On each side of the uterus, two ovaries are present. It is the size of an almond and produces ova or eggs in simple terms, along with the release of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. When a cancerous growth or a tumour grows in the outer lining (epithelium) of the ovary, it is known as ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer occurs in women who are aged above 65 years.

There are three types of tumour
Ovaries are made up of three kinds of cells and each kind is capable of developing different types of tumour.

Epithelial tumour- It develops from the cells that cover the ovary s outer surface.
Germ cell tumour- It develops from the cells that produce ova.
Stromal tumour- It develops from the tissue cell which is the structure holding the ovary together and produces oestrogen and progesterone.
Some tumours are non-cancerous and never spread beyond the ovary. Cancerous or ovarian tumours that are less malignant can metastasize to other body parts. The signs initially would be mistaken with premenstrual syndrome or poor bowel movement or a bladder problem, but if the problems are persistent then one must get an expert opinion. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected till it spreads within the abdomen or the pelvis. 

Causes of ovarian cancer
Cancer develops when the cells of the body divide and multiplies in an unregulated manner. Mutations that are genetic like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can be the cause often or if an individual is diagnosed with any other type of cancer before like breast, colon or uterine. There is a higher risk of being affected by this type of cancer if the person had undergone fertility treatment or is suffering from infertility. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is another cause of this type of cancer. Experts say that longer the HRT, higher the risk. Women who are obese or are overweight has more chances of being affected. Endometriosis or the disorder in which the growth of the tissue occurs outside the uterus, in such a case the risk is 30% higher.

The signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer differ from one woman to another. Some of the symptoms given below might as well be non-cancerous because since the ovaries are situated near the intestines and bladder, it might be often mistaken to be symptoms of gastrointestinal issues. It is advisable to consult a doctor if the symptoms are persistent.

Symptoms that occur at an early stage
Pelvic pain, Abdomen pain, Indigestion issues, Loss of appetite, Painful sexual intercourse, and Changed bowel movement are a few of the symptoms that occur during the early stages of the development of an Ovarian cancer.

Signs at a progressive stage
Loss of weight, Fatigue, Short of breath, and Nausea are the predominant symptoms when the Ovarian cancer has progressed more. Early diagnosis may lead to complete cure

Symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to that of ovarian cysts. These ovarian cysts are often non-malignant but women with such cysts have a higher risk of being affected by cancer. Ovarian cancer can begin silently and are often detected at a later stage. Thus any individual undergoing these symptoms can avail medical assistance for further diagnosis.

Ovarian Cancer - Things You Need To Know!

6 ways to minimize visible pores on your skin

Pores are openings in the skin through which your body's natural oil, called sebum, is released. They appear larger when they are clogged with dirt or oil, and are home to hair follicles. Dead skin cells and sebum which, put together, form a pimple can stretch out pores. Aging and exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun also contribute to the appearance of pores on your skin. Pores can be controlled with the right skin care. 

Here's how:
1. Choose your skin care products wisely 
Zinc and magnesium help to maintain your skin's oil balance and clear pores. Products with softening ingredients like rosemary and lavender may soothe your skin and prevent pores from stretching out. You should use products with salicylic acid as an ingredient since it unclogs pores, exfoliating your skin. 

2. Maintain cleanliness
Washing your face temporarily stops your pores from holding extra oil or dirt. Exfoliating two to three times a week can also control the cropping up of pores on your skin. However, these are temporary methods because you will have large pores naturally if your skin is oily.

3. Applying sunscreen
Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun for too long can make your pores look bigger. Applying sunscreen on the face and on exposed areas of your skin with SPF 30 can minimize your pores. Also, wear a broad-brimmed hat and withdraw stepping out in the sun between 10 A. M. To 4 P. M.

4. Treating the spot
Oily skin tends to have larger and more noticeable pores. Some areas of your face may be oilier making the pores visible. A clay mask can be used for spot treating if the pores on your nose, cheeks or forehead are large. Apply a thin layer of the mask on your skin and rinse it off with water after a few minutes. The clay extracts the extra oil out of your clogged pores so that the skin looks sleek. Using blotting paper on your oily areas can also be effective. 

5. Maintain a proper diet
Avoid food that is oily and high in fat because unhealthy oil can agitate the skin leading to clogged pores. You should eat low-fat foods like fruits and vegetables instead of munching on chips, cookies and candies. 

6. Remove makeup before going to bed
One of the biggest blunders that you can do is to leave your makeup on and go to bed. Leaving makeup on clogs your pores, stretching them out over time. Even if you forget to wash off your makeup at the sink due to some reasons, make sure that you at least remove it with face wipes. 





6 Ways to Minimize Visible Pores on Your Skin

GERD is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux is the backward flow of acids from the stomach into the esophagus. Doctors believe that some people usually suffer due to a condition called hiatal hernia. Pregnant women usually suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion caused by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

The primary goals in the treatment of this disease are relief from symptoms, healing of erosive esophagitis and prevention of complications of esophagitis. The symptoms include heartburn and regurgitation. The setting includes a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Patients suspected due to GERD with non-cardiac chest pain are recommended to have diagnostic evaluation before institution of therapy. For diagnosing GERD, barium radiographs should not be used.

The other points that must be remembered to diagnose GERD are
1. Endoscopy is recommended only in case of alarming symptoms. Even in typical symptoms, the upper endoscopy is not recommended.
2. For preoperative evaluation, esophageal manometry is recommended, but it has no role in diagnosing GERD.
3. Ambulatory reflux monitoring is a test that can assess association of reflux symptoms.

Management:
The suggested lifestyle modifications for the patients with GERD are

    Weight loss is recommended for patients who are overweight. So, avoid large meals and decrease dietary fat intake.
    Avoid alcohol, chocolate, onions, garlic, acidic foods and peppermint.
    Do not lie down within 3 to 4 hours after meal (recommended for nocturnal GERD patients).
    For symptom relief and to heal erosive esophagitis, a 8-week course of PPIs is the therapy of choice.
    Medications that help in potentiating GERD symptoms, including alpha-adrenergic agonists, nitrates, calcium channel blockers and theophylline should be avoided.
    For patients without diagnostic evaluation, therapy for GERD other than acid suppression, including prokinetic therapy should not be used.
    For patients with partial response to PPI therapy, additional symptom relief can be achieved by increasing the dose twice daily or switching to a different PPI.
    It is recommended to elevate the head of the bed 10 to 20 cm.
    Avoid wearing clothes which are tight around the waist.
    If patients experience heartburn relief, Histamine-receptor antagonists (H2RA) therapy can be used as a maintenance option in patients without erosive disease.

Some surgical options
1. For long-term therapy for patients suffering with GERD, surgical therapy is the best treatment option.
2. In patients who have no evidence of erosive esophagitis, preoperative ambulatory pH monitoring in mandatory.
3. Gastric bypass is the preferred operation for patients who are suffering with obesity and are contemplating surgical therapy for GERD.

Apart from these, there are potential risks that are associated with PPIs such as switching them can be considered in setting of side effects and the therapy can be a risk factor for Clostridium difficile infection.

Management of Gastroesphageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Breast examination is a way of detecting early changes that help in detecting lumps or other growth in the breast. This is a manual form of examination that may be carried out by the doctor or even by the patient. This kind of examination helps in detecting the onset of breast cancer and helps in successful treatment of the same. It is an essential screening strategy that all women must go through. Let us cast a glance on the various details regarding this examination, and also how frequently it must be conducted.

Age: Women who have reached the age of 18 are said to have matured physically and sexually. They should perform this examination once they have reached the said age in order to detect any anomalies in the way the physical changes occur in the breast tissue.
Procedure: One should begin by looking at one's reflection in the mirror to find any rashes or dimpling in the breasts. The shape, size and colour of the breasts and nipples must also be studied so as to check for any anomalies. Inverted nipples, redness and soreness must also be reported to the doctor. Once you are done checking the visuals, you can raise your arms and look for any changes. Then, you will need to lie down and feel your breasts by using a circular motion. The finger pads must be used in order to check for any lumps. One must start from the centre and move the breasts sideways. Any wet and slippery feeling must be reported to the doctor immediately.
Pressure: During the breast examination, you must use light pressure for the skin and tissue that lie beneath the breasts, while medium to moderate pressure should be used for the middle portion of the breasts. One must use a firm hand to check the tissue that lies at the back of the breasts, near the rib cage.
Frequency: One must get into the habit of conducting a breast examination at least once a fortnight or once a month, without fail. You can also go to the gynaecologist for an examination in case you are not confident of conducting it on your own with proper movements and accuracy. You may also journalise your breast examination findings.
Menstrual Cycles: When you are going through your menstrual cycle or period, it is important to remember that your breasts can become tender just before or after the start of the cycle. So, do not panic if you think you have found a lump or any other growth at this time. It is best to check again after a week and then visit the doctor about checking the same.

How Frequently Should a Breast Examination Be Done?

Vaginal cysts are closed packets of fluid, air or pus which develop along the vaginal lining. Vaginal cysts are of many types, and they are usually caused by accumulation of fluids, childbirth-related injuries or non-malignant tumors in the vagina. Usually these cysts do not yield many symptoms, but may cause a little discomfort.

Treatment might not be needed in case of cysts which are tiny. However, larger cysts would definitely warrant medical attention.

Types of Cysts-

The commonly occurring cysts are:

Gartner s Duct Cysts: This duct forms around a woman s reproductive canal during pregnancy and it disappears post childbirth. If the duct remains even after the delivery, it may lead to fluid accumulation, thus resulting in a cyst.

Vaginal Inclusion Cysts: Any injury to the vaginal walls, especially during childbirth or surgery, can lead to vaginal inclusion cysts.

Bartholin s Cyst: Bartholin s gland is situated near the vaginal opening. A flap of skin covering this gland may lead to accumulation of fluid. This fluid accumulation usually leads to a cyst which is called a Bartholin s cyst.

Treatment-

Usually, cysts in the vagina do not require any treatment. Most of the cysts do not grow in size and thus do not cause major problems. A biopsy of the cyst may require in order to rule out chances of cancer. A common treatment for vaginal cysts would be to sit inside a bathtub filled with warm water so that the cyst is allowed to soak in the water. If there are symptoms of infection in the vagina, then antibiotics are required.

If the size of the cyst is large and filled with fluids, then a catheter needs to be inserted into it to drain out the cyst. Usually, the catheter is kept in place for a few weeks before it is removed. A surgical procedure called marsupialization is used in some cases, wherein an incision is made around the affected area and into the cyst in order to drain out its contents.

Surgery to remove the entire cyst may also be recommended to prevent its recurrence.

Vaginal Cysts - Types and Treatment

Ovarian Cancer, as the name suggests, is a cancer that affects the ovaries. It leads to the abnormal growth of cells, which eventually spreads over to other parts of a woman s body, such as the stomach, uterus and vagina. The risk of ovarian cancer is greater in women who have experienced the process of ovulation many times in their lifetime. It also includes those women who attain menopause at a much later stage in their lives or those who start ovulation at an early age. The different types of tumors, which develop in ovarian cells are more often than not, benign or non-cancerous and do not spread beyond the ovaries. 

Therefore, they can be easily treated by either removing a part or the whole of the ovary. But malign tumors have the ability to spread to other parts of the body and can prove to be fatal.

What are the causes of ovarian cancer

1. Family History: If someone in your close relation like mother, sister or daughter has developed ovarian cancer, then the risk of becoming susceptible to the disease also increases. If any of your close relatives have developed the disease earlier at a young age, then it s quite likely that it was due to some inherited faulty gene. BCRA1 and BCRA2 are known to be the faulty genes that are connected to ovarian cancer.

2. Age: You become more susceptible to developing ovarian cancer at a postmenopausal stage.

3. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Women who go for hormone replacement therapy put themselves at a greater risk of developing the disease. Nevertheless, if you stop undergoing the sessions of HRT, your risk of suffering from this fatal condition eventually decreases.

4. Obesity/overweight: This is also one of the important factors behind the increased risks of developing ovarian cancer. So, the more obese you are, greater is the risk involved.

What are the symptoms associated with ovarian cancer?

1. Symptoms at an initial stage include pelvic or abdominal pain, postmenopausal vaginal bleeding or irregular menstruation.

2. Loss of appetite or feeling full quickly

3. Other typical symptoms are diarrhea, constipation, nausea or changes in bowel movements.

4. Feeling of mass pressure at your lower back or pelvis

Treatment available for it

Treatment for ovarian cancer generally consists of a combination of surgery and chemotherapy:

1. Surgery: Treatment usually entails removal of the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes, including the surrounding lymph nodes as well as the fatty abdominal tissue, which often gets affected with ovarian cancer. This surgery may help you to retain the ability to conceive.

2. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a procedure that follows a surgery and is performed to destroy the remaining cancer cells, if any. Chemotherapy drugs are either inserted into your vein or directly into the abdominal cavity and if need be, into both.

Ovarian Cancer - Are you at a risk?

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