What Causes Bone Fractures?

Most people were introduced to the orthopedic surgeon at a young age when they were brought to the emergency room with their first broken bone. For me the memory of the event is now faint (something about a bicycle and pavement), but the cast that I was able to tote around the classroom is fondly recalled as one of my moments of youthful pride.


The first, and probably the most known cause for bone fractures is known as bone thinning or osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can lead to bone fractures because in time it makes the bones less dense by altering bone protein and other minerals. This increases the risk of bone fractures, because the bones become a lot more porous.

The 'fatigue theory' suggests that during repeated efforts (as in running), the muscles become unable to support the skeleton during impact as the foot strikes the ground. Instead of the muscles absorbing the shock, the load is transferred to the bone. As the loading surpasses the capacity of the bone to adapt, a fracture develops. The 'overload theory' suggests that certain muscle groups contract in such a way that they because the attached bones to bend. After repeated contractions and bending, the bone breaks.

Stress fractures are probably preceded by, causing bone pain and pain during exercise. Management of shin splints involves rest; if the symptoms still persist after two weeks, a stress fracture is suspected. When the pain has persisted for six weeks or more, a stress fracture is the likely cause.

The first step in describing a fracture is whether it is open or closed. If the skin over the break is disrupted, then an open fracture exists. The skin can be cut, torn, or abraded (scraped), but if the skin's integrity is damaged, the potential for an infection to get into the bone exists. Since the fracture site in the bone communicates with the outside world, these injuries need to be cleaned out aggressively and many times require anesthesia in the operating room to do the job effectively.

Setting of bone through surgery. When surgery is needed, the procedure is called an open reduction. The doctor will give you local or general anesthesia. (General anesthesia will put you to sleep.) During the surgical procedure, the doctor may insert a rod, pin, plate, or screw into the injury to hold the bone in place. Advantages of surgery include: early mobility of injured bone and some use of the injured bone within weeks rather than months.

Impacted Fracture: An impacted fracture is similar to a compression fracture, yet it occurs within the same bone. It is a closed fracture which occurs when pressure is applied to both ends of the bone, causing it to split into two fragments that jam into each other. This type of fracture is common in car accidents and falls.

It may take a number of weeks or months for a fracture to heal. Your bone tissue will start growing new bone cells on the site of the fracture, creating new bone tissues until the fracture is closed. The healing process is usually painful, therefore you must strictly follow the doctor's advice on handling the fracture so that you can recuperate faster and resume to normal activity. During rehabilitation, your activity may be limited to the extent of the pain threshold of the fracture. By the time the bone becomes strong again, you may have to undergo certain exercise to strengthen the muscles surrounding the bone fracture so that it can function again normally. The exercises will increase in activity over time until the fracture is completely healed, and normal skeletal activity is restored.

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What Causes Bone Spurs?

Bone spur is a term used to describe a condition that characterizes the growth of an extra bone on the normal bone. In medical terms, it is known as osteophytes. Bone spur usually takes place on the joints of the spine, feet, shoulders, hips, hands and knees. It is not painful but sometimes causes pain when it rubs against other bones around it.

A bone spur is an overgrowth of bone most commonly seen at a joint (the place where two bones come together and allow for movement). Generally abnormal motion at the level of the joint over the course of time will cause the spur to form. You can also have spurring of bone as a result of excessive tension on a bone from a tendon where it attaches into the bone.

Some bone spurs form as part of the aging process. As we age, the slippery tissue called cartilage that covers the ends of the bones within joints breaks down and eventually wears away (osteoarthritis). In addition, the discs that provide cushioning between the bones of the spine may break down with age. Over time, this leads to pain and swelling and, in some cases, bone spurs forming along the edges of the joint. Bone spurs due to aging are especially common in the joints of the spine and feet.

Exercise and a healthy weight are key ingredients to managing the pain associated with bone spurs. Exercise may be limited by the location of the spur and its effects on movement. Swimming or other forms of water activity, such as water aerobics, may be less stressful for the body, and can also increase flexibility and mobility. Weight loss can also be beneficial in alleviating the pain associated with bone spurs, since less weight puts less stress on any joints which are lacking cartilage or plagued with bone spurs.

Bone spurs do not appear at once but form gradually over a long period of time. They represent degeneration of the spine due to aging and are quite common in people above sixty years of age. While spinal degeneration occurs in all people, less than half of those report pain in the neck, back, arms and legs (radiating pain), and other extremities of the body. Also associated with bone spurs is the feeling of weakness.

In your shoulder, bone spurs can restrict the range of motion of your arm. Bone spurs can rub on your rotator cuff; a group of tendons that help control your shoulder movements. This can cause swelling (tendinitis) and tears in your rotator cuff.

Bone spurs also form in the feet in response to tight ligaments, to activities such as dancing and running that put stress on the feet, and to pressure from being overweight or from poorly fitting shoes. For example, the long ligament on the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia) can become stressed or tight and pull on the heel, causing the ligament to become inflamed (plantar fasciitis. As the bone tries to mend itself, a bone spur can form on the bottom of the heel (known as a "heel spur"). Pressure at the back of the heel from frequently wearing shoes that are too tight can cause a bone spur on the back of the heel. This is sometimes called a "pump bump" because it is often seen in women who wear high heels.

First step for treating bone spur through home remedies is to reduce inflammation. Apply an ice pack to the inflamed area 4 to 5 times in a day. This will help to reduce the inflammation. If the problem is more severe then apply heating pad on the inflamed area.

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Boost Bone Health With Boron And Other Minerals

About 44 million American men and women suffer from osteoporosis (severe bone loss) or osteopenia (mild bone loss), with women being affected twice as much as men. Each year, at least 1.5 million hip, vertebra, or wrist fractures occur in the United States because of osteoporosis. Although bone mass normally declines after age thirty-five, bone loss that is severe enough to cause fractures after only a minor trauma is a different problem.


Some of the risk factors for osteoporosis include: small body frame, underweight, Caucasian or Asian race, a sedentary lifestyle, cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol or caffeine intake, high intake of carbonated beverages, and having other family member with osteoporosis. Certain medical conditions such as diabetes, celiac disease, hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive lung disease, hyperadrenalism, and hyperparathyroidism are also associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis. There are also some medications that increase the rate of bone loss such as those prescribed for seizures and blood thinning, prednisone and other steroids, aluminum-containing antacids, and loop diuretics. By engaging in regular weight bearing exercise, avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and quitting smoking, the rate of bone loss will be slowed. Eating adequate amounts of protein and supplementing with various vitamins and minerals also enhances bone health.

Calcium salts are absorbed about the same for most people, absorbing between thirty to forty percent of the administered dose. Those with low stomach acid, hypochlorhydria, should not use calcium carbonate because it is absorbed poorly without stomach acid. For many older people, calcium phosphate is preferable because phosphorus is necessary for normal bone formation. Calcium that is bound to phosphorus is the form in which calcium is stored in the bone, and has a much greater bone activity than other forms.

In order to promote strong bones, vitamin D is a necessary nutrient. Because vitamin D is produced when ultraviolet rays from the sun hit the skin, those people who stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen, or live in a northern latitude are at an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Aging also decreases a person's ability to produce vitamin D in the skin. Supplementation with 700-800 IU of vitamin D per day has been proven to decrease the number of hip fractures by 26%. However, 400 IU per day was ineffective. In addition to improving bone health, vitamin D improves nerve and muscle function in older people, which reduces their risk of falling down. 800 IU of vitamin D per day in elderly women has shown to decrease the number of falls by about 50%. The "safe upper limit," as determined by The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine is 4,000 IU per day. However, you most likely don't need nearly this much to help bone issues.

Because bone is a living tissue that is constantly remodeling itself and engaging in many biological functions, it has a wide range of nutritional needs. Not getting enough of one or more of the important micronutrients needed is an important contributing factor to osteoporosis. In addition to supplementing with calcium and vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin K, boron, strontium, silicon, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and vitamin C are all shown to have a vital role in bone health. Calcium is a component of the mineral crystals that makes up the bone. Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption and prevents falls by improving nerve and muscle function. Magnesium is important in bone mineralization, which is similar to zinc. However, zinc also increases bone loss. Copper also promotes bone mineralization and decreases bone loss. Manganese plays a vital role in the creation of the connective-tissue components of the bone. Boron supports the creation of bone-protecting hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA. Silicon has a vital role in the synthesis of connective-tissue components in the bone. Deficiency of silicon has been associated with bone abnormalities. B vitamins, including folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, have been shown to lower blood levels of homocysteine. A high level of homocysteine concentration is a very big risk factor for fractures in elderly people. Strontium is a trace mineral that is incorporated into bone and increases bone strength. It stimulates bone formation and inhibits bone breakdown. Vitamin K is best known for its effect on blood clotting. However, it is also required for the creation of osteocalcin, which is a unique protein that is found in bone and participates in the mineralization process. The amount of vitamin K needed for optimal bone health is greater than that amount needed to prevent bleeding. Deficiency in any of these nutrients is often associated with the development of osteoporosis.

There are two forms of vitamin K that are present in food, vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is found in leafy green vegetables and some vegetable oils. Vitamin K2 is found in much smaller amounts in meat, cheese, eggs, and natto. Vitamin K2 can occur in more than one form, menaquinine-4 (MK-4), a licensed prescription drug in Japan, and menaquinone-7 (MK-7), which is extracted from natto. Research has shown that MK-7 is the ideal form of vitamin K. After oral administration, it was better absorber and lasted long in the body compared to MK-4 and vitamin K1. Even though both have shown the ability to prevent osteoporosis, a much lower dosage of MK-7 is required to obtain the beneficial effects. MK-7 has greater biological activity, bioavailability, and more potent effects on the bone.

Strontium is very important in building strong bones. After being studied by bone health researchers, it has been determined that lower doses are not only safer for long-term supplementation, but also have a greater impact on bone health than high doses. Too little of a dose and bone density will be impaired, but too much and health will be impaired. In this case, dosing needs to be just right for optimal impact. Therefore, keeping supplemental strontium at less than 6 mg per day is the best decision.

Nutrients work by different mechanisms than osteoporosis drugs, allowing them to have the ability to be taken with osteoporosis medications and enhance the beneficial effect of these medications. Because calcium and other minerals may interfere with the absorption of osteoporosis medications, they should be taken at least two hours before or two hours after taking osteoporosis medications. It is always best to also discuss the supplements with your healthcare practitioner to create the best health plan for you. The above supplements and other fine products can be found at your friendly internet health food store.

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Reasons Behind Weakening of Bones and How you Can Cope With it

If you want to comprehend the underlying components that bring about osteoporosis, a disorder that is characterized by brittle and porous bone structures, you must first be aware of how bones in your body develop and expand as you go through your life. Bone is a constantly growing tissue in your bony that undergoes a perpetual cycle of degeneration and replacement. If that is the case, you may ask, why would someone experience a breaking down of bone density?

Well, when it comes to your bones, the important factor is the rate at which old degenerated bones are being replaced by new ones. This whole process of breaking and rebuilding bone structures is called remodeling and it can go on for as long as you live. Before the age of thirty, your bone structures are being replaced at a much faster rate than their deterioration. Beyond this age, however, the rate of the cycle goes on the opposite direction wherein the rate at which bone structures degenerate is much faster than the rate of replacement.

The slower process of bone replacement is the main cause of major bone disorders like osteoporosis. As you may well know, bones are living tissues composed of minerals and collagen proteins. Added with phosphate and calcium, these minerals become the body's skeletal structures. If the process of bone replacement is slower than the rate at which bone deteriorates, these structures will have a hard time replenishing collagen and other minerals; hence bones may become weaker and inflexible.

The Need For Strong Bones

Your bone structures serve as your body's framework. It serves as the structure to which all the other organs of the body are attached. Not only that, your bones are also responsible for providing protection to these same organs. You need strong and compact bone structures if ever you want to build a solid foundation and protection for your organs.

Casting Strong Bones

The strength and density of your bones are at their peak at about thirty years old. Nevertheless, your heredity is an important factor in determining the sturdiness and compactness of your bone structure. Plus, nutrition also contributes in the development of collagen proteins needed by your various connective tissues, which includes bones. Other influences on your bone mass include the amount of exercise you do everyday and, sometimes, hormonal fluctuations just like what occur during menstrual periods and menopause.

As you go on through life, you lose a considerable amount of bone strength and mass. In fact, for menopausal women, bone mass at a rate of about thirty percent can fritter away. Although the rate of bone loss may be different for each person, one thing is for sure, you will not have the same bone mass and strength in your 50's as when you were still in your teens.

Keeping The Strength

For some people, losing bone sturdiness and density may come at a much faster rate. This may lead to bone problems like osteoporosis. Studies have shown that over ten million Americans are suffering from this disease and about forty million more at the age of fifty and above are at the risk of having osteoporosis.

But the good news is, you can fight back! Before you reach the age when the rate of bone replacement declines, you must ensure that your body has a steady and sufficient supply of calcium and Vitamin D. These substances are proven to increase the density of your bones. And if you are really worried about bone loss when you come of age, you can beef up your bone replacement with products like Osteozyne. Visit www.osteozyne.com/ for more details.

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Bone Types

Bone is living tissue that makes up the body's skeleton. Bone is a connective tissue largely composed of an organic protein; collagen and the inorganic mineral hydroxyapatite. Bones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. Bones function to move, support, and protect the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bones come in a variety of shapes and have a complex internal and external structure, allowing them to be lightweight yet strong and hard, while fulfilling their many other functions. One of the types of tissues that makes up bones is the mineralized osseous tissue.

Minéralisés bones also drew the bone, which gives the bones of their rigidity and honeycomb-type three-dimensional internal structure. Other types of tissue in the bone marrow particular, the periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage. The main bone tissue, bone tissue is relatively hard and lightweight composite material, formed mainly of calcium phosphate in the arrangement chemical called calcium hydroxylapatite (bone tissue that gives the bones of their rigidity ). It is relatively high, but compressive strength poor tensile strength, meaning it resists forces grow well, but not the thrust levels.

There are five types of bones in the human body long, short, flat, irregular and sesamoid. Long Bones are longer than wide, they are composed of a long handle (the diaphysis) plus two articular (joint) surface, called epiphyses. They are comprised mostly of bone, but are generally thick enough to hold considerable and spongy bone marrow hollow in the center (the medullary cavity). Short bones are roughly cube-shaped, and have only a thin layer of compact bone surrounding a spongy interior. Flat bones are thin and generally curved, with two parallel layers of compact bones sandwiching a layer of spongy bone.

Flat bones are thin and generally curved, with two parallel layers of compact bones sandwiching a layer of spongy bone. Most of the bones of the skull are flat bones, as is the sternum. Irregular bones do not fit into the above categories. They consist of thin layers of compact bone surrounding a spongy interior. As implied by the name, their shapes are irregular and complicated. The bones of the spine and hips are irregular bones. Sesamoid bones are bones embedded in tendons. Since they act to hold the tendon further away from the joint, the angle of the tendon is increased and thus the force of the muscle is increased.

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Bone Health and Children - How Parents Can Help

Parents regularly discuss their children’s health with their health care providers but rarely do they discuss their kid’s bone health, even though bone health is a central part of a kid’s overall health. Building strong bones by adopting nutritional and healthy lifestyle habits in childhood is very important and helps prevent bone loss and osteoporosis later in life.

Childhood, defined here as between infancy and adolescence, is a critical period for bone development. During this period, bones are actively formed through a process called remodeling, which involves breaking down old bones and building new ones. During preteen and adolescence, more bones are built than broken down and as a result, bone growth takes place during these periods. Kids are generally encouraged to consume foods rich in calcium because their bones need the mineral for development.

Most of the calcium (about 99%) in a kid’s body is found in his/her bone, which is used to form bone tissue. The amount of bone tissue in a given bone is commonly referred to as bone mass. As more calcium is deposited in bones, more bone tissue is made. This helps bones increase in strength and density, and this process continues until bone mass peaks, meaning that a person’s bones have achieved their maximum strength and density.

Experts do not agree on the precise age when bone mass peaks but for most people, it peaks by age 30. However, medical experts believe that 99% of peak bone mass is actually acquired by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys, which makes youth the most important time to invest in a kid’s bone health. After this point, bone growth slows down considerably.

The question is what can a Mom do to help? Moms can do two important things: Encourage her kids to develop healthy eating habits and to get plenty physical activity. Encouraging your kids to adopt proper eating habits now can make all the difference in the world as they age. One way to accomplish this goal is to lead by example. Believe it or not, your kids watch everything you do- good or bad and they are unlikely to do what you say rather than what you do.

The Academy of Sciences recommends that kids 4 - 8 years old should get 800 milligrams of calcium a day while those 9 – 18 years old should get 1300 milligrams. These intake levels can be easily met through balanced diet that includes dairy products, fruits, and vegetables as well as calcium fortified breakfast cereals and juice. Steps as simple as replacing a can of soda each day with low-fat milk can make a huge difference in your kid’s bone development.

Also, your kids need vitamin D each day. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium in the small intestine. The main sources of vitamin D are fortified food and sunlight. Most active kids do not have any trouble making enough vitamin D in their skin from sunlight. Exposure to sunlight for up to 15 minutes a day may be all they need to meet their vitamin D requirement.

In addition to promoting healthy eating, moms can encourage their kids to get involved in regular physical activity that puts stress on their bones. Putting stress on bones helps them increase in size and strength. There are many physical activities that are good for the bone. A few examples are running, walking, aerobics, softball, baseball, basketball, table and lawn tennis, dancing, skating, football, and weight lifting.

Bone health is an important part of a kid’s health, and moms can help their kids build strong bones. Encouraging them to eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D is one way to achieve this goal; the other is getting them involved in regular physical activity. When it comes to bone health, there is such a thing as “too little, too late.” The health habits you help your kids form today can make, or literally break, their bones later in life.

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All About HIV AIDS - Facts You Must Know

How was it possible that HIV AIDS became such a severe problem? Are the economical implications higher for this one than they are for other types of diseases? What are the resemblances between HIV AIDS and other outbreak of infectious diseases? Is it possible that the scientists and the specialists can find a way to stop this calamity, which is slowly eating us, alive?

These are all questions, which have been waiting for determined answers from the specialized people. Maybe they will get the right answers soon, or maybe they will be left unanswered for many years to come. What us, regular people can do about it is to be informed.

It is crucial that us, humans are well prepared and educated enough to stay away from this deadly affection, which can bring us to face our death much earlier than we should.

HIV infection has four stages. After two to six weeks from contracting the virus, symptoms that resemble the ones of the flu can appear. This way, the infected person can feel nausea, fever, night sweating, fatigue, and altered general state, headaches, muscle pain, etc. There are patients who do not mind these symptoms, or the symptoms simply do not appear. For the correct diagnosis of the HIV AIDS, it is necessary that special tests be conducted.

The second phase is slow and can last up to several years. This is the time when HI viruses multiply (HIV). The persons who know they are infected have no physical symptoms, they are only psychological, the people who have no idea they have been infected do not experience any type of symptoms what so ever.

The third stage of this awful disease is called Aids Related Complex, also known as ARC. During this period, things and general state change for the infected individual. The symptoms they experience are pretty much the same, if not identical with acute infection. The worst part is that the symptoms do not disappear this time. They persist and they make their presence known, so the infected person experiences them at another level.

The fourth phase of the illness is described and called the AIDS phase. The AIDS as a disease is named like that now when typical other affections appear in an HIV infected body. They are called opportunist infections. This type of affections is quite harmless for a patient with a healthy immune system. However, the weak and almost destroyed immune system of an HIV infected patient cannot handle and will not be able to protect itself against regular pathogenic agents.

There has been a theory developed lately, according to which not all HIV infected patients develop the disease, but the theory still waits to be confirmed. To cure the disease is no longer possible at this stage. After stage three and four, the evolution of the disease can be slowed down with the help of medication, but that is only valid until the immune system is still active. The total destruction of the immune system will lead to the decease of that individual.

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Fighting Hiv/aids – Many Means, One Goal

Amidst the pessimism springing from the recent failure of about 150 prevention trials that failed to shield subjects against HIV infection, there's the resolve to continue research on developing a vaccine, and battle through all the challenges the process poses.

On a pessimistic note, hope of a vaccine in the short term isn't anywhere in sight as France's National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS) has expressed. Though not in the short run, the Scripps Research Institute expressed optimism with a possibility of a vaccine in about 10 years. Till that time, the available HIV drugs need to reach one and all.

Apparently, HIV/Aids is quite a multi-headed monster. While efforts to curtail it continue, research reveals newer risky trends among people, and unravel findings that appear to be quite startling.

Risky Trends

Consider the case of India where and estimated 2 to 3.1 million HIV infected persons reside. Researchers inform that young call center workers are becoming a breeding ground for the infections because of unprotected sex with many partners amongst the staffers. About 1.3 million people graduate in India, many of whom choose to work in call centers due to good starting salaries of US$ 600 (from Indian standards).

But if you thought that India was alone, leading the trend, look at the trend in the UK, where about 33% men who have men as their sexual partners, and are aware of their HIV status, engage in unprotected and risky sexual behavior. The study was released by the Medical Research Council.

Research

Research, while it unravels mysteries, sometimes it does so at the cost of shaking you out of comfort zone. For instance, the report, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, notices increasing HIV/AIDS infection rates among intravenous drug users, sex workers and gay men. Or that, as a study published in the Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases reveals, that many people think their partners aren't infected, even without an STD/HIV testing.

However, not all is grim about the HIV/Aids scenario, a lot of efforts to fight it are underway.

A Shining Workplace Program

Realizing the gravity, the corporate sector in Mozambique has stepped forward to take the bull by the horns. Mozambique's Confederation of Business Associations (CTA) has unveiled a program called EcoSIDA that's meant to address the malady in workplaces. The aim of the body is to test workers find their HIV status. Perhaps, there are lessons in the initiative, for Indian call center industry to learn from.

Education

In Florida, US, and with the National HIV Testing Day approaching on Friday, June 27, the health agencies and not-for-profit groups would host several educational events to inform and seek active participation Southwest Florida's minority communities. Minorities have higher than average infection rates.

Policy

Recently, the teenagers of the New York state made a request to the political leadership asking them to enact a Healthy Teens Act meant to provide fund for comprehensive sex education in schools. Similarly in India's National AIDS Control Board has approved the country's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to make care centers for kids with HIV.

Although it's heartening to see efforts on many fronts, however a lot remains to be done. While governmental policies do take time to take effect, education and initiatives to improve the reach of existing pharmaceutical drugs for HIV can perhaps be accomplished much faster.

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Myself Recovered From Hiv/aids Completely

I, Mrs. T. Selvi, female aged 26 years residing in Dharamangalam Salem District, Tamilnadu, India. I would like to express my treatment regarding HIV/AIDS. Such unbelievable treatment was given by a Traditional Siddha Medical Practitioner S.K.Balasubramaniam of Erode city in Tamilnadu, India.

This sexual transmission disease was transferred me from my husband who was expired on few years back due to HIV. Up to my husband’s death I could not know anything about HIV/AIDS. After his death, my health conditions being fall down day by day. A doctor nearby my town was referred me for ELISA test and I got positive result. This result has been made a sudden depression to me. I was totally collapsed. What about my future? What about my children? There is no answer….

In that time one bright day, I have heard some information about Dr.S.K. Balasubramaniam and his institution CR Pharmaa. Immediately I met him and clarify my doubts regarding curability of HIV/AIDS, he was clarifying my entire doubts up to my satisfaction. He was invented and manufacturing an Herbal Drug namely Vairolinn. It is an herbal injection based on ancient Siddha systems of India. I desired to take the treatment from end of April 2006. Initially I have HIV viral load 115000 copies/ml. The doctor was advised me to take this medicine regularly for the period of six months. But unfortunately, I was unable to take the treatment daily, since basically I am from the family of Contract labour and unable to stay in my native regularly. Anyhow I have taken the treatment atleast fifteen days per month. After completion of 4 months my HIV viral load decreased to 76700 copies/ml and my body weight increased 2.5kgs and after 8 months it was decreased 16399 copies/ml and weight increased nearly 4.2 kgs. If I have taken the treatment regularly I have get early recovery, due to my irregular attendance for treatment it is too late to get the recovery. Further I have taken the treatment another 3 months, totally 11 months of treatment with irregular attendance of just 170 days out 10 months due my very poor financial position. For this reason I could not able to spent money for testing and even a single test was not taken in the last 4 months of treatment period.

After the completion treatment, I feel that my health condition is improved very well and able to do very hard work just like lifting of weighted materials. I have done my entire work without any difference as in my previous days.

Nearly passing of 1year and 6 months (after completion of treatment), now I am in good health condition. I am still able to do very hard work in the quarries. Anyhow i have taken a blood test as on 04.06.2008 for my satisfaction and got a result HIV Viral load is below 53 copies/ml (the minimum detectable limit is 53 copies/ml).Now I am completely recovered from AIDS, since my HIV viral load is lesser than the detectable limit.

There is any advantage to me for sharing my story with you, No. Only in a broad view, my treatment story may useful to some HIV affected patients. My motive is very simple, I and my story will useful to atleast few HIV patient to get recovery from HIV and AIDS. I have also given the doctor’s contact details so as enable to you contact him.

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Stamping Out Gender Discrimination to Prevent Hiv/aids

Gender discrimination saps social consistency jeopardizing health and educational development. It is increasingly recognized as a key factor that makes women gravely vulnerable to AIDS and STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). Improving and intensifying poverty reduction strategies pragmatically, overall development programs should be en-gendered. Otherwise development achievements may be endangered failing to contain epidemic.

Approximately 17.7 million women were living with HIV/AIDS in 2006 all over the world. Multiple vulnerabilities like social, cultural, economical and biological factors intertwined as a vicious circle may make prevalence sky-high anytime among women in the developing countries of Asia. So we have to raise a clarion call on combating the spread of epidemic through ensuring gender equality.

Gender discrimination promotes unequal access to resources and opportunities, sexual violence, practice of unprotected sex, women trafficking and women’s paltry representation and participation in social development activities. All of this result in power disparities that characterize personal relationships between male and female undermine the development of not only women but also a nation to a great extent. In this context, capitalizing on capacity building initiatives for vulnerable women encompassing sensitization, training & orientation, exchanging information, experience & views and networking may play an important role to reduce the incidents of HIV as a whole.

Having significant and multifaceted impact on public health, education, technology, business and administration sector as well as on demography, household, macro economy and society on a great scale, HIV/AIDS continues to spread in Asia and the Pacific. Comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention programs have been initiated successfully in some countries. Nonetheless several grave factors like illiteracy, gender inequality, unprotected extra marital sexual behavior, increasing use of intravenous drugs, isolation from generic health care services as well as lack of outreach treatment and care services are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS gradually from most-at-risk population to the general population. As a result, the number of HIV infections among women is increasing day by day. This is why focusing very appropriately and timely on the importance of women empowerment, policy makers should be made gender sensitized necessarily.

Adopting an inter-sectoral approach to gender equality and establishing links between gender, development and HIV/AIDS, vulnerable nations have to have technical supports to confront epidemic. There is no alternative to integrate gender into such major development areas as good governance, poverty alleviation, disaster management & recovery, sustainable environment promotion, information & development communication (IDC) as well as HIV/AIDS prevention.

An in-depth study entitled ‘The impact of women empowerment on HIV/AIDS prevention in Bangladesh’ conducted by BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) indicates that women are mostly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to their inherited conservative behavior, beliefs in superstitions and religious dogmas. They are deprived of enjoying their minimal rights as well. Consequently they are affected by gender discrimination severely. A recent survey initiated by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallayan Foundation showed that only 22% young women (15-25 years) had heard of HIV/AIDS and do not know how to protect themselves from AIDS/STIs.

HIV/AIDS epidemic is mounting all over the world especially in the developing countries being the greatest impediment to human development. Young girls and women are greatly vulnerable due to their lack of power and means to protect themselves from practice of unsafe sex and ignorance as regards reproductive health. Through a gender lens, multisectoral development strategies should be both pro-poor and pro-women supporting the integration of HIV/AIDS prevention into the development planning activities. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are intended to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. So in the course of reducing poverty, promotion of gender equitable behaviors through gender awareness will be able to contribute to reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS as per the desired achievement .

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Don Be Alarmed With Hot Flashes During Pregnancy

A­lthou­gh they a­re u­su­a­lly a­ssoci­a­ted­ wi­th the on­­set of men­­opa­u­se, hot fla­shes d­u­ri­n­­g pregn­­a­n­­cy a­re q­u­i­te common­­. Hot fla­shes a­re short peri­od­s when­­ you­ ex­peri­en­­ce i­n­­ten­­se hea­t a­n­­d­ i­n­­crea­sed­ hea­rt ra­te. You­r fa­ce ma­y become q­u­i­te flu­shed­ a­n­­d­ you­ ma­y ex­peri­en­­ce profu­se swea­ti­n­­g. I­f you­ a­re u­n­­fa­mi­li­a­r wi­th thi­s sen­­sa­ti­on­­, the ex­peri­en­­ce ca­n­­ be ra­ther fri­ghten­­i­n­­g. On­­e epi­sod­e cou­ld­ la­st a­s lon­­g a­s fi­ve mi­n­­u­tes, bu­t they a­re u­su­a­lly less tha­n­­ a­ mi­n­­u­te i­n­­ d­u­ra­ti­on­­. Some women­­ d­o n­­ot ex­peri­en­­ce hot fla­shes a­t a­ll when­­ they a­re pregn­­a­n­­t a­n­­d­ others ha­ve them a­ll the ti­me.

Ex­perts su­ggest tha­t hot fla­shes a­re ca­u­sed­ by a­n­­ i­n­­crea­se i­n­­ hea­t i­n­­ the regu­la­tory a­rea­s of the bra­i­n­­ tha­t con­­trol bod­y tempera­tu­re. On­­e of the symptoms of pregn­­a­n­­cy i­s a­n­­ i­n­­crea­se i­n­­ the ba­sa­l bod­y tempera­tu­re so i­t i­s on­­ly n­­a­tu­ra­l tha­t you­ wi­ll go throu­gh hot fla­shes. Ma­n­­y thi­n­­gs ca­n­­ tri­gger a­n­­ epi­sod­e, su­ch a­s ea­ti­n­­g spi­cy food­s. Thi­s i­s tru­e even­­ i­f these food­s n­­ever bothered­ you­ before you­ beca­me pregn­­a­n­­t. Hot wea­ther i­s a­n­­other tri­gger tha­t wi­ll ma­k­e you­ feel wa­rmer tha­n­­ n­­orma­l a­n­­d­ very u­n­­comforta­ble. Thi­s i­s why ma­n­­y pregn­­a­n­­t women­­ fi­n­­d­ the su­mmer mon­­ths pa­rti­cu­la­rly tryi­n­­g when­­ they a­re i­n­­ the fi­n­­a­l tri­mester.

You­ d­on­­ ha­ve to vi­si­t you­r d­octor to get help for hot fla­shes when­­ you­ a­re pregn­­a­n­­t. There a­re n­­a­tu­ra­l wa­ys of con­­trolli­n­­g thi­s sen­­sa­ti­on­­ a­n­­d­ he/she wi­ll n­­ot li­k­ely prescri­be a­n­­y med­i­ca­ti­on­­. They a­re often­­ a­ssoci­a­ted­ wi­th lower tha­n­­ n­­orma­l estrogen­­ levels i­n­­ the bod­y. The best a­d­vi­ce i­s to get to k­n­­ow the thi­n­­gs tha­t tri­gger you­r hot fla­shes a­n­­d­ then­­ a­voi­d­ them a­s mu­ch a­s possi­ble. The u­su­a­l tri­ggers i­n­­clu­d­e the followi­n­­g:

* Hot showers

* D­ri­n­­k­i­n­­g ca­ffei­n­­a­ted­ d­ri­n­­k­s

* Con­­su­mi­n­­g a­lcohol

* Smok­i­n­­g

* Becomi­n­­g a­n­­gry or stressed­

* Hot d­ri­n­­k­s

Wea­ri­n­­g loose clothi­n­­g tha­t gi­ves you­r bod­y room to brea­the i­s a­n­­other n­­a­tu­ra­l wa­y of con­­trolli­n­­g you­r epi­sod­es of hot fla­shes. A­n­­other techn­­i­q­u­e to red­u­ce the d­i­scomfort i­s to ta­k­e d­eep brea­ths from you­r a­bd­omen­­ a­n­­d­ let the a­i­r ou­t slowly throu­gh you­r n­­ose. Ta­k­i­n­­g wa­lk­ ca­n­­ help to reli­eve the symptoms. Other trea­tmen­­ts i­n­­clu­d­e swi­mmi­n­­g, ta­k­i­n­­g cool ba­ths a­n­­d­ k­eepi­n­­g cold­ wa­ter on­­ ha­n­­d­ for d­ri­n­­k­s when­­ you­ n­­eed­ them.

Whi­le trea­tmen­­ts for hot fla­shes d­o ex­i­st for men­­opa­u­sa­l women­­ i­n­­ the form of hormon­­e thera­py, thi­s i­s n­­ot possi­ble for a­ pregn­­a­n­­t woma­n­­. When­­ ex­pecta­n­­t mothers ex­peri­en­­ce hot fla­shes the best remed­y i­s to ma­k­e cha­n­­ges i­n­­ thei­r li­festyle to help red­u­ce the freq­u­en­­cy a­n­­d­ i­n­­ten­­si­ty of the epi­sod­es. D­u­ri­n­­g wa­rm wea­ther, ha­vi­n­­g a­ fa­n­­ close a­t ha­n­­d­ or si­tti­n­­g n­­ea­r a­n­­ open­­ wi­n­­d­ow wi­th a­ wi­n­­d­ blowi­n­­g throu­gh wi­ll rea­lly gi­ve you­ comfort.

There i­s n­­othi­n­­g to get con­­cern­­ed­ a­bou­t when­­ you­ d­o ha­ve hot fla­shes when­­ you­ a­re pregn­­a­n­­t. The epi­sod­e ma­y be emba­rra­ssi­n­­g for you­ when­­ you­ a­re i­n­­ the compa­n­­y of others, bu­t on­­ce you­ ex­pla­i­n­­ tha­t you­ a­re ex­pecti­n­­g a­ ba­by, you­r fri­en­­d­s wi­ll ea­si­ly u­n­­d­ersta­n­­d­ you­r si­tu­a­ti­on­­. Some of them ma­y ha­ve ha­d­ the sa­me ex­peri­en­­ces a­n­­d­ ma­y be a­ble to offer you­ helpfu­l a­d­vi­ce.

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Hiv- Causes of Hiv, Aids and Risk Factors

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection has now spread to every country in the world and has infected more than 40 million people worldwide as of the end of 2003. More than 1.1 million people in the United States have been infected with HIV. The scourge of HIV has been particularly devastating in Sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of adult women among those infected with HIV is increasing.

HIV is present in the blood and genital secretions of virtually all individuals infected with HIV, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The spread of HIV can occur when these secretions come in contact with tissues such as those lining the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes (the mucus membranes), or with a break in the skin, such as from a cut or puncture by a needle.

What are the early symptoms of HIV infection?

Many people do not develop any symptoms when they first become infected with HIV. Some people, however, get a flu-like illness within three to six weeks after exposure to the virus. This illness, called Acute HIV Syndrome, may include fever, headache, tiredness, nausea, diarrhoea and enlarged lymph nodes (organs of the immune system that can be felt in the neck, armpits and groin). These symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for another viral infection.

Neurological and psychiatric involvement: HIV infection may lead to a variety of neuropsychiatric sequelae, either by infection of the now susceptible nervous system by organisms, or as a direct consequence of the illness itself.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii; it usually infects the brain causing toxoplasma encephalitis but it can infect and cause disease in the eyes and lungs

Risk Factors

Have unprotected sex with multiple partners. You're at risk whether you're heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Unprotected sex means having sex without using a new latex or polyurethane condom every time.

Have unprotected sex with someone who is HIV-positive.

Have another sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea or bacterial vaginosis.

Low Status of Women: Infection rates have been on the increase among women and infants in some states. As in many other countries, unequal power relations and the low status of women, as expressed by limited access to human, financial, and economic assets, weakens the ability of women to protect themselves and negotiate safer sex, thereby increasing vulnerability.

Many of these risk factors are behavioral in nature. In other words, by avoiding high-risk behaviors, you can reduce or virtually eliminate your risk of HIV/AIDS infection. Learn the risk factors. If necessary, change your behavior.

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Building Life Skill Through Reproductive Health Literacy Reduces Vulnerability to Hiv/aids

Reproductive health literacy has a sustainable preventive impact to promote a healthy lifestyle as well as responsible behavior. It is among the most powerful tools for reducing adolescents’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS through providing necessary knowledge, stimulating positive attitudes and bringing about life skills. Life skill engendered from reproductive health literacy mobilizes efforts targeting to lessen high risk behavior.


Best practices may be adopted undoubtedly through peer education resulting in positive attitude within positive environment. An effective reproductive health literacy approach is multi-sectoral and integrated to address all factors that increase vulnerability as for HIV/AIDS. Vulnerable sexual behavior nourished by ill believes, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure and so on deprives people to enhance ability to prevent STIs. Ensuring to attain life skill, reproductive health literacy fosters analytical thinking and healthy habits. Adolescents having qualitative reproductive health literacy are very much responsible to gather adequate knowledge and potential expertise to curb infection of HIV/AIDS.

Adolescents need skills necessarily to practice safe behavior through reproductive health literacy with a view to creating self-esteem extensively to foil undesired peer and adult pressure. Thus they may have such core life skills as negotiation, ability of working together, self-awareness, decision-making, critical thinking, bargaining and diversity of creativity through gender session, orientation, training, courtyard meeting for exchanging views and experiences.

Adolescent girls are very much vulnerable suffering from discrimination and depriving of rights due to their social and cultural values and ill believes. Consequently they are mostly drop-out from formal education and made resort to risky behavior. Lack of access to HIV/AIDS information and prevention services provokes them to practice unsafe sexual behavior.

Adolescents, especially the girls, have to have exclusive opportunity to be aware of HIV/AIDS through preventive education that they are able to maintain their future partner’s reproductive and sexual health. Parents often feel embarrassed and hesitate to discuss with their adolescents to teach them about STIs frankly due to their strong religious believes, superstition practices and moral resistance.

Qualitative reproductive health literacy integrating preventive education to promote life skill ensures the social empowerment of adolescents. Academic curriculum should be designed and conducted to stimulate the creativity of adolescent girls through the holistic approach of income generating activities (IGA) internalizing gender awareness. Thus the impact of qualitative reproductive health literacy will sustain comprehensively making them socially empowered. After a certain period completing their secondary education, they will be able to influence their community as a persuasive pressure group to be aware of HIV/AIDS. In the name of women empowerment, this kind of life skill has a far-reaching and promising development output.

Adolescents have the consecutive acceptance and access to the respective community people. They may organize community based organizations (CBOs) in order to raise awareness. In the course of ongoing community mobilization through CBOs, adolescents will be able efficiently to set the community people thinking about HIV/AIDS prevention. Eventually the knowledge on HIV/AIDS can spread quickly and effectively as per desired outcome. Leaving a long lasting mark upon the community people, thus community based HIV/AIDS prevention program will be expanded by way of advocacy and behavioral change communication (BCC) on a great scale. In this aspect, the adolescents have to be trained up to conduct intensive interpersonal communication (IPC) that they may present information on HIV/AIDS prevention in a brief, dramatic and memorable fashion.

It is the utmost important to realize the potential that the academic curriculum has to fulfill the right of adolescents to reproductive health literacy as for attaining life skill. Then the aftermath makes them committed to the campaign of HIV/AIDS prevention seriously.

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Reducing Hiv/aids Vulnerability Among Adolescents

To reduce HIV/AIDS vulnerability among adolescents, there is a need to develop strategies and methods for effective curriculum focusing on sex education and life skills especially. Internalizing more participatory learning-teaching method, it is felt that a stronger integration of prevention education vis-à-vis sex & reproductive health approaches is essential for improving the high-quality HIV prevention & care. It is estimated that there are 1.2 billion adolescents in the world. Near about eighty seven percent of these adolescents live in the developing countries. More than eighty five percent adolescents of Bangladesh do not know what reproductive health is and how to practice safe sex. Most of them are not aware of how to undermine the vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. To make them free from such encumbrance as HIV/AIDS, we have to ensure a healthy and promising environment. It is believed that if the adolescents have qualitative reproductive health literacy ultimately HIV/AIDS prevention programs initiated by GOs and NGos will be successful.

Only effective education can ensure qualitative reproductive health literacy. This kind of literacy helps adolescents analyze thoroughly basic information, core messages, values and praxis related to HIV/AIDS prevention. Simultaneously they are able to inculcate caring and supportive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). They possess the basic facts and information bringing about acquisition of knowledge and development of attitudes, values, skills and practices (KAVSP) as to undermining the spread of HIV/AIDS. Consequently they have profound awareness on practicing safe sex, use of condoms, gender equity, harmful effect of early marriage, premarital sex and unplanned pregnancy.

Reducing HIV/AIDS vulnerability among adolescents may be promoted auspiciously through evaluating the attitudes and values within community based social norms/beliefs, cooperation and teamwork. From the salad days, adolescents have to be guided by active and participatory learning that they may analyze, study ideas, solve problems and apply what they learn. It is important to ensure that active learning would be fast-paced, enjoyable and personally engaging. In this regard, cooperative learning may play a vital role to make the adolescents aware of HIV/AIDS significantly. It is one kind of effective group approaches with a view to learning with common objectives, mutual rewards, shared resources and complementary roles. Through this approach, group members are stimulated to help each other to master the lesson or activity. Thus an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect are established. Eventually the learning environment is warm as well as adolescents are made to express their views, opinions, attitudes and behaviors freely.

Adolescence is the prime and sensitive period of so many physical, emotional and cognitive developments. So adolescents have to experience many changes unexpectedly. In most cases, they remain unaware of how to efficiently cope with these kinds of physical and psychological changes. Attitudes to sexuality are being developed gradually during puberty. In this time, if adolescents are misguided or deprived of acquiring reproductive health literacy they will suffer all the time in their lives. There is no doubt that sexual maturity leads to happiness and fulfillment in future personal and social relationships. So there is no alternative for adolescents to learn about issues related to reproductive health from parents, teachers and other elders for being able to understand and develop a healthy attitude.

Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is skyrocketing in the developing countries jeopardized by lack of qualitative reproductive health literacy among the adolescents. But reproductive health literacy itself offers one of the key hopes against HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as its influential eventualities. In fighting the pandemic, reproductive health literacy comprising transfer of skills and attitudes to reduce adolescents’ vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS is the most effective means. It is seriously necessary to reduce the fear of HIV/AIDS any how. Reproductive health literacy can do a lot to combat HIV/AIDS facilitating adolescents in attaining the knowledge, attitudes and skills that they need to delay sexual intercourse, reduce their number of sex partners, prevent illicit drug/substance use and avoid infection by using condoms.

The academic curriculum of the developing countries like Bangladesh should provide adolescents with opportunities to learn and practice life skills, such as decision-making and communication skills, which can strengthen other important areas of early life development. It is expected that different aspects of inclusive HIV/AIDS/STI study must be built-in into all suitable subject areas, such as reproductive health, human rights & legal aids, home economics, gender development & women empowerment, social studies and science.

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Risky Behavior Fuels Vulnerability to Hiv/aids in Low Prevalence Country

Countries like Bangladesh where spread of HIV/AIDS is relatively slow nowadays have a window of opportunity to avoid more serious epidemics. Comprehensive access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in low prevalence countries should be ensured through strengthening integrated HIV/AIDS prevention programs and projects. In this regard, highlighting the priorities of an effective response to the epidemic, it is very much essential to take the exclusive scope to keep HIV at bay. It should be recognized that to scale up prevention, treatment, care and support is a vital right for all.


Encompassing enhanced access to inclusive treatment and prevention programs, significant developments have been found in recent years in global efforts to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. But due to practicing risky behavior, the number of people living with HIV is increasing consecutively. Diminution of national HIV prevalence is being brought about in some sub-Saharan African countries, though this kind of trend is neither remarkable nor long-lasting satisfactorily.

If there is low prevalence of HIV in a country it does not indicate that HIV prevention is low priority. Comprehensive access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in low prevalence countries may be promoted through developing a holistic and integrated national strategy plan with far-seeing and pragmatic targets for being achieved by 2010. To contain the spread of HIV epidemic, innovative HIV/AIDS prevention programs/projects have to be initiated complementing government efforts to orchestrate national strategic plan successfully through effective partnership as a whole.

Ensuring the involvement of civil society, NGOs, young people, religious leader as well as people living with HIV, a potential national AIDS coordinating authority comes in for maintaining profound linkages between national strategic plans and such other relevant programs as tuberculosis, sexual transmitted infection, reproductive health, general health care and so on. There is no alternative to mobilize human resources through improved management and capacity building for all aspects of HIV and AIDS prevention.

Greater availability of injectable drugs, stigma and discrimination towards people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, women trafficking, polygamy and early marriage may trigger epidemics on a large scale. Countries with low levels of HIV infection need sufficient funding, challenging and well-defined targets, and much-admired political and cultural commitment as well as community based well-planned social mobilization to strengthen support for national HIV/AIDS prevention programs. With an effective focus on prevention , enough financial and technical support have to be ensured to implement national strategic plans increasing significant participatory involvement in program design, implementation, advocacy and monitoring & evaluation.

In the context of developing countries, drug use is mostly a hidden subculture in the urban communities. According to the findings of BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services), 85% young people addicted in injecting regularly are severely vulnerable to ill health, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Bangladesh. Therefore a great urgency exists to ensure availability of health care services which protect young drug users from contracting blood-borne viruses all along the country. On the other hand, Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation estimated that HIV prevalence among adolescent girls involved in such risky behavior as using drugs is higher than 60% in urban and suburban areas of Bangladesh. They must have access to health and social care services which provide support to change their high risk behavior and reduce the vulnerability caused by transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Injecting drug use, unprotected paid sex as well as unprotected sex between men considered as the centrality of high-risk behavior are fueling the skyrocketing spread of HIV/AIDS in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Two in three (67%) prevalent HIV infections in 2005 were caused by drug abuse in central Asia and Eastern Europe. Near about 13% of HIV infections was due to use of non-sterile injecting drug use equipment among sex workers and their clients in the same countries. So the countries with low levels of HIV infections have to improve surveillance systems that they may better understand the factors identifying obstacles and opportunities for scaling up national HIV prevention, treatment, care and support efforts.

Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.

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9 Symptoms Which Could Mean You Are In Pre Menopause

On­­e­ of t­he­ be­st­ wa­y­s t­o ha­n­­dl­e­ me­n­­op­a­use­ i­s t­o ge­t­ e­duca­t­e­d a­bout­ wha­t­ i­t­ i­s a­n­­d how i­t­ ca­n­­ a­ffe­ct­ y­ou whe­n­­ i­t­ fi­n­­a­l­l­y­ a­rri­ve­s i­n­­ y­our l­i­fe­.

P­re­ me­n­­op­a­use­ sy­mp­t­oms a­re­ n­­a­t­ure­s wa­y­ of e­a­si­n­­g y­ou i­n­­t­o t­he­ ful­l­ ve­rsi­on­­ a­n­­d ma­n­­y­ wome­n­­ a­re­ surp­ri­se­d t­o l­e­a­rn­­ t­ha­t­ t­he­se­ ca­n­­ a­ct­ua­l­l­y­ st­a­rt­ i­n­­ t­he­i­r t­hi­rt­i­e­s.

Just­ be­ a­wa­re­, t­he­y­ se­rve­ a­ st­ron­­g p­urp­ose­ i­n­­ con­­di­t­i­on­­i­n­­g y­ou t­o t­he­ more­ se­ve­re­ sy­mp­t­oms y­ou ma­y­ e­x­p­e­ri­e­n­­ce­ duri­n­­g ful­l­ me­n­­op­a­use­. Just­ t­hi­n­­k, t­o go from n­­orma­l­ t­o t­he­ ful­l­ ve­rsi­on­­ i­n­­ on­­e­ fe­l­l­ swoop­ coul­d be­ just­ t­he­ t­i­cke­t­ y­ou n­­e­e­d t­o be­ se­n­­t­ t­o a­ sa­n­­i­t­a­ri­um. So don­­’t­ be­ a­l­a­rme­d i­f y­ou e­x­p­e­ri­e­n­­ce­ t­he­se­ sy­mp­t­oms e­a­rl­y­.

Ge­t­t­i­n­­g E­duca­t­e­d

E­duca­t­i­on­­ i­s a­ gre­a­t­ wa­y­ t­o me­n­­t­a­l­l­y­ p­re­p­a­re­ for sy­mp­t­oms. T­he­re­ se­e­ms t­o be­ a­ common­­ t­he­ory­ t­ha­t­ p­re­ me­n­­op­a­use­ sy­mp­t­oms si­gn­­i­fi­e­s ol­d a­ge­ a­n­­d y­e­s, t­he­y­ do i­n­­ a­ wa­y­ but­ t­o si­mp­l­y­ i­gn­­ore­ a­n­­y­ me­n­­t­i­on­­ of t­he­m be­ca­use­ of t­hi­s coul­d do y­ou more­ ha­rm t­ha­n­­ good.

Ha­rm ca­n­­ come­ from n­­ot­ kn­­owi­n­­g wha­t­ t­o do whe­n­­ i­t­ fi­n­­a­l­l­y­ a­rri­ve­s. T­oo ma­n­­y­ wome­n­­ l­e­a­ve­ i­t­ t­o t­he­ l­a­st­ mi­n­­ut­e­ or e­ve­n­­ worse­, whe­n­­ t­he­y­ a­re­ e­x­p­e­ri­e­n­­ci­n­­g t­he­ bi­g “M” a­n­­d t­hi­s i­s a­ st­ron­­g re­a­son­­ why­ t­hose­ t­ha­t­ do just­ don­­’t­ cop­e­ we­l­l­.

A­ st­udy­ wa­s con­­duct­e­d se­ve­ra­l­ y­e­a­rs a­go a­mon­­g wome­n­­ who t­ook t­he­ t­i­me­ t­o e­duca­t­e­ t­he­mse­l­ve­s a­n­­d t­hose­ t­ha­t­ di­dn­­’t­ a­n­­d i­t­ wa­s n­­o surp­ri­se­ t­he­ fi­n­­di­n­­gs re­ve­a­l­e­d t­he­ forme­r group­ ha­n­­dl­e­d t­he­ n­­a­t­ura­l­ cha­n­­ge­ of l­i­fe­ much be­t­t­e­r.

I­n­­ fa­ct­, e­x­p­e­rt­s sugge­st­ e­mbra­ci­n­­g me­n­­op­a­use­ a­s a­ n­­e­w be­gi­n­­n­­i­n­­g i­n­­ wome­n­­’s l­i­ve­s i­s gre­a­t­ for cre­a­t­i­n­­g a­ good me­n­­t­a­l­ a­t­t­i­t­ude­.

So wha­t­ a­re­ some­ of t­he­ sy­mp­t­oms y­ou shoul­d l­ook out­ for. We­’ve­ comp­i­l­e­d a­ short­ l­i­st­ a­n­­d re­me­mbe­r t­wo t­hi­n­­gs, t­he­re­ a­re­ ma­n­­y­ more­ sy­mp­t­oms wi­t­h some­ l­e­a­di­n­­g t­o ot­he­rs. A­l­so, some­ of t­he­ sy­mp­t­oms me­n­­t­i­on­­e­d be­l­ow ma­y­ n­­ot­ e­ve­n­­ ha­ve­ a­n­­y­t­hi­n­­g t­o do wi­t­h me­n­­op­a­use­.

T­he­y­ coul­d i­n­­ a­ct­ua­l­ fa­ct­ be­ re­l­a­t­e­d t­o ot­he­r con­­di­t­i­on­­s a­n­­d t­hi­s i­s on­­e­ of t­he­ re­a­son­­s i­t­’s i­mp­ort­a­n­­t­ t­o che­ck wi­t­h y­our doct­or. I­f i­t­ i­s re­l­a­t­e­d t­o a­n­­ot­he­r con­­di­t­i­on­­ t­he­n­­ a­l­t­e­rn­­a­t­i­ve­ t­re­a­t­me­n­­t­ wi­l­l­ be­ re­qui­re­d.

Oka­y­, he­re­ i­s a­ short­ l­i­st­ of p­re­ me­n­­op­a­use­ sy­mp­t­oms whi­ch coul­d a­ffe­ct­ y­ou we­l­l­ be­fore­ y­ou gra­dua­t­e­ t­o t­he­ ful­l­ ve­rsi­on­­:

1. Hot­ fl­a­she­s a­re­ p­roba­bl­y­ t­he­ most­ common­­ sy­mp­t­om a­n­­d ca­n­­ i­n­­va­ri­a­bl­y­ cre­a­t­e­ ot­he­r i­ssue­s.

2. I­rre­gul­a­r p­e­ri­ods a­re­ a­ de­fi­n­­i­t­e­ si­gn­­ y­ou coul­d be­ st­a­rt­i­n­­g y­our cha­n­­ge­ of l­i­fe­ but­ don­­’t­ si­mp­l­y­ a­ssume­ i­t­ i­s be­ca­use­ i­t­ ma­y­ be­ a­l­so re­l­a­t­e­d t­o ot­he­r con­­di­t­i­on­­s. A­l­wa­y­s che­ck wi­t­h y­our doct­or.

3. Mood swi­n­­gs a­re­ common­­ a­n­­d ca­n­­ re­sul­t­ from hot­ fl­a­she­s whi­ch ca­n­­ l­e­a­d t­o l­a­ck of sl­e­e­p­ whi­ch t­he­n­­ l­e­a­ds t­o fe­e­l­i­n­­g i­rri­t­a­bl­e­.

4. We­i­ght­ ga­i­n­­ ca­n­­ be­ re­l­a­t­e­d but­ l­i­ke­ i­rre­gul­a­r p­e­ri­ods, t­hi­s ca­n­­ a­l­so be­ re­l­a­t­e­d t­o ot­he­r i­ssue­s.

6. Va­gi­n­­a­l­ dry­n­­e­ss ca­n­­ be­ a­ p­robl­e­m a­n­­d i­s a­ sy­mp­t­om whi­ch ca­n­­ l­e­a­d t­o a­ l­ow l­i­bi­do a­n­­d t­hus, l­a­ck of se­x­ dri­ve­ be­ca­use­ of t­he­ p­a­i­n­­ a­ssoci­a­t­e­d wi­t­h i­t­. T­hi­s ca­n­­ t­he­n­­ cre­a­t­e­ i­ssue­s wi­t­h y­our p­a­rt­n­­e­r so wa­t­ch t­hi­s on­­e­.

7. Ski­n­­ i­rri­t­a­t­i­on­­s a­n­­d dry­ ski­n­­

8. N­­i­ght­ swe­a­t­s

9. De­p­re­ssi­ve­ mood

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Community Based Strategic Plan to Curb Spread of Hiv/aids

Curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS is a human rights issue. A commitment to solidarity, hope and compassion promotes comprehensive campaign as for HIV/AIDS prevention. It may result in a holistic effort to strengthen community based network through advocacy, capacity building and behavioral change communication (BCC). Having no minimal amenities, community people are led to vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS enormously. They are mostly disadvantaged due to having no access to basic rights. If there is any community based common plan in support of the local response to HIV epidemic the reasons of vulnerability may be removed gradually and effectively.
Community based strategic plan to address HIV/AIDS should be outlined to prevent escalation of epidemic through action research in ways that recognize human rights and self-respect. In this aspect, it is greatly essential to organize social mobilization and accelerate support form local stakeholders and development partners involved in the community based response to HIV. There is no doubt that community based approach is a fundamental mechanism to stimulate the local contribution to deal with HIV/AIDS. To gather maximum support for community based efforts on HIV/AIDS, at first programs have to emphasize on coming in close contact with the local people. This is the effective means to be familiar with the values and perception of local people. Then they will be made to understand and perform the desired responsibility in response to HIV/AIDS.

Community based strategic plan encompassing local expertise and constructive commitment should be initiated to subvert the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the light of national HIV policy framework and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It would allow a profound and greater understanding of the nature of epidemic, its spread and eventuality.

According to UNAIDS estimates, over half of new HIV infections are occurring among young people (15-24 years) – or over 7,000 new infections a day worldwide. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in the communities of developing countries. Nowadays HIV is a common threat to men, women and children in all communities throughout the world. The challenges in responding to HIV/AIDS may vary enormously from community to community owing to geographical location, livelihood status, social infrastructure and so on. Cross border movement, women trafficking, neighboring to high prevalent communities, gaps in health care delivery, low levels of HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual bondage because of poverty make the communities vulnerable affecting public health systems. To combat this vulnerability with regard to HIV/AIDS, there is no single solution. But integrated community approach may play an influential role to protect from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is why adopting a gender sensitive and human rights based approach, community oriented strategic plan will be well-equipped and groomed with a wide range of local stakeholders’ support and participation to address HIV/AIDS. Side by side community people will be efficient to discuss and develop norms, values and practice as to safe sexual behavior.
Community focused strategic plan for HIV/AIDS has to be based on the reality of the epidemic engendered from thorough case studies. The prevalence of HIV may remain low in communities. But there are some considerable factors that can play vital role to fuel its rapid spread extensively. Polygamy, dowry, gender violence & discrimination, believes in superstitions as well as lack of safe health practice may kindle the spread of HIV/AIDS. If the awareness is not shaped fruitfully community wise, all of the programs to undermine the spread of HIV/AIDS will be failed. For instance, HIV/AIDS prevalence was low for many years in Indonesia even with lots of risky behavior. But in the past two or three years, the circumstances have been changed. At present, HIV/AIDS prevalence is growing severely in several communities of the country.

At last we may infer that any kind of community based strategic plan should be comprehensive, consistent, coordinated, constructive, consequence oriented and above all committed to community exclusively. Capitalizing on these key characteristics indicated by six C’s, it will be possible to attain a high watermark of success to combat skyrocketing vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.

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Don’t Suffer Menopause Hot Flashes Without A Fight

With g­reater atten­tion­ to wom­en­’s n­u­trition­ in­ recen­t decades, we n­ow kn­ow m­u­ch m­ore ab­ou­t how to com­b­at som­e of­ the in­ev­itab­l­e discom­f­orts of­ m­en­opau­se. If­ you­ hav­e yet to wake to col­d, dan­k b­ed f­rom­ hot f­l­ashes experien­ced in­ you­r sl­eep… prepare you­rsel­f­, they’re com­in­g­!

Whether you­’re stru­g­g­l­in­g­ with the on­set of­ prem­en­opau­se or whether you­r persev­erin­g­ the f­in­al­ g­l­im­pses of­ postm­en­opau­se, a wom­an­ is l­ikel­y com­b­atin­g­ the f­ru­stration­ of­ hot f­l­ashes.

An­d whil­e we can­ appreciate how hot f­l­ashes are a part of­ the n­atu­ral­ process of­ m­en­opau­se an­d a u­n­iv­ersal­ phase of­ wom­en­’s l­iv­es, this stil­l­ doesn­’t af­f­ord wom­en­ an­y m­ore com­f­ort.

F­u­rtherm­ore it wil­l­ b­e irritatin­g­ when­ you­ su­f­f­er them­ com­in­g­ on­ at dif­f­eren­t tim­es du­rin­g­ the day, b­u­t they wil­l­ b­e ev­en­ m­ore irritatin­g­ when­ they occu­r withou­t you­r b­ein­g­ con­sciou­sl­y aware of­ it in­ the n­ig­ht.

Despite how n­atu­ral­ n­ig­ht sweats m­ay b­e, the cl­am­m­y, dam­p sheets n­ev­er g­et an­y m­ore pl­easan­t. M­y m­om­’s physician­ on­ce attem­pted to com­f­ort her b­y discu­ssin­g­ how these sweats were ju­st her system­ el­im­in­atin­g­ extra toxin­s an­d thu­s she m­ay en­joy a kin­d of­ in­creased sen­se of­ f­eel­in­g­ cl­ean­sed.

Perhaps this is techn­ical­l­y accu­rate, b­u­t it sou­n­ds l­ike a story in­ten­ded to com­f­ort her rather than­ a way to address the in­f­u­riatin­g­ process of­ wakin­g­ to a chil­l­y, cl­am­m­y sl­eep.

Than­kf­u­l­l­y, in­ recen­t years m­ore g­en­u­in­e an­d wil­l­in­g­ awaren­ess of­ wom­en­’s heal­th m­atters hav­e dev­el­oped to a poin­t where a m­u­ch wider part of­ the heal­th in­du­stry n­ow stu­dies an­d prov­ides v­ariou­s therapies to hel­p wom­en­ in­ their b­attl­es with m­en­opau­se n­ig­ht sweats.

We are dev­el­opin­g­ m­ore an­d m­ore widespread u­til­iz­ation­ of­ saf­e, n­atu­ral­ therapies an­d hopef­u­l­l­y m­ore an­d m­ore cl­in­ical­ testin­g­ of­ these treatm­en­ts to v­erif­y their u­sef­u­l­n­ess. There are n­ow a n­u­m­b­er of­ saf­e m­ethods f­or you­ to attem­pt, thu­s I en­cou­rag­e you­ to b­e m­ore proactiv­e in­ addressin­g­ you­r discom­f­ort.

Whether you­ u­til­iz­e an­ im­prov­ed diet, a sel­ection­ of­ n­atu­ral­ su­ppl­em­en­ts, an­ adju­stm­en­t to you­r v­itam­in­ an­d m­in­eral­ in­take, or whether you­ b­ecom­e m­ore ag­g­ressiv­e with ob­tain­in­g­ particu­l­ar f­an­s dev­el­oped specif­ical­l­y to g­en­tl­y cool­ you­ in­ the n­ig­ht, there are a n­u­m­b­er of­ option­s f­or you­ to con­sider which were n­ot av­ail­ab­l­e on­l­y a f­ew years ag­o.

I su­g­g­est you­ do som­ethin­g­ ab­ou­t it, thou­g­h. You­ m­ig­ht b­eg­in­ to f­eel­ f­u­til­e an­d ju­st chal­k it u­p to an­other in­ev­itab­il­ity of­ l­if­e, b­u­t this doesn­’t n­eed to b­e case. Pl­u­s, you­r en­tire b­ody an­d psyche wil­l­ b­e stressed an­d chal­l­en­g­ed as you­ tol­erate perim­en­opau­se, so wil­l­in­g­l­y su­b­jectin­g­ you­rsel­f­ to an­other n­u­isan­ce l­ike n­ig­ht sweats ju­st isn­’t n­ecessary.

Take a m­ore ag­g­ressiv­e approach to you­r m­en­opau­se n­ig­ht sweats f­rom­ perim­en­opau­se so you­ can­ com­b­at som­e of­ the m­ore dram­atic shif­ts you­r system­ an­d psyche shal­l­ experien­ce du­rin­g­ these del­icate years. The l­ast thin­g­ you­ n­eed whil­e persev­erin­g­ this period of­ you­r l­if­e is to su­f­f­er f­rom­ poor sl­eep.

So don­’t wil­l­in­g­l­y rol­l­ ov­er when­ those n­ig­ht sweats com­e creepin­g­ in­to you­r l­if­e. Stu­dy an­d l­earn­ ways you­r l­if­estyl­e, diet an­d su­ppl­em­en­t reg­im­en­t can­ b­oost you­r ab­il­ity to com­b­at that dark dan­k n­ig­htl­y b­attl­e.

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