swallowed anything. Bring it. If it is gone, bring one like it.

Examination
The teen will be assessed by a triage nurse and put in line to be seen by a doctor according to his need versus others there. You will then go back into the treatment room. The parent is allowed in the treatment area.
Various things will be done according to the problem such as:
• The teen may need to undress and gown up
• The teen need a blood test
• The teen need to be sutured
• The teen be examined
• The teen may need x-rays
• The teen may need some sort of breathing treatment
• The teen may need to be casted
• The teen may need fluids and need and IV (a small tube into the vein to get fluid into you)
• The teen may be given medicine to feel better
The people taking care of you may include some or all of the following:
• Attending physician: the doctor in charge of your care
• Resident physician: a doctor with a medical license who is getting more training
• Physician assistant: a certified healthcare professional working with the supervision of an attending physician
• Intern: a medical school graduate getting more training to receive a medical license
• Primary nurse: the nurse who cares for you throughout your treatment in the Emergency Department
• Emergency room technicians: healthcare professionals who assist the doctors and nurses. They are trained to draw blood and take electrocardiograms (records of the heart’s activity).
• X-ray technicians: specialists responsible for transporting patients to the Radiology Department, taking X-rays and then bringing patients back to the Emergency Department.
• Respiratory therapists: specialists trained to help people with breathing problems.
• Pastoral Care: Always available if you wish to talk to a chaplain.
Once you have passed through the emergency room gauntlet and have been released to home you will:
• Receive from the physician in writing any necessary prescriptions and follow-up orders.
• The nurse will review your written discharge instructions with you and answer any questions you may have.
• Discharge instructions will include: your diagnosis, follow-up care, the name of the physician and nurse who cared for you, and any special home-care needs.
Now you know what to expect when you take your teen to the ER. You know how to prepare for an emergency. You know what constitutes an emergency. You also know the emergency room process and hopefully will now be more at peace if something bad ever happens and you need to go to an emergency room. Remember that Emergency Room Departments are there for the sole purpose of making you feel better and that may mean saving your life.

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