womens health Flashcards
cystitis
acute condition-inflammation of the bladder caused by infection in the LOWER urinary tract
common in women
symptoms of cystitis
Usually starts suddenly
dysuria (pain when peeing)
Urinary frequency
Nocturia (peeing too much at night)
Only passing small amounts of urine-drops
Urgency
Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
Cloudy, strong/foul smelling urine
Lower abdominal pain/tenderness
Pain in lower back
referral
-Children +men
-Elderly
-Pregnancy
-Symptoms of suggestive diabetes
-Recurrent cystitis
-Systemic symptoms suggestive if upper UTI
-Haematuria (blood in urine)
-Vaginal discharge
advice for cystitis
-Drink lots of fluids
-Cranberry juice
-Wiping from front to back after defecation
-Urination immediately after sexual intercourse
-Complete emptying of the bladder
dysmenorrhea
(period pains)
-Lower abdominal pain associated with menstruation
primary dysmenorrhea
menstrual cramps that come back every time you have get period, but aren’t due to another medical condition
secondary dysmenorrhea
pain caused by other medical conditions, most often endometriosis
what you need to know
Age
Nature of pain
Timing of pain
Bleeding
Associated symptoms
Taking oral contraceptives
treatment for dysmenorrhea
- NSAIDs
- ibuprofen
3.paracetamol
endometriosis
where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other parts of the body. most prevalent in age groups 25-40
symptoms of endometriosis
Painful periods
Pain during sex
Pain in lower abdomen, back and pelvic area
Bleeding in between periods
Heavier periods
treatment for endometriosis
as of such there is no treatment but medication is given to help manage symptoms such as pain.
fibroids
a benign growth in the uterus
symptoms of fibroids
heavy/painful periods
Bloating and swelling in lower abdomen
Lower back pain
Urinary frequency
Constipation
Pain during sex
-May cause problems during pregnancy, miscarriage or infertility
treatment for fibroids
Fibroids do not need to be treated if they are not causing symptoms. After the menopause, they’ll often shrink without treatment.
If you do have symptoms caused by fibroids, medicine to help relieve the symptoms will usually be recommended first.
pelvic inflammatory disease(PID)
infection of uterus and fallopian tubes
symptoms of PID
Pain in lower abdomen
Mild to severe
Abnormal vaginal bleeding
Heavier periods
Bleeding between periods
Bleeding after sex
Pain during sex
Abnormal vaginal discharge
Fever
Lower back pain
causes of PID
-sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea.
-In many other cases, it’s caused by bacteria that normally live in the vagina.
treatment for PID
if diagnosed early can be treated with a course of antibiotics
PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
symptoms women can experience in the weeks before their period
symptoms of PMS
mood swings
feeling depressed or irritable
feeling upset, anxious or emotional
tiredness or trouble sleeping
bloating or cramping
breast tenderness
headaches
spotty skin
greasy hair
changes in appetite or food cravings
treatment for PMS
lifestyle changes such as :
-exercise regularly
-eat a healthy, balanced diet – eating frequent smaller meals every 2 to 3 hours better
-get plenty of sleep
-try reducing your stress by doing yoga or meditation
-take painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to ease the pain
-keep a diary of your symptoms for at least 2 menstrual cycles – you can take this to a GP appointment
vaginal thrush
a common yeast infection that affects
women
symptoms of vaginal thrush
-Vaginal discharge (cream-coloured thick&curdy(cottage cheese),sometimes watery,odorless
-intense pruritus(itchy skin) could be burning
-vulval redness,discomfort/pain
-discomfort/pain during sex
