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Lifestyle choices are enormously important to current and future health. An important example of how behaviors can affect your life is the fact each year six million women contract sexually transmitted diseases.
Information on some common gynecological diseases and conditions that affect women and additional information resources can be found below:
Vaginitis
Dysmenorrhea & Premenstrual Syndrome
Uterine Fibroids
Endometriosis
Vaginitis
Vaginitis is an infection or inflammation of the vagina. It is very common, with most women having at least one form of it in their lifetime. Most women refer to vaginitis as "yeast infection," although yeast infection is just one form of vaginal infection. Vaginitis can be caused by several different organisms, sometimes at the same time, as well as by hormonal changes, allergies or irritations.
Symptoms include:
- A burning or itching sensation of the vulva
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Discomfort during urination or sexual intercourse
However, as many as four out of 10 women with vaginitis may not have these typical symptoms. A routine gynecological exam will confirm vaginitis even if there are no symptoms.
The six most common types of vaginitis are:
- Candida or "yeast" vaginitis
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Trichomoniasis vaginitis
- Chlamydia vaginitis
- Viral vaginitis
- Noninfectious vaginitis
If you believe you may have vaginitis, it is important to see your doctor so that the cause of the type of illness can be properly identified and the correct treatment prescribed.
Dysmenorrhea & Premenstrual Syndrome
For some women, the pain associated with their menstrual period is severe and disabling. The two most common problems are dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome.
Dysmenorrhea, which is painful menstruation, usually affects women in their teens and early 20s. It can disable a woman for several hours or as long as two days. Symptoms usually include moderate to severe cramping of the uterus, as well as headaches, backaches, diarrhea and nausea.
Most often, the source of pain for women who suffer from dysmenorrhea is the uterus contracting too hard or too fast. Analgesics and sedatives have traditionally been used to treat menstrual pain. However, for moderate to severe dysmenorrhea, drugs that prevent or lessen the production of prostaglandin in the first hours or day of the menstrual period have been effective without serious side effects in most patients. Consult your doctor if you are experiencing pain and other problems caused by menstruation.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is reported most often by women in their late 20s and 21s, and can also affect women who have had hysterectomies. Behavioral symptoms range from depression, aggression, irritability and anxiety, to mood swings, nervous tension and food cravings. Physical symptoms include fluid retention, headaches, acne, fatigue and exhaustion.
Treatment for the disorder is challenging because of the many variables involved. A thorough physical examination by a gynecologist is the first step. A physician may treat the symptoms, recommending diuretics, special diets or medication. Psychological aspects may be addressed through behavior modification programs or support groups. Talk with your doctor about symptoms you are experiencing and other concerns you have.
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine Fibroids, the most frequently diagnosed tumor of the female pelvis, are nodules of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that develop within the wall to the uterus. Fibroids may grow as a single nodule or in clusters and may range in size from one mm to more than 20 cm in diameter. They are rarely associated with cancer.
Uterine fibroids are usually found in women of reproductive age and affect black women more often than white women. No risk factors have been found, other than being a female of reproductive age. Some studies show obese women are at increased risk of having fibroids.
Most uterine fibroids do not cause any symptoms, but they require regular observation by a doctor. Some symptoms may include excessive or painful bleeding during menstruation, bleeding between periods, a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen, frequent urination, pain during sexual intercourse or low back pain.
Although uterine fibroids often require no treatment, your physician will advise you how your condition can best be treated.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common disease that affects between 10 and 20 percent of American women of childbearing age. In endometriosis, tissue that looks and acts like endometrial tissue found inside the uterus, is found outside the uterus, usually inside the abdominal cavity. At the end of every menstrual cycle when the endometrial tissue in the uterus is discharged, endometrial tissue outside the uterus also breaks apart and bleeds. However, unlike menstrual fluid, which is discharged from the body, blood from the misplaced tissue has no place to go.
The most common symptom of endometriosis is pain, especially excessive menstrual cramps which may be felt in the abdomen or lower back or pain during or after sexual activity. Endometrial patches may also be tender to touch or pressure and intestinal pain may also result from endometrial patches on the walls of the colon or intestine.
Laparoscopy surgery, which shows the location, extent and size of endometrial growths, is the only way to prove endometriosis. Treatment can range from simple pain relief medication to hysterectomy and removal of the ovaries.
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