At the present moment there is no actual cause identified for the condition and no real treatment. However if the condition is discovered at an early stage there is a chance of successful treatment first with surgery and then by radio therapy. It can not be considered as a complete cure but at least will prolong the life expectancy up to 5 years.

In order to prevent the condition and detect it at early stages the following measures should be taken:

• First of all clinical exam of the breast is necessary for women between 20 and 40 years at least once in 3 years. The women older than 40 require examination once a year.
• Another important procedure is mammography. It represents a radiological exam of the breast that contains a little dose of X-rays. It is recommended for women over 40 and is considered highly beneficial in their case. In general women should check any suspicions they have on the account of their breast condition. The earlier the condition is investigated the easier it is to treat.
• There is also such a method of early breast cancer detection – the auto examination of the breast. It is usually carried out 10 days after the menstruation for sake of the more accurate results. Nowadays internet provides with plenty of information concerning auto examination techniques and the condition itself.

There are certain symptoms that can be predecessors of breast cancer. Axillary’s tumor mass, or a tumor mass located in the breast is the first symptom. Also a thicker area of the breast if compared to the area around it. If your breasts have changed shape or size it is also something to worry about. Pains in the mammilla and any secretion that is not milk, also wrinkles, depressions, or red breast skin – should be a reason for a serious check-up.

The most probable causes for breast cancer are the following: sex, age, genetic risk, family history of the illness, early age radiological examinations, normal substitution therapy, biopsies, alcohol abuse, and excessive weight.

The following risk factors can be differentiated: early menstruation, also absence of birth or a late first pregnancy (that is after 35), and late menopause as well refer to personal risk factors. There are also genetic ones and they are the following: family history and the presence of other genetic factors.

It is also important to know that not all changes in your breast necessarily mean cancer and if yes, still 80 % are benign. Remember that a risk of having the condition increases with age; it is even greater provided you have crossed the line of 70. Family history of breast cancer is a triggering factor as well as not – in plenty of case it is not to be the case. It is essential to diagnose the condition at an early stage as the chances to eliminate it are higher then.

Different factors can cause preterm delivery. Mostly a mother’s lifestyle is something that can evoke the condition. This includes stress, smoking, drinking, using drugs or eating poorly, and etc. But there are also factors that cannot be controlled, factors that are connected with hormonal imbalance, a structural abnormality of the uterus, an influence of a chronic illness or an infection. Mothers older than 35 years of age or less than 19 are in this high-risk group.

Why premature babies are different and what are their needs? It is simple: they need warmth and special nutrition. Premature babies do not have enough of body fat that will keep them warm and therefore they are helped with incubators or radiant warmers. These devices are specially designed for keeping a new-born warm and comfortable until it is mature enough not to be dependant of it. Babies also receive particular nutrition that is different from the one that full-term babies get. The digestive system of preemies is immature and they are unable to feed from the breast and have a risk of having a characteristic only for premature babies infection called necrotizing enterocolitis. Instead they get milk (sometimes mixed with special fortifiers) through a tube.

There are some problems that preemies can have due to the immaturity of their internal organs.

• First of all it concerns hyperbilirubinemia. It is common with such babies (80%). Such babies have high levels of bilirubin and this condition leads to development of jaundice. In order to treat the condition jaundiced preemies are placed under special lights.
• Another frequent problem is apnea. It happens because babies have immature area in the brain that is responsible for breathing. It is generally cured by gentle stimulation. In case when the condition happens often medications and a nasal device can be also used.
• Premature babies can also be affected by anemia. This happens due to the lack of number of red blood cells necessary for carrying enough oxygen to the body. Premature babies, with a weight less than 1,000 grams are in need of blood cell transfusions.
• Infection, fluid/blood loss or medications that a mother had to take can cause hypotension, or low blood pressure. This condition is treated with the help of increased fluid intake and medications.
• And, finally, respiratory distress syndrome, or RDS, is also a common condition among preemies. This happens when the immature lungs lack an important substance called surfactant. But it is not a dangerous case; it is successfully treated. Generally a mother who is expected to have a preterm delivery is given an appropriate medication that is able to prevent the condition. In some cases artificial surfactant is given after birth as well.

Beautiful long dresses should not necessarily be avoided if you are pregnant. These long flowing dresses can be different and your imagination is the only limit. Try to attract attention to such details as pretty neckline or interesting hemlines.

Tunics are a hit, seriously. They can be worn alone as well as over jeans. There is such a variation of them that no one can be disappointed. Stretchy fabrics are recommended as they provide a beautiful silhouette. Ruffled sleeves or asymmetrical edges can add a lot of charm to this clothing. Beautifully designed tunics specially made for pregnant women are a much better alternative to simply oversized clothes.

You also have no need to hide jeans at the back of your drawer if you like them so much. Special jeans have waistbands that stretch and this makes them harmless and easily to wear during the first months.

If you are pregnant you do not have to drape your body with lots of fabrics. It’s better to try scoop necks or cowl necks and other interesting decisions.

Another good alternative is accessories. They not only give any apparel a new look but will draw the attention from where it is undesired. Fancy jewelry, handbags and stylish flats will complete your image as well as belts and headscarves.

Nowadays there are so many fresh ideas for trendy maternity clothes and mothers-to-be that it is only a matter of your choice of how to look.

Menopause defines the certain period in a woman’s life when ovaries loose their former functionality. Ovaries represent reproductive glands; they produce female hormones (estrogenes) and are responsible for the control of how female body develops: the breasts, body shape, and body hair. The hormones as well are in charge of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy; they also protect the bones. The time around menopause is as crucial for any woman as it is different.

The period of menopause and its progress is defined by the individual characteristics of every woman. There are woman who will have very few symptoms and there are those who will have it all and suffer a lot. Still, regardless of the individual representation some symptoms are more frequent.

The first one is irregular vaginal bleeding. It is not a common symptom, thus, some woman can have unpredictable, excessive bleeding. In general, bleedings in this period can also be connected with decrease in fertility (though this does not guarantee that a woman cannot become pregnant).

Another common symptom is hot flashes. Very frequently they are accompanied by night sweats. Hot flashes are feelings of warmth spreading all over the body and can be more expressed in the head and chest. Their duration can be from half a minute to several minutes and they usually cause the feeling of exhaustion in the morning due to frequent awaking.

Vaginal symptoms come as consequences of the vagina lining tissues thinning and drying, when it becomes less elastic. A woman may experience vaginal dryness, itching, or irritation and dyspareunia; there is also a greater risk of vaginal infections in this period.

As estrogen levels decline the urethra lining also becomes dryer, thinner, and less elastic.

Some changes also occur in cognitive and emotional sphere. Some women can have problems with memory and mood; some experience fatigue. Some women undergo weight changes and can develop more wrinkles or impairment of acne condition if this was the case. There are also cases of hair growth on the face, chest and stomach due to the small production of male hormone. Behavioral changes are inevitable but their origin can be as well connected to other conditions as well as to menopause.

Premenstrual symptoms are typical for the majority of women; less frequent are cases of PMDD. The condition has been observed still long ago in ancient Greece but it was admitted and officially recognized only in 1931; the term therefore appeared a lot later – only in 1953.

It is hard to diagnose the case as there are so many different symptoms and in some cases they resemble the ones of depression, for instance. Still, the reasons for their appearance are not known for sure. There exist a lot of presuppositions on the account but none of them are now considered absolutely right. But they mostly coincide in one thing – they lay the greatest stress on the changes or interactions between sex hormone levels and brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). Nevertheless there is no possibility to draw any association line between the condition and any personality factors or types. As well as no research showed the direct connection between severity of the condition and undergone stress.

In every woman the condition of PMS is highly individual but therefore some definite symptoms can be singled out. They can be separated into those related to mood and those related to physical aspect. To the former refer the following: depression, anxiety, anger and tendency to being easily irritated, oversensitivity, increased tension, frequent urge for crying, extreme mood changes. The latter, physical symptoms are: acne, problems with sleeping, bloating, breast tenderness, weight gain, tendency to overeating or unusual food cravings, a feeling of exhaustion.

There exist various approaches in treatment of the condition. Some of them can be not that scientifically conditioned but are helpful nevertheless in some women. But mostly it includes healthy lifestyle under which are understood exercises and more activity, changes in diet such as reduction of caffeine, alcohol and refined sugars intake, it is also advised to stop smoking and refrain from excessive salt.

These recommendations can be of assistance and may ease up the symptoms in some women. It is also beneficial to add to our daily allowance vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium supplements.

This is also in a woman’s nature to think that notwithstanding the severity of the state they will be able to deal with it without any outside help. Therefore they often underestimate the risk of drugs and professional psychological help. What concerns the latter it is frequent in all people that they consider themselves clever and sane enough not to allow a thought of getting a specialist consultation.

Women who have depression do really feel miserable and comparing the adverse effects of the medications (i.e. agitation, insomnia, or drowsiness) to the things they have to go through no surprise that they choose medications. But the effect could have been much better if medication therapy was combined and accompanied with some specialist supervision.

But sometimes women just do not realize that they have the condition; they do not recognize the symptoms. Many people still think that it is all about being sad and weepy. But it is actually more than that. Depression presupposes also exhaustion, sometimes insomnia, loss of interest in life and activities, lack of energy and problems with concentration and so on.

Women should know the symptoms in order to know what to do with them. They also should be well informed about all the effects and ill-effects of the medications; about all the pros and cons of the therapy. They should not be deluded by misinformation because adverse effects lessen if the remedy is taken continuously and the preparation can be changed if it fails to help. The vital thing is to follow a doctor’s advice and not practice self-treatment. It is also crucial to understand that one-time visit to a specialist and getting a prescription filled once will not resolve any problems. Successful treatment requires regular check-ups and observation of the therapy process. Only in this case side-effects can be controlled and improvement achieved.

Then goes even bigger problem. Most of the medications for depression require 4-6 weeks to start working and showing any results. This is a very hard time for a patient because no visible or felt effect is observed just the above mentioned adverse effects. Both the woman and her physician will have to discuss the expected duration of treatment and the peculiarities of it. In cases when the treatment is undergone not for the first time the treatment can even take more time and therefore be more hard and challenging to bear.

Why is it harder for a woman to bear depression? Because in addition to other social roles and common responsibilities a women is also a mother and all the basic childcare concerns are still mainly performed by her. So as they have to balance work and childcare it even causes more stress and ends up with unpredictable mood changes, crying, or anger at work. Moreover states of pregnancy or nursing also cannot be taken for granted corresponding to the topic of medications. Men and women are affected differently in this aspect and therefore women should get as much help as they can if there is a necessity.

The thing is that the best way to deal with the condition is to combine medications and psychotherapy. Public education will also be of much assistance as more women will be able to recognize the symptoms of depression and what to do with it. Cured depression will give you a chance for a better and a healthier life and women deserve it.