Nowadays women are starting to wait until they are older to have children instead of having babies in the late teens and early twenties. While there is nothing wrong with waiting (I did!), women have to realize that the longer they wait to have children the harder it may be to get pregnant. This is especially true if the woman is over 35. There are things that women can do to help protect their fertility and keep them in peak shape for baby making.
- Watch diet - Researchers have found that what is good for your arteries is also good for your eggs. Following a diet that is low in trans fats and higher in unsaturated fats may help prevent infertility due to ovulation problems.
- Reduce stress - Stress can interfere with the normal monthly egg release of a woman. Keep stress levels low and find ways to de-stress.
- Regularly test for STDs - STDs can cause scarring in the reproductive organs, blocking a woman’s fallopian tubes.
- Don’t smoke - Smoking can cause women to become infertile when they are older and at an earlier age than nature does it.
- Birth control pills - If you are in a committed relationship with someone, go on the pill and stay on it until ready to conceive. “OCs can cut your risk of fertility-damaging conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis and endometrial cancer; and because women on the Pill aren’t ovulating, their risk of ovarian cysts and ovarian cancer is also reduced.”
- Have a regular physical - and this is besides your yearly pap exam. A major cause of infertility is undiagnosed or untreated medical problems.
- Count your eggs - You can have your gynecologist give you a vaginal ultrasound to determine approximately how many eggs you have left. Eggs die off as women age and knowing what your number is can help you determine if it’s time to have a baby yet.
- Freeze ‘em! - You can have your eggs frozen and it is beneficial to go through this process in your 20s. It’s an expensive process - approximately $6,000 for a single procedure - but depending on your own situation, it may be the perfect option for you.
You can read more posts by Sandy Robinson at her other health blogs: Fighting Fatigue & IC Disease. Sandy also writes for the American Idolist site on WebbleYou.
For 1 in 10 men, erectile dysfunction is an issue that is caused by work-related stress. Research also shows that as many as 1 in 5 men suffer from loss of libido due to work-related stress.
These latest figures suggest that 90% of men have shown at least one clinical feature of stress due to work but only 54% of men know that stress from work may be the cause of their ED. Stress, either at work or home, is a known cause of ED and prolonged stress is associated with low testosterone levels.
Research shows that 44% of men will not go to their physician regarding their erectile dysfunction. Those who eventually do go wait approximately 17 months before doing so. But with today’s modern medical technology, men don’t need to wait and shouldn’t put off going to the doctor for this issue. There are plenty of prescription treatments available today including Viagra, Levitra and Cialis.
Dr David Edwards, an Oxfordshire GP comments: “Work-place stress clearly has a strong impact on the incidence of ED in men. Men should think about the underlying cause of their ED, including how to combat their stress levels; not staying too late at work, a balanced and healthy diet, and regular exercise. We know that oral treatments usually work well for men with ED, but 1 in 3 men with ED are not able to have satisfactory sex the first time they take a tablet and consequently a third of them do not return to their doctor. These men could still be successfully treated by simply switching to a different tablet or increasing the dose, and should be encouraged to return to their GP.”
Erection problems are very common and affect about 50f% of men between the ages of 40 - 70.
Source
You can read more posts by Sandy Robinson at her other health blogs: Fighting Fatigue & IC Disease. Sandy also writes for the American Idol site on WebbleYou.
Depending on how much money you have, it can bring you either relief or stress. For many Americans, debt is causing their health to go downhill. An Associated Press-AOL Health Poll recently found that people who are dealing with a lot of debt report major health issues such as ulcers, severe depression and heart attacks.
People in serious debt attribute the worry of wondering how they are going to survive from one paycheck to the next. A research psychologist, Paul J. Lavrakas, who analyzed the results of the survey, says that most people appear to be managing their finances and debt okay. But there may be 10 million to 16 million who have debt issues affecting their health in a big way. People with high debt stress reported that they suffered from at least three stress-related illnesses.
People who reported having high stress levels due to debt also stated that they had trouble concentrating and suffer from sleeping problems. They also found that they upset easier than they did before the “debt stress”.
Poll Results
The poll findings were as follows:
- Ulcers/digestive tract issues - 27% - compared to those with low debt stress - 8%
- Migraines/headaches - 44% - compared to 15%
- Severe anxiety - 29% - compared with 4%
- Severe depression - 23% - compared with 4%
- Heart attacks - 6% - compared with 3%
- Muscle tension/lower back pain - 51% - compared with 31%
Lavrakas says that it isn’t known for certain whether such stress is causing health problems, but medical research suggests that most of the symptoms reported in this poll are typical of chronic stress.
Source
You can read more posts by Sandy Robinson at her other health blogs: Fighting Fatigue & IC Disease. Sandy also writes for the American Idolist site on WebbleYou.
Once again it’s time for Fatigue Friday and posts from my website, Fighting Fatigue.
- The FDA has recently approved a new medication for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation in women who are 18 and over. Before the approval of Amitiza, there were no FDA approved treatments available for IBS in the United States.
FDA Approves Amitiza for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- The American Chronic Pain Association, American Pain Foundation and National Pain Foundation announced in May that in recognition of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day and the support they provide to millions of people affected by chronic pain conditions like Fibromyalgia, Pfizer is providing a charitable donation to support their educational activities and advocacy efforts.
You Make A Promise, Pfizer Makes A Donation
- The FDA has approved Cymbalta (duloxetine) as a prescription drug for treatment of Fibromyalgia pain. This is according to a release today made by Eli Lilly & Co., the maker of the drug.
FDA Approves Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia
Enjoy these great health posts from today’s edition of Tuesday Health Talk!
Tuesday Health Talk: 6/17/08
A new global survey of Fibromyalgia patients and physicians shows that Fibromyalgia, a chronic widespread pain condition, results in poor quality of life and poses a financial burden on patients often resulting in an inability to work and earn income.
New Global Survey Exposes Considerable Burden of Fibromyalgia Including Potential Economic Impact
- I have been severely sleep deficient lately and I keep wondering how much longer I can go before I crack up. I have had sleep disorders for years but over the past several months the hours of sleep I get have become fewer and fewer. I am now going entire nights without ONE MINUTE of sleep.
Lack of Sleep = Insanity I’m Almost There.
- This article and interview was just published on ImmuneSupport yesterday, via Cort Johnson from his Phoenix Rising website. I thought the story and interview were powerful so I didn’t want to leave any of it out. Thanks to ImmuneSupport and Phoenix Rising for this great story and interview with ME/CFS victor Martha Kilcoyne.
Cort Johnson Interviews ME/CFS Victor Martha Kilcoyne
- Tuesday night I didn’t sleep any again. It wasn’t until after 7 a.m. yesterday morning that I drifted off and then I only slept for about two hours. If my son wouldn’t have slept in until after 9 a.m. I wouldn’t have gotten that much sleep. So at the time I am writing this post on Wednesday evening at 7:20 p.m., I have went almost 60 hours with less than 3 hours of sleep.
The Sleepless Journey Continues…
- Below are highlights and links to a couple of recent case studies done on ME/CFS.
ME/CFS Case Studies: Patient Damage by Physicians & ME/CFS Gait Characteristics
- I recently stumbled upon a rather unusual website which lists the various health problems of every US president in history. Obviously the first thing I did was to look for digestive woes, and my word, did these men have some digestive woes!
Guest Blogger Post: Presidential Piles
- I found a great post written by Dr. Christina Lasich on Chronic Pain Connection on the Top Ten Reasons Pain Medication Use Is Increasing. Here were her thoughts. What do you think? Is her list accurate?
Top Ten Reasons For Pain Medication Use Increasing
Here are a few more recent clinical trial updates as of yesterday.
Autism
Candidates who meet DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder and are aged 5 to 17 may qualify for this study. The research site is in Voorhees, NJ. For more information, visit the CenterWatch Clinical Trials: Autism page.
Crohn’s Disease
If you are 18 or older with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease and have a CDAI score of 220 to 450, you may qualify for this study. The research site is in Burlington, VT. For more information, visit the CenterWatch Clinical Trials: Crohn’s Disease page.
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
If you have a history of moderate-to-severe seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms and have a positive skin prick test for at least one grass allergen, you may qualify for this study. The research site is in Lilburn, GA. For more information, visit the CenterWatch Clinical Trials: Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial page.
You can read more posts by Sandy Robinson at her other health blogs: Fighting Fatigue & IC Disease. Sandy also writes for the American Idolist site on WebbleYou.
On the same day I saw the sarcastic “don’t get sick” bumper sticker, I attended a meeting of local business people. Three of the members are a licensed clinical psychologist, a physical therapist, and a licensed massage therapist. Interestingly, all three of these professionals stress a “no drugs, no surgery” approach to addressing physical, psychological, and emotional ailments.
Again, of course we know that sometimes people need drugs or surgery. If you have a compound fracture, PT alone isn’t go to fix it. If you’re a homicidal maniac, a psychologist isn’t going to sort out all your problems. If you have a brain tumor, all the massages in the world won’t make it go away.
But still. Go back to that 90% figure, and these types of non-invasive approaches are certainly the place to start. I’ve heard testimonial after testimonial after testimonial for these three professionals; cases where more traditional medical approaches had failed to fix problems, and one visit to one of these people set the healing process in motion.
And there are so many types of alternative health these days! Add to the above list reflexology, aromatherapy, art therapy, music therapy, and so many others. A simple search of “alternative health” brings up over 33 million results.
I suggest we try the alternative methods first. Perhaps we will return to our work and our lives much faster, and if it turns out we need medication or surgery after all, then at least we’re going to go in feeling better and prepared to heal faster.
Let’s give alternative health a try.
At the time I am writing this post, I have been up for almost 60 hours straight with less than three hours sleep. So I guess you can say sleep is definitely in the forefront of my mind. Now if my body would just listen and let me sleep!
Insomnia and sleep disorders have been an issue for me for years thanks to CFS & Fibromyalgia so lack of sleep is something I am used to. I have never experienced insomnia to this degree, however.
I am hoping that by writing about the health benefits of sleep I will be able to doze off into a peaceful slumber shortly.
Sleep helps reduce risk of depression. Getting enough sleep helps to keep your serotonin levels at a normal level. People who are depressed have lower serotonin levels than people who do not have depression. Sleep helps keep your body’s chemicals work properly at the right levels.
Sleep is good for your heart. Lack of sleep has been associated with higher blood pressure and higher cholesterol which in turn can mean heart disease. Your heart will be happier with at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
Sleep may make you thinner. People who get less than six hours of sleep per night have a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese. Sleep helps to keep your hormones in balance, which in turn controls metabolism.
Sleep helps to reduce stress. Lack of sleep can cause increased stress, which makes the body work harder and can raise blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.
Sleep repairs the body. When we sleep, the body repairs itself from stress and exposures during our normal daily lives. If you are not getting the right amount of sleep, the body can’t do what it needs to do to keep you healthy.
Sleep gives you energy. Proper sleep will give you the energy you need to get through the day and it makes you feel good.
On a recent day, I pulled into the parking lot of a business where I usually get my mocha on the way to an early morning meeting. The car next to mine bore a bumper sticker with a message that suggested a certain political group proposes a healthcare plan consisting of: Don’t get sick.
While I doubted that the bumper sticker’s message accurately represented the political group’s true feelings about our healthcare system, it did make me think. And, come to think of it, that’s not a bad starting point for national health.
Don’t get sick. Sure, we all know, people get illnesses and injuries through no fault of their own. Babies are born with challenges. Children get leukemia and diabetes. Nonsmokers get lung cancer. People get in accidents that are someone else’s fault and are left with lifelong problems.
We have an obligation as a civilized society to help people who need help.
But still…if 90% of doctor visits (or even 60%) are stress-related, this means that the remaining 10-40% comprise all those other infirmities. The vast majority, then, could be avoided if only we could figure out how to deal with stress. Not necessarily to keep stress from coming into our lives, for that may be impossible—but how to deal with it before we end up in the doctor’s office.
Posted on June 18th, 2008 in
Stress | Tags:
Stress | Author:
Lisa J. |
1 Comment
Researchers have found that C-sections performed in a woman’s first pregnancy may possibly increase the risk of complications in later pregnancies.
The findings stem from an analysis of Norway registry data for 637,497 first and second births in women with at least two single births and 242,812 first, second, and third births in women with at least three single births.
The June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology that compared to a vaginal first birth, a C-section delivery for a first birth almost doubled the risk in a second and future pregnancies of women having pre-eclampsia, placenta abnormalities, and having a small baby.
But Dr. Anne Kjertsti Daltveit, from the University of Bergen in Norway, and colleagues said that a woman’s obstetric background has to be taken into consideration. Dr. Daltveit discovered that if the same complications were excluded from the first birth, the risks in the second pregnancy were slightly reduced. The report indicates that with two previous C-sections the risk of complications in the third pregnancy are increased. However, the odds were similar to those complications seen after one prior c-section.
The researchers wrote in their report that:
“An increased risk of complications after a cesarean delivery may be caused by the cesarean delivery itself.” They explain it is just as possible that the reasons for performing the first cesarean delivery may also be present in subsequent pregnancies, thus accounting for the complications seen.
Source
You can read more posts by Sandy Robinson at her other health blogs: Fighting Fatigue & IC Disease. Sandy also writes for the American Idolist site on WebbleYou.
In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control reported that up to 90 percent of the doctor visits in the USA may be triggered by a stress-related illness. That figure seems almost unbelievable; I did an Internet search of the phrase “90% doctor visits stress related” and got 3,250,000 search results.
Some of the actual search results include a range—say, 60-90% or 75-90%. But in any case, that 90% figure turns up in 3 1/4 million search results! That’s a lot of references to 90% of doctor visits being stress-related.
The implications of this are mind-boggling. Greatly reduced productivity in the workplace and greatly reduced satisfaction in people’s personal lives, the socioeconomic implications of so many doctor visits being covered by HMOs and insurance policies, which are in turn paid for by employers…. Wouldn’t it revolutionize our collective lives if we could eliminate 90%—or even 75% or 60%—of these doctor visits?
It appears we must begin by learning how to deal with all this stress.
Posted on June 17th, 2008 in
Stress | Tags:
Stress | Author:
Lisa J. |
3 Comments
