All About Lipitor

How is lipitor taken?

After you decided to buy lipitor in Canada, you should know how to take this medicine.  Lipitor is a peroral drug and should be taken as your doctor prescribed for you. It could be taken with or without food.  The best time for taking this medicine is evening. The dosage of Lipitor depends on your health condition, reaction of your body to the therapy and using some other medicines.   Consult your doctor for more information concerning the dosage of the drug. Grapefruit may intensify the action of some medicines, so avoid eating it while taking this drug.  Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more detailed information before you order Lipitor in Canada without prescription. If you take some other medicines for reducing cholesterol (bile acids such as colestiramin or colestipol), take lipitor at least 2 hours after taking these medicines. Use Lipitor regularly to get the maximal benefit from it. It is recommended that you take Lipitor at the same time every day. It may take you 4 weeks before you experience full effect of the medicine. Since patients with even high cholesterol level feel fine while taking Lipitor, it is important that you continue using this medicine.

You can buy cheap Lipitor in Canada

Lipitor is a very effective medicine used with a specific diet for reducing cholesterol level and fats (triglyceride) in blood. As a rule, this medicine is used when other non-medical means of reducing cholesterol (e.g. diet changes, weight loss in case of excess weight) did not show much effectiveness. You can easily buy Lipitor in Canada at a low price. Reducing cholesterol level may help to prevent heart attack. Lipitor is to be used in adults and children of ten years old and older. Young girls should have had their first periods before starting Lipitor. This medicine belongs to ferment blockers also known as «statin». While taking Lipitor you may have stomach pain, headache, diarrhea or all these symptoms altogether. Inform your doctor immediately in case of worsening of any of the side effects of Lipitor. Sometimes this medicine cause muscle pain, excessive sensitivity or weakness (which rarely may lead to a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis). Seek medical attention if you experience any of the listed muscle problems (especially fever or abnormal exhaustion). Despite the listed side effects many people using Lipitor tolerate the medicine very well without experiencing any adverse effect.

Avian flu: a myth or reality?

Avian flu

Coming back of Spanish flu

Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-1919 affected more than 500 million people in the whole world. The mortal virus took more than 400 million lives then. Since that time world flu epidemics (pandemics) recurred two times (in 1957 and 1968), however, unlike Spanish flu they were caused by a less mortal virus, since the number of victims was much less than during the pandemic 1918. The results of contemporary researches show that the virus of Spanish flu   was a typical avian flu virus which acquired an ability to propagate in human body and pass from human to human. Presently the issue of possible new bird flu epidemic is discussed at the highest levels. In scientists` opinion the following events should take place for the eruption of pandemic:
1.The avian flu virus should adjust to propagation in lower temperatures than the temperature of bird body. This has already happened. It has been proved by cases of infection of workers in poultry farms in some Asian countries.
The normal bird body temperature is about 420С, whereas the normal temperature of human body does not exceed 37,5 (inner temperature) or 340С (in nasopharynx ). It is obvious that the virus has acquired an ability to propagate in human body, however, only in lungs and trachea, but not in nasopharynx unlike regular flu virus.
2.   Mixing of the genetic material of human flu virus and bird flu virus must occur. According to scientists such a mixing could happen in pigs. The fact is that, the body cells of pigs could equally be affected by human flu and bird flu virus.  While propagating the viruses exchange part of genes, in the result of which new mutant species of viruses with totally new characteristics form. Examination of bodies died of Spanish flu showed that the virus of 1918 was a mutant virus which contained both human and bird flu components. These “mixed” variants of the flu virus are especially dangerous to people, because the recombination of the genetic material provides viruses with new proteins which are not familiar to immune system of human. Getting into human body such a virus starts to propagate without any hindrance within 1-2 weeks, which is enough to kill a human. The Spanish flu virus was a very uncommon one.  Modern researches and historic facts show that mainly young people died of Spanish flu, not children and old people (unlike the regular flu virus) despite the apparent immunosuppressive effect of some components of the virus. Patients affected by Spanish flu died of cardiopulmonary insufficiency associated with massive pneumonia and diffuse lesion of blood vessels of the whole body developing in a few days.
3. The virus should acquire an ability to pass from human to human. This last characteristics of the virus has not been fixated yet, since within the whole history of bird flu detection (the first epidemic among birds and cases of human infection were detected in 1997 in Hong Kong), there has not been any case of passing of the virus from human to human.  It is worth mentioning that if the virus acquires such ability, just one patient infected with mutant virus who would pass the ocean may provoke flu pandemic which would affect the whole world just within a few hours.
Despite all capabilities of modern medicine it would not be possible to prevent bird flu epidemic (in case the virus acquire all necessary characteristics). Presently all efforts to fight bird flu are arrowed at localization and suppression of the disease outbreak among birds.
Most professionals assert that in all probability the problem of Spanish flu recurrence is just a matter of time.

Duodenal ulcer disease of the young and nervous Add

According to the latest research results presented by scientists, duodenal ulcer usually affects people who get nervous a lot.  However, it is not the only reason causing duodenal ulcer.
But it is our nervous system that is responsible for mechanisms triggering development of duodenal ulcer.   If you are buoyant and unabashed type of person, you would have less chance to get this disease even if you are not much careful about your diet than a somber whiner eating healthy whole life.  Duodenal ulcer usually affects people at working age(the average age of duodenal ulcer patients is 30 years old).

Scientists  assert that tall people having thin physique and vulnerable nervous system are more susceptible to duodenal ulcer.  Factors causing duodenal ulcer also include unbalanced diet. Too much spicy, sour or salty foods in your diet may have a negative effect on your digestive system.

Users of non-hormonal anti-inflammatory medicines could also be exposed to the risk of developing duodenal and stomach ulcer, especially if they take them without doctor`s control. Duodenal ulcer could also be caused by imbalance of sex hormones, gut hormones, hypophysial and suprarenal hormones.

Several years ago scientists who discovered a special bacteria species (helicobacter pylori) causing duodenal ulcer got Nobel prize. Now in many clinics you can do tests for detection of  helicobacter pylori, undergo treatment course and reduce the risk of the disease many times. Most doctor consider this pathogenic microorganism to play a leading role in developing duodenal ulcer.
However, there is an opinion that there could be genetic predisposition to duodenal ulcer. If any of your parents have this disease, pay more attention to your digestive system.

ucler

What are the symptoms of duodenal ulcer?

The process of developing duodenal ulcer is very prolonged and is of a chronic nature. The exacerbations of this disease usually happen in spring and autumn. If you have pain in the upper part of your stomach – consult a gastroenterologist, since it is the first symptom of ulcer. Pain caused by duodenal ulcer is acute.  Pain starting in two hours after food intake is another sign of the disease. The pain goes away if you have some milk or food. Besides pain you may have heartburn. In the period of exacerbation duodenal ulcer patients usually vomit, after which they feel much better.

The most surprising thing is that almost in half of cases duodenal ulcer dose not manifest itself anyhow. Do not disregard your condition if you suspect you have duodenal ulcer. The ulcer develops gradually and affects the whole intestinal wall. With time intestinal perforation resulting in lethal outcome is quite possible.   In 10 percents of patients duodenal ulcer causes blood vomiting. Besides that, ulcers may spread to neighboring organs and such a situation is encountered in 15% of patients.

In neglected situations the intestine becomes narrower in the areas affected by ulcer. It interferes with the normal process of digestion and causes frequent foul-smelling eructation and weight loss.  The narrower the intestinal lumen, the frequenter vomiting is.

Migraine

Migraine

Migraine is a frequently recurring headache attacks characterized by throbbing or pulsating pain usually affecting one side of the head and lasting 4-72 hours.  The name of migraine comes from a Greek word megrim- a distortion from “hemicrania” (means half a head which emphasizes one-sided nature of pain).   Migraine is a very common disease and is not associated with race, climate or location.

Women suffering from migraine outnumber men 4 to 1. It is explained by frequent drops in estrogen level in women. Migraine attacks usually start in a teen age or in the youth and have a tendency to recede with age (after 45 in men, and in menopause in women).There are two main types of migraine:

1. Common migraine, also known as migraine without aura

2. Classic migraine known as migraine with aura

In most cases aura implies symptoms causing vision disorders.  Other symptoms associated with aura are hearing impairment, perturbation, movement and mental disorders. The phase of aura usually lasts from 4 to 60 minutes. The number of patients with classic migraine (with aura) makes up 15% of all migraine patients.

Causes of migraine

Cortical_spreading_depression
The symptoms of migraine are caused by changes in cerebral blood vessels;   however, the causes of these changes are still unknown. About 70 % of migraine patients had inherited predisposing to this disease.  Other factors promoting development of migraine are: stress, physical overload(e.g. exercise-induced migraines), nerve strain, some foods(nuts, chocolate, cheese, fish), alcohol(especially red wine, beer, champagne), hormonal disorders(periods, oral contraceptives), sleep (too much or lack of it), weather factors (weather or climate changes).

Symptoms of migraine

As a rule migraine manifests itself in a form of acute pulsating growing pain localized in one hemisphere.   Other migraine symptoms:

* Excessive sensitivity to light and noise
* Vomiting
* Nausea
*Sleepiness
* General weakness
* Moving function disorders
* Vision disorders (flickering zigzags, spirals or light flashes before eyes). This is the so-called aura stage preceding migraine attack.

During migraine attack light and noise could be unbearably irritating, and you may experience pain on movement.  Usually migraine attacks start suddenly; however, in some cases patients may have premonitory symptoms such as craving for sweet food, depression or fatigue.

Since acute headache could be a symptom of some other disease, consult a doctor, especially if the pain does not get better within 24 hours and is accompanied by fever or neck muscle stiffness. It also makes sense to see a doctor if your headache is accompanied by some unusual symptoms.

Prevention of migraine

There are some factors which may induce migraine attacks.   They include:

* Stress and depression
* Malnutrition or starving
* Smoking
* Certain foods (e.g. cheese, chocolate, nuts, fish, Chinese food, bananas)
* too much or lack of sleep
* Drinks containing caffeine (tea, cola, coffee)
* Alcohol, especially red wine
* Oral contraceptives
* Biorhythm disorders caused by  long-distance travels.
* Change of climate or habitual environment
* Hormonal changes in women (in the period of pregnancy, menstruation or menopause)
Try to avoid them to prevent migraine attacks.

Sometimes it is rather difficult to determine the causes of migraine. Very often combination of several factors may become a cause for it. However, even a defined trigger may be a cause of some migraine attacks, but not all of them.  Moreover, all the risk factors are individual- some of them could be absolutely safe for some patients, but quite risky for others.

Diagnosing migraine

For diagnosing migraine your physician need to know about the symptoms and frequency of the attacks. You may also be required to undergo an examination and do some tests.
Besides that, your doctor may ask you to keep a record of your attacks during 2-3 months to follow the scheme of initiation of migraine attack.  A specific scheme retraced in your migraine attack history suggests certain factors causing migraine.

Treatment of migraine

If you anticipate a migraine attack, stop anything you do, lie down in a dark noise-isolated  room and take a tablet of aspirin or paracetamol.  If these measures turn ineffective, your doctor may prescribe “stronger” and more “migraine-orientated” medicines such as Cafergot, Midrin, Migranol, Inderal, Depakote, etc.  These medicines work better if taken just at the start of the attack, especially if the headache is accompanied by nausea.

If you have migraine attack once or twice a week, consult your doctor so that he could prescribe right medicines for you, since aspirin and paracetamol are not likely to work in this case.

If you notice that your migraine attack s start under an influence of some factors, try to avoid these factors to prevent migraine in the future.

Pregnancy Questions and Answers

Pregnancy

How much weight gain is considered normal during pregnancy?
- Professionals assert that 8-9 kilograms in 9 months is a normal weight gain. Usually excess weight is gained starting from the 4th month of pregnancy. However, there is an opinion that there is no fixed standard of weight gain and it may vary depending on a certain woman. For example, a few kilos do not pose any risk to a thin woman and should not be considered a deviation. On the contrary, fat moms should control their weight and watch what they eat to allow minimal weight gain during pregnancy.

- Why it is bad for me to gain too much weight during pregnancy?
- Excess weight during pregnancy may lead to complications during pregnancy, the negative effects of which would first of all tell on mother`s health.  Besides that it increases the risk of developing hypertension. And remember, that improper feeding during pregnancy would make it more difficult for you to lose weight after giving birth.

- Do I need to keep to a diet during pregnancy if I had excess weight before pregnancy as well?
- No way. Nutrition during pregnancy should be healthy and wholesome- you should never keep to some weight loss diets especially without talking to your doctor first. If you really need to lose some weight and your doctor has confirmed it, only he can determine what products and in what quantity you should eat for you and your baby to get all necessary nutrients and vitamins. But remember, no weight loss diets for aesthetic slimming.

- Who is most predisposed to gain excess weight gain during pregnancy?
- As a rule, women who have hereditary predisposition to obesity, those who lead sedentary life, do not exercise and do not keep to well-balanced diet during pregnancy.

- Should I limit salt intake during pregnancy?
- It is not necessary, if only your doctor has not told you about it. Usually women who have hypertension are recommended to reduce salt intake to minimum.

- Why iodized salt is useful during pregnancy?
- Scientific researches showed that using iodized salt during pregnancy helps avoid thyroid gland diseases.

- Should I cut out sweets from my diet during pregnancy?
- You may not stop eating sweets totally, but keep in mind that sweets contain many calories and very little nutrients. It is more reasonable to give your preference to products rich in proteins and vitamins. However, if your craving for sweets is really strong, try to satisfy it by home-made jams and dried fruit mainly to be able to control your sugar and fat intake.

-Should I restrict fluid consumption during pregnancy?
- It is determined by a doctor for each individual situation. As a rule it is recommended to drink 1,5-2 liters a day (including water contained in food). However, women who have kidney stones should consume more fluids. In every certain case it makes sense to consult a doctor.

- What dairy products and how much of them should I use during a day?
- No less than 2 glasses of milk and one yoghurt or 100 grams of sour cream and curds. As far as possible, give your preference to nonfat products.

-Should I take extra supplements containing calcium during pregnancy?
- If you eat enough dairy products, you do not need additional calcium containing supplements. However, it is better for you to consult a doctor, since there could be exceptions to every rule.

- In which cases should I use vitamin supplements?
- The supplements often prescribed for pregnant women are usually the ones containing iron and folic acid. Although, the supplements are determined individually for each woman and you may not need them at all.  Anyway, do not use any supplements without consulting your doctor first, even if they are sold over the counter.

What foods should I exclude from my diet during pregnancy?
- You should not eat rare meat since it may become a cause of infection called toxoplasmosis. Also avoid eating liver, especially in the first trimester, since it contains very high levels of the retinol which can cause genetic changes in fetus. Refuse spices and products causing constipation and stomach upset.

- Can I have a cup of coffee or strong tea a day while I am pregnant?
No doubt it is necessary to limit consumption of these drinks to a minimum. However, just one cup of coffee or tea a day is not likely to cause any harm.

- Can I have an occasional glass of wine or champagne during pregnancy?
-  In these case no “buts” are allowed: it is categorically prohibited to use alcohol during pregnancy. It is still unknown what the minimal dose is that may have a serious impact on baby`s development, that is why you`d better refuse these pleasant but unsafe drinks for a while.

- Is it normal that I feel nauseated and vomit in the first few months of pregnancy?
- Yes, these are manifestations of early pregnancy toxicosis. But if you lead healthy life style and keep to a balanced diet during pregnancy, these unpleasant symptoms will soon pass away.   Anyway, consult a doctor about them.

- What are the myths about nutrition during pregnancy?
- There is still a wrong belief that a mother-to-be should “eat for two”, but it is erroneous. Nor you should keep to slimming diets. Your nutrition during pregnancy should be first of all baby-orientated. And of course, you should keep to a healthcare professional`s recommendations about your diet.

If you did not care much what you eat before pregnancy, now, when you are pregnant, you should pay much more attention to your nutrition. Food you eat must be balanced, diverse and rich in nutrients.   It is ideal to eat 5-6 times a day, but be careful not to overeat. Include in your diet dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, fats, bread, cereals, fruit, vegetables and potato, and your baby is sure to be born healthy.

Impotence

impotenceToday specialists who deal with “male problems” prefer the term of “erectile dysfunction” to determine these problems.

In 1992 the urologists in the whole world came to an agreement to use the term of “erectile dysfunction” to define a condition inability of the patient to get or maintain adequate erection.  Such a condition restricts or makes it impossible to have normal sexual relationship.
Unfortunately, erectile dysfunction today is a common and widely spread disease.
Very often a question arises: What is the difference between erectile dysfunction and impotence.  Actually there is no difference except erectile dysfunction is a more modern and more frequently used term, especially in the US. The rest of the world usually use “impotence” to describe this condition.
Impotence (or erectile dysfunction) affects 40% of men aged 35-40. Most men feel awkward consulting a doctor about this problem; however, weak erection or loss of erection during sexual intercourse is already a reason for seeing an urologist or sexologist.

Here are the factors which may cause erectile dysfunction:

* inflammatory diseases affecting the urogenital system and pelvic organs (prostatitis, orchiepididymitis, cystitis, etc.)
*insufficient arterial blood flow in the vessels participating in the mechanism of erection
* diabetes
* hormonal dysfunction
* spinal cord injuries
* penis injuries
* pelvic organ surgeries
* some medicines
* depression, stress

So, impotence may be caused by neurological, endocrine, vascular, medical and topical reasons. Impotence caused by these reasons is considered organic form of erectile dysfunction. However, psychogenic form of erectile dysfunction which is caused by psychoneurological peculiarities is more common.

Almost always when a patient has erectile dysfunction of organic nature a psychological factor is added and very often organic impotence transforms into psychogenic one even in case the organic cause is eliminated.  So, no matter whether you suffer from organic or psychogenic impotence, a complex treatment is needed.

Unwillingness of most men to consult a doctor about impotence is the greatest problem for the urologists in the whole world. Meanwhile, modern medicine disposes a huge arsenal of medicines and other means to help such patients.

Any measure aimed at normalization and enhancement of body functions may become a means for restoring erectile function.  That is why along with other therapeutic measures physiotherapy, laser and magneto-therapy are recommended as well.

Types of Impotence

Organic impotence

Organic impotence is a progressive worsening of erectile dysfunction characterized by erection quality reduction. The symptoms of organic impotence include absence of nocturnal and morning spontaneous erections. The most frequent causes are various vascular pathologies of arterial or venous nature. Researchers showed that sexually healthy men experience 4-6 episodes of erection lasting 10-15 minutes in the period of fast sleep.  General duration of spontaneous erections during night makes up 20% of the whole period of sleep. With age not all of nocturnal spontaneous erections are characterized by rigidity and the number of nocturnal erection episodes with decreased rigidity keeps on growing.

Psychogenic impotence

Psychogenic impotence occurs suddenly and is usually associated with some events in man`s life.  In such case the nocturnal and morning spontaneous erections are preserved. Erection is often induced in response to visual stimulation and erotic fantasies.

Differential diagnostics of psychogenic and organic impotence

I. Psychogenic impotence

1. Sudden start
2. Nocturnal spontaneous erections are preserved
3. Relationship problems
4. Erection problems in some certain circumstances

II. Organic erectile dysfunction (impotence)

1. Gradual start
2. Absence of nocturnal spontaneous erections
3. Normal libido and ejaculation
4. Erection problems in any circumstances

What you should do to do to avoid erectile dysfunction (impotence)?

* lead healthy lifestyle, do sports, eat regularly and healthy, take care for your health;
* do not smoke, do not abuse alcohol or use narcotics including “poppers”;
*do not use medicines which may cause erectile dysfunction or use them strictly as your doctor prescribed and as it is recommended in the instructions for these drugs.
* lead regular sex life without long periods of continence or sexual overindulgence.
* consult an urologist if you got injury in the region of small pelvis or crotch, or if you have diabetes or hypertension.

Swine flu

swineflu

Swine flu (H1N1) is a disease caused by strains of flu virus and characterized by epidemic spread of the disease in swine populations. It is widely spread over everywhere among pigs with the exception of Australia, greater part of Africa and naturally Antarctica. Swine flu is “well known” in North and South America, Europe, continental China, Taiwan, Japan and other countries in Asia and some regions in Africa. The virus circulates among pigs as well as among other mammals, birds and people. The virus tends to mutate with time. Swine flu is rarely transmitted from animal to human.

Swine flu outbreak in 2009

In 2009 an outbreak of a new strain of the H1N1 virus occurred, which was at once called “swine flu”. It was caused by H1N1 subtype virus which genetically resembles swine flu virus most. The viruses of this type are transmitted from human to human and cause symptoms similar to those of seasonal flu. However, this disease, which caused panic in so many people all over the world, has nothing to do with true swine flu: not a single pig caught this disease in the period when Mass Media started “swine flu” hysteria. It is believed that those were newsmen who gave the disease the name of “swine flu”. Now “new flu” is a more frequently used name for H1N1.

Geography of H1N1

The 2009 outbreak is believed to start on March 18 when the first cases of the disease were fixed in Mexico City. Then the flue has spread in Mexico (now more than 17 450 infected) and to south-west of the US. Now the number of the infected prevail in the US (43 800 patients) and Australia (29 000patients). The H1N1 virus has been detected in almost all European counties, but among the European countries the situation is most serious in Great Britain (12 500 patients) and Germany (11 100 patients).

The symptoms of H1N1

The symptoms of “swine flu” are the same as of regular flu. They include dizziness, high temperature, fever, general weakness, cough, angina, runny nose, pain in muscles, joint ache, nausea and upset stomach.

What medicines are used to treat swine flu?

World Health Organization recommends the following antiviral medicines intended for the treatment and prevention of “swine flu”: Oseltamivir and Zanamivir. They claim that H1N1strain is less sensitive to other antiviral drugs. Oseltamivir also comes under the name of Tamiflu.
However, statements that the right medicines for treating “swine flu” are Tamiflu, Triazoverin and Interferon spread by mass media are more like of marketing fad. And as an ad it works great: after mass media announced about the effectiveness of Tamiflu against swine flu, the medicine was literally snapped up despite its expensiveness. However, the effectiveness of this medicine against H1N1 has not been confirmed. In due time, this medicine was also believed to be panacea for avian flu, which occurred in 2004. However, 70% of patients who died of this disease used Tamiflu.

How to protect yourself against swine flu?

You can avoid this infection by observing regular measures taken during flu or acute respiratory disease outbreaks. Avoid busy places; do not make trips to regions where “swine flu” outbreaks have been reported. However World Health Organization considers it ineffective and inappropriate to organize quarantines or restrict people`s right to travel.

Vaccine against H1N1

World Health Organization and medics in the whole world are still trying to create a vaccine against H1N1 virus.

Is H1N1 virus that dangerous?

Both “regular “and the “new” flue pandemia could be dangerous. Every year about 10 million people in the world have flu; half a million of them die. Many doctors think that the panic about the disease is often more scary than the disease itself. Meanwhile, the statements made by mass media about “swine flu” could be described in no other way than panicky. Fresh are the memories of the audience, so frequently “intimidated” by newsmen, about the recent outbreaks of bird flu and Siberian plague which also were alleged to be dangerous for humanity. However, there were no serious consequences for humanity in planetary scale, and all the “terror” happened just on the pages of newspapers, web-sites and TV screens.

How the embryo develops?

embryo

Month by month embryo development
Magic within 270 days
The course of human embryo development is a real wonder. Imagine, just within 270 days more than 200 million cells are developed out of only one cell. And the little embryo, which is initially invisible and could be discerned only through microscope, grows half a meter in height.
Every process of its development runs in a step by step mode, following the rules of nature like everything else in the universe.
The first step: the moment of ovum fertilization till the end of the second week of fetus`s life in the mother`s womb. The second step: development of the fetus from the beginning of the third week through the eighth week. In this period some important changes happen to the fetus – the embryo starts to look like human and the formation of all vitally important organs is commenced. At the end of the second step the embryo could be called a fetus. The third step is the final one. It starts from the third month and culminates with baby birth. The most interesting thing about the human fetus is resemblance of its main development processes to those of vertebrates.  There are only a few differences between human fetus and that of other representatives of earth`s fauna which allow to trace the development stages of human fetus. Thus only human fetus develops inside mother`s womb within 270 days, which equals to 10 lunar months.
The first trimester of pregnancy
The first trimester or the first 13-14 weeks is the most important period in the development of a baby, since it is the period when his all internal organs start to form.
In the first 7 days after fertilization the ovum cell starts to divide. Even if this process runs without pathologies, it does not mean successful pregnancy unless ovum implantation occurs. That is why the period from the 7th through the 9th day are considered the most crucial.
In case when the ovum did not get fastened well enough or got attached too high or low, it could be a risk pregnancy.  It means that the baby would be developing normally, but the threat of miscarriage will be impending for a rather long time.
Another anomaly could be considered implantation of the ovum in any of the uterine tubes. In such a case the fertilized ovum does not get enough nutrition, since there are too few vessels there. Moreover, maintenance of such a pregnancy poses hazard to woman`s life.
The next important period of pregnancy is the 2nd -through the 9th week. Any deviation in the development of the embryo in this period usually leads to spontaneous abortion. Also pay special attention to your health in the 11th-13th week, since it is time when a new stage of fetal development starts.
Now we see how important the first trimester is and how little the successfulness of this period depends on the mother. It is time when the nature by natural selection promotes birth of healthy children. Nonetheless in most cases when the mom-to-be does not abuse alcohol, smoking or some medicines and is in good health, she has greater chances to avoid miscarriage and her pregnancy would proceed without any abnormalities. First of all normal pregnancy is associated with the correct chromosome number in the egg cell.

The second trimester of pregnancy
During the second trimester the fetus continues to develop. During this period it would grow considerably. Now your pregnancy would be noticeable to others, since your stomach grows in size quite quickly. In this period the baby makes more coordinated moves, the number of which may reach 600 during one day. The baby would be most active in the 6th month of pregnancy.
By the end of the second trimester the fetus is already viable. But if the baby is born at this period, he would be able to make the first breath and cry, but unfortunately the baby is still too weak to survive.

The third trimester of pregnancy
During the third trimester of the pregnancy quite a few changes happen in the life of the baby.  Most of his organs have already formed and some of them even function. Now he needs to gain some weight and grow in height. The last period of pregnancy is the most difficult for the mother. It is a period when most of complications and ailments occur.  They include leg swelling, varicose veins dilatation, backache, heavy breathing, etc.
In this period the mom gets exhausted very quickly and need to rest more frequently. She is no longer able to perform same volume of activity she used to.

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer`s disease is a degenerative brain disease characterized by progressing  loss of intellect. The disease first described in1907 by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer is one of the most common forms of acquired dementia. Only in the USA more than 1,5 million people suffer from Alzheimer`s disease. 30 % out of total number of 1,3 million aged in the US nursing homes make up Alzheimer`s patients.

This disease affects people independently of their nationality or socio-economic status. The youngest Alzheimer`s patent known was 28 years old, though the disease usually affects people above 40. Though very often Alzheimer`s diseases goes unrecognized, it is the fourth leading cause of death: in the US more than 100 thousand people die of Alzheimer`s disease every year.

Alzheimer’s disease was first described in patients under 65 years old; that is why earlier it was called presenile dementia. It was also wrongly considered as manifestation of aging or brain vessel sclerosis. In truth the disease is associated with degeneration of nerve cells (neurons) rather than with the affection of blood vessels.

The symptoms of Alzheimer`s disease may vary from person to person and from stage to stage.   Alzheimer’s symptoms include:  memory and attention impairment, thought disorder, cognition disintegration, disorientation in time and space, speech impairment, communication disorder, personality disintegration.  The symptoms of dementia gradually progress leading to full inability of the patient of self-service.  The process of disintegration of the psyche may last several years causing a lot of sufferings to the patient and his family.

Diagnosing Alzheimer`s.
There is no such a test which could help diagnose Alzheimer`s disease accurately. That is why the doctor should exclude other diseases causing dementia symptoms too, especially those ones which are curable, i.e. benign tumors, injuries, infections, metabolism disorders, medicine overdose and mental disorders such as depression or anxiety syndrome. Even after exclusion of other diseases the diagnose of Alzheimer’s disease is still considered hypothetical.  It could only be confirmed after post-mortem microscopic examination of brain tissue.  Rarely this type of examination is applied to live people. For this purpose biopsy is done (a small sample of brain tissue is removed for examination).

Changes in brain confirming the diagnose of Alzheimer`s disease are usually found in outer layer of the brain (cortex) and hippocampus, which lays deep in the hemispheres and plays an important role in the memory processes. Microscopic examination reveals neurofibrillar tangles and neuritic plaques in these region of brain of Alzheimer`s patients.  The tangles consist of pathologically changed neurons containing anomalous proteins. Plaques represent are extracellular deposits of amyloid (protein and carbohydrate complexes)   in the gray matter of the brain. The greater the number of tangles and plaques in the brain the more evident the intellectual disorders are.

Biochemical researches show that Alzheimer`s disease cause considerable reduction in acetyltransferase rate in brain – a ferment necessary for acetylcholine synthesis. The latter is a neurotransmitter, i.e. a substance transmitting stimulation from one cell to another and participating in memory processes.

The treatment of Alzheimer`s disease.
The disease is incurable. Tacrine is a medicine that can only suspend or decelerate the progression of the disease. That is why the treatment generally carries symptomatic nature.  The patients and their families are usually helped to adjust themselves to the disease. It is important to make the patient lead an active life. In case of delirium, excitation or other behavioral changes medical therapy is recommended.

The cause of Alzheimer`s disease is yet unknown. Presently many researches are carried out in order to determine the role of viral infections, heredity, pathological immune responses, environmental factors and toxic agents in the development of the disease.

Acne treatment. What to do about them?

Acne should be treated correctly to avoid scars. First of all consult a dermatologist. Only the dermatologist can determine the cause of your acne break out. If you are older than 25 years old, he is likely to ask you to undergo a full examination, since acne at this age may be a consequence of some disease.

The treatment of acne should be prescribed by your dermatologist as well and may vary depending on your sex, age, duration of the break-out, clinicopathologic examination (identifying type, localization and abundance of the elements) and the results of complete examination (helps to detect concomitant diseases). The treatment course should be determined individually for each patient and may include hormonal treatment, immune system improvement or topical treatment only, etc.  Self-treatment is ineffective and even dangerous, since it may worsen acne break-out and cause complications including scars.

The acne treatment approach depends on the type of acne break-out, but the common principles are the following:

* inhibition of sebaceous gland function;
* elimination of dead skin cells blocking the canals of sebaceous glands;
* elimination of bacteria causing skin inflammation.

Acne therapy consists of special skin care and medicines. The medicines for treating acne may come in a form of ointments, creams, masks, tablets for peroral administration and even injections(in severe cases). However, today most dermatologists recommend their patients to use medicines for topical use, i.e. lotions, creams, ointments, etc.

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