If you're pregnant or might become pregnant, it's critically important to get enough folic acid, the synthetic form of vitamin B9, also known as folate. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) – serious birth defects of the spinal cord (such as spina bifida) and the brain (such as anencephaly).

Many people report that inversion table therapy is a great way to stretch muscles and ligaments, reduce muscle spasms, and improve circulation. Stretching stimulates the lymph glands to increase the flow of lymphatic fluids; part of the body's waste disposal system. Similarly, cellular health depends on good blood circulation to deliver nourishment and remove waste. Inversion table therapy also helps to relieve motion sickness and stress. In addition, the body becomes more aware of its spatial orientation and balance when the inner ear is stimulated during inversion. Plus, it is not necessary for the body to be positioned completely upside down to gain benefits from inversion therapy! Unlike antigravity boots used with an inversion rack, an adjustable inversion table offers the flexibility to choose the most comfortable angle. Dialogue with Your Doctor Like anything that can affect your health, talk to your doctor before you start using an inversion table. This is important because certain medications and health conditions may make using an inversion table unsafe. Your doctor may recommend against inversion table therapy if you have obesity, a detached retina, fracture, glaucoma, heart condition (circulatory problem), hernia, implanted device, middle ear or eye infection, osteoporosis, are pregnant, or have a spinal injury. There may be other medical conditions not listed that your doctor may view as a contraindication.

There are four major blood groups determined by the presence or absence of two antigens – A and B – on the surface of red blood cells: Group A – has only the A antigen on red cells (and B antibody in the plasma) Group B – has only the B antigen on red cells (and A antibody in the plasma) Group AB – has both A and B antigens on red cells (but neither A nor B antibody in the plasma) Group O – has neither A nor B antigens on red cells (but both A and B antibody are in the plasma)

A meningioma is a tumor that arises from the meninges — the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. Most meningiomas are noncancerous (benign), though rarely a meningioma may be cancerous (malignant). Some meningiomas are classified as atypical, meaning they're neither benign nor malignant but, rather, something in between.

A prenatal ultrasound (also called a sonogram) is a noninvasive diagnostic test that uses sound waves to create a visual image of your baby, placenta, and uterus, as well as other pelvic organs. It allows your healthcare practitioner to gather valuable information about the progress of your pregnancy and your baby's health. During the test, an ultrasound technician (sonographer) transmits high-frequency sound waves through your uterus that bounce off your baby. A computer then translates the echoing sounds into video images that reveal your baby's shape, position, and movements. (Ultrasound waves are also used in the handheld instrument called a Doppler that your practitioner uses during your prenatal visits to listen to your baby's heartbeat.) You may have an early ultrasound at your practitioner's office at 6 to 10 weeks to confirm and date the pregnancy. Or you may not have one until the standard midpregnancy ultrasound between 16 and 20 weeks. That's when you may learn your baby's sex, if you like. (The technician will probably present you with a grainy printout of the sonogram as a keepsake.) You may also have a sonogram as part of a genetic test, such as the nuchal translucency test, chorionic villus sampling, or amniocentesis, or at any other time if there are signs of a problem with your baby. You'll have more frequent ultrasounds if you have diabetes, hypertension, or other medical complications.

finger pulp abscess drainage EXPLOSION of pus

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. Progressive means the disease gets worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of a slimy substance called mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Most people who have COPD smoke or used to smoke. However, up to 25 percent of people with COPD never smoked. Long-term exposure to other lung irritants—such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dusts—also may contribute to COPD. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency can also cause the disease.

Each month inside your ovaries, a group of eggs starts to grow in small, fluid-filled sacs called follicles. Eventually, one of the eggs erupts from the follicle (ovulation). It usually happens about 2 weeks before your next period. Hormones Rise After the egg leaves the follicle, the follicle develops into something called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum releases a hormone that helps thicken the lining of your uterus, getting it ready for the egg. The Egg Travels to the Fallopian Tube After the egg is released, it moves into the Fallopian tube. It stays there for about 24 hours, waiting for a single sperm to fertilize it. All this happens, on average, about 2 weeks after your last period.

These are amazing 100 facts about the human body, see how many you know!

An enlarged spleen may cause: No symptoms in some cases. Pain or fullness in the left upper abdomen that may spread to the left shoulder. Feeling full without eating or after eating only a small amount from the enlarged spleen pressing on your stomach. Anemia. Fatigue. Frequent infections. Easy bleeding.

Epidural hematoma (EDH) is a traumatic accumulation of blood between the inner table of the skull and the stripped-off dural membrane. EDH results from traumatic head injury, usually with an associated skull fracture and arterial laceration.The inciting event often is a focused blow to the head, such as that produced by a hammer or baseball bat. In 85-95% of patients, this type of trauma results in an overlying fracture of the skull. Blood vessels in close proximity to the fracture are the sources of the hemorrhage in the formation of an epidural hematoma. Because the underlying brain has usually been minimally injured, prognosis is excellent if treated aggressively. Outcome from surgical decompression and repair is related directly to patient's preoperative neurologic condition. [1]

A salivary gland stone -- also called salivary duct stone -- is a calcified structure that may form inside a salivary gland or duct. It can block the flow of saliva into the mouth. The majority of stones affect the submandibular glands located at the floor of the mouth.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the brain and spinal cord. Early MS symptoms include weakness, tingling, numbness, and blurred vision. Other signs are muscle stiffness, thinking problems, and urinary problems. Treatment can relieve MS symptoms and delay disease progression.

Animation of Scarless Varicose Vein Treatment No Knife Endovenous Laser

The heart weighs between 7 and 15 ounces (200 to 425 grams) and is a little larger than the size of your fist. By the end of a long life, a person's heart may have beat (expanded and contracted) more than 3.5 billion times. In fact, each day, the average heart beats 100,000 times, pumping about 2,000 gallons. Your heart is located between your lungs in the middle of your chest, behind and slightly to the left of your breastbone (sternum). A double-layered membrane called the pericardium surrounds your heart like a sac. The outer layer of the pericardium surrounds the roots of your heart's major blood vessels and is attached by ligaments to your spinal column, diaphragm, and other parts of your body. The inner layer of the pericardium is attached to the heart muscle. A coating of fluid separates the two layers of membrane, letting the heart move as it beats. Your heart has 4 chambers. The upper chambers are called the left and right atria, and the lower chambers are called the left and right ventricles. A wall of muscle called the septum separates the left and right atria and the left and right ventricles. The left ventricle is the largest and strongest chamber in your heart. The left ventricle's chamber walls are only about a half-inch thick, but they have enough force to push blood through the aortic valve and into your body.

Thoracentesis is a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the pleural space between the lungs and the chest wall. This procedure is done to remove excess fluid, known as a pleural effusion, from the pleural space to help you breathe easier. It may be done to determine the cause of your pleural effusion. Some conditions such as heart failure, lung infections, and tumors can cause pleural effusions.

The circulatory system consists of three independent systems that work together: the heart (cardiovascular), lungs (pulmonary), and arteries, veins, coronary and portal vessels (systemic). The system is responsible for the flow of blood, nutrients, oxygen and other gases, and as well as hormones to and from cells

Your lungs are have 600 million air pockets -- enough to cover a tennis court.

Surgical procedure of Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy

IMPLANT POCKETS - an educational animation explaining the different implant pockets