Health Disease and Care

Sex isn’t just physical pleasure for women. It is often a sentimental issue for them that combine emotional pleasure as well. Happy are the women who have a healthy and contented sex life. Many times, women face problems during or after their intercourse that transform their sexual life, from pleasurable to a problematic one. Common problems that they come across are:

1. Pain at the time of coitus or dyspareunia - Pain during a few initial intercourses are quite common and nothing to worry about, as they diminish on its own after some days of intercourse. So, girls on their honeymoon may not fret any such pain during their few initial intercourses. However, if you continue to have pain during sex after some time, a visit to a gynecologist is advisable to know the cause and appropriate timely treatment.

Vaginal infections, such as trichomoniasis and chylamydia can be a reason in few cases. Also, Vaginismus at the time of coitus may cause vaginal spasmodic contraction that leads to pain. This may occur due to emotional discomfort, apprehensiveness towards sex or vaginal infections. Uterine fibroids, polyps and endometriosis are some other culprits that can lead to pain at the time of intercourse. Anti-infective treatment along with the advice of a gynecologist paves the best way out of this misery.

2. Bleeding – Bleeding may occur during or even after your intercourse. A gynecologist is the best person to probe into the cause, as underlying problems, such as cervical polyps, pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer, gonorrhea, and cervicitis are often blamed for this predicament. Nevertheless, if such a situation is faced by a post-menopausal woman, the bleeding is normally because of vaginal dryness, which is a resultant of hormonal depletion. Hormone replacement therapy is a highly recommended treatment to restore the normal sexual life for such cases.

3. Urinary continence – Some women experience the embarrassing situation of dribbling urine, either after or during the coitus. It is quite common to see women complain about urinary continence at the time of penetration or after getting the orgasm. Weakness at bladder’s neck or an irritable bladder is the perceived cause, though no cause has been pin-pointed until now. Having an empty bladder and avoiding caffeinated drinks just before the coitus may prove to be of some help. A gynecologist is again your best rescuer.

Apart from the mentioned problems, a few minor problems, like semen allergies or post-coital headaches also occur in some rare cases. Disharmonized coitus may lead to emotional problems among couples because of discord of any kind. Counseling and psychotherapy provides a solution to such problems.

Shying away from a gynecologist is never a good idea. Talk to her as freely as you talk to a good your friend, abide by the prescription and her instructions and you are sure to enjoy a healthy and gratifying sexual life.

While pregnant women have umpteen number of things to be careful about, one of the most common and yet least addressed of their concerns is, if it is safe to have sex during pregnancy? Discussing your fears and feelings with your partner as well as your doctor is the best way out.

As long as your gynecologist doesn’t declare your pregnancy to be risky, it is considered safe to have sex when you have normal pregnancy. Checking with your gynecologist in the following situations may help you have a more clear view, if your pregnancy can be deemed as “normal”:

• If you have any problems during pregnancy like bleeding, placenta praevia or if you have had miscarriages before
• If you are over 35 years or have had fertility treatment. While some women may have an enhanced sex drive during pregnancy, others may be reluctant to have sex at all
• In case of bleeding or spotting during the initial phase of your pregnancy
• When you or your partner is infected with any STD, like genital herpes

After a clear view in these situations, you may or may not go ahead with having sex during pregnancy. However, you must not lose heart if you did not get the go ahead to have sex at this time. There are always different ways you can experiment to exhibit your intimacy to your partner. Like, you may massage each other gently; have a comfortable hot water bath together or simply cuddle up with each other.

For those who are free to have sex during pregnancy can surely take pleasure in making love but there are certain things that should be avoided at all costs during pregnancy:

• Deep penetration and violent sex may harm the expecting mother
• Using foreign objects at the time of sex
• Sex in couches, beds or bath tubs that aren’t very strong
• Using lubricating gels or creams as they may cause skin irritation and allergic reactions

After making love, pelvic area must be cleaned thoroughly and wipe it dry with dirt free tissue paper or fresh towel.

Many couples might be of the opinion that having sex during pregnancy may harm their child. Though this might be true for women who have a risky pregnancy, those with normal pregnancy need not worry about it at all as their child is absolutely safe. Amniotic sac protects the unborn baby completely along with strong uterus muscles. Cervix is also sealed by the mucus plug, which is very thick. This guards the child against infection and no contact is established between the penis and the fetus, at the time of sex.

Couples who can make love during pregnancy don’t mean that there is any compulsion to make love. Sometimes, due to larger body size or inconvenience, many partners often feel reduced sex drive. Communication along with other methods to exhibit intimacy can keep your sex life going strong, after pregnancy. Or, another alternative is to experiment with different sexual positions in which both of you feel most comfortable.

Have you been tired of your excessive menstrual bleeding? If yes then chances are that a common benign tumor, namely, uterine fibroid, might be developing in your uterus. They grow alongside the uterine walls or sometimes, even with them. Growth of these tumors can be both independently and in clusters. Muscle tissues that lie within your uterus are the primary abode of fibroids, where their growth begins. Further, it spreads to uterine cavity, within the uterine wall or in abdominal cavity over the exterior of uterus.

Abdominal swelling, pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, postmenopausal bleeding, frequent urination, cramps, back pain, miscarriage or infertility, constipation and problems or pain during the intercourse are some other symptoms, besides heavy bleeding, that are indicators of fibroids.

However, steps need to be taken at the earliest, in order to dissipate fibroids as soon as possible, instead of waiting until it’s too late. Even when fibroids do not seem to create any problem and are minimal, they should not be ignored. Rapid development of this tumor, due to ignorance, may cause major problems to many internal organs of your body.

Almost 25% of women in America are victim of fibroids, out of which, many are forced to get their uterus removed, as an escape route. Though there is nothing that can be specifically pointed about as a primary reason for fibroids but changing levels of oestrogen are believed to play an important role in their growth. Fibroids may even happen in an early age of mere 20 years and diminish after menopause as body no longer produces oestrogen after that.

Risk factors that are often associated with proliferation of fibroids are:

• Obesity
• Nulliparity (When you have never produced children)
• Onset of menstruation before the age of 10.
• African American inheritance

In some very rare cases, fibroids may even become a reason for infertility and few surgery options may lead to sterility.

Fibroids treatment normally varies according to symptoms of the patient, location and size of their fibroids, their general health, desire to bear children and proximity of their age to menopause.

Endometrial ablation, Myolysis, Myomectomy, Laparascopic myomectomy and Hysterectomy are some of the treatment options that are available to you. Meanwhile, to ease your fibroids symptoms during menstruation, you can try the following:

• Take over-the-counter medicines to seek relief from body aches and cramps
• Take complete rest in bed, if symptoms get worst
• Eat iron-rich food and ask doctor if iron supplements are advisable for you. This helps to avert anemia due to excessive menstrual bleeding
• Take a warm bath or hold a warm water bottle against your stomach to seek relief from pain

In case, you are seeking the answer to how you can avert fibroids from occurring or reoccurring, unfortunately there is nothing that can be said in the matter till now. Cure is all we can look forward to, at this time.

Chalmydia is a highly popular STD in the U.S. nowadays. “Silent killer” is what you can call it. No! This doesn’t mean that it is a fatal disease. But yes, it kills your ability to bear children. What’s worse? Your organs are invaded secretly as there are no telltale signs that are demarcated by this disease.

Caused by the bacteria, namely, Chlamydia trachomatis, this disease is a treatable STD. Almost 2.8 million Americans are infected with Chlamydia every year. Women are usually reinfected, in case their partners remain untreated. Due to reinfection, women have a higher potential risk for grave complications related to their reproductive health that even includes infertility.

Transmission of this disease can occur during oral, vaginal or anal sex. All sexually active men and women can acquire this disease from an infected person, as they come in any kind of sexual contact with them. As no apparent symptoms are observed, this is normally an unknowing transmission from the infected partners. Chlamydia may also be passed from the mother to her unborn baby. Such babies may have infection in the eyes (conjunctivitis) or pneumonia.

The more the sexual partners, the higher the risk of becoming a Chlamydia victim. People often confuse Chlamydia with Gonorrhea, which is another STD. This is due to similar symptoms and similar further complications, if the disease is left untreated. However, it is important to note that treatments of both these STDs are not similar.

Though no symptoms are noticed in people who suffer from Chlamydia but in some rare cases, infected women may have symptoms like burning sensation at the time of urination or unusual vaginal discharge. Similarly, very few of the infected men may also have the burning sensation during urinating or may have discharge from penis.

If left untreated, this disease may also cause urethral infection in infected men. Infection may also spread to epididymis that causes fever, pain and even infertility. In women, chlamydia bacteria can normally infect cervix cells. In the case of non-treatment, this infection may extend to fallopian tubes, leading to PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease). Around 40% of the infected women who do not seek treatment face the same consequences.

PID causes irreparable damage to tissues that surround ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes. Infertility, potentially serious ectopic pregnancy, infertility and persistent pelvic pain are consequences of such damage. In some cases of infected pregnant women, Chlamydia infection may cause premature delivery. Women infected with chlymadia are also in the high risk category of individuals for acquiring HIV, in comparison to other healthy women.

People with receptive anal intercourse may have proctitis due to chlamydia. Bacterium may also be spotted in the mouth or throats of men and women who have oral sex. Antibiotics like tetracycline are best to treat Chlamydia infections.

Hence, it is best to seek the advice of a physician as soon as possible, in case you notice any of the above mentioned symptoms.

Sepsis involves fight of the body against a severe infection, spread through the bloodstream. Septic patients mostly have a very low blood pressure, often termed as “shock”. There are usually two reasons that lead to this condition. The foremost cause is the defense system of the body itself, while the second reason is the toxic substances that are made by infecting agents, like fungus, bacteria or virus.

People with weak immune systems, due to several reasons, like AIDS, intake of steroids, chemotherapy treatment and others, are more likely to suffer from sepsis. However, even healthy beings are not completely spared. In fact, infants whose immune systems have not developed as yet may also become septic. It is often difficult to diagnose sepsis in infants as typical symptoms of sepsis, like change in behavior or fever are difficult to determine.

Elderly people, especially those suffering from other illnesses like diabetes are also at increased risk. Statistics for death rate among sepsis patients have almost doubled during the past two decades. This increase is believed to be the fact that more doctors nowadays prefer treating organ transplant and cancer patients with strong medicines that mars the immune system greatly and increases the number of people suffering from sepsis.

Finally, heightened as well as inappropriate antibiotics use to cure illness that are not caused by bacteria but viruses has led to a lot of bacteria being resistant to these antibiotics that has made the treatment of sepsis even more complicated in a few cases.

After a discussion about so many risk factors for sepsis, let us emphasize now on symptoms for the same. Yes, so what are symptoms that one should stay alert for an early diagnosis of sepsis? Sepsis patients usually have fever, while sometimes their temperature my go to below normal or even stay normal. Severe shaking, chills, rapid breathing, fast heartbeat, decreased urination, dizziness, confusion, agitation and disorientation are also noticed. Reddish rashes or dark red dots all over the body and joint pains are a few more symptoms that are included in the list for sepsis patients.

There are several different types of microbes that can lead to sepsis. In most cases, bacteria are the most common cause but fungi and viruses can also cause sepsis in a few cases. Infections in kidneys, lungs, bladder and several other organs may also spread that can result in sepsis. Also, sometimes infections may develop after any surgery that can cause sepsis.

If any child who is born for less than 60 days and have fever, unusual rash, change in usual child’s behavior, lethargy or poor feeding, it is advisable to seek medical guidance as soon as possible.

So, as soon as you observe any symptoms of sepsis in any of your family members, do not delay to take them for emergency treatment to increase the possibilities of survival.

Some diseases are not talked about publicly unless any known celebrity is affected by it. One such disease is prostate cancer that came into light when Ronald Reagan, the former President, overcame it recently. However, he was definitely not the first man to be suffering from it as one out of every ten men are the victims of this life-threatening disease.

It is not only the most widely known malignancy among American men but is also the second most common reason for cancer deaths, with first position being taken by the lung cancer. Experts thereby recommend yearly screening or PSA test for all men above the age of 40 years, for early detection of prostate cancer. Timely diagnosis, of course, increases the chances of cure.

As cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth in a particular body part, prostate cancer is therefore the uncontrolled and abnormal cell growth within the prostate gland. Prostate, which is of the size of the walnut, plays an important role in the male reproductive system and lies deep inside the pelvis. You can locate it below the urinary bladder, facing the rectum and surrounding the urethra.

Prostate cancer is significantly found in America, Australia and Europe. Though no particular environmental causes can be pointed out, dietary fat is believed to heighten the risk of this cancer. Family history of the prostate cancer also increases the risk by 2-3 times.

Early symptoms go undetected in most cases but advanced stages of prostate cancer may cause the following symptoms:

• Hesitancy
• Urinary urgency
• Slow flow of urine
• Incomplete emptying of the bladder
• Dribbling after the urination

Pelvic pain may also occur in a few cases. Urethra compression is the man reason for this pain.

There is also a possibility that prostate cancer can reach to other body parts. Usually, pelvic nymph nodes are the first to be affected. But no symptoms are observed at this time.

Bone tissues are next to be attacked that may cause bony pain in lower back or pelvis and many other areas. Most common detection of prostate cancer is related to the prostate’s benign enlargement. Along with this, you may also notice many symptoms in the lower urinary tract. As a result, sometimes, prostate cancer is diagnosed when you consult a doctor regarding your other problems associated with your urinary tract.

A downfall in the mortality rate of prostate cancer has been reported as compared to the previous decade. This mortality rate reached its peak when 41,800 deaths were reported due to prostate cancer, by the American Cancer Society in 1997. Irrespective of this fact, it is essential to know that many men expire while suffering from prostate cancer but not because of it.

Hence, make sure that you undergo yearly PSA test to avoid any threat to your life, once you cross 40 years.

Pancreatitis simply means inflammation of the pancreas. Located in the upper part of the abdomen, behind the stomach, the pancreas plays an important role in digestion.

Inflammation of the pancreas has various causes. Once the gland becomes inflamed, the condition can progress to swelling of the gland and surrounding blood vessels, bleeding, infection, and damage to the gland. There, digestive juices become trapped and start “digesting” the pancreas itself. If this damage persists, the gland may not be able to carry out normal functions.

Pancreatitis may be acute (new, short-term) or chronic (ongoing, long-term). Either type can be very severe, even life threatening. Either type can have serious complications.

Acute pancreatitis usually begins soon after the damage to the pancreas begins. Attacks are typically very mild, but about 20% of them are very severe.

Chronic pancreatitis begins as acute pancreatitis. If the pancreas becomes scarred during the attack of acute pancreatitis, it cannot return to its normal state. The damage to the gland continues, worsening over time.

About 80,000 cases of acute pancreatitis occur in the United States each year. Pancreatitis can occur in people of all ages, although it is very rare in children. Pancreatitis occurs in men and women, although chronic pancreatitis is more common in men than in women.

Alcohol abuse and gallstones are the two main causes of pancreatitis, accounting for 80%-90% of all cases.

Pain is a major symptom in acute pancreatitis, and it is usually quite intense and steady, located in the upper abdomen, and radiating to the patient’s back. Nausea and vomiting and abdominal swelling are also common symptoms. A patient will often have a slight fever, with an increased heart rate and low blood pressure.

Patients with acute pancreatitis are at risk of complications related to shock, a very serious syndrome that occurs when the blood pressure is too low to get adequate circulation to critical organs. Without adequate blood pressure, organs are deprived of oxygen, nutrients, and waste removal and may not function well. Kidney, respiratory, and heart failure are serious possible outcomes of shock.

Even if shock does not occur, circulating pancreatic enzymes and related toxins can cause damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, lining of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, eyes, bones, and skin. As the pancreatic enzymes affect blood vessels, the risk of blood clots increases. When blood flow is blocked by clotting, the supply of oxygen is further decreased to various organs and additional damage done.

Other serious complications of acute pancreatitis include pancreatic necrosis, abcess, and pseudocyst formation. Pancreatic necrosis occurs when a significant portion of the pancreas is permanently damaged during an acute attack. Pancreatic necrosis has an increased risk of death and an increased chance of pancreatic infection. A pancreatic abscess is a local collection of pus that may develop several weeks after the illness subsides. Another late complication of pancreatitis, occurring several weeks after the illness begins, is called a pancreatic pseudocyst, which occurs when dead pancreatic tissue, blood, white blood cells, enzymes, and fluid leaked from the circulatory system accumulate. Pseudocysts cause recurrent abdominal pain and also press on other nearby structures in the gastrointestinal tract, causing disruption of function. Pseudocysts are life threatening when they become infected (abscess) and rupture. Simple rupture of a pseudocyst causes death 14% of the time, but rupture complicated by bleeding causes death 60% of the time.

In very severe cases of pancreatitis, called necrotizing pancreatitis, the pancreatic tissue begins to die, and bleeding increases. Due to the bleeding into the abdomen, two distinctive signs may be noted in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Turner’s sign is a reddish-purple or greenish-brown color to the area between the ribs and the hip (flank). Cullen’s sign is a bluish color around the navel.

Inadequate levels of insulin can sometimes lead to hypertension and cause organic acids and ketons accumulation within the blood. This is a life-threatening state, usually referred to as diabetic ketoacidosis. Patient may have to face significant alterations in blood chemistry and severe dehydration quite frequently.

DKA is common among people suffering from Type 1 diabetes. This condition is normally discovered in patients below 25 years of age, though this may occur in all age groups, irrespective of the sex of the patient.

Infection, missed insulin and recently diagnosed diabetes are some of the major reasons that cause DKA. Surgery, stress, trauma, heart attack and stroke are several other identifiable reasons. In about 5-10% cases, doctors even fail to recognize the cause of DKA.

Excessive thirst, loss of appetite, vomiting, frequent urination, increased heart rate, lower blood pressure, confusion, breathing problem, dry mouth, dry skin, and weakness are the symptoms that are faced by the diabetic ketoacidosis patients. Sometimes, the distinction between the complications and symptoms of DKA becomes very arbitrary in severe cases. Swelling in brain (cerebral edema) and risk for coma are some complications that might be due to delay in the use of appropriate therapy.

If any of the above mentioned symptoms are noticed in diabetes patients, immediate medical attention is required and direct consultation ought to be sought with the emergency department of the hospital. Apart from these symptoms, high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, chest pain and difficulty in breathing are some other warning signs that should be recognized in diabetic patients for medical assistance.

Physical examination and history of the patient is checked to confirm DKA diagnosis. Levels of blood sugar, sodium, potassium and several other electrolytes are also taken into consideration, along with sample of arterial blood gas, kidney function markers and ketone levels that help to determine blood acid concentration. ECG, chest x-ray, CT scan of the brain and urine analysis are some other tests that are utilized to analyze associated conditions that are believed to trigger DKA.

Immediate and proper treatment is mandatory for easy recovery from DKA. No time should be wasted in seeking treatment, once diabetic ketoacidosis has been diagnosed as the condition may worsen very quickly. Continuous low-dose insulin administration is the standard treatment for DKA that works by reducing glucose levels. Though a deadly disease, aggressive treatment still has a ray of hope that paves way for complete recovery of DKA patients.

Did you know that 110,000 people in USA are diagnosed with colon cancer every year? Yes, it is the third most commonly found cancer in the U.S. Regular screenings after the age of 50 years is essential to ensure an early diagnosis and timely treatment of this cancer, else it may prove to be life-threatening. You might say that you feel good and are absolutely healthy but this is where you may be going wrong. There is very much a possibility that you need not notice any symptoms while malignant tumor is developing in your colon or large intestine.

Hence, it is a wise decision to get regular colorectal screenings done after every few years than to regret later. Colonoscopy, Sigmoidoscopy and Fecal Occult Blood Test are some of the screening methods that are suggested by the doctors.

However, sometimes you may stay alert for symptoms such as bloody stools, constipation, inexplicable weight loss, thin stool, bloating, lethargy, nausea and vomiting for a warning against colon cancer.

It is also not uncommon to find cancer cells breaking away from tumor and gaining entry into the bloodstream, from where they spread over to other body organs. Early detection of colon cancer thereby controls the spread of cancer to other body parts and prevents any fatal consequences.

On the basis of body parts to which cancer has spread, different stages of cancer is determined. There are primarily four stages that are distinguished for colon cancer:

• Stage 0 – This is an early stage when cancer has been detected in the rectum or colon’s innermost lining.
• Stage I – In this stage, the cancer has spread onto a large part of rectum or colon’s inner wall of the patient.
• Stage II – This stage shows the spread of cancer to the nearby tissue that are outside the rectum or colon, though it has not yet spread to lymph nodes.
• Stage III – This signifies the spread of cancer to adjacent lymph nodes.
• Stage IV – This involves detection of colon cancer in its last stage that is when it has spread to other body parts, like lungs and liver.

Detection of the stage of colon cancer helps doctors to plan the appropriate course of treatment.

Reoccurrence of colon cancer after the treatment has been reported in many cases. It may occur in rectum, colon or any other body part. However, if the cancer has not reoccurred within 5 years, there are very bleak chances of the cancer reoccurring again. Patients’ until the Stage III of colon cancer have a hope to be cured but those who have reached Stage IV do not have any cure, though their life may be extended for sometime through treatments.

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are three most common treatments that are recommended for colon cancer. However, surgery is the most preferred among the three as it involves the removal of cancer of cancer through an operation. Any of these treatments or a combination of treatments might be advised by the doctor based on the stage of your colon cancer, age and your overall health. Polypectomy, colostomy and local excision are the different kinds of surgical treatments that are used.

Having a positive biopsy or a suspicious mammogram for breast cancer are the scariest words that a woman can hear from her physician. Breast cancer isn’t just concerned with ill health, like all other diseases. There are several other issues that are associated with it, such as death, surgery, losing sexuality, body image and so on. Hence, it’s a stressful condition, both physically and mentally.

Unfortunately, this is the topmost reason for cancer among women and seconds the list of reasons that is causing cancer deaths in U.S. women. This is usually found in women in the age group of 45 to 55 years. Although, this is more common in women but even male population is not completely spared from its fatal condition. However, breast cancer accounts for only 1% of the total cancer deaths among the male population.

Increased awareness about the risk for breast cancer has increased the women’s concern about the disease and as a result, the number of females who are undergoing mammography screening. This leads to timely detection of the disease at an early stage and thereby enhances the chances of survival.

The most common symptom that serves to be an indication for breast cancer is the lump discovered in the armpit or breast. Some other symptoms are – lump or swelling in breast or armpit, retracted nipple, nipple discharge, pain or discomfort in nipple or breast, pitted or scaly skin over the nipple and continuous tenderness of breast.

One in every eight women becomes a victim of breast cancer once in their life. Though there is nothing that can be said regarding why women are most affected by breast cancer but there are a few unchangeable risk factors that are found to be the culprit:

1. Age – possibility of breast cancer increases in women as they age.
2. Genes – BRCA1 and 2 are the two genes that are highly responsible for breast cancer. Women whose family members have ovarian or breast cancer are advisable to get themselves checked regularly.
3. Periods – Women whose period begin before the age of 12 or whose menopause occur after the age of 55 needs to be careful.

Any woman who drinks alcohol, take pills for birth control, is overweight, have dense breast, have undergone hormone replacement therapy or those who have their first child later than 35 years of age are also at great risk and must stay alert for any warning signs.

Ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer, accounting for 85-90% of the total cases. This is followed by lobular carcinoma with 8% of the breast cancer cases. Besides these two, Paget’s disease of nipple and inflammatory breast cancer are the types of breast cancer that are not found very commonly.

Breast cancer that can spread from their original site of tumor to other breast or body parts is referred to as invasive breast cancer. Survival rates of breast cancer patients have greatly increased in the past decade with early diagnosis and better treatment methods.