Tagged: Abdominal Pain

Apr 05

Uterine Tumors Rarely Cancerous



A myoma is another name for a fibroid, a benign tumor that develops within the uterine wall or is attached to it. This growth is also called a fibromyoma or leiomyoma.

About 20 percent of women over 35 have myomas. This may occur singly or in groups. Fibroids may be as small as a pea or as large as a grapefruit. Women who have never been pregnant appear to be more susceptible to them.

“Normally, fibroids grow slowly. However, they respond to increased levels of estrogen and so may expand rapidly during pregnancy or if you take oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy. After menopause, these tumors usually shrink and often disappear completely as long as you are not taking estrogen replacement therapy,” said Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the “Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.”

Myomas may produce heavy or prolonged menstrual periods and low back or abdominal pain. Other symptoms include constipation, dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), and dyspareunia (painful or difficult intercourse).

The good news is that myomas are rarely malignant and most women who have them have no symptoms. But regular checkups are required to monitor their growth. The physician can feel them during a pelvic exam or see them clearly with ultrasonography. If myomas become too large, they can cause a number of problems.

“If your periods become very heavy, you could develop iron-deficiency anemia. Fibroids can make conception difficult, and if you are pregnant, they could cause a miscarriage or interfere with delivery. Some

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Posted in Cancer and Tumor

Apr 04

Understanding Your Allergy Symptoms – Finding Fast Hay Fever Relief



People having allergy symptoms to certain foreign substances can react differently. In fact, allergy attacks can be mild, moderate or severe – depending on the extent of its effect on the body. Mild symptoms only include itchy, watery eyes, rashes and congestion. This doesn’t spread to other bodily parts. As for moderate symptoms, these can spread through the body like itchiness and difficulty in breathing.

Among all three levels of allergy symptoms, the most life-threatening is Anaphylaxis. It is a rare case but is so severe it can suddenly affect the entire body. It starts with sudden itching of the face or eyes then it progresses to more complicated symptoms like cramps, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness or mental confusion and varying degrees of swelling which make swallowing as well as breathing very difficult.

An allergy is a result of an exaggerated reaction of the immune system as a response to bodily contact with distinct foreign substances. The reason it is exaggerated is due to the fact that these foreign substances are already seen as harmless to the body with no apparent reaction for non-allergic people.

The bodies of people with allergies recognize these as foreign substances and trigger one part of the immune system. Allergens are referred to as allergy-producing substances. This includes dust mites, pollens, dander, molds and certain foods as well as medicines.

In North America alone, there is an estimated 50 million people suffering from allergic conditions. In the US, the cost of allergies is believed to be over $10 billion dollars a year. In fact, it is noted that about 35 million Americans have allergic rhinitis while about 6 million of these are children. As for asthma, there is an estimated 15 million Americans with this condition while 5 million of these are children. Thus, the number of cases of asthma is also noted to have doubled in the last twenty years.

With the various types of allergies, hay fever is the most common. Allergy symptoms for this condition include red, stuffy noses with thin, clear discharges; sneezing; postnasal drips; water, bloodshot eyes; fatigue; sensation of plugged ears; having trouble sleeping; and itching noses, ear canals, soft palates, skins or eyes.

Another term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis. It refers to allergic reactions to airborne, outdoor materials like molds and pollens. These can affect your body once they enter through your skin, by swallowing or through inhalation. There are many medications now for allergy symptoms. People with hay fever can resort to taking antihistamine for fast, short-term relief but this medication can make you drowsy or sleepy. For long-term 24-hour protection, you can take cetirizine one hour before you go to sleep at night. It can guarantee freedom from allergy attacks for an entire day.

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Posted in Allergy

May 19

Medical Malpractice is a Common Problem



Everyday on the news you hear about yet another lawsuit with multi-million dollar settlements. And these are just the big, newsworthy lawsuits. But in court houses around the country, thousands of new lawsuits are being filed each and every week by ordinary people looking for ordinary compensation for injuries and damages. Some of the more common lawsuits are for medical malpractice. But medical malpractice encompasses more than just suing a doctor for damages. Medical malpractice covers things like hospital, dental, and chiropractic malpractice.

Most people have heard some of the horror stories of medical malpractice. Like the one where a patient goes into the hospital for a leg amputation. But when they awaken from anesthesia, they find that the wrong leg has been amputated. Or the patient with the abdominal pain after routine surgey. An x-ray shows surgical instruments left inside the patient. Of course, these are the extremes, and these people have every right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit and receive fair compensation for the pain and suffering they went through.

Hospital malpractice is when a patient is harmed in the hospital and seeks compensation from the hospital. This can be a case where a patient is given the wrong medication. It may be difficult to pinpoint exactly who is to blame: did the pharmacy put the wrong medication in the cup? Did the nurse administer the wrong medication to the wrong patient? Or did the doctor simply prescribe the wrong medication? In this case, a lawyer will more than likely file a hospital malpractice lawsuit.

Dental malpractice is when a dental procedure goes wrong. For example, you go to the dentist to have a filing and he extracts a tooth. Or he drills the wrong tooth and fills the one next to the decayed tooth. In these cases, you have been a victim of dental malpractice.

Chiropractic malpractice is similar to the above examples except, in this case, you have been harmed by a chiropractor. Perhaps you were treated by a chiropractor for lower back pain and he inadvertently causes neck pain. Or, a chiropractor may tell you that his adjustments to your spine will reverse hair loss. You may be able to file a chiropractic malpractice lawsuit in cases like these.

So, as you can see in the above examples, medical malpractice covers more than just a doctor making a mistake. It can cover dentists, chiropractors, and even entire hospitals. If you have been injured by a medical professional, your first step would be to contact a lawyer who specializes in malpractice lawsuits. They will be better able to inform you whether or not you have any legal rights under the law to recoup damages.

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Posted in Surgery