Online Medical Clinic

Cervical Cancer and Uterine Cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. Cervical cancer is caused by several types of a virus called human papillomaviruses (HPV). The virus spreads through sexual contact. There are 2 main types of cervical cancers: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Cervical cancers and cervical precancers are classified by how they look under a microscope. Cervical cancer is a carcinoma, typically composed of squamous cells, and is similar in some respects to squamous cell cancers of the head and neck and anus. Approximately 10-15% of cases develop in glandular surface cells (called adenocarcinomas). However, approximately 1,450 Canadian women will receive a diagnosis this year of invasive cervical cancer, and approximately 420 women will die from this disease.  Most (80-90%) invasive cervical cancer develops in flat, scaly surface cells that line the cervix (called squamous cell carcinomas).  Women in developing countries account for about 85 percent of both the yearly cases of cervical cancer.

Genital warts are caused by different HPV types, and are not related to cervical cancer. Risk factors for cervical cancer: human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, smoking, HIV infection, chlamydia infection, dietary factors, oral contraceptives, multiple pregnancies, use of the hormonal drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) and a family history of cervical cancer. A weak immune system. Most women who are infected with HPV never develop cervical cancer. Regular screening with a Pap smear effectively lowers the risk for developing invasive cervical cancer by detecting precancerous changes in cervical cells. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include: loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, single swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the vagina, leaking of urine or feces from the vagina and bone fractures.

Treatment of cervical cancer depends on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire to have children in the future. Microinvasive cancer (stage IA) is usually treated by hysterectomy (removal of the whole uterus including part of the vagina). Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus but not the ovaries) is not often performed for cervical cancer that has not spread. Radiation may be used to treat cancer that has spread beyond the pelvis, or cancer that has returned. Radiation therapy is either external or internal. Internal radiation therapy uses a device filled with radioactive material, which is placed inside the woman’s vagina next to the cervical cancer. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer. Some of the drugs used for chemotherapy for cervical cancer include 5-FU, Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Ifosfamide, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide.

Treatments for Cervical Cancer Tips

1. Surgery is often the main treatment for cancer of the cervix in its early stages.

2. Radiotherapy is as effective as surgery in this situation but can cause more side effects.

3. Chemotherapy is occasionally used before surgery, to shrink the cancer and make the operation easier.

Stop Smoking Herbs

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases, and reduces quality of life and life expectancy. Tobacco smoking is the act of burning the dried or cured leaves of the tobacco plant and inhaling the smoke for pleasure, for ritualistic or social purposes, self-medication, or simply to satisfy physical dependence or addiction. Smoking’s a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. It can also be done as a part of religious rituals, to induce trances and spiritual enlightment. The most common method of smoking today is through cigarettes, either industrially manufactured or rolled with loose tobacco and a rolling paper. Other forms, though less common, are pipes, water pipes and cigars. Many Methods of smoking. Cigarette smoke contains a number of artificial additives, particularly to enhance taste, and also several carcinogens. Cigarette ads still show smokers as attractive and hip, sophisticated and elegant, or rebellious and cool. Cigarettes are smoked by some with a cigarette holder.  A cigar is a cylinder of tobacco rolled in tobacco leaves for smoking.

Smoking is a widespread phenomena nowadays. Cigarette smoke contains a number of artificial additives, particularly to enhance taste, and also several carcinogens. There are no physical reasons to start smoking - the body doesn’t need tobacco the way it needs food, water, sleep, and exercise. People who smoke cigars or pipes seem to have a higher risk of death from coronary heart disease (and possibly stroke). About 37,000 to 40,000 people die from heart and blood vessel disease caused by other people’s smoke each year. Of these, about 35,000 nonsmokers die from coronary heart disease, which includes heart attack. Smokers not only develop wrinkles and yellow teeth, they also lose bone density, which increases their risk of osteoporosis.  Smokers also tend to be less active than nonsmokers because smoking affects lung power. Smoking can also cause fertility problems in both men and women and can impact sexual health in males.

Women who smoke have a greater chance of certain pregnancy problems or having a baby die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Psychological and pharmacological aids are available to help people quit smoking. Start using Rx-Hale Tablets one month before your Quit Date to prevent depression and anxiety and to stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent weight gain. Drink- lots of juice, herb teas and especially water- (Distilled if at all possible) to assist the body in flushing out the nicotine. Walk  in the fresh air for 30 minutes twice daily or more, breathing deeply.  The air cleanses the lungs and soothes your nerves. Get fresh lemons and squeeze the juice of one into a pint of distilled water. Drink this on rising in the morning instead of your usual morning puff. Elecampane combines well with coltsfoot, white horehound, pleurisy root and yarrow for respiratory conditions. Non-caffeine Herbal teas such as relaxing formulas, kidney, or liver herbs and other simple products are helpful and can be used freely.

Stop Smoking Herbs Tips

1. Drink- lots of juice, herb teas and especially water- (Distilled if at all possible) to assist the body in flushing out the nicotine.

2. Walk  in the fresh air for 30 minutes twice daily or more, breathing deeply.

3. Get fresh lemons and squeeze the juice of one into a pint of distilled water.

4. Drink this on rising in the morning instead of your usual morning puff.

5. Elecampane combines well with coltsfoot, white horehound, pleurisy root and yarrow for respiratory conditions.

6. Non-caffeine Herbal teas such as relaxing formulas, kidney, or liver herbs and other simple products are helpful and can be used freely.

7. Tobacco-free cigarettes are available for smokers progressively wanting to quit nicotine addiction.

Home Remedies for Gastritis

Gastritis is inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Gastritis can be caused by irritation due to excessive alcohol use, chronic vomiting, stress or the use of certain medications such as aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs. Gastritis can be a brief and sudden illness (acute gastritis), a longer-lasting condition (chronic gastritis), or a special condition, perhaps as part of another medical illness. Gastritis may occur suddenly (acute gastritis), or it can occur slowly over time (chronic gastritis). In spite of the many conditions associated with gastritis, the signs and symptoms of the disease are very similar: a burning pain in your upper abdomen and, occasionally, bloating, belching, nausea or vomiting. Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that infects the stomach. Infection with this bacteria may lead to chronic gastritis. Gastritis is a common medical problem. Up to 10% of people who come to a hospital emergency department with abdominal pain have gastritis.  Bile reflux: A backflow of bile into the stomach from the bile tract (that connects to the liver and gallbladder

Alcohol and certain other chemicals can cause inflammation and injury to the stomach. In some cases, gastritis can lead to ulcers and an increased risk of stomach cancer. Granulomatous gastritis is a rare entity. Tuberculosis may affect the stomach and cause caseating granulomas. Fungi can also cause caseating granulomas and necrosis, a finding that is usually observed in patients who are immunosuppressed. The symptoms of gastritis depend on how acute it is and how long it has been present. Symptoms of gastritis including is nausea or recurrent upset stomach ,abdominal bloating ,abdominal pain ,vomiting ,indigestion ,burning or gnawing feeling in the stomach between meals or at night, vomiting blood or coffee ground-like material and black, tarry stools. Other causes include worry, anxiety, grief, and prolonged tension, use of certain drugs, strong acids, and caustic substances. Chronic gastritis may occur in patients with a history of pernicious anemia, underlying kidney disease, or diabetes mellitus.

Gastritis home remedy treatment is quite effective. Coconut water is an excellent remedy for gastritis. Ginger - Chewing a small piece of fresh ginger with salt, five to ten minutes before meals, stimulates digestion. The diet should consist of milk with sugar, and a little old rice. Spices and condiments, alcoholic drinks, sour foods, chillies and pungent substances which are likely to aggravate acidity or pitta must be avoided. Other substances recommended are: barley, wheat, rice (at least one year old), cucumber, bitter gourd, green banana, pumpkin, pomegranate, and cow’s milk. Potato juice has been found valuable in relieving gastritis. The recommended dose is half a cup of the juice, two or three times daily, half an hour before meals. Application of heat with a hot compress or hot water bottle, twice a daily, either on an empty stomach or two hours after meals, will also be beneficial. Acid-suppressing drugs known as H2 (histamine 2) blockers (some include Tagamet HB and Pepcid AC) reduce production of stomach acid.

Home Remedies for Gastritis Tips

1. A teaspoonfull of ajwain (Carom seeds) with a pinch of salt is an effective remedy for gastritis.

2. A fresh ginger if chewed before taking meals stimulates digestion.

3. Coconut water is an excellent remedy for gastritis cure.

4. A combination of 200 ml of spinach juice mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice is very beneficial in the treatment of gastritis.

5. Half cup of potato juice before taking meals is also beneficial.

6. Lemon juice is an effective remedy for the treatment of gastritis.

7. High intake of water and juices is recommended.

8. Mix Sprague powder six parts and black salt one part. Take 2-3 grams of the mixture with warm water.

9. Chewing roasted fennel after meals imparts relief from gastritis.

10. Use of buttermilk and curd along with asafetida and cumin water is highly beneficial.

11. Tamarind water should be taken along with asafetida and cumin water.

Lung Cancer Treatment Tips

Mycoplasma infection is respiratory illness caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. M. pneumoniae is a common cause of mild pneumonia that usually affects people younger than 40. Mycoplasmal organisms are usually associated with mucosal surfaces, residing extracellularly in the respiratory and urogenital tracts. They rarely penetrate the submucosa, except in the case of immunosuppression or instrumentation, when they may invade the bloodstream and disseminate to different organs and tissues throughout the body. Mycoplasma infections are most common in the 5 to 20 age range, though the disease is usually more dangerous among the middle-aged and elderly. An epidemic occurs every three to five years. At least 17 species of Mycoplasma from humans, 4 types of organisms are responsible for most clinically significant infections that may come to the attention of practicing physicians. These species are Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Ureaplasma species.

Mycoplasma infections occur sporadically throughout the year. Widespread community outbreaks may occur at intervals of four to eight years. Mycoplasma infection is most common in late summer and fall. The common misconception that M pneumoniae disease is rare among very young populations and among older adults has led to physician failure to consider the organism in the differential diagnoses of respiratory tract infections in persons in these age groups. Mycoplasma is spread through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of infected people when they cough and sneeze. Colonization with Ureaplasma organisms and M hominis occurs primarily as a result of sexual contact. Both have been found more often in women than in men and more often in infant girls than in infant boys. Transmission is thought to require prolonged close contact with an infected person. Spread in families, schools and institutions occurs slowly. 

Mycoplasma Infections of the middle ear (otitis media) also can  result. Symptoms may persist for a few days to more than a month. Ear pain and nasal congestion may occur. Mycoplasmas can become a parasite in plants, insects, animals, and humans, and can trigger different diseases. Mycoplasma infection is usually diagnosed on the basis of typical symptoms. Mycoplasma infections will be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin or azithromycin are effective treatment. Pleuromutilins such as Econor are powerful new anti-mycoplasmal agents which provide an additional therapeutic option when patients fail to respond to conventional antibiotics. Low levels of mycoplasma infection were shown not to persist by repeat testing after growth without antibiotics.

Lung Cancer Treatment Tips 

1. Mycoplasma infections will be treated with antibiotics.

2. Antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin or azithromycin are effective treatment.

3. Pleuromutilins such as Econor are powerful new anti-mycoplasmal agents which provide an additional therapeutic option.

Sleeping Disorders - Symptoms, Causes, Effects

Sleep is an integral part of human existence, and we spend around one third of our total lives doing it. Sleep is a complex neurological state. Sleep disorder (somnipathy) is a disorder in the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders can interfere with mental and emotional function. Many adolescents actually have a common sleep disorder called a delayed sleep phase syndrome. Sleep is not just a matter of simply switching off the brain - it is a complex process involving several stages of deep and light sleep that occur over a full sleep cycle of around eight hours for most adults. One-third of all adult Americans–about 50 million people–complain about their sleep. Some sleep too little, some fitfully, and some too much. Although one-third of our lives is spent asleep, most of us don’t know much about sleep, not even our own. Sleep Apnoea (SA) is a disorder of breathing during sleep. Typically it is accompanied by loud snoring. People with sleep apnoea do not get enough oxygen during sleep.

Sleeping problems may be a result of different, sometimes serious, medical conditions. Sleep apnoea can cause morning headaches, high blood pressure, depression, difficulty concentrating, reduced libido and rapid weight gain. Narcolepsy has a prevalence rate of five per 100,000 population. It is a condition in which REM sleep cannot be inhibited during waking periods. As a result, involuntary periods of sleep lasting about 15 minutes occur throughout the day. People with narcolepsy can fall asleep at anytime be it while at work, talking, or driving a car. These ’sleep attacks’ can last from 30 seconds to more than 30 minutes. Chronic insomnia is associated with an increased risk of depression and accompanying danger of suicide, anxiety, excess disability, reduced quality of life, and increased use of health care resources. Physical causes include arthritis, kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, and restless legs syndrome. Behavioural factors include the misuse of caffeine, alcohol, or other substances.

Insomnia in its chronic form, affects approximately nine percent of the population. It manifests as a difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep. Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and sleep deprivation are very common in today’s busy world. Unfortunately, many people have a hard time trying to adjust to the rapid pace of today’s life and its challenges. They are more likely to suffer psychological or emotional problems eventually leading to sleeping difficulties. Other early effects of this acute syndrome include excessive diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypertension, tremors, restlessness, irritability, a headache, nausea, flushing, and nightmares. Anxiety can cause chronic insomnia as well as symptoms of tension, such as fatigue and restlessness; signs of autonomic hyperactivity, such as diaphoresis, dyspepsia, and high resting pulse and respiratory rates. Depression commonly causes chronic insomnia with difficulty falling asleep, waking and being unable to fall back to sleep, or waking early in the morning.

Multiple Myeloma Treatment

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects the plasma type of white blood cells. Multiple myeloma is a systemic malignancy of plasma cells that is highly treatable but rarely curable. The disease can cause systemic ailments, including infections and renal failure, and local catastrophes, including pathologic fractures and spinal cord compression. Myeloma cells tend to collect in the bone marrow and in the hard, outer part of bones. Sometimes they collect in only one bone and form a single mass, or tumor, called a plasmacytoma. In most cases, however, the myeloma cells collect in many bones, often forming many tumors and causing other problems. When this happens, the disease is called multiple myeloma. There are over 13,500 new cases of Myeloma in the U.S. each year, representing 20 percent of blood cancers, and one percent of all types of cancer. The incidence varies from country to country, with a rate of 1 in 100,000 in China to approximately 1 in 400,000 in most Western industrialized countries. Myeloma is more common in blacks than whites, with the male/female ratio 3:2.

Multiple myeloma is a disease of older people. Most patients who receive the diagnosis are aged 60-65 years. Only 3-5% of patients with multiple myeloma are younger than 45 years. The disease is rare in children. Risk of developing myeloma in individuals with significant exposures in the agriculture, food, and petrochemical industries. Blacks in the United States are twice as likely to suffer from multiple myeloma as whites. In fact, multiple myeloma is the most common hematologic malignancy in the U.S. black population. Treatment may help control symptoms and complications. Options include chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation and radiation. Pre-transplantation therapy used until now made patients undergo chemotherapy. Administered alternately two drugs (Bortezomid and Dexamethasone) before conducting autologous bone marrow transplantations. Bortezomib  is the first in a new class of medicines called proteasome inhibitors, and the first treatment in more than a decade to be approved by the FDA for patients with multiple myeloma.

Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for multiple myeloma. Bisphosphonate therapy serves as prophylaxis  against skeletal events. Adjunctive therapy for myeloma includes radiation therapy to target areas of pain, impending pathologic fracture, or existing pathologic fracture. Erythropoietin may ameliorate anemia resulting from either myeloma alone or from chemotherapy and has been shown to improve quality of life. Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing. In this form of treatment, a large machine aims the rays at a tumor and the surrounding area. Immunotherapy for myeloma has been evaluated primarily with interferon-alpha, demonstrating direct anti-tumor effects in vitro.Alfa interferon reduces growth of myeloma colonies and the plasma cell labeling index in vitro. Alfa interferon can be used as monotherapy or together with melphalan and prednisone during the induction phase of treatment. Allogeneic stem-cell marrow transplantation is currently being offered to selected patients.

Multiple Myeloma Treatment Tips

1. Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for multiple myeloma.

2. Bisphosphonate therapy serves as prophylaxis  against skeletal events.

3. Adjunctive therapy for myeloma includes radiation therapy to target areas of pain, impending pathologic fracture, or existing pathologic fracture.

4. Erythropoietin may ameliorate anemia resulting from either myeloma alone or from chemotherapy and has been shown to improve quality of life.

5. Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing.

6. Immunotherapy for myeloma has been evaluated primarily with interferon-alpha, demonstrating direct anti-tumor effects in vitro.

7. Alfa interferon reduces growth of myeloma colonies and the plasma cell labeling index in vitro.

8. Allogeneic stem-cell marrow transplantation is currently being offered to selected patients.

Uterine Cancer

Uterine Cancer also called is  endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is cancer that starts in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus (womb). strogen helps stimulate the buildup of the epithelial lining of the uterus. Uterine cancer usually occurs after menopause.  Most cases of endometrial cancer occur between the ages of 60 and 70 years, but a few cases may occur before age 40. Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers in American women. Endometrial cancer is more common in white women when compared to black women.  These form much less common cancers called sarcomas and account for less than 5 percent of uterine cancers.

Endometrial cancer is most common after the reproductive years, between the ages of 60 and 70. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer, but there are other cells in the uterus that can become cancerous — such as muscle or myometrial cells. Endometrial adenocarcinoma is histologically characterized by cribriform glands (or glandular crowding) with little, if any, stromal tissue between the glands. Most women recognize the need for prompt evaluation, although only 10-20% of women with PMP vaginal bleeding have a gynecologic malignancy.

Uterine sarcomas can present in a similar fashion to endometrial carcinomas. LMS may present in women early in the sixth decade of life with irregular menses or PMP bleeding. For uterine sarcoma, therapy with high-dose x-rays (external beam radiation therapy) to the pelvis can be one risk factor for sarcoma of the uterus. Obesity is linked to a 10 times greater risk of getting uterine cancer. Older Age (after menopause) is a factor for developing uterine cancer. Childless women are more likely to get uterine (and breast) cancer, since they have more “unopposed estrogen stimulation of the uterus. Birth Control Pills containing only estrogen stimulate the uterine lining and thus increase the risk of cancer. Heredity– Women who’s mothers or maternal aunts have uterine or breast cancer are at increased risk. Hyperplasia (thickening) of the uterine lining, especially when the cells look abnormal, can raise the chance of getting uterine cancer to 20%. Radiation Exposure is a rare, but possible cause of uterine cancers, especially those arising from the muscular wall of the uterus. 

Endometrial cancer may originate in a small area (eg, within an endometrial polyp) or in a diffuse multifocal pattern. Early tumor growth is characterized by an exophytic and spreading pattern. Treatment options involve surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Exploratory surgery with staging is the treatment of choice in stage I and early stage II disease. Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy travels through the bloodstream to tumor cells throughout the body.  Hormone therapy is used to slow the growth of uterine cancer cells. Hormone therapy for uterine cancer involves the sex hormone, progesterone, given in a pill form. It may be used for women who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy. Brachytherapy is another form of radiation that involves the internal application of radiation, usually to the inner lining of the uterus. Brachytherapy has significantly fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy does.

Treatments for Uterine Cancer Tips

1. Surgery.

2. Radiation therapy.

3. Hysterectomy may be performed in women with the early stage 1 disease.

4. Abdominal hysterectomy is recommended over vaginal hysterectomy.

5. Brachytherapy is another form of radiation that involves the internal application of radiation, usually to the inner lining of the uterus.

6. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.

Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is  called a mini-stroke. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a stroke that is quickly resolved before causing permanent damage. Transient ischemic attacks are caused by a temporary interruption of the blood flow to brain cells. Since a TIA is a short-term type of stroke, the risk factors for stroke apply to TIAs as well.  Diffusion-weighted imaging demonstrates microinfarctions (< 1 cm3) in approximately 50% of patients with TIA, establishing that not all clinically transient spells are transient at the tissue level. Being male, more than 35 years old, having stroke at entry, and cardiac diseases, were independent predictors of the composite outcome event, whereas only stroke at entry and cardiac diseases predicted death from all causes. Stroke occurs in all age groups, in both sexes, and in all races in every country. It can even occur before birth, when the fetus is still in the womb. Cigarette smoking has been linked to the buildup of fatty substances in the carotid artery, the main neck artery supplying blood to the brain.

Strokes that affect the back of the brain may lead to loss of vision, while strokes in the front of the brain can cause personality or behavioral changes. Women ages 39 to 50 who ate more fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids had a reduced risk of stroke. This was particularly true in women who did not take aspirin regularly. Women ages 15 to 44 who had 2 drinks of wine a day had a 40% to 60% lower risk of stroke than women who did not drink alcohol. Phenylpropanolamine, a compound contained in appetite suppressants and cold remedies, significantly increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in women 18 to 49 years of age. Mortality in both groups was significantly higher than in the general population, and average mortality was higher in the first than in subsequent years.

TIA is related with other medical conditions like hypertension, heart disease, migraine, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus. Anticoagulant medications such as aspirin, dipyridamole, heparin and coumadin may be used. Neuroprotectants are medications that protect the brain from secondary injury caused by stroke. Medications used for this purpose include anticoagulants (anti-clotting medications) and antiplatelet medications such as aspirin and clopidogrel (Plavix). Surgery can be used to prevent stroke, to treat acute stroke, or to repair vascular damage or malformations in and around the brain. Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure in which a doctor removes fatty deposits (plaque) from the inside of one of the carotid arteries, which are located in the neck and are the main suppliers of blood to the brain. OT also involves exercise and training to help the stroke patient relearn everyday activities such as eating.

Stroke Treatment Tips

1. Anticoagulant medications such as aspirin, dipyridamole, heparin and coumadin may be used.

2. Neuroprotectants are medications that protect the brain from secondary injury caused by stroke.

3. Surgery can be used to prevent stroke, to treat acute stroke, or to repair vascular damage or malformations in and around the brain.

4. Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure in which a doctor removes fatty deposits (plaque) from the inside of one of the carotid arteries,

5. OT also involves exercise and training to help the stroke patient relearn everyday activities such as eating.