Hair Loss Treatment for Women

Hair Loss Treatment for Women

Hair loss is a very misunderstood condition, both in terms of how people see their own hair loss and how physicians who are not dermatologists approach hair loss,” said Dr. McMichael. “It is important for women to be evaluated by a dermatologist, who specializes in hair loss, at the first signs of a problem whether she notices that her ponytail is smaller than it used to be, she sees more hair in the shower, or if her part is widening. Determining the cause of the hair loss is the first step in treating it and preventing future hair loss.”
Female-Pattern Hair Loss
The most common form of hair loss in women is female-pattern hair loss, which is a hereditary condition also referred to as androgenetic alopecia. While pattern hair loss affects both men and women, it is very different in women and does not display the classic receding hairline or bald spot on top of the scalp as it does in men. In women, the frontal hairline is usually maintained, but there is
visible thinning over the crown. Dr. McMichael explained that in both male- and female-pattern hair loss, the hair stays on the head for a shorter time due to a short growth phase, resulting in baby fine hairs that do not reach their full length or diameter.
Female Pattern Hair Loss
The most common form of hair loss in women is female-pattern hair loss, which is a hereditary condition also referred to as androgenetic alopecia. While pattern hair loss affects both men and women, it is very different in women and does not display the classic receding hairline or bald spot on top of the scalp as it does in men. In women, the frontal hairline is usually maintained, but there is
visible thinning over the crown. Dr. McMichael explained that in both male- and female-pattern hair loss, the hair stays on the head for a shorter time due to a short growth phase, resulting in baby fine hairs that do not reach their full length or diameter.
Fortunately, several treatment options are effective for women with hair loss. Minoxidil 2% is the only topical medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for female-pattern hair loss. Minoxidil 5% is only FDA-approved for male-pattern hair loss, but it has been shown to be very effective in women as well. Both the 2% and 5% solutions are available over-the-counter. While minoxidil does not grow new hair, it works by prolonging the growth phase of hair – providing more time for hair to grow out to its full density.
Minoxidil is a wonderful option for women with thinning hair, as it only treats the hair you want to keep that is not reaching its maximum growth and is an easy way to fill in hair density,” said Dr. McMichael. “Although minoxidil is an over-the-counter treatment, women should consult their dermatologist who is experienced with the product and can explain how it works and off-set any known side effects – such as irritation or fine facial hair that could develop along the cheeks and jaw line.”
In some cases, other medications may be used off-label to treat female hair loss, including finasteride (which is FDA-approved for male-pattern hair loss) for women of non-childbearing age only, and the anti-androgens spironolactone and flutamide that work by blocking the male hormone testosterone at the cellular level of the hair follicle. These oral medications also may be an option for women who may not want to spend time applying minoxidil every day. Dr. McMichael also noted that hair transplantation is an extremely effective procedure for women who want to fully restore their lost hair and works best in conjunction with topical or oral medications to prevent further hair loss.
Telogen Effluvium
Another common form of hair loss in both men and women, telogen effluvium, refers to an increase in the number of hairs in the telogen, or rest, phase of the hair cycle, which typically lasts three months in the normal growth
cycle. However, telogen effluvium occurs as a result of the body’s natural physiologic response to some form of stress, causing more hair to enter the rest phase than the normal 10 percent. For example, surgery, childbirth, dramatic weight loss (including gastric bypass surgery), the death of a loved one, starting
or stopping oral contraceptives, iron deficiency, and chronic thyroid diseases can trigger this type of hair loss.
When I evaluate patients’ hair and their recent medical history, I am able to determine if their hair loss is a result of telogen effluvium. I always tell women to be patient and that their hair needs to grow back on its own,” said Dr. McMichael. “In these cases, I would only recommend minoxidil to less than 50 percent of women and oral medications would not be effective. Once the trigger is removed, the hair simply needs to return to normal – which could take anywhere from three to nine months. The key is determining the trigger and when it occurred in relation to the hair loss.”
Alopecia Areata
An autoimmune form of hair loss that can affect men and women, alopecia areata, occurs when the body’s white blood cells attack the hair follicles and put them to sleep. This results in either a small patch of complete hair loss on the scalp that may be easy to cover or complete hair loss on the scalp (similar to the effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients) and/or other areas of the body.
While not as common as other forms of hair loss, this condition can be very psychologically upsetting for women and its manifestations are unpredictable from person to person. For example, alopecia areata can happen overnight or occur gradually over the course of several years. Dr. McMichael noted that typically, alopecia areata is initially seen in children and young adults.
Although there are no FDA-approved treatments for alopecia areata, Dr. McMichael explained that dermatologists may use combination therapies off-label such as injectable steroids, topical steroids or minoxidil 5% to try to regrow hair in patches of bald spots. However, she cautioned that not all patients will experience hair regrowth even with treatment – which could have a significant negative impact on their quality of life.
Studies examining quality of life issues show that women with hair loss are much more bothered by their condition than men,” said Dr. McMichael. “With men, it has become socially acceptable to be bald, but the same is not true for women. Many of my patients report not going to church because they don’t want
people in the pew behind them to see their thinning hair, or they stop exercising because they don’t want to mess up their hair that they’ve spent so much time styling to try to hide their hair loss. It really can affect many aspects of their lives.”
Dr. McMichael is optimistic that research in hair loss will continue to expand in the future. She also suggested that in addition to seeing their dermatologist for proper evaluation and treatment, women who are bothered by their hair loss can find help through the many support groups that are available to patients on the Internet.

Pelvic Pain Treatment

Pelvic Pain Treatment

Due to the large number of possible causes of pelvic pain, diagnosis begins by process of elimination. Your physician may order several types of tests to diagnose the problem. It may seem tedious and time-consuming; however, this approach is the best way for your provider to determine the cause of your pelvic pain. Some of the tests that your physician may order include ultrasound imaging, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), intravenous pyelography (IVP), and barium enema. However these tests cannot detect endometriosis or adhesions and laparoscopy may be necessary to diagnose the cause of your pelvic pain.
What type of treatment you receive depends on the diagnosis. Treatments can vary from medications for urinary tract infections (UTI) or vaginal infections to pharmacologic treatment in the hospital for serious infections such as PID. If a sexually transmitted disease is diagnosed, your partner will also need to be treated to prevent reinfection.
Menstrual cramps can often be relieved with drugs that reduce inflammation, such as ibuprofen which blocks the production of prostaglandins that cause the uterus to contract. Sometimes the diagnosis will require the use of hormonal therapies including oral contraceptives and other types of hormones. Antidepressants are helpful for some women because they help break the cycle of pain and depression that often occurs in women with chronic pelvic pain.
Surgery may be the answer for certain types of pelvic pain. What type of surgery depends on the diagnosis. Surgery such as laparoscopy can be done on an outpatient basis, while other surgeries such as hysterectomy require a stay in the hospital. Your healthcare provider will discuss your options based on your diagnosis, as well as the risks and benefits of these procedures and the chance of them working. Hysterectomy is not always the best treatment, especially in the case of chronic pelvic pain.
Other treatments include heat therapy, muscle relaxants, nerve blocks, and relaxation exercises. If digestive or urinary conditions are diagnosed specific treatments for these conditions will be used.
Determining the cause of pelvic pain can be a frustrating situation for many women, but try not to give up. Even when one specific cause for chronic pelvic pain is not found your healthcare provider has treatments that can help. Maintaining an open working relationship with you physician is the best way to find the treatment that works best for you.

Female Pelvic Pain

Female Pelvic Pain

Cause:
If you have pelvic pain, your health professional will consider a broad range of possible causes. Female pelvic pain is typically caused by a medical condition involving the reproductive organs, muscles of the abdominal wall, urinary tract, or lower gastrointestinal tract. Some causes are always short-term (acute), and others can become long-lasting (chronic) unless successfully treated.
Female pelvic pain can be a difficult-to-solve medical mystery. Experts have yet to understand all possible causes of pelvic pain, particularly when it has become chronic. For this reason, some women have chronic female pelvic pain with no known cause, even after a lot of testing. This does not mean, however, that there isn't a cause behind the pain nor that there is no possible treatment. 1
Chronic pain with no diagnosable cause can occur in any part of the body. Long after a disease or injury has healed, nerves can continue firing pain signals (neuropathic pain). This is thought to be caused by an overloading of the nervous system by extreme or long-lasting pain. It also helps explain why it's fairly common for chronic pelvic pain to have no obvious cause.
Conditions that can cause acute pelvic pain include:
* Normal ovulation, which can cause brief ovary pain, or "mittelschmerz." This pain is cyclic, meaning that it happens once during each normal menstrual cycle.
* Ectopic pregnancy, which requires emergency treatment. For more information, see the topic Ectopic Pregnancy.
* Kidney stones, which can become chronic. For more information, see the topic Kidney Stones.
* Appendicitis, which requires immediate medical care. For more information, see the topic Appendicitis.
* Functional ovarian cysts, which can become chronic. For more information, see the topic Functional Ovarian Cysts.
* Urinary tract infection. For more information, see the topic Urinary Tract Infections in Teens and Adults.
* Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or tubo-ovarian abscess, which requires medical treatment. For more information, see the topic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
* Sexually transmitted diseases, which occasionally become chronic. For more information, see the topic Exposure to Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Conditions that can cause chronic pelvic pain include:
* Endometriosis, the growth of uterine lining (endometrial) tissue outside of the uterus, which often causes cyclic pain and bleeding. For more information, see the topic Endometriosis.
* Adenomyosis, the growth of endometrial tissue into the uterine muscle, which can cause cyclic pain and bleeding.
* Noncancerous (benign) tumors of the uterus, such as:
o Uterine fibroids. For more information, see the topic Uterine Fibroids.
o Endometrial polyps.
* Scar tissue (adhesions) in the abdomen and pelvis, typically caused by pelvic inflammatory disease, radiation treatment of the pelvis, or pelvic or abdominal surgery. For more information, see the topic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
* Bowel problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. For more information, see the topics Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
* Physical or sexual abuse in the recent or distant past. (Though poorly understood, combined emotional and physical trauma are thought to cause chronic pain or make it worse. 1 ) For more information, see the topics Domestic Violence and Child Abuse and Neglect.
* Urinary tract problems, such as bladder inflammation (chronic interstitial cystitis).
* Pelvic organ cancers. For more information, see the topics Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, and Cervical Cancer.
* Structural problems with the uterus.
* Muscle spasm or pain in the lower abdominal wall muscles ("trigger points"). This is sometimes linked to past surgery in that area.

Cardiac Arrest Treatment

Cardiac Arrest Treatment

Once in the emergency department, intravenous (IV) lines are started to administer fluids and medications. After the individual is resuscitated, anti-arrhythmic drugs (beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, amiodarone) are used to prevent future episodes of ventricular fibrillation. The individual is connected to an ECG machine (electrocardiography) and placed under continuous cardiac monitoring. Oxygen, aspirin, and nitroglycerin are administered. Individuals deemed at high risk for a recurrence may need to be fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), an internal device that monitors the heart rhythm, delivering a shock at the first sign of ventricular fibrillation.
The complete absence of heart electrical activity (asystole or “flat-line”) is more difficult to reverse than cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. Asystole may respond to IV administration of epinephrine, vasopressin, or atropine. In extreme cases, medication may be injected directly into the heart. Once the individual is stabilized, a pacemaker, which monitors the cardiac rhythm and stimulates the heart if it fails to beat, may need to be implanted.
Patients who have blockage of a heart valve or vessel caused by a blood clot (thrombus) may receive medication to break down the clot (thrombolytics) and help restore normal blood flow.
Once an individual’s condition has stabilized, he or she is transferred to a cardiac care unit (CCU) for continuous cardiac monitoring and further treatment.
Other treatments that may be used, depending on the underlying cause of cardiac arrest, include coronary angioplasty to open blocked coronary arteries, coronary bypass surgery, electrophysiology studies to map conduction pathways, radiofrequency catheter ablation to eliminate an abnormal electrical pathway, or heart surgery to correct abnormalities (valves, congenital deformities).

Skin Cancer Prognosis

Skin Cancer Prognosis

Once a diagnosis of a skin cancer has been made, all individuals bear a significant responsibility in preventing recurrence. Monthly self-examinations greatly increase your chances of finding the skin cancer in the early stages. In the early stage, the skin lesion has generally caused little damage to the surrounding tissues and the chances of cure are very high.
Skin self-examination
Once a diagnosis of a skin cancer has been made, all individuals bear a significant responsibility in preventing recurrence.
Monthly self-examinations greatly increase your chances of finding the skin cancer in the early stages. In the early stage, the skin lesion has generally caused little damage to the surrounding tissues and the chances of cure are very high.
The skin is best examined right after a shower. The exam must be done in front of a mirror in a brightly lit room. A hand mirror is a great asset to have.
One should know where the old lesions are and preferably take photos. The size, shape and color should be noted.
During each exam, all lesions should be observed to see if there has been a change in color, size or shape. Any discrepancy in the skin lesions means a visit to the dermatologist.
Skin lesions is the back, rear of the neck, buttocks or other hard to see areas, should be examined by a friend or a family member.
For those who have already had a skin cancer, the entire body must be thoroughly inspected during each exam
It may seem that the soles and nails are not important, but skin cancers can occur in these areas. So examine these areas well. Cancers in the nail beds and soles of the feet are frequently missed by patients.
Prognosis
Even though the number of skin cancers have sky rocketed in North America, the majority of these cancers are being diagnosed at an early stage. When detected early, the skin cancers are generally curable. This means less aggressive therapy and this leads to fewer complications and a much longer life span.
In the majority of cases of basal cell carcinoma, cure is possible
When a squamous cell cancer is detected early, the prognosis is excellent. When the cancer is detected late, the prognosis is dependent on the stage.
Even after a complete excision of a skin cancer, recurrences are very high.In most cases recurrent skin cancer occurs at or around the same site
Less than 1% of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas will eventually spread elsewhere in the body and turn into dangerous cancer.
In most cases, the outcome of malignant melanoma depends on the depth of penetration of the tumor at the time of treatment.
Superficial skin cancers are almost always cured by simple surgery alone.
Widespread skin cancers which have deeply penetrated may have spread to other organs by the time a diagnosis is made.
Malignant melanoma causes more than 75% of deaths from skin cancer.
The majority of individuals who are diagnosed with a malignant melanoma are cured by surgery. Despite this, the cancer does cause deaths in a significant number of individuals

Treatment of Skin Cancer

Treatment of Skin Cancer

Specific treatment for skin cancer will be determined by your physician based on: * your age, overall health, and medical history
* extent of the disease
* your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
* expectations for the course of the disease
* your opinion or preference
There are several kinds of treatments for skin cancer, including the following: * surgery
Surgery is a common treatment for skin cancer. It is used in most treated cases. Some types of skin cancer growths can be removed very easily and require only very minor surgery, while others may require a more extensive surgical procedure. Surgery may include the following procedures:
o cryosurgery - freezing the tumor, which kills cancer cells.
o electrodesiccation and curettage - burning the lesion and removing it with a sharp instrument.
o grafting - uses a skin graft to replace skin that is damaged when cancer is removed.
o laser therapy - using a narrow beam of light to remove cancer cells.
o Mohs micrographic surgery - removing the cancer and as little normal tissue as possible. During this surgery, the physician removes the cancer and then uses a microscope to look at the cancerous area to make sure no cancer cells remain.
o simple excision - cutting the cancer from the skin along with some of the healthy tissue around it.
* Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses a radiation machine that emits x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
* electrochemotherapy
Electrochemotherapy uses a combination of chemotherapy and electrical pulses to treat cancer.
* other types of treatment include:
o chemotherapy treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells.
o topical chemotherapy - chemotherapy given as a cream or lotion placed on the skin to kill cancer cells.
o systemic chemotherapy - chemotherapy taken by pill, or needle injection into a vein or muscle.
* biological therapy (sometimes called biological response modifier (BRM) therapy, or immunotherapy)
Biological therapy tries to get your own body to fight cancer by using materials made by your own body, or made in a laboratory, to boost, direct, or restore your body's natural defenses against disease.
* photodynamic therapy
Photodynamic therapy uses a certain type of light and a special chemical to kill cancer cells.
* immunotherapy
Immunotherapy of melanoma involves injecting a medication (called interferon) to boost the body's own immune system, helping it to slow the growth of the cancer.