Health Conditions With Headache and Constipation

Any headache can be followed by constipation, because the pain limits your activities, and when you reject food. On the other hand, constipation may be followed by headache, because of stress, dehydration and hunger (due to avoiding food). Headache and constipation may be present in several acute or chronic diseases, where their cause is more or less obvious. Constipation and headache are also common symptoms in pregnancy.

Both headache and constipation can be symptoms in the following health conditions:

1. Depression or Anxiety

Symptoms:

• Feeling sad or anxious
• Poor appetite
• Headache
• Constipation
• Suicidal thoughts

continue reading Headache and Constipation

Amenorrhea is the medical term for absent menses (no period). Missing a single period is not considered as amenorrhea although this should not occur in a healthy female unless there are short term disturbances. Amenorrhea is a total lack of menstruation that occurs for 6 months or more. There are two types of amenorrhea – primary and secondary amenorrhea.

Primary amenorrhea is the lack of menstruation in a girl who is 16 years or older or if there are signs of puberty present for more than 2 years with no menses. This means that menarche (the onset of menstruation) has not occurred as yet under the the abovementioned conditions.

Secondary amenorrhea is when menses is absent for 6 consecutive months or more in a girl or woman who was previously menstruating. Pregnancy and menopause are two common causes that are not pathological but there are other causes that may be a result of minor or serious medical conditions.

Anovulation is the medical term for the absence of ovulation. The ovary releases a mature egg cell into the fallopian tube during the menstrual cycle and this process is known as ovulation. It can occur approximately 14 to 16 days before the start of menstruation (refer to Ovulation Schedule). In anovulation, this process does not occur.

The ovary may not release a mature egg cell for a number of reasons including ovarian disorders, menopause or perimenopause, pregnancy, hormone contraceptives, drugs or even severe stress, exercise and starvation (including strict dieting).  Other chronic conditions, even those that are not gynecological in origin, may result in anovulation.

continue reading What is Anovulation? No Ovulation

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, with or without the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Post-operative vaginal bleeding after a hysterectomy can be a potentially serious complication which may require a blood transfusion and further surgery. The vaginal bleeding can occur immediately after or within a few days of surgery, or in some cases it may even occur a few weeks after the operation.

Spotting After Hysterectomy

Slight vaginal bleeding is often experienced by some women and this may take the form of spotting or a faint pink discharge in the first four to six weeks following a hysterectomy. The spotting may be considered to be normal in these circumstances. This small amount of bleeding may occur while the wound is healing and should not be a cause for concern in most cases as long as it seems to be decreasing gradually and there is no significant pain.

continue reading Vaginal Bleeding After Hysterectomy (Surgery)

The color of vaginal blood is usually expected to be a bright to dark red  and a brown vaginal bleed may be concerning since it is not the norm. Brown vaginal blood, either light or dark in color, usually indicates that the blood is not fresh and has been contained in the vagina or uterus for a period of time before being expelled. It is important to identify any vaginal secretion because brown vaginal discharge is often mistaken for brown vaginal bleeding.

continue reading Brown Vaginal Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding after menopause is not an uncommon occurrence and there may be the odd instance of abnormal vaginal bleeding which should not be a cause for concern. This post-menopausal bleeding is usually mild spotting or a light flow that lasts for a day or two. If it is a heavy flow, persisting for a long period of time or resembles a period (menses), then it warrants further investigation.

Before diagnosing a post-menopausal bleed, it is important to first confirm that you have entered menopause. Cessation of periods after the age of 40 years is not necessarily menopause unless your periods have stopped for 6 consecutive months. Prior to this, you may be in perimenopause and experiencing the odd month or two with no period. Perimenopause is the transitory phase from your fertile years to menopause and you may experience many of the signs and symptoms of menopause during this time.

continue reading Menopause Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding may be considered as abnormal under the following circumstances :

• Bleeding between periods in a woman with a regular menstrual cycle.
• Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse.
• Profuse, frequent or prolonged bleeding at the time of periods.
• Bleeding before the age of 10 years (vaginal bleeding in a child).
• Vaginal bleeding after menopause.

Changes in the normal menstrual cycle leading to a ‘heavy’ period should not be considered as an abnormal vaginal bleed if it occurs on one or two occasions. However if it is occurs recurrently, then it warrants further gynecological investigation to identify the cause of the abnormal bleed. A scanty menses or a ‘light’ period is also considered as an abnormal vaginal bleed and this should also be investigated.

continue reading Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding, Periods

New mothers are often concerned about their breast milk supply. A common fear is that breast milk production will be insufficient to meet with a newborn’s nutritional needs. In most cases, a mother’s breast milk supply will be adequate and will not hamper the baby’s growth.

However many nursing mothers do experience a low breast milk supply, due to hormonal and/or physiological factors. For mothers who are keen on breastfeeding, simple measures such as proper feeding techniques and good nutrition may be sufficient.

Similarly, many mothers become obsessive about their breast milk supply. A perceived lack of breast milk causes great stress and anxiety for mothers wishing to breastfeed. If a baby is gaining weight in accordance with the baby’s growth chart, is active, appears healthy and able to feed frequently, then the breast milk supply is likely to be adequate.

continue reading Low Breast Milk Supply

Amenorrhea is the medical term for absent menses (no period). Amenorrhea can be classified as :

1. Primary amenorrhea which occurs in young girls who have not reached menarche (the onset of menses). Amenorrhea is diagnosed in these cases if a girl has not had her periods by the age of 16 or if she is showing the signs of puberty for more than 2 years without having a period.
2. Secondary amenorrhea occurs in girls or women who were previously menstruating but this has now stopped. In these cases, missed periods can only be considered as amenorrhea if there is no sign of a period for 6 consecutive months.

continue reading Causes of Primary and Secondary Amenorrhea

What Are Adhesions?

This article describes abdominal adhesions, bowel (intestinal) adhesions and pelvic adhesions.

Adhesions (Latin adhere= to stick, to hold tight) are abnormal bands of scar tissue that form between internal organs and glue them together. Normally, scar tissue is formed only within an injured area, as part of a healing process, but in case of adhesions, it also appears on adjacent surfaces and can connect them.

Abdominal adhesions mostly appear after abdominal surgery or inflammation, and pelvic adhesions after gynecological operations or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), mostly resulting from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Abdominal or pelvic adhesions may develop inside the intestine and uterus, or between surfaces of organs and abdominal membrane (peritoneum), thus pulling organs from their original positions, obstructing passage of food and blood supply, causing abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, constipation, urinary retention, irregular menstrual bleeding or infertility.

Pictures of abdominal adhesions

continue reading Adhesions: Abdominal, Bowel, Pelvic – Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures