More Women's Health Issues

Women's Sexual Issues

Dyspareunia

Dyspareunia is the clinical name for painful intercourse. The pain can be felt as burning, sharp, searing or cramping. It can be external, within the vagina or deep in the pelvic region or abdomen. Men can also get it. Typically, the pain is felt in the penis but it can also be felt in the testes or internally, where it is often associated with a problem of the prostate or seminal vesicles.

(1) Causes
The causes of dyspareunia, as with most sexual dysfunction, can be classified as either physical or psychological. The cause of a sexual dysfunction in a given person may be a combination of several factors, and in some cases, the precise cause may not be identifiable at all.

Physical causes can be:
. disorders such as diabetes, vaginal infections, and estrogen deficiencies
. drugs that have a drying effect
. blisters, rashes and inflammation around the vaginal opening or the vulva
. irritation or infection of the clitoris
. disorders of the urethra or anus
. pelvic disorders such as infection, tumors, abnormalities of the cervix or uterus, and torn ligaments around the uterus

Psychosocial causes of dyspareunia may be as frequent and varied as organic ones. It is usually much more difficult to develop a clear understanding of how psychosocial factors contribute to sexual dysfunction, including dyspareunia.

(2) Treatment
Dyspareunia can usually be treated once the probable causes have been identified. Organic diseases can typically be addressed after a thorough gynecological or medical examination, and psychotherapy can usually help with any psychosocial factors.

Antibiotics help to heal vaginal or urinary tract infections due to yeast, bacteria or parasites.

Hormone replacement therapy can help to alleviate the vaginal dryness, thinning, and urinary urgency. A vaginal estradiol ring (Estring) that delivers low-dose estrogen is an increasingly popular alternative to oral or transdermal estrogen.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the leading sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States today, with an estimated 4 million new cases occurring each year.

(1) Symptoms
Many sexually transmitted diseases have no symptoms. For example, 80 percent of women infected with them experience no symptoms. When they do occur the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections can vary from a change in vaginal discharge, irritation, to a pain felt while having sex or during a mentrual period.

(2) Treatment
Chlamydia is curable with certain antibiotics. It is very important that a person with chlamydial infection take all of the prescribed medication, even after symptoms disappear.

To be sure that the infection is cured a follow-up visit to the doctor 1 to 2 weeks after finishing the medication may be necessary.

Yeast infection

Candida is a yeast that occurs naturally in the gut, skin and vagina. Under normal circumstances, it is kept under control by other 'friendly' bacteria in the body, but occasionally it overgrows, causing problems.

(1) Symptoms
. thick, white, sticky discharge
. soreness and irritation
. pain during sex and when passing urine
. outside of the vagina feels sore and swollen
. intense itching around the outside of the vagina

(2) Treatments
The most common treatments are antifungal vaginal medications, which are available in creams, tablets, or suppositories.

(3) Prevention
Avoid nylon and lycra as much as possible; never wear panty hose without wearing cotton panties underneath.

Yeast is a normal inhabitant of the intestinal tract. Always wipe from front to back after a bowel movement to prevent transferring yeast to the vaginal area.

Avoid perfumed bath additives, as well as powders in the vaginal area.

Douching is never a good idea since it washes away the natural protective mucus of the vagina and leaves women susceptible to vaginal infections.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

PID is an umbrella term for any inflammation of the organs in the pelvis and it is normally caused by an infection in any of the reproductive organs, including the womb, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, womb lining and/or vagina (chlamydia).
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) has emerged as a major cause of infertility in women of childbearing age.

(1) Causes
Pelvic inflammatory disease is usually contracted through sexual contact.

Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia cause an estimated 90 percent of all cases of PID; however, it's sometimes caused by abortion, childbirth, or a pelvic procedure.

(2) Symptoms

PID is a serious condition and requires immediate medical attention. If you are experiencing pelvic pain or any of these symptoms you should see your gynecologist immediately.

(3) Treatment
If PID is found and it hasn't progressed to a stage severe enough to require major reconstructive surgery to repair the fallopian tubes, antibiotic therapy may be tried.

(4) Prevention
Douching significantly increases your risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease and other pelvic infections and is not recommended. Douching removes the natural, protective mucous from the cervix, giving bacteria a more receptive place to grow.

The best protection against PID and other sexual transmitted diseases (STD) is to always use a condom, unless you are in a long- term monogamous relationship and both of you have been tested for HIV and other STDs.

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSD)

Hypoactive sexual desire (HSD) is the most common form of female sexual dissatisfaction (FSD) and occurs when there is a persistent lack of desire or absence of sexual fantasies. In other words, you're rarely in the mood and you neither initiate sex nor seek stimulation.

(1) Causes
Personal causes, like relationship conflicts or life style factors, often influence the desire for sex. Communication problems, anger, a lack of trust, a lack of connection, and a lack of intimacy can all adversely affect a woman's sexual response and interest.

Medical Causes can sometimes be the underlying cause of low libido, including:
. Drugs, such as antihypertensives, antidepressants, and birth control pills, interfere with sex drive, arousal and orgasm by affecting the balance of sexual hormones and the transmission of chemical messengers.
. Menopause is characterized by a gradual decline of the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, and can lead to a "sudden or gradual" decline in libido.

(2) Treatment
The No. 1 treatment option to overcome HSDs personal causes is probably to seek a counsel and therapy with your partner. To work against the medical causes, you can do something for balancing hormonal levels, for example taking alternative medicine.

Women's Health Issues

Ovarian Cysts

Ovarian cysts are small, fluid-filled sacs that usually are not malignant. Sometimes ovarian cysts appear in connection with the menstrual cycle and they may go away on their own in a few months.

Most ovarian cysts are benign (not cancerous), but they must be taken very seriously. A sonogram will show whether a cyst is fluid-filled or has solid matter in it. If it is solid, it may be related to endometriosis, or it may be cancerous.

(1) Symptoms
They may not cause any symptoms, or they may be quite painful. When these cysts grow large, they may cause feelings of pressure or fullness.

(2) Treatments
If you have not yet gone through menopause, you may not need any treatment, unless the cyst is very big or causing pain.

If surgery is needed, often the cyst can be removed without removing the ovary. Even if one ovary has to be removed, it is still possible to become pregnant as long as one ovary remains.

After menopause, the risk of ovarian cancer increases. Surgery to remove an ovarian cyst is usually recommended in this case. Your doctor will probably want to do a biopsy to see if cancer is present.

Treatment options include:
. watchful waiting
. cystectomy to remove the cyst
. oophorectomy to remove the affected ovary
. hormone therapy to reduce the size of the cyst
. hysterectomy to remove the uterus (this usually is not necessary unless the cyst is cancerous)

Miscarriage

Miscarriage is the spontaneous separation and discharge through the vagina of a developing fetus before it is ready to be born. Miscarriage seems to be the body's natural solution to a pregnancy that is not developing properly. It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.

It is estimated that 75 percent of all miscarriages occur early in the first trimester of pregnancy. The remainder occur in the second trimester. Any fetus passed out of the body after the end of the second trimester (24th week) is called a premature birth.

In the majority of cases, having a miscarriage does not affect a woman's ability to get pregnant again.

(1) Causes

(2) Symptoms

It is very important to call your doctor and to keep track of the amount of bleeding that occurs. If tissue is passed, try to save it. Many doctors will want it for laboratory evaluation to help determine the cause of the miscarriage.

(3) Treatments
. antibiotics
. dilation and curettage (D & C)
. drugs that help the uterus contract and stop bleeding
. Rh immune globulin in Rh negative women

Medical care following an early miscarriage is recommended in order to insure that all of the fetal tissue is removed from the woman's body. Because there is a risk of infection if some tissue remains, a doctor may suggest a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove it.

Osteoporosis

Our bones change constantly - breaking down and being rebuilt as part of the living process. Two kinds of cells are important for this process, and they are known as osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts renew old bone by dissolving it, leaving an empty space. The osteoblasts then fill this empty space with new bone. If the rate of renewal does not equal the rate of breakdown, the bones get tiny porosities or holes. If this continues over years, the result is osteoporosis.

(1) Causes

(2) Symptoms
. chronic lower back pain
. muscle spasms during periods of inactivity
. height loss, curving spine
. easily broken bones
. tooth loss around age 50

(3) Treatments
Preventing osteoporosis by maintaining a health diet rich in calcium and vitamin D and exercising regularly can help many women avoid the serious effects of osteoporosis. Women who have low bone mineral density or osteoporosis may also benefit from hormone replacement therapy or other drug therapies.

But remember, HRT increases the risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus)!