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I Have Pelvic Pain. What Treatment Options Are There for Correcting This Problem?

Posted on June 19 2013 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

Pelvic pain itself is not a syndrome but instead a symptom of an underlying cause. It will be important to try and determine why you are having pelvic pain in order to properly treat it. However, diagnosing the root cause can often involve a trial and error process. Your doctor may need to spend some time using various tests to determine your diagnosis. In the meantime, pelvic pain from an unknown cause can be treated through different manners. Below, you will find information on how your doctor could treat pelvic pain.

Treatment for General Pelvic Pain

Dealing with pelvic pain will begin in a more generalized approach. For your comfort, your doctor will want to treat the pain itself while determining its exact cause. A few of the medication-based treatments that may be used include the following:

  • NSAIDs. These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually the first stop in treating chronic pain. These medications can be found in over-the-counter and prescription strengths. You will need to discuss with your doctor which would be best for your pain therapy.
  • Narcotics. If you have more severe pelvic pain, then your doctor may suggest the short-term use of narcotic pain medications. However, these medications are highly addictive and dangerous so they cannot be used for long-term pain management.

In addition to the medications, some research has recently found that certain antidepressants called TCAs (tricyclic antidepressant medicines) can reduce the amount of chronic pelvic pain in some women. This is a fairly new method of treatment, so it may not be the avenue that your doctor will choose to recommend.

Steps to Treating Urinary Incontinence

Posted on May 21 2013 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

Urinary incontinence is not something that any woman wants to deal with. While common, incontinence can be due to a wide variety of factors, like age, having a baby, genetics, and illnesses. If you are dealing with urinary incontinence, then you know it comes along with embarrassment and frustration. The good news is that there are ways to treat your condition. With many different options, you will want to discuss those options with your doctor.

At Home Techniques

You cannot completely cure your incontinence at home, but there are definitely things you can do that will help the issue to some level. Here are some things you can do at home to deal with your condition:

  • Training your bladder by teaching yourself to hold your urge to go a little longer each day.
  • Scheduling your visits to the bathroom about every two to four hours.
  • Avoiding beverages that make you need to go quicker, like alcohol, caffeine, and foods that are high in acid.
  • Kegel exercises to build strength in the muscles of the pelvic floor.
  • Wearing incontinence pads or underwear
  • Using a catheter

These at home methods are often just methods of dealing with the urinary incontinence. However, if you only have the mildest of versions, they may be feasible. If you have more severe cases of urinary incontinence, then you will need to talk to your doctor about your options, such as medications or surgical procedures.

Understanding Your Birth Control Options

Posted on April 16 2013 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

The modern world is certainly different from what women had to deal with years ago. Thanks to advances in science and technology, women have a variety of birth control options. These days, you can find choices that guarantee against pregnancy with ratings up to 99.9% if you make use of them properly. You can choose from birth control options that will best suit your lifestyle, but be sure to discuss your top choices with your doctor in order to pick the right one. Here are common choices for birth control that you could consider:

Barrier Methods of Birth Control

Barrier methods include those that block the sperm from ever reaching the egg. They include the following:

  • Contraceptive sponge along with a spermicide
  • Diaphragm
  • Cervical cap
  • Female condom
  • Male condom

These types of birth control methods are considered to have the higher chance of failure when compared to other methods. For example, the male condom is about 97% effective. That does not mean they are not viable means of birth control. They just do not get the complete assurance you could find in other choices.

Interested In Robotic Surgery? Learn More

Posted on March 14 2013 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

Surgical procedures have come a long way. Today surgery can be done with much more precision. Through robotic surgery, surgeons are now able to reach the minutest areas and increase their visual field. Through robotic arms, the surgery itself is clean and precise. Before you undergo robotic surgery, you should always ask your doctor questions.

Is Robotic Surgery the Right Choice for My Surgery?

Not all surgical procedures can even be performed through this cutting edge method. Depending on the condition that you have and the procedure that you need to undergo, it may or may not be an option for you. You will need to talk to your doctor to determine if this is the right choice for you.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor if You Have Endometriosis

Posted on February 13 2013 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

Each month, your body goes through a cycle. During that cycle, it prepares itself for having baby. That includes building up the uterine lining for implantation. For most women, the lining is built up and shed during their period each month as normal. For some women, the cells that build up normally within the uterus build up within the body cavity outside of the uterus. This is called endometriosis. The women who suffer deal with a number of problems like irregular bleeding, severe pain, and infertility.

If you have endometriosis and you are ready to talk to your doctor about the condition and your options, then the best thing to do is ask the right questions. By getting answers to your questions you can approach your condition, and its treatment, in the best possible manner.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor if You Have Pelvic Pain

Posted on January 10 2013 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

If you have chronic pelvic pain during your period or at different times of the month, it is vital that you see a doctor as soon as you can. There are many different conditions that could be responsible for the pain. Some of those conditions are more serious than others. No matter what the cause, you should not have to deal with pelvic pain that can make your life miserable for days at a time.

However, if you have never talked to your doctor before about this issue, you may not know where to begin or what to ask. The most important thing to remember is that you should ask your doctor any questions you have. Do not leave the doctor’s office without getting those questions answered. If you need some help in determining what to ask, listed below you will find common questions that women need answered about chronic pelvic pain, their treatment options, and what it means for their life.

Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor

  • Why do I have pelvic pain? This will need some testing and a diagnosis before your doctor can determine the cause.
  • Can I take pain relievers? Your doctor will most likely suggest you take NSAIDs (over the counter anti-inflammatories) to help manage your pain.
  • What can I do at home to ease my pain? Your doctor will be able to give you home care instructions that will make your pain a little more tolerable before it can be diagnosed and treated.
  • Will my treatment be permanent or will the pain come back? There are some conditions that could come back and will need to be treated at a later date. Surgery could provide a permanent solution if you wish to avoid the chance of recurrence.
  • Are you going to refer me to a specialist? Depending on the type of doctor you see, you may need to see a specialist to have the proper treatment.
  • Will treatment for pelvic pain cause infertility? This is an important question to ask especially if you are young and have not yet had children. In some severe cases, the best avenue for treatment could be surgery. For those cases, there could be a fertility issue to keep in mind.
  • Do I have other treatment options? In some cases, you may actually have more than one treatment choice. You will want to discuss each of them with your doctor to determine which one is best for you.
  • What is my expected outcome? Depending on your cause of pelvic pain, you could have different types of outcomes. You need to discuss this with your doctor before starting any treatment.

Pelvic pain can be very disruptive to your lifestyle. This is a condition that you do not want to live with on a regular basis, especially if there is a more serious underlying cause. Be sure to get all of your questions answered before you start any treatment option for your pain.

 

Causes and Treatment for Heavy Bleeding

Posted on December 11 2012 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

I Have Heavy Bleeding. What Are My Treatment Options?

There is actually a name for this type of condition. It is called Menorrhagia. There can be fluctuations in the amount of bleeding from one woman to the next, but for some women the bleeding and cramping would be enough to cause an interruption in their lives each month. If you do, in fact, have Menorrhagia, then there are a number of different causes as well as different treatments depending on the cause. You will need to speak to your doctor about your concerns in order to reach a diagnosis.

Is It Normal or Is It Menorrhagia?

Of course, you need to determine if you just have a heavy period or if your bleeding would actually fall into the abnormal category. The average woman loses between two and three tablespoons of blood with each period, but a woman who loses five or six tablespoons of blood or more during their period would be considered abnormal. How does this translate in terms that you can easily understand? Here are the common signs of Menorrhagia:

  • You have to change your pad or tampon every hour instead of every four hours or so.
  • You have to use a combination of pads and tampons at the same time to keep from accidents.
  • You have to change your pad or tampon during the night.
  • Your period lasts for longer than a week.
  • Your flow includes large clots of blood.
  • You feel tired, short of breath, or generally fatigued when you have your period.

If you have these symptoms, then you need to consider making a doctor’s appointment. These are not normal menstrual signs and do indicate Menorrhagia.

Common Causes of Heavy Bleeding

If you do have a case of severe bleeding during your period, then there are different causes that could be the culprit. Your doctor will diagnose the cause and then determine the best treatment. Common causes include the following:

  • Imbalance of hormones
  • Fibroids in the uterus
  • Polyps in the uterus or the cervix
  • Use of an IUD (Intrauterine Device)
  • Cancer, including uterine, ovarian, or cervical (rare)
  • Side effects of certain medications

Chances are, you could rule out a few of these based on how long you have had the heavy menstrual bleeding and whether or not you take any medications.

Treatments

Because Menorrhagia can disrupt your life, cause heavy pain, and lead to issues like anemia and iron deficiency, it is important that you get the condition treated. The treatment used for your condition will be based on your health and the reason you have heavy bleeding. Your doctor may suggest some of the following:

  • NSAIDs – over the counter anti-inflammatories can relieve cramping.
  • Oral Contraceptives – birth control pills can reduce the amount of bleeding and the length of the period.
  • Progesterone replacement – this hormone can correct any hormone imbalances.
  • Surgical therapies – there are a few different surgical treatments that can be used to correct Menorrhagia, such as: surgical polyp or cyst removal, endometrial ablation, endometrial resection, and hysterectomy. Many of these procedures are now done with minimally invasive methods. Your doctor will suggest surgical corrections if you have such conditions as polyps and cysts or concerns with blood vessel congestion. In many cases, surgery is the best option to relieve your heavy bleeding now and in the future.

Heavy bleeding is not just a hassle. It is a condition that can truly disrupt your life. Between the constant worry of the heavy bleeding, the cramps, and the risk of anemia, Menorrhagia is not something that you should continue living with. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your treatment options.

 

 

 

 

 

Know Your Treatment Options for Gynecologic Cancer

Posted on November 6 2012 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

A wide variety of gynecologic cancers can affect a woman’s reproductive system, which consists of the uterus, vagina, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Female reproductive anatomy

The most common types of gynecologic cancers are cervical, endometrial (uterine) and ovarian cancer. The specific type of cancer a woman has and how advanced it is, will determine her available treatment options. Women with early stage gynecologic cancer are often treated with hysterectomy – the surgical removal of the uterus. In this procedure, the doctor may also remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes and/or select lymph nodes. Hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure for women in the US., and an estimated one third of all U.S. women will have a hysterectomy by age 60.

Minimally Invasive Solution for Pelvic Prolapse

Posted on September 6 2012 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

For many women, surgery may be the best treatment option to repair pelvic prolapse, including vaginal vault prolapse. da Vinci surgery offers a robotic, minimally invasive for the sacrocolpopexy procedure. Surgical mesh is used to hold the affected pelvic organ(s) in the correct anatomical position. This procedure can also be performed after a hysterectomy to treat uterine prolapse. It provides long-term support of the vagina.

da Vinci Sacrocolpopexy offers several potential benefits over traditional open surgery, including:

  • Less blood loss
  • Minimal need for blood transfusions
  • Shorter hospital stay

Potential benefits of da Vinci Surgery compared to traditional laparoscopy include:

  • Less blood loss
  • Much shorter operation
  • Small incisions for minimal scarring

To learn more check out our section on [Pelvic Prolapse].

 

17 Million U.S. Women Encounter Urinary Incontinence

Posted on August 22 2012 by The Women's Centre for Well Being

Approximately 17 million women in the U.S. encounter urinary incontinence in their lifetime, often affecting women between the ages of 18 and 60. Common symptoms include:

  • an inability to prevent leaking urine when exercising or other involuntary actions such as coughing or sneezing
  • an overwhelming urge to urinate that often causes them to urinate before getting to a bathroom.

A variety of treatment options are available for urinary incontinence depending on each specific condition. Some treatment options include:

  • Catheter
  • Medications
  • Behavior Therapies
  • Pelvic Muscle Exercises