Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease and is considered to be the most common of all these STD’s. Found in vaginal fluids and semen, it is a bacterial infection that infects approximately one in ten sexually active young people.

This disease is spread from one person to another via all types of sexual activity and can survive inside the cells of the urethra, cervix, rectum and on some occasions in the eyes and throat. Chlamydia can also be transferred from a pregnant mother to her baby. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot catch the disease from activities such as hugging, kissing, toilet seats, sharing of towels, plates, or cups.

The effects of Chlamydia in Women

There are no obvious symptoms and it is often described as the “silent infection” because of this. Women who catch Chlamydia may notice bleeding between periods, unusual vaginal discharge or lower abdominal pain. Men could notice a discharge from the tip of their penis, painful testicles or pain when urinating.

If Chlamydia is suspected in an individual, its important get tested quickly to diagnose the infection. Once diagnosed, the condition is easily treatable with antibiotics. There has been an influx of Chlamydia testing kits onto the market, but as yet these are still not accurate enough, so a medical diagnosis is vital.

Nearly everybody alive goes through a state of feeling sad, or what we normally call depressed, but this usually goes away after a time. Individuals that happen to have a depressive disorder, or what we know as clinical depression, tend to find that this interferes with their daily lives and routines.

Depression in Men

To give depression an official description, the MediLexicon’s Medical Dictionary states that: depression is “a mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation (or less frequently agitation), withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia.”

Depression in Women

There are many types of depressive disorders and these include dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder, psychotic depression, postpartum depression (which is normally referred to as postnatal depression), SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and bipolar disorder.

The symptoms and signs of depression are not clear-cut at all. Some symptoms that may be experienced by some individuals may not be had by others. Also, the severity of the illness all depends on the individual concerned and the type of depression they may have. Nevertheless, common symptoms experienced by sufferers of depression include the feeling of pessimism, sadness or anxiety; feelings of hopelessness, restlessness and irritability; loss of interest in pursuits, activities and sex, among other things; fatigue, loss of concentration and disturbed sleep; aches and pains, change of eating habits and sometimes even suicidal thoughts.

Depression and Heart Diseases

Restless legs can affect movement and sleep.  A person with restless legs has an uncontrollable urge to move their legs; the condition is more common in women and it is also known to affect people more as they age.

The severity of symptoms can vary from person to person.  Symptoms can be quite mild or very debilitating although it is not life threatening. These can include an urge to move the legs, disturbed sleep or trouble getting to sleep, uncontrolled jerking of the legs or unpleasant feelings deep in the legs.

Symptoms usually occur at night when the body is at rest.  People have described feelings like prickling itching or tingling which can be relieved momentarily by movement.

The two types of restless legs syndrome are primary restless syndrome and secondary restless leg syndrome.  Primary restless legs syndrome can begin at any age but usually occurs in early adulthood.  It occurs naturally and is usually mild to begin with but symptoms can increase and become more severe in later life.

Secondary restless legs syndrome is normally a result of another condition such as kidney failure, alcoholism, pregnancy or iron deficiency anemia.  Antidepressants and antipsychotics have also been known to worsen the symptoms.

Restless Legs

Lifestyle changes can help with mild cases of restless legs syndrome but for more severe cases this can be treated with a mixture of lifestyle changes and medication. Lifestyle changes can include avoiding caffeine, tobacco and alcohol, increasing exercise early in the day, creating a regular sleeping pattern and avoiding any medication which can increase symptoms. Taking a hot bath in the evening can also help to relieve symptoms as can stretching the limbs.