“It’s not easy to diagnose because depending where the endometrial deposits are, the symptoms can be quite different. It’s an unrecognized problem among teenage girls, and it’s something that every young woman who has painful menstruation should be aware of … it’s a condition that is curable if it’s caught early.
Author Hilary Mantel on being asked about being a writer with endometriosis, Nov 2012 NPR interview.
The uterus is a female reproductive organ located between the bladder and the rectum, in the pelvic area. The uterus has three layers: the inner lining (endometrium); the middle muscular layer (myometrium); and the outer layer (perimetrium). The uterus is connected to the fallopian tubes, the cervix and (via the cervix) the vagina.
Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects at least 6.3 million women and girls in the U.S., 1 million in Canada, and millions more worldwide. It occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus (tissue called the endometrium) is found outside the uterus — usually in the abdomen on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments that support the uterus; the area between the vagina and rectum; the outer surface of the uterus; and the lining of the pelvic cavity. Other sites for these endometrial growths may include the bladder, bowel, vagina, cervix, vulva, and in abdominal surgical scars. Less commonly they are found in the lung, arm, thigh, and other locations.
This misplaced tissue develops into growths or lesions which respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way that the tissue of the uterine lining does: each month the tissue builds up, breaks down, and sheds. Menstrual blood flows from the uterus and out of the body through the vagina, but the blood and tissue shed from endometrial growths has no way of leaving the body. This results in internal bleeding, breakdown of the blood and tissue from the lesions, and inflammation — and can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation, adhesions, and bowel problems.
Pain before and during period: Pain with sex, Infertility, Fatigue, Painful urination during periods, Painful bowel movements during periods and Other Gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea.
In addition, many women with endometriosis suffer from:
Diagnosis is considered uncertain until proven by laparoscopy, a minor surgical procedure done under anesthesia. A laparoscopy usually shows the location, size, and extent of the growths. This helps the doctor and patient make better treatment choices.
What Causes Endometriosis?
The cause of endometriosis is unknown. The retrograde menstruation theory (transtubal migration theory) suggests that during menstruation some of the menstrual tissue backs up through the fallopian tubes, implants in the abdomen, and grows. Some experts believe that all women experience some menstrual tissue backup and that an immune system problem or a hormonal problem allows this tissue to grow in the women who develop endometriosis.
Another theory suggests that endometrial tissue is distributed from the uterus to other parts of the body through the lymph system or through the blood system. A genetic theory suggests that it may be carried in the genes in certain families or that some families may have predisposing factors to endometriosis.
Surgical transplantation has also been cited in many cases where endometriosis is found in abdominal scars, although it has also been found in such scars when accidental implantation seems unlikely.
Another theory suggests that remnants of tissue from when the woman was an embryo may later develop into endometriosis, or that some adult tissues retain the ability they had in the embryo stage to transform reproductive tissue in certain circumstances.
Research by the Endometriosis Association revealed a startling link between dioxin (TCCD) exposure and the development of endometriosis. Dioxin is a toxic chemical byproduct of pesticide manufacturing, bleached pulp and paper products, and medical and municipal waste incineration. The EA discovered a colony of rhesus monkeys that had developed endometriosis after exposure to dioxin. 79% of the monkeys exposed to dioxin developed endometriosis, and, in addition, the more dioxin exposure, the more severe the endometriosis.
Many different treatments can help if your cancer has spread to bone, commonly called bone metastasis. Treatment cannot cure bone metastasis. But it can relieve pain, help prevent complications, and improve your quality of life.
Doctors use two types of treatments for metastatic cancer in the bones. Systemic treatments can reach cancer cells throughout the body. Local treatments directly target the cancer in the bone.
The treatment you get will depend upon:
This group of drugs works best in cases where metastasis is weakening the bone.
How it works. You receive bisphosphonates by IV infusion every 3 to 4 weeks. These drugs help with bone metastasis by:
Possible side effects. The most common ones include:
Another available treatment is denosumab (Xgeva). It’s given by injection and may work as well as or better than bisphosphonates to prevent fractures. But it also can cause osteonecrosis, as well as low calcium levels in the blood.
These drugs contain radioactive elements that target cancer cells. Doctors tend to use this systemic treatment when the metastasis is stimulating new bone growth. This is more common with prostate cancer.
If your cancer has spread to many bones, these drugs may be a better option than standard radiation, which uses a beam to aim radiation at each bone metastasis. However, sometimes doctors combine radiopharmaceuticals and standard radiation.
How it works. The doctor injects a single dose of the drug into a vein. It then travels to the areas of bone with cancer and gives off radiation to kill the cancer. This single dose may be effective against pain for several months. You can receive another treatment later.
Possible side effects. The most common ones include:
This systemic treatment helps your immune system spot and more effectively kill cancer cells. Some methods of immunotherapy have been used for a while, and some are still experimental.
How it works. Immunotherapy works in one of two main ways:
Examples of immunotherapy for cancer include:
Possible side effects. Side effects vary, depending upon the type of immunotherapy. They may include:
Chemotherapy is a common systemic treatment for bone metastasis. Your doctor will use a type of chemo that is effective against your primary tumor. So, if you have metastatic lung cancer, for example, your doctor will use drugs that are effective against lung cancer.
How it works. Anti-cancer drugs target and curb cancer growth. In most cases, you take chemo by mouth or through a vein (by IV). This can often shrink the tumors, which will ease your pain and help you feel better.
Possible side effects. Chemo can kill normal cells in addition to cancer cells. The side effects you might have will depend on:
Common side effects of chemotherapy include:
Your doctor can help you prevent or manage these. Most side effects go away once you stop treatment.
This is another common systemic treatment for cancer that can help with bone mets. Certain hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, promote the growth of some cancers, such as breast and prostate cancers. Stopping these hormones may reduce bone mets from those cancers.
How it works. There are two main ways to stop the body from making hormones. One is surgery to remove the organs that produce the hormones, such as the ovaries or testicles. More often, doctors prescribe drugs that stop the hormone from being made or block its effect.
Possible side effects. These depend on the specific treatment. Hot flashes are common. Some hormone therapy, such as aromatase inhibitors, may speed up bone loss.
Side effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer can include:
Side effects of hormone therapy for breast cancer can include:
Radiation is a “local treatment” because it does not affect your entire body. It uses high-energy X-rays or particles to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells in the bone. It helps most if you have only one or two bone metastases. You may receive it alone or combined with other types of treatment.
How it works. A machine focuses a beam of radiation on the bone metastasis. This treatment, called external beam radiation, lasts only a few minutes. You may receive radiation in one large dose or in smaller amounts over several treatments.
Possible side effects. Early, temporary side effects depend on the location being treated, but may include:
Surgery can often help relieve bone metastasis symptoms.
How it works. If a bone is broken, surgery may help relieve pain quickly. Surgery can also help stabilize a weak bone to keep it from breaking. The surgeon may insert:
Possible side effects. These include the usual risks of any surgery, such as infection.
If surgery is not an option, your doctor may use a cast or splint, or inject bone cement to help you move better and relieve pain.
With this local treatment, a needle or probe is put into the tumor to destroy it. Though used more often for other types of metastasis, ablation can help if you have a problem with one or two bone tumors.
How it works. Some methods of ablation use chemicals or alcohol to kill the tumor. Two common methods include:
Afterward, the doctor may fill the space created by ablation with bone cement to help stabilize the bone.
Possible side effects. This procedure is generally safe but may cause some temporary soreness, swelling, and bruising.
This noninvasive procedure uses ultrasound energy and MRI technology to provide pain relief by destroying nerve endings in the area of the tumor. Because there is no incision, and no probe is inserted, the procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis with a local anesthetic rather than general anesthesia. While complications are possible, they are rare.
How it works. A specialist uses MRI scanning to target the specific area to be treated with ultrasound. Then, heat that’s made when ultrasound penetrates the targeted tissue destroys nerve endings in the bone around the tumor. The destruction of nerve endings results in pain relief.
Possible side effects. Possible complications include skin burns and damage to heat-sensitive organs that are next to the treated area.
“Vaccinating your child or adults keeping up on getting re-vaccinated is the safest and most effective way of protecting them from serious diseases.”
CDC
It isn’t just a little rash
Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children.
Measles symptoms typically include:
Measles Are Serious especially letting anyone with it just go in public and allowing other people to be exposed to it with spreading the illness on to others causing a possible epidemic; like in Rockland County now. WHY has this happened since parents, particularly Hasidic Jewish but there are others in communities not getting vaccines against measles. Foolish for their children and no concern for their community in prevention of them getting measles. That is just not right.
About 1 out of 4 people who get measles will be hospitalized.
1 out of every 1,000 people with measles will develop brain swelling due to infection (encephalitis), which may lead to brain damage.
1 or 2 out of 1,000 people with measles will die, even with the best care.
You have the power to protect your yourself and your child.
Provide your children with safe and long-lasting protection against measles by making sure they get the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine according to CDC’s recommended immunization schedule. Be a responsible parent and citizen in the United States.
Measles can be a serious in all age groups. However, children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 20 years of age are more likely to suffer from measles complications.
Common measles complications include ear infections and diarrhea.
Some people may suffer from severe complications, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). They may need to be hospitalized and could die.
Measles may cause pregnant woman to give birth prematurely, or have a low-birth-weight baby.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a very rare, but fatal disease of the central nervous system that results from a measles virus infection acquired earlier in life. SSPE generally develops 7 to 10 years after a person has measles, even though the person seems to have fully recovered from the illness. Since measles was eliminated in 2000, SSPE is rarely reported in the United States.
Among people who contracted measles during the resurgence in the United States in 1989 to 1991, 4 to 11 out of every 100,000 were estimated to be at risk for developing SSPE. The risk of developing SSPE may be higher for a person who gets measles before they are two years of age.
Be responsible to yourself, to your child and to your community get the VACCINE for measles to prevent yourself, your child and your community getting measles. Vaccines prevent you getting the measles, what is so hard to understand and no God in his right mind would condemn you for getting vaccines for yourself, children and community. There surely was no vaccines invented when God existed, just do your research.
“Epilepsy and seizures can develop in any person at any age. Seizures and epilepsy are more common in young children and older people.
Epilepsy Foundation
“Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages.
Epilepsy Foundation
“Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness.
Anyone can develop epilepsy. Epilepsy affects both males and females of all races, ethnic backgrounds and ages. Seizure symptoms can vary widely.
At least two unprovoked seizures are generally required for an epilepsy diagnosis.”
MAYO Clinic
Most people with epilepsy are otherwise healthy; as long as it is controlled like most other diseases. A seizure is a physical manifestation of paroxysmal and abnormal electrical firing of neurons in the brain. Think of it as numerous voltage (hyperexcitability of neurons) going throughout the brain meaning brain waves going in all directions with the brain saying its too much activity causing the brain to go into a seizure.
When the seizure occurs there is a decrease in oxygen since the brain isn’t capable to send messages during the seizure. If the seizure continues to repeat one right after another the person is in status epilepticus and if the seizures doesn’t stop the person can lead to a neuronal death; like John Travolta’s son who died of this.
The term seizure disorder may refer to any number of conditions that result in such a paroxysmal electrical discharge. These conditons could be metabolic or structural in nature. Epilepsy is the term for those who have a second seizure that occurs spontaneously and without preceding metabolic or structural cause for the occurrence. Epilepsy is a chronic disorder that requires antiepileptic drug therapy; usually thorough out life.
Etiology of Epilepsy is generally a sign of underlying pathology involving the brain. It may be the first sign of nervous system disease (ex. Brain tumor), or it may be a sign of a systemic or metabolic derangement.
Metabolic and Systemic Causes of Seizures:
a.) Electrolyte Imbalance=Acidosis, heavy metal poisoning, Hypocalcemia, Hypocapnea, Hypoglycemia, Hypoxia, Sodium-Potassium imbalance, Systemic diseases (liver, renal failure, etc…) Toxemia of pregnancy, and water intoxication.
b.) Infections like meningitis, encephalitis, brain abcess.
c.) Withdrawal of sedative-hypnotic drugs=Alcohol, Antiepileptic drugs, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines.
d.) Iatrogenic drug overdose=Theopylline, Penicillin.
Other causes of epilepsy can be Trauma, Heredity.
Structural causes of epilepsy:
Head trauma/Degenerative Disease like Alzheimer’s or Creutfeldz-Jacob or Huntington’s Chorea or Multiple Sclerosis or Pick’s Disease. There is also tumors or genetic disease or Stroke or Infections or Febrile seizures.
Types of seizures
I-Partial seizures (seizures beginning local)
1-simple partial seizures-(the person is conscious and not impaired). With motor symptoms, autonomic symptoms and even psychic symptoms.
2.)-Complex partial seizures-(the person is with impairment of consciousness)
II-Generalized seizures-(bilaterally symmetrical and without local onset).
3.) Tonic clonic seizures – Grand Mal
“Genital warts are one of the most common types of sexually transmitted infections. Nearly all sexually active people will become infected with at least one type of human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes genital warts, at some point during their lives. Women are somewhat more likely than men to develop genital warts.
As the name suggests, genital warts affect the moist tissues of the genital area. Genital warts may look like small, flesh-colored bumps or have a cauliflower-like appearance. In many cases, the warts are too small to be visible.”
MAYO Clinic