Ovarian Cancer : Symptoms

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Sense of pelvic heaviness; Vague lower abdominal discomfort; Vaginal bleeding; Weight gain or loss; Abnormal menstrual cycles; Unexplained back pain that worsens over time; Increased abdominal girth. Additional symptoms that may be associated with...
Source:ADAM
Date:September 11, 2006
Ovarian cancer is cancer of the ovaries, the egg-releasing and hormone-producing organs of the female reproductive tract. Cancerous, or malignant, cells divide and multiply in an abnormal fashion.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Ovarian cancer is cancer of the ovaries, the eggreleasing and hormone-producing organs of the female reproductive tract. Cancerous, or malignant, cells divide and multiply in an abnormal fashion.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Ovarian cancer is a disease in which the cells in the ovaries become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. Ninety percent of all ovarian cancers develop in the cells that line the surface of the ovaries and are called "epithel...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part II
Ovarian cancer is a disease in which the cells in the ovaries become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. Ninety percent of all ovarian cancers develop in the cells that line the surface of the ovaries and are called "epithel...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part I
Abdominal bloating is a condition in which the abdomen (belly) feels full and tight.
Source:ADAM
Date:March 8, 2008
Abdominal distention, gaseous often results from overeating or from swallowing air, but can be a sign of a more serious medical condition, such as bowel obstruction. Eating certain foods such as legumes (beans) can cause abdominal distention due to intestinal gas.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
New and severe abdominal pain always needs to be closely evaluated by a doctor. It is frequently a sign of serious illness.
Source:StayWell
Repeated episodes of abdominal pain can arise from a variety of medical causes, including some serious conditions. Everyone who has unexplained abdominal pain requires a medical evaluation by a doctor.
Source:StayWell
Most of the time, children with mild abdominal pain are not seriously ill; the symptoms go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, if your child has severe abdominal pain or has a bellyache along with frequent vomiting, you should contact your child's pediatrician.
Source:StayWell
Abdominal pain is very common in children, and in many cases there’s no serious cause. But stomach pain can sometimes point to a serious problem, such as appendicitis, so it is important to know when to seek help.
Source:StayWell
Ascites is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Rapidly developing (acute) ascites can occur as a complication of trauma, perforated ulcer, appendicitis , or inflammation of the colon or other tube-shaped organ (diverticulitis).
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Ascites is defined as an excessive amount of fluid built up within the peritoneal cavity. Both the abdominal organs and the abdomen itself are lined with membranes called the peritoneum.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Detailed information on liver diseases, including the most common characteristics of liver disease such as jaundice, cholestasis, liver enlargement, portal hypertension, esophageal varices, ascites, liver encephalopathy, and liver failure
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on common characteristics of liver disease
Source:StayWell
Discharge Instructions: Ascites ShuntYou had surgery to place an ascites shunt, a tube that drains excess fluid from your abdominal space into another place in your body. The fluid buildup is called ascites. 
Source:StayWell
Nonspecific back pain refers to pain in the back due to an unknown cause. See also: Low back pain
Source:ADAM
Date:May 12, 2008
Back pain may occur in the upper, middle, or lower back; it is most often experienced in the lower back. It may originate from the bones and ligaments forming the spine, the muscles and tendons supporting the back, the nerves that exit the spinal column, or even the internal organs.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Instead of looking for a quick fix, try to develop a longer view. Healing takes time and is a gradual process. By doing daily stretching and stress-management exercises, the time it takes to heal your back will be shortened.
Source:StayWell
As your body changes during pregnancy, your back must work in new ways. This can be painful if your back isn’t prepared.
Source:StayWell
Four out of five adults suffer back pain sometime in their lives, experts say. And most of that back pain is in the lower back. That's because the low back bears most of the weight and is the most common site of poor posture.
Source:StayWell
Back pain has many sources. It can originate in the joints, muscles, or ligaments of the back itself or be caused by problems in other parts of the body.
Source:StayWell
These exercises will strengthen your back and buttocks muscles.
Source:StayWell
The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in one year, more than 10,000 children ages 5 to 14 see doctors with backpack-related complaints.
Source:StayWell
Up to eight in 10 Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. For most people, back pain resolves, but for 5 to 10 percent, low back pain becomes a chronic condition.
Source:StayWell
More than half of American adults seek medical treatment for back pain at some point in their lives.
Source:StayWell
Ice reduces muscle pain and swelling. It helps most during the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury.
Source:StayWell
Smoking damages your arteries, and it’s thought that the damaged arteries in the discs and joints in your back may lead to pain and injury.
Source:StayWell
Back pain is something you don't want to repeat. Recovering properly from a back injury and taking preventive measures can help you reduce your risk of going through it again.
Source:StayWell
To heal your back and make your spine healthy, it's essential to build up and nurture the back muscles. This is accomplished by systematic stretching of not only the muscles in the back, but the other muscles in the body as well, since virtually all muscles in the body affect the back in one way or another.
Source:StayWell
Back pain is a common complaint: Nearly everyone will have low back pain that interferes with work or daily activities at some point in his or her life.
Source:StayWell
People who work in certain occupations, such as nursing, are likely to have back pain. But so can folks who work in an office every day if they don’t take proactive steps to protect their backs.
Source:StayWell
Think through each move before you make it, so you'll use the right muscles for the job. If you practice these safe moves now, they may come naturally to you by the time your baby's born.
Source:StayWell
Learning the proper ways to bend, lift, and carry objects may help relieve back strain. It will also help you protect your back after your baby is born. Remember, if you’re having trouble protecting your back, it’s okay to ask the people around you for help!
Source:StayWell
Four out of five people will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
Source:StayWell
Back pain can be caused by many illnesses and conditions, including stress or injury, being overweight, improper lifting, pregnancy, and diseases such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
Source:StayWell
Before trying these exercises, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe for you. Ask your healthcare provider how many times to do each exercise.
Source:StayWell
Your back is important to almost every move you make, but you probably won't realize that until you hurt it.
Source:StayWell
If the pain occurs because of an accident or injury, or fever is present, you should see your health care provider immediately. Pain not accompanied by fever or not associated with an accident or injury may not need immediate treatment.
Source:StayWell
Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
Source:StayWell
If you have loss of bowel or bladder control, seek emergency help at once. Paralysis of the bowel and bladder could result if not attended to promptly.
Source:StayWell
Before trying these exercises, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe for you. Ask your healthcare provider how many times to do each exercise.
Source:StayWell
You likely position yourself differently now than you did before you were pregnant. Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
Source:StayWell
The cause of most back pain cannot be identified specifically, and is likely due to a conbination of factors. Imaging tests are not very useful and do not improve the outcome of treatment.
Source:StayWell
Is back pain in children common? What should you do if your child has back/low back pain?
Source:StayWell
Constipation refers to infrequent or hard stools, or difficulty passing stools. Constipation may involve pain during the passage of a bowel movement, inability to pass a bowel movement after straining or pushing for more than 10 minutes, or no bowel movements after more than 3 days. Infants who are still exclusively breastfed may go 7 days without a stool.
Source:ADAM
Date:May 3, 2007
Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Bowel habits vary, but an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Contrary to popular myth, it is not necessary for you to be "regular" (have daily bowel movements) for your bowel pattern to be normal. If your bowel movements are so infrequent that they cause you discomfort, or if bowel movements are an effort for you, then you are experiencing constipation.
Source:StayWell
Oncology: Controlling ConstipationConstipation(difficulty passing stool) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Constipation can be caused by the medications you are taking.
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Although constipation is a relative term, with normal patterns of bowel movements varying widely from person to person, generally an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
Difficulty with producing a bowel movement, or infrequent bowel movements. Constipation, a condition that can affect the human digestive system at any stage of life, is rarely serious or chronic.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
ConstipationSymptom and DescriptionConstipation means being unable to move your bowels, having to push harder to move your bowels, or moving them less often than usual. Bowel movements will be small, dry, and hard.
Source:StayWell
Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Bowel habits vary, but an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Lots of children suffer from constipation -- bowel movements that are hard or painful. Your child may become constipated because of toilet-training troubles or anxiety related to using the toilet. Or, he may not be getting enough fiber or liquids in his diet or may not be getting enough exercise.
Source:StayWell
Many parents worry that their baby is constipated, which can happen for many reasons. Sometimes, however, babies are not really constipated, but just have their own way of pooping.
Source:StayWell
Colds usually are mild illnesses that get better within one or two weeks. However, even mild symptoms can make children feel miserable.
Source:StayWell
The most common beliefs about alleviating constipation may be myths, say some experts.
Source:StayWell
What's the best way to relieve constipation in babies? Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
Source:StayWell
I am suffering from constipation. Dulcolax works, but it cannot be taken too often. Could you suggest a better, non-habit-forming medicine?
Source:StayWell
Why does taking iron cause you to be constipated? Mary Pickett, M.D., is a lecturer for Harvard Medical School and an assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. At OHSU, she practices general internal medicine and teaches medical residents and students.
Source:StayWell
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) is abnormal bleeding from the vagina that is not due to a physical (anatomical) cause.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 5, 2008
Bleeding or spotting between periods is a common problem. Changes in the balance of female hormones or physical changes in a woman's reproductive organs are the most common causes.
Source:StayWell
I just started taking birth control pills to help regulate premenopausal periods. I've had breakthrough bleeding now for a month. How long and how heavy is normal for breakthrough bleeding?
Source:StayWell
The normal amount of body hair varies widely among women. When coarse, dark hairs grow where women typically do not grow dark hair, such as the lip, chin, chest, abdomen, or back, the condition is called hirsutism.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 17, 2007
Excessive growth of facial or body hair in women is called hirsutism. Hirsutism is not a disease.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on excessive hairiness, including causes, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 17, 2007
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress , medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease. Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Boosting Your Energy provides information on the causes and treatments of persistent fatigue. Includes information on aging and energy, eating for energy, and boosting your energy.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
If you regularly feel weary after waking from a good night’s sleep or for no apparent reason, it’s time to find out why.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: TreatmentIf the fatigue is related to a decrease in hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, then replacing the red blood cells by transfusion or taking erythropoietin can help reduce fatigue. If the fatigue is not related to...
Source:StayWell
Introduction Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress , medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease. Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or loss of strength. The duration of fatigue for a patient with cancer has been found to last from one to two times the length of time between diagnosis and completion of treatment, so it is common for fatigue to persist beyond a patient ' s treatment regimen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Fatigue: ManagementIf the person on chemotherapy has decreased hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and it seems like the low hemoglobin level will last for a while, then a medicine called PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) may be prescribed...
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: CausesWe currently understand some of the causes of fatigue but not all of them. Fatigue may be related to physical changes caused by cancer or its treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery).
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: DefinitionFatigue is a vague feeling of being tired, weak, or exhausted. It is often a symptom of cancer, when cancer is first diagnosed, or when cancer progresses (Ferrell et al, 1996).
Source:StayWell
Many people experience late-in-the-day energy lags, but you can take steps to prevent them.
Source:StayWell
Oncology: Managing FatigueFatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, and poor appetite.
Source:StayWell
Frequent urination means needing to urinate more often than usual. Urgent urination is a sudden, compelling urge to urinate, along with discomfort in your bladder. A frequent need to urinate at night is called nocturia. Most people can sleep for 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate. Middle aged and older men often wake to urinate once in the early morning hours.
Source:ADAM
Date:May 22, 2008
Urinary tract infections, kidney stones and prostate problems can all produce these symptoms. Frequent urination without pain also can be a side effect of certain medications, or a symptom of diabetes.
Source:StayWell
Is frequent urination a sign of kidney dysfunction? Diana Post, M.D., is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Source:StayWell
Gas, also called flatus or flatulence, is air in the intestine that is passed through the rectum. Air that is passed from the digestive tract through the mouth is called belching.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 20, 2008
Detailed information on gas in the digestive tract, including a list of foods that cause gas, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
Source:StayWell
These suggestions may help reduce your production of flatulence.12 tips for dealing with flatulence.
Source:StayWell
A guide to the causes and treatment for excess gas.Everyone has gas. Embarrassment sometimes prevents us from finding out what’s normal, what’s excessive, and what helps.
Source:StayWell
Gas, or flatus, is produced when naturally occurring bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract begin to break down, or digest, food. When an excess of air builds up in the tract from swallowing air or a disorder that prevents digestion, it is released as gas.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Indigestion is a vague feeling of abdominal discomfort - possibly including belching, a feeling of fullness, bloating, and nausea.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 12, 2007
Dyspepsia can be defined as painful, difficult, or disturbed digestion, which may be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting , heartburn , bloating, and stomach discomfort. Causes and symptoms The digestive problems may have an identifiable cause, such as bacterial or viral infection, peptic ulcer, gallbladder, or liver disease.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on indigestion, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Stomachache is pain or discomfort in the stomach that is a symptom of many different gastrointestinal diseases or conditions. Stomachache, also called dyspepsia, is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition of the gastrointestinal system.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Most stomachaches are nothing more than indigestion or gas. But stomach pain also could be appendicitis, gallstones, or a tubal pregnancy.
Source:StayWell
Indigestion, which is sometimes called dyspepsia, is a general term covering a group of nonspecific symptoms in the digestive tract. It is often described as a feeling of fullness, bloating, nausea, heartburn , or gassy discomfort in the chest or abdomen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
A "tummyache" is a common complaint in children. Usually, it's nothing serious.
Source:StayWell
Indigestion, which is sometimes called dyspepsia ,is a general term covering a group of nonspecific symptoms in the digestive tract. It is often described as a feeling of fullness, bloating, nausea, heartburn , or gassy discomfort in the chest or abdomen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Anorexia is characterized by a loss of appetite or lack of desire to eat.