• Ovaries
• Fallopian tubes
• Tissues that hold the uterus in place
• Outer surface of the uterus
• Lining of the pelvic cavity

According to the Endometriosis Research Center: “It is more prevalent than breast cancer, yet continues to be treated as an insignificant, obscure ailment… The average delay in diagnosis is a startling 9 years, and a woman will go through as many as 5 physicians before she is properly diagnosed and treated.”

Symptoms:

The most common symptom is pain in the lower abdomen (pelvis) or the lower back, mainly during menstrual periods. The amount of pain is different for each woman, and does not depend on how much endometriosis she has.

Other symptoms of endometriosis can include:

• Very painful menstrual cramps, which may get worse over time
• Chronic pain in the lower back and pelvis
• Pain during or after sex
• Intestinal pain
• Painful bowel movements or urination during menstrual periods
• Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
• Infertility or not being able to get pregnant
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea, especially during menstrual periods
• Click here for other related health problems

The symptoms of endometriosis diminish during pregnancy. Symptoms also tend to decrease with menopause, when menstrual periods end for good.

Associated health problems

Endometriosis growths are benign (not cancerous), but they still can cause many problems. To understand why, it helps to be familiar with a woman’s menstrual cycle. Every month, hormones cause the lining of a woman’s uterus to build up with tissue and blood vessels. If a woman does not get pregnant, the uterus sheds this tissue and blood through the vagina, IE: as her menstrual period.

Patches of endometriosis also respond to the hormones produced during the menstrual cycle. But misplaced endometriosis tissue and the cells it sheds have no way of leaving the body. Trapped between layers of tissue, they cause inflammation, scar tissue, adhesions and bowel problems. These growths expand over time, adding extra tissue and blood. This is why the symptoms of endometriosis often get worse.

As endometrial tissue grows, it can cover or grow into the ovaries and block the fallopian tubes. Trapped blood in the ovaries can form cysts, or closed sacs. It also can cause inflammation and cause the body to form scar tissue and adhesions (tissue that sometimes binds organs together). This scar tissue may cause pelvic pain and make it hard for women to get pregnant. The growths can also cause problems in the intestines and bladder.

Can I reduce my chances of getting endometriosis?

Because the hormone estrogen is involved in thickening the lining of the uterus during the menstrual cycle, you can try to lower the estrogen levels in your body.

• Exercise regularly
• Keep a low amount of body fat
• Avoid large amounts of alcohol and caffeine
• Try to keep stress levels as low as possible
• Balance estrogen levels naturally. Read more here.

Testing

Pelvic exam. Your doctor will perform a pelvic exam to feel for large cysts or scars behind your uterus. Smaller areas of endometriosis are hard to feel.

Ultrasound. Your doctor could perform an ultrasound, an imaging test to see if there are ovarian cysts from endometriosis. During a vaginal ultrasound, the doctor will insert a wand-shaped scanner into your vagina. During an ultrasound of your pelvis, a scanner is moved across your abdomen. Both tests use sound waves to make pictures of your reproductive organs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is another common imaging test that can produce a picture of the inside of your body.

Laparoscopy. The only way for your doctor to know for sure that you have endometriosis is to look inside your abdomen to see endometriosis tissue. He or she can do this through a minor surgery called laparoscopy. You will receive general anesthesia before the surgery. Then, your abdomen is expanded with a gas to make it easy to see your organs. A tiny cut is made in your abdomen and a thin tube with a light is placed inside to see growths from endometriosis. Sometimes doctors can diagnose endometriosis just by seeing the growths. Other times, they need to take a small sample of tissue and study it under a microscope.

HSG. Women with endometriosis who are struggling to get pregnant can undergo a structural study known as an HSG (hysterosalpingogram). This diagnostic test can be performed in as little as five minutes. The procedure is associated with cramping, but ibuprofen can be used to ease the pain. During the test, radiocontrast media is injected through the cervix into the uterus. An x-ray is taken to examine the internal contour of the uterus and check whether the fallopian tubes are open.

Treatment

Conventional medicine states that there is no cure for endometriosis, but there are many treatments offered to deal with the pain and infertility.  A naturopathic/integrative medicine doctor will suggest a different course of action to clear up endometriosis based on diet, exercise, detox, addressing emotional stress, and/or natural progesterone.

Pain Medication. For women with mild symptoms, doctors may suggest taking over-the-counter medicines for pain. These include ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve).

Hormone Treatment. When pain medicine is not enough, doctors often recommend hormone medicines to treat endometriosis. Only women who do not wish to become pregnant can use these drugs. Hormone treatment is best for women with small growths who do not have bad pain. Hormones come in many forms including pills, shots, and nasal sprays. Common hormones used for endometriosis include:

• Birth control pills to decrease the amount of menstrual flow and prevent overgrowth of tissue that lines the uterus. Most birth control pills contain two hormones, estrogen and progestin. Once a woman stops taking them, she can get pregnant again. Stopping these pills will cause the symptoms of endometriosis to return.
• GnRH agonists and antagonists greatly reduce the amount of estrogen in a woman’s body, which stops the menstrual cycle. These drugs should not be used alone because they can cause side effects similar to those during menopause, such as hot flashes, bone loss, and vaginal dryness. Taking a low dose of progestin or estrogen along with these drugs can protect against these side effects. When a woman stops taking this medicine, monthly periods and the ability to get pregnant return. She also might stay free of the problems of endometriosis for months or years afterward.
• Progestins. The hormone progestin can shrink spots of endometriosis by working against the effects of estrogen on the tissue. It will stop a woman’s menstrual periods, but can cause irregular vaginal bleeding. Medroxyprogesterone (muh-DROKS-ee-proh-JESS-tur-ohn) (Depo-Provera) is a common progestin taken as a shot. Side effects of progestin can include weight gain, depressed mood, and decreased bone growth.
• Danazol (DAY-nuh-zawl) is a weak male hormone that lowers the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body. This stops a woman’s period or makes it come less often. It is not often the first choice for treatment due to its side effects, such as oily skin, weight gain, tiredness, smaller breasts, and facial hair growth. It does not prevent pregnancy and can harm a baby growing in the uterus. It also cannot be used with other hormones, such as birth control pills.

Surgery. Women with severe endometriosis — many growths, a great deal of pain, or fertility problems — may consider surgery. Your doctor might suggest one of the following:

• Laparoscopy can be used to diagnose and treat endometriosis. During this surgery, doctors remove growths and scar tissue or burn them away. The goal is to treat the endometriosis without harming the healthy tissue around it. Women recover from laparoscopy much faster than from major abdominal surgery.
• Laparotomy  or major abdominal surgery that involves a much larger cut in the abdomen than with laparoscopy. This allows the doctor to reach and remove growths of endometriosis in the pelvis or abdomen.
• Hysterectomy is a surgery in which the doctor removes the uterus. Removing the ovaries as well can help ensure that endometriosis will not return. This is done when the endometriosis has severely damaged these organs. A woman cannot get pregnant after this surgery, so it should only be considered as a last resort.

The Natural Path. Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. states: “While modern medicine insists the cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no cure, it can be relatively simple to treat and control the symptoms. The standard medical treatment involves taking synthetic hormones, such as the birth control pill, that stops menstruation and therefore stops the buildup of blood and endometrial tissue outside the uterus. But there are new ways of approaching endometriosis that are much kinder to the body and address an underlying problem that certainly relates to the condition.” To learn about turning the tables on endometriosis using alternative methods, click here or here, or speak to a naturalistic doctor for more information.

Emotional Support

You may want to consider joining a support group (online or in your community) to talk with other women who have endometriosis.

You can find out more about endometriosis by contacting womenshealth.gov at 1-800-994-9662. You also can contact the following organizations:

Endometriosis Association
Phone Number(s): (414) 355-2200
Internet Address: http://www.endometriosisassn.org

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Phone Number(s): (202) 638-5577; (202) 863-2518 (for publication requests only)
Internet Address: http://www.acog.org

Endometriosis Research Center
Phone Number(s): (561) 274-7442
Internet Address: http://www.endocenter.org

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Phone Number(s): 1-800-370-2943
TTY: 1-888-320-6942
Internet Address: http://www.nichd.nih.gov

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CBS News reports that more than 75 percent of kids before the age of 5 have an ear infection, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Ear infections have routinely been treated with antibiotics, but now, new research suggests the best medicine may be no medicine at all.  There is substantial evidence to show that about 80 percent of ear infections clear up without antibiotics, and with no ill effects.

What you may not have known is that most ear infections are caused by viruses, which are not treatable with antibiotics anyway.”  Everyone involved may have to work on their patience, but letting the ear infection run its course may be your best option.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is about to update its guidelines. The new “rules” will say that unless the child is very young or very sick, a doctor should employ “watchful waiting” — monitoring the child’s health. Your doctor might prescribe a safety net antibiotic prescription (SNAP) to be filled only if the child has not improved within 48 to 72 hours.

However, current guidelines suggest that some children should still get antibiotics:

• Are under age 2
• Appear seriously ill with fever of 102F or higher
• Have fluid dripping from the ears
• Have a double ear infection (both ears infected)

If you still don’t believe your child’s ear infection will heal best on its own, you should be aware of some side effects caused by antibiotic. The most serious side effect, she said, is antibiotic resistance.  In about 10 to 20 percent of children, Ashton said, antibiotics can cause upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea. Less frequently, they can cause rashes.

You want to avoid over-use of antibiotics to avoid antibiotic resistance, which makes the next bug tougher to treat. The next time your doctor prescribes amoxicillin, the most common one for kids, it might not work. Doctors would be wise to head this new research, but in 84 percent of cases, they still prescribe antibiotics.  It may be up to  parents to decide that antibiotics may not be the best medicine, and forgo.

“Pediatricians are now focusing on pain relief,” CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said. “Children screaming in pain will not get relief from an antibiotic in the first 24 hours. They should be given ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), and sometimes prescription ear drops can ease the pain.”

**Side Note: I only had one experiences with ear infections when my daughter was a baby, a few years ago. The doctor gave me a choice of antibiotics or a homeopathic remedy. I decided to try the homeopathic remedy, and it worked wonderfully. The ear infection may have gone away on it’s own, but the pain subsided very quickly and gave us no more problems!

Syphilis develops in three stages. The first state, primary syphilis, is characterized by an open sore called a chancre, which usually appears on the genitals, either internally or externally. If untreated, the disease can progress to secondary syphilis and tertiary syphilis. Other symptoms include fever, sore throat, a rash, hair loss and swollen glands. In its final stage, syphilis can cause dementia, blindness and damage to the nervous system.

How Would I Catch Syphilis?

The bacterium that causes syphilis can be acquired through sexual intercourse (the most common method), kissing, passage from mother to fetus through the placenta, blood transfusion or accidental contact with an infected lesion. (Your Total Health)

Syphilis During Pregnancy

Syphilis is extremely dangerous for a fetus, who can contract the disease through the placenta that nourishes it. It can cause miscarriage and result in a stillborn birth. It can be also transmitted to your baby through vaginal birth and possibly through a cesarean section.  Congenital syphilis can have some very severe symptoms, although they may not appear right away.

False Positive Lab Tests

If you do test positive for syphilis, don’t panic! NO TEST IS 100 PERCENT ACCURATE. According to Lab Tests Online, screening tests for syphilis are not highly specific, and a false positive result is quite common. The VDRL has a high sensitivity but low specificity, and is used as a screening test. Today, treponemal FTA-ABS or MHA-TP tests,with high specificity and sensitivity, are used to confirm the results.

How is Syphilis Treated?

Syphilis is treated with penicillin (PenVK), which is considered safe in pregnancy. t is not common for a fetus to be infected before the fourth month, so testing and treatment should be done as soon as possible. If you have a history of penicillin allergy, you should undergo skin testing. If skin tests are positive, you will be ” desensitized” and then treated with penicillin.

A baby that is born with syphilis will also be given penicillin injections to fight the bacteria.

If your tests keep coming up positive, even without any physical signs of syphilis, your doctor may recommend treating you with penicillin, just to be on the safe side.

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To find out whether what she had was actually chickenpox (or just some random virus… or crazy bug-bite attack??) I (naturally) turned to Dr. Sears, whom I consult on all medical and child-raising topics. (I do have a great family doctor, but this is so much more convenient!)

Dr. Sears advises that for straightforward cases of chickenpox, you don’t really need to see or even call the doctor. Basically you  just need to wait it out and treat the symptoms (itching, fever) rather than treat the chicken pox itself (it’s a virus, you can’t do much about it.)

Here’s some important info from the good doctor:

The key to diagnosing chickenpox. Watch the progression of spots from bumps to blisters to crusts, and to have a mix of all three types during the illness. Very important note – it is nearly impossible to diagnose chickenpox on day 1, and still difficult to know for certain on day 2. Therefore, do not bring your child into the doctor on day 1 or 2 and expect a definite diagnosis. If you think its chickenpox, then quarantine your child until day 3. If the spots have progressed as described above, then you probably don’t even need a doctor to confirm it.

Dr. Sears suggests: If you suspect your child may have chickenpox draw a circle around a few of your favorite spots. If they all become blisters within a day, they are probably chickenpox. If they don’t change dramatically then chickenpox is unlikely.

Well, it’s now four days later and it really was a mild case, thank God! Although she was itchy (and refused to allow me near her with calamine lotion!) she didn’t have a fever at all, and has only around 20 spots (mostly on her stomach, back, and head). There have been no new spots since Friday and I think it’s pretty much done. I don’t even think she’s contagious anymore, so back to school tomorrow… phew!

Here is some more chickenpox advice from Dr. Sears:

You should see your doctor if:

• You are not sure about the diagnosis after two or three days have passed.
• An infant 2 months or younger catches chickenpox.
• Your child has a weakened immune system such as from an immune disorder or from taking steroid medication.
• The mother of a newborn baby breaks out in chickenpox less than 3 days after the birth.
• Your child has fever more than five days.
• Your child develops a moderate to severe cough.
• Severe headaches develop even when fever is controlled (high fever can cause headaches, which is not worrisome).
• Significant dizziness (spinning feeling) occurs.
• Severe headaches with vomiting and stiff, painful back of the neck or spine.
• Any spots become infected with redness spreading outward from the spot with puss draining out.
• Your child has spots on the upper or lower eyelids, or has red, painful eyes.
• You are pregnant, are exposed to chickenpox, and have never had the illness or the vaccine.

You should page your doctor after hours if:

• Your child has severe headaches with vomiting and stiff, painful back of the neck or spine.
• If your child seems seriously and unusually ill.Otherwise, chickenpox is not a serious illness and rarely warrants paging the doctor after hours.

HOW LONG IS MY CHILD CONTAGIOUS?

Your child is contagious starting the day before fever or spots appear, until 24 hours after all the blisters have crusted over. This usually takes about 7 days from beginning to end.

HOW DID MY CHILD CATCH CHICKENPOX?

It is passed through the saliva, coughing secretions, and direct touch. In general, you must either be living in the same house, or play indoors in close face-to-face contact for more than 5 minutes, or have close face-to-face or physical contact outdoors in order to catch the illness.

MY CHILD WAS EXPOSED TO CHICKENPOX. HOW LONG UNTIL HE MAY BECOME SICK?

The incubation period (the time from when your child is exposed to the time he will break out in spots) is generally 14 days. It can be as early as 7 days and as long as 21 days. If three weeks pass from your child’s exposure, than he is in the clear.

I AM PREGNANT AND WAS EXPOSED. CAN THIS HARM THE BABY?

If you had chickenpox previously, or have had the vaccine, then you should be immune and there is virtually no risk to the baby. If you never had chickenpox or the vaccine, then you should contact your obstetrician right away to discuss possible options for preventing the illness.

I HAVE A NEWBORN AND MY OLDER CHILD WAS JUST EXPOSED TO CHICKENPOX, OR JUST BROKE OUT WITH CHICKENPOX. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If your older child was exposed, then try and keep the baby away from him during the 7 to 21 day period after exposure. This may be tough, but it’s important. Breastfeeding will help provide your baby with some immunity. If your older one breaks out in chickenpox, then just quarantine him until no longer contagious as above. If your newborn infant was exposed before you knew the situation, there is really no way to prevent the illness, yet most likely your newborn carries your immunity to chickenpox.

TREATING CHICKENPOX

Treat the itching:

• Cut the fingernails
• Benadryl (an over-the-counter antihistamine) is very effective in decreasing the itching. Use it as needed. Click on benadryl for dosing.
• Oatmeal baths: Aveeno or other brands can be purchased at the store. This can soothe the itching.
• Cool washcloths may help.

Treat the fever:

• DO NOT USE ASPIRIN DURING A CHICKENPOX INFECTION. This can cause a serious reaction.
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) can be used to treat the fever.
• ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not treat the fever if it is below 101 and your child is feeling relatively okay. Studies have shown that children do better overall when some fever is allowed to continue during this illness. Therefore, only treat the fever if it is high, or you child is bothered by the fever.

Medications to help decrease or shorten the illness:
Acyclovir is an antiviral medication that has some effect against chickenpox. If started within 24 hours from the onset of rash, it can shorten and lessen the illness. It is not, however, recommended for routine use in normal, healthy children because its benefit is often not very significant.

Acyclovir is recommended to be used for people who are at higher risk of having a severe case of chickenpox such as people over 12 years old, adults, people with immune deficiencies, or people on oral or inhaled steroid medication.

If you have been exposed, and think you may qualify for acyclovir, see your doctor before you break out to discuss this, and to have a prescription ready to fill at the first sign of rash.

Giving the chickenpox vaccine at the time of exposure
For children and adults with no history of the illness or vaccine, giving the chickenpox vaccine within 72 hours of exposure (before you even break out with the rash) has been shown to either prevent or decrease the severity of the illness. If more than 3 days have passed since exposure, it is probably best not to get the vaccine then.

CHICKENPOX VACCINE

Click here on chickenpox vaccine for a detailed discussion on the pros and cons of getting this vaccine.

Image from Prevention.com (there are lots of really gross chickenpox images out there! Luckily for you, I chose the cutest, least nausiating one!) As a side note, in their article “Vaccine Fears and Facts” they write:

The fallout: Life-threatening childhood diseases are making comebacks. There were 11,647 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) last year, up from 1,707 in 1980, and 13 kids died from it. When a measles outbreak swept through a Pennsylvania boarding school in 2003, a pair of twins–unvaccinated for religious reasons–required hospitalization. Seven others at the school got sick. A national resurgence of measles, which infected 55,467 people and killed 166 between 1989 and 1991, started in Houston, a city with one of the country’s lowest immunization rates.

“Without mass immunizations, children today can die of diseases that killed kids as recently as 20 years ago,” warns Ditchek. “These deaths are unnecessary.”

Additionally, the vaccine-autism controversy has proven to be much ado about nothing. In any case, the questionable ingredient, thimerosal, has been removed from most vaccines (ask your doctor about it if you are still concerned.) Do yourself, your kids, and the people around you a favor. Get immunized.