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How to Spot Symptoms of an Autoimmune Deficiency

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With wide-ranging consequences to a patient’s health, an autoimmune deficiency has the potential to play havoc with the human body. When suffering from an autoimmune condition like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus, the body’s natural tissues can find themselves attacking one another – a common consequence which often results in a reduction in the body’s ability to fight off diseases. Luckily, though, there are ways to detect an autoimmune deficiency and to make sure you have the tools to spot the signs. Here are some of the methods you can use to detect the symptoms of these conditions and how you can prevent them from getting worse.

Watch out for physical signs

When it comes to autoimmune deficiencies, there are lots of different conditions which all fall under the same umbrella. Yet, despite this variety of conditions, they have some symptoms in common. For example, it’s normal for those suffering from an autoimmune deficiency to experience problems such as swelling or paint in the joints, excessive fatigue, a swelling of the glands, or issues with their skin. Educating yourself about the signs of an autoimmune deficiency and making sure you’re aware of possible symptoms is a good move, as it means you can be on the lookout as you monitor your general health.

Monitor your mind and sleep

It’s not only physical symptoms which can occur when you’re suffering from an autoimmune deficiency. It’s also possible for symptoms to manifest themselves in your mind too, and you may find yourself experiencing problems with a psychological element. For instance, if you start to find it difficult to focus on tasks or you can no longer fully concentrate on a subject when you were previously able to, it could indicate an autoimmune deficiency. Similarly, insomnia can also be a sign, so if you’re struggling to sleep well at night, then it might be worth checking in with a physician.

Make sure you get tested

Whether you’re experiencing symptoms or your family has a genetic history of autoimmune disease, it’s definitely a wise idea to get tested. Almost anyone can be tested for an autoimmune disease, and an inflammation blood test is a good way to detect any issues. While some inflammation can help the body as part of its natural systems, excessive inflammation can be a sign that your autoimmune system is not working properly.

As a result, a test which shows that you’re experiencing high levels of inflammation may lead your physician to search for other symptoms of autoimmune disease. Prevention, as the saying goes, is the best cure, and getting tested regularly by a professional is an ideal way to stay on top of any symptoms which may emerge.

Keep an eye on your weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for all people, not just those who are at risk of – or who are worried about – developing an autoimmune disease. However, for those who are specifically looking to avoid developing or worsening an autoimmune condition, working on weight control is a particularly good idea. It’s not certain why those who are overweight are at a higher risk of certain autoimmune disorders, but one possible reason is that carrying extra weight can cause a great deal of stress on your joints.

Ask your doctor about medications

Drugs like antibiotics are great for helping us tackle the many health conditions we can face in our day to day lives, but no matter what the beneficial effects of the drugs we take are, there can sometimes be substantial side effects. Sometimes, these side effects can be the development of health problems associated with autoimmune issues.

For example, medications which help people to control the amount of cholesterol in their bodies, which are known as statins, can sometimes lead to an autoimmune disease affecting the muscles known as myopathy. The solution, however, is not to avoid certain medications simply to cut your risk of these diseases. Instead, you should speak to your physician about any concerns you might have. That way, you’ll be able to get expert advice and achieve a balance of medications which works for you.

While the prospect of suffering from an autoimmune deficiency can be frightening, there’s reason to be hopeful even if you’re at risk or worried that you’re developing a problem. From watching your weight to getting tested, there are lots of ways you can monitor your body for the telltale signs and symptoms of this condition and make sure that you stay healthy.

There’s Nothing Sexier Than A Piano Pro

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Everyday we get out of bed, shower, brush our teeth, pick out some clothes and head off to work. We try and make as much money as possible so we can buy nice things, pay for our gym memberships, go out to nice restaurants and, when the opportunity strikes, cast ourselves in a favourable light to a potential mate. We may live in a hyper-accelerated, highly developed society, but humans themselves have not evolved much beyond pre-agricultural Homo Sapiens from millions of years ago. Therefore, although we may think we are motivated by more sophisticated factors, at the end of the day a lot of what we do is geared towards finding – or keeping – a suitable mate who we are attracted to.

 

While some people may think this point of view is a bit crude, if you come to embrace it, you may find that it is a relief. People who are single will say that they’re “taking time for themselves” or that they’re “not interested in dating right now.” It’s a free country, and folks can pursue happiness by whatever method they choose, but the desire to attract a suitable mate is a biological imperative that cannot be repressed or ignored for very long.

 

Once you admit that a lot of your day-to-day activity is geared towards creating an attractive image, you can pursue hobbies with the dual goal of improving your body and mind and of attracting a partner – two birds, one stone. One of the most reliable ways to attract a partner is to learn how to play an instrument. Let’s be clear here, accompaniment instruments like to the bass guitar or the timpani can be impressive in the context of a bigger band, but if you’re taking on music as a hobby and to impress potential partners, you’re going to want to take up the guitar or the piano: instruments you can perform songs on, maybe even your own songs once you really get up and going.

 

The strength of a guitar is that it is extremely portable and typically they are lying around at most parties, hostels, campfires any place you can think of. In the digital age, however, digital keyboards are very affordable and light. Being a piano pro is very sexy and sophisticated, and although pianos are not as ubiquitous as guitars, when you can sit down at a piano in a public place or a friend’s house and bust out some tunes, it is extremely classy and impressive.

 

If you’ve never studies music, you can always take lessons at your local music store to get started – learning how to play music is actually easier and more intuitive than learning musical theory, and with the right teacher, you could be strumming and singing songs competently within a few months. The main factor in getting up and running is practice. You don’t have to kill yourself, but if you can manage even thirty minutes a day, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you make progress.

 

Learning how to play music increases hand eye coordination, improves memory and brain plasticity and can be very relaxing. In the end, however, performing music confidently will make you more attractive, and that factor alone may trump all the others, whether or not you can admit it!

What Type Of Entrance Door Is The Best?

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After acknowledging that an entrance door should be removed and given a high-quality replacement, homeowners are presented with an obstacle — they must figure out what kind of door material they want for their replacement. Here is a quick explanation about the positive and negative factors of getting an entrance door made out of wood, steel or fiberglass.

 

It’s simpler to look for a local window and door company that carries multiple options for door materials instead of finding one that carries only one type. The business Golden Windows carries a variety of exterior door options and customizations so that any homeowner can feel like their priorities and wishes are accommodated. The official company website shows that their latest options in door entry systems focus on different high-quality materials — the GoldenWood Entry Systems are made with premium wood and the GoldenClad Entry Systems carry the option of steel or fiberglass panels.

 

Wood

This door material is desirable primarily for its traditional appearance — most older buildings and homes are built with wood exterior and interior doors. Wood is often believed make architectural elements of the home appear durable, rich, warm and welcoming. If the style of the property is more classical, rustic or quaint than modern, a wooden front door might be an ideal design match.

 

Pros: Cons:
  • Durable
  • Beautiful appearance
  • Plenty of wood grains to choose from like oak, pine and cedar
  • Easier to customize than other materials
  • Will need to be re-stained over time
  • Can swell, warp and rot with temperature fluctuations
  • Can sag over time
  • Requires routine maintenance

 

Steel

Many believe that steel doors are the best choices when people are looking for additional security — the material was often used for industrial and business buildings before being considered an option for homes. As long as it has a sturdy lock system, a steel door will be unyielding to any unwanted people trying to force their way inside.

 

Pros: Cons:
  • Strong insulation
  • Energy efficient
  • Very durable
  • Long-lasting
  • Superior security
  • Less expensive than other materials
  • More difficult to custom size
  • Can scratch and dent
  • Can rust because of moisture
  • Very heavy, so may need reinforcements

 

Fiberglass

This material is believed to be the greatest choice for homeowners who care deeply about shrinking energy waste and reducing their carbon footprints — fiberglass exterior doors have superior insulating qualities that protect homes from air drafts and moisture leaks. The material can endure harsh climates and temperature fluctuations without warping, swelling, sagging or rusting.

 

Pros: Cons:
  • Low-maintenance
  • Durable
  • Strong insulation
  • Energy efficient
  • Long-lasting
  • Does not buckle, warp, sag, swell, dent or rust
  • Can look like a wood grain door
  • Can come in different colours
  • Often costs more than other door materials
  • The installation could be difficult with doorways that are not standard-size

 

Every single material is prized for specific benefits so there is technically no inferior type of door for a home renovation. As long as the particular material suits the homeowner’s wants and needs, the door that they have installed will be the correct choice.

How To Incorporate 2018’s Pantone Color Of The Year Into Your Interior

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People who like to keep up with current modern styles would enjoy a contemporary style of decorating their home. Contemporary style interiors contain neutral elements and bold colors, with pieces feature softened and rounded line. Today’s contemporary interiors are comfortable, sleek and fresh, and welcoming without being cluttered and dark. This design trend is one of the hottest of 2018.

The main colors in contemporary style interiors are neutrals, black, and white, with punched up and accented with bright and bold colors. Black is often used to ground and define a contemporary style room. You will have a wonderful backdrop for bold colored accessories with the walls painted in basic neutral. The trims should be neutral if both the walls and windows are painted in pastels. Neutrals should be used everywhere else if a wall is painted in bright and bold color.

With ultraviolet being the Pantone color of this year 2018, it is all about warmth in the modern interior designers Los Angeles’ color pallet. This latest bold color can be used in its varying degrees of intensity. The vibrant tone can be used for a lovely sofa and accessories. JAC Interiors, being one of the top interior designers, is blending ultraviolet with gold accents to transform your interior into a very vibrant, happy place.

Monochromatic interior design tones are restful, timeless and super practical. The interior designers are experimenting with mixing pieces from different eras, add patterns and layer-in texture. Any number of eclectic objects can co-exist such as inexpensive things can be paired with higher end items to yield an overall more sophisticated look.

When you hand over your interior to JAC Interiors, they are compelled to pledge some decorating devotion to black, white, and every shade of grey. In a monochromatic fashion, they are able to convert your interior into a glamorous space.

The professionals know that the right color and adding of accent lights to your interior spaces using a low power lighting source is an effective means of creating visual interest. LED lights are gaining in popularity due to its longer lifespan and perfect for installing in hard-to-reach places. LED lights are ideal for placement in areas to highlight artistic features, and for lighting spaces like stairwells and hallways.

The lighting trends for 2018 are those cool and user friendly lighting strips which are easy and fun to place all over the house. LED lighting strips are simple to install and their biggest benefit is that they highlight areas that might otherwise go unnoticed. LED lighting strips are great highlighter for visual interest, and practical when placed along stairs or as nightlights in the bathroom or as a bathroom lighting trend.

Best Places to Buy Easter Cards and Gift Bags 

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It’s that time of year again! Valentines day has passed and Easter is on it’s way. Everything is light shades of blue, pink, yellow, and purple, and there is a whole aisle at the store dedicated to Easter and probably an additional aisle dedicated to chocolate. Everything is cute and blooming, and winter has come or nearly come to an end.

Now people are wandering from store to store thinking of friends or family members and the gifts they have sitting for them at home. They don’t like the selection they have found though, so what’s next? Where do they go? Here are a few options.

Sainsbury’s 

A quick run to Sainsbury’s can often provide what one needs, but it’s important to keep in mind that the selection is limited, and it is popular to shop here, so one may get back similar things as to what they have given. If one is in a hurry and doesn’t have time to order something online, there will almost always be things to choose from here that will leave the customer satisfied such that the person they are gifting will like what they are receiving. It is a good place to start looking at, because sometimes what is there can be pleasantly surprising.

Amazon 

Amazon is often a life saver when it comes to things like this. While their selection may not be the broadest, they do have two-day shipping, so it is worth looking into when one is in a pinch. Amazon is also good for buying in bulk, so if one knows what they are buying, Amazon might be the cheapest option. It is quick and sufficient, and sometimes one can find some true gems on the site, so it is always worth looking at when one is in need of something like this.

The Works 

The Works sells quality content for cheap. There are a lot of cute things to choose from. They have dedicated a section for Easter cards and gift bags. If one is looking for inexpensive but cute cards and gift bags not bought in bulk, this is the place to go. The website may not always have the widest variety, but what it does have is so cute that they won’t need to choose from more because they will love what is already there. It is worth checking out, as one will most likely be pleased with what they see.

Etsy 

Have a bit more time and looking for something truly original? Etsy is the perfect place to shop if one wants a card or gift bag like nobody else’s, as a lot of things can be costume designed. Etsy is full of handmade treasures, and there is so much to look at. The downside about Etsy is that there may be a bit longer shipping, so one will have to be planning ahead if they plan to use Etsy, but Etsy is a full proof plan for getting something that one knows they will be happy to gift.

Five Ways to Stop Smoking

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You don’t need me to tell you all the reasons to stop smoking. It’s an incredibly dangerous habit that can lead to cancer and many other health problems. However, it’s also true that quitting isn’t easy. That being said, there are a number of things a person can do to help with the quitting process. We’re going to take a look at a few of those things today. Here are five ways to stop smoking.

Make a Plan to Quit: It’s difficult to stop smoking if you don’t have a plan in place. You want to take the time to think about how you’re going to quit. For example, are you going to stop smoking gradually, or are you going to quit cold turkey? It’s also helpful to set a specific date on which you’ll quit smoking. It’s important that you don’t set this date too far into the future, or else you might be tempted to change your mind. At the same time, you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare.

Keep Yourself Busy: One thing that can help you stop smoking is to stay busy when the cravings come. Exercise is one great way to distract yourself when you feel cravings. Meditation and mindfulness techniques have also proven to be very beneficial. You might even consider taking up a new hobby to keep your mind occupied. Whatever you decide, make sure you pick something that will keep your mind off smoking.

Use Nicotine Replacements: Getting your nicotine from other sources can eventually help you stop using cigarettes. There are a number of these on the market right now, including nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches. With these, you’ll be able to satisfy your nicotine cravings without the use of tobacco. Many people have had success with this in the past. However, keep in mind that the goal is to eventually be free from nicotine as well.

Get Outside Support: Having other people there to help you while you try to quit has proven to be beneficial for many people. Examples of this could include therapy, support groups, or attending a stop smoking seminar. It can be extremely helpful to know that other people are facing the same challenges as you. It’s also good to have other people there to motivate you when the going gets tough.

Know Your Triggers: Another thing that can be helpful is to know what triggers you to smoke in the first place. Pay attention to the emotions and stressful situations that lead to cravings. It’s also a good idea to throw away anything that reminds you of smoking, including ashtrays, lighters, and the cigarettes themselves. You should also try drinking water and avoid caffeinated drinks. Furthermore, it’s good to have non-smoking friends if you don’t already.

Above all, you want to keep a positive attitude while you’re trying to break the habit. It’s not always going to be easy but keep reminding yourself why you want to quit in the first place. With enough perseverance, you’ll be able to stop smoking once and for all.

Top Safety Features that Mercedes Benz Offers

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Buying a new car can be exciting, you will want to take care of your car and make the best choice possible. But taking that step to buy a vehicle can also be a very nerve-wrecking step. There are thousands of car companies around the world with a wide variety of models and vehicle types. Just like television brands, certain car brands have distinct and unique features that set them apart from the competition. Mercedes-Benz has consistently proven that their features and reputation makes them one of the best automobile company brands in the world. Their safety features are top-of-the-line and should really be considered if it is time for a car upgrade.

Pre-Safe

Mercedes-Benz has been keenly invested in making sure that their vehicles are one of the safest on the roads. The technology has advanced year after. Pre-Safe is a safety package that uses the advanced sensors on the vehicle to detect if an accident is going to occur. If something like extreme skidding occurs, the sensors will tell the vehicle to engage Pre-Safe. Pre-Safe tightens the seat belts to prevent jerking, adjusts the head rest to lower the chance of head-injury and closes the windows and sunroof to improve safety.

Night View Assist Plus

This next feature is perfect for late night drives on dark roads. Using infrared beams with a special camera, the screen console shows a real-time view of the road. The combination of both technologies allows the car to detect an object and put a frame around them on the screen to make them more visible. Both cold and warm objects can be sensed so that there are no dark road scares.

Distronic Plus

One of the best safety features is the Distronic Plus with pre-safe brake. This awesome feature was created to combat the very high number of rear-end car accidents. This technology also uses radar sensors to examine the traffic ahead when the vehicle is going from 20 mph to 120 mph. If traffic is slowing down or coming to a stop, the vehicle engages the brakes to lower speeds, notifies the driver, and begins the pre-safe system. If the driver steps on the brake during this time, the brakes will 100% engage, even if only slight pressure is given. If the traffic speeds back up, Distronic Plus automatically matches up to the flow of traffic.

Attention Assist

For years, driver fatigue was something automotive companies couldn’t try to prevent. Many accidents occurred and often ended fatally. With the use of artificial intelligence, attention assist takes note of the first 70 minutes of driving to learn the style and common manoeuvres. Using this information, it can detect if any odd manoeuvres were made that may be because of drowsiness. After checking other possible parameters to the movement and determining that the driver may have fatigue, a message is displayed to rest.

Safety Is Important to Mercedes-Benz

Safety is a high priority to Mercedes-Benz and features like these that show that. Something so small like a fatigue alarm can make an enormous difference. The entire team at Sandown Group is willing to show these features at Mercedes Guildford used cars. The safety features have to be experienced in person to get the full understanding of the Mercedes system.

2018’s Hottest Interior Design Trend: Solid Wood Furniture

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A finely crafted piece of furniture can make all the difference in a fine home. For ages, people have desired fine pieces of furniture to display in their homes and that’s true as well today, as people, more and more, eschew the cookie-cutter furniture you find at big box stores for handcrafted, solid wood furniture. Having quality wood furniture has become a big design trend for 2018.

If you watch any of those design/flip shows on television then you have seen the designer commission at least one unique handcrafted piece for the home, as homeowners will always notice and appreciate a fine, well crafted item of furniture. Although in past years, design trends have sometimes favoured cheap or poorly constructed furniture, make no mistake that 2018 is the year of solid wood; people are scrambling to find skilfully crafted solid wood furniture – here’s why!

Benefits Of Solid Wood Furniture
Solid wood furniture is built to last by skilled craftsmen, and, when properly cared for, will last for decades (should it be necessary, repairs to these pieces are relatively easy). People with discriminating taste have always appreciated high-quality furniture, as it increases in value over the years, making it both a lovely addition to the home and a good investment in the future. A lot of people are also drawn to the uniqueness of solid wood furniture – interior design for people who love wood has always been about maximizing the character in your home, and solid wood furniture is a simple way to achieve that. To further boost the uniqueness factor, a craftsman can customize the furniture to fit homeowners taste and existing décor – a skilled craftsman can create pieces from maple, oak, pine as well as a number of other woods, each with their own distinct look and feel.

Finding the Right Company
When looking for the right solid wood furniture, you will want to choose a company with a long track record of customer satisfaction, as that’s the best way of guaranteeing you get what you want. If you’re in Toronto, or elsewhere in Southern Ontario, and perhaps don’t have access to a car, try finding somewhere that will deliver and install the furniture. A quality company should have a vast knowledge of the types of wood available, like pine, maple, cherry, and oak, and be able to work fluently with each. They should also provide re-finishing services. And, finally, they should offer some kind of warranty, which is something many clients appreciate, as it shows transparency. That’s a tall order, but there are companies out there that offer all this stuff – it’s just a matter of looking.

In summary, solid wood furniture has a lot going for it: it can last for centuries, if taken care of properly; it exudes beauty and uniqueness; and it is easily customizable, able to fit with any design scheme. It’s a good thing that 2018 is seeing a resurgence in popularity of solid wood furniture, because, although it’s been around for ages, sometimes you just shouldn’t mess with a good thing!

3 Major Reasons To Invest In Digital Currency

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Why should you invest in digital currencies as well as in traditional stocks and index funds? If you’re tempted to start investing in one or more digital currencies, simply continue reading to discover 3 major reasons why you should make your first investment today!

 

3 Major reasons to invest in digital currency:

 1. New forms of digital currency are launched on a regular basis

 If you were one of the first investors to purchase Bitcoin, when it was first launched back in 2009, you would be likely to be a millionaire. Even if you only invested $100, into purchasing Bitcoin, if you kept your Bitcoins safely stored in a secure digital wallet, your initial investment would now be worth millions of dollars.

 While it may be too late to become an early adopter of Bitcoin, as Bitcoin has already achieved unprecedented success, a wide variety of new digital currencies have emerged to meet the world’s demand for anonymous currencies, which can be safely stored online and can be used both online and in a wide variety of countries.

 So if you’re a bit of a risk taker and don’t mind conducting a bit of research, you may still be able to make tens of millions of dollars by becoming one of the first investors of the next Bitcoin.

 2. Digital currencies have mass appeal

 Why are digital currencies better products than traditional currencies? Firstly, traditional currencies can only be used in a limited amount of countries, whilst digital currencies are now accepted in most world regions. In fact, you should be able to use popular digital currencies such as Bitcoin to purchase ice creams or coffees in Italy, South Korea, and New Zealand as well as in America.

 More importantly, unlike regular currencies, digital currencies can’t be tracked by the government or international banks. The latter of which are notorious for selling their client’s private information on to large greedy corporations, who are desperate for consumer information.

 Just remember that if you choose to purchase digital currencies, that it’s important to keep your investments stored in a secure digital wallet. If you choose to purchase an expensive paper wallet, you’ll need to keep your passcodes safely written down somewhere. It may be well worth keeping your passcodes written down in two separate places so that if you lose track of one piece of paper, you’ll still be able to access your investment.

 3. Digital currencies are a relatively safe investment option

 If the idea of researching a wide variety of stock options or index funds, frustrates you, you’re probably far better off choosing to forgo such investment options, in favor of purchasing a wide variety of digital currencies such as Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin.

 In order to significantly decrease your chances of losing some of your capital, it’s well worth diversifying your investments by choosing to invest in multiple digital currencies. Instead of opting to place all of your money in one digital currency. That way if one digital currency crashes, you won’t lose all of your capital.

 If you’re interested there’s no time like the present, to make your first investment.

 

Find Out If You Need To Apply For An ITIN

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What is ITIN? An ITIN is a 9 digit number starting with the number “9” and is formatted just like a social security number. ITIN is the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service to individuals for tax purposes. An ITIN is used by an individual who does not have or is not eligible to have a Social Security Number in the United States.

Who can apply for ITIN? Both resident and non-resident aliens, their spouses and dependents can apply for an ITIN if they are not eligible for a Social Security Number regardless of the person’s immigration status. An individual can apply for an ITIN if:

  • The non-resident alien is required to file a tax return.
  • A resident alien who is required to file a tax return due to the number of days residing in the United States.
  • An individual is a dependent or the spouse of a United States citizen or resident alien.
  • An individual is a dependent or the spouse of a non-resident alien visa holder.
  • A tax filer who lives abroad.

To apply for an ITIN number, an individual must complete the IRS Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. It is a single page application form where the individual is required to fill in their personal details such as name and birth name (if different), date of birth and place of birth. Identification documents to accompany the application e.g. a passport, driver license or state-issued ID Foreign status or immigration documents in original form or certified copies. If the individual has used an ITIN in the past, he or she has to submit the prior identification number on the application form.

The due date for most tax payers to file an income tax return is mid-April. To submit an application past the tax due date may result in interest or penalty. To avoid the interest charge or penalty, it is advisable to apply for an IRS ITIN either before the income tax return is due or at the time of filing the tax return.

Before submitting your ITIN application form, double check for missing information to avoid delayed approval. If you have not received any response from IRS, you can check your application status by calling the toll-free number at 800-829-1040. Your application should not take more than seven weeks. An ITIN that has not been used at least once within the last 3 years have to be renew for the number to remain valid.