Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroid or myoma is a non-cancerous, benign growth in the uterus. They are also called fibromyoma, myofibroma and fibroleiomyoma.

Fibroids vary in size and in location, they may be Intra mural (inside the cavity), Submucosal (in the wall of the uterus), Subserosal (on the outer side of uterus) or in the cervix at times.
Fibroids are typically found during the middle and later reproductive years and commonly seen in overweight women.

Causes of Uterine fibroids

The exact cause of Uterine Fibroid is still not clear but their growth appears to depend on increasing estrogen hormone levels. Genetic factors are known to include development of Uterine fibroids. Also, suppressed sexual desires and functions are often found to be one of the reasons in many patients.

Symptoms of Uterine fibroids

While most fibroids are asymptomatic, they can grow and cause some symptoms depending on their location and size, like:

Excessive, heavy, irregular or prolonged bleeding Uterine heaviness Pain in lower abdomen in general Painful sexual intercourse Bloating Infertility Abdominal lump Urinary frequency Bowel pressure with constant urging for stool

Diagnosis of Uterine fibroids

The diagnosis is primarily done by an Ultrasound (USG) abdomen.

Conventional treatment

TSurgical removal of the fibroids along with the uterus is often the line of treatment in the conventional medicine.

Homeopathic treatment for Fibroid Uterus

Early and mild or moderate cases of Uterine fibroid often respond to homeopathy. Large and multiple fibroids may take very long, and homeopathy may not be suggested for those cases.

Urinary Infections of Female

Frequent episodes of urinary tract infections are common conditions, especially among females. Conventionally, courses of antibiotics are administered. Though antibiotics take care of the acute infection, antibiotics never prevent the recurrence. Homeopathic comes to rescue which helps control and prevent recurrences of urinary tract infections.

Definition

Infection of any of the organs of the urinary tracts such as those of kidneys, Ureters (tube between kidney to bladder), urinary bladder, and urethra, may broadly be called as UTI. Specifically following terms are used: pyelonephritis or nephritis (infection – inflammation) of kidney; ureteritis (for ureters), cystitis (urinary bladder), urethritis (urethra). Pyelonephritis is generally the serious condition.

Causes of UTI

Urinary tract infection is most common in women affecting bladder and urethra.
Infection in bladder: It also known as cystitis mainly caused due to E-coli bacteria it mainly decent from the gastrointestinal tract as the urethra opening is close to the anal opening in female, bacteria travels and causes infection, commonly seen in the young sexually active women.
Infection in the urethra: It is also known as urethritis it is caused mainly due to sexual intercourse, as urethral proximity to the vagina sexually transmitted diseases like STDs, Gonorrhea, and Herpes simplex can also cause urethritis.

Symptoms and signs

The symptoms are as follows

• Cloudy or bloody urine, which may have a foul or strong odor.
• Low grade fever (not mandatory that everyone will have a fever).
• Constant pain or burning while urination.
• Cramping or sensation of pressure in the lower abdomen, occasionally in back.
• Frequent and Strong urge to urinate, even after the bladder has been emptied.

Diagnosis & Tests

A urine sample is usually collected to perform the following tests

• Urinalysis : urine is examined to look for white blood cells, red blood cells, bacteria, and to test for certain chemicals, such as nitrites in the urine. Most of the time, your doctor or nurse can diagnose an infection using a urinalysis.
• Urine culture may be done to identify the bacteria in the urine.
• CBC (Complete blood count)
• Blood culture

Complications

• Sepsis (Blood infection) – risk is greater among the young, very old adults, and those with low immunity(for example, due to HIV or cancer chemotherapy)
• Kidney damage or scarring
• Kidney infection

Treatment

Conventional treatment: For mild bladder and kidney infections, oral Antibiotics usually recommended because there is a risk that the infection can spread to the kidneys.

• For a simple bladder infection, oral antibiotics for 3 days (women) or 7 – 14 days (men). For a bladder infection with complications such as pregnancy or diabetes, or a mild kidney infection, usually antibiotics for 7 – 14 days is recommended.
• It is important that you finish all the antibiotics, even if you feel better. People who do not finish their antibiotics may develop an infection that is harder to treat.

Homeopathic treatment

For acute UTI: Homeopathy is effective for acute UTI in most cases. If there is no adequate response in symptoms and bacterial count in urine after 5 days of homeopathic treatment, and if the infection is very severer, it may be advised to opt for the conventional medicine.

For Recurrent UTI

Homeopathy has significant role to place especially in the cases of recurring UTI. As said earlier, recurrence of UTI is a common challenge and the conventional antibiotics have little role to prevent the recurrence. Homeopathy proves very effective in controlling, reducing the frequent attacks of UTI.
Your attending homeopathic physician may choose right medicine based on the symptoms. Some of the commonly indicated medicines include Sepia, Cantharis, Staphysagria, Mercurious solubus, Nitric acidum, etc.
Homeopathy is strongly recommended in all cases of recurring Urinary tract infections.

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder – HSDD

Every man and woman experiences low sex (loss of libido) drive during some period in life. If low sex drive is continued and lasting, it calls for treatment. Almost 15% of men have this problem all the time; while over 30% females have it, but may not voice about it.
As you know every disease has complex medical name. Similarly, Low sex desire is also called as (Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder – HSDD).
Let us look at the most common factors which contribute towards low sex drive.

In men, following are the common causes

• Stress
• Lack of spark in marriage life
• Alcohol or/and smoking, drugs
• Drugs: Drugs depression, hypertension, pain killers
• Erectile dysfunction
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Low levels of testosterone hormone
• Hypothyroid (Under active thyroid)
• Anxiety, depression or other emotional diseases

In women, one must check the following common factors

• Stress
• Lack of love in marriage life
• Child birth
• Reduced blood supply to vagina, leading to painful intercourse
• Hypothyroid (Under active thyroid) (More common than in men)
• Contraceptive pills
• Alcohol, smoking, drugs
• Diabetes Pregnancy
• Obesity
• Nerve injury following removal of uterus (hysterectomy)
• Drugs: Drugs depression, hypertension, pain killers
• Anxiety, depression or other emotional diseases
• Traumatic events in childhood such as child abuse

In women, one must check the following common factors

Most cases present with loss of sexual desire over period of time. If it is sudden, one may have to rule out neurological problems. Less interest in sex, aversion to sex and lack of joy in sexual act are some of the symptoms.

• Is the sexual act becoming less frequent? (Well, this is not the only parameter.)
• Does it so happen that your partner has to put attempt to arouse you?
• Is it so that your partner says: “you do not seem to enjoy sex as much now a day.”?
• No more condoms at home, and avoiding buying!
• Feeling lazy to “start”
• Sex has become more mechanical and less dynamic?
• Ask your partner, if he/she has observed change in your sex desire pattern

Investigations

Clinical investigations by a good doctor will help. Common laboratory investigations include hormonal test for Thyroid disorders, test for diabetes. Special investigations may be required in case of significant loss of erection in men and indications of neurological symptoms in women.

Treatment for Loss of Libido

Treatment depends on the cause behind low sex drive

• If there is a treatable disease in the background, get treated. E.g. Hypothyroid, diabetes, etc
• Improve interpersonal relationship with your partner
• Reduce weight if you are obese
• Reduce stress
• Change over to gentle medicines such as homeopathy, for depression, anxiety disorders, if that is the underlying cause
• Bring romance, love and affection in your love life. Re-kindle the “spark.”
• Take homeopathic medicines, if indicated

Homeopathic Treatment for Low Sex Drive

Homeopathy helps to treat the underlying disease which may be responsible for low sex drive, as suggested above. There are number of cases in which low sex drive may be present without any other disease in the back ground. Homeopathy offers promising results in improving low sex drive. It helps in following ways

• Treating the underlying disease
• Treatment of Erectile dysfunction
• Reducing stress and improving your stress coping system
• Replacing your antidepressant and anti-anxiety medicines, whenever possible
• Enhancing your moods and stimulating your sex drive

Homeopathy is strongly recommended in the cases of Low sex drive or Loss of Libido.

Polycstic Ovarian Disease

Definition

PCOD (Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease) or PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) is a disease characterized by multiple (‘poly’) cysts (small sacs filled with fluid) in the ovaries.
Patients with PCOD have abnormal levels of hormones that result in irregular menses, infertility and certain masculine changes in the body.

PCOD Symptoms

Generally, the patient presents with the following symptoms

• Irregular menses (usually delayed)
• Weight gain and difficulty in losing weight
• Acne, oily skin, dandruff
• Excessive hair growth on the face, chest, back
• Thinning of hair
• Infertility
• Miscarriage
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol

PCOD Symptoms

Various hormones of the body operate in harmony to regularize smooth functioning of all systems including the reproductive system.

The disturbance of hormonal mechanism makes the ovaries produce excessive amount of the male reproductive hormones (androgens) and at the same time there is failure of egg formation. This excess of androgens with absence of ovulation may cause infertility.

With this understanding, that the disturbed hormonal functioning of the body lies at the root of PCOD, it can be easily perceived that this constitutional disorder will require constitutional approach towards its rectification.

Normal Ovary Polycystic Ovary

Homeopathic approach towards management of PCOD is constitutional, taking into account the presenting complaints along with physical, mental and genetic make-up that individualizes a person. Homeopathic medicines which act at root level can bring back deviations of hormonal system back to normalcy and in many cases abolish the need for exogenous hormones with their side-effects and complicating surgical procedures. Moreover, with this hormonal harmony, chances of conception increase significantly.

Suggestion about homeopathic treatment

Homeopathic treatment is positively recommended in management of PCOD

Dysmenorrhea (Painful menses)

It can be defined as pain which is in relation to menses that is troublesome so as to disable a woman from performing her routine chores.

Dysmenorrhea can be classified into primary dysmenorrhea where no underlying pathology can be demonstrated and secondary dysmenorrhea which has a definitive underlying causative pathology.

On the basis of the character, dysmenorrhea can also be classified into spasmodic and membranous type.

As the names suggest, the spasmodic type of dysmenorrhea involves severe pain which waxes and wanes in intensity with the contraction and relaxation of the uterus while the membranous variety has actual shedding of chunks of meaty portions of the innermost wall of the uterus called the endometrium. Very often dysmenorrhea is accompanied by a whole lot of symptoms such as giddiness, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, fever, etc.

Remarks

Excessive production of prostaglandins is one of the major causes for most signs and symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is almost wholly due to this and may be due to a tight cervix, the mouth of the uterus. Such cases improve totally after a normal child birth due to stretching of the uterine musculature. Secondary dysmenorrhea, however, needs proper investigating into in order to know the causative pathology. The underlying pathology needs to be treated to control painful menses. Pain-killers can only offer temporary relief. The common causes of secondary dysmenorrhea are pelvic infections, congestive or inflammatory conditions within the pelvis like endometriosis, uterine tumors such as polyps or fibroids, and the presence of a foreign body such as an intrauterine contraceptive device [IUCD].

Suggestion about homeopathic treatment

Homeopathy has a promising role to play in cases of dysmenorrhea. The medicines are known to reduce the severity of the pain as well as to treat the cause, whenever possible. Every patient with dysmenorrhea may present with a different set of individual symptoms, which are carefully noted while deciding the homeopathic line of treatment. Homeopathic treatment is strongly suggested.

Fibroadenoma-Breast

Introduction

Fibro adenomas are non-cancerous (benign) and harmless tumors which are made up of fibrous tissues of the breast. These are common in adolescent and young women. The incidence of Fibroadenoma reduces with increasing age.

Signs and symptoms

• Fibroadenomas are smooth, round and easily movable swellings. It is referred as ‘Breast Mouse’ or ‘floating tumor’ as it easily sleeps away from fingers. Size of the tumor may vary from one to five centimeters.
• It could be single or multiple. Generally it is painless and may affect both breasts.
• Pain and tenderness (pain when touched) may be present especially before periods and subsides after periods. These cyclical changes are because of the hormonal changes. This is the reason why it is less common after menopause.

Causes of Fibroadenoma

Exact cause of Fibroadenoma is unknown. It is because of the cyclical hormonal changes that take place in the body of women of child bearing age.

Diagnosis

• Clinical history
• Physical examination
• Mamography – It is the process of using low amplitude x rays to examine breast.
• Biopsy – Women in their teenage do not need biopsy, if lump dissolves on it’s own.

Dangerous signs

• Sudden increase in size of tumor
• Pain in breast not affected by menstrual cycle
• Hard, immovable tumors
  Transformation of Fibroadenoma into cancerous tumor is very rare. Only 0.002-0.012% of the Fibroadenoma convert into cancerous growth.

Treatment Conventional treatment

• Fibroadenoma can subside on it’s own.
• Cryoablation (use of extreme cold to destroy tissue) is safe and effective and less invasive method of treatment for Fibroadenoma.
• Surgical removal may be required in case of large Fibroadenoma.

Homeopathic treatment

Homeopathy is strongly suggested in the treatment of Fibroadenoma. Homeopathy can be given as a baseline treatment in mild and moderate cases where as it has good supportive role in advanced cases of tissue changes. The results using homeopathy in the cases of Fibroadenoma are very good.
Homeopathic medicines are prescribed after studying patient’s complete case history. It enhances the body’s self healing mechanism (immunity) thus further recurrence of fibroadenoma can be prevented.
At Life Force we have treated and documented good number of cases of Fibroadenoma using homeopathy at Life Force.