Treatment of Asthma

Treatment of Asthma

In the last few years, there have been a large variety of asthma medications that Pediatricians and parents can use as an asthma treatment for kids with asthma. This has just added to the confusion of which medicine to use in different situations.
Basically, there are two types of medications:
* Controller Asthma Medicines These are also called preventative asthma medicines and are taken every single day to help prevent asthma symptoms and asthma attacks.
* Quick Relief Asthma Medicines This type of asthma treatment can help your child when he has asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing. Quick relief asthma medicines are also called rescue medicines.
Controller Asthma Medicines
These types of asthma treatment can help prevent your child from having any symptoms of asthma. Examples of controller or preventative asthma medicines include:
* Inhaled corticosteroids such as Aerobid, Asmanex, Azmacort, Flovent HFA, Pulmicort (available as a Turbuhaler an Respules for use with nebulizers for younger kids), and Qvar
* Advair, a combination corticosteroid and long-acting beta2 agonist
* Leukotriene receptor antagonists, such as Singulair, Accolate, and Zyflo
* Long-acting beta2 agonists, such as Serevent Diskus and Foradil
* Theophylline
* Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory controller asthma medications include Intal and Tilade.
* Xolair injections for children with allergic asthma.
It is important to remember that a controller asthma medicine won't treat or stop an asthma attack. Some doctors do recommend that you increase your controller medicine during an asthma attack, but that is in addition to using a quick relief asthma treatment.
Quick Relief Asthma Medicines
These types of asthma treatment actually provide relief when your child has asthma symptoms. They are usually given with a nebulizer or a metered dose inhaler. Younger children can often use an inhaler with a spacer or a spacer and mask. Examples of quick relief asthma medicines include:
* Albuterol - Accuneb, Albuterol, Proventil, Ventolin (inhalation solution, nebules, HFA inhaler, inhaler, syrup, rotacaps)
* Levaluterol - Xopenex Soln, Xopenex HFA
* Pirbuterol - Maxair Autohaler (a breath-actuated metered dose inhaler)
* Terbutaline
* Atrovent
Oral steroids are also often used as an asthma treatment when a child has an asthma attack. Forms of oral steroids include prednisone and prednisolone (Prelone and Orapred). In general, prednisone is prescribed for older kids who can swallow pills and prednisolone, a syrup, is used for younger children who can't swallow pills yet. And keep in mind that Orapred is typically thought to taste better than Prelone.
Asthma Treatment
An asthma action plan can make it easier to understand which medication is best for your child in different situations. If you aren't sure which asthma treatment is best for your child, review your asthma action plan. If you don't have an asthma action plan, either ask your doctor for one or consider seeing a Pediatric Pulmonologist for further management and asthma education.

Breast reduction and lift

Breast reduction and lift

Breast reduction and lift are generally achieved through the same procedure called a mammaplasty. In terms of breast reduction and lift, there are two types of procedures that involve similar techniques, but vary greatly in their purpose. A breast reduction is done for medical reasons, and a breast lift (mastopexy) is done for cosmetic purposes. When performed for medical purposes, the mammaplasty often achieves breast reduction and lift simultaneously.
The breast reduction and lift procedure known as reduction mammaplasty is one of the top five most popular reconstructive plastic surgeries that is performed in the United States. In 2003 more than 100,000 women had this breast reduction and lift procedure performed. Because this breast reduction and lift procedure is done for medical purposes, most health insurance companies will cover the costs associated with this surgery.
Choosing A Breast Reduction and Lift
There are a number of reasons a woman would seek a breast reduction and lift procedure. Women with large breasts often suffer from agonizing back and neck pain, skin irritations, skeletal deformities, trouble breathing, and shoulder problems. The burden of large breasts often restricts a woman's activities and can cause self-consciousness.
Because breast reduction surgery decreases the size and weight of a patient's breasts, breast reduction and lift often have a causal relationship. In addition to removing excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin from a patient's breasts, breast reduction surgery also repositions the nipple to enhance the appearance of the breast after surgery. Breast reduction and lift procedures can also include a reduction in areola (the brown skin around the nipple) size.
Procedure
The breast reduction and lift procedure is performed usually as an outpatient procedure done under a general anesthesia. The procedure usually takes two to four hours. In order to achieve breast reduction and lift the surgeon will make an anchor-shaped incision that surrounds the areola, extends down the breast and runs horizontally along the breast fold. Scarring will occur after the procedure, though there are some techniques that can be utilized to reduce the appearance of scars. Once this incision is made the surgeon will remove the excess tissues from the breast area and reposition the nipple. Sometimes a patient runs the risk of losing the ability to breast feed in the future as a result of this breast reduction and lift procedure.
Before undergoing this procedure, it is important that a patient fully understand the risks and benefits associated with this breast reduction and lift surgery. Patients should have a realistic understanding of what to expect before, during, and after the plastic surgery. The results of this breast reduction and lift plastic surgery mitigate the pain a patient previously suffered and yields life improving results.

Treatment of Yeast Infection

Treatment of Yeast Infection

Yeast occurs naturally in the human body. It is harmless until the system becomes unbalanced allowing it to grow too rapidly for the body to control.
Yeast can be found in the vagina, rectum, digestive system and mouth. Excessive amounts of yeast causes itching and a burning sensation. The most common and pesky yeast infection occurs in the vaginal tract. This is called Candidiasis and may be identified by a thick, white discharge. It looks like cottage cheese and smells like bread (which uses yeast to rise).
Vaginal yeast infection can be passed back and forth between sexual partners as it can reside under the foreskin of the male. It is for this reason both partners should be treated in order to stop the problem.
Most women have yeast infection one time or another. Many have it chronically. It usually starts in the teen years and stops by the mid thirties. Yeast is a single-celled fungus.
Nearly 75 percent of all women will have at least one such infection in their lifetime (is this an epidemic?). Many are plagued by recurring yeast infections, which are most frequent between the ages of 16 and 35. Yeast is a term for single-celled fungi. The technical name for the variety of fungus often present in the human body is candida, and the technical name for infections caused by these fungi is candidiasis. Such infections occur not only in the vagina, but also in other parts of the body in both sexes.
A woman who has had one vaginal yeast infection can usually recognize its symptoms if it recurs. And a woman who has had several infections has no doubt about what's wrong when the next yeast infection starts. Another symptom is a thick, mostly odorless discharge. But this can be misleading because discharge in and of itself is not diagnostic. If you have a white discharge with an intense irritating itch, you may have an infection. Unfortunately, many women will, in response to increased estrogen at mid-cycle and the increased production of cervical mucus, develop a white, curdy discharge. That is not a yeast infection.
While not all women experience the following symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection, it's possible to have vaginal soreness or irritation, a rash on the vulva around the vagina, pain or discomfort during intercourse, abdominal pain, soreness of the vulva or vagina, burning during urination, and even vaginal bleeding in some cases in addition to itching and discharge.

How to Treat a Yeast Infection

How to Treat a Yeast Infection

If you want to learn how to treat a yeast infection, you might as well learn how to get rid it for good, right? And it really isn't all that difficult. All you need to do is identify the underlying cause of your infections and get rid of it. That's it!
The trick is identifying which factors are triggering the infections for your specific situation. For many, it's just a matter of making the appropriate lifestyle changes that will prevent the onset of future of infections.
Once you learn how to identify and target your personal yeast infection causes, you have acquired the knowledge to get rid of the pain, annoyance, and embarrassment of all future outbreaks.
What is even more encouraging about this is that all the methods you need to learn to treat yeast infection and prevent all future episodes are 100% natural and can be implemented from the comfort and privacy of your home.
Now, if you are suffering particularly painful symptoms right now, you can try a doctor prescribed or over-the-counter medication to get some fast relief. Just understand that these medications should never be looked upon as a permanent solution. Medications are only designed to treat the symptoms, so they will never provide a permanent cure.
There are also always natural alternatives to the medications to treat any symptom you may have. Not only do these natural remedies work as well as medications, but they are also safer and much less expensive.
If you really want to learn how to get rid of your yeast infections for good, I'd advise getting to the root cause of your problem. There are a few resources online that will help you learn how to do to just that. Once you have targeted the cause, then you can learn how to permanently eliminate it. With the cause eliminated, you will never have to suffer another infection again!

Irregular Menstrual Cycles

Irregular Menstrual Cycles

A change in your menstrual pattern is usually the first sign of menopause. During the time referred to as perimenopause, which for some women can last as long as 5 or even 10 years, the menstrual cycle is likely to become less predictable. Some women notice changes as early as their late 30s.
Because the decline of ovarian function occurs gradually, only 10 to 15 percent of women experience an abrupt cessation of menstruation. During this time, women whose periods do stop abruptly are apt to get a pregnancy test. It's important to note that pregnancy can occur, even amidst irregular cycles, so to ensure greatest accuracy, a blood test is recommended over standard urine tests.
For most women the change is more gradual, with a steady decrease in both the amount and duration of menstrual flow, until it eventually ceases to occur. Typically, the transition takes about four years. During this time, it may become difficult to keep track of your menstrual cycles, with periods occurring late or early, cycles being skipped, and the flow becoming heavier or lighter than previously experienced. This unpredictability is usually the biggest inconvenience of irregular cycles.
Irregular and longer cycles occur as hormonal regulators become less reliable. As menopause nears, the periods become further apart and the flow becomes lighter. If menstruation doesn't occur for 6 months to a year, menopause probably has occurred. If you have vaginal bleeding after a prolonged lack of menses you should see your doctor; it could be a sign of disease.
More frequent or heavier bleeding may also be experienced during the menopausal years. This occurs when estrogen continues to stimulate the uterine lining, while production of the progesterone needed to counteract its growth declines. Thus, when the lining is shed, the flow is much heavier than usual. Cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake can make a woman more susceptible to heavy irregular bleeding.
Declining ovulation may also shorten the menstrual cycle, so that periods come so close together that you bleed throughout the month. A 7 to 10 day menstrual period is not uncommon and bleeding between periods may also occur. Any unusual menstrual patterns should be evaluated by your doctor, to make sure they are truly due to changing hormone levels, rather than such conditions as fibroid tumors, polyps, uterine cancer, or cervical cancer.
To Stay In Control
Once medical problems are ruled out, the challenge for a woman with unpredictable menstrual patterns is to find ways of decreasing the inconvenience.
One method is to keep track of your cycles with an ongoing written record. This allows you to notice overall patterns in a system that seems to have gone completely awry. It also provides you with a record to bring to your doctor for evaluation. Making quick notes on your calendar may make the process less tedious.
To keep a log, note the beginning and end of your cycle, the type of flow, and when any accompanying symptoms, such as cramps, sore breasts, or bloating, occur. Also note bleeding that occurs at any time other than the end of your monthly cycle.
Even women who keep a chart, however, may still be taken by surprise by unexpected menstruation. Many women in this predicament find it helpful to continue to keep some form of sanitary protection handy at home, and in their purse.
If heavy bleeding becomes an ongoing problem, discuss the condition with your doctor. Depending on your individual case and where you are in the menopausal process, possible medical remedies include low dose birth control pills to regularize the menstrual cycle and reduce bleeding; progesterone therapy to cause regular monthly shedding of the uterine lining; and hormone replacement therapy. If the bleeding is associated with uterine fibroids (benign tumors), your doctor may recommend surgical removal of either the fibroids or the entire uterus (hysterectomy).

Female Menopause

Female Menopause

Are you feeling hotter on occasions than you used to? Do you wake up sweating at night? Does your heart suddenly thump for no reason or feel as though it's missed a beat? If your periods are lighter, or more irregular, if you can't shed weight as you used to and you suffer from vaginal soreness, if you are over 40 you may be starting the change of hormonal status which leads to menopause.
It is common now to talk about the peri-menopause, which includes all the years in which you are still having periods, but experiencing the symptoms mentioned above which indicate changing hormone levels. Some women complain of mood changes such as irritability, emotional lability, and loss of libido (interest in sex), but these are not definitely linked to hormone change. Note that most of the symptoms mentioned so far can also be caused by stress and anxiety.
Most women find that periods have stopped altogether by the age of 55 and many women arrive at this point (true menopause) without any of the symptoms mentioned above.
We are now warned of the hidden body changes which happen at this time, such as reduction in bone density and rise in blood cholesterol levels. Most doctors suggest that all women take medical treatment, such as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), for these conditions.