Common diseases
Acne
It is a common inflammatory skin disease
that mainly affects the face, neck, chest and upper back. it is caused
by an interaction between hormones, bacteria and sebum produced by the comedones
(pimples), pustiles (lesions filled with pus) and occasionally CYSTS.
This is possibly caused by changing hormone levels.
Mild cases may be eased by washing
the face with a gentle toilet soap or by drying agents such as benzoyl
peroxide. Severe acne may need oral treatment with antibiotics such as
tetracycline or hormone therapy such as Dianette, which also acts as a
Contraceptive.
Very severe acne can be treated using a
derivative of Vitamin A, called tretinoin or Retin A. This cream is applied
in each night and takes about 3 weeks to be effective. An
oral version called Ro- accutane is very good against severe acne but
carries serious risks of foetal abnormality during pregnancy.
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Amenorrhoea
(Absence of periods)
It is a failure to have periods, which may
be described as primary or secondary . Primary amenorrhoea is the failure to
menstruate by age 16, and the main cause is the late onset of puberty.
A girl may have the other signs of puberty but lack of periods. this may
be a cause of a pituitary tumor, which can be found via a skull X -ray
, or because of cryptomenorrohea, where menstrual bleedings does occur but it
is held inside the vagina by an obstruction such as imperforate
Hymen. The condition may arise because parts of the female reproductive
system are missing. The most common reason for primary amenorrhoea is disruption
of the relationship between the ovaries and the pituitary
gland.
Secondary amenorrhoea occurs when
a woman stops menstruating for 3 months or more after
normal menstrual periods have been established but before the onset of
the Menopause. It may arise as a result of stress, chronic
diseases. Stopping the contraceptive pill, which affects hormone
production in the brain , can cause amenorrhoea for up to a year, and
it may arise after child birth and breast feeding. Failure of ovaries, prompting
a premature menopause before the age of 40, is another cause. Amenorrhoea
is permanent after the menopause or if the uterus is removed in a Hysterectomy
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Leucorrhoea
A discharge of white-yellow coloured mucus
from the vagina. it may be normal condition, increasing before and after menstruation,
but a copious vaginal discharge, especially if it has a strong smell, probably
indicates an infection in the genital tract. A common cause is thrush,
but it may also be because of Gonorrhoea or some other sexually transmitted
disease.
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Osteoporosis
A condition in which the amount of bone
mass decreases to the point where the bones are fragile and easily fractured,
affecting twice as many women as men. Women are particularly risk from the osteoporosis
as they have a lower density of bone, because of smaller body size than men.
The risk increases those who have a premature menopause, early hysterectomy,
previous anorexia nervosa etc. Also women who smoke or drink excessively are
at the greater risk. Weight-bearing exercise , a diet rich in calcium, Vitamin
D and other minerals, and not smoking can help to prevent bone loss. Hormone
replacement therapy is the most effective preventive treatment but is not suitable
for all women. Physiotherapy and acupunture can help to relieve pain. Osteoporosis
can be detected by doing Bone Density Test
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Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease (PID)
It is an inflammation of the Fallopian Tubes,
ovaries and Uterus. The disease can be acute or chronic. Acute PID causes
severe abdominal pains, high fever , chills, foul-smelling vaginal discharge
and abdominal tenderness. PID is a result of bacterial infection, but chlamydia
and Gonorrhoea are responsible for mini cases. Treatment is by means of antibiotics
and bed rest. The condition usually improve within two weeks. But if not, another
antibiotics is given. If 3 courses of antibiotics do not clear the
infection, then the disease is deemed to have become chronic, Chronic PID results
in a low level of infection that can continue for weeks or months.
Symptoms are persistent abdominal
pain or cramps, fatigue, weakness and very heavy menstrual periods. Some mild
cases have few or no symptoms but can cause partial or total infertility.
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Gonorrhoea
It is an extremely common venereal or sexually
transmitted disease, that is caused by the bacterium Neissera-gonorrhoeae. The
bacteria are found in the Mucous Membrances of the Vagina, Urethra, throat and
mouth. If gonorrhoea is not treated it can damage and inflame the Fallopian
Tubes and other pelvic organs, and this can arise after only 8-10 weeks. Other
possible damage includes eye infection that can cause blindness, septicaemia
(blood poisoning), Gonococcal Arthritis, it may occur in conjunction with a
painful skin rash and inflammation of heart valves. Symptoms of gonorrheoa
include vaginal discharge (green or yellow in colour), Dysuria, possible
inflammation of the rectum and a sore throat . To diagnose the disease,
swabs of the discharge are obtained and organisms grown are identified
in the laboratory. Treatment is by a single , very large dose of penicillin,
or tetracycline if the organisms is resistant to penicillin.
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Mastitis
inflammation of the breast
It occurs usually because of bacterial infection
during breast feeding. Symptoms include, pain in the affected breast, tenderness,
swelling, fever and possibly a chill. Treatment with warm compress and antibiotics
normally resolves the condition. If the inflammation does not subside then a
breast abscess may form.
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Menorrhagia
It is menstruation with abnormally
heavy or prolonged blood flow. This may be frequent periods, one that
continuous for 7 days or more, or one with exceptionally heavy flow over two
to three days. Menorrhagia can occur because of fibroids, inflammation in the
pelvic cavity, an Intrauterine device (IUD) or hormonal imbalance.
The bleeding can cause anaemia with pallor
fatigue, which can be treated with iron supplements. Treatment depends on the
cause and may include a D and C, the combined contraceptive pill, removal
of an IUD, or danazol, a drug that inhibits the hormones produced by the pituitary
gland.
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