Women's Health

Menstrual Cycle Dysfunction

During the past few decades, increasing numbers of women of all ages have been participating in sports, at both recreational and competitive levels. Most girls and women derive significant health benefits from regular physical activity. They can achieve the same training effects as do men, such as decreased blood pressure, lowered heart rate, and improved aerobic capacity, as well as decreased percent body fat. These changes help protect against atherosclerosis and heart disease. In addition, weight-bearing exercise promotes strong and healthy bones.

Warts: a Pesky Problem Requiring Persistence

Warts are a very common but challenging skin problem. These pesky bumps, known in dermatological circles as "verrucae," have likely been around since the dawn of man, afflicting millions of individuals. They are caused by a virus called the Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV. There are many subtypes of HPV causing a variety of different warts. They are potentially contagious, spreading to other body areas on one person or to other individuals.

Lifestyle Really Does Matter!

Many people know that the leading causes of death in the United States are heart disease, cancer, and stroke.When it comes to prevention, however, it is more important to know why people suffer from these conditions. In other words, what are the actual causes of disease or reasons people die? A landmark study titled "Actual causes of death in the United States," published in 2004, shed a lot of light on this subject [1].

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy - A Mysterious Pain Explained

An otherwise healthy patient presents to the emergency department of her local hospital after falling onto her out-stretched arms. She has an obvious deformity of her wrist. The ER physician consults an Orthopedic surgeon who successfully reduces her broken wrist and places a cast over her wrist and lower arm. The patient is discharged home in good condition. Several days later she returns to her Orthopedist for a check-up; she has no complaints and is doing well. She returns to her Orthopedist several weeks later and is complaining of a burning pain in her wrist and arm.

Diet High in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Protects Against Memory Loss

What you eat now could prevent loss of memory and mental ability later in life. According to a study published in the May 1999 issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s scientific journal, a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids protects against a decline in memory performance and cognitive processing functions often associated with aging.

Brain Tumors - A Brief Overview

A 40-year-old male comes to the emergency room after having suffered a generalized seizure and complaining of a several month history of increasing weakness in his left arm. Both a CT scan and an MRI study reveal a tumor growing into the right front portion of the man’s brain. A 45-year-old female visits the emergency room with almost the exact same history as the gentleman described previously. She suffered a seizure of her left side involving the arm and leg and has noticed over the last year a gradually increasing numbness and weakness of her left arm and leg.

Gonadotropins (Ovarian Hyperstimulation)

Ovulation induction is a term that refers to the administration of medication to stimulate ovulation. These medications range from clomiphene to gonadotropins to combinations of the two. Gonadotropins are injectable ovulation stimulating hormones that are identical to the hormones secreted by the body. With the administration of these injectable medications, the circulating levels of these hormones are increased, resulting in the stimulation and growth of multiple eggs.

Actos: New Hope for PCOS Sufferers

Actos, the latest drug in a long line of medications used for treating various blood sugar disorders, may offer hope to infertile women suffering from Type II diabetes or polycystic ovarian syndrome/disorder (PCO)**. In short, the theory behind PCO is that the body does not effectively use the insulin it produces, usually leading to, among many other problems, irregular menstrual cycles and high blood glucose levels, making it very difficult to conceive a child.

Introduction to PCOS

What is it and What Does it Do? PCOS (also called PCO and PCOD, which I will use indiscriminately in this piece) is an endocrine disorder that affects a myriad of areas in your body. For whatever reason, the hormonal balance is off, and being off-kilter, the hormonal cocktail does not have the punch to eject all the eggs from the ovary; they get lodged in the -crust° of the ovary, causing cysts. Many cysts: POLY cysts. Get it? Moving on·

Common Fertility Treatment Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Ms. Elizabeth Paul (not her real name) was my last appointment of the day, and she brought a thick medical file that described all the medical tests and treatments she had been through. She had consulted doctors on three continents, and was now seeking another medical opinion for her problem of unexplained infertility. She had had four laparoscopies, performed by various doctors in different parts of the world - and had been through six insemination treatment cycles.

Infertility: The Starters Gate

A few weeks ago we were at the county fair. While roaming around the exhibit buildings, we ran into a couple we sang with in choir a few years ago. Sheîs 40, heîs 30; theyîve been married over a year. They donît have kids, but would like to. When I asked her about it some time ago, she said they werenît having any luck. I inquired as to what they had tried, and she replied they were just -winging it.° I told her of my own infertility struggles and offered help as someone who writes about fertility issues as a profession, but she politely refused, saying -winging it° was just fine.

Be A Wise Consumer In The Booming Fertility Industry

With the birth of the McCaughey's septuplets, fertility care has been thrown into the spotlight in popular magazines and on radio and television. With one in six couples now experiencing some sort of fertility challenge, competition in the industry has become fierce, as patients can sometimes spend tens of thousands of dollars in hopes of attaining that most precious treasure - a child.

Testing For Pregnancy

Any woman who has been trying to conceive for very long soon develops a love-hate relationship with pregnancy tests. Last year, consumers spent $191.0 million on home pregnancy tests (HPTs). This has increased from the previous year's figure of $180.6 million.

Monitoring Your Ovulation at Home

I have always heard that there were women out there with regular-as-clockwork cycles, those who could set their calendars by their menstrual cycles. There are also those who can even pinpoint the moment of ovulation by the familiar aches of mittleshmirtz, or ovulation pain. Then there's me. I can go six, nine, and even 12 months without having a menstrual cycle. Because it happens so rarely, it is almost impossible for me to detect ovulation pain.

Trouble Conceiving?

It was 7 AM. My husband whisked himself out of bed and hopped into the shower. Trying to make up for lost time, he skipped his usual shave. Meanwhile I laid in bed for the next 20 minutes with my hips hiked up to what felt like the ceiling. Maybe, this time would be the month.

Reading Your Fertility Signs

Your body is a wonderful creation. If you are just now beginning to plan pregnancy, then you probably do not realize how many steps it takes for your body to conceive a child. If you have been at this a while, then you probably never thought you'd know so much about your body.

Before You Conceive

So, you are ready to get pregnant. You have your finances and medical insurance in order, your partner is supportive of the decision to have a child, and you feel ready to begin a new journey. Before you begin trying to conceive, there are some things to consider. Healthy moms, healthy babies

Miscarriage 101

A miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion, is a pregnancy that ends by itself within the first 20 weeks, usually because the pregnancy is not developing normally. A baby is considered stillborn when it dies after the first 20 weeks. Experts estimate that about half of all fertilized eggs die and are miscarried, usually even before the woman knows she is pregnant.

Qus & Ans: Unexplained Infertility

I have been trying to conceive for two years now and recently I read an article about dysmenorrhea. I feel that I have some signs of this, like painful periods that bring me to tears. I also read that it can cause infertility. How true is this? Should I discuss this with my doctor before getting fertility tests done?

Find out Which of the Myths about Health are Real and Not!

Here's proof that you should not believe everything you hear about health. Nancy Snyderman, surgeon and editor of NBC News, tells you which are the myths about health that you may cause problems. Here are some stories that you hear every day and find out which ones are true: Myth: Annual Medical Control is Beneficial The Truth: it is! If you go to regular monitoring, as otherwise you discover problems in time. Myth: Storage of Medicines in the Bathroom is the Best Option