Medical Conditions and Treatments - TTC

<h2><strong>How to prevent toxoplamosis?</strong></h2>
<ol><ol type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Do not eat raw or undercooked meat, especially lamb or pork. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Do not eat locally prepared cold cuts.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">After handling raw meat, wash your hands immediately with soap. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, or other body parts. When cooking, avoid tasting meat before it is fully cooked.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Do not empty a cat’s litter box. Have someone else, wearing gloves, do it.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Change litter daily before any Toxoplasma oocysts can "ripen" and become infectious (Stage F). Dispose of used litter safely, preferably in a sealed plastic bag. If pregnant, avoid changing the litter box if possible (or use rubber gloves).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them. Wash vegetables thoroughly before eating, especially those grown in backyard gardens. Boil water from ponds or streams before drinking when camping or hiking.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Don’t feed your cat raw or undercooked meat.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Keep your cat indoors to prevent it from hunting birds or rodents, which can be infected with many types of bacteria.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Wear gloves while gardening.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Avoid children’s sandboxes because cats may use them as litter boxes.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Cover sand boxes when not in use to discourage cats defecating in them.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Wash hands with soap and water after working with soil or after handling raw or undercooked meat.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Cutting boards, knives, and the sink and counters should be washed well after cutting meat.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Cook meat thoroughly until the internal temperature reaches 152ºF (66ºC) in a conventional oven. Microwaving is not a sure way to kill Toxoplasma in meat.</li>
</ol></ol>
<p><a title="toxoplasmosis infection" href="infections/toxoplasmosis-and-pregnancy"><strong>How do I get toxoplasmosis infection?</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Toxoplasmosis Prevention

<h2><strong>How do I get infected with toxoplasmosis?</strong></h2>
<p>Most people get infected with toxoplasmosis by eating undercooked meat or meat products such as lamb, beef, or game (including salami), having contact with soil, or by inhaling or swallowing infected cat litter.</p>
<p>When cats (and only cats) become infected with toxoplasmosis, they harbor the toxoplasma "oocytes" in their intestines. These oocytes are excreted through their feces into the cat litter. This is the so-called 'intestinal phase' of the toxoplasma life cycle and it only occurs in cats (wild as well as domesticated cats). The oocytes can be inhaled or swallowed and infect others, or if the cat feces goes into the earth, people and other animals can get it when the soil gets into their mouths.</p>
<p>The extraintestinal phase occurs in all infected animals (including cats) who come in contact with the oocytes. Infected animals (including humans) produce "tachyzoites" and, eventually, "bradyzoites" or "zoitocysts." These tacgyzoites, bradyzoites, and zoitocysts reside in muscle, and when you (or other animals) eat undercooked meat, you can get infected.</p>
<p>You can also get infected with toxoplasma by putting infected soil into your mouth (always wash your hands!) or by eating undercooked meat (including salami and other similar foods) from an animal who has become infected. Cats are the only animals excreting the oocytes in their feces.</p>
<p><strong><a title="Toxoplasmosis Prevention" href="infections/toxoplasmosis-prevention">Toxoplasmosis Prevention</a></strong></p>

How do I get infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy?

Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy

<h2><strong>What is roseola?</strong></h2>
<p><span style="color: black;">Roseola is a disease in young children, usually up to 4 years of age. It is characterized by high temperatures (103-105 degrees F) that last 3-5 days which usually resolves on its own. This is then followed by the appearance of a rash that lasts a few hours to a few days, mostly on the upper arms, legs, and face. The rash is usually most prominent on the neck and trunk and consists of many small red 2-5mm spots that blanch when pressed. The agent responsible for Roseola is a virus called HHV-6 or human herpes virus 6.<br></span></p>
<h2><span style="color: black;">Who gets roseola?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">Most young children get infected with roseola, but they are not diagnosed with it because they only have a fever and usually no rash. Once you are infected, you are immune for the rest of your life and you cannot get it again.<br></span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">How is it spread?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Roseola virus is usually spread by tiny droplets of fluid from the nose and throat of an infected child, and it could be could picked up from another child's hands or tissues, or drinking glass, or just by being in the same room.<br>Make sure all family members — especially those taking care of the baby — wash their hands frequently. (This is a good idea whenever your child has a fever because you won't know that you're dealing with roseola until you see the classic rash).</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Is it harmful in pregnancy?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">Pregnant women get exposed to the virus all the time. By the time they are pregnant most women carry the antibody which means they had the disease already, so they are immune and cannot get it again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">There are only very few reported cases<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> where Roseola has affected the fetus, so the risk to the fetus after exposure is generally considered very low, especially when the vast majority of women are immune.</span></p>


Most young children get infected with roseola, but they are not diagnosed with it because they only have a fever and usually no rash. Once you are infected, you are immune for the rest of your life.

Is Roseola Harmful During Pregnancy?

<p>In a postcoital test, the characteristics of a woman's cervical mucus are evaluated to determine how the sperm and muscus are interacting. Specifically, the following characteristics of the cervical mucus are evaluated:</p><ul><li> <strong>Ferning</strong> - When the cervical mucus dries on a microscope slide, it should take on the appearance of ferns. This assures that the mucus has been exposed to adequate levels of estrogen exactly at the time of ovulation and without any exposure to progesterone.</li>
<li><strong>Amount of cervical mucus</strong> - There should be a lot of cervical mucus production just prior to and at the time of ovulation.</li>
<li><strong>Clarity</strong> - The cervical mucus should be very clear, almost watery.</li>
<li><strong>Cellularity</strong> - There should be relatively few cells present, other than sperm.</li>
<li><strong>Spinnbarkeit</strong> - This is the stretchiness of the cervical mucus. It should be almost elastic and may stretch 10 cm or more.</li></ul>

In a postcoital test, the characteristics of a woman's cervical mucus are evaluated to determine how the sperm and muscus are interacting.

Postcoital Test

If you have chlamydial infection, take all of the prescribed medicine,  even after symptoms disappear. If the symptoms do not disappear within  one to two weeks after finishing the medicine, go to your doctor or  clinic again. It is very important to tell your sex partners that you have chlamydial infection so that they can be tested and treated.  In women, untreated chlamydial infections can lead to pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID).  In men, untreated chlamydial infections may lead to pain or swelling in the scrotal area, which is a sign of inflammation of a part of the male reproductive system located near the testicles known as the epididymis.<p></p><p>Left untreated, these complications can prevent people from having children. Each year up to 1 million women in the U.S. develop PID, a serious infection of the reproductive organs. As many as half of all cases of PID may be due to chlamydial infection, and many of these don't have symptoms. PID can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes, which can block the tubes and prevent fertilization.</p><p>Researchers estimate that 100,000 women each year become infertile because of PID.  In other cases, scarring may interfere with the passage of the fertilized egg to the uterus during pregnancy. When this happens, the egg may attach itself to the fallopian tube. This is called ectopic or tubal pregnancy. This very serious condition results in a miscarriage and can cause death of the mother.</p><p>You can reduce your chances of getting chlamydia or of giving it to your partner by using male latex condoms correctly every time you have sexual intercourse. If you are infected but have no symptoms, you can pass the bacteria to your sex partners without knowing it. Therefore, many doctors recommend that anyone who has more than one sex partner, especially women under age 25, be tested for chlamydial infection regularly, even if they don't have symptoms.</p>

If you have chlamydial infection, take all of the prescribed medicine, even after symptoms disappear. If the symptoms do not disappear within one to two weeks after finishing the medicine, go to your doctor or clinic again.

Chlamydia - Treatment

<p>The major concern and biggest risk of toxoplasma is if&nbsp;you became infected for the very first time during your pregnany. About 40-50% of women test positive for toxoplasmosis before pregnancy and are unlikely to infect the fetus. If a woman has no history of the infection and doesn't carry the antibody at the beginning of her pregnancy, she and her fetus are at higher risk if she does come down with a primary toxoplasmosis infection while pregnant. A simple test for a protein called IgG will tell you if you have had it before or not.</p>
<p></p>
<p>During the first trimester, only about 10% of fetuses become infected if the mother is infected, but the illness increases the risk of fetal complications, including severe congenital malformations and even death. After the first trimester, there's about a 60% chance that the fetus will become infected if the mother has a primary T. gondii infection, though at this stage, the majority of fetuses will have few or no symptoms. Presently, there are no recommendations in the U.S. for routinely testing pregnant women for toxoplasma. A positive result during pregnancy can be confusing because it's difficult to pinpoint the exact time of infection. The best time to get tested is before you get pregnant. If you test negative before or early in pregnancy, take precautions to prevent a toxoplasma infection: Avoid exposure to cat feces, and don't eat undercooked or raw meat. And get tested again later in pregnancy to make sure you haven't become infected.</p>
<p><a>More Toxoplasma FAQs at Palo Alto Medical Foundation</a></p>

The major concern and biggest risk of toxoplasma is if you became
infected for the very first time during your pregnany. A simple test for a protein called IgG will tell you if you have had it
before or not.

Toxoplamosis and Infections

<p>You're disappointed. You have a late period, negative pregnancy test. But you may want to look at the reasons behind the negative test.</p>
<p>There are two reasons for having a negative pregnancy test and missing your period: You did not ovulate anovulation or you did too early pregnancy testing.</p>
<p>When you miss your period you have 'amenorrhea'.</p>
<p>There are two major reasons for having amenorrhea and not getting your period but having a negative pregnancy test:</p>
<ol>
<li>You have not ovulated</li>
<li>You tested too early and ovulation happened later than you expected</li>
</ol>
<p>If you are pregnant then your pregnancy test is usually positive within one week after missing a period. After ovulation is takes on average 9 days for implantation to happen, and then again 4-5 days for the urine pregnancy test to become positive.</p>
<p>You should talk to your doctor and find out what happened.</p>

Late Period: Negative Pregnancy Test. There are two reasons for having a negative pregnancy test and having a late period: You did not ovulate anovulation or you did too early a pregnancy testing.

Late Period - Negative Pregnancy Test

<h2><strong>Hypothyroidism, infertility and pregnancy complications</strong></h2>
<p>Hypothyroidism, when you have a low thyroid hormone level, could be a cause of certain pregnancy complications such as infertility in women with irregular cycles and early miscarriages. If women with hypothyroidism get pregnant there is an increased risk of miscarriage and problems in the baby.</p>
<p>Treatment before pregnancy will improve your chances of getting pregnant and improve your overall pregnancy outcome. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Up to one in ten women have some form of hypothyroidism before or during pregnancy, though most don’t realize they have it.</p>
<h2><strong>The classic symptoms of hypothyroidism</strong></h2>
<p>The classic symptoms of hypothyroidism are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lethargy&nbsp;</li>
<li>Fatigue;</li>
<li>Weakness;</li>
<li>Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight;</li>
<li>Dry skin; Hair loss;</li>
<li>Cold intolerance;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Constipation;</li>
<li>Depression;</li>
<li>Decreased libido;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Reduced heart rate;</li>
<li>Development of a goiter.</li>
</ul>
<p>Because some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism such as tiredness and weight gain are already quite common in pregnant women, doctors often overlook it and it is not considered as a possible cause of their symptoms.</p>
<h2><strong>Irregular menstrual periods and hypothyroidism&nbsp;</strong></h2>
<p>Women who have irregular menstrual periods and have problems getting pregnant have an increased chance of having hypothyroidism, and hypothyroid women who do get pregnant have an increased risk of miscarriage. The reason for most of these irregular menstrual periods and bleeding are usually ovulation problems and anovulation (not ovulating).</p>
<h2><strong>Increased risk of low IQ in babies of mothers with hypothyroidism</strong></h2>
<p>Babies born to mothers who have hypothyroidism have been found to have lower IQs, and some doctors have suggested that all pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant should be routinely tested for hypothyroidism.</p>
<h2><strong>Testing for hypothyroidism during pregnancy</strong></h2>
<p>Thyroid testing results during pregnancy can be different than in non-pregnant individuals and sometimes need a special interpretation. A blood test which measures levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) can easily diagnose hypothyroidism. High levels of TSH indicate hypothyroidism and inadequate thyroid function.</p>
<h2><strong>Causes of hypothyroidism during pregnancy</strong></h2>
<p>In most cases of hypothyroidism no specific cause can be found. It may follow an infection of the thyroid and may be part of so-called “autoimmune conditions”, such as a condition called Hashimoto’s disease, or it may follow after surgical removal of parts or all of the thyroid.</p>
<h2><strong>Treatment of hypothyroidism during pregnancy</strong></h2>
<p>Treatment for hypothyroidism is easy. You are given a daily pill with synthetic thyroid hormone thyroxine, T4, and you continue taking it throughout pregnancy. After starting this medication it usually takes 8 weeks for thyroid function to return to normal.<br><br>There are no side effects for the mother or the baby as long as the proper dose is used.<br><br>Women with previously treated hypothyroidism should be aware that their dose of medication may have to be increased during pregnancy.</p>


Hypothyroidism could be a cause of infertility in women with irregular cycles. If women with hypothyroidism get pregnant there is an increased risk of miscarriage and problems in the baby.