Menopause

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because the woman's ovary stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year. Changes and symptoms can start several years earlier. They include

• A change in periods - shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, with more or less time in between
• Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Trouble sleeping
• Vaginal dryness
• Mood swings
• Trouble focusing
• Less hair on head, more on face

Some symptoms require treatment. Talk to your doctor about how to best manage menopause. Make sure the doctor knows your medical history and your family medical history. This includes whether you are at risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, or breast cancer.

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Sources: Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

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Vasectomy

Vasectomy is a type of surgery that prevents a man from being able to get a woman pregnant. It is a permanent form of birth control.

Vasectomy works by blocking the tube through which sperm pass. The surgery usually takes no more than 30 minutes. Almost all men go home the same day. In most cases, recovery takes less than a week.

Vasectomy can sometimes be reversed, but not always. Having a vasectomy does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Men who have had vasectomy should still practice safe sex to avoid STDs.

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sources; NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

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Cosmetics

Cosmetics are products you apply to your body to clean it, make it more attractive, or change the way it looks. They include

• Hair dyes
• Makeup
• Perfumes
• Skin-care creams

Cosmetics that treat or prevent diseases are also drugs. Products such as dandruff shampoo, fluoride toothpaste, and antiperspirant deodorant are both cosmetics and drugs. A good way to tell if you're buying a cosmetic that is also a drug is to see if the first ingredient listed is an "active ingredient." The active ingredient is the chemical that makes the product effective. The manufacturer must have proof that it's safe for its intended use.

Cosmetics can cause allergic reactions. The first sign is often red and irritated skin. Fragrances and preservatives are the most common causes of skin problems.

To find out all the ingredients in a cosmetic you use, check the container. Manufacturers are required to list them. Labels such as "natural" and "hypoallergenic" have no official meaning. Companies can use them to mean whatever they want.

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sources:MedlinePlus

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Breast Cancer

Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer. No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors. Risks that you cannot change include

• Age - the chance of getting breast cancer rises as a woman gets older
• Genes - there are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that greatly increase the risk. Women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested.
• Personal factors - beginning periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55

Other risks include being overweight, using hormone replacement therapy (also called menopausal hormone therapy), taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, not having children or having your first child after age 35 or having dense breasts.

Symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in size or shape of the breast or discharge from a nipple. Breast self-exam and mammographycan help find breast cancer early when it is most treatable. Treatment may consist of radiation, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

Men can have breast cancer, too, but the number of cases is small.

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Sources; NIH: National Cancer Institute

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Zero Waste

Trying to minimize production of waste, kitchen leftovers are fed to the animals kept in the "back to nature" complex.

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Old View

A woman looks at 3-D projections of the inside of the Titanic on display in the new Titanic Belfast Center in Belfast, Ireland.

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Partly Veiled

One of Nico's nude photos which explore women wearing peculiar objects on their heads.

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Skyfall

Daniel Craig with Naomie Harris (left) and Berenice Marlohe from Skyfall.

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Offstage

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue took to the crowd during a lively set.

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Counter Offer

A teller at Bank Victoria Syariah serves a customer at the bank's branch in Permata Senayan Jakarta, on Monday. Bank Victoria has sealed deals to cooperate with Western Union on remittance services and with Bank Mandiri on a haj computerization system.

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Flight

A swift passes the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The small black birds spend the spring in Jerusalem's Old City.

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Lit

A man demonstrates how a lamp can be fueled by biogas collected from the waste of cows.

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