21 Women's Health
21 00 Bacterial Vaginosis
21 01 Breast Lumps in Women
21 02 Cystocele
21 03 Endometriosis
21 04 PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
21 05 Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
21 06 Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
21 10 Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
21 11 Uterine Fibroids
21 12 Uterine Growths
21 13 Vaginal Itching
When thinking about women’s health, there’s a lot to consider. Knowing the diseases and conditions that are among the top health risks for women, such as heart disease and breast cancer, is essential. But for many women, effectively managing other matters that affect daily health, such as premenstrual syndrome, birth control, fertility, menopause, and more, is also crucial to enjoying a vibrant life. One topic that often raises many questions is breast health. What does it mean if you have dense breast tissue? What should you do if you find a breast lump? Is breast pain a cause for concern? As you get older, your health concerns are likely to change. Could belly fat lead to health problems? What’s the best way to deal with the changes of menopause?
When you have found your disease or condition, you look for the treatment color. The treatment colors are magenta (red-blue), blue, cyan (blue-green), green, yellow (red-green), and red. I give the treatment colors a number. Magenta = 0, blue = 1, cyan = 2, green = 3, yellow = 4, and red = 5. Bacterial Vaginosis would then be categorized as 21-00-5. Here, the last digit, the treatment color, is red. The first two digits are the disease/condition group (Women’s Health is 21). The next two digits (Bacterial Vaginosis is 00) are the illness within the group, and the last digit (red is 5) is the treatment color.
When you use the projector, click on your treatment color, and a large image of it will appear. Make the color cover the whole page and project it onto yourself. When you use the LED light bulb, you choose your color manually.
Bacterial vaginosis is an inflammation of the vagina. Bacterial vaginosis predominantly affects women of reproductive age, and its risk increases with vaginal douching or unprotected sex. It is not considered a sexually transmitted disease and is not the result of a specific infection but rather an imbalance in the bacteria usually present in the vagina.
Signs and symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include vaginal odor (foul-smelling or fishy) and vaginal discharge that is thin and gray, green, or white.
Other associated symptoms can include vaginal itching and pain or burning with urination.
Some women with the condition have no signs or symptoms.
Breast lumps are localized swellings, knots, bumps, bulges, or lumps in the breast. Breast lumps may appear in both sexes at all ages. In women, the fear is usually of breast cancer. Still, fortunately, many breast lumps turn out to be due to benign conditions that can be successfully treated, such as infections, trauma, fibroadenoma, cyst, or fibrocystic disease of the breast. Breast lumps may or may not be associated with pain, redness, warmth, tenderness, nipple discharge, skin inflammation, and rash.
A cystocele or “fallen bladder” occurs when the wall between a woman’s bladder and her vagina weakens, allowing the bladder to droop into the vagina.
Signs and symptoms associated with a cystocele include urine leakage and incomplete emptying of the bladder (urinary retention). In addition, in some cases, the cystocele can cause stretching of the opening of the urethra, leading to urine leakage during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or movements that pressure the bladder.
Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that usually lines the inside of your uterus, the endometrium, grows outside your uterus.
Endometriosis most commonly affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining the pelvis. Rarely, endometrial-like tissue may be found beyond the area where pelvic organs are located.
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a group of unpleasant symptoms linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle. It typically occurs one to two weeks before the menstrual period begins. PMS symptoms include physical and emotional symptoms and vary widely among women. They range in severity from mild to debilitating.
Some of the most common symptoms of PMS include mood changes, tiredness, anxiety, bloating, or abdominal fullness.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excess male hormone (androgen) levels.
The ovaries may develop numerous small collections of fluid (follicles) and fail to release eggs regularly.
POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, is when too little blood returns to the heart when moving from lying down to standing up. The decrease in blood flow causes the heart to beat faster. Most people affected are women between the ages of fifteen and fifty.
POTS’s signs and symptoms include fainting, dizziness, or lightheadedness when reclining to a standing position.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) can affect any part of the urinary system, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract, the bladder, and the urethra. Women are at greater risk of developing a UTI than men.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb (uterus). They are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue and vary in size. They’re sometimes known as uterine myomas or leiomyomas. Unfortunately, many women are unaware they have fibroids because they do not have any symptoms.
Uterine growths are enlargements, masses, or tumors in the female womb (uterus).
An example of benign or non-cancerous growth is a polyp of the cervix. Although uterine fibroids are also benign causes of uterine growths, they can still cause signs and symptoms such as bleeding.
Vaginal itching is an uncomfortable and sometimes painful symptom due to irritating substances, infections, or menopause.
It may also occur as a result of certain skin disorders or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
In rare cases, vaginal itching might develop due to stress or vulvar cancer.