NetWellness Women's Health

The Risk of Passing on HPV

Deborah Bartholomew MD — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:11:00 EST

Question: Hi! I really hope you can help me. 18 months ago I was diagnosed with genital warts - I had three tiny warts on the outside of my vagina which I discovered when coming out of a long term relationship, where we used birth control but not condoms. The doctor burnt them off immediately and said to av . . .

Answer: Genital warts are highly infectious when visible. Since you have no lesions after 18 months, it is unlikely that you are infectious, especially if your doctor looked and found no visible lesions. Healthy women with a good immune response generally clear the virus and are no longer infectious. It is . . .

Ask an Expert: Deborah Bartholomew MD, Women's Health

Removing the IUD

Linda Bernhard PhD, RN — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:11:00 EST

Question: is it ok to remove the iud myself if i can feel the threads?

Answer: No. You need a health professional to remove it. You should always be able to feel the threads...that's how you check to be sure it's still in place, but a health professional should remove it for you.

Ask an Expert: Linda Bernhard PhD, RN, Women's Health

mass on the right side of my uterus.

Jonathan Schaffir MD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:11:00 EST

Question: i was in the er and they did a catscan of my stomach because they thought the pain was from my appendix. the catscan revealed that my appendix is fine but there is a mass about 8 cm on the right side of my uterus. i am in a lot of pain and feel sick all the time. i know it can be a cyst, but i`ve be . . .

Answer: Computed tomography (CT) scans provide doctors with a great deal of insight into what is going on inside the body by revealing structures using X-rays.� Depending on the appearance, the CT scan can suggest that an area contains fluid, air, blood, solid tissue, or bone.�

There are many str . . .

Ask an Expert: Jonathan Schaffir MD, Women's Health

Cough

Elizabeth Barker PhD, APRN, BC, FAANP,CHE — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:11:00 EST

Question: I had a stuffy runny nose with no chills or fever so I know it is not the swine flu. Now I have a cough that sounds like a barking seal when I exhale and a high pitched squeal when I inhale. I had bronchitis 3 times last year. I am also on immunesupressive medication for my RA and I have pulmonary h . . .

Answer: It sounds like you have some respiratory infection going on, but it is hard to pinpoint it without an examination. Please see your provider SOON to have the determination made for the best approach. Antibiotics are not always the best answer. In the meantime, drink lots of fluids, rest and stay away . . .

Ask an Expert: Elizabeth Barker PhD, APRN, BC, FAANP,CHE, Women's Health

Drugs Only Way to Treat Osteroporosis?

Debra Gardner PhamD — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:11:00 EST

Question: I have just had a bone density test after three years and there has been some decline in the lombar part of the spine, the rest, hips, neck etc. are fine, I jog, every other day,eat well, take vitamins reg. but am told I need to go on drugs for the Osteroporosis right away by my endocrin Doctor. My . . .

Answer: I need more information to answer your question. How old are you? Have you ever taken estrogen or progestin after menopause? Did you mother or grandmother have osteoporosis, such as a significant decrease in height or any fractures? Do you have any other medical conditions and are you taking any med . . .

Ask an Expert: Debra Gardner PhamD, Women's Health

Candida Glabrata

Jonathan Schaffir MD — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:11:00 EST

Question: I have been fighting candida galbrata for many years now but to my avail i have not had any success. Doctors have tried so many antifungle meds that they are so resistant to oral & vaginal creams. Is there still hope for me. Between the years of 2000-2005 i had 5 major abdominal surgeries this i . . .

Answer:

When symptoms of a yeast infection persist despite treatment, the problem can be recurrence (the infection keeps coming back) or resistance (the treatment never worked in the first place.)� Recurrence is more likely when there is some predisposing factor for yeast to grow (like high blood sugar), . . .

Ask an Expert: Jonathan Schaffir MD, Women's Health

Auto Diff Results

Linda Bernhard PhD, RN — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:11:00 EST

Question:

I had a blood workup done in May 2009 and most results fell within in the "normal" readings. However, two results came back under "Auto Diff: NEUT % 37.9 Lf, LYMP% 46.6H" -- can you tell me what these findings mean (I lost my insurance in February and have not been to a doct . . .

Answer:

Thank you for visiting NetWellness. On this site, NetWellness experts try to answer general questions about health. The health professional who ordered the tests should be able to explain the results to you.�

Please check the links below for free/low cost medical resources that may be . . .

Ask an Expert: Linda Bernhard PhD, RN, Women's Health

Lump in the Middle of Neck

W. Miser MD — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:11:00 EST

Question: I have a very sore swollen lump the size is 1 quarter in the middle of my neck in line with the middle of my ears. I have had 3 episodes latley of dizziness and kinda feeling foggy. occaisional,slight pain in turning my head to the right. I do have a severe athletes foot infection that has spread to . . .

Answer: It sounds like you have a swollen lymph node in your neck. If it is sore to touch, or you are running a fever, antibiotics may help. I do not think this is related to the fungal infection in your toe. If the swollen lump remains there for a week or more, you should have a doctor examine it.
Ask an Expert: W. Miser MD, Women's Health

Uterine Fibroids

Jonathan Schaffir MD — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:10:00 EST
Question: During my annual pap smear/exam, my family doctor noticed a a possible cervical polyp and ordered an ultrasound. Result: small cervical polyp and uterine fibroids and I was referred to a gynecologist. She removed the polp(benign) but could not get into the cervix to scrape a sample of the uterine fi . . .
Answer: When a woman goes through menopause, the lining of the uterus (endometrium) shrinks and becomes very thin, because there is no longer any hormonal trigger for it to grow and bleed. So when a sonogram shows the endometrium to still be very thick, or contain cysts or polyps, there is a susp . . .
Ask an Expert: Jonathan Schaffir MD, Women's Health

Vaginal Bleeding During and After Sex

Jonathan Schaffir MD — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST
Question: I`ve been looking online to explain why I have been have been bleeding during sex. It`s not a lot of blood, but when my boyfriend pulls out I can clearly see it on him. It usually appears as a thicker consistency than normal blood, kind of like period blood, however when I go to the bathroom afterwa . . .
Answer:
Bleeding during or after intercourse is usually due to some friable (easily bleeding) area of the vaginal or cervical surface.� This irritation could be due to infection, trauma (like a tear or scrape) or abnormal growth of tissue (like a polyp or abnormal cervical cells).� It sounds like you hav . . .
Ask an Expert: Jonathan Schaffir MD, Women's Health