DEAR DOCTOR K: please help — I have hemorrhoids. What’s the best way to treat them?

DEAR READER: Hemorrhoids are clusters of veins in the lowest part of the rectum and anus that become swollen and distended.

You can have hemorrhoids without any symptoms. but hemorrhoids can also have very unpleasant symptoms — rectal pain, itching, soiling and bleeding. Hemorrhoids are rarely dangerous, however, and there are many treatment options.

Hemorrhoid symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, including anal warts and fissures, Crohn’s disease and (rarely) anal cancer. So if you have persistent bothersome symptoms that you think are caused by hemorrhoids, it’s wise to see your doctor.

There are several helpful home treatments. the first thing you should do is boost the fiber in your diet. Eat high-fiber foods (such as prunes, pears, beans, bran cereals and oatmeal), take a fiber supplement (there are many varieties available in drugstores), or both. Fiber softens stools and makes them easier to pass. this reduces pressure on hemorrhoids, which in turn reduces the risk of bleeding, inflammation and swelling. make sure to take fiber with plenty of fluids.

Exercise is another important home remedy for hemorrhoids. take a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Not only does this have a powerfully positive effect on your health, it also is a great way to stimulate your bowels.

When you feel the urge, go to the bathroom immediately; don’t wait for a more convenient time. Waiting can cause your bowels to back up, leading to increased pressure and straining.

Sitz baths can relieve itching, irritation and muscle spasm. A sitz bath is a warm water bath for the buttocks. Sit in a regular bathtub with a few inches of warm water, or buy a small plastic tub that fits over a toilet seat. Try a 20-minute sitz bath after each bowel movement and an additional two or three times a day. (This works best if you’re retired.) Afterward, gently pat the area dry.

Over-the-counter pain-relief creams can temporarily soothe pain, irritation and itching. Witch hazel wipes (Tucks) are soothing and have no harmful effects. A small ice pack placed against the anal area for a few minutes may also help.

Finally, sitting on cushions rather than hard surfaces can help reduce swelling.

If the treatments I’ve discussed don’t help, talk to your doctor. You may benefit from a simple outpatient procedure to treat hemorrhoids. One procedure involves rubber rings tightened around the hemorrhoid. Other procedures, using lasers or infrared light, heat the hemorrhoids, causing them to shrink. Injecting a chemical into the hemorrhoids (called sclerotherapy) also can shrink them. if your symptoms continue despite these measures, you may need minor surgery to remove your hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids are among the most common “minor maladies of man.” the good news is that, most of the time, simple home remedies can give you great relief.

Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Go to his website to send questions and get additional information: AskDoctorK.com.

Do you constantly feel like you “gotta go”? when you leave the house, do you always look where the nearest bathroom is, just in case? Bladder control problems are more common than you might think. Having an Overactive Bladder can affect your quality of life, and 16 percent of the adult population, or about 33 million people, have this condition, according to the Journal of Urology.

People with an Overactive Bladder, or OAB, often experience: 1. High urinary frequency: More than eight times in a 24 hour period 2. Urinary urgency: A strong, compelling need to urinate that cannot be delayed 3. Urge incontinence: Wetting accidents which occur before reaching a toilet

If you have bladder control issues, don’t let embarrassment stand in the way of finding a solution. after talking with a doctor, most people start with conservative therapies. For example, doing exercises like kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor muscle. other first-step treatment options might include dietary modification, bladder training programs and prescription medication.

Unfortunately, conservative therapies fail up to 80 percent of people. Prescription medications are not an option for many people, and for others, they may experience unwanted side effects and stop taking them altogether. Exercise and diet modification can be strict and require a timely commitment. furthermore, the results might not live up to what patients are hoping for.

Treatments like surgery work, but if you don’t want to go the invasive route, there is one more option to consider.

Bladder function is regulated by a group of nerves at the base of the spine called the sacral nerve plexus. by stimulating these nerves through gentle electrical impulses, you can gain better control of your bladder.

Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation, otherwise known as PTNS, is a non-drug, non-surgical therapy that is helping many people with OAB take control. The Urgent PC Neuromodulation system provides this low-risk treatment by indirectly stimulating the nerves responsible for bladder function using a nerve in your lower leg. up to 80 percent of people who get PTNS have significant improvement in their bladder control symptoms, even when other treatment options have failed them in the past.

To get an Urgent PC treatment, you visit a clinician’s office. during treatment you will sit with your foot elevated. This allows the clinician to stimulate the area near your tibial nerve using a very thin needle temporarily placed in your ankle. Impulses travel along your leg to the nerves in your pelvis that control bladder function.

What does a PTNS treatment feel like? Most people simply feel a mild tingling sensation in their foot or ankle during treatment. you will receive an initial series of 12 treatments for 30 minutes each, typically scheduled a week apart. after the initial 12 treatments, you may only need occasional treatments or none at all.

Urinary incontinence may be caused by a number of things. For many, it could be a normal part of the aging process. For some women, pregnancy and childbirth are the cause. Men may experience OAB due to prostate surgery. Injury, chronic disease and obesity are also causes. No matter what the reason, there likely is a solution for you. For more information, visit urgentpcinfo.com.

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Prostate cancer has no or very minimal symptoms. That’s why prevention is the best defense. the key thing is to have a PSA, which is a blood test, every year. It’s recommended men start yearly PSA tests by the age of 50, or 40 if there’s a family history.

There are three different categories of prostate cancer: low, intermediate, and high.

Radiation Oncologist Dr. Hasan Murshed says the good thing is if it can be caught early prostate cancer patients have multiple treatment options. But if the cancer is advanced, the only options are radiation treatment or hormone treatment.

Now the Bay Regional Cancer Center is conducting clinical trials combining the two. the first is for intermediate risk prostate cancer patients who normally only get radiation alone.

Dr. Murshed says, “We’re testing if adding a short course of hormone with radiation would improve the outcome.”

We know from studies that high risk prostate cancer patients getting radiation and hormone benefit from this type of treatment.

The other trial is for patients who’ve had prostectomy and now have as rising PSA. that means after surgery they had a bio chemical failure from the prostate cancer standard treatment, radiation therapy.

Dr. Murshed says, “We’re testing again to see if adding a short course of hormone treatment would improve in patients. these are national studies available at the cancer center so you don’t have to travel to M.D.Anderson or Birmingham. We can offer those cutting edge treatments right here in Panama City.”

For more information just call Dr. Murshed at 747-6972.

As a long time Crohn’s patient, I am often sought out for advice on handling the disease by newly diagnosed patients and their families. And while awareness of Crohn’s is much greater than it was twenty years ago, most people really don’t understand much about the disease or the way it impacts a patient’s life. so I’ve decided to write a four-part document that hopefully explains to new Crohn’s patients and the general public what to expect and how to cope. these posts cover the medical symptoms tips for patients living with the disease and tips for people who know someone living with Crohn’s.

In this post, I’ll cover some of the treatment options available and the improvements made since I was first diagnosed. but before deciding on a treatment or treatments, discuss all of these options with your doctor. you may want to read to read the section on symptoms before reading this post, so that you understand why certain treatments are used.

When I was first diagnosed in April 1991, there weren’t any truly effective treatments for Crohn’s Disease. the treatments were either drastic – an ostomy – or did their best to mask the symptoms . Medications included a form of sulfa, antibiotics, oral steroids and anti-diarrhea solutions. Since these medications rarely induced remission of the disease (that is, a significant reduction of symptoms), most of us with Crohn’s were hospitalized often. Between 1991 and 2000, I was hospitalized 18 times for Crohn’s or Crohn’s related symptoms. all told, I spent 318 days in a hospital bed during those ten years.

The principle reason treatments were so ineffective was that so little was understood about the disease or how it functions. Fortunately, great strides have been made over the past ten years. thanks to the work of researchers, current treatments are much more effective. I’ll go through each of these.

Corticosteroids are artificial hormones often given to patients in during “flare-ups” (periods of extreme disease activity). During a flare, what happens is the tissue surrounding the disease inflames, causing the extreme pains for which Crohn’s is noted (I’ve joked that I know what labor pains must feel like – my wife actually agrees!). Corticosteroids such as Prednisone, Prednisolone and Deltasone work by reducing the inflammation. these drugs are artificial replacements for the corticosteroids generated by the human body, but are given in much higher doses than the body normally makes. I’ve received as much as 120mg of prednisone a day, or about 60x the body’s normal production. While they are as close to a miracle drug as any for ending flare-ups, they pose serious risks with extended or frequent use. the first is dependence; when receiving such massive doses the body stops producing its own. this is why they are usually prescribed for short periods and ramped down while prescribed. Prolonged use can also lead to cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and cataracts. also, patients taking corticosteroids should note that weight gain and mood changes are common when taking them.

This type of medicine is used to help maintain remission. It’s been used since I was first diagnosed, but the delivery of the active ingredients in sulfonamides has improved greatly in that time – meaning lower and less frequent doses are needed for the same effect. the first medication I was prescribed was Sulfasalazine; I had to ingest three 600mg tablets 4 times a day. if you’re not interested in doing the math, I was taking 7200mg every day, without much positive effect. Today, I take 1200mg of Lialda daily. the most commonly prescribed sulfonamide for Crohn’s today is Asacol (or its generic equivalents, Mesalamine and 5-ASA ), usually at a 800mg dose three times daily. the side effects are relatively minor, such as excessive gas and bloating. in rare cases, it can exacerbate pre-existing heart and lung cases. And some studies link these drugs to reduced fertility in men.

Everyone has bacteria lining their digestive tract. we actually need them to help with proper digestion. but during Crohn’s flare-ups, the bacterial populations literally explode. Nobody is quite sure why, or what the connection may be. regardless, most gastroenterologists will prescribe one or more antibiotics during a flare-up. the most common is flagyl, given intravenously.

The first major advance was in understanding the role an antigen called tumor necrosis factor (or TNF) plays in Crohn’s and the use of anti-TNF drugs in fighting Crohn’s. TNF forms naturally within the body and is one of our immune system’s defense mechanisms against cancer. it works by inflaming the cells around the cancer cells, in essence choking them. Nobody is quite sure why Crohn’s patients suffer this type of inflammation, but studies in the mid and late 1990′s showed that anti-TNF drugs actually reduced the chronic tissue inflammation. Since then, drugs like Imuran or 6-Mercapturine (6-MP) have been introduced. They can’t actually induce remission, but they are effective in maintaining remission once it’s been achieved. the big downside is since they reduce the body’s principle anti-cancer agent, patients taking them are at much higher risk for developing cancers. recent studies show the possibility that Crohn’s patients who have been on one of the anti-TNF medications for extended periods are at substantially higher risk for a type of leukemia.

An offshoot of anti-TNF medications, biologics as used in Crohn’s treatment are designed to essentially “turn-off” the immune system. there are three currently in use: Remicade, Humira and Cimzia. Each has some unique side-effects; ask your doctor about them. in 1998, Remicade was the first of these drugs approved for use in Crohn’s, so it has the longest track record. However, it also has the most common allergic reactions and needs to be administered by IV over a course of several hours. Humira and Cimzia are similar to one another, but whereas a Cimzia injection can last 4 weeks, Humira needs to be injected every other week. Generally speaking, since the immune system is kept in a very depressed state while taking these, the patient is very susceptible to any airborne illness and contracting one can be deadly. if you are planning to take one of these, know the risks and make certain you discuss them with your doctor. I’ve been taking Cimzia for close to a year and it has made a HUGE difference in my quality of life.

Crohn’s patients often require surgical procedures. these can range from the relatively benign (colonoscopy for examining the lower GI tract and removing polyps for closer examination) to a full-blown ostomy. before undergoing any surgical procedure, make certain you discuss all of the implications with your GI doctor and meet the surgical team. you should also try to have a trusted friend or family member with you for these consultations – odds are if you’ve reached this point, the pain has also become nearly unbearable. Whether you’re fighting the pain au natural or with painkillers, you won’t be in the best command of your mental faculties.

For Crohn’s patients, diet is truly a four-letter word. we obviously need to eat, but many foods (including what can seem like most of the yummy ones) will cause an exacerbation of symptoms. Eat too many of them and you may wind up with a full-blown flare. Match that with the fact that as a Crohn’s patient, you need to ensure good nutrition even more so than most people and you stand a good chance of being baffled by your diet – or going insane J. your best bet is to avoid foods that are hard to digest, such as nuts, popcorn and seeds. as for everything else, keep a log of everything you eat and if you experience increased symptoms, then avoid it in the future. Personally, I try not to exclude anything unless I’m in a flare – I just make certain my “avoidance” foods aren’t a constant part of my diet.

Also, you may want to consider nutritional supplements if you find you can’t get enough nutrients from eating. these can range from vitamin supplements to more robust liquid supplement shakes, like Ensure or Boost. in any case, working with a registered nutritionist is always a good idea. And one more thing: most Crohn’s patients find eating large meals tend to make them symptomatic. Try to eat smaller meals and eat more often. for instance, I typically eat 6 times a day – I cover this in more detail in the lifecyle adjustments post.

There are quite a few alternative (or herbal) therapies out there for Crohn’s patients. I do not recommend any of them, although parts of them can be helpful. for instance, I find mint tea can help calm my stomach if I overdue it. regardless, before trying any of them, be sure to check with your doctor and investigate them fully to find out how they can interact with your medications or each other. just because they’re herbal or all-natural doesn’t mean they can’t have side-effects.

Perhaps the most important part of treatment is your ongoing care. your doctor will likely send you for seemingly endless tests. CAT scans, GI studies, barium enemas, X-rays, colonoscopies, blood tests and more are part of the typical “Crohnie’s” regimen. Undergoing these and maintaining your relationship with your doctor are crucial in keeping Crohn’s at bay.

This is a disease that is fast becoming a popular diagnoses often called ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. As a parent you may find the symptoms of ADHD a bit frustrating to assess. Of course typically it takes a specialist to diagnose properly the condition of ADHD. You may find there are alot of different symptoms that can manifest in your child. If ADHD is a concern for your child you can easily recognize some symptoms just by watching the child. There are alot of different things that can affect this disorder and just as many treatment options. we will talk about some of the main symptoms of ADHD here in this article. but do realize there are more symptoms that exist.

The behavior of children with ADHD is often quite varied between the genders. this has been proven scientifically and many people are unaware of this. boys will often show symptoms of hyperactivity. Inattentiveness is how it will present itself in most girls though. still though, there are differences between the two when it comes to being inattentive. Boys are more likely to show this through fiddling with something or just playing around. but with girls, they will do more things like sit there and daydream when they’re being inattentive.

Forgetting things is a common problem for all children. Obviously, this symptom type is amazing. regardless of your age or responsibility you have probably forgotten something yourself before. I am sure you have read about this happening in institutional settings as well.

Forgetfulness in a child with ADHD, however, occurs much more frequently than it does in the average child. As the parent, you will have the best gauge of whether your child’s forgetfulness is more frequent than normal. You know when something like forgetting or being forgetful is happening far too much and seems to have been going on for too long. When compared to a child without ADHD you will see that a child with ADHD forgets more often. When looking for this sign, you also want to pay attention to the time frame this happens in.

Another thing to pay attention to is your child’s avoidance of mental effort for extended periods of time. Of course it’s important to note that most kids would prefer to play a video game as oppose to mental work. Most parents realize just how much of a pain homework is considered as far as children are concerned. even still it’s not uncommon for them to get it done with the right amount of effort. Most childrenwith ADHD will have some degree of aversion to work requiring mental acuity or effort. quite often it is seen with something like school work, or work related to school, etc.

An evaluation by your family physician is necessary if you feel your child has had these symptoms for a long period of time.

I've looked into lockjaw, but I very doubt this is the case, since I am in Year 11, and we had our tetanus shots like, months and months ago in year 10. it most often is worse in the morning. Talking is fine, it's mainly when I eat it can get bad. and it's only on the left hand side. I have had no spasms in the neck or jaw, just to add cause I read into the lockjaw symptoms.

Any idea what's wrong?

I would also like to add it mainly started when the cold weather started.

Have you looked into TMJ? it is also known as Temporomandibular joint disorder. it can be caused by eating, stress and many other factors. maybe this can be the cause. Check more about this at slideshare.net/lesliewaler/tmj-help-treatment-options-for-tmj

Did you get hit in the jaw, or ate something hard?

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ATM is a difficult condition to treat, and since there are no known causes or TMJ treatment options that can be used across the board, are difficult to treat that apply to each individual case work. First you need to understand what made the TMJ symptoms. They can be opened to the problems of pain and mobility with the jaw joints, swelling, redness and other symptoms when they try, or close the jaw. if you experience these symptoms, then you want to workwith your doctor to see if it is an underlying cause of the symptoms with you. if you can work to stop this condition and temporomandibular joint symptoms should be treated. if there is no underlying disease, you should try a specialist ATM, find a treatment option that works for you and a way to prevent the symptoms return to work.

One of the most common symptoms of TMJ is a jaw dislocated. there are several ways to control thisand if it is determined that it is part of the problem, you can simply jaw exercises to help coax back the jaw joints, where they should not relax, of course, and this should alleviate the pain and discomfort they are experiencing. You can rest your chin or jaw, back to his fist and with a slight pressure on the lock jaw. You can do this by moving his jaw slowly opened and closed by applying pressure test and see if the pain and discomfort subsided. They areunsure how to do this exercise correctly, make sure you get with an experienced specialist to work the desired results.

ATM is a difficult condition to treat, but with the right approach and support for the doctor from the beginning, you should be able to TMJ treatment options that work for you, and may also help prevent the symptoms to find the way back.

ATM Treatment Options: How to effectively treat the symptoms of TMJ

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continued…… cancel her appointment to discuss treatment options. how early(age wise) is it possible for a female to get cervical cancer and what are the symptoms?

any other informative information about cervical cancer is appreciated as well.

Extremely unlikely. it takes several years after infection of the Human Papilloma Virus to take hold and then the abnormal cells have to mutate into cancer. This all takes time. Cervical cancer screening is typically recommended starting three years or more after first sex, or starting at age 21 to 25. Recommendations for how often a Pap smear should be done vary from once a year to once every five years, in the absence of abnormal results. Guidelines vary on how long to continue screening, but well screened women who have not had abnormal smears can stop screening about age 60 to 70.
Of course you can cancel your appt with the doctors but why would you, Cancer is a life threatening issue and is the number one priority in your life after your diagnosis. you don't just blow off your appointments with your oncologist.
Here is a wikipedia link with much more info on the topic, good Luck!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_ca…

Wish to know what causes oral candidiasis (thrush), what it seems like and the remedies available? Oral candidiasis, often known as thrush, is a fungal infection that can have an effect on males, ladies and babies. here, you may discover the chance groups, as well as the causes, signs and treatment options.

First, let’s go over the symptoms of oral candidiasis (thrush). The usual signs are creamy / white thick coatings on tongue and mucous membranes, barely raised inflamed spots, issue swallowing, and a slight burning sensation in mouth. and, although many adults use the time period “thrush”, it is most normally used to explain oral candidiasis in babies.

The cause of candidiasis in general is the yeast-like fungus known as Candida Albicans. This resides in our our bodies quite naturally, however is often held in check by your body’s useful bacteria. However when the numbers of your good micro organism cut back sufficient, the Candida fungus can overgrow, inflicting a candidiasis infection, additionally called candida or yeast infection.

A yeast infection can happen nearly anywhere, however the most common locations are the vagina, penis and mouth, because they current the right situations for the fungus to thrive, i.e. dark, warm and moist. here, we are solely involved with oral candidiasis (thrush).

There are specific things that can ’set off’ the situations that permit the fungus to beat your good bacteria. In terms of oral candidiasis, the following are the “in danger” groups; smokers, diabetics, folks on antibiotics or steroids, denture wearers, ladies on oral contraceptives or are pregnant (hormonal modifications), of us with immune defficiency (e.g. HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy) and breast-feeding babies.

Now let’s take a look at the treatment. Your regular mainstream treatment largely consists of drug-primarily based liquid suspensions that you simply swish round your mouth after which swallow (“swish and swallow”). you can get these on prescription or over-the-counter. Typical medicine are nystatin, miconazole and amphotericin B. This approach can work quite successfully over time.

However many sufferers are discovering that their symptoms preserve reappearing after they’ve finished the course. This recurring candidiasis could possibly be as a result of treatment simply addressing the symptoms however not the basis cause, and, the fungus changing into drug-resistant.

This is the reason so many sufferers with oral candidiasis are efficiently turning to completely pure dwelling treatments which might be manner cheaper than costly drug-primarily based medicines and without their destructive downsides.

Typical of these are raw garlic, plain yogurt and uncooked apple cider vinegar, but there are literally tons out there that it’s good to get hold of and try. you additionally need to deal with things like dietary and way of life changes.

Overflowing with simple to implement strategies that can assist you discover extra about Candida Treatment and what signs you should look out for with a Yeast infection treatments, and you may visit Yeast infection remedy.

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Our communication and assertive skills is important when we face a doctor. in order to get the best care, you need to be a partner with your doctor and you need to know how to communicate well.

Try these suggestions:

Prepare an agenda. Before go to the doctor, make up a list of questions, symptoms, and concerns. be specific, concise, and direct. Take this list with you so if you do get flustered, you can read directly off your list.

be sure you understand the doctor’s diagnosis. If your doctor mentions a word or procedure you don’t understand ask him or her to explain it. there are no stupid questions. Remember, you’re not the one who went to medical school; you’re not supposed to know all about medicine.

Ask about your treatment options. what are the risks and benefits of each option? what will happen if you do nothing about your condition? what lifestyle changes can you make that might improve the situation?

Avoid unnecessary testing.

Ask the doctor to explain exactly why you need each test what’s involved and how much it will cost.

Understand your medica­tions. Before leaving the doc­tor’s be sure you understand what the drug is for its name how to take it any possible side effects and risks precau­tions necessary while taking the drug and any special instructions such as food or drug interactions.

Find out if you need a follow up appointment.

ask about a second opinion.

Screening Tests

Screening test way to reduce your health risks and your medical costs is to have periodic screen­ing tests. the intervals for test­ing we suggest here are only guides. Talk with your doctor about a screening schedule appropriate for your age and current health status.

Blood pressure screening.

High blood pressure has been called a silent killer because it produces no symptoms. to reduce your risk of stroke has your blood pressure checked annually.