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.

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.

Starting in the breast ducts and extending to the nipple and areola (the dark circle of skin around the nipple), the outwardly appearance of the condition is much like eczema, an inflammation of the skin. Paget’s disease of the nipple is almost always associated with an underlying invasive breast cancer.

Causes:

Although the exact cause of Paget’s disease of the nipple is not known, researchers believe that an underlying ductal or invasive breast cancer is the root cause. On the other hand, in rare cases of the disease, no underlying breast cancer was found to trigger the disease.

Symptoms:

Eczema-like rash or a mild skin irritation are often sought as the early signs of the disease. As the tumor grows, the skin of the nipple and areola may turn red and inflamed. At this stage, the symptoms may include crusting, itching, burning, bleeding and oozing (giving out a straw-colored or bloody discharge). Also, the nipple appears flattened against the breast.

Risk factors:

Women with a family history of breast cancer are more prone to suffer from Paget’s disease of the nipple. The incidence is also high among women who don’t attain motherhood, or attain it late in life.  Likewise, early menstruation or delayed menopause also increases the risk. Significant weight gain during puberty also heightens the risk of developing the disease.

Prevention:

While risk factors like age, genetics and family history cannot be altered, adopting a healthy lifestyle, eating right, a daily fitness regimen, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake, offer some protection against the disease.

Treatment:

Depending upon the extent of damage and the characteristics of the underlying breast cancer the requisite treatment options follow. These are either surgical or non-surgical. In cases where an invasive cancer exists, mastectomy (removing the entire breast) is the most pronounced option.

Alternatively, in cases where the disease is confined only to the nipple and the surrounding area, the surgeons opt for Lumpectomy (removal of the diseased portion of the breast).

In addition, the non-surgical treatments namely radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy are also used.

Akin to causes leading to coronary artery disease, in PAD the fatty deposits build up in the inner linings of the artery walls, inhibiting the easy flow of blood to the vital body organs. A PAD diagnoses indicates an increased likelihood of impending coronary disease.

Causes:

A number of pre-existing medical conditions namely blood-clotting disorders, damaged arteries, high cholesterol (dyslipidemia), hypertension, obesity and diabetes are directly associated with an incidence of the disease.

Symptoms:

The condition is typically characterized with an overall body discomfort, the most prominent being claudication (pain on walking) and pain while resting. Other symptoms include muscle cramping, sores and wounds that don’t heal or heal slowly, skin discoloration especially in limbs due to a decreased blood flow, difference in the body temperature (cold) as compared to other limbs and impaired hair and nail growth on affected limb.

Treatment:

The condition can be spotted during a physical examination followed by a TMT test (Treadmill test). Once diagnosed, lifestyle alterations, medications, angioplasty (non-surgical technique to widen up narrowed or obstructed blood vessel) or surgery are the preferred line of treatments.

Key lifestyle alterations include:

Quitting smoking – smoking further cuts down blood and oxygen supply to the limbs, the habit can be devastating.

Eating right – Cutting down on fats and carbohydrates helps lower cholesterol and obesity levels.

A watchful diabetes and blood pressure management

Exercise regimen – It perks up stamina and improves blood supply to body organs.

Medications:

Antiplatelets (drugs that make blood less sticky),

Anticoagulant (drugs that prevent blood clotting),

Statins (cholesterol lowering drugs),

Beta blockers (drugs that help control hypertension) are usually used to reduce the severity of symptoms.

In severe cases, a surgery either a bypass or endarterectomy (plaque excision) is needed.

Don’t overeat.

Avoid tight clothing, especially waist-pinching belts.

Stay upright for several hours after eating – don’t eat just before bedtime or lie down for a nap right after a meal.

If you frequently suffer form heartburn, avoid those foods you know you have a problem with.

Limit fat intake since fat slows the emptying of the stomach.

Elevate the head of your bed by six inches or more.

This may be the single most important mechanical altera-tion heartburn sufferers can make.