28
filipino globe
health matters
May 2008
Why pelvic pain may be more than what it seems
W
omen in the early stages
HEAlTHTAlK
when a tube is damaged, scarred, pregnancy is not inside the uterus. A ruptured ectopic pregnancy is a
of pregnancy often shiver or distorted. Common conditions At an early stage, it often feels like true medical emergency.
at the thought that the what the doctor says that increase the risk of ectopic a normal pregnancy. Missed period, Common symptoms of a ruptured
recurring pain in their abdomen pregnancy include previous tube nausea, fatigue breast tenderness ectopic pregnancy include the
or pelvic area is more than what it infections (salpingitis), such as pelvic may be observed. But as the ectopic following:
seems. inflammatory disease, chlamydia, pregnancy progresses, usually about • Lightheadedness, dizziness,
In fact, it has troubled Cecilia, who and gonorrhea six to 12 weeks of missed period, it almost passing out, “falling out”
writes in from Davao that she has
Dr Jun
The use of an intrauterine device ruptures and causes abdominal pain. • Pale complexion, clammy-feeling
had a history of difficult pregnancy.
Amigo
skin
What worries her the most is ectopic
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy
• Excessive perspiration
pregnancy. • Fast heartbeat (over 100 beats per
We asked Dr Ernesto Lactaoen,
This could be an ectopic
are often confused with those of a minute)
a gynecologist at the Mandaluyong
pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is
miscarriage or pelvic disease
• Abdominal or pelvic pain so
City Medical Center, to explain what
pregnancy anywhere outside the
severe that you can’t even stand up
ectopic pregnancy is and why women
uterus. In this case, such pregnancy
This conglomeration of signs
should watch out for any signs of it.
will not succeed.
does not increase the risk of ectopic Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and symptoms constitute a surgical
He writes:
Ectopic pregnancy happens when
pregnancy. are often confused with those of a emergency.
Abdominal pain, or pelvic pain
a fertilized egg lodges in a fallopian
However, a normal pregnancy is miscarriage or pelvic inflammatory The preferred treatment and course
associated with missed period, could
tube instead of continuing its journey
unlikely with an IUD in place, so if disease. The most common of action is surgery.
lead to a catastrophic event if not
to the uterus, where it is supposed
a woman becomes pregnant while symptoms are abdominal and pelvic
given due medical attention.
to implant. The egg gets stuck
using an IUD, it is more likely the pain and vaginal bleeding.
Send queries to health@filglobe.com
Expert study
zeroes in
on cervical
cancer scare
Research shows one Filipina dies
of the disease every eight minutes
Health authorities have raised the need
for heightened awareness on cervical
cancer being one of the major causes
of death among women in developing
countries, including the Philippines.
According to the Cervical Cancer
Prevention Network Program, a Fili-
pino woman dies of cervical cancer
every eight minutes.
The burden of this disease has been
unchanged for the past two decades
Young children in General Santos City turned out for the mass circumcision. Others had dental check-ups.
because of late detection and aware-
ness of the disease is low or none
among women and their families.
Florida star plays hero to poor kids
The World Health Organization
said 260,000 died of cervical cancer Florida fans by now know the Tebow didn’t plan on operating
in 2007 and there are half a million oW em n should legend of Tim Tebow (right) by that day in the Philippines
new cases worldwide.
Of the total number, 85 per cent of
protect thesm elves
memory: he plays quarterback as – his job was to preach to the
well as anyone in America, sings hundreds of people before
the deaths and 90 per cent of the new
and they can save
on stage with the stars of country they had teeth pulled or cysts
cases have been reported in poor de-
music, makes girls swoon every removed.
veloping countries.
their lives fro m the
time he smiles. But as the day rolled on, he
In the Philippines, women die of
During spring break, Tebow grew curious about the three
cervical cancer at a rate that has re- disease through
added a new facet to his fame. Filipino doctors and his friend,
mained unchanged for the past 20
In an impoverished village University of Florida graduate
years despite the fact that it is the only
a cervical cancer
outside General Santos City in and aspiring doctor Richard “RB”
the Philippines, Tebow helped Moleno, in the bus-sized vehicle
cancer that is preventable.
screening circumcise impoverished that served as a mobile hospital.
Of the total new cases of cervical
children. Tebow started as a helper
cancer each year, one of every three
DR ELMER PUNZALAN
On a weeklong trip to the and gofer, holding tools and
die within a year after diagnosis and
DOH assistant secretary
orphanage his father’s ministry running errands for the medics.
three out of four women will die in
runs in Southeast Asia, Tebow By afternoon, he was asking
five years after diagnosis of cervical
four women aged between 15 and 24 assisted with the care of locals questions and looking for more
cancer.
years old have HPV. who had walked miles to the active ways to help. And by
Cervical cancer occurs when nor-
The virus can develop into cancer
temporary clinic that the ministry the end of an exhausting day,
mal cells in the cervix change into
from 10 to 30 years, which explains
helped organize. More than 250 he was wearing gloves and a
cancer cells. It is usually caused by a
why the disease occurs to women dur-
people underwent medical and
shaking a little bit. I mean, I’m
mask, wielding surgical scissors,
chronic and persistent cancer-causing
ing the useful time of their lives.
dental procedures, some of them
cutting somebody. You can’t
finishing off stitches with a snip.
HPV (human papilloma virus) infec-
“Women should protect themselves
from “Dr Tebow,” who has no
do those kinds of things in the
“You could see he was really
tion that results in pre-malignant le-
and they can save their lives from
formal surgical training.
United States. But those people
into it,” Moleno said. “He thought
sions and progress to cancer.
the disease through a cervical cancer
“The first time, it was nerve-
really needed the surgeries. We
it was cool. I’d make a stitch,
The Department of Health said
racking,” he said. “Hands were
screening, said DOH assistant secre-
needed to help them.”
he’d cut a stitch.”
based on a 2005 study, three out of
tary Dr Elmer Punzalan.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40