Important Health and Medical Topics 5





At Home Dna Testing
Used in high-profile criminal investigations and paternity cases, deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly known as DNA, testing has now been popularized to prove relationships between individuals. The evolution of the test in past years has turned DNA testing into a popular tool for determining ancestry. The test also helps in determining if two people are related or descend from the same ancestor. Although DNA has been around for many years now, the cost has dropped enough to be affordable to average individuals interested in tracing their roots.

Cost Of Dna Testing
DNA testing is the most reliable method of testing the true identity of a person, especially for establishing the accurate parental identity of a child. As most DNA tests are legally binding, such tests can be used in trials as evidence to convict murderers or establish the paternity of a child. Costs for DNA testing generally vary from lab to lab depending upon the size and condition of the sample to be tested, as well as on the usage of the test. For instance, a DNA test for paternity analysis costs somewhere in the region of $200; however, if the test is required for a paternity suit the cost might go up to $500 or $600.

Dna Testing
In the year 1980, investigation agencies ushered in the age of DNA testing that permitted investigators to perform astonishing feats for identifying people. The technological advancement of the present day allows a person to be differentiated from others with the examination of a single hair root. DNA profiles are now widely used in resolving issues of parentage, not only in human beings but also in animals.

Dna Testing Center
DNA testing centers not only provide DNA analysis and testing services such as paternity testing and DNA banking but also offer counseling for researching biological relationships. These centers process samples through accredited laboratories for determining biological relationships and giving highly accurate test results. Some of the popular DNA testing centers are GeneTree, Childsafetyaid, DNA Testing Center of America and Atlanta DNA Center Inc., among others.

Dna Testing Services
DNA testing centers provide service-oriented DNA analysis for determining biological relationships through DNA paternity testing, DNA genealogy and anthropology testing and sibling DNA testing, and other peripheral services like DNA banking and ID services and DNA detective testing services, among others.

Free Dna Testing
The majority of the companies offering DNA testing services provide DNA analysis and counseling for researching biological relationships. Most of these laboratories offer DNA testing kits at no charge for potential customers, in order to improvise on their database.

Paternity Dna Testing
Paternity DNA testing is a reliable way to determine the true paternal identity of a child, and generally provides 99.9% accurate results. Paternal DNA testing is legally binding and can be used to solve legal issues surrounding the true birth parents of a child, such as alimony, visitation, etc.

Sibling Dna Testing
Sibling DNA testing is designed to determine sibling genetic relationships. Such tests establish the statistical probability of whether the siblings share the same two parents. A DNA sibling test can be performed to analyze the relationship of biological siblings by collecting samples from both siblings; however, including one common parent increases the accuracy of this type of analysis, and is highly recommended.

Baby Eczema
Eczema affects between ten and twenty percent of all babies in the United States. In the majority of these cases, the condition resolves by the time they reach two years of age. In some babies, eczema becomes chronic and may continue into adulthood.

Cure For Eczema
At present, there is no known cure for eczema. While between ten and twenty percent of all babies in the United States suffer from eczema, most of them are free of the condition by the age of two. The reason for this is not well understood. What is known is that, depending on the type of eczema, several steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of future episodes.

Dyshidrotic Eczema
Dyshidrotic eczema is a chronic, recurring type of eczema that affects the hands and feet. Small, clear bubble-like vesicles appear in these regions during an episode and tend to be symmetrically distributed. While the palms and soles are most heavily involved, vesicles may also appear on the sides of fingers or toes. In about 80 percent of patients, only the hands are affected. In ten percent, only the feet are affected. In the remainder, both hands and feet are affected.

Eczema
Eczema is a group of skin conditions characterized by inflammation and irritation. Itching is the most common symptom in all types of eczema. The skin may appear dry, scaly or red. In darker-skinned people, the affected skin may change color. While any part of the body can become affected, the face, wrists, elbows and knees are most commonly involved. Between 10 and 20 percent of infants in the United States suffer from eczema, but most outgrow the condition by their second birthday. In the remainder, eczema can be a chronic and even lifelong condition.

Eczema Causes
While the immune system is involved in some way, the exact cause of eczema is unknown. Typically, contact with some external allergen triggers an allergic reaction, leading to the typical skin symptoms and changes seen in eczema. This contact may occur once and result in symptoms, or may be repeated over a long period of time, with cumulative exposure finally resulting in eczema.

Eczema Creams
Skin dryness is common in eczema. Using moisturizing lotions alone may not suffice to keep skin adequately hydrated; creams or ointments that lubricate the skin may be needed instead. Creams and ointments are both heavier than lotions, and act by creating a seal over the skin, thus preventing the loss of water. Skin lubricants should be used every day, and applied all over the body for maximum effect. They should be applied within three minutes of bathing, and after a steroid cream if one is also being applied. Some brands of lubricant creams are Eucerin, Lubriderm and Cetaphil. For more severe dry skin, ointments such as Aquaphor can be used.

Eczema Treatments
Eczema treatment is typically dictated by the severity of the condition and the detection of an underlying trigger. In mild to moderate cases, attention to skin care may help alleviate much of the itching and dryness. Bathing in lukewarm water instead of hot water and air-drying the skin after bathing can help reduce dryness. Many doctors recommend that eczema patients use hypoallergenic bath and skin products. Tar products can help extremely dry and thickened skin heal faster. Immediate moisturizing, within a couple of minutes of bathing, also helps reduce dryness. Oral antihistamines are often used to decrease itching; they may be particularly helpful for the relief of nighttime itching. Ultraviolet phototherapy, with or without a drug called psoralen, can also be used in mild to moderate cases in older children and adults.

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