Female Care

By Jane Dee

A urinary tract infection (UTI), and particularly one that recurs, can be the bane of a woman’s life. The symptoms are often acutely painful, and if your infection is one that recurs only a short while after you’ve managed to clear it up, it can also be frustratingly annoying! There are no home remedies that will effectively treat a UTI; only a course of antibiotics from your doctor will do that. However, there are a number of simple steps a woman can take to help prevent infection recurring.

Urinary tract infection usually occurs when bacteria enter the opening of the urethra and then multiply in the urinary tract. Women are more prone to UTI because we have shorter urethras and therefore it’s easier for bacteria to enter. Some symptoms of UTI are back pain, blood in the urine, pain on urination, and an inability to urinate despite a persistent urge.

In order to help prevent bacteria from entering the urethra, it’s important to keep scrupulously clean and to wipe from front to back. Emptying the bladder after sex will also help flush out any bacteria that might have managed to enter the urethra during intercourse. Studies have shown that women who use a diaphragm or whose partners use a condom with spermicidal lubricant are more at risk of developing a UTI than those women who use other forms of birth control.

Cranberry juice has taken on almost legendary status where the prevention of UTI is concerned, and not without good reason. Eighty-five percent of UTIs are caused as a result of E. coli bacteria. Cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine which acidifies the urine and inhibits the adherence of E. coli cells to the lining of the bladder, thereby reducing the risk of infection. Look for 100 percent cranberry juice which is usually sold in health shops; the regular cranberry juice sold in supermarkets isn’t concentrated enough and contains a lot of sugar. Cranberry juice won’t clear up a UTI but it’s a good preventative measure if you suffer from repeated attacks.

Drinking water will also help flush out any impurities in the bladder so keep up your water intake at all times—before, during, and after a UTI.

Women are notorious for looking after everyone except themselves. It is a dangerous habit to fall into, since many health problems are completely preventable or at least treatable when caught early enough. Since women often avoid the doctor and don’t seek medical help until their symptoms are a real problem, it is often too late for a good prognosis.

Going in for regular exams is vital to staying healthy, for women around the world. So is getting the recommended tests and exams such as a mammogram or Pap smear. These are valuable tools that can help save lives, yet too many women don’t have them done because they feel uncomfortable with the procedure. It might be a good idea to remember that a little discomfort is nothing compared to months of radiation or chemotherapy!

Finding the Right Doctor is Key

One of the most common issues with health problems for women is the old-fashioned approach of many doctors. It was taught, not so long ago, in medical schools, that the majority of women’s “health issues” were really all in the head. Many doctors still feel this way and are more likely to dismiss potentially risky symptoms in women than they would in men.

To avoid being short-changed in the health department, look for a doctor that will listen to you and take you seriously. If you aren’t comfortable talking with your general practitioner or gynecologist, find a new one. When you are comfortable with your doctor, you are more likely to see her for any concerns, instead of waiting until the problem gets worse.

A good doctor will listen to you without jumping to conclusions or rushing you. If you feel that your gynecologist is only interested in getting you out the door so her next patient can come in and she can earn a bit more, start looking for a new doctor. Talk to friends about doctors they trust and don’t feel bad about going in for a checkup, just to meet the doctor and see if you like him.

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Alternative Names: Cold sore; Fever blister; Herpes simplex – oral; Oral herpes simplex

Definition of Herpes labialis

Herpes labialis is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. It leads to the development of  small and usually painful blisters on the skin of the lips, mouth, gums, or lip area. These blisters  are commonly called cold sores or fever blisters.

Symptoms

Warning symptoms of itching, burning, increased sensitivity, or tingling sensation may occur about 2 days before lesions appear.

* Skin lesions or rash around the lips, mouth, and gums
* Small blisters (vesicles) filled with clear yellowish fluid
-Blisters on a raised, red, painful skin area
- Blisters that form, break, and ooze
- Yellow crusts that slough to reveal pink, healing skin
- Several smaller blisters that merge to form a larger blister
* Mild fever (may occur)

Treatment

Untreated, the symptoms will generally go away in 1 to 2 weeks. Antiviral medications taken by mouth may shorten the course of the symptoms and decrease pain.

Herpes sores often come back again and again. The antiviral medicines work best if you take them when the virus is just starting to come back – before you see any sores. If the virus returns frequently, your doctor may recommend that you take the medicines all the time.

Wash blisters gently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus to other areas of skin. An antiseptic soap may be recommended. Applying ice or warmth to the area may reduce pain.

Also, your provider may recommend a drying agent to help oozing sore, or antiviral cream. If your recurrences are frequent and severe, your provider may prescribe oral antiviral medication, e.g. acyclovir, which has been shown to decrease the size and severity of herpes outbreaks. These medications have no effect on host cells. Other medication: Zovirax, Valtrex, Famvir, Bactroban, Neurontin

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You’ve just finished making love, and you’re in that pleasant dream-like state when you go to the bathroom and discover that you are bleeding. Nothing can bring you back to reality faster than vaginal bleeding after sex. Post-coital bleeding can occur for a number of reasons, and is nothing to take lightly. Here’s a look at the top 10 causes of vaginal bleeding after sex:

1. Cervical dysplasia: Cervical dysplasia is precancerous changes of the epithelial cells that line the cervix. Risk increases with multiple sexual partners, sex before age 18, childbirth before age 16, or a past history of STDs. Treatment is usually cryosurgery or conisation.

2. Chlamydia: A bacterial infection that is usually transmitted through sexual activity or contact with semen, vaginal fluid, or blood.

3. Gonorrhea: A usually sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria. Several pharmaceutical treatments are available.

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Genital herpes is a common sexual transmitted disease.

Genital Herpes is an infection of the genitals caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).

Actually, HSV-1 And HSV-2 are two types of the herpes simplex virus that affects the genitals.

Mostly, HSV-1 cause herpes on the face and HSV-2 causes genital herpes. This virus, usually, enters your body via small breaks in your skin or mucous membranes.

Most of you, usually, when infected with genital herpes will unaware of the virus presence in the body, because you often experience no genital herpes symptoms or mild symptoms that too unnoticeable.

No matter whether you exhibit mild genital herpes symptoms or no symptoms, you are likely to pass the virus to your sexual partner.

In general, the herpes symptoms are known as outbreaks. If genital herpes symptoms develop then they differ greatly from person to person. Normally, the genital herpes symptoms will develop between 2-7 days after exposure to the virus.

Some times, you cannot experience the genital herpes symptoms until months or years after being infected to the simplex virus.
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Genital herpes, also called herpes, is a viral infection caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV).

Two types of viruses are associated with genital herpes: HSV-1 and HSV-2.

It is found that one out of every five in the United States is infected with genital herpes.

More than 45 million Americans are affected with genital herpes.

Currently, you have no genital herpes treatment available to cure the disease.

However, home remedies can heal the herpes symptoms and improves your immune system to prevent the re-emergence of the disease.

On the other hand, there are antiviral medications to treat the disease. Zovirax (acyclovir), Famvir (famciclovir) and Valtrex (valacyclovir).

Therefore, the aim of genital herpes treatment is to reduce the symptoms. Moreover, it has no side effects.

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexual transmitted diseases (STD) that can spread from person-to-person through direct contact in the infected region, including unprotected sexual activity, kissing or skin-to-skin contact.

The other sexual transmitted diseases are gonorrhea [Gonorrhea Symptoms], chlamydia [Chlamydia Symptoms], HIV/AIDS, pelvic inflammatory disease and many more.
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