Menopause and Vaginal Dryness
Many women feel vaginal dryness during menopause due to the thinning of the mucus membranes and the loss of elasticity in the walls of the -vagina. The reduction in the production of estrogen in the ovaries may cause the thinning of the vaginal lining. This, in itself, does not cause any problems, unless the lining of the -vagina becomes inflamed and dry; then it is painful.
Vaginal dryness is medically known as 'atrophic vaginitis,' and it sounds like a disease, though it is not. It can be overcome with simple remedies, such as, a good nutritional program during your menopause. This is an excellent way of preventing your -vagina from becoming dry and thin. Other solutions to the problem are the estrogen replacement creams, tri-estrogen cream or triple estrogen cream, and pills that your doctor can prescribe. Certain Over- The-Counter (OTC) vaginal lubricants could be helpful too. Applying Vitamin E oil helps hydrating the vaginal membranes.
If you are on medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants or other drugs with drying potential, these can cause drying of the mucous membranes, aggravating the problem. Doctors suggest a perineal wash (area
between the posterior vulva junction and the anus in females) once a day. Women need to rinse the vulvar region (the external genital organs of the female, including the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and entrance of the vagina) with plain water. Opening the labia gently with one hand, water is either sprayed from a squirt bottle or poured gently from a square container.
Menopause, Vaginal Dryness and Sex
Vaginal dryness is medically known as 'atrophic vaginitis,' and it sounds like a disease, though it is not. It can be overcome with simple remedies, such as, a good nutritional program during your menopause. This is an excellent way of preventing your -vagina from becoming dry and thin. Other solutions to the problem are the estrogen replacement creams, tri-estrogen cream or triple estrogen cream, and pills that your doctor can prescribe. Certain Over- The-Counter (OTC) vaginal lubricants could be helpful too. Applying Vitamin E oil helps hydrating the vaginal membranes.
If you are on medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants or other drugs with drying potential, these can cause drying of the mucous membranes, aggravating the problem. Doctors suggest a perineal wash (area
between the posterior vulva junction and the anus in females) once a day. Women need to rinse the vulvar region (the external genital organs of the female, including the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and entrance of the vagina) with plain water. Opening the labia gently with one hand, water is either sprayed from a squirt bottle or poured gently from a square container.
Menopause, Vaginal Dryness and Sex
Though menopause is nature's contraceptive, women need to wait at least a year before giving up on contraceptives.
During Perimenopause, the period leading to menopause, the sexual desire gets diminishes often. The thinning of the genital membranes and vaginal dryness often lead to discomfort during masturbation and sexual intercourse.
Women who have infrequent intercourse could gently stretch the vaginal tissues by inserting a couple of fingers in the vagina during bath. This may prevent vaginismus, a muscular contraction causing the vagina to close, and pain on penetration. Maintaining regular sexual activity, and/or masturbation will help. To aid vaginal lubrication, which is delayed with age, women can ask their partners to prolong foreplay. This could make penetration easy and comfortable.
Treating Thinning of Membranes and Vaginal Dryness
During Perimenopause, the period leading to menopause, the sexual desire gets diminishes often. The thinning of the genital membranes and vaginal dryness often lead to discomfort during masturbation and sexual intercourse.
Women who have infrequent intercourse could gently stretch the vaginal tissues by inserting a couple of fingers in the vagina during bath. This may prevent vaginismus, a muscular contraction causing the vagina to close, and pain on penetration. Maintaining regular sexual activity, and/or masturbation will help. To aid vaginal lubrication, which is delayed with age, women can ask their partners to prolong foreplay. This could make penetration easy and comfortable.
Treating Thinning of Membranes and Vaginal Dryness
Start with drinking 2 liters of water and herbal tea every day.
Consumption of soybean stimulates estrogen production, leading to elimination of vaginal dryness in many women.
Adding canola, olive, sunflower, or soybean oil to your diet will add lubrication to your body.
Doctors suggest applying intra-vaginally, natural progesterone cream once a day.
In doses of 200 IU at a time, take 600 to 800 IU of Vitamin E daily. Vitamin E is contra-indicated for hypertension, diabetes or a rheumatic heart. You will need to consult your doctor.
One effective way of easing vaginal dryness is to insert a Vitamin E capsule intra-vaginally.
About the Author
Cathy Taylor writes frequently on mid-life issues for women and men particularly menopause and andropause. A copy of her book can be found at http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com
breast cancer,Health Care for Women, menopause, menstruation, natural acne treatment, Osteoporosis, postmenopause, Pregnancy, premature aging, reproductive system, Sexual Health, women health issue, women health article, women health tips
Women's Health Supplement
Women are more often afflicted by certain illnesses than men, including such problems as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Inflammation is a key problem in many of these disorders, so when a "new" health supplement product appears on the market claiming to treat the many related ailments it is cause for some investigation, if not outright celebration.
One of the latest health supplement discoveries, drawing on ancient remedies from Southeast Asia, is the Mangosteen fruit. An extremely potent source of antioxidants, many people have found that drinking this juice has helped them successfully stop taking a host of other medications for pain, inflammation, fatigue, depression, and more.
Mangosteen Studies Look Hopeful
Could the natural Mangosteen health supplement provide you with some of the answers you've been looking for? Numerous testimonials and initial studies on inflammation are hopeful.
While it is important to remain aware that not every herbal health supplement is necessarily safe for use by everyone in spite of their natural sources, a fruit juice like Mangosteen is probably one of the least likely to be harmful. There is always cause for a healthy amount of skepticism and caution when exploring new products, however, the way Mangosteen works is encouraging in both its simplicity and its profound applications for inflammation.
Powerful and Effective
It is effective because its high levels of powerful antioxidants provide the body with support for our own natural healing processes at a cellular level, helping to repair damage, and prevent future occurrences of inflammation, degeneration and illness.
If you have lived with chronic pain and illness, the implications of such a natural treatment for woman are great indeed. It is difficult to find relief from inflammation, and too often people end up taking a large number of medications to ease their symptoms, only to create more problems. The toll this takes on our bodies, not to mention our relationships, jobs, and lifestyle in general is hard to adequately summarize.
Using food for a natural health supplement such as Mangosteen offers the benefits of working to repair the damage in our bodies and address the underlying issues, not just mask the resulting pain.
Relief From a Natural Health Supplement
Mangosteen is a natural health supplement food source that can provide the antioxidants lacking from fruits and vegetables. Unhealthy eating habits, as well as lower nutritional value in much of the food we eat, are just some of the culprits in our imperfect state of health.
While it is important to make every effort to eat a healthy diet and lead a balanced lifestyle, including adequate rest and exercise, natural medicine and health supplements can help fill in the gaps, and give us the extra support we need to maintain our health and vitality. Read further about the benefits of natural approaches to health, and look forward to a healthier future, starting today.
About the Author
*** Powerful Natural Health Supplement ***
Discover The Amazing Healing Properties Of
Mangosteen... The Queen Of Fruit From Asia
Go here for more information ==>
http://www.mymangosteen.com/dwain
One of the latest health supplement discoveries, drawing on ancient remedies from Southeast Asia, is the Mangosteen fruit. An extremely potent source of antioxidants, many people have found that drinking this juice has helped them successfully stop taking a host of other medications for pain, inflammation, fatigue, depression, and more.
Mangosteen Studies Look Hopeful
Could the natural Mangosteen health supplement provide you with some of the answers you've been looking for? Numerous testimonials and initial studies on inflammation are hopeful.
While it is important to remain aware that not every herbal health supplement is necessarily safe for use by everyone in spite of their natural sources, a fruit juice like Mangosteen is probably one of the least likely to be harmful. There is always cause for a healthy amount of skepticism and caution when exploring new products, however, the way Mangosteen works is encouraging in both its simplicity and its profound applications for inflammation.
Powerful and Effective
It is effective because its high levels of powerful antioxidants provide the body with support for our own natural healing processes at a cellular level, helping to repair damage, and prevent future occurrences of inflammation, degeneration and illness.
If you have lived with chronic pain and illness, the implications of such a natural treatment for woman are great indeed. It is difficult to find relief from inflammation, and too often people end up taking a large number of medications to ease their symptoms, only to create more problems. The toll this takes on our bodies, not to mention our relationships, jobs, and lifestyle in general is hard to adequately summarize.
Using food for a natural health supplement such as Mangosteen offers the benefits of working to repair the damage in our bodies and address the underlying issues, not just mask the resulting pain.
Relief From a Natural Health Supplement
Mangosteen is a natural health supplement food source that can provide the antioxidants lacking from fruits and vegetables. Unhealthy eating habits, as well as lower nutritional value in much of the food we eat, are just some of the culprits in our imperfect state of health.
While it is important to make every effort to eat a healthy diet and lead a balanced lifestyle, including adequate rest and exercise, natural medicine and health supplements can help fill in the gaps, and give us the extra support we need to maintain our health and vitality. Read further about the benefits of natural approaches to health, and look forward to a healthier future, starting today.
About the Author
*** Powerful Natural Health Supplement ***
Discover The Amazing Healing Properties Of
Mangosteen... The Queen Of Fruit From Asia
Go here for more information ==>
http://www.mymangosteen.com/dwain
Tags:
breast cancer,Health Care for Women, menopause, menstruation, natural acne treatment, Osteoporosis, postmenopause, Pregnancy, premature aging, reproductive system, Sexual Health, women health issue, women health article, women health tips
Breast Enhancements A Review
We live in a society in which technology has made it possible for us to change areas of our body that might be a problem. This is why numerous women and men choose plastic surgery each year to accomplish this. A common area for women to have modified is the chest area. Breast enhancement surgery is quite popular but the whole process might seem a little daunting to women who are not knowledgeable about the procedure. As a result, this article will go through a step-by-step breast enhancement review highlighting what is generally to be expected by someone undergoing this surgery.
During the first step of this breast enhancement review, it is important to discuss how breasts are enhanced or enlarged. This is commonly done using breast implants, which are silicone bags containing a saline liquid. The plastic surgeon you select will be able to show you exactly what the implant will look like.
The next step in this breast enhancement review would be to describe the actual surgery. Usually the implants are placed either below the glandular tissue or below the muscle. When the surgeon places your implant below the muscle, the recovery period is usually longer.
The surgery usually lasts from one to two hours and is under general anesthesia. Some women are either admitted to hospital or the procedure is done as an outpatient. The actual surgery is straightforward as the surgeon will discuss where he will cut you and place the implant. From there it is just a matter of using stitches to close the skin where you were cut.
The last step in the breast enhancement review would be your recovery at home. For most women who had routine surgery, a few days are all that is needed. But most surgeons will caution that exercise should be avoided for a few weeks.
Feeling Full & Firm by using PUERARIAN Breast Cream
This amazing cream is excellent for breast firming and enlargement. Various studies confirmed that this product has a high success for enhancing women breast. All Skin Type
Ingredients: Pueraria Mirifica and other herb extracts
Direction: Use once in the morning and in the night. Apply onto breast area and massage for 3-5 minutes until it is fully absorbed.
Precautions: Not recommended for pregnant women, feeding mothers or women diagnosed with medical conditions of the breast.
To Free Natural breast enlargement BREAST SPRAY $ 40 at http://www.phuketherb.com/
About the Author
Anchalee Saechin is the webmaster of the natural breast enhancement, enlargement, and healthcare product review and advice website http://www.phuketherb.com/ - providing information on alternative breast care for women seeking more beautiful and healthy breasts.
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com
During the first step of this breast enhancement review, it is important to discuss how breasts are enhanced or enlarged. This is commonly done using breast implants, which are silicone bags containing a saline liquid. The plastic surgeon you select will be able to show you exactly what the implant will look like.
The next step in this breast enhancement review would be to describe the actual surgery. Usually the implants are placed either below the glandular tissue or below the muscle. When the surgeon places your implant below the muscle, the recovery period is usually longer.
The surgery usually lasts from one to two hours and is under general anesthesia. Some women are either admitted to hospital or the procedure is done as an outpatient. The actual surgery is straightforward as the surgeon will discuss where he will cut you and place the implant. From there it is just a matter of using stitches to close the skin where you were cut.
The last step in the breast enhancement review would be your recovery at home. For most women who had routine surgery, a few days are all that is needed. But most surgeons will caution that exercise should be avoided for a few weeks.
Feeling Full & Firm by using PUERARIAN Breast Cream
This amazing cream is excellent for breast firming and enlargement. Various studies confirmed that this product has a high success for enhancing women breast. All Skin Type
Ingredients: Pueraria Mirifica and other herb extracts
Direction: Use once in the morning and in the night. Apply onto breast area and massage for 3-5 minutes until it is fully absorbed.
Precautions: Not recommended for pregnant women, feeding mothers or women diagnosed with medical conditions of the breast.
To Free Natural breast enlargement BREAST SPRAY $ 40 at http://www.phuketherb.com/
About the Author
Anchalee Saechin is the webmaster of the natural breast enhancement, enlargement, and healthcare product review and advice website http://www.phuketherb.com/ - providing information on alternative breast care for women seeking more beautiful and healthy breasts.
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com
Tags:
breast cancer,Health Care for Women, menopause, menstruation, natural acne treatment, Osteoporosis, postmenopause, Pregnancy, premature aging, reproductive system, Sexual Health, women health issue, women health article, women health tips
Eating for Two: Before, During and After a Pregnancy
Eating healthy is one of the most important things you can do for your baby. During pregnancy, a developing child may require expectant moms to double some of their normal nutrient needs. But proper nutrition is also something to strive for even before you conceive. Low levels of iron and folic acid, even months before you become pregnant, have been linked to premature births and stunted growth.
If you are eating a balanced diet already, you may only need to make a few, simple changes. Although cravings may rule your appetite, it is important to learn how to make the most of your meals and effectively eat for you and your baby.
Eating Before a Pregnancy
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the originators of the food pyramid, women should focus on a balanced diet, including:
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk or dairy
Lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts
Foods and oils low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars
The total amount of calories you need depends on your height and how much you exercise, but in general, women should consume between 1,600 to 2,200 calories a day.
A proper diet for any woman should include all of the important nutrients. But you may want to pay particular attention to the following:
Folate—Consuming about 400 µg daily of folic acid both before and during pregnancy is recommended to prevent birth defects. Foods like orange juice, strawberries, spinach and broccoli are high in folic acid.
Iron—Foods rich in iron include red meat, fish, poultry, dried fruit and fortified cereals. Getting 15 mg of iron a day can help prevent anemia during a pregnancy and low birth weight.
Eating During a Pregnancy
You can stick to your same healthy diet during the first trimester of pregnancy, but after that, women should add an extra 300 calories a day, totaling 1,900 to 2,500 calories. Throughout your pregnancy, avoid alcohol, raw fish, soft cheeses and large amounts of caffeine. If you are already at a reasonable weight, you should strive to gain about 25 to 30 pounds during pregnancy. Women who are very thin to begin with may need to gain more weight, while those who are obese should look to only gain 15 pounds, according to the American Dietetic Association (ADA) . Excess weight during pregnancy may increase the risk of transferring weight-related problems to infants.
The ADA recommends the minimum daily servings (6 ounces) for each during pregnancy:
9 servings of breads, cereal or pasta
4 servings of vegetables
3 servings of fruit
2-3 servings of milk, yogurt or cheese
2 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts
Women should up their folic acid to 600 µg a day and double their intake of iron and protein. Pregnant women often crave dairy and sweets and have an aversion to meat. Other good sources for protein also include peanut butter and eggs.
A multi-vitamin supplement is generally recommended to help women meet their extra nutrient needs, which also includes vitamins A, B-6 and B-12. Calcium is better absorbed during pregnancy, but women should continue to get 1,000 mg of this nutrient a day to build strong bones for both mother and child. Iron can interfere with the absorption of other minerals, so women should take supplements containing 15 mg zinc and 2 mg of copper.
Eating After Pregnancy
Women who are breast feeding will need to maintain about 200 more calories than normal until the child moves on to regular food. Pediatric groups generally recommend breastfeeding because it can reduce the rate of serious infections for the baby. However, breast milk does not provide enough vitamin D, so children who are breast feeding should also receive vitamin D drops (200 IU) to prevent rickets.
After you deliver your baby, your health will be improved by returning to a normal weight. But work at it gradually. Strive to lose about a pound a week, while enjoying your new life with your growing family.
Tags:
breast cancer,Health Care for Women, menopause, menstruation, natural acne treatment, Osteoporosis, postmenopause, Pregnancy, premature aging, reproductive system, Sexual Health, women health issue, women health article, women health tips
Unraveling Estrogen's Effect in Older Women
Researchers believe they now know how estrogen turns from friend to foe as a woman ages. The finding could explain why hormone replacement therapy raises the risk of coronary artery disease after menopause.
In younger women, estrogen relaxes coronary blood vessels, but because of chemical changes that occur during menopause, the same hormone can suddenly do the opposite, claim scientists from the Medical College of Georgia. They hope that by tinkering with those chemical changes, they can make it safe once again for women to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
"Many clinical and experimental studies to date have shown that estrogen preserved cardiovascular function in postmenopausal women. So, when the Women's Health Initiative released its findings indicating that it could actually increase CAD [coronary artery disease] and stroke risk, we couldn't believe it," said study author Richard E. White, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology. "It didn't make any sense because we knew that estrogen was a vasodilator and did so many good things, so we wanted to know how it could be harmful," he said.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was intrigued enough by White's research to award him a $1.2 million, four-year grant to definitively answer that question. White presented his findings last week at the Second International Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke in Orlando, Fla.
By studying estrogen's effects on coronary blood vessel walls in pig heart tissue, White and his colleagues determined that, in young women, estrogen acts as a vasodilator, stimulating nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to produce nitric oxide (NO). That's a good thing for the heart, since nitric oxide regulates dilation of blood vessels.
They already knew that estrogen could relax blood vessels, but finding out that estrogen might be equally capable of constricting blood vessels after a certain age was a surprise.
"We thought it was a mistake," White said. What they found upon closer examination is that when estrogen stimulates NOS in the arteries in the absence of two chemical helpers (tetrahydrobiopterin and L-arginine), which are found in younger women but less so in postmenopausal women, superoxide is formed instead, and that's when trouble starts. Superoxide enhances oxidation and promotes aging, White explained.
The effect of estrogen seems to be dose-dependent, too. "The more estrogen we had, the bigger the effect," White said, explaining that estrogen is an antioxidant and, like other antioxidants, it has the potential to do harm at higher doses.
But don't blame estrogen, White said; blame the aging process, since that's what causes a natural decrease in some of those vital molecules that are needed to make nitric oxide. For estrogen, it's just a matter of being in the right place at the wrong time, he noted.
"We know of two molecules [tetrahydrobiopterin and L-arginine] that are involved for sure, and there may be others," he said.
The jury is still out on estrogen, suggested Dr. Frederick Naftolin, director of the Center for Research in Reproductive Biology at Yale University School of Medicine. "The advent of the WHI, HERS and ERAS trials has led to a rash of misinterpretation and concern that estrogen is 'bad for the blood vessels.'" In fact, he says, it's the "lack of estrogen, plus aging, [that] are associated with deterioration of blood vessels."
"What this study does do is help us better understand vascular biology, but it needs to be tested in more lifelike circumstances," Naftolin said. "More than half of people die of vascular disease, and estrogen is important in vascular health. We need this and other research to continue and even increase."
White's team will be scrutinizing the estrogen-NOS relationship, and trying to find out what other signaling molecules may affect their interaction. Like going through a fuse box one at a time to find the blown fuse, the researchers will be knocking out or overexpressing certain molecules to see which ones are involved.
White estimates it will be at least two years down the road, after completing a number of clinical trials, before their findings can be translated into something clinically useful, such as changing hormone therapy.
By Angela Pirisi
HealthDay Reporter
In younger women, estrogen relaxes coronary blood vessels, but because of chemical changes that occur during menopause, the same hormone can suddenly do the opposite, claim scientists from the Medical College of Georgia. They hope that by tinkering with those chemical changes, they can make it safe once again for women to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
"Many clinical and experimental studies to date have shown that estrogen preserved cardiovascular function in postmenopausal women. So, when the Women's Health Initiative released its findings indicating that it could actually increase CAD [coronary artery disease] and stroke risk, we couldn't believe it," said study author Richard E. White, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology. "It didn't make any sense because we knew that estrogen was a vasodilator and did so many good things, so we wanted to know how it could be harmful," he said.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was intrigued enough by White's research to award him a $1.2 million, four-year grant to definitively answer that question. White presented his findings last week at the Second International Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke in Orlando, Fla.
By studying estrogen's effects on coronary blood vessel walls in pig heart tissue, White and his colleagues determined that, in young women, estrogen acts as a vasodilator, stimulating nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to produce nitric oxide (NO). That's a good thing for the heart, since nitric oxide regulates dilation of blood vessels.
They already knew that estrogen could relax blood vessels, but finding out that estrogen might be equally capable of constricting blood vessels after a certain age was a surprise.
"We thought it was a mistake," White said. What they found upon closer examination is that when estrogen stimulates NOS in the arteries in the absence of two chemical helpers (tetrahydrobiopterin and L-arginine), which are found in younger women but less so in postmenopausal women, superoxide is formed instead, and that's when trouble starts. Superoxide enhances oxidation and promotes aging, White explained.
The effect of estrogen seems to be dose-dependent, too. "The more estrogen we had, the bigger the effect," White said, explaining that estrogen is an antioxidant and, like other antioxidants, it has the potential to do harm at higher doses.
But don't blame estrogen, White said; blame the aging process, since that's what causes a natural decrease in some of those vital molecules that are needed to make nitric oxide. For estrogen, it's just a matter of being in the right place at the wrong time, he noted.
"We know of two molecules [tetrahydrobiopterin and L-arginine] that are involved for sure, and there may be others," he said.
The jury is still out on estrogen, suggested Dr. Frederick Naftolin, director of the Center for Research in Reproductive Biology at Yale University School of Medicine. "The advent of the WHI, HERS and ERAS trials has led to a rash of misinterpretation and concern that estrogen is 'bad for the blood vessels.'" In fact, he says, it's the "lack of estrogen, plus aging, [that] are associated with deterioration of blood vessels."
"What this study does do is help us better understand vascular biology, but it needs to be tested in more lifelike circumstances," Naftolin said. "More than half of people die of vascular disease, and estrogen is important in vascular health. We need this and other research to continue and even increase."
White's team will be scrutinizing the estrogen-NOS relationship, and trying to find out what other signaling molecules may affect their interaction. Like going through a fuse box one at a time to find the blown fuse, the researchers will be knocking out or overexpressing certain molecules to see which ones are involved.
White estimates it will be at least two years down the road, after completing a number of clinical trials, before their findings can be translated into something clinically useful, such as changing hormone therapy.
By Angela Pirisi
HealthDay Reporter
Breast Cancer, what you should know about Testing and Diagnosis
The chance, that breast cancer is found early, it is more likely to be treated successfully. Checking for cancer in a person who does not have any symptoms is called screening.
Screening-Tests for breast cancer include, among others, clinical breast exams and mammograms and there is a very important base in the health-service for women.
The doctor or other health care professional can check the breasts and underarms for lumps, during a clinical breast exam, which could be a sign of breast cancer.
What is the “mammogram”?
“The mammogram is a special x-ray of the breast and that can often detect cancers that there are too small for a woman or her doctor to feel them. “
A lot of studies show's that mammography screening has reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer. But also, some other studies have not shown a clear benefit from mammography. So- you can't get a 100% results!
But, to day there are no other ways to check out the breast cancer with a good percentage. Concerning that, the Scientists are continuing to examine the level of benefit that mammography can produce. The National Cancer Institute recommends the following:
• you are a woman in your 40s, you should have mammography screening every one to two years.
• you are a woman age 50 and older, you should have mammography screening every one to two years.
• If you are a woman who is at higher than average risk for breast cancer, you should seek expert medical advice about whether to begin screening before age 40 and how often to have screening mammography.
The results are between 5 and 10 percent of mammogram not normal and require more testing. The one good information - the most of these follow-up tests confirm that no cancer was present.
What will be this "more testing"? The doctor will call it a “Biopsy”. The procedure which is needed is to take a small amount of fluid or tissue must remove from the breast to make a diagnosis. A doctor might perform fine needle aspiration, a needle or core Biopsy, or a surgical Biopsy.
This tissue goes to in the lab, this tissue will be checked on the pathologist examines under the microscope and the results let him see if any of the cells are cancerous.
In the last time, the Doctors are studying another new type of surgical biopsy that removes less breast tissue. This new type is called an image-guided needle breast biopsy, or stereotactic biopsy.
With this new system - If approved for general use, we can await, that the result's are much more efficient and clearly, so that the doctors would become an important surgical tool.
Please take note, that eighty percent of U.S. women who have a surgical breast biopsy do not have cancer!
***But take also note, that women who have breast biopsies are at HIGHER RISK of developing breast cancer than women who have never had a breast biopsy.***
If you know that “- you will have perhaps a second opinion of the doctor's information's.
The last technical review - With the magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and ultrasound we have two other techniques which the researchers think might detect breast cancer with greater accuracy and with lower risk!
What's can help you?
Other new techniques used to find cancer include a new way of reading mammograms called digital mammography.
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and ultrasound are two other techniques which researchers think might detect breast cancer with greater accuracy.
Fritz Frei, director of public relations
Health-Service-Online
Phone - +41 71 630 06 86
E-mail: support
http://www.cancer-info.info
About the author:
Fritz Frei make it easy to check out the important details about the diagnoses and test's of the breast-cancer. To receive more information's about all cancer -questions - Links and last research NEW's - visit the http://www.cancer-info.info
Screening-Tests for breast cancer include, among others, clinical breast exams and mammograms and there is a very important base in the health-service for women.
The doctor or other health care professional can check the breasts and underarms for lumps, during a clinical breast exam, which could be a sign of breast cancer.
What is the “mammogram”?
“The mammogram is a special x-ray of the breast and that can often detect cancers that there are too small for a woman or her doctor to feel them. “
A lot of studies show's that mammography screening has reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer. But also, some other studies have not shown a clear benefit from mammography. So- you can't get a 100% results!
But, to day there are no other ways to check out the breast cancer with a good percentage. Concerning that, the Scientists are continuing to examine the level of benefit that mammography can produce. The National Cancer Institute recommends the following:
• you are a woman in your 40s, you should have mammography screening every one to two years.
• you are a woman age 50 and older, you should have mammography screening every one to two years.
• If you are a woman who is at higher than average risk for breast cancer, you should seek expert medical advice about whether to begin screening before age 40 and how often to have screening mammography.
The results are between 5 and 10 percent of mammogram not normal and require more testing. The one good information - the most of these follow-up tests confirm that no cancer was present.
What will be this "more testing"? The doctor will call it a “Biopsy”. The procedure which is needed is to take a small amount of fluid or tissue must remove from the breast to make a diagnosis. A doctor might perform fine needle aspiration, a needle or core Biopsy, or a surgical Biopsy.
This tissue goes to in the lab, this tissue will be checked on the pathologist examines under the microscope and the results let him see if any of the cells are cancerous.
In the last time, the Doctors are studying another new type of surgical biopsy that removes less breast tissue. This new type is called an image-guided needle breast biopsy, or stereotactic biopsy.
With this new system - If approved for general use, we can await, that the result's are much more efficient and clearly, so that the doctors would become an important surgical tool.
Please take note, that eighty percent of U.S. women who have a surgical breast biopsy do not have cancer!
***But take also note, that women who have breast biopsies are at HIGHER RISK of developing breast cancer than women who have never had a breast biopsy.***
If you know that “- you will have perhaps a second opinion of the doctor's information's.
The last technical review - With the magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and ultrasound we have two other techniques which the researchers think might detect breast cancer with greater accuracy and with lower risk!
What's can help you?
Other new techniques used to find cancer include a new way of reading mammograms called digital mammography.
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and ultrasound are two other techniques which researchers think might detect breast cancer with greater accuracy.
Fritz Frei, director of public relations
Health-Service-Online
Phone - +41 71 630 06 86
E-mail: support
http://www.cancer-info.info
About the author:
Fritz Frei make it easy to check out the important details about the diagnoses and test's of the breast-cancer. To receive more information's about all cancer -questions - Links and last research NEW's - visit the http://www.cancer-info.info
Pregnancy Tests
All pregnancy tests look for a special hormone in the urine or blood that is only present when a woman is pregnant. This hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is also called the pregnancy hormone.
What's the difference between a urine and a blood pregnancy test? Is one better than the other?
There are two types of pregnancy tests - blood and urine tests. Both tests look for the presence of hCG, the pregnancy hormone. Today, many women use a urine test, or home pregnancy test (HPT), to find out if they are pregnant. HPTs do not cost a lot, are easy to use, can be done at home, and are private. When a woman has a positive result on an HPT, she needs to see her health care provider right away. The health care provider can confirm a positive HPT result with a blood test and a pelvic exam.
There are two types of blood tests you can get from a health care provider. A quantitative blood test (or the beta hCG test) measures the exact amount of hCG in the blood. This means it can pick up very small amounts of hCG, making it a very accurate test. A qualitative hCG blood test gives a simple yes or no answer to whether you are pregnant. This test is more like a urine test in terms of its accuracy.
Blood tests can pick up hCG earlier in a pregnancy than urine tests can. Blood tests can tell if you are pregnant about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate (or release an egg from an ovary). Urine tests can determine pregnancy about 2 weeks after ovulation. Some more sensitive urine tests can tell if you are pregnant as early as 6 days after you conceive, or one day after you miss a menstrual period.
How is a home pregnancy test done?
There are many types of home pregnancy tests, or HPTs, that can be bought over-the-counter at drug or discount stores. Some involve collecting your urine in a cup and dipping a stick into the urine, or putting some of the urine into a special container with an eyedropper. Others are done by placing a stick into your urine stream. Tests vary in how long you have to wait for the stick or container to turn a certain color or have a symbol on it (like a plus or a minus). All tests come with written instructions. Most tests also have toll-free phone numbers to call if you have any questions about how to do the test or read the results.
How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
Home pregnancy tests (HPTs) are very accurate. Most brands of HPTs say they are 97% to 99% accurate, but this can vary with actual use. Each brand varies in how sensitive it is in picking up the pregnancy hormone hCG. If a test is not done correctly, it will be less accurate. And, always check the package to make sure it is not past its expiration date - if it is, it will not be accurate. Most brands of HPTs tell users to do the test again in a few days, no matter what the results.
If you use an HPT too early in your pregnancy, you may not have enough of the pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine to have a positive test result. Most HPTs will be accurate if you test yourself around the time your period is due (about 2 weeks after you ovulate, or release an egg from your ovary). You can get a negative test result if you are not pregnant or if you ovulated later than you thought you did. You may also have problems with the pregnancy, which affects the amount of hCG you have in your urine. If your HPT is negative, test yourself again within a few days to 1 week. If you keep getting a negative result and think you are pregnant, talk with a health care provider right away.
Can anything interfere with home pregnancy test results?
Most medications, both over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including birth control pills and antibiotics, should not affect the results of a home pregnancy test (such as Profasi, Pregnyl or Novarel). Only those drugs that have the pregnancy hormone hCG in them can give a false positive test result (where the test says you are pregnant when you actually are not). Drugs that have hCG in them can be used for treating infertility (not being able to get pregnant). Alcohol and illegal drugs do not affect HPT results, but you should not be using these substances if you are trying to get pregnant.
You can find out more about pregnancy tests by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) at (800) 994-WOMAN (9662).
What's the difference between a urine and a blood pregnancy test? Is one better than the other?
There are two types of pregnancy tests - blood and urine tests. Both tests look for the presence of hCG, the pregnancy hormone. Today, many women use a urine test, or home pregnancy test (HPT), to find out if they are pregnant. HPTs do not cost a lot, are easy to use, can be done at home, and are private. When a woman has a positive result on an HPT, she needs to see her health care provider right away. The health care provider can confirm a positive HPT result with a blood test and a pelvic exam.
There are two types of blood tests you can get from a health care provider. A quantitative blood test (or the beta hCG test) measures the exact amount of hCG in the blood. This means it can pick up very small amounts of hCG, making it a very accurate test. A qualitative hCG blood test gives a simple yes or no answer to whether you are pregnant. This test is more like a urine test in terms of its accuracy.
Blood tests can pick up hCG earlier in a pregnancy than urine tests can. Blood tests can tell if you are pregnant about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate (or release an egg from an ovary). Urine tests can determine pregnancy about 2 weeks after ovulation. Some more sensitive urine tests can tell if you are pregnant as early as 6 days after you conceive, or one day after you miss a menstrual period.
How is a home pregnancy test done?
There are many types of home pregnancy tests, or HPTs, that can be bought over-the-counter at drug or discount stores. Some involve collecting your urine in a cup and dipping a stick into the urine, or putting some of the urine into a special container with an eyedropper. Others are done by placing a stick into your urine stream. Tests vary in how long you have to wait for the stick or container to turn a certain color or have a symbol on it (like a plus or a minus). All tests come with written instructions. Most tests also have toll-free phone numbers to call if you have any questions about how to do the test or read the results.
How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
Home pregnancy tests (HPTs) are very accurate. Most brands of HPTs say they are 97% to 99% accurate, but this can vary with actual use. Each brand varies in how sensitive it is in picking up the pregnancy hormone hCG. If a test is not done correctly, it will be less accurate. And, always check the package to make sure it is not past its expiration date - if it is, it will not be accurate. Most brands of HPTs tell users to do the test again in a few days, no matter what the results.
If you use an HPT too early in your pregnancy, you may not have enough of the pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine to have a positive test result. Most HPTs will be accurate if you test yourself around the time your period is due (about 2 weeks after you ovulate, or release an egg from your ovary). You can get a negative test result if you are not pregnant or if you ovulated later than you thought you did. You may also have problems with the pregnancy, which affects the amount of hCG you have in your urine. If your HPT is negative, test yourself again within a few days to 1 week. If you keep getting a negative result and think you are pregnant, talk with a health care provider right away.
Can anything interfere with home pregnancy test results?
Most medications, both over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including birth control pills and antibiotics, should not affect the results of a home pregnancy test (such as Profasi, Pregnyl or Novarel). Only those drugs that have the pregnancy hormone hCG in them can give a false positive test result (where the test says you are pregnant when you actually are not). Drugs that have hCG in them can be used for treating infertility (not being able to get pregnant). Alcohol and illegal drugs do not affect HPT results, but you should not be using these substances if you are trying to get pregnant.
You can find out more about pregnancy tests by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) at (800) 994-WOMAN (9662).
Calcium Cuts Pregnancy Complications
FRIDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Boosting the calcium intake of pregnant women with low dietary calcium can help prevent complications from a dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, in which a woman's blood pressure rises dramatically, a new global study found.
However, the extra calcium did not significantly reduce the number of women who got preeclampsia, according to Dr. Jose Villar of the World Health Organization, lead author of the study that appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
"It was not as positive as one would like," Dr. Marshall Lindheimer, professor emeritus of medicine and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago, said of the calcium-preeclampsia prevention link. He is a co-author on the study.
The 1.5 gram calcium supplement taken daily by women in the study "didn't prevent the disease, all it did was to decrease the severity," Lindheimer said. But it did decrease the rate of maternal and newborn deaths, he said.
Preeclampsia affects about 9 percent of pregnancies worldwide, according to Villar. It can lead to premature delivery and the need for a Caesarean section. If it progresses to a more serious condition, eclampsia, the woman can suffer seizures or coma. In the worst cases, preeclampsia can cause disability or death of mother or fetus.
In the study, Villar and his team assigned more than 8,300 women who were receiving health care from one of eight centers in six countries to either the calcium-supplementation group or a placebo group. Before the study, all the women took in less than 600 milligrams a day of dietary calcium, or about half the amount recommended during pregnancy.
When the researchers followed up, they found the rate of preeclampsia was not statistically different between the groups. But eclampsia was lower in those treated, with 17 women in the calcium group stricken with eclampsia compared to 25 in the placebo group. Severe gestational high blood pressure was higher in the placebo group, too, with 59 of the women developing hypertension vs. 43 in the calcium-treated group.
Newborn death was also less likely in the supplementation group, with 0.9 percent infant deaths in the calcium group compared to 1.3 percent in the placebo group.
Finally, the risk of early preterm delivery -- before 32 weeks -- was 2.6 percent in the calcium group, but 3.2 percent in the placebo group.
Women in the study received health care at centers in Argentina, Egypt, India, Peru, South Africa and Vietnam. Each center is part of the World Health Organization's Maternal and Perinatal Research Network.
The cause of preeclampsia is still unknown, and there's no way to prevent it. A relationship between calcium deficiency and preeclampsia has long been suspected.
Lindheimer said it's not clear how calcium may help. "It may affect the contractability of the blood vessels," he said. "Intracellular calcium is very important in muscle physiology." Insufficient calcium consumption may lead to more constriction of the vessels, he said. "When you replenish the calcium, they [vessels] are in a more dilated state. It may be that effect which makes the disease less severe."
The study results are of greatest value mostly outside the United States, Lindheimer said, where calcium deficiency is a bigger problem.
But the study might also serve as a useful reminder for U.S. doctors to urge their pregnant patients to get enough calcium, he said.
While the study results don't necessarily apply to American women, the findings are interesting, said Dr. Ashley Roman, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the New York University School of Medicine.
"It helps us to understand the process of preeclampsia better," she said. "When it comes to preeclampsia, we are still in the dark ages. We have been studying it for years, and we don't know what causes it, how to predict it well, and we really don't know how to prevent it."
Roman tells her pregnant patients to be sure to take in 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, if not from diet, then from a calcium supplement.
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
However, the extra calcium did not significantly reduce the number of women who got preeclampsia, according to Dr. Jose Villar of the World Health Organization, lead author of the study that appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
"It was not as positive as one would like," Dr. Marshall Lindheimer, professor emeritus of medicine and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago, said of the calcium-preeclampsia prevention link. He is a co-author on the study.
The 1.5 gram calcium supplement taken daily by women in the study "didn't prevent the disease, all it did was to decrease the severity," Lindheimer said. But it did decrease the rate of maternal and newborn deaths, he said.
Preeclampsia affects about 9 percent of pregnancies worldwide, according to Villar. It can lead to premature delivery and the need for a Caesarean section. If it progresses to a more serious condition, eclampsia, the woman can suffer seizures or coma. In the worst cases, preeclampsia can cause disability or death of mother or fetus.
In the study, Villar and his team assigned more than 8,300 women who were receiving health care from one of eight centers in six countries to either the calcium-supplementation group or a placebo group. Before the study, all the women took in less than 600 milligrams a day of dietary calcium, or about half the amount recommended during pregnancy.
When the researchers followed up, they found the rate of preeclampsia was not statistically different between the groups. But eclampsia was lower in those treated, with 17 women in the calcium group stricken with eclampsia compared to 25 in the placebo group. Severe gestational high blood pressure was higher in the placebo group, too, with 59 of the women developing hypertension vs. 43 in the calcium-treated group.
Newborn death was also less likely in the supplementation group, with 0.9 percent infant deaths in the calcium group compared to 1.3 percent in the placebo group.
Finally, the risk of early preterm delivery -- before 32 weeks -- was 2.6 percent in the calcium group, but 3.2 percent in the placebo group.
Women in the study received health care at centers in Argentina, Egypt, India, Peru, South Africa and Vietnam. Each center is part of the World Health Organization's Maternal and Perinatal Research Network.
The cause of preeclampsia is still unknown, and there's no way to prevent it. A relationship between calcium deficiency and preeclampsia has long been suspected.
Lindheimer said it's not clear how calcium may help. "It may affect the contractability of the blood vessels," he said. "Intracellular calcium is very important in muscle physiology." Insufficient calcium consumption may lead to more constriction of the vessels, he said. "When you replenish the calcium, they [vessels] are in a more dilated state. It may be that effect which makes the disease less severe."
The study results are of greatest value mostly outside the United States, Lindheimer said, where calcium deficiency is a bigger problem.
But the study might also serve as a useful reminder for U.S. doctors to urge their pregnant patients to get enough calcium, he said.
While the study results don't necessarily apply to American women, the findings are interesting, said Dr. Ashley Roman, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the New York University School of Medicine.
"It helps us to understand the process of preeclampsia better," she said. "When it comes to preeclampsia, we are still in the dark ages. We have been studying it for years, and we don't know what causes it, how to predict it well, and we really don't know how to prevent it."
Roman tells her pregnant patients to be sure to take in 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, if not from diet, then from a calcium supplement.
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
