About YOUR Health: Depression, Yeast Infection

Questions and Answers from the NWHN Women's Health Information Clearinghouse

Q: I've been feeling depressed. How do I know if this is something that will go away by itself?
A: The word "depression" is often used to describe feelings of sadness or "the blues." However, a distinction should be made between "normal" feelings of sadness, which may last up to two weeks, and
what is considered clinical depression. According to the National Mental Health Association, "clinical" depression refers to "... several serious conditions that are not related to occasional periods of dejection or even the intense feelings of grief that life brings to everybody at one time or another" (From: "What is Depression," The National Mental Health Association, 1994). The causes of clinical depression are currently unknown; some research suggests a relationship between biological factors, such as heredity or biochemical imbalance, and clinical depression. Please consult your mental health practitioner if the following symptoms persist for more than two weeks; they may be signs of clinical depression:
1.    feelings of sadness or emptiness,
2.    lack of interest in previously pleasurable
3.    activities,
4.    fatigue,
5.    sleeping disorders, such as insomnia
6.    or oversleeping,
7.    concentration difficulties,
8.    bodily aches and pains,
9.    irritability, and
10.    persistent thoughts of death or
11.    suicide.
Remember: clinical depression is a treatable illness; it is not a reflection of personal weakness. For more information on clinical depression and available treatments, contact the National Mental Health Association at 1-800-969-NMHA. A packet on depression ($6 members/ $8 non-members) is available through the Network Clearinghouse.

Q: I get recurrent yeast infections. Why is that? What can I do?
 A: Recurrent yeast infections are a common problem. Yeast is a normal inhabitant of the bowel and vagina but usually it is kept in check by other vaginal flora. An overgrowth of yeast results in the symptoms we call a yeast "infection". Recurrent yeast could be due to inadequate treatment or an altered vaginal environment (for instance, antibiotics, douches or birth control pills can cause changes in vaginal flora as can some diseases, including diabetes and HIV infection.) Regularly eating or vaginally inserting yogurt can help repopulate the vagina with beneficial lactobacilli bacteria, which produce acid yeast don't like. Over the counter vaginal yeast medications are effective only for the most common yeast, Candida Albicans. A prescription vaginal cream treats other species of Candida. In extreme cases a short course of oral antifungal medication may do the trick.

Q: What is a cone biopsy?
A: Cervical cone biopsy, or conization, is a surgical procedure performed in
a hospital under general anesthesia. Conization involves removing a cone shaped section of a woman's cervix. The most common purpose for this procedure is to remove as many precancerous cells as possible in order to prevent progression toward invasive cervical cancer.
Cone biopsy should be preceded by a colposcopy, examination of the cervix through a lighted magnifying instrument that reveals the area of abnormal cells. Complications associated with cone biopsy may include heavy bleeding following surgery and less frequently, infection or perforation of the uterus. Occasionally women who receive cone biopsies have trouble conceiving or maintaining pregnancies in the future. One reason is that conization can cause cervical incompetence, a condition that increases a woman's chance of miscarriage or preterm delivery. Other fertility problems involve inadequate cervical mucus production and narrowing of the cervical opening due to the formation of scar tissue following the biopsy. This can block menstrual flow through the cervix and interfere with vaginal delivery.
For more information about cone biopsy, contact the Clearinghouse and request the cone biopsy "one-pager," an eleven-page information packet specific to this topic. Also available is our 160-page packet entitled, "Cervical Cancer/ Pap Smears."