Staying Healthy Archive

Vaginitis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• How long have you had this vaginal discomfort?
• Does it itch or burn?
• Do you have vaginal discharge? Does it have a bad odor? What is the consistency?
• Are you pregnant?
• Are you sexually active?
• Is sexual intercourse painful?
• Do you have pain or burning with urination?
• Are you urinating more frequently?
• Do you have urinary incontinence?
• Are you post-menopausal?
• Do you have vaginal dryness?
• Do you have diabetes?
• Have you recently taken antibiotics or corticosteroids?
• Is your immune system suppressed in any way?
• Do you take birth-control pills?
• Do you wear tight pants or synthetic fabrics (nylon)? (These are all predisposing factors for yeast infections).
• Have you or your partner ever had a sexually transmitted disease?
• Do you have fevers, chills, abdominal pain, joint pain, or a rash?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Abdominal examination
• Pelvic examination

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Sample of the vaginal discharge to examine under a microscope (wet smear)
• Cultures of the vaginal discharge

Spinal Stenosis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• Where is the pain in your back?
• Does it radiate to your legs?
• Is it worse when you walk?
• Does the pain from walking occur suddenly or gradually?
• Is it relieved by standing?
• Is it relieved by sitting or lying down?
• What bothers you more, the pain in your back or the pain in your legs?
• Does the pain worsen when you cough or sneeze?
• Do you have numbness or decreased sensation in your legs?
• Have you had problems with your balance?
• Have you had any changes or difficulty in your ability to urinate?
• How long have you had the pain?
• Is it getting worse?
• How much does it limit your usual activities?
• How is your quality of life affected by the pain?
• Have you ever had spinal surgery?
• Have you ever injured your back?
• Have you ever had hip surgery?
• Do you have diabetes?
• Do you have poor circulation, such as peripheral artery disease?
• Do you have foot ulcers?
• Have you ever had vascular surgery?
• Do you have any sort of neuropathy (nerve damage)?
• What are you doing to treat the pain?
• Have you seen a physical therapist?
• Are you interested in an injection of a cortisone-like medication into your back? Do you know anything about this procedure?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Spine
• Hip
• Pulses in the feet, behind the knee and in the groin
• Neurologic exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• X-rays of the spine
• CT scans of the spine
• MRI scans of the spine

Thrombocytopenia

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• What medications do you take (including over-the-counter drugs and herbal remedies)?
• Have you been ill recently?
• What other medical problems do you have?
• Could you be pregnant?
• Have you ever been tested for HIV?
• Have you had fever?
• Have you had rashes?
• Have you had diarrhea?
• Have you had abdominal pain?
• Have you had headache?
• Have you had neurologic symptoms?
• Have you been lightheaded?
• Have you been short of breath with minimal exertion?
• Have you had chest pain or pressure?
• Have you had a cough?
• Do you have any bruises or nosebleeds?
• Do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth?
• If you are a woman, have you had unusually heavy menstrual periods?
• How long have you had symptoms?
• Does anyone else in your family have low platelets?
• How many alcoholic beverages do you drink in an average week?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Eyes
• Mouth
• Heart
• Lungs
• Abdomen
• Skin

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Blood tests, which might include complete blood count with microscopic evaluation, kidney function tests, liver function tests, antinuclear antibody, an HIV test
• Bone marrow biopsy

With summer's approach come plans for travel, including flying long distances. But the prospect of a long flight often raises health concerns. Especially in passengers who are older or have certain conditions, air travel and the related stress can have an impact on health. Here are a few trouble areas and some precautions you can take.

Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). Not all experts agree on an association between DVT (blood clots in the legs) and air travel. Symptoms may not occur for several days, so it's difficult to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. If there is one, it's likely due to prolonged inactivity. Limited airline space can discourage moving about. Dry cabin air may also increase the risk of DVT.

ITEMS TO GATHER:

• Towels, plastic sheet, and newspapers
• Soft blanket for the baby
• Gloves (ideally disposable surgical gloves), if available
• Thick string, clean shoelace, or sterile tape to tie off umbilical cord
• Plastic bag for placenta

REMEMBER TO…

• Note the time of birth.
• Congratulate the mother!

Birth of the Placenta

The placenta, which has provided the fetus with nourishment, is attached to the umbilical cord and is delivered about 20 minutes after the baby. Do not pull on the cord; delivery of the placenta occurs on its own. You can help by gently massaging the woman’s lower abdomen. The uterus will feel like a hard round mass.

Massaging the abdomen helps the uterus contract, which also helps stop bleeding. After the placenta is delivered, place it in a plastic bag to take with the woman and baby to the hospital. It is normal for more bleeding to occur after delivery of the placenta. Continue gently massaging the woman’s lower abdomen.

Butterfly Bandage

Direct Pressure to Stop Bleeding

A wound that is deep, bleeding heavily, or has blood spurting from it (caused by bleeding from an artery), may not clot and may not stop bleeding.

Immediate care
Call out for someone to get help, or call 911 yourself. Elevate the wound and apply direct pressure.

How to Stop a Nosebleed

Heimlich Maneuver on an Adult