Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a serious condition where a female’s reproductive organs become infected and inflamed. It can spread from one organ to the rest of the reproductive organs and affect the tissues around the organs as well.

Many women do not know about PID but it is quite common. It affects 1 million women in the United States a year and 250,000 are hospitalized due to the infection.

Causes

PID is most commonly caused by gonorrhea and Chlamydia, two bacterial sexually transmitted infections. The bacteria are transmitted through bodily fluids. Therefore, young sexually active women are the most at risk. However, women at any age can develop this infection. Also, women with multiple sex partners are at a higher risk as well as those that use an intrauterine device as a form of birth control.

Symptoms

PID is not easily diagnosed because the signs are not always apparent in many patients. These symptoms include:

• Severe pain in lower abdomen
• Fever, nausea and vomiting
• Irregular period
• Discharge from vagina
• Back pain
• Painful intercourse and urination

These symptoms are worse at the end of the menstrual cycle and the first few days after the cycle is over.

Why is PID so dangerous?

PID is an infection and infections get worse over time if not treated. The infection can destroy the tissue that makes up the female reproductive organs. This can cause severe scarring and chronic pain in the pelvic region. This infection can also make a woman infertile. The reproductive organs become inflamed. Therefore, eggs cannot move through the fallopian tubes efficiently and the sperm cannot fertilize it.

In some horrible cases, women have become pregnant. Unfortunately, the egg can become trapped in the fallopian tube or in another part of the reproductive area that it should not be. The sperm can sometimes get to the egg and it becomes fertilized. A small embryo will begin to grow in the small space and not survive the conditions. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. This can potentially rupture the fallopian tube and cause severe issues. It can cause internal bleeding and even death. Women cannot reproduce in this condition and are infertile.

PID needs to be treated as soon as possible by a healthcare professional. It is a serious disease and needs to be taken care of before it causes permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive organs.

Prevention

Since the infection is caused by bacteria that are transmitted through bodily fluids, the best prevention is abstinence.

However, if abstinence is not a person’s first choice, the use of protection, such as condoms, during sex is another option. Trying to prevent the spread of the bacteria will work as well, however, it is not 100 percent effective.  THE PILL DOES NOT PREVENT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES!

 How important do you think it is for young women to be aware of PID as well as other reproductive infections?

Heart attacks are the #1 killer of both men and women. It occurs when there is a blockage in the heart, generally caused from a buildup of plaque lining the coronary artery. The blood cannot flow through the heart while there is a blockage. That means that oxygen is not getting to the heart and the heart muscle becomes damaged and then begins to die.

Causes of Heart Attacks

There are multiple causes of heart attacks.

Coronary Artery Disease is the number one cause. It is the buildup of plaque along the inner wall of the coronary artery. The plaque consists of fat and cholesterol as well as other items found in your blood.  Once the plaque builds up enough to block the blood flow, a heart attack occurs.

Another cause is a severe spasm of the coronary artery. This can occur from drug usage, emotional stress or pain and smoking cigarettes. The spasm closes up the artery and induces a heart attack.

Symptoms/Signs of a Heart Attack

Heart attacks can either come suddenly or build up slowly in a person. That is why it is important to get help immediately. Every second that a heart attack is occurring more and more of the heart muscle is being destroyed.

Chest Pain or discomfort

Shortness of breath

Pain in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach

Fainting

Nausea/vomiting

Cold sweats

Lightheadedness

When experiencing these symptoms, you or someone else needs to call 9-1-1 immediately to get medical attention as fast as possible.

Tips for a Healthy Heart

The best way to start preventing a heart attack is to begin eating a low fat diet. You need to increase your fruit and vegetable intake and reduce your salt intake. This eating pattern will help reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol level. It will also help you lose weight, which also benefits your heart.

Quitting smoking is also a great idea. It will not only help your heart, but your lungs as well.

Finally, take time to work out. Exercise strengthens all of your muscles, including your heart.

In what ways are you working on your heart health? Have you or someone you know survived a heart attack? If so, tell us about your/their recovery and lifestyle changes.

June 1^st is the first day of hurricane season for the Gulf and Atlantic Coast areas.  That means a few months of waiting and watching for possibly devastating tropical storms and hurricanes.  This also means a few months of added high stressors that compound our normal, everyday stresses.

Stress is feeling overwhelmed or having to deal with more than you are used to physically and emotionally. Stress speeds up your heart rate and breathing. In many situations, these symptoms can actually be helpful, allowing you to speed up your normal reactions in.

Unfortunately, stress is unhealthy when it is frequent and/or lasts too long.  Stress can affect you both emotionally and physically. Physically, stress can lead to back pain, headaches, an upset stomach and restlessness. It can lower your immune system making it difficult to remain healthy and can affect weight gain. 

Stress can also affect you emotionally. People suffering from stress can become moody, irritated and depressed, and can even lower your self-confidence.

Hurricane season does not help New Orleanians relax. That is why it is important to know the signs and symptoms of stress disorders and to learn use little tricks and tactics to help deal with added stressors.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder      

Many people don’t realize that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is actually an anxiety disorder.  People who suffer from OCD use obsessive thoughts about patterns and numbers to distract themselves from actually feeling the uncomfortable emotions surrounding stressful situations.  OCD causes people to spend hours of their day performing “rituals” that distract them from dealing with the world around them.

Some symptoms include fears and phobias such as a fear of germs, need for order and exactness, constant counting, eating foods in a specific order and constantly repeating words or phrases. 

OCD can be treated by a psychiatrist or mental disorder specialist.  The treatment process can be long and slow, but can allow many OCD sufferers to lead productive lives.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) materializes as exaggerated anxiety over normal, everyday things.  People who suffer from GAD generally can’t stop worrying about things like health, money, family and friends.  People who suffer from GAD generally are restless, irritable, constantly worry and experience headaches, nausea, trembling and insomnia.

GAD can sometimes be helped by some medications and psychological treatment.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is one of the more common anxiety disorders.  Panic Disorder can usually be diagnosed by the frequent experience of panic attacks.  A panic attack occurs when the patient suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of fear.  Symptoms of a panic attack include difficulty breathing, chest pain, the fear of death, the sensation of choking, terror, dizziness, sweating and trembling.

Panic disorder can be treated by some medications and through psychological treatment.

Tips

Some helpful tips to reduce stress in your life include:

·         Figure out where the stress is coming from

·         Reduce the amount of stressors in your life

·         Find healthy ways to alleviate your stress (exercising, writing, etc…)

·         Make sure to get enough sleep

·         Be positive

·         Eat healthy, nutritious meals

These are just a few tips to help you relax during this hurricane season.

What has helped you alleviate your stress in the past?

It’s summer time and with it comes warm, beautiful weather.  We all will be spending some more time outside in the next few months, so I think it’s important to be educated on exactly your body is experiencing when exposed to the sun.

As we all know, there are some risks to prolonged sun exposure, the most common being sunburn.  However, exposure to the sun is very important.  In small amounts, it can provide as much vitamin D as 100 glasses of milk.  Vitamin D is important for bone health.

Sun light is made of UVA and UVB rays.  It’s the UVB rays that are more harmful to the skin.  It’s important to know that, even if it is cloudy or overcast outside, your skin is still being exposed to UVB.  Sun exposure can be harsher at places near the equator and at high altitudes.  Most people rack up 50-80% of their lifetime sun exposure before they are 18, so it’s very important to keep en eye on children

                                            SUNBURNS                                         
 Regardless of your race or ethnic background, YOU can get a sunburn!  The more burns you experience the higher your risk for skin cancer.  Sun burns can begin about 30 minutes after being in the sun.  Redness and irritation will begin about 2-4 hours after exposure and the peak of your symptoms occur between 12 and 16 hours.

Sun burns can generally go untreated, but seek medical attention if you begin to experience blisters, nausea and fainting.  These could be signs of more serious conditions

HEAT EXHAUSTION

Heat exhaustion usually occurs when someone is playing or exercising outdoors and is more severe than a sunburn.  It typically occurs when someone depletes their internal “water supply” and their body is unable to produce sweat and cool itself down.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fainting.  If you experience the lesser of these symptoms, you may not have to seek medical help.  Just be sure to drink plenty of water and move into the shade.  If you begin to experience fainting, then proceed to the nearest hospital.

HEAT STROKE

Heat stroke is more severe than heat exhaustion.  It is actually a form of hyperthermia where your body is at an abnormal temperature and can be fatal if not treated immediately.  Causes of heat stroke include dehydration and symptoms sometimes mimic a heart attack.  They include difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, hallucinations, confusion and seizure.

Most susceptible to heat stroke are infants, seniors, outdoor workers and athletes.  To treat, immediately call 911, take the victim to a shaded area and give them plenty of water.

PREVENTION

Of course, it is unrealistic to deny yourself any exposure to the sun, nor is it health.  To prevent any of these ailments, be sure to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks from the sun and avoid caffeine, alcohol and tea.

Any questions?  Feel free to comment and post about your experiences with sun exposure and your tips for staying hydrated this summer.