A set of cartilage discs present between the vertebrae, ensures that the spinal column can withstand the weight of the upper body. If these discs tear or get injured, the condition is commonly known as slipped disc. In medical terms the same condition is known as prolapsed intervertebral disc. Here is a look at the causes, symptoms and treatment for this painful condition.

Causes for Prolapsed Disc
Intervertebral cartilage discs undergo normal wear and tear with age. However, there are other underlying causes for a slipped disc.

Sitting for prolonged period of time may lead to the disorder
Repeatedly lifting weight in such a manner that all the pressure is exerted on the vertebrae may also lead to a prolapsed intervertebral disc. Example   Exercising with incorrect posture
Alcohol consumption and smoking
Sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise
Accidental trauma to the spinal region
Diet not consisting of all the essential nutrition
Family history of the same condition
Tweaking one s lifestyle is generally enough to ensure that people are not affected by the condition.

Symptoms of prolapsed intervertebral disc

Patients claim to feel pain radiating from their spinal region to the calves of their feet. This sciatic nerve may get compressed due to the disorder, leading to such a pain.
Tingling sensation in the lower and upper back regions. This sensation may also spread to the arms and legs.
Patients complain of a weakness or numbness in the buttock area, feet and legs.
Treatment for prolapsed intervertebral disc

Limited activity is advised after diagnosis, but complete bed rest is not recommended.
Ice packs should be applied at first. After the pain resides, heat should be applied on the region.
Physical therapy and certain exercises are prescribed by the physician
Anti inflammatory drugs can help control the condition and relieve some of the pain.
Surgery is considered only if the condition does not subside after 4-6 weeks. However, such a surgery is risky and may cause permanent nerve damage.
If you feel that you are at risk of prolapsed intervertebral disc, consult a physician immediately. Follow the recommendations of the doctor, so that you do not have to go through the pain associated with the condition.

Prolapsed Disc - What Causes It?

Hydrocephalus is a condition that is also called  water on the brains . This condition is triggered in children when the cerebrospinal fluid (CPF) isn t drained completely from the brain. This fluid surrounds and protects the brain and the spinal cord and when it doesn t find an outlet, it accumulates in the brain.

Very young children with hydrocephalus have enlarged heads to accommodate all the excess water. But older children whose skull bones have solidified and cannot expand suffer terrible headaches. This condition requires immediate treatment or it could lead to damage to the brain.

What triggers Hydrocephalus? 

If there is an obstruction in the ventricles (the passages through which the CPF flows), the circulation of this fluid is affected. And this triggers hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus can be of two types-

Congenital Hydrocephalus:

This is a congenital condition, which means the baby is born with this ailment. It could be because there are abnormalities in the spine or it did not develop the way it should have or because the aqueduct that connects the ventricles of the brain is narrowed.

Acquired Hydrocephalus:

This condition can develop at any age. It is triggered by bleeding in the brain. It may happen if babies are born before the due date. Or a brain injury may prompt it. A tumour could also be behind hydrocephalus.

What are the Symptoms of Hydrocephalus?

Among babies, the biggest sign is the swollen head. Other symptoms may include-

Bulges along with the skull

The gap along with the bone plates of the skull

Swollen veins on the head

Eyes may bulge

Vomiting, nausea and loss of appetite.

Seizures

Drowsiness

squinting

Treatment of Hydrocephalus -

This condition requires immediate treatment or it might trigger problems of the nervous system. Here are some treatments that a child might have to undergo-

Shunt procedure -

A catheter is inserted into the brain to drain away the excess fluid. It is passed through the abdominal cavity and the bloodstream absorbs it.

Endoscopic surgery -

This surgery is performed on older children. A lighted stick with a camera is inserted by drilling a tiny hole into the third ventricle. This allows the accumulated fluids to flow out and past the blockages. This is a minimally invasive procedure.

The child is kept under meticulous observation after the surgery. Hydrocephalus is a dangerous ailment but with timely intervention, it can be cured completely.

What Triggers Hydrocephalus In Children?

Bone cancer is a cancerous tumour in the bone, destroying the normal bone tissues. Tumours on bone tissues are not always cancerous or malignant, they are mostly benign. Primary bone cancer is when the malignant tumour begins to form in the tissues of the bones, but when these cancerous cells spread to other body parts like breasts, prostate or lungs, it is called metastatic cancer. Primary bone cancer is less common than metastatic cancer.

Bone cancer can be of three different types:

Osteosarcoma: In this case, the malignant tumour arises from the osteoid bone tissue. This occurs mainly in the upper arm and knee areas.

Chondrosarcoma: In this case the cancerous cells form in the cartilaginous tissues, causing a lot of pain. This occurs mostly in the pelvic area.

The Ewing sarcoma generally arises in the bone but it can also form in the soft tissues. Other kinds of soft tissues affecting cancerous cells are known as soft tissue sarcomas.

Causes-

There aren t many clear defined causes; however, several factors have been identified by researchers.

Osteosarcoma is seen to occur more frequently in people who have been through a high external radiation therapy dose.

In people who have frequently been treated with anticancer medications, children tend to be most affected.

Heredity may be an adding cause, although the percentage of hereditary transfer of cancer cells is very low.



People with hereditary bone defects or implants have a higher chance of acquiring bone cancer.

Symptoms-

The most common and saddening symptom of bone cancer is painful, although not all bone cancers cause pain. Unusual or persistent swelling or pain around a bone maybe a red flag for bone cancer. In case of a situation like this, immediate doctor s opinion is required.

Diagnosis-

Usually, diagnosis of a bone cancer can be made using X-rays; for example, a bone scan, a computed tomography scan, a magnetic imaging procedure positron emission tomography, and an angiogram. Biopsy and blood tests are also helpful in bone cancer diagnosis.

Treatment-

The size, location and stage of cancer, age, and health of the person decide the kind of treatment that should be given to the patient. Various treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and cryosurgery.

Survival-

The combined survival rate of all sorts of bone cancers is 70%. This percentage may vary with the type of bone cancer and also its stage.

An Overview Of Bone Cancer

The uterus is set up inside the pelvis with different muscles, tissue, and tendons. Due to pregnancy, labour or complicated delivery, in a few ladies, these muscles tend to weaken. Additionally, as a woman ages and with a loss of the hormone oestrogen, her uterus can drop into the vaginal canal, bringing about the condition known as a uterine prolapse.

The following conditions can bring about a prolapsed uterus:

Pregnancy with complicated or even ordinary delivery through the vagina.
Weakness in the pelvic muscles with the increase in age.
Weakening and loss of tissue after menopause and loss of normal oestrogen.
Conditions leading to increased weight in the abdomen, for example, constant coughing (with bronchitis and asthma), straining along with constipation, pelvic tumours (uncommon), or clogging of liquid in the abdomen.
Being overweight puts extra strain on pelvic muscles.
Previous surgery in the pelvic region leading to loss of outer support
Smoking
However, this condition can be treated effectively:

Self care at Home: You can strengthen your pelvic muscles by performing Kegel workouts. You do these by contracting your pelvic muscles, as though attempting to stop the stream of urine. This exercise makes the pelvic muscle strong and gives some support. Have your specialist train you on the best possible approaches to exercise your muscles.
Medications: Oestrogen (a hormone) cream or suppository ovules or rings embedded into the vagina help in strength and endurance building of the tissues in the vagina. However, oestrogen is just for use in some of the postmenopausal ladies.
Surgery: Based on your age and whether you wish to conceive a child naturally, surgery can repair the uterus or remove it. The uterus as in many cases can be expelled with a hysterectomy. During the surgery, the specialist can repair the hanging or saggy vaginal dividers, urethra, bladder, or rectum. The surgery might be performed by an open abdomen procedure, through the vagina, or through little cuts in the abdomen or vagina with particular instruments.
Other Therapy: In case that you do not need surgery or have a poor possibility for surgery, you may choose to wear a steady gadget, called a pessary. It is worn in the vaginal tract to strengthen the falling uterus. It can be utilised briefly or can be long-lasting. They come in different shapes and sizes and should be fitted according to the person. In case that the prolapse is extreme, a pessary may not work. Prolapse surgery is always preferred by vaginal route. Likewise, pessaries can disturb the insides of the vagina and may bring about a noxious release.
It can be prevented in the following manner:

Decrease your weight.
Try to avoid constipation by consuming a high-fiber diet.
Do Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles.
Stay away from heavy lifting or straining.

Prolapsed Uterus -  7 Conditions That Can Cause It!

Uterine fibroids are referred to as benign, abnormal growths which tend to develop in the uterine walls of a woman. The size of such growths can range from a few centimeters to even excess of a few inches. As such, they can cause the uterus to increase to the size of a five month pregnancy. Although, the symptoms of fibroids are not always apparent, they often cause heavy bleeding and pain in women. A recent research concluded that around 60 to 75 percent women contract such fibroids by the age of 50, at least once in their life.

Depending on the site of formation, uterine fibroids are distinguished into different types. Intramural fibroids in the lining of the uterus and subserosal fibroids which develop outside the uterus are the most commonly observed fibroids.

What causes Uterine Fibroids?
Although, the exact reason for the formation of fibroids are obscure, medical professionals have determined certain factors that may affect their formation. Some of them are:
1) Hormones: Progesterone and estrogen, produced by the ovaries regenerate the uterine lining during each menstrual cycle and trigger the growth of fibroids.
2) Family history: If you have had a family history of uterine fibroids, then you&#x2019;re likely to develop the condition yourself as well.
3) Pregnancy: The production of progesterone and estrogen increases during pregnancy which increases the likelihood of fibroids.

What are the signs of the condition?
Depending on the location and size of the tumors, symptoms of such fibroids include:
1) Heavy bleeding and blood clots during periods
2) Pain in the pelvis
3) Frequent menstrual cramps
4) Pressure and pain in the lower abdomen
5) Swelling in the abdomen
6) Pain while intercourse

What is the procedure of the treatment?
Ultrasound and pelvic MRI are common diagnostic procedures to check for uterine fibroids. After diagnosis, depending on your age, size of the fibroid and your comprehensive health, the doctor would prescribe you with appropriate medications. Only after medications prove futile, doctors opt for minimally invasive surgeries.


Causes and Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. It occurs in both women and men, although breast cancer in men is rare.

Risk factors:

Lack of physical activity
Alcohol consumption
Advancing age
No childbirth or no breastfeeding
Family history of breast cancer
Early menarche (< 12 years of age) or late menopause ( > 55 years of age)
History of ovarian cancer or endometrial cancer
History of benign breast conditions (e.g. atypical hyperplasia) or lobular carcinoma in situ
Receiving hormonal replacement therapy (HRT)
History of receiving radiation therapy to the chest before age of 30
More importantly, you can lower your risk of having breast cancer by the following measures:

 Have regular physical activities, do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activities per week (e.g. climbing stairs or brisk walking)
Avoid alcohol drinking;
Maintain a healthy body weight and waist circumference - aim for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 22.9, and a waist circumference of not more than 80cm for women; and
Have childbirth at an earlier age and breastfeed each child for longer duration factors include:
What are the common symptoms of breast cancer?

The symptoms of breast cancer may not be easily noticed at an early stage. Any of the following changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer:

  Breast lump;

  A change in the size or shape of the breast;

  A change in skin texture of the breast or nipple (e.g. red, scaly, thickened or  orange-skin  appearance);

  Rash around the nipple;

  In-drawing of the nipple;

  Discharge from one or both nipples;

  New and persistent discomfort or pain in the breast or armpit; and

  A new lump or thickening in the armpit

What is breast cancer screening? Should I screen for breast cancer if I do not have any symptom?

Screening means examining people without symptoms in order to detect disease or fi nd people at increased risk of disease. It is often the fi rst step in making a defi nitive diagnosis. For breast cancer screening, its purpose is to fi nd women who have breast cancer, before they have any symptom, in order to offer them earlier treatment.

Mammography is widely used as a screening tool. It is an X-ray examination of the breasts. During mammography, the breast is pressed between 2 plates to flatten and spread the breast tissue, in order to obtain a clear image. Some women may find it uncomfortable or painful but the discomfort is usually short lasting. Mammography screening is safe in general and only a very small dose of radiation is used in the procedure. One in 5 female breast cancer patients may be missed by mammography.

Prevention and Screening for Breast Cancer: Information for women and their families

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