Posts Tagged ‘Severe’

Incontinence during Pregnancy – causes and treatment

During pregnancy, many women experience at least some degree of urinary incontinence (involuntary loss of urine). Incontinence can be mild and infrequent for pregnant women, but it can be more serious for others. Incontinence can continue after pregnancy and may not be present immediately after birth.

Causes:
Urinary incontinence during pregnancy can also result from an overactive bladder. Women with overactive bladder need to urinate more than usual because your bladder has uncontrollable spasms. Also, the muscles around the urethra – the tube through which urine passes from the bladder – may be affected. These muscles are designed to prevent urine that leaves the body.

The sphincter of the bladder controls the flow of urine and it is a muscular valve that is located at the bottom of the bladder. When a woman is pregnant, the uterus that is expanding puts extra pressure on bladder which can cause the sphincter muscles are overwhelmed by this stress and as a result the urine may leak from the bladder.

After pregnancy, incontinence problems may continue because childbirth weakens pelvic floor muscles, which can cause an overactive bladder. Pregnancy and childbirth can contribute to problems with bladder control due to the following conditions:

- Damage to the nerves that control bladder.
- The fact that the urethra and bladder have moved during pregnancy.
- The episiotomy, a cut in the muscle of the pelvic floor during delivery of a baby to allow the fetus to flow easily.

Treatment:
Most women with urinary incontinence can be effectively managed in general practice with fairly simple treatment.
Surgical treatment
Colposuspension: The support of the bladder muscles can also be improved by Colposuspension, in which the top of the vagina is pulled forward and stitched. This is usually successful and does not causes any problems with sex.
1.Procedure of surgical tape. A result similar to Colposuspension can now be achieved by using surgical tape that is able to support the bladder. This procedure takes 30 minutes to complete and can be performed as a day procedure cases, under a local or general anesthesia. Early results show a success rate that is comparable with Colposuspension.
2.Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery is also showing promise as a new technique in the treatment of incontinence.

Non surgical treatment
- Bladder training aims to teach the bladder does not send signals to the brain prematurely. A training program is designed to gradually increase the length of time a person must wait before emptying the bladder, so the reasonable control of a full bladder can be achieved. This is recommended for a minimum of six weeks.
- Hormone replacement therapy is useful to help urge incontinence in women after menopause. It is particularly effective in stress incontinence.

Kegel exercises
They are another method that can be used to help control urinary incontinence. These exercises help to reinforce and strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can improve the function of the urethra and rectal sphincter. One way to help locate the Kegel muscles is to insert a finger into the vagina and try to make the muscles around your finger tightened.
To perform Kegel exercises, you should:
• Keep your abdomen, hips and buttocks relaxed
• Tighten the pelvic floor muscles, keep your muscles for a count of 10
• relax the pelvic floor muscles for a count of 10

If the problem continues to persist consult your doctor for that.

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What is Asthma? What are its causes, symptoms, prevention measures and treatment?

Asthma is a problem in which there is an airways blockage and it is a lung disorder. Air is carried in and out of the lungs through tubes called airways. In asthma, the bronchial tubes are inflammed which causes swelling and the air pathways are narrowed which in turn causes breathing problems. Asthma can be severe. In severe asthma attacks, the airways are narrowed to such an extent that vital organs do not gt enough oxygen. Asthma can cause death if not prevented on time. Asthma can be categorized into allergic asthma and asthma induced due to exercise. Asthma attack can last for few hours or few days.

CAUSES OF ASTHMA ATTACK
- Allergic to pollen.
- Allergic to dust.
- Climate change.
- Respiratory infections.
- Too much stress.
- Allergic to tobacco.
- Hereditary.
- Exposure to airborne allergens.
- Exposure to some viral infections in childhood.
- Paints.
- Animal fur.

SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA ATTACK
- Problem in breathing.
- Wheeziness.
- Cough.
- Chest tightness.
- Swelling.
- Breath shortness.
- Asthma attack can get worse in morning and night.
- Asthma attack gets worse with exercise.
- Skin between the ribs is pulled while breathing.
- In case of emergency, bluish color appears on lips and face, pulse increases rapidly, state of confusion, severe anxiety, sweating, abnormal breathing pattern, chest pain.

PREVENTION OF ASTHMA ATTACK
- Identify the allergens that exist indoors and try to avoid them.
- Avoid environmental tobacco smoke.
- Avoid dust mites.
- Allergens from pets, cockroaches and other pests should be avoided.
- Pollen season depends on where you live. Be extra careful in pollen season.
- Avoid certain foods like fish, egg, peanuts, soy, wheat that can prove allergic.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ASTHMA
Diagnosis of asthma includes checking the physical history, blood tests, chest x-ray, lungs test, allergy test. Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms. It is treated in three ways:
- Monitoring the symptoms of asthma.
- How to avoid the triggers to cause asthma.
- Treatment with medications.
- Visit the doctor.

Kidney Stones – causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

A kidney stone is a hard, crystalline mineral material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. It is one of the most painful problems of urinary tract. A kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time. Kidney stones, usually comprised of a compound called calcium oxalate, are the result of a build-up of dissolved minerals on the inner lining of the kidneys. Kidney stones often occur when urine becomes too concentrated.

Kidney stones consist of a center that consists of crystal-like substances and a surrounding region that is composed of layers. Different kinds of kidney stones include calcium stones, uric acid stones, cystine stones and struvite stones. Kidney stones are experienced between the ages of 30 and 50.

Causes of Kidney Stones

- Urine contains certain substances which converts into crystals.
- Lack of water.
- An excessively acidic environment in the kidneys is conducive to the formation of kidney stones.
- Heredity.
- Intake of certain foods results in too much of certain stone-forming components in the urine.
- Bowel disease.
- Chronic urinary tract infections.
- Urinary tract blockage.
- Minimal activity.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

- Intense, colicky pain that may fluctuate in intensity over a period of 5 to 15 minutes. The pain usually starts in your back or your side just below the edge of your ribs.
- Severe Pain.
- Nausea and Vomiting.
- Blood in the urine.
- Increase in frequency or urgency of urination, or the inability to urinate.
- Fever, chills and weakness.
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine.
- Pus in urine.

Diagnosis of Kidney Stones

- Diagnostic tests include a blood test, a urine test and a 24-hour urine collection test.
- Kidney-ureter-bladder (KUB) x-ray, a kidney ultrasound, an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) and if recommended, a CAT (CT) scan.

Treatment of Kidney Stones

- About 90 percent of all kidney stones can pass through the urinary system spontaneously with the help of plenty of water (two to three quarts a day) to help the stone move along.
- Pain medications.
- Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESLW) – Shock waves generated in water (like very tiny tidal waves) can be very precisely directed into the abdomen to break up the stone into smaller particles that can be easily passed in the urine.
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy – This method makes use of a tunnel-like surgical device that is inserted into a small hole in the patient’s back and positioned on the kidney.
- Ureteroscopy – When the stone is located in the ureter, this device, which looks like a wire, is inserted into the patient’s urethra and threaded through the bladder and up the ureter to where the stone is lodged.