Another Case history of infertility successfully treated by homeopath, Dr Johan P Prinsloo in Parent24.com
By Antonella Dési
Article originally in Parent24
Before she fell pregnant with her son, Alexander, Antonella Dési tried for two years. This is her story.
When my gynaecologist told me I had PCOS, I didn’t think much of it, until that is, she said that it could have severe negative effects on me trying to conceive. I remember my heart stopping when she said this – all I had ever wanted to do was to have baby of my own. This diagnosis marked the beginning of my two-and-a-half-year battle with “infertility”, which I am glad to say, I finally overcame.
I was 28 years old when I was diagnosed with the syndrome, but I had been displaying symptoms of PCOS since my early teens. The symptoms I thought were just the result of unfortunate genes – excessive hairiness (which I put down to my Italian heritage), bad skin and stubborn extra weight that was exceptionally difficult to lose. The one and only symptom that I mistakenly and very naively thought was not too bad, was the fact that I only menstruated around three to six times a year.
All of these symptoms, bar the hairiness, tended to disappear when I was on the contraceptive pill – unlike most of my friends, I actually lost weight on the pill, my skin cleared up and my periods became to-the-minute regular – that is, until I stopped taking it, and then everything returned to the way it was before.
Even though I had been going for annual pap smears since I was 18 years old (cervical cancer is common in my family), not one of the gynaecologists I went to actually diagnosed me with PCOS. Fortunately, my current gynaecologist, Dr Sumayya Ebrahim made the diagnosis during my annual visit, after I told her that I was having trouble falling pregnant after being off the pill for a year. She told me that she could prescribe some medication, called Clomid, which ought to induce ovulation.
Dr Ebrahim spoke to me at length about the side effects of Clomid, informing me that like all drugs, Clomid affects each individual differently. She listed the common side effects as including abdominal bloating, abdominal and breast tenderness, skin changes, headaches and mood swings. What she failed to impress on me however, was that Clomid would not only make me ovulate, but that it would turn me into a hormonal, raving mad, devil woman, who truly and honestly thought she was losing her mind. Not only did this put strain on my marriage, but it went so far that I sought the advice of a psychologist, who informed me that it was probably the Clomid that was making me feel this way.
I decided to stop taking the medication and my mental state immediately improved. I consulted with Dr Ebrahim again, telling her that I had decided to stop taking Clomid, and she said that the next feasible option was to visit a fertility clinic. The idea of visiting a fertility clinic scared me – from the perspective of the hormonal and emotional ordeal it promised, as well as the exorbitant cost.
I understood that ultimately I would pay anything to become a mother, but I was also desperately looking for a more “natural” alternative that wouldn’t transform me into the hormonal heap of emotions that put such strain on me and my relationship. It was around this time that my sister-in-law told me that her sister, another sufferer of PCOS, had recently fallen pregnant by undergoing treatment from homeopath, Dr Johan P Prinsloo. I got his number and traveled all the way from Johannesburg to visit him in Pretoria.
Dr Prinsloo spoke to me for an hour – asking me a wide range of various questions, which I remember thinking were relatively irrelevant, but I answered them anyway. After that, he pricked my finger, took a sample of my blood on a glass slide and disappeared into his back rooms to diagnose it. After 10 or 15 minutes, he returned and advised me to stop using any form of lubricant, to use pads instead of tampons, and to take the drops and pills he had prescribed three times a day. He also told me not to worry about quitting smoking just yet, as it would stress me out and that stress is far more damaging for possible conception than smoking is. His advice to me was to carry on as normal – to enjoy life, have fun with my husband and to try and forget about babies.
I felt completely normal and at ease on Dr Prinsloo’s treatment, however, after taking it for eight months, nothing much happened, I lost faith in the treatment and stopped taking it. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would need to go to a fertility clinic, Vitalab, and made an appointment for a month’s time. My husband came with me to the clinic, where the fertility specialist, Dr Stephan Volschenk, asked me a few questions and performed an internal ultra sound examination, where he showed us my ovaries and the cysts. As expected, he diagnosed me PCOS and explained that I should expect a difficult road ahead to successfully fall pregnant. After seeing him, I was transferred to one of his consulting nurses, who prescribed the various medication and a blood test once my first menstrual cycle started.
Exactly four days later, I went for lunch with my older sister, Nicolina. I told her about the pending treatment and during the course of the meal, I also complained of my breasts being sore, which I thought was a good sign as it probably signalled the beginning of my period. Nicolina was insistent that I take a pregnancy test, even though I shirked her off believing that this was an impossibility, especially in light of the fact that I had just been to see a specialist.
“Surely he would’ve picked up on the fact that I was pregnant during the ultrasound, and besides, I have been told that I can’t fall pregnant on my own,” I thought.
Later that day, Nicolina visited me at home with a pregnancy test she had bought for me and insisted I take the test. And that was when I found out I was pregnant!
The next day, at an appointment with Dr. Ebrahim, she showed my husband and myself the heartbeat of my new son, who she told me was nine weeks old already. What a miracle!
Have you struggled to fall pregnant? Share your story below or visit our Trying like youforum.
Read more on: antonella dési | dr stephan volschenk | dr sumayya ebrahim | johannesburg | pretoria | pcos | my journey to motherhood | clomid
Related article
Can homeopathy treat PCOS?
The original article can be read HERE
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
Monday, 27 May 2013
Can homeopathy treat PCOS?
Homeopath Dr Johan P Prinsloo discusses this common cause of infertility in Parent24.com
By Antonella Dési with Dr Johan P Prinsloo
Article originally in Parent24
One of the most important aspects of infertility treatment is a lack of insight stemming from a lack of education and detail, leading patients to make wrong decisions. It is becoming such a niche money-making market that more and more patients are being taken for a ride with one-stop remedies and standardised protocols that cannot be effective in each case.
Homeopathic infertility treatment attends to the environment, the health and status of the patient and the entire reproductive system, including the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and so on. Although there is of course a place for treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilisation), AI (artificial insemination), and other techniques, their success will always rely on the health of the environment.
Such interventions would be much more successful if they were done in conjunction with homeopathic treatment of infertility. One would be able to achieve a much higher success rate if only the conventional medical profession was prepared to work with their homeopathic counterparts. After all, we are supposed to be working towards the same common goal.
The focus of homeopathic treatment is upon the environment, the health state of the uterus, endometrium, healthy natural ovulation and production of a healthy ovum. This is done by treating endometritis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and everything that is involved in ensuring successful fertilisation, implantation and eventually a healthy pregnancy. It is also important to maintain normal hormonal balance. This is done with low potency and tincture preparations, which both supplement and restore balance, without massive increases in certain hormones that tip the balance unfavourably.
How long does the homeopathic treatment take to be effective?
Infertility treatment usually ranges from between three to six months. It may be longer, depending on the individual patient’s range of problems and history.
What do you think causes PCOS?
I’m of the opinion that our current lifestyle has much to do with it. The incidence of PCOS is on the increase and we are being bombarded with hormones in our diet. Red meat, chicken and eggs all contain hormones. Pseudo oestrogens resulting from the increased use of plastic containers also contribute to PCOS. The other problem of course is the rise in diabetes type 2. It is well known that blood sugar and insulin levels affect fertility and have an effect on PCOS.
What should women trying to fall pregnant avoid?
I am greatly opposed to the use of tampons, since they contain dioxin. In the USA, dioxin has been linked directly to thousands of cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Also, many lubricants have spermicidal properties and women should make sure that the particular lubricant they use is not spermicidal. It should not be necessary for women to use lubricants and vaginal dryness is one of the problems that should be addressed in their treatment of infertility.
Read more on: antonella dési | dr jp prinsloo | ivf | ai | homeopathy | pcos
Related Article
PCOS: my journey to motherhood
Read the original article HERE
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
By Antonella Dési with Dr Johan P Prinsloo
Article originally in Parent24
One of the most important aspects of infertility treatment is a lack of insight stemming from a lack of education and detail, leading patients to make wrong decisions. It is becoming such a niche money-making market that more and more patients are being taken for a ride with one-stop remedies and standardised protocols that cannot be effective in each case.
Homeopathic infertility treatment attends to the environment, the health and status of the patient and the entire reproductive system, including the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and so on. Although there is of course a place for treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilisation), AI (artificial insemination), and other techniques, their success will always rely on the health of the environment.
Such interventions would be much more successful if they were done in conjunction with homeopathic treatment of infertility. One would be able to achieve a much higher success rate if only the conventional medical profession was prepared to work with their homeopathic counterparts. After all, we are supposed to be working towards the same common goal.
The focus of homeopathic treatment is upon the environment, the health state of the uterus, endometrium, healthy natural ovulation and production of a healthy ovum. This is done by treating endometritis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and everything that is involved in ensuring successful fertilisation, implantation and eventually a healthy pregnancy. It is also important to maintain normal hormonal balance. This is done with low potency and tincture preparations, which both supplement and restore balance, without massive increases in certain hormones that tip the balance unfavourably.
How long does the homeopathic treatment take to be effective?
Infertility treatment usually ranges from between three to six months. It may be longer, depending on the individual patient’s range of problems and history.
What do you think causes PCOS?
I’m of the opinion that our current lifestyle has much to do with it. The incidence of PCOS is on the increase and we are being bombarded with hormones in our diet. Red meat, chicken and eggs all contain hormones. Pseudo oestrogens resulting from the increased use of plastic containers also contribute to PCOS. The other problem of course is the rise in diabetes type 2. It is well known that blood sugar and insulin levels affect fertility and have an effect on PCOS.
What should women trying to fall pregnant avoid?
I am greatly opposed to the use of tampons, since they contain dioxin. In the USA, dioxin has been linked directly to thousands of cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Also, many lubricants have spermicidal properties and women should make sure that the particular lubricant they use is not spermicidal. It should not be necessary for women to use lubricants and vaginal dryness is one of the problems that should be addressed in their treatment of infertility.
Read more on: antonella dési | dr jp prinsloo | ivf | ai | homeopathy | pcos
Related Article
PCOS: my journey to motherhood
Read the original article HERE
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
Pesticides Tied To Semen Trouble and Male Infertility
Excerpt By Adam Marcus, HealthDay
Three chemicals in farm pesticides have now been linked to poor sperm quality in rural Midwesterners.
Missouri men exposed to high amounts of the substances are far more likely than men with less contact to have diluted or deformed and sluggish sperm. Each of the semen problems can reduce the ability of sperm to reach and fertilize an egg and could make conception harder, the researchers say. However, all the men in the latest study were fathers, so the impact of the chemicals on fertility, if any, is uncertain.
"These chemicals are among the most commonly used throughout the Midwest," says research leader Shanna Swan, an expert in reproduction and the environment at the University of Missouri.
The chemicals -- two plant killers and an insecticide -- most likely reach men through the water supply. Drinking water in some areas of the Midwest contains significant levels of the substances. Swan says her future work will focus on whether the pesticides affect female fertility. She is now analyzing evidence from men in Iowa City, where the chemicals are also common and where, in the 1970s, researchers found low sperm counts.
Swan and her colleagues report their findings in the June 18 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
In a previous study, also in the environmental journal, Swan's group found more rural men than city dwellers had under-performing sperm, and she suggested the connection might involve exposure to pesticides. This time, she and her colleagues identified the particular substances within farm chemicals that appear to be causing problems with semen.
To do so, they tested urine samples of 86 men in Minnesota and Missouri for breakdown products of 15 popular pesticides. Several were associated with unhealthy sperm traits but three stood out.
The three chemicals are the bug spray diazinon -- used to fight ants and other insects -- and two weed killers, alachlor and atrazine. Missouri men (though not Minnesotans) exposed to high levels of each substance in their urine were many times more likely than those with less exposure to have abnormal sperm. Alachlor had the strongest connection: High levels of exposure to the herbicide were associated with a 30-fold increased risk of diluted or struggling sperm.
Atrazine, the most commonly detected herbicide in the U.S. drinking water, has been shown to disrupt the proper development of frogs. Another study found a link between exposure to the chemical and prostate cancer, Swan says.
John Heinze, executive director of the Environmental Health Research Foundation, calls the latest study "interesting." But, he says, there are reasons to be cautious about the conclusions.
None of the three chemicals have been shown in animal studies to adversely affect sperm quality. "You would expect to see that in an animal study that uses massive doses," he says. And, all of the men had children, so the impact of the substances on male fertility doesn't appear to be that strong, says Heinze, whose group receives funding from the chemicals and plastics industries, as well as from government and other private sources.
The U.S. Geological Survey has found higher than recommended levels of the three chemicals in Midwest groundwater. Neither water processing plants nor home filtering devices remove them, Swan says.
In a bit of good news, Swan's group found no evidence that the widespread insect killer DEET and other pesticides used around the home affected sperm quality. However, she observes, DEET is typically absorbed through the skin, not ingested in drinking water like atrazine, alachlor and diazinon.
Rex Hess, a reproductive biologist at the University of Illinois in Urbana, calls the new findings "quite interesting." Although the study doesn't prove the pesticides cause semen trouble, Hess believes the hormone estrogen could provide a connection.
In 1997, Hess published a paper in Nature showing that the hormone estrogen played an important role in healthy sperm quality. That's because the molecule regulates how much water is in semen, and thus how concentrated with sperm a man's semen is -- the higher the better.
Atrazine has been shown to interfere with estrogen, Hess says. As a result, it could dilute semen and suppress fertility. "It could have that effect," he says.
Source: http://preventdisease.com/news/articles/pesticides_tied_semen_trouble.shtml
More information
Try the Urology Channel for fertility information or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to learn about pesticides.
Reference Source 101
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
Common Herbicide Causes Infertility
Common Herbicide Used in 60 Countries and Found in Rain Water Causes Infertility
An international team of researchers has reviewed the evidence linking exposure to atrazine -- an herbicide widely used in the U.S. and more than 60 other nations -- to reproductive problems in animals. The team found consistent patterns of reproductive dysfunction in amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals exposed to the chemical.
Atrazine is the second-most widely used herbicide in the U.S. More than 75 million pounds of it are applied to corn and other crops, and it is the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant of groundwater, surface water and rain in the U.S.
Men exposed to high amounts of the substances are far more likely than men with less contact to have diluted or deformed and sluggish sperm. Each of the semen problems can reduce the ability of sperm to reach and fertilize an egg and could make conception harder.
The new review, compiled by 22 scientists studying atrazine in North and South America, Europe and Japan, appears in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
High levels of exposure to the herbicide were previously associated with a 30-fold increased risk of diluted or struggling sperm.
The researchers looked at studies linking atrazine exposure to abnormal androgen (male hormone) levels in fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals and studies that found a common association between exposure to the herbicide and the “feminization” of male gonads in many animals.
The most robust findings are in amphibians, said University of Illinois comparative biosciencesprofessor Val Beasley, a co-author of the review. At least 10 studies found that exposure to atrazine feminizes male frogs, sometimes to the point of sex reversal, he said.
Beasley’s lab was one of the first to find that male frogs exposed to atrazine in the wild were more likely to have both male and female gonadal tissue than frogs living in an atrazine-free environment. And in a 2010 study, Tyrone Hayes, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California at Berkeley and lead author of the review, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that atrazine exposure in frogs was associated with “genetic males becoming females and functioning as females,” Beasley said.
“And this is not at extremely high concentrations,” he said. “These are at concentrations that are found in the environment.”
Researchers have previously found that long-term exposure to even very low levels of atrazine -- 2.5 parts per billion of water -- emasculated three-quarters of laboratory frogs and turned one in 10 into females. Scientists believe the pesticide interferes with endocrine hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone.
The new review describes the disruptions of hormone function and sexual development reported in studies of mammals, frogs, fish, reptiles and human cells exposed to the herbicide. The studies found that atrazine exposure can change the expression of genes involved in hormone signaling, interfere with metamorphosis, inhibit key enzymes that control estrogen and androgen production, skew the sex ratio of wild and laboratory animals (toward female) and otherwise disrupt the normal reproductive development and functioning of males and females.
“One of the things that became clear in writing this paper is that atrazine works through a number of different mechanisms,” Hayes said. “It’s been shown that it increases production of (the stress hormone) cortisol. It’s been shown that it inhibits key enzymes in steroid hormone production while increasing others. It’s been shown that it somehow prevents androgen from binding to its receptor.”
The review also consolidates the evidence that atrazine undermines immune function in a variety of animals, in part by increasing cortisol.
“Cortisol is a nonspecific response to chronic stress,” Beasley said. “But guess what? Wildlife in many of today’s habitats are stressed a great deal of the time. They’re stressed because they’re crowded into little remnant habitats. They’re stressed because there’s not enough oxygen in the water because there are not enough plants in the water (another consequence of herbicide use). They’re stressed because of other contaminants in the water. And the long-term release of cortisol causes them to be immuno-suppressed.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy organization, released a report in August 2009 that documented spikes of atrazine in the water supplies of Midwestern and Southern agricultural areas where the pesticide is primarily applied.
Home or municipal carbon filters can remove atrazine from water but some water filtration systems in small towns are not equipped to filter out atrazine. Water systems in a handful of states have sued atrazine's manufacturers in an effort to force them to pay for removing the pesticide from drinking water.
There also are studies that show no effects -- or different effects -- in animals exposed to atrazine, Beasley said. “But the studies are not all the same. There are different species, different times of exposure, different stages of development and different strains within a species.” All in all, he said, the evidence that atrazine harms animals, particularly amphibians and other creatures that encounter it in the water, is compelling.
“I hope this will stimulate policymakers to look at the totality of the data and ask very broad questions,” Hayes said. “Do we want this stuff in our environment? Do we want -- knowing what we know -- our children to drink this stuff? I would think the answer would be no.”
Source: http://drjpprinsloo.blogspot.com/2011/11/common-herbicide-used-in-60-countries.html
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
An international team of researchers has reviewed the evidence linking exposure to atrazine -- an herbicide widely used in the U.S. and more than 60 other nations -- to reproductive problems in animals. The team found consistent patterns of reproductive dysfunction in amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals exposed to the chemical.
Atrazine is the second-most widely used herbicide in the U.S. More than 75 million pounds of it are applied to corn and other crops, and it is the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant of groundwater, surface water and rain in the U.S.
Men exposed to high amounts of the substances are far more likely than men with less contact to have diluted or deformed and sluggish sperm. Each of the semen problems can reduce the ability of sperm to reach and fertilize an egg and could make conception harder.
The new review, compiled by 22 scientists studying atrazine in North and South America, Europe and Japan, appears in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
High levels of exposure to the herbicide were previously associated with a 30-fold increased risk of diluted or struggling sperm.
The researchers looked at studies linking atrazine exposure to abnormal androgen (male hormone) levels in fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals and studies that found a common association between exposure to the herbicide and the “feminization” of male gonads in many animals.
The most robust findings are in amphibians, said University of Illinois comparative biosciencesprofessor Val Beasley, a co-author of the review. At least 10 studies found that exposure to atrazine feminizes male frogs, sometimes to the point of sex reversal, he said.
Beasley’s lab was one of the first to find that male frogs exposed to atrazine in the wild were more likely to have both male and female gonadal tissue than frogs living in an atrazine-free environment. And in a 2010 study, Tyrone Hayes, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California at Berkeley and lead author of the review, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that atrazine exposure in frogs was associated with “genetic males becoming females and functioning as females,” Beasley said.
“And this is not at extremely high concentrations,” he said. “These are at concentrations that are found in the environment.”
Researchers have previously found that long-term exposure to even very low levels of atrazine -- 2.5 parts per billion of water -- emasculated three-quarters of laboratory frogs and turned one in 10 into females. Scientists believe the pesticide interferes with endocrine hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone.
The new review describes the disruptions of hormone function and sexual development reported in studies of mammals, frogs, fish, reptiles and human cells exposed to the herbicide. The studies found that atrazine exposure can change the expression of genes involved in hormone signaling, interfere with metamorphosis, inhibit key enzymes that control estrogen and androgen production, skew the sex ratio of wild and laboratory animals (toward female) and otherwise disrupt the normal reproductive development and functioning of males and females.
“One of the things that became clear in writing this paper is that atrazine works through a number of different mechanisms,” Hayes said. “It’s been shown that it increases production of (the stress hormone) cortisol. It’s been shown that it inhibits key enzymes in steroid hormone production while increasing others. It’s been shown that it somehow prevents androgen from binding to its receptor.”
The review also consolidates the evidence that atrazine undermines immune function in a variety of animals, in part by increasing cortisol.
“Cortisol is a nonspecific response to chronic stress,” Beasley said. “But guess what? Wildlife in many of today’s habitats are stressed a great deal of the time. They’re stressed because they’re crowded into little remnant habitats. They’re stressed because there’s not enough oxygen in the water because there are not enough plants in the water (another consequence of herbicide use). They’re stressed because of other contaminants in the water. And the long-term release of cortisol causes them to be immuno-suppressed.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy organization, released a report in August 2009 that documented spikes of atrazine in the water supplies of Midwestern and Southern agricultural areas where the pesticide is primarily applied.
Home or municipal carbon filters can remove atrazine from water but some water filtration systems in small towns are not equipped to filter out atrazine. Water systems in a handful of states have sued atrazine's manufacturers in an effort to force them to pay for removing the pesticide from drinking water.
There also are studies that show no effects -- or different effects -- in animals exposed to atrazine, Beasley said. “But the studies are not all the same. There are different species, different times of exposure, different stages of development and different strains within a species.” All in all, he said, the evidence that atrazine harms animals, particularly amphibians and other creatures that encounter it in the water, is compelling.
“I hope this will stimulate policymakers to look at the totality of the data and ask very broad questions,” Hayes said. “Do we want this stuff in our environment? Do we want -- knowing what we know -- our children to drink this stuff? I would think the answer would be no.”
Source: http://drjpprinsloo.blogspot.com/2011/11/common-herbicide-used-in-60-countries.html
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
BPA Leads to Fertility Defect in Offspring
Anthony Gucciardi
Activist Post
Bishphenol a (BPA), the headline-topping chemical commonly found in plastics, cans, and food packaging has been tied to yet another negative condition —adversely affecting male genital development and subsequently targeting fertility rates.
If you have been following the latest BPA research, then it should be no surprise to you that BPA has been repeatedly linked to diabetes, breast cancer(with over 130 total studies), hyperactivity and depression, and countless other conditions.
BPA alters Anogenital distance, heavily tied to fertility in men
The study, which involved the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research in Human Reproduction, examined the effect of BPA on Anogenital distance (AGD).
AGD is the distance between the genitalia and the anus, and is biologically very important. AGD has been linked to fertility in males, making the affect of BPA on the male reproductive system quite significant.
Linked to both semen volume and sperm count, men with an abnormally short AGD (lower than the median around 52 mm (2 in) have seven times the chance of being sub-fertile as compared to those with a longer AGD.
This is particularly startling due to the fact that BPA has been found in 90% of babies’ cord blood.
Researchers examined 153 boys, 56 with parental occupational exposure during pregnancy and 97 without. After factoring in the weight and age of the boys using regular linear regression, the study found that parental occupational exposure to BPA during pregnancy was associated with shortened AGD in male offspring. What this means is that those who were exposed to high levels of BPA during pregnancy were found to birth offspring with AGD defects. But what about those who do not deal with BPA exposure through their occupation?
Outside of directly working with BPA-containing items, there are many other venues of BPA exposure that could be affecting your health:
Explore More:
Activist Post
Bishphenol a (BPA), the headline-topping chemical commonly found in plastics, cans, and food packaging has been tied to yet another negative condition —adversely affecting male genital development and subsequently targeting fertility rates.
If you have been following the latest BPA research, then it should be no surprise to you that BPA has been repeatedly linked to diabetes, breast cancer(with over 130 total studies), hyperactivity and depression, and countless other conditions.
BPA alters Anogenital distance, heavily tied to fertility in men
The study, which involved the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research in Human Reproduction, examined the effect of BPA on Anogenital distance (AGD).
AGD is the distance between the genitalia and the anus, and is biologically very important. AGD has been linked to fertility in males, making the affect of BPA on the male reproductive system quite significant.
Linked to both semen volume and sperm count, men with an abnormally short AGD (lower than the median around 52 mm (2 in) have seven times the chance of being sub-fertile as compared to those with a longer AGD.
This is particularly startling due to the fact that BPA has been found in 90% of babies’ cord blood.
Researchers examined 153 boys, 56 with parental occupational exposure during pregnancy and 97 without. After factoring in the weight and age of the boys using regular linear regression, the study found that parental occupational exposure to BPA during pregnancy was associated with shortened AGD in male offspring. What this means is that those who were exposed to high levels of BPA during pregnancy were found to birth offspring with AGD defects. But what about those who do not deal with BPA exposure through their occupation?
Outside of directly working with BPA-containing items, there are many other venues of BPA exposure that could be affecting your health:
- 95% of paper money contains BPA
- 18 out of 20 of the most popular food cans are laced with BPA
- Dental fillings and sealants
- Many canned products specifically marketed to children
As more research comes out on the dangers of BPA, it will become more apparent to the general public how important it is to reduce daily exposure and utilize natural BPA solutions.
From causing cancer to fertility, there is simply no reason to keep BPA around.
Explore More:
- B Vitamins During Pregnancy & Nursing Protect Against Colon Cancer in Offspring
- The BPA Solution | How to Naturally Reverse the Effects
- Popular Plastic Chemical BPA Linked to Wheezing in Children
- This Common Chemical Linked to Allergies and Asthma
- Toxic Hormone-Mimicking BPA Now Linked to DiabetesPlease visit Natural Society for more great health news and vaccine information.
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
Home Test For Men: Fertility Chip Measures Concentration And Motility Of Semen
Loes Segerink, a researcher at the University of Twente has developed a “fertility chip” that can accurately count sperm and measure their motility. The chip can be inserted into a compact device for one-off use. A home test kit will soon make it possible for men to test their sperm in a familiar environment. As a result, there is a greater chance of obtaining a correct diagnosis, also the method is simple and inexpensive. Segerink’s doctoral defence will take place on 4 November 2011.
The lab-on-a-chip developed by Segerink measures sperm concentration. The importance of the sperm concentration is that the fertility standard states that a millilitre of ejaculate should contain at least 20 million sperm. A second important aspect of fertility is motility. This too can be measured using the lab-on-a-chip. Simple home test kits are already commercially available. These indicate whether the concentration is “above or below the standard value”. These tests are too limited, however, as they do not give accurate concentration readings.
How does it work?
On the chip, sperm flow through a liquid-filled channel, beneath electrode “bridges”. When a cell passes beneath one of these electrodes, there is a brief fluctuation in the electrical resistance. These events are counted. To test the reliability of her concentration measurements, Segerink added microspheres (tiny balls) to the liquid. Would the system only count sperm, or would it also register other particles? She found that the method was selective enough to distinguish sperm from microspheres. The system was also able to reliably distinguish white blood cells from other bodies. In addition to being an indicator of sperm quality, the white cell count provides important additional information to gynaecologists.
To swim or not to swim
Finally, sperm movement (motility) is another important measure of quality. A small adjustment of the lab-on-a-chip is all that is needed to sort motile sperm from non-motile sperm, after which both can be counted separately. By measuring sperm motility in this way, the chip offers a truly complete test.
Partners
Segerink developed the “fertility chip” in the BIOS Lab-on-a-Chip research group of Prof. Albert van den Berg, in collaboration with the Twente Medical Spectrum. The research group is part of the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology of the University of Twente. Various companies (PigGenetics, Blue4Green, R&R Mechatronics, Menzis, and Lionix) also participated in this project, funded by the STW Technology Foundation in The Netherlands.
In 2011, Segerink received a Valorisation Grant, as a first step towards establishing a company. This will provide her with a platform for refining the fertility chip and its accompanying read-out device into a market-ready product.
Source: http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2011/10/home-test-for-men-fertility-chip.html
Contacts and sources:
University of Twente
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
The lab-on-a-chip developed by Segerink measures sperm concentration. The importance of the sperm concentration is that the fertility standard states that a millilitre of ejaculate should contain at least 20 million sperm. A second important aspect of fertility is motility. This too can be measured using the lab-on-a-chip. Simple home test kits are already commercially available. These indicate whether the concentration is “above or below the standard value”. These tests are too limited, however, as they do not give accurate concentration readings.
How does it work?
On the chip, sperm flow through a liquid-filled channel, beneath electrode “bridges”. When a cell passes beneath one of these electrodes, there is a brief fluctuation in the electrical resistance. These events are counted. To test the reliability of her concentration measurements, Segerink added microspheres (tiny balls) to the liquid. Would the system only count sperm, or would it also register other particles? She found that the method was selective enough to distinguish sperm from microspheres. The system was also able to reliably distinguish white blood cells from other bodies. In addition to being an indicator of sperm quality, the white cell count provides important additional information to gynaecologists.
To swim or not to swim
Finally, sperm movement (motility) is another important measure of quality. A small adjustment of the lab-on-a-chip is all that is needed to sort motile sperm from non-motile sperm, after which both can be counted separately. By measuring sperm motility in this way, the chip offers a truly complete test.
Partners
Segerink developed the “fertility chip” in the BIOS Lab-on-a-Chip research group of Prof. Albert van den Berg, in collaboration with the Twente Medical Spectrum. The research group is part of the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology of the University of Twente. Various companies (PigGenetics, Blue4Green, R&R Mechatronics, Menzis, and Lionix) also participated in this project, funded by the STW Technology Foundation in The Netherlands.
In 2011, Segerink received a Valorisation Grant, as a first step towards establishing a company. This will provide her with a platform for refining the fertility chip and its accompanying read-out device into a market-ready product.
Source: http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2011/10/home-test-for-men-fertility-chip.html
Contacts and sources:
University of Twente
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
Pregnancy via IVF could make women 50% more likely to suffer pre-eclampsia complication
Mothers who have IVF are almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer pre-eclampsia during their pregnancy than those who conceive naturally, researchers say.
A study in the U.S. found that pregnant women who have had fertility treatment are at greater risk of the condition, which can be lethal to mother and child.
One of the most common causes of premature birth in the UK, pre-eclampsia affects 70,000 British women every year.
It is characterised by high blood pressure and can lead to convulsions, blood clots, liver damage and kidney failure.
Mothers who suffer from the condition are usually prescribed drugs to lower their blood pressure and told to stay in bed.
Doctors hope such a treatment will reduce the stress on the baby and give it a chance to thrive before the birth, which usually involves a Caesarean section.
Melinda Messenger, the television presenter, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the singer, both had emergency surgery after pre-eclampsia diagnoses.
They both delivered healthy sons, but many families are not so fortunate: pre-eclampsia claims the lives of up to 1,000 babies and ten mothers a year.
There were 42 per cent more cases in women who had conceived using IVF, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's annual conference heard.
Researchers could not be certain why, but said the process of growing the embryo in the lab first might cause 'subtle changes' in the development of the placenta.
The placenta is the organ which provides a baby with oxygen and nourishment as it grows in the womb.
Problems with the placenta can trigger further abnormalities in the mother's body during pregnancy, then the baby's, leading to pre-eclampsia.
Charles Kingsland, of the British Fertility Society, said age could also be a factor in the development of the condition.
He said that women who have IVF are often older than those who conceive naturally and may already have medical problems which increase their risk of developing it.
[And then follows the following sick comment, which obviously stems from the greed for money, which in turn means much more than the lives of their patients.]
He urged women having IVF not to worry but added: 'We need to be aware that in this group of patients, who may be older, who may have difficulty in getting pregnant, that it doesn’t follow that just because you have got pregnant that everything else is going to be easy.'
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051006/Pregnancy-IVF-make-women-50-likely-suffer-pre-eclampsia-complication.html
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
A study in the U.S. found that pregnant women who have had fertility treatment are at greater risk of the condition, which can be lethal to mother and child.
One of the most common causes of premature birth in the UK, pre-eclampsia affects 70,000 British women every year.
It is characterised by high blood pressure and can lead to convulsions, blood clots, liver damage and kidney failure.
Mothers who suffer from the condition are usually prescribed drugs to lower their blood pressure and told to stay in bed.
Doctors hope such a treatment will reduce the stress on the baby and give it a chance to thrive before the birth, which usually involves a Caesarean section.
Melinda Messenger, the television presenter, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the singer, both had emergency surgery after pre-eclampsia diagnoses.
They both delivered healthy sons, but many families are not so fortunate: pre-eclampsia claims the lives of up to 1,000 babies and ten mothers a year.
There were 42 per cent more cases in women who had conceived using IVF, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's annual conference heard.
Researchers could not be certain why, but said the process of growing the embryo in the lab first might cause 'subtle changes' in the development of the placenta.
The placenta is the organ which provides a baby with oxygen and nourishment as it grows in the womb.
Problems with the placenta can trigger further abnormalities in the mother's body during pregnancy, then the baby's, leading to pre-eclampsia.
Charles Kingsland, of the British Fertility Society, said age could also be a factor in the development of the condition.
He said that women who have IVF are often older than those who conceive naturally and may already have medical problems which increase their risk of developing it.
[And then follows the following sick comment, which obviously stems from the greed for money, which in turn means much more than the lives of their patients.]
He urged women having IVF not to worry but added: 'We need to be aware that in this group of patients, who may be older, who may have difficulty in getting pregnant, that it doesn’t follow that just because you have got pregnant that everything else is going to be easy.'
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051006/Pregnancy-IVF-make-women-50-likely-suffer-pre-eclampsia-complication.html
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical or health care advice or treatment for any medical or health conditions. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem or health issues, promptly consult your professional registered / licensed health care provider.
The information contained in this blog and related website should not be considered complete as it is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of diet, health, fitness, nutrition, disease, infertility and treatment options.
Dr JPB Prinsloo is the oldest, most established homoeopathic practice in South Africa.
The practice, situated in Pretoria, was established in 1956.
To learn more about homeopathy, homeopathic infertility treatment and the legal requirements for practising as a homeopath, visit:
http://www.biocura.co.za/infertility_homeopathy.html
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