Connect with us

Health

Endometriosis: Pandemic Backlog Risks Making It Even Harder For Women To Get Help

Published

on

Endometriosis: Pandemic Backlog Risks Making It Even Harder For Women To Get Help


The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate and devastating impact on women’s health, according to a report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The report found that more than half a million women in the UK have been forced to wait for “non-urgent” gynaecological care. Waiting lists across the country are now 60% longer than pre-pandemic levels. This means that one in 20 women will now be waiting more than a year to receive gynaecological surgery, specialist treatments and even diagnoses.

Some of those hardest hit by these delays are women suffering with endometriosis, the chronic inflammatory condition characterised by tissue similar to the womb lining growing elsewhere in the body – in places such as the ovaries or fallopian tubes. An estimated one in ten women have the condition, many of which live with excruciating pain.

If left untreated or poorly managed, the condition can worsen. This can make it far more challenging to treat, and may have a long-lasting impact on the woman’s health – such as causing fertility problems or worsened pain.

According to the report, the pandemic made it difficult for women with endometriosis to manage their condition and access the kind of specialist treatment they needed. For example, many women experiencing pain caused by endometriosis had to attend A&E for care because specialist care wasn’t available. And after this, many were referred to gynaecology services, which meant waiting up to five months for an appointment.

For others, delays to care – such as surgeries to manage the condition – meant that not only did their pain worsen, the disease also progressed. This can have a serious effect on many aspects of a woman’s life, including their mental health and fertility. Some will also require more complex and invasive surgeries to manage their condition as a result.

 

Being unable to get the care they needed to manage their pain effectively left many women feeling isolated and unable to go about their normal life. Poor mental health was already a problem for women with endometriosis even before the pandemic. But more than 80% of women surveyed as part of the report said their mental health worsened during the pandemic, largely because of their pain but, not uncommonly, also because they felt they were being dismissed.

Looking forward

Gynaecology services are one of the surgical specialities worst hit by COVID-19 backlogs. Part of this is because, early in the pandemic, around half of gynaecology consultants were redeployed to obstetric care services.

Even with things slowly returning to how they were pre-pandemic, it’s likely that the backlog for gynaecology services won’t decrease until 2025. Given women with endometriosis already wait eight years on average for the right diagnosis, this could make it even more difficult for these women to access care moving forward.

This is why it will be important to begin prioritising gynaecological services and treat them with the same level of urgency as other services, such as cancer or rheumatology services. To start, it is important to raise general awareness of the condition and its symptoms, and provide education to women on the disease and how to describe it. In combination with community services, such as your GP, this will ensure that women can still get support even while they wait for specialist care.

It will be some time before waiting times for gynaecological services return to normal. But if you’re one of the many women with endometriosis waiting for treatment or a diagnosis, there are some things you can do to prepare for your next appointment.

For example, tracking and recording your symptoms may be useful when visiting a GP so that you can illustrate what type of pain you’re experiencing and how often. This may aid the communication of your pain, so your GP can better understand your symptoms and how best to treat them while you wait for specialist care.

If you or someone you know is having a difficult time managing the condition, Endometriosis UK also offers support through a volunteer-run helpline, led by people who know what you’re going through.

Danielle Perro, DPhil Researcher, Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford and Christian Becker, Associate Professor, Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,, University of Oxford

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.





Source link

Health

Feeling Tired All The Time? Possible Causes And Solutions

Published

on

tired office worker


Long days of work, lack of sleep, and stress at the office can be the most common factors that make you feel tired. However, feeling “tired all the time” (TATT) without known reasons can be an indication of an underlying health issue that needs immediate attention.

Finding the exact cause of the lingering tiredness can be the first step toward solving the symptom.

Health conditions that cause fatigue:

1. Anemia – Anemia is one of the most common causes of fatigue. A person who has anemia does not have enough red blood cells in the body, causing symptoms such as tiredness, dizziness, feeling cold and crankiness.

Most often, anemia is caused by iron deficiency. Hence, the condition can be best resolved by including iron-rich foods in the diet and use of iron supplements.

2. Sleep Apnea – It causes the body to stop breathing momentarily during sleep. The condition can affect the quality of sleep and hence make you feel fatigued.

For milder cases of sleep apnea, lifestyle changes such as losing weight or quitting smoking can help solve the sleep disorder. In more severe cases where there is an obstruction in breathing, surgeries and therapies can help.

3. Diabetes – A person who has diabetes has changes in blood sugar level, which can cause fatigue. A patient who is already on diabetic medication can also experience tiredness as a side effect of the medication.

Early identification and taking the correct treatment is the key to managing diabetes. Losing extra weight and having a healthy diet also help in the treatment.

4. Thyroid – Thyroid diseases can be due to an overactive or an underactive thyroid gland. In people who have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), the metabolism slows down leading to symptoms such as lethargy and fatigue. In people with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), the metabolism speeds up leading to fatigue and difficulty sleeping.

Right diet and lifestyle choices, along with medications, can help in thyroid management.

5. Infections – A person can show symptoms of fatigue when the body is fighting a viral or bacterial infection. Infections ranging from the flu to HIV can cause tiredness.

Along with fatigue, other symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, shortness of breath and appetite loss can also accompany the infection. Treating the symptoms and taking adequate rest helps in faster recovery.

6. Food allergies – Fatigue may be an early warning sign of hidden food allergies and autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease. Identifying the allergen using a food allergy test or through an elimination diet can help in allergy treatment.

7. Heart disease – If you feel exhausted from an activity that used to be easy, then it is good to check your heart health, as fatigue can be an indication of underlying heart disease.

8. Depression/ anxiety – Fatigue can also be an indicator of a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. A combination of medication and psychotherapy can help relieve symptoms.

Lifestyle causes

Apart from serious health conditions, certain lifestyle habits such as dehydration, poor diet, stress and insufficient sleep can cause exhaustion. Having a well-balanced diet, regular exercise and routine sleep can help solve fatigue caused by lifestyle habits.

Published by Medicaldaily.com



Source link

Continue Reading

Health

How To Overcome Your Sleep Debt And Reclaim Energy

Published

on

woman-2197947_1920


Picture this: you’re burning the midnight oil, studying or binge-watching your favorite shows, all at the expense of a good night’s sleep. Have you ever stopped to think about the toll it takes on your body and mind? The consequences can be more serious than you might realize.

Not getting enough sleep can translate into a multitude of issues, including weight gain, lack of focus, tiredness, a haze of confusion, and even depression. If you too are encountering similar issues lately then chances are you have a sleep debt.

Wondering what is sleep debt?

People from 13-18 years of age need 8 hours of sleep, whilst adults beyond that age will require at least 7 hours of snooze.

Sleep debt is a collection of the total hours you haven’t slept or traded your sleep for something else. Sleep debt keeps piling up as a person falls short of the total hours of sleep recommended for an adult, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And when you keep letting go of your sleep for other activities, the body adapts to the new normal and effects start to reflect on the energy levels, which deplete.

“However, like every other debt out there, this too has a repayment option,” Dr. Kunal Kumar, medical director of the Sleep Center at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, told Livestrong.

Below are some expert-vetted ways you can pay back the sleep debt. (Courtesy: Livestrong and Sleepfoundation)

Just like financial debt, imagine sleep debt as a debt you owe to your body. It needs to be repaid. The good news is that catching up on sleep is indeed possible.

  • Maintain a set sleep schedule: Overhauling the sleep schedule is a pretty difficult task to achieve, and it’s best to do that gradually. Create a set sleep schedule by making some small changes to your routine. Instead of making abrupt shifts in your bedtime or wake-up time, adjust them gradually by 15 to 30-minute increments.
  • Minimize your gadget usage: Wind down activities and minimize electronic usage before bed to promote better sleep. Relax and prepare for quality sleep by dimming the lights and setting an alarm for 30 minutes to an hour before bed.
  • Reshuffle your sleeping arrangements: Are you finding it hard to get a good night’s sleep due to excessive sweating? Well, here’s a handy solution: consider upgrading to a cooling mattress or opting for cooling sheets. These innovative sleep essentials can help regulate your body temperature, and keep you comfortably cool throughout the night, ensuring a more blissful slumber. Memory foam pillows can work wonders in relieving neck and back discomfort in case you are struggling with backache.
  • Improve the bedroom environment: Create a sleep-friendly bedroom environment by adjusting the temperature for comfort, and blocking out disruptive lights, or noises that might disturb your restful slumber. And if your mattress, pillow, or sheets are worn out or no longer providing the support you need, consider treating yourself to new ones.

Published by Medicaldaily.com



Source link

Continue Reading

Health

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Slow The Progression Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Study

Published

on

walnuts-552975_1920


Omega-3 fatty acids are known for a range of health benefits, from promoting brain and heart health to reducing inflammation and protection against several chronic conditions.

In a new study, researchers found that omega-3 acids, especially the type found in foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, canola oil and soybean oil, can slow down the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

It is a debilitating nervous system disease that gradually worsens over time and can be fatal. The condition results in a loss of muscle control and affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it.

The initial symptoms of the disease include muscle weakness, difficulty in walking and hand movements. The symptoms can slowly progress to difficulties with chewing, swallowing, speaking and breathing.

The exact cause of ALS is not known. However, around 10% of people get it from a risk gene passed down from a family member. It is estimated that more than 32,000 people in the U.S. live with the condition.

In the latest study, researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts evaluated 449 people living with ALS in a clinical trial. The team assessed the severity of their symptoms, the progression of their disease, along with the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood, for 18 months.

The study suggested that alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 found in plants, is particularly beneficial in slowing the progression of ALS. The participants with the highest levels of ALA had a 50% reduced risk of death during the study period compared to those with the lowest levels of ALA.

Researchers also found a reduction in death risk in participants who had eicosapentaenoic acid, the type of omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish and fish oil, and linoleic acid found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

A previous study conducted by the same team suggested that a diet high in ALA and higher blood levels of the nutrient could reduce the risk of developing the condition.

“In this study, we found that among people living with ALS, higher blood levels of ALA were also associated with a slower disease progression and a lower risk of death within the study period. These findings, along with our previous research suggest that this fatty acid may have neuroprotective effects that could benefit people with ALS,” said Kjetil Bjornevik, the lead author of the study.

Published by Medicaldaily.com



Source link

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2021 Vitamin Patches Online.