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Health Tip: Possible Causes of Dry Eye

Posted 22 hours ago by Drugs.com

-- You produce tears to help keep your eyes moist and protected from irritants. But dry eye can make your eyes vulnerable and uncomfortable. The National Eye Institute says possible causes of dry eye include: Certain medications, including birth control pills, antidepressants, antihistamines and blood pressure drugs. Diseases of the eye or nearby skin. Damage to the eye, such as from chemical exposure. Health conditions, such as thyroid problems, allergies or immune disorders. Irritation caused by use of contact lenses, or after LASIK surgery. Pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy or some homeopathic remedies. Not blinking frequently enough during use of a computer screen. Read more

Low-Dose 'Pill' Linked to Pain During Orgasm, Study Finds

Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, May 3 – Women taking birth control pills with lower amounts of estrogen – a commonly prescribed contraceptive – may be at higher risk for chronic pelvic pain and pain during orgasm, according to new research. A study of nearly 1,000 women found that women on the lower-dose oral contraceptives were more likely than those on the standard dose (with higher estrogen levels), or those not on the pill, to report pelvic pain. "In our practice, we have seen a lot of this anecdotally," said Dr. Nirit Rosenblum, assistant professor of urology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, a specialist in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. To investigate the potential link further, she compared pain symptoms of women on low-dose birth control pills with those not on pills and those on standard doses. She is scheduled to present the findings Tuesday at the American ... Read more

Plan B Pill Approved for Sale Without a Prescription

Posted 1 May 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 1 – The Plan B "morning-after" emergency contraceptive pill has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for distribution without a doctor's prescription to females aged 15 and older. In 2011, the agency denied a petition filed by maker Teva Women's Health Inc. to approve the pill for all females of reproductive age. Teva then amended its FDA application to make the product available to females aged 15 and older. The product will carry a label warning that proof of age will be required before sale. In addition, "Teva has arranged to have a security tag placed on all product cartons to prevent theft," the FDA said in a news release. Plan B is designed to prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of unprotected sexual intercourse. It will not end pregnancy if a woman is already pregnant, and there is no evidence that if a pregnant woman does take the ... Read more

FDA Approves 'Morning-After' Pill Without a Prescription

Posted 30 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 30 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Tuesday approved the over-the-counter sale of Plan B One-Step, a version of the so-called "morning after" pill, for use as emergency contraception by girls and women aged 15 and older. The move ends years of debate over the issue, and follows a federal judge's order earlier this month that the FDA make Plan B available to all women, regardless of age. The emergency contraceptive is made by Teva Women's Health Inc. "Research has shown that access to emergency contraceptive products has the potential to further decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said in an agency news release. "The data reviewed by the agency demonstrated that women 15 years of age and older were able to understand how Plan B One-Step works, how to use it properly and that it does not ... Read more

Judge: Make Morning-After Pill Available to All Females

Posted 5 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 5 – A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make the so-called "morning-after pill" – an emergency contraceptive – available to all women regardless of age. The judge from the Eastern District of New York gave the FDA 30 days to remove age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception, such as Plan B One-Step. Currently, girls 16 and younger need a doctor's prescription to get the pill. Other brands of emergency contraception include Next Choice and Ella. The judge's decision, released Friday, is the latest step in a 10-year, controversial debate about who should have access to the drug and why. Plan B prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in a woman's uterus through use of levonorgestrel, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone used for decades in birth control pills. Plan B contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, more ... Read more

Millions Still Lack Access to Modern Contraception, Study Says

Posted 11 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 11 – The number of women worldwide using modern contraceptive methods such as birth control pills is increasing, but an estimated 233 million women with partners may not have access to these methods in 2015, a new study suggests. That means these women would have to rely on traditional contraceptive methods, such as not having sex or withdrawal of the penis before ejaculation. Researchers analyzed data from 1990 to 2010 about women of reproductive age (15 to 49) in 194 countries and found that the use of contraception by married women increased from 55 percent to 63 percent during that time, while the unmet need for contraception fell from 15 percent to 12 percent. (Women with unmet need are those who want to delay or stop childbearing but aren't using any method of birth control to prevent pregnancy.) However, because of population growth and other factors, total ... Read more

Teen Pregnancy-Prevention Program Works, Study Says

Posted 25 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 25 – Teenage girls at high risk for pregnancy were more likely to use condoms and birth control pills after taking part in a prevention program specifically designed for them, a new study says. The Prime Time program is provided at primary care clinics and is meant to change girls' sexual risk behaviors using measures such as personal case management and youth leadership opportunities, according to Renee Sieving of the University of Minnesota, and colleagues. "Findings suggest that health services grounded in a youth development framework can lead to long-term reductions in sexual risk among vulnerable youth," the study authors wrote. Their study, published online Feb. 25 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, included 253 sexually active girls, aged 13 to 17. About half were assigned to the Prime Time program while the others were assigned to a control group that received no ... Read more

Use of Morning-After Pill on the Rise: CDC

Posted 14 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 – The number of U.S. women using the "morning-after" contraception pill has risen dramatically in the last decade, federal health officials report. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4.2 percent of women in 2002 said they had used the pill, but between 2006 and 2010 that figure had jumped to 11 percent, which translates to 5.8 million women who were between 15 and 44 years old. The pill, considered emergency contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy, was particularly popular among young women between 20 and 24 years old, who accounted for 23 percent of users, the government report found. The report, released Wednesday by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics using data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth, also found: Non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women were more likely to have used emergency contraception, ... Read more

Obama Administration Revises Controversial Contraception Mandate

Posted 4 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 1 – Religious organizations that object to providing birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act would be allowed to hand that responsibility off to a third party under new rules proposed Friday by the Obama administration. The so-called "contraception mandate" has already been challenged in court by numerous groups on the grounds that it violates their religious beliefs. Federal health officials said Friday that the new rules are an attempt to address some of those concerns. "The [Obama] administration is committed to working with all employers to give them the flexibility and resources they need to implement the health care law in a way that both protects women's health and also makes common-sense accommodations for religious beliefs," Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, deputy director for policy and regulation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Center ... Read more

Migraine With Aura May Raise Risk of Heart Trouble

Posted 15 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Jan. 15 – Women who suffer from migraines with visual effects called aura may face an increased risk for heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, new studies find. Only high blood pressure was a more powerful predictor of cardiovascular trouble, the researchers said. There are things women with this type of migraine can do to reduce that risk, they added: lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, avoid smoking, eat healthfully and exercise. "Other studies have found that this form of migraine has been associated with the risk of stroke, and may be associated with any cardiovascular disease," said lead author Dr. Tobias Kurth, from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "We find migraine with aura is a quite strong contributor to major cardiovascular disease. It is one of the top two risk factors." ... Read more

IUD Might Ease Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Study Suggests

Posted 9 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 – Women with heavy menstrual bleeding may find some relief using an intrauterine device, or IUD, containing the hormone levonorgestrel, according to new research. British researchers found that the treated IUD was more effective at reducing the effects of heavy menstrual bleeding (also called menorrhagia) on quality of life compared to other treatments. Normally used for contraception, the intrauterine system is sold under the brand name Mirena. "If women suffer with heavy periods and do not want to get pregnant – as the levonorgestrel intrauterine system is a contraceptive – then having the levonorgestrel intrauterine system is a very good first-line treatment option that does not require taking regular, daily oral medications," said the study's lead author, Dr. Janesh Gupta, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Birmingham and Birmingham ... Read more

Give Teens Access to Emergency Contraception, Pediatricians Say

Posted 26 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 26 – Doctors should let their teenage patients know about emergency contraception, such as Plan B, and write them a prescription for it if they are sexually active, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The new guideline is an update to the 2005 policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the largest organization of pediatric doctors in the United States. Since 2005, "the data are even more supportive of emergency contraception," said the policy statement's lead author, Dr. Cora Breuner, A professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. "These methods are absolutely not an abortion," Breuner said. They prevent pregnancies by blocking fertilization. The statement, published online Nov. 26 in the journal Pediatrics, emphasizes the importance of informing teens that ... Read more

OB/GYNs Endorse Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills

Posted 21 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 – Birth control pills are safe and should be sold over-the-counter without the need for a doctor's exam or prescription, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended Tuesday. Noting that half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended – a rate unchanged in 20 years – ACOG said easier access to oral contraceptives could help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. "It's unfortunate that in this country where we have all these contraceptive methods available, unintended pregnancy is still a major public health problem," Dr. Kavita Nanda, a scientist with the North Carolina nonprofit FHI 360 (formerly known as Family Health International), told the Associated Press. Many factors contribute to the high rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States, a situation that costs taxpayers an estimated $11.1 billion each ... Read more

More U.S. Women Turning to Long-Acting Contraceptives: CDC

Posted 18 Oct 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Oct. 18 – A new survey of American women's contraceptive preferences show that while the Pill is still the favorite method, long-acting alternatives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) are gaining ground. One method of preventing pregnancy that is losing ground: condoms. The report, from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at data from interviews conducted with nearly 23,000 females aged 15 to 44 between 2006 and 2010. Overall, close to two-thirds (62 percent) of those quizzed were using some form of contraception at the time of the interview, say researchers led by NCHS statistician Jo Jones. About one in 10 women (11 percent) at risk of an unwanted pregnancy said they were not using any form of contraception. "Of women using a contraceptive method in the month of the interview, the most common ... Read more

Teens' Lifestyle Choices Affect Their Blood Pressure

Posted 10 Jul 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 10 – Teen girls who use birth control pills and teen boys who drink alcohol are at increased risk for elevated blood pressure, according to a new study. The risk is also greater among teens of both sexes who have a high salt intake and those with a higher body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on weight and height. High blood pressure (hypertension) increases the chances of heart disease and stroke. Researchers looked at blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity levels, prescription medicine use and eating habits among nearly 1,800 teens in Australia. About 24 percent of the teens had pre-hypertension or hypertension, including 34 percent of those who were overweight and 38 percent of those who were obese. Average systolic blood pressure (top number in a reading) among boys in the study was 9 mmHg higher than in girls in general. ... Read more