Herbal Health – information on herbal medicine

These include the possibility that in the development of the reproductive system in the growing foetus, something goes a bit wrong, and bits of endometrium later show up in the wrong places.

It has been demonstrated that during menstruation a little bleeding can go backwards, and spill out the end of the fallopian tube, instead of out the vagina. It may be that this spillage takes root and grows, but it is not obvious why it should happen in some people and not others.

It is more common in women who have not had a pregnancy, although it can develop in women who have borne children. It seems that having periods (uninterrupted by pregnancies) for five years increases the chance of being affected by this condition. Compared to our parents’ and previous generations we are tending to have children later in life. This may account for the apparent increase in the disease in our population. Some reports estimate that it may affect as many as one woman in ten in Australia.

The introduction of the laparoscope has allowed gynaecologists to see into the pelvises of women who have no symptoms of endometriosis, and are having an investigation or procedure for other reasons, like having fallopian tubes clipped. There is a growing suspicion among some gynaecologists that perhaps endometriosis is not always a problem. It may be that we are seeing it, presuming it must be abnormal, and treating it. It has been suggested that in fact small asymptomatic deposits may not require treatment, and may be considered almost ‘normal’. Further research will hopefully shed more light on this.

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There may be factors in a woman’s past history or family history which alert a doctor to the possibility of an increased risk of certain conditions in the foetus. Some of these can be tested for in early pregnancy. Conditions which can be looked for include:

Chromosomal abnormalities

The most common chromosomal abnormality is Down’s syndrome. This occurs in one in 700 pregnancies on average, but the chances of it occurring increase with the pregnant woman’s age. (The age of the father does not affect die chances of chromosomal abnormalities.) If the woman is between the ages of 37 and 39 at delivery, the chance of a chromosomal abnormality in her baby is about one in 200. When the woman is 40 or 41, the risk is one in 100. Over the age of 41 the chance increases further.

If a woman or her partner has a chromosomal abnormality, or has had a child previously who has had one, there is also an increased risk.

Spina bifida. This condition results from incomplete closure of the tissues around the spinal cord during development of the foetus. The degree of lack of closure may be small or large, and it can be related to significant problems with the spinal cord. There are different classifications for the various degrees of spina bifida, and the incidence varies with each group.

The age of the parents is not related to the risk of spina bifida, but having had an affected baby in a previous pregnancy does increase the risk, so these women are offered testing.

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Women’s HealthUlcers. An area of skin with a hole in its surface is called an ulcer. Sometimes ulcers form around the bottom area, and there are a few common (and uncommon) causes. These include:

• herpes infections.

• traumatic abrasions, like little cuts and scratches, often from intercourse. If these become painful and don’t seem to be getting better, it is usually because there is some bacterial infection in them.

• thrush (candidiasis) can occasionally cause local ulcers in the skin.

• nonspecific ‘aphthous’ ulcers, like the ones we get in our mouths from time to time, can occur in the vulval area.

• rare syndromes, such as Bechet’s syndrome, can give recurrent vulval ulcers.

• reactions to some medicines (again fairly rarely) can give vaginal ulceration, in a condition called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

• very rarely, ulcers may be a sign of a skin cancer.

Thickened skin. If the skin is irritated for a long period of time, it will usually become thicker. People who have long-standing itchy conditions, like eczema, or recurrent thrush, may develop thickened, whiter skin around the vulval area. This is more common in middle age. Most forms of vulval skin thickening are benign, but very rarely, in older women, changes may occur which may be precancerous, so it should be examined by a doctor.

Lipomas. These are soft, discrete lumps of fatty tissue under the skin. They may occur anywhere on the body, including the bottom area. They are perfectly harmless, and have no potential to develop into anything else. They can be removed surgically, but this is usually only for cosmetic reasons.

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It is pretty difficult to totally avoid this bug, particularly if it likes living in your gut. The simple, common-sense things are worth trying. These include avoiding the things which are recognized as precipitants or aggravators of thrush:

• avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes for prolonged periods

• if wearing pantyhose, wear cotton-gusset types

• avoid nylon underpants

• avoid lycra pants

• carefully dry pubic hair after showering—even using a hair dryer

• avoid vaginal deodorants, or excessive soap.

All of these suggestions aim to make the pubic area less warm, moist, and irritated, so less of a haven for thrush.

If the bug is in your gut, it is probably not a bad idea to prevent wiping the bugs past your vagina. When you wipe your bottom after going to the toilet, wiping from front to back rather from back to front has been recommended. I’m not sure how much difference this really makes, as I don’t think many researchers have spent a lot of time on it, but it seems to make sense.

If you are taking antibiotics for an infection you may find you end up with thrush. Some women have told me that eating yoghurt daily, or applying it to the vagina each day while taking antibiotics helps prevent thrush, although the scientific evidence to back this up may be lacking.

Dietary changes have been promoted by many people as a treatment for this bug. Yeast-free diets, and low-sugar diets seem to be the most commonly recommended. This is out of the field of my own experience and expertise, so I cannot comment for or against it, but many people, particularly natural therapists, advocate dietary manipulations.

Some women notice that their thrush is related to their menstrual cycle. If you have a regular recurrence, say, just before your period, using yoghurt or a medication like a pessary or cream for a night or two may be helpful around this time. Often this form of ‘therapeutic prevention’ breaks the cycle of recurrent thrush.

Women may notice that their thrush is aggravated or precipitated by having sex. Certainly if the skin is damaged there is a higher chance that any organism, thrush included, will have more of a chance to cause a problem. So it may be that intercourse is causing damage to the vaginal skin. A way of preventing this may be to use a lubricant (preferably a water-based lubricant like K-Y Jelly, which is unlikely to damage the skin or cause a reaction, and is safe to use with condoms). Using a lubricant means that you are not depending on your natural vaginal lubrication, which may be reduced for a variety of reasons. It can be particularly important if you are resuming sexual activity after a bout of thrush, because the infection may have made the vaginal skin more sensitive and more easily damaged.

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Sex (or engaging in sexual contact, to be more specific), is a natural thing. Biologically it is what we animals are made for, and it is an important part of our instinctive drive to survive and reproduce. But we humans are not like other animals in many ways. Our sexual behaviour is one of the things which distinguishes us. Because it is such an important part of our lives, not getting it right can cause a great deal of stress and trauma. When it all happens well, it can be the best thing since, well, anything.

Most of us learn about sex as we grow up. We go from a state of not being consciously aware of the sexual nature of the world, to often thinking we know it all. Then many of us go through a stage of realising that there is a lot more to learn. This second stage of enlightenment usually coincides with recognising that we were learning the wrong stuff in the beginning.

The common images we see of sexual contact make it seem fairly exciting, glamorous, and universally satisfying. We see a beautiful couple on the screen, wrestling passionately and wildly until they both have simultaneous orgasms, amid shots of waves crashing on the shore, and stallions rearing up on their haunches.

The harsh, cold reality is that sex is rarely like it is on the screen, or in books and magazines. It is not all gloom and doom. There are traps for young (and old) players, but it can also be a pretty special thing to share an intimate, sexual relationship. It can be better than on the screen. It can be absolutely fantastic.

It is not somebody’s place to tell you whether or not you should be having sex, with whom, or how often, or in what positions, or pass moral judgements about sexual behaviours. The responsibility for your sexual (and other) choices rests entirely with you. Acting on your choices, however, should not infringe the rights of other people. Sexual activity should only take place between consenting participants.

What is this thing called sex? It is how babies are made. That is what we are taught when we are little. We may also be taught that it is a special thing that daddies and mummies do when they love each other very much. No one does it in public. Nice people don’t talk about it.

If we are lucky, we learn about the mechanics of sex—what fits where in order to make babies—in reproductive biology lessons, sometimes called sex education. But otherwise, we are usually on our own to glean as much information as we can from any sources. A lot of this will come from other kids, who in fact don’t know much more than us, or from ‘folk lore sexuality’, which usually hands down time-honoured traditional lies and misinformation.

Obviously, as humans, we do have sex a bit more often than is absolutely necessary for having babies. It therefore has other uses. It is, generally, an extremely pleasant and enjoyable recreational activity. Because it is such an intimate thing to do, and we tend not to have sex with just anyone, it serves a purpose in relationships.

There have been sex scientists for years exploring the scientific intricacies of sex, measuring bits and pieces during different phases of stimulation and arousal, etc. They have been useful in many ways, in letting us know how normal we really are, and getting people talking about sex. Unfortunately some have just added to the confusion.

The common names used for sex include: having sex, sexual intercourse, making love, coitus, screwing, fucking, rooting, doing it, bonking, banging, and many more (please, feel free to make up your own). Because there are so many different names used, and we have already established that we don’t often know what we are talking about, we should probably sort out a few things.

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