Diabetes and virus link confirmed

Childhood diabetes has been linked to enteroviruses, which can lead to cold, flu and even meningitis.

However the review of 26 existing studies by a group in Australia, published in the BMJ, does not prove that the virus causes diabetes.

Diabetes UK said more research was needed to pinpoint the cause of Type 1.

The illness typically appears in childhood, when the pancreas stops producing the hormone insulin and the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood.
More common

The number of cases has been increasing, without explanation, across the globe.

There is a genetic factor to Type 1 diabetes but this does not explain the rise, so scientists are searching for environmental factors.

One of these is thought to be the enterovirus, yet previous studies on the virus have been inconsistent.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales and the Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes in Sydney combined the research of several groups to provide a more definitive answer.

They reviewed 26 sets of research involving 4,448 patients and concluded: "The association between enterovirus infection, detected with molecular methods, and diabetes was strong, with almost 10 times the odds of enterovirus infection in children at diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.

Dr Jonathan Levy, consultant diebetologist at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, said: "It looks to be a very well conducted study that seems to nail the association very dramatically, especially in the newly diagnosed."
The root of the problem

One of the issues with this type of research is that it is hard to prove what causes what.

Enterovirus could cause diabetes, or diabetes could make you more susceptible to enterovirus - or something else, such as genetic makeup, could make you more likely to get both.

The authors acknowledge more studies need to take place.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "Many factors have been reported as being associated with Type 1 diabetes but that is not the same as causing Type 1 diabetes and this report based on looking at a number of previous studies does not bring us much closer to pinpointing the causes of Type 1 diabetes."

"We do, however, welcome any new analysis that brings about a better understanding of the involvement of certain viruses on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

"It may well give us another piece of the jigsaw in working towards a better understanding of the causes of Type 1 diabetes which should in turn lead to new prevention strategies."

Dr Alan Foulis, who has been researching the link between diabetes and viruses at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, said: "There's evidence of enterovirus involvement, but there are too many different enteroviruses, hundreds of them."

"What researchers are trying to do is pool resources across Europe to find out which enteroviruses could be be associated with Type 1, which a vaccine manufacturer would need to know to pinpoint the exact one to target."

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The Different Types Of Incontinence Symptoms Explained

There are different ways to classify incontinence by dividing it between stress and urge related incontinence.

Urge incontinence is a state in which you know that you want to urinate but you just can't hold it to reach the restroom even for a short time. With urge incontinence, you can feel the leakage coming. There's no way to hold it longer, and if you try to run fast to the bathroom, the more likely you are to urinate prematurely. This condition is found after a bladder surgery and also radiation therapy and when females reach the postmenopausal stage. The withdrawal of their estrogen can result in urge incontinence developing.

Stress Incontinence is the most common type of incontinence. Women who have had children may experience this situation because their urinary tract has been compromised during pregnancy and childbirth. The leakage happens when they are sneezing, coughing, and laughing or when lifting a heavy object, which puts pressure in the bladder. Stress incontinence is described as the leakage when abdominal pressure is achieved this is most often caused by surgery and lax pelvic floor muscles.

Overflow incontinence is observed in bladders that are not working well because of the impaired sensation, passage destruction, and poor contractility. This happens when the amount of the urine goes beyond the capacity of the bladder, causing the urine to leak. You may have an unpleasant feeling because you feel that your bladder is never empty.

Some people with incontinence experience longer times in the bathroom because of the unpleasant feeling it gives them. Some people control this when they feel that their bladder is again full. This problem may be caused by physical obstructions and an example of this includes the prostate problems that men encounter.

Reflex incontinence is due to neurological trauma or spinal disease when you only have a little or no sensation at all. Also, you do not have control of the bladder which causes leakage. You may not feel your urine coming but notice that leakage took place before you knew it.

People who suffer with more than one type of incontinence experience mixed type incontinence. This means that you may have stress incontinence that may become functional incontinence. When a patient's symptom does not fall into the types of incontinence as explained above, most definitely, it is considered the mixed type incontinence.

Incontinence may be the result of some surgical procedures brought on by rectal surgery or prostate and caesarean surgery. Treating the different types of incontinence must be decided with a plan. It may take a physical examination, analyzing your medical history and lengthy discussions with your doctor to establish a proper diagnosis.

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Diseases and Conditions: Living With Diabetes

There are many celebrities from all walks of life that are living with diabetes. Comedic actress Mary Tyler Moore, pop singer Nick Jonas, pro football player Jay Cutler, and many others are managing to live a full life with the disease.

Learning that you have diabetes can be an emotional shock that takes some getting used to. But, as mentioned above, many famous people are doing ok, and you can also.

If left untreated, diabetes can cause major health problems. It can cause nerve damage which can lead to blindness and strokes. It can also cause damage to major organs of your body such as your pancreas, liver, and heart. And in cases where the body goes into a hypoglycemic state, it can lead to seizures ,strokes, and brain damage. But none of these things have to happen if you treat the disease properly.

Living with diabetes will require two major adjustments on your part - one psychological, the other physical. Psychologically, you have to learn to accept the fact that you actually have the disease. Many people, when they are first diagnosed, go through a period of depression. Most get over it and learn to adjust. Others find it difficult to get over and can stay in a depressive state for weeks or months. This is a dangerous state to be in which is why it may be good to seek a few counseling sessions with a psychologist or therapist when you are diagnosed. They will be able to recognize any warning signs and help you to get through this phase.
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You'll also have to make physical adjustments. These adjustments include things such as dietary changes, learning to measure your blood sugar levels, possibly learning to inject yourself with insulin, keeping your weight under control, and a host of other things that your doctor will inform you about. You'll also have to learn which foods affect you and learn to avoid or limit certain ones. The goal of all of these physical adjustment will be focused on keeping your blood glucose levels in normal and safe ranges. Your doctor will tell you what that range is and will give you suggestions and help on how to achieve that balance.

At first, the changes may seem daunting and you will resent them. Gradually, however, they will become part of your daily routine and you'll think nothing more or them than other things that you do daily such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, and so on.

The one thing certain about being diagnosed with diabetes is that there will be life style changes. The changes may be small, or they may be huge - the seriousness of your disease will dictate how much change you have to make. But there will be change. To deny or ignore that fact is to basically stick your head in the sands of denial and risk the real possibility of having major health issues further down the road which can't be treated. If you have diabetes, and want to live a relatively normal life, start and continue your treatments as soon as possible.

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Diseases and Conditions: Benefits Of A Diabetes Meal Plan

Diet has a great influence on your odds of developing diabetes. As proof, the number of cases of diabetes diagnosed in a country is very closely correlated with the percentage of people that are obese in that country. Further proof is reflected by the fact that people over the world in countries with relatively low rates of diabetes who migrate here and adopt our eating habits suddenly find that they begin to develop diabetes at approximately the same rate as we do. All of this serves to highlight the fact that, as a culture, Americans tend to have poor eating habits.

For those with diabetes, diet is even more important. It is imperative that they adopt a sensible diabetes meal plan in order to prevent their disease from getting worse. To do that, they have to start to take greater interest in the foods that they eat. A good diabetes meal plan focuses primarily on number of calories in the meal and the percentage of carbohydrates and attempts to keep both of these numbers on the low side.

Many diabetes food plans use an exchange plan to make it easier for the person to follow the diet. In a food plan, foods that are similar are grouped together. At each meal, the person is allowed to take a certain number of portions from each food group. And, within a particular food group, they are allowed to exchange a portion of any one food for any other food. In such a diabetes meal plan, there are 7 groups. They are starches, meats, fruits, milks, vegetables, fats, and carbohydrates (other than bread). An exchange plan gives you a lot of flexibility in planning your diet.

If you have trouble coming up with your own exchange plan, there are many recipe sites on the Internet that can help you out. In just about every city there are also registered dietitians that can help you choose the perfect food plan for yourself.

As a diabetic, before you make any drastic changes to your diet, however, you should consult with your doctor or health professional. You want to be sure that certain foods aren't interfering with any drugs that your doctor may have prescribed. You also want to be sure that the diet changes you are planning to make are nutritionally safe. It's also possible that your doctor, while he may have no objection to your new diet, may still want to monitor you for blood sugar changes, weight gains, or other changes that occur to your body after you have begun your new diet regime.

A good diabetes meal plan will help you to keep your blood glucose levels within controllable ranges. It will also ensure that you have a good balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in your diet. In fact, a good diabetes meal plan is even good for those that don't have the disease.

The main thing with diets is that they have to be practical - to you. They have to be plans that you can comfortably commit to. If you can't, then odds are that you won't stay on it very long.

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Diseases and Conditions: Drug Addiction Treatment Would Not Be A Matter Of Concern Again

When it comes to the discussion of drug addiction then first it should be mentioned that what drug addiction is about; it is a kind of habit which is primarily characterized by a compulsive and unmanageable temptation for drug. This is a chronic and highly complicated disease that usually makes the patients' lives terrible and for them it becomes difficult to focus on other essential day to day activities. Sometimes, in very critical cases, drug addiction can take lives of the addicted persons.

Studies have revealed that prolonged use of drug has very negative effect on the patients' brain functioning. As per the doctors, it is a pathological situation and proper treatments in this situation are essentials. If you or any of your dear ones is suffering from drug addiction then no matter the addiction is prolonged or not, you should not neglect the concern and without any delay should consult with a doctor.

According to the health experts, the actual problem lies with the drug addicts themselves, because in majority of the cases the addicts do not accept their addiction behaviors as a negative habit and threat for the life. That's why this is the responsibility of the near-dear ones of the addicts is to make them understand that they have a very bad habit and the addiction can cause big trouble in the near future. This is the most important factor in addiction treatment. You are suggested that if any of your known persons is suffering from drug addiction then it is the time to intervene the person and make the person realize that how much dangerous the result will be.

After you successfully make the addict convince, you should get him/her in a renowned and reliable drug treatment program. In the present time there are a wide range of treatments available easily, like loort groups, residential treatment and so on.

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Reducing Lood Pressure Naturally - Is It A Good Idea For You?

If you have hypertension then you already know the potential side effects of medication and you're painfully aware of the cost as well. Well you're not alone; after all there are over 60 million Americans that have high blood pressure. But thousands of those have turned to reducing blood pressure naturally not only because it's an effective treatment, but to avoid the dangerous side effects of drugs and of course the life time cost of buying them.

A natural reduction of blood pressure involves changes in lifestyle. The American Heart Association highly endorses this method over the use of medication. If you jump whole hog into this program you'll probably fail unless you have tremendous self discipline. But the good news is you can make incremental changes in the way you live and still see results in a short amount of time. Reducing blood pressure naturally is effective, cheap and leads to a much healthier you.

So what kind of changes are we talking about?

Simple ones. Like making easy changes in what you eat. Diet plays a huge role both in developing hypertension and also in treating it. Making a decision to eat less processed food and more fresh food can mean a drop in both systolic and diastolic pressure within weeks.

You can reduce pressure even faster with 30 minutes of walking or cycling every day. Exercise not only works wonders for your BP but also burns off stress chemicals that linger in your blood and of course ultimately knocks off some pounds as well. And the beauty is you don't even have to do it all at one time. You can break it up into ten minute walks and get the same result. You can do that right?

If you're tired of being trapped by the medicine you owe it to yourself to explore your natural options. Your heart will thank you for it.

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Diseases and Conditions: Do I Have That Or A Different Rash

A lot of fear can come up if you suspect you may have the aids rash due to the virus. For some individuals, two to three weeks after a person has been exposed to AIDS they may see skin eruptions. Not all people will experience this and sometimes the rash appears much later. For some who develop it within a few weeks, it may subsequently disappear only to reappear in future. Remember that AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a late stage of HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus but sometimes people incorrectly see these as identical. The Hiv infection may not lead to AIDS and by taking care of one's immune system from the beginning you'll have the best prognosis. Everyone's body is different and has various challenges with the virus.

If you experience small dark bumps that are raised off the skin slightly that appears on your chest, back, face or neck, it can be a possible sign of this. When people have very light skin, the may be a deep red color or reddish brown hue. Remember that there are hundreds of rashes and that you shouldn't reach conclusions without testing.

Other symptoms usually accompany the aids rash, such as aches and pains in the muscles, diarrhea, a fever, headache and thrush (Candida albicans yeast attacking the mouth). Not everyone though will have these additional symptoms.

In a week or two an aids rash generally goes away on its own. However if you have an underlying cause which is the virus, you still have the the HIV virus. Some find that drinking low sugar elderberry syrup is helpful because it exhibits antiviral qualities.

When a physician fails to determine the cause of any rash, they generally with prescribe corticosteroids. These block histamines and stop allergic responses. This can help inflammation but may not be the correct treatment for one's rash depending on the underlying cause.

Because there are many various types of rashes, testing is the only way to know if you have the HIV virus. People can even get stress rashes just from worrying about a medical diagnosis. In certain cases where the rash is a circle that radiates outwards that's a kind of ringworm fungus which is called Tinea Corporis. It's very similar to the fungus that causes athlete's feet, which is called Tinea Pedis. All of those are treated with antifungals. Rashes can be caused by fungus, yeast or bacterial infection such as impetigo or strep rash. There are also viral rashes such as herpes zoster which is shingles and due to the chicken pox virus one had in the past. Stress can also effect our bodies and we can get rashes from anxiety.

Don't assume if you've been exposed to someone with HIV that you have the aids rash. If you do have a rash though, seek medical attention to get it diagnosed. Living in fear is very stressful and fortunately there are very effective measures now for treating the HIV virus enabling people to live long and productive lives.

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Diseases and Conditions: Treating Diabetes

Every day, scientists and researchers continue to get closer to finding a cure for diabetes. In the meantime, however, the focus must remain on treating diabetes and its symptoms.

Diabetes is a chronic disease. That is, once you have been diagnosed with it, you will essentially have to be treated for it the rest of your life. Fortunately, unlike in years past, we now have a variety of treatments available that can enable a diabetic to live an almost normal life with relatively few inconveniences.

Treating diabetes basically comes down to managing the disease. For most people, this means making a change to their lifestyle. And as a diabetic, the primary and most important lifestyle change that you will have to make is to begin to pay attention to your blood glucose levels.

Monitor Blood Glucose Level - You really don't know how you're doing in managing your day-to-day diabetes unless you periodically measure your glucose levels. You should monitor your levels as much as your doctor instructs you to. Normally this will be before meals, after meals, immediately upon rising, and before going to bed. Most blood glucose meters keep records of the readings over a period of time. This can be very helpful to your physician as it lets him judge how effective his prescribed treatments are working as well as giving him an opportunity to make course corrections on your medications and the like.

Medications - There are a number of medications that can help you to control your blood sugar. If you are don't like to take injections, there are oral medications that your doctor may be able to prescribe for you. Your physician may also be able to suggest natural herbs that can help your condition as well. The important thing is to always let your doctor know what alternative treatments you are taking. There are basically two types of diabetes drugs. Some drugs work by slowing down the rate at which starches break down to glucose. Other work by helping your body to more effectively make use of the glucose. Your doctor, in collaboration with you will decide which type of drug is best for you.

Begin to Eating Healthy Meals - When diagnosed with diabetes, this should be one of the first changes that you make. Your diet is something that you can do on your own and something that you have complete control of. In particular, modify your diet so that you are eating more foods that don't cause your blood sugar to fluctuate to extremes. Use the glycemic index to find foods that are both healthy and that cause only moderate increases in your blood sugar levels.

Start Exercising - It's long been known that exercise can help diabetics to control their blood sugar. As you exercise, the body uses the blood sugar to provide energy. In the process, it lowers your blood glucose levels. Regular activity will also help to keep your weight down which is another factor that diabetics, in particular, need to control.

The hope is that as time passes, your lifestyle changes will become so habitual to you that they become part of your normal daily routine and no longer are seen as impositions.

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Detecting Std Symptoms For Women

In this day and age, sexual awareness usually begins with the young females. Since the female body tends to mature far earlier than the males, the reproductive system of young women are capable of bearing children when she has already experienced her first menstruation. This is also why at such a young age women may already be experienced sexually. Being so, this puts women at even more risk of acquiring numerous Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STDs.

Another thing to consider is that the female reproductive organs are not external as compared to the men. That is why most symptoms of STDs in women may be hard to detect or may sometimes not appear at all. Some women may even be asymptomatic—meaning they do not show any symptoms of the disease—but be very potent carriers of the microorganism that causes the STD.

Another difficulty when it comes to detecting STD symptoms in women is that most of the symptoms can be mistaken for other more common diseases. Some yeast infections may very well be the beginning signs of Chlamydia. That pimple or bump that you see on your genitals may only look like a badly placed pimple but in actuality is already a sign of Syphilis. You cannot know for sure what these simple symptoms may be and the only way to confirm this easily is by undergoing an STD examination at your local STD clinic.

Once a woman is deemed sexually active, it is clearly advisable that she should get regular and routine check-ups at the nearest STD clinic. It is best to get these exams a few days before or after sexual contact and intercourse. Before, so that you are sure that you are clean and will not pass on the disease to your partner and after since symptoms in women—if they do happen to appear—will not show itself until after a couple of days or weeks since the initial exposure. Symptoms that do manifest are merely signs that your body is trying to protect itself from foreign organisms that are trying to overtake the body.

As a counter measure to this, be sure to seek consult regularly especially if you are at a high risk or had sex with someone that is high risk. One of the most common symptoms of any STD is pain during urination, pain while engaging in sexual intercourse, bleeding between periods and sore throat. Mostly, these symptoms can be very well mistaken as a part of another illness and that is why they are dangerous; you never know that they might be very dangerous STDs just lying in the wait.

Another that you should take note of is that for women, STD symptoms rarely appear. It means that you might be infected but will not show any symptoms so you will never know that you have them in the first place! Truly the best solution for this is to get tested every now and then at the nearest STD testing centers in your vicinity.

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Dental Care: How To Get Dental Financing

Most of the people who want to get an extensive dental treatment done, for whatever reason, get deterred by the scary thought of the huge bills that they may incur, if they plan to go ahead. Seeking a dental treatment however may not be for cosmetic reasons alone, a situation which can be somehow ignored or delayed. A person may be required to go through certain dental procedures which are medically needed. What does a person do then?

Dental financing..........the best way!

Treatments should be such which can be afforded with least financial burden on the person's pocket. Here's where dental financing comes to play its role. Just as in today's world there is an easy loan available for anything and everything we buy, there are dental loans which come with on easy repay back schemes for the patients.

So what are DENTAL LOANS

Most of the countries around the world are having companies which are ready to lend out credit to patients once the case is proved genuine. All the patient does is visit his trusted dentist, collects an estimate of the entire procedure and communicate it to the financing company. Most of these companies immediately approve of the loan, of course keeping the repay back guarantee of the patient in their records. Almost any kind of dental procedure can be easily financed this way.

These loans are given generally as a down payment to the dentist, which is of course the biggest lure why most of the dental surgeons are more than ready to co-operate. For the dental surgeon the loan comes as an immediate payment for his hard work and for the patient the loan gives him a breathing space required to pay back. The loans thus create a WIN-WIN situation on both the sides.

DENTAL INSURANCE.............another good bet

In some countries across the world apart from the dental loans there is something known as Dental Insurance. Like any other insurance cover this also works annually where the person registers himself as the sole beneficiary of the scheme. Of course the insurance has to be maintained by paying regular premiums. Dental insurance is different in different countries, though the basic norms remain uniform across the globe. The insurance cover is a payment guarantee on the part of the expense incurred during the course of treatment and comes in very handy in emergency situations. Most insurance companies demand a low premium and can be selected easily just by surfing the net.

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Diseases and Conditions: Psoriasis Treatment And Effective Natural Home Remedies For Psoriasis

Psoriasis, a chronic, noncontiguous immune situation that causes patchy scales to develop all over a person's body, affects about five percent of all Americans. Various types of psoriasis exist, but the most common form is called sign psoriasis. Understanding the differences among each form of psoriasis can help you better treat your symptoms. Psoriasis is a fairly common skin condition and is expected to affect approximately 1%-3% of the U.S. population. It currently affects roughly 7.5 million to 8.5 million people in the U.S. It is seen worldwide in about 125 million people.

Prescription medicines can help control psoriasis but they need to be watchfully administer by a qualified physician as to avoid hardness on liver, which, when impair, is actually considered to be the reason of psoriasis. The skin becomes either crusty or discharge and can be easily infected.

Psoriasis victims are typically seen to have high levels of polyamines which are an adverse poisonous form of amino acid that is produced while the body digests poor protein, a cause of food sensitivities.

•  Plaques: Plaques are often elevated from the skin. The shape varies from oval to irregular and smaller plaques can merge together.
• Color: Psoriasis lesions usually have a distinctive red color.
• Scales: The scales that cover the plaques or lesions are usually white or silverfish. The thickness of the scales may vary and if removed, reveal skin underneath the appears shiny.
• Scalp: When psoriasis develops on the scalp, it can appear to be dry and crusted, and is often mistake for seborrhea dermatitis. However, in seborrhea dermatitis, the scales are greasy, not dry

Another early symptom of psoriasis is areas of redness. This is the start of the rash and the skin will often feel rough and almost cobblestoned. This is when most patients start to notice the itch. Many people are so frustrated by the itching sensation that they sometimes scratch the skin surface until it bleeds. Of course, it doesn't help that with the pain, you may not notice the skin break until it's too late.

Home Remedies for Psoriasis: -

• Cabbage soup is also an effective home remedy for psoriasis. Drink one bowl of it everyday.
• Boil some soap nut (shikakai) in water and apply on the affected parts. This will also gives relief from psoriasis.
• Sesame seeds (til) are also used for the treatment of various skin-related diseases. Take 15-20 sesame seeds and soak in a glass of water. Keep it overnight and drink in empty stomach early in the morning.
•  (Cashewnut Oil) The oil extracted from the outer shell of the cashew nut is acrid and rubefacient it can be applied beneficially on the affected area.
• Add foods that are rich in Vitamins A, B complex, D, and E to the diet
• Cover a fresh thin banana leaf on the affected part. This is very effective in curing psoriasis.
• Relax and enjoy pampering your skin and scalp! Positive thinking is proven to be a quite effective method of reparation.

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Cancer Risk Factor and Nutrition

As we know, cancer can be an emotionally devastating issue; this is not only to you as a sufferer but to your family and friends. There are some anticancer recommendations and daily food intake that can minimize cancer risk.
While chemotherapy and radiation can kill cancer cells, these therapies are general toxins against the toxic effects of chemo and radiation, thus making the cancer cells more vulnerable to the medicine. Proper nutrition can make chemo and radiation more of a selective toxin against the cancer and less damaging to the patient.
Most of us eats too much, and specifically eats too much meat, too much fat, too much cholesterol, too much sugar, and too much salt. The diet is found to be lacking in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Uncontrolled Diet and nutrition appear to be key factors in higher cancer risk. Tobacco is a factor in of human cancers. Other known risk factors associated with the development of cancer are alcohol, chemicals, drugs, and other environmental factors. You have total control over most of these risk factors, including the major two, diet and tobacco.
One of the key nutrition that a person needs to maintain constantly is protein intake to avoid cancer. Averagely a healthy man weighing 140 pounds requires about 28 - 30 grams of protein per day as recommended by doctor. The source of protein can be obtained from fish, cow's milk, soybeans and beef. A balance intake of daily protein intake is one of the key factors to minimize cancer risk.

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Buying good Rugby Boots

There is a good range of sites to buy rugby boots online, but maybe you don’t have the experience, or expertise to buy from home without the help of the store assistant? This article will help you with the key purchasing decisions when looking to buy some new rugby boots online.
Should you buy High Cut Boots?
You don’t see high cut rugby boots on modern professional rugby players. However, high cut boots are a very good option for locks. They offer greater ankle support, which is great for improving balance in the tight five and scrum. Some players, even second rowers just prefer to wear low cut boots because of the added comfort; however, it is worth trying on a pair of high cut boots if you play as a lock or tight five. Most other players will value the freedom and light weight of low cut boots. High cuts are much heavier so are not suitable for backs.
What length studs should I buy?
When looking at studs for your rugby boots, you need to consider the playing conditions, where you play most of your rugby. Longer and more studs will be useful if you often play in wet conditions. They will provide better grip and traction in wet conditions. Shorter and less studs will be better for dryer conditions where the ground is harder. You don’t want studs to dig into your feet, and on dry hard conditions long studs can be very bad for your ankles and support, not to mention the comfort issues of having the studs dig into your feet.
Are leather boots better than synthetic?
Leather, if looked after will last for longer, however, it is also heavier in most cases. A modern synthetic boot will also last for a few seasons if looked after, however, cheaper synthetic boots can fall apart easily, and can become water logged and heavy if you play in wet conditions. I would seriously consider leather if I played most of my rugby in wet conditions.

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6 Reasons to Review Your Business Terms and Conditions

In the recession, more than ever, any well run business needs to ensure that they are getting paid on time. Cash is king and to get your money in your bank account at the earliest opportunity, you need really clear terms and conditions. You may be surprised by how little it costs for an experienced business solicitor to draft tight terms and conditions for you. Here are some issues you and your solicitor may want to consider:
1. Make sure that it is your terms and conditions that govern the performance of the contract - not those of your client or customer.
2. Make clear when payment for goods or services is required - this is well worth checking. You may find your current payment terms are far too generous. It's not uncommon for businesses to state payment is due 30 days after the end of the calendar month when the invoice was sent - that could mean a delay of up to two months before you can even chase for your own money. Reducing your credit period to perhaps just 14 days from the date of invoice could make a huge difference to your cash flow.
3. Don't forget that you have a legal right to charge interest on unpaid bills - it's always good, however, to include details of such interest charges in your terms and conditions.
4. Don't rely on a verbal contract - it might prove binding. Be aware that verbal contract agreements are enforceable in certain circumstances. You will be much better off if you make sure that your written terms govern any agreement.
5. Check that your terms and conditions are both clear and easy to understand. Whilst you may be able to rely on your terms and conditions in any court case, the value of a transaction may mean it is simply not worth taking legal proceedings - and the whole point of clear terms and conditions is to avoid problems arising in the first place.
6. Ensure that your client or customer is aware of your terms and conditions. There is little point in hiding your terms and conditions away where they will never be read. Making sure your clients or customers are fully aware of your terms and conditions will significantly reduce the risk of any subsequent disagreement between you.
Making sure that you have the right terms and conditions for your business is a critical element in preparing to make the most of the economic recovery. If you haven't got these six points covered, do have a word with an experienced business solicitor.

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Swine Flu Vigilance Stokes Seasonal Vaccine Shortage in U.S

Fear of pandemic swine flu has heightened public vigilance in the U.S. against seasonal influenza as well, causing vaccine shortages at doctors' offices, clinics and retail drugstores.
Swine flu and seasonal influenza strains, which carry similar symptoms and outcomes, may circulate concurrently in the U.S. for the first time beginning this month, normally the official start of the flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Both types of flu require separate vaccinations that can be given at the same time, government health officials said on Oct. 9.
The swine flu is caused by H1NI strain of flu virus. When both the H1N1 strain and H3N2 subtype of the virus infected 22-old day pigs "the results demonstrated that both virus subtypes were able to induce flu-like symptoms and lung lesions in weanling pigs", according to Roongroje Thanawongnuwech. H1N1 virus is usually contracted by those who have close contact with the animals, but you can not get H1N1 virus from pork products.
The symptoms of swine flu in humans are mild. Although the symptoms are similar to those of the regular flu, such as fever, chills, body aches and coughing, they are no worse than regular flu symptoms.
Swine flu is treatable. However, about 4,500 people have died of it since the virus emerged in April, the World Health Organization reported last week. More than 600 of those deaths are from the U.S., according to the CDC Web site.
References:
-    Bloomberg (2009, Oct 12)
-    Baylor Health Care System (2009, April 30). Science Daily
-    BioMed Central (2009, May 12). Science Daily

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