Effect of infrared belt and hot water bag on labor pain intensity among primiparous: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Labor pain is complex, paradoxical and varied in every parturient woman. Management of labor pain has been a crucial component in maternity care. Heat therapy is one of the proposed method for labor pain relief. Infrared is one of the methods of heat therapy but there is any study in this regard. This study aimed to compare the effect of the infrared belt and hot water bag on the severity of pain in the first stage of labor among primiparous women. METHODS: In this clinical trial in the first stage of labor, 20-min cycles of heat therapy were conducted at the dilations of 4-5 and 6-7 cm in the intervention group 1 by an infrared belt and in the intervention group 2 by hot water bag, respectively. The control group received routine care. The severity of the pain was measured by the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 136 women consented to participate in this clinical trial study. The mean score of pain intensity was significantly lower in the two intervention groups compared to the control group (P < 0.001). The mean pain intensity was significantly lower in the infrared belt group than in the hot water bag group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, heat therapy with an infrared belt reduced the severity of pain in the first stage of labor. The infrared belt could be used and recommended as a safe and effective pain relief in childbirth and maternity care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Iran Clinical Trial Center with the code of IRCT20190805044446N1 .

The Effects of Herbal Medicines on Women Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Sexual health plays an important role in women's health and quality of life. Sexual health management is a prerequisite for physical and psychological health of women. Sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm are three factors of female sexual response. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at the evaluation of the studies focusing on herbal medicine on women's sexual function and the assessment of its effectiveness. METHODS: So far, many different methods have been known for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction, however, none of them are not efficacious therapy. RESULTS: Generally, the use of herbal medicine is a safe and effective therapeutic method in the treatment of women with sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSION: The role of herbal and nutritional supplementation in female sexual function has attracted researchers' interest in recent years.

Effects of a food product (based on Daucus carota) and education based on traditional Persian medicine on female sexual dysfunction: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Globally, female sexual dysfunction is a serious concern based on negative family and social consequences, high side effects of medications and lack of effective treatment. Thus, the evaluation of treatment approach for this problem is an important priority for healthcare systems. Sexual life and its related disorders are considered the main aspects of a healthy lifestyle in traditional Persian medicine (TPM). OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to determine and compare the effects of food products containing Daucus carota, TPM-based training program, and a combination of these two interventions on the improvement of female sexual dysfunction. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 96 women with sexual dysfunction based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®), aged 18-35 years who referred to the Gynecology Clinic of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, during 2016 and 2017. The patients were randomly divided into three groups (n=32) and received the intervention over an eight-week period. The first group was provided with TPM-based sexual health training, the second group received 30 g of a traditional food product (wild carrot halva: mixed Daucus carota and several herbs with honey) on a daily basis, and the third group received a combination of this traditional food product plus education. Data analysis was performed using Chi square test, repeated measures ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, ANCOVA, post hoc Bonferroni, Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank test in SPSS version 11.5. RESULTS: According to the results of this study, there was a significant difference in terms of sexual desire (p=0.002), lubrication (p=0.002), orgasm (p=0.004) and pain (p<0.001) after eight weeks of the intervention among the three groups. CONCLUSION: The use of two interventions of TPM including a food product containing Daucus carota and this product with TPM-based education improved desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain in females with sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, TPM-based education alone, led to the improvement of all domains of sexual dysfunction, except for pain in the females with sexual dysfunction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the IRCT ID: IRCT2015122425681N1). FUNDING: The present study was supported by a grant from the Research Council, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran (ref. no.: 941503).

The Effects of Ozonated Olive Oil and Clotrimazole Cream for Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis.

Context • Vulvovaginal candidiasis is the most common infection of the vulvovagina, which manifests with itching, a burning sensation, and leucorrhea. Some infections have been reported to be tolerant to conventional treatments, especially in immunosuppressed patients. New studies have suggested that ozone, which is the allotropic form of oxygen, may have antifungal effects. Objective • The study intended to compare the effects of ozononated olive oil and clotrimazole in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Design • Patients were randomly assigned either to an ozone group or to a clotrimazole group in a randomized, controlled trial. Setting • The study took place in the Department of Gynecology of the School of Medicine at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Mashhad, Iran. Participants • Participants were 100 female patients who had been referred to the women's gynecology clinic at the Omolbanin and Ghaem Hospitals and who had confirmed vulvovaginal candidiasis. Intervention • Patients in the ozone group were treated with ozonated olive oil or those in the clotrimazole group were treated with clotrimazole for 7 d. Outcome Measures • Patients were evaluated through an interview and a paraclinical examination at baseline and postintervention. The study measured changes in itching, burning, and leucorrhea using a questionnaire that patients completed at the end of the study and determined the presence of an infection with vaginal candidiasis through a culture both before acceptance into the study and after the treatments, if accepted. Results • Ozone and clotrimazole both reduced symptoms significantly and led to a negative culture for vaginal candidiasis (P < .05). No significant differences existed between the 2 groups in their effects on the symptom of itching and leucorrhea and on the results of the culture (P > .05). However, clotrimazole decreased the burning sensation significantly more than did ozone (P < .05). Conclusions • Considering the potential efficacy of ozonated olive oil in the improvement of the clinical and paraclinical aspects of treatment of patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis, the research team suggests that the treatment can be an effective topical treatment for those patients.