Bladder spasms are the kind of involuntary contractions that take place in the bladder, over which the person has no control that may lead to urinary incontinence over a period of time and which may also be very painful.

Bladder spasms are indicative of a loss of control over the bladder, which is what causes urine leakage and are usually defined as acute spasmodic pain that originates in the bladder.

Though bladder spasms are most often seen as occurring with age (the most common demographic of individuals who have bladder spasms are individuals over 60), children are also known to suffer from this when they have undergone surgery such as the ureteral reimplantation surgery.

Though age is the chief factor seen as being responsible for bladder spasms, there are several other factors which can cause them:

• droopy bladder syndrome is one of the reasons why women may develop bladder spasms.
• interstitial cystitis can also contribute to this disorder.
• Certain kinds of infections, particularly bladder infections such as Urinary tract infection are also a cause of this, especially among women.
• Sometime victims of stroke may also develop bladder spasms since strokes damage areas of the brain which may contribute to the involuntary contractions that characterize bladder spasms.
• When people develop neurological problems as a result of advancing age or any other reason, this can contribute to bladder spasms since the brain sends erroneous messages to the nerves in the bladder.
• Some women have a particularly shaped or sized urethra, which increases the chances of them developing bladder spasms and they often find this to develop into a chronic condition.

The chief symptoms of bladder spasms are:

• Contraction of the bladder which gives rise to the feeling like having the urge to urinate. This contraction is random, and mostly unpredictable.
• Bladder spasms are also accompanied by pain; some times this is excruciating pain that some women liken with the pain of labor contractions. The spasms can also be fairly violent which is what makes them painful.

To avoid getting this disorder, it is important to drink lots of water to help keep the urinary tract clean. It is also important to ‘go’ when the urge strikes. It is not healthy to hold it in and frequent trips to the loo actually help have a healthier bladder.

Cranberry juice is also a healthy addition to your diet that will help prevent bacterial infection in the urinary tract.

Posted on Jan 12th, 2010 by admin | Comments Off

When breast cancer is found in the body, a number of different treatments will often be used to fight the disease, depending on the stage which the cancer is in. One of the strongest forms of treatment may include radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy uses different types of radiation to attack the cancer cells in the body, hoping to either kill them or prevent them from growing.

External radiation therapy will use a machine outside of the body to send radiation toward the breast cancer. These are high-energy x-rays which will attack the cancer cells in the attempt to eradicate them from the body.

Internal radiation therapy will use radioactive substances and place it inside of the body, close to the cancer. These substances can be sealed into needles, catheters, or seeds that are injected directly into the body.

It will then give off the radiation directly next to the source of the breast cancer in an attempt to kill it.

The type of radiation treatment which is used will depend largely on how advanced the breast cancer in the body is. The further along it has developed, the less time there is to fight it and more aggressive treatments are a necessity.

Posted on Jan 8th, 2010 by admin | Comments Off

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder of endocrine that affects nearly 5% of all women.

It is the most common hormonal disorder among women from all nationalities and races who are at their reproductive age.

If a woman has irregular periods that come every few months, excess growing hair on face and other parts of the body (called hirsutism), acne, weight gain and patches of dark skin (called acanthuses nigricans), then it is time for alarm clock to ring.

Women who have PCOS are at risk for so many additional problems like endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer also named the cancer of uterine lining.

It can be the reason for insulin resistance and can cause type two diabetes. This problem comes with high blood pressure and frequent cardiovascular disease causing strokes.

Dyslipidemia, a disorder of lipid metabolism causing high cholesterol and increased triglycerides levels can turn into weight gain.

The worst consequence of these benign tumors is the miscarriage and the thyroid’s malfunction.

Maybe the most common fear of the women is that this disorder causes infertility. Women with PCOS have a normal uterus and healthy eggs, so the chance of getting pregnancy is high.

However, talking with a doctor and following the instructions carefully before and after treatment may maintain the high percentage of fertility.

Although the symptoms and severity of symptoms differ among women, the main features of this disorder are obesity, irregular ovulation, acne and excessive amounts of androgenic hormones.

The treatment of PCOS is related to the patient’s goals and can be categorized as four main parts. They are lowering of insulin levels, restoration of fertility, treatment of hirsutism or acne and restoration of regular menstruation, prevention of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer.

Every area listed above has a considerable optimal treatment. Unfortunately, there are few clinical trials about this treatment. Thus, this situation makes the results more reliable.

There is medication treatment for this problem and an effective monitoring and treatment can prevent the escalation into a more severe condition and can even offer the chance to live a normal life and even become a mother.

The most common treatment of PCOS is taking a birth control pill. This pill corrects the hormone imbalance, lowers the level of testosterone, regulates menstrual periods, lowers the risk of endometrial cancer and prevents an unplanned pregnancy.

Knowing the risks of the syndrome, evaluating the dos and avoiding the don’ts will ease the treatment process as well as improve the health.

Posted on Jan 6th, 2010 by admin | Comments Off

As we know, pancreas is the organ of the body that is a crucial cog in the digestive system and it is this that regulates sugar levels of the body.

Pancreas pain can be the indication of a several major problems and can manifest itself in chronic back pain.

Pancreas pain can be caused by one of different conditions, such as Pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas or a tumor in the Pancreas.

Pancreatitis is the most common cause of pancreas pain and it may be either chronic or acute; in either case the damage that it can cause can be fairly extensive and bleeding, infection, and permanent tissue damage can result from it.

Pancreas pain usually manifests itself with either a sharp, sudden or gradual pain in the upper abdomen, which can extend through to the back. The worst of the pancreas pain is usually observed when a person has just eaten.

The pain could be quite severe and the duration may extend for several days. The pain is usually severe enough to require immediate medical attention.

Pancreas pain that is caused by Pancreatitis [Pancretaic cancer] could also have other symptoms such as a swollen or tender abdomen, fever, an elevated pulse and/or feelings of nausea and vomiting.

There also can be added complications such as low blood pressure and dehydration that a person may suffer as a consequence of pancreatitis and then there can be other consequences such as organ failure.

The heart, lungs and kidneys could, as a consequence of pancreatitis, collapse and fail. If there is bleeding in the pancreas, a person may even die and so pancreas pain is never a condition to be ignored.

Pancreas pain and its causes are commonly difficult to diagnose and pinpoint since the pancreas is located very deep within the body; i.e. not close to the surface.

However one of the main ways in which pancreatic problems can be identified and diagnosed is by a blood analysis. When the pancreas is affected by acute pancreatitis, the levels of certain enzymes found in the blood such as lipase and amylase are 300% of what is considered normal.

Levels of other minerals in the body such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, glucose, may also be altered with may alert the physician that there may be problems associated with pancreas pain. Various tests may be required to isolate the causes of pancreas pain before effective treatment is prescribed.

Posted on Jan 4th, 2010 by admin | Comments Off

Catching breast cancer in its earliest stages is one of the most important things you can do to help save yourself from fatal consequences.

Performing breast examinations on yourself frequently is the first thing that you need to do in order to watch for signs of breast cancer.

If a lump or anything out of the ordinary is found, you need to visit the doctor immediately.

They will perform a number of different tests to see what the abnormality is caused by and what can be done to fix the problem.

A mammogram may be the most common procedure to perform. This is basically an x-ray of the breast to determine what is inside.

If a lump is found, the doctor may perform a biopsy. This is where they will take either a section of a lump or the entire thing to examine the cells under a microscope to determine the nature of those cells and if they might be breast cancer.

An estrogen receptor test will determine how the breast cancer cells will react to an increased level of estrogen being introduced into the body. This can determine if hormone therapy will be enough.

Finally, an MRI may be performed to perform a look at the entire body to determine the state of health it is in. From here, breast cancer treatments can be decided upon.

Posted on Jan 1st, 2010 by admin | Comments Off