Are you aware of cervical cancer, which develops in the cervix of a woman? The cervix is the entrance to the womb from the vagina, and unusual vaginal bleeding accounts for being the primary symptom of this condition. Although abnormal vaginal bleeding may indicate several other conditions, you should get diagnosed for cervical cancer.

Symptoms
The various symptoms of cervical cancer are as follows:

1. Abnormal and unusual bleeding from the vagina between periods, after having sex, and after menopause in women
2. Pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen
3. Pain while having sex
4. Abnormal vaginal discharge

Diagnosis

1. Over several years, cells lining the cervix go through various changes. In some rare cases, these cells, which are precancerous, may turn out to be cancerous. These cell changes in the cervix can be detected early, and proper treatment is capable of reducing the development of cervical cancer.
2. A screening for cervical cancer should be carried out for diagnosing this condition. Cervical screening, or smear test involves the study of sample cells taken from the cervix. The sample cells are observed under a microscope for detecting cervical cancer or other abnormalities. An abnormal cervical screening does not always indicate cervical cancer, as abnormal results can occur because of an infection or because of the presence of precancerous cells that are treatable.
3. Screening should be undertaken by women of all ages. It is recommended for women between the ages of 25 to 49 to undergo this cervical cancer screening once in every three years. For women between the age of 50 to 64, screening should be carried out once in five years. For women above the age of 65, screening is recommended for the ones who did not have a screening since the age of 50 and for the ones who had abnormal test results in the past.

Treatment

• Cervical cancer can be successfully treated by a surgical procedure, if it is diagnosed at an initial stage. In some cases, the womb can be left in place, while it may be removed in some other cases. The surgical procedure used for removing the womb is known as hysterectomy.
• Radiotherapy is an alternative surgical procedure that is undertaken by women with cervical cancer, at an early stage. In more serious cases, a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is used for the treatment of cervical cancer. Although quite effective, some treatment procedures for cervical cancer are associated with side effects such as infertility and early menopause.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Pregnancy Tips

Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful, but exhausting times of a woman's life. There are quite a few precautions you need to take and quite a few factors you need to consider before doing anything. Take for example, working during pregnancy. Working while you're pregnant can be challenging, but if you keep these do's and don'ts in mind, it can become an easy task.

Do: Get Adequate Rest

The first few weeks of pregnancy can take a toll on your body. If your sleep schedule is off, you need to fix it and sleep for the usual 8-9 hours a day. If you undertake a lot of physically strenuous work or even if have a desk job, you need to take a break as it can get very taxing for you. To avoid work-related exhaustion and stress, take frequent breaks to give your body the rest it requires. Speak to a doctor or trainer for simple stretches that will help you alleviate stress on your joints and keep you muscles relaxed.

Do: Be Smart About Your Work

Jobs that require heavy lifting must be avoided at all costs as they can give rise to severe complications during pregnancy. When you're pregnant, you should also avoid work that regularly exposes you to radiation, harmful chemicals, lead and X-rays. Ask your supervisor to shift the sort of work you are doing as often it's illegal to continue working in conditions that actively harm your pregnancy.

Do: Take Multivitamins and Necessary Supplements

Work often doesn't leave you with enough time to take good care of yourself. You may end up skipping meals due to a hectic work schedule, which can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. To keep the worst effects of this kind of a lifestyle at bay, make sure to take your multivitamins and supplements religiously and regularly.

Do: Be Super Hygienic

It is extremely important to maintain high standards of personal hygiene and sanitation during your pregnancy. This becomes even more important if you work in an environment that exposes you to infectious diseases, raw meats and children. Keep a hand sanitizer with you at all times, and make sure you don't ingest anything that has come into contact with contagions.

Don't: Go for Long Stretches Without Eating

Keeping your stomach empty during pregnancy can have a lot of unwanted effects ranging from bloating, acidity and gas to nausea and vomiting. Have a light breakfast and keep snacking on small portions of nutritious food throughout the day. Also, ensure that you maintain optimum fluid intake. The regular 8-10 glasses of water a day is a must.

Don't: Be Stressed

Stress during pregnancy can have damaging effects on you and your baby's health, severely affecting the physical and mental development of your unborn child. Avoid taking on extra work for the duration of your pregnancy. Lighten your workload as much as you can and make sure to take meditation and baby-safe yoga classes to keep your stress in check.

As long as you take these simple precautions, you can continue to work throughout your pregnancy. So, remember to follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and healthy experience for both you and your baby.

Menstrual disorders are caused by a variety of factors and affect every woman in a different manner. In most cases, it manifests itself in the form of fluctuations in menstrual flow and irregularity in the monthly cycle. Certain disorders are not too severe and can be easily alleviated. Others are more complicated and require the immediate attention of a gynecologist.

As mentioned, there are different specific causes of different kinds of disorders resulting from a range of factors such as hormone levels, functioning of the central nervous system, health of the uterus, etc.

Some of the most common causes of menstrual disorders are as follows:

1. Hormonal imbalance: Fluctuating hormone levels in the body have a direct impact on the menstrual cycle. These fluctuations can be caused by dysfunction in the pituitary gland, thyroid gland or adrenal gland. It can also be a result of malfunction in either or both ovaries and the secretion of hormones originating there.
2. Anatomic problems: One fourth menstrual disorders are caused by problems of the anatomy. These include various gynecological issues like the presence of uterine fibroids and polyps, reduced uterine contractile strength, adenomyosis (intrusion of uterine tissue into the muscular wall of the uterus), a uterus with an excessively large surface area, and endometrial cancer.
3. Clotting irregularities: Abnormality in clotting is a cause of heavy menstrual bleeding in women. It leads to exceeding blood loss from minor cuts and gashes and makes one easily prone to bruising. This may also include medical conditions such as thrombocytopenia (platelet dysfunction) and Von Willebrand disease.
4. Medications and supplements: There is a wide range of medications and nutritional or hormonal supplements which often cause menstrual disorders in women and lead to fluctuations in the menstrual cycle. These include medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, estrogen pills, Vitamin E supplements etc.
5. Miscellaneous factors: These are comparatively rare and require a greater degree of medical attention. It includes conditions such as cervical cancer, ovarian tumors, liver and kidney diseases, uterine infections, extreme psychological stress, obesity, etc. Incidents such as miscarriages and unsuspected pregnancies are also known to cause abnormal menstrual bleeding.

Related Tip: " All You Need To Know About Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder"

My name is Dr Vandana Singh, I am a gynaecologist practising at the women clinic at sector- 30, Noida and my field of choice are high-risk pregnancy and infertility.Today, I want to talk about cervical cancer which is the most common cancer in India in women.

Cervical cancer is the cancer of the lowermost part of the uterus called cervix. This virus is caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus. This virus comes around in 90-100 days but in that 4 types of human papillomavirus can cause infection and then cause cervical cancer in the future. Some women get infected with this virus in their early reproductive stage and in 5-10 % cases this HPV virus infection catch cord can cause cervical cancer in future. There is a vaccine which is available nowadays for last 10 to 15 years and the awareness for this vaccine is very less in our country. I want to create awareness for this cervical cancer vaccination. This cervical cancer vaccination is for females around 9-14 years, but we can give up to 45 years.

Two types of the vaccine are available in our country, one is Cervarix, one is Gardasil.

Cervarix is all against human papilloma virus and we give this vaccine in three doses, 0, then one month, then 6 months.

The Gardasil is also available against the human papilloma virus and the doses of this vaccine are at 0 doses, then 2 months, then 6 months. Gardasil can be given to male also to prevent the ward infection in males. This vaccine can be given at the age of 9 years, but according to the WHO recommendation we should give it to people at 10 to 14 years and the doses are different according to the age group.

If you want further information about the vaccination and the benefit of the vaccination and who can get this vaccination, you can call me at my number and can definitely book an appointment from the lybrate.com.
 

10th march is world kidney day

What can you do for your kidneys?
 
 Kidney diseases are silent killers, which will largely affect your quality of life.

Keep fit and active ('on the move for kidney health'): keeping fit helps to reduce your blood pressure and, therefore, reduces the risk of chronic kidney disease.

Keep regular control of your blood sugar level: about half of people who have diabetes develop kidney damage, so it is important for people with diabetes to have regular tests to check their kidney functions. Kidney damage from diabetes can be reduced or prevented if detected early.

Monitor your blood pressure: high blood is also the most common cause of kidney damage. The normal blood pressure level is 120/80. Between this level and 139/89, you are considered prehypertensive and should adopt lifestyle and dietary changes. If your blood pressure is 140/90 and above, monitor your blood pressure regularly. High blood pressure is especially likely to cause kidney damage when associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases.

Eat healthily and keep your weight in check: this can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with chronic kidney disease. Reduce your salt intake. The recommended sodium intake is 5-6 grams of salt per day (around a teaspoon).

Maintain a healthy fluid intake: one should consume at least 30 ml per kg body weight of fluids daily. Do not advocate 'aggressive fluid loading', which can cause side effects, but they do provide evidence that moderately increased water intake, around two litres daily, may reduce the risk of decline in kidney function.

Do not smoke: smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 percent.

Do not take over-the-counter pills on a regular basis: common drugs such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen are known to cause kidney damage and disease if taken regularly.

When & How to Wash Your Hands

• Before, during, and after preparing food

• Before eating food

• Before and after caring for someone who is sick

• Before and after treating a cut or wound

• After using the toilet

• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

• After blowing your nose, coughing, or

• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

• After handling pet food or pet treats

Steps for hand Washing

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.

• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

How germs get onto hands and make people sick

Feces (poop) from people or animals is an important source of germs like Salmonella, E. coli O157, and norovirus that cause diarrhea, and it can spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease. These kinds of germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, but also in less obvious ways, like after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them. A single gram of human feces—which is about the weight of a paper clip—can contain one trillion germs 1. Germs can also get onto hands if people touch any object that has germs on it because someone coughed or sneezed on it or was touched by some other contaminated object. When these germs get onto hands and are not washed off, they can be passed from person to person and make people sick. Washing hands prevents illnesses and spread of infections to others Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands.

This helps prevent infections because:

• People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick.

• Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.

• Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects, like handrails, table tops, or toys, and then transferred to another person’s hands.

• Removing germs through handwashing therefore helps prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections and may even help prevent skin and eye infections.

•

Facts about folic acid

Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects (ntds) serious birth defects of the spinal cord (such as spina bifida) and the brain (such as anencephaly). Neural tube defects occur at a very early stage of development before many women even know they're pregnant.

The centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) reports that women who take the recommended daily dose of folic acid starting, at least, one month before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy reduce their baby's risk of neural tube defects by 50 to 70 percent.

Some research suggests that folic acid may help lower your baby's risk of other defects as well, such as cleft lip, cleft palate, and certain types of heart defects.

How much folic acid you need

To reduce your baby's risk of developing a neural tube defect, experts recommend that you take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid per day, beginning, at least, a month before you start trying to get pregnant.

The neural tube from which your baby's spine and brain develop begins to form about three weeks after conception, so it's critical to get a sufficient daily dose of folic acid before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Higher dose folic acid

Some women have an increased risk of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect and are advised to take a higher dose of 5 milligrams (mg) of folic acid each day until they are 12 weeks pregnant. Women have an increased risk if:
 

• They or their partner have a neural tube defect
• They have had a previous pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect
• They or their partner have a family history of neural tube defects
• They have diabetes

In addition, women who are taking anti-epileptic medication should consult their gp for advice as they may also need to take a higher dose of folic acid. Find out about epilepsy, anti-epileptic medication, and pregnancy.