Placenta is an ephemeral (exists briefly) organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. Acting as the life support system for the growing baby, the placenta helps provides the baby with oxygen and maternal nutrients. It also helps the baby dispose his waste via the maternal kidneys.

Conversely, in case of a placental abruption, the baby is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, thus leaving both baby and mother in danger.

Causes:

Although the specific causes that lead to a placental abruption are unknown, certain risk factors are believed to raise the risk. These include preeclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension), trauma or injury to the abdomen, maternal age less than 20 or greater than 35.

In addition, a shorter length of the umbilical cord, a history of uterine fibroids (benign tumors of the uterus) and UTI (urinary tract infections) during pregnancy also play a part.

Symptoms:

Placental abruption usually occurs in the third trimester. However, it can occur any time after the 20th week of pregnancy. Classic signs and symptoms of placental abruption include uterine tenderness, rapid uterine contractions, often without arrest, abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding (sometimes).

Prevention:

While one cannot prevent placental abruption, the risk can be decreased following certain precautions. Quit smoking and avoid alcohol. The risk of placental abruption can also be reduced by maintaining a good pre-conception health, right eating during pregnancy regular sleep patterns and correction of preeclampsia and diabetes.

Treatment:

There is no treatment available that can either fix a detached placenta or can stop it from detaching further. The most preferred treatment is often based on the severity of the separation, location of the separation and the duration of the pregnancy.

In cases of mild placental abruption, a complete bed rest and close monitoring are the most prescribed treatment options. However, in case of a complete separation, delivery (preferably C-section) is often sought as the safest option. Severe bleeding requires an immediate blood transfusion.

Unfortunately, 15 percent of the severe placental abruption cases end in fetal death.

Although experiencing pain during sexual intercourse is a fairly common problem, 2 out of every 3 women experience it, but pain can actually ruin the very essence of this three letter magic word – SEX.

Causes:

Painful intercourse can be result of a range of conditions – physical or psychological.

Physical causes:

A range of physical causes including infection (yeast or urinary tract), vaginismus (inflammation of the vagina), inadequate lubrication, abdominal or pelvic injury, uterine fibroids (benign tumors of the uterus), a healing episiotomy may result in a painful intercourse.

Psychological causes:

Emotional issues like anxiety, depression, concerns about physical appearance, fear of intimacy, relationship problems or a history of sexual abuse – can all play a spoil sport in sex.

Symptoms:

The classic signs of dyspareunia include a painful penetration, a superficial (entry point) pain or a ‘deep inside’ pain often cited as a lower back pain or abdominal pain. The pain is often associated with a burning, tearing, ripping or aching sensation.

Prevention:

While there are no absolute preventive tips, maintaining a good genital hygiene helps. Avoid using scented bath products especially around the vaginal area as these can irritate the genital area and also zap the natural lubrication. Avoid douching. Drink lots of fluids that help flush out body toxins.

Treatment:

Depending upon the underlying cause of the pain – physical or psychological – the doctor will advice a treatment plan.

While infections, vaginal inflammation or a medical condition require a corresponding drug therapy, emotional issues like anxiety and depression require proper counseling. In addition, a longer foreplay, use of water-based vaginal lubricants such as K-Y jelly or Astroglide can make sex more comfortable.

In postmenopausal women, receding estrogen levels often result in inadequate lubrication. This can be corrected by the use of a prescription cream, tablet or a vaginal ring.

Pain can also a associated with a specific sexual position. Switching positions may help.

While an estimated 75 percent of the menstruating women experience mild to moderate premenstrual symptoms, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) – a severe and sometimes disabling form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) afflicts 3-8 percent women. The condition is more prevalent among women in late 20s and early 40s.

Causes:

While the exact cause behind premenstrual dysphoric disorder is not clear, cyclic changes in hormones is believed to be the major factor driving it. Stressful life events, bad, painful memories and a family history of PMS or PMDD all contribute to a higher chance of getting PMDD.

Besides the ‘uncontrollable’ factors, deficiency in vitamins and minerals, high salt intake, alcohol consumption and a high intake of caffeinated beverages cause mood and energy level disturbances, thus triggering PMDD.

Symptoms:

Conditions characterizing PMDD can broadly be classified into behavioral changes and physical signs.

While behavioral symptoms include sadness and crying, feeling nervous, anxious and irritable, impaired concentration, mood sings, sudden attacks of depression, social withdrawal and insomnia (trouble sleeping), physical signs and symptoms include joint or muscle pain, headache, fatigue, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, acne flare-ups and constipation or diarrhea.

The symptoms are most obvious 10 to 14 days before menstruation and improve on the onset of menstruation.

Treatment:

Lifestyle changes such as eating right, regular exercising, avoiding alcohol and quit smoking act as the first line of treatment in correcting PMDD. Besides the lifestyle changes, a range of drugs including antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics (drugs that elevates the rate of urination), oral contraceptives and medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera), a drug shot that  temporarily halts ovulation may help ameliorate some of the effects of PMDD.

But the success of medications in relieving symptoms varies from woman to woman.

The clinical condition is sometimes referred to as hypersexuality, sexual dependency, sexual compulsivity or erotomania.

Causes:

Although no known cause of compulsive sexual behavior exists, evidence suggests that brain abnormalities resulting from diseases like multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and dementia boost the compulsive sexual behavior in a woman.

Similarly, an alteration in the composition of the brain chemicals namely serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine or sex hormones like androgens also evoke an un-called sexual behavior.

Symptoms:

Indulging in too much sex is the classic symptom of nymphomania. Other symptoms include trouble bonding up emotionally in sexual relationships, taking onto commercial sexually explicit phone and internet services, excessive viewing of pornographic materials, engaging in excessive masturbation, promiscuous sexual activity, engaging in masochistic or sadistic sex and exhibitionism (exposing in public).

Treatment:

Fear, shame and embarrassment often hold back nymphomaniacs from seeking professional help. Psychotherapy, medications and enrolling in self-help groups are three complementary treatments that effectively ease out compulsive and obsessive traits.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are based on an assessment of 800 patients. The researchers clearly established that an active antidepressant treatment helps combat depression only in people with severe depression.

On the other hand, patients with mild depression who were administered antidepressants ‘do just as well or just about as well with a placebo’, Robert DeRubeis, primary author of the analysis and a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania remarked.

“Our data should give some pause to doctors who are considering prescribing antidepressants. They should give some consideration to other alternatives,” said Robert DeRubeis added.

According to the estimates of the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 14.8 million American adults aged 18 and above are affected by depression annually.

Now a team of researchers from the Sleep Research Lab at the University Health Network in Toronto have found a novel sleeping disorder, initiating sex while asleep.

‘Sexsomnia’ or sleep sex is a sleep disorder characterized as a non-rapid-eye-movement (N-REM) parasomnia. A parasomnia is a condition characterized by partial arousals during sleep or during transitions between wake and sleep.

Sexsomnia causes the afflicted to initiate sexual acts during sleep. The acts range from masturbation, fondling, sexual intercourse to psychologically and physically devastating sexual assaults and rape while they are asleep.

Upon engaging in sexsomnia, such people have no memory of their actions once they wake up.

People showing symptoms of other sleep disorders such as sleepwalking, sleep talking are more likely to exhibit sexsomnia episodes. Moreover, the phenomenon is nearly three times more prevalent in men (11 percent) than women (4 percent).

While the exact cause of the disorder is not known, researchers believe a genetic component plays a crucial role. Also, a genuine sleep disorder combined with other emotional problems spells havoc.

Alcohol, sleep deprivation, sleep apnea and other sleep disruptions allegedly increase episodes of Sexsomnia. In some cases, sleep sex episodes can be triggered by the contact with bed partner.

Treatment for sexsomnia may combine medication, therapy and lifestyle changes like abstaining alcohol, reducing stress and anxiety.

Simple precautions taken against the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays can help ward off this problem.

While on the beach, it is advisable to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and apply it repeatedly. It is a good idea to wear a hat and sunglasses with a UV filter.

It is not only about the beach that one has to think about sun protection. The habit to safeguard self should be incorporated into everyone’s daily routine.

Wearing a hat and seeking shade when the sun is strongest is highly recommended. Using a sunscreen with moisturizer every day would do a lot of good.

A sunscreen with a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 30 or higher should be used. It is important to use such a sunscreen even on cloudy days because clouds do not block the most damage forms of UV light.

The study authors have referred to exercise as well as psychotherapy as an alternative treatment option to combat depression.

The study, which has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, assessed 800 patients and established that the efficacy of the antidepressants was markedly better in people with severe depression.

“Our data should give some pause to doctors who are considering prescribing antidepressants. They should give some consideration to other alternatives,” said Robert DeRubeis, primary authors of the analysis and a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Referring to the patients with mild depression who were administered antidepressants, Robert DeRubeis said, “They would have done just as well or just about as well with a placebo.”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression annually affects roughly 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 and above.

While antidepressants form the basis of treatment for depression, doctors are progressively prescribing antipyschotics in addition to or on top of antidepressants to treat some patients.