Vaginal Dryness : Causes, Treatments and Home Remedies

A woman’s vagina naturally produces a clear, relatively odorless vaginal lubrication that assists in sexual penetration. How much lubricant is produced is influenced by a number of different factors and varies from woman to woman.


Factors that can influence vaginal dryness are:

- Intercourse
- Diaphragms
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines/decongestants
- Antibiotics
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Allergens such as dyes and fragrances in toilet paper and laundry detergent
- Drying soaps
- Douches
- Tampons
- Condoms


Remedies for vaginal dryness are:

- Boost your water intake. We should all consume at least ten 8-oz glasses of water a day. This simple step can be surprisingly helpful.

- Review the list of ingredients in your personal, bathing, and laundry products. Many perfumes and other chemicals commonly found in these products are irritants to the delicate mucosal tissues that line the vagina.

- Follow a hormone-balancing diet. The low-fat, high-carb diet many women follow literally starves your body of the nutrients it needs to make sex hormones. The estrogen needed for vaginal lubrication is made from cholesterol, for example — something women on low-fat diets are severely lacking. You might also think about adding soy and flax seed, which are good sources of phytoestrogens.

- All of us need top-quality nutritional supplements to support our diet, no matter how well we eat, and this simple step can ensure that you cover the missing gaps.

- Try a personal lubricant. Some women achieve immediate relief from vaginal dryness and irritation simply by using a personal lubricant. You may want to give one a try while you wait for improved hydration, nutrition and endocrine support to naturally restore your own vaginal moisture.

Early Menopause : Causes of Early Menopause

Normal menopause is a gradual process that starts between the ages of 45 and 55. It is defined as occurring in women who have at least one ovary, and takes 5 to 10 years, though it can take up to 13 years.
Early menopause, on the other hand, can start in the 30’s or early 40’s, in women who have at least one ovary.1% of women will have finished their mid life transition by the age of 40.


Here are some of the causes of early menopause in women:

-poor nutrition
-heavy smoking
-heavy drinking
-chronic stress to the body - this can include excessive athletic training
-autoimmune disorders
-Mumps and other serious viral infections which can damage a woman’s eggs

Women who have had their ovaries removed before they experience a natural menopause will undergo what is called ‘artificial menopause’.

Women who have a hysterectomy, even with the preservation of their ovaries, may find themselves having menopausal symptoms.

Ovarian failure does not necessarily mean that the ovaries have run out of eggs. There may be eggs present, but a woman’s body does not respond to the hormonal signals they create.

Another ovarian disorder, called ‘diminished ovarian reserve’, is often a preamble of premature ovarian failure if it occurs in woman under the age of 40. In it, a woman may still have reasonably regular periods, but she begins to experience the symptoms of menopause.

Breast Cancer : Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Breast Cancer


Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules. Breast cancer is about 100 times as frequent among women as among men, but survival rates are equal in both sexes. Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives.

Woman's breast is made up of glands that make breast milk (lobules), ducts (small tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph (pronounced limf) vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the cells that line the ducts (ductal cancer), some begin in the lobules (lobular cancer), and the rest in other tissues.


Causes of breast cancer

Definite cause/s still unknown but certain risk factor has been linked to it.Risk factor is anything that increased the chance someone get the illness.Some risk factor are fix like age, sex and some are can be controlled.

Fix Risk Factor

-Age-The older you get the more chance you have.Women age more 50 years old have 8-10 times fold more chance of get it compare to younger age.
- Women-women has 100 times more risk than men.
- Family history-if you have family history of breast cancer,you are at a high risk get the cancer.
- Past history of Breast cancer-if you was diagnosed to have breast cancer before than you are prone to get it on the same breast or the other one.
- Menstrual period-the early you have your menarche(1st period),you are slightly high risk get it when you are older.
- Genetic factor-5%-10% link to mutation of gene and breast cancer.BRCA1 and B
Breast self-examination http://ehp.niehs.nih.g...Image via Wikipedia
RCA2 are 80% the involve genes.


Changeable risk factor

- Breast feeding-women who breast fed their child 1-2 years will lower the risk of get breast cancer.
- Alcohol-women who have 2-5 drink daily have 1.5 chance than women who not consume alcohol.
- Exercise-women who do exercise will reduce the risk of getting breast cancer.The more you exercise the lower the risk. The question is how much we need to exercise. Study shown exercise 30 minutes per day for 5 days is enough.





Symptoms of breast cancer

The most common sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But some cancers are tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.

Other signs of breast cancer include the following:

1. a swelling of part of the breast
2. skin irritation or dimpling
3. nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
4. redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
5. a nipple discharge other than breast milk
6. a lump in the underarm area



Treatment

1. Type of surgery - The purpose of surgery is to remove as much breast cancer tissue as much as possible
- Lumpectomy Also called breast conservation therapy, lumpectomy involves removing only the breast lump and some normal tissue around it.
- Partial mastectomy : This surgery involves removing more of the breast tissue than in a lumpectomy. It is usually followed by radiation therapy.
- Simple or total mastectomy: In this surgery the entire breast is removed but not the lymph nodes under the arm or muscle tissue from beneath the breast.
- Modified radical mastectomy: This operation involves removing the entire breast and some of the lymph nodes under the arm
- Radical mastectomy: This is extensive removal of entire breast, lymph nodes, and the chest wall muscles under the breast
- Axillary dissection: This operation is done to find out if the breast cancer has spread to lymph nodes under the arm. Some nodes are removed and looked at under a microscope.

2. Chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy is the use of cancer-killing drugs injected into a vein or taken as a pill. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach throughout the body. If chemo is given after surgery it can reduce the chance of breast cancer coming back. Chemo can also be used as the main treatment for a woman whose cancer has already spread outside the breast and underarm area or that spreads widely after the first treatment.
- Chemo may be given before surgery, often to shrink the tumor in order to make it easier to remove.
- Chemo is given in cycles, with each period of treatment followed by a break. The total course of treatment usually lasts for 3 to 6 months. Often several drugs are used together rather than a single drug alone.
- The side effects of chemo depend on the type of drugs used, the amount given, and the length of treatment.

3. Radiation Therapy
- Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill or shrink cancer cells. The radiation may come from outside the body (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed directly in the tumor .
- Radiation therapy may be used to destroy cancer cells remaining in the breast, chest wall, or underarm area after surgery or, less often, to reduce the size of a tumor before surgery
- Treatment is usually given 5 days a week in an outpatient center over a period of about 6 or 7 weeks, beginning about a month after surgery. Each treatment lasts a few minutes.
- The main side effects of radiation therapy are swelling and heaviness in the breast, sunburn-like changes in the treated area, and fatigue.

4. Hormone Therapy
- The female hormone estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer cells in some women. For these women, several methods to block the effect of estrogen or to lower its levels are used to treat breast cancer.
- A drug such as tamoxifen, which blocks the effects of estrogen. Tamoxifen is taken in pill form, usually daily for 5 years after surgery, to reduce the risk the cancer will come back.
- Aromatase inhibitors are a type of drug that stops the body from making estrogen. They only work for women who are past menopause and whose cancers are hormone positive.



Menopause : Symptoms and Treatment of Menopause

Menopause


Menopause is the transitional change in a woman's life when menstruation ceases. It is a natural occurrence, which marks the end of the reproductive years, just as the first menstrual period during puberty marked the start.

As women approach menopause the production of hormones by the ovaries starts to slow down. As this process accelerates, hormone levels fluctuate more and
Menopause TwoImage by David Jackmanson via Flickr
often a woman notices changes in her menstrual cycle. The hormone levels will fall to a level where menstruation (periods) will cease altogether and the menopause is reached.


Symptoms of menopause

* hot flushes and cold sweating
* palpitations
* tingling, or itching sensations
* vertigo
* aches and pains in muscles and bones
* forgetfulness
* headaches
* irritability
* insomnia
* depression
* lack of self-esteem
* reduced sex drive
* tiredness
* urinary frequency
* vaginal dryness.

There are many aspects of your lifestyle and diet that you can alter to help improve the symptoms that can be associated with menopause. These include following a diet that will help to balance the hormones.

* eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables
* eating whole grains like brown rice and oats
* eating organic foods
* eating phytoestrogens, including, beans such as lentils, chickpeas and soy products,
* eating oily foods - fish, nuts, seeds and oils
* reducing your intake of saturated fat from dairy products and meat
* drinking plenty of pure filtered water
* increase your intake of fiber
* avoid additives, preservatives and chemicals, such as artificial sweeteners
* avoid or reduce your intake of caffeinated beverages
* reduce alcohol
* avoid sugar on its own and hidden in foods
* regular exercise, at least 30-45 minutes most days of the week
* a good multivitamin and mineral supplement designed for women like Complete Balance for Menopause AM/PM Formula. It reduces night sweats and assists in getting a good night's rest.

Swine Flu : Causes, Symptoms and Prevention of Swine Flu

Swine Flu


Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by a strain of the influenza type A virus known as H1N1.
H1N1 is the same strain which causes seasonal outbreaks of flu in humans on a regular basis. But this latest version of H1N1 contains genetic material that is typically found in strains of the virus that affect humans, birds and swine.
Although the strain may have originated in pigs, it is now a wholly human disease. It can be spread from person to person by coughing and sneezing.


Symptoms

- fever,tiredness
- cough
- sore throat
- chills
- body aches
- aching limbs and joint pain
- nausea
- diarrhoea
- headache
- runny nose and sneezing

Anyone with flu-like symptoms who suspects they might have the swine flu virus are being advised to stay at home. If swine flu is suspected, your doctor should be contacted.


How to prevent Swine Flu

-Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
-Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
-Stay home if you get sick and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
-Avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Puffy Eyes : Causes and Treatments For Puffy Eyes


Puffy eyes are a condition where the eyes begin swelling due to different factors. The skin around the eyes is very thin and is full of blood vessels which make it very sensitive.

Causes of puffy eyes:

-fluid retention
-stress
-allergies
-hormone changes
-not getting enough sleep
-excessive drinking of alcohol
-too much sodium in a diet
-unwell
-depressed


Treatments

-Wash face with ice cold water.
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Drink plenty of water to clean out your system.
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Place two slices of cool cucumber on the eyes for several minutes.
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Limit sodium intake.
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Moisten two tea bags in cold water, chill them in the refrigerator and place them over closed eyelids for several minutes.
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Try a soothing eye cream with aloe and vitamin E which can be applied to the eyes.