Archive for September, 2009

Female Sexual Dysfunction – FSD

FSD or Female Sexual Dysfunction is a multi-faceted condition that involves components related to physiology, psychology, emotional aspects, spouse issues and social factors. Throughout the menopausal changeover phase, there is a significant plummet in a woman’s needs, libido, sexual receptiveness and regularity of sexual activity. For health experts there is mostly scrubby time to delve into sexual issues and hence the significance of these issues could be often marginalised. Hence, it is apposite that the regular practise of including queries on sexuality be included as a part of a routine gynaecological history. The problems would then be categorised into lack of desire, lack of arousal or lack of orgasm. Female Sexual Dysfunction Causes: Both aging and dipping oestradiol levels were  [...]

Female Sexual Dysfunction – FSD – Viable Treatment Alternatives – Part II

Testosterone with estrogen Testosterone is a noteworthy hormone that contributes to sexual function. Bilateral oophorectomy lowers the amount of free testosterone by fifty percent and this is strongly linked to reduced sexual function. Dearth of testosterone during menopause could lead to osteoporosis, muscle waste, sapped energy levels, depressive tendencies, lowered libido consequentially leading to FSD. Regrettably, presently available hormone blood tests are imprecise for testosterone and there is no concurrence regarding what the normal levels of testosterone must be in relation to age. Nonetheless, a testosterone blood level must be conducted before commencing on any testosterone therapy to avert any possibility of inappropriate treatment on those women having normal to high ranging testosterone  [...]

Female Sexual Dysfunction – FSD – Viable Treatment Alternatives – Part I

Treatments for postmenopausal sexual dysfunction involves a multidisciplinary strategy that mostly requires pharmacotherapy alongside proper counselling and/or spouse treatment to adeptly manage sexual dysfunction. In spite of the dearth of a pharmacological ‘gold standard treatment’ for sexual dysfunction, several agents have been discovered to be beneficial. The usage of compounded pharmacy preparations is not advisable due to the non-availability of information regarding their safety, efficiency or bioavailability. Oestrogen Concentrating on oestrogen paucity and essentially treating atrophic vaginitis with vaginal oestrogen is the chief treatment for sexual problems related to hormonal changes at the menopause. A latest, randomised controlled clinical trial spanning over six months  [...]

Female Sexual Dysfunction – FSD – Possible Emergent Treatments

Testosterone alone Presently, it is advocated that testosterone treatment must be administered with concurrent oestrogen (progestogens included in those with intact uterus). A latest randomised controlled trial conducted employing transdermal testosterone alone for post-menopausal women having less libido revealed that the use of 300microtestosterone patch caused a major surge in sexual function and lowered anguish. The major side effect was undesirable hair growth. There were major apprehensions with the surfacing of three breast cancer cases cited in the active arms and none observed in the control set, however this outcome might be due to chance. There is still shortage of long-standing safety information. PDE5IS or Phoshodiestesterase Inhibitors During the course of a twelve week long trial,  [...]

HIFU – Bloodless Triumph Over Fibroids

Fibroids are non-malignant uterine tumors that are noted in 25% of women in their fertile age. Several women having fibroids are asymptomatic; however, their proliferation leads to major problems like heavy menstrual bleeding, abdominal pain and discomfort, altered bowel and bladder control, abdominal lumps and in certain situations leading to sterility. When they grow to a large extent or become symptomatic, the fibroids need to be removed by surgical intervention. HIFU or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound is the only top-of-the-line, non-invasive treatment for fibroids. Ultrasound waves comprising of high frequency sound waves inaudible to the human ear are focused on the offending tissue that heats it up, much alike the operation of a magnifying glass. Employing this principle, well-focused  [...]

Premature Menopause

On an average, the inception age of innately occurring menopause is 51 years in the United States. But due to varied factors that are related to certain ailments, heredity or due to medical procedures, certain women undergo menopause even prior to touching forty years. This form of untimely menopause arrival due to either innate or induced reasons is called as ‘premature menopause’. Premature menopause is the outcome of an underlying process which once commenced is highly likely to be reversible. The harrowing experiences of having to deal with hot flashes, moodiness and other signs that come with menopause, women additionally face physical and emotional turmoil. For instance, as menopause is the harbinger of sterility, it is a total letdown for those women who had plans of getting pregnant.  [...]

Albendazole – An Important Part Of Antenatal Package In Hookworm-Rife Zones – Part II

A continuing forthcoming study was undertaken for assessment of variations in hemoglobin concentrations and the neonatal birth weight of chronically anemic mothers that were administered a dose of albendazole during the antenatal phase. The candidates for this study were chronically anemic women that were: Pregnant women. Pregnant women in their second or third trimester with at least 2 years birth gap. Hemoglobin levels were lesser than or equal to 7gm%. The candidates excluded from this study included those with: Related medical disarrays if any. More than one pregnancy. Hypertension. Antepartum bleeding or placenta previa noted during ultrasound scan. Those aged past 35 years of age. Past of any bleeding disorders. For the study 161 moderately chronic anemic women were taken  [...]

Albendazole – An Important Part Of Antenatal Package In Hookworm-Rife Zones – Part I

The WHO has estimated that nearly 43% of all those non-pregnant women living in third-world countries develop anemia during the course of pregnancy. Anemia has been identified as the risk aspect leading to still births and underweight new born babies. Dearth of proper hygiene and personal cleanliness coupled with warm and sultry climatic conditions becomes the idyllic hot bed for hookworm infestation. The prevalence of hookworm invasion has been cited to lie between 36% and 74% during pregnancy. It is a dismal state of affairs that the issue of iron deficiency anemia – a largely avertable condition still hangs heavy and prevails, taking major toll on maternal lives. Hookworms are the widely prevalent intestinal parasitic forms that lead to chronic forms of anemia due to deficit of iron caused  [...]

Role Of Probiotics In Post-IVF Pregnancy Problems And BOH – Part II

A widely known fact is that the lower genital tract is a haven for a host of bacterial forms that turn pathogenic in nature once the body’s resistance depletes. This categorically leads to undesirable conditions like sterility, fetal loss and untimely labor. A study was undertaken to examine the advantages of the usage of probiotics like the urogenital probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 in situations of bad obstetric past while averting post IVF pregnancy complications. The study sets of seventy pregnant women were administered probiotics strains of GR-1 and RC-14 alongside being given treatment for infertility; and were evaluated against analogous number of seventy cases from a control group that were not administered probiotics but were treated  [...]

Role Of Probiotics In Post-IVF Pregnancy Problems And BOH – Part I

The widespread reason behind countless women globally ailing from leucorrhoea is bacterial vaginosis, secondary to improper personal sanitation. This condition is related to rising cases of sterility, in addition to fetal loss like missed and unprompted abortion, premature delivery and raised occurrence of neonatal transience and morbidity. This form of infection takes place despite innate safeguard mechanisms that are there in the vulval, vaginal, cervical and uterine regions. The aprocrine gland that secretes undecylenic acid acts as an innate protection to the vulva due to its fungicidal properties. The labia close the introitus that offers protection to the genital tract located above. The vagina shields itself by a myriad of ways like its acidic natured pH, production of antibodies by  [...]