Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Prognosis and Survival Rate

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The immune system of the body has crucial function to fight infection and disease. In people with lymphoma, their lymphatic system (it is part of the body’s immune system) is affected. As well we know, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL or sometimes also familiar called as Hodgkin disease) is two common types of lymphoma cancer. Let’s focus to discuss the treatment, prognosis, and survival rate for NHL!

You may also be interested to read lymphoma symptoms in women and men, before continuing!

Like the network of blood vessels that distributes blood throughout the body, lymphatic system is also a kind of vessel network that carries fluid called lymph. And there are white blood cells what we call as ‘lymphocytes’ in the lymph. These lymphocytes are so essential to protect the body from a variety of infectious agents. But in patients with lymphoma, without unknown reason these white cells multiply uncontrollably and then result malignant cells that can be harmful for other tissues throughout the body!

Generally, NHL is more common than Hodgkin disease. In 2010, about 8,500 new cases of HL and about 66,000 new cases of NHL were diagnosed in the U.S.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment

The treatment is closely associated to the type, stage, age of patient, and the overall health of patient.

Sometimes, patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma that don’t experience any symptom may not need any treatment. This usually occurs in patients who have indolent /nonaggressive NHL. For this case, a ‘wait & see approach’ is usually the common choice. But patient is usually asked by doctor to have regular checkups in order to monitor the progress of the disease.

And for patients with aggressive NHL or when the disease causes symptoms, the common options of treatment may include;

Radiation therapy

This treatment involves X-rays (high-powered energy beams). The radiation of X-rays is intended to remove /kill the harmful cancerous cells. It is also intended to shrink tumors.

Radiation therapy can be used in combination with other treatments, but sometimes it may also be effective to be used alone.

Chemotherapy treatment

This treatment is another option to kill cancer cells. In general, it is a kind of prescribed drug treatment that can be given by injection or orally. To kill the cancer cells, doctor may need to use multiple chemotherapy drugs, single chemotherapy drug, or in combination with other treatments.

Monoclonal antibody therapy

This treatment is intended to increase the ability /performance of the body’s immune system to fight the disease (particularly to help kill the cancer cells). It also can be used to reduce the progression of the cancer.

Stem cell transplant

In general, this procedure is purposed to take and save the healthy stem cells. And then patient will be directed to get higher doses of radiation /chemotherapy to kill and remove the lymphoma cells that are not killed by standard doses.

After there are no lymphoma cells, then the healthy stem cells will be injected /returned back into the body’s patient. These healthy stem cells may also be taken from a donor (related /unrelated donor).

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma prognosis

In the last few decades, the prognosis of patients with NHL has improved drastically. After getting the treatment, the 5-year survival average in children with NHL is about 90 percent - and about 63 percent for adult patients.

And for patients with HL, their outlook is much better. After getting the treatments, the 5-year survival rate is about 90 percent or greater for kids with HL, and about 80 percent for adults.

Furthermore, there are many patients who live with lymphoma in remission for a lot of years after the treatment.

The survival rate is closely associated with the stage of the disease. The following is a helpful table from The National Cancer Institute for the average 5-year survival:

And according to a published article on the official site of the American Cancer Society, other factors that can affect the survival rate of NHL are the age of patient, the spread of lymphoma, PS (performance status ‘how well patients can do their normal daily activities’), and the serum LDH level (high level of serum LDH means the fast-growing tumors or indicates that there are more tumor in the body).

 Table credit © to cancer.org

These good and bad factors are important and useful for doctors to choose and plan the best treatment for their patient. A treatment plan that is also based on these factors is better than a treatment plan that is only based on the type and stage of lymphoma.
Each poor factor is marked /assigned by 1 point. Patients who have less poor factors are more likely to have better chance of 5-year survival rate than others who have more poor prognostic factors. Based on these bad and good prognostic factors, there are four major risk groups:

1. For patients who don’t have or only have one poor prognostic factor, they are categorized into ‘low risk group’.
2. For patients who have two poor prognostic factors, they are categorized into ‘low-intermediate risk group’. 
3. For patients who have three poor prognostic factors, they are classified into ‘high-intermediate risk group’.
4. And for individuals who have four or five poor prognostic factors, they are classified into ‘high risk group’!

Is Fibromyalgia Real or Fake | Is It Hereditary?

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Unfortunately till today, fibromyalgia is often misunderstood and even sometimes misdiagnosed. When you have been diagnosed with this problem and are making efforts to learn all about it, you may come across many misconceptions and myths about it! Is fibromyalgia real or fake? Is it hereditary? What else you need to know about this problem? -- Read also common fibromyalgia symptoms in women and men! 
After osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome (or also familiar called as ‘FMS’) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions. The significant impacts caused by FMS are tremendous physical and even a real psychological problem. Fatigue, joint paint, and widespread muscle are some common characteristics of FMS.
Is fibromyalgia real? What actually is it?
There are still many people have perception that fibromyalgia syndrome is not a kind of medical problem;   they think that FMS is fake ‘not real’ -- this is the top misconception of FMS till today. 
And did you know that some studies found that FMS is real. Many experts believe that it amplifies painful sensation by influencing /affecting the mechanisms of the brain to process the pain signals.
In general, FMS is a health problem that can cause chronic pain in ligaments and muscles. In individuals with FMS, their spinal cord and brain process the signals of pain in different way. As a result, people with FMS typically react more strongly to pressure and touch (with a heightened sensitivity to the pain). 
Is fibromyalgia hereditary?
Experts believe that there is a chance for FMS to run in family, but this doesn’t mean that FMS can pass directly from parents to their kids. 
Some studies found that the odds of developing FMS are lower in families that don’t have a family history of fibromyalgia than in immediate families of individuals with fibromyalgia. This suggests that genetic may be a factor in causing FMS - more studies are needed to get a clearly answer!
How do you get FMS? What are causes of fibromyalgia?
There is no clearly answer for the exact cause of fibromyalgia, but many experts believe that this problem is most likely involves a combination of several factors, particularly such as;

1. Genetics! As mentioned before, there is a theory that FMS may run in families. If you have a family history of FMS, you are also more likely to develop the same condition.
2. There may also certain illnesses that seem to increase the risk of developing FMS.
3. Some studies also found that there may be a link between FMS and post-traumatic stress disorder. People with rheumatic disease (such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) may be at higher risk -- according to a published article on MayoClinic.

Furthermore, fibromyalgia is relatively more common in women than in men. According to the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association -- about 12 million people in the U.S are affected by FMS, and most of them are women. The age range of these women is about 25 - 60 years of age. 
Experts believe that the female reproductive hormones may have a contribution why FMS is 10 times more likely to occur in women than in men.
Are there any complications that can be generated by FMS?
Fortunately, in general there are still no scientifically evidences to confirm other health conditions or complications that are generated by fibromyalgia. Nevertheless, lack of sleep and pain associated with FMS may interfere with the ability of patient to function on the job or at home. 
Moreover, there is also a chance for patient to experience anxiety or depression, because many patients get a frustration on dealing with an often-misunderstood condition.
Fibromyalgia natural treatment (home remedies)
Self-care natural treatment for FMS is important and helpful for fibromyalgia management. In line with the prescribed drugs and treatment, doctors usually also recommend some home remedies to get a better result. These home remedies include:

1. Get a plenty of rest! In many cases, fatigue is one of the most common symptoms or characteristics of FMS. Therefore, it is very crucial and important for people with FMS to get enough sleep. But the quantity of sleep is not single goal. Patients also should get a good quality of sleep by practicing good sleep behaviors. They should go to bed & get up at the same time for every day!
2. Manage your daily activities as well! It’s much better to do your activities in moderation than pushing yourself to do a lot of activities beyond your ability.
3. Stay on the track of your healthy lifestyles and keep far away from the unhealthy habits. For instances, limit the caffeine intake, focus to what you eat (healthy foods should be on your priority), etc.
4. Though fatigue is the common symptom of fibromyalgia, but this doesn’t mean you are allowed to forget your exercise. It’s important to get adequate physical activity a day. So, don’t forget also to have a regular exercise! For the first time, exercise may trigger the pain - therefore you need to do it gradually and in moderation. You can also ask a physical therapist to get the best advice about a kind of home exercise program that you can do for management of FMS. Biking, water aerobics and walking are some good choices.
5. And don’t forget to manage your stress! In line with the treatment, you and your doctor usually also plan a program to restrict your chance of having overexertion & emotional stress! However, it may be better for you to avoid completely changing your routine. For example, patients who drop all activity or quit work are more likely to get worse in managing their stress than others who remain active. Furthermore, doctor usually also recommend some techniques to manage stress, such as meditation therapy (like yoga) or deep-breathing exercises!

Fibromyalgia support groups
Dealing with the frustration from the misunderstood fibromyalgia is not easy. Therefore, it’s much better for people with FMS to get participation into a social organization associated with fibromyalgia. This can be helpful for patient to educate her/himself about FMS and get useful experiences from other people living with FMS.
The American Chronic Pain Association and the National Fibromyalgia Association are some helpful social organization for people with FMS. Other fibromyalgia supports groups are; the American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation associated with FMS (www.arthritis.org)!

You may also like to read best diet for fibromyalgia patients!

Fibromyalgia Symptoms in Women and Men!

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What are fibromyalgia symptoms in women and men? Well, fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a kind of chronic condition. It is one of common health problems affecting the muscles leading to disability. Unfortunately, the clearly answer for the exact cause of this chronic condition is still unknown. But some doctors believe that it may be closely related to a variety of factors working together. Read also some conditions or factors that may increase your risk of fibromyalgia, before continuing!
In general, fibromyalgia is not same as many types of rheumatic conditions (like polymyositis and rheumatoid arthritis). Though there is a chance for people with fibromyalgia to experience potentially disabling pain, but fortunately it does not cause deformity or body damage. Even no study that have found the serious complications that are generated by FMS! 
However, you should not underestimate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. If you in doubt on your condition, find help and see a doctor promptly for clearly diagnosis and best treatment.
How do doctors do a fibromyalgia diagnosis?
In fact, FMS is one of medical problems that often misdiagnosed. This is reasonable, because there is still no specific test for doctor to specifically diagnose fibromyalgia. 
Learning the medical history of patient and doing comprehensive physical exam are some common choices to make an accurate diagnosis. Furthermore, the similar symptoms in people with FMS may also be caused by other health problems.
To narrow the possibility diagnosis of other health conditions, some specific blood tests and other laboratory tests may be involved. These tests may include;

1. CBC (complete blood count) test.
2. Considering RF (rheumatoid factor).
3. Checking vitamin D, calcium, and prolactin level.
4. ANA (antinuclear antibodies) laboratory test.
5. Thyroid test -- the symptoms of FMS such as depression, muscle aches, weakness and fatigue also can be generated by hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
6. Some tests to check the level of certain chemicals, such as glucose.
7. And so on! Ask a doctor for in-depth information!

Moreover to make a diagnosis, doctors usually also use a manual guideline of fibromyalgia characteristics that is released by the American College of Rheumatology.
Fibromyalgia symptoms in women and men
There are many symptoms that you may experience when you have FMS, but in many cases (both in women and men) pain, fatigue, stiffness, & tenderness of tendons, muscles, and joints without following detectable inflammation are usually some common signs.
Pain associated with FMS
In fact, pain is the most symptom or universal sign of fibromyalgia. A constant dull ache is the most relevance characteristic to describe pain associated with FMS. It is typically arising from muscles. Pain usually can occur in certain areas of the body if a firm pressure is applied. These areas are often known as ‘tender points’. And below is a helpful picture about these tender points.

Tender points of pain associated with fibromyalgia
Image credit © to MayoClinic

Fatigue
In people with fibromyalgia, having good quality of sleep is something that can be not easy - though most of them are reported having long periods of time in sleeping a day. Their sleep is sometimes or may be often disrupted by pain. This may be one of reasons why they are more likely to get fatigue easily. 
In fact, there is about 90 percent of patients with FMS complain about fatigue -- according to a published article on MedicineNet.
Furthermore, there is also a chance for patients to experience health problems associated with sleep, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome.
Other symptoms
Other signs and symptoms that may occur include:

1. You may experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
2. The muscles are more likely to feel like they have been pulled or overworked without unclearly reason.
3. There is a chance for an individual with FMS to have depression or anxiety. Even over half of patients with FMS experience emotional or/and mental disturbances (such as forgetfulness and poor concentration). Since there is no specific procedure /test to diagnose fibromyalgia, it is sometimes misdiagnosed as depression.
4. You may become more sensitive to heat or/and cold.
5. People with fibromyalgia may also experience tingling /numbness in the feet /fingers, fibro fog (inability to concentrate), headaches (chronic headaches), abdominal pain, and dryness (particularly in eyes, nose, and mouth).

How to treat fibromyalgia?
There is no single formula of treatment to treat all symptoms of fibromyalgia. Sometimes each symptom may require a special treatment to improve. And unfortunately, there is no cure to completely treat fibromyalgia - this is one of reasons why it is often called as chronic condition.
In general - the combination of medications, appropriately exercise, stress education and education for patient to know more about the disease itself is one of the most effective options for fibromyalgia treatment.
Medications
Medications are usually intended to ease the pain and improve the quality of sleep. According to a published article on WebMD -- Savella, Cymbalta, and Lyrica are some approved drugs by the FDA for fibromyalgia treatment. Other drugs /medicines that may also be prescribed by doctor include:

1. NSAIDs (the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to treat pain associated with fibromyalgia.
2. Trycylic drugs and/or anti-seizure drugs! They may also be prescribed by your doctor to ease the pain caused by FMS.
3. Furthermore, sometimes antidepressant may also be used to relieve pain, sleep disorders, and particularly to treat depression. 

***Ask a doctor for more detailed information about these drugs!
Alternative treatments
Though there is no adequate scientifically evidence to confirm the effectiveness of alternative therapies to treat fibromyalgia, but they may work well for some patients to relieve the symptoms.
Therapeutic message is one of choices. It can be helpful to manipulate soft tissues and muscles in order to ease the deep muscle pain. Other advantages from this alternative therapy may include relieving pain of tense muscles, muscle spasms, and tender points.
Furthermore, moderately and appropriately intense aerobic exercise at least 2-3 times a week is also recommended by the American Pain Society! Chiropractic manipulation therapy, appropriately acupuncture and even hypnosis are also recommended by the American Pain Society.
To keep safe, it’s much better to discuss first with your doctor before taking any alternative therapy. For better result, your doctor usually also recommends relaxation therapies (such as deep breathing exercises and deep muscle relaxation) in order to help you manage your stress.
Tips: don’t forget to track and write down of your activities, events, signs, and mood changes of your FMS. This data can be helpful to take charge of your fibromyalgia -- it may be helpful for you to be aware of when your signs start, over time, and what factors that may be triggering these symptoms so thus you can prepare yourself better to cope with your fibromyalgia!________Reference: MayoClinic, WebMD, and MedicineNet

The Truth about Best Diet for Fibromyalgia Patients

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In many cases, muscle pain and fatigue may be the most disturbing symptoms of fibromyalgia. This kind of chronic condition is also familiar referred as FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome). If you are diagnosed with FMS, you have probably wondered if there is an effective way to modify your diet so thus will be helpful to improve the symptoms of your FMS. Read also the top misconception about “Is fibromyalgia real or fake?”
Unfortunately, there is still no clearly answer and adequate scientifically evidence to confirm what kind of best diet (specific foods) to effectively help patients with FMS. The best option you should do is by taking a closer look at how far away foods that you eat to affect the symptoms. This means, you may need to take some trial & error to find the best approach in modifying your diet.
The following are some facts and pieces of helpful information about best diet for fibromyalgia patients!
What is your goal?
While currently there is no cure for FMS and also there is no magic diet that can work wonder for people with this chronic condition, but eating right can help patient feel better, get more energy, and can boost her/his body’s immune system.
Though eating right is also helpful to keep your healthy weight, but always remember that your priority is to be feeling better from the symptoms of your fibromyalgia at more manageable level. And when you have felt better, there is a better condition for you to do your daily activities. 
One thing you need to concern is ‘it’s much better to avoid FAD or extreme diets’ -- much more recommended ‘changes one at a time’ so thus you can analyze the effect for your health, especially for symptoms of your fibromyalgia! 
Extreme /sudden changes in your dietary routine are bad for your health or even they may make your symptoms worse.
Analyze what you eat and what you feel!
In fact, there are many patients with FMS have sensitivities to certain foods, and this varies from person to person. Some patients maybe more sensitive to particular dairy products, while others maybe more sensitive to gluten or other allergens. About 42 percent of patients with fibromyalgia complained about particular foods that can make their symptoms worse -- according to a study published on the Journal Clinical Rheumatology.
Therefore, many doctors recommend keeping a daily food journal to identify particular foods that can make the symptoms better or worse! For example, if you feel more fatigue (one of common fibromyalgia symptoms) after eating a particular food, then you should put it into the list of foods that you have to avoid!
Do a small research on your diet!
Once again, there is still no clearly answer for particular foods that can worsen fibromyalgia symptoms. Therefore, with your doctor (for better result) you can plan a small research to effectively modify your diet.

For instance, you can try with an elimination challenge diet. This idea is one of good choices, particularly for fibromyalgia patients who also have many irritable bowel symptoms -- talk more with a doctor for in-depth information!
In this idea, you can begin from certain foods that you suspect may aggravate the symptoms. Don’t eat these foods for about 6 to 8 weeks, and then add them back to your diet. Then analyze what you feel -- do you feel better or vice versa! In some patients, gluten and dairy products are some foods that often suspected may worsen /aggravate their fibromyalgia symptoms.
Other characteristics of foods that may be helpful for your guide in this elimination challenge diet include;

1. Tobacco products. If you are a smoker, it is much better to stop this unhealthy habit as soon as possible.
2. Refined sugar.
3. Certain foods that have high calories.
4. Trans-fat foods /fried foods.
5. Foods that contain a lot of MSG (monosodium glutamate) and aspartame (nutrasweet). Or even your body may need to completely avoid MSG and aspartame.
6. Consider also other factors from what you eat that may affect the quality of your sleep which then make you feel fatigue easily. These factors may include; alcohol, caffeine, or even maybe sugary foods.

Once you have found you are sensitive to a food and then eliminate/skip it from your diet, this can give a significant difference to your fibromyalgia symptoms -- in some patients, this is very helpful to significant reduce fatigue, and even you may also get a significant pain reduction. 
But make sure you will not lose the essential nutrients that are needed by your body during this elimination challenge diet. To keep safe and for better result, consult more with a dietitian if necessary!
Don’t forget to include ‘a balanced diet’ in your fibromyalgia diet!
Like everyone else, patients with fibromyalgia should have a well-balanced diet to get more energy, have physically active, and to improve the overall health. Having a well-balanced diet is also important to make sure you get all essential nutrients for your body.
You might often hear about a balanced diet, but what actually it is?! According to the University of Washington -- in general, your diet should have five major essential groups which include: grains, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, protein (particularly lean protein), and dairy. Once again, talk with a dietitian or doctor for in-depth information!
The correlation between protein and fibromyalgia!
There is a theory that lack of protein may aggravate the abnormalities of tissues that go along with fibromyalgia. Though more studies are required to confirm this issue, but it’s much better to stay and keep your body have adequate protein. Some experts believe that getting adequate protein from diet can be helpful to relieve pain and stiffness -- according to a published article on About.com.
Furthermore, there is almost no reason why you need to have inadequate protein. Having adequate protein is very crucial for maintenance and growth of your body. In fact, about 20 percent of the material in the body’s tissues and cells are directly linked to protein that you have. Protein is also responsible for enzymes, antibodies, and hormones that keep the body to work and function as well.
Best foods to keep far away from fatigue!
As mentioned before, fatigue is one of common symptoms of fibromyalgia. The big question is; are there any foods that can be helpful to prevent fatigue and keep your energy level more consistent!
In general, there are also other factors that you have to consider in order to have more energy throughout the day. In other words, diet is not only the single answer in how much energy you will have. Therefore, it’s also important to have enough sleep and adequate physical activity (keep active during the day)!
The following are some tips to keep energy level more consistent throughout the day:

1. Try eating small meals throughout the day -- do this frequently! For better result, don’t forget also to prioritize healthy foods for these small meals. For instance, you can try with a snack /small meal with a little protein, do it in the afternoon when usually your body have been very tired.
2. Taking breakfast before beginning your activity is very important, so don’t ever miss it! And make sure to include whole grains and protein for better result!
3. Another idea for your breakfast, some oatmeal and a boiled egg are also great choice. They are useful to control your blood sugar better and also helpful to provide the right kind of energy to start your day. You may also be interested to know about how much cholesterol in egg yolk?

How about with supplements?
People are more likely to choose practical option to get what they need. Taking supplements are common choice in this modern living. But to keep safe, before taking any supplement to treat your fibromyalgia, it’s much better to consult first with your doctor! Because you should clearly understand that some supplements may cause significant effects and interact with some prescribed medications from your doctor.
And though your fibromyalgia diet can provide a huge difference, but many fibromyalgia patients are more likely to have more benefits and significant improvement from having a variety of approaches. So, don’t forget to do other approaches of treatment and completely follow all instructions from your doctor. Helpful therapies (such as deep-breathing exercise, massage, and yoga) also should be planned in your treatment to get the best possible quality of your life.________Reference: WebMD and About.com

Endometriosis Treatment Options | Home Remedies

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What are current endometriosis treatment options? Well … there are about 3 - 18 percent of women in the U.S (more than one million women) who are affected by endometriosis -- according to a published article on MedicineNet. And in fact, this painful disorder is one of the major causes of pelvic pain. It is also one of major reasons for women in the U.S to do hysterectomy and laparoscopic surgery. You may also like to read common symptoms of endometriosis, before continuing!
Another bad news, there is still no clearly answer to prevent endometriosis. In other words, it cannot be prevented, because the cause of this painful disorder is still poorly understood. Though there is also still no cure for this disease, but with the right treatment the pain and infertility problem can be treated.
Endometriosis natural treatment (home remedies)
Home treatments
Sometimes home remedies are also helpful to relieve the pain of endometriosis. Along with the other treatments, below are some helpful tips:

1. Heat is believed can improve the blood flow, which then eventually will be helpful to ease pelvic pain. You can take a warm bath, or use a hot water bottle /a heating pad to apply friendly heat to your lower belly. But remember, don’t go too hot!
2. Another idea, lie your body down and don’t forget to put a comfortable pillow under the knees. Then in order to ease the back pressure, bring the knees up to the chest while you lie on your side!
3. For better result, biofeedback and relaxation techniques may be also helpful.
4. Don’t forget to have a regular exercise! It is also very useful to improve the blood flow and overall health. Doing your exercise regularly also can naturally increase pain-relieving endorphins which then will also be helpful to ease the pain!
5. Ask your doctor to get more tips and advices about home treatments for endometriosis!

Natural treatment
What are kind of natural treatments to treat endometriosis effectively? This is one of frequently asked questions, but unfortunately the effectiveness of these alternative treatments is debatable, because researches haven’t yet considered/looked at them for endometriosis.
Meditation and acupuncture are believed may be helpful to treat endometriosis, especially to relieve the pain. To keep safe, it’s much better to consult first with your doctor before taking these therapies. 
What are current endometriosis treatment options?
In general, medications and surgery are the most common treatments for endometriosis. The treatment options are usually closely associated with how severe the symptoms, the disease itself, and whether or not patient want to get pregnant. 
If the problem is only the pain, then the treatment is usually more focused on how to relieve the pain. For this case, hormone therapy is common option. It can help decrease the level of estrogen hormone which then will shrink the implants and eventually the pain reduction may occur.
But for patients who also want to get pregnant, surgery and infertility treatment is usually the common option. If the goal is both to treat the disease and get pregnant, the appropriately surgery is also believed by many doctors to be more effective than medical /hormonal treatments. 
In addition, in fact not all patients with endometriosis notice or have pain symptom. Moreover, over time this disease does not always get worse. Even in some patients, endometriosis may improve during pregnancy and usually improve after menopause. 
If you are in your menopause phase (about the age of 50) or if you don’t notice any symptom (particularly pain or just mild pain), and you also don’t have a plan to get pregnant -- you may not need the treatment. But to keep safe, consult more with your doctor to get more advices.
Treatment options to relieve the pain
Pain medications
To help relieve painful menstrual cramps, a pain reliever such as Motrin, Advil, or NSAIDs is usually prescribed by doctor. But if this option doesn’t work, you may need to take another treatment approach - hormone therapy may be the answer!
Hormone therapy
Changes in hormones (rise & fall) during menstrual cycle can affect the endometrial implants of patient to thicken, break down, and then bleed. For this reason, supplemental hormones are common choice. They are usually intended to maintain the level of certain female hormones at appropriately level which then eventually can reduce the pain. 
There are some prescribed hormone therapies by doctor to treat the endometriosis-related pain. But each hormone therapy can lead to some side effects, even may increase your risk of developing a certain health problem. Therefore before choosing one of them, you should also review the possible side effects that may occur.

1. Danazol therapy! It is usually purposed to increase androgen and reduce estrogen level, which then hopefully will create a menopause-like state. Unfortunately, the side effects (particularly such as facial hair and acne) that occur from this treatment can be significant. Therefore it is usually not the first choice to treat pain associated with endometriosis.
2. GnRH-a therapy! Like danazol therapy, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy is also purposed to trigger a menopause-like state. It can stop menstruation and decrease the level of estrogen, as a result can cause endometrial implants to shrink. For side effects, vaginal dryness and hot flashes may occur.
3. Progestin or Depo-Provera (Medroxyprogesterone) therapy! There are two common choices of progestin; with injectable drug (Depo-Provera shot) and with pills (oral option). This therapy also can decrease estrogen and prevent menstruation, which then can reduce the pain and can shrink endometriosis. And the side effects that may occur include; depressed mood, can affect the bone production (may increase your risk of osteoporosis), and may also cause weight gain problem.
4. Hormonal contraceptives or birth-control hormones! In most women, this option can help reduce the pain, because it can be helpful to control the hormones that are responsible for the monthly buildup of endometrial tissue. If compared to other therapies, the side effects that may occur are relatively safer -- in other words it is less likely to result side effects! Therefore, it is usually more common choice than others and even can be used for many years. And there are 3 major options if you want to use these hormonal contraceptives, you can choose birth control patches, rings, or vaginal rings.

Furthermore, another choice is aromatase inhibitors. Unfortunately this option is not currently approved. Some studies found that it may effectively reduce the pain associated with endometriosis. More studies are required to find a clearly answer!
In addition, after stopping hormone therapies, there is a chance for patients to experience a recurrence of endometriosis symptoms. In other words, sometimes a hormonal therapy is not a permanent fix!
Surgery option
Surgery is usually needed if the hormone therapies don’t work. It is usually also common choice if there other organs that are affected by endometriosis. In general, surgery is purposed to remove /cut the endometrial growths & scar tissue without removing the reproductive organs. Sometimes it is also purposed to remove adhesions. 
Laparoscopy procedure is one of common procedures in surgeries to treat endometriosis. This procedure can relieve the pain and improve the chance of patient for pregnancy -- particularly true for patients with mild /moderate stage of endometriosis. 
But sometimes ovaries and uterus must also be removed (these are usually needed for severe cases of endometriosis). These procedures are familiar known as oophorectomy and hysterectomy. They can cause premature menopause (the phase of menopause that comes earlier). Therefore, these options are usually the last choice, particularly if other treatments don’t work or if patients don’t have a plan for pregnancy.
What else you need to concern on choosing your endometriosis treatment?
Finding and having a doctor with whom you feel comfortable is also important to manage and treat your endometriosis. To make sure you get what you want, you may also need to look for a second opinion before beginning any treatment - this is helpful to ensure you know the possible outcomes and all of your options.
The following are some helpful tips and important points you need to concern when choosing the endometriosis treatment:

1. Before visiting a doctor or physician for your first consultation, write some questions that you want to ask to doctor so thus you will not miss anything that you want to ask! And make sure you get a clearly answer what you ask! 
2. Explore more all the different options of treatment! Make sure you review the advantages and disadvantages (especially the side effects) of each option! Ask also the next steps after the treatment, this is usually important to lower your risk of having recurrence endometriosis symptoms.
3. If surgery is offered for your treatment, don’t forget to ask about the experience of surgeons, and how they will handle if certain complications occur after/during surgery. Ask also about the willingness of surgeon to tape and keep operation on record!
4. Ask also about the next steps if medical treatments /surgery have not alleviated the symptoms in the past!  
5. Ask also the next steps if you also have a plan for pregnancy but surgery is still not effective to treat your fertility problem!
6. Don’t forget also to ask about the chance of involving alternative treatments along with the recommended treatments! 
7. And the last, make sure you are confident to do the treatment that you choose! Remember, it’s your body -- only you that completely know and understand the condition of your body! 

________Reference: MayoClinic and WebMD

Common Lupus Symptoms in Women and Men!

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Since lupus is more common in women than in men, it’s reasonable that ‘what are common lupus symptoms in women’ is one of frequently asked questions. In fact, about 90 percent of people with this disease in the U.S are women -- according to a published article on official site of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health! And the age range of these women is 15 to 45 years of age (childbearing age). -- You may also like to read different types of lupus!
In general, lupus can be categorized into autoimmune disease. In other words it occurs when without unknown reason the immune system of patient attacks its own organs and tissues.
Furthermore, it is also familiar known as ‘chronic inflammatory disease’. Chronic means that the symptoms/signs are more likely to last longer (can be around 6 months or even may also last for many years). You may also like to read about rheumatoid arthritis symptoms (the other kind of chronic inflammatory disease)!
How do you get lupus?
As mentioned before, in people (both women and men) with lupus, the body’s system inappropriately attack its own tissues because it cannot distinguish between the healthy tissues and unfriendly foreign invaders (such as unfriendly germs, bacteria, and viruses). 
Since there is no clearly answer why it attacks its own tissues and organs, there is also no clearly answer on how to prevent lupus. In other words, lupus cannot be prevented. It also cannot be cured. But currently there are effective treatments that can help patients to relieve and control the symptoms. These treatments are usually also intended to lower the risk of organ damage.
Furthermore, most of the clearly factors /conditions that may increase your risk of having lupus are also unchangeable! These risk factors include;

1. Gender! As explained before, lupus tends to occur in women than in men. 
2. Race! This chronic inflammatory disease is more likely to occur in certain races (particularly such as Native American descent, Asian, and African descent) -- according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
3. And age! Lupus can occur at any age, however once again many studies found that it is more common in the ages of 15-40, particularly for women.

In addition, there is also a theory that lupus may be caused by a combination of genetics and environmental factors. 
Individuals who have an inherited predisposition for lupus may have higher risk of developing this chronic inflammatory disease, particularly when they come into contact with certain environmental factors (such as certain medications (like certain antibiotics, medications to treat problems associated with blood pressure, or certain anti-seizure medications) and unfriendly properties from sunlight (in some susceptible individuals, too much exposure to the sunlight may cause lupus skin lesions), cigarette smoking, etc).
How to diagnose lupus?
There is no single test or a specific test to diagnose lupus. Therefore, the diagnosis of this chronic inflammatory disease is not easy and even often misdiagnosed! In general, the diagnosis is usually involved a combination of several tests.
Some common points that are often used by doctor to help make a decision whether or not you have lupus include:

1. Family history of autoimmune diseases (particularly lupus). If there is a member of your family that have a history of an autoimmune disease, let your doctor know!
2. Medical history of patient! Make sure you tell all problems (from A to Z) that you have to your doctor, this is important for your doctor to completely understand to your situation!

And some common tests to make a diagnosis of lupus may include:
Laboratory tests
In general, most of these laboratory tests are purposed to examine blood and urine which then will be used to find problems in certain organs of patient. These blood and urine tests may include:

1. Blood tests to examine liver and kidney! In fact, kidney and liver are some common organs that can be affected by lupus. Therefore, it’s reasonable when there is something wrong with your kidney & liver, it can be a sign that you may have lupus.
2. ANA test - it stands for Antinuclear Antibody test. A positive ANA test is common in patients with lupus, but most of people with a positive ANA test are not diagnosed with lupus. That’s why once you have a positive ANA test, your doctor usually still need to do other appropriately tests before making a conclusion.
3. A blood test to find the rate of blood cells at which they settle to the tube’s bottom in an hour. This test is also familiar known as ‘erythrocyte sedimentation rate’. Abnormal result of this test can be an indication of a systemic disease (like lupus).
4. A complete blood count test to get to know the number of your platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells, and even hemoglobin. It is also helpful to find the number of protein in your red blood cells. Abnormal result of this test can be an indication of anemia (one of common problems that can occur when you have lupus).
5. And urinalysis test! It is a kind of test to analyze the sample of your urine. And if there are increased red blood cells or protein level in the urine - this can be an indication that there is something wrong with the kidneys (the kidney may have been affected by lupus).

Kidney or skin biopsy
As mentioned before, lupus can affect the kidneys in many different ways. It also can harm your skin. Therefore, sometimes biopsy is required. With this procedure, doctor will do a minor surgery to take a sample of tissue. And this tissue will be examined and analyzed to find any problem that can be an indication of an autoimmune disease (such as lupus).
Imaging tests
Sometimes these tests are needed if your doctor suspects that your heart or lung is affected by lupus. Echocardiogram and chest X-rays are some common choices of these imaging tests. 
Echocardiogram test can be helpful to analyze the function of valves and other crucial parts of your heart. It can give the heart-beat’s real-time images. And for chest X-ray, it can be used to find a lung’s inflammation.
Lupus symptoms in women and men!
In general, there is almost no significant difference for the lupus symptoms in women and men. And the most important thing you need to know is ‘in fact, the lupus signs are different from person to person -- there is almost no 2 cases of this disease are exactly like’! Some patients (both women and men) may have many symptoms, while others may only experience a few signs.
The symptoms that may occur are also usually closely dependent on the area /organ of the body that is affected! They may be severe or mild, may be permanent or temporary, and also may occur /develop on slowly or suddenly!

Butterfly rash associated with lupus
(image credit © to Interactive Medical Media LLC /WebMD)

In many cases, patients with this lupus experience mild disease characterized by episodes. Lupus is often known as a disease of flares and remissions. ‘Flare’ means a condition when the signs of lupus worsen, and ‘remission’ means a condition when these signs improve (even symptoms may disappear completely for a time and patient feels better).
Some factors that can be a flare-trigger may include; after taking certain medications, injury, too-much exposure to sunlight /light of halogen /fluorescent, infection, stress (lack of sleep or overwork), and when after patient stops taking her/his lupus medicines.
And in fact, lupus can affect any part of the body’s patient (such as lungs, brains, blood cells, heart, kidneys, skin, and joints). Therefore, this chronic inflammatory disease can cause a lot of different signs!

Raynaud's phenomenon is one of lupus symptoms
(image credit © to Barts Medical Library - Phototake /WebMD)

The common lupus symptoms and signs (in both women and men) that may occur include:

1. Something wrong with your hair (hair loss).
2. Pleurisy - you may feel chest pain, especially when taking a deeply breath. Be careful, if your experience chest pain, it’s much better to see a doctor for a clearly diagnosis, because in fact chest pain is common sign of a heart attack in men!
3. Shortness of breath.
4. Problems associated with memory, you may experience frequent confusion, memory loss, or headache.
5. Something wrong with your weight (weight gain or weight loss), especially if it occurs with unclearly reason.
6. A butterfly-shaped rash, which typically across the bridge of nose and the face that covers your cheeks!
7. Fever (higher than 100 degrees of Fahrenheit) and fatigue (extreme or prolonged fatigue), particularly if they occur without known/clearly cause.
8. Joint stiffness and achy/pain (arthralgia), and they can occur with/without swelling! Lupus that affects joints of the body may cause a condition what we call as arthritis! Furthermore, your muscles may also be affected -- you may feel muscle weakness, pain, or aches.
9. Raynaud's phenomenon (pale /purple fingers/toes)! It a condition when your toes and fingers are exposed to cold will turn blue or white. This problem may also occur during stressful periods.
10. Kidney problems also can be a sign of lupus, especially when they occur with unknown cause.
11. Problems associated with your skin, particularly such as skin rash. You may also tend to be more sensitive to the light or sun. In some patients with lupus, skin lesions may worsen /appear with sun exposure.
12. Many people with lupus also have anemia (a condition of too low level of red blood cells).

Other less common signs that may also occur include: irritated /dry eyes, depression (feeling sad), dizzy spells, painless sores in the nose /mouth, blood clots, stroke, and seizures! Moreover, people with lupus may also experience nail changes (rash on nails).

Rash on nails associated with lupus
(image credit © to Interactive Medical Media LLC /WebMD)

*** If you doubt in your condition, see a doctor promptly to diagnose any symptom that you have so thus you will get a clearly diagnosis and appropriately treatment!________Reference: Womenshealth.gov, WebMD, and MayoClinic

Different Types of Lupus | Complications | Home Remedies

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What are different types of lupus? This chronic inflammatory disease is categorized into a group of autoimmune diseases. It can affect/attack any part of the body and that’s why it can cause many symptoms and complications -- read also lupus symptoms in women and men. And in many cases; kidneys, heart, skin, lungs, brain, joints and blood are some common areas /organs of the body that affected.
Lupus can attack anyone and also can occur at any age. But many studies found that is more likely to occur in women (female) than in men (male) -- particularly in the age range of 15 to 45 years of age (this age range is childbearing age). Even in very rare cases, it also can occur in childhood!
The progression of lupus and its symptoms
Lupus is not only can affect any part of your body and have a lot of symptoms, but there are also some types of this chronic inflammatory disease. Furthermore, it’s also often misdiagnosed since the symptoms can be very different for each patient and no currently specific test to help doctor to make a diagnosis of lupus.
Therefore, it’s reasonable if the calculation of patients who have lupus in many countries is not easy. But about 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported for every year in the U.S -- according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
Once again, the symptoms vary from person to person - even we can say that there is almost no two patients with lupus are exactly like! 
An individual with lupus may only have a kidney trouble or may only feel more fatigue all the time, while another individual may experience rashes. And someone else may experience high fever and swollen knees. The symptoms may come and go, and the disease may develop slowly in some patient - while others may have a quickly progression of the disease.  
Over time, there is a chance for patient to have more symptoms or more organs that affected by the disease - therefore it’s important for her/him to take the right treatments in order to reduce /eliminate these risks!
How about with the prognosis of patients with lupus? 
Is lupus a kind of fatal disease? Well, the answer is dependent on the condition of each patient. In some patients, it may lead to severe health problems. But for others, it may only a mild disease. But though the symptoms of your lupus are mild, it’s much better for your body to get a constant treatment & monitoring by your doctor in order to keep safe.
In essence, the outlook for this chronic inflammatory disease varies, which is usually closely dependent on the areas /organs of the body affected and the level of the symptom severity. 
Like most autoimmune diseases, the exact cause of why the body’s immune system in people with lupus attack its own tissue is also still not known. This is one of reasons why there is still no cure for lupus, especially for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (the most common type of lupus). 
The currently treatments are more focused to relieve and manage the symptoms, and also purposed to slow/prevent the damage to organs of patient. Overall, the chance of patients with lupus to have a normal lifespan is also good, particularly if they follow all treatment plans and instructions from their doctor.
Different types of lupus
There are some types of lupus, and the following are some of them -- according to The National Women’s Health Information Center:
Neonatal lupus
If compared to other types, neonatal lupus may be the rarest type. It is a kind of lupus that usually affects newborn or infants. Many experts believe that certain antibodies from the mother (especially from women with lupus) have a significant contribution to cause this kind of lupus in newborn. 
But there is also a chance for healthy women who don’t have lupus to cause neonatal lupus in their newborn. For these cases, these healthy women will usually also develop some lupus signs later in life.
Fortunately, this type is usually a kind of temporary lupus which means the symptoms are more likely to completely disappear after certain periods of time and usually there are also no lasting effects. 
And most newborn from women with lupus are also healthy. But there is still a chance from newborn with neonatal lupus to have a permanent heart condition. 
Today, with the appropriately tests, physicians and doctors can catch /indentify earlier whether or not a pregnant woman will have a newborn with neonatal lupus, so thus the preventive steps can be prepared to treat the infants at/before birth!
Drug-induced
As the name suggests, certain medications/medicines/drugs are the cause of this type. Many medicines are suspected for the cause of this kind of lupus. They may be drugs involved for the treatment of serious chronic diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, heart disease, neuropsychiatric disorders, high blood pressure, etc), which usually must be taken/prescribed over long periods of time. But not all individuals who take these medicines will have drug-induced lupus. 
And the chance to reverse this type is good - particularly after a specific medicine that cause drug-induced lupus is discontinued! So for the treatment, it is important for doctors to find a specific medicine/drug that cause drug-induced lupus.
The drug-induced lupus symptoms are like other common lupus symptoms, but they usually don’t affect the major organs.
Cutaneous lupus
This type is also very familiar known as skin lupus. Cutaneous itself is a term that means ‘skin’. Photosensitivity (a kind of immunological response to sunlight or light), ulcers, blood vessel’s swelling (vasculitis), and skin lesions/rashes are some common symptoms of this kind of lupus.
To diagnose this type, one of common procedures is by taking a sample piece of sore /rash which then will be analyzed under a microscope. In general, there are 2 types of cutaneous lupus; (a) subacute cutaneous lupus and (b) DLE (discoid lupus erythematosus) -- ask a doctor for in-depth information!
SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
As mentioned before, it is the most common type of lupus (it takes about 70 percent or maybe more of all cases), and it can affect a lot of parts of the body. And symptoms of SLE usually represent the symptoms of lupus in general -- even many people when discussing/talking about lupus, they usually means SLE!
The exact cause of SLE is not known, therefore there is also no clearly answer on how to prevent it. To make a diagnosis of SLE, doctors usually need to perform some laboratory tests and physical examinations. 
What are common complications of lupus?
Once again, lupus can affect any part of the body and therefore it also can cause many complications. Therefore, patients with lupus are also at higher risk of having: 

1. Heart problems -- there is a chance for this chronic inflammatory disease to cause/create inflammation of heart membrane, heart arteries, or heart muscle. Patients also tend to have an increased risk of having anemia and blood clotting/ bleeding!  
2. Problems associated with lungs! Patients with lupus can have an inflammation of their pleurisy (chest cavity lining), as a result they may have painful breathing problem.
3. Lupus also can affect brain. Therefore, some patients may also complain about hallucinations, memory problems, dizziness, headaches, or even they may also experience seizures or stroke! You may also like to read effects of stroke on brain!
4. And problems associated with kidneys (such as kidney failure or kidney damage)! This complication is one of common causes of death in patients with lupus.
5. Other complications may include; increased risk of having certain cancer, pregnancy complications (pregnant women with lupus are more likely to experience more pregnancy complications), and avascular necrosis (a condition when the blood supply to the bone is interrupted).

In addition, lupus and its treatments also can decrease the strength of the body’s immune system. Therefore, they are usually also more vulnerable to infection!
Home remedies for lupus
Symptoms /signs of lupus and which organs of your body that affected are some common factors that influence what is kind of treatment that you should take! In line with the flares and remissions of your symptoms, you and your doctor may find the best plan to change /modify the medications or dosages!
Along with the prescribed treatment /medicines, the following are some helpful tips:
Keep far away from stress!
Stress is one of factors that may trigger a flare episode of lupus symptoms. Therefore, it is important to keep the level of your stress as low as possible!
Having adequate rest each day is helpful to manage your stress and fatigue. Other helpful tips include:

1. Do a helpful therapy to control your stress, such as yoga or meditation.
2. Get a regular exercise! It is not only useful to improve your overall health but also can reduce your stress level.
3. Schedule your activities so thus you can prepare yourself better to manage/control your stress! It’s much better to stay on a simple daily schedule -- as simple as you can!

Keep on healthy diet and healthy lifestyle!
As mentioned before, there are many complications that can be generated by lupus. These complications (such as hypertension or kidney damage) are one of common reasons why patients with lupus usually also need to have dietary restrictions.
However, healthy diet is not only important to control the lupus symptoms but also very helpful to improve your overall health.
Cigarette smoking also must be avoided - otherwise it will worsen the effects of lupus on your blood vessels and heart. Furthermore, many studies also found that smoking also can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease!
Give more attention to your skin!
Many patients with lupus complain about skin rash! Even many of them are also more sensitive to the light, especially sunlight. Therefore, ‘be sun smart’! If you want to go to outdoor (especially in the time when the sun’s rays are strong), use protective clothing (like long pants, long sleeved shirt, & a hat) to prevent too much exposure of ultraviolet!
You can also use a helpful cream (like corticosteroid cream). This cream can be helpful to ease the skin symptoms. Ask your doctor for more advices!________Reference: MayoClinic and WebMD