Herbal Health – information on herbal medicine

LGV is treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline and erythromycin. Close weekly follow-up by a health care provider is essential until the symptoms have cleared, and antibiotics must be continued until the infection has resolved. Surgical draining of swollen, pus-filled lymph nodes may be necessary.

Scarring is not uncommon, even when the treatment is started early and has been successful. Surgical repair of the scarring may be necessary after the infection has been successfully treated with antibiotics.

Anyone who has had sexual contact with an infected person, usually within the thirty days before that person became symptomatic, must be treated with antibiotics and should be tested for other STDs as well.

LGV is transmitted through sexual contact with a person who is infected. The infection can be transmitted through unprotected oral, anal, or genital sexual contact. Condoms decrease the risk of transmission. Pregnant women who are infected do not transmit the infection to the fetus while it is in the womb, but the infant may become infected by transmission as it travels through the birth canal.

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Many studies are currently under way to find effective treatments for hepatitis C. Alpha-interferon is the medication we know most about when it comes to treating hepatitis C. Alpha-interferon is a protein normally made by cells of the body’s immune system in response to viruses. It has shown some limited success in the treatment of hepatitis C, but whether the patient’s

improvement will last is not yet known. Liver function in 40-50 percent of people with chronic hepatitis C infection who are treated with interferon returns to normal. The hepatitis C virus becomes undetectable in their bloodstream, usually eight to twelve weeks after treatment. Often, however, this improvement is not permanent. Only about 15-25 percent of those treated exhibit permanent loss of the virus.

Two possible reasons for this low success rate are, first, that the virus mutates into new forms that are more resistant to interferon, and, second, that the vims produces antibodies to interferon that render the medication ineffective. (The latter scenario has been documented in hemophiliacs who have hepatitis C and are treated with interferon.) In addition, therapy with alpha-interferon can cause significant side effects, such as fever, chills, and muscle aches,- therefore the decision regarding whether 01 not to try this treatment is an individual one. The people who seem to respond better to treatment with alpha-interferon are those who do not show evidence of cirrhosis on biopsy of liver tissue, have normal to mildly elevated liver function tests, and demonstrate a low concentration of virus on the PCR test.

Treatment response also depends on what type of hepatitis C a person has. Type lb, one of the most common types, appears to be less responsive to interferon than types 2 and 3. The decision regarding whether or not to treat is best made in consultation with a hepatolo-gist who is up to date on recent advances in this field. There is some hope that even if the interferon does not cure the infection, it may decrease the risk of developing cancer of the liver.

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Blood tests can determine if a person has been infected with cytomegalovirus, and tests that are initially negative and then positive at a later date can help pinpoint when the infection occurred. The tests may be falsely negative or positive, so they are usually done only when a person is having symptoms for which CMV is a possible cause.

Testing for CMV is usually not recommended as part of a routine sexually transmitted disease screen because of the high rate of infection in the community and because CMV infection does not cause any problems for most people.

There are other ways to test for CMV including biopsying appropriate tissue in someone who is symptomatic, such as the liver if CMV is suspected to be causing hepatitis. Cultures for CMV can also be taken from body fluids such as urine or cervical secretions. Because the symptoms of CMV infection can mimic those of other infections (such as HIV and mononucleosis), testing for these infections may also be performed.

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There are particular cultural taboos against using condoms and talking about sexual health. In certain cultures, whether people are living

in their country of origin or elsewhere, women are not permitted to request that a condom be used. And some men refuse to use condoms, because they believe that doing so diminishes their manliness. In other societies sexual intercourse is perceived as the exchange of energy, which a condom blocks. Furthermore, in certain religions, using birth control methods such as condoms is not acceptable, so preventing the transmission of STDs with a condom is not possible. Some people may also believe that if they choose partners of their own ethnic or cultural background they will not contract an STD, because STDs are infections that only “others” get. It can be difficult to bridge these cultural gaps, but through education about sex and STDs there are those who may decide to alter their behavior and also find partners who are willing to practice safer sex.

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Not all burning with urination (called dysuria) signals a bacterial urinary tract infection, as is often assumed by both the public and health care providers. Several common sexually transmitted infections, such as herpes and chlamydia, can also cause burning. Dysuria can occur if there is infection inside the urethra [internal dysuria), or when there are sores or breaks in the skin around the urethra [external dysuria). A medical evaluation is necessary to sort out these possibilities.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea. These common sexually transmitted bacteria can cause infection of the urethra as well as the cervix. Sometimes, the only symptom a woman may notice with gonorrhea or chlamydia is burning with urination. Some of the other symptoms of these infections—such as discharge, spotting between periods, or pelvic pain—may or may not be present. (Sometimes these infections cause no symptoms at all.) A urine sample will show pus cells, as with a routine bladder infection, but a culture of the urine for bacteria commonly associated with urinary tract infections will be negative. Special tests must be done for gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Herpes. Herpes outbreaks may occur in the urethra and cause burning with urination. If the herpes outbreaks are on the vulva, the woman may experience burning when urine hits the lesions. Thus, herpes can cause both internal and external dysuria. Other symptoms of herpes outbreaks are itching or tingling in the genitals, a discharge, swollen lymph nodes in the groin, pain in the back of the legs, and flulike symptoms.

Urinary tract infection (UTI). Because in women the openings of the urethra, the vagina, and the anus are so close together, infection of the urethra by bacteria that are commonly present in these other areas occurs fairly easily. Other symptoms of a UTI are increased frequency of urination and lower back pain. Wiping back to front instead of front to back after urinating or defecating can cause an infection of the urethra and. bladder; sexual intercourse can also move bacteria from the anal area to the urethra. About one-third of women will get a bacterial UTI in their lifetime. The best way to test for a UTI is to evaluate the urine for white blood cells and culture the urine for bacteria. A UTI may progress and cause infection of the kidneys, called pyelonephritis. Symptoms of this infection include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and upper back pain.

Vulvar and vaginal irritation. Anything that causes vaginal and vulvar irritation—such as yeast and trichomonas infections, or allergic reactions to latex or spermicide—may cause burning when urine hits these areas.

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