Sex And Intimacy After Breast Cancer

September 30, 2014

Sex And Intimacy After Breast Cancer- Getting the Facts Right

Although breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women, advances in research have led to the development of therapies that have proven to be quite effective in treating the disease. Use of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, among other alternative forms of cancer treatments, have been widely used to treat women suffering from breast cancer. However, after successfully undergoing cancer treatment, many women experience drastic changes in their sexual lives in general and intimacy in particular. In this article, the different ways in which breast cancer affects the sexual lives of women, after it has been successfully treated, are examined.

breast cancer

Feelings of being unattractive

Usually, many women feel completely unattractive after they have undergone treatment procedures for breast cancer. There are several things that contribute to this feeling among them. First, many of the procedures that are used to treat breast cancer successfully are invasive. For instance, all forms of mastectomy are invasive in that the breast is invaded and tissues removed. Although there are reconstructions procedures that are meant to restore the breast to its natural shape and size, the impact of the procedure affects the sense of being attractive in many women. Secondly, the scars that remain after the procedures make many women to feel completely unattractive.

Furthermore, the majority of women who have undergone treatment for breast cancer tend to feel that they have lost their sense of femininity. Related to feelings of no longer being attractive, a sense of one having lost her femininity is equally devastating and arises from the reality that part or the entire breast has been removed. Also, feelings of unattractiveness in women who have been treated of breast cancer may be influenced by their partners. In cases of women who have lacked support from their partners, the feelings of unattractiveness and loss of femininity are strengthened. On the other hand, availability of support from the partner works to reduce such feelings in the women.

Impact on intimacy

For the majority, diagnosis of breast cancer always results into changes to their sex lives. This happens for several reasons and in several ways. For instance, many women tend to experience a decline in their libido after being diagnosed with breast cancer. There are several factors that are responsible for this. The most important one of them is the direct impact of the diagnosis which sets a train of emotional and psychological responses in a patient leading that lead to a decline of sexual desire in them.

With the reduction in the desire for sex, many women feel that they are failing in their duties to their partners. Feelings of guilt, apparent failure and loss usually exacerbate the condition for such women instead of making things better. In all these, the reaction of the partner matters a lot. If the partner behaves in such a manner to suggest that he is not satisfied sexually by the woman, this definitely makes the situation worse because it validates the original feelings of guilt and failure within the woman. This definitely affects the intimacy patterns of the pair.

Painful sex

In some cases, women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have successfully undergone treatment tend to experience general sexual dysfunction. This is manifested in different ways. For example, some women, as a result of hormonal changes and other psychological factors, tend to experience a decline in the desire for sex. This may be detrimental considering that the feelings of the other partner are most likely to be hurt. Secondly, many women who have suffered from breast cancer may experience painful sex as a result of dryness of the vagina. This makes it practically difficult for them to engage in pleasurable sexual intercourse with their partners, thus putting a strain on their relationships.

Apart from this, breast cancer has been known to result into failure of women to reach orgasm during sex. What usually happens is that such women are worried about their bodies to such an extent that they fail to concentrate on the intercourse. Besides, some women have reported that their breasts become completely insensitive after treatment for breast cancer. The presence of this condition often means that women are not able to fully enjoy themselves during sexual intercourse since the breast is a highly erogenous part of the body of a woman.

breast cancer

Breast cancer has a number of unpleasant consequences on the sexual and intimate lives of women. From poor self image to overall lack of desire for sex, affected women tend to experience a myriad of problems that arise from the direct effects of the disease (or treatment) as well as their own perceptions about themselves. In all these cases, the perception and behavior of the partners play a major role in shaping how women respond to the challenges that they experience. The way a partner behaves may either strengthen the unpleasant effect of breast cancer on the sexual lives of women or diminish them.

Dr. Dalal Akoury has been working with women who have breast cancer for a long time. It is the desire to provide solutions to such women and other patients in general that led her to establish AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since its establishment, the facility has been a leading center for cancer patients across the world. Our approach to treating cancer seeks to combine conventional treatment methods with different alternative therapies. The result of this approach is your full recovery within the shortest time possible.

Sex And Intimacy After Breast Cancer

Opiates And The Risks of Breast Cancer

September 29, 2014

The relationship between opiates and breast cancer has been focused on three important aspects. The first aspect has been what the use of opiates is with regard to cancer in general and breast cancer in particular. The second aspect of this relationship has been whether or not the use of opiates for specific functions with regard to cancer treatment endangers the lives of the patients by contributing to recurrence of cancer long after its successful treatment. The third aspect has been the exact mechanisms by which opiates produce the said effect in the body of patients and what should be done about it. All these aspects are addressed in this article in the sections that follow.

Breast Cancer And The Use Of Opiates

Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women in the world. Two reasons for this have been advanced. The first one is that breast cancer is generally associated with estrogen, a special type of hormone responsible for femininity. Since this hormone is predominantly found in women (sometimes in high levels), this makes them completely exposed to possible development of breast cancer. The second one arises from the observed trend of an increasing risk of breast cancer and age among women. There are several underlying reasons for this but the fact remains that with people in general living longer they get exposed to certain health conditions. For women, breast cancer is the common health condition that comes with age.

Opiates have been extensively used in the treatment of cancer as part of modern therapies. The use of opiates is in the form of drugs that are derived from morphine, a common type of plant that represents what opiates are, which is used as an extremely powerful painkiller for cancer patients. The exact mechanism by which opiates (in the form of morphine-based pain killers) works to relieve patients of pain is a complex process. But it suffices to say that the active chemical compound in opiates activates special cells within the nervous system of the patient leading to massive decline in pain sensations. This presents great relief to patients, particularly when one considers the intensity of cancer-induced pain which patients do experience.

Breast Cancer

Opiates And Breast Cancer: The Danger Of Recurrence

There has been considerable concern about the relationship between opiates and cancer recurrence in patients. The concern has been based on the growing discovery that some patients who, in the course of their treatment for cancer used morphine-derived drugs as pain killers, showed signs of the disease recurring after some time. The argument has been that the opiates that are found in the drugs must be responsible for this observed phenomenon.

There are two important things that should be understood from this. The first one regards the exact use of opiates in cancer patients. In practice, opiates are used as pain killers on patients before other forms of therapy, such as surgery, are used. During such times, the drugs are usually administered in heavy doses as a way of dealing with the equally intense pain.

The second one regards the use of the drugs during times when the disease is still in its early stages of development. There have been a number of studies that have sought to demonstrate the exact effect of opiates on cancer cells. It has been shown, with mixed reactions, that opiates do show anti-cancer properties at times and that they can actually be used to inhibit the rate of growth of cancer cells. Although this is so, the efficacy, extent and possible mechanism by which this occurs remains a subject of research.

What has caught our attention is the increasing proof that indeed using opiates as pain killers in patients of breast cancer may contribute to the cancer occurring again in them later.

Ways of recurrence as a result of opiate use in breast cancer patients

There are several ways in which use of opiates as pain killers leads to recurrence of breast cancer in patients. Basically, this ability is understood by the role that the compound plays in the processes of metastasis and angiogenesis. These two processes are critical for the growth and development of cancer. Through angiogenesis, cancer cells are able to derive their own supply of blood from the existing circulatory system, thus fueling their own growth. Similarly, through metastasis, cancer cells are able to spread to other parts of the body via the circulatory system.

Opiates have been found to enhance angiogenesis by their effect on the immune system. Naturally, the body produces special hormones that work to prevent possible development of cancer cells. Use of opiates has been found to suppress the production of the hormones, thus weakening the immune system and exposing a patient to possible recurrence of breast cancer long after treatment.

Further, it has been found that opiates encourage cancer cells to spread through the body long after treatment. What usually happens is that a few cancer cells may be circulating in the body after treatment of breast cancer. Opiates do have a direct effect on these cells in the body. It is this effect that may encourage the cells to spread and redevelop into new cancer growth over eth course of time.

Use of opiates as part of the standard therapies used to treat cancer is set to continue. On the other hand, fears about its association with recurrence of breast cancer will linger. What this calls for is careful and judicious use of the right therapies in treating cancer. AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center has been known as a leading centre for cancer treatment and management for a long time. We run a range of highly specialized services in cancer diagnosis, treatment and overall care of patients. Our focus is on using alternative therapies to boost the effectiveness of other methods used in standard therapies. The result of this is your overall recovery and wellness within the shortest time possible.

Breast Cancer And The Use Of Opiates

Testosterone Therapy and Cancer Treatment

September 25, 2014

Testosterone Therapy and Breast Cancer

Testosterone therapy has been in use for treatment of women who have problems with their libido for a long time. Its use, however, has not been without controversy. On one hand has been the concern that using testosterone therapy to treat libido problems in women may actually expose them to the risk of developing breast cancer. On the other, there has been evidence to suggest that using the therapy on women actually helps them by preventing the possible development of breast cancer. In this article, the possible use of testosterone therapy to provide protection against the development of breast cancer is examined.

Use of testosterone therapy for decreased libido

Testosterone therapy has been a popular option for treating women having problems with their libido. Theoretically, there are several problems that may be the root cause of lack of libido in women. For instance, factors arising from the situation in which a woman operates may result to a decline in sexual desire. Highly stressful environments characterized by tension definitely lead to a decline in sexual libido in women. Besides, use of drugs, particularly antidepressant and drugs used to treat mental illnesses such as psychosis, has been strongly associated with low libido in women. Further, other normal body processes that occur after menopause have also been pointed out as possible causes of low libido in women. Menopause -related factors may be as a result of body processes that occur after natural menopause or those induced by surgical menopause.

Since it has been known that such cases low libido in women may actually have an underlying relationship to hormonal imbalances, the use of hormone – based therapies to handle them has been a common practice. In all these cases, testosterone therapy has been used to stimulate the libido of such women. This has been common in women who are past their menopause. In such cases, the therapy has proven effective in restoring the libido of such women, at least in the short term.

Concerns about use of testosterone therapy for decreased libido in women

There have been a number of concerns about the safety of using this therapy on women. Of particular concern has been the role that this therapy plays with regard to the onset and development of breast cancer among the women on whom it is used. Although there has been no strong scientific evidence to prove the case, the safety fears with regard to the use of the therapy have been that the therapy may pose a stimulatory effect on the breast cells which may lead to the development of cancer. The basis of this concern has been that the full effects of testosterone therapy on the physiology of the patients have not been well documented.

The possible way by which the therapy has been feared to lead to breast cancer development has been in two forms. First, there have been fears that testosterone therapy, like general androgens, may directly stimulate the androgen receptor in the breast of the patients, thus creating the right conditions for development of cancer. Secondly, it has been feared that the therapy may lead to production of estrogen within the breast tissue of the patient. This is said to possibly occur via activation of a complex enzyme process within the breast, thus predisposing a patient to breast cancer.

Use of testosterone therapy for decreased development of breast cancer

A lot of studies have been carried out to ascertain the veracity of the fears discussed before. In all these studies, results have indicated that use of testosterone therapy to treat libido problems in post-menopausal women does not expose them to the risk of developing breast cancer; quite the contrary. Strong evidence from several studies has indicated that use of testosterone therapy to treat such women may actually be responsible for providing protection against the development of breast cancer.

Contrary to popular belief that the therapy may trigger the onset of breast cancer either directly or via a complex process of enzyme activation, strong evidence has indicated that indeed, testosterone therapy does the opposite: inhibits the possible development of cancer cells within the breasts. What this means is that testosterone has been found to slow down the rate of growth of the cells found in the breasts thus reducing the possibility of the cells developing into cancerous ones. This mechanism offers inner protection to the breast against the possibility of the onset of cancer.

In a study conducted to determine the effectiveness of testosterone inhibiting the onset and development of cancer, it was found that the hormone is effective in blocking the onset and possible development of several different lines of breast cancer. Therefore, apart from blocking the possible development of cancer cells within the breast, testosterone has been found to limit the possibility of cancer cells developing and multiplying.

Conclusion

From the evidence of different studies presented here, three important conclusions can be drawn with regard to the use of testosterone therapy for treating low libido in post-menopausal women.

The first one is that the therapy does not have an association with the onset and development of breast cancer. The second conclusion is that testosterone therapy actually provides internal protection to the breast because it prevents the possibility of cancer developing. The third one is that the therapy is useful in breast cancer management in that it has shown the ability to limit the spread of cancer cells within the breast.

Dr. Akoury has built AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a leading center for cancer care and treatment. Added to her training, expertise and dedication, the services that we offer at this place have made us one of the best. If you are experiencing low libido and are worried about the possible effects of hormone therapy, you may talk to us and we shall provide all the information required.

Testosterone Therapy and Breast Cancer

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Handling Sagging Breasts

September 3, 2014

Handling Sagging Breasts – What causes Breast Sagging?

Handling sagging breast is the concern of many women, today we have new technologies which can help you have a more youthful looking breast

There are certain things in life which are automatic and are bound to happen even if we put controls to avoid their occurrence. For instance it is a fact that every passing minute we grow old and as the months turn into years we are also moving towards aging this is something we do not have control over because it is nature and what nature dictates is bound to happen at the appointed time. In the same way the breast of a woman will develop from childhood through teenage and into adult hood and as this takes place there will be positive and negative transformations in the process. This article will interrogate the changing shapes of the woman’s breast and in particular the sagging of the breast a condition many women would wish to bypass and keep the beauty of a well-balanced and attractive breast.

The sagging or drooping of breasts is actually a natural and inevitable process that happens to all women at some point time with very little exception to women with fairly small breasts. The most outstanding sagging happens with the process called breast involution even though the breasts can start drooping gradually at any age due to the fact that they don’t have muscles in them and instead they have the ligaments and connective tissue. The effect of gravitational force interferes and causes the ligaments and the skin to stretch which then result into breast sagging. The degree of sagging will depend on the elasticity of your skin and of your ligaments, as may be occasioned by your genes, diet and also on normal aging processes. The sagging effects will also be influenced by the size of the breast. For instance big or large breasts will sag more easily since the gravity is pulling them down more due to their weight. The other cause of breast sagging is indulgence in active sport like volleyball for example, this also causes the ligaments to stretch sometimes even beyond the limit and a good sports bra can minimize that effect.

Breast involution

Before we get to understand what breast involution is I want to agree with you that the sagging of breast is a general concern of all women experiencing the same. However the good news is something can be done to reinstate your breast to have a more youthful appearance. This is what doctor Dalal Akoury does best in her office using the best and painless methods that leaves you more attractive as a young teenage girl. Calling doctor Akoury to help you correct the effects of breast involution will be the best thing you can do for yourself. Meanwhile breast involution is a process where the milk-making system inside the breast shrinks because it is not needed anymore. This happens either after weaning or right after pregnancy if the woman does not breastfeed at all, or during menopause. When the tissues inside the breast shrink, and the skin surrounding it doesn’t, the breast can look “empty” and saggy. After weaning, a woman’s body usually deposits fat back to the breast, so that breasts will gain their pre-pregnancy size, but sagging usually remains.

Weight Lose

This is a significant cause of breast sagging in women and so when you lose weight, some of the lost fat disappears from your breasts. Typically the skin and the ligaments inside the breasts do not retract accordingly, resulting in an ’empty’ looking breast that then sags. This could be put to control by incorporating good feeding habits like eating foods that provide extra good nutrition for your skin.

Is it normal to have sagging breasts if you haven’t been pregnant?

While many women find themselves with sagging breasts after childbirth , weaning and after menopause many childless women also experience the sagging of breast and wonder if that is normal or if their breasts are sagging more than most women of their age. I would want to deviate your attention from that school of thought because sagging of breast in women is a natural occurrence which will happen sooner or later even without pregnancy. This condition is also experienced by some teenage girls, this can happen remember the size of the breast can lead to sagging due to the pull of gravity, and as indicated overweight is also a key factor which causes them to be heavier and therefore sag earlier than may be necessary. If you are experiencing breast sagging I would recommend to you that you call doctor Akoury a medical professional who is very much experienced in transforming breast by using the application of Vampire breast lift a process which is very timely and of little pain or no pain at all. The process is very friendly and takes very short time, in just under one hour the treatment will be over and you walk out much more youthful and full of self-esteem.

Can you prevent sagging?

Like I have said before sagging of the breast is a natural occurrence we can only exercise control over by bringing in the experts like doctor Dalal Akoury but realistically we cannot totally prevent it. It is an inevitable process because it is the gravity at work. However, there are a few things you can practice to put some degree of control.

Sports bras –wearing sports bras during active sports helps prevent sagging because when breasts bounce a lot during sports that can stretch and harm the Cooper’s ligaments inside breasts.

Only wear bras when necessary – where possible do NOT wear bras all the time. It’s true that people believe that bras prevent sagging, but this may not be totally true because there are instances where wearing of bras increases the sagging, this may sound but it is based on scientific studies. For example according to findings published by Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon from Besancon, France, it was established that wearing bras may increase sagging. The 15-year study involved 330 volunteers between the ages 18 and 35. Researchers measured their breasts using a slide ruler and a caliper and recorded any changes throughout the study period. Women who did not wear bras had a 7 millimeter lift as measured from their nipples each year. Their breasts were also firmer, and their stretch marks faded. There was also no evidence that the bras helped get rid of back pain.

The idea is that when you wear bras, the muscle tissue that supports the breasts may not develop as well. Also, the Cooper’s ligaments inside breasts can atrophy and shrivel away from not being used. The gentle bouncing of breasts when you walk and move can help those ligaments stay in top shape. Perhaps breasts weren’t meant to be kept totally motionless. But all the same remember to wear sports bras during any active sports where the breasts would bounce a lot.

Finally it is worth noting that breastfeeding has nothing to do with increases of breast sagging the increase is due to changes that takes place during pregnancy so feed your baby well in the whole cycle of breastfeeding. Now that you know all the causes take that bold step and locate doctor Akoury at her office in AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility she founded to help you improve on your look. Doctor Akoury in her more than 20 years of practice has been a dedicated and faithful healthcare provider to her clients globally and your visit to her office will surely leave you with a great and positive testimony, call her now.

Handling Sagging Breasts – What causes Breast Sagging?

Dangers of Testosterone Treatment for Men Without Estrogen

September 2, 2014

Testosterone Treatment for Men without Estrogen Blockade Is Dangerous

Testosterone Treatment for Men Hormones are the body’s messengers that are made by the Endocrine glands and they flow through the bloodstream to the organs and tissues. The hormones affect bodily functions and so are important in the entire human body. Our bodies function well when hormonal balance is achieved, the entire body becomes healthier and you can be cancer free as well as enjoy a life free from other diseases that are caused by hormonal imbalance. However the body may experience hormonal fluctuations naturally. This is because as we grow some hormones become more dominant. So hormonal fluctuation naturally happen during certain stages in life like puberty, pregnancy and menopause in women. In men also the levels of hormones fluctuate naturally with age which is quite normal.

Androgen which are the male sex hormones are responsible for many functions especially testosterone which is the major male hormone. One of the greatest functions of this hormone is its sexual functions. When it is available in low levels then the person should go for testosterone treatment in order to function well sexually among other benefits associated with optimum levels of testosterone hormones in the body of a man.

Natural fluctuations in hormones may not be so dangerous to our health but when hormonal imbalance is caused by environmental factors such as toxins in the air we breathe or in the foods we eat, our lifestyle begin to beckon cancer. So it is wise to prevent the causes of hormonal imbalance that are within our control so as to be free from cancer and other diseases associated with hormonal imbalance.

Many researchers have linked hormonal imbalance to cancers. Prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer and cancer of the ovary are attributed to the dominance of estrogen hormone. This hormone is present in our environment. It is found in our foods especially in commercial poultry, household plastics may contain estrogen compounds as well as the pesticides we use in our crops. The dominance of estrogen hormones has left us at risk of cancer.

Testosterone therapy

Testosterone replacement therapy involves supplementation of testosterone inform of injections, pellets, patches or gel in order to treat conditions in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is also available in IV forms. Just like the estrogen replacement therapy in women, this ought to be done by an expert as the dosage is important for better results and to mitigate on the side effects. This therefore cannot be done without the help of an expert. This therapy has been found to be effective in fighting hypogonadism. It is also good in improves energy levels, perfect body mass, sex functions and muscle strength among other benefits.

Testosterone therapy has very many benefits to the body but if it is done without blocking estrogen it may lead to estrogen dominance in the males which increases cancer risk.

Estrogen dominance– cancer has been linked to estrogen dominance in the body. In a case where estrogen is excessively higher than the testosterone hormones in the body the hormonal environment in the body becomes conducive for the growth of cancer cells. Just like Estrogen hormones dominance in women is known to cause breast cancer it also puts men at high risk of prostate cancer and other types of cancer.

An imbalance between the testosterone and estrogen hormones is a major cause of cancer. The level of testosterone is always lowered during old age as the production of this hormone becomes slowed. When production of this hormone is reduced, the body will have high estrogen hormones hence exposing men to cancer. Though not known to many, men also have estrogen in their bodies but not as much as women. A key approach to cancer prevention is in ensuring a balance between the estrogen and testosterone hormone is achieved.

Artificial hormone xenoestrogen adds the estrogen activities in our bodies. We get this hormone in commercial dairy products that are from animals injected with growth hormones and it acts as estrogen in our bodies. It is also available in pesticides used to spray crops and unfortunately they end up in our bodies. When introduced in the body they inhabit fatty tissues like the breast tissues and hence favor growth of cancerous cells in the breast. This hormone is more poisonous than natural ‘estrogen dominance’ and it also poisons the DNA, unfortunately xenoestrogen cannot be easily removed from the body.

Using estrogen Blockers to reduce cancer risk in men

In men the levels of estrogen should be low as they do not have many functions as in the women. Generally they are low but it is good to note that estrogen is a byproduct of testosterone conversion in men therefore increasing the levels of testosterone in the body without blocking estrogen can lead to higher than recommended levels of hormones in the body. When estrogens are higher than normal it indicates that the testosterone levels are lower than required. At this point it is advisable to use estrogen blockers even as you are undergoing testosterone replacement therapy to lower the levels of estrogen hormones that is already high failure to which there will be estrogen dominance in you and this is known to beckon cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors can be used since aromatase is the enzymes that convert testosterone to estrogen hormone and this will lead to rise in estrogen hormone levels in men. When this hormone is blocked then the testosterone levels will increase as estrogen levels decrease and this will help in avoiding estrogen dominance.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has also helped many people regain their sex appetite and add more fun their sexual life. She founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is home to many people seeking health breakthrough. Call on her now and learn more on how to enhance your sexual health.

Testosterone Treatment for Men without Estrogen Blockade Is Dangerous

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