* Stop smoking: Kick the habit now to improve your chances of getting pregnant
* Abstain from alcohol: Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages to double your potential for conception
* Cut the caffeine: Stop drinking coffee and tea, and avoid other caffeinated products
* Watch your weight: Check with your doctor to see if weighing too much or too little may be interfering with your fertility
* Get to know propolis: This natural substance may improve the likelihood of pregnancy; take 500 mg twice a day
* See a specialist: Consult with a fertility expert to find out if there is a medical reason for your infertility
These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading the full female infertility article for more in-depth, fully-referenced information on medicines, vitamins, herbs, and dietary and lifestyle changes that may be helpful.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Vaginal Infection
Vaginal infections result in more trips to see a doctor for women than most other conditions, leading to roughly 10 million office visits annually. Most women will have an infection in her genital region at least once in her lifetime, but a recent survey revealed that many women do not fully understanding these infections and they often go untreated.
Vaginitis, or the irritation of the vagina, can result from a host of different infections. The most common types include bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis (yeast) and trichomoniasis.
Women who suffer from itching, redness and swelling may not realize what is going on. “Many women will use creams that mask odors or treat itching. If the creams don’t work, finally the symptoms are persistent and they will come in” to see a doctor, says Mary Inagami, M.D., chief of gynecology at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, which serves more than 300,000 veterans in Connecticut and southern New England.
Roughly two out of three women who think they have a simple yeast infection actually have something more serious that needs treatment, according to reports from the National Vaginitis Association in St. Paul, Minn. There can be serious health consequences from under treating or mistreating vaginal infections.
Yeast infections can be treated with over-the-counter medications, but other vaginal infections cannot. Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis require a treatment prescribed by a doctor. Vaginal irritation, itching, discharge, or odor should never be treated with douching, which can flush an infection further into the reproductive tract. If you have never had an infection before and you think it is just a yeast infection, it is best to first visit a doctor to rule out other possibilities before beginning any treatment.
“If bacterial vaginosis goes untreated, you can have complications from pregnancy or problems after surgery,” Inagami said. “An untreated infection can also obscure the Pap smear results.” There is also evidence linking bacterial vagninosis to increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Vaginitis, or the irritation of the vagina, can result from a host of different infections. The most common types include bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis (yeast) and trichomoniasis.
Women who suffer from itching, redness and swelling may not realize what is going on. “Many women will use creams that mask odors or treat itching. If the creams don’t work, finally the symptoms are persistent and they will come in” to see a doctor, says Mary Inagami, M.D., chief of gynecology at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, which serves more than 300,000 veterans in Connecticut and southern New England.
Roughly two out of three women who think they have a simple yeast infection actually have something more serious that needs treatment, according to reports from the National Vaginitis Association in St. Paul, Minn. There can be serious health consequences from under treating or mistreating vaginal infections.
Yeast infections can be treated with over-the-counter medications, but other vaginal infections cannot. Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis require a treatment prescribed by a doctor. Vaginal irritation, itching, discharge, or odor should never be treated with douching, which can flush an infection further into the reproductive tract. If you have never had an infection before and you think it is just a yeast infection, it is best to first visit a doctor to rule out other possibilities before beginning any treatment.
“If bacterial vaginosis goes untreated, you can have complications from pregnancy or problems after surgery,” Inagami said. “An untreated infection can also obscure the Pap smear results.” There is also evidence linking bacterial vagninosis to increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Pregnancy Symptoms
* Have had sexual intercourse and you have not used any method of birth control.
* Have missed one or more periods.
* Have your period, but there is a lot less bleeding than usual.
* Take birth control pills, but you missed a pill. It is especially risky to miss a pill early in the cycle or pack or to start your new pack a day or two late.
* Have other symptoms of early pregnancy. Symptoms include:
o Fatigue.
o Breast tenderness or enlargement.
o Nausea or vomiting.
o Increased urination.
* Have done a home pregnancy test, and the result was positive.
If you have regular menstrual periods and are sexually active, you can become pregnant, even if you use birth control.
If you think you might be pregnant, do a home pregnancy test. If the result is positive, practice the following good health habits until you see your doctor:
* Eat a balanced diet.
* Do not smoke.
* Do not use alcohol or drugs.
* Avoid caffeine, or limit your intake to about 1 cup of coffee or tea each day.
* Do not clean a cat litter box to avoid the risk of toxoplasmosis.
* Avoid people who are ill.
* Take a vitamin supplement that contains folic acid or a prenatal vitamin.
Even if the pregnancy test is negative, if you continue to have pregnancy symptoms, it is a good idea to see your doctor to confirm the results. Practice good health habits until you see your doctor.
* Have missed one or more periods.
* Have your period, but there is a lot less bleeding than usual.
* Take birth control pills, but you missed a pill. It is especially risky to miss a pill early in the cycle or pack or to start your new pack a day or two late.
* Have other symptoms of early pregnancy. Symptoms include:
o Fatigue.
o Breast tenderness or enlargement.
o Nausea or vomiting.
o Increased urination.
* Have done a home pregnancy test, and the result was positive.
If you have regular menstrual periods and are sexually active, you can become pregnant, even if you use birth control.
If you think you might be pregnant, do a home pregnancy test. If the result is positive, practice the following good health habits until you see your doctor:
* Eat a balanced diet.
* Do not smoke.
* Do not use alcohol or drugs.
* Avoid caffeine, or limit your intake to about 1 cup of coffee or tea each day.
* Do not clean a cat litter box to avoid the risk of toxoplasmosis.
* Avoid people who are ill.
* Take a vitamin supplement that contains folic acid or a prenatal vitamin.
Even if the pregnancy test is negative, if you continue to have pregnancy symptoms, it is a good idea to see your doctor to confirm the results. Practice good health habits until you see your doctor.
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