Newspaper Page Text
8A
MARCH 14, 2002
Living
Yeast infections have a 30 percent
chance of being misdiagnosed
About half of the women
buyingover-the-counter rem
edies for a vaginal yeast infec
tion may have other infec
tions—with similar symptoms
- that are going untreated,
according to a researcher at
the Medical College of Geor
gia.
Follow-up studies of 95
women approached as they
were buying these over-the
counter treatments in cities
acrossthe United States found
that 33.7 percent had vul
vovaginal candidiasis, a yeast
infection.
But this study, published in
the March issue of Obstetrics
& Gynecology, alsofound that
20 percent had a yeast infec
tion plus another type of in
fection; over 30 percent had
totally different infections —
such as the more common,
but less well-known bacterial
vaginosis; and nearly 14 per
cent had no infection, accord
ing to Dr. Daron G. Ferris,
MCG professor in the Depart
mentsof Family Medicine and
Obstetrics and Gynecologyand
lead author on the article.
“Ready access tothese prod
uctsisassociated with wasted
financial expenditures, unful
filled expectations and adelay
in correct diagnosis for a sub
stantial number of women,”
Dr. Ferris wrote.
“Almost 15 percent of
women treated themselves
needlessly. And, really and
truly, half of the women
bought a product they didn’t -
need to buy,” he said of the
women in Augusta, Philadel
phia, Detroit, Charleston and
Omaha who were studied be
tween September 1997 and
December 1999.
He suggests that women
first see their doctor and con
firm the diagnosis. At that
point, over-the-countertreat
ments, effective when used in
the right patients, could still
be used, he said.
While acknowledging that
some of the women in the
study did a good job assessing
NAACP reactivates
National Prison Project
Kweisi Mfume, president &
CEO, National Association for
the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) today an
nounced its National Prison
Project has presented a char
ter application for the
association’s first prison
branchinmore than tenyears.
InJanuary 2002, the Richland
Correctional Institution in
Richland, Ohio remitted pay
ment for 136 paid member
ships. The prison project was
officially reactivated in 2001.
Mfume said: “We are de
lighted that our National
Prison Project is up and run
ningonce again. Itis our hope
that as prison branches are
organized, those branches will
begin to serve as the
association’s vehicle to assist
in the decrease of recidivism,
promote re-enfranchisement
and encourage the successful
re-entry of ex-offenders into
society.”
Disaster medical team needs members
The Georgia-4 Disaster
Medical Medical Assistance
Team needs members, ev
eryone from doctors to
nurses to respiratory thera
pists to ham radio operators
to skilled cooks to adminis
trators. Interested individu
als are welcome at the next
meeting of the Georgia-4
DMAT at 7 p.m. March 19in
AUGUSTA FOCUS
their symptoms, making the
diagnosis and seeking proper
treatment, he disputes the
Food and Drug
Administration’s assumptions
that women who have had a
previous diagnosis by a doctor
and who read the medication
label correctly will make a
properdiagnosis. “... Ourdata
clearly indicate that a prior
clinician-based diagnosis of
vulvovaginal candidiasis and
reading the label do not im
prove women'’s ability to prop
erly diagnose vulvovaginal
candidiasis,” he wrote.
Rather, thestudyfound that
women who correctly diag
nosed their yeast infection
were no more likely to have
the condition previously diag
nosed by a doctor than those
without a current, pure diag
nosisofayeastinfection. Most
women who correctly diag
nosed themselves did read the
labels, but the women who
read the labels were no more
likely tohave yeast infections
“than those who did not.
The study also found that
nearly 19 percent of the
women actually had bacterial
vaginosis, the most common
vaginal infection. Lack of
treatment of this condition
can alter the acidity level of
the vagina, creating an easy
target for other infectious
agents,suchas HIV or human
papilloma virus, which can
causegenital warts and cervi
cal cancer.
Twenty percent of the
women in the study had mixed
infections, 10.5 percent had
According to Andrea G.
Brown, NAACP National
Prison Project Director, the
Richland Branch will serve as
a pilot for other facilities, and
“the formation of the prison
branches will empower in
mates and bridge the gap for
offenders as they transition
back into the mainstream.”
. Through collaborative part
nerships with the public and
private sector, including the
support of philanthropic
groups, the prison project will
also address disparate treat
ment within the criminal jus
tice system and promulgate
felony re-enfranchisement.
“The right to vote is the
most sacred franchise in our
democracy. We have found
that states use ex-felony of
fender disenfranchisement
laws as another means of
keeping people out of the vot
ing booth whether they are
ex-felon or not,” Mfume said.
the first-floor conference
room of the Medical Colle
of Georgia Children’s Megl‘:
cal Center on Harper Street.
For more information,
visit the team’s Web site at
www.mcg.edu/ems/dmat/
index.htm> or call Regina
Medeiros, the team’s admin
istrative officer at(706)721-
3153.
one of the other dozen or so
vaginal infectionsand 2.1 per
cent had the sexually trans
mitted trichomonas vaginitis.
“A woman could have a sexu
ally transmitted disease and
not be aware of it,” he said.
Although these products
may cure yeastinfections even
in women with mixed infec
tions, symptoms likely will
persist due to co-existing in
fections that require clinical
and laboratory evaluation, he
said. “These women, an addi
tional 32 percent (or 51 per
cent total) needed a clinician
prescribed pharmaceutical
product for adequate therapy,”
Dr. Ferris wrote, sohalfof the
women using these products
may eventually still need to
see a doctor.
The sale of yeast infection
treatmentstripled “overnight”
whenthe FDA approved over
the-counter treatment of vagi
nal yeast infections nearly a
decade ago, Dr. Ferris said.
Duringthattime,heand other
physicians have seen many
patients with a history of diag
nosing themselves with yeast
infections who don’t have
them.
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www. universitvhealth ore,
Part ofthe confusion by con
sumers and health care pro
fessionals alike is the symp
toms many of these infections
share, including abnormal dis
charge and itching and irrita
tion, said Dr. Ferris, whois a
family medicine physician and
colposcopist. But a thorough
history, physical exam and
microscopic exam of cells in
the vagina should result in a
correct diagnosis, he said.
For purposes of the study,
the women, who were ap
proached by pharmacists and
store workers, had much more
extensive testing to provide
conclusive evidence. Those
who agreed to be in the study
had tamper-proofseals placed
on their product and were seen
atoneofthestudy sites within
24 hours.
Co-authors on the study in
cluderesearchers at Jefferson
Medical College in Philadel
phia, Wayne State University
in Detroit, Medical Univer
sity of South Carolina in
Charleston and the Univer
sity of Nebraska in Omaha.
The study was funded by an
unrestricted grant from Pfizer,
Inc., in New York.
Malc and Female. His and Hers. We differ in so many ways, why should we expm
our heart attack symptoms to be the same? Ladies, your symptoms of heart attack
are not his. And we think you should know. : ’ ;
Hers:
e Very unusual fatigue
* Unusual shortness of breath
* Nausea and dizziness
* Lower chest discomfort
* Back pain
* Indigestion or gas-like pain
* Pain spreading to shoulders,
arm, neck and jaw
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease kills 67,000 more women -
than men every year.* And while it is the number one killer of women, early detection
is the number one lifesaver. s ~
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the differences. One heart ... two very differenit heart attacks. Sl
Take care of )/ourfegf Let University help.
For 24-hour health information, to find a physician or to receive a FREE
“Coronary Risk Profile” to determine your risk for heart disease, call the
University Health Service Center at SER-VICE (737- 8423) or 1/800/476-7378.
eet e e e e e e e . e e
SHHH features psychological
aspects of hearing loss
SHHH (Self Help for the
Hard of Hearing People)
Group of Augusta will meet
onMonday, March 18,2002 at
5:30 p.m. Dr. Arthur S.
Tamkin of Augusta, former
clinical psychologist with the
Dept. of Veterans Affairs, will
discuss “Psychological Aspects
of Hearing Loss.” Dr. Tamkin
has an AB degree from
Harvard and a Ph.D. degree
from Duke University. He is
also a member of the Society
of KI, an honorary scientific
society, and is listed in Who’s
Nominations heing accepted
for Child Care Provider of the Year
Nominate your child care
provider forlocal Child Care
Provider of the Year award.
The Child Care Resource &
Referral Agency will be hon
oringlocal child care provid
ers at a reception on May 9
atJulian Smith Casino. The
community is invited to
nominate that special pro
vider for his/her hard work
Who in Medicine and Health
Carein 1997.
The meeting will be held at
the First Baptist Church, 3500
Walton Way, Room 100 in the
Adult Education Building. For
moreinfo, contact the co-presi
dents: E-mail Louise at
LouiseEllen@cs.com or call
Ellen at 556-0107.
SHHH will also hold a ga
rage sale on Saturday, March
16, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 704
Woodgate Ct. No early sales.
Proceeds to benefit SHHH.
and dedication. Nomina
tions may be submitted by
sending a letter telling us
why your providerdeserves
the award.
Please include your
name, address, and tele
phone number as well as
your provider’sname, child
care program, and tele
phone number.
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* Crushing chest pain
* Pain radiating down the left arm
* Sweating ,
¢ Lightheadedness
* Fainting