Hair loss is a common problem amongst women, some suffer from general hair loss others to the extreme of going bald.

There could be a number of reasons for this, but one thing is for sure it affects their confidence more as the old saying goes a woman’s hair is her crowning glory and is of great importance to most women. Its not only a natural set back but an enormous part of her self-esteem.

Some reasons for this hair loss in women could be stress related, others could be pregnancy, surgery, infections anorexia or crash dieting, thyroid hormone deficiency to name but a few.

Hair loss in many of these cases is usually a temporary one so don’t be too alarmed, so take any prescribed medication you have been given for this and follow a diet which is full of vitamins, proteins and minerals and in time your hair will grow back as healthy and beautiful as it was before.

The pattern of hair loss in women is very different to men, its quite common for a man to go bald but in women it is more rare.

The most common type of hair loss for women is the thinning mainly around the crown and forehead and is believed to start when a woman reaches her forties.

It can also occur at the start of the menopause around 13% of women suffer from this as opposed to 37% post menopause, this is according to clinical trials.

As women grow older the Estrogen level in her body drops, and the estrogen, which usually blocks the steroid hormone pr-menopause thus resulting in a low level of DHT, in post menopause the level of DHT rises and in many cases is so high it can also cause hair problems.

Most commonly the post menopause symptoms are a lack of growth and thinning of the hair and once a woman reaches her 80’s the follicle then shrinks and hair growth stops completely.

One of the main reasons for hair loss after post menopause is because the level of estrogen falls and the estrogen opposes the androgens therefore becoming unavailable and blocking the androgen receptors.

Opposing estrogens are largely reduced at the onset of the menopause but the androgens remain available to the hair follicle and the stem cells, which are then converted to DHT.

Another common problem is Androgenic Alopecia whereby the hair starts to thin and then eventually falls out completely, this can sometimes be hereditary so be sure to seek medical help for this complaint.

Listed below are some more of the more common reasons for hair loss in women:

Triangular Alopecia - this condition is when the hair around the temples is lost.

Telogen Effluvium - This is usually when the woman is suffering from a bad diet, stress or drug related.

Alopecia Areata - Due to Autoimmune the hair becomes patchy and sometimes hair from the eyebrows or other parts of the body start to loose hair too.

Scarring Alopecia - This usually occurs when a woman is or has been subject to some kind of physical trauma.

Loose Anagen Syndrome - This type of disease is found more commonly in women that are fair haired, small clumps of hair may fall out whilst shampooing or brushing the hair.

Trichtotillomania - This is believed to be a result of stress or another type of physiological disorder.

Traction Alopecia- This usually occurs when the hair is for instance platted on a regular basis; it causes continuous pressure and tightening on the hair follicles.

Finally if you are a woman who is currently suffering from any of these problems firstly seek medical advice and begin a diet, which has a rich nutritional content.

A biomedical researcher at the University of Central Florida, (UCF) has developed the first low-cost vaccine capable of eradicating malaria and cholera. He accomplished this feat by using botanical techniques to grow the vaccine, which was later injected into experimental mice. The use of plants to develop the vaccine made it very cheap to produce, which is great news for peoples of developing and underdeveloped countries, who will not have any problem buying this vaccine, (UCF). The plant-grown vaccine is very cheap to develop because it requires less labor and technology, (UCF).

Currently there is no FDA-approved vaccine capable of preventing malaria, (UCF). What is malaria? According to Dorland’s Medical Dictionary (DMD), malaria is a serious infectious disease seen in many warm regions of the world, caused by the protozoal parasite Plasmodium, and is transmitted by mosquito of the Anopheles genus. Malaria is one of the world’s leading causes of death, although the majority of patients recover after becoming infected with the malaria parasite, (DMD).

When a mosquito bites an infected person, it sucks up blood infected with the malaria parasite residing in the person, then directly transmit it into the bloodstream of the next person the mosquito bites. While inside the infected human, the parasites enter liver cells first and then the bloodstream, where they penetrate red blood cells (erythrocytes). They later burst out of the red blood cells-rupturing them after several reproductive cycles. This is when symptoms of chills and a fever of 104 degrees and above occur, (DMD). Malaria kills over 1 million people annually, (UCF).

There is only one vaccine in existence to fight cholera, (UCF). However, it is too expensive for people of developing or underdeveloped countries to afford. So, outbreaks commonly occur in these countries after floods or other natural disasters because people are unable to buy the vaccine. So, children lose immunity after three years of getting the vaccine if they did get it in the first place, (UCF).

What exactly is cholera? Cholera is a sometimes-fatal acute infectious inflammatory disease of the intestine. It is prevalent in Asia, and is caused by Vibrio cholerae, (DMD). The disease is characterized by severe diarrhea, and vomiting, causing extreme fluid and electrolyte loss, accompanied by muscle cramping and weakness, (DMD). It is sometimes called Asiatic cholera, (DMD).

These diseases are definitely serious health challenges posed to the unlucky peoples of developing world. So, any medical advances that tackle diseases commonly found in their environment, brings great hope for these people. With all this said, what exactly is the process by which plants are used genetically to develop the malaria-cholera vaccine? What plants are involved? Are they familiar to us?

The research team used genetically engineered tobacco and lettuce plants to produce the malaria and cholera vaccine. The team injected mice with freeze-dried plant cells containing the vaccine. The scientists also introduced the freeze-dried plant cells containing the vaccine orally to mice, and then exposed the mice to the cholera toxin and the malaria parasite, (UCF). Mice that did not receive the vaccine were also exposed to the cholera toxin and the malaria parasite. The mice that were injected with the vaccine did not contract cholera infection or malaria. However, mice that did not receive vaccination treatment were sickened very quickly by both diseases. The interesting thing is that mice that were treated with the plant-grown vaccine, showed long lasting immunity for more than 300 days, which is equivalent to 50 years in human, (UCF).

Mankind could be onto something big here. Not only is the development of the malaria-cholera vaccine ground breaking, but it is also very inexpensive to produce. This bode well for people of underdeveloped or developing countries because they will be able to pay for the vaccine very easily.

1. Keep a current and comprehensive list of all of the medications you are taking. Include not only those obtained by prescription, but also over-the-counter medications such as cold remedies, aspirin, vitamins and herbal supplements. On this list, also include any allergies you have to medications, and any other allergies you have.
2. Whether you use one or multiple pharmacists, be sure that all have a copy of your medications list (see #1).
3. When you go to any doctor, give the doctor a copy of your medications list (see #1).
4. When a doctor gives you a written prescription, ask him the name of the medication, its purpose, and dosage. Have him point to the information on the prescription paper. In haste, sometimes a doctor may forget to write the “milligrams” or “frequency,” etc. By having him “read” the prescription to you, he will catch any information accidentally skipped.
5. If you can’t read the doctor’s handwriting on the prescription, there is high likelihood that the pharmacist won’t be able to either. Is the number a “7″ or a “2″? Is your name spelled clearly and correctly? Politely ask the doctor to rewrite the prescription to ensure the pharmacist can follow the instructions. If the doctor is insulted, just tell him you’re trying to save him or his staff the time of returning a pharmacist’s phone call later on to clarify the prescription. This request is also crucial because often a doctor’s nurse will handle pharmacy calls, and she may misread the doctor’s illegible handwriting which could result in your getting the wrong medicine.
6. Ask your doctor “What are the common side effects of this medication?” This will make you aware of potential complications.
7. Ask your doctor: “What should I do if I experience any of the side effects you named or others?” This will give you a clear action plan, rather than waiting out what could be precious time to see if the side effects dissipate or the potential panic of trying to obtain medical care quickly.
8. Ask your doctor: “Do I need to take this medication with or without food?” A drug-food interaction can occur if directions are not properly followed; the food you do or do not eat can affect the ingredients in a medicine you are taking so the medicine cannot work the way it should. For example, taking some medicines at the same time that you eat may interfere with the way your stomach and intestines absorb it. The food may delay or decrease the absorption of the drug. On the other hand, some medicines are easier to tolerate when taken with food.
9. Ask your doctor: “Will or can this drug interfere with any of the other medications I take?” (Be certain he has your most recent medications list.) Your doctor may need to make adjustments to prevent potential problems. For supplemental information, there are a variety of internet sites in which you can research drug interactions.
10. Keep a photocopy of the prescription for yourself. You can ask the doctor’s front office staff to make a copy for you when you check-out.
11. When you pick up your medicine at the drugstore (or receive it in the mail), refer to your photocopy of the prescription to make sure it is what the doctor ordered.
12. If you use a drugstore, when you pick up the medicine and the pharmacist inquires if you have any questions, ask the pharmacist to go over the medicine and dosage requirements. Even though your doctor already provided this explanation, hearing the information a second time will only help ensure you take the medication safely and accurately.
13. Don’t mix medicine into hot drinks because the heat may keep the drug from working. And, never take medicine with alcoholic drinks.
14. Don’t stop taking your medication just because you “feel better.” Complete the entire required dosage (unless instructed otherwise by your physician). If you arbitrarily quit, there is high probability your symptoms or illness will return.