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Parental Depression Affects Kids

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

Parental depression can take a serious toll on children, and the whole family should be involved in depression care, according to a new report. That report, issued today by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, estimates that in any given year, 7.5 million U.S. parents are depressed and at least 15 million U.S. children live with a parent who has major or severe depression. Those are conservative estimates, notes Mary Jane England, MD, who chaired the committee that wrote the report. England is president of Regis College in Weston, Mass., and a past president of the American Psychiatric...

Vulvodynia Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

Women with vulvodynia have chronic vulvar pain with no known cause. Until recently, doctors didn’t recognize this as a real pain syndrome. Even today, many women do not receive a diagnosis. They may also remain isolated by a condition that is not easy to discuss. Researchers are working hard to uncover the causes of vulvodynia and to find better ways to treat...

Celiac Disease Cases Are on the Rise

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

The digestive disorder treated by banning wheat and other grains containing gluten from the diet -- is four times more common in the U.S. today than it was 50 years ago, a study shows. The study by Mayo Clinic researchers also linked undiagnosed and untreated celiac disease with an increased risk for earlier death. Even with increased awareness about gluten-free diets and celiac, the disease remains underdiagnosed, experts say. "We believe that only about 5% of people with celiac disease know they have it," University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center Director Stefano Guandalini, MD, tells WebMD. "Many of these people have no symptoms, but many do have symptoms that are not recognized for what they...

Daily Sex May Help Men Fertility

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

Men with a history of fertility problems may curb DNA-damaged sperm by ejaculating for seven days in a row, a new study shows. "It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date," David Greening, MD, of Sydney IVF in Wollongong, Australia, writes in his report, titled "Keep the River...

Experimental Vaginal Gel Doesnt Ward Off HIV

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

A microbicidal vaginal gel called Carraguard doesn’t protect women from HIV infection. That’s the conclusion of a study that included more than 6,200 sexually-active, HIV-negative women at three sites in South Africa. The women were given either Carraguard or a placebo gel and told to use one applicator of gel and a condom each time they had vaginal sex. The women, who were followed for up to two years, visited a clinic every three months to have tests for HIV infection and pregnancy, pelvic examinations, risk reduction counseling, and treatment for curable sexually transmitted diseases and vaginal...

What is Menstruation

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

For about 40 years of her life, a woman experiences a phenomenon called the menstrual cycle. Menstruation occurs every 26 to 35 days (more or less monthly) in every normal non-pregnant woman prior to menopause. Each month can be divided up into a follicular phase (an egg develops), ovulation (egg release) at mid-month, and a luteal phase (during which the uterine lining ready to receive a fertilized egg). If the egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining is shed, and a woman has her menstrual period. Then, the entire sequence of events starts over...

Parent Smoking During Pregnancy Raises Kids Heart Risks

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

Damage to the arteries of children of smokers can be detected in the early decades of their lives, a new Dutch study finds. "Smoking in families is harmful for children, including their cardiovascular system, as was found in many other studies," said research leader Dr. Cuno S.P.M. Uiterwaal, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology at the University Medical Center in Utrecht. "This study adds that tobacco smoke exposure may have such effects already in very early life." Uiterwaal and his colleagues reported the finding in the December issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology that they used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the walls of carotid arteries, the major blood vessels to the brain, in 732 young adults, average age 28. Records showed that 29% of the mothers and more than 60% of the fathers smoked during the...

How to Build a Better Body Image

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

If you’re like most women, looking in the mirror -- particularly a full-length mirror -- is rarely the experience you want it to be. Unlike most men, experts say, women are rarely satisfied with their appearance - and are always seeking a better body image. "Research suggests that in general, women have slightly lower self-esteem overall when compared to men. But when it comes to body image, there is an enormous gender gap, with women reporting an overwhelmingly greater body dissatisfaction when compared to men," says Denise Martz, PhD, a clinical health psychologist, and professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Martz, who recently designed and supervised a 2,000-woman body image survey for Slim-Fast, says women of all shapes and sizes are affected....

Emotional Eating

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

Practice of consuming large quantities of food -- usually comfort or junk foods -- in response to feelings instead of hunger. Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. Many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems. Eating becomes a habit preventing us from learning skills that can effectively resolve our emotional distress. Depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with interpersonal relationships and poor self-esteem can result in overeating and unwanted weight gain....

Vaginal Bleeding Menstruation

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:12:54 -0400

Periodic blood that flows as a discharge from the woman’s uterus. Normal vaginal bleeding is also called menorrhea. The process by which menorrhea occurs is called menstruation. Occurs as a result of cyclic hormonal changes. The ovaries are the main source of female hormones, which control the development of female body characteristics such as the breasts, body shape, and body hair. The hormones also regulate the menstrual...