The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-04
YOUR
HEALTH
-H-
MS&sl Advisory Beapd
Painful Menstruation Agaln

tamful MenS1ruaH0n Again
c. c. n, Cahone, COIo.-Painfui
menstruation requires investigation
by competent gynecologist. Some
times a definite cause for this
dread, recurring annoyance may be
found, and adequate treatment in.
stituted to offer relief.
In most women who suffer from
pain during menstruation, there
are no physical abnormalities which
can account for such pain.
Unfortunately, as young girls ap-
proach puberty (the age when they
begin to menstruate) they are not
correctly informed about this nor
NAL function, and long before the
actual appearance of menstruation,
they begin to develop fears about
the pain which they have been told
is to be expected, so much so. that
If they do have some discomfort
from the contractions of the womb,
they magnify this discomfort into
feeling of severe pain.
Often, girls hear very gruesome
stories about the horrors Of mems
truation. The very thought of it is
unpleasant; and being unpleasant
the idea becomes a painful one.
And so, associating the idea of pain
with the fact of menstruation, both
become combined into the condition
Of painful menstruation."
Dilation (stretching) of the womb
which in former years was a very
common practice for the alienation
of this condition, has been dis
carded by the better women spe-
cialists. This procedure rarely, If
ever, offers any relief.
Diathermy treatment is of value
In a certain percentage of cases.
Many women get relief from aspirin
or any mild sedative, such as
bromides. Daily hot douches and
Sitz baths week or ten days be-
fore the expected period are adj
vantageous.
Tuberculosis and Smoking
Nohlldu6 ", W., OF Cleveland,
Ohio, asks: Us it possible to have
active T. B. and run no tempera-
ture. Would six cigarettes a day be
harmful"
Our Reply
1t Is possible to have active pull
monary tuberculosis without run
ming temperature. If the tempers-
ture Is taken every four hours. a
slight rise may be detected some
time during the day. The tempera-
ture is occasionally below normal in
some cases of active T. B. AS a rule.
fever is present in the very active
cases. In less active cases there
may be no fever at all. Other tests
must then be used to determine the
presence of activity. Special blood
tests and frequent X-rays of the
chest every two months) when
used together, provide the best
means of determining whether or
not a case is active.
Such careful and necessary
checking up of suspected activity
in a case Of T. B. can rarely be OBJ
tanned by worker. If he lives in
a large city, he will learn that the
health budget has been sharply
cut, so that X-rays can only be had
once or twice a year while he is
under observation. This, however,
is a luxury compared to the service
workers can obtain in the South,
where many counties completely
lack a health service of any kind;
where, because of lack Of hospital
and clinic facilities, the diagnosis
OF T. B. is made too late to help
the worker; where textile workers,
living on $S-$12 q week when at
work, have had to pay $25 for an
X-ray for the chest, taken In a city
% to so miles from the mill town.
The situation is far worse for the
Negroes OF the South. The death
rate for tuberculosis among all in
dustrial workers has risen In the
last few years.
Cigarette smoking, to the extent
Of about six cigarettes q day. does
no harm to the patient with tuber-
culosis, II he has no Inflammation
OF the larynx, and If smoking does
not cause attacks of coughins,
Bleed In the Urans
7. NJ, Boston, Mass.-It il dihnculs
- 10 make an exact diagnosis Of
your condition from the description
given.
Blood in the urine in a man OF
f1fty-four years, can come from sew
eral causes. You do not stats
whether or not there is difaculty in
passing urine. II this Is present,
your condition is probably due 10
either an enlarged prostate gland or
to stones in the bladder.
Tumors Of the kidney or a tuber-
cular kidney can likewise give the
symptoms your describe, In either
case, irrigations of the bladder will
do no good.
We would advise you to consult
either reliable physician or COM
petent clinic where you can be
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