Anti phospholipid antibodies and infertility

Infertility is the inability to conceive and have offspring. More specific, infertility is also defined as the failure to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception. Evidence is emerging that inability to conceive or recurrent miscarriage in a healthy patient can provide an early clue of an adverse health condition.

anti phospholipid antibodies and infertility

Investigation to disclose the causes of reproductive failure can therefore assist with an earlier management strategies, so it can provide a long term benefit for women and restore their natural fertility. There are many causes of infertility, one of them is thrombophilia. How thrombophilia causes infertility remains unknown and poorly understood. After excluding other physical or anatomical causes such as fibroids, uterine scar tissue, congenital abnormalities, and polyps, assessment of medical history of the patient is an important next step.

Thrombophilias are disorders of blood coagulation that increase the likelihood of inappropriate clotting. It can be a concern during pregnancy because in pregnancy, blood tends to clot easily. Thrombophilia can be both congenital or acquired. The most common form of acquired thrombophilia is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In APS, there are antibodies against phospholipids in association with either vascular thrombosis or recurrent misscariage.

Laboratory test
For women with medical history of recurrent miscarriages, they are recommended to be screened for antiphospholipid antibodies. The most significant antibodies (immunoglobulin) involved in APS are lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin (ACA), and anti beta 2 glycoprotein 1 & 2.

Treatment
There are two options. First is oral antiplatelet (aspirin) and the second is UFH (unfractionated heparin). Combination of both therapies may reduce pregnancy loss in APS-positive cases by as much a 54% compared to aspirin alone.

Thrombophilia and contraception
Estrogen-containing medications can increase the risk of venous thromboembolism including deep vein thrombosis (DVT). So don't hesitate to contact your doctor to choose the best contraception for you.

How to avoid blood clot?
Control your weight, do not be overweight. Keep a healthy diet, avoid saturated fats. Keep your cholesterol level low. Stop smoking. Lower your blood pressure. Controll your glucose level (if you are diabetician). No more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

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How to conceive quickly

how to conceive quickly

Many people see to be very easy to get pregnant, as easy as dreaming it. But for other couples, it feels so long, because what we are waiting for is uncertainty. As we know, ages plays a big role. A research said that approximately one third of women ages 35-39 and half of women more than 40 have trouble getting pregnant (infertility = inability to conceive for 12 months). For men, age starts to be a fertility factor in the late 30s. One study found that in men ages 35-40, the percentage who don't conceive is about 18-28%.

There are many factors: controllable and uncontrollable. What parts of fertility we can control? What do many studies say about how your environment and lifestyle habbits play a role in the complex process of baby making?

DIET

One of the biggest research to examine the role of diet in fertility was done by the researchers of Harvard University in 2007. After observing 18,000 women and their dietary, the researchers found a pattern of eating that seemed to boost baby-making potential. Women with few risk of infertility ate fewer sugars and trans fat, more fiber and iron, more proteins from veggies instead of animals, and more high-fat dairy products than low-fat ones. These patterns are independent of age.

SMOKING

Smoking lowers a woman's chance of getting pregnant both naturally and when using fertility treatments like invitro fertilization (IVF). How about passive smokers? Studies said that women who were exposed to second-hand smoke as children have been shown to have a harder time getting and staying pregnant (with 68% higher chance of miscarriage or difficulty to conceive). So for you who are smoking, quitting smoking before trying isn’t just a good idea for your own healthy pregnancy, it helps ensure that, down the line, your baby will have a healthy pregnancy too. And for men, do not smoke since smoking has been shown to lower healthy sperm counts.

BODY WEIGHT

Body weight influences the reproductive cycle. An excess or deficit of fat cells seems to upset the delicate cascade of chemical events that are needed to make a baby. Being obese can exacerbate polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). But even for women who ovulate, weight has been shown to play into fertility. There’s a strong association between having a BMI over 30 or under 20 and delayed conception. One research found that for every BMI interval over 29, chances of pregnancy went down by five percent. Roughly one in four U.S. women of childbearing age is obese.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS

A handful of chemicals are suspect when it comes to getting pregnant – for example, phthalates (used in plastics, food packaging, toys, and more), pesticides, bisphenol A (BPA), air pollutants, as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Last year, for example, a study of Chinese factory workers found that those with higher levels of BPA exposure had lower semen quality. PCBs, which were banned decades ago but still linger in the environment, seem to clearly affect sperm motility and damage sperm DNA.

It’s not a bad idea to find ways to limit exposure to the dubious chemicals (buy organic “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies, use BPA-free products when possible, consider not living near a highway, eat less processed and packaged food, check your cosmetics with the Environmental Working Group’s database, and so forth).

But there are a few reasons not to head for full-blown panic over chemicals in the environment. For one, it’s very hard for scientists to accurately pinpoint how and in what quantity one particular chemical affects something like sperm health because controlled studies are near impossible. Consider also that we bump into hundreds of environmental chemicals every day through no choice of our own – to a large extent it’s all out of our control.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: KNOW YOURS, BUT NO OVERTHINK

It’s tempting with information like this to go overboard, especially when something as precious as your fertility is seemingly at stake. That said, just as with age and fertility statistics, lifestyle and fertility stats are just that – averages and trends across large samples of women. Plenty of moms get pregnant without a hitch on a steady diet of hamburgers, just as plenty who have impeccable diet and exercise habits struggle with infertility. Your best plan for getting pregnant? Stay informed, but don’t make yourself crazy with the details.

Source: BabyHopes

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Seizure Medications

seizure-medications

The term "seizure" is often used interchangeably with "convulsion." Convulsions are when a person's body shakes rapidly and uncontrollably. During convulsions, the person's muscles contract and relax repeatedly. There are many different types of seizures. Some have mild symptoms and no body shaking. By definition, a convulsion or seizure is the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Causes of Seizure

• Abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood
• Brain infection, including meningitis
• Brain injury that occurs to the baby during labor or childbirth
• Brain problems that occur before birth (congenital brain defects)
• Brain tumor
• Head injury
• Fever (febrile convulsion)
• Choking
• Electric shock
• Drug abuse
• Epilepsy
• Heart disease
• Heat illness
• High fever
• Illicit drugs, such as angel dust (PCP), cocaine, amphetamines
• Kidney or liver failure
• Hypoglycemia
• Phenylketonuria (PKU), which can cause seizures in infants
• Poisoning
• Stroke
• Pregnancy
• Uremia on kidney failure
• Severe hypertension
• Venomous bites and stings (snake bite) 
• Withdrawal from alcohol after drinking a lot on most days
• Withdrawal from certain drugs, including some painkillers and sleeping pills
• Withdrawal from benzodiazepines (such as Valium)

Seizure Medications

Medications for epilepsy are mainstays in controlling epileptic seizures. But surgical procedures are another dimension in treatment. Learn about your options.

Most people with epilepsy can become seizure-free by using a single anti-epileptic drug. Others can decrease the frequency and intensity of their seizures. More than half the children with medication-controlled epilepsy can eventually stop medications and live a seizure-free life. Many adults also can discontinue medication after two or more years without seizures.

Finding the right medication and dosage can be complex. Your doctor likely will first prescribe a single drug at a relatively low dosage and may increase the dosage gradually until your seizures are well controlled.

The type of treatment prescribed will depend on several factors, including the frequency and severity of the seizures and the person's age, overall health, and medical history.

Ketogenic Diet

This is one of the oldest treatments for epilepsy, and helps lessen seizures.

Alternative Treatments

Biofeedback, melatonin, and large vitamin doses can help. Read on.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Learn the risks and benefits of this epilepsy surgery.

Epilepsy Treatments: Find the Right Medication

There is no cure for epilepsy, but medications may help keep symptoms under control.

New Epilepsy Treatments

Treatments for epilepsy have come a long way in the last decade. Doctors have more than twice as many epilepsy medications to choose from than they did 10 years ago.

Epilepsy Drugs for Children

There are a wide number of medications available for treating epilepsy in children, and advances in the past years have made a difference.

Multiple Subpial Transection (MST)

Sometimes, brain seizures begin in a vital area of the brain -- for example, in areas that control movement, feeling, language, or memory.

Temporal Lobe Resection

A temporal lobe resection is a surgery performed on the brain to control seizures. In this procedure, brain tissue in the temporal lobe is resected, or cut away, to remove the seizure focus.

Lesionectomy

Lesionectomy may be an option for people whose epilepsy is linked to a defined lesion and whose seizures are not controlled by medication.

Functional Hemispherectomy

This procedure generally is used only for people with epilepsy who do not experience improvement in their condition after taking many different medications and who have severe, uncontrollable seizures.

Corpus Callosotomy

A corpus callosotomy, sometimes called split-brain surgery, may be performed in people with the most extreme and uncontrollable forms of epilepsy, when frequent seizures affect both sides of the brain.

Extratemporal Cortical Resection

An extratemporal cortical resection is an operation to resect, or cut away, brain tissue that contains a seizure focus.

Drug Treatments for Essential Tremor

With the use of medication, people with essential tremor may see improvement in their ability to control their tremor and improvement in activities such as drinking from a cup or using food utensils.

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Obesity increases the risk of migraine

obesity increases the risk of migraine

Migraine is more likely in women than in men and occurs most commonly in those of younger adult age.  In addition, more women are obese than men. Obesity people ages 20 to 55, either by a measure of belly fat or using the standard BMI (body mass index) are more likely to have migraines and other severe headaches.

Migraines are severe headache that also may include nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity. They are likely to happen in women and often hereditary. According to National Headache Foundation, migraines affect about 30 million people in USA, approximately 10% of the population. Migraines occur most frequent on ages 20 to 45. The study concluded that after age 55, the increased risk of migraines for obese people was no longer present.

Relationship between Migraine and Obesity

The researchers look hard to clarift the link between migraines and obesity after previous studies had produced conflicting conclusions. Obesity can also increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, arthritis, cancer, etc.

How episodic and chronic daily headache links to obesity is not known. It is likely that pathways which overlap and regulate feeding and migraine play a role.  One region of the brain involved in this pathway is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus participates in the regulation of feeding and becomes activated during acute migraine attacks. Serotonin and orexin are hypothalamic brain nerve chemicals known to regulate food intake. They appear to have a role in migraine or chronic daily headache.  Adiponectin and leptin are predominantly fat cell produced hormones which have receptors in the brain. They have a role in inflammation and also appear to play a role in migraine or chronic daily headache. Further research into the role of these and other obesity-related proteins and chemicals may help us to understand migraine and lead to new treatment strategies.

Limited data exists on the role of weight loss and exercise in the reduction of migraine frequency.  However one small pilot study suggests that aerobic exercise may decrease headache frequency, while another small study suggests weight loss with a low fat diet could help decrease headache frequency and intensity. Taken together, this data suggests that those who are obese and have episodic headaches or chronic daily headaches should avoid weight gain. Additionally, the provider and obese patient should consider options for migraine prevention that are not associated with weight gain. Also, the obese patient who suffers with headaches should attempt weight loss. Following these ideas will decrease the risk of obesity related disorders, (such as elevated cholesterol and heart disease,) and could help reduce headache frequency.

Sources:

• Reuters
• Ache News

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Hepatitis vaccine booster

hepatitis vaccine booster

In 2009, 3,374 cases of acute Hepatitis B in the United States were reported to CDC; the overall incidence of reported acute Hepatitis B was 1.5 per 100,000 population, the lowest ever recorded. However, because many HBV infections are either asymptomatic or never reported, the actual number of new infections is estimated to be approximately tenfold higher. In 2009, an estimated 38,000 persons in the United States were newly infected with HBV. Rates are highest among adults, particularly males aged 25–44 years.
An estimated 800,000–1.4 million persons in the United States have chronic HBV infection. Chronic infection is an even greater problem globally, affecting approximately 350 million persons. An estimated 620,000 persons worldwide die from HBV-related liver disease each year.

Transmission of Hepatitis B

HBV is transmitted through activities that involve percutaneous (i.e., puncture through the skin) or mucosal contact with infectious blood or body fluids (e.g., semen, saliva), including

• Sex with an infected partner
• Injection drug use that involves sharing needles, syringes, or drug-preparation equipment
• Birth to an infected mother
• Contact with blood or open sores of an infected person
• Needle sticks or sharp instrument exposures
• Sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person

HBV is not spread through food or water, sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, hand holding, coughing, or sneezing

The Need for a Booster Dose

After several decades of vaccination against hepatitis B virus in newborns, infants, adolescents, and adults, the question remains whether a booster dose is ever needed. Long-term protection is most commonly measured through 4 methods: the anamnestic response after administration of a booster dose, infection rate in vaccinated populations, in vitro B and T cell activity testing, and seroepidemiological studies. Long-term protection is present despite a decrease in anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies over time. The exact mechanism of long-term protection, however, is not yet fully understood. There is no need for boosters in immunologically potent persons as long as a full course was adequately administered that respected the recommended timelines, as evidenced by studies conducted up to 20 years after the original immunization course. However, a booster dose should be planned for immunocompromised patients, based on serological monitoring.

The question that remains to be answered is how long immune memory will last. Early evidence suggests that the answer will come from the power of the initial immune response and from the time since primary vaccination. Long-term follow-up studies during the third decade after vaccination administration are needed to confirm the duration and persistence of immune memory. In addition, studies that follow-up birth cohorts vaccinated >20 years ago are needed as those individuals become sexually active and potentially exposed to HBV infection.

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Candida Yeast Infection Treatment

candida yeast infection treatment

What is candida yeast infection?

Candidiasis is a fungal infection that can affect areas such as the:

• Skin
• Genitals
• Throat
• Mouth
• Blood

It is caused by the overgrowth of a type of yeast called Candida, usually Candida albicans. This yeast is normally found in small amounts in the human body. But certain medicines and health problems can cause more yeast to grow, particularly in warm, moist body areas. This can cause uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous symptoms.

Candida yeast infection symptoms
Symptoms and treatment depend on which part of the body is infected. 

• If it is in the mouth or throat, it is called oral candidiasis, oropharyngeal candidiasis, or thrush.
• If it affects the genital area, it is called a yeast infection. In women, it may be called a vulvovaginal yeast infection.
• If yeast infects the skin on a baby's bottom area, it causes a diaper rash.
• If the infection enters your bloodstream, it is called invasive candidiasis or candidemia.

Candida yeast infection treatment

Candidiasis is commonly treated with antimycotics; such as:

• topical clotrimazole
• topical nystatin
• fluconazole, and 
• topical ketoconazole.

Source:

http://www.webmd.com

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Blocked fallopian tubes

blocked fallopian tubes

While there are many causes of infertility, a blocked fallopian tube is often the reason why many women are unable to conceive. Each month, when ovulation happens, an egg is released from ovary, and goes through the tubes and reaches the uterus. The sperm also need to swim from cervix through the uterus and to the fallopian tubes to meet the egg. Fertilization usually takes place here while an egg is traveling through the tube. If one or both fallopian tubes are blocked, the egg can't reach the uterus, and that's why the sperm can't meet the egg. This will prevent any fertilization and pregnancy.

Get to know about fallopian tubes, what are fallopian tubes?

The fallopian tubes are the pathways in which the ova travel from the ovaries down into the uterus. They consist of two thin tubes. Their function is to lead the mature egg from the ovaries to the uterus. Blocked fallopian tubes typically prevent successful passage of the egg to the sperm, and/or the fertilized egg to the uterus. In some cases, blocked fallopian tube is not total, but partial. This can increase the risk of a tubal pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy.

What causes blocked fallopian tubes?

Blocked fallopian tube is the major cause of infertility in women at about 20% of the infertility cases. Here are common causes of blocked fallopian tubes.

• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Tubal ligation removal
• Genital tuberculosis (rare cases)
• Complications from lower abdominal surgery, such as Caesarian section.

How to diagnose blocked fallopian tubes?

There are no specific symptoms and signs that make us know if we are suffering from blocked fallopian tubes. But if you have PID, it is important to think of blocked fallopian tubes, because based on epidemiologic studies, 75% of women with sexually transmitted disease do suffer from blocked fallopian tubes.

The only sign that there is a blocked fallopian tube is an inability to conceive, or we call it primary infertility. To detect this abnormality, there are some diagnostic modalities. Here are the details.

1. HSG (hysterosalpingogram). It is an X-ray test using a contrast dye to view any blockage or obstruction in the fallopian tubes.
2. Laparoscopy surgery / chromotubation. This procedure is similar to HSG because chromotubation includes dye being passed into the fallopian tubes and uterus. This test is performed on a laparoscopic surgery so the doctors can see the dye spelling from the fallopian tube.
3. Sonography (almost similar to USG). It is a non invasive test using ultrasound imaging to determine any abnormalities in reproductive organs.
4. Blood test to detect Chlamydia antibodies because tubal disease is often related to Chlamydia infection.

How to open blocked fallopian tubes?

1. Selective tubal cannulation. This procedure is performed for proximal tubal blockage with 60% pregnancy success rate.
2. Tubal ligation removal (tubal reanastomosis). In this procedure, the doctor will remove the portion of the fallopian tube that was tied or cauterized in the original surgery and reattaches the two ends to make a complete tube. Tubal reanastomosis has a 75% pregnancy success rate.
3. While IVF therapy has largely replaced tubal surgery in the treatment of infertility, the presence of hydrosalphinx is a detriment to IVF success. It has been recommended that prior to IVF, laparoscopic surgery should be done to either block or remove hydrosalpinges.

What are the risks of blocked fallopian tubes surgery?

• Pelvic infection
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Regrowth of scar tissue
• Tissue adhesion

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Seasonal influenza vaccine

seasonal influenza vaccine

Influenza, or flu, is a disease caused by the influenza virus. It is very contagious disease which can be spread by sneezing, coughing, and nasal secretions. Everyone can get influenza, but mostly it affects children. For most people, influenza symptoms last only a few day. 

Symptoms of seasonal influenza
Symptoms of common flu are not specific, it can mimick another viral infections. The symptoms include:

• Chills/fever
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Runny nose

Why people should get seasonal influenza vaccine

People with decreased immune functions, such as young children, elderly, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions such as heart, lung, or kidney disease, can get much sicker. Seasonal influenza can cause high fever and continue to pnemonia and will harm the existing medical conditions. In children, seasonal influenza can cause diarrhea and fever associated seizure. Sometimes some people need hospitalization.By getting seasonal influenza vaccine you can protect yourself from seasonal influenza and may also avoid spreading seasonal influenza to others.

When to get seasonal influenza vaccine

• Get the vaccine as soon as possible. It will protect you from influenza. You can get the vaccine as long as illness is occuring in your community.
• Influenza mostly occurs from October through May. In recent seasons, most infections have occured in January and February. So if you get the vaccine in December, it will still be beneficial in most years.
• Older children and adults need one dose of influenza vaccine annualy. Younger children (less than 9 years) may need two doses to be protected.
• The vaccine may be given at the same time with other vaccine. It is safe.

How to fight seasonal influenza?

CDC urges us to take these steps to protect ourself and others from the seasonal influenza:

1. Get vaccinated against flu. It's a best defense.
2. Cover your cough, wash hands often.
3. Take antiviral drugs as doctor recommends you.

For more information about seasonal influenza vaccine by age group in the United States, you can go here.

Source: CDC

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Heavy menstrual bleeding

heavy menstrual bleeding

Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) is one od the most common gynecologic abnormality that can take a heavy toll on the women it affects. Many women with heavy menstrual bleeding problem do not discuss their condition with their clinicians because they mistakenly believe that it is something they actually have to live with or some women also complain about their fear of hormonal and surgical therapy.

Definition

The definition of heavy menstrual bleeding refers to blood loss > 80 mL during menstruation. NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) of the UK proposed that heavy menstrual bleeding can be defined as excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with patient's physical, emotional, socialm and material quality of life, and which can occur alone or in combination with other symptoms.

Epidemiology

About 30% of women experience heavy menstrual bleeding at some point of their lives. This condition affects more than 10 million women in USA each year, which is about one in five women; however only about 5% of women of reproductive age seek treatment for it annually.

Risk factors

There is a little facts about demographic risk factor of heavy menstrual bleeding. A study has reported that heavy menstrual bleeding has correlation with age, and others show no correlation of heavy menstrual bleeding with ethnicity, genetics, or parity. Lifestyle factors such as alcoholism and smoking are still unknown.

What causes heavy menstrual bleeding?

Here are the causes of heavy menstrual bleeding, according to FIGO classification system:

• Structural causes
• Endometrial or cervical polyps
• Adenomyosis
• Leiomyoma
• Malignancy and hyperplasia
• Non structural causes
• Coagulation disorders
• Ovulatory dysfunction
• Endometrial
• Iatrogenic

Treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding

Treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding should be based on many factors such as:

• Your medical history
• Causes and severity of heavy menstrual bleeding
• Tolerance for specific drugs or procedures
• Your future childbearing plans

Medication/drug therapies for heavy menstrual bleeding may include:

• Iron supplements, if heavy menstrual bleeding is accompanied by anemia
• Analgetics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as naproxen, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, they help reduce menstrual blood loss and also relieve menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
• Oral contraceptives, it can help regulate and normalize the menstrual cycles and also reduce prolonged menstrual bleeding
• Oral hormones (progesterone), it will correct hormonal imbalance and reduce menstrual bleeding
• Hormonal IUD (Mirena). It is an intrauterine device that contains progestin (levonorgestrel) which makes the uterine lining thin and reduce menstrual blood flow, relieve cramps.

• 
  

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How to improve liver function

Liver is the largest organ in our body. It synthesizes many important substances to regulate body metabolism. As a fat burner and detoxifier, liver works can regenerate itself, unlike other organs. So we can do some efforts to cleanse and strengthen our liver, so it will improve our health. There are many nutrients that are good to support liver function. Actually if we are focused on liver health, here are some tips about how to improve liver function.

how to improve liver function

• Drink plenty of water, especially purified water. Water plays an important role in liver detoxification and help cleansing the liver. 
• Cut down all the fatty foods and deep-fried melas. Avoiding high cholesterol foods is proven to reduce the risk of gallbladder disorders.
• Moderate consumption of alcohol (or less) is also important for liver function, since the liver postpones other import functions when it is working to metabolize excess alcohol.
• Eat regularly dietary supplements to help repair the liver, including but not limited to calcium, turmeric, silymarin, vitamin C, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Avoid leftovers that are past their safety date. Please pay attention to how long certain foods will still be safe to consume after being stored in the refrigerator.
• Avoid processed foods such as chicken nugggets, sausages, hotdogs, etc.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners and reduce your sugar intake. Enjoy natural sweeteners such as molasses, honey, and agave nectar.
• Minimal the consumption of salted foods.
• Increase your high fiber diet, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, brown rice, and whole grain breads.
• Keep your ideal body weight. Obesity and gallbladder stones are highly correlated.
• Limit caffeine intake as much as you can.
• Stay away from pollutants.
• Have enough sleep and avoid sleep lately everyday. Our liver works in detoxicating especially in the midnight.
• Reduce your stress.
• Undertake an internal detox program twice a year. You can buy colon cleansing kits in your local food store and also online shops. Famous brands such as Perfect Cleanse, CleanseSmart, and also Colonix. Follow the instructions precisely.

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