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Thursday, 5 June 2014

02:00

Yeast Infections During Pregnancy



Yeast infections during pregnancy are more common than any other time in a woman’s life, especially during the second trimester of pregnancy. You may be noticing an increase in the amount of thin, white, odd smelling discharge. This is common and a normal symptom in the second trimester. If you think you may be experiencing a yeast infection, the following information will prepare you to discuss the possibility with your doctor. Though yeast infections have no major negative effect on pregnancy, they are often more difficult to control during pregnancy causing significant discomfort for you. Don’t waste time in seeking treatment.



What Is A Yeast Infection?

Yeast infection occurs when the normal levels of acid and yeast in the vagina are out of balance, which allows yeast to overgrow causing an uncomfortable, but not serious, condition called yeast infection.

If you have never been diagnosed or treated by a physician for a yeast infection and have some of the symptoms, you should see your physician first for accurate diagnosis and treatment.





What Causes A Yeast Infections During Pregnancy?

A yeast infection can be caused by one or more of the following:
  • Hormonal changes that come with pregnancy or before your period
  • Taking hormones or birth control pills
  • Taking antibiotics, or steroids
  • High blood sugar, as in diabetes
  • Vaginal intercourse
  • Douching
  • Blood or semen
Why Are Yeast Infections More Common During Pregnancy?

Your body is going through so many changes right now, and it is difficult for your body to keep up with the chemical changes in the vaginal environment. There is more sugar in the vaginal secretions on which the yeast can feed, causing an imbalance, which results in too much fungus.

What Are The Symptoms Of Yeast Infections?

The symptoms of a yeast infection may include one or more of the following:
  • Discharge that is usually white, similar to cottage cheese and may smell like yeast/bread
  • Other discharge may be greenish or yellowish, also similar to cottage cheese and may smell like yeast/bread
  • Copious amounts of discharge
  • Redness, itching, or irritation of the lips of the vagina
  • Burning during urination or intercourse
  • What Else Could I Be Experiencing?
If you are experiencing symptoms similar to a yeast infection, but a physician has ruled this diagnosis out, you may have one of the following:
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, & Trichomoniasis
  • A vaginal infection called Bacterial Vaginosis

How Do I Know For Sure If I Have A Yeast Infection?

At your doctor’s office or medical clinic, a clinician will use a simple, painless swab to remove discharge or vaginal secretions and examine it through a microscope. Usually, upon a simple examination of the vagina, a physician can diagnose a yeast infection. In rare cases the culture may be sent to a lab.

How Are Yeast Infections Treated During Pregnancy?

During pregnancy physicians recommend vaginal creams and suppositories only. The oral medication, Diflucan (a single-dose medication), has not been proven safe during pregnancy and lactation. If left untreated, yeast infections can pass to your baby’s mouth during delivery. This is called “thrush” and is effectively treated with Nystatin.

It may take 10-14 days to find relief or completely clear up the infection while you are pregnant. After the infection has cleared up and any sores have healed, it may be helpful to use a starch-free drying powder, or Nystatin powder to prevent a recurring infection.

How Can I Prevent A Yeast Infection Or Recurring Yeast Infections?

Most yeast infections can usually be avoided by doing the following:
  • Wear loose, cotton, breathable clothing, and cotton underwear.
  • After regular, thorough washing, use your blow dryer on a low, cool setting to help dry your genital area.
  • Always wipe from front to back after using the restroom.
  • Shower immediately after you swim. Change out of swimsuit, workout clothes or other damp clothes as soon as possible.
  • Don’t douche; and don’t use feminine hygiene sprays, sanitary pads, and tampons that contain deodorant, bubble bath, colored or perfumed toilet paper
  • Include yogurt with “lactobacillus acidophilus” in your diet
  • Limit sugar intake, as sugar promotes the growth of yeast
  • Get plenty of rest to make it easier for your body to fight infections
When Should I Contact My Doctor?

If you are experiencing the symptoms described in this article, call your doctor now. Yeast infections have similar symptoms of other infections, and among them STD’s. Proper diagnosis every time you experience these symptoms is vital for the most effective, immediate treatment, or your condition may worsen.

If you see no improvement within three days or if symptoms worsen or come back after treatment, you should contact your health provider again.
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Wednesday, 4 June 2014

14:14

GBS Bacterial


Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a type of bacterial infection that can be found in a pregnant woman’s vagina or rectum. This bacteria is normally found in the vagina and/or rectum of about 25 % of all healthy, adult women.

Those women who test positive for GBS are said to be colonized. A mother can pass GBS to her baby during delivery. GBS is responsible for affecting about 1 in every 2,000 babies in the United States. Not every baby who is born to a mother who tests positive for GBS will become ill.

Although GBS is rare in pregnant women, the outcome can be severe, and therefore physicians include testing as a routine part of prenatal care.

How Can I Find Out If I Have Group B Strep Infection?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended routine screening for vaginal strep B for all pregnant women. This screening is performed between the 35th and 37th week of pregnancy (studies show that testing done within 5 weeks of delivery is the most accurate at predicting the GBS status at time of birth.)

The test involves a swab of both the vagina and the rectum. The sample is then taken to a lab where a culture is analyzed for any presence of GBS. Test results are usually available within 24 to 48 hours.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all women who have risk factors PRIOR to being screened for GBS (for example, women who have preterm labor beginning prior to 37 completed weeks’ gestation) are treated with IV antibiotics until their GBS status is established.

How Does Someone Get Group B Strep?

The bacteria that causes group B strep normally lives in the intestine, vagina, or rectal areas. Group B strep colonization is not a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Approximately 25% of all healthy women carry group B strep bacteria. For most women there are no symptoms of carrying the GBS bacteria.

What If I Test Positive For Group B Strep Infection?

If you test positive for GBS this simply means that you are a carrier. Not every baby who is born to a mother who tests positive for GBS will become ill. Approximately one out of every 200 babies whose mothers carry GBS and are not treated with antibiotics, will develop signs and symptoms of GBS disease. There are, however, symptoms that may indicate that you are at a higher risk of delivering a baby with GBS. These symptoms include:
  • Labor or rupture of membrane before 37 weeks
  • Rupture of membrane 18 hours or more before delivery
  • Fever during labor
  • A urinary tract infection as a result of GBS during your pregnancy
  • A previous baby with GBS disease
In this case your physician will want to use antibiotics for prevention and protection.

According to the CDC, if you have tested positive and are not in the high risk category, then your chances of delivering a baby with GBS are:
  • 1 in 200 if antibiotics are not given
  • 1 in 4000 if antibiotics are given
How Can I Protect My Baby From Group B Strep Infection?

If you test positive for GBS and meet the high risk criteria, then your physician will recommend giving you antibiotics through IV during your delivery to prevent your baby from becoming ill. Taking antibiotics greatly decreases the chances of your baby developing early onset group B strep infection.

For women who are group B strep carriers, antibiotics given before labor begins are not effective at preventing the transmission of the group B bacteria. Since they naturally live in the gastrointestinal tract (guts), the bacteria can come back after antibiotics. A woman may test positive at certain times and not at others. That’s why it is important for all pregnant women to be tested for group B strep between 35 to 37 weeks of every pregnancy.

If you are at a low risk, the decision to use antibiotics is up to you. There are herbal remedies that you can take 2-3 weeks before delivery that a midwife or homeopathic physician can recommend.

How Does Group B Strep Infection Affect A Newborn Baby?

Babies may experience early or late-onset of GBS.

The signs and symptoms of early onset GBS include:

  • Signs and symptoms occurring within hours of delivery
  • Breathing problems, heart and blood pressure instability
  • Gastrointestinal and kidney problems
  • Sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis are the most common complications
Newborns with early-onset are treated the same as the mothers, which is through intravenous antibiotics.

The signs and symptoms of late-onset GBS include:

  • Signs and symptoms occurring within a week or a few months of delivery
  • Meningitis is the most common symptom
  • Late-onset GBS is not as common as early-onset
Late-onset of GBS could be a result of delivery, or the baby may have contracted it by coming into contact with someone who has GBS.
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