Month: December 2022

Categories
Fibroids

Making it Through the Holidays with Fibroids

Making it Through the Holidays with Uterine Fibroids

If you have decided to take action and do something about your uterine fibroids- Congratulations on making your health and your body a priority!

This is wonderful news. As you deserve to live a life free of the many uncomfortable, life-interrupting, and painful symptoms that can come with having uterine fibroids.

However, for those of us traveling during the holidays, or having family and friends in town, chances are that the fibroid procedure that you and your doctor have chosen for you isn’t scheduled until after the holidays.

So what can be done in the meantime? Do you just have to grin and bear it? Or load up on NSAIDs and other pain-relieving medicines?

Not necessarily.

In fact, there are actually several things you can do to help reduce your fibroid pain and the stress that it can bring this holiday season so that you can enjoy this special time of year as much as possible.

So let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to reduce fibroid symptoms and pain:


Add more iron-rich foods to your diet.

The holidays are full of yummy treats. Cookies, cakes, casseroles, ham, turkey, stuffing- you name it, and you’ll probably come across it.

However, given that fibroids can cause heavy bleeding that leads to anemia, it’s important to make sure that you are eating iron-rich foods to help reduce the feelings of weakness and lethargy that come from anemia.

This means adding in foods that are rich in iron, like green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, beans, or lean red meat.

Sometimes it’s helpful to add iron to your morning smoothies, or, if you are prescribed iron supplements by your physician, make sure they are part of your diet as well.


Get plenty of rest.

Though the holiday season can be a busy time of year, it doesn’t have to be busy the entire time. In fact, in order to keep fibroid symptoms at bay, it’s important that make sure to have periods of downtime where you can give your body a rest.

If your body isn’t given time to rest and recoup, the stress being put on it can impact your blood and hormone levels, which can increase fibroid pain and symptoms.

Therefore, it’s important to remind yourself that it’s ok to skip a holiday party or an event to take care of yourself and your body. And it’s ok to go to bed early, ask for some help cleaning up, and so on.

By taking better care of yourself, you can reduce fibroid symptoms and as a result, have a much more enjoyable holiday season.


Be prepared when traveling

Traveling with fibroids can be extra stressful, frustrating, and downright uncomfortable.

Therefore, in order to reduce this stress, it’s important to make sure that you pack the right supplies to reduce, treat, and control your fibroid-related symptoms.

Some of the items you may wish to have with you are:

  • Plenty of pads and tampons
  • Flushable wipes
  • Extra underwear
  • A change of clothing
  • Pain-relieving medications
  • Non-perishable snacks
  • A refillable water bottle (look for filling stations at the airport)
  • Relaxing music and other forms of entertainment
  • A heating pad (many planes now offer individual power outlets)
  • A small pillow and throw blanket

If you have an upcoming fibroid treatment procedure scheduled, it can also be helpful to remind yourself that you are taking action to relieve your fibroid symptoms soon and that this pain and discomfort will not last forever.

The Bottom Line: Is that by taking care of yourself and using some of the tips above, one day at a time, you can have a holiday season that’s a little easier, and more enjoyable even with uterine fibroids.

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

TURP: The Procedure and The Recovery

For around 100 years, transurethral resection of the prostate was the main treatment method for benign prostate hyperplasia.

Did you know that for around 100 years, transurethral resection of the prostate was the main treatment method for benign prostate hyperplasia?

That’s a long time. And, this procedure is still rather common today.

So what exactly is a transurethral resection of the prostate?

What does it entail?

And what does the recovery look like?

These are all great questions, so let’s get started answering them.

A transurethral resection of the prostate, also known as TURP is a surgery used to treat urinary problems that are caused by an enlarged prostate.

The TURP procedure begins with the use of general anesthesia, followed by the insertion of a resectoscope – a tool that we covered the history and development of in previous articles.

A resectoscope is a thin metal tube that is about 12 inches long and .5 inches in diameter that is inserted into the end of the penis where it is guided into the urethra.

The instrument contains a light, a camera, and a wire loop which is then heated with an electric current. The electrical current running through the wire loops is used to cut tissue and seal blood vessels, while the surgeon removes the tissue that is blocking the urethra one piece at a time.

Once the tissue is removed, a catheter is then inserted into the urethra to pump fluid into the bladder and flush away pieces of the prostate that have been cut.

Following a TURP procedure, most men need to stay in the hospital for one or two days or until there is no significant amount of post-op blood in their urine or other post-op issues.

TURP remains a very common surgery for BPH, with some estimations pointing at upwards of 150,000 men in the United States having TURP each year.

Transurethral resection of the prostate is a treatment that in the past, many men have opted for because it does not remove the entire prostate, and it doesn’t involve any incisions. It is also well-known to have long-term outcomes, with the effects of treatment sometimes lasting 15 years or more.

However, this method of treating BPH is not without its own set of side effects and risks. Therefore more and more men are opting for a non-invasive prostate procedure called Prostate Artery Embolization.

In our next article, we will take a look at the side effects and risks of TURP and compare them to that of Prostate Artery Embolization.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Holiday Foods and Holiday…Knee Pain?

Holiday foods can be lovely and enjoyable, but for those of us suffering from osteoarthritis, some of these holiday foods can be problematic.

Holiday foods can be lovely and enjoyable, but for those of us suffering from knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, some of these holiday foods can be problematic.

In fact, many of these foods contain ingredients that can actually wreak havoc on our bodies, leading to increased inflammation, and as a result, increased stiffness and pain.

Though in a perfect world, the best thing to do would be to cut out these foods entirely, in reality, that usually doesn’t work.

In fact, not only does a restrictive diet create feelings of deprivation, but more often than not, this approach just leads to an episode of overeating.

But who wants to go to a holiday party and avoid all the sweet treats and seasonal foods?

Not only is it not enjoyable to do this, but being too restrictive can also cause moodiness and irritability, which isn’t quite the holiday spirit.

So let’s take a look at one of the biggest culprits for increased inflammation and pain, which is in abundance during the holidays. And, let’s look at a few solutions and suggestions on how to enjoy some of these foods while keeping inflammation at bay.


SUGAR

For many people, the worst food for inflammation is sugar- which is available in spades during the holiday season.

Sugar causes the body to release cytokines, which are chemicals that send messages to the body that trigger an inflammatory response.

But it’s not just the sugar in cookies and cakes that’s the problem,  it’s also the sugar that is jam-packed in soda and certain alcoholic beverages.

Overindulgence in sugary foods and beverages can leave the joints feeling stiffer, and the body feeling weaker and more fatigued the next day.

In fact, many people report that they experience something akin to a hangover after consuming sugary foods, even when no alcoholic beverages were consumed.

So what’s the solution then? Should we avoid sugar completely, or consume only artificial sweeteners?

Avoiding or limiting the number of sugary foods is the best solution, and so is- avoiding artificial sweeteners.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

When it comes to reducing inflammation cutting out or reducing our sugar intake is necessary, as is cutting out artificial sweeteners.

The problem with artificial sweeteners is that the chemicals they contain confuse the body and cause it to respond to this foreign substance by attacking it. As a result, this leads the body to have an inflammatory response, which results in the emergence of the painful symptoms that go along with that.

One of the biggest culprits when it comes to consuming artificial sweeteners is drinking diet soda.

Aspartame, which is made up of three chemicals- aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol is found in many diet sodas, and is a recipe for disaster when it comes to increasing inflammation and knee pain.

In fact, most research shows that if you’re going to eat something sweet, you’re better off with something that contains actual sugar- although a natural sugar such as that found in fruit, would be a whole lot better- and believe it or not, it too can actually satisfy your sweet tooth.

But it’s not just sweet treats that need to be consumed in moderation. It’s also processed meats and refined carbohydrates– Yes, we’re talking about you ham, bacon, and sausage. And we’re talking about you- white bread, pasta, cakes, and pies.

In our next article, we will take a look at the impact that processed meats can have on knee osteoarthritis pain by way of increased inflammation. And, we will offer some suggestions to help you maintain that holiday spirit, without rigid restrictions and deprivation.

Categories
Fibroids

Holiday Season and Fibroids

Cheers to Living Free of Fibroids in the New Year!

The holiday season can be a time full of laughter and joy. It can be time spent with family and friends, sharing presents and good food and fun. It can be a wonderful celebration for all, however, for women with uterine fibroids, this time of year isn’t always as carefree and joyful as it could be. In fact, it can be downright stressful.

For a woman with uterine fibroids, all the social activities of the holiday season can be extra stressful and can take a lot of extra preparation.

This could mean packing enough feminine products for a month or stocking up on pain relievers that may relieve the pain, but also cause other obnoxious issues such as constipation. It can also mean feeling uncomfortable getting dressed up due to fibroid-related bloating and pelvic pressure and pain.

So what can be done?

It turns out, there is a lot.

Therefore this holiday season, if you are a woman suffering from the painful and life-interrupting symptoms of uterine fibroids, it’s time to take action. And gift yourself and your body, a new year without uterine fibroids.

Life without fibroids? Is this possible?

Absolutely.

However, unfortunately, many women choose to forgo treatment because, in the past, the only options were invasive surgeries that came with a long recovery period such as a hysterectomy or a myomectomy,  or medications that came with a slew of unwanted side effects.

Fortunately, now there is a minimally invasive option that is completely safe, and one that has become the gold standard when it comes to non-surgical fibroid treatment. And that is Uterine Fibroid Embolization or UFE.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization is helping women to overcome their fibroid symptoms enabling them to live happier, healthier, fibroid-free lives.

Taking the action to treat fibroids with a procedure such as UFE, can not only prevent fibroids from growing and becoming worse, but it can also relieve painful fibroid symptoms.

Imagine a holiday season without:

Heavy periods
Pelvic pain or pressure
Back or leg pain
Constipation and diarrhea
Weight gain
Difficulty urinating or urinary frequency
Bloating and swelling

Therefore, treat yourself to a new year without the pain and discomfort of uterine fibroids by taking action. In fact, you can call us today to learn more about UFE and to even set up your initial consultation.

Together we can have you living fibroid symptom-free in the New Year and beyond.

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

What is TURP?

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was the main treatment method for benign prostate hyperplasia for almost 100 years.

Over the past few weeks, we have taken a look at the history regarding the diagnosis and treatment of an enlarged prostate.

We started the series by covering the doctors and anatomists of the late 16th century who contributed to the identification of the prostate itself and the condition of an enlarged prostate.

We also took a look at some of the early attempts at treating the enlarged prostate, which involved a lot of trial and error- and there was a lot of error.

However, as we covered throughout the series, through continued research, medical advancements, and time, treatment methods for an enlarged prostate were greatly improved. This is all thanks to the many physicians that paved the way for successful prostate treatment through medical innovations in not only the methods of surgical procedures, but the tools used as well.

These tools, some of which are still used today, led to safer and more effective ways to treat an enlarged prostate.

All of this research and development, trial and error, invention, and innovation, led to a prostate procedure that became the gold standard for treating an enlarged prostate for many years. This procedure, which is still done today, is known as Transurethral Resection of the Prostate, also known by the acronym TURP.

Transurethral resection of the prostate was the main treatment method for benign prostate hyperplasia from the early 1900s, to the late 1990s.

In our next article, we will take a further look at the Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.

We will cover what it is, how it’s performed, and its effect on relieving the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

We will also look at the side effects and risks of this procedure, and compare it to that of the non-invasive and increasingly popular treatment for BPH called Prostate Artery Embolization.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Candy Canes, Cookies, Cakes and Pies… and Knee Pain?

The holiday season is in full swing, which means lights, decorations, time with family, and lots and lots of food.

The holiday season is in full swing, which means holiday lights, decorations, time with family, and food.

Lots and lots of food.

Candy canes, cookies, cakes, and pies. Ham, mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, green bean casseroles, crackers, cheese. The list goes on and on and on.

Though it’s probably in the best interest of all of us to limit our intake of high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar, and high-calorie holiday foods- For those of us with knee osteoarthritis, it is extra important. That is if you want to avoid a painful flair-up of osteoarthritis symptoms.

As we’ve covered in previous articles, certain foods and beverages have compounds that can trigger the body to produce chemicals that cause painful inflammation in the joints.

Though inflammation is a naturally occurring process in the body that can help the body heal from injuries and fight infection, when it goes wrong or goes on for too long, our bodies become compromised.

In fact, uncontrolled inflammation is not only a culprit in knee pain and osteoarthritis, but it is also linked to certain diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and even depression.

Sometimes consuming inflammatory foods can cause painful symptoms immediately, while at other times it could take a little while.

Nonetheless, these diet-based symptoms are likely to be experienced at some point and may include not only increased knee and joint pain, but also symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, weight gain, brain fog, depression, and mood swings.

However, this doesn’t mean that this holiday season while everyone is having that turkey, stuffing, and buttery mashed potatoes, you must abstain entirely.

What it means is that being aware of the foods that can trigger inflammation and as a result, increase knee pain, may help you to make better choices or at least limit your intake of these foods.

A few cookies and a slice of the pie usually aren’t enough to trigger a flare-up of inflammation, unless you are already experiencing knee pain, in which case these really should be avoided or very limited. However, for the most part, eating some of these foods shouldn’t be a problem, as long as they are not consumed in excess.

In our next article, we will take a look at some of the foods that those of us with knee osteoarthritis should limit or even avoid altogether. And we will look at practical solutions such as adding some healthy options into our diet this holiday season, rather than restricting these foods entirely.

 

Categories
Fibroids

Does Location Matter?

Does fibroid location matter?

Fibroids can grow inside, underneath, and outside of the uterine walls. And, depending on their location, fibroids are usually divided into four different types: Intramural, subserosal, pedunculated, and submucosal.

Intramural fibroids are fibroids that grow within the muscular uterine wall and are the most common type of fibroid. Due to their location, intramural fibroids can cause all of the typical fibroid symptoms, and, as they grow larger, can actually stretch the womb, causing even more discomfort.

Subserosal fibroids are a type of fibroid that grows outside of the uterus on the serosa membrane, which is the outer lining that all organs and internal body cavities have. Subserosal fibroids sometimes grow big enough that they can make the womb look bigger on one side.

Pedunculated fibroids form when a subserosal fibroid develops a stem. This stem then becomes a slender stalk-like base that can support the growth of a pedunculated fibroid.

Submucosal fibroids are fibroids that bulge into the uterine cavity, as they grow in the myometrium or middle layer of muscle in the uterus. These fibroids are not as common as intramural, subserosal, and pedunculated fibroids.

When it comes to the painful fibroid symptoms associated with fibroid degeneration, the most concerning type of fibroid is a pedunculated fibroid.

Though all types of fibroids can cause pain when degenerating, pedunculated fibroids are more likely to cause pain in the abdominal area due to their stalk-like form and their location.

Pedunculated fibroids can also cause increased pain due to their obstruction of the uterus and the surrounding organs.

No matter where the fibroid is located though, the symptoms of their degeneration can be felt, and it doesn’t feel good. However, the good news is that there is treatment available.

By taking a look at your particular symptoms, medical risks, age, and other factors, you and your doctor can work together to find the treatment that is best for you. One of which, maybe Uterine Fibroid Embolization.

UFE is a non-invasive outpatient procedure that uses imaged-guided interventional radiology to move a catheter through to blood vessels until it reaches the artery supplying the fibroid or fibroids. Once in place, tiny microscopic particles are released through the catheter, which thereby blocks the blood supply to the artery.

Without this blood supply, fibroids can no longer survive.

The Bottom Line: There is nothing normal about fibroids or the life-interrupting symptoms they cause. Regardless of whether you’re experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of fibroid degeneration or not, it is important to seek treatment from a doctor. Most fibroid conditions do not improve without medical intervention.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of uterine fibroids and would like to learn more about your treatment options, give us a call and set up your consultation today.

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

Development of Surgical Tools

Technology led to the creation of non-invasive BPH procedures such as prostate artery embolization. But before that, there were new tools.

Long before the development of the technology that led to the creation of non-invasive procedures to treat benign prostate hyperplasia, the major medical advancements were the creation of new surgical tools. And, a real game changer was the creation of the resectoscope.

The resectoscope was introduced in the late 1920s by Maximilian Stern. Stern was able to utilize the direct vision made available by inserting the tool, which had a tungsten wire loop on one end into the cystoscope. He then used an electrical cutting current in order to use the loop to successfully cut away excess prostate tissue.

As with all great inventions, the resectoscope left room for further innovation, such as a modified version by Theodore Davis, which had a larger viewing area and a wider loop, as well as a foot pedal attached to it that allowed him to switch between currents that cut and currents that cauterized.

Further improvements included that of Joseph McCarthy who combined Davis’s improved resectoscope with the phonendoscope- which had an even better viewing system.

By combining these two advancements, McCarthey created what would become known as the Stern-McCarthy resectoscope.

Though it arguably should have been called the Stern-Davis-McCarthy resectoscope, the Stern-McCarthy resectoscope is credited with being the first practical cutting-loop resectoscope, and as a result, transurethral prostatectomy emerged as the dominant method used to treat enlarged prostate for the next 70 years

This method, also known as TURP (Transurethral resection of the prostate ), which is still done today- would not have been possible without all of this innovation.

In fact, it wouldn’t have been possible without many inventions that preceded it. Such as Dr. Young’s cystoscope, as well as the first practical incandescent light bulb, the fenestrated tube, and the application of high-frequency electrical current underwater.

These inventions and surgical procedures led the way to more advanced methods which use fiber optics, video cameras, laser energy, and others.

Though TURP is still used as a treatment procedure for an enlarged prostate, more and more, it is being replaced by newer medical therapies and less invasive procedures such as genicular artery embolization.

In our next article, we will begin to look at the most common present-day surgical and non-invasive surgical procedures to treat an enlarged prostate.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Inflammation: Destroyer or Healer?

Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s defense system against infection, however, it can also be damaging.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “inflammation”?

A sore throat, lower back pain, joint pain, knee pain?

If you think of any of these, and countless others, you are right.
All of them are influenced by inflammation.

Though inflammation is a normal part of the human body’s defense system and can be beneficial when there is injury or infection, it can be damaging when it occurs in healthy tissue.

Inflammation can be especially harmful if it becomes chronic and lasts for too long.

In fact, chronic inflammation may persist for months or even years. And, in the case of inflammation in the knees by way of osteoarthritis, this inflammation can have a negative impact on not only your overall health but your quality of life as well.

For many years, knee osteoarthritis has been viewed as primarily a degenerative disease, one that is more often than not chalked up to the “wear and tear,” of aging and time.

However, over the past few decades, numerous studies have indicated that inflammation may play a more important role in the progression and severity of knee osteoarthritis.

According to a recent article called “Inflammatory Activity in Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis,” published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, inflammation can be triggered by factors like biomechanical stress.

Biomechanical stress is considered to be the internal and external forces that exert stress on the human body, which in this case, is the knees.

Examples of this type of stress on the knees include standing in one place for extended periods of time, reduced circulation and muscle fatigue, exposure to cold temperatures, contact stress or pressure, physical exertion, repetition, heavy lifting, and weight-related joint stress.

In the article, the authors stated that based on the findings of numerous research studies, biochemical stress has been proven to stimulate the release of early-stage inflammatory cytokines which in turn induces the activation of signaling pathways.

So what does that all mean?

It means, that as a result of biomechanical stress, more inflammatory molecules are generated. And, as a result, the anatomical and physiological functions of the joint are altered, and the incidence of knee osteoarthritis is greatly increased.

Though inflammation is one of the main contributing factors in the development and progression of knee osteoarthritis, it also must be said that while it can lead to tissue damage, it is also central to the repair process.

Current research is now seeking to understand the drivers and the regulation of knee inflammation.

The body’s natural wound-healing response manifests itself in the osteoarthritic joint, which has led to an increasing interest in how the immune response may influence disease progression.

Researchers are interested in determining if the body attempts to deploy the wound-healing cascade during osteoarthritis and could the disease be driven by a partial or even stalled repair process.

The bottom line is that inflammation most certainly plays a role when it comes to knee osteoarthritis, however exactly what that role is, remains to be studied further.

Research studies are being conducted at this time, to try and understand the cells and signals in both wound healing inflammation and the immune processes involved, in order to better understand the progression of osteoarthritis in the knees.

The hope is that by understanding these processes, potential therapeutic targets could be revealed in order to slow the rate of disease progression or enhance the inherent repair mechanisms.

Categories
Fibroids

Cramping and Acute Fibroid Pain

Fibroids that cause acutely painful cramping could be due to fibroid degeneration.

If you are diagnosed with uterine fibroids and are experiencing cramping and acute fibroid pain, it could be due to fibroid degeneration.

What is fibroid degeneration, you ask?

Fibroid degeneration is a process that occurs when fibroids start to die off and break down.

And, why would this happen?

Fibroid degeneration is due to uterine fibroids being unable to get the steady supply of blood and nutrients that they need in order to survive. Degeneration is commonly seen in large fibroids as they need more blood than smaller fibroids.

As a result of not having enough blood and nutrients, fibroids will begin to degenerate, and thereby shrink down to a size that the current blood supply can support.

So it’s that a good thing? Don’t we want our fibroids to shrink?

Yes, however, when this happens, it is not permanent.

In fact, it is likely that the fibroid will re-grow and expand, and the whole process of growth and degeneration will begin again. And, with that, so will the experience of painful cramping and other symptoms such as:

Acute stabbing pain — This is perhaps the most common symptom of fibroid degeneration and includes localized sharp and stabbing pains in the abdomen. The stabbing pains are caused by a release of chemicals from the fibroids as the cells die and are accompanied by swelling.

Fever — As a result of fibroid degeneration, many women experience a low-grade fever, which is defined as a body temperature between 100.4 and 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bleeding — In rare cases, fibroid degeneration may cause hemorrhaging or bleeding. This can occur during your normal menstrual cycle or between periods and is a telltale sign of fibroids.

Chronic pain — Lasting pelvic pain and other chronic pain that isn’t too severe but never seems to go away is also a sign of fibroid degeneration.

The pain caused by uterine fibroid degeneration can last anywhere from just a few days to several weeks. Though some of the pain can be treated with over-the-counter pain medicine, these medications are not a permanent solution and can come with risks and complications of their own.

In our next article, we will take a further look at fibroid degeneration, and also dive into some of the treatment options available for those suffering from this type of pain.