Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the affected person’s bones start deteriorating and start losing density and mass. It is really dangerous because the afflicted person often does not realize it and the bones become fragile and break. This can afflict the spine, the hips and wrists causing fractures and since the bones have already deteriorated, the recovery is very slow. Women who are menopausal are more likely to get this disease, but men can get it too. However only one in eight men can get osteoporosis whereas one in four women are at risk for osteoporosis.
How to check who is at risk for osteoporosis?
Menopausal and postmenopausal women are at risk for osteoporosis.
Women who have had an early menopause or hysterectomy at 45 years of age or younger.
Old people, especially over 65 years of age are more prone to getting hysterectomy
Ethnic origins have a major role to play in this disease. If you are Caucasian or Asian you are prone to getting osteoporosis.
Generally women who are underweight are likely to get osteoporosis.
People who have family history of osteoporosis, like parents and siblings or relatives who have osteoporosis are more likely to get it.
People who have the tendency of getting shattered bones even at low impact, height loss or if they develop a hunch, they must get themselves checked.
People who suffer chronic diseases like Diabetis Type 1, Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, thyroid disorders, chronic lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, aids etc. should get themselves checked as they are at risk for osteoporosis.
People who have been suffering from prolonged illness or on bed rest.
The human papilloma virus, or HPV, is a virus that infects the skin cells and causes them to grow irregularly by mutation. These mutations are in the form of warts or tiny tumors, hence the name ‘papilloma’. So far, medical science has identified at least 70 different types of HPV, and investigative research has now indicated the number could be as high as 200 types of active HPV.
Research has proven that women are at a higher risk than men to contract the various types of HPV, and much more within the genital variety. Similarly, homosexual males are also at a higher risk of getting genital type of HPV infections than heterosexual men.
Among the types of HPV, there are non-sexual transmits, besides that of the higher types of HPV in the sexual transmit types. The non-sexual HPV types usually cause common skin warts and appear on the arms, hands, legs, or the feet. The non-sexual HPV infections are at most cosmetic (very inconvenient and unattractive), but still common and harmless. This type of HPV does not cause cancer and can often be easily treated with over-the-counter medications. Even without treatment, this type of HPV infection will clear itself within a few years.
In contrast to the non-sexual type of HPV, the sexually transmitted HPV has a much higher rate of infection statistics. They are the most common and almost thirty different varieties of HPV types are at work causing the infections and warts. The medical name for these warts is ‘condylomata acuminatum’, with reference to their clustered cauliflower-like appearance. Many people seem to get infected with the genital wart virus during an early sexual experience and the virus can remain dormant for a long time while continuing to be contagious.
In males, genital warts may appear on the scrotum, anus, penis and thighs. In females, they can appear on the thighs, anus, vulva, urethra and cervix. In both sexes, they can also appear in the mouth and throat.
The human papilloma virus (HPV) infects the epidermis and mucus membranes while causing warts or in some cases, even cancer. Sometimes the HPV will remain dormant yet contagious. The only way to combat this ‘hidden enemy’ is take the human papilloma virus shot. In most cases, it’s advisable to inform your consulting physician whether you have been suffering from high fevers, or whether you have been tested earlier for a low immune system. Other factors to discuss are if you have a history of excessive bleeding (as in hemophilia), or if you’re taking prescribed medication for blood thinning. These simple measures can help the physician determine if the virus shot is appropriate.
The first measure of treatment is to identify the disease, and the first measure of protection is identifying its cause. To avoid the need of undergoing this type of treatment, a person should have safe sex, avoid long-term use of contraceptives, avoid multiple sex partners, and avoid smoking if there is the possibility of being HPV positive.
The human papilloma virus treatment for women can be administered by visual examination for warts in the genital area, on the face, hands, feet, or by a pelvic exam for cervical infections. If treatment is necessary it would be determined by the depth of infection.
There are many modes and measures for the human papilloma virus treatment. Common skin warts can be treated by freezing the area with cryosurgery or liquid nitrogen, or burning the area with salicylic-based products. Sometimes cauterization may be administered and, in some extreme cases, laser therapy can be used.
Yasmin is a birth control pill that has both estrogen and progestin. This particular pill belongs to the specific category of combined oral contraceptives. Like all oral contraceptives, this pill inhibits the ovulation function within a woman’s body. The hormones contained in the Yasmin pill make the body believe that ovulation has happened. This action helps stop the body from releasing the egg so fertilization can’t occur. The pill also works in another way as it thickens the mucous layer in the cervix, thereby trapping the sperm and not allowing it to enter the uterus and cause any fertilization.
Yasmin is sold in packets containing 21 pills, one for each day. After a 21-day ingestion cycle, the woman allows a week’s gap while menstruation occurs. After the 7-day gap, the oral ingestion begins again. This particular system is known as monophasic.
Osteoporosis occurs when the body loses the ability to form enough neurons. During a healthy bone remodeling, osteoclast eat away the bone tissue and osteoblasts refill the bone with new ones. Body uses calcium and phosphate to produce strong bones during youth which helps to continue this process. When the calcium intake is not sufficient or if the body does not absorb enough calcium from the food, bone production and bone tissues may suffer. The bones become less strong and more prone to fractures. In Fact in people with osteoporosis, the bone fracture can often occur with little stress. Osteoporosis occurs gradually with aging and is more commonly found in women.
Osteoporosis though prevalent in women, can not be ignored in men either. A study at
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, shows that osteoporosis is also posing a threat to millions of men. It further tells that after the age of 50, over 5 percent of men suffer from hip fracture and over 4 percent from vertebral fracture just because of osteoporosis.
According to another independent study, in just one year, 1990 about 30% of the 1.7 million hip fractures worldwide occurred in men. By 2025, the number of hip fractures in men will be the same as in women. The hip fracture causes 3% more complications and chances of death in men than in women.
In the majority of cases where infected females are pregnant, the HPV virus does no harm to the unborn. However, it is important that the expecting woman and her consulting obstetrician know if HPV is present, as there are some preventative measures that should be taken.
Regular pap smears can most often detect an abnormality, and the doctor can then advise the mother during future checks. The pap smear test would be conducted as a routine measure during the first prenatal visit and further tests would then be recommended. A doctor may even carry out a thorough cervix examination by colposcopy.
Another scenario of the human papilloma virus and pregnancy is in which the expectant mother is already infected with HPV. There is no established link between human papilloma virus and fetal-relations such as miscarriages, premature delivery or transmission of HPV to the baby. The reason for caution is during pregnancy the hormonal changes within the female can accelerate the growth of any warts or cause them to bleed. The warts may need to be surgically removed prior to childbirth.
As already mentioned, the risk of transmission of the HPV to a baby is very low. Nevertheless, presuming that the virus does reach the baby, the mother would be glad to know that their baby has the immune system to fend-off or clear the virus.
Among the birth control pills list, the three most common types are: the ‘progestin-only pills’, also known as the POP or the ‘mini-pill’; the ‘combination pills’ because they contain both estrogen and progestin; and the ‘emergency contraceptive pills’, which are basically to prevent pregnancy following unprotected sex. The emergency pill has been suggested not to be used as a regular contraceptive. These emergency pills are also referred to as ‘morning after’ pills.
The progestin-only pills (POP) are safe for women who are breastfeeding and women who are above age 35 and smoke. The pill works by thickening the cervical mucus and preventing sperm from entering the uterus and must be taken at the scheduled time each day. Nevertheless, they are not as effective as combination pills. In the birth control pills list, the combination pills are the actual ‘BCPs’ embodied by oral contraception. In this category, there are three types:
1.) Monophasic pills – packets containing 21 pills of estrogen and progestin plus 7 of plain placebos. Common problems are it effects the menstrual cycle to once every three months.
2.) Multiphasic pills – these contain varied amounts of hormones, taken throughout the schedule and have a reduced ratio of side effects.
3.) Continuous use pill – known as multiphasic pills, contains a total of 28 pills. Common problem is that it prevents menstruation all together.
The emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) are meant for an emergency situation only. The two-dose regimen requires the first dose taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, and the second dose within 12 hours.
HPV is a virus that is contracted by both men and women, so there is every possibility that a male may acquire HPV. As of now, there is no clinically approved medical test available for men to detect HPV. Normally a doctor can visually examine the penis and surrounding areas for genital warts that usually appear on the scrotum, anus, penis and thighs in men. Although men are not at a high risk compared to women, carcinogenic genital warts on the penis can lead to ‘squamous-cell’ cancer of the penis. It is also known that in most males, the HPV will disappear on its own without causing any health risk.
Males are susceptible to some 30 strains of the virus that can lead to the cancer of the anus or the penis. The risk is higher in sexually active homosexual males or those practicing bisexual sex, and those with AIDS /HIV. Overall, the high-risk cancer causing HPV is rarely present in males, and the low-risk HPV that causes warts is the most active.
While males contract HPV, there are no certified clinical procedures or means of diagnosing the genital warts, and most doctors rely on the visual check to confirm the presence. Sometimes, applications of vinegar help in raising the warts which otherwise may not be visible. Nevertheless, these tests are not fool-proof and even normal skin can give the appearance of a wart due to the stinging stimulation of vinegar. A doctor may recommend a pathological anal pap test as the risk of cancer may increase. The Pap test would be done on the tissue cells collected from the anal region of susceptible males who get HPV.
For males who get HPV, there are no confirmed and accepted forms of diagnosis and no prescribed treatment. In most cases, the doctors are compelled to treat the health problems arising from the cause instead of the infection itself; however, males who get HPV are not at all at the risk level as compared to females.
Loestrin is a reputable name in the birth control pills marketplace. It’s basically a low-estrogen birth control pill which is known to have two versions – Loestrin and Loestrin Fe. The Loestrin Fe acts as a contraceptive and also shortens the woman’s period.
Loestrin works like any other birth control pill, but has a combination of estrogen and progestin to stop ovulation and thicken the mucus in the uterine passage to trap sperm and make fertilization difficult. Most medical experts believe the low amount of estrogen present in Loestrin makes it safer, since low dosages of estrogen may cause less harm.
Loestrin comes in a packet of 21 hormone pills and balance placebo pills. Women are supposed to take one pill a day except for the days that you take the placebo, in which women will start to menstruate. Most periods will be shorter and lighter while a woman is taking Loestrin.
Loestrin Fe has 24 hormone pills and four iron pills. Instructions state that on the days you take the iron pills, women are most likely to have their period. The menstruation cycles of women on Loestrin Fe are usually lighter, barely lasting for three days.
The reason for scanty period cycles is that taking Loestrin and Loestrin Fe causes the body to simply stop ovulating. There is no egg released, and the very thin uterine lining that develops in the body is washed away in the form of monthly periods.
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