Women who routinely douche with feminine hygiene products are more likely to suffer from pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), yeast infections and cervical cancer.
This was revealed by Dr. John Renner of the Consumer Health Information Research Institute in “The Women’s Book of Home Remedies” who said that routine douching may actually do more harm than good.
The market is full of a variety of feminine hygiene products that promise to “clean” the vagina. These include sprays, perfumed soaps and other vaginal deodorants. However, doctors said these products contain alcohol and other harsh chemicals that can dry out and irritate sensitive vaginal tissues. Regular use of these products can upset the vaginal environment and cause harmful microorganisms to grow.
“Women have been told they should routinely douche with a variety of feminine hygiene products to ‘clean’ the vagina. The vagina doesn’t need help in cleansing itself. It does so naturally. All routine douching does is alter the vagina’s pH and encourage yeast infections. It can also increase the risk of PID, a potentially deadly infection of the uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes,” warned Renner.
A study in The Journal of the American Medical Association said women who douched three or more times per month were three-and-a-half times more likely to have PID than women who douched less than once a month. Symptoms of PID include fever, chills, lower abdominal pain or back pain, pain during or after intercourse, and a pus-like vaginal discharge.
Another study in The American Journal of Epidemiology showed that women who douched more than once a week were nearly five times as likely to develop cervical cancer as women who douched less often.
Regular douching also encourages the growth of the fungus called Candida albicans that often causes a vaginal infection called vaginitis or candidiasis. Vaginitis is characterized by an itching and burning sensation and a vaginal discharge that looks like cottage cheese.
Fungi that strike at the nails can cause stubborn and embarrassing infections that cause the nails to become brittle, discolored and dull. To remedy this, use Somasin AFS, a safe and effective herbal formula that penetrates deep into the nails and surrounding tissues, and strengthens your immune system to restore your nails’ healthy look and shine. Visit http://www.somasin.com today for details.
About the Author
Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com.
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Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) belong to a group of cancers known as squashy tissue sarcomas. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are a rare tumor of the gastrointestinal tract (1-3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies). GISTs can also initiate in the mesentery and omentum. Overall, GISTs are rare and rank a distant third in prevalence behind adenocarcinomas and lymphomas among the histologic types of gastrointestinal tract tumors. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are approximately same in males and females. GISTs arise in 10-20 per one million people; one out of 3-4 is malignant.
This makes GIST the most common type of sarcoma, which comprises more than 70 types of cancer, but in all forms constitutes less than 1% of all cancer. In the United States annually has been estimated to be 5,000-6,000. Some families with hereditary GISTs have been described, most cases are sporadic. GISTs arise with a higher than expected frequency in patients with type 1 neurofibromatosis. GISTs are also a feature of the rare carney triad, which is observed predominantly in young women. This triad consists of epithelioid gastric stromal tumors, pulmonary chondromas, and extra-adrenal paragangliomas.
Tumors usually occur from the intestinal tract with the most common locate being the stomach, followed by the tiny intestine, and the colon/rectum with rare cases arising in the esophagus. There are also tumors that appear to arise in the membranous tissue lining the wall of the stomach (peritoneum) or in a fold of such membranous tissue. There are also case reports of tumors arising in the appendix and/or pancreas. These tumors most commonly present with abdominal pain, bleeding or signs of intestinal obstruction.They spread most commonly to sites within the abdominal cavity and to the liver.
While there are rare cases of spread to the lungs and bone. GIST results from a change in one of two genes, KIT or PDGFR, which leads to continued increase and division of tumor cells. Treatment is with surgery. Patients who have disease that has spread are treated with surgery when possible and with imatinib mesylate (Gleevec, Glivec), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the KIT or PDGFR responsible for tumor growth. Systemic chemotherapy trials for the treatment of GISTs have almost totally been associated with poor results.
About the Author
Juliet Cohen writes articles for beauty tips. She also writes articles for hairstyles photo and makeup tips.
Prescription Drugs & Side Effects : About Sulfasalazine
The answer to a healthy back is appropriate exercise. The problems associated with back pain can be minimized with exercises. It is widely known that regular exercises will improve the appearance and health in general, but very few realize the benefits that good physical conditioning can have on their back pain.
The benefit of exercises for the back depends on the following three key principles:
To attain satisfactory aerobic fitness.
To focus part of the exercising on the muscle groups that supports the back.
To avoid exercises that cause heavy stresses on the back
The right kind of exercise program helps in keeping the back pain under control and can make it easier to continue doing the daily chores. A break from vigorous exercise can be taken if the pain becomes worse. A Doctor or physiotherapist can be consulted before starting an exercise program for deciding on the type of exercises that can be done to relieve back pain and to stay fit.
Warm up is important before exercise and deep inhaling has to be repeated before each exercise. Regular exercise helps a lot and if it is skipped for a day, unavoidably walking can compensate it, to some extent.
Exercises to strengthen the back and hip muscles:
Wall slides exercise helps to strengthen the back and hip muscles. Leg muscles also get relieved. By standing against a wall on the back, try to slide down with knees bent. The bend should be 90 degrees and count till 5. Then come back to standing posture. This has to be continued for five times.
Raising the leg also helps in strengthening back and hip muscles. Lay down on the stomach. Try to tighten the muscles of a leg and bring it up. Count till 10 and bring it down. Continue this for 5 times each for both the legs.
Sitting up partially strengthens the abdomen muscles. Lie on the back and keep the knees bent. Raise the head and shoulder above the floor and try to reach the knees with hands. Leg rising also benefits stomach and hip muscles.
Exercises to minimize the back pain:
An aerobic conditioning program for 30 minutes, thrice a week is ideal for overall fitness. Recommended aerobic exercise includes Bicycling, swimming and brisk walking. Aggravation of low back pain can happen if step aerobics and exercises like jumping and running are practiced. Aerobic exercises make the heart and other muscles consume oxygen more efficiently.
Swinging back legs could strengthen the muscles of hip and back. Stand in the back of a chair and raise a leg up and down without bending the knee. Repeat this for each leg.
Posture training for sitting, standing, sleeping and even during motion is needed if posture is a factor. The type of shoes viz. High Heels that are worn can also affect the posture by adding more stress on the lower back by changing the posture.
Stretching exercises can be done for keeping the muscles flexible and less prone to injury.
Physical therapy: There are different forms of physical therapy viz. Passive Physical therapy and Active Physical therapy. Passive physical therapy includes Heat/Ice packs, TENS units and Iontophoresis. Active Physical therapy is the exercises like Stretching for back pain exercise, Low-impact aerobic conditioning and strengthening for back pain exercise.
While there are merits if a pattern of good conditioning is followed the wrong type of exercise may actually worsen the low back pain. Activities that pass on too much stress on the back like lifting heavy weights, jumping, running, step aerobics and climbing are not advised. Slow Cycling on a recumbent stationary bike can also relieve back stress. To sum up, exercise will decrease the severity and frequency of lower back pain and can be prevented when a comprehensive exercise program is followed.
About the Author
Visit http://www.besthealing.info for more information on back pain and arthritis related disorders. Also, check out http://www.infraredspa.info for very useful resources on infrared spa that heals both the body and mind.
Melissa’s story: Effect of shoes on back pain
Many gym goers and fitness minded people know that having strong abdominal muscles helps to support the lower back, but not that many people truly understand how and why.
Before we get into it, let me say that lower back pain is complex, and you should always consult with licensed health professional before beginning any exercise program.
Here is a brief over view about how ab exercises help to prevent lower back pain.
One of the structures that gets irritated in lower back pain is the cartilage that lines the facet joints in between the vertebrae. The cartilage that lines the vertebrae is different from the discs that help to cushion the spine.
The cartilage that lines the vertebrae helps to lubricate the joints so that movement is smooth and painless. When the cartilage wears away, these joints become arthritic just like other joints in the body.
Irritation of the joints is a common lower back injury, and there are two ways strong abdominal muscles help to protect the lower back.
First, strong abdominal muscles help to stabilize the pelvis and lower back. When the pelvis and lower back are unstable because of weak muscles the joints have to absorb more force. When the joints absorb more force, they wear away faster.
Secondly, strong abdominal muscles help to support good posture and prevent hyper-extension of the spine. When the spine extends excessively (when the lower back arches too much, sometimes referred to as hyper-lordosis), additional pressure is placed on the joints of the spine.
So the abdominal muscles help to decrease or prevent lower back pain, by helping to maintain good posture in the spine and also helping to stabilize the pelvis and lower back (lumbar spine).
Okay, let’s talk about strengthening the abdominal muscles. If you ask 10 physical therapists, chances are that they will all have a slightly different approach.
One of the most important exercises to focus on in the beginning of an exercise program is the drawing-in maneuver. The drawing-in maneuver is used to engage the deep core muscles like the tranverse abdominus, pelvis floor, and lumbar multifidus.
To perform the drawing-in maneuver simply suck in your belly button so that it moves towards your back. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat 10 times.
This is a coordination exercise for the deep core muscles. With sedentary lifestyles our core muscles lose their coordination and have a harder time stabilizing the lower back.
In addition to the drawing-in maneuver, crunches, the plank exercise, and a series of exercises while lying on your back can all strengthen the abdominal muscles and develop core stability.
If you want to support your lower back, ab exercises are very important, but by themselves they are not enough. In order to have the healthiest lower back, you must take a comprehensive approach and include flexibility exercises, lower back exercises, postural exercises, and proper sitting and lifting techniques.
So treat your back well and start exercising today!
About the Author
Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.
Visit his website for Free Pictures of 100 Ab Exercises and Free Ab Workouts
Pilates: 6 minute workout – Strengthen Pelvic Floor
Copyright (c) 2008 Katie Kelley
Currently, there are approximately 15 to 20 percent of liver failure and liver disease conditions that have unknown origins, however, scientists recently discovered a new condition that may explain the development of liver failure among this mysterious population.
An article from Science Daily reported that scientists with the Heidelberg University Hospital found a link to the new genetic condition that occurs when toxic bile enters the liver because of missing protective components causing the exposure of the liver cells to “the toxic components of the bile, resulting in cirrhosis of the liver, a transformation of liver cells into connective tissue with a gradual loss of liver function,”.
According to researchers, a mutation that can occur within the ABCB4 gene, which can begin during childhood as well as during adulthood, is hereditary and can cause the secretion of bile or toxic substances leading to eventual liver damage.
While most liver damage/liver failure cases are linked to a known cause, researchers explained that up to 20 percent of liver failure cases have an unknown cause and believe this new condition may be responsible for the unknown causes of liver damage among patients.
What is Liver Disease?
Liver disease occurs when “conditions, diseases, and infections that affect the cells, tissues, structures, or functions of the liver,” according to the University of Illinois Medical Center.
One of the most common causes of liver disease among Americans is that of an over abundance of alcohol consumption/abuse, which can cause cirrhosis of the liver among 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers during a 10-year period. Individuals who feel they may suffer from liver disease and may be at an increased risk for liver failure should watch for the following signs and symptoms described by the University of Illinois Medical Center?s health library.
* jaundice
* depression
* darkened urine
* lowered libido
* aches and pains in the muscles
* nausea/loss of appetite
* fever (low grade)
* unexplained weight loss/gain
* low blood sugar
* vomiting, diarrhea
* fatigue
* light-colored stools
* generalized itching
* abdominal pain in upper right of stomach
* malaise
Prescription Drugs Act as New Liver Failure Risk
Liver failure is commonly attributed to several various causes including the following:
* virus-induced liver inflammation
* alcohol abuse
* autoimmune disease
* metabolic defects
* congenital birth defects
* viral/bacterial infections
* trauma, injury
* nutritional deficiencies
In addition to these various causes of liver failure and liver damage, a new and potentially deadly cause has been linked to the consumption of the Ketek prescription drug. Ketek-induced liver failure began being reported by patients of the antibiotic only two years after its release, which occurred in 2004. The drug, which treats upper-respiratory bacterial infections, has been allegedly linked to 18 deaths and more than 100 cases of liver damage.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun investigating Ketek, but the investigation has not resulted in a recall of the drug. Ketek patients who are concerned with the Ketek side effects should speak with their physician about consuming an alternate antibiotic. It is also important that a pharmaceutical law firm is consulted on the dangers of Ketek, as the development of a Ketek lawsuit may be possible.
About the Author
To learn more about the Ketek dangers visit http://ketek.legalview.com/ . Additional information can be obtained on other dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, such as the Avandia risks or the Byetta side effects, by visiting LegalView’s information portal at http://www.LegalView.com/ .
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