Women’s Health Category
Depression treatment options for adults
DEPRESSION OVERVIEW — Depression is a treatable condition. However, many people are reluctant to accept a diagnosis of depression and pursue treatment. A person may worry about the social stigma of depression, and may be embarrassed to discuss the need for treatment with family or friends. In addition, some people do not understand that physical problems such as aches and pains, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping can be caused by depression.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME AND PREMENSTRUAL DYSPHORIC DISORDER OVERVIEW — Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to a group of physical and behavioral symptoms that occur in a cyclic pattern during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is the severe form of PMS. Common symptoms are anger, irritability, and internal tension that are severe enough to interfere with daily activities.
Headache
HEADACHE OVERVIEW — Headache is one of the most common medical complaints. Headaches can be quite debilitating, although the vast majority are not due to life threatening disorders. Approximately 90 percent of headaches are caused by one of three syndromes (show table 1):
Maintaining Strong Bones: The real story behind Calcium and Vitamin D
Keeping our bones strong and healthy is a big part of preventive health care for women. After all, osteoporotic fractures are a major cause of disability among postmenopausal women. Many women don’t realize that it is never too early in life to ensure that the bones remain strong. In fact, the younger we start building healthy bones, the better. Our bones become stronger and denser from the time of birth, until the age of 30. This is when we reach our “peak bone density”. During puberty, 50% of a woman’s bone calcium is laid down. From the age of 30 until menopause, the bone mass decreases, although very slowly. After menopause, if a woman is not taking hormones, the bone loss becomes more pronounced and she can run the risk of becoming ostoporotic.
Causes and Treatment of Post Partum Depression
The post partum period is generally thought of as a happy and exciting time for new mothers. For those who have not experienced post partum depression, it is difficult to believe how sad and lonely this period of time can be for some women. The physical, psychological and hormonal changes, coupled with sleep deprivation following childbirth, make this period of time one of susceptibility to many mood disorders, the most common of which is post partum depression. This condition is seen in 8-15% of women after childbirth, and can occur any time within the first year after delivery. The onset is commonly within the first 6 months after childbirth. Similar to other forms of depression, PPD is characterized by sadness, tearfulness, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, difficulty with sleep and appetite, irritability, difficulty with memory, concentration and fatigue. The symptoms of depression should be distinguished from those of “post-partum blues” which affects 50-70% of new mothers, usually within 3-5 days of delivery. Women who suffer from post partum blues have milder symptoms which are transient, and resolve within two weeks.
Understanding Breastfeeding
Everyone knows that the natural way to nourish an infant is to breastfeed. The English word nursing is from the same source as nourishing. It seems like it should be as natural as pregnancy, labor and delivery. The problem is, breastfeeding doesn’t always work out well for the mother and the baby. There are many factors involved which can influence the success or failure of nursing. Here is an overview of the subject.
Menopausal hormone therapy alternatives
Author :Richard J Santen, MD Section Editor:Peter J Snyder, MD William F Crowley, Jr, MD Deputy Editor: Leah K Moynihan,…