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- NUMBNESS OR WEAKNESS OF THE FACE, ARM OR LEG, ESPECIALLY ON ONE SIDE OF THE BODY.

- CONFUSION, TROUBLE SPEAKING OR UNDERSTANDING

- TROUBLE SEEING IN ONE OR BOTH EYES

- TROUBLE WALKING, DIZZINESS, LOSS OF BALANCE OR COORDINATION

- SEVERE HEADACHE WITH NO KNOWN CAUSE

These 10 tips can help you to choose an organized,daily food menu.
1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.

2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.

5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.
Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.
Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.
If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.

7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.

9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.

10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

Skin care is very important for a glowing face.There are various types of skins on the basis of the types various tips to take better care of your skin.

Age: 18-25

Skin's Type:

Oil glands in your skin at this phase work at full speed. Your skin will be supple and well moisturized. Your skin cells regenerate regularly and so your skin will have a good texture and rosy glow. Due to excess oil production there may be breakouts and a shiny look on your skin.

What to Do:

1. Use a mild cleanser to remove oil and dirt. If your skin is greasy, use a foaming oil-free face wash.
2. Use an oil-free moisturizer with antioxidants like vitamins C or E - or a combination of both vitamins. The free-radical fighters keep you safe from sun and environmental damage. Also don't use pore-clogging heavy creams.
3. Stay away from blemishes by exfoliating 1-2 times a week using a gentle scrub. If you're having breakouts, use a benzoyl peroxide system. If you are having one or two pimples, apply a salicylic acid spot treatment.

Age: 26-30

Skin's Type:

at this age, the oil production comes under control. You may be having occasional zits. The collagen production and cell regeneration slows down. Now the environmental issues play a major role as your cells regenerate very often.

What to Do:

1. Use a cleanser with salicylic acid. It helps in preventing sporadic breakouts and keeps your skin away from dullness-causing dead skin cells.
2. Apply an exfoliating treatment weekly. Glycolic peel and microdermabrasion kits help in removing the damaged surface skin, and reveal the fresher layer underneath. They also increase collagen production.
3. Keep using an antioxidant-laced oil-free lotion in the morning time. But at night times, use one containing retinol as it encourages cell renewal and makes your skin exfoliate efficiently.

Your age: 31-35

Skin's Type:

You might be having little lines, discoloration and dryness.

What to do:

Be careful of your child:

Kids who undergo cardiac catheterization to close an ASD usually spend the night in the hospital after the procedure. Those who have had a catheterization procedure should also be kept out of gym class or sports practice for a week; after a week, they can usually return to their normal physical activities, with their doctor's OK.

Kids who undergo surgery for their ASDs usually go home after a few days in the hospital if there are no complications. After surgical ASD repair, the main medical concern is the healing of the chest incision. In general, the younger patients are when they have their surgical repairs, the less pain they will have during recovery. The child will be watched closely for signs or symptoms that may indicate a problem. If your child has trouble breathing, is not eating, has fever, or redness or pus oozing from the incision, get medical treatment right away. In most cases, kids who have had ASD surgery recover quickly and without problems.
In the weeks following surgery or cardiac catheterization, your doctor will check on your child's progress. Your child may undergo another echocardiogram to make sure that the heart defect has closed completely. Kids who have undergone ASD repair will continue to have follow-up visits with the cardiologist.
Most children who undergo treatment for ASDs recover quickly — you may even notice that within a few weeks of treatment, your child is eating more and is more active than before surgery. However, some signs and symptoms may indicate a problem. If your child is having trouble breathing, call the doctor or take your child to the emergency department immediately. Other symptoms that may indicate a problem include:

• a bluish tinge or color (cyanosis) to the skin around the mouth or on the lips and tongue
• poor appetite or difficulty feeding
• failure to gain weight or weight loss
• listlessness or decreased activity level
• prolonged or unexplained fever
• increasing pain, tenderness, or pus oozing from the incision

Risks associated with congenital heart surgery vary widely according to the specific procedure and the patient’s condition at the time of surgery. They can include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Need for re-operation
• Damage to nerves in the chest area
• Brain damage
• Death

Your surgeon will discuss the specific risks associated with your child’s congenital heart surgery at the time of your consult. In our program, the risk of serious complications occurring, such as brain damage or death, is very low. Our surgeons have a very large experience and can provide specific data to you defining the surgical risk for your particular procedure. We believe this important information must be shared with parents to make the process less stressful.

What should we watch out for after surgery?

Before the patient is discharged from the hospital, your family will be given detailed instructions that are individualized for the specific procedure performed. However, in general, patients should contact their doctor for any of the following after congenital heart surgery:
•    redness, swelling, or oozing/bleeding from incision
•    fever
•    altered mental status, excessive fatigue
•    feeding/eating problems
•    prolonged or worsening pain
Patients who have had a sternotomy should avoid any activity that causes strain on the chest for at least 6-8 weeks, so that the breastbone can heal. For infants, avoid picking them up by arms (“scoop” them up instead); for older children and adults, avoid activities that involve pulling or pushing with arms as well as contact games/sports.

What do we need to do before congenital heart surgery?

1. If at all possible, it is important that the patient be free of infection prior to going to surgery. This includes dental cavities, so a dental check-up and any dental work required should be completed within 6 weeks prior to surgery. A letter is required from the dentist clearing the patient for surgery. In addition, if the patient develops other signs and symptoms of an infection, such as a fever, runny nose, diarrhea, or vomiting, contact the surgeon’s office immediately.
2. Please contact your insurance company to verify insurance and determine whether a referral is required. 
3. If the patient is taking aspirin, contact the cardiologist to ask when to discontinue taking the aspirin.  Aspirin is generally discontinued 14 days prior to surgery to minimize the risk of excessive bleeding. However, there may be a medical reason to continue the aspirin, so it is important to check with the cardiologist.
4. Patients who live more than an hour’s drive away from Texas Children’s Hospital will need to make arrangements to stay in Houston for at least one full week after discharge from the hospital. This is important to ensure a rapid response to any early post-operative issues. The Texas Children’s Hospital Social Worker can assist if any help is needed making arrangements for this.
5. If the patient is due for immunizations within a week of surgery, contact the Congenital Heart Surgery Clinic and ask to speak to the clinic nurse.
6. Patient’s undergoing cardiac surgery frequently need blood products. Patients and families interested in donating blood should call the Congenital Heart Surgery Clinic and ask to speak to a clinic nurse.  Families and friends may donate blood in one of two ways:

• Credit:  For each unit of blood donated, a credit will be given on the patient’s bill, but the blood donated will not specifically be designated for the patient. Blood donated can be any blood type.
• Designated (or Directed) Donation:  Blood donated will be used for the patient designated. For congenital heart surgery patients, blood donors must be the same blood type as the patient. For “Designated Donation,” it is very important before you donate that you call the surgeon’s office to let us help you coordinate the donation. The pertinent patient information we need when you call is:
• the patient’s weight
• blood type
• surgery date
• type of surgery
• The best time to donate blood is one week prior to surgery and no later than three days prior to surgery.  There is a cost associated with directed donor blood that may not be covered by your insurance.  It will be the family’s responsibility to cover the cost of directed donor blood that is not covered by insurance.
1. If the patient is taking “blood thinners” such as Coumadin or Lovenox, please contact the Congenital Heart Surgery Clinic and ask to speak to the clinic nurse.  These patients may need to be hospitalized a few days prior to surgery to discontinue these medications and convert to Heparin prior to surgery.  This decision will be coordinated between the patient, surgeon and cardiologist.
2. Registration and admission into Texas Children’s Hospital is usually scheduled to occur the day before surgery.  Patients and their families should arrive at 8:00 a.m. in the Congenital Heart Surgery Clinic located on the 20th floor of the West Tower.  We conduct a very thorough pre-operative work-up in order to attain the very best surgical outcome for the patient, so the preoperative work-up will take several hours.  A cardiologist performs a physical exam and multiple tests will be performed to ensure the patient is well for surgery.  A chest x-ray (CXR), an electrocardiogram (EKG), and lab work will be performed as part of the preoperative process.  A Congenital Heart Surgery clinic nurse will facilitate your day.  You will also meet many members of the Heart Center team who will familiarize you with the preoperative routines and answer any questions.  These team members include: the Social Worker, Child Life Specialist, Chaplain, and the Congenital Heart Surgery Anesthesiologist.  At the end of the pre-operative work-up, you will either be admitted to the 15 Tower Cardiac Inpatient Unit or sent home to return the following early morning for surgery.  Valet parking is available at the West Tower building.  If you choose to valet park the day of your preoperative work-up, bring your parking ticket with you and the Congenital Heart Surgery clinic nurse will validate parking for the day of your preoperative work-up. It will be your responsibility to pay for parking throughout the remainder of your hospital stay.

Diagnosis of Atrial Septal Defect (ASD): Generally, a child's doctor hears the heart murmur caused by ASD during a routine checkup or physical examination. ASDs are not always diagnosed as early in life as other types of heart problems, such as ventricular septal defect (a hole in the wall between the two ventricles). The murmur caused by an ASD is not as loud and may be more difficult to hear than other types of heart murmurs, so it may be diagnosed any time between infancy and adolescence (or even as late as adulthood). If a doctor hears a murmur and suspects a heart defect, the child may be referred to a pediatric cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating childhood heart conditions. If an ASD is suspected, the cardiologist may order one or more of the following tests:

• chest X-ray, which produces an image of the heart and surrounding organs
• electrocardiogram (EKG), which records the electrical activity of the heart and can indicate volume overload of the right side of the heart
• echocardiogram (echo), which uses sound waves to produce a picture of the heart and to visualize blood flow through the heart chambers. This is often the primary tool used to diagnose ASD.

Treatment

Once an ASD is diagnosed, treatment will depend on the child's age and the
size, location, and severity of the defect. In kids with very small ASDs,
the defect may close on its own. Larger ASDs usually won't close, and must
be treated medically. Most of these can be closed in a cardiac
catheterization lab, although some ASDs will require open-heart
surgery.
A child with a small defect that causes no symptoms may simply need to visit
a pediatric cardiologist regularly to ensure that there are no problems; often,
small defects will close spontaneously without any treatment during the first
years of life. In general, a child with a small ASD won't require restrictions
on his or her physical activity.
In most children with ASD, though, doctors must close the defect if it has
not closed on its own by the time a child is old enough to start school.
Depending on the position of the defect, many children with ASD can have it
corrected with a cardiac catheterization. In this procedure, a thin, flexible
tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the leg that leads to
the heart. A cardiologist guides the tube into the heart to make measurements
of blood flow, pressure, and oxygen levels in the heart chambers. A special
implant can be positioned into the hole in the septum. The device is designed
to flatten against the septum on both sides to close and permanently seal the
ASD. In the beginning, the natural pressure in the heart holds the device in place.
Over time, the normal tissue of the heart grows over the device and covers it
entirely. This non-surgical technique for closing an ASD eliminates the scar on
the chest needed for the surgical approach, and has a shorter recovery time,
usually just an overnight stay in the hospital.
Because there is a small risk of blood clots forming on the closure device
while new tissue heals over it, children who undergo device closure of an ASD
may need to be on medications for several months after the procedure to prevent
clots from forming.
If surgical repair for ASD is necessary, a child will undergo open-heart
surgery. In this procedure, a surgeon makes a cut in the chest and a heart-lung
machine is used to do the work of the circulation while the heart surgeon closes
the hole. The ASD may be closed directly with stitches or by sewing a patch of
surgical material over the defect. Eventually, the tissue of the heart heals
over the patch or stitches, and by 6 months after the surgery, the hole will be
completely covered with tissue.
For 6 months following catheterization or surgical closure of an ASD,
antibiotics are recommended before routine dental work or surgical procedures
to prevent infective endocarditis. Once the tissue of the heart has healed over
the closed ASD most people who have had their ASDs corrected no longer need to
worry about having a higher risk of infective endocarditis.
Your doctor will discuss other possible risks and complications with you
prior to the procedure. Typically, after repair and adequate time for healing,
children with ASD rarely experience further symptoms or disease.

Causes of Atrial Septal Defect(ASD):

ASDs occur during fetal development of the heart and are present at birth. During the first weeks after conception, the heart develops. If a problem occurs during this process, a hole in the atrial septum may result.
In some cases, the tendency to develop a ASD may be genetic. There can be genetic syndromes that cause extra or missing pieces of chromosomes that can be associated with ASD. For the vast majority of children with a defect, however, there's no clear cause of the ASD.

What is an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) ?


An atrial septal defect (ASD) — sometimes referred to as a hole in the heart — is a type of congenital heart defect in which there is an abnormal opening in the dividing wall between the upper filling chambers of the heart (the atria). In most cases ASDs are diagnosed and treated successfully with few or no complications.
To understand this defect, it first helps to review some basics about the way a healthy heart typically works.
The heart has four chambers: The two lower pumping chambers are called the ventricles, and the two upper filling chambers are the atria.

In a healthy heart, blood that returns from the body to the right-sided filling chamber (right atrium) is low in oxygen. This blood passes to the right-sided pumping chamber (right ventricle), and then to the lungs to receive oxygen. The blood that has been enriched with oxygen returns to the left atrium, and then to the left ventricle. It's then pumped out to the body through the aorta, a large blood vessel that carries the blood to the smaller blood vessels in the body. The right and left filling chambers are separated by a thin shared wall, called the atrial septum.

Kids with an atrial septal defect (ASD) have an opening in the wall (septum) between the atria. As a result, some oxygenated blood from the left atrium flows through the hole in the septum into the right atrium, where it mixes with oxygen-poor blood and increases the total amount of blood that flows toward the lungs. The increased blood flow to the lungs creates creates a swishing sound, known as a heart murmur. This heart murmur, along with other specific heart sounds that can be detected by a cardiologist, may be clues that a child has an ASD.

ASDs can be located in different places on the atrial septum, and they can be different sizes. The symptoms and medical treatment of the defect will depend on those factors. In some rare cases, ASDs are part of more complex types of congenital heart disease. It's not clear why, but ASDs are more common in girls than in boys.

Heart is one of very important part of our body so we should be more careful about our heart to keep it healthy.
At first we have to know that what is heart.

Heart:
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system (including all vertebrates), that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek καρδιά, kardia, for "heart".
The structure of the heart varies among the different branches of the animal kingdom. (See Circulatory system.) Cephalopods have two "gill hearts" and one "systemic heart". In vertebrates, the heart lies in the anterior part of the body cavity, dorsal to the gut. It is always surrounded by a pericardium, which is usually a distinct structure, but may be continuous with the peritoneum in jawless and cartilaginous fish. Hagfishes, uniquely among vertebrates, also possess a second heart-like structure in the tail.

In humans

The human heart is about the size of a fist and has a mass of between 250 and 350 grams. It is located anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum.

It is enclosed in a double-walled sac called the pericardium. The superficial part of this sac is called the fibrous pericardium. This sac protects the heart, anchors its surrounding structures, and prevents overfilling of the heart with blood.

The outer wall of the human heart is composed of three layers. The outer layer is called the epicardium, or visceral pericardium since it is also the inner wall of the pericardium. The middle layer is called the myocardium and is composed of muscle which contracts. The inner layer is called the endocardium and is in contact with the blood that the heart pumps. Also, it merges with the inner lining (endothelium) of blood vessels and covers heart valves.

The human heart has four chambers, two superior atria and two inferior ventricles. The atria are the receiving chambers and the ventricles are the discharging chambers. The right ventricle discharges into the lungs to oxygenate the blood. The left ventricle discharges its blood toward the rest of the body via the aorta.
The pathway of blood through the human heart consists of a pulmonary circuit and a systemic circuit. Blood flows through the heart in one direction, from the atria to the ventricles, and out of the great arteries, or the aorta for example. This is done by four valves which are the tricuspid valve, the mitral valve, the aortic valve, and the pulmonary valve.