By: Mary Parker
Ovarian cysts are small sacs which consist of fluids and get developed in female ovaries. Most of these cysts are harmless but some may create problems by causing pain or rupturing or bleeding. One method of ridding yourself of ovarian cysts is to have them surgically removed.
Physiological ovarian cysts
All women of child bearing age who are not on pills have certain cystic structures in their ovaries, which continuously come and go. Such structures are essential for the development and subsequent release of the egg. They are referred to as “physiological” as they constitute a part of the general function of the ovaries.
A maturing egg is carried to the surface of the ovary during the earlier half of a normal 28 days cycle. It is carried there by a cystic structure known as “follicle”. This follicle carries out the dual task of not only getting the egg transported but also of manufacturing estrogen. The hormone that stimulates uterine lining growth is known as estrogen. The start of intrauterine helps the implantation of the fertilized egg and the growth of the embryo.
During ovulation, the follicle is the size of an olive. The egg is released when the follicle gets ruptured. The fluid of the follicle which, till then, had been clear, is replaced with blood which accompanies the rupturing process. Progesterone begins to be secreted after this and a substance, which is yellow colored, is formed during this time.
If the woman doesnt get pregnant at this time, the yellow substance becomes somewhat scarred and the cystic structure thus formed is called “corpus luteum”. The structures are generally small in size, but this process, at times, tends to carry on longer than necessary. The physiologic structures get filled with follicular fluid or blood and get enlarged to the size of say, a tiny plum. Such cysts may or may not turn out to be painful. But the primary side-effect that accompanies these cysts is that the menstrual cycle becomes irregular. It is quite a possibility that the cysts will leak or that they will twist the ovary resulting in the patient experiencing pain or severe tenderness. And, if an ultrasound shows that there is an enlarged cyst, there will have to be a surgery carried out.
Pathological Ovarian Cysts
Cystic structures, developed in the ovary, but which are not parts of the ovulation cycle are termed as “pathological ovarian cysts”. They are also called “tumors”. Such tumors can be basically divided into two categories: those which are malignant or cancerous or those which are benign. There are various kinds of pathological ovarian cysts. There are those which are made up of mucous and those which are made up of old blood.
It is not uncommon to find cysts such as these in women who are young and who happen to bear tissues of a wide array in a disordered manner. Such tissues can be found in fat, teeth, bone, thyroid gland and hair. Pathological cysts have a problem and that is that there is no scope of any regression in these types of structures. The fluid can accumulate at a tremendous rate. And, as fluid forms the principal and really only component of the cyst, it can grow very rapidly. It could enlarge in a couple of weeks or maybe months.
Reasons behind ovarian cysts
If you look at ovarian cysts through ultrasound, you will immediately realize that they resemble bubbles. As we said earlier, fluid forms virtually the only component of a cyst, and it is surrounded by a slim wall. A cyst such as this is known as a “Simple Cyst” or “Functional Cyst”. If however, it is the follicle which has failed to rupture and release the egg, the fluid remains and it is likely that it will form a cyst in the ovary. Because of this, one of the two ovaries gets affected. It happens sometimes that tiny cysts may be present in a normal ovary while the follicles are being formed.
Adverse Effects
Women can get affected by ovarian cysts at any age, and doctors have pronounced these cysts to be either physiologic or functional. This basically means that such cysts are not carriers of diseases and most of them are benign that is to say they are not cancerous. Also, many of these disappear by themselves within the space of a few weeks.
Cysts appear in women who are of child bearing age and they fall into the categories of cancerous growths or non-cancerous. It is strange that while ovarian cancer has shown the presence in it of cysts, ovarian cysts themselves represent a normal process or a harmless condition. Ovarian cysts can be of various types and include Corpus Luteum cysts, Dermoid cysts, Follicular cysts, Hemorrhagic cysts and many others.
Holistic Approach
A large number of medicinal methods are being used nowadays to try to cure ovarian cysts but none of these are able to guarantee full success. The only way that a woman can rise above ovarian cysts is through the holistic approach. And it has the added advantage of having no side effects and being wholly trustworthy.
The holistic approach believes in the saying “Forewarned is Forearmed” and tries to eradicate ovarian cysts by its very roots. The holistic approach tries to create fitness on the mental, spiritual as well as the physical level. So it basically persuades you to face ovarian cysts with courage and not to run away from it.
About the Author
Mary Parker is an author of the best-selling e-book, “Ovarian Cysts No More- The Secrets Of Curing Ovarian Cysts Holistically”. To Learn More About Her Unique 3-Step Holistic Ovarian Cysts Cure System Visit: http://www.whereareyouheading.com/recommends/ovariancysts.html
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There are many medical devices used in the health industry to help save lives or to improve the quality of life of millions of individuals. In general, defibrillators are an electrical device used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock. Implanted cardio-defibrillators ICDs are used to shock the heart into normal rhythm after a patient suffers ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, which are rapid, life-threatening arrhythmias originating in the lower chambers of the heart.
Guidant Failed to Disclose Known Flaws in its Defibrillators for Three Years
Guidant came under fire in the spring of 2005 after The New York Times reported that it failed to alert physicians and heart patients about a potential problem with the VENTAK PRIZM DR model defibrillator.
Since then, Guidant has admitted to knowing of malfunctions in its ICDs for three years but has continued to sell the defective ICDs, allowing them to be surgically implanted in patients, knowing that these patients were at risk for device failures that could lead to severe complications including death.
The New York Times reported that Guidant knew of the defects in a small number of its defibrillators as early as 2002 and yet continued to sell the old models, even though it had corrected the defect and was manufacturing newer models. In addition Guidant did not inform doctors and patients of the defect until it knew that the New York Times article would be published.
The FDA Recalls 50,000 Guidant ICDs
The Food and Drug Administration FDA oversees the safety of medical devices and on June 17, 2005, issued a nationwide recall of nearly 50,000 Guidant ICDs. These devices may develop an “internal short circuit without warning,” resulting in failure to deliver a shock when needed and are subject to memory errors. Less than a week later, Guidant issued a second safety advisory informing doctors to stop using five of its ICD models because a defective switch could cause them to malfunction.
Presently, Guidant is responding to Department of Justice administrative subpoenas requesting information related to faulty manufacturing, as well as FDA observations regarding manufacturing and quality control processes. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed suit against Guidant on November 3, 2005, stating, “We wouldnt permit this type of conduct in connection with the sale of cars or washing machines. It is simply unconscionable that it occurred with a critical medical device.”
Devices Subject to FDA Recall
As part of the FDAs oversight of medical devices the Administration has classified three classes of recalls, Class I, II, and III. Class I recalls are the most serious type of recall and indicates that there is a reasonable chance that the product will cause serious health problems or death. The FDA issued a Class I recall of the following Guidant devices:
CONTAK RENEWAL Model H135
CONTAK RENEWAL 2 Model H155
CONTAK RENEWAL 3 AVT Models M150, M155
CONTAK RENEWAL 3 AVT HE Models M157, M159
CONTAK RENEWAL 4 AVT Model M170, M175
CONTAK RENEWAL 4 AVT HE Models M177, M179
VENTAK PRIZM 2 DR Model 1861
VENTAK PRIZM AVT Model 1900
VITALITY AVT Model A135, A155
In a Class II FDA, recall there is a possibility that the device will cause temporary or reversible health problems, or there is a remote chance that the device will cause serious health problems. The FDA also issued the following Class II recall of the following Guidant devices:
CONTAK RENEWAL 3 Model H170, H173, H175
CONTAK RENEWAL 3 DS HE Model H177
CONTAK RENEWAL 3 HE Model H177, H179
CONTAK RENEWAL 4 Model H190, H195
CONTAK RENEWAL 4 HE Models H197, H199
PRIZM 2 DR Model 1861
RENEWAL RF Model H230, H235
RENEWAL RF HE Model H239
These recalls have been issued because the products pose very serious health risks or death for patients. The FDA is continuing to investigate other defibrillators on the market. Patients who have experienced health problems or injury related to these devices should seek legal help.
About the Author
To learn more about the medical devices, visit http://guidant.legalview.com/. Also use http://www.LegalView.com to learn about other medical devices that may cause defects including the Zimmer Durom cup or learn about the most recent risks associated with Avandia, as well as how to contact an Avandia attorney.
[Source : Full text health articles - Content for Reprint]
If you believe that yeast infection is something that you only get from direct contact with someone that has it, then think again. There are a number of possible causes of yeast infection. Among the possibilities include using oral contraceptive pills, taking oral steroids, about to get your period, being a diabetic, use of applications like soap, douche, hygiene products, and wearing tight, damp, and/or warm clothing. There are a number of solutions to treat the infection. But unknown to some, having the correct diet to treat yeast infection is also as important.
Detoxing, that would be the more appropriate term when it comes to a yeast infection diet. Yeast infection is a direct result of an overgrowth in some areas of a natural occurring microorganism, or Candida albicans as it is known in the scientific community. There may be some variations in the suggested diet but most often than not, with a strict adherence to the regimen, it is possible to encounter some relief from the infection in as early as three weeks.
One of the basic necessities in diet programs is drinking adequate amounts of water. Water is an important aspect of detoxing. It helps flush out the toxins inside the body. It has been also suggested that fresh fruit juices and even green tea be added to the liquid intake. But emphasis is given to drinking at least eight glasses of water per day.
It is also important to eat food that is fresh. It would be best to void processed and highly fatty foods, not only for your yeast infection but for your general health as well. Dont overcook your food as well. Foods have a tendency to loose much of its nutrients when heat is applied so be sure to cook your food just right.
Steamed and sauted would be the ideal cooking preparations. Vegetables dont need cooking, just make it a salad and youre ready to go. However, we do suggest that you avoid eating sweet vegetables like carrots, corn, potatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes.
Eat a lot of garlic. Garlic contains antibacterial properties which help in eliminating the overgrowth of yeast. Be generous with your fresh greens and limit your intake of meat. Fish, beef, lamb, poultry and eggs are okay in moderation. It has been suggested that an ideal serving of meat should be no larger than half the size of your palm. Adding more to this portion would be too asking to your digestive organs.
Sometimes there are other foods that you would like to include in your diet. Eating the foods you like will not affect much your diet as long as you eat them in moderation and in relatively small portions. Yogurt is something that you could add as well as small servings of brown rice or buckwheat.
For condiments, sea salt is okay as well as pure virgin olive oil. In fact, you can be liberal with the use of olive oil. Fresh ginger can be a good condiment for your yeast problem as well. Plus you can use it in a number of dishes like salads, tofu, meat dishes, and soups. Not only does it contain properties that might help treat the infection, but it is generally good for your digestion as well.
A good diet to treat yeast infection is a necessary step in the general treatment of the infection. You must learn to be healthy when it comes to your hygiene and the food you eat.
About the Author
1000s of Affordable Health,Medical,Fitness and Beauty Products here -
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[Source : Full text health articles - Content for Reprint]
Its not that difficult really. There are a number of simple and easy to follow ways in preventing yeast infection. You dont have to make things as complicated as they sound.
Simple, straight to the point prevention tips as well as solutions or cure can help make your life a lot easier and a lot comfortable compared to having a yeast infection. A couple of tips to prevent yeast infection are to follow so sit tight and continue reading.
Yeast infection results from the increase growth of the fungi Candida. The fungus is present in most of us so theres no actual ways of preventing contact with the said bacteria. However, what you can avoid is having contact with a moist environment. Fungus grows well in a warm, most environment, and Candida is not an exception.
Among the things that you better avoid in order to prevent the full development of the infection includes wet clothing especially bating suits. These are quite obvious since we just mentioned that fungus likes growing in warm and wet environment. Tight fitted pants, most especially jeans are a no-no. You should avoid leotards and spandex as well. The tight contact of the clothes to your skin prevents the area to breathe. The close skin contact also might cause some uncomfortable feelings and also trigger some reactions worsening the situation.
Nylon material on your underwear is also a good thing to avoid. Cotton would be ideal choice being clean and has a fabric that allows breathing space. Likewise, avoid pantyhose. Or you really want to wear pantyhose, just wear cotton underwear underneath.
Other tips that we suggest cover your personal hygiene. Keeping yourself clean especially down there is something that all women should do. Keeping your vagina clean and dry after you take a bath or a shower will help prevent the unnecessary growth of the Candida fungus. If youre accustomed in using deodorant napkins, perfumed tampons, or other feminine hygiene products that have been colored or perfumed, start avoiding them right away. Stick with the all natural stuff. Its better for you, for the environment, and especially better for me.
If you have a pretty active sex life, be sure to insist using condoms. Although yeas infection is not a sexually transmitted disease, having safe sex is just a good advice. Okay, lets move on shall we
Normally medicines should be good for you but in order to prevent yeast infection, it is best to avoid antibiotics since this will upset the balance of microorganism in your body favoring the growth of the Candida fungus. Unless prescribed by your doctor, stay away from antibiotic pills for a while.
Also, foods high in carbohydrates and sugar are a source of food for the yeast as well. So unless you want to keep feeding your yeast something that will help it grow, then you better stick with some fresh foods like vegetables and fruits for a while. Also, in eating your food, it has been recommended to eat fresh fruits and vegetables separately from cooked food. When you combined cooked and fresh, the food will tend to ferment in your stomach. The fermented food will harbor the growth of more bacteria aside from the fungus that you already have.
The more you should learn t control your food intake if you are diabetic. Monitoring and keeping the appropriate amounts of sugar level is a good way to keep you healthy as well as keep the fungus at bay.
These are but a few tips to prevent yeast infection. As you move along your research, you will get to know more about the techniques that can be used to avoid yeast infection as well as other methods that would help you cure the infection, in case you already have one.
About the Author
1000s of Affordable Health,Medical,Fitness and Beauty Products here -
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Posted on Aug 26, 2008 06:01:00 PM | Filed under:
General
I find Merck Scientific Affairs executive Jonathan Edelman’s op ed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer on the Vioxx “ADVANTAGE seeding trial” controversy to be mediocre spin control at best, if not deliberately misleading through selective omission of critical facts:
Taking Exception
Great value in clinical studies
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 26, 2008
Your articles “Merck faces more criticism” (Inquirer, Aug. 19) and “Journal vs. the bad seed” (Aug. 20) drew the wrong conclusion.
The Advantage study was published by the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2003 after passing the journal’s editorial and peer-review process that determined the study to be important new information for physicians. Dr. Harold Sox recently wrote in Annals that the way to identify a good clinical trial is to look at the importance of the scientific question it tries to answer.
This is the very same criterion that Annals and other medical journals use to select the studies that they publish and that Annals correctly applied in accepting the Advantage study five years ago.
Advantage was a randomized, controlled trial designed to address the scientific concerns of physicians, namely: the need to study Vioxx in osteoarthritis patients in the primary-care setting, in real-world conditions, and against a commonly used arthritis medicine, naproxen.
We are troubled by how easily the journal editors were persuaded by the conclusions of authors who were paid consultants to trial lawyers standing to profit from litigation.
[i.e., Hill et al, authors of the article “The ADVANTAGE Seeding Trial: A Review Of Internal Documents.” Ann Intern Med 2008; 149:251-258 - ed.]
There is great value in conducting scientifically based clinical studies to address unanswered questions. We believe we acted appropriately in the Advantage trial, and stand behind our unwavering commitment to ethical conduct and scientific integrity.
Dr. Jonathan M. Edelman
Executive director
Global Center for Scientific Affairs
Merck Research Laboratories
Upper Gwynedd
The bulk of this op-ed, in fact, consists of a Red Herring and an Ad Hominem attack.
First, the Red Herring. The controversy is not about what the Annals published in 2003, it is not whether the science in the ADVANTAGE study was itself “good” in isolation of contextual (e.g., ethics and social policy) issues. It is about what was written in the Annals in 2008, and the controversy over performing ADVANTAGE and other seeding trials, period.
Importantly, it was not the words of the 2008 article’s authors that the ADVANTAGE trials were of questionable scientific value.
Those words came from the head of Merck’s own R&D division himself. The 2008 Annals authors are reporting the words of Merck’s erstwhile head of R&D. Yet, Dr. Edelman failed to mention that highly relevant issue, as if it was irrelevant or immaterial. Politicians and biased journalists do this all the time.
From a physician/scientist, we expect better.
From the New York Times:
In e-mail messages on April 7, 2001, to … an executive vice president at Merck Research Laboratories, [President of Merck Research Labs] Dr. [Edward] Scolnick wrote that he was especially angry because the Advantage trial had no scientific purpose. In theory, Merck set up the trial to show that Vioxx caused fewer stomach problems than naproxen. But Merck had already demonstrated that with the Vigor trial, which tracked more than 8,000 patients for a year.
In pharma, the president of the research labs is usually considered “god” as far as new drugs are concerned. It was pointed out that Dr. Scolnick, largely seen as the #2 official in the company, worried that the ADVANTAGE study risked disclosing data to the Food and Drug Administration that could cause problems for Vioxx.
… [T]he reason we have resisted doing large marketing clinical studies is just this. It opens a lot of data to FDA that compromises the large clinically meaningful trials.” Small marketing studies which are intellectually redundant are extremely dangerous,” Scolnick wrote.
I find these statements by Merck’s former head of R&D quite remarkable for many reasons, some stated in my earlier post here. In fact I completed several assignments for Dr. Scolnick and can state emphaically he was not someone easily challenged on scientific matters. He knew his stuff.
I note that it’s unfortunate the Annals editors in 2003 did not have access to these remarkable statements. These statements, in fact, only saw the light of day due to the VIOXX litigation.
I also find the Ad Hominem attack (”against the person”) on the more recent Annals article authors, Drs. Hill, Ross, Egilman & Krumholz, disappointing (they were “paid consultants to trial lawyers standing to profit”).
So what?
That is useless information in the context of their current article.
In an ad hominem attack, the character or circumstances of a person making a claim, or their actions, are impugned. This attack is taken to be evidence against the claim or argument the person in question is making or presenting.
This is an exceptionally poor form of argumentation, especially considering the current Annals article was based on an “informational infrastructure” consisting of plain-English emails and documents written by Merck officials themselves. They are available for examination at this link.
These documents, provided by the company itself under rules of legal discovery, do not appear to be taken “out of context” in any way. They stand on their own merits.
The reason why an Ad Hominem (of any kind) is a fallacy is that the character, circumstances, or actions of a person do not in most cases have a bearing on the truth or falsity of the claim being made or the quality of the argument being made ( from the Nizkor Project page on ad hominem attack, link).
Is this is the state of Merck scientific debate, I ask? If so, the company’s leadership is in its ripe old age, dementia fast approaching.
Finally, if pharma wants to re-establish its credibility with physicians and patients, among others, it needs to start acting more like a concerned physician than a furiously spinning politician trying to “control the narrative.”
Addendum: when I shared an op ed version of this essay with Dr. Krumholz, who I know from my time as a postdoctoral fellow and faculty member at Yale School of Medicine, I received this reply:
… You are courageous — and one of the few willing to step up for us when we are attacked — and they cannot really attack the content — so they go after our characters. I have smear letters being sent widely throughout the University, including to the President and members of the Corporation [the Yale “board” -ed.] It is a nuisance.
To say the least.
I presume “they” refers to a wide variety of people who never learned basic rules of logical thought or argumentation, or selectively “forget” it to advance their own agendas. At this point, I have no qualms about calling such people either scoundrels, or stupid, or both.
– SS
[Source : Health Care Renewal]
