Acne
It
is a common inflammatory skin disease
that mainly affects the face, neck, chest
and upper back. it is caused by an interaction
between hormones, bacteria and sebum produced
by the comedones (pimples), pustiles (lesions
filled with pus) and occasionally CYSTS. This
is possibly caused by changing hormone
levels.
Mild
cases may be eased by washing the face
with a gentle toilet soap or by drying agents
such as benzoyl peroxide. Severe acne may need
oral treatment with antibiotics such as
tetracycline or hormone therapy such as
Dianette, which also acts as a Contraceptive.
Very
severe acne can be treated using a derivative
of Vitamin A, called tretinoin or Retin A. This
cream is applied in each night and takes
about 3 weeks to be effective. An
oral version called Ro- accutane is very
good against severe acne but carries serious
risks of foetal abnormality during
pregnancy.
Amenorrhoea
(Absence of periods)
It
is a failure to have periods, which may be described
as primary or secondary . Primary amenorrhoea
is the failure to menstruate by age 16,
and the main cause is the late onset of
puberty. A girl may have the other signs of
puberty but lack of periods. this may
be a cause of a pituitary tumor, which can be
found via a skull X -ray , or because
of cryptomenorrohea, where menstrual bleedings
does occur but it is held inside the vagina
by an obstruction such as imperforate
Hymen. The condition may arise because
parts of the female reproductive system are
missing. The most common reason for primary
amenorrhoea is disruption of the relationship
between the ovaries and the pituitary
gland.
Secondary
amenorrhoea occurs when a woman stops
menstruating for 3 months or more
after normal menstrual periods have been
established but before the onset of the Menopause.
It may arise as a result of stress, chronic
diseases. Stopping the contraceptive pill,
which affects hormone production
in the brain , can cause amenorrhoea for up
to a year, and it may arise after child birth
and breast feeding. Failure of ovaries, prompting
a premature menopause before the age of
40, is another cause. Amenorrhoea is permanent
after the menopause or if the uterus is removed
in a Hysterectomy
Leucorrhoea
A
discharge of white-yellow coloured mucus from
the vagina. it may be normal condition, increasing
before and after menstruation, but a copious
vaginal discharge, especially if it has a strong
smell, probably indicates an infection
in the genital tract. A common cause is thrush,
but it may also be because of Gonorrhoea or
some other sexually transmitted disease.
Osteoporosis
A
condition in which the amount of bone mass decreases
to the point where the bones are fragile and
easily fractured, affecting twice as many women
as men. Women are particularly risk from the
osteoporosis as they have a lower density of
bone, because of smaller body size than men.
The risk increases those who have a premature
menopause, early hysterectomy, previous anorexia
nervosa etc. Also women who smoke or drink excessively
are at the greater risk. Weight-bearing exercise
, a diet rich in calcium, Vitamin D and other
minerals, and not smoking can help to prevent
bone loss. Hormone replacement therapy is the
most effective preventive treatment but is not
suitable for all women. Physiotherapy and
acupunture can help to relieve pain. Osteoporosis
can be detected by doing
Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease (PID)
It
is an inflammation of the Fallopian Tubes, ovaries
and Uterus. The disease can be acute or chronic.
Acute PID causes severe abdominal pains, high
fever , chills, foul-smelling vaginal discharge
and abdominal tenderness. PID is a result of
bacterial infection, but chlamydia and Gonorrhoea
are responsible for mini cases. Treatment is
by means of antibiotics and bed rest. The condition
usually improve within two weeks. But if not,
another antibiotics is given. If 3 courses
of antibiotics do not clear the infection,
then the disease is deemed to have become chronic,
Chronic PID results in a low level of infection
that can continue for weeks or months.
Symptoms
are persistent abdominal pain or cramps,
fatigue, weakness and very heavy menstrual periods.
Some mild cases have few or no symptoms
but can cause partial or total infertility.
Gonorrhoea
It
is an extremely common venereal or sexually
transmitted disease, that is caused by the bacterium
Neissera-gonorrhoeae. The bacteria are found
in the Mucous Membrances of the Vagina, Urethra,
throat and mouth. If gonorrhoea is not
treated it can damage and inflame the Fallopian
Tubes and other pelvic organs, and this can
arise after only 8-10 weeks. Other possible
damage includes eye infection that can cause
blindness, septicaemia (blood poisoning), Gonococcal
Arthritis, it may occur in conjunction with
a painful skin rash and inflammation of heart
valves. Symptoms of gonorrheoa include
vaginal discharge (green or yellow in colour),
Dysuria, possible inflammation of
the rectum and a sore throat . To diagnose
the disease, swabs of the discharge are obtained
and organisms grown are identified in
the laboratory. Treatment is by a single
, very large dose of penicillin, or tetracycline
if the organisms is resistant to penicillin.
Mastitis
inflammation of the breast
It
occurs usually because of bacterial infection
during breast feeding. Symptoms include, pain
in the affected breast, tenderness, swelling,
fever and possibly a chill. Treatment with warm
compress and antibiotics normally resolves the
condition. If the inflammation does not subside
then a breast abscess may form.
Menorrhagia
It
is menstruation with abnormally heavy
or prolonged blood flow. This may be frequent
periods, one that continuous for 7 days or more,
or one with exceptionally heavy flow over two
to three days. Menorrhagia can occur because
of fibroids, inflammation in the pelvic cavity,
an Intrauterine device (IUD) or hormonal
imbalance.
The
bleeding can cause anaemia with pallor fatigue,
which can be treated with iron supplements.
Treatment depends on the cause and may include
a D and C, the combined contraceptive
pill, removal of an IUD, or danazol, a drug
that inhibits the hormones produced by the pituitary
gland.
