Menstruation In Women Research Articles

Pendidikan Kesehatan tentang Tumbuh Kembang Remaja dan Bahaya Rokok bagi Kesehatan Remaja di SMK Baitussalam Kota Pekalongan

Adolescence is a transition period from childhood to adulthood and there are some physical changes that are fast matching with adults, but emotions do not necessarily follow physical development. Adolescence is a critical age. Biologically the reproductive organs of adolescents have reached maturity (have experienced wet dreams for men and menstruation for women). This means they are able to be sexually active. This period is a potential period but it is forbidden to actualize the sexual potential along with the early maturity of the reproductive organs (under fifteen years) and the increase in the average age of first marriage (over 20 years). They are required to control their sex drive during this period. Control like this is indeed very necessary. From the religious point of view, this control is interpreted as a form of piety in God. While from a reproductive health perspective, avoiding premarital sex is the best way to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy.
 Indonesia is in the fifth ranks among the countries with the highest levels of tobacco consumption in the world. WHO says 1 in 10 deaths in adults is caused by smoking. The smoking habit in students is caused due to misunderstanding of information, the influence of advertising and the influence of friends. Smoking behavior is related to knowledge, one's attitude towards cigarettes and education. The hope is that given information and health education about adolescent growth and development and the dangers of smoking to adolescents can increase knowledge before and after socialization. Pretest and posttest were carried out to find out the teenager's knowledge. The results obtained are an increase in adolescent vocational high school Baitussalam Pekalongan City after counseling about adolescent growth and development and the dangers of smoking in adolescents.

Menstrual Hygiene Practices among Adolescent Girls

The menstruation cycle plays a major role in every women’s life, with this periodic cycle she undergoes a lot of stress and strains due to her mental and physiological balancing issues, because of the hormone changes. By the time of menstruation, she seeks some comfort with her, for this the sanitary napkins ran a greater part by avoiding the leakages of blood contaminant in her cloths. Some of the pads having wings or flaps that fold over the sides of underwear to protect against from leaks and stains. Also in some rural areas the women’s not much aware of maintaining the menstruation hygiene, they are using some rectangular fabric and can be washed then reused. In the hygiene part of menstruation women are unaware of determining the whole imbalance activities of maintaining cleanliness.

Allodynia in Menstrually Related Migraine: Score Assessment by Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12).

The aim of this study was to compare the allodynia score in headache attacks related and not related to menstruation in women diagnosed with menstrually related migraine without aura. Allodynia is an important symptom in migraine and has been associated with migraine chronification. No study has yet compared prospectively allodynia in menstrual vs non-menstrual attacks within the same cohort of patients. This is a prospective cohort study, where participants had the 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12) assessed after 1, 2, 4, and 24hours from the onset of migraine attacks in 2 different conditions, with menstrual migraine attack (MM+) and with non-menstrual migraine attack (MM-). A total of 600 women with headache complaints were screened from March 2013 to July 2014 in a headache outpatient or headache tertiary clinic. From these, 55 participants were recruited, and 32 completed the study. Participants' mean age was 27 years, BMI was 22.1, menarche age 12 years, migraine history was 11.5 years, and most women were young (ranged from 17 to 44 years of age), were in higher school (13/32=41%), single (20/32=63%), and used contraceptives (22/32=69%). Multiple pairwise comparisons of ANCOVA's test showed significant higher ASC-12 scores in MM+ group compared to MM- group at 2hours [mean, 95% CI of difference: 2.3 (0.31, 4.7), P=.049)]. For the ASC-12 categorical scores (absent, mild, moderate, and severe) MM+ yielded higher scores than MM- at 1hour (z=-3.08, P=.021) and 4hours (z=-2.97, P=.03). This study demonstrated that in the patents from tertiary headache center assessed, menstrual-related migraine attacks augment allodynia scores in the beginning of attacks compared to non-menstrual migraine attacks.

Clinical study on the effect of changes of expression levels of β-catenin, ferritin and alkaline phosphatase on the progression of osteoporosis

Objective To explore the effects of changes in expression levels of β-catenin, SF and ALP on the development of osteoporosis. Methods Eighty women with osteoporosis were divided into menopausal group (i.e. menopausal women, 40 cases) and reproductive age group (normal menstruation women, 40 cases). The menopausal group was further divided into A, B, C and D groups according to the time of menopause (1-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20 years), to explore the different stages of the occurrence and development of estrogen-related osteoporosis. Change. Bone mineral density of tibia and lumbar spine was measured by multispectral imaging system, and serum levels of β-catenin, SF and ALP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The tibia bone density and lumbar vertebra bone density in the menopausal group and the reproductive age group were decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (F=12.580, P<0.05). Compared with group B of menopause group A, BMD decreased more slowly (t=6.105, P<0.05). In menopausal group C and menopausal group D, BMD decreased sharply (t=5.886, P<0.05). The expression level of ng/L serum β-catenin in the reproductive age group was higher than that of the menopausal group A [(43.24±4.58) ng/L, t=6.701, P<0.05], and B [(40.34±5.08) ng/L, t=5.129, P<0.05], and C [(30.67±4.50) ng/L, t=5.773, P<0.05]. Among the three groups, the lowest was the menopause group D [(24.34±3.28) ng/L, F=16.875, P<0.05]. With the development of osteoporosis, serum β-catenin expression level decreased gradually and presented negative correlation (r=-3.256, P<0.05). The expression level of serum SF in the reproductive age group [(101.2±17.1) μg/L] was lower than that in the menopausal group [(150.3±14.5) μg/L, t=5.983, P<0.05], and in the menopausal group (165.6±15.8) μg/L (t=6.157, P<0.05), and in the menopausal group [(200.9±18.9) μg/L, t=7.551, P<0.05]. Among the three groups, D (269.7±13.1) μg/L was the highest in the menopause group (F=13.820, P<0.05). With the occurrence of osteoporosis, serum SF expression level gradually increased, showing a positive correlation (r=3.237, P<0.05). The expression level of serum ALP in the reproductive age group (0.456±0.029) was higher than that in the menopausal group (0.402±0.01, t=6.328, P<0.05), and in the menopausal group (0.389±0.034, t=5.496, P<0.05), and in the menopausal group (0.308±0.019, t=5.425, P<0.05). Among the three groups, the lowest was D (0.235±0.023) in the menopausal group (F=12.885, P<0.05). With the occurrence of osteoporosis, serum ALP expression level decreased, showing a negative correlation (t=-0.795, P<0.05). Conclusion The changes of serum levels of serum β-catenin and ALP are negatively correlated with the occurrence and development of osteoporosis, and the change of serum ferritin expression level is positively correlated with the development of osteoporosis. Key words: β-catenin; Ferritin; Alkaline phosphatase; Osteoporosis

Recurrent hemoptysis in a 26-year-old woman with a ground-glass opacity lesion of the lung.

Hemoptysis is a major reason for emergency department (ED) visits. Catamenial hemoptysis (CH), a rare condition of thoracic endometriosis, can cause recurrent hemoptysis but is difficult to diagnose in the ED due to the scarcity of cases and nonspecific clinical findings. We report a case of a 26-year-old woman who presented to the ED with recurrent hemoptysis since 2 years without a definite cause. Her vital signs and blood test findings were unremarkable. Chest computed tomography (CT) did not show any specific lesions other than a non-specific ground-glass opacity pattern in her right lung. She was on day 4 of her menstrual cycle and her hemoptysis frequently occurred during menstruation. Although there was no histological confirmation, based on her history of hemoptysis during menstruation and no other cause of the hemoptysis, the patient was tentatively diagnosed with CH and was administered gonadotropin-releasing hormone. She had no recurrence of hemoptysis for 3 months. While CH is difficult to diagnose in the ED, the patient’s recurrent hemoptysis related to menstruation was a clue to the presence of CH. Therefore, physicians should determine the relationship between hemoptysis and menstruation for women of childbearing age presenting with repeated hemoptysis without a definite cause.

'It’s like a burden on the head': Redefining adequate menstrual hygiene management throughout women’s varied life stages in Odisha, India

There has been growing recognition of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) as a significant public health issue. However, research has predominately focused on the experiences of adolescent girls in school settings. The purpose of this research is to examine detailed accounts of menstruation for women in rural Odisha, India at various life stages with a view toward improving international monitoring of MHM. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted to understand women’s experiences of menstruation across four life stages (unmarried women, recently married women, married women, and older women). Thematic analysis was used to identify menstruation-related challenges and needs. We found women voiced needs that aligned with those captured by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) definition for MHM: access to clean materials, privacy for changing materials, soap and water for bathing, and disposal facilities for materials. However, we also found women require materials that are not only clean but comfortable and reliable; soap and water for more than bathing; privacy for the full spectrum of menstruation-related practices, not just when changing; and disposal facilities that are private and safe, not just accessible. Additionally, we identified needs that extend beyond the existing definition: pain management, social support, and an enabling sociocultural environment. Overall, women representing all life stages discussed menstruation challenges, including bathing, pain, and washing, drying, and storing cloth materials. Cloth management challenges were most acute for unmarried and recently married women, who were concerned that practices could reveal their menstrual status and harm their reputations, thus informing their preference for disposable materials, if attainable. We propose a revised definition of adequate MHM for this population that more comprehensively captures their needs. This definition may also prove useful for other populations, future research, creating measures of assessment, and guiding interventions and program priorities.

Amenorrhea in adolescents: a narrative review

Background and Objective: Amenorrhea is the absence of spontaneous menstruation in women of reproductive age. Understanding the normal menstrual physiology and regulatory processes is important in differentiating etiologies when evaluating amenorrhea. In adolescents, amenorrhea may warrant investigation, and pregnancy should always be ruled out. In young female adolescents, amenorrhea can be the presenting symptom of different conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, eating disorders, or female athlete triad. It is particularly important that menstrual cycle disorders be appropriately analyzed due to potentially serious and detrimental consequences of amenorrhea. Early diagnosis is essential to yielding more favorable outcomes. If not addressed early, future negative implications may ensue. Methods: An electronic search was performed on MEDLINE and PubMed to identify relevant articles from 1990 to 2019. Key Content and Findings: This narrative review focuses on primary and secondary amenorrhea and the best practical approach in evaluating and managing affected adolescent females. Conclusions: Understanding normal menstrual physiology is crucial in recognizing concerns related to amenorrhea in adolescents. Prompt evaluation is necessary and diagnosis is warranted. Provision of appropriate care that is safe and evidence-based can prevent future negative health implications such as infertility and compromised bone health.

The Link Between Human Menstruation and Placental Delivery: A Novel Evolutionary Interpretation: Menstruation and fetal placental detachment share common evolved physiological processes dependent on progesterone withdrawal.

A new interpretation of human menstruation is presented, resulting from a cross-disciplinary investigation of evolution, developmental biology, and physiology. A process evolutionarily associated with childbirth expresses itself as menstruation in women for whom frequent and continual failure to conceive has become the default situation. In humans and Old World primates, contractile uterine spiral arterioles evolved as the complement of the highly invasive hemochorionic placenta and is the selected phenotype. Placental progesterone withdrawal during the last stage of birth leads to arrested blood flow through maternal spiral arterioles, allowing detachment of the deciduous placenta with minimal maternal hemorrhage. In nonpregnant females, progesterone withdrawal from a degenerating corpus luteum initiates menstruation and stops blood flow through uterine spiral arterioles. Both events share similar physiological mechanisms and sequences. This explanation may improve our understanding of a recurrent event experienced by half of the human population and for a quarter of their adult reproductive life.

The laws of niddah as a means of controlling female sexuality

This article presents how the laws of Niddah in Judaism are influenced by the cultural attitude to menstruation and how the cultural attitude to menstruation is related to the social status of women. The laws of Niddah are consider in historical and contemporary perspective with special interests in attitudes to women menstruation and sexuality. The social and biological domain are analyzed to understand the connections between power struggles and behavior regulations.

Acute Vaso-Occlusive Pain is Temporally Associated with the Onset of Menstruation in Women with Sickle Cell Disease.

Acute vaso-occlusive pain episodes in sickle cell disease (SCD) are associated with increased rates of hospitalization and early mortality. Despite the observation that women have higher rates of acute vaso-occlusive pain episodes than men, sex-specific risk factors for acute vaso-occlusive pain have not been identified. We tested the hypothesis that acute vaso-occlusive pain is temporally associated with the onset of menstruation in women with SCD. Initially, using a cross-sectional study design, we administered questionnaires, including validated measures of SCD pain frequency and severity within the last 30 days, as well as menstrual symptoms in a discovery group (n = 103). We then confirmed our findings by administering the same questionnaires online in a replication group (n = 118). A validated questionnaire was used to define dysmenorrhea. In the initial discovery group, 28% (29 of 103) reported acute vaso-occlusive pain episodes temporally associated with menstruation, and 72% (74 of 103) did not. Of the 29 reporting acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation, 90% (26) and 10% (3) did and did not meet criteria for dysmenorrhea, respectively. In the replication group, 36% (43 of 118) reported acute vaso-occlusive pain temporally associated with menstruation. Of the 43 reporting acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation, 60% (26) and 40% (17) did and did not meet criteria for dysmenorrhea, respectively. In both the discovery and replication groups, we demonstrate that acute vaso-occlusive pain is temporally associated with the onset of menstruation that women with SCD can distinguish from dysmenorrhea.

Hemochromatosis: Hereditary hemochromatosis and HFE gene.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, characterized by an excessively increased absorption of dietary iron. Excess iron can be accumulated because of the lack of an effective excretory mechanism leading to toxic effects. HH is one of the most common genetic disorders in individuals of European descent. Genetic polymorphisms of the HFE gene (rs1800562, rs1799945 and rs1800730) also affect the normal activity of another protein, hepcidin, a negative regulator of iron homeostasis. If left untreated, hereditary hemochromatosis can lead to morbidity and eventually death. Clinical onset hereditary hemochromatosis symptoms occur more frequently in adult men than women, as the monthly loss of iron due to menstruation in women slows down accumulation and the symptoms usually start appearing after menopause. Therapeutic phlebotomy is the primary form of treatment for this disease so far, combined with the use of chelating agents. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OTL) is performed in patients with advanced cirrhosis. In order to prevent the progression of iron accumulation, an early detection may be achieved by genotypic check of the frequent mutations of the HFE. Consequently, initiation of treatment may take place before the development of clinical symptoms, particularly cirrhosis, contributing significantly in achieving normal life expectancy. Therefore, genotypic check is vital in order to prevent the development of this type of hemochromatosis.

Postmenopausal Health of Indian Women: A Review

Background: The phenomenon of natural and spontaneous cessation of menstruation in women is termed as menopause. The phase after menopause is called post menopause. Women encounter enormous changes in various physiological factors during and after menopause. Objective: Objectives of this article are to brief the various issues associated with health ailments in postmenopausal Indian women, to address the various factors unique to Indian women involved in the postmenopausal health issues, to discuss the differences in socioeconomic, nutritional and health status between Indian women from rural regions and those from urban regions and to discuss possible precautionary measures against the postmenopausal health issues. Prime methodology followed in composing the present review article is based on understanding the present scenario regarding the health status of postmenopausal Indian women by considering the various literature and statistics available on the topic. Results: The changes those occur in a woman’s body following menopause are deteriorative, and lead to several health issues. Though some of the health issues including amenorrhea, night sweats, frequent mood swings, cramp pains etc. which a woman experiences during the onset of menopause gradually decrease as her postmenopausal days progress, yet some new detrimental gradual changes occur in her physiological system during the postmenopausal periods. Conclusion: Proper diet, improved lifestyle, self-care, slightest basic precautions and medical aids can help to minimise the ailments which worsen the life of a postmenopausal woman. Awareness and care for postmenopausal Indian women are extremely necessary for providing better life, improved health status and enhanced longevity to them (the mothers) leading to a healthy and developing society.

Unpreparedness, impurity and paradoxical feeling: menstruation narratives of Iranian women.

Menstruation is universally experienced by all healthy females from menarche to menopause, although the cognitive and emotional dimension of this experience may differ across time and place. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the menstruation experiences of Iranian women. Eight Iranian university students, aged between 21 and 25 years, who were resident in Tehran, were interviewed and data were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. Two main themes of the participant narratives were identified: "The menarche" and "women's perception of menstruation". Each of these elements comprised a number of sub-themes. The menarche experience was related to "inadequate preparation", "fear and horror" and "the mother". Women perceived menstruation as "shameful and secret", "sickness and impurity", "bothersome and painful", accompanied with "paradoxical feelings" and "irregularity and unpredictability". The results of this study revealed that menarche experience for most of the women was a negative experience. Feelings of being fearful, shocked or worried could be influenced by inadequate preparation for menstruation. They reveived insufficient information from school or their friends and their mothers, specifically. Menstruation is shameful, kept secret and is usually hidden from men. Most of them experienced menstruation as a sickness and considered menstruating women as impure who must obey religious rules. Some of them had symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. For some women menstruation was both painful and pleasing and its irregularity and unpredictability made women anxious. The findings of this study highlight the effect of sociocultural factors on the menstruation experience.

Manejo terapéutico de la sintomatología climatérica

La menopausia ha sido definida por la Sociedad Internacional de Menopausia como el cese permanente de la menstruación en la mujer, suceso determinado por la disminución de la producción hormonal. Trae consigo, por una parte, una sintomatología que interfiere en la calidad de vida de la mujer, la cual incluye síntomas vasomotores, psíquicos, atrofia urogenital; y, por otra, cambios metabólicos que implican aumento del riesgo de enfermedades crónicas como las enfermedades cardiovasculares y la osteoporosis. Con el progresivo aumento de la esperanza de vida, los grupos de mayor edad comienzan a ser parte importante de la población mundial. Por lo tanto, el manejo clínico de la posmenopausia pasa a ser un problema relevante de salud pública. Tiene como objetivo mejorar la calidad de vida y disminuir el riesgo de enfermedades crónicas. Para medir la existencia de síntomas y signos asociados a la menopausia se puede utilizar la Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), escala que permite evaluar la intensidad de la sintomatología. Se debe valorar además el riesgo cardiovascular y de osteoporosis. El tratamiento incluye mejorar los estilos de vida, el uso de terapia hormonal y de terapias para las comorbilidades. Estas orientaciones tienen como objetivo ser una ayuda para el médico al momento de evaluar a una mujer en este periodo de la vida. Se han basado principalmente en las ‘Orientaciones Técnicas para la atención integral de la mujer en edad de climaterio en el nivel primario de red de salud’ del Programa de Salud de la Mujer, Ministerio de Salud, Chile. Sin embargo, son solo orientaciones; cada decisión terapéutica debe ser siempre individualizada acorde a las características particulares de cada paciente.

Harmonic analysis of pulse morphology variability for pulse smoothness assessment

Abstract A non-linear physiological system leads to a change in pulse morphology variability (PMV), which can be an important feature in assessing the condition of the cardiovascular system. The smooth pulse derived from traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) also contains chaotic features according to the temporal sequence, and such pulses usually appear during menstruation in women. Analyzing the PMV as a novel indicator of pulse smoothness can contribute not only to understanding non-linear physiological systems but also to studying the characteristics of pulse patterns. In this study, we propose an algorithm to assess pulse smoothness using a harmonic analysis approach of the PMV. First, we introduced a two-step pre-processing method that considers the applied pressure (AP) variability and outlier pulse removal (OPR) to generate a refined pulse series. Next, we performed PMV analyses using four different methods to examine the characteristics of the pulse series. Finally, we performed a spectral harmonic analysis based on the trace of the intra-class distance within each single-period pulse (TIS) to assess the pulse smoothness. We evaluated the proposed algorithms using repeated-measures ANOVA and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis according to the menstrual period. Distorted pulses were automatically detected with the pre-processing method, and the maximum amplitude of the average TIS was consistently observed near the radial augmentation index point. In addition, the total adjacent harmonic peak increment (AHPI) among the proposed variables was significantly higher during the menstrual phase than during the non-menstrual phase (P

The added effect of cabergoline to metformin on serum hormones and rate and regularity of menstruation in women with Polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an important cause of menstrual irregularities and infertility in women. Management approaches are variable and share in common the objectives of improving menstrual irregularities, hormonal disturbances, associated clinical features, and fertility. Cabergoline has been suggested to be effective in reducing some adverse effect associated with PCOS; however, sufficient controversy existed that permitted the conduction of the current study. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of adding Cabergoline to the standard mode of treatment (metformin) in a cohort of women with PCOS, on serum hormone levels, BMI, and menstrual irregularities. The present case-control study included 100 women diagnosed as having a polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) according to clinical, ultrasonic and hormonal bases. They were divided into two groups; the first group included 50 PCOS women received metformin treatment for 4 months’ duration and served as control group whereas the second group included 50 PCOS women who were given cabergoline in addition to metformin for 4 months’ duration and served as a study group. Both types of treatment, with or without cabergoline, resulted in highly significant reduction in mean weight in both groups (P&lt;0.001), highly significant reduction in mean serum prolactin in both groups (P&lt;0.001), highly significant reduction in mean serum testosterone in both groups (P&lt;0.001) and highly significant reduction in mean serum DHEAS in both groups (P&lt;0.001); however cabergoline was more effective in reducing mean serum prolactin, 10.20 ±1.92 ng/ml versus 32.20 ±1.79 ng/ml (P&lt;0.001) and improved menstrual irregularities more efficiently. Addition of cabergoline lowers serum prolactin more significantly than metformin alone has improved menstrual irregularity more significantly. &#x0D; Keywords: Cabergoline; PCOS; Metformin; Menstruation

Differences Between Men and Women in Balance and Tremor in Relation to Plantar Fascia Laxity During the Menstrual Cycle.

Although much attention has been paid to the effect of estrogen on the knee ligaments, little has been done to examine the ligaments in the foot, such as the plantar fascia, and how they may be altered during the menstrual cycle. To (1) examine sex differences in plantar fascia thickness and laxity and postural sway and (2) identify any menstrual cycle effects on plantar fascia laxity, postural sway, and neuromuscular tremor between menstruation and the ovulation phase. Case-control study. Research laboratory. Fifteen healthy women (age = 25.9 ± 1.8 years) and 15 healthy men (age = 27.3 ± 2.0 years) volunteered to participate in this study. We asked participants to perform 8 balance tasks on a force platform while we assessed postural sway and tremor. Plantar fascia length and thickness unloaded and loaded with body weight were measured via ultrasound. Postural sway and tremor were measured using a force platform. Plantar fascia length and thickness with pressure were greater in ovulating women compared with men ( P < .001), but no differences were found between women during menstruation and men. Postural sway and tremor were greater at ovulation than during menstruation ( P < .05), and men had less sway than ovulating women on the 3 most difficult balance tasks ( P < .01). Plantar fascia laxity was increased and postural sway and tremor were decreased at ovulation compared with menstruation in women. Postural sway and tremor in men were the same as in women during menstruation. These findings support the need to be aware of the effect of sex hormones on balance to prevent lower extremity injuries during sport activities.

Acute Vaso-Occlusive Pain Associated with the Onset of Menstruation Is Distinct from Dysmenorrhea in Sickle Cell Disease

*Deva Sharma, MD, MS, and Melissa Day, BS, contributed equally to the abstract and are co-first authorsIntroduction:Acute vaso-occlusive pain episodes are the primary reason for hospitalization in sickle cell disease (SCD) and predict mortality in adults. Women with SCD have higher pain rates than men, particularly during their reproductive years. Studies of the temporal relationship between the onset of menstruation and acute vaso-occlusive pain have reached conflicting conclusions. Healthcare providers often do not recognize the temporal relationship between the onset of menstruation and acute vaso-occlusive pain, with the common perception that acute vaso-occlusive pain is synonymous with dysmenorrhea. In sequentially independent cross-sectional studies involving discovery and confirmatory cohorts, we tested the hypothesis that acute vaso-occlusive pain is associated with the onset of menstruation in women with SCD and is distinct from dysmenorrhea. Evidence to support our hypothesis was based on identifying four distinct groups: 1) women with dysmenorrhea without acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation, 2) women with acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation without dysmenorrhea, 3) women with both, and 4) women with neither.Methods:Discovery cohort : In an initial cross-sectional study, we interviewed women in the outpatient and inpatient settings at Vanderbilt University and Wayne State University (Figure 1). After obtaining informed consent, we conducted self-administered surveys which included a validated questionnaire to define acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation and dysmenorrhea (Behav Res Ther 1975, 13(4):237-44). Acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation and dysmenorrhea were defined by temporal and frequency criteria so that participants could meet either or both criteria (Table 1). Associations of clinical and demographic variables with acute vaso-occlusive pain triggered by menstruation and dysmenorrhea were evaluated by the chi-square test and t-test, and then in a multivariable regression model. The proportions of women who met criteria for acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation and dysmenorrhea were determined. A p-value of 0.05 was considered significant for all analyses.Confirmatory cohort : In a subsequent cross-sectional study, we conducted an identical online questionnaire using select websites (Figure 1) to validate our initial findings. Statistical analyses were identical to the discovery cohort.Results:Discovery cohort : A total of 95 women were surveyed using face-to-face questionnaires. Baseline characteristics are summarized in Table 2. Twenty-eight women (29.5%) met defined criteria for acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation. Age (p=0.211) and genotype (p=0.343) were not associated with acute vaso-occlusive pain triggered by menstruation. Sixty-two women (65.3%) met criteria for dysmenorrhea. Importantly, among the 95 participants in the discovery cohort, 3% met criteria for acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation alone, in the absence of dysmenorrhea, while 26% met criteria for both acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation and dysmenorrhea (Figure 2).Confirmatory cohort : A total of 118 women were surveyed using the online questionnaires. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the discovery and confirmatory cohorts. Forty-three women (36.4%) met defined criteria for acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation. Sixty-six women (55.9%) met criteria for dysmenorrhea. Importantly, among the 118 participants in the confirmatory cohort, 14% met criteria for acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation alone, in the absence of dysmenorrhea, while 22% met criteria for both acute vaso-occlusive pain associated with menstruation and dysmenorrhea (Figure 2).Conclusions:The onset of menstruation in women with SCD is another, yet unrecognized risk factor for acute vaso-occlusive pain episodes. Further studies are needed to better define the underlying mechanism and facilitate the development of targeted therapies for affected women. [Display omitted] DisclosuresRodeghier:Rodeghier consultants: Consultancy. Callaghan:Pfizer Inc.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Site PI, Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Site PI, Speakers Bureau; Roche; Shire: Speakers Bureau; Shire: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Grifols: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Octapharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novo Nordisk: Speakers Bureau; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Other: Owns stock, stock options, or bonds ; Global Blood Therapeutics: Other: Site PI; CSL Behring: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Biogen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sancillio: Other: Site PI; Bayer HealthCare; Pfizer Inc.; Roche; Shire: Consultancy; Baxalta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau.

Effect of aromatherapy on coping with premenstrual syndrome: A randomized controlled trial

Background and aimPremenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a health problem which begins approximately one week before menstruation in women occurs as a set of physical and psychological symptoms. This study aimed to determine the effect of aromatherapy on coping with premenstrual syndrome in university students. MethodsA randomized controlled trial design was used. This study included 40 students in the intervention and 37 students in the control groups. Data was collected by questionnaire form and PMS scale. The intervention and control groups were followed up for 3 cycles in terms of PMS symptoms. The method of inhalation aromatherapy by lavender oil was applied for 5 sessions on average for each cycle. ResultsWhen PMS mean scores of the intervention and control groups during 3 follow-up periods were compared, it was found that there is a statistically significant difference between intervention and control groups (p<0.05). It was determined that there is a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of PMS scale and sub-dimensions of anxiety, depressive affect, nervousness, pain, bloating, depressive thoughts mean scores of pre-test and 3rd follow-up (p<0.05), ConclusionsIt was concluded that inhalation aromatherapy can be used for coping with PMS. It is recommended that the students suffering from PMS problems should be informed on the inhalation therapy by lavender oil.

Epidemiology and associated factors of migraine headache among iranian medical students: A descriptive-analytical study

IntroductionHigh incidence of migraine has caused to categorize it as one of the most debilitating human diseases. This study aims to investigate the incidence of migraine headache and the factors associated with it among medical students. MethodologyThe present research is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The sample size includes 390 subjects that were selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. To this purpose we used a questionnaire that was designed according to international headache standards criteria. Data was analyzed by SPSS. Accordingly, chi-square, independent t-test, and logistic regression were used for evaluation of clinical data. ResultsIn the finding it was reviled that 318 subjects out of 390 participants in the study had experienced headache (81.53%). In total, 27 subjects (6.9%) were suffering from migraine including 77.8% women and 22.2% men. The most common complication of migraine headache is dizziness by 17.2%. Factors intensifying migraine headaches include stress (63%), sunlight or fluorescent light (55.6%), loud noise (48.1%), fatigue (77.8%), and overheating (51.9%). Conclusionamong the factors affecting the intensification of migraine headaches, stress, sunlight, noise, fatigue, heat, menstruation in women, too much work, late sleep at night and some foods such as fish, caffeine, pepper, fat and fried foods were also identified as the food factors intensifying migraine headaches. Since the students of medical sciences are a part of health care system and such headaches will reduce their efficiency in health care delivery. Socio-economic impact of migraine on quality of life of student considerable and must be emphasized in health-treatment programs and plans.