Doctors request a vaginal smear on their patients for different reasons especially for symptoms of vaginosis.  These symptoms include vaginal itching, burning sensation in the vagina, rash, unusual or strong odor or atypical discharge.  It helps assess patients for yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis and parasitosis caused by Trichomonas vaginalis.

Is there only one type of vaginal smear?

No. The vaginal wet mount smear involves observing the wet mount microscopy characteristics of a vaginal discharge by placing the specimen on a glass slide and mixing with a salt solution.  Whereas, another type (vaginal Pap smear) involves a smear taken from the vaginal mucosa and stained for cytological analysis.

What should a patient avoid before getting a vaginal smear?

The patient should abstain from sexual activities at least 24 hours before having a vaginal smear done.  Likewise, the patient should stop vaginal irrigation or douching, use of tampon and vaginal medications.  For douching, tampon use and medications, especially non-prescription vaginal yeast medication, the patient should stop using these two to three days prior to the test.  Sexual activities alter the vaginal pH and thus, the results.  An authorized person to perform the vaginal smear must not do so during the menstrual period of the patient.  The presence of blood on the smear causes erroneous and misleading results.

How does the authorized medical practitioner perform the test?

The person who will collect the vaginal smear (usually a doctor) will ask the patient to assume the lithotomy position.  The doctor then uses a speculum to open the vagina while using a swab or other device to obtain the sample inside the vagina.  The test causes no serious side effects after the specimen collection.  However, some patients experience mild bleeding within the day.  This is no cause for worry and it comes normally with a vaginal smear.

The semen or seminal fluid of a human male serves to transport the sperm into the vaginal canal in order for fertilization to occur.  It provides lubrication, nutritive substances, enzymes and motility to the sperm cells.  Seminal Analysis, also known as semen analysis or seminal fluid analysis consists of analyzing the macroscopic, chemical and microscopic characteristics of the semen.  Doctors request this test on a patient for several reasons.  This article outlines important facts and reminders for both the patient who will undergo the test and the medical laboratory scientist who will perform the assays.

Common reasons for performing seminal analysis

Four fractions compose the semen or seminal fluid.  Structures such as the seminal vesicle, testicles, prostate, epididymis, vas deferens, bulbourethral glands and urethral glands contribute to the formation of these fractions.  If there is anything wrong with any of these structures, something goes wrong with the ability of the semen to perform its function.   A seminal analysis will therefore aid the doctor in pinpointing diseases or conditions.  In addition, results of this test ensure effectiveness of vasectomy, determine probability of infertility, and evaluate qualifications for assisted reproductive technology methods. Forensic experts also use this test for investigation of rape and paternity allegations.

Precautions to follow during specimen collection and processing

The patient performs the specimen collection via masturbation or the use of Silastic condoms after at least two days of abstinence from intercourse and masturbation.  Ordinary commercially available condoms cause errors in the test.  The patient must place the specimen in a warm, sterile, wide-mouthed, and labeled plastic container.  It should reach the laboratory for seminal analysis within an hour after collection, maintained at a temperature between 20 to 40°C.

The results of a single test will not suffice

The doctor interprets the Seminal analysis based on result of several specimens (usually three) combined.  More often than not, (except in forensic studies) it is not enough to perform only a single seminal analysis to arrive at a decision.

Today it has dawned on many people that homemade remedies for kidney stones are a better alternative that taking in synthetic drugs.  It is not only inexpensive it has no side effects and it gives you a sense of pleasure and accomplishment to be able to cure yourself. Read on to learn about natural homemade remedies.

What is a kidney stone?

The first step to curing yourself is to understand the problem.  Kidney stones are buildups or deposits of excess minerals and other organic substances in the kidney and urinary tract.  Stones maybe deposits of calcium, phosphates, oxalate, magnesium, and carbonates.  If this deposits grows and blocks the urethra (tube where urine passes) the sufferer can experience excruciating pain, other symptoms include chills, fever, fatigue, and nausea. Blood in the urine can also be found in urine of persons with kidney stones.

Homemade remedies for kidney stones

Scientists, doctors, nutritionists, researchers, and alternative medicine practitioners all agree that nutrition or diet has a big role in the health of human beings.  Therefore, a change of lifestyle and the intake of nutritious natural foods will improve your overall health.  Eat foods that are excellent in preventing the formation of kidney stones like celery, ripe fresh apples, melons, and drink 10-12 glasses of water or more daily.  These are just a few of the best homemade remedies for kidney stones.

If you already have kidney stones eat lots of fruits and vegetables that can help eliminate or dissolve kidney stones from your body like kidney beans or French beans, grapes, honey with basil juice(1 teaspoon daily).  Pomegranate (sweet and sour) seeds; ground this to make a paste and add it to 2 tablespoon of horse gram and make a soup.  These are excellent homemade remedies for kidney stones.

If you are taught earlier in life to eat a proper, balanced diet you could have avoided many kidney problems such as kidney stones.  Other homemade remedies for kidney stones is to avoid alcoholic beverages, gravies carbonated drinks, condiments and some vegetables like cucumber, radish, tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, rhubarb and onions.

If you suspect you have hepatitis, the hepatitis laboratory tests will help you confirm your suspicions. The liver problem is due to virus but alcohol, drugs, chemicals and autoimmune and inherited disease can also cause the inflammation. Although the illness can go for several years untreated, if you keep on ignoring the symptoms, it can worsen to liver cirrhosis, cancer and even death. To prevent the complications, here are the possible hepatitis laboratory tests you can requests.

Blood Chemistry

When you see the yellowish discoloration in your skin or feel pain in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen, your physician may request for hepatitis laboratory tests to rule out liver problems. Some of the important blood tests include serum bilirubin determination, proteins, the liver enzyme levels and test for coagulation. During a liver problem, you will expect an elevated level of these substances. When correlated with the signs and symptoms you present, they help your doctor make a better diagnosis on your condition.

Serological Tests

To make a more definite diagnosis, the serological types of hepatitis laboratory tests are more confirmatory than the blood chemistry tests. They detect for the presence of the antigen of the virus or for the antibodies produced in response to the microorganisms. Different kits are available from manufacturers to detect the specific virus causing the inflammation. The test requires blood specimen extracted by a qualified medical technologist. You just have to wait for a few minutes to get the result of your hepatitis laboratory tests.

Biopsy

If the two hepatitis laboratory tests remain inconclusive, your doctor may use liver biopsy as another option to detect the cause of the problem. The doctor will insert a needle to aspirate a sample of the liver cells and the pathologist will do the microscopic examination. Because the procedure is an invasive method, it is very seldom requested.

If you think you have hepatitis, consult your doctor at once to get an accurate diagnosis.

What is Gouty Arthritis?

Gouty arthritis is a kind of arthritis that is caused by uric acid build-up in joints; usually the big toe. However, it could also affect the ankles, knees, elbows, fingers, toes, wrists, and the foot (heel/instep).  Gouty arthritis is one of the most painful forms of arthritis.  Symptoms include inflammation, acute pain, tenderness, and redness in the affected area.

The best gouty arthritis homemade cures

One of the best gouty arthritis homemade cures is eating a proper diet.  Add fruits that are rich in vitamin C to your daily menu.   Fruits that are rich in vitamin C include Indian gooseberries, guavas, strawberries, cherries and other citrus fruits.  Another vitamin C rich fruit is Lemon.  Green leafy vegetables and apples should also be included in your diet.

Eat at least 3-4 bananas daily, this fruit is rich in phosphorous and minerals that can help eliminate uric acid from the body.  Eating a well-planned diet is one of the best gouty arthritis homemade cures. You can also take supplements of zinc, and calcium.  Aside from eating a balance diet, drink at least 8-12 glasses of water to rid some of the uric acid from the kidneys and liver.

To relieve joint pains caused by gouty arthritis, try these gouty arthritis homemade cures:  gently massage warm olive oil or castor oil on the affected area.  If your ankles or toes are affected try soaking your feet in warm water with ground ginger this will relieve the swelling and the pain.

People should realize early in life that a healthy diet and a healthy life style lead to long life and good health.   So teach you kids what food to eat and what to avoid.  You should also formulate or learn more of gouty arthritis homemade cures to be able to help yourself and your loved ones fight the disease.

When can a bruise be given home remedies?

Bruises can be classified into three:

1. Subcutaneous

This is a bruise which is a result of a mild, physical applied pressure by someone or something. It is superficial because only the skin is affected. This may come from mild bumps, contusions or short falls. The affected area may have a bluish (we also call this in the medical field -hematoma) or reddish discoloration of the skin and some swelling (inflammation).

These are the type of bruises that could be treated with home remedies.

2. Intramuscular

This is a more serious type of the condition because it goes deeper than the skin because the muscles are now affected. The same bluish or reddish discoloration of the skin is present but the pain is more intense and pus formation may develop. When this happens medical assistance should be sought. Some intramuscular bruises can be treated at home if there is no pus formed and the patient does not experience nausea or vomiting.

3. Periosteal

This goes deeper than the skin and the muscle because it involves the bones. This is the most serious type and definitely needs medical assistance because surgery might be in order. This could be caused by vehicular accidents or an intentional hitting of a blunt object. The pain, swelling and discoloration are more pronounced than the two types and the bruise would be more prone to pus formation.

For the subcutaneous bruise and a non pus-forming intramuscular bruise, home remedies could be used. These are some of the home remedies that I myself used at home and during my first aid classes:

1. For swelling, the bruise can be subjected to an ice pack for 10-15 minutes 3 times a day. The ice pack should be wrapped in a cloth to avoid direct contact as this would cause more pain afterward. There are dry ice packs available which could be bought commercially. Do not hold the ice pack steady over the bruise as it would “freeze’ the vein and may render it dysfunctional (just like in frostbite). Move the ice pack over the bruised area in a manner that does not concentrate in one area alone.

2. After the swelling has subsided, you can now apply warm compress. This would hasten the healing of the bruise by encouraging blood flow into the bruised area. In the same manner that you have applied the cold compress, the same manner is also true for the warm compress. Do not hold it steady but move it over the entire area.

3. If the bruise feels hot, then raw egg could be placed over the bruised area to make it cooler. The egg yolk is cleaner and is the cooler portion of the egg and is therefore preferable.

4. Crushed parsley could also be applied into the area until the bruise gets better. This would be evident by the color of the skin returning to its normal color.

5. Crushed ginger could also reduce swelling in the bruised area by applying it overnight. The ginger should be washed thoroughly, (do not peel the skin) and then crushed and applied to the area with a gauze pad (or soft cloth) and micropore (plaster) to hold it in place. This could be done until the swelling subsides. The ice pack could be applied during the day and the crushed ginger during the night.

These are all applicable if you do not have pre-existing debilitating diseases, like diabetes, congenital heart disease or renal dysfunction.

Even if it is only a subcutaneous bruise, if the swelling and skin discoloration is persistent even after the home remedies, then you have to consult your physician. There maybe other underlying pathologic conditions than just the presence of the bruises. Bruises could occur also because of Leukemia and other serious blood dyscrasia, so be wise in deciding when to use home remedies and when not to.

There are still many home cure remedies for bruises but the above-mentioned are the methods I had personally used, hence the recommendation.

Below are signs and symptoms manifested by individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:

* Hyperglycemia – increased blood glucose to 200 mg/dL or higher secondary to lack of insulin or the cells of the body do not react properly to insulin, insulin resistance.

* Increased urinary frequency – glucose leaks into the urine and the weight of sugar in the urine triggers urge to urinate.

* Increased thirst – due to frequent urination dehydration occurs and thirst receptors are activated.

* Weight loss

Some of the major complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus are listed below:

* Retinopathy – blurring of vision may occur due to continuous increased pressure in the veins and arterioles of the retina.

* Nephropathy – destruction of the nephrons secondary to the heavy weight of the sugar continuously passing through the kidneys’ filters.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus can be managed by diet and lifestyle modification. For a complete diet modification consult a licensed dietician or your doctor. Light exercises and weight loss can also slow or prevent the progress of the disease.

There are several classes of drugs use as anti- hypertensive drugs and each class has different mechanisms of action to lower blood pressure.

Diuretics – These agents increase urine volume or output.  One factor that causes hypertension is the high level of sodium in the blood. Usually diuretics are combined with other drugs to achieve the ideal level of blood pressure.

Calcium channel blockers – This class of anti- hypertensive drugs are the most trusted to lower blood pressure.  Their therapeutic action involves the prevention of calcium entry into the cardiac and smooth muscle and in turn decreases blood pressure.

Vasodilators- These agents directly dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure. They are indicated for severe hypertension.

The anti-lipidemics or anti-cholesterol drugs- High cholesterol level in the blood is one of the major causes of hypertension. Fat deposits in blood vessels cause atherosclerosis or the hardening of veins. These agents exert their effect by binding with cholesterol or triglycerides that circulates within the blood stream and facilitates their excretion.

There are still other classes of drugs that lower high blood pressure, their effectiveness varies from person to person.  You can evaluate the effectiveness of anti- hypertensive drugs by simply monitoring its effect on the blood pressure. If the blood pressure becomes normal, then it is effective.

The process of manufacturing a drug substance involves several stages before it can be marketed and one area of such importance is the implementation of drug laboratory quality control. Standard operating procedures of drug manufacturing include quality check and quality assurance from the raw materials used to the finished products. It includes the checking of the specification standards of raw materials, packaging and labeling materials, and the random sampling of finished products.

Drug laboratory quality control is an assurance check that all drugs being manufacture pass quality standards set by different drug regulatory boards.  Quality control is necessary in every phase of drug development. The most important purpose of quality control in drug manufacturing is to make sure that the public can avail of safe and therapeutically effective medicines.

The impact of poor drug laboratory quality control will be low quality drugs or below standard quality medicines. This can lead to:

Lack or minimal therapeutic effect – If drugs have not gone quality checks, the major consequence is that they cannot exert their maximum therapeutic effects. The active constituent content of the drug may be minimal or does not comply with the labeled claim of the drug.

Adverse or toxic effects may occur- The worst result of poor quality control can result to death because of the drugs adverse effects or toxicities brought about by poor aseptic techniques implemented in the production process.

Loss of credibility of the drug firm- Poor quality drug can backfire to the company that manufactured them.  If drug laboratory quality control protocols are not followed, drug regulatory boards can order closure of the company.

In the desire to reduce the risks of stroke and heart attacks, anticholestrol drugs are prescribed to lower bad cholesterol level. Patients taking anticholesterol drug must be given precautionary measure before taking the drug and must be aware of the side effects of anticholestrol drugs to prevent possible undesirable effects of the drug.

Gastrointestinal Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Constipation

-          Diarrhea

-          Heartburn

-          Abdominal pain

-          Black stool

Hepatic Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Liver dysfunction, rarely causing mild hepatitis. Patients with liver disease should undergo liver function tests before the treatment

Muscular Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Leg cramps

-          Myopathy or muscle damage

-          Rhabdomyolysi, fatal muscle damage caused by chemical, biological and physical factors

-          Unexplained muscle tenderness and weakness

-          Deformation of facial muscle

-          Increased in muscle movement

Neurologic Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Loss of sensation in the lower extremities such as hands and feet

-          Headaches

-          Difficulty falling asleep

-          Polyneuropathy, simultaneously malfunctions of the peripheral nerves

-          Memory lost or disturbed

-          Back pain

-          Change in eye sight

-          Dysgeusia, lack of taste sensation

-          Depression

-          Lack of movement coordination

Renal Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Fluid retention, accumulation of fluid within tissues of the body

-          Kidney failure, the kidney’s filtering system is damaged due to clogged muscle fibers

-          Urinary problems
Many of the side effects of anticholesterol drugs are dose dependent, it is very important to notify the doctor immediately if you experience some of the side effects. Balanced diet, exercise and weight loss are some of the important things to be considered in controlling the level of bad cholesterol in the body. We only take anticholesterol drugs when the natural remedies fail to lower the level of cholesterol in the body.