Chronic scleroderma

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What is Scleroderma? - Scleroderma is a chronic disease characterized by excessive deposits of collagen. In order to better understand Scleroderma it helps if you have some understanding as to what collagen is.

What is Collagen? - Collagen is a fibrous protein that occurrsn bone, cartilage and connective tissue. It is a major structural protein that forms molecular cables to strengthen the tendons and vast, resilient sheets that support the skin and internal organs. There is no organ or tissue which does not have collagen. Collagen acts as the important support structure in tissues around which cells live and function. Elements of our body such as bones and teeth are made by adding mineral crystals to collagen.

Scleroderma directly affects the skin, and in sometimes in more severe cases, it can affect the blood vessels and internal organs of the body. The most visible scleroderma symptom is the hardening of skin and associated scarring that goes along with it. This hardened skin will normally appear reddish or scaly in appearance. Often times this will allow blood vessels to be more visible.

The most serious aspect of the disease to take into account are: The total area that is covered, and the the level of internal involvement that is taking place. These are important to consider because a patient that only has minor coverage is much less likely to have damange to internal organs and tissues as someone with larger coverage.

Almost certainly, in cases where an entire limb is affected, future use of that limb will be jeopardized. If the coverage is over the torse, the heart and lungs will be affected which is more severe, than lets say an arm. Often times, internal scarring will occur which is more complicated and cannot simply be seen by the naked eye.

New resource for information on genetic or rare diseases

An unexpected diagnosis of a serious illness often comes as a shock to people receiving the news, as well as their families and friends. When the disease is rare or genetic, information is hard to find and even harder to understand. Patients and their loved ones may waste hours sorting through outdated, unreliable information before finding anything useful.

To help in these situations, the National Institutes of Health has established the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD). Funded by the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute and the Office of Rare Diseases, the Center is staffed by information specialists, many of whom have experience in genetic counseling. They've provided up-to-date and accurate, personalized information about almost 4,000 genetic and rare diseases.

Since February 2002, GARD staff members have responded to more than 12,000 inquiries on rare and genetic diseases. These inquiries come from patients, their families and friends, health care professionals, teachers, researchers and others in either English or Spanish.

GARD's impact can be measured by more than statistics. Many of those who have taken advantage of this free service have responded enthusiastically. For example, "...thank you very much for the time, energy and expertise that went into gathering these resources for me...," a middle school counselor recently commented. "I have read through the material and have found it to be very helpful."

Patients and their families often contact GARD seeking referrals to health care professionals or asking for recommendations for treatment or medical management. GARD, as an arm of the federal government, cannot provide this type of information. Instead, GARD information specialists direct inquirers to resources that give treatment information; e. g., journal articles or clinical trials. GARD also does not provide genetic counseling or diagnostic testing, but will point inquirers to information about such services.

What s your passion

Okay, you've decided you want to make money with Affiliate Marketing. So, you join some affiliate programs and start submitting free ads to newsletters and free advertising classifieds sites. You're going to make BIG money now -- right?

Nope! Sorry! Just sending out a few ads is not going to do it. Not if you want to be a real success.

You must first determine your passion. I mean other than making the money! What is your hobby? What do you know how to do REALLY well? What is your job? Everyone has something that is their own special talent. Find yours.

You probably have more than one thing that you are very interested in and do well. See if you can find five (ten if you're really ambitious). Write them down in a list. Remember, you are going to be spending a lot of time working with this subject. Make sure you enjoy it!

Go down each item on your list. Start writing a rough outline of everything you know about the topic. It doesn't have to be elaborate. This is just to give you an idea of how much information is available for a given subject.

Try mind mapping. Write down the main subject of your idea. Draw a circle around it. Now, start thinking of sub-categories that are related to your main category. Draw a line from your main category and end it with a circle. Put the sub-category title inside this circle. Find as many sub-categories (and sub-sub-categories) as you can.

Go through each of your interests with this procedure. Choose the one that you know the most about and that you can write about comfortably.

What if you "think" you don't know enough about your topic? Then, do some research. Read books and magazines. Do some searches on the Internet. Who knows? You might find an area, a niche, that is just waiting for you to fill it with useful information.

There's a lot more to affiliate marketing, of course. But the first step is to find your passion. Your "passion" doesn't have to be making money on the Internet. It can be cooking, sewing, billiards, or whatever. In fact, it's better if you find a niche that isn't in the online marketing arena because that's what nearly everyone else is doing.

Make your topic unique. Make it yours. And make it your passion. It will pay you well.