Posts Tagged ‘elderly care’

Birth Control And Cervical Cancer

Birth control is a big issue, there is no doubt of that and women are more aware than ever that having children is not a compulsory result of having sex. They are also aware that having children at the wrong time can damage their careers and they are also aware that passions or alcohol can get in the way of safe sex using condoms very frequently.

This results in women taking supervision of the vast majority of birth control by taking ‘the pill’. The contraceptive pill caused an uproar in the Sixties with the Establishment and the Churches predicting the downfall of society and morality. And in a manner of speaking, they were right. But what happened was to sweep away a great deal of social barriers and privileges that previously just the rich (and men) had had. The ‘old order’ lost a bit of ground.

The problem with the manner that women took control of their sex lives was or is twofold: firstly, men leave ‘that sort of thing’ to the woman and secondly, taking the pill can lead to cervical cancer. The likelihood of acquiring cervical cancer from taking the pill are small (15,000 Americans a year, of which a third dies), but they do exist.

However, there are no recorded cases of men contracting cancer from using a condom.

Women usually contract cervical cancer from having sex. They pick up the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Most of the time, the woman’s immune system will prevent that virus from causing cancer, but research has shown that women who take the pill for over five years in a row have a higher risk than women who have not.

So a condom would help here.

Unfortunately, there are no symptoms in the early stages of cervical cancer, but later on, there may be heavier losses of blood, pain after sexual intercourse and even unpleasant smells. Periods could also last a lot longer than ‘normal’.

The difficulty with studies is that, there often comes another study to prove something else and this is true here too. Some studies have shown that the use of the contraceptive pill lessens the occurrence of ovarian cancer.

It is like old sayings, there is always a opposite, as in: ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’ and ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’.

If you listen to the ‘experts’, you would be in a permanent state of quandary. Therefore, the only actually safe course to take is to go for frequent tests or screenings – at least once a year, unless your doctor or gynecologist tells you different and if he or she does, query it.

The pharmaceutical businesses have been promising a male contraceptive pill or implant for decades. In fact, the pill may even be there. But that is not the reason usually. The problem is normally men. The majority of men cannot be relied upon to supply sufficient contraception while they are concerned in casual relationships.

As long as this state of affairs continues, women will continue to take risks so that they are not bogged down by a family of 10 kids like their great-grandmothers were.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now involved with pain patches for back pain. If you would like to know more, please go to our web site at Sore Back Remedies

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Eye Issues That Diabetes Must Be Aware Of

Diabetics have concerns with sugar and starch, both of which the body processes into glucose which it uses for energy. The difficulty with diabetics is that this glucose is not processed properly, it enters into the blood stream and is not dealt with by insulin as it ought to be.

The presence of glucose in the blood is normal and is called glaecemia but when the blood is over saturated, it is known as hyperglaecemia. For this reason, diabetics have to be aware of their blood/sugar levels at all times, which means that they have to be cautious of what they eat.

Lots of diabetics learn tell-tale signs that their bodies give to warn them of their high or low blood/sugar level, but most people also use blood tests by a doctor or even home blood/sugar monitors, which have become cheap enough to purchase for personal use.

Not having enough glucose (sugar) in the blood is known as hypoglaecemia and leaves the brain starved of energy, which leads to temporary dizziness, confusion, blackout or a convulsion. Restoring the glucose level to standard returns full consciousness, Most diabetics learn to successfully circumvent this condition. More difficult is hyperglaecemia.

Hyperglaecemia is the opposite of hypoglaecemia and brings with it its own issues but they tend to cause long term problems. Prolonged periods of hyperglaecemia lead to cardiovascular problems, kidney problems and concerns with eyesight and even teeth.

These complications take a long time to develop and the diabetic may not realize that there is a problem until it is rather late. Therefore the need to monitor blood/glucose levels often. One of the first areas to show problems from hyperglaecemia is the retina because it is so sensitive.

Hyperglaecemic blood in the blood vessels in the retina causes them to swell creating high pressures on the sensitive eye mechanisms. Eyesight is soon impaired. The biggest worry for most diabetics is going blind or suffering macular degeneration, which impairs vision quite severely but does not lead to complete blindness.

It is very important for diabetics to have an eye examination at least once a year and twice is better. The opthamologist will be on the look out for a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. If you are a diabetic you should be on your guard.

If you experience blurred vision, sudden dark spots or flashing lights before your eyes or feel pressure (not easy), you ought to go to the opthamologist as soon as possible.

There are medications, especially in the early stages, but the longer you leave it the worse it gets and the harder to put right, if that is at all feasible.

Prevention is always better that cure, so diabetics ought to maintain their blood glucose level within standard boundaries and maintain a proper body weight. To do this, you will have to learn how much sugar is in various foodstuffs and take regular exercise. In other words: diet and exercise.

Other concerns that a diabetic may experience with their eyes is glaucoma and cataracts. Cataracts can be cut away quite easily, but glaucoma is very serious and leads to blindness.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with wet macular degeneration treatment. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

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Guide Dogs And Aging

Aging has its plus points, like having more experience, having family and often having fewer financial concerns, but it also brings other problems with it as well, usually health worries. One of the health concerns that older individuals worry about is their eyesight.

Most individuals like to remain independent, but blindness makes you to be dependent, particularly if you go blind when you are older. At least while you are younger, you have a long time to learn how to deal with it.

There are a number of ways that you can lose your sight when you are older but one that effects 10% of those more than 65 and 30% of those over 75 years is macular degeneration. It is often referred to as age-related macular degeneration, ARMD or just AMD because it tends to have an effect on those individuals who are more than 50 years of age.

However, macular degeneration only affects the centre 2.1% of your field of vision, so it is very rare for ARMD to become the cause of complete blindness. The problem is that that 2.1%, centre field of vision is extremely important for recognizing people and for reading.

So what can you do about it, if you get ARMD? One choice would be to buy a guide dog, a ‘blind dog’, as they say in the UK or a ’seeing eye dog’ as they say in America. A guide dog will help prevent you from bumping into things, which you might well do if you lose your central field of vision.

Most registered blind people are not completely blind. Some are worse off than others but sufferers of ARMD usually retain 97.9% of their field of vision, which is the peripheral vision. A guide dog would cover the remainder for you.

Guide dogs are trained as puppies so they will remain with their blind friends for seven or eight years or more This permits the dog and the owner to build up a brilliant relationship, as all individuals do with their dogs. However, the relationship of a blind person with a guide dog though is extra-special. The dog knows that it is being depended upon for its master’ welfare.

If you decide to go down the road of procuring a guide dog, the best place to start is your national association for the blind, the address of which you can find either at your physician’s, in Yellow Pages or on the Net. Some countries’ organizations will charge you for providing a guide dog and others will subsidize your getting a guide dog and its training.

It would be a good idea to arrange a guide dog as soon as you are diagnosed with a disease that threatens your eyesight because that will give you more time to get to know and select a puppy as your future companion.

If you are lucky and your GP saves your eyesight, you have lost nothing and you have gained a wonderful, intelligent friend, but if the worst comes to the worst, you will have an invaluable, seeing, protective, wonderful, intelligent friend. You cannot lose.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with wet macular degeneration treatment. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

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The Indications Of Ovarian Cancer

The unrestrained growth of cells is a disease called cancer. Other malignant characteristics of cancer are an invasion that destroys adjacent tissues and metastasis i.e. the spreading to other areas of the body by means of the blood or the lymph glands. Benign tumors are unlike cancer in that they do not invade or metastasize.

Either environmental or hereditary factors can be the cause of cancer. Primarily, it is an environmental disease with enhanced danger from genetic influences. The main environmental reasons behind the cause of cancer are obesity, smoking, pollution, illness and radiation etc..

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common sorts of cancer. It takes place in the ovaries of women which is why it is known as ovarian cancer. There are two ovaries in females, one on either side of the uterus. Both eggs and hormones i.e. estrogen, testosterone and progesterone are made by the ovaries.

Usually, it occurs in those women who have reached their menopause. Usually an ovarian cancer is a sort of epithelial cancer i.e. cancer in the outer cells of an ovary. Most common kinds of epithelial cancer of the ovaries are serous. Less commonly known sorts are clear cell and endometrioid ovarian cancers

Almost 85% of the women treated for ovarian cancer are over the age of 50, although there are possibilities of its occurrence in younger women as well. Multiple genetic mutations are the cause of this cancer. The danger of the disease is greater in those women who have never had a baby.

The danger is higher for those whose menstrual cycle begins at an early age and whose menopause occurs late. Infertility is the biggest danger factor behind this disease. Personal or family history of breast cancer increases the danger of ovarian cancer as well.

The indications of the disease are not specific to it and it normally starts stealthily. Some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer are pelvic pain, abdominal pressure, indigestion or wind, constipation, lower back pain, the frequent requirement to urinate, loss of appetite, pain with intercourse, alterations in the menstrual cycle and a lack of energy.

The indications of ovarian cancer tend to be persistent and they worsen with time. An appointment with a physician should be made if any of the above mentioned symptoms happen each day for two to three weeks. If someone has a family history of this cancer, she should make contact with her GP for further diagnosis of the problems.

The most widespread diagnostic procedures and check ups are pelvic examination, ultrasound, CA 125 blood test and surgery for removing samples to test (biopsy). Four stages of ovarian cancer are recognized according to the concentration of the disease.

The healing of ovarian cancer is possible. Researchers are working on developing ways of identifying it at earlier stages because it is very difficult to treat it at later stages. The most common kind of treatment for ovarian cancer is a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.

Healthy habits like eating a balanced diet, exercising and getting enough sleep can be useful to control your symptoms of the disease. Although there is no certain way to protect you from this illness, the risk of getting ovarian cancer can be reduced by thinking about the risks and benefits of using birth control pills and discussing issues with your doctor.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

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The Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are fairly problematic to recognize regrettably. This is because they are similar to the indications of regular menstruation or menopause that many (or most) women experience frequently anyway. The chance that women who still menstruate have, is if they notice that some of the regular feelings are not quite right.

Menopausal women have a bigger problem because they are new to their situation and it is so unpredictable anyway. The indications of ovarian cancer include: abdominal pain, a feeling of being bloated, twinges and tiredness.

That is why it is so difficult to use these symptoms as predictors or ovarian cancer. However, if you have these indications at a time when you would not normally do so, or if they last longer than usual, then it would be worth checking with a doctor or your gynecologist.

If you are concerned, obviously, you will have to have a check up, but if you are ‘umming and ahhing’, try to find out whether someone in your family has had ovarian cancer before. There is a tendency for it to run in families, but that is a fact or most kinds of cancer really.

However, if you are looking into your family’s history of cancer, keep in mind that cancer can out itself in different forms. for instance, a man naturally cannot get ovarian cancer, but if your dad died of cancer you have an increased chance as well, albeit it in possibly another kind.

Age is another issue in the likelihood of someone having this form of cancer – the older the more likely to be expected. There is also another bizarre twist here. Women who have had a number of children are least at risk, women who have chosen not to have children are more at danger, and women who have always been incapable of having children are most at danger.

The fact is that this is such a difficult form of cancer to home-diagnose that it is hardly worth the effort. You have to listen to your body and trust your gut feelings. If things are not the same as you are used to, go and have a check up as soon as you can.

Apart from that, go for a ordinary check up anyway. Different countries have different recommendations, but whatever advice that your doctor or gynecologist gives you, you should follow. Ovarian cancer can be treated successfully and not only that but if it is caught early enough in young women, treatment does not necessarily mean loss of fertility.

So, the watchword is do not miss your check ups. Almost 75% of women who are diagnosed early can expect a complete recovery. Young women have an even higher chance than older women, which means that older women should go for check ups more often than younger women.

Do not become apathetic about this kind of cancer even though the indications of ovarian cancer are not simple to recognize, in fact that is a good reason for you to let an expert check you out. The tests are not invasive and consist of only a blood test and an ultra sound scan.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on quite a few subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

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