Irregular Periods or Missed Cycle?

Periods can be quite irksome as they are accompanied by cramps, PMS, irritation and mood swings. But they can also be comforting and provide relief to many women. Regular periods are a sign that everything inside the body is operating exactly as it should be. But quite often, some women may face irregularity in periods. Apart from pregnancy and hitting menopause, there could be a variety of factors that could cause irregularity or abnormality in menses. Doctors define periods as either ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ based on three criteria – how regular your cycles are, how long the bleeding lasts and how much you’re bleeding. 

A normal bleeding lasts up to five to seven days, if it’s more than that it is considered as prolonged bleeding. A normal cycle requires you to change your pads three to four times a day, but if you are changing every hour then your bleeding is abnormally heavy. Start keeping a track of your periods, if you haven’t already done it. Below we tell you what the possible causes of irregular periods could be. 

High Stress Levels: When you are undergoing a lot of stress, your body can start to conserve energy by preventing ovulation. Stress can suppress the hormones that regulate ovulation or the release of an egg from the ovaries. If ovulation doesn’t happen, a period won’t happen either. Stress can also contribute to hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). When you don’t have a lot of estrogen – and levels of other hormones including luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) – fall below normal, you aren’t able to build up the uterine lining and therefore you don’t get your period.

Poor Diet: A diet low in nutrients, antioxidants and probiotic foods can affect your periods. Excess cortisol hinders the optimal function of many other essential hormones such as sex hormones. It can also lead to protein breakdown, resulting in muscle-wasting and potentially osteoporosis. A high intake of sugar, hydrogenated fats and artificial additives are linked with thyroid issues and adrenal fatigue that can raise cortisol. If you’re struggling with menstruation, make sure to eat right kind of food. Foods that are high in antioxidants, nutrient-dense and that contain plenty of fats and proteins. 

Over-Exercising: To maintain a healthy lifestyle moderate exercising is essential but too much exercise can also put excess pressure on your adrenal, thyroid and pituitary glands. For example, women who suddenly start intense training for a marathon, high level of physical exertion can put a sudden halt to their periods. Physical exertion can increase stress and deplete the body energy needed to regulate sex hormones. Exercise-induced amenorrhea can be an indicator of an overall energy drain and is most common among young women. 

PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone imbalance in women that negatively impacts ovulation. When a woman PCOS, she experiences altered levels of sex hormones that can result in weight gain, acne, facial hair growth and even irregular menstrual cycles. It can also cause infrequent or prolonged periods. 

Low Body Weight: Body fat is important for creating enough estrogen, which is why extremely thing women or those with serious conditions like anorexia and bulimia can experience absent or missed periods. When your body mass index (BMI) falls below 18 or 19, you can start to miss your period due to having too little body fat. A low-calorie, low-fat diet can also result in nutrient deficiencies and lowered boy-fat percentages that may contribute to irregular periods and bone loss. 

A one-off irregular period is not worrisome. If it is persistent and you’ve gone three cycles and it’s irregular, then it’s time to call your doctor. No matter how much women loathe ‘that time of the month’, we should be grateful that regular periods indicate that our bodies are performing to the mark. There are more possible reasons that can cause irregularities in periods, identify those factors, track your period calendar and do not miss to get in touch with your healthcare provider.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   
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Scientists discover promising off-switch for inflammation

Scientists have discovered a new metabolic process in the body that can switch off inflammation. They found that ‘itaconate’ – a molecule derived from glucose – acts as a powerful off-switch for macrophages, which are the cells in the immune system that lie at the heart of many inflammatory diseases. “It is well known that macrophages cause inflammation, but we have just found that they can be coaxed to make a biochemical called itaconate,” said a scientist.

“This functions as an important brake, or off-switch, on the macrophage, cooling the heat of inflammation in a process never before described,” he said. The discovery, is very much on the frontier of inflammation research and the researchers are now exploring its relevance to the onset and development of inflammatory and infectious diseases. They are also keen to explore whether the findings can be exploited in the effort to develop new anti-inflammatory medicines.

“The macrophage takes the nutrient glucose, whose day job it is to provide energy, and surprisingly turns it into itaconate,” said a scientist. “This then blocks production of inflammatory factors, and also protects mice from the lethal inflammation that can occur during infection,” he said.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   
FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              
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Core- strengthening exercises every girl should do

Strong abdominal and back muscles are essential for doing everyday tasks, like lifting your 20-pound toddler or picking up heavy bags, not to forget preventing an achy back or maintaining good posture at your desk.

Core muscles act as a central link in a chain connecting our upper and lower body. Thus, weak core muscles can impair how well our arms and legs function.

Here are some of the exercises recommended by a Physiotherapist  that every girl should do to keep their core strong.

Transverse Abdominus Activation
Contract your lower abdominals as if you were trying to lift one leg from the table. Initiate the movement but do not lift foot greater than 1 inch from the table. Repeat opposite side. Perform 15 repetitions 2 sets.

Sahrmann Lower Abdominal Exercise
Start with both knees bent, and your feet on the table. Tighten your abdominal muscles, like you are drawing your mid-section to your belly button. Lift 1 leg to a 90-degree hip flexion position, then the second leg to the same position (just like Level 1). Touch the first heel to the table, slide it along the table until the leg is straight, return to the 90-degree position. Repeat with the second leg (touch, slide along the table, slide back). Lower 1 leg to the starting position, then the second leg. Do 10 reps and 3 - 4 sets.

Table Top with Marching
Begin in the table-top position with lower abdominal muscles engaged, low back flat against the ground (90 degrees at your hips and knees). Then alternate tapping your heels to the ground one at a time. Between each tap, return to the starting position before alternating to the opposite leg. Tapping the ground with each heel once is one repetition. Do 10 reps and 3 - 4 sets.

Straight leg press up- Rotation
While lying on your back, cross your legs and lift them straight up. Next, flatten your low back so that it thrusts your legs a few inches upwards towards the ceiling. While maintaining this position with your low back flat on the floor, slowly rock your legs side-to-side as shown. Do 10 reps and 3 - 4 sets. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   
FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              
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Test and Treatments for Multiple Myeloma

Blood Tests

When you have multiple myeloma, cancer cells crowd out healthy blood cells in your body. Instead of making normal proteins called antibodies, they make particles called M proteins. (The M stands for monoclonal.) To diagnose you, your doctor will take a small amount of blood from a vein in your arm. A lab then checks it for M proteins and another substance -- beta-2 microglobulin -- that are signs you have multiple myeloma.

Urine Tests

The proteins that myeloma cells make don’t just show up in your blood. They can appear in your urine as well, which gives doctors another way to diagnose the disease. Plus, multiple myeloma can damage your kidneys, so your doctor will want to check your pee for any sign they aren’t working properly. Some of the tests require you to collect urine over a 24-hour period, not give just one sample.

Skeletal Survey

In this test, your doctor takes a look at all the major bones in your body using X-rays. Multiple myeloma can cause bone problems, including pain, soft or thinning bones, and fractures. X-rays can show that kind of damage. A technician will show you how to position yourself and then take images from different angles to get views of all your bones.

Bone Marrow Biopsy

Multiple myeloma starts in bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside some bones. To test it, the doctor uses medicine to numb the area near your pelvis, then he takes a sample of the liquid inside your bone marrow using a needle that goes into your pelvic bone. He also removes a sliver of bone and marrow. Doctors will check the samples to see how your cells look and whether you have too many plasma cells, a sign of multiple myeloma.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This scan will show your doctor if myeloma cells have replaced normal bone marrow. Your doctor might also look for a tumor in the plasma cells of your blood called a plasmacytoma. This type of imaging test is also good for spotting spine fractures from the bone damage the disease can cause. For an MRI, you’ll lie still inside a machine that looks like a large tube while high-energy magnets and radio waves make pictures of your insides.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A PET scan is sometimes combined with another test, computed tomography, or a CT scan. Before you lie inside the scanner, you’ll get a substance injected into your veins through an IV in your arm or hand. It has a sugar and a radioactive chemical. Cancer cells absorb more of this substance, so the image gives your doctor a good idea of where those cells are in your body.

Fat Pad Aspirate

Multiple myeloma can make too many proteins build up in some organs, which can damage them. It’s called amyloidosis. If your doctor suspects that’s happening to you, the best way to find out is to check the fat around your belly. The doctor puts a needle into your belly and removes a small bit of tissue. (You’ll get numbing medicine first to make you more comfortable.) Then, he’ll look at it under a microscope.

Molecular Tests

These highly detailed looks at your bone marrow or tumor cells can identify chromosomes, genes, proteins, and other things that are unique to your cancer. The names of some of these tests are cytogenetics and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). You and your doctors can use the information from these tests to decide on your treatment plan.

Watchful Waiting

Once you're diagnosed, you and your doctor may decide that the best treatment for your multiple myeloma is no treatment at all -- at least not right away. This approach is also called “active surveillance,” and it’s recommended if your disease is in the early stages and you don’t have any symptoms. You’ll have checkups often to make sure your status hasn’t changed. You might have blood and urine tests at these appointments.

Targeted Therapy

This treatment uses drugs that go after your cancer’s specific genes, proteins, or the tissue that helps it survive. This approach -- also called novel therapy -- targets the cancer but limits harm to healthy cells. Drugs in this group include those that stop myeloma cells’ growth in your bone marrow and others that help your own immune system fight the cancer. You take some of these drugs as pills; a needle is used to put others into a vein in your arm.

Chemotherapy

This type of treatment uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. You may take them in pill form or through a needle in one of your veins. You’ll get a series of these treatments on a set schedule, called a regimen. The length will depend on the drugs you take and how severe your condition is. Sometimes, doctors give a few chemotherapy drugs at once.

Radiation Therapy

Your doctor might order this treatment to shrink a tumor quickly if it’s causing pain or damaging a bone. High-intensity energy particles are beamed at your body from a machine, and the radiation from the particles kills the cancer cells. You’ll have a set number of treatments scheduled over a period of time.

Corticosteroids

Drugs such as prednisone and dexamethasone can boost your immune system, fight inflammation, and work against the myeloma cells in your body. Your doctor might have you take a steroid as part of your treatment plan. You can take these drugs in pill form, or get them as shots into a vein in your arm.

Stem Cell Transplant

This procedure replaces your damaged bone marrow with special blood-forming cells called hematopoietic stem cells. You can get them from a donor, or doctors can collect your own cells ahead of time and give them back to you. First, you’ll have chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells in your body. Then the transplant puts new cells in to start making healthy bone marrow. The entire process takes several weeks. How much of that time you spend in the hospital depends on the specifics of your condition.

Bisphosphonates

Your doctor might add one of these drugs to your treatment plan if your multiple myeloma is causing a lot of bone problems. They can slow bone disease, prevent fractures, and ease your bone pain. Two common drugs are pamidronate (Aredia) and zoledronic acid (Zometa). You get them in a shot that goes into a vein.

Surgery

Operations can help deal with any bone fractures the disease causes -- they can reduce pain or help you move around better. Multiple myeloma often affects the spine. Nothing can undo the damage, but surgeons can help stabilize your back. You may have a procedure called vertebroplasty or another called kyphoplasty.

Multiple Myeloma -What Is It?

This blood cancer forms when plasma cells -- white blood cells that fight germs -- start to grow out of control. They’re found in marrow, the spongy tissue inside some of your bigger bones. Sometimes these abnormal plasma cells, known as myeloma cells, form a single tumor. That's called a solitary plasmacytoma. If you have more than one of these tumors, it’s called multiple myeloma.

Why Do You Get It?

Like many cancers, multiple myeloma has no known cause. However, there are some things that can raise your chances. Age plays a role: Most people who have it are over 65. It’s twice as common in African-Americans and slightly more likely to affect men than women. If someone in your family has it, you're more likely to get it, too.  

Can It Be Prevented?

You may wonder if there was anything you could have done to avoid this cancer. The answer is no. It doesn’t result from lifestyle choices, and you can’t discover it with early screening tests. In fact, multiple myeloma is hard to find early. Symptoms usually don’t show up until you’ve had it a while. But scientists learn more about what causes it every year, and new drugs are in the pipeline. 

Symptom: Low Blood Counts

Plasma cells aren’t the only ones formed in your bone marrow. Other white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are created there, too. However, myeloma cells can prevent bone marrow from making these healthy blood cells. That can lead to:

• Anemia (low red blood cells), which can cause fatigue
• Thrombocytopenia (low platelets), which can cause bruising or bleeding
• Leukopenia (low white blood cells), which raises infection risk

Symptom: Bone Fractures

Myeloma cells are a major enemy to bones. Believe it or not, your “old” bone is constantly being dissolved by cells called osteoclasts. Meanwhile, cells known as osteoblasts are making new bone. These things normally happen together. Myeloma cells speed up the breakdown process, but not the buildup. The result: Your bones get weak and can fracture easily.

Symptom: Infections

Plasma cells make antibodies, which fight germs. If you get a cold, they can create an antibody to attack the virus that’s making you sick. Abnormal plasma cells don’t do that. Myeloma cells multiply and quickly crowd out your healthy plasma cells, along with other white blood cells that protect you from infection. 

Other Things to Watch For

Multiple myeloma can lead to health problems like:

• Confusion and dizziness
• Numbness or muscle weakness in your legs
• Kidney problems

Because your bone dissolves faster than normal, you may have a high level of calcium in your blood. You might also feel really thirsty and dehydrated.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Blood tests can check for many red flags, like low blood cell counts and high calcium levels. X-rays can reveal bone loss. But the most important test for this cancer is a bone marrow biopsy. A doctor will insert a special needle into your bone and remove a tiny piece of tissue. He'll look at it with a microscope to see if you have myeloma cells.

Should I Get Treatment?

It sounds crazy, but if you don’t have symptoms yet -- a stage called smoldering myeloma -- the doctor may tell you not to. Many people wait months or years before they start treatment.

Are There Medications?

Yes. If you do need treatment, there are many types. You might try traditional cancer drugs like chemotherapy and corticosteroids. Or your doctor could try one of several new options:

• Immunomodulating agents: affect your immune system, but doctors don’t know how
• Proteasome inhibitors: stop cells from breaking down proteins
• Monoclonal antibodies: attack cells that are a threat

Other Treatment Options

If you’re under 65, or over 65 and otherwise healthy, your doctor may suggest a stem cell transplant. Before it, you’ll get a high dose of chemo or radiation to kill cells in your bone marrow. Then you’ll get a transplant of healthy stem cells -- the ones that create new blood. You might get your own cells. The doctor will call this an autologous transplant. Or they could come from a donor. This is known as an allogeneic transplant.

Related Health Issues

Drugs and blood transfusions improve anemia (low red blood cell counts) and the extreme fatigue it causes. There’s a special procedure that thins your thickened blood, a problem that can result in dizziness and confusion. Another treatment, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), will help your body fight infections. You might also take drugs called bisphosphonates to lower your risk of bone fractures.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

It’s always a good idea to bring up concerns and ask questions at your office visits. Put these on your list:

• How can I stay healthy?
• Are there ways to ease my pain?
• What stage is my disease in, and what does it mean for me?
• Does my treatment have side effects?
• Should I get a second opinion?
• Should I join a clinical trial?                                             
  THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   
  FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              
  FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         https://my crochet creations.blogspot.com/