Denician Angeleia

Archive for the ‘Sexual & Reproductive Health’ Category

Before you begin searching for infertility health insurance, you must first determine what kind of infertility health insurance coverage you need. If you know you’re having fertility problems, but aren’t sure why, you may want to check into diagnostic infertility health insurance. Diagnostic infertility health insurance covers medical services administered by doctors to help them figure out the cause of your infertility problems.

However, if you already know the cause of your infertility, check into infertility treatment health insurance. Infertility treatment health insurance covers the cost of any medical procedures administered to help you become pregnant such as special medications, assisted reproductive technologies, intrauterine insemination, and various other surgeries and procedures.

Start determining the infertility health insurance you need by talking with your doctor. Although your regular doctor probably isn’t a specialist in this field of medicine, he or she may still be able to give you advice on which kind of infertility health insurance you need.

Once you have a good idea of the kind of infertility health insurance and procedures you want, contact your health insurance company. Find out if your policy covers infertility health care and treatments. If it does, have the insurance representative send you written documentation of this coverage (this prevents any confusion should you receive infertility treatment and later be told you’re not covered) as well as any specific procedures you must follow. If your current health insurance policy doesn’t cover infertility health care and treatment, find out if you can purchase it from the company, or perhaps purchase an add-on to your existing policy.

If you’re confused about the amount of infertility health insurance coverage you have, or can’t seem to find any infertility health coverage, contact your state’s department of insurance. Infertility coverage amounts vary from state to state, as do policies about who does and does not have to provide it and procedures that must be followed when obtaining and using it.

Women all over the world suffer from ovarian cysts in their child bearing years. Ovarian cysts come in many shapes and sizes. Some cause severe pain, and other may go unnoticed.

What Are Ovarian Cysts?
Ovarian cysts are fluid filled sac like structures that form in and around the ovary. There are two main kinds of ovarian cysts: functional and abnormal.

Functional cysts can be broken depending on the menstrual cycle itself. Some cysts form when the follicle fails to release the egg and then swells, other cysts form when the egg is released and then not fertilized, and then to dissolve. Failure for the cyst to dissolve will cause a cyst to form.

Abnormal cysts are caused by abnormal cell growth. That does not mean however, that they are cancerous. Most of these types of ovarian cysts are benign. They may go undetected for years and you may not have any symptoms.

When you feel like you may have an ovarian cyst, it is essential get a doctor’s examination to determine the type and size of the ovarian cyst. When you know the size and type of cyst you have on your ovary, the sooner you will know the best form of treatment available.

What Causes Ovarian Cysts? Functional cysts are caused by a slight alteration in the normal function of the ovaries. Abnormal cysts, as stated above, are cause by abnormal cell growth. No one knows for sure why women and men both experience abnormal cell growth. But studies have indicated that free radicals may be one factor.

What Are Free Radicals?
Countless cells make up our body. The cells made up of molecules, and molecules are made up of atoms. Every once in a while, atoms will become unstable, resulting in “oxidation” which creates free radicals.

Some free radicals may be created by our own immune system in combating viruses or bacteria from an infection. They can also form as a result of exposure to certain chemicals, like smoking, pollution, and UV rays from the sun. Many ways of cooking our food have been linked to free radicals, like barbequing.

The body can rid itself of free radicals, however, when free radicals increase beyond our body’s natural ability to combat them, this can create all kinds of havoc. To have protection of free radicals our body needs antioxidants.

What are Sources of Antioxidants?
Vitamins A, C, E as well as minerals Zinc and Selenium are all antioxidants that will help rid our body of these free radicals. Vitamin A is found in vegetables such as pumpkins and carrots as well as fish. Vitamin C is found in green leafy vegetables, citrus fruit, strawberries, blackberries, as well as potatoes. Vitamin E is found in avocados, seeds, and nuts. The mineral Selenium is found in cabbage, Brazil nuts, and cabbage. Zinc is found in fish, pumpkin, sun flower seeds, and almonds.

Because it is impossible to get all of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of these antioxidants through our food, doctors and other experts suggest getting them through vitamin and mineral supplements.

A lot of women who have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOs have limited success in medicating the problem. Traditional treatments and medicines are not suitable and enough to fully remedy the illness. There are some cases where treatment is in fact too invasive and difficult to be conducted in a woman’s reproductive system. Therefore, other means such as homeopathy began.

Homeopathic treatment’s foundation is on its principles. The core idea is to find a substance which produces the right effect once given in the proper doses. When done correctly, this removes the symptoms. It may be small at first but overtime, homeopathic treatment has taken on holistic approaches. Every symptom of PCO is being considered. The advocates of this treatment believe that the effects are natural, safe and not addictive. There are also no side effects.

There is really no specific remedy for homeopathy. This is designed in order to treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. It helps the women get through the illness without affecting her reproductive system. The most common form of this treatment includes a procedure which addresses the over-all health of the woman.

An example of a homeopathic treatment is Nat. It is prescribed for symptoms like vertigo, oral thrush, eczema and premenstrual tension. Another homeopathic treatment is the Lycopodium which is used whenever the woman has indigestion, constipation or is anxious or an insomniac.

Finally, Sepia is used in order to treat female difficulties that are focusing on the vagina, ovaries and the uterus. Lachesis is also a treatment for PCOs. This is often the remedy for circulation, blood poisoning and difficulties in menopause and menstruation.

From several reports and studies available, about a third of infertility problems are due to problems with the male reproductive tract, another third due to problems in the female reproductive system, while others are either due to a combined factor or are unexplained.

Unlike the female sex, that has a very complicated reproductive system, the male system is less complicated and most causes of male infertility can be traced to sperm disorders. Several million sperm cells is are released in the male ejaculation (semen) during sexual intercourse. However, out of these millions
deposited into the vagina, only a few hundreds will finally make the journey to the female egg and have a chance of fertilizing it. The number of sperm that make this all-important journey determines to a large extent, a man’s chances of getting his partner pregnant. This is because, the more sperm cells that get to the egg, the better the chances of a successful fertilization.

There are several biological reactions that occur at the point of contact between the sperm cell and the egg. The more sperm cells that come close to the egg, the more likelihood that one of them will posses what it takes to cross the ‘protective walls’ around the egg. There are several factors that determine the success of the male sperm in this respect, these include; the number of sperm cells released known as ‘sperm count’, the motility of the sperms, the sperm quality and the shape and size of the sperm cells.

Problemswith any of these factors may cause difficulties with
fertility. Sperm count, i.e. the number of sperm cells released
in the semen, is a very important factor in male fertility. A
larger amount of sperm cells is almost always a guarantee that
enough cells would make the journey to the egg and achieve the
needed fertilization. However, what seems to be even more crucial is the vitality and motility of these sperm cells. A few virile cells reaching the egg would produce a better result than a bunch of abnormal sperm cells. Some men with a low sperm count, but high sperm quality happen to be fertile. The sense here is that, an optimal sperm count with high quality sperm cells is the key to male fertility.

Problems with any part of the male reproductive tract generally tells on the sperm quality and sperm count. There are several health and environmental issues that affect male fertility.

Age – As with the whole body, a man’s reproductive capacity reduces with age and this also affects the sperm quality. It is estimated that as from age 35, the male sperm quality may start
diminishing and this may also affect the sperm count and motility.

Lifestyle Choices – Environment and the lifestyle choices you
make can also have an impact on your fertility. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat from hot baths, steam rooms or wearing tight underwear may affect your fertility. Exposure to toxic
substances like pesticides, radioactivity or electromagnetic
emissions, especially at work may cause sperm abnormalities. It
is always advised that you consult your healthcare provider if
you are concerned about these and other occupational hazards.

The use of drugs such as those for heart diseases and high blood pressure tend to exert adverse effects on male fertility and some cancer treatments, especially when chemotherapy is involved may also contribute to infertility.

Diseases like diabetes, central nervous system problems and most sexually transmitted diseases have been shown to be bad for fertility. Untreated STDs are known to destroy parts of the male reproductive tracts through which sperm is transported.

Alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking have a negative impact on
sperm production and a number of lubricants used during sexual
intercourse, such as vagina creams, have also been shown to have negative effects on male sperm quality.

Outside these environmental and ‘self imposed’ factors, there are other structural and anatomical factors that may also cause sperm
disorders and fertility problems.

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get or maintain an erection. It is the commonest anatomical cause of male infertility. Undescended testes, retrograde ejaculation and scrotal varicoele are other structural problems of the male reproductive tract that may affect fertility.

If you have any concern about your reproductive health or you seem to suffer from any of the conditions above, you should talk to your healthcare provider NOW. You stand a betterchance if you seek help early enough.

Everyone wants to be healthy. That is why diet books and fitness equipment are such hot sellers. We know that good health includes a nutritious diet and exercise. But what about your female organs? While this is not one of the areas of our bodies when we think of in achieving optimum health, keep in mind that a healthy vagina can help to keep the rest of your reproductive tract in good condition and can help ward of infection and inflammatory conditions from invading your body. A healthy vagina diet should be one of the factors that you weigh when you consider a healthy lifestyle.

A healthy vagina diet is not hard to achieve, and many of your menu choices will greatly benefit the rest of your body as well. You will spend plenty of time in the produce section of your grocery store shopping for your healthy vagina diet, as well as hunting through the meat and dairy section for the lean and low-fat selections. Yogurt is a particularly important ingredient in the healthy vagina diet, so take your time selecting the flavors that you like best. You will want to avoid many of the “no-no’s” that are recommended as part of other nutritious diet plans, since many of these less healthy choices can create a breeding ground for bacteria and infection in your vaginal area. Keeping your reproductive system in shape is an important part of healthy living, and a healthy vagina diet can be an essential part of your program.

When experiencing abnormal or heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, lower back pain and painful sex, in all likelihood you have fibroid growth.

Fibroids, as your doctor will be able to confirm and elaborate, are benign growths in the muscular wall of the uterus. A regular pelvic exam will ascertain if a person has fibroids. Most fibroids are noncancerous growths. Small ones go away after menopause. Fibroids do grow. From something that’s about the size of a pea, it can grow to the size of a grapefruit. Many of those who are afflicted religiously monitor the growth, especially in light of the growing incidence of uterine cancer. Fibroids that rapidly grow, or vaginal bleeding during a woman’s postmenopausal years, may raise alarm bells that fibroid is cancerous. Hysterectomy is deemed as the best remedy for cancerous fibroids.

Nowadays, there are many alternatives to hysterectomy to address fibroids. Treatment that leaves the uterus intact exists and it is called myomectomy an incision in the abdomen. Some doctors have related that a “bikini” incision in the abdomen, even for large fibroids can be done, and female patients may be discharged from the hospital as quickly as two days after surgery.

Another method, called uterine fibroid embolization, is a procedure performed by an interventional radiologist who uses a catheter to block the blood supply to the fibroids. Some patients suffering from fibroids can get by without treatment. Medication offers women with fibroids to buy time and prepare for a major treatment decision. In many cases, the waiting time extends until the time when women are about to reach their menopause, and a most convenient thing happens: with natural loss of estrogen and progesterone, the fibroid is shrunk.

People vary in the fibroids treatment options they go for. Because of the great deal of discomfort caused by fibroids, treatment by way of quality supplements emerge as one of the most suitable options people immediately opt for. Medical supervision is still essential, though.

It is important for women with uterine fibroids to undertake measure to balance out the hormones and enhance their reproductive health. Hormonal imbalances, after all, may be the instigator of the fibroids. As such, those with fibroids need to balance out their hormones with a combination of natural progesterone and herbal supplementation therapies. Among the best herbal remedies that can aid in maintaining the proper balance of hormones in the body, relieve the symptoms of uterine fibroids, and control the fibroid’s growth are wild yam and red raspberry leaves. Rose hip tea, chamomile, comfrey, and goldenseal (which may be bought in capsules or tea)

Whatever treatment option you choose, the most important consideration is that you get to return to the normal quality life you once enjoyed.