Women with complete spinal cord injury may have alterations in their sexual desire, ability to lubricate and/or have comfortable intercourse, or in their ability to reach or feel orgasm. Changes to genital sensation or urinary or bowel incontinence will also affect the sexual response. The ability to move ones legs apart may be altered by spasm or pain. Orgasm may be difficult or impossible to reach, or can be unaffected.

Fortunately, women with neurological changes not affecting their hormonal status are usually fertile. Generally, they can carry a child safely to term and may be able to deliver a child naturally depending on the medical status and physical limitations to do with the abdomen, spine or pelvis.

Like men, overall sexual functioning, risk of bladder and bowel incontinence, mobility issues, general health, medication, relationships and their view of themselves will affect a woman’s sexual interest.

The following aspects of sexual functioning are likely to be affected when a complete spinal cord injury has occurred:

• Genital sensation or orgasm. For women and men with spinal cord injuries that are complete at any level, there is not likely to be any genital sensation or orgasm. Some people learn to transfer erotic feelings from other parts of their bodies that do have sensation.
• Vaginal lubrication. Spinal cord injuries can affect vaginal lubrication. Some women will no longer lubricate when they have sexual thoughts or will not lubricate when they are touched in this area. These changes will vary. All women have changes to lubrication at different times in their monthly cycle and may experience changes to lubrication following menopause.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com http://www.myguidesusa.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.

Find information on autonomic dysreflexia, fertility with spinal cord injury, and physiology and sexuality with spinal cord injuries at http://scisexualityandfertility.myguidesusa.com

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The following aspects of sexual functioning are likely to be affected when a complete spinal cord injury has occurred in men:

• Genital sensation or orgasm. For women and men with spinal cord injuries that are complete at any level, there is not likely to be any genital sensation or orgasm. Some people learn to transfer erotic feelings from other parts of their bodies that do have sensation.
• Erotic mental and physical feelings. A complete injury does not rule out erotic sexual feelings. Many people are able to shift their source of eroticism so that the brain receives sexual signals from parts of the body other than the genitals. The brain learns to react sexually to pleasurable touching in other areas of the body, such as the ear lobes and the back of the neck.
• Erection to touch (reflex erections). Men who have injuries that are T10 and above are likely to experience uncontrolled reflex in response to touch on the penis. This occurs because the reflex arc (from the penis to the lower part of the spinal cord and back again) functions independently of the brain. This type of erection is often welcomed by men with spinal cord injury since it means they can get an erection for sexual activity. Sometimes men with SCI are unhappy with reflex erections because it may happen when they don’t want it to - during a catheterization or anytime when the penis is touched. For some men with SCI, the reflex erection may not be completely reliable or may not last long enough for some type of sexual activity. In these cases, a form of erection enhancement may be used.
• Mental erection. Reflex erection to touch is not possible when an injury occurs in the lower part of the spinal cord (below T10). However, mental stimulation such as a sexual thought or fantasy can lead to some enlargement of the penis. Some seminal fluid may flow. After this emission of seminal fluid, the erection is usually lost. Men who have a complete SCI below T10 generally choose to use some form of erection enhancement.
• Ejaculation. Most men with a spinal cord injury experience some disruption in ejaculation, however, there can be much variation between individuals.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com http://www.myguidesusa.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.Find information on autonomic dysreflexia, fertility with spinal cord injury, and physiology and sexuality with spinal cord injuries at http://scisexualityandfertility.myguidesusa.com

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Doctors are not certain what causes spina bifida, or why neural tubes do not develop or close properly in some babies, though they have identified a few risk factors for spina bifida as follows:

• Race. Spina bifida is more common among Hispanics and whites of Northern European descent.
• Gender. More female babies are born with spina bifida.
• Family history. Couples who have had one child with a neural tube defect have a slightly higher chance of having another baby with the same defect. That risk increases if two previous children have been affected by the condition. In addition, a woman who was born with a neural tube defect, or who has a close relative with one, has a greater chance of giving birth to a child with spina bifida. However, most babies with spina bifida are born to parents with no known family history of the condition.
• Folic acid deficiency. This vitamin is important to the healthy development of a fetus. Lack of folic acid (vitamin B-9) increases the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects.
• Some medications. Anti-seizure medications, such as valproic acid (Depakene), seem to cause neural tube defects when taken during pregnancy, perhaps because they interfere with the body’s ability to use folic acid.
• Diabetes. The risk of spina bifida increases with diabetes, especially when the mother’s blood sugar is elevated early in her pregnancy. Careful blood sugar control and management can decrease this risk.
• Obesity. There is a link between pre-pregnancy obesity and neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida. Exactly why obese women have an increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida is not known, but is possibly because of nutritional deficits from poor eating habits or because they may have diabetes - another known risk factor for neural tube defects.
• Increased body temperature. Some evidence suggests that increased body temperature (hyperthermia) in the early months of pregnancy may increase the risk of spina bifida. Elevating your core body temperature by about 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, due to fever or the use of saunas and hot tubs, can raise body temperature and has been associated with an increased risk of spina bifida.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com http://www.myguidesusa.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.

Find information on the causes and risk factors of spina bifida, preventing spina bifida, diagnosing spina bifida, types of spina bifida, and treatment and care of spina bifida at http://spinabifida.myguidesusa.com

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Spina bifida is a serious birth defect that occurs when the tissue surrounding the developing spinal cord of a fetus does not close properly during the first month of pregnancy. It is part of a group of birth defects called neural tube defects, a disorder involving incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or their protective coverings.

In babies with spina bifida, a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly, causing defects in the spinal cord and in the bones of the backbone. Infants born with spina bifida sometimes have an open lesion on their spine where significant damage to the nerves and spinal cord has occurred. Although the spinal opening can be surgically repaired shortly after birth, the nerve damage is permanent, resulting in varying degrees of paralysis of the lower limbs. Even when there is no lesion present there may be improperly formed or missing vertebrae and accompanying nerve damage. In addition to physical and mobility difficulties, most individuals have some form of learning disability. Spina bifida may also cause bowel and bladder complications, and many children with spina bifida have hydrocephalus (excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain).

The three most common types of spina bifida are:

• Myelomeningocele. The severest form, in which the spinal cord and its protective covering (the meninges) protrude from an opening in the spine.
• Meningocele. The spinal cord develops normally but the meninges protrude from a spinal opening.
• Occulta. The mildest form, in which one or more vertebrae are malformed and covered by a layer of skin.

Spina bifida is one of the more common birth defects in the United States. The incidence of spina bifida can be decrease by up to 70 percent when a daily folic acid supplement is taken prior to conception.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com http://www.myguidesusa.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.

Find information on the causes and risk factors of spina bifida, preventing spina bifida, diagnosing spina bifida, types of spina bifida, and treatment and care of spina bifida at http://spinabifida.myguidesusa.com

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Lift chairs provide a valuable service for many different people every year. Lift chairs, using a motorized lifting unit, are recliner like chairs that rise, so that it is very easy to get to a standing position. They are designed in such a way that most people can stand or sit on their own without any outside assistance. As you get older it becomes harder to stand and sit, so lift chairs are great for the elderly. Lift chairs, however, are not only for the elderly. There are numerous others who can benefit from lift chairs.

Those with muscular diseases can greatly benefit from lift chairs. One common type of muscular disease is Muscular Dystrophy. Muscular Dystrophy is found in approximately 55,000 Americans and affects not only them but their families as well. Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disease, passed hereditarily, that is characterized by progressive muscle deterioration. There are actually over 100 different diseases that are classified as Muscular Dystrophy. For those that have Muscular Dystrophy it can be very hard if not impossible to sit or stand without assistance. This can also be hard on their families or caregivers. This is why a lift chair can be an essential piece of equipment for those with these diseases.

Another group of people that can benefit from lift chairs are those that are recovering from leg, back, or hip surgery as well as those who are recovering from broken bones. In addition to people who are recovering from these types of having trouble standing and sitting on their own, under certain conditions it may be very important to keep your leg elevated or to keep your back still. Lift chairs, through the use of a motorized back and ottoman, are perfect for these applications. It is possible to keep the back of the chair completely mobile at a certain position. This is because the chair is completely motorized, which means there is none of the traditional strain or energy use that is commonly caused by traditional recliners.

Individuals with arthritis can also benefit from having a lift chair. Arthritis is a condition that involves damage to the joints. It is found in nearly 1 out of 5 Americans and is very painful. It is more common as you get older, but it is found in many young people as well. There are several different types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis is a morning stiffness and psoriatic arthritis whose symptoms include swelling of the fingers and toes and results in a reduced range of motion. A lift chair can make it much easier and a good deal less painful to stand and sit because it is done at a very slow and steady pace. The lift chair also leaves the individual in a near standing position that is very good for the back and legs.

Lift chairs make independence possible for people who suffer from many different types of mobility related problems. Lift chairs provide a valuable service to these people and are often doctor recommended. Lift chairs are not only life savers, but they are also extremely comfortable.

Brad Brubaker has years of experience with home medical equipment. For more information or to order pride mobility lift chairs visit http://www.usmedicalsupplies.com

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