Tag: cancers

Tests and Examinations for Adolescent Girls

Adolescence is the time when girls face many changes as they not only become physically mature, but sexually, too. In order to maintain good health, they need to consult gynecologist, adolescent medicine physician and obstetrician. Adolescents who are sexually active need to get some test done like pelvic examination, Pap test and test for checking sexually transmitted diseases. This helps the early determination of conditions that can affect reproductive, gynecological and sexual health.

Schiller test is conducted where the iodine solution is used to cover the cervix. In colposcopy, colposcope is used to check the cervix and the vagina. Cancer is checked by biopsy. In this a small quantity of cervical tissue is removed and a pathologist checks the tissue for abnormal cells.

The most important test is the Pap test or a pap smear. The cells from the mouth of the womb or the cervix are collected to check for cancer, abnormal cells, infection or inflammation. The detection of abnormalities shows signs of cancer. Therefore it is recommended that every female must take Pap test regularly to check out for invasive cancers in the early stages itself. And if invasive cancer is detected, it can be successfully treated in the early stages. Apart from detecting invasive cancer, other changes, such as cancer cells or dysplasia and inflammation, of the vagina and cervix can also be determined. Inflammation can be caused by pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, hormones, trichomoniasis infections, viruses, bacteria, yeast infections, and other medication.

The repetition Pap test will be suggested by the gynecologist. When a girl becomes sexually active, she will have to test for cervical cancer after three years of becoming active because it usually takes many years for the significant development of cancer or abnormality. Usually there are some cervical cell changes and transient human papilloma virus infections or HPV infections which are very common. Therefore, a Pap test for cervical cancer is recommended every three years. But women who are under thirty years are at a higher risk of getting HPV infections of higher risk. It would be more feasible if every individual takes advice from her doctor about when she can begin screening, the frequency of the test to be taken, and when she can discontinue the tests.

In a Pap test, if abnormal cells are determined, usually more tests are recommended to detect abnormalities which will require treatment. Abnormal Pap test will be handled differently for adolescents when compared to adults. Usually the low grade cervical lesions will not require any treatment and will go away on their own. That is the reason why the Pap test is repeated after a gap of six to twelve months, after the original Pap test which identifies abnormalities. But this repetition will vary from individual to individual depending on her health status and kind of abnormalities found.

A replacement of the Pap test is thinprep test. It involves new technique for testing cells from the cervix for abnormalities. But the cost of getting a thinprep test done is double the cost of getting Pap test done. The advantage of getting a thinprep test is that it requires to be re-done less number of times and detects lesions in initial stages itself. The cervical cells, instead of getting smeared on a slide, are introduced into a liquid vial. After the filtration of the liquid, the cells from the cervix are examined by being placed on the slide.

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Spray Tanning On The Rise Not Just Celebrities

Probably thanks in no small part to celebrities, the appeal of spray tanning seems to be on the rise. As with most things, there can be pros and cons to getting this type of tan.

In this article I will give you both the pros and cons to spray tanning as well as a general overview of how it’s done and some things you can do to prepare your skin so the results are more effective and attractive.

Tanning this way means that you are literally being sprayed all over your body, with a compound that is comprised of an element that darkens your skin, DHA. DHA has been declared safe by the FDA for this type of use, which is one of the biggest “pros” to this type of tan.

Even so, you do need to be very careful around the eyes.

Since this is basically just a temporary stain you are adding to your skin, it does not have the same long lasting, harmful effects that UV rays have. Whether you get those rays in a tanning bed or at the beach, UV rays can lead to pre mature aging of the skin and possibly even skin cancer.

Even a little exposure to UV rays can cause problems. There really is no “safe” amount of rays though it is generally accepted that moderate amounts over a lifetime, particularly if you don’t ever get sun burnt, is probably not too big of a cause for alarm for most people.

Of course, there are those people who have a pre disposition to cancers of all types, not just skin cancer, and for those individuals even more caution is needed.

Anyway, back to spray tanning. You can do it at home or at local tanning salon. If you do it at home you will probably want to enlist the help of a friend since it can be tough to target all parts of your body on your own.

To increase the effectiveness here are some tips:

1. First of all pick the proper shade for your skin tone. If you are very fair skinned and you try to go ultra dark you may find it looks weird. Instead, try to take your skin up a few steps in color only.

2. Shaving before you get your tan may be a good idea since it is recommended that you don’t shave for at least 24 hours after the tan is applied.

If you get rashy after you shave, you may want to shave at least 24 hours prior to your tanning session to make sure that the rash settles down first.

2. Use an exfoliating wash prior to your tan. Getting rid of as much dried skin as possible and moisturizing afterward can make your skin smoother and less susceptible to looking “blotchy”.

Pay particular attention to those parts of your body that are rough such as elbows and feet. Making these as smooth as possible will also help ensure that they look good after the the tan is applied.

3. Be prepared to repeat the process every week or so. The tan does wash off and will fade over time. That is one of the biggest “cons”; tanning this way can end up being time consuming and costly to keep your tan looking good all season long.

Spray tanning is not without it’s issues, but for anyone who likes that “sun kissed” look it may be a better way to get that look then spending countless hours damaging your skin in the sun.