Category: Women’s health and beauty

The statistics on breast cancer recurrence is not calming. More than 30% of women who have lived through this disease have to fight with it for the second time. Half of the cases happen in more than 5 years after the tumor removal surgery. Such figures make the scientists all over the world look for an effective and financially available treatment to help women escape the sad statistic.

A recent clinical trial held in the University of Salford has proven that Doxycycline, which is an FDA approved antibiotic, has a significant positive impact on lowering the probability of breast cancer recurrence.

What is Doxycycline?

Doxycycline is an antibiotic commonly prescribed for the treatment of sinusitis, pneumonia, Lyme disease, and some sexually transmitted diseases. It has been applied in medicine since 1967 and is on the WHO List of Essential Medicines. Its efficacy in the prevention of breast cancer recurrence gives hope for a successful and affordable cure for women around the world.

The cores of the study

The use of already existing treatments can speed up the process of their application for the prevention of relapse of breast cancer. The only thing left is to find the one that will work best.

A group of scientists from the above-mentioned university has conducted a trial on the effect of Doxycycline antibiotic on the breast cancer recurrence. Even though only 15 women took part in it, the results are very promising.

The main aim of the trial was to reach the lowering of the number of the stem cells, which are actually responsible for the problem. The patients were taking the drug for two weeks prior to the surgery. Based on the results of tests that were received, the number of aggressive cells has significantly dropped by 17% – 66% in 90 percent of the patients.

How it works?

Doxycycline affects the main power generator of the cell – mitochondria. By inhibiting its function, the drug prevents the stem cell division. Such a mechanism of action prevents the recidivism of breast cancer and the growth of the metastases in the post-surgery period.

More than three-fourths of the world’s population has faced with acne either in the puberty or in the adult life. This skin problem causes much discomfort and makes people less confident about their appearance.

The desire to have a clean and healthy skin doesn’t always correspond with our financial possibilities. Besides, sensitive skin may react with an allergy to some aggressive medicinal or cosmetic treatments. That’s why home-made remedies for acne are rather popular. Let’s have a look at the most effective of them.

Cucumber mask

Being rich in vitamins A, E, C, and possessing skin soothing qualities, a cucumber may become a great cure for acne. To reach the best results, put the grated or sliced vegetable on the pimple and keep it on for at least 20 minutes. Then wash it down with clear water.

Honey

This product is famous for its antibacterial properties. Besides, honey can diminish the inflammation, which actually causes acne. To cope with the pimples, apply a cotton swab greased with honey to a pustule and leave it there for about half an hour. After that, you should rinse it with water.

Green tea

It turns out that green tea is useful not only when you drink it but also when you apply it to your acne-affected skin. Thanks to numerous antioxidants present in it, green tea has a positive impact on the skin condition. You may use both cooled tea as a face wash and a used tea bag for reducing the inflammation of the affected area.

Garlic

This vegetable is considered to be exclusively useful for human health on the whole and for dealing with acne in particular. It kills the bacteria causing inflammation and speeds up the healing of the existing pimples due to containing sulfur. Cut the clove into two pieces and rub it into the pimple. Five minutes will be enough for the garlic to do its job.

Apple cider vinegar

This home remedy can help reduce the skin oiliness and supports normal skin Ph levels. Apple cider vinegar promotes skin healing and diminishes the inflammation if used directly on a pimple. However, you should remember that this substance may be used on the skin only after it is diluted with water. Otherwise, you may get a chemical burn.

Hormonal imbalance can negatively affect women at almost any age. Excess of oestrogen, which is a key female hormone may first show through a slight discomfort. Yet gradually it may lead to quite serious health issues. That’s why maintaining proper amounts of this hormone in the blood is extremely important.

Possible reasons for estrogen excess

The causes of too much oestrogen in the blood may vary in their nature, yet they are not numerous:

• The body secretes too much of the hormone. Such a condition is possible due to alterations in the work of adrenal glands, for example. They may be provoked by continuous stresses and excessive physical activity. The body starts secreting less progesterone, and when the balance between it and oestrogen is disturbed, a woman may start experiencing some unwanted symptoms.
• Consumption of oestrogens from the foods. In rare cases, eating foods that contain phytoestrogens or other hormones or even antibiotics may cause a crash in the hormonal balance. As a result, oestrogen excess is formed.
• Administering of hormonal preparations. Overly high estrogens may appear and cause troubles in women getting hormone replacement therapy for diminishing menopausal symptoms. You may need your dose to be adjusted to stabilize your health condition.

However, in some periods of the female life, large amounts of oestrogen may be a kind of norm. It explains the alterations in the women’s state of health prior to the menstruation, for example. Nevertheless, depending on the seriousness of your PMS signs, you may also need a doctor’s consultation.

How can you know that there’s too much estrogen?

Any alterations of the hormonal background manifest via certain symptoms. Having an excess of estrogens in the blood, you are very likely to experience:

• Tenderness or pain in the breasts (you may also have noticed it before the periods);
• Headaches or even migraines;
• Severe PMS symptoms (e.g. irritability, mood swings);
• An increase in body weight without obvious reasons;
• Abnormal menstruations (too strong or almost absent bleedings);
• Fibrocystic lumps in the breasts;
• Insomnia or vice versa sleepiness;
• Low libido.

You may feel some other symptoms too because the number of unwanted manifestations and their severity depends on the quantity of the hormone in your blood.

More than 2.1 million new cases per year: here are the numbers of breast cancer diagnosed in 2018. If you look at the situation in our country, it is good to remember also the excellent average of survival at five years: the value in question is equal to 15% and exceeds the average.

Those who experience the ordeal of breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment must also deal with recurrences. Among the “strategies” useful to prevent them we find the physical exercise. As also mentioned by the experts of the Department of Population Health Research, Alberta Health Services-Cancer Care, physical activity helps modulate the mechanisms of the immune system, whose efficiency is deeply linked to the possible progression of the neoplasm.

To further investigate the effects of physical activity on the risk of breast cancer recurrence, researchers at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, in collaboration with two non-profit cultural associations and with leading health organizations such as the National Cancer Institute Foundation of Milan, will soon start the MoviS project.

Starting in November, 180 patients will be recruited with a diagnosis of breast cancer and having undergone surgical treatment. The criteria also include the absence of the disease at the time of inclusion in the sample and the fact that chemotherapy has been completed for at least 6 months.

The participants, divided into two groups, will be placed in three support courses. Both groups will be followed from a psychological and nutritional point of view, while only the experimental one will be included in a program aimed at controlling physical exercise starting from the data of a personal diary on daily movement.

At a 3-year follow-up, it will be possible to collect data that is undoubtedly relevant to an aspect that is worth considering. As highlighted by experts, leading a sedentary lifestyle after a diagnosis of breast cancer exposes a mortality risk greater than 25%.

To prevent recurrences, only two and a half hours of physical activity would be enough per week (a light discipline like fast walking is also very good). Finally, remember the importance of saying goodbye to cigarette smoking and an unbalanced diet.

Losing weight, especially quickly, has never been easy. Discover some simple tricks to do it in a correct and healthy way. How many of us have needed to lose weight before an important event or a beach season and fell prey to fad diets that come loaded with side effects and fleeting benefits?

However, if properly supervised, it is possible to get skinny fast and with results that stay, without compromising one’s state of health and above all without recovering the pounds lost to the first pizza. Below you will find some key tricks to better deal with rapid weight loss.

Be careful not to lose muscle mass

The first and most important trick to succeed well in rapid weight loss, is to make sure you don’t lose muscle mass. The loss of muscle mass, which would surely have repercussions on the weight by lowering it rapidly, would negatively affect your metabolism, irreparably compromising it.

Pay attention to the onset of cold, lack of appetite, early morning tiredness, the difficulty of falling asleep in the evening – they could be the first alarm bells for the loss of muscle mass.

Instead, to face rapid weight loss without compromising muscle mass, keep up working out, consume the appropriate amount of protein daily and above all drink a sufficient amount of water.

Stay hydrated

In fact, it is essential to drink the right amount of water to guarantee rapid and healthy weight loss. In addition to allowing you to eliminate excess liquids, the water you take in will allow you:

• to better use the nutrients assumed;
• to keep muscles healthy;
• to support the metabolism;
• to reduce the sensation of appetite;
• to avoid unpleasant pressure drops.

Make sure you consume at least 2 liters of water daily.

Do not skip meals

One of the most serious mistakes when thinking about tackling a rapid weight loss is to fast or skip meals. On the contrary, in the fast weight loss phases, it is essential to fragment the meal as much as possible, so as to increase the metabolic effect of the food, and spend more energy on digestion. The appropriate snacks will also allow you to preserve the metabolic integrity and above all not to be hungry.

Limit carbohydrates

In each phase of rapid weight loss it is necessary to limit carbohydrates. Be careful, however, to gradually reintroduce carbohydrates once this phase is over, otherwise the risk of recovering part of the lost weight will be high. In the carbohydrate reintroduction phases, always prefer whole grain products and grain cereals.

Stay active

If the sport has never been part of your life, at least make sure you are “normally” active. Any self-respecting weight loss, especially if rapid, must rely on the energy expenditure associated with physical activity.

Try starting with:

• Ten thousand daily steps, to be carried out preferably in the early morning;
• Go up and down the stairs on foot;
• Use the bike rather than the car;
• Devote 15 minutes of your time to free body exercises.

It might be the right time to get physical activity into your daily routine.

Mango has a sweet, enveloping taste, similar to that of peach but with even more characteristic acidulous and exotic note. Why add it regularly to your diet? Perhaps because it is the perfect fruit to lose weight? Let’s find out together.

Studies conducted by the University of Queensland have shown that mango is also one of the slimming foods. In particular, its peel could prevent the formation of fat by blocking the formation of those cells responsible for the accumulation of fat. It is therefore impossible for mangoes to be excluded from your weight loss diet, although you will have to make the effort to chew the bites a little longer because of the somewhat harsh peel. But this little extra effort does a lot of legwork.

Sweet, colorful and juicy: it is ripe to the point when it is soft to the touch and its skin is not deformed.

Does mango really make you lose weight? Researchers at the University of Queensland focused on studying the ability of mango peel to burn fat and thus promote weight loss. The study has shown that, above all the external part of the fruit, is able to prevent the formation of fat cells, counteracting the phenomenon of adipogenesis, ie the process that underlies the development of fat cells in the body.

Several research papers presented at the 2016 Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego, confirm mango’s ability to contribute to weight loss. Its beneficial properties typical of a superfruit, make it the ideal fruit to fight fat and obesity.

So research also confirms that eating mango regularly is one of the most natural and healthy ways to lose weight, thanks to its low amount of calories (100 calories for a whole fruit) you can satisfy your appetite and taste.

Mango, avocado, yogurt and lemon smoothie

This mango-based smoothie promises to lose weight with a mix of truly exceptional textures and flavors.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of mango cut into cubes
• ¼ cup of ripe avocado puree
• ¼ cup of mango juice
• ¼ cup of vanilla-flavored yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of stevia powder
• Ice cubes

Preparation

All you have to do is put all the ingredients in a blender and mix them until you get a perfect blend. This delicious mango-based smoothie can be consumed as soon as prepared or during the course of the morning.

In 20-25% of clinical cases, endometriosis is a disease that is asymptomatic (ie it does not produce symptoms); on such occasions, its diagnosis is accidental and occurs during surgical operations performed for other purposes, such as to remedy a form of sterility (25-60% of cases).

In women with symptomatic endometriosis, the clinical picture of the disease generally consists of:

• Chronic pelvic pain;
• Dysmenorrhea, or very painful menstruation;
• Dyspareunia, ie pelvic pain and inside the vagina during sexual intercourse;
• Pain during defecation or urine release;
• Changes in the menstrual cycle, with huge blood loss during menstruation (menorrhagia) or with blood loss during the intramestrale period (menometrorrhagia);
• Rectal bleeding during menstruation;
• Fertility reduction;
• Presence of swelling or painful pelvic masses;
• Sense of fatigue, episodes of diarrhea or constipation, nausea and / or sense of fullness, particularly during menstruation.

The abnormal endometrium, present in sites other than the uterus (ectopic endometrium), behaves exactly like the endometrial tissue that physiologically covers the inner wall of the uterus. This means that, about once a month, in menstruating women, the ectopic endometrium flakes under the influence of the hormones of the menstrual cycle, causing more or less bloody lesions.

However, differently from what happens with the blood of menstruation (which comes out from the vagina), the blood coming from the lesions on the ectopic endometrium does not have the possibility to get discharged; therefore, it tends to accumulate, inflaming the neighboring areas and sometimes causing characteristic cysts, known as endometriotic cysts or endometriomas.

It should be pointed out, however, that there are cases of sterility due to endometriosis in which the anatomical alteration of the pelvis induced by the ectopic endometrium is not particularly deep. In such situations, doctors think that, to affect fertility, is the creation at pelvic level of an environment hostile to conception, with a possible triggering of local autoimmune mechanisms that have harmful effects on sperm or embryo (sterility of immunological origin).

Malignant degeneration of the ectopic endometrium: according to some reliable research, the risk of malignant degeneration of the ectopic endometrium is quite low (3-8% of patients) and takes place above all when the endometriosis concerns the ovaries (in these situations, the tumor resulting malignant is called endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary).

When should one book an appointment with a doctor? The appearance of symptoms attributable to the presence of endometriosis should prompt the woman concerned to contact her physician immediately or, better still, her trusted gynecologist.