Cervical Cancer is most treatable when it is diagnosed and treated early. Problems found can usually be treated, depending on their severity and on the woman's age, past medical history, and other test results. Most women who get routine cervical cancer screening and follow up as told by their provider can find problems before cancer even develops. Prevention is always better than treatment.
Other HPV cancers are also more treatable when diagnosed and treated early. Although there is no routine screening test for these cancers, you should visit your doctor regularly for checkups.
Your doctor might recommend the HPV test if:
Your Pap test was abnormal, showing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS)
You're age 30 or older
The HPV test is available only for women; no HPV test yet exists to detect the virus in men. However, men can be infected with HPV and pass the virus along to their sex partners.
What is a HPV Test?
The HPV test is a screening test for cervical cancer, but the test doesn't tell you whether you have cancer. Instead, the test detects the presence of HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, in your system. Certain types of HPV - including types 16 and 18 - increase your cervical cancer risk.
Knowing whether you have a type of HPV that puts you at high risk of cervical cancer means that you and your doctor can better decide on the next steps in your health care. Those steps might include follow-up monitoring, further testing, or treatment of abnormal or precancerous cells.
Pap- HPV Test:
HPV spreads through sexual contact and is very common in young women, so, frequently, the test results will be positive. However, HPV infections often clear on their own within a year or two. Cervical changes that lead to cancer take several years - often 10 years or more - to develop. For these reasons, you might follow a course of watchful waiting instead of undergoing treatment for cervical changes resulting from an HPV infection.
A combination Pap-HPV test is performed in your doctor's office and takes only a few minutes. You'll lie on your back on an exam table with your knees bent, your doctor will gently insert an instrument called a speculum into your vagina. The speculum holds the walls of the vagina apart and a flat scraping device called a spatula or a soft brush is used to take samples of your cervical cells. This doesn't hurt, and you may not even feel the sample being taken.
Results of your HPV test are given as positive or negative 
Positive HPV test:A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that's linked to cervical cancer. It doesn't mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it's a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future. Your doctor will probably recommend a follow-up test in a year to see if the infection has cleared or to check for signs of cervical cancer.
Negative HPV test: A negative test result means that you don't have any of the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
Depending on your test results, your doctor may recommend one of the following as a next step:
Normal monitoring:If you're over age 30, your HPV test is negative and your Pap test normal, you'll follow the generally recommended schedule for repeating both tests in five years.
Colposcopy: In this follow-up procedure, your doctor uses a special magnifying lens (colposcope) to more closely examine your cervix.
Biopsy:In this procedure, sometimes done in conjunction with colposcopy, your doctor takes a sample of cervical cells (biopsy) to be examined more closely under a microscope.
Removal of abnormal cervical cells:To prevent abnormal cells from developing into cancerous cells, your doctor may suggest a procedure to remove the areas of tissue that contain the abnormal cells.
Seeing a specialist: If your Pap test or HPV test results are abnormal, your healthcare provider will probably refer you to a gynecologist for a colposcopic exam. If test results show that you might have cancer, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in treating cancers of the female genital tract (gynecologic oncologist) for treatment.

Cervical Treatment Diagnosis, Tests and Treatment

Hypertension or high blood pressure is common in pregnant women, even in those who have no previous history of high blood pressure. This leads to complications in about 6 to 10% of all pregnancies around the world. High blood pressure may develop before or after conception and as such needs special medical attention.

Hypertension prevents sufficient flow of blood to the placenta and this inhibits the normal growth of the fetus. This could result in low birth weight of the child. However, if diagnosed in time and treated properly, hypertension does not affect the child's health too much. There are various types of hypertension during pregnancies, such as:

Gestational hypertension: This type of hypertension is developed about 20 weeks after conception. There is no abnormality in urine or any signs of other organ damage (as is common with hypertension during pregnancy) but the condition can worsen and complicate very quickly. Pregnant women below the age of 20 and above the age of 40 are often diagnosed with high levels of blood pressure. Women who have heart or kidney conditions before pregnancy and women carrying more than one child are also likely to develop gestational hypertension.
Chronic hypertension: Chronic hypertension is high blood pressure which develops around 20 weeks before conception and does not normalize within 12 weeks after childbirth. The patient may also have been suffering from high blood pressure for a long time but the complications appear only during pregnancy because high blood pressure rarely exhibits symptoms without an associated condition.
Chronic hypertension superimposed with Preeclampsia: Women who have hypertension before pregnancy may develop even higher blood pressure levels during pregnancy. This leads to several health disorders like frequent headaches, fatigue and depression.
Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is often a serious complication of gestational pregnancy and affects about 5% to 7% of all pregnancies globally. Gestational pregnancy does not always develop into preeclampsia but it needs to be diagnosed and treated in time to avoid the complication. Women who have conceived for the first time or have a history of hypertension in the family are at a greater risk of preeclampsia. The symptoms of the condition are throbbing headaches, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, pain in the upper abdominal region and shortness of breath.

Types Of Hypertensions Experienced During Pregnancy

Reasons for spotting during pregnancy and what you can do about it

Seeing spots of blood during pregnancy is usually a cause for concern. However, it is not uncommon. The light bleeding, which is known as spotting may occur for a number of reasons.

Bleeding during the first trimester

Spotting is most likely to happen during early pregnancy and the reasons could be many, such as:

- implantation bleeding occurs during the first month of pregnancy when the fertilised egg gets attached to the wall of the uterus.

- cervical polyps ( a tumour that form on the surface of the cervix) or yeast infection may also cause episodes of spotting.

- miscarriage may be another possible reason for spotting

- ectopic pregnancy is another cause. It is the condition in which the embryo plants itself in either of the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.

- molar pregnancy is a rare condition associated with spotting during pregnancy. When this is the case, instead of your baby, an abnormal tissue grows inside the uterus. Sometimes it can be cancerous too.

Bleeding during the second or third trimesters

Spotting may also occur during late pregnancy and the possible reasons are listed below.

- problems related to placenta like placenta previa placental abruption can also result in spotting. These are serious conditions when the placenta either covers the cervix or it gets detached from the uterine wall respectively.

- uterine rupture is the rare and unfortunate event when a scar from a previous surgery (like the removal of fibroid or previous caesarean scar bursts open and the baby slips into the pregnant woman's abdomen.

- premature labour occurs when your body is too eager to deliver the baby, usually one month before the due date of delivery.

- vasa Previa is another rare condition when a baby who is still developing has his blood vessels entangled in the umbilical cord or placenta-crossing the cervix. It is extremely dangerous because the blood vessels may burst open thus causing the baby to bleed and lose oxygen.

Here's what you can do about spotting

It is strongly recommended that you should immediately see your doctor as soon as you detect any spotting during your pregnancy. Only a well-qualified medical expert can suggest the appropriate steps to be taken, depending on your individual reasons and symptoms related to spotting.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 6 Changes You Can Expect During the 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy

Reasons for Spotting During Pregnancy

What You Must Know About ZIKA VIRUS

Introduction to the ZIKA VIRUS:

After the deadly Yellow Fever and Ebola pandemics, Zika Virus is yet another disease borne out of the African soil and spreading across the world right now. Named after the Zika forest in Uganda, where it originated, this virus spreads through a mosquito bite - that of ‘aedes aegypti’ mosquito. It can also be passed on from mother to child, blood transfusion and sex. 

What’s so deadly about ‘Aedes Aegypti’ Mosquito?

Zika Virus spreads via ‘aedes aegypti’ mosquito, same mosquito that also spreads Dengue and Chikungunya.These mosquitoes typically lay eggs in and near still water found in buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots and vases.  They are aggressive daytime biters, prefer to bite people, and live indoors and outdoors near people.
These mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

Symptoms of Zika Virus Attack
A person bit by an infected mosquito takes about 2-7 days to show symptoms like:
- Mild fever 
- Skin Rash
- Conjunctivitis
- Muscle and joint pain 
- Weakness and Fatigue

However, it lasts no more than a week and is usually milder than its cousins Dengue or Chikungunya. Although it is not a fatal disease, the real reason behind the panic is for the women who are pregnant. Zika is found to be a major cause of microcephaly – a birth defect due to which children are born with visibly smaller heads, severely limiting their mental and physical abilities. 

Should India Worry?

While it originated in the African continent, Zika has already taken South American countries like Brazil, and most others. Although the virus hasn’t reached Indian shores yet, we are very prone to mosquito borne diseases. The Dengue menace since last few years says it all. Since it is from the same family, we need to be all the more cautious. 

Preventions and Precautions:

Since no vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus attack, it’s best to act with caution to prevent the spread.

1. Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime. Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
2. Use Mosquito Repellents during the day when exposed to areas prone to mosquitoes and cover yourself very well.
3. Never allow water to stagnate in or around your habitation. Avoid letting the water stand for long eg: puddles, or water in buckets or potted plants, sewage etc.



What is ZIKA VIRUS? Is it Deadlier than Dengue? Is India Ready To Face the ZIKA 

For an expecting mother, nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of her unborn child. With due care, a mom-to-be can prevent complications that may arise in pregnancy by avoiding certain potential risks. Read on to find out the 5 things pregnant women must avoid at all costs in order to have a safe pregnancy.

1. Abdominal x-rays: abdominal x-rays during pregnancy are a big no. This kind of x-ray exposes the abdomen of the mother, and the baby as a consequence, to high levels of radiation, which can cause changes in the baby's rapidly growing cells. As a result, the baby's chances of suffering from birth defects or certain cancers, such as leukaemia later on in life, increase rapidly. It is best to avoid x-rays until absolutely necessary. X-rays of area other than abdomen if considered essential by your doctor can be performed after wearing an abdominal lead shield.

2. Alcohol: all types of alcohol must be avoided during pregnancy. Consumption of alcohol during these 9 months has been associated with several birth defects such as poor growth, learning disabilities and mental retardation. In worst case scenarios, excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to what is known as foetal alcohol syndrome or fas, which severely affects the mental development and physical growth of the unborn child, particularly of the face and skull. Also, you must quit smoking.

3. Illicit or recreational drugs: drugs like marijuana, cocaine and other recreational drugs are again absolutely forbidden in pregnancy. These result in birth defects in the unborn child, poor growth and even withdrawal symptoms in the newborn after birth.

4. Medicines: as the metabolism of a growing baby is very different from that of an adult, it is very important to be sure of the medicines that you take while pregnant. This is especially true in the first trimester or the first 3 months of pregnancy when the foetus is most vulnerable. Certain medicines are deemed safe for the baby, while some are potentially harmful. Hence one must make sure to consult your doctor before taking any medicine when pregnant.

5. Stress: stress can trigger various health problems, which can be bad for both the baby and the mother. Studies have revealed the emotional environment of the mother is experienced by the baby as well. In fact, a particular study has shown that any kind of stress, whether it be work related or stress caused by strain in relationships, can affect the mental development of the child. This as result can lead to the child developing certain behavioural disorders such as fears and phobias, which remain way into his adulthood.

5 Dangerous Things to Avoid When You're Pregnant

Pregnancy brings with it a new set of additional responsibilities. The mother has to be extra vigilant about monitoring and caring for her health. This ensures that sufficient nutrition is being provided to the growing infant, at the same time, ensuring no harm comes to you. Listed below are some simple ways to do the same.

1. Prenatal care: As soon as you realize you are pregnant, it is advisable to talk to a doctor or a midwife about proper prenatal care. This could include anything and everything from prenatal vitamins to food habits to exercise to sleeping habits to periodic scanning and a number of other things that your doctor will prescribe.

2. Diet: You need to ensure two things that is you are eating enough for two people and everything is healthy and not harmful for the little one that gets all its nutrition through you. The diet should be healthy, nutritious, wholesome and of course free of junk. Some pointers to a healthy diet include:

a. Include a good amount of fruits and vegetables every day; break it into five small portions.
b. Sufficient amount of carbohydrates should be the basis of each meal.
c. Whole grains are preferred to white grains, which also give good amount of fiber.
d. A good amount of proteins including fish, eggs, meat, nuts, pulses, milk, and other dairy products.
e. Ensure adequate amount of iron, calcium, and other minerals are included in the diet.
f. Avoid eating unpasteurized dairy products, uncooked or undercooked food and smoked seafood.
g. While most vitamin requirements should be met through the diet, in some people, prenatal vitamins which provide the increased demands for folic acid.

3. Weight gain: If your weight was normal for your age and height before pregnancy, expect to add about 12 to 15 kg during your pregnancy. Consult with your doctor on weight changes and nutritional aspects to monitor weight throughout pregnancy. This could change based on if it is twins, your weight before pregnancy, and body type.

4. Exercise: Exercising during pregnancy is being increasingly encouraged for the following reasons:

a. Improved energy levels
b. Controls back pain
c. Improved sleep pattern
d. Improves constipation
e. Improves muscles strength and endurance
There are specific exercises designed to benefit the pregnant women. Whether it is walking or swimming aimed at improving overall health or Kegel exercises aimed at improving vaginal and perineal muscles, your doctor should be able to draw up a routine.

5. Lifestyle changes: With pregnancy setting in, it is time to bid goodbye to smoking and drinking alcohol. Continued smoking after onset of pregnancy has many serious complications, including growth retardation, low birth weight. Alcohol can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and premature delivery.

These are simple ways to monitor and care for your and of course, the baby's health throughout pregnancy.

5 Ways to Monitor and Care for Your Health During Pregnancy

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