How to Ease the Pain and Discomfort in Mammography process

Breast cancer accounts for about one-fifth of all deaths in women aged 40 to 50 years old. Yet many women fear getting screened for breast cancer.  During a mammogram, an x-ray test that produces an image of the inner breast tissue on film, the breasts are squeezed and pressed with a paddle so the X-ray can zone in to the dense tissue. Because of the discomfort involving the mammography procedure, women are discouraged to undergo regular mammography screening.

Mammography is currently the most efficient screening method to detect early breast cancer. It visualizes normal and abnormal structures within the breasts and helps in identifying cysts, calcifications, and tumors within the breast.

While breast self-examination (BSE) on a monthly basis is still important, it cannot detect breast cancer in its early stage. A mammography can be used to discover a small cancer in its curable stage. However, it is not foolproof. It is essential for a woman to perform monthly BSE and have a breast examination by her doctor, in addition to the mammogram, to most effectively screen for breast cancer.

To encourage women to undergo regular mammography screening, a numbing gel called lidocaine was developed to ease the pain and reduce the discomfort associated with the procedure. According to nurse practitioner Colleen Lambertz of St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute, reducing pain may mean more mammograms. “With a more positive experience, we hope women will undergo more regular mammography screening,” said Lambertz.

A study was made on the effect of lidocaine gel in easing pain and reducing discomfort associated with mammography. It involved 418 women aged 32 to 89 years old. All the participants had expected to have discomfort during a mammogram, with 54 participants saying they had “probably or definitely” delayed getting a mammogram because of the perceived discomfort associated with it.

The participants were divided into three groups and were given acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or the lidocaine gel before the mammogram. All of the medications were chosen because they are easy to get over the counter, and have few side effects.

Based on their findings, those who received the numbing gel had “significantly” less breast discomfort while those who took the oral medications did not report significant easing of breast discomfort.

They also found out that women who expected to have a lot of discomfort during the mammogram did, as did women who had tender breasts.

The good news is that 88% of the participants said they would “definitely” go back for a screening in the next year. Ten of the participants said they “probably” would go for their annual mammogram.

Study co-author James R. Maxwell, MD, medical director of St. Luke’s Breast Care Services, said in a prepared statement that “Mammography is the only screening tool proven to reduce mortality from breast cancer in women over 40.”

He also said that “Annual screening is the most important option available to a woman to best ensure early detection and decrease the chance of being diagnosed with an advanced stage breast cancer.”

While the recent decrease in death rates from breast cancer is directly linked to better and increased screenings through mammograms, recent reports still suggest that approximately one-half to two-thirds of women do not follow established guidelines for mammography.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that women get their first mammogram beginning at age 40 and every one to two years thereafter. However, women who are at higher than average risk may be required a mammogram screening even before age 40.

Identifying and Understanding Birth Control Pills

Women may be familiar to the two different kinds of birth control pills - the combination "combo" pills, the progestin-only "mini" pill, and the emergency "Plan B" contraceptive pill - but not all women understand how the different contraceptive pills work. They just know that these pills help prevent them from getting pregnant, and that is all that seems to matter. However, women should have a deeper understanding on how their miracle contraceptives work.

The combination pill

Combination pills like Triphasil, Ortho Tri Cyclen are oral contraceptive pills that contain a synthetic version of the two female sex hormones reponsible for contraception - estrogen and progesterone (in the form of progestin). These two hormones are primarily responsible for the movement and function of the ovaries and the uterus. Combo-pills work by preventing ovulation. Ovulation is the process wherein the ovaries release a mature egg during a woman's menstrual period. It can also change the consistency of the cervical mucus to make it difficult for sperm cells to reach the mature egg.



This pill is taken daily and comes in three different variations - monophasic, multiphasic, and continuous use. Monophasic combo-pills contain 21 active pills taken consistenly, with 7 placebo pills to be taken during the "break" week. During the "break" week, women get their menstruation. Multiphasic combo-pills contain varied amounts of hormones in the pills and are taken all throughout the month. The varied hormone levels in the pills help decrease the side effects of the contraceptive. Continuous use combo-pills contains the same hormone amount on each tablet and it taken daily with no breaks. While taking the continuous use combo-pill, the user will not menstruate, but may experience breakthrough bleeding.



The progestin-only pill (POP)

As what the name suggests, this birth control pill only contains progestin, the synthetic form of progesterone. It prevents pregnancy by thickening the cervical mucus to make it harder for sperm to get to the woman's egg cell. Also, it changes the uterine environment, making the wall of the uterus less favorable for implantation of a fertilized egg. It does not, however, effectively prevent ovulation. This means that a woman can still menstruate while taking the mini-pill.



Although the progestin-only pill is not looked upon as the most effective birth control pill in the market, it is a good alternative for women who cannot take estrogen. Aside from that, this type of birth control pill also has comparably less side effects that the combo-pill. Examples of progestin-only pills are Micronor, Nor-QD, and Ovrette.



The emergency contraceptive pill (Plan B)

Emergency contraceptives are only meant to be used as a back-up for the primary birth control method of choice This is in the case that the primary contraceptive fails or both partners can't get a hold of their main contraceptive. The brand name gives a pretty good explanation to it. If Plan A fails, use Plan B. Doctors always emphasize the Plan B can never be used as a primary birth control means, it only works as a back-up.



Emergency contraceptive pills are different from the abortion pill RU-486 because Plan B cannot terminate an existing pregnancy. Plan B is just like the mini-pill, but with a higher level of levenogestrel to further make the uterine wall less hospitable for implantation.



The pill is a very efficient birth control method when used appropriately, but it will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases unlike other contraceptive measures. Before settling on a specific birth control method, consult your doctor.

Looking For A Safe Generic Online Pharmacy

A lot of people I know have bought medications from online drugstores. Some had the valid excuse of being unable to leave the house and some were just plain lazy. Among those that I knew who purchased medicine over the Internet, almost half ended up being scammed by a rogue web pharmacy.

We can blame it on bad luck, or we can blame it on carelessness. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that there are just too many Internet pharmacies on the web. And with these Internet pharmacies looking just like the next web drugstore, buyers like us are finding it difficult to distinguish a reputable pharmacy from a rogue one.

I have been thinking about buying my prescription medications online as well, but I feel a little skeptical about Internet pharmacies. I've tried searching for a checklist that I can use as a guide to choosing a safe generic online pharmacy, and I came up with this set of questions:

Is it certified by the law?

Look for an Internet pharmacy that is certified by your local pharmacy board. Visit your local pharmacy board's official homepage for a list of certified online drugstores.

Is it accredited across the United States?

Make sure that the web pharmacy you're going to buy your medicine from is accredited all around the US. You also need to check if the website is one of the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS). Visit the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy homepage or the official site of VIPPS.

Do they use a major courier for deliveries?

Major courier companies deal only with legally operating businesses. If you have not heard of the delivery service company stated as the web drugstore's courier, you cannot be sure that your package will actually be delivered to you, or in case of loss, that you will be compensated or refunded for the items.

Is your information protected?

You need to make sure that your safety and privacy will not be compromised when you buy your medications on the web. Read the online pharmacy's privacy policy to know whether they have a stable set of protocols to safeguard your information from hackers. Also, you need to be sure that the online pharmacy will not sell or share your information to other companies for profit.

This checklist proved beneficial to me and hopefully it would be just as helpful to people who will read this. Know that your choice will determine not only the security of your money, but also the protection of your health.