Pregnancy and Maternity

Dengue is an infection caused by a virus. You can get it if an infected mosquito bites you. Dengue does not spread from person to person. It is common in warm, wet areas of the world. Outbreaks occur in the rainy season. Dengue is rare in the United States. Symptoms include a high fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, vomiting, and a rash. In some cases, dengue turns into dengue hemorrhagic fever, which causes bleeding from your nose, gums, or under your skin. It can also become dengue shock syndrome, which causes massive bleeding and shock. These forms of dengue are life-threatening. There is no specific treatment. Most people with dengue recover within 2 weeks. Until then, drinking lots of fluids, resting and taking non-aspirin fever-reducing medicines might help. People with the more severe forms of dengue usually need to go to the hospital and get fluids. To lower your risk when traveling to areas where dengue is found - Wear insect repellent with DEET - Wear clothes that cover your arms, legs and feet - Close unscreened doors and windows NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain's ventricles, or cavities. It occurs if the normal flow of CSF throughout the brain and spinal cord is blocked in some way. This causes the ventricles to enlarge, putting pressure on the brain. Normal pressure hydrocephalus can occur in people of any age, but it is most common in the elderly. It may result from a subarachnoid hemorrhage, head trauma, infection, tumor, or complications of surgery. However, many people develop NPH even when none of these factors are present. In these cases the cause of the disorder is unknown. Symptoms of NPH include progressive mental impairment and dementia, problems with walking, and impaired bladder control. The person also may have a general slowing of movements or may complain that his or her feet feel "stuck." Because these symptoms are similar to those of other disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the disorder is often misdiagnosed. Many cases go unrecognized and are never properly treated. Doctors may use a variety of tests, including brain scans (CT and/or MRI), a spinal tap or lumbar catheter, intracranial pressure monitoring, and neuropsychological tests, to help them diagnose NPH and rule out other conditions.

After any operation, you'll have some side effects. There is usually some pain with surgery. There may also be swelling and soreness around the area that the surgeon cut. Your surgeon can tell you which side effects to expect. There can also be complications. These are unplanned events linked to the operation. Some complications are infection, too much bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, or accidental injury. Some people have a greater risk of complications because of other medical conditions. Your surgeon can tell you how you might feel and what you will be able to do - or not do - the first few days, weeks, or months after surgery. Some other questions to ask are - How long you will be in the hospital - What kind of supplies, equipment, and help you might need when you go home - When you can go back to work - When it is ok to start exercising again - Are they any other restrictions in your activities Following your surgeon's advice can help you recover as soon as possible. Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research

Menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman's monthly cycle. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus. It passes out of the body through the vagina. Periods usually start between age 11 and 14 and continue until menopause at about age 51. They usually last from three to five days. Besides bleeding from the vagina, you may have - Abdominal or pelvic cramping - Lower back pain - Bloating and sore breasts - Food cravings - Mood swings and irritability - Headache and fatigue Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a group of symptoms that start before the period. It can include emotional and physical symptoms. Consult your health care provider if you have big changes in your cycle. They may be signs of other problems that should be treated. NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

After any operation, you'll have some side effects. There is usually some pain with surgery. There may also be swelling and soreness around the area that the surgeon cut. Your surgeon can tell you which side effects to expect. There can also be complications. These are unplanned events linked to the operation. Some complications are infection, too much bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, or accidental injury. Some people have a greater risk of complications because of other medical conditions. Your surgeon can tell you how you might feel and what you will be able to do - or not do - the first few days, weeks, or months after surgery. Some other questions to ask are - How long you will be in the hospital - What kind of supplies, equipment, and help you might need when you go home - When you can go back to work - When it is ok to start exercising again - Are they any other restrictions in your activities Following your surgeon's advice can help you recover as soon as possible. Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research

It is important to notify public health departments about even one person with marine toxin poisoning. Public health departments can then investigate to determine if a restaurant, oyster bed, or fishing area has a problem. This prevents other illnesses. In any food poisoning occurrence, consumers should note foods eaten and freeze any uneaten portions in case they need to be tested. A commercial test has been developed in Hawaii to allow persons to test sport caught fish for ciguatoxins.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain's ventricles, or cavities. It occurs if the normal flow of CSF throughout the brain and spinal cord is blocked in some way. This causes the ventricles to enlarge, putting pressure on the brain. Normal pressure hydrocephalus can occur in people of any age, but it is most common in the elderly. It may result from a subarachnoid hemorrhage, head trauma, infection, tumor, or complications of surgery. However, many people develop NPH even when none of these factors are present. In these cases the cause of the disorder is unknown. Symptoms of NPH include progressive mental impairment and dementia, problems with walking, and impaired bladder control. The person also may have a general slowing of movements or may complain that his or her feet feel "stuck." Because these symptoms are similar to those of other disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the disorder is often misdiagnosed. Many cases go unrecognized and are never properly treated. Doctors may use a variety of tests, including brain scans (CT and/or MRI), a spinal tap or lumbar catheter, intracranial pressure monitoring, and neuropsychological tests, to help them diagnose NPH and rule out other conditions.

While childbirth usually goes well, complications can happen. They can cause a risk to the mother, baby, or both. Possible complications include - Preterm (premature) labor, when labor starts before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy - Problems with the umbilical cord - Problems with the position of the baby, such as breech, in which the baby is going to come out feet first - Birth injuries For some of these problems, the baby may need to be delivered surgically by a Cesarean section.

Thyroid disease is a disorder that affects the thyroid gland. Sometimes the body produces too much or too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones regulate metabolismthe way the body uses energyand affect nearly every organ in the body. Too much thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism and can cause many of the bodys functions to speed up. Too little thyroid hormone is called hypothyroidism and can cause many of the bodys functions to slow down. Thyroid hormone plays a critical role during pregnancy both in the development of a healthy baby and in maintaining the health of the mother. Women with thyroid problems can have a healthy pregnancy and protect their fetuses health by learning about pregnancys effect on the thyroid, keeping current on their thyroid function testing, and taking the required medications.

Summary : Accidents happen. Someone chokes on an ice cube or gets stung by a bee. It is important to know when to call 9-1-1 -- it is for life-threatening emergencies. While waiting for help to arrive, you may be able to save someone's life. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is for people whose hearts or breathing has stopped and the Heimlich maneuver is for people who are choking. You can also learn to handle common injuries and wounds. Cuts and scrapes, for example, should be rinsed with cool water. To stop bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure, using gauze. If blood soaks through, add more gauze, keeping the first layer in place. Continue to apply pressure. It is important to have a first aid kit available. Keep one at home and one in your car. It should include a first-aid guide. Read the guide to learn how to use the items, so you are ready in case an emergency happens.

Each year, 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from contaminated food. Common culprits include bacteria, parasites and viruses. Symptoms range from mild to serious. They include - Upset stomach - Abdominal cramps - Nausea and vomiting - Diarrhea - Fever - Dehydration Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of foodborne illness. Foods may have some bacteria on them when you buy them. Raw meat may become contaminated during slaughter. Fruits and vegetables may become contaminated when they are growing or when they are processed. But it can also happen in your kitchen if you leave food out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Handling food safely can help prevent foodborne illnesses. The treatment in most cases is increasing your fluid intake. For more serious illness, you may need treatment at a hospital. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Birth control, also known as contraception, is designed to prevent pregnancy. Birth control methods may work in a number of different ways: - Preventing sperm from getting to the eggs. Types include condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and contraceptive sponges. - Keeping the woman's ovaries from releasing eggs that could be fertilized. Types include birth control pills, patches, shots, vaginal rings, and emergency contraceptive pills. - IUDs, devices which are implanted into the uterus. They can be kept in place for several years. - Sterilization, which permanently prevents a woman from getting pregnant or a man from being able to get a woman pregnant Your choice of birth control should depend on several factors. These include your health, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners and desire to have children in the future. Your health care provider can help you select the best form of birth control for you. NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Summary : A vegetarian diet focuses on plants for food. These include fruits, vegetables, dried beans and peas, grains, seeds and nuts. There is no single type of vegetarian diet. Instead, vegetarian eating patterns usually fall into the following groups: - The vegan diet, which excludes all meat and animal products - The lacto vegetarian diet, which includes plant foods plus dairy products - The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, which includes both dairy products and eggs People who follow vegetarian diets can get all the nutrients they need. However, they must be careful to eat a wide variety of foods to meet their nutritional needs. Nutrients vegetarians may need to focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12. United States Department of Agriculture

Summary : Planning for the end of life can be difficult. But by deciding what end-of-life care best suits your needs when you are healthy, you can help those close to you make the right choices when the time comes. End-of-life planning usually includes making choices about the following: - The goals of care (for example, whether to use certain medicines during the last days of life) - Where you want to spend your final days - Which treatments for end-of-life care you wish to receive - What type of palliative care and hospice care you wish to receive Advance directives can help make your wishes clear to your family and health care providers.

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Summary : A Cesarean section (C-section) is surgery to deliver a baby. The baby is taken out through the mother's abdomen. In the United States, about one in four women have their babies this way. Most C-sections are done when unexpected problems happen during delivery. These include - Health problems in the mother - The position of the baby - Not enough room for the baby to go through the vagina - Signs of distress in the baby C-sections are also more common among women carrying more than one baby. The surgery is relatively safe for mother and baby. Still, it is major surgery and carries risks. It also takes longer to recover from a C-section than from vaginal birth. After healing, the incision may leave a weak spot in the wall of the uterus. This could cause problems with an attempted vaginal birth later. However, more than half of women who have a C-section can give vaginal birth later.

Summary : It seems to happen almost every day - you hear about the results of a new medical research study. Sometimes the results of one study seem to disagree with the results of another study. It's important to be critical when reading or listening to reports of new medical findings. Some questions that can help you evaluate health information include: - Was the study in animals or people? - Does the study include people like you? - How big was the study? - Was it a randomized controlled clinical trial? - Where was the research done? - If a new treatment was being tested, were there side effects? - Who paid for the research? - Who is reporting the results? NIH: National Institutes of Health

When you're short of breath, it's hard or uncomfortable for you to take in the oxygen your body needs. You may feel as if you're not getting enough air. Sometimes mild breathing problems are from a stuffy nose or hard exercise. But shortness of breath can also be a sign of a serious disease. Many conditions can make you feel short of breath. Lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema or pneumonia cause breathing difficulties. So can problems with your trachea or bronchi, which are part of your airway system. Heart disease can make you feel breathless if your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body. Stress caused by anxiety can also make it hard for you to breathe. If you often have trouble breathing, it is important to find out the cause.

If you have diabetes,* the best time to control your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is before you get pregnant. High blood glucose levels can be harmful to your baby during the first weeks of pregnancyeven before you know you are pregnant. Blood glucose targets are different for women who are trying to get pregnant. Targets are numbers you aim for. Pregnancy and new motherhood are times of great excitement and change for any woman. If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and are hoping to get pregnant soon, you can learn what to do to have a healthy baby. You can also learn how to take care of yourself and your diabetes before, during, and after your pregnancy. If you have diabetes and are already pregnant, don't panic! Just make sure you are doing everything you can to take care of yourself and your diabetes during your pregnancy. For Women with Gestational Diabetes More information about gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops only during pregnancy, is provided in the NIDDK health topic, What I need to know about Gestational Diabetes. *See Pronunciation Guide for tips on how to say the words in bold type. If you have diabetes, your pregnancy is considered high risk, which means you have an increased risk of problems during your pregnancy. You need to pay special attention to your health, and you may need to see doctors who specialize in treating diabetes or its complications. Millions of high-risk pregnancies, such as those in which women are older than 35 or carrying two or more babies, produce perfectly healthy babies without affecting the mother's health.

Summary : Preparing for a disaster can reduce the fear, anxiety and losses that disasters cause. A disaster can be a natural disaster, like a hurricane, tornado, flood or earthquake. It might also be man-made, like a bioterrorist attack or chemical spill. You should know the risks and danger signs of different types of disasters. You should also have a disaster plan. Be ready to evacuate your home, and know how to treat basic medical problems. Make sure you have the insurance you need, including special types, like flood insurance. No matter what kind of disaster you experience, it causes emotional distress. After a disaster, recovery can take time. Stay connected to your family and friends during this period. Federal Emergency Management Agency

Thyroid disease is a disorder that affects the thyroid gland. Sometimes the body produces too much or too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones regulate metabolismthe way the body uses energyand affect nearly every organ in the body. Too much thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism and can cause many of the bodys functions to speed up. Too little thyroid hormone is called hypothyroidism and can cause many of the bodys functions to slow down. Thyroid hormone plays a critical role during pregnancy both in the development of a healthy baby and in maintaining the health of the mother. Women with thyroid problems can have a healthy pregnancy and protect their fetuses health by learning about pregnancys effect on the thyroid, keeping current on their thyroid function testing, and taking the required medications.

Frequently Asked Queestions (FAQs)

Thyroid disease is a disorder that affects the thyroid gland. Sometimes the body produces too much or too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones regulate metabolismthe way the body uses energyand affect nearly every organ in the body. Too much thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism and can cause many of the bodys functions to speed up. Too little thyroid hormone is called hypothyroidism and can cause many of the bodys functions to slow down. Thyroid hormone plays a critical role during pregnancy both in the development of a healthy baby and in maintaining the health of the mother. Women with thyroid problems can have a healthy pregnancy and protect their fetuses health by learning about pregnancys effect on the thyroid, keeping current on their thyroid function testing, and taking the required medications.

Healthcare Questions

Category: Pregnancy-and-Maternity