Health Vital Points
Resolving healthcare, fitness and well-being issues
Treatment for miscarriage
Jul 14th
Your treatment plan depends on whether you have had a complete or incomplete miscarriage (whether there is any foetal tissue left in your womb). If you have had a complete miscarriage, no further medical treatment is required. If you have had an incomplete miscarriage, it will be necessary to remove the foetal tissue as there is a risk that it could become infected.
The causes of miscarriage
Jul 13th
Prolactin is a hormone that is produced during pregnancy. It helps prepare the breasts for breastfeeding. Sometimes, women have a higher level of prolactin in their body than usual. This is known as hyperprolactinaemia. Some limited evidence suggests that hyperprolactinaemia may be linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
Miscarriage
Jul 12th
It is thought that most miscarriages are the result of random variations in the chromosomes of the baby. Chromosomes are genetic ‘building blocks’ that guide the development of a baby. If a baby has too many or not enough chromosomes, the pregnancy can end in miscarriage. While a miscarriage does not usually seriously affect a woman’s physical health, it can have a significant emotional impact.
Complications of varicose veins
Jul 11th
Varicose veins which form near the surface of your skin can sometimes bleed if you cut or bump your leg. You may find that the bleeding is difficult to stop. You should lie down, raise your leg, and apply direct pressure to the wound. Seek medical advice immediately if this does not stop the bleeding.
Treatment for varicose veins
Jul 10th
Compression stockings are specially designed stockings which steadily squeeze your legs to help improve your circulation. They may help to relieve pain, discomfort or swelling in your legs which is being caused by your varicose veins. It is not yet known whether compression stockings can help to prevent your varicose veins from getting worse, or if they prevent new varicose veins from appearing.
Varicose veins
Jul 9th
Varicose veins develop when the small valves inside the veins stop working properly. In a healthy vein, blood flows smoothly to the heart, and is prevented from flowing backwards by a series of tiny valves, which open and close to let blood through. If these valves weaken or are damaged, the blood can flow backwards and can collect in the vein, eventually causing it to be varicose.
The side effects of radiotherapy
Jul 8th
In men, temporary impotence (the inability to get an erection) and loss of interest in sex are common side effects of radiotherapy. This is often caused by feeling tired after radiotherapy and being anxious about the treatment or illness. Radiotherapy to the pelvic area can cause temporary impotence by affecting the nerves in and around your penis. Most other radiotherapy treatments will not make you infertile or cause any problems if you decide to have children in the future.
How radiotherapy is performed
Jul 7th
First, a patient has to be prepared so that they can lie in the same position for treatment. Usually, a patient has a scan in the treatment position and the doctor outlines the tumour target to be treated and also identifies the body organs to avoid (the kidneys or liver, for example). When treatment starts there are a lot of checks.
Radiotherapy
Jul 6th
Radiotherapy is largely used to treat and control many different types of cancer. It can shrink a cancerous tumour (abnormal cell growth) before it is surgically removed. The aim of radiotherapy is to kill the cancerous cells in the affected area of the body. However, there are some benign conditions that can be treated, such as thyroid disease or bone formation around a hip replacement
How a biopsy is carried out
Jul 5th
Sometimes, a biopsy is performed during surgery that is being carried out for another, unrelated reason. A tissue sample is taken during surgery and is checked immediately so that the surgeon gets the results quickly and is able to decide how to progress with treatment. A lump that is found during surgery may be removed completely if the patient is still under anaesthetic and has given their consent (approval).
