Dr. Tully's Blog

Well this might seem like an ominous topic, but it caught my eye as I was going thru a file full of health related articles.  Over the years I have gotten into the habit of handing out articles to my patients to help educate them about health.  Many of the articles are about Chiropractic, Nutrition and positive thinking.  Over the years I have read hundreds if not thousands of magazine and  newspaper articles, along with dozens of e-articles from all kinds of online sources.

This headline, "Ovarian cancer does have early warning signs, experts now say" caught my eye, because I distinctly remember getting an e-mail a year or two ago,  with 'warning signs of ovarian cancer'.  Since Ovarian cancer is typically considered to have no firm or established warning signs, I forwarded the e-mail to the women in my e-mail list.  Not a day later, a very diligent friend e-mailed me back, stating that the first e-mail had been de-bunked by snopes.com and that it was not legitimate.  I found this a little disappointing, as Ovarian cancer is often caught in its later stages, when the prognosis is bleak.

This article, written by Liz Szabo for USA Today in June of 2007 states that the following could be early warning signs:

Pelvic or abdominal pain

         Bloating

         Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

         Urgent or frequent urination

Now, you might be saying to yourself, " That just sounds like Christmas Day" or the after the holiday blues.  However women want to be especially careful if these symptoms are new, severe, or persist for more than two or three weeks.  An appointment with your doctor is recommended if you fall into the category of sudden, severe symptoms.

According to the American Cancer Society, 90% of women diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer  reported having one or more symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, back or pelvic pain.  Again, the symptoms are non-specific, but if they persist, so should you.  Misdiagnosis is common, especially since the symptoms could be mistaken for gastrointestinal diseases.

According to the Mayo Clinic, common misdiagnoses include irritable bowel syndrome, stress and depression.They say "The key seems to be persistent or worsening signs and symptoms. With most digestive disorders, symptoms tend to come and go, or they occur in certain situations or after eating certain foods. With ovarian cancer, there's typically little fluctuation — symptoms are constant and gradually worsen."

So here's some words to the wise.  Get your diet under control to eliminate the symptoms that are coming from things you know you shouldn't be eating, and if problems persist get it checked out.

  For further information go to: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cancer/DS00293/DSECTION=symptoms

Have a Healthy New Year

(Don't forget to get adjusted)

Dr. Liz