my godfather has a freckle that he feels has grown it looks normal to me and its brownish in color and symetrical in shape , ovalish ,

Any change of color, shape, or size

My 23 year old daughter had a new mole that hurt.
It looked symmetrical and it was small.
It bothered her so we had it taken off. It was melanoma. We got it before it left the surface 2 years ago
If it bothers him…have it taken off.

The information below is the Melanoma Warning Sings found on Skin Cancer Net skincarephysicians.com/skinca…

"1. Asymmetry. if you could fold the lesion in two, the two halves would not match.
2. Border. Melanomas often have uneven or blurred borders.
3. Color. Melanoma typically is not one solid color; rather it contains mixed shades of tan, brown, and black. It can also show traces of red, blue or white.
4. Diameter. While melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, they can be smaller. if you notice a mole different from others, or which changes, itches, or bleeds even if it is smaller than 6 millimeters, you should see a dermatologist.
5. Evolving. a mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.

Other warning signs of melanoma include:

* Change in the appearance of a mole, such as the spreading of the pigment from the border of the mole into the surrounding skin

* a mole that looks scaly, oozes, or bleeds

* Itching, tenderness, or pain in a mole or lesion

* Brown or black streak that appears underneath a nail or around the nail

* Bruise on the foot that does not heal"

Pictures of the four types of Melanoma can be found here: skincarephysicians.com/skinca…

I cut two small, 1 inch pieces of eyeglass frame that are about almost twice the diameter of normal earring posts to hold my ear holes open. I vigorously washed the little pieces in soap and water, then put them in peroxide. could I possibly get tetanus from this? what kills the tetanus bacteria? I haven't worn earring in a few years so my ear holes are really small, I'm just trying to keep them open. My right ear got so tight that it hurt a little getting it in, I think I had to break the skin to get in in there. I just did it like 30 minutes ago. no lockjaw, no muscle spasms, no symptoms, I'm just trying to be cautious.

It is possible. You wouldn't be in THAT much trouble since you used peroxide, but rubbing alcohol would have been a better choice.

If you really wanted to be cautious, you wouldn't have put them in there at all. There are professionals for that.

You PROBABLY won't get tetanus, but if you're going to use random pieces of metal to keep your ear holes open, you should get a tetanus vaccination. It's one small shot, relatively cheap (possibly free, ask your county health department), and it will protect you up to 10 years.

Tetanus bacteria spores are especially hardy, and infection can be fatal, so get the shot, and really try not to break your skin with improvised piercing equipment.

The term “renal” refers to anything relating to the kidneys; essentially, they carry blood from the heart to the kidneys after branching off the aorta, or main artery coming off the heart, and lead to one kidney each. The volume of blood passing through these arteries is a very large amount—about 1 ½ liters of the 5 liters of blood pumped out from the heart. This blood passes through every single minute because blood is constantly flowing through the body. so, now we talk about renal artery stenosis. This is a condition in which the diameter of these arteries decreases, and there is less room for blood to flow. Learn more about this condition, including the definition, consequences, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Renal Artery Stenosis: Background InformationAs mentioned above, renal artery stenosis is a condition in which the renal arteries become narrower, restricting blood flow through them. there are two different negative things that can result from this: impaired kidney function, known as renal failure, and high blood pressure, referred to as renovascular hypertension (RVHT). when one artery to the kidneys is narrowed, RVHT results; when both arteries are narrowed, renal failure results.

Renal Artery Stenosis: ConsequencesThe problems arising from renal artery stenosis can be very serious; in fact, a whole series of reactions come about because of it. when the amount of circulating blood to the kidneys is decreased, the normal physiological reaction of the kidneys is to unleash a sequence of hormonal responses; this is called the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. This defense is activated against low blood pressure and low circulating blood volume, regardless of the cause.

First: when the kidneys sense the decrease in circulating blood volume, they increase the blood level of a hormone called angiotensin 2, which causes narrowing of the small blood vessel in the kidneys.

Second: along with angiotensin 2, another hormone level is increased, called aldosterone. together, these hormones promote salt retention by the kidneys in an effort to restore and maintain blood pressure and volume.

This response is only pathological when the decreased blood flow to the kidneys is a result of the narrowing of the renal arteries. since the kidneys think there is a decreased blood volume (even though there isn’t; it’s just the decreased flow to the kidneys due to the narrowing), they will forego this reaction, and end up unnecessarily increasing blood pressure.

Renal Artery Stenosis: CausesThere are a few different causes of renal artery stenosis, but one of them occurs most frequently. The most common cause is atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing and hardening of the blood vessel wall from the inside out. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, age, cigarette smoking, and diabetes. other, but less common, causes of renal artery stenosis are fibromuscular dysplasia of the vessels (thickening of the blood vessel wall leads to narrower vessels), arteritis (inflammation of the blood vessel), and dissection, which is the tearing and dividing of the blood vessel wall.

Renal Artery Stenosis: SymptomsFor the most part, the symptoms of renal artery stenosis are inconspicuous. However, certain signs of the condition would include high blood pressure that doesn’t respond to treatment; severe high blood pressure developing before age 30 or after age 50; or an incidental finding of one kidney being smaller than the other (for example, found during a routine screening or a check-up for another condition).

Renal Artery Stenosis: DiagnosisThere are two types of tests to diagnose this condition: imaging tests and functional tests. Imaging test reveal a full picture of the blood vessel, allowing the doctor to visualize the extent of the narrowing. they include angiograms, MRI, and CT. Functional tests determine whether the narrowing is enough to cause kidney failure or high blood pressure; they include a plasma rennin activity test (activity of rennin is usually higher in this condition) and a captopril renogram (measures action of the kidneys after the injection of a radioactive dye).

Renal Artery Stenosis: Treatment

MedicationThe first treatment of renal artery stenosis is to treat the high blood pressure with regular medications. if kidney function worsens as a result of these medication, which can happen in some people, the medication should be stopped.

No TreatmentIf the stenosis is found only in a routine screening and no consequential problems are apparent, treatment may not be necessary; instead, occasional monitoring of the kidneys is recommended.

X-ray AngiographyIf an abnormality of the renal artery is found, x-ray angiography is done; a 75% or greater narrowing of the artery is deemed treatable. in other words, the stenosis is severe. At this time, a widening (or dilation) of the artery is done, which is often done with angioplasty, which is when a tiny balloon is inserted into the artery and inflated to widen it; a stent may also be placed in the artery.

Vascular SurgeryIn some cases, vascular surgery may be necessary, which is a repair of the artery.