Health Benefits of Birth Control
The discovery of the birth control pill in 1960 revolutionized the concept of contraception. According to the study conducted at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, despite the availability of various birth control methods, half of pregnancies in the country are unwanted and even more than in any other developed country. What's the reason for this?
According to a recent study every 3rd women who commences a new birth control option stop within a year only because of changes in their insurance coverage. Each and every method have some or the other side effects. The current methods of intrauterine devices (IUD's) which are even more perfect and efficient are not used widely only because of lack of trained doctors in inserting them.
According to Dr. Nancy Padian, an epidemiologist specialized in reproductive health and H.I.V. prevention at the University of California, San Francisco said "Adherence is a huge issue and the significant effect of a product will be obtained only if it is used very consistently".
Today many birth control manufactures and doctors are promoting non-contraceptive benefits of contraception as it reduces the risk of cancer, improving health of mothers, enhancing complexion, etc but the main reason which can be their is to make profits through their product promotion or services respectively.
Now a days many formulations of hormonal contraceptives are available in the market like pills, skin patches, implants, IUDs, vaginal rings, etc which contains artificially generated estrogen and progestin in variety of combinations. These combinations are very much helpful in reducing the risk of certain diseases like osteoporosis, endometrial and ovarian cancer, and getting a chance to become healthy for those who are active smokers, etc and many more.
According to Dr. Anita L. Nelson, director of women's reproductive health at Harbor-U.C.L.A. Medical Center in Los Angeles said that "For a lady who is a diabetic patient got pregnant than there is a high risk of heart and neurological problems in the baby". Also those getting pregnant in early age are also at a very high risk of pre-eclampsia and premature births and also in early age we can't provide good prenatal care.
Today many market preparations are also coming which claiming for following benefits:
(1) Yaz: - It claims for beautiful skin and relief from premenstrual bloating and mood swings.
(2) Loestrin 24 Fe: - It includes iron as a supplement.
(3) Lybrel: - It claims to eliminate menstruation altogether, thus helping to those who suffer from severe cramping and bleeding, anemia, mood swings and migraines.
(4) Seasonale and Seasonique: - These oral contraceptives claims to reduce menstrual cycles to three and four times a year.
Some formulations like "no-bleed" pills which were introduced 47 years ago are other forms of pills acting indirectly to suppress ovulation and thus in turn stop menstruation as both phenomenons are inter-related.
Another form of contraceptive approach decided by manufactures is to include a week of placebos (fake drug) in 28-day pack to create a fake period in the menstrual cycle of 21 days. This approach was totally of marketing in nature. Many women were found to controlling their periods even by skipping the placebos from the pack and consuming real pills continuously.
Today's efficiency and effect of the "no-bleed" or "extended regimen" pills and original pills on health are debatable as in earlier times women used to spend much more time either pregnant or nursing without menstrual periods. In such cases effect of absence of menstrual period on a women's health is still not known.
In the clinical trial conducted by Wyeth for the approval of the drug Lybrel by Food and Drug Administration many women were dropped out because of breakthrough bleeding and about 40% of the participants were found to have breakthrough bleeding even after a year of use. So Wyeth is also recommending for pregnancy test before starting the consumption of the drug for its success in controlling pregnancy.
According to Dr. Susan Wood, professor of public health at George Washington University demanded for the study of long term safety of contraceptives. She resigned from her post only because of the delayed approval of Plan B by the Food and Drug Administration's assistant commissioner for women's health. The emergency contraceptive drug is now available as OTC drug only for those who are 18 years of age or above.
The basic reason for the designing of Plan B is to prevent conception if consumed within 3 days of unprotected sex with the partner. According to research conducted by IMS Health company sales of Plan B are booming even without a non-contraceptive advantage.
The every new products launched are only a variation of the older product. The reason for lack of interest in developing an entirely different contraceptive method is that there is a danger of vanishing of huge profits earned by the manufactures.
According to Dr. James Strauss, co-chairman of a national committee on contraception research and now dean of medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University, "Holy grail is a drug which specifically act on the ovaries and testes and it also has no side effect on any other organ system. There is a need to do some more research on the genes responsible for reproduction process for developing a method totally free from side-effects.
Natural Remedies For Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer begins to form in one or both of the small, almond-sized ovaries which are located on the sides of the uterus. The cancer forms on the cells on the inside of the ovaries and spreads to the outside and eventually to other parts of the body. There are ovarian tumors which are not cancerous, and usually are not considered to be a health threat.
Ovarian cancer is treatable if caught at an early stage, but the sad part is that most of these cancers go unnoticed until it is too late. Only about 20% of these cancers are diagnosed before they have spread past the ovaries. Many of the symptoms of ovarian cancer are those similar to other common diseases, which is why these symptoms go undiagnosed.
Some of these symptoms are constipation and other digestive problems, bladder disorders, lower back pain, fatigue or lack of energy.
The best defense against ovarian cancer is to eat a raw food diet, drinking lots of fluids and regular exercise. If the symptoms are present there are many home remedies which can be taken along with a raw diet, and may help to relieve and even reverse the symptoms.
Take the roots of dandelion and allow them to dry, then crush them into a fine powder. Take 1 tsp of the powder and boil in once cup of water. Sieve, and drink once daily.
Crush and extract the pulp of Graviola, and take 100gr. of this extract three times daily.
Grape seeds are high in antioxidants, and crushing about 50gr. into a fine paste and boiling it in a cup of water for about 1/2 hour will make a great extract to drink. 15 mL taken two times daily will help to reduce the symptoms.
Wolf-berry berries also help to reduce the symptoms, simply by adding them into your diet.
Consume about 1/2 cup of Ethiopian pepper two times daily.
Take the leaves of Korean Pepper and allow them to dry, then crush them into a fine powder. Take 1 tsp of the powder and boil in one cup of water. Sieve, and drink two times daily.
Bitter gourd: Extract and drink 1 tbsp of this juice two times daily.
Boil about 10-12 Spearmint leaves in a cup of water and drink it once every day.
Take some Bamboo leaves and allow them to dry, then crush them into a fine powder. Take 1 tsp of the powder and boil in one cup of water. Sieve, and drink once daily.
Other essential foods to include in your regular diet are strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, ginger, rosemary, sage, and avocados.
How to Test For Ovarian Cancer and Symptoms
Cancer, if not caught in its early stages poses many difficulties when it comes to treatment. The same applies to ovarian cancer, especially since it has no specific symptoms that can be used for initial diagnoses. There exist no preventive measures against it and since it affects many thousand women across the country, it needs to be properly screened and found out at the earliest possible stage. This allows for a better outlook for patients who choose conventional treatment and boost life expectancy for those electing surgery. Unlike most diseases, ovarian cancer shows no specific kinds of symptoms in the early stages. Most problems are treated as hormonal disturbances and not checked for any irregularities.
There exists some symptoms that when experienced frequently in combinations, allows for a reason to check for ovarian cancer. These are loss of appetite, heaviness after a light meal, unexplained weight loss or gain, nausea, diarrhoea, frequent urination, constipation, inflammation or bloating of the stomach, indigestion and abnormal bleeding between menstrual cycles. When one has these symptoms for over three weeks with no relief from conventional remedies, then it can signal ovarian cancer. When suffering from persistent abdominal pains and discomfort, a pelvic examination may reveal a need for further screening. For women who have a family history of cancer in general or ovarian in specific are also advised to go in for a screening. The screening involves two main procedures, Transvaginal Ultrasonography or TVS and a CA 125 blood test.
The Transvaginal Ultrasonography is a screening procedure that can usually show ovarian cancer. This is however, not a perfect procedure and is not completely reliable. The CA 125 blood test is definitely more reliable than the TVS but too is not a 100% guarantee. For stage I patients, this can return a 50% true result and requires other procedures to supplement it. As the testing moves onto stage II, III and IV, the accuracy of the result goes up to 80%. Yet, it is best to get further screenings done immediately. Serial CA 125 testing is the best way to attain the reliable result since it takes into account the fluctuation of CA levels in the blood over several days and returns a result. There are other types of blood tests being developed for the screening of ovarian cancer. At the moment, only the OXVI test shows some sign of being used a diagnostic tool.
If a true positive result shows up on these screenings, it is advised to consult a doctor immediately and get oneself tested further and go in for further treatment. Ovarian cancer caught in the early stages can be controlled and treated without any further problems. This increases life expectancy for the patients and allows for a more intensive route of treatment that keeps the remission period stretched for longer. The most important thing, is to not ignore any warning signs your body may be sending you and immediately consult a gynaecologist when experiencing irregular or uncharacteristic bleeding, sudden fatigue or cramping in the abdomen for no reason.
Ovarian Cancer Back Pain
Well, many women in America are diagnosed with pre-ovarian cancer. Pre-ovarian cancer back pain is a common symptom of the disease which is many-a-time treated as a normal back pain mistakenly in the initial stage of cancer. Yes, your doctor can miss it, so you need to be cautious if suffering from chronic and stubborn back pain problem.
Just look at some statistics now. According to a recent study, close to 30,000 women of US will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the year 2006. It is also stated that between 15,000 to 16,000 deaths due to ovarian cancer are likely to happen this year. It accounts for 5 % of all the types of cancer deaths.
What encourages this silent killer to go on mercilessly? What are the doctors doing? How is that, that by the time this disease is detected, it is too late! Why it could not be detected at the first stage?
There is dispute among the researchers. British doctors did not make the correct survey when they arrived at the conclusion that symptoms came to the fore at the late stages of the ovarian cancer. So, when they detected the cancer, it was too late.
But, contrary were the findings of the University of California researchers. They concluded that some definite symptoms could be detected four months before and some even before one year. Hence, better treatment was possible.
"The most common symptom is back pain, followed by fatigue, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain and urinary urgency. These symptoms tend to occur very frequently and become more severe with time. Most women with ovarian cancer have at least two of these symptoms."
-American Cancer Society
Most of the back pain treatments are frustrating. They provide temporary relief here and there. So, you get fed up with the treatment that does not work.
Can Ovarian Cancer be found early? Why ovarian cancer? Every disease tends to cause some symptoms- some specific and some vague. In case of ovarian cancer, it could be abdominal swelling, vaginal bleeding on a high scale, pressure in the pelvic region, leg pain, problems related to digestion--gas trouble, continuous bloating, chronic indigestion and recurring stomach pain and most importantly, the back pain! So, if you take disease by disease treatment, without knowing about the root cause- ovarian cancer will take control slowly, steadily but firmly. After some months, your doctor will find the situation out of control as it is a belated diagnosis!
Are Chemical Fertilizers Causing Ovarian Cancer?
Talk about chemical fertilizers shouldn't just be limited to our gardens. Time and time again, new studies reveal the damaging effects of chemical fertilizers on human life. A study conducted at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia compared over 800 women with ovarian cancer and found surprising results.
What researchers found is that women who ate two or more eggs per week had double the risk of ovarian cancer. The culprit? The abundance of chemical fertilizers routinely used by chicken farmers. (This shouldn't come as a surprise if you know anything about the effects of chemical fertilizers.)
Dr. David Purdie, a researcher at the institute, believes that chickens exposed to fertilizers or pesticides while they forage for food may pick up the poisons in these agricultural products and transfer them to their eggs. Easily passed from the mother hen, chemical fertilizers or pesticides make their way into the egg. We then eat the eggs, unaware of the hazardous chemicals that we are consuming. Although many of the substances thought to cause ovarian cancer have been since banned, these chemicals have a tendency to stay in the environment for a very long time.
Interestingly, the study also suggests that these women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer were actually first exposed to these chemicals by eating contaminated eggs twenty or thirty years ago. What happens is that these harmful chemicals accumulate in the body and are never disposed of. Years later, their harmful effects surface in the form of cancer, specifically of the ovarian kind.
Thankfully, the risk of cancer from eating eggs is probably less now than it was decades ago because chicken farmers have since recognized that a lot of fertilizers used to grow chicken feed are, in fact, dangerous. It also helps that many farmers are now using all-natural fertilizers which guarantee healthy, organic eggs for consumers.
So what can you do to avoid this risk? Eat eggs marked organic. We have more options at the grocery store than we had decades ago. Be selective of the eggs you buy in your local grocery store. Check the labels first. Don't settle for something that may cause you cancer twenty or thirty years from now.
Signs Of Cancer
As a cancer patient, it is important that you alert your physician at the first signs of infection and to receive antibiotic therapy. What To Do Right Now To Stop Age Spots Because age spots, poikiloderma and actinic keratoses can serve as warning signs for skin cancer, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends scheduling a professional skin examination each year. When lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body, organs and bones, referred to as "metastasizing", signs and symptoms include:
o Aching and sharp bone pain
o Changes in the brain that exhibit themselves through weakness, numbness, dizziness, and seizure
o Jaundice (whites of eyes, nails, and skin yellow)
o Masses near the skin's surface
o Headaches
o Numbness and loss of sensation in your extremities
All of these signs and symptoms of lung cancer may be caused by other health problems.
Issues Cancer
These studies will be collecting data on incidences of cancer, connective tissue diseases, neurological diseases, suicide, implant rupture, reproductive issues, and others. Two issues that have not been addressed are the financial costs to society of asbestos related diseases such as Mesothelioma cancer and who pays for these costs. If nutrition is neglected due to perceived risks in ovarian cancer in women, then such advice can cause other health issues.
Health issues, including death, heart failures, heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, cancer, and other illnesses are in consideration while thinking of health, fitness, diet and exercise. Of course it is best to discuss these issues with your doctor, get screening and have a strategy on reducing your risks of ovarian cancer.
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