Pelvic Inflammatory disease (PID) is a bacterial infection that affects a woman s reproductive organs. This disease is not contagious though men can host and transmit the bacteria that triggered the disease through intercourse. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the two most common causes of this disease. Apart from being transmitted sexually, this disease can also develop through the insertion of an unsterilized contraception device into the vagina or during a gynecological procedure such as an abortion. In rare cases, normal bacteria from the vagina can also spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes triggering this disease.
PID can be fatal and should not be ignored. Lower abdominal pain is the primary symptom of this disease. This pain can vary from being mild to be seriously debilitating. Other symptoms of this condition are:
Abnormal or foul vaginal discharge.
Painful intercourse that may be accompanied by bleeding.
Irregular periods.
Spotting between periods.
Severe menstrual cramps.
Burning sensation while urinating.
Urge to frequently urinate and an inability to empty the bladder.
Swollen abdomen.
High fever alternating with chills.
Swollen lymph nodes.
Diminished appetite with nausea.
Weakness and depression.
Lowered libido.
PID can often produce a pus-like fluid that scars the reproductive organs. This can result in infertility. This risk is influenced by the duration and severity of the infection along with the number of times it recurs. Women suffering from pelvic inflammatory disease are also at a higher risk of having a tubal pregnancy. This type of pregnancy is fatal for the baby and also threatens the life of the mother.
In cases where the disease is triggered by an STD like gonorrhea or Chlamydia, it can also spread to the liver tissues. This is a complication known as the Fitz Hugh Curtis syndrome and causes a collection of pus in the form of an abscess in the fallopian tubes or ovaries. If this abscess ruptures, the pus would spread into the pelvic cavity causing severe pain, nausea and a fall in blood pressure. If it spreads further into the blood stream, it can be fatal.
Diagnosis of this disease is difficult as its symptoms are usually mild and common to a number of other conditions. However, once diagnosed, it can be easily treated through antibiotic medication. Surgery is required only in cases where there is no response to antibiotics or if an abscess bursts or is at a stage where it may.  


Can Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Prove to be Fatal?

Certain diseases are a major cause of concern as often these diseases can cause severe health complications. Various campaigns and awareness have been spread both by the government and NGOs for practicing safe sex to fight against these sexually transmitted diseases. Here are a few tips on how to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

1. Selective Abstinence: Selective abstinence is when people indulge in certain sexual activities, but limit in what they do to avoid the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. People who do practice selective abstinence run a lower risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, which is also dependent on the type of sexual activity they indulge in as certain sexual acts have a higher chance of spreading STDs than others.

2. Using condoms: Using latex condoms decreases the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. If you use lubricants, make sure that they are water based. Condoms are however not 100% effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases, but reduce the chance of infection to a great extent. It is highly advised to learn how to properly use condoms.

3. Mutual monogamy: Another way to avoid getting infected by STDs is to practice mutual monogamy. If you and your partner do not have sex with anyone else, then it greatly reduces the chances of getting infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

4. Getting tested: Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases as well as asking your partner to do so decreases the chances of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases. Refrain from having sex if either of you test positive.

5. Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs: Avoiding the usage of recreational drugs and alcohol reduces the chances of contracting STDs. Indulging in sexual activities while being highly intoxicated can both cause you to forget practicing safe sex.

6. Practicing healthy habits: Practicing certain healthy habits also reduces the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. These include avoiding sharing towels and undergarments, washing before and after sexual intercourse and getting a vaccination for hepatitis B.

7. Low risk and high risk activities: Certain sexual activities such as open mouth kissing and hand to genital contact have a lower risk of infection. Other activities such as oral sex, vaginal intercourse, and genital to genital contact have a higher chance of infection. Understanding the risks better would allow you to avoid contacting diseases easily.

7 Tips to Avoid Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Vaginismus is a condition where vaginal contractions and squeezes may be caused due to pain during intercourse or due to the insertion of objects like tampons. This mildly uncomfortable condition is also characterised by spams and other symptoms like the feeling of coming up against a thick wall which can cause pain. This may be due to a variety of reasons starting from infections to anxiety. To a large extent, the treatment of this condition depends on the cause. Following are the various ways in which this condition can be treated.

    Sex Therapy: A sexologist or an expert who specialises in psychosexual medicine can help in treating this condition by conducting a series of counselling sessions where psychoanalysis will help in understanding and unravelling the cause of the condition. This may be followed by CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy. This kind of therapy usually helps in reprogramming the brain after the root cause for the condition is known. 
    Exercises: During sex therapy, the doctor may also teach you various kinds of exercises and vaginal trainers that can help you in strengthening the pelvic floor and relaxing the muscles as well. These vaginal trainers are especially helpful in equipping you suitably so that you can relax your vagina and let the insertion happen. Vaginal trainers consist of four smooth balls of plastic which can be inserted with the help of lubricants to help in stretching the vagina. 
    Relaxation: Getting yourself to relax is also a matter of exploration and touching, which can help you understand the kind of touch and the exact areas that make you tense. During sex therapy, you may be taught a technique known as progressive relaxation. This mode includes tensing and relaxing your muscles as you explore by inserting a finger. 
    Sensate Focus: This is a part of sex therapy and involves your partner. In this method, you will be asked to abstain from sex and touch each other without going to the genitals and other private parts. This will help in better arousal and sexual stimulation.
    Surgery: The last option for treating a very severe form of this condition is to put the patient through surgery which will seek to remove endometriosis, as these growths in the womb's lining can cause a lot of pain during intercourse. Also, vaginal enlargement surgery can be carried out with the help of episiotomy. 

This kind of procedure usually helps in fixing the scar tissue that may have been left from a previous procedure, which can restrict or block the vaginal path. Getting help at the right time for this condition is of great importance so as to have a normal sex life.

How to Treat Vaginismus

Mommy Makeover

Pregnancy can take a toll on your body. If you had a nice figure, you might find yourself having a flabby tummy after your child is born. Even if you lose the pregnancy weight, certain areas of your body may still have excess fat.

Mommy makeover is a process that rids you of those worries. The process is aimed at reshaping the body and reducing the excess fat that has accumulated post-pregnancy. This process has gained popularity among women in recent years.

However, the traditional methods of a mommy makeover are time-consuming and include many processes like liposuction, tummy tucking, breast augmentation, and labiaplasty. That is why moms today are opting for nonsurgical mommy makeover methods.

Nonsurgical mommy makeover

A nonsurgical makeover is vastly different from the traditional methods as there are no surgeries. The treatments involved in the process may vary from one woman to another. The common makeover treatments include the following  

  Cool sculpting   This process aims to remove the excess fat from the body, especially the abdomen region. It takes around an hour to treat a particular area of the body. Here two sculpting paddles are placed on the area and gently pulled upwards using light suction. The fat cells are frozen and then destroyed.

  Thermage   This is a laser-based treatment that helps to tighten the undesired loose, sagging skin. This process boosts the production of collagen in the body that tightens your skin.

  Fraxel   This process is used to minimize the stretch marks on the abdomen. A non-ablative laser called Fraxel is used for the process.

  Hair removal   Many women find hair growth in unusual areas of their body that did not occur before pregnancy. As taking care of their little ones takes time, they might not have enough time to wax and shave. Laser hair removal can permanently remove unwanted hair from the body.

  Spider vein removal   During pregnancy, many women develop spider veins or varicose veins. Spider vein removal therapy reduces the appearance of these spider veins. Depending on the type of veins and the location in the body, processes like Sclerotherapy are commonly used.

  Stretch marks removal   Stretch marks appear in the abdomen, breasts, thighs, arms and buttocks and slowly fade to grey or white. During the latter half of the pregnancy, these usually appear. They can be removed by many methods such as Tretinoin cream   it helps to build collagen and tone the marks to look like normal skin. Laser therapy is also used to develop more collagen or enhance melanin production, which helps in fading the marks over time. Other methods like Microdermabrasion and Micro needling are also used.

  Scar correction   C-section scars that are observed among women after pregnancy can be removed through a topical gel called Mederma. Curad Scar Therapy Cosmetic Pads are also
used to lighten the redness of the scars.

  Breast sagging correction   After pregnancy, your breasts might sag and lose volume. Enhancement techniques like augmentation or breast lifts will help in restoring size and
shape to the breasts making them look fuller.

  Localised fat correction   Excess fat can be removed using Carboxytherapy where carbon dioxide is injected into the fat area through a very small needle. As a result, the fat cells burst and the liquefied fat is removed naturally from the body. Carbon dioxide stimulates collagen production and increases blood flow.

  Radiofrequency   This is used to break down a part of fat cells and stimulate collagen formation. This helps in making the skin look smoother, reduces stretch marks and fat, and
helps with skin tightening.

  Mesotherapy   This method is performed by injecting small quantities of vitamins, pharmaceuticals, and natural extracts in the skin. This is used for improving sagging skin,
rejuvenating the skin, and reducing fat or cellulite.

Things to keep in mind
Usually, the nonsurgical treatments do not require much recovery time and you can get back to your usual routine quickly. However, the Fraxel laser treatment takes about a week to recover. If you are seriously opting for this procedure, make sure you know all the details beforehand. Talk to your doctor and get to know all the steps you need to take before and after the makeover. It is advised that you go for this procedure after you have decided not to have kids anymore.

Post Delivery Non Surgical Mommy's Makeover!

An STD is transmitted by means of physical contact and intercourse. These diseases are caused by parasites, virus or bacteria. Usually, STDs are preventable provided you make the right choices concerning your sexual health. Refraining from sex isn t a feasible idea at all. 

But fortunately there are alternatives too to curb the menace that STDs are:

Abstain: The most effective way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sex.
Mutual monogamy: Two people who have sex only with one another don t have any opportunity to bring a new STD into the relationship. If you and your partner have been tested and are healthy, remaining faithful to each other is a very good way to reduce your chances of contracting an STD.
Get Vaccinated: One important prevention tool against STIs is vaccination. Currently, vaccines are available to protect against infection with HPV, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Talk to your healthcare provider to see which vaccines might be recommended for you.
Protect Yourself: Condoms work really well in stopping most STIs from being passed from an infected partner to another when they are used consistently and correctly every time a person has oral, vaginal or anal sex. Consistently and correctly means that a person makes sure they use a condom every time they have oral, vaginal or anal sex and put it on and use it the right way.
Avoid alcohol and drug use: Avoiding alcohol and recreational drug use reduce the risk of contracting an STI, having an unwanted pregnancy, or being coerced to have sex. Alcohol and drug use can reduce our ability to make good decisions. It may also make us more likely to be talked into participating in an activity without being able to give our full consent.
Coping and Support
It's traumatic to find out you have an STI. You might be angry if you feel you've been betrayed or ashamed if there's a chance you infected others. At worst, an STI can cause chronic illness and death, even with the best care in the world.

Between those extremes is a host of other potential losses   trust between partners, plans to have children, and the joyful embrace of your sexuality and its expression. If in doubt, don't hesitate to visit a skin specialist or a physician.

STDs - 5 Ways You Can Avoid Them

If you are trying to get pregnant through IVF, then you must be receiving a lot of suggestions from people close to you. You get suggestions about lifestyle changes, changes in your diet and much more. You will definitely get to hear about the Mediterranean diet in that list. This is one of the best diets that can ensure a healthy pregnancy.

There are so many studies conducted on the right diet for women to achieve a healthy pregnancy. A diet which is rich in vegetables, fruits, high fibre, whole grains and fish is good and the Mediterranean diet has just what a woman requires.

What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet includes eating fresh fruits and vegetables. It also includes good fat, proteins and carbohydrates. When you are opting for IVF treatment, your overall lifestyle plays an important role such as the food you consume. You need to add more proteins to your diet as that can help in the production of eggs. You need to consume vegetable protein and not just animal protein.

How can the Mediterranean diet influence the results of an IVF?

Your body should be able to absorb the nutrients from the food that you eat. This will help in the production of quality sperm, egg and hormones. So, the Mediterranean diet can help you with that.
The Mediterranean diet helps manage blood sugar levels. Most women crave sweets or experience mood swings caused by hormones good food can help control these. When you are able to manage your blood sugar with the help of this diet, then you will be able to produce good quality or healthy eggs.
You will have to make sure that the food you are eating is protecting the cells from radical damage. When the cells in the body are damaged, then they will impact the quality of the sperm and egg produced. The Mediterranean diet is high in antioxidants that protect the cells.
The Mediterranean diet contains good fats. Fats from fish are very good as they boost the cell membranes. Inflammation is also prevented with the help of this good fat.
Apart from that, you will also find the Mediterranean diet useful in reducing obesity, heart diseases and diabetes.
Being overweight can also be one of the reasons for not getting pregnant. This diet will help you maintain a good weight. People with sleeping disorders are also able to overcome the problem. So, overall the Mediterranean diet is the best diet for maintaining overall health. Overall good health will guarantee a good and healthy pregnancy. 

Mediterranean Diet - How Can It Influence The Results After IVF?

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